2.  John Bonham

What can I say?  With a sound often imitated but never duplicated, John Bonham easily slots in high on this list.  Not really a 2 but more like a 1a due to my love for the man and band, but I have to categorize these somehow 🙂  Everyone knows the classic intros (“When The Levee Breaks”, “Rock N Roll”) and some may pick out the finer qualities (the shuffle in “Fool In The Rain”, the footwork in “Good Times Bad Times”, the relentless locomotive chug throughout “Achilles Last Stand”), but the ability to combine that “tight but loose” feel with the light and shade found throughout the Zeppelin catalog is not an easy task for any drummer.  I mean, what do you think about when you hear the name Led Zeppelin?  Is it the heavier songs?  Is it more about their mystical side?  How about the acoustic based material?  The band covered a lot of territory and Bonham was certainly a key ingredient as to their success that it is certainly understandable that after his unfortunate death in 1980 that the band “could not continue as we were”, per the official press release.  Replacing such a character with such feel on the kit that had his own unique sound and almost inhuman metronomical timing was nigh impossible.  And they weren’t just replacing their drummer-  they would have been replacing a lifelong friend of Robert Plant.

Along with drummer #1 (who may be obvious by now), one of the most tragic deaths in the history of rock and roll.  Too many “what if?” scenarios go through the minds of many as we pontificate on what could have been.  Thank you John Bonham for the music you did make in your short life and the skills you displayed behind the kit-  you are sadly missed.

In a just world, great songwriters would be honored even moreso than they are today-  more than artists with a flashy image, more than artists that have the hit single du jour, more than the latest boy band of the week.  John Hiatt is a name some of you may not be familiar with; however, many of his songs have been covered by plenty of popular artists over the years-  everyone from Bonnie Raitt, Jeff Healey, Mandy Moore, Joe Cocker, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Iggy Pop (among many) have recognized the man’s talents via their own versions.  Some have even recorded “Have A Little Faith In Me” but only one version stands tall above the others:  Hiatt’s original, found on his 1987 album Bring The Family.

With only piano accompaniment, Hiatt lays bare his soul and puts his heart on the line with an incredibly poignant love story.  The strength of the song is not only a beautiful, soul lifting lyric but the overall performance-  the piano starts subtly but shifts into heavier chords as Hiatt’s soulful vocal paints vivid pictures and gains confidence and strength as the song builds to its finale.  Sure, some vocalists have those dulcet tones or sing with angelic voices but sometimes they lack a certain character that makes them stand out from the pack.  Conviction, character, soulfulness, and the ability to sell a song is where John Hiatt often stands high above his peers.  Download this one immediately.

AKA, a case of mistaken identity but something that got me to thinking…

Sunday morning a couple of weeks ago my wife had set the alarm for 8 AM for us to get up and go to church.  Nowadays there is mostly non-stop chatter on the morning shows and very few stations playing music at all; however, there is one classic rock station in town that does a good job of giving us something that we can both agree to get our “rise ‘n shine” on.  (Frankly I’d like the iPod to wake me on shuffle mode but I don’t think hitting on Pantera first thing at the crack of dawn would go over too well).

At any rate, this particular Sunday morning I caught maybe ten seconds of a song that I’d never heard before before slapping the snooze button.  In my somewhat incoherent state of mind and bleary eye I did happen to wonder…  is my classic rock radio station actually playing NEW songs from classic artists?  Why, I’ve never HEARD of such a thing!?!?  I could just imagine a room full of radio programmers at some radio convention wondering…  “Hey…  we got the new Mellencamp/Motley Crue/Smithereens/Tom Petty/(take your pick) the other day…  hee hee hee…  I can’t believe some of these guys are still alive!  Should we (snicker) play it?”  After hilarity ensues and the loud guffawing subsides, someone yells out…  “I got the perfect time!  8 AM on a Sunday morning!  Who listens to the radio at that hour?”  HA HA HA!!!

My point is, is it worth it for classic artists to keep putting out new material?  Are classic artists making much of an impact on radio?  Do fans of these classic artists even care to hear their recent works or are they just tuning in to hear artist’s songs that remind them of the good old days?  In some cases yes, in some cases no.  I for one still love to hear what these artists have to offer and would hope radio would do the same.  You hear it in some spots and from some artists (AC/DC and Metallica spring to mind), but they seem to be few and far between.

