Escape To Rich Mountain

The masters of the universe own the Number 1 slot on my 100 favorite Cd countdown.

We're finally here, at the end of my 100 Favorite Cds list! It only took a couple of years to get here. So this is it, the album that I've played more often in my life than any other album. I've worn out multiple cassettes and vinyl record copies of this album (well, not worn out vinyl I lent them to people and would get them back warped or dusty) because it's awesomeness has to be experienced more than once. I bought this tape after liking what I was hearing from this group's entries into the Top 100 songs countdown of 1982 with Casey Kasem aka the radio broadcast that changed my life. Plus, they were a local Bay Area band. It couldn't get better than that.

Number 1: Journey - Escape (1981)

1. Don't Stop Believin'

I read somewhere this was the cornerstone of the Journey songbook, truer words have not been spoken. Like Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger", Journey's anthem struck a chord with everyone who wanted to feel hope was alive in '82. The magnificent song structure is the stuff people like me have blogs for, the momentous beginning, the Neal Schon guitar ramp up, the lurching Steve Smith drums and that killer chorus of Jon Cain and Steve Perry's soaring above a heroic Neal Schon guitar line. Many high school classes of '81 and '82 used this song as their graduation theme and a snippet of this was featured heavily in their video game advertisement.

That's right, because Journey was the first band to have their own video game which I proudly owned and played on the Atari. The game itself kinda sucked and was confusing as hell. Still, hearing Atari-ized versions of Journey playing while you move the block shaped dude around flying barriers and fans was...well, it was. That advertisement is burned in my memory though. "The concert's over and now you must help the members of Journey past screaming fans and reporters" or something like that. Oh, it was promoters. It's an awesome awesome commercial.

As time passed I thought the song would just be the highlight of their career among Journey fans, but in recent times "Don't Stop Believin" has taken a second life. It's become a cultural staple as it's been adopted by sports teams and television shows for demonstrating the power of the human spirit (yes I over exaggerate, but it's frickin' Journey!). Once it was used in the last scene of the HBO series The Sopranos, it's exalted place in modern pop culture was sealed.

As a huge fan, I was pissed at the end of 1982 when music critic Joel Selvin included this song in his list of Top 10 worst songs of the year. He more or less said "Don't Stop Believin" was an excuse to show off Steve Perry's vocal range. In my angry retort 27 years later I would like to say - America is a free country and you Joel Selvin are welcome to express it under the freedoms we cherish as Americans. There, after all these years I finally said it. Take that Joel Selvin!

For me, the song is one of my all time favorite tunes. During the Steve Augeri era, the band had a different ending where it sped up like a locomotive that I thought was really cool. It is a song that does exactly what it says it's gonna do, inspire to keep on keepin' on...in the nnniiiiigggghhhhhttttttt!

And most importantly, when my later-to-be-wife wrote some of the song lyrics from "Believin" on a piece of paper at the place we worked at it drew my attention. Pretty lookin' and good taste in music. A win - win!

2. Stone In Love

A killer song about being "in the heat with a blue jean girl", you feel the rush of infatuation with it's choppy beginning to it's gliding end. The Time3 box set liner notes said this song started with Neal Schon playing some guitar on a tape and labeling it "Stoned In Love". I like to know a bunch of useless trivia about music, yet this piece has permanently placed an image in my mind when I think about this song.

Now the guy was probably just as likely to smoke pot with or without the afro I would assume, so I guess I'm profiling Neal Schon because of how he looked (damn hippie!). He didn't even look like this during the making of Escape. Oh well, I don't care. Tell it to the judge, Schon!

Anyway, Schon's chopped up guitar riff drove the main part of this song which kicks into a meaty bass line for Ross Valory. It's cool how the rhythm section punctuates the lyrics, it's Stone in luh-u-wuv duh duh, duhhhh! I always liked how this song broke down and then built back up to the smooth ending. Live, sometimes "Stone in Love" would segue into "Keep on Runnin". One of my all time fave double shots.

3. Who's Cryin' Now

The addition of new band member keyboardist Jonathan Cain greatly deepened the songwriting. With "Who's Cryin' Now" the band came up with their first clear cut shot at Adult Contemporary. Steve Perry tears it up given the slower pace needed for him to really emote. On the Greatest Hits Live CD when he hits the bridge Perry goes into this delicately modulated vocal (...when the heartache is oouuvver) that's 10 times better than the already outstanding recorded version. It's hard to believe now, at the time rock bands felt it was risky to show the sensitive side of their bic lighter hearts. The band nails this with it's dusky portrayal of romance on the rocks. And Neal Schon has said he's received compliments for his sad, sad guitar solo at the end (at least that's what I remember him saying in interviews after deliberately playing a similar solo for "Signs of Life" from the Arrival album).

4. Keep On Runnin'

Driving power rock from the guys who do it best, like a motorcycle flying down the street "Keep On Runnin" revs up and takes off. In some ways a sort of cousin to "Any Way You Want It", "Runnin" is about a fast beat and fired up anthemic chorus. For years I didn't bother to listen to the actual words (something about bustin' free from blue collar work, even now I'm not sure) because it didn't matter. Once that racing groove matched up with that flying chorus, I was hooked. In concert Jon Cain would play second guitar on this, freeing Schon up to fire off even more ridiculously hot solos.

5. Still They Ride

Jesse, how times have changed for you braw (sob). Journey goes back to working the sad groove with this sentimental, uh, journey about a guy named Jesse has outgrown his town. Do you know how bored you have to be to notice traffic lights keeping time? I actually had a friend named Jesse at the time, not that the song really related to him at all it was just one of those things where you hear a name in a song and think "Hey, I know someone with that exact NAME!". I don't think I ever mentioned this to him, since he was really sensitive about that whole Rick Springfield "Jessie's Girl" thing he got a lot of crap for (his nickname for Springfield was Dick Springfield for cursing him with that song).

Anywho, I liked how there was a lot of space in the song. Steve Perry delivers his best vocal, filled with nuance and longing. And the part where Schon goes from a stately solo to near shredding yet retaining the lonely dude in a car mood is magic. The 45 had this great cover of a ZZ Top kind of car driving on the road-because it's so lonely and sad on the road.

6. Escape

Journey is a band that likes to have a song with the album title (not all of them have it, but many do). "Escape" was the one with the cool little proggy bit. I can't help but get pumped up when I hear this jam as Steve Perry details fighting against...something vague...but it's holding him down man! You can't hold Steve Perry down!! He will escape you!!!

This song seemed to go in different sections that were pieced together giving it a panoramic effect. Jon Cain really shines in this one, his epic gliss at the intro and the synth stabs to enhance the rhythm break is genius. Seems like a good time to give credit to Cain for streamlining the band's sound (I don't think it was a coincidence that they got slicker after his arrival). While you can't hold Steve Perry down, my strongest memory of this song is my wife and I getting to high five Arnel Pineda during this ditty at a concert last year. Uh oh, I put the words Perry and Pineda in the same sentence. Let the haters begin!

