Great Albums- Workingman's Dead

This is BY FAR my favorite Grateful Dead album.




1. Uncle John's Band
2. High Time
3. Dire Wolf
4. New Speedway Boogie
5. Cumberland Blues
6. Black Peter
7. Easy Wind
8. Casey Jones

Great Songs- Eric Clapton Revolution

I've been grooving to this one since it came out. E.C. hasn't had a catchy tune in a long time, (at least I can't think of one) so it's good to hear him on the radio with something new again.

A Classic- Arlo Guthrie Alice's Restaurant

In honor of Thanksgiving, with the circles and arrows and the Group W bench.
If you don't have this, go get it.

Great Lyrics- DMB Joyride

I absolutely love this lyric from Joyride, which was a bonus song on the album "Stand Up"

If you're lost
I got a bobblehead Buddha
Legs crossed
But he is in the groove


A friend of mine tells a story about being at a Phish concert and overhearing a couple of people in front of them talking. One of them wasn't dancing to the opening act at all and his chum asked him why.
"I'm saving up, man. I'm saving up to get my groove on."

Go, Buddha, go

Idiot Mix

Here's an Imix I've been Enjoying a Lot Lately:

Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First) John Mellencamp (Words & Music)
Stitched Up (Featuring John Mayer) Herbie Hancock (Possibilities)
Let Love Rule Lenny Kravitz (Lenny Kravitz: Greatest Hits)
Back to Me Kathleen Edwards (Back to Me)
Old Dirt Hill (Bring That Beat Back) Dave Matthews Band (Stand Up)
What'd I Say, Pt. 1 Ray Charles (The Best of Ray Charles)
Einstein On the Beach (For an Eggman) Counting Crows (Films About Ghosts)
Loving Cup The Rolling Stones (Exile on Main St.)
Corduroy Pearl Jam (Vitalogy)
Down With Disease Phish (Hoist)
Peace Frog The Doors (Morrison Hotel)
In a Little While U2 (All That You Can't Leave Behind)
The One I Love David Gray (Life In Slow Motion)
Creep Radiohead (Pablo Honey)
Strange Condition Pete Yorn (Musicforthemorningafter)
I Just Want to Celebrate Rare Earth (Motown Remixed & Unmixed)

Great Lyrics- Watching the Detectives

I seem to think this is about getting no attention from the significant other because she's watching the detectives... which makes it a brilliant, brilliant song.

Watching the Detectives by Elvis Costello

Nice girls, not one with a defect cellophane shrink-wrapped, so correct
Red dogs under illegal legs, She looks so good that he gets down and begs
She is watching the detectives, ooh - "he's so cute"
She is watching the detectives when they shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot.
They beat him up until the tear-drops start.
But he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart

Long shot of that jumping sign Visible shivers running down my spine
Cut the baby taking off her clothes Close-up of the sign that says "We never close"
You snatch a tune, you match a cigarrette. She pulls the eyes out with a face like a magnet
I don't know how much more of this I can take
She filing her finger nails while they're dragging the lake She is . . .

You think you're alone until you realize you're in it.
Now your fear is here to stay. Love is here for a visit.
They call it instant justice when it's past the legal limit.
Someone's scratching at the window. I wonder who is it?
The detectives come to check if you belong to the parents
who are ready to hear the worst about their daughter's disappearance.
Though it nearly took a miracle to get you to stay
it only took my little fingers to blow you away
Just like watching the detectives. Don't get cute
It's just like watching the detectives.
I get so angry when the tear-drops start but he can't be wounded cause he's got no heart. Watching the detectives. It's just like watching the detectives. Watching the detectives. Watching the detectives.

Great Lyrics-

Lately I've been listening to Dave Matthews Band Live at Red Rocks.

I Love the version of "Seek Up" on there:

Some lyrics that speak to me:

Oh, Look at me in my fancy car
And my bank account
Oh, how I wish I could take it all down
Into my grave, God knows I'd save and save
Man, Take a look again, take a look again,
Things you have collected,
Well in the end it all piles up so tall
to one big nothing, one big nothing at all

Late at night with TV's hungry child
his belly swells
Well, for the price of a coke or a smoke
I could keep alive those hungy eyes
Take a look again, take a look again,
Take a look again
Everyday things change,...basically they stay the same

Idiot Mix 3

Here's a mix I've enjoyed lately.

