Category: Tunes

Top 5 Trip Tunes – March 14

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Back by popular demand after being absent from the blog in 2024, I offer up another round of Trip Tunes. Okay, so not exactly “popular demand” but I did miss working a batch of tunes into an outdoor blog, so it is time to resume the feature. The odd thing is that I had all the tunes documented for my trips last year but got lazy and failed to put together the posts. At any rate, the concept is that I note the top tunes that I hear on the radio during my round trips to the fishing hole and then offer up my two cents. In the case of today’s post, it is a Top 5 list as the drive to and from The Canal is not exceedingly long in most cases.

5. My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone) – Chilliwack (1981)
Don’t hear this one very often on the radio and I believe that I truly recall the last time I heard it. On a work trip to Tonawanda, NY in July of 2021, it played on the radio along with Bryan Adams and Rush. It dawned on me that all acts were Canadian and shortly I realized that my seek feature on the dial had landed on a Toronto station from just across Niagara Falls.

4. Hungry Heart – Bruce Springsteen (1980)
I’ve always liked the rhymes that “The Boss” composed in this tune. “Flowing” and “going” which he sings like “flo’n” and “go’n,” instead. Then there’s the pairs, “bar/apart” and “end/again.” But for me the best part of the tune is making a five-syllable word out of hungry, as in ‘Hu-u-un-ga-ry” heart.

3. We May Never Pass This Way (Again) – Seals & Crofts (1973)
This song is a perfect example of why I think the 1970s were the best musical decade. A fantastic four minutes starts as folk, moves to soft rock, gets jazzy, has some underlying funk, gives an R & B nod, briefly flashes a television theme show vibe, throws in a guitar solo, and features a satisfying mix of solo, harmony, and traded vocals. Don’t get much better than that.

2. Must of Got Lost – J. Geils Band (1974)
Many years before there were “Centerfold” and “Freeze Frame,” there was this entertaining tune that I always got wrong as “Must’ve Got Lost.” Which is technically correct, at least informally grammatically. Research shows that such a grammatical error (Must of instead of Must’ve) is called an “eggcorn.” The definition of which is “the alteration of a word or phrase through the mishearing or reinterpretation of one or more of its elements, creating a new phrase which is plausible when used in the same context” (also see mondegreen). Should you actually understand that, you just never know what you’ll learn on this “outdoor” blog.

1. Please Don’t Bury Me – John Prine (1973)
If you are not familiar with the late John Prine, this song would serve as a solid introduction to an interesting storyteller. His recently deceased character in this tune professes a desire that folks “pass me all around” instead of being entombed. An organ donor from top to bottom and many parts in between.
From
“Throw my brain in a hurricane
And the blind can have my eyes
And the deaf can take both of my ears
If they don’t mind the size.”
To
“Send my mouth way down south
And kiss my ass goodbye.”
A one-of-a-kind, wonderful wordsmith.

Talk to you later. Troy

Top 10 Trip Tunes – April 2

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Over the years, I have wandered into some music related posts on what is an outdoor blog. I call them “Trip Tunes” as they are a list of the Top 10 tunes that I encounter on the radio dial on my drive to the fishing hole. Well, the feature is back for 2023 so away we go.

10. Live to Tell – Madonna (1986)
Not much of a Madonna fan but she was all over the radio and MTV when I was a teenager, and I vote this one as her best. A haunting tune from an interesting movie, At Close Range.

9. Good Day Sunshine – The Beatles (1966)
You don’t hear The Beatles enough on the radio these days. Therefore, it’s always a treat and you can’t help but smile and sing along to this happy ditty.

8. Over the Mountain – Ozzy Osbourne (1981)
This one chugs along musically with an entertaining lyrical delivery and a batch of Randy Rhoads guitar work that is all over the place. Guitar solos that sound like they belong in several different songs but all part of the fun of the early Ozzy albums.

7. Funk #49 – James Gang (1970)
Joe Walsh had me at “Life’s Been Good” back in 1978. Later, I would discover that he was a member of this gang and always an interesting oddball before becoming an Eagle. But, seriously folks, is there anyone more fun in rock and roll than this talented, entertaining, legendary performer?

6. Baker Street – Gerry Rafferty (1978)
I love the radio and this one takes me back to WLS 890 AM and summer nights with a bedside clock radio. You know, the kind with the flip numbers. I often ponder musical lists and this one would get a spot on the best intro and best sax solo rankings.