Oh, and my second strongest memory was when my wife bought me a bootleg of the Houston '81 concert in the 90's before it was available for retail. The thrill of seeing the Escape tour in some form during the Clinton years was one of the best gifts I've had. Thanks Bunny!

7. Lay It Down

My least favorite song on the album, it took me a few years to get into it. A juke joint mid tempo rocker, it has that REO Speedwagon quality of packing a BIG rock performance into a slower burning song to create this effect of tightly controlled frenzy. Because it's my least favorite, it's the one I have the least to say about. So without much to say about "Lay It Down", let's take a moment to mention I thought at the time that Steve Perry played a big part of the muscle T shirt fad that happened at that time. In particular, the pink muscle T with black tiger stripes. After an exhaustive search of the internet, it would appear that I was wrong. No pictures seem to exist of this shirt which I thought I remembered so well. Guess I'm just getting old. I'm starting to remember crap that never actually happened. Maybe the shirt below was the one I was thinking of? I will say this though, I have my IPOD on shuffle and out of over 8000 songs this one popped on while I was typing this post. It's the spirit of Steve Perry at work (except of course, he's not dead. It's just a joke folks). Hey, and it does rock. La-la-la-la Lay It!

8. Dead Or Alive

On the other hand, "Dead Or Alive" is smokin'. Like a train coming off the tracks, this song starts fast and then gets faster and wilder as it goes. Really nice to have a total change of pace, this song about a hit man's life and demise is miles away from the rest of the album's romantic subject matter. My favorite part is when they mimic gunfire with blasts of rhythm after Perry sings "A heartless woman's thirty eigh-e-eigh-e-eigh-e-eight". Maybe the funnest song the Bay Area band ever did considering their usual repertoire. The only time I got to hear this live was when it was performed with Jeff Scott Soto on lead vox during the Def Leppard co-headlining tour. It sounded great. a real highlight to the show. Speaking of which, the clip linked above is from the band's legendary Day On The Green appearance at the height of their fame. I still remember the huge picture spread of the concert stage in the next morning's San Francisco newspaper (that picture is included in their box set booklet, so I know I didn't hallucinate that one!). When I say legendary I should probably say local legend, I missed both of the band's headlining Day On The Green concerts at the Oakland Coliseum :(

9. Mother, Father

At the time I first had the tape, this was my favorite song because it was very dramatic. Written with help on the music from Neal Schon's dad, "Mother, Father" had an almost movie-of-the-week feel wrapped in its melodrama of broken homes. It's sweeping orchestral quality brings class and power to the sad tale. On the live performance version included in their Houston live 1981 CD & DVD, it's a show stopper and when Perry hits that high note wail at the end "Mother Father" becomes almost operatic.

10. Open Arms

Though technically not the first of it's kind, "Open Arms" is sometimes credited as the beginning of the power ballad. Through all those ballads that would follow from other bands, none could match the intimacy of the original thanks to Jon Cain's great songwriting and Steve Perry's sincere delivery. Journey's biggest hit on the Billboard charts (it reached #2), it's success pushed Escape over the top and elevated the band to the status they've been at since. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if John Waite had not thought the song was so "syrupy" when Cain pitched it to him in The Babys. It's not like Waite had a problem singing ballads for his supper later in his career.

"Open Arms" has become a mini American Idol for Journey's lead singers as all of them must pass the litmus test of singing this song. There are a couple of comparisons on You Tube and it's fun to listen to the contrasting styles of the different vocalists though they are all working the same vocal style with the same arrangement. This is not a comprehensive comparison because I'm pretty sure Deen Castronovo and maybe Jeff Scott Soto sang "Open Arms" as well and are not included, but it's still fun. To summarize what the AI judges would say, Randy would say "You worked it out Steve Perry, you did your thing", Kara would say "whatever Randy just said but talking longer", Paula would say "I appreciate your heart, your spirit" and Simon would accuse them all of being karaoke singers even to Steve Perry himself. He's just a cheeky bastard that way.

I like all of the versions except for Deen Castronovo, not that he doesn't sound good (of all the singers to follow Perry, he sounds the closest to me to the original) but it just throws me off when the drummer starts singing in this band. For me, nothing tops seeing Perry live during the Raised on Radio tour. It just means more in the original text

Bonus Track. La Raza Del Sol

I call it a bonus track even though I don't think it was ever included with any printing of Escape. This song I found on the B side of the 45 to one of the singles back in the day. It's an interesting trip back to the band's Santana origins with a slightly Latin groove and of course, some lyrics in Spanish. Once it was included in the Time3 box set it became more available, up to then it was a rarity that many people didn't know about. I can see why it was left off in that it doesn't fit in well with the other songs on the record, but as an extra track tacked on the end it's awesome. When I would record the album to tape, I would throw this on the end for an extra kick.

Career wise, Escape is the album that changed Journey's successful rock band to mega stars. It's a peak the band would never reach again (though Frontiers got close). I followed everything this lineup of the band did as closely as I could with a Beatlemania like fandom back in the day. This is the most perfect record I've ever heard, obviously, and it's my favorite album of all time.

I Heard A Rumour

Up to Number 2 on my 100 Favorite CD list, it's one of the first tapes I ever bought-

Number 2: Fleetwood Mac - Rumours (1977)

It's not an understatement to say I practically worship this album. The first Fleetwood Mac tape I got was Mirage (1982) and I liked it enough that I felt like a little more Mac leading me to picking up Rumours at the local Payless. My adventure with this album started with it being a great bunch of songs and my crush on Stevie Nicks. As time went on, I learned more about the story behind the album - the relationships of the band members to each other, the art of the production, the piles of cocaine they consumed and the first album to have four Top 10 singles. While I love the multitude of factoids and stories that go with Rumours, what makes it my second favorite all time album is that it just sounds good.

1. Second Hand News

When I bought the tape, this song was placed on the second side and not the start so it threw me when we hit the CD era. Lindsey Buckingham had a slight Country twang that fit his California rocker image well. This type of a song, a fast stiff beat with alternately driving and jangly guitars anchoring his nervously urgent singing would become a hallmark for Buckingham's style. While every song on this album became a hit of some type on the radio, this one always draws a sly smile for the line "Won't you lay me down in the tall grass and let me do my stuff."

2. Dreams

I think this was Fleetwood Mac's only #1 hit. There's a lot to read into with the back story of Nicks leaving Buckingham, there's a sense of poetic resignation to the tune. I always liked how the part about a "Heartbeat drives you mad" is echoed by Mick Fleetwood's heart beat like percussion. The band does a great job of keeping it soft while still giving a pulse to the groove. Along with the elemental lyrics, Stevie Nicks created a song that was memorable and interesting without being too literal.

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3. Never Going Back Again

Easily the funnest song on the album, even if it probably isn't written from a positive place. Buckingham is finger pickin' good on this track, taking the acoustic guitar and setting it to his famed herky jerky beat. This song often pops in my mind if there is somewhere I don't want to go back to. Though my strongest memory is bebopping to this song in a supermarket while shopping with my wife about ten years ago.

