Tayster's World of Music

LISTENING TO: JOHN DENVER & THE MUPPETS

2007-12-13T12:34:00.000-07:00

One of my all-time favorite Christmas CDs is "A Christmas Together" by John Denver & The Muppets.

Actually, scratch that. It is my all-time favorite Christmas CD.

I have listened to this CD (and before that, the record) more times than I have listened to almost any other album. (The exceptions being "5150", "The Stranger", "Gordon", "Pyromania" and "Dark Side of the Moon".)

When I was a kid, my sister had this record and we would listen to it over and over again. And every time we would listen, we would laugh at the little things that make the Muppets the classics that they are.

Gonzo: ♫ "Now bring us some figgy pudding..." ♫
Miss Piggy: "Piggy pudding."
Gonzo: "No, FIGGY pudding. It's made with figs."
Miss Piggy: "Oh."
Gonzo: (under his breath) "And bacon."
Miss Piggy: "WHAT?"

If you don't own this CD, do yourself a favor and go purchase it. You won't be disappointed.

Track Listing:

1. Twelve Days Of Christmas
2. The Peace Carol
3. Christmas Is Coming
4. A Baby Just Like You
5. Deck The Halls
6. Noel: Christmas Eve, 1913
7. The Christmas Wish
8. Medley
9. Silent Night, Holy Night
10. We Wish You A Merry Christmas

WHY WE LOVE GUILTY PLEASURES

2007-04-16T13:00:00.000-06:00

Let's face it. There are some songs that go against everything we hold sacred in music and yet, for some reason that can't be explained, we listen to them on a regular basis.

For instance, "Larger Than Life" by the Backstreet Boys.

I know that the Boys are nothing but high-paid karaoke stars, yet whenever I hear this song, I crank it up to full volume and sing along like I'm one of them.

Which reminds me of a story.

When I was a DJ at a local bar here in Salt Lake (yes, Salt Lake has bars), there was a Metalhead regular that complained that I didn't play enough Metallica. (Gee, I don't know why. It's so easy to dance to "Master of Puppets".)

At the time, the Backstreet Boys were one of the top requests I would get every night. Whenever I played "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)", this guy would jump around on the dance floor like he was having a seizure.

And the guy wasn't even drunk.

I can't explain it, nor can I explain why I have this urge to listen to the extremely foul & fairly talentless Insane Clown Posse.

I'm sure you all feel the same way with your guilty pleasures.

Rob - the same guy who had an Ozzy-inspired upside cross on his Levi jacket in the previous post - put the following on his list:

Barry Manilow
John Denver

Don't feel bad, Rob. I think deep down inside of everyone, there's a little bit of Barry Manilow. How could there not be? Early in his career he wrote television jingles - "Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there", "You deserve a break today" "I am stuck on a Band-Aid". For a television jingle to be effective, it needs to stick in your head for years. For this reason, it's only natural that we sing out "Looks Like We Made It" or "Copacabana" on occasion.

In fact, out of the fifteen people that responded to my email asking for guilty pleasures, thirteen of them mentioned Barry. The other two were just afraid to admit it.

Right there with Barry is a whole slew of girl bands: Go-Go's, Bananarama, Spice Girls, Pussycat Dolls and The Bangles.

And how could we forget The Veronicas?

RadioActive Jam - who happens to be a grandpa - is almost bragging when he talks about The Veronicas on his blog. Here is what he wrote to me:

I can honestly say I've listened to their CD more than any other album in my life. Which I think is weird, and maybe a little scary but harmless just the same. It's not that they're the world's most awesome band, though they *are* good; I don't really know why I listened to them day after day, for months.

With the girl bands, solo acts like Britney, Christina, Mandy and Jessica all have closet fans.

Another very popular type of music that was mentioned by most of you was 80's Hair Spray Rock:

Poison
Warrant
Ratt
Cinderella
Twisted Sister
Whitesnake
Quiet Riot
Bon Jovi

I think the love for guilty pleasures is the only explanation why the "Macarena" was Number One on the Billboard charts for FOURTEEN WEEKS!

At least, I hope that's the reason.

WHY WE LOVE GUITAR ROCK

2007-03-29T08:54:00.000-06:00

The time I burned my guitar it was like a sacrifice. You sacrifice the things you love. I love my guitar. -Jimi Hendrix

Once I picked up an electric guitar, I lost interest in piano, and I just wanted to rock. - Juliana Hatfield

There are a lot of legends and folklore in rock music:

Ozzy threw puppies out to audience members and told them to kill them or there wouldn't be a show
Marilyn Manson is the goofy-looking kid from "The Wonder Years"...or was it the kid from "Mr. Belvedere"?
Elvis Presley - and 2Pac Shakur - are still alive

One of the most famous stories told is about guitarist Robert Johnson. According to legend, Johnson met up with the devil at the crossroads one night and sold his soul to learn to play the guitar. (This is referenced in the movie O Brother Where Art Thou and slightly tweaked for the Charlie Daniels hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia.")

Whether it's true or not is not important. The simple fact that there is a man that may have actually sold his soul to learn to play guitar is fascinating. I think it speaks volumes about what kind of affect guitar rock has on all of us.

The band that made me want to be in a rock band was Def Leppard. (See the story here.) In fact, Def Leppard was the reason I started doing this "Why We Love Music" series in the first place. Their CD, Yeah!, which contains covers of all the different glam rockers of the 70's inspired me. In the liner notes - one of the many reasons why you should still buy CDs instead of just downloading MP3 - the boys in Def Lep tell the reasons behind each song they covered. As a self-described music geek, I ate this up and decided to see what songs have truly inspired regular people.

And guitar rock is one of those inspirations.

I remember, as a kid, watching old TV clips of the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. I remember seeing the girls scream and faint and cry. I thought then, "Why are they crying? Those girls are whacked!"

Years later I was at a Van Halen concert. When the lights went down to signal the concert was about to begin, the crowd went nuts. Lights flashed on the stage as Alex Van Halen sat at his drums and Michael Anthony - with his Jack Daniels-shaped bass guitar - took his place on stage.

Just then, a lone guitar wailed. Before I could catch my breath, Eddie Van Halen and Sammy Hagar both came running out from opposite sides of the stage - both playing the guitar intro to Sammy's "Only One Way to Rock."

I screamed like a little girl and had to hold the tears back.

Thom wrote the following:

VH was my first big rock infatuation. The musicianship coupled with the showmanship totally blew my 14-year-old mind.

Brett wrote:

Isn’t it amazing how a familiar tune can change the whole perspective of a day? Just like smelling just the right combination of flowers and fresh air takes me back to playing in the fields behind my house as a kid, I can’t hear "Hot for Teacher" without deep-seated memories of high school returning in full detail. Memories that took years of counseling to remove in the first place, I might add.

Aleisha had this to say:

I remember watching the "Hot for Teacher" video on MTV. Maybe that is why I am teaching now.

But it's not all about Van Halen. Many of you have written to me and informed me that groups like AC/DC, Rush, Aerosmith and Styx have had some sort of influence on you. Also mentioned were guitar players like Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Steve Stevens, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Randy Rhoads.

Randy Rhoads - for those that don't know - was Ozzy's guitar player after he left Black Sabbath. (NOTE: Randy also formed the group Quiet Riot.) The team of Ozzy & Randy was one of the best, arguably ranking up there with Page/Plant, Jagger/Richards, Tyler/Perry.

Alan wrote to me:

The first time I heard "Crazy Train", I felt like I had been hit in the stomach by something powerful.

Rob said this about Ozzy:

Ozzy carried me through the angry teen years with style. I got in plenty of trouble putting a lighted LED upside down cross into my jacket. I was also busted for carving out a math book to hide a walkman and speakers in and cranking "Shot in the Dark" in back of the bleachers.

Guitar has such an amazing effect on people. I mean, as far as I know, it's the only instrument that officially has an air equivalent.

Although, I do admit that I play a mean "dashboard piano" while I'm listening to Billy Joel's "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" in the car, but that's for another post.

WHY WE LOVE NOVELTY MUSIC

2007-03-22T12:45:00.000-06:00

As most of you know, I'm a DJ. It's what I've wanted to do since I was kid. There were many DJs that I would say influenced me to follow this dream - which is a topic by itself - but I would dare say that Dr. Demento is towards the top of that list.

I loved to listen to the Dr. Demento Show. Every Sunday night at 10:00 - one hour after I was supposed to be asleep - I would grab my portable radio with headphones and tune in to Rock 103.

The DJ who was going off the air would read the following advisory:

"Dr. Demento is a nationally syndicated show. The management and advertisers of Rock 103 do not necessarily sanction or promote the material contained in the Dr. Demento Show."

At that point, the Doctor himself would say, "Good evening..." and I would hunker down under the covers and prepare for two hours of hilarious songs and comedians.

I was not the only kid at school doing this. Every Monday morning at school, you could tell which kids stayed up until Midnight to hear the "Funny Five".

People like Spike Jones, Tom Lehrer and Alan Sherman all became part of my regular listening.

And then there was Weird Al Yankovic.

For many, Weird Al is synonymous with parody. There is no one in the business that does a better parody - most of the time with the original artist's blessing - than Weird Al.

When Al was thinking about doing a parody of Nirvana's "Smell Like Team Spirit", he asked Kurt Cobain if he could do it.

"Is it about food?" asked Cobain.
"No, it's about how your lyrics are hard to understand," replied Al.
"Cool," said Cobain

When I asked you to send in your influences, Weird Al made the list more than groups like The Beatles or Led Zeppelin.

Thom (AKA Stabbim), bass player from the band Sons of Nothing, wrote the following:

The first album I ever bought with my own money was Al's In 3-D. He hit at just the right time and in just the right way to completely hook me, and to this day still has my undying fan loyalty.

He's also, as I was not to find out until over a decade after first becoming a fan of his music, one of the best Rock & Roll frontmen I have ever seen. Seriously. That someone so fantastically talented deliberately makes a living by creating such silly, whimsical art instead of taking themselves or life all that seriously puts what I do to shame, and always will.