5. Dream On – Aerosmith (1973)
It’s crazy to think how long these guys have been around. Maybe a bit too long in terms of some of their 90s chart success but who am I to judge? I like a lot of their 70s stuff, a handful of the 80s cuts, and one tune after that. My two cents are that their oldest single remains their best. Fifty years after the recording of “Dream On,” I still stop on the radio dial and sing along.

4. Rich Girl – Hall and Oates (1977)
Once upon a time, I was a nine-year-old kid wondering, “Did they just sing that word on the radio?” Well, it does rhyme with rich. Cool, but you’ve got to be careful to not sing that word around certain company. Just a great song and fun memory as now I can sing whatever I want, wherever I want. And funny that my boy, Zac, left out a word in “Black Betty” as he was singing along yesterday (not the “B” word, but the “D” word).

3. Use Ta Be My Girl – The O’Jays (1978)
What a fun, smooth song for a tune about losing your lady. Fortunately, I still have my girl and my favorite lines from the fellows in this cut offer up, “Not only good lookin’, the girl was so smart, can’t beat her cookin’”. What more could a guy ask for?

2. Band on the Run – Paul McCartney & Wings (1974)
I distinctly remember the summer of 1974 and the popularity of this tune on the radio dial as it made its way to the top of the Billboard chart. It was my favorite song and its peak coincided with a trip to the Wisconsin Dells with my grandparents and cousin. Early radio memories with the tune hitting #1 after “The Streak” and prior to “Billy Don’t Be a Hero.” Those were the days.

1. We Just Disagree – Dave Mason (1977)
I mentioned song lists in a blurb about an earlier cut and this tune would garner a high ranking on my ultimate list. Definitely a Top 10, probably a Top 5 on my personal all-time greatest hits list. A great sentiment on relationships over forty-five years after its release but I must be careful about what I write these days and “leave it alone, ‘cause we can’t see eye to eye” and I’ll leave it at that.

Been a while since I did one of these and I have to say that I miss my musical strolls down Memory Lane. And I do have another set of Trip Tunes waiting in the wings should I get around to another post. Talk to you later. Troy

Prowl the Canal – September 20

Posted on by Troy Jackson

When I requested vacation days several weeks earlier, I was hoping for a cool weather snap to kick the fall bite in a little early. But you never know what you will get with the summer/fall transition and what I got was a record setting blast of summer. But as long as I didn’t get any thunderstorms, I was hitting the water no matter the temperature. Read on to see if the heatwave had more of an effect on the fish or the fisherman. All with a fitting lyrical twist.

Trip Lyric
“Man, it’s a hot one, like seven inches from the midday sun”
Smooth – Santana ft. Robb Thomas (1999)

Stats
Date: September 20 (two pools)
Time: 7:30am-10:30am. 11:55am-2:25pm
Totals: 15 bass
Weather: Sunny/breezy 73-92F
Lures: War Eagle spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) with Zoom Creepy Crawler trailer (watermelon seed) – 7 bass, Whopper Plopper 110 (bone) – 6 bass, 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (smoke shad) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 2-12 Whopper Plopper
Top 5 Weight: 9-1 (2-12,2-8,1-7,1-5,1-1)

Winning Lures
“Gotta have some hot stuff”
Hot Stuff – Donna Summer (1979)

Notes and Nonsense

“Well you’re too hot ta trot now baby”
Too Hot Ta Trot – Commodores (1977)
After a challenging and exhausting Canal cruise and strip mine hike the previous day, I elected to stick solely to rowing on this outing. While that activity is still no walk in the park, it sure beats wading through the weeds on foot.

 

“Let me go on, like I blister in the sun”
Blister in the Sun – Violent Femmes (1983)
Even though it was going to be pushing triple digits in terms of the heat index, I donned a long sleeve shirt as I headed to The Canal. My previous two days on Lake Storey, The Canal, and the strip mines had left me looking a little lobster-like on my arms. While I usually don’t burn, the lifelong effects of the sun add up and I figured that any day with an added layer of protection was a wise choice.

2:24pm – Top Bass Runner-up at 2-8 (17.5″) on a Whopper Plopper

“When you’re hot, you’re hot, And when you’re not, you’re not”
When You’re Hot, You’re Hot – Jerry Reed (1971)
My first stop of the day was extended exploring on a pool that I had previously fished in June with my son, Jayce. At that time, we only covered roughly a third of the pool and while I know that there are quality bass in the stretch, we left disappointed. My results on this latest outing were another disappointment, especially after a mile and a half of rowing. I was certainly hot, but the fishing was not. On a side note, I did spot a small gar, the first I have ever seen in The Canal.