Casey Jones -Grateful Dead
Blame It on Cain -Elvis Costello
People Are Strange -The Doors
Cayman Review -Trey Anastasio
Revolution -Eric Clapton
Everlong -Foo Fighters
I Don't Wanna Be -Gavin DeGraw
Good People -Jack Johnson
The Truck Song -Lyle Lovett
Careful -Guster
Here Comes Your Man -Pixies
Feeling That Way -Journey
Harder to Breathe -Maroon 5
Sex and Candy -Marcy Playground
Lust for Life -Iggy Pop
Breaking All the Ground -Joe Firstman
Love&Happiness -John Mellencamp
Soulshine -Gov't Mule

Great Albums- Bob Marley Live at the Roxy

1. Introduction
2. Trenchtown Rock 3. Burnin' & Lootin'
4. Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)
5. Rebel Music (3 O'Clock Roadblock)
6. I Shot The Sherif
7. Want More
8. No Woman No Cry
9. Lively Up Yourself
10. Roots Rock Reggae
Disc 2
1. Positive Vibration
2. Get Up Stand Up/No More Trouble/War

Great Songs- Herbie Hancock Stitched Up

Herbie Hancock at his Jazzy best and John Mayer at his normal best.
Go get this. You'll love it.

Great Albums- Phish Farmhouse

Most people think of Phish and think of dirty hippies standing in a field playing hackey sack. Well, you're not far from right, but this album absolutely rocks no matter what flavor of rock music you're into.
Buy it and listen to it four or five times and it will be a favorite, I guarantee it.






1. Farmhouse
2. Twist
3. Bug
4. Back on the Train
5. Heavy Things
6. Gotta Jibboo
7. Dirt
8. Piper
9. Sleep
10. The Inlaw Josie Wales
11. Sand
12. First Tube

Idiot Mix #2

Here's an Ipod Mix I've been liking lately.

Sample in a Jar Phish
Grey Street Dave Matthews Band
I Will Survive Cake
Loser Beck
Blurry Puddle of Mudd
Lawyers, Guns And Money Warren Zevon
Message of Love Pretenders
Dyslexic Heart (Album Version) Paul Westerberg
Where Are We Runnin'? Lenny Kravitz
Run-Around Blues Traveler
Hard to Handle The Black Crowes
Ch-Check It Out Beastie Boys
Sitting, Waiting, Wishing Jack Johnson
Pretty Pursuasion R.E.M.
6th Avenue Heartache The Wallflowers
It Don't Matter Donavon Frankenreiter

Great Albums: Learning To Crawl

While the rest of my classmates were listening to the songs on the list from the last post, I was rocking out to Zep, the Who, AC/DC and all the rest of the classic rock canon. One group that wasn't exactly classic rock and was also popular with the mainstream in the 80s that I really liked were The Pretenders. I liked their old albums a lot, and still think a few of their songs (Mystery Achievement, Message of Love, Brass in Pocket, Kid) should be on the all time great rock song list.

I put this album here, commercially huge as it was, to make my apologies with the mid 1980s after tearing up that list of songs from 1985. This was a great album that still rocks.



1. Middle of the Road
2. Back on the Chain Gang
3. Time the Avenger
4. Watching the Clothes
5. Show Me
6. Thumbelina
7. My City Was Gone
8. Thin Line Between Love and Hate
9. I Hurt You
10. 2000 Miles

Songs of High School

I got this from a Blog that I think is Called Wild Flower http://cworley.blogspot.com/ When I was in high school I hated the music on the radio, so my list will be really, really pathetic. I will be honest about #1 and out myself as a person who actually likes one song by Wham!

Here's the instructions:
List the top 100 songs from the year that you graduated high school Bold the ones you actually like. Pick a favorite. Underline that favorite. And strikethrough the ones you loathe. Italicize the ones you consider to be guilty pleasures.