Trav the Movie Man - a sort of "Rain Man" when it comes to movies - had this to say about Weird Al:

Dare to Be Stupid is the only Weird Al tape I ever had to replace from wearing it out. This became the tape I would play billions of times in my walkman at night while on long overnight roadtrips while my dad drove across Indian reservations, Kansas, and the like.

Mike, a mime/stand-up comedian, had this to say:

The first time I saw the "Eat It" video, I knew that I wanted to do something like that for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, I can't sing, but I'll be damned if I didn't try a number of times.

But it's not just Weird Al that has fans' undying love. I did an All-Request show on the radio and I would say about 75% of the requests were for songs like "The Streak" by Ray Stevens, "Spiders & Snakes" by Jim Stafford, "Leader of the Laundromat" by the Detergents and of course, "My Ding-A-Ling" by Chuck Berry. (FACT: The only Number One hit by Chuck Berry was...you guessed it..."My Ding-A-Ling" in 1972.)

Yep, novelty songs have a place in music history. They can have an influence on people just as much as anything else.

And not just for 12-year-old boys sitting under their covers listening to Dr. Demento.

WHY WE LOVE MUSIC: THE INTRODUCTION

2007-03-20T11:58:00.000-06:00

I am a self-described music geek. It started back with Sesame Street. I loved to sing along with Cookie Monster as he taught us that "C is for Cookie".

That's good enough for me.

My older siblings all were into music. I used to borrow their records and sit in my room and listen to them on my Fisher Price record player.

In 1979, I asked for a tape recorder for Christmas.

Along with that, I received two cassette tapes: the Muppet Movie Soundtrack from my brother, Martin and the Grease Soundtrack from my sister, Barbara.

I listened to those tapes all the time. I knew every song in it's entirety. I knew how long of a space was between each song. I listened to them so many times that I had to replace them both long before the invention of CDs.

And then there was Billy Joel's The Stranger. My oldest brother, Bob, listened to Billy Joel all the time and he had two copies of The Stranger on vinyl, so he gave me one. (I think the one he gave me was from an old girlfriend, but I wasn't going to complain.)

By that time, my stereo had been upgraded to a Sears brand record player/tape player/AM FM Radio.

I wore that record out.

A few years later for Christmas, my grandma decided to give me some money instead of socks. I was so excited because I already knew what I was going to buy with it: Def Leppard's Pyromania.

I remember it like it was yesterday. I walked into Disc Jockey Records with ten bucks in my hand and found both the cassette and vinyl of Pyromania. I remember trying to figure out which one I was going to buy and decided to go with the vinyl because, I argued, vinyl outlived 8-Track tapes and they would probably outlive cassettes also.

(A few years later, after wearing out the vinyl, I purchased Pyromania on cassette...TWICE...and then finally on CD. It still is the only album that I have on vinyl, tape & CD.)

My music collection has grown drastically since then. At last count, I own over 5,000 CDs and I haven't even counted my records and tapes for years.

So what is this all about? Why am I telling you all this?

For the next few weeks, I am going to do some serious writing about why we love music.

What is it about music that causes us to get up and move?
What is it about classic rock that causes grown men to play air guitar?
What is it about music that we grew up with that makes it so much better than today's music?

These are the things that I'm going to be writing about. But a lot more than that.

I'm asking you, the reader, to send in your feelings and ideas.

What kind of music inspires you and why? If you were being interviewed on MTV as a famous rock star, who would you say were your major influences?

I want to hear from you. Email me at musicinmypants at gmail dot com

I'm not trying to start arguments about who the greatest bands of all-time are, nor am I asking for you to try to convince me of the greatness of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I just want to know your feelings and thoughts on music.

I think this is gonna be great.

SOUNDTRACK OF MY LIFE: 1972

2007-02-05T12:33:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, I will be turning 35. I don't really have any feelings about it one way or the other, I just see it as another birthday.

I have, however, decided to make a list of 35 Songs from every year I've been alive. I will post these periodically throughout the year, until I am able to find 35 songs in 2007.

Oh yeah, just so you know, these songs are not what I consider to be the Greatest Songs of that Year. What it does contain is my history; songs that were influential to me for a variety of reasons or songs that just bring back good memories.

I have tried to include the reasons why each song is included on the list, but some songs are on there just because I like them.

One more thing. The songs that I picked for each year are based on a number of factors including Billboard charts, rock encyclopedias, album release dates, single release dates and certain websites. I have tried to put the songs in the correct years, but some may be a year off. I'm only saying this because I know someone out there is going to try to correct me. So before you waste your time, don't.

Now without any further ado, let's star with...

1972

The year I was born. A lot of great songs were released in 1972. Granted, it took me a few years before I started to recognize the songs, but once I started listening to music, I never stopped.

A Horse With No Name by America

I didn't know it when it came out, but this would eventually be the first song I would ever learn to play on the guitar.

American Pie by Don McLean

I didn't know Buddy Holly when I first heard this song. Granted, I had probably heard a few of his songs, but I had no idea who he was and what an influence to musicians he was at the time.

Even when I heard "American Pie" I had no idea it was about Buddy Holly, but I did know that whoever Don McLean was singing about, meant something to him.

This eight and half minute epic needs to be read to be fully understood. Check out Jim Fann's interpretation of American Pie. It's quite extensive.

Burning Love by Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley was the King from March 1956 until about October 1962, with 17 Number One Hits. Then music started to change. The English bands were starting to make themselves known and the Beatles were ready to take the world by storm.

Ten years later, an older, more mature Elvis hit the charts - Number 2 - with a song called "Burning Love". It would be his final Top Ten hit, but it just proved that the King was not dead.

Five years later, when he passed away, I was five-years-old. I didn't know a lot about him at the time, but I knew that the world lost a King.

Changes by David Bowie

I have to admit, my introduction to David Bowie was "Under Pressure". Sure, I knew that he sang songs before that, but the first time I actually remember putting a name to the voice was on "Under Pressure". (Hey, it could be worse. I could know him as the guy in Labyrinth.)

Anyway, after hearing that song, I decided to check out the rest of his songs, I just didn't know where to start.

I listened to a classic rock station at the time (Rock 103!) and I would call them and ask them to play Bowie. (Believe it or not, there was a time in radio where you could actually request songs.) I didn't have any song titles, I just wanted to hear anything by the man, because I figured the DJ would pick the best stuff.

The song that I heard was "Changes" and the DJ (Barry Moll, I think) said "Here's some requested David Bowie." I listened closely because I felt that I owed it to the DJ.

I was totally blown away!

Not only with the song, but the fact that I called a radio station and the guy played a song for me.

That was my first step in wanting to work in radio for a living.

Could it Be I’m Falling In Love by The Spinners

Day After Day by Badfinger

I think it's fair to say that Badfinger had one of the worst runs of bad luck than any other band in rock music. (Def Leppard comes close, though.)

In 1970, Pete Ham & Tom Evans wrote a song called "Without You". That song would - two years later - become a Number One hit for Harry Nilsson (see below) and later, a Number Three Hit for Mariah Carey.

About the same time, their group, Badfinger, was one of the first groups to sign on the Beatles' Apple label.

From there, luck kept going their way. They helped John Lennon on his Imagine album, Paul McCartney asked them to sing a song for the Peter Sellers movie, The Magic Christian, they had three singles hit the Top Ten, with George Harrison produced "Day After Day" breaking the Top Five.

Yep, everything was going perfect.

Then they realized that Apple was going under. The band signed a contract with Warner Bros., but their songs were on the Apple label. After the Apple label went under, the royalties of their songs were tied up in legal matters, costing the band thousands of dollars.

By 1974, they were in debt and the lawyers were still working out the situation. Pete Ham, seeing that he would never get anything he had coming to him, hung himself in April 1975.

The troubles for the surviving band members continued until November 1983, when Tom Evans hanged himself, also.

The band will never know how much of an influence they had a guy in Salt Lake City, Utah. They would have no idea that, when he was trying to get his child to sleep, he would sometimes sing:

I remember holding you while you sleep
Everyday I feel the tears that you weep
Looking out of my lonely gloom day after day
Bring it home baby make it soon
I give my love to you

Do It Again by Steely Dan

STUPID FACT: One of the early versions of this band was called "The Leather Canary". The drummer at this time was actor Chevy Chase.

Steely Dan is one of those bands that people often confuse as being a person.

"Steely Dan? Yeah, I love his songs."

The simple fact of the matter is, there's not even a Dan in the group. There's a Donald (Fagen) and a Walter (Becker), but no Steely and no Dan. (Truth is, they got their name from a book called "Naked Lunch".)

Do It Again was their first big hit. I don't know if I have any big memories with this song except that whenever I hear it on the radio, my stereo is turned up and suddenly I am singing my guts out with the band.

Eric the Half a Bee by Monty Python

I love Monty Python. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to this skit/song. In fact, I go by the name of "Eric Chase" on one of the radio stations I work for and I use this quite a bit.

Do yourself a favor, find this - complete with the skit that precedes the song - and laugh until your sides hurt.

Everything I Own by Bread

My brother played guitar. I remember back when I was younger that he used to play a lot of Cat Stevens, James Taylor, John Denver and Bread.

He probably played a lot more, but those are the artists that I associate with his guitar-playing.

The lyrics of "Everything I Own" are amazing. While a lot of people use it as their wedding song, it was actually written - according to David Gates - for his dad after he had passed away.

This is one of the few songs that I've been trying to teach my daughters to like so they will choose it as the "Daddy/Daughter" dance at their weddings.

About 35 years from now.

Heart of Gold by Neil Young

Hold Your Head Up by Argent

I Can See Clearly Now by Johnny Nash

I liked this song long before they used it in the opening scene of Grosse Pointe Blank, but that sealed the deal.

I'll Take You There by Staple Singers

Joy by Apollo 100

Layla by Derek and The Dominos

Lean On Me by Bill Withers

Let’s Stay Together by Al Green

I almost feel like this list was picked after I watched a Tarantino festival.

If I had could only pick 18 songs to be on burned compilation CD, and then that CD would be the only CD I would ever own, you better believe that this song would be on there.

Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) by The Hollies

I always thought this was Creedence Clearwater Revival. In fact, when I was 13 or 14, I bought the Creedence Chronicles cassette tape from Columbia House Record Club, assuming that it would include this song. Needless to say, I was very disappointed when I didn't find it on the cassette.

Never Been To Spain by Three Dog Night

The only reason I even started liking this song is because I heard Elvis sing it on the Madison Square Garden concert.

STUPID FACT: This song was written by Hoyt Axton, who also wrote "Joy to the World". His mom, Mae Axton, co-wrote "Heartbreak Hotel."

Nights In White Satin by Moody Blues

When I was younger, I used to listen to a morning radio show called "Jon & Dan". They used to play a fake commercial called "Arnold Sings the Beatles."

In the commercial - a parody of K-Tel ads where they sell useless compilations - the announcer would talk and then you'd hear an Arnold impersonator singing along with the Beatles.

It continued to say that if you called now, you'd also get "Arnold Sings the Doobies" and "Arnold Sings the Moody Blues."

At that point, the Arnold would say "Breathe deep the gathering gloom, Watch lights fade from every room".

Every time I heard it, I would laugh.

Oh Girl by The Chi-Lites

Peaceful, Easy Feeling by The Eagles

When I was teaching myself to play the guitar - the thirteenth time - I really wanted to learn this song. I kept getting stuck on the chord where it says, "I got a peaceful, easy feeling." I would play the chord and sing, "I got a pea..." and then I would screw-up the chord and go back. "I got a pea..."

About this time, I noticed that my wife was laughing. I had been so focused on trying to get the chord, I had no idea why she was laughing."Why do you keep saying that you gotta pee?" she asked.

I still can't listen to this song without thinking of that.

Rocket Man by Elton John

Rocky Mountain High by John Denver

A lot of my music influence comes from my older brothers & sister. My sister loved John Denver almost as much as she loved Barry Manilow.

While there are plenty of John Denver songs that I can honestly say I love, this is probably my all-time favorite.

Saturday In The Park by Chicago

School’s Out by Alice Cooper

Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple

Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin

One of my favorite parts in Wayne's World was when Wayne went to the guitar store to check out "Excalibur", the Fender strat that he had his eye on.

As he was about to break into song, the clerk points to a sign that says "No Stairway to Heaven."

Wayne looks at the camera and says, "No Stairway. Denied."

I think every guy who has ever picked up a guitar laughed at that, knowing that we all learned to play guitar for one simple reason: To play "Stairway to Heaven."

Interesting Fact: This song never hit the Top 40 in the United States, yet if you ask most people to name a Led Zeppelin song, this would be the one they would name.

Stuck in the Middle by Stealers Wheel

Joe Egan and Gerry Rafferty were a duo known as Stealers Wheel when they recorded this Dylanesque, pop, bubble-gum favorite...as K-Billy's Super Sounds of the Seventies continues."

I liked this song even before it showed up in Reservoir Dogs. I think my first attraction to it was because the group's name was "Stealers Wheel" and being a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, that made me want to like them.

But the song is quite catchy and I also am a big fan of Rafferty's work. ("Baker Street" and "Right Down the Line" will be on later lists.)

Superstition by Stevie Wonder

It's a trip, it's got a funky beat and I can bug out to it!

Taxi by Harry Chapin

Harry Chapin is one of the greatest storytelling songwriters of all-time. Unlike a lot of songs that are a bunch of words put together in a poetic form, Harry's songs have a beginning, a middle and an end.

Interesting thing about this song. I never really loved it until I went to see Mandy Patinkin in concert. Sure, I had heard it many times before that, but I didn't actually listen to this song until I was sitting there, listening to Mandy tell the story of two former lovers that meet again later in life.

The Cover of the Rolling Stone by Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show

Let's be honest here. Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show were not what you'd call "magazine cover worthy."

But I think that is what makes this song work. Well, that and the tongue-in-cheek lyrics that mock a lot of the stupid things the artists of the 60's were doing.

Even though this song was released in 1972, it didn't actually hit the charts until February 1973. One month later, the band finally made the cover of Rolling Stone.

(Stupid Fact: This song was written by children's poet Shel Silverstein. Shel also wrote "A Boy Named Sue" which was made famous by Johnny Cash.)

Walk on the Wild Side by Lou Reed

I had heard this song quite a few times on the classic rock station that I used to listen to, but I never really got into it until it was used on a commercial for the Honda Scooter.

Without You by Nilsson

We're going to pretend that this is the only version of this song that you have ever heard. As far as we're concerned, Mariah Carey never sang it and Air Supply definitely didn't sing it.

(I will, however, give credit to Heart, but that's just because I wanted to marry Ann or Nancy when I was younger.)

You Don’t Mess Around With Jim by Jim Croce

Like so many before him, Jim Croce died before he could really become a star. And also - like many before him - his death was due to a plane crash.

Four simple rules are found in this song:

Don't tug on Superman's cape
Don't spit into the wind
Don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger
Don't mess around with Jim

Whenever I hear this song on the "Oldies" station, I find myself singing along.

Listening to...Guns N' Roses: Use Your Illusion I

2007-01-19T07:10:00.000-07:00

(Find the best price Here)

I first heard this album when I was on my mission.

I know. A missionary listening to G-N-R is blasphemy, but I really couldn't help it. It was played everywhere we went. There was a Saturday TV show in Chile called "Sabado Tequila". Basically it was like "Friday Night Videos" that I had grown up with. The show would play the most popular music videos every week. The big echoed voice of the host could be heard every Saturday afternoon from almost every house that we visited.

It was on "Sabado Tequila" that I first saw the "November Rain" video.

Now, I had liked Guns N' Roses before that, but after hearing that song, G-N-R made me an even bigger fan.

Electric guitars + an orchestra = Classic

(Of course, having Stephanie Seymour in the music video was also a selling point.)

Now, there are two volumes of "Use Your Illusion" but this one is my favorite. Not only does it include the previously mentioned "November Rain", it has a cover of Paul McCartney's "Live & Let Die" (you know I'm a sucker for covers), a cameo appearance by Alice Cooper on "The Garden", the original version of "Don't Cry" and a break-up song called "You Ain't the First" which includes these classic lyrics:

You was just a temporary lover
Honey you ain't the first
Lots of others came before you woman
Said but you been the worst

And then there's the very Black Sabbath-esque "Coma". Easily one of the best songs in this band's library.

Track Listing

1. "Right Next Door to Hell"
2. "Dust N' Bones"
3. "Live and Let Die"
4. "Don't Cry (Original)"
5. "Perfect Crime"
6. "You Ain't The First"
7. "Bad Obsession"
8. "Back Off Bitch"
9. "Double Talkin' Jive"
10. "November Rain"
11. "The Garden" (featuring Alice Cooper)
12. "Garden Of Eden"
13. "Don't Damn Me"
14. "Bad Apples"
15. "Dead Horse"
16. "Coma"

Tayster's Rating (Out of Four):

ALBUM OF THE DAY: SPIRIT OF AMERICA

2005-10-21T07:33:00.000-06:00

I tried to avoid posting Greatest Hits here. I think it's fair to say that most Greatest Hits are pretty good, since they're a compilation of the greatest work of the artist.

But I really couldn't ignore this album.

I actually had this on 8-Track and I wore the thing out. Of course, it didn't take much for an 8-Track to wear out, as I'm sure anyone will tell you.

When I'm in the mood to listen to the Beach Boys, I pick this album over all their other stuff because it has my two favorite Beach Boys' songs on it: "Custom Machine" and "Don't Back Down."

Plus it has the song "Salt Lake City". When I was a kid, I thought it was so cool that the same guys who sang "Surfin' U.S.A." sang about my hometown. Granted, it's not a really great song, but it's about my city.

ALBUM OF THE DAY: FAITH

2005-10-20T12:02:00.000-06:00

Do you want to hear a story? As I mentioned earlier, I was semi-famous in seventh grade due to my Lip-Synch of Chicago.

Well, I was at a school dance and my friends were daring me to ask a cheerleader to dance. I picked my target (who I will call Laurie J.) and when "Careless Whisper" by Wham! was playing, I took the walk and asked her to dance.

"Hi Laurie," I said.

She looked at me like I had toads growing out of my ears.

"Would you like to dance?" I asked, hoping that she couldn't sense the fear.

She smiled at me and said, "I have to go to the restroom," and walked away.

From that moment on, I promised myself that I would never listen to another Wham! song again.

I only relive this horrible moment in my life to prove a point. I forgave George Michael. It wasn't his fault that Laurie was a mean cow and probably living a sad pitiful life with fifteen cats and no one to love.

Not that I'm bitter. I have a great wife and kids, but as a seventh grader, it hurt bad.

Anyway, Faith is a great album with a number of great songs, my personal favorite being "Kissing a Fool."

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go see my therapist.

SORRY FOR THE LACK OF POSTS

2005-10-12T13:27:00.000-06:00

I'm going to start doing this again, so please check back often.

ALBUM OF THE DAY: LICENSED TO ILL

2005-09-19T09:04:00.000-06:00

I love this album more than most in my collection, but the main reason I'm posting it today is because of the Pirate references in the song "Rhymin' & Stealin'":

Because mutiny on the bounty's what we're all about
I'm gonna board your ship and turn it on out
No soft sucker with a parrot on his shoulder
'Cause I'm bad gettin' bolder - cold getting colder
Terrorizing suckers on the seven seas
And if you've got beef - you'll get capped in the knees
We got sixteen men on a dead man's chest
And I shot those suckers and I'll shoot the rest

(I think this was the first...and only...time in history where a pirate mentions getting "capped in the knees.")

We got maidens and wenches - man they're on the ace
Captain Bly is gonna die when we break his face

Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day!!!

ALBUM OF THE DAY: RAISING HELL

2005-09-14T06:44:00.000-06:00

My father took me to the mall to buy this cassette. He waited in the car while I ran in and bought it. We went home and I listened to it over & over again, and that day, my father told me that rap was "just a trend, and like disco, it would die out in a few years."

It's funny. In retrospect, my father was usually right about everything, but unfortunately he wasn't right about this.

