Mea culpa. I conceived last week's theme as "guilt and apology" only to muddy the waters by throwing in regret, which sent readers scurrying down numerous blind alleys and left me with a heap of recommendations that interpreted the theme so broadly that it became meaningless. The final 10 should give you an idea of what I was really after. At least a good rule of thumb emerged from the discussion: if you're wondering whether a suggestion is too vague to qualify, then assume it is.
I also regretted more than usual the 500-word limit on the column. With more space, I would have quoted that fantastic Butthole Surfers/Orbital sample ("Well son, the funny thing about regret is that it's better to regret something you have done than to regret something you haven't done"), reflected on Morrissey's almost psychopathic lack of remorse for anything (the title of I'm Not Sorry should be written on his gravestone), noted the paralysing guilt that informs Joy Division's Closer, and laughed heartily at the title of Robert Palmer's I Didn't Mean to Turn You On.
And if I were to stoop so low as to post my own recommendations under an alias, I would have remedied three shameful omissions: Bobby Paris's northern soul heartwrencher I Walked Away, Depeche Mode's Halo ("You wear guilt like shackles round your feet/Like a halo in reverse") and the Geto Boys' Mind Playing Tricks on Me, not just the greatest self-questioning gangsta rap record ever made but one of the few hip hop records I'd recommend to absolutely anybody.
And so to the B-list: Johnny Cash (Hung My Head), the Violent Femmes (Country Death Song), Brenda Lee (I'm Sorry), the Impressions (My Deceiving Heart), Scott Walker (Angelica), the Dixie Chicks (Not Ready to Make Nice), the Decemberists (Apology Song), All Saints (Never Ever), Randy Newman (Guilty), Joni Mitchell (River) and Beck (Nobody's Fault But My Own).
Right then. This week, a topic that should lead to no confusion: trains. I need say no more than that, except to point out that we've already had Midnight Train to Georgia and Black Diamond Express to Hell Part 1. Finally, further to last week's discussion, I love the idea of a blog, Facebook group or other discussion forum independent of the Guardian column but I don't currently have the time to put it into action. Naturally, I feel very guilty.
Make tracks for the A-Z and Readers Recommend archive. Deadline is midday on Monday. All aboard.
