Genuine music fans know of the overwhelming hold that certain records can assert over you regardless of time, place, or circumstance. My love for music has prompted me to write and record my own material. For better or for worse, my efforts are attempts to emulate the recordings I grew up listening to. If your into music like I am, I'm sure there are plenty of records that hold a special place in your heart. You know, tracks that just make you feel a certain way and connect with your inner groove! These don't necessarily have to be the best examples of song-writing, but rather a combination of song, performance, recording, energy & atmosphere that come together to create a "record" that you can't get enough of (I think this distinction is important).
Records have always been and continue to be a central currency in my life, and if you have the same addiction, I'm sure you like voicing your opinions. So here's your chance! Tell me where I went right and where I went wrong, what I missed and what I nailed. To get the ball rolling, here's my top 50 records/songs. If you take all these tunes and combined them together, I guess you'd get a pretty good idea of the type of music I make...here goes (in no particular order)...
1. Walk Right Back (Everly Brothers)
2. Sleepwalk (Santo & Johnny)
3. Concrete & Clay (Unit 4 + 2)
4. Hey Bulldog (The Beatles)
5. The Word (The Beatles)
6. Monkey Man (The Rolling Stones)
7. Quick One (The Who Live at the Rolling Stones Circus)
8. Long Away (Queen)
9. The Stumble (Freddie King)
10. Lucille (little Richard)
11. Nadine (Chuck Berry)
12. Girl I Can't Forget (The Fountains of Wayne)
13. Meanwhile Back at the Ranch/Should I Smoke (Badfinger)
14. Tonight (The Raspberries)
15. Ballad of El Goodo (Big Star)
16. Howlin' for my Darlin' (Howlin' Wolf)
17. Glutton of Sympathy (Jellyfish)
18. Life on Mars (David Bowie)
19. Better Be Home Soon (Crowded House)
20. Tightrope (ELO)
21. Sweet Painted Lady (Elton John)
22.High Fidelity (Elvis Costello)
23. Just Because (Elvis Presely)
24. Beach Baby (First Class)
25. Dancing in the Moonlight (King Harvest)
26. Mexicali Blues (The Grateful Dead)
27. Everybody's Talkin' (Harry Nillsson)
28. Muswell Hillbilly (The Kinks)
29. Back When My Hair Was Short (Gunhill Road)
30. Money Honey (The Bay City Rollers)
31. Good Girls Don't (The Knack)
32. Everynight (Paul McCartney)
33. My Sweet Lord (George Harrison)
34. Ten Years Gone (Led Zeppelin)
35. Stardust (Louis Armstrong)
36. I'll See You In My Dreams (Django Reinhardt)
37. Oh By Jingo (Chet Atkins)
38. I Won't Stand in Your Way (The Stray Cats)
39. Down South Jukin' (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
40. Stubborn Kind of Fellow (Marvin Gaye)
41. There She Goes Again (Marshall Crenshaw)
42. Pappa Gene's Blues (The Monkees)
43. In My Dreams (The Mavericks)
44. Hard Core Troubadour (Steve Earle)
45. When I Write the Book (Rockpile)
46. Please Let Me Wonder (The Beach Boys)
47. I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better (The Byrds)
48. Come On Come On (Cheap Trick Live at Buddokan)
49. Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out (Derek & the Dominoes)
50. Blue Bayou (Roy Orbison)
Let me know what you think and feel free to post your top ten personal faves!