If your only rap knowledge comes from D-12, 50 Cent or Eminem, you really need to do some serious searching for some of the old stuff, and Raising Hell would be a pretty good place to start.

ALBUM OF THE DAY: PYROMANIA

2005-09-13T06:46:00.000-06:00

Most people automatically put Def Leppard in the "1980's hair band" category. With good reason, I guess. They did have fairly big hair and they did happen to have a hit or two in the 80's, but listen to Pyromania and then listen to something like Twisted Sister and tell me they belong in the same category.

I'm sure after this little test, some of you may still not see the differences between the two, but honestly, comparing Def Leppard to Twisted Sister is like comparing the Beatles to the Monkees.

But I'm not here to convince you why I like an album. The simple fact is that this album carries sentimental value for me. It was the first one I ever purchased. Sure, I had inherited a number of albums before this, but this was the first that I saved my own money to purchase.

And to this day, I would consider it one of the greatest albums I own.

For the record, I have over 5,000 albums.

Pyromania also holds the distinction of being the only one I own on vinyl, cassette & CD.

(For more about my history with Pyromania, check out this past post.)

ALBUM OF THE DAY: WONDERFULNESS

2005-09-12T07:31:00.000-06:00

My dad had a great collection of records. Everything from Frank Sinatra to Johnny Cash to the Kingston Trio. Heck, he even had a Jim Stafford album that contained the song "Wildwood Weed." Trust me, if you knew my father, you'd see that is pretty crazy for him.

As a kid, I would go through his collection and find the ones I really wanted to listen to, and amazingly enough, I almost always picked the comedians over the musicians: Stan Freberg, Shelley Berman, Bob Newhart and of course, Bill Cosby.

Cosby had two that I loved: Bill Cosby is a Very Funny Fellow...Right & Wonderfulness.

When it came down to it, I think I listened to "Chicken Heart" and "Go Carts" more than anything. Ever.

A few years ago, my parents were moving and my dad decided that he didn't want his record collection since he no longer had a record player.

Guess who owns those records now?

TRACKS
1. Tonsils
2. The Playground
3. Lumps
4. Go Carts
5. Chicken Heart
6. Shop
7. Special Class
8. Niagara Falls

(Get the best price at Fat Wallet)

ALBUM OF THE DAY: JUDGMENT NIGHT

2005-09-07T07:50:00.000-06:00

It's funny, when Judgment Night was released in 1993, it was Emilio Estevez who got all the credit. Coming off of The Mighty Ducks, it only seemed right.

If this movie were released today with the same cast, any of the other cast members (Denis Leary, Jeremy Piven, Stephen Dorff, Cuba Gooding, Jr.) could get top billing.

But that's not the point here. The point is, this CD rocks.

Mixing rock & rap is not a new concept. Run-D.M.C. and Aerosmith did "Walk this Way". Anthrax teamed up with Public Enemy for "Bring the Noise".

The Judgment Night soundtrack, however, gives you plenty to choose from.

My personal favorite is "Another Body Murdered" by Faith No More & Boo-Yaa Tribe.

Tracks

1. Just Another Victim -- Helmet & House Of Pain
2. Fallin' -- Teenage Fanclub & De La Soul
3. Me, Myself and My Microphone -- Living Colour & Run D.M.C.
4. Judgement Night -- Boiohazard & Onyx
5. Disorder -- Slayer & Ice-T
6. Another Body Murdered -- Faith No More & Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E.
7. I Love You Mary Jane -- Sonic Youth & Cypresshill
8. Freak Momma -- Mudhony & Sir Mix-A-Lot
9. Missing Link -- Dinosaur Jr & Del the Funky Homosapien
10. Come And Die -- Therapy & Fatal
11. Real Thing -- Pearl Jam & Cypress Hill

ALBUM OF THE DAY: GRAVELANDS

2005-09-06T07:23:00.000-06:00

James Brown (no, not that James Brown) is a postal worker in Belfast. He also does one of the best Elvis impersonations I have ever heard.

Basically, the concept behind this album is a tribute to dead people as Elvis would've done. And what a group of dead people to tribute: Kurt Cobain, Bob Marley, Frank Sinatra, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Jimi Hendrix and even a little tribute to Elvis himself.

At first glance, this may seem like a pointless album, but after a listen, you really can't help but love the versions of the songs included on this disc.

(Find the cheapest price at Fat Wallet)

Tracks

1. Come As You Are
2. Love Will Tear Us Apart
3. Song To The Siren
4. Whiskey In The Jar
5. I Heard It Through The Grapevine
6. Blockbuster
7. Sweet Home Alabama
8. Working Class Hero
9. Something Else
10. All Or Nothing
11. Twentieth Century Boy
12. Dock Of The Bay
13. Piece Of My Heart
14. No Woman No Cry
15. Voodoo Chile
16. Whole Lotta Rosie
17. New York New York
18. That's Alright, Mama

ALBUM OF THE DAY: 0898

2005-09-02T04:10:00.000-06:00

The perfect love song it has no words
It only has death threats
And you can tell a classic ballad
By how threatening it gets
So if you walk into your house and she's cutting up your mother
She's only trying to tell you that she loves you like no other

-"Something That You Said" by the Beautiful South

These are the lyrics that made me fall in love with the Beautiful South. Since that time, I have purchased almost everything they have released, but I keep coming back to this one more than the others.

Tracks
1. Old Red Eyes Is Back
2. We Are Each Other
3. The Rocking Chair
4. We'll Deal With You Later
5. Domino Man
6. 36D
7. Here It Is Again
8. Something That You Said
9. I'm Your No. 1 Fan
10. Bell-Bottomed Tear
11. You Play Glockenspiel, I'll Play Drums
12. When I'm 84

ALBUM OF THE DAY: DARK CONTINENT

2005-09-01T04:23:00.000-06:00

Most people know Wall of Voodoo for their song "Mexican Radio." Before that, however, there was Dark Continent.

This CD is extremely hard to find, and if you do happen to find a copy, you will need to pay quite a bit for it. ($119)

For that reason, I still only have this on cassette.

Also for that reason, I can honestly say that this is my most listened-to cassette.

Tracks
1. Red Light
2. Two Minutes Till Lunch
3. Animal Day
4. Full Of Tension
5. Me And My Dad
6. Back In Flesh
7. Tse Tse Fly
8. Call Box
9. This Way Out
10. Good Times
11. Crack The Bell

ALBUM OF THE DAY: IN MY LIFE

2005-08-31T09:18:00.000-06:00

To take a Beatles' song and have someone else sing them, is almost sacreligious to some people.

To those people I say, "Lighten up."

The songs on this CD are sung by people that you wouldn't expect to have on a Beatles ' tribute album. (Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Goldie Hawn, John Williams) That's a good thing, really, when you think that George Martin could've taken "Today's Superstars" and had them mess up the Beatles.

My favorite cut on this album is "In My Life" which is spoken by Sean Connery in a way that only Sean Connery could do. It is an amazing interpretation, that, incidentally, I want played at my funeral.

ALBUM OF THE DAY: LA CULTURA DE LA BASURA

2005-08-30T04:11:00.000-06:00

Chances are, you probably don't know this band unless you spend a great time listening to Spanish music.

And even then, Los Prisioneros is a rock band, not a salsa or mariachi band, so they don't get a lot of play on Spanish U.S. radio.

I was lucky enough to spend two years in Chile (their home country) and I fell in love with them from day one.

La Cultura de la Basura is very Clash-esque. The influence of the Beatles is noticeable on "Maldito Sudaca."

It's just a fun album to listen to.

(You can buy this on Amazon, but you'll have to pay imported prices. I suggest you get Original Masters which is about the same price, but you get their two best discs: La Cultura de la Basura & Corazones)

ALBUM OF THE DAY: THE STRANGER

2005-08-29T05:07:00.000-06:00

This was the first album I ever owned. My brother had it on vinyl and when he bought the 8-Track, he gave me the vinyl. I recall him saying, "Now that I have an 8-Track, I will never listen to the outdated vinyl again."

As a five or six-year-old, I was obviously interested in the songs that had been played on the radio ("Just the Way You Are," "Movin' Out," "Only the Good Die Young") but my favorite then...and now...is "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant." That song is nearly perfect.

I'm also a huge fan of "Vienna".

I had known Billy Joel before this album, but this was the one that made me become a Billy Joel fan. In fact, even if this were the only album that Billy Joel ever recorded, I would still consider him one of the greatest musicians in my lifetime.

(Get the best price at Fat Wallet)

ROCK & ROLL NEWS: GUNS N' ROSES

2005-08-27T10:12:00.000-06:00

Rocker Rose sued by ex-bandmates

TODAY IN ROCK & ROLL HISTORY...

2005-08-27T09:12:00.000-06:00

August 27, 1990: Stevie Ray Vaughan and three members of Eric Clapton's band are killed in a helicopter crash in East Troy, Wisconsin.

I remember hearing about this on the radio when it happened. The first report said that Clapton had also died in the crash, and I remember feeling like someone hit me in the gut. I mean, losing Stevie Ray and Clapton at once was the equivalent (to me) as Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper.

Fortunately, Clapton wasn't involved, but we lost Stevie Ray and that was hard to take.

Stevie Ray was 35 when he died, and like many before him, he died way too early. He never had the chance to show the world what he was made of until he was gone.

ALBUM OF THE DAY: DEEP BREAKFAST

2005-08-26T06:28:00.000-06:00

I'm not a huge fan of New Age music, but this album is just plain awesome.

In high school, I hung out with my buddies every Friday night. Most of the time, we would listen to a Depeche Mode album and talk about the significance of their lyrics.

Then there were times that we would listen to Ray Lynch Deep Breakfast. Especially in the winter. For some reason, "Celestial Soda Pop" just went with the Utah snowstorms.

To this day, I will listen to this album when we get our first big storm of the winter.

(Find the best price at Fat Wallet)

ALBUM OF THE DAY: RECKLESS

2005-08-24T08:17:00.000-06:00

Why did Bryan Adams have to become a "Soft Rock" artist?