4. Don't Stop

Christine McVie's optimistic blues rock romp has become a standard of sorts, particularly after it was used as Bill Clinton's theme song for his initial Presidency. "Don't Stop" is one of those definitive feel good songs, I live how tight the rhythm section of drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie is on this track. Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham's vocals get entangled in a way where I have a hard time distinguishing who is singing when. The song is such a classic that Fleetwood Mac still plays it without Christine McVie, who left the band a few years back. To think this all started with Christine McVie hooking up with the band's lighting guy...

5. Go Your Own Way

One of the first songs I ever truly loved, "Go Your Own Way" is a blast of high flying harmony vocals, lurching rhythms and some fired up guitar soloing. A bitter kiss off from Buckingham, no doubt directed towards his ex Ms. Nicks, "Way" packs some fury in it's few minutes on. Up there with Jackson Browne's "Running On Empty" for 70's Cali rock traveling songs (highlighted by their back to back usage in the jogging segment of Forrest Gump), I was facinated with Buckingham's unique guitar style. Lindsey Buckingham's biggest hit, when I saw the Mac live the first time in '87 it still held the set closer position in the set list though he had left the band (Billy Burnette sang it).

6. Songbird

Christine McVie alone at a piano is a beautiful, soothing thing. Being from the Bay Area, I liked the fact that this was recorded in Berkeley. Maybe as close as this album gets to sentimentality, "Songbird" provides a moment of peace and grace to close out side one.

7. The Chain

Side two kicks off with "The Chain", a dark song that starts with a chanted style verse as Nicks and Buckingham play off each other leading into a brief bass solo and then a racing guitar frenzy finish. The first time I heard this was on the HBO special for the Mirage tour, where Buckingham and Nicks really dig into the verses almost like actors. It was the show opener and created a lot of drama with the two almost sparring vocally and Nicks unleashing her sexy witchy woman mystique. That tour seems to be the only time this arrangement was used, as the album arrangement keeps the group singing fairly tight without too many jabs at each other.

8. You Make Loving Fun

Though arguably the least famous of Fleetwood Mac's three singer / songwriters from this period, Christine McVie had written the most chart hits. McVie's bouncy ode to rediscovering the thrill of love rides on a supple beat from the famed rhythm section. For me, my favorite part is those incredible background vocals. Once those "Ahhh Ahhh" backgrounds kick in I'm hooked, it's airy brilliance supports McVie's lead vocal perfectly. It's a weird thing to get into, I love the backgrounds on this song.

9. I Don't Want To Know

This was the tune that led off side one on the tape I had! I always thought this song was slight, nothing great nothing bad kind of category. It seems Nicks really wanted "Silver Springs" but was told there wasn't room on the record or something to that effect. "Silver Springs" was relegated to a B side on a single, still years later Nicks still had faith in the song. She tried to claim it for a Greatest Hits comp of her solo stuff in the early 90's but Mick Fleetwood denied it to her, keeping it for a Fleetwood Mac box set instead. That set was the first time I heard "Springs" and I thought it was killer. When the Rumours lineup reunited in '97, "Silver Springs" was resurrected again and became a highlight of their first show which featured Nicks staring down Buckingham on stage while belting out in the final moments. Now it's one of their best known songs!

10. Oh Daddy

A song for Mick Fleetwood, this is probably the most pleasantly dated piece on the record. The slow downbeat groove sets the mood and contains one of my favorite John McVie bass parts. He's all over this bad boy like a monster.

11. Gold Dust Woman

Despite the lyrics allusions to groupies and drugs, the imagery in my mind was of a nomadic weathered faced woman walking through the desert with a spoon in her hand. And so goes my mind! When my wife and saw them on The Dance tour, during this song Nicks let out a huge wail and physically shook that drew a big pop from the audience. Though it wasn't one of the singles from Rumours, this ranks as high in recognize ability to most people as those hits. For me, the best Stevie Nicks number on the album. I dig the hypnotic rhythms and spooky sense of drama.

Fleetwood Mac is one of my all time favorite bands so it makes sense they would have an all time favorite record of mine. Rumours is a convergence of talent, inspiration and maybe even fate leading to a fantastic record from start to finish.

On To The Heart Of The Sunrise

The Fragile record came with a small booklet that included this picture, another fantastic painting from my favorite artist Roger Dean. His stuff is freakin' awesome!

I'm getting pretty pumped about finishing off this list, we're just two places away from reaching the creme de la creme, A#1, numero uno, top dog, big cheese, ichiban-my favorite album of all time. We're not there yet though, so here's the next to check off the list:

Number 3: Yes - Fragile (1971)

1. Roundabout

The first time I heard this song was the shortened version at my first Yes concert during the 90125 tour. While I liked the tune, I didn't love it until I borrowed my Aunts three record live set Yessongs (1973). Where the 90125 band's version was faster and swervy, the Classic Yes live version had the thrilling rapidfire keyboards of Rick Wakeman and the jagged riffs of Steve Howe. I was so used to the heavy electric guitar driven live version that it took years to get used to the record version, driven by Howe's acoustic guitar. "Roundabout" with it's light touch eventually liked the best, Howe's feathery riffs and Bill Bruford's syncopated style gave Chris Squire's gutteral bass, Wakeman's swirling keys and Anderson's childlike voice room to roam. Of the live performances I've seen of the band (I've seen them eight times), my favorite was on the Union tour (1991). But then, I can say that about a lot of Yes songs because the Union concert is one of my all time favorite concerts. The double drum work of Bill Bruford and Alan White together in the midsection was incredible!

The song has become the litmus test of all Yes members, each player has put their own spin on it through the years. Below is 1973 and you can also see 1975, 1985, 1991 and 2004.

2. Cans And Brahms

Each member of the band got a solo track on Fragile, the first on the record was Rick Wakeman. Fragile marked Wakeman's debut with Yes and on this track it shows why they enticed him to join. A cavalcade of keyboard sounds mark this cut. Very regal and fancy sounding. Though my favorite solo is the "Excerpts From The Six Wives Of Henry VIII" with the police siren sounds on Yessongs, this was good too. My Dad likes Classical music, when he heard this in the car he was happy to tell me what song it was.

3. We Have Heaven

Jon Anderson had his solo song next, the characteristically spacey riddle filled "We Have Heaven". Sort of Beatlesish with the jangly guitar and a gaggle of repetitive phrases sung in different melodies. A riddle trapped inside of an enigma. Peace, Brother! Jon Anderson can get a little Hippie Dippy on his own. Are you not of The Body? Do you not know the will of Landru?