You can get your top songs here:www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1985.htm

1. Careless Whisper, Wham!
2. Like A Virgin, Madonna
3. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, Wham!
4. I Want To Know What Love Is, Foreigner
5. I Feel For You, Chaka Khan
6. Out Of Touch, Daryl Hall and John Oates
7. Everybody Wants To Rule The World, Tears For Fears
8. Money For Nothing, Dire Straits
9. Crazy For You, Madonna
10. Take On Me, A-Ha
11. Everytime You Go Away, Paul Young
12. Easy Lover, Phil Collins and Philip Bailey
13. Can't Fight This Feeling, REO Speedwagon
14. We Built This City, Starship
15. The Power Of Love, Huey Lewis and The News
16. Don't You (Forget About Me), Simple Minds
17. Cherish, Kool and The Gang
18. St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion), John Parr
19. The Heat Is On, Glenn Frey
20. We Are The World, U.S.A. For Africa
21. Shout, Tears For Fears
22. Part-Time Lover, Stevie Wonder
23. Saving All My Love For You, Whitney Houston
24. Heaven, Bryan Adams
25. Everything She Wants, Wham!
26. Cool It Now, New Edition
27. Miami Vice Theme, Jan Hammer
28. Lover Boy, Billy Ocean
29. Lover Girl, Teena Marie
30. You Belong To The City, Glenn Frey
31. Oh Sheila, Ready For The World
32. Rhythm Of The Night, Debarge
33. One More Night, Phil Collins
34. Sea Of Love, Honeydrippers
35. A View To A Kill, Duran Duran
36. The Wild Boys, Duran Duran
37. You're The Inspiration, Chicago
38. Neutron Dance, Pointer Sisters
39. We Belong, Pat Benatar
40. Nightshift, Commodores
41. Things Can Only Get Better, Howard Jones
42. All I Need, Jack Wagner
43. Freeway Of Love, Aretha Franklin
44. Never Surrender, Corey Hart
45. Sussudio, Phil Collins
46. Strut, Sheena Easton
47. You Give Good Love, Whitney Houston
48. The Search Is Over, Survivor
49. Missing You, Diana Ross
50. Separate Lives, Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin
51. Raspberry Beret, Prince and The Revolution
52. Suddenly, Billy Ocean
53. The Boys Of Summer, Don Henley
54. One Night In Bangkok, Murray Head
55. If You Love Somebody Set Them Free, Sting
56. Obsession, Animotion
57. We Don't Need Another Hero, Tina Turner
58. Material Girl, Madonna
59. Better Be Good To Me, Tina Turner
60. Head Over Heels, Tears For Fears
61. Axel F, Harold Faltermeyer
62. Smooth Operator, Sade
63. In My House, Mary Jane Girls
64. Don't Lose My Number, Phil Collins
65. All Through The Night, Cyndi Lauper
66. Run To You, Bryan Adams
67. Glory Days, Bruce Springsteen
68. Voices Carry, 'Til Tuesday
69. Misled, Kool and The Gang
70. Would I Lie To You?, Eurythmics
71. Be Near Me, ABC
72. No More Lonely Nights, Paul McCartney
73. I Can't Hold Back, Survivor
74. Summer Of '69, Bryan Adams
75. Walking On Sunshine, Katrina and The Waves
76. Freedom, Wham!
77. Too Late For Goodbyes, Julian Lennon
78. Valotte, Julian Lennon
79. Some Like It Hot, Power Station
80. Solid, Ashford and Simpson
81. Angel, Madonna
82. I'm On Fire, Bruce Springsteen
83. Method Of Modern Love, Daryl Hall and John Oates
84. Lay Your Hands On Me, Thompson Twins
85. Who's Holding Donna Now, Debarge
86. Lonely Ol' Night, John Cougar Mellencamp
87. What About Love, Heart
88. California Girls, David Lee Roth
89. Fresh, Kool and The Gang
90. Do What You Do, Jermaine Jackson
91. Jungle Of Love, The Time
92. Born In The USA, Bruce Springsteen
93. Private Dancer, Tina Turner
94. Who's Zoomin' Who, Aretha Franklin
95. Fortress Around Your Heart, Sting
96. Penny Lover, Lionel Richie
97. All She Wants To Do Is Dance, Don Henley
98. Dress You Up, Madonna
99. Sentimental Street, Night Ranger
100. Sugar Walls, Sheena Easton

I couldn't possibly pick a favorite out of these, as I wouldn't be that hurt if they all went away forever.