Not just a "Soft Rock" artist, but a movie-themed soft rock artist: "Everything I Do" from Robin Hood, "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman" from Don Juan de Marco, "All For Love" (with Sting & Rod Stewart) from Three Musketeers, "I Finally Found Someone" (with Barbra Streisand) from The Mirror Has Two Faces. (As a side note, I will never forgive him for singing with Barbra.)

If that weren't enough, when Bryan wasn't singing crappy cliche-filled love songs, he was taking pick-up lines that he heard in bars and putting them to music: "I Wanna Be Your Underwear," "The Only Thing That Looks Good On You Is Me".

The only way I get through it is thinking that at some point in my lifetime, Bryan Adams did actually rock. Granted, it wasn't the same rocking as Metallica, but he was singing about love affairs and playing a six-string until his fingers bled and how every kid in the entire world wanted to rock.

Man, I miss the old Bryan Adams.

SING FOR YOUR SONG WEEKEND

2005-08-20T13:13:00.000-06:00

ALBUM OF THE DAY: CHICAGO 17

2005-08-19T07:26:00.000-06:00

I have always loved Chicago. I had an older brother that owned almost everything they released. I would always go into his record collection and listen to Chicago IX, their first Greatest Hits.

When I started getting my own music collection, I would usually buy the new Chicago album when it came out, or ask Santa for it at Christmas.

I got Chicago 17 for Christmas in 1984.

TRUE STORY TIME: I was twelve-years-old, a seventh grader at Eisenhower Jr. High. The school was having a Lip-Sync contest and I performed "You're the Inspiration."

Now I'm not trying to brag or anything, but I was awesome! In fact, I won the contest. Girls that usually ignored me...which included every girl at EJH...knew my name.

Well, sort of.

They knew me as "That Chicago Guy" or sometimes, just "Chicago."

My yearbook contains many entries like this:

Chicago Guy,

I don't know you very well, but have a great summer! Hope to see you next year.

Stacey

And then there was this one written by a cheerleader:

Hey Chicago Guy!

The next time I see you in my tree with binoculars, I'm calling the cops.

I wasn't worried. She didn't know my real name.

ALBUM OF THE DAY: EVITA

2005-08-18T08:17:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I had to DJ a dance in Moroni, Utah. (Pronounced: More-Roan-Eye, You-Tah)

It's about a two-hour drive (if you count the stupid road construction in Provo) so I figured I would take a few CDs with me that I haven't listened to for awhile. One of those was the motion picture soundtrack of Evita.

Now I know you purists out there are going to tell me that the Original Broadway version with Mandy Patinkin and Patti LuPone is much better - and it is really good - but I love the movie version of this soundtrack.

Madonna sings her guts out on this one. If there was anyone who thought Madonna was only a pop star, just listen to her belt out "You Must Love Me" (a song written for the movie) and you can't help but get a lump in your throat.

Granted, I don't think that this would cause someone who hates Madonna to run out and buy everything she has ever owned, but I think it does show a side of her that a lot of people didn't know existed.

ALBUM OF THE DAY: THE MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET

2005-08-16T06:34:00.000-06:00

The story goes something like this: Carl Perkins & Jerry Lee Lewis were recording at Sun Records in December 1956. Elvis, who had just arrived back into town after his first major tour, happened to stop by the studio to see what was going on. They started jamming, Sam Phillips started rolling tape, and the rest, they say, is history.

As if that weren't cool enough, a phone call was made to Johnny Cash (also a Sun artist at the time) and he showed up just in time for some pictures to be snapped.

"It's the Million Dollar Quartet," somebody in the studio commented.

Only it wasn't. It was a trio. Johnny doesn't actually appear on this album in song form. Yeah, his photo is there, but any songs that may have contained the Man in Black were not included.

So why, out of all of Elvis' work, would I pick this CD? This is as good as it gets, friends. This is where you can hear the beginnings of Rock & Roll.

They sing country.

They sing gospel.

They sing blues.

They sing Chuck Berry.

Elvis imitates himself. (He saw Jackie Wilson impersonate him in Vegas, so Elvis does an impersonation of Jackie impersonating Elvis. Classic stuff.)

Like I said, this is as good as it gets.

ALBUM OF THE DAY: GORDON

2005-08-12T07:09:00.000-06:00

NOTE: This is the original cover of the album. The one you have may look something like this.

When I first heard the Barenaked Ladies, I was in my friend's car who happened to have this CD and I asked him who it was.

"Barenaked Ladies," he replied.

I laughed. "No, really. Who is this?"

He smiled, "Seriously, it's a band from Canada called Barenaked Ladies."

The next day, I found myself at a CD store asking the question, "Do you have any Barenaked Ladies?"

"Go check the magazine shop next door," was the usual response.

After a few stores, I found a used copy of Gordon and listened to it every chance I could.

My friends would ask me, "Who is this?"

"Barenaked Ladies," I'd say.

They'd laugh. "No really. Who is this?"

And the circle of BNL continued...

BY POPULAR DEMAND...

2005-08-11T13:37:00.000-06:00

Cate asked for me to put another Backmasking example on the site, so here we go.

This one is Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven"

Forward:

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Backward:

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Backward lyrics (According to another website):

Oh here's to my sweet Satan
The one whose little path would make me sad
Whose power is Satan
He'll give you give you 666
There was a little toolshed where
He made us suffer, sad Satan

MUSIC CHAIN REACTION #5

2005-08-11T11:28:00.000-06:00

"Fame" by Irene Cara

BACKMASKING 101

2005-08-11T08:54:00.000-06:00

Back when people actually played records (large, black round discs that contained music), there was a trend called "Backmasking." Backmasking was where artists would supposedly put in a message to the listener if the record was played backwards.

One of the first examples of this was the Beatles' "Revolution #9." When turned backwards, you'll hear the phrase "Turn me on, dead man."

(How this phrase started the "Paul is Dead" rumor is something that only drug-induced Beatles' fans can tell you.)

I guess my biggest problem with backmasking is why would anyone listen to a record backwards? What's the point?

The way I see it, most normal people listen to a record the way it was intended (forward).

Of course, being a musicologist, I had to try this. I went through a bunch of the supposed songs that contain backward messages and I gotta tell you, backmasking is a load of crap.

There is one exception, however: Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust."

Here is a clip of the song in forward motion:

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Now listen to that same clip backward (I took the song and reversed the track using a digital editor):

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As you can tell, the song is telling you to kill a circus clown.

No wait. That's not right. What Queen is telling us (obviously) is to "Start to smoke marijuana." (Although, I would suggest you kill a circus clown, just to be safe.)

The way I see it, they should've said, "Continue to smoke marijuana" because the only people that would listen to their records backwards have already started using it.

ALBUM OF THE DAY: FEMMES

2005-08-11T08:03:00.000-06:00

There are certain albums that mean a lot to me for one reason or another. This one takes me back to my senior year in high school more than any other one.

When I was in drama, we would listen to this in the dressing room before every performance.

When I was asking a girl out to prom, this was the music that I listened to on the way to her house.

When I was with my friends on a Friday night, and we weren't in the mood for Depeche Mode, we would pop this tape in and sing along with Gordon as he sang about a "blister in the sun" or wondering why he couldn't "get just one kiss."

There are many more memories that come with this album, but the main reason I love this album is because it's just that good.

COMMENT UPDATE

2005-08-10T15:40:00.000-06:00

I was getting slammed with spammers on the comments, so I had to make it so it would not accept anonymous commenters.

I know that this sucks for some people, but I have to do it.

MUSIC CHAIN REACTION #4

2005-08-10T08:49:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I scared a few of you off with a theme. Either that or you actually had work to do.

Well today, I won't do a theme, but the rules still apply.

"Who Needs Love Like That" Erasure

MUSIC CHAIN REACTION #3

2005-08-09T09:49:00.000-06:00

Today we're going to make it a little more difficult. We're going to do a theme.

Today's theme is "Colors".

All songs and/or artists must include a color.

"Smokin' in the Boys' Room" by Brownsville Station

SINGERS IN THE NEWS

2005-08-09T07:25:00.000-06:00

Singer Marc Cohn survives being shot in head

ALBUM OF THE DAY: APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION

2005-08-09T07:17:00.000-06:00

I remember the first time I ever heard Appetite For Destruction. My friend, Mark, gave me a copy after bragging about how great it was.

I took it home and popped the tape into the deck. "Welcome to the Jungle" started and I thought, "Wow, those are some cool guitars."

Then Axl started singing.

I now take you to the day after, when I saw Mark at the bus stop.

"How did you like it?" Mark asked.

I replied, "It sucked more than anything that has ever sucked in the history of the world."

Mark smiled. "Yeah, I thought that at first too, but once you listen to it a few times, you'll love it."

"I don't know if I can listen to it again."

"Listen to 'Mr. Brownstone'. You'll like that one."

So I went home after school and fast-forwarded the tape to "Mr. Brownstone" and Mark was right, I did like it.

Then I heard "Paradise City" and liked it.

I still didn't like Axl's voice, nor do I like it today, but it is very unique. (And by 'unique' I mean 'crappy.')

It's now been a few years and I own almost everything released by G-N-R.

I wouldn't suggest to the casual fan to pick up G-N-R's entire library, but Appetite for Destruction should be in your collection.

MUSIC CHAIN REACTION #2

2005-08-08T07:26:00.000-06:00

Same rules....

"The Way You Look Tonight" by Frank Sinatra

ALBUM OF THE DAY: BATMAN

2005-08-08T07:20:00.000-06:00

Danny Elfman should've received an Oscar for best score on this one.

In fact, the only thing I didn't like about Batman Begins was that there wasn't really a theme like Danny's from the original Batman film

MUSIC CHAIN REACTION #1

2005-08-05T13:03:00.000-06:00

We're going to play a little game. I'm going to list a song title and artist and you are to somehow link to it with another song &/or artist using a common theme.

For example:

"Hazy Shade of Winter" by the Bangles

You can link to this by going...

"A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum (or "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix or even "Summer in the City" by Lovin' Spoonful since winter & summer are both seasons)

The next person will then link to "A Whiter Shade of Pale" with "White Wedding" by Billy Idol. Then the next person goes with "Piano Man" by Billy Joel, etc.