Oh, and that song that woke me the other day?  It actually wasn’t a new song from a classic artist, it was actually an old George Harrison song that I’d never heard before called “Crackerbox Palace”.  The ten seconds of this quite catchy ditty made me think that Jeff Lynne, formerly of ELO fame, had put out something new!  But thanks to the internet I did a quick search for the song title and came up with the Harrison tune.  But it got me thinking…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icHU5zB5fLM

Ah yes, we count on down to number one with two guys from bands that I became a huge fan of in my late teens/early 20s.  Don’t listen to just their radio hits!

4.  Brian Downey

Yeah, you know THE hit (“The Boys Are Back In Town”) and that classic drum shuffle that’s part of it, but Brian Downey brought much, much more to the table to Thin Lizzy.  Besides manning the drum throne for their entire existence with main man Phil Lynott (save for a brief respite from some live shows here and there), Downey also added his skills to Lynott’s solo LPs as well as playing on material for fellow Lizzy alum Gary Moore.  While not flashy and certainly not heavy handed, Downey’s skillful, jazzy yet funky touch on Lizzy classics is largely unheralded especially considering the guitar talents and strong songs of the band.  His solid drum foundation and somewhat laid back style were perfect for the band and when he had his moments to shine (take the drum rolls “Emerald”, propulsive drumming in “Bad Reputation”, or listen to the live version of “Sha La La” or Lynott’s solo “Talk In ’79” for a variety of styles).  Highly underrated.

3.  Ian Paice

It’s possible that Deep Purple’s Ian Paice is technically the most gifted drummer on here.  You get into specific rudiments in drumming and Paice can play them all-  single stroke rolls, paradiddles, one handed drum rolls(!)…  it’s some crazy sweet science when you watch what he’s doing; lots of looseness overall in his wrists and fingers as he moves around the kit .  You give him ONE DRUM and he’ll make the sweetest sounds, I tell you!  Sure, everyone knows “Smoke On The Water” but you put on a slow burner like “Demon’s Eye” and check out his quick snare fills or his ridiculous jazzy workout on something like “Burn”.  One of my favorite performances from Paice is something that sounds so simple but is groovy as all get out is “Strange Kind Of Woman”-  the beat is fairly straight forward with some cool snare crashes here and there, but the FEEL is something else.  Go out to YouTube and search “isolated Ian Paice” to get a taste.

8.  Charlie Benante

There are quite a few outstanding thrash metal drummers that can be plugged into this spot, but my money goes on Anthrax’ Charlie Benante.  Charlie “beats the beat the beats you beat” like a man possessed, fine double kick speed and excellent tom pounding galore.  Among The Living was my first exposure to this band and this great drummer’s talents with plenty of lively thrashing moments and technical mastery out the wazoo and really the first drummer that I’d heard that played fast with such controlled precision.  One listen to the frantic “Indians” with that tribal intro and that careening tempo had me hooked.  Although I miss that frenetic pace from the early days, Benante is still a massively strong player.

7.  Nigel Glockler

Totally unheralded and largely unknown in the United States, Saxon was around for the birth of the NWOBHM movement (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) in Britain around 1980.  After four albums, Nigel Glockler assumed the drum throne for their seminal live album The Eagle Has Landed (see my fave live albums posts on this one!) as the band started to make some headway in the good ol’ USA.  Glockler’s debut studio album Power And The Glory showed off the man’s skills with the killer intro to “This Town Rocks” and his double kick work in “Warrior”, among others.  Glockler’s steady hand behind the kit, tasty fills, and rock solid playing continue with band today.

6.  Clyde Stubblefield/John “Jabo” Starks

I’ve been a funk fan for a long time and an even bigger fan of James Brown, but if you held me down and asked me who the best funk drummer was I’d have a hard time splitting my vote between these two gentlemen.  What can I say?  JB’s beats are so classic that many have been sampled in 70’s and 80’s rap hits and that influence continues today.    The pocket is deep, the pocket is wide, and the beat is so laid back and steady that you can’t help but get swept up in it and get your toes a tappin’.  From 1965 through approximately 1971, both of these guys played on Brown’s biggest hits both in the studio AND together on tour (Starks continued on with Brown into the mid-1970s).