Great Songs-Graceland

Graceland by Paul Simon
From the album Graceland

This song came onto the iPod the other day while I was listening with the little iPod headphones. I've heard this song so many zillions of times that I was a little disappointed, but I kept working at whatever I was doing and not very long later I was totally sucked into the song. Maybe it's the immediacy of hearing it on headphones (which I normally don't use) or the fact I haven't heard the song in a while, but I was again impressed by Simon's offbeat stories. The Man's a genius.

Idiot Mix #1

Here's a mix I've been listening to lately, it fits nicely on a CD.

1. When the World Ends Dave Matthews Band
2. Zebra John Butler Trio
3. Flake Jack Johnson
4. Girl Beck
5. Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours Stevie Wonder
6. She Caught The Katy Taj Mahal
7. Crimes Of Paris (Electric Version) Elvis Costello
8. Uncomplicated Los Lobos
9. Today Smashing Pumpkins
10. Heavy Things Phish
11. Please Forgive Me David Gray
12. I Miss You Blink-182
13. Roadrunner The Modern Lovers
14. My Baby Don't Tolerate Lyle Lovett
15. Can't Cry Anymore Sheryl Crow
16. Amsterdam Guster
17. We Can Work It Out The Beatles
18. Black Friday Steely Dan

Great Songs- Dean Moriarty (On the Road)

"The Persecution and Restoration of Dean Moriarty (On the Road)" By Aztec Two-Step is a song I wish more people could hear. It's one of my favorite songs, and if it got a bit more play on the radio I think it would be a favorite of a lot of people. Written in the early 1970s, it really should have become more of a hit than it did.

We just went to see Aztec Two-Step in a tiny little movie theater, and it was a great, great show. Guitarist Neal Shulman is especially impressive and I'm a big fan of Rex Fowler's vocals. My family noted that these guys could have been really big stars, but their lyrics are a little off to be a bid hit with the mainstream music fan, which is a fair assessment. On this particular song, however, they nailed it, especially for us fans of jack kerouac/ dean moriarty/ neal cassady.

The version of the song on this particular album is good, but I actually prefer the original, which is available on iTunes.

Great Albums-Nick of Time

Bonnie Raitt- Nick of Time
1989

Yes, for the most part, the eighties was a vast desolate wasteland for music. Hidden in there, though, were some gems. (As well as some youths who were learning ther chops so that they were ready to bust out in the 90s).

Here's an example of an artist who had some great work at both ends of that decade and is still going strong. Bonnie Raitt can rock. She can play soul and blues too. This particular album is, in my humble opinion, her best work from beginning to end. (She has other moments on other albums that might shine brighter, but no one album is as strong all the way through). This collection, Nick of Time, got her some long overdue attention from the mainstream after years of playing to a loyal but relatively small following.

Click on the cd cover picture and buy a copy if you don't already have it, or if you had a copy years ago and aren't sure where it is. Really, you can thank me later.



1. Nick Of Time
2. Thing Called Love
3. Love Letter
4. Cry On My Shoulder
5. Real Man
6. Nobody's Girl
7. Have A Heart
8. Too Soon To Tell
9. I Will Not Be Denied
10. I Ain't Gonna Let You Break My Heart Again
11. The Road's My Middle Name

Great Albums- The Doors

The Doors
January 1967

When I was a kid, I thought Jim Morrison was the epitome of cool. I wore out a copy of the Greatest Hits album. I didn't get into the longer poetical musings of Mr. Morrison and company because I was young and shallow.

Well, now I'm old and shallow, and I still think Morrison was kinda cool (and probably alive somewhere). I don't listen to many Doors songs anymore, and though I'm a little more able to handle Morrison's poetry, I'm less able to handle the "big top circus" sound that Ray Manzarek's piano produced.