Does it make sense?

A few rules:

1) Do not link to the same group. We don't want to list the entire greatest hits of Michael Bolton. You can, however, link to a member of the group. (Example: Genesis can link to Phil Collins or Peter Gabriel)

2) Please keep the songs and artists familiar. I'm not looking for you to prove how eclectic your musical tastes are.

3) If your link is not totally obvious, please explain it so we don't spend all day trying to figure out how "We Are Family" is linked to "Funkytown". (And no, you can't just put a link and say, "They're both Disco songs.")

4) No linking to a lyric in the song. Stick with the title and the artist only

Be creative, and good luck.

The song is:

"Livin' On a Prayer" by Bon Jovi

AND HONEY I MISS YOU...

2005-08-05T12:44:00.000-06:00

I figure if I had this song stuck in my head, you need it stuck in your's also.

Fortunately for you, I'm only putting an excerpt.

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YES, I'M STILL HERE

2005-08-04T12:10:00.000-06:00

Just making changes to my main blog, so keep checking back.

TESTING 1,2,3

2005-08-02T11:09:00.000-06:00

Let's see how this works.

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ALBUM OF THE DAY: DR. FEELGOOD

2005-08-01T07:11:00.000-06:00

In the world of 80's Hairspray Rock, Mötley Crüe was king.

I know that some of you will give that title to Poison or Bon Jovi, maybe even to Cinderella, but the fact of the matter is, the Crüe was hairspray rock before hairspray rock was even cool.

From the beginning notes of "T. N. T. (Terror 'N Tinseltown)" you know that there is something great about to happen, and then that first chord of the title track just proves the point.

But the highlight of this album - and really anything the Crüe has ever done, in my opinion - is "Kickstart My Heart." This song, to be blunt, simply rocks!!!!

p.s. Extra credit goes to "Same Ol' Situation" and "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)."

STUPID FACT OF THE DAY: This album was produced by a man named Bob Rock. Because of his production talents on this album, Metallica asked him to produce their 1991 self-titled album, or the Black Album.

ALBUM OF THE DAY: TOM JONES - RELOAD

2005-07-30T07:42:00.000-06:00

I have slacked off in keeping up with this blog. For that reason, I have decided to go through my CD collection and pick a CD a day and post my thoughts on the album.

I will start today with a CD called Reload by Tom Jones.

I know that most people see Tom Jones as a joke, not unlike Engelbert Humperdinck and Pat Boone.

But I'm here to tell you, I've seen this man in concert. He can belt out a tune better than most people over 60.

This album came out in 1999, but it wasn't really heard in the U.S. Fortunately, I had some friends in Europe at the time that picked me up a copy, and I'm glad that I had them do so.

Basically, this album is a bunch of remakes and duets. He teams up with some of today's (and yesterday's) singers and sings other people's songs.

The whole album is very well made, but there are some songs that are better than others. For example: His remake of George Baker's "Little Green Bag" with the Barenaked Ladies is much better than the original. And I love the original.

I also love his duet with Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders taking on Iggy Pop's "Lust For Life." If for no other reason, you should buy this disc just to hear Mr. Jones say the following line:

I'm just a modern guy
You know I've had it in the ear before

Other songs on the album include:

"Mama Told Me Not to Come"- Written by Randy Newman, but made famous by Three Dog Night.

"Never Tear Us Apart"- INXS' tune with a little help from Natalie Imbruglia.

"Sometimes We Cry"- Written and performed with Van Morrison.

"Are You Gonna Go My Way"- Lenny Kravitz should be proud of the job that Mr. Jones and Robbie Williams do here.

There are some songs that aren't as good as others, but that is mostly the fault of the other person singing, and not Tom Jones.

Do yourself a favor. Go out and try to find this CD. I don't think you will be disappointed.

AND THE GREATEST AMERICAN ROCK BAND IS...

2005-07-07T07:31:00.000-06:00

According to this article, Pearl Jam holds the distinction of being the greatest American rock band.

I totally, 100% disagree!

It's not that I don't like Pearl Jam. Of course, I wouldn't consider myself their #1 Fan either. Basically, I put up with Pearl Jam and respect them for what they were.

But the greatest American rock band? I don't think so.

I'm not here to say what band is actually America's Greatest Rock Band. I can tell you that Aerosmith would be somewhere towards the top on my list. As would Van Halen, Creedence Clearwater Revival, ZZ Top, Journey, Boston, G-N-R, The Ramones and Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band.

Heck, I would probably put Huey Lewis & the News on my list.

And what about Bill Haley & the Comets, Buddy Holly & the Crickets or Danny & the Juniors? Why were they left off the list? Were they not, along with many others, the reason we have Rock & Roll?

Pearl Jam, however, would probably only make my list if I were to make a Top 100.

I love this quote: "Instead of selling out with videos and constant press coverage, they pulled back at their height, and focused on the music."

Obviously the kid who said this didn't hear their version of "Last Kiss" that played on every radio station at any given moment a few years back. If doing a cover and being played on Top 40 radio isn't selling out, I don't know what is.

That's not to say that doing covers or being on Top 40 radio is a bad thing. I happen to collect cover tunes, and quite frankly, Pearl Jam's "Last Kiss" is very well made, but a sell-out indeed.

And what about writing a song for the movie Big Fish? I love that film - and that song ("Man of the Hour") - but doing soundtracks are the ultimate sell-out.

Just ask Bryan Adams.

I know that this is all a matter of opinion, but really I don't think they thought this through.

How about The Mamas & the Papas, Fleetwood Mac, Styx, New York Dolls, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Blondie...

SONGS THAT ROCK: "BROWN-EYED HANDSOME MAN"

2005-07-02T08:43:00.000-06:00

"[My mama] said, 'You and Elvis are pretty good, but you’re no Chuck Berry.'"
-Jerry Lee Lewis

"If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry'."
-John Lennon

"There's only one true king of rock 'n' roll. His name is Chuck Berry."
-Stevie Wonder

Let's face it, Chuck Berry rocks! How anyone could possibly hear the opening riff of "Johnny B. Goode" and not want to jump out of his or her seat and start moving is beyond me.

Maybe you think that "Johnny B. Goode" is the only Berry song you know. I don't think that's possible.

Maybellene - Johnny Rivers remade this one in 1964.

Memphis, Tennessee - Johnny Rivers had a #2 hit with this. He dropped the "Tennessee" from the title, however.

Rock & Roll Music - Remade by both the Beatles & the Beach Boys.

Roll Over Beethoven - Also remade by the Beatles.

School Day - This song was played every first day of school on my favorite radio station. "Up in the morning and off to school..."

Sweet Little Sixteen - Granted, you may not know this song by the lyrics, but the music should sound familiar. The Beach Boys "borrowed" it for "Surfin' U.S.A."

You Never Can Tell - Made famous by Jack Rabbit Slim's Twist contest in Pulp Fiction.

And that's only a small list of songs that made Chuck Berry who he is.

"Brown-Eyed Handsome Man" is not a very famous song. It never did hit the charts when it was released in 1956, but Rolling Stone magazine did include it on their list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. (#374)

The first time I heard this song was actually when Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis & Carl Perkins jammed to it on the Million Dollar Quartet album. That led me to searching for Berry's version (which wasn't too hard since it was on his Great Twenty-Eight album).

The guitar riff is straight out of the Chuck Berry School of Guitar and Berry's story-telling about a brown-eyed 'Casanova' is fast and to the point:

Arrested on charges of unemployment,
he was sitting in the witness stand
The judge's wife called up the district attorney
Said you free that brown eyed man
You want your job you better free that brown eyed man

Another great verse:

Milo Venus was a beautiful lass
She had the world in the palm of her hand
But she lost both her arms in a wrestling match
To get brown eyed handsome man
She fought and won herself a brown eyed handsome man

If you haven't heard this song, do yourself a favor and find a copy. I think you'll love it.

(Lyrics from Leo's Lyrics)

THERE'LL BE SAD SONGS TO MAKE YOU CRY

2005-06-29T14:12:00.000-06:00

On my main blog, I posted the list of 25 Sad Songs.

Here are a few that I thought of, which most likely will be continued. Some of the lyrics are sad. Others are just sad songs due to the circumstances.

"True Love Ways" by Buddy Holly

You've all heard Buddy Holly's story: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens & the Big Bopper are on a plane that crashes. It was February 3, 1959 - The Day the Music Died.

What you may not know is that Buddy left behind a pregnant wife (they had been married since August of 1958) who later miscarried.

This song was released after his death and for with everything that happened, this song is heart-wrenching.

Just you know why,
Why you and I,
Will by-and-by,
Know true love ways.

Sometimes we'll sigh,
Sometimes we'll cry,
And we'll know why,
Just you and I,
Know true love ways.

Throughout the days,
Our true love ways,
Will bring us joys to share,
To those who really care.

Sometimes we'll sigh,
Sometimes we'll cry,
And we'll know why,
Just you and I,
Know true love ways.

It is my favorite Buddy Holly song, and one of my all-time favorite songs.

"Old Shep" by Hank Snow (Lyrics)

Red Foley wrote the song, but it was Hank's version that played in my dad's record player.

In my later years, as I was collecting Elvis Presley's music, I found his version to be just as sad. (Stupid Fact: A ten-year-old Elvis performed "Old Shep" at the Alabama State Fair in 1945. He won second place: $5 and free rides for the day.)

The song is about a boy & his dog, who, like most boys & their dogs, have an exciting life together.

As the song continues, Shep becomes old and must be put down. The lyrics of the boy holding a gun to the head of Old Shep makes me want to weep openly.

On a related note, I remember an episode of "Family Ties" where Steven & Alex were listening to this song, crying. I still think of that scene when I hear the song.

"Keep Me In Your Heart" by Warren Zevon (Lyrics)

Most people, sadly, will only know Warren for "Werewolves of London." Not like that's a bad song, but the man was truly an underrated musical genius.

His final album, before his death in September of 2003, was called The Wind.

By the time it was recorded, Warren had been diagnosed with lung cancer and it was only a matter of time before he would leave us.