5.  Nicko McBrain

Always funny, always exciting, and seemingly never playing the same thing twice or at the same tempo is something that you gotta understand about Iron Maiden’s Nicko McBrain.  After taking over for the (excellent himself) Clive Burr on Maiden’s Piece Of Mind, Nicko immediately made himself known with the killer intro to “Where Eagles Dare” and hasn’t stopped since.  There is a certain unmitigated joy in the man’s playing, often sounding like a man with eight arms as he swings from beat to beat.  And when I mean “swing”, it’s just that-  Nicko has never been an out and out pounder, more of a flashy, jazzier player with plenty of unique fills in abundance.  The Maiden machine would certainly be totally different without him.

GIVE THE DRUMMER SOME!  There was a brief moment in time where I thought I was going to be a drummer in the school band-  however, that moment was fleeting because I just wasn’t cool enough to play drums.  You had to have a certain je ne sais quoi to pick up the sticks and bash out a beat on the kit, so I ended up playing trumpet instead (NOT my instrument of choice, but that’s a story for another time).

Now my brother, on the other hand… HE’S the cool one so he’s the drummer!  I dedicate this to him, I’m sure it will spark some debate 🙂  Interestingly enough, I couldn’t whittle it down to just ten so this one goes to twelve.

12.  Kirk Arrington

Metal Church’s Kirk Arrington…  dude, where you been?  The debut album from these Seattle stalwarts is chock full of great drumming plus it has a killer drum production and favorable mix courtesy of producer Terry Date (not only thundering drum sounds but you can hear his work on the cymbals too).  Every single song on the debut is a drum workout and it’s hard to pick a favorite, although the title cut has great groove and fantastic fills and “Merciless Onslaught” is top notch, speedy playing.  While I love the other albums that Arrington played on, it was the debut that stands above all (wish he was back in the band tho).

11.  Mikkey Dee

Sure, without Philthy Phil Taylor’s work on those seminal Motorhead classics we might not even be talking about Mikkey Dee.  But I argue without Mikkey Dee, we might not have had some of the great latter period Motorhead albums either (grab Inferno pronto!).  And let’s not forget the solid work that Dee put in on King Diamond’s classic early albums (Abigail, anyone?).  Joining Motorhead allowed him the opportunity to provide the backbone that those classics needed, continuing to carry the legacy of the band until Lemmy’s recent passing.  You want solid, muscular playing with tons of powerful gusto look no further.

10.  Neil Peart

Ha ha, I can hear my drummer friends now…  “Number 10????  Why so low on the list???”  No knock on Peart’s skills at all; I have huge respect for Rush (Geddy’s on my top bassists list) but I’m more of a fan of their radio hits.  But man, those hits…  who hasn’t air drummed through those fills in “Tom Sawyer”?  Or bashed out the intro to “Spirit Of Radio” on your steering wheel?  As far as technical skill, Peart covers a lot of territory and provides tons of dramatic stickwork on their releases since joining the band on their second album.  One of the cool things about him is that he still has the hunger to learn, revamping his drum style to include more jazz ‘n swing in his recent playing.  Kudos!

9.  Bun E Carlos

It only took one album and one song for Bun E Carlos to end up on this list, that album being Cheap Trick’s At Budokan and the song being “Ain’t That A Shame”.  I can vividly remember madly bashing out that intro on my bed pillows as I dreamed of playing in front of thousands of rabid fans (this was before I decided I was uncool).  Add to that the cool mini solo at the end of “Clock Strikes Ten” and I was hooked.  Bun has never been a flashy player; however, he is extremely rock solid and always plays for the song (kinda like one of his drum heroes in Ringo Starr).  ‘Bout time Trick makes the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame but it’s too bad Bun no longer mans the drum throne for the band.

I’ve been a hard rock/metal fan for as long as I can remember, starting with KISS, Van Halen, and AC/DC all the way up through Judas Priest and Iron Maiden and even branching into thrash metal with the Metallicas, Anthrax, Testaments, and Megadeths of the world.  But it took the longest time to get into stuff that was even more extreme, mostly due to the propensity for too much growling or “cookie monster” vocals that were part of the scene.  I didn’t quite get it or start to appreciate it until I heard the song “Heartwork” from Carcass back in the mid nineties or so.  Musically it was totally up my alley; lots of great guitar work and musicianship but as for the vocals…  uhhh….  huh?  what’s he “singing”?