4. South Side Of The Sky

An unusually dark sounding song for Yes, with it's burgeoning groove and climbing vocal melody. Storm sounds add to the mystique as I feel more and more like one of those Lord of the Rings characters listening to this track. Let me help you Mr. Frodo! Like "Heart Of The Sunrise" it breaks down to a Wakeman piano bit in the middle before going into a softer vocal driven part of "La la la la la"s. Sort of like the eye of the tornado, all peaceful before the raging wind resumes. That section was a beautiful moment when I saw them perform this on the Classic Yes tour of 2002. The first time I heard "South Side..." was when my College roommate (also a big Yes fan) brought the record to our dorm room. It's still amazing.

5. Five Per Cent Of Nothing

The two Yes drummers, Bill Bruford and Alan White, are two of my favorites at that instrument in music history. Bruford's style was heavily jazz influenced and his solo cut reflects this as the band lays out its jazziest track for about a minute or so. I think the song was named for the band manager's cut, it's been awhile I think that's what it's for. I'm too lazy to look it up.

6. Long Distance Runaround

It took me time to warm up to this song, it seemed to simplistic at first. The piano and guitar running in this matching pattern that goes around and around, speeding up and slowing down in harmony. Another song that grew on me, particularly after the aforementioned Union tour where the Fragile lineup held the stage together for the last time. Listening to these five musicians attack the song twenty years after it was released was a marvel. Yes is about the synergy of talented musicians to me and "Long Distance Runaround" with it's scampering tact, pensive chorus and snazzy grooves is pure genius.

7. The Fish

Chris Squire had the best solo, the spidery "The Fish" that fades directly from the close of "Long Distance Runaround". That pick axe beat of Bruford and Squire's chipping and bubbling bass lines create a unique experience in sound. Add some chanting and you've got some Hippie madness going on. Squire is a killer bass player, one of the few to really expand on it as a lead instrument. Long a staple of his live bass solo (along with part of "Tempus Fugit"), when the Doctor is in you've got to pay attention as he plucks the strings and bounces around the stage. "The Fish" makes me think of those 70's style films where you see images in their negatives, little white fish darting around against a green backdrop like they were X-Rayed through a mist.

8. Mood For A Day

When it comes to acoustic guitar, Steve Howe is the best for me. His playing on "Mood For A Day" is like a nice sunny afternoon at the Renaissance Faire. Huzzah! Howe is one of the most physically expressive guitar players I've seen, not flashy but honest. His moves are awkward and gawky which enhances the honesty of his playing. When my wife and I saw them in '97 we had good seats and caught Howe on a night when he was gettin' down. The way he kicked into "Siberian Khatru" was stellar. Thanks Bunny!

9. Heart Of The Sunrise

It was rumored to be partially influenced by King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man" which does have a slight resemblance. Listening to "Heart Of The Sunrise" is like watching the seasons pass by, the rapid fire groove repeats and changes gradually each time it repeats again. Maybe the organ pattern has changed, maybe there's a drum roll instead of a straight beat, but it changes. One of their most dynamic songs, it rises and falls like the Ocean and geez it makes me feel all spiritual and shit. My strongest memory is seeing this song heavily featured in the movie Buffalo '66 where the flash editing matches the beat down to the sudden arch breaks. In second is when I recorded Classic Yes off the radio in the early 80's, I had an epiphany when I realized Anderson was using his voice purely as an instrument. Up to that point, I had never heard singing like that.

For fun, the link is of Yes in '98 so you can get a little Igor Khoroshev in on the keyboards. A fine keyboardist.

Yes has had many different musicians over the years and I'm a fan of pretty much all the incarnations of this group (though the jury is still out for me on temp singer David Benoit. I just don't know about him). They are the pinnacle of Art Rock and heady ambition. One last thing, I often wondered if Bachman Turner Overdrive's Not Fragile album was titled as a response to Yes? Probably not, but it sounds good doesn't it?

Better Music Through Science

Some serious dudes! Boston weren't glum on record, delivering 8 track car cruising jams to the World.

...was the marketing tag line that today's featured band hated. Now that we're into my Top Four favorite albums of all time, we're hitting discs by my favorite bands of all time. This entry is the mega successful debut record of Boston, released in 1976 and was the best selling debut album of all time until Whitney Houston came along. I heard about Boston through a book of Rock Bands I had in the early 80's and loved the mystique of this forgotten group (at the time it was 1983 and their last album released was 1978). My neighbor had a way cool poster of Boston that I hadn't seen before or since.

This led to me buying their second album Don't Look Back on a trip to vacation in Lake Tahoe. I thought this tape was the greatest thing since sliced bread, playing it endlessly. Don't Look Back was so great, I bought the debut record. The cool sci fi look of the album covers with the flying guitar spaceships were awesome! For years I liked Don't Look Back more than the first, but as time has passed I find I play and listen to the first more now. Listen to the record!

Number 4: Boston - Boston (1976)

1. More Than A Feeling

The first single that paved the way for their whole career, "More Than A Feeling" instantly set the Beantown band up as one of the premier Arena rock bands of the day. With a marching hand clap beat that would be copied by other bands for decades ("Smells Like Teen Spirit" anyone?), the power of those high flown vocals and twin guitar work could not be matched. And because I used to drink a six pack of soda a day, I thought the lyric in the verse was "When I'm tired I take a Coke." Epic wasn't just this group's record label, it was a way of life. One of my favorite songs in high school to chill out to in my beanbag chair in my room. After hearing Brad Delp instantly arrive as an amazing singer, it is truly sad that one of the great voices of Arena rock chose to take his own life.

2. Peace Of Mind

Bandleader / Guitarist / Bassist / Keyboardist / Songwriter / Producer Tom Scholz said he had a thing for classical music. That influence shows in the dynamic rise and fall of The Eagles-on-speed number "Peace Of Mind". An odd juxtaposition of laid back lyrics about chucking climbing the corporate latter against thunderous, tightly wound arrangements makes the song stand out even more. The words about "I understand about indecision and I don't mind if I get behind" pretty much summed up how I felt about having a career when I was a teenager. Brad Delp's mulittracked vocals are glorious and impressive considering the number of overdubs Scholz requires for his music. And the twin guitar solos leading to the give and take between Scholz and Barry Goudreau was magic. Take a look ahead!

3. Foreplay / Long Time

I know I said this before, when this was just a song title to me before owning the record I expected this to be a nasty song about Sex. Instead, "Foreplay" is a prog rock dream with winding boogie grooves and splashy organ playing leading up to the thumping mid-tempo beat of "Long Time". A great song about feeling good and struttin' your bell bottom cool, I'm just taking my time I'm movin' on, you'll forget about me after I've been gone. I'll take what I find I don't want no more, it's just outside of your back door. That was the magic of Boston, feel good songs about relaxing with the most pumped up guitars imaginable. Below is a clip of the band playing in 1979, listening to it reminds me of what a great lead player Barry Goudreau was. Although other good guitar players would join later, for Boston there is no better lead player than Goudreau.