Shadows are fallin'
and I'm runnin' out of breath
keep me in your heart for awhile

Not unlike Johnny Cash's The Man Comes Around, Warren's final album was his swan song. (It even included a cover of Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door.")

If I leave you
it doesn't mean I love you any less
keep me in your heart for a while

The album was released on August 28, 2003 and Warren died a week and a half later.

There's a train leavin' nightly
called when all is said and done
keep me in your heart for awhile

As newspaper humorist Dave Barry once said: "Get Warren Zevon's new CD. Now listen to it all the way through. When you get to the last song - 'Keep Me In Your Heart' - check to see if you're weeping. If you're not, get treatment immediately, because you have no soul."

Need to work now. To be continued...

MY LIFE AS A ROCK STAR

2005-06-29T08:05:00.000-06:00

I actually posted the following story on another website a few years back, so some of you may have already read it. For that, I'm sorry.
________________________________

True Story time. When I was 10 or 11 years old, I was in a band called The Goonies. Now I want you to know that our band was formed somewhere around 1983, so that's a good two years before the movie by the same name came out.

Anyway, there were only two of us in the Goonies. Myself, of course, and Mark C. We didn't have a huge budget so we made do with the stuff we could find in our basements. I played lead ukulele and Mark played the 'drums', which were technically just duct-taped boxes. He had real drum sticks though, which beat the heck out of the boxes on a regular basis, which is why we needed the duct tape.

We both took turns singing.

I'd have to say the main influence on the Goonies was Def Leppard. There's nothing like hearing 'Rock of Ages' played on a ukulele and a TV box.

After we covered the entire Pyromania album, we started writing our own songs. The best thing about our songs is that they were never performed the same way twice. We made up new lyrics, new ukulele solos and box solos every time we performed them live. It was like a new tour everytime they saw us live.

All of our concerts were performed on my next door neighbor's front porch. The reason we used their front porch was because it was bigger than any of ours, plus our moms didn't like to hear our 'music'. Our crowd usually contained five people, all females between the ages of six and twelve. We charged ten cents a ticket so we had some money to buy more duct tape.

One day, one of our neighbor's (who I will not name) came to our concert and said that we played - I'm quoting her here - "DEVIL MUSIC" and asked for her dime back. That was the highlight of my career. The Goonies were ranked up there with Ozzy and AC/DC.

Later on in the Goonies career, Andy S., a kid that lived across the street, asked us if he could join the band. He had a real guitar, so we said, "Why not?" Well, Andy started telling us that we needed to change this and that, and we took it as long as we could until he told us that "Def Leppard sucks."

He was fired after his first show.

Our set list for every show went as follows:

Stagefright- Mark sang this Def Leppard song that starts out, "I said welcome to my show". It was the perfect opener, except we had a very conservative crowd, so we had to replace the "damn" with "darn".

Rock, Rock 'Til You Drop- I was lead vocals on this Def Lep song. I usually made up my own lyrics because I had no idea what Joe Elliot was saying on the real song.

Mr. Potatohead- A song written and sung by Mark that contained these fine lyrics: "Oh I'm Mr. Potatohead. Oh I'm Mr. Potatohead. Oh I'm Mr. Potatohead and I HATE YOU!!!" (repeat 8 times, ukulele solo, box solo, repeat three more times) When he would scream, "I HATE YOU", the crowd would go nuts, by throwing dandelions at Mark.

Rock of Ages- Mark did the opening "Gunter glieben glauchen globen" and I shouted the rest, once again, making up most of the lyrics.

Too Late For Love- Mark singing his heart out while banging the boxes. Tears were shed during many of the concerts.

Pork & Beans- I sang this Mark-penned tune about gaseous foods, and then we left stage until we were called out for an encore. Sometimes we had to wait a few hours before they called us back. Sometimes we just called ourselves back out.

ENCORE:

Come on Feel the Noize- We went a little crazy by playing a Quiet Riot song. The crowd didn't know what had hit them. They were on their feet for most of the first line.

I'm Gonna Kick Your Butt- Another crowd pleaser from Mark. When he'd get to the part that he'd yell, "I'm gonna kick you butt so hard that you're gonna have hemorrhoids!", the crowd was ready to leave.

Now I know what you're all saying, "Did you guys ever make a record?" Sort of.

One day at school, Mark & I were trying to impress some of the 'babes' by telling them that we were in a band. This made most of the guys in our class jealous. Not that we were in the band, but that we could actually talk to girls.

To make a long story longer, Brad R. asked us if we had a tape. We said we did, but he had to pay five bucks for it, which he did. Since we knew he would never accept our own music on a tape for five bucks, we recorded the Loverboy Keep It Up album on the cassette and gave it to him. I'm not sure, but I think whenever Brad hears the song, "Hot Girls in Love" on the radio, he thinks it's the Goonies.

Well, after the movie came out, we had to either change names or break up. We broke up. Our press release stated that we broke up because of 'artistic differences', but the real reason was that the ukulele was not the chick magnet that I thought it would be.

HOPE PARTLOW

2005-06-23T16:51:00.000-06:00

There's a new girl hitting the radio circuit right now named Hope Partlow. I just got back from watching an acoustic set from her and she's pretty good.

She says her album (which should be in stores in September) is pop/rock with some country influence. What do you expect? She's from Memphis.

Anyway, her new single is called "Who we Are". You'll probably be hearing it on a Top 40 station near you.

HARD AS A ROCK RADIO

2005-06-23T14:21:00.000-06:00

If you want to listen to alternative music at work, check out my friend's webcast.

HARD AS A ROCK RADIO

LYRICS OF THE DAY

2005-06-22T07:25:00.000-06:00

"Mack the Knife" was written in 1928. (Also known as "Moritat" or "Theme From The Threepenny Opera.")

When Bobby Darin recorded "Mack the Knife" thirty years later, Rock & Roll was still "King", but things were changing fast: Elvis Presley was in the Army; Jerry Lee Lewis married his young cousin; Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens & The Big Bopper were less than two months away from that fateful plane ride.

Sure, Bobby had a few hits before "Mack the Knife" (including his novelty hit "Splish Splash"), but with the possible death of rock & roll, 1959 was the perfect time for Bobby Darin to show the world what he was really made of.

Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear
And it shows them pearly white
Just a jackknife has old MacHeath, babe
And he keeps it, ah, out of sight
Ya know when that shark bites with his teeth, babe
Scarlet billows start to spread
Fancy gloves, oh, wears old MacHeath, babe
So there's never, never a trace of red

Now on the sidewalk, huh, huh, whoo sunny morning, un huh
Lies a body just oozin' life, eek
And someone's sneakin' ‘round the corner
Could that someone be Mack the Knife?

There's a tugboat, huh, huh, down by the river dontcha know
Where a cement bag's just a'drooppin' on down
Oh, that cement is just, it's there for the weight, dear
Five'll get ya ten old Macky's back in town
Now d'ja hear ‘bout Louie Miller? He disappeared, babe
After drawin' out all his hard-earned cash
And now MacHeath spends just like a sailor
Could it be our boy's done somethin' rash?

Now Jenny Diver, ho, ho, yeah, Sukey Tawdry
Ooh, Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown
Oh, the line forms on the right, babe
Now that Macky's back in town

I said Jenny Diver, whoa, Sukey Tawdry
Look out to Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown
Yes, that line forms on the right, babe
Now that Macky's back in town
Look out, old Macky's back!!

(Lyrics from Leo's Lyrics)

PET PEEVES FROM AN OLDIES DJ

2005-06-17T12:59:00.000-06:00

I know way too much about music. I spend a lot of my free time reading all sorts of books about songs and their placement on the Billboard charts.

The only reason I say this is to let you know that I'm a little different than the average person when it comes to music, so some of these pet peeves may seem pretty harsh.

Basically, it's a list of things that actual callers have asked me for in my time on the air. I didn't mind it the first time. Even the second time was okay. But when numerous people call and request the same things, it kind of drives me nuts.

1) "Can you play a song by...what's his name? Jethro Tull!

I can't stand people who think that the group name is a man's name. I realize that for some groups, that is the case. (Alice Cooper and Marilyn Manson come to mind. They are both the name of the lead singers and also of the band.)

I can even understand how Jethro Tull could be confusing. It is a guy's name, after all. Granted, he was an Agriculturalist in the 1700's, not a rock star, but that's okay. I will accept it.

I will not, however, accept the following:

Pink Floyd
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Led Zeppelin
Herman's Hermits

2) "Can you play 'Secret Asian Man'?"

I'm not joking. We play the Johnny Rivers version of "Secret Agent Man," and on request weekends I get at least two calls for "Secret Asian Man."

I guess it does kind of sound like he's saying that, but if they would just listen to the rest of the song, they could figure out that it's "Agent":

There's a man who leads a life of danger
To everyone he meets he stays a stranger
With every move he makes another chance he takes
Odds are he won't live to see tomorrow

That makes no sense for an Asian, except for maybe Jet Li.

3) "Can you play 'Live & Let Die' by the Beatles?"

Some people believe that any song sung by a former Beatle is automatically a Beatles' song. And if I try to correct them, they speak to me like I'm the idiot.

Caller: "Well, Paul McCartney was a Beatle, right?"

Me: "Well, yes but..."

Caller: (Interrupting) "All right then!"

4) People That Don't Listen

Here's a typical phone call:

Caller: "Hey, can you play a song for me?"

Me: "Sure, what song would you like to hear?"

Caller: "Bridge over troubled water."

Me: "I'm playing it right now."

Caller: "Really? Can you play it again when I get out to my car and turn on the radio?"

5) "Can you play 'Jeremiah was a bullfrog'?"

This one drives me nuts more than the others combined. The song is called "Joy to the World"!!!!!!!

In fact, "Jeremiah" is only mentioned once in the song...on the first line. On the other hand, "Joy to the world" is repeated about 10,000 times as the song fades.

Okay, that's all for now. If I think of any more, I'll just keep them to myself.

SONG STUCK IN MY HEAD TODAY

2005-06-15T11:50:00.000-06:00

I have Yes' "Leave It" stuck in my head.