Kick ahead a few more years and I find a copy of their final (at the time) release Swansong.  The songs were a little more straight ahead metal; not as intricate and certainly the lyrics were much, much different from the past (less medical textbook and more clever with the pun), but somehow I was starting to get those vocals.  Jeff Walker’s style is certainly not for the faint of heart and if you are looking for melody you ain’t gonna get it.  But there is a flow to the grunt and growl where it’s not just a tuneless straight ahead bark; it’s more of a menacing display of intensity as he spits out venomous lyric after lyric.  Think a more pissed off Gollum from Lord Of The Rings as he searches for the ring and you’ll finally be “YEAH!”

At any rate, I finally picked up the Heartwork CD and it started to come to me even more.  Musically it was just ripping; the grooves and melodic spots in the guitar work balanced along with the heavy drumming was really coming together with those vocals.  But it really wasn’t until 2012’s comeback album Surgical Steel that I was finally hooked with the main reason being the mighty wrecking ball of a track in “Unfit For Human Consumption”.  Starting off with a nasty descending riff, the song kicks in with a galloping, chugging riff before Jeff Walker’s menacing sneer takes over and grabs you by the throat as he is accompanied by some unhinged background growls while he spits out a modern day horror story.  But the song is just getting started:  come chorus time a totally different but just as killer spinning, descending riff is thrown in as Walker ups the intensity before we go back to the verse.  And just when you are ready for a breath the song kicks into second gear with some fiery riffing and killer solo from Bill Steer and an intense blast beat section from drummer Daniel Wilding before returning to one more lunatic ride through a final verse before eventually coming to a close.

If you want to branch out from the hard rock\heavy metal world and dip your toe into some more extreme metal, this song will certainly set your hair on fire via its manic panic.  And check out the hysterically crazy video that shows a bit of the humorous side of the band.  While you’re at it, check out some of the other great cuts on Surgical Steel!

Time for a new regular feature on this ol’ blog which will cover some of my all time favorite songs as well as shining a spotlight on some newer acts that you should check out if you’re hankerin’ for a taste of something different.  I’ll keep my comments fairly short and simple so you can enjoy listening while reading my heartfelt and often rambling musings.  Need to keep some things kinda short for those with short term attention spans 😉

Hilarious to think these days that many youngsters (and uneducated oldsters) hear this and go “oh yeah, the CSI:Miami theme!” but I’m hear to tell YOU dear reader that this may damn near be the greatest 8+ minutes of musical goodness you’ll ever come across.  I’ve never been one to like songs with simple structures; I’ve got a have a bit of mania and chaotic intensity from time to time to really satisfy my tastes.  And WGFA?  Is anybody playing the same riff?  That’s the beauty within.  John Entwiste’s bassline is dive bombing everything in site, Pete Townshend’s slashing the guitar with massive power chords, Roger Daltrey is roaring with manic glee, and Keith Moon is a drum tornado all throughout as these four musical icons play o’er top a propulsive synth line.  Powerful and an anthem of monstrous proportions-  watch the live version from The Kids Are Alright and your fists will be punching the sky by song’s end.  What’s not to like?

“Gimme Three Steps”, Lynyrd Skynyrd Essential

What is there to say about this song?  Great lyric, great guitar work, great bassline, great vocal all rolled into a magical four and a half minute ball of fun.  A buddy of mine (RIP Steve) used to play this in a cover band with his brother and it would always pack the dance floor full of booty shakers and drunken fools.  One of those “I can name that in four notes” kinda songs that everyone and their brother knows, especially those that grew up in the 70s/80s timeframe.  An all time fave Skynyrd cut.

“Passenger”, Nevermore The Politics of Ecstasy

As grunge was dying out in the mid to late 90s I was actively looking for something new and heavy that hearkened back to the 80s metal days and Nevermore fit that bill.  Ironically, Nevermore was born from the remnants of Seattle metal band Sanctuary as that band’s Warrel Dane and Jim Sheppard teamed with hotshot guitarist Jeff Loomis to create a darker, more gothic metal stock.  “Passenger” here is a bit gloom ‘n doom with snaky Loomis guitar and passionate Dane vocal.  Great band.

“When The Lights Go Out”, The Black Keys Rubber Factory

Early Black Keys is really it for me as it’s a bit more raw, primal, and underproduced, similar in vibe to the Hill Country blues artists from the Mississippi Delta with possibly a bit more percussive stomp to the occasional starkness of the presentation (especially here on this cut).  Dan Auerbach’s vocal is all cool in its subtleness as it slithers and slides between the simple guitar riff and thumping drums courtesy of Patrick Carney.  A ton of power here in the simplest of forms.