4. Rock And Roll Band

One of the ironies of Boston is that they were perceived as a band more than a studio creation. This was a group that would literally spend years in the studio, album releases would be spread six to eight years apart in most cases. So this song was important in building the myth making that this was a band that came up from the streets and not the studio and what a beautiful myth it is. Hard charging whooshing guitars and kick ass drum breaks fuel the fire as Delp's stratospheric singing carries on about playing in Hyannis and gettin' a record company contract. And as a teen I didn't know any of this backstory stuff so I took it at face value and thought it was freakin' sweet.

5. Smokin'

In the 80's high school students were forced to watch anti drug movies that were made in the 70's (and considering how education is funded, kids today may still be watching these movies). One of those movies, in between interviews of brain damaged kids, highlighted this song as a chief culprit in getting kids to do drugs. The camera slowly zoomed in on the spinning record as it played this song. A heavy trip to lay on my peeps. Still, I can say from experience that Boston is not a gateway drug (experience meaning I've never done drugs) and the lyrics were clever enough to make it about a hot playing band instead of, well, the drug use it alludes to. Boston always had a hippie heart which I think is great.

6. Hitch A Ride

That hippie heart means you gotta thumb your way around. The mix of acoustic and electric guitars are well placed, particularly at the end where the two guitarists again trade solos backed by another hand clap beat. A good place to mention that Barry Goudreau has been attributed to helping build the classic Boston sound by other former members of the group, which explains why he keeps coming up with new groups that sound like Boston minus the 6 to 8 years of overdub production. Scholz used to say on many guitar parts you're actually listening to hundreds of overdubs to get that thickened tone. Can you imagine playing the same guitar parts over and over for half a decade? As impressive as it is crazy.

7. Something About You

Used to be my favorite on this album, loved listening to this on my walkman during the hour long school bus ride each day. I liked the dynamics of it, how the guitars and overlapping vocals would stack on top of each other. I got to got to have you! Followed by whooshing guitars. Three minute magic if there was one.

8. Let Me Take You Home Tonight

The official Producer of this album was John Boylan (Little River Band), though there is no doubt that Scholz set up the bulk of this project. "Let Me Take You Home Tonight" was reportedly the one song Boylan produced with the band sans Scholz who was finishing up the rest of the album at home. This song sounded like it had a touch of steel guitar twanginess as the tune starts off slow and builds to a racing finish. What guy didn't want to say this to a girl when they're a teenager?

Boston would have more success, combined with Don't Look Back and Third Stage form a nice trilogy of fired up peace and love. Looking at it in the present, the debut album had the best material and a certain innocence that would be lost amid a constant flurry of law suits in the decades that followed. Happy, pot smoking free lovin hippies with giant sized afros (well, just one of them had the 'fro) who could blast through arrangements tighter than a squirrel's ass. That was the pure awesomeness of Boston in a nutshell. No synthesizers were used in the typing of this post.

7 - 6 - 5

No more runaround, Van Halen hits the Top 5 of my list

Racing to the end of my 100 Favorite CD countdown, after this set I start going track by track on these incredible albums. Before we get there, we have to get through numbers 7, 6 and 5.

7. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Gold & Platinum (1979)

Although we had the Skynyrd's Innards single CD hits set, it was the double album Gold & Platinum that really gave me something to dig in to. There are songs that are a given on a Skynyrd set, "Freebird", "Sweet Home Alabama", "Gimmie Three Steps" and "That Smell" all make appear here. And though it lacks some killer tunes like "Call Me The Breeze", Gold & Platinum uses it's length to show more variety from their catalog. The rambunctious "I Know A Little", the attitude driven "Down South Jukin", the stately "Simple Man" and the fiery "Comin' Home" show the breadth and range of this fantastic band. Eventually I had to have more Skynyrd and would get the box set, before that this set was the best rounded collection of their music I had heard.

6. Tom Petty - Greatest Hits (1993)

I didn't get into Tom Petty's music until I was in my 20s, when I copied his Greatest Hits off a friend onto a cassette tape (remember those?). The simplicity and directness of approach balanced with economical musicianship and brilliant songwriting finally clicked with me after ignoring his stuff for over a decade. Starting with the man on the street feel to "Breakdown" and working to the big hits era of "Don't Do Me Like That" or "Even The Losers" and eventually landing in his solo record Jeff Lynne produced phase of "Free Fallin". Years after it's release, the song "Listen To Her Heart" became a personal favorite of mine. Maybe it's that part about not winning her over with your money and your cocaine. Through it all, sharply drawn observations matched with indelible melodies made the 90's more bearable for someone like me who wanted rock that didn't have rap in it. It was like water to a man in the desert.

5. Van Halen - For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991)

I'm not superstitious for the most part, but one superstition I do have is this album. It is my lucky album. It's a great motivator, listening to this album gets me fired up to tackle the bigger challenges in life. Musically, it's the, ahem, best of both worlds as it features Sammy Hagar on vocals yet has a Classic VH sound to the music (could be because Ted Templeman produced for the first time since the DLR era). That could be because cuts like "Top Of The World" and "Runaround" owe a debt to DLR era winners "Dance The Night Away" and "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love". The lack of a power ballad is a huge plus, VH does not do power ballads well, the closest they get is the piano driven "Right Now". And "Poundcake" was all over the radio with its burgeoning groove. Air guitar fanatics had something to jam to on high flying "The Dream Is Over". The short and sweet acoustic guitar solo "316" was stretched out live to contain all his great solos. While some of the songs on this disc were just passable (Let's not call 1-900 SPANKED), it's my favorite in style and for personal reasons. My lucky tape / CD!

10 - 9 - 8

The Police Sting

Time to jump into the Top 10 of my favorite albums of all time. Todo tiempo. Wrote a song about it, want to hear it? Here it goes...

10. Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska (1982)

The Boss went demo style on his '82 release, recording this album on his own with an acoustic guitar and some harmonica. Written at the height of his artistic power, Nebraska tells in detail the stories of hard luck losers who find themselves on the wrong side of morality through a combination of disposition, economics and fate. One of my favorite Boss tunes, "Highway Patrolman", is downright moving with its tale of law versus family. The soft beauty of "Mansion On The Hill" and the desperate march of "Atlantic City" add to the pile of brilliant songwriting. Ending with the rough yet optimistic "Reason To Believe", Springsteen plants a punctuation mark on an amazing album.

9. Metallica - Master Of Puppets (1986)

Tragically the final album with bassist Cliff Burton, Metallica's songcraft and sonic fury hit it's peak on the piledriving Master Of Puppets. The thunderous title track alone has become a live classic sung by Arenas around the world. "Disposable Heroes" has motivated me through my work day many times. "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" is a song I wasn't big on at first but in recent years has become a favorite, I love when they hit that bridge. "Battery" has long been high on my list of faves, a bone crushing rocker that I recently found out was named after Battery Street in San Francisco. And I will always remember this album for containing my wife's #1 Metallica song, "The Thing That Should Not Be". Pure Metal Madness.