This first album, though, is a great one. Crank up the first three songs and you'll be amazed at how well this album translates 38 years later.








1. Break on Through (To the Other Side)
2. Soul Kitchen
3. Crystal Ship
4. Twentieth Century Fox
5. Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)
6. Light My Fire
7. Back Door Man
8. I Looked at You
9. End of the Night
10. Take It as It Comes
11. The End

Great Albums- Sailin' Shoes

Little Feat Sailin' Shoes
1972

We tend to think of the '70s as the disco era but the more I look at "old" albums, the more impressed I am with the music put out from 1970-73. (I was just listening to Workingman's Dead yesterday,(1970) and then today I put on this one from 1972.

If you don't know early Little Feat, when Lowell George was alive and with the band, go back and listen. Those of you only familiar with "Dixie Chicken" owe it to yourselves to listen to some of their other stuff. The strongest Little Feat album is probably Waiting for Columbus, which is a live album, but for a studio taste of the band, you can't go wrong with Sailin' Shoes. The lyrics are a little on the trippy side, and the music isn't exactly pop, or rock, or blues or jazz, but kind of all of them mixed together, so it might take a few listens before you love it, but listen to it loud and I bet you'll like it right away.




1. Easy to Slip
2. Cold Cold Cold
3. Trouble
4. Tripe Face Boogie
5. Willin'
6. Apolitical Blues
7. Sailin' Shoes
8. Teenage Nervous Breakdown
9. Got No Shadow
10. Cat Fever
11. Texas Rose Cafe

Great Albums- Blood and Chocolate

Elvis Costello- Blood and Chocolate 1986

Elvis Costello used to rock hard. Some of his early stuff sounds as fresh and angry and funny and cynical and everything as it did when he was a skinny punk with big glasses, and I will no doubt be featuring a couple of those early albums here at some point in the future, as well as a bunch of his songs. First, though, this album:
Blood and Chocolate.

I start with this one rather than one of his punkier ones because unless you're an Elvis Costello fan, there's an excellent chance you've never heard any of the songs on here, which is a shame, because they're quite brilliant. His early songs were punky and fun and rocking. Here he's mature and still rocking, so you get to hear him really at his peak, after he figured out something to say but before he started doing lounge music. The bouncy music of "Tokyo Storm Warning" masks its dark lyrics, which is a great way to start this album because the whole album is pretty dark and twisted. ("I Want You" is a seriously twisted but infinitely catchy tune). This is probably not stuff you'll hear on an elevator anytime soon.

If you like Elvis Costello even a little, do yourself a favor and get this. If you want a great sample, go to iTunes and get Los Lobos' version of "Uncomplicated".



Ok, click on the album above and buy this album, because the original album that I love contains just these songs:

1. Uncomplicated
2. I Hope You're Happy Now
3. Tokyo Storm Warning
4. Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head
5. I Want You
6. Honey, Are You Straight Or Are You Blind?
7. Blue Chair
8. Battered Old Bird
9. Crimes Of Paris
10. Poor Napoleon

But this bonus CD also contains these:

1. Leave My Kitten Alone
2. New Rhythm Method
3. Forgive her Anything
4. Crimes Of Paris (Alt. Version)
5. Uncomplicated (Alt. Version)
6. Battered Old Bird (Alt. Version)
7. Seven Day Weekend
8. Blue Chair (Alt. Version)
9. Baby's Got A Brand New Hairdo
10. American Without Tears No. 2

Great Songs- In a Little While

U2- In a Little While
All That You Can't Leave Behind
October 2000

Because there was such a nice batch of comments about U2 here and on the real blog, I thought I'd follow up with a newer U2 song, and I thought I'd pick one that wasn't a huge hit like "Vertigo".

I love the opening riff on this song as well as the Edge's guitar tone throughout. It's not a usual U2 sound, but it all comes together to make a classic U2 song.