“Suzie Hold On”, Saxon The Eagle Has Landed III

Saxon were always one of the most underrated of hard rock/metal bands that came out of the early 80s (technically late 70s) which never got their just due in the States.  “Suzie” must have been pushed as an attempt at a hit single as it came out on TWO Saxon albums in the US; however, the song didn’t do anything and rarely found itself in the band’s setlists over the years.  This version does come from a live album released in 2006.  I always liked the melody and riff in this one although it falls in the middle tier of fave Saxon cuts.

“I Can”, Helloween Treasure Chest

Germany’s great pumpkins in Helloween (check out the album covers!) are full of what I’ve always called “happy” power metal.  “I Can” features a strong riff and fine vocal along with a positive lyric and cool guitar solos that should fill anyone’s bill looking for a rockin’ good time.  Dare I say this was written with the radio in mind as it is a bit more friendlier to the ear than some of their more heavier compositions, but don’t let that scare you.  More on the melodic side than some of their more well known songs.

“Back To Paradise”, .38 Special Flashback

Man, talk about a band that was an odd fit for the video heyday of MTV-  take a group of macho southern rockers and watch them act in some silly videos! “Paradise” was a minor hit in the ’80s and is a fun song although far removed from the heavier guitar approach of their early days.  A bit more keyboardy compared to their other stuff, but Don Barnes was always a great singer and does a fantastic job here.  That said, this could have fit on a Huey Lewis album back then too.  Theme from Revenge Of The Nerds II!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKbeHoFAKWM

“Sco-Mule”, Gov’t Mule The Deepest End-Live

Do I loooove looove love this.  Warren Haynes, Matt Abts, and Danny Louis called on a huge number of guest stars for a live album to round out their “Deep End” series of discs put together in remembrance of their late bassist Allen Woody.  “Sco-Mule” here is a live instrumental featuring the talents of Bernie Worrell on keys and Victor Wooten on bass.  The playing here is phenomenal by all parties and the groove is ridiculous, plus this features what might be my favorite solo from Haynes himself.  Dat tone is sweeeeeet…

“First Date” Blink-182 Greatest Hits

I was never a huge fan of Blink 182 but the hits are major earworms and their “Fisher Price punk” was tons of fun in the 90s plus they never took themselves seriously in any of their videos.  This was my son Zach’s first ever concert and I enjoyed it immensely myself, especially the drum talents of one Travis Barker.  Besides the catchy music, the lyrical content of their songs is occasionally ha ha funny (in a middle school way) but it’s all good harmless fun.

“(I Got) The Fever”, Oasis Stand By Me

Oasis B-sides are often just as good as their A-sides and should really be on their albums.  “Fever” is hefty rock through the verse and catchy and melodic come chorus time, Liam all sneering vocal and Noel with layers and layers of noisy guitar all throughout.  However, if you don’t like loud and noisy production you may want to stay away as this is a bit of an ear bleeder but the song does hit some major sticky sweet goodness.  A bit of Slade here, a bit of psychedelia there, and lots of fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXUsLEAN_T8

“Every Rose Has Its Thorn”, Poison The Best Of Poison: 20 Years of Rock

Normally I HATE power ballads with a passion but there was always something about this one that I always liked.  There is a ton of simplicity here that lends to its charms plus the lyric is something that many of us can relate to.  There’s no bombast here, just a simple cowboy song with a wonderfully over the top CC Deville solo and cool production touches here and there (tastefully done keyboards, simple percussion bits, background vocals, etc).

Favorite song of the week goes to “Sco-Mule” followed by “Gimme Three Steps”

Got to thank my brother for this idea… what are the discs that you would have with you if you were stuck on a desert island?  Would it automatically be your favorite discs?  Would it be a catalog of your favorite artists?  How about specific genres of music?  Or something else?  (Don’t worry about how you’re gonna play them, that’s what your imagination is for)

The plan was to come up with a list of ten but that was a difficult task, so I’ve tacked on a couple of others for good measure.  I wanted to steer clear of greatest hits collections and live albums, but I have made a couple of exceptions as you’ll see below.  My collection does not include what I’d consider my personal top albums of all time; more or less, it is a list that would come in handy depending on my mood.  Also, contrary to what you might think not all of these artists would fall in my own personal top list of groups.  There may be a few surprises in here but if I’m gonna get stuck on an island it’s got to be eclectic for survival mode.