8. The Police - Synchronicity (1983)

It was the hot, hot summer of '83 when my neighbor went on a major Police binge and bought all of their tapes (which meant I got to copy all of his tapes). Synchronicity was and is a flawless album where even the slight moments have magic. The second half reads like a greatest hits collection in itself: "Synchronicity II", "Every Breath You Take", "King Of Pain" and "Wrapped Around Your Finger". The first half had the killer "Synchronicity I", the percussion driven "Walking In Your Footsteps" and Andy Summer's demented "Mother". I spent a lot of sweaty summer nights rockin to this album and seeing them live that year was a definite highlight.

That's the first three of my Top 10, as I get closer to the end I'll go track by track on the albums to milk it for all its worth. :)

Numbers 13 thru 11

With his trusty hat and guitar, Stevie Ray Vaughan blazed through the 80's with brilliant talent and skill.

Time to add to my favorite 100 CD list, we're inching closer to the Top 10! But to get there, we have to get through these guys:

Number 13: Pearl Jam - Ten (1991)

The birth of Grunge spawned a slew of new Seattle bands and one of the biggest and best had to be Pearl Jam. My favorite of the flannel bunch, Pearl Jam played relatively straight forward hard rock with the murky theatrics and disenfranchised angst to connect with the early 90's. The thrashing Alive, the melodramatic Black and of course the driving Jeremy sent listeners slam dancing and body surfing in droves. For me, it was the first group of the 90's "Alternative" wave that I really connected with. I even got used to Even Flow which was not a fave of mine back then. Sure Eddie Vedder was a humorless soul but with the economy sinking following the boomtime 80's no one felt like smiling anyway.

Number 12: Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood (1982)

My all time favorite guitarist's debut album was a blazing hot shot of bruising blues guitar. The power of Hendrix and the deep emotions of the blues collide as SRV stepped on the national stage with a six string shooter in hand. Watching him play guitar is watching people breathe, it's natural and effortless but so vital. I just wish I became a fan when he was alive, maybe I could have seen him play live. The kickin' Love Struck Baby, his rock radio hit Pride and Joy and the deep groove of the title track is enough to make any album a classic. It's the stuff Guitar Hero dreams are made of.

Number 11: R.E.M. - Automatic For The People (1992)

Yes, Murmur is the album most people point to as R.E.M.'s greatest moment. For me, the biggest impact was made by Automatic For The People, R.E.M.'s dive into pain and healing. Nearly every track on the disc was featured on the radio at some point. Starting with the dark pull of "Drive", R.E.M. take their fans on a trip through grief. Commemorating dead celebs ("Man On The Moon", "Monty Got A Raw Deal"), somber meditations ("Everybody Hurts", "Nightswimming") and a touch of whimsy ("The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite") mark this glorious album. Most meaningful to me was "Sweetness Follows", which I played often at the time following the passing of a family relative.

I got through another three! Next we're in the Top 10.

Numbers 19 to 14

Bono saving the world one football stadium at a time

A lot of time has gone by since I’ve updated my 100 Favorite CD list, I missed all of January. To make up for lost time, I’m going to hit Numbers 19 thru 14 this round.

Number 19: U2 – All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2001)


My favorite U2 album, one that seemed destined to be. When U2 released this CD fans were buzzing about the reduced presence of techno that have pervaded their 90’s work. Beautiful Day was all over the place, a soaring upbeat piece of old school U2. Then 9/11 happened and though this was released before the tragedy, the times changed how I perceived the album. The slow healing in songs like Walk On and Stuck In A Moment and You Can’t Get Out Of It became the soundtrack to the weeks that followed. At the same time, the Lara Croft worthy Elevation brought a rush of disco rock to keep the album from becoming a ballad fest.

Number 18: AC / DC – Highway To Hell (1979)


The last album with the late Bon Scott, Highway To Hell was amped, driven sleaze streamlined and sharpened by super Producer Mutt Lange. The take no prisoners approach included the classic title track anthem (a song that meant a lot to us in Catholic school), the ultimate middle finger to the establishment at the time. Girls Got Rhythm, Beating Around The Bush and Touch Too Much brought hooks, humor and slamming power chords to the party. AC / DC would go on to further greatness, but they were never more dangerous than here.

Number 17: Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream (1993)


Billy Corgan went all Tom Scholz and took over the studio recordings, freezing bassist D’Arcy and second guitarist James Iha out of the creative process. Handling almost everything but the drums, Siamese Dream became the Alt rock answer to Boston: Tight, layered sonics with songs buried under mountains of guitar tracks. The Guitar Hero classic Cherub Rock took aim at Corgan’s detractors while the 120 minutes ready Today and the dramatic ballad Disarm tore up the MTV rotation. I bought the disc during a camping trip with my wife a few years later, who knew grungy riffola on cuts like Geek USA or Rocket would go so well with hot dogs and beer?

Number 16: Def Leppard – Pyromania (1983)


Mutt Lange (there’s that name again) followed up on his work with the prior record by taking an even more meticulous approach to recording. By the time recording finished, the band had switched lead guitarists and had a near perfect pop metal album when that idea was still new. Photograph made the Lep darlings of MTV as the follow up video singles Rock of Ages and Foolin’ became part of a generational vocabulary (Unta Gleebin Glossen Globen). Flamethrower rockers like Rock Rock Til You Drop and Comin Under Fire blazed through my little walkman as the ballad Too Late For Love got heavy radio play. Union Jack and snotty attitude ensured the Lep lots of coverage in Circus magazine as they dominated the Hard Rock field with their polished sound.

Number 15: Peter Gabriel – So (1986)


He seemed so unlikely to become a Pop star, yet that’s what happened when Gabriel made a stop motion video about his Sledgehammer. His combo of Progressive rock melodies with world beat rhythms, personal subject matter and atmospheric synths became irresistible. Big Time was the other big hit as slight a song as it is. What pushed he album over the top was In Your Eyes, a minor hit made into a pop culture phenomenon once John Cusack held a boombox over his head in the film Say Anything. This album was part of the backdrop to my college years that sounds as deep and fascinating now as it did then.

Number 14: Journey – Greatest Hits (1988)
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One of the best selling albums of all time and with good reason, Steve Perry and crew collated their best soaring rock anthems and power ballads into a single set. Focused squarely on the bands peak period of 1978 to 1987, Greatest Hits serves up classics like Don’t Stop Believin and Faithfully alongside medium sized hits like Girl Can’t Help It and Send Her My Love. While fans like myself can quibble about what’s not there (No Stone in Love, no Anytime, no Line of Fire, etc) if you want a solid shot of what made this Bay Area band great you can’t do better.

And that’s it for this round, we’re getting close to the Top 10 of the list. I may actually finish this list this year. Yay!

