On with the countdown…

5. Rainbow in the Dark – Dio (1983)
80s metal at its finest with the stellar vocals of lead man, Ronnie James Dio. RJD had previously enjoyed stints with Black Sabbath and like this song title, Rainbow. An accomplished heavy metal hero, indeed. I picture a group of rebellious heavy metal teens at the sandlot completing the baseball bat routine to pick teams from metal royalty. The kid in the black t-shirt and jeans comes out on top and says, “I’ll take Ronnie.”

4. Run Like Hell – Pink Floyd (1979)
Of course, I don’t know the guy, but this tunes lyricist, Roger Waters, is obviously a creative fellow. Prevailing opinion also finds him to be a bit cantankerous which is rather unfortunate for those who enjoy the Pink Floyd catalog from the Gilmour, Waters, Wright, Mason (and don’t forget Barrett) years. Yes, I put Gilmour first just to see if I get any nasty comments from a reader tagged as “Roger.” At any rate, I dig this tune from The Wall, particularly the line, “’Cause if they catch you in the backseat trying to pick her locks” which takes many a middle-aged guy back just a few years. And I’ll just leave it at that.

3. Forever Man – Eric Clapton (1985)
My number three song of the Top 10 Trip Tunes actually comes in at number two on my all-time favorite Clapton tunes. Me, my brother, Bub, and a couple of his buddies have recently been doing a weekly top songs list for artists with a new letter each week (A – Aerosmith, B – Bad Company, C – Clapton and this week D – Doobie Brothers). It’s been a fun project that gives you a week to compile your list. My Clapton Top 10 in order: No Alibis, Forever Man, I Can’t Stand It, Wonderful Tonight, Layla, Promises, I’ve Got a Rock and Roll Heart, Bell Bottom Blues, Next Time You See Her and Ain’t Gonna Stand for It.

2. The Chain – Fleetwood Mac (1977)
I remember sitting in Mr. Rich’s class on the first day of fifth grade at Steele Middle School. We were completing one of those “list your favorite…” items as a get to know you exercise. One of the questions was “Favorite Album.” Well, a ten-year old with his clock radio set to WLS 890AM knew that there was only one answer to that question during the late summer of 1977. “Rumours” it was, even though my Top 40 radio only scratched the surface, and it was years later before I got a true appreciation for “The Chain” and other cuts from the record. Just as great nearly forty-five years later and I am fairly sure that the fifth-grade incident in Mr. Rich’s classroom actually happened.

1. Rock with You – Michael Jackson (1979)
Man, what a tune. Kick it off with some drums and then throw everything into the mix for the next three and a half minutes. Disco, funk, pop, horns, strings, synthesizers, smooth vocals, holy cow! This cut was written by Rod Temperton, the musical genius behind Heatwave’s “Boogie Nights” and “Groove Line,” George Benson’s “Give Me the Night,” and The Brothers Johnson’s “Stomp” along with a couple other Michael Jackson tunes you might know, “Off the Wall” and “Thriller.” To this day, such a parade of Temperton jams grace the airwaves on a regular basis at my house. An unlikely and low-key songwriter, Temperton was nicknamed “The Invisible Man.” How I would have loved to have seen him on “What’s My Line” or “To Tell the Truth” back in the day. I suspect it would have been a jaw dropper when the real Rod Temperton stood up.

I don’t know about anybody else, but I thought that was fun. Until the next ride to the fishing hole, it’s back to the fishing theme. Talk to you later. Troy