So, without further ado…  here is the twelve albums that make up my Desert Island Disc collection.  If I’m going to be stranded for God knows how long, these are going to keep me alive.

Junior Brown – Guit With It

I’ve never been a huge country fan but I love Junior Brown.  That voice, that guitar playing, those often hilarious songs…  I’d need something to put a smile on my face so I can sing and dance around like a fool.  And he’s got a little bit of slide playing on this disc that would fit that island environment perfectly.

Black Sabbath – Heaven and Hell

A dense and often doomy album thick with spirit lifting grooves, Heaven and Hell features plenty of mysticism and fantasy in overall vibe to help ease the stresses of the day.  The combination of Dio’s passionate vocal and the mighty heft of Iommi’s guitar awakens the mind, cleanses the soul, and elevates the senses.  Powerful with a capital P.

Elvin Bishop – Don’t Let The Bossman Get You Down

Speaking of hilarity, Elvin Bishop has that down pat.  I’m a blues fan and Elvin is more of the good time variety but there’s nothing wrong with that as the man writes great tunes and is a helluva guitar player.  I don’t have time to be sad on the island, I need to keep my spirits up and this disc has a ton of fun songs.

Megadeth – Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?

Yeah!  If I need that piss and vinegar to get me fired up as I’m chopping down trees to build a fire or if I’m hunting wild boar, this disc will do.  Early Megadeth is always the best medicine if you want to hear loose ‘n manic thrash with snotty and sneering vocals.  Gets the blood pumping for a long day’s work.

James Brown – Foundations Of Funk

A bit of a cheat here as this is a collection; however, JB was always a singles guy in the early days so getting an album is tough to do.  But you want funky James Brown to get you out of the dumps and get you “feeling good” and grabbing a double disc of the Godfather’s funkiest will do the trick.  You’ll break out in a cold sweat in no time.

Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here

I’ll need that spacey album as I’m lying on the beach at night gazing at the stars and Wish does the trick.  Sure, you coulda gone with Dark Side here but this is my fave Floyd platter and the one I’d take hands down.  Those longer cuts on here will set the mood as I’m relaxing after a long day’s work and doing some comet watching.

Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti

Zep is necessary and I must double my pleasure with this double disc.  Graffiti is in itself a journey; all full of the highest heights, greatest majesties, the darkest of shades and the lightest of lights.  A grand album that’s many moods are perfect no matter what I’m doing any time of day.  Remember, you’re gonna be stuck for awhile and you need some magic.

Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak

A disc full of many great rock classics and mellower but moving cuts, you need that disc where you can sing along while you’re building your own homemade beach drum kit made out of coconut shells and hollowed out palm trees.  You want songs that tell stories to relieve the doldrums and Lynott is one of the best.

The Who – The Kids Are Alright

Another semi-cheat but hey, this is a soundtrack and has most of my favorite all-time Who cuts (I gotta have “Young Man Blues” AND “Won’t Get Fooled Again!).  You’ve got the island to yourself!  Bust out the rock star poses!  Windmill to your heart’s content!  Sing with chest thumping bravado!  And that homemade drum kit you made to play Lizzy?  Better build another as you will DESTROY it listening to this one.

Cheap Trick – At Budokan: The Complete Concert

So yeah, gotta have a couple of lifetime favorites here (the other up next) and I’ve got this memorized so much that I don’t REALLY need it but…  I’m smuggling the “Complete Concert” to double my CT fun and to have a few thousand screaming Japanese fans to keep me company.  (Remind self… make homemade guitar picks out of seashells to mimic the pick-flickin’ style of Rick Nielsen and sling them at unsuspecting crabs)

Iron Maiden – Powerslave

Gotta have my favorite band and (depending on the day) favorite album of all time.  Maiden, and especially this album, is in my soul, my spirit, my blood, and is wholly me-  like a favorite pair of jeans or most comfortable shirt, it fits like a glove.  It gives me the confidence and the willpower to go into survival mode and realize that yes, there is no giving up and yes, I am going to get off this island.

Miles Davis – Kind Of Blue

I’ve got to take some jazz with me and Kind Of Blue will be that album that is great for the daily “cool down” or even to ease into the course of the day.  Nothing threatening here; just smooth goodness as I’m lyin’ on the beach perpetratin’ a tan and mentally drifting away to better times and places.  I missed that rescue plane?  Relax with Miles; another will be along soon.  What’s the rush?