Numbers 22, 21 and 20

Time Flies - Bruce Springsteen in 1975

I kept meaning to add to my 100 favorite Cd list during November and never got around to it, so here are the next three entries:

Number 22: The Clash - London Calling (1979)

When I bought the Rolling Stone magazine with the best albums of the 80's at the end of that great decade, I was amazed by how many records that were listed that I never bothered to listen to. At the top of that list was The Clash's London Calling double lp. I bought the CD and was instantly impressed by the naturalistic songwriting, punky energy and ability to adapt to different sounds. Going in, the only song I knew was the hit Train in Vain which I liked. After playing the disc a few times, I was impressed with the hard slamming rock of Clampdown, the whimsical Lost in a Supermarket, the swing style Wrong 'Em Boyo and the reggae driven The Guns of Brixton. All of the songs on this record had a feeling of almost gleeful creative excitement. The title song has gone on to be regarded a bona fide classic rock, er, classic. Sometimes the critics get it right.

Number 21: Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run (1975)

The album where The Boss stripped back the rambling lyrical delivery and rambunctous Jersey Boardwalk arrangements to deliver bracing common folk anthems about cuttin' loose, breakin' away and gettin' out in those hard driving cars of the night. A masterpiece of Heartland rock, the title song alone is worth the price of admission with its hyperactive pace, clenched teeth thrust and wild sax solo. Outsiders had a theme song for their independence in Backstreets while we all fought our way through the majestic Jungleland. And if that's not enough, the poetic grandeur of Thunder Road remains a highpoint of songwriting by anyone anywhere. It was here that The Boss was truly born, amid those burnt out shells of Chevrolets.

Number 20: Prince - Sign 'O The Times (1987)

You might think that like many people "1999", "Purple Rain" or "When Doves Cry" made me a Prince fan. But no, it was actually "U Got The Look" that got me into listening to one of the best artists of my generation. Prince's catchy dance floor duet with Sheena Easton could not be denied it's greatness and became a Top 10 hit. I bought the cassette and it became a gateway to the rest of the Purple One's work. Sign 'O The Times is the album that to me had everything Prince did well while at the top of his powers. The music is tight, timely (in the context of 1987), hooky and personal. You want sleazy Prince? There's "Hot Thing". Slow jam Prince? "Slow Love" Religious Prince? "The Cross". Jam band Prince? "It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night". James Brown Prince? "Housequake". Psychosexual Prince? "If I Was Your Girlfriend".

Even politics shows up in the form of the reggae lead single title track. Sign 'O The Times serves as a portrait of an Artist at a time when their ability to express their ideas is almost cosmic. A fantastic record and staggering achievement.

Numbers 25, 24 and 23

Rock On Gold Dust Woman: Stevie Nicks warns people about the Sister of the Moon. Yeah, you read that right, the moon has sisters. Is that weird or what?

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Time to add three more to my 100 Favorite CD list and shake it like a Polaroid picture (sorry, Outkast is playing on the IPOD). On this round we have Bay Area Punks, Beantown Blues Rockers and a Gypsy Woman to throw on the CD player.

Number 25: Green Day American Idiot (2004)


When Green Day exploded on the rock scene with Dookie (1994) they were revered as the return of Punk. Then when they couldn't match Dookie, they were dismissed as one hit wonders. It didn't seem likely that a Pop Punk band writing a concept album would make a comeback vehicle, but the Berkeley trio bucked the odds when they returned with a vengeance on American Idiot. The story of a disaffected suburban teen who gets lost in his outsider world of drugs ("Give Me Novocaine") and infatuation ("Extraordinary Girl") connects as the music pounds out a feeling of unfocused rage. A slew of hits spawned from this disc, the sardonic punk of the title track, the up-in-arms Holiday and the depressed Boulevard of Broken Dreams. It's all topped off with the poignant ballad Wake Me When September Ends complete with a topical video of young love and war. A real challenge and accomplishment artistically, Green Day even puts the Punk ethos of short-fast-loud on its head with two ten minute multi segment tracks ("Jesus of Suburbia" and "Homecoming"). A complete and cohesive album from a Punk band.

Number 24: Aerosmith - Toys In The Attic (1975)


When music critics hail the best this Boston based band has to offer, they almost universally cite Rocks (1976). That is a great album, no doubt, but my preference is the slightly goofier Toys in the Attic. In any case Aerosmith was in full swing by the mid 70's and Attic contained 9 cuts of limber blues rock. The classic rock staples Sweet Emotion and Walk This Way groove and shake providing an anchor for the rest of the album. The band shows range between the rampaging Title Cut and the retro blues of Big Ten Inch Record. For me, the highlight is the straight ahead Arena Rock of No More No More. Yes, Aerosmith would rock harder and sell more records after Attic but this album has the right mix of indelible riffs and sleazy fun for me.

Number 23: Stevie Nicks - Bella Donna (1981)


I think I've mentioned before I was so into Stevie Nicks as a teenager that my parents referred to her as "my girlfriend". Back in the day I was hot for Ms. Nicks with her warbly voice, low cut lace tops and witchy woman ways. I even followed her through her late 80's slump of illegal drug addiction followed by her early 90's slump of prescription drug addiction. It's funny, but in 1990 I had a sort of epiphany as I played this tape in my car - I really liked her singing and songwriting separate from her looks. Now this is probably not the most macho thing I can write, Nicks writes in all these metaphors about snow covered mountains, white winged doves and maybe even little ponies that ride on candy colored rainbows for what my memory is worth. And one of the best put downs of her famous voice I've heard included the phrase "Black and Decker Vibrator". Yet in her best work (meaning Fleetwood Mac and her first two solo albums) at the center of her mystique is real emotion and artistic originality.

Bella Donna is one of the best examples of what Nicks is capable of, hooking up with Tom Petty Producer and future Interscope Records guru Jimmy Iovine (both figuratively and literally) Nicks rock sound toughens up and has a little more twang than her Fleetwood Mac work. The jittery guitar of Edge of Seventeen launches Nicks into a fanciful eulogy of death and remembrance of youth. To ensure some chart action, Nicks stacked the deck by having two duets: the first being the Tom Petty penned Stop Draggin My Heart Around performed with the man himself. The second is the ballad inspired by Waylon Jennings and his wife, Leather and Lace, trading lead vocals with the slightly less raspy Don Henley. Other album tracks hold up well, like the countryish "After the Glitter Fades" and the slow trance like "Kind of Woman". The extended length Title Song serves as a mission statement even if I can't make literal sense out of the lyrics. Stevie Nicks channels both sensitivity and fury with a touch of bittersweet resignation. And she looked great on the album cover too.

To close I think I will write out one of those Stevie Nicks sentences...that have a...lot of...ellipses...now...

Numbers 28, 27 and 26

Bon Jovi celebrate making my Top 100 CD List! No, not really, I'm not that egotistical. It was the best 80's pic I could find for this.

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It's Labor Day! The day meant to be a day off work to show appreciation for workers across the country. So to celebrate, I'm going to add three more to my 100 favorite CD list:

Number 28: The Replacements - Let it Be (1984)

I had never heard of the Replacements until the end of the 80's when Rolling Stone magazine put out its top albums of the decade. This album ranked pretty high so when I saw a used cassette of it I decided to check it out. Sometimes going by a Rolling Stone recommendation can backfire (other than a handful of songs, I still can't get into the much revered late Jeff Buckley) but in this case it really paid off. The Replacements were a ragged alternative band that had a punky edge but also a bit of midwestern maturity. Led by Paul Westerberg, the band could veer from furious rock (We're Comin Out) to alt rock defiance (I Will Dare) to wistful ("Sixteen Blue"). The band had undeniable chemistry that held their loose playing together and helped bolster the highlight of the album, the brilliant Unsatisfield. They lacked polish, but the Replacements had soul.