Best Albums- The Joshua Tree

U2- The Joshua Tree
March 1987

My wife and I went to see U2 in concert last night in Boston, so I absolutely have to mention their best album, the Joshua Tree. War and the simultaneous spread of MTV brought U2 to the attention of the world's youth, but The Joshua Tree made even the adults pay attention. This album was a monster and you've probably (hopefully) already spent a lot of time with this album playing in the background.
(If not, click on the album cover and buy a copy from Amazon, you can thank me later).

Though the biggest hits on this album are "Where the Streets Have No Name", "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and "With or Without You", I think that the strength of the album is that the rest of the songs are just as good, if not better than, the big radio hits. "Red Hill Mining Town," "Trip Through Your Wires", "One Tree Hill" and of course the rocking "Bullet the Blue Sky" are all fantastic songs. Give this album a listen soon. Whether you've heard it a zillion times and got sick of it or have never played it all the way through, put it on and be amazed with these lads all over again.




1. Where The Streets Have No Name
2. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
3. With Or Without You
4. Bullet The Blue Sky
5. Running To Stand Still
6. Red Hill Mining Town
7. In God's Country
8. Trip Through Your Wires
9. One Tree Hill
10. Exit
11. Mothers Of The Disappeared

Ps- for a quick review of the u2 show last night, including their set list, go to my blog, Kicked Puppies.

Best Songs- This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)

Talking Heads- This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)
Speaking In Tongues
June 1983

In the comments on my previous post, reader Megan said that she saw the john Butler Trio and their show caused a dance craze, which made me think of the dancing-est concert I've ever been to...

I went to see Talkingheads guys on this tour and it was a dancapalooza. (It was, I believe, the tour that became the "Stop Making Sense" album and film). If you can get 10,000 or so Mainers shaking their usually tight asses, you must be doing something right, and this band definitely did something right on this album.

Normally, I'm not one to go for synthesizers and other instruments that don't actually sound like "real" instruments, and for that reason I'm not as fond of Speaking In Tongues and Stop Making Sense as I might be, but this stupid little ditty always makes me smile. I really think it would be hard to listen to this song and be in a bad mood at the end of it, which is kind of what music is supposed to be about I think.

One of my chums once said that the members of the band switched instruments for this song, I dunno if that's true, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

Great Songs- Zebra

John Butler Trio- Zebra
Sunrise Over Sea
March 2005

This song absolutely rocks. I don't have the album, but I downloaded a couple of his songs from iTunes. Go buy the album, (click on it and you'll go to Amazon.com and I'll get a cut!) Buy two and send me one copy. You'll love Zebra, at least.

Best Albums- Sgt. Pepper

The Beatles- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
June 2, 1967

This is another of the "well, duh" series


Click it and Buy It!


1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
2. With a Little Help from My Friends
3. Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
4. Getting Better
5. Fixing a Hole
6. She's Leaving Home
7. Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
8. Within You Without You
9. When I'm Sixty-Four
10. Lovely Rita
11. Good Morning Good Morning
12. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
13. Day in the Life

Best Albums Ever- White Ladder

David Gray- White Ladder
March 21, 2000

If Van Morrison and Bob Dylan had a child, it would be one butt-ugly kid. If it's a boy, he might well grow up to sound just like David Gray. Gray's voice on this album sounds a lot like Dylan's of the mid-eighties vintage. (I find Bob's current voice to be skating that Munchkin Tone a little too much). Gray has Dylan's lyrical abilities (maybe not quite, but he's really good) and a voice that sounds like Bob. He also has Morrison's knack for phrasing and jazziness. (He's also, like Morrison, from the British Isles. I believe he's Welsh). (Now that I think about it, he also works some lyrics from Morrison's Into the Mystic into this album).

Anyhow, this is a great album. The lyrics and melodies and craftsmanship on the songs is far better than anything else Gray has done. Like Jack Johnson's album listed elsewhere on this page, I find this to be a great album to put on for any occasion- whether I need something playing in the background or I want to hear one of those incredibly catchy songs I've become hooked on.

If you've never listened to David Gray, do yourself a huge favor and click on the album cover and go buy it from Amazon. You can thank me later.


