We have traversed a third of the globe, armed only by a dozen CDs. This is the type of feat that would drive weaker men to insanity. Luckily, we have had a wide variety of music to ease the kilometers between London and Ulaanbaatar. Some notable donors, including Roberta's dad and Keenan, have helped entertain us.

So, with our impending arrival in Mongolia's capital city, it is our delight to announce the best and worst CDs of our journey. The Worst

When each member of the team was queried on what album was the worst, their answer was nearly unanimous.

In Edinburgh, just hours after Roberta had declared a hatred for eighties music, the team entered a charity shop. Here, Hans' eye fell immediately on a collection of 80s songs by Duran Duran. While Shane distracted his wife with guile that few men possess, Hans purchased said CD for two pounds.

It was perhaps the best two quid spent on the trip.

However, aside from Girls on Film and Rio, the album had no redeeming qualities. Roberta would argue the album had no redeeming qualities, full stop.

But these two anthems were played with glee whenever Roberta was far enough away from the stereo to interfere with music selections.

On the other hand, the CD was attempted to be traded for anything. In Romania, Roberta attempted to get a disco CD from a peddler on the street by trading the CD. The scheme failed. Duran Duran wad the only CD we actively attempted to ditch, until, on the shores of the Aral Sea, Roberta finally rid herself of the album.

This meant no more beginning days with Girls on Film. Small sacrifices must be made for team moral.

(Note that Shane did attempt to vote Richie Hawtin's brilliant minimal techno album Sound of the Third Season as worst CD. He did switch over to Duran Duran after reconsideration. Perhaps in penance for distracting his wife while the disc was acquired.)

The Best

The winning album of the trip came out as a tie between Gunther's seminal album Pleasureman and Keenan's compilation of Hungarian Techno.

Gunther

For Hans, Pleasureman is close to his heart. Senior year of college, he missed Gunther's concert at Brown. Luckily, the next summer, while leading a trip of impressionable tweens down the Saco river in Maine, he listened to the album non-stop for three days. His co-counselor had foresight to bring such an epic album on the trip.

For Shane and Roberta, who had apparently been avoiding society during Gunther's short time in the international spotlight, Pleasureman was a new and delightful discovery.

In fact, the album, a short and sweet collection of Euro EDM with provocative lyrics, is deeper than an initial listening bellies.

Hans is of the (perhaps minority) opinion that Gunther's music is purely satirical. The dizzying dance beats and over-the-top words parody pop music of the early naughties.

Gunther could have released his pithy album and left it at that. However, like other great geniuses that came before him, he went deeper. The lyrics hold countless philosophical opinions. In track 11, he sings:

I don't love you because you're beautiful, You're beautiful because I love you.

Hidden behind the initial douchy-ness of this couplet, Gunther asks a critical aesthetic question: is beauty objective and universal, or does beauty come subjectively, imposed on a person or thing because another being considers them beautiful?

One could argue that this level of philosophic thought puts Pleasureman up there with other intellectual albums, like works by the Beatles and Pink Floyd.

Others might argue that the team has been stuck in a car for too long with not enough music if the start philosophizing about Gunther.

Hungarian Techno

An album of random Hungarian Techno was provided by Keenan's as one of four albums he contributed. (Imagine, one man controlled nearly a third of what the team listened to during hundreds of hours behind the wheel).

This album quickly became a favorite. Techno is good driving music. It doesn't easily get stuck in your head, and makes the miles flow by. However, minimal techno proved too cerebrial and academic for a third of the team. So, Hungarian Techno, with its driving bass beat and approachable singing, became an instant hit.

We know that this CD is a favorite, since, although we lost it weeks ago, every driver still requests it when listing their preference of music for the co-pilot to play.

Advice to Future Teams

Bring more music. What I wouldn't give for a good pressing of Bizet's opera Carmen, Miles David's haunting Hitches Brew, Daft Punk's Get Lucky, U2's Joshua Tree, or anything by Pink Floyd.