You may not remember this song. It came from their 1983 album 90125, but I think most stations were busy playing "Owner of a Lonely Heart" every six minutes to even realize that Yes had a few more songs on that album.

So here are the lyrics for the #24 hit, "Leave It" by Yes:

I can feel no sense of measure
No illusions as we take
Refuge in young man's pleasure
Breaking down the dreams we make real

One down one to go
Another town and one more show
Downtown they're giving away
But she never came back

No phone can take your place
Do you know what I mean
We have the same intrigue
As a court of kings

Ah leave it, ah leave it
Dit, dit, dit, dit, dit, dit, dit
Doot, doot, doot, doot, doot, doot, doot

Two down there you go
McArthur Park in the driving snow
Uptown they're digging it out
Better lay your claim

Get home you're not alone
You just broke out of the danger zone
Be there to show your face
On another dreamy day

Ah leave it, ah leave it
Dit, dit, dit, dit, dit, dit, dit
Doot, doot, doot, doot, doot, doot, doot

Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye bad
Leave it
Hello, hello, heaven
(repeat)

I can feel no sense of measure
No illusions as we take
Refuge in young man's pleasure
Breaking down the dreams we make real

Ah leave it, ah leave it

Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye bad
Leave it
Hello, hello, heaven
(repeat) "

A MUSIC TEST

2005-06-14T11:55:00.000-06:00

I'm going to try to post some MP3s here on this blog, but it's in the experimental stage right now.

Let me know if you are able to listen to this song

(COUNTRY) SONGS THAT ROCK: PAPA LOVED MAMA

2005-06-13T09:02:00.000-06:00

I'm not going to pretend that I'm a Country music fan. Sure, I don't mind the classics: Hank Sr., Willie, Waylon, Johnny, etc., but that's because my dad listened to them all the time and it's kind of a nostalgic thing.

I especially wasn't a fan of the Country music craze of the 90's. I blame this mostly on my friends with their Garth Brooks shirts, tight Wranglers and their desire to do the "Boot Scootin' Boogie" every Thursday night at Wheeler Farm.

I mean, these were the same people that went with me to the Def Leppard concert a year earlier and then, without any sort of warning, they deserted me and my rocker ways for "Hee-Haw."

And then my favorite Classic Rock station, Z-93, turned into K-Bull 93 and the loathing for country music reached a whole new level. Every time I would watch an awards show and any person that even resembled country would come on screen, I would change the channel so fast that I thought I'd break my remote.

To this day, I would rather listen to whales mate than listen to most Country music.

One major exception to this rule is "Papa Loved Mama" by Garth Brooks.

My brother (the traitor) introduced me to Garth with the hope that I would listen to one song and suddenly go, "Wow, I want to wear boots and ride a bull now. Forget my desire to be the next Eddie Van Halen."

My brother made a huge mistake, he played me Garth's cover of Billy Joel's "Shameless" as the first song he wanted me to like. I'm a huge Joel fan and this song appalled me. Sorry Garth fans, but it still does.

At that point I was just going to listen to whatever my brother played just so he would shut up about how cool Garth is.

Papa drove a truck nearly all his life
You know it drove mama crazy being a trucker's wife
The part she couldn't handle was the being alone
I guess she needed more to hold than just a telephone
Papa called Mama each and every night
Just to ask her how she was and if us kids were alright
Mama would wait for that call to come in
When Daddy'd hang up then she was gone again

Wow, a country song where the woman was cheating on the truck-driving husband. Ho hum.

Mama was a looker
Lord, how she shined
Papa was a good'n
But the jealous kind
Papa loved Mama
Mama loved men
Mama's in the graveyard
Papa's in the pen

What? Rewind that a bit. "Mama's in the graveyard Papa's in the pen". Great line! Maybe I will like this song after all.

Well, it was bound to happen and one night it did
Papa came home and it was just us kids
He had a dozen roses and a bottle of wine
If he was lookin' to surprise us, he was doin' fine
I heard him cry for mama up and down the hall
Then I heard a bottle break against the bedroom wall
That old diesel engine made an eerie sound
When Papa fired it up and headed into town

How can you not like the set-up here? This angry truck driver revving up his engine with revenge on his mind. Man, this is good stuff.

Well, the picture in the paper showed the scene real well
Papa's rig was buried in the local motel
The desk clerk said he saw it all real clear
He never hit the brakes and he was shifting gears
Mama was a looker
Lord, how she shined
Papa was a good'n
But the jealous kind
Papa loved Mama
Mama loved men
Mama's in the graveyard
Papa's in the pen

This has to be the best murder in a country song, with the exception of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues," where he shoots "a man in Reno just to watch him die."

It still doesn't make me a Garth fan, but it made me understand why people like him.

SONGS THAT ROCK: LIVIN' ON A PRAYER

2005-06-09T07:57:00.000-06:00

This morning I was driving into work, flipping through channels while my usual morning show was doing commercials, and I happened upon Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer."

I guess I should tell you that I like a lot of "hair spray rockers" of the 80's. (Def Leppard is my all-time favorite. More about them later.)

See, I grew up in the 80's and those bands gave me a little something that Depeche Mode, Thompson Twins or Erasure couldn't give me: guitar solos.

Now I know that a lot of you would dismiss most "hair bands" as "talentless has-beens," and as a whole, I would have to agree with you. They weren't the most talented bands out there, but they sure got the girls, and really, isn't that what rock music is all about?

Funny thing is, that was one of the reasons I wasn't a Bon Jovi fan. That pretty boy had all the girls. I bet if you looked at the sales of Bon Jovi albums, most of the purchases would've been teenage girls, which is why a lot of guys would never admit that they liked "Pretty Boy Jon." (the name that we called him in Jr. High)

Then came Slippery When Wet.

I was fifteen years old when I first heard "Livin' on a Prayer," and I still remember wanting to hear it again right after so I could memorize the lyrics.

Whoah, we're half way there
WHOAH, WE'RE LIVIN' ON PRAYER

How could you possibly hear this song and not want to sing along?

Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear
Whoah, Livin' on a prayer

The song, of course, is the story about Tommy & Gina: two kids that are down on their luck, yet madly in love.

My favorite part of the song is where Tommy is trying to give some comfort to his crying Gina:

Tommy whispers: "BABY IT'S OKAYYYYYYYYY!"

That's one heck of a whisper, Tommy. I think you just woke up the neighbors.

Anyway, this song gets me in a great mood, no matter what I was feeling before I heard it. I wish you could all see me in my car when this song comes on: playing air guitar and similtaneously, screaming the lyrics with Jon.

I don't want to brag, but I have seen a few girls stopped next to me at a stop light trying to overcome the urge to rip off their tops and throw them at me.

Of course, they may just want to stuff the tops in my mouth so I'll stop singing.

Either way...

SONG INTERPRETATION: ESCAPE (THE PIÑA COLADA SONG)

2005-06-07T07:03:00.000-06:00

I heard this song on the way into work this morning (I didn't know that it was considered "Classic Rock") and every time I hear this song, it gets me upset.

I was tired of my lady
We'd been together too long
Like a worn-out recording
Of a favorite song
So while she lay there sleeping
I read the paper in bed
And in the personal columns
There was this letter I read

"If you like Piña Coladas
And getting caught in the rain
If you're not into yoga
If you have half a brain
If you'd like making love at midnight
In the dunes on the Cape
Then I'm the love that you've looked for
Write to me and escape."

Let's stop here for a second. Let's make sure we're all understanding what's going on here. The relationship is a bit boring, so while his poor innocent "lady" is asleep, he searches the personals.

Yep, men are jerks. Let's continue...

I didn't think about my lady
I know that sounds kind of mean
But me and my old lady
Have fallen into the same old dull routine
So I wrote to the paper
Took out a personal ad
And though I'm nobody's poet
I thought it wasn't half bad

"Yes I like Piña Coladas
And getting caught in the rain
I'm not much into health food
I am into champagne
I've got to meet you by tomorrow noon
And cut through all this red-tape
At a bar called O'Malley's
Where we'll plan our escape."

So the guy is planning on meeting this person that likes Piña Coladas and plan their "escape." He's leaving his "lady!" Tell me again why people think this is a romantic song.

And so we continue...

So I waited with high hopes
And she walked in the place
I knew her smile in an instant
I knew the curve of her face
It was my own lovely lady
And she said, "Oh it's you."
Then we laughed for a moment
And I said, "I never knew."

Let's just stop singing right here. I think about this situation in my own marriage, and this is where the divorce papers come into play.

I know that some of you (read: "Women") will say that this is romantic; she wrote the letter in hopes that her husband may read it. Well, not really, because as we learn from the last verse, this "lady" didn't know that he liked Piña Coladas or getting caught in the rain.

If my "lady" was to write something that wanted to catch my eye, wouldn't she put some of my interests in her letter?

For example:
"If you like the Pittsburgh Steelers
And eating Cheetos in bed..."

Something like that.

The other part that bothers me is that she wrote the letter knowing that he was ready to cheat on her. That's not good for either side here.

I think the thing that bothers me the most, however, is that we're all supposed to feel great that both of these people were planning on cheating on one another, yet since they "rekindled" their relationship. That things are great now.

Yeah, right.

Any man who is in a relationship knows that sometime in the future...maybe tomorrow, maybe ten years from now...this little incident will come back to bite him. They may be having an argument about him always leaving his underpants in the hall, when out of the blue she will say, "Well, at least I didn't answer a personal ad!"

And the logical thing for men to do at this point would to say something like, "No, but you wrote a personal ad!"

But you know as well as I do that even with that evidence, you are still the bad guy. And forever will be.

But hey, at least you like...

...Piña Coladas
Getting caught in the rain
And the feel of the ocean
And the taste of champagne
If you'd like making love at midnight
In the dunes of the Cape
You're the lady I've looked for
Come with me and escape

THIS IS IT!

2005-06-04T15:15:00.000-06:00

Here at work, I have an external hard drive with 233 GB. It is filled with music (currently over 60,000 songs), and it's playing all the time.

One of my co-workers calls it K-Tay radio.

One day, while messing around, I came up with this slogan: "You're listening to K-Tay radio...Music in my pants!"

That is where the name of this blog came from.