1. Please Forgive Me
2. Babylon
3. My Oh My
4. We're Not Right
5. Nightblindness
6. Silver Lining
7. White Ladder
8. This Years Love
9. Sail Away
10. Say Hello Wave Goodbye
11. Babylon II

Best Albums Ever- Dark Side of the Moon

Pink Floyd- Dark Side of the Moon
March 31, 1973

Well, duh.

Click on the album cover and buy a copy from Amazon if you've worn yours out, or if you're one of the three people on the planet who don't have it. Buy yourself a copy of the Wizard of Oz DVD at the same time and play them together. (seriously).



1. Speak to me
2. Breathe
3. On the run
4. Time
5. Great gig in the sky
6. Money
7. Us and them
8. Any colour you like
9. Brain damage
10. Eclipse

Best Songs- Gimme Shelter

The Rolling Stones- Gimme Shelter
Track 1- Let It Bleed
Recorded by the Stones on February 23, 1969
Album released-November 29, 1969



From that funky weird choppy guitar opening to the kickstart drums to the heroin lyrics to Merry Clayton wailing away with the background vocal, this may be the ultimate rock and roll song in all its gritty grungy squalored best.

Best Albums Ever- Who's Next

The Who- Who's Next
August 25, 1971

As with a lot of these groups I'm lauding here, there are some seriously rabid Who fans. There are scores of people who know all the lyrics and the history behind the songs and who seek out B-sides and have conventions. I ain't one of those, especially with the Who. Pete Townshend seems to jump back and forth between "cool" and "super prick" depending on the interview. The "musical genius" tag fits him for a lot of stuff, but also gets hard to defend when VH-1 shows some of his cheesier '80s videos. (Seen "Rough Boys" lately? It gives me the creeps). (To be honest, I've not been able to stay awake through all of Quadrophenia, though some day I intend to). In my humble but correct opinion, Pete rocked hard with the Who and got a little full of hisself the rest of the time, with sucktacular results

All the other Who baggage aside, this album freakin' rocks. Listen to Keith Moon pound the drums on Baba O'Riley, that alone is worth the price of admission. Look at the songs on this album (listed below). Each and every one of them is a staple of classic Rock. Listen again, all the way through. You'll be amazed at what the lads were doing back in '71. The big hits you've heard a zillion times, the lesser hits you've heard a million times. That's all there is on this album, there's no "throwaway". One of my faves on the iPod lately has been My Wife, probably because it's a great song that I never played much as a youth with Baba O'Riley and Bargain competing for my attention on the very same side of vinyl. I should mention that I had this album for several years before I actually noticed that they were peeing on the cover. Who's Next indeed.


Click on the pic to buy this album
from Amazon if you don't have it
already. You can thank me later.

1. Baba O'Riley
2. Bargain
3. Love Ain't For Keeping
4. My Wife
5. The Song Is Over
6. Getting In Tune
7. Going Mobile
8. Behind Blue Eyes
9. Won't Get Fooled Again

Best Albums Ever- Brushfire Fairytales

Jack Johnson- Brushfire Fairytales
February 6, 2001

Jack Johnson's Brushfire Fairytales is not a huge moment in rock history like Exile on Main Street or Led Zeppelin I, but it is a damn fine album for listening, which is kind of the point of music. It's mellow, a little funky, and though there's not a lot of uptempo here there is a lot of bounce. This album is great because it can serve as lively background music, or as the album that you put on because you want to hear those incredibly catchy and addictive songs you've grown to love (Flake, Bubble Toes, Inaudible Melodies, Posters). Jack Johnson hails from Hawaii and is apparently a pretty good surfer, and this album definitely has that perfect mellow surfer vibe.

Click on the pic to buy this album
from Amazon if you don't have it
already. You can thank me later.