Number 27: Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend (1991)


One of my favorite artists from the early 90's Alternative rock explosion, Matthew Sweet's brand of power pop was a hit for a few minutes thanks to the single and album Girlfriend. Sweet wrote the album following the end of his marriage resulting in a focused theme for his songwriting. The song that hooked me was Girlfriend 'natch, I was single at the time and the song had a hooky 60's style chorus and garage band sound. Plus, the video had a lot of anime imagery that looked great. After buying the CD, I found that song wasn't a fluke as the whole disc was uniformly good. The Byrdsy I've Been Waiting is actually better remembered now than the main hit while ballads like You Don't Love Me had equal depth. Roping in guitarist Robert Quine added gnarled, rough guitar work that played well against Sweet's harmony vocals. And for nostalgia, there's the longing ballad Winona about the then "it" girl actress that had stolen his heart (pun intended).

Number 26: Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet (1986)


For a few months, there was no bigger Bon Jovi fan than me. When Slippery When Wet first came out, I thought it was the greatest thing ever and played it to death. And when I was sick of the record and needed a break, Bon Jovi hit the big time as You Give Love A Bad Name hit #1 and suddenly the album was playing everywhere. While that act of fate dampened my spirit for the Jersey band, I've remained a fan and still look back on Slippery as one of the greatest albums of all time. Livin' on a Prayer has become an icon of 80's hair metal as everyone in that generation now knows the tale of Tommy and Gina. And while Wanted Dead or Alive isn't quite as good as "Stairway to Heaven" (a boast Jon Bon Jovi used to make at the time) the mythos about steel horses and rocking a million faces has stood the test of time. The power ballad Never Say Goodbye became every guys dedication to his girl and Raise Your Hands was put to good use in the Mel Brooks film Spaceballs. By using outside songwriters, a first rate producer and a knack for self marketing Bon Jovi became household names. And with an album this good, their fame was well earned.

That's it for this round, just for fun the image for Slippery When Wet above is the original banned record cover. One last video, one of my favorite Bon Jovi tunes was recorded for Slippery but released on the movie soundtrack for Disorderlies (the Fat Boys movie) called "Edge of a Broken Heart".

Bon Jovi "Edge of a Broken Heart"

100 Favorite CDs 31, 30 and 29

Yours is no disgrace: Yes have my 30th favorite CD, The Yes Album.

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I haven't continued my 100 Favorite CD list lately so I thought I would add to it with three more:

Number 31: Survivor - Vital Signs (1984)

Survivor's first album with vocalist Jimi Jamison was an Arena Rock classic. The band seemed headed for oblivion when their previous album tanked. But a change in singers and a renewed focus on poppy song writing worked wonders. The first single "I Can't Hold Back" with it's rushing chorus and ballad style verse was a Top 20 single. The follow up was the midtempo Top 10 hit High On You" while the power ballad The Search Is Over almost made it to #1. Even album cuts like "Popular Girl" stood out. With Jamison singing like a post puberty Steve Perry, the band had captured the arena rock sound with dramatic vocals, strong musicianship and catchy material. I became a Survivor fan for life after this record.

Number 30: Yes - The Yes Album (1970)

The first real Yes record because it featured the introduction of guitarist Steve Howe, The Yes Album is a landmark disc in Progressive Rock because it launched the era known as Classic Yes. Howe's complex guitar patterns and avoidance of blues riffs gave the band a unique sound as well as engaging structures to build their ten minute epics. Jon Anderson's sky high vocals are at their space cadet best, while Chris Squire's thundering bass and Bill Bruford's jazzy drums are enhanced by Tony Kaye's organ playing. Yes classics like I've Seen All Good People, Starship Trooper and Yours is no Disgrace all hail from this record.

Number 29: The Rolling Stones - Jump Back 1971 - 1993 (1993)

I became a Stones fan late in life, other than the occasional song ("One Hit To The Body", "Sad Sad Sad") most of their music didn't register with me growing up. But over the past ten years or so, I've come to appreciate these aging rockers - particularly their 70's phase. There's something dirty and unhealthy yet magical about this band, like a big sloppy hamburger covered in cheese and bacon. Mmmm...bacon. Jump Back covers the period I know best, from Exile on Main Street's Tumbling Dice, the furious Bitch, the Microsoft Windows theme Start Me Up to the disco beat of Miss You. The Rolling Stones rip it up and I am one fan who is glad these ancient legends didn't hang it up before I had a chance to get into them.

And because I can't get enough Survivor or Solid Gold...here's Survivor on Solid Gold!

Survivor "I Can't Hold Back"

Number 32 in the Countdown...The Shinnin'

"Hold me like you did by the lake at Naboo"...The Shins receive the Queen's stamp of approval.

Preciousness is a rare commodity in the land of Rock music, everyone tries hard to be cool and worldly to the point it can become studied and forced. On top of that, being precious is not the most macho thing to do...but when it's done right it can have the light and airy effect of say Angel food cake (Mmmm...Angel Food Cake). And that chief component makes up the entry at Number 32 in my countdown-

Number 32 - The Shins Chutes Too Narrow (2003)

I started hearing about this band due to the sizeable buzz they received from the movie Garden State and the resulting marketing push to everywhere I shopped. While I won't bother to repeat the famous Natalie Portman line, I would listen to their CD at listening headphones in various stores and was impressed with what I heard. After seeing the video for "Pink Bullets" on the internet, I was sold. Besides, Queen Amidala told me to like them. And if you can't trust the taste of a teenage space queen with enough bad judgement to marry a mass murdering Jedi Knight, then who can you trust?

The Shins sound is like a clash of Love style vocals, indie post punk and winsome melodies. It shouldn't work, but it does and very well. Every track is a winner yet its hard to pick individual tracks because the songs blend well together to create a whole experience as a full album. The quiet "Pink Bullets" was the first song to catch my ear with its acoustic beauty. A sense of restless energy hits the opener "Kissing The Lipless" and "Fighting In A Sack". Even a bit of Country gets thrown in on "Gone For Good" to strong measure.

Overly literate lyrics adds to the fun and almost internal dialogue mood to Chutes Too Narrow. The precious atmosphere of a band exploring sonic textures without boundaries is palpable,a mood that evaporated on the pleasant but less affecting follow-up Wincing The Night Away (2007). It's hard to be precious when every second of making an album is videoed, interviewed and dissected for months on end.

But on Chutes Too Narrow everything was golden and the band presented an aural equivalent to Strawberries in Whipped Cream on top of Angel Food Cake. The Force is strong with this one.

The Shins "Pink Bullets"