2:24pm – Top Bass at 2-12 (18″) on a Whopper Plopper

“I’m goin’ crazy, goin’ crazy, from the heat”
Goin’ Crazy – David Lee Roth (1987)
By the end of my day, I was getting weary and a little thirsty as I neared the far end of the pool. There are a couple appealing spots where the stretch terminates so I figured what was another few hundred yards to row when it was already over a mile back to the truck. Still seeking a big bite, I continued tossing the Whopper Plopper in the bright sun and ninety-two-degree heat in the middle of the afternoon. Not exactly textbook bass fishing but it worked to the tune of my two biggest bass of the day. One bit the plopper as far away from the launch as I could get while the other bit within sight of my truck. Unorthodox, delirious from the heat, who cares, I got what I was after.

A solid day that covered a lot of water, still learning all the way. Always better than being at work and you can’t catch them sitting at home in the air conditioning. I’ll close with a final lyric.

“It’s too hot to fish, and too hot for golf, and too cold at home”
Too Cold at Home – Mark Chesnutt (1990)

Good song but I’ll have to disagree with Mark on that first part. Talk to you later. Troy

Trip Tunes – July 17

Posted on by Troy Jackson

The result of high gas prices has been a focus on the Hennepin Canal as opposed to my old Knox County strip mine ground. In fact, since April 15, all but one outing has been on the historic waterway (also hit a southern Illinois spot in June but that was on my employer’s dime while returning from a work assignment).

The Hennepin Canal trips have been a success, but they have put a damper on my Trip Tunes feature. For instance, my most recent visit covered a whole fifteen miles round trip. Quite different than the timeframe of just over a two hour round trip to the strip mines. Less time in the cab, means less tunes on the ride and no chance to accumulate the customary Top 10 Trip Tune list. Instead, we get a Top 3 Trip Tune list from my July 17 outing.

As detailed in an earlier post, my July 17 trip featured the goal of landing a bass with an old reel given to me by my friend, Matt Reynolds (aka Hack). Fittingly, the three tunes below showed up in back-to-back-to-back fashion over two stations on the ride home. They took me back to the days when Hack, the Junk brothers (John and Mark) and myself used to run around.

3. Stand Up – Mel McDaniel (1985)
Mel McDaniel always struck me as an artist who flew under the radar despite having a successful run of hit songs in the 1980s. And it was in the late 80’s when Hack and I took in a McDaniel concert at the Knox County Fairgrounds in Knoxville, Illinois. Those outdoor concerts were always a treat with grandstand seating and a basic stage set up on a dirt track. If my memory serves me correctly, a band named Sidewinder was the opening act. Seems like they got a fair amount of local airplay with a couple cuts, “Whiskey and Water” and “Memphis.” Try as I might though, I have yet to come across any references on the internet, so maybe my mind is fading.

2. Feels So Right – Alabama (1981)
Speaking of outdoor concerts, Hack and I took in multiple Alabama concerts in the 90s with the Junk brothers. Ranging from the Illinois State Fair in Springfield (with my brother, Brent, along for the show) all the way to the June Jam in Fort Payne, Alabama, home of the band. The greatest country band of all-time always put on an impressive show. We had every Alabama release on cassette back in those days (later CDs) and I recall kicking back in college with Hack and listening to our latest Alabama purchases start to finish.

1. Paradise City – Guns N’ Roses (1987)
In terms of albums that rock from start to finish, Appetite for Destruction, is one of the best. These guys had it dialed in with perhaps the greatest debut album of all-time. It features a killer collection of sound and subject matter that is dead-on rock and roll excess and success. Armed with a boom box cassette player and as much Milwaukee’s Best as we could afford, me, Hack, the Junk brothers, and other friends darn near wore out this cassette around raging campfires at Knox College’s Green Oaks field station. I’m not sure the other guys were quite as enthused about the band, but I suspect that they still recall those nights and know the words to most of the album.

Good songs that take me back to good times with good friends. And how fitting that this trio of tunes hit the airwaves on the short drive home from a fishing trip that had me reminiscing. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 10 Trip Tunes – April 3, Part II

Posted on by Troy Jackson

And the countdown continues…

5. Don’t Answer Me – Alan Parsons Project (1984)
It seems like this group always kind of flew under the radar but quite an impressive catalog of musical craftsmanship. Once again, I hearken back to MTV and the video created around a comic book gumshoe and his dame. The Project is actually in the Quad Cities this month and would be a treat to see if I wasn’t so frugal.