1. Inaudible Melodies
2. Middle Man
3. Posters
4. Sexy Plexi
5. Flake
6. Bubble Toes
7. Fortunate Fool
8. The News
9. Drink the Water
10. Mudfootball
11. F-Stop Blues
12. Losing Hope
13. It's All Understood

Best Albums Ever- Led Zeppelin I

Led Zeppelin I
January 12, 1969

Led Zeppelin really didn't make any bad albums. They made a few that weren't as good as some of their others, but that's far different than saying they made a bad album. For that reason, I'm starting with their first rather than jumping to their best albums, (II, IV, Houses of the Holy). Because the fourth album has been completely killed for a lot of us by FM radio overplay, and because "II" was killed for a lot us by tape-deck and FM radio overplay, "I" isn't a bad place to start anyhow. There are a number of great great songs here that (thankfully) got overlooked by a lot of the classic radio station playlists, so a lot of it still sounds as fresh as it did way back in the day.


Click on the pic to buy this album
from Amazon if you don't have it
already. You can thank me later.

1. Good Times Bad Times
2. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You
3. You Shook Me
4. Dazed and Confused
5. Your Time is Gonna Come
6. Black Mountain Side
7. Communication Breakdown
8. I Can't Quit You Baby
9. How Many More Times

Best Albums Ever- Exile on Main Street

The Rolling Stones- Exile on Main Street
May 12, 1972


Click on the pic to buy this album
from Amazon if you don't have it
already. You can thank me later.

It took me a long time to "get" this album.
Firstly, since I'm moderately cheap, it took me along time to purchase it because this is an album full of songs you've never heard of.
Secondly, critics love it and it's widely lauded as the best Stones album ever by critics, which is usually a good reason to stay away from an album.
Thirdly, once I did purchase the album, it took me a number of listenings to figure out why this album is 'sposed to be so good. I was an enormous fan of the Some Girls and Let It Bleed albums, and I was pretty sure that even Sticky Fingers was better album than this one.
... and then one day as the disc changer did its thing and that little riff that opens Rocks Off kicked in, I just got it.

Tom Wolfe is supposed to have said something like "the Beatles want to hold your hand, the Stones want to burn your town." Whether he said that or not, it seems pretty perfect to describe this particular album. The opening song, Rocks Off, is one of my favorite Stones' songs and it sets the tone of the album perfectly, it's nasty and rough, full of attitude and more than a little dangerous. This is what Rock and Roll is supposed to be; edgy, punky, raunchy and a lot unpredictable. (Listen to the grittiness of Exile and then the polished gloss of Some Girls. It's like they're by two totally different bands).

The album doesn't always rock, it winds its way through some country and blues too, but the rock and roll attitude dominates. This album is hard core Stones.

1. Rocks Off
2. Rip This Joint
3. Shake Your Hips
4. Casino Boogie
5. Tumbling Dice
6. Sweet Virginia
7. Torn and Frayed
8. Sweet Black Angel
9. Loving Cup
10. Happy
11. Turd on the Run
12. Ventilator Blues
13. I Just Want to See His Face
14. Let It Loose
15. All Down the Line
16. Stop Breaking Down
17. Shine a Light
18. Soul Survivor

Best Albums Ever- Crash

Dave Matthews Band- Crash
Released April 30, 1996


Click on the pic to buy this album
from Amazon if you don't have it
already. You can thank me later.

This album freakin' rocks. From the funky opening riff on So Much to Say through Two Step and on through the album, which includes the rockers Too Much and Tripping Billies, this is the most uptempo of all the Dave Matthews Band albums to date, and for that reason it may be their best. (Though that's a close call based on the strength of Under the Table and Dreaming and Before these Crowded Streets). The biggest hit on the album, Crash Into Me, is one of my least favorites of all the DMB repetoire, but that might just be because I've heard it so many times through the years. This is one of the great rock and roll albums of all time, without question.

1. So Much to Say
2. Two Step
3. Crash Into Me
4. Too Much
5. #41
6. Say Goodbye
7. Drive in Drive Out
8. Let You Down
9. Lie In Our Graves
10. Cry Freedom
11. Tripping Billies
12. Proudest Monkey

The Best Music Ever

The Village Idiot is, and always has been, a giant fan of rock and roll music. He also occasionally dips into other genres, but he's mostly a rock guy. Rather than muck up his main blog, Kicked Puppies, with music geekiness all the time, he's started a blog about music.

Enjoy!