I usually don't pay much mind to "desert island" lists, but M. Ace of Irregular Orbit has impeccable taste, and his selection is one I would be happy to take with me on a long trip to nowhere.
The Velvet Underground and Nico (Verve) A common choice, I know, but there it is. The original primer of anti-rock rock (or something like that), this includes balanced helpings of all the sides of their sound, from the grindy to the pretty to the droney to the damaged. You can always find at least one song on here that fits your mood of the moment. And if you buy a copy, you will start a band. It's a fact.
Help! – The Beatles (Parlophone) This album falls on the trailing edge of their original Beatlemania phase and the beginning of their brief folk-rock/art-pop phase (a phase I wish had lasted a little longer before they went pepperdelic). A nice place to be. I'll have an extra helping of Rickenbacker 12-string jangle, please.
Rumble! The Best of Link Wray (Rhino) Link Wray is the man who showed us how to operate an electric guitar like a switchblade. His sharp rock 'n' roll instrumentals still sound brand new.