4. Up All Night – Slaughter (1990)
Before “hair” gave way to “grunge”, I enjoyed many tracks from artists such as Cinderella, Warrant, Tesla, and Skid Row. Many thanks to my youngest brother, Bub, who had cassettes or CDs of those bands that I would borrow or copy for mix tapes. I recall him telling me of going to purchase the Slaughter album at Musicland and being denied as he needed parental permission due to the photo of the young lady on the cover.

3. American Pie – Don McLean (1971)
I dig story songs and this one is indeed a classic. I still don’t know quite what it all means, line by line. And from what I understand, Don McLean still isn’t revealing. And that’s cool. A big part of musical enjoyment is personal as you can interpret or apply as you wish. This one evokes my earliest song memories, riding around town with my folks dialed into AM radio presets via those noisy buttons that you had to pull out and push back in to set. That whole “Chevy to the levee” line stuck and I still wonder if “rye/Rye” is a drink or a location.

2. Love Stinks – J. Geils Band (1980)
I would say that the vast majority of songs are love songs in one way or another. And I would also say that this one falls into the “another” category. Fine, fine writing in putting into words what most all of us have thought at one time or another. Fantastic use of “pinks” “thinks” and incredibly “minks”, to rhyme with “stinks”. One could say everything but the kitchen “sinks”. The video is worth a look as it includes frozen fish used as drumsticks, gas masks, a pogo stick and an orangutan. All in a love song!

1. And She Was – Talking Heads (1986)
And speaking of interesting videos…This patchwork, Monty Pythonesque collection of images makes perfect sense per David Byrne, the songwriter. He explains that the song was written about a girl he knew that would use LSD while lying in the field near the Yoo-Hoo chocolate drink factory in Baltimore. There you go. I long to be as creative although my angle would be more like a conversation over too many Milwaukee’s Bests around a campfire. On a side note, my kids know this song via the movie Storks. I’ve never seen the movie but always cool when I’m jamming and one of the kids recognizes one of my old tunes.

Time to shift gears from wandering through decades of music to wandering the old strip mines. Stay tuned for the latest fishing reports and the regular Friday Flashback post. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 10 Trip Tunes – April 3, Part I

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Back with the latest Trip Tunes feature as I obviously dig my radio and the variety of tunes that magically appear over the airwaves with the turn of a knob or the punch of a button. The enjoyment extends beyond the words and tunes. Songs take me back to specific places in time, songs trigger memories, songs provide me with a trove of trivia and songs allow me to ramble on an outdoor blog and get that stuff out of my system.

So, here we go, with a little of all the above.

10. Major Tom (Coming Home) – Peter Schilling (1983)
This one hit wonder was a revisit of David Bowie’s 1969 “Space Oddity” astronaut, Major Tom. Space was a hot topic in the period of Bowie’s release and my trivia afflicted brain naturally ponders making a list (Elton John’s “Rocket Man” from 1972 and Billy Preston’s “Space Race” from 1973, to name a couple). The character, Major Tom would also make an appearance in 1983 with the lyrics, “Dizzy Lizzy, Major Tom” in the Def Leppard track “Rocket”.

9. Head Over Heels – The Go-Go’s (1984)
I think it’s okay to like the Go-Go’s and I don’t really care if I get any ribbing from the peanut gallery. In 1981, when the band and MTV crossed paths, I was a fourteen-year-old boy, so it just makes sense that these ladies caught my eyes and ears. This one keeps on moving with bits of fun instrumentation and some classic hand claps. And while I have no insight or ability regarding music composition, does anybody else hear shades of Mott the Hoople’s “All the Way from Memphis” in the keyboard sections?

8. Give It Up – KC and the Sunshine Band (1983)
KC and the Sunshine Band were the soundtrack of summers as a kid in the 70s. Repetitive as heck with a hook that was infectious and got you moving even if you had no moves. So, this slice of KC in the 80s was music to my ears. However, Harry Wayne Casey should have stuck with the old, live concert clips when it came to the music video age. Sorry, KC, but I must rank this one in my top worst video list alongside Neil Sedaka’s “Bad Blood” performance on The Midnight Special and Billy Squier’s strange dance moves in “Rock Me Tonite.”

7. Lovin’ Every Minute of It – Loverboy (1985)
Loverboy’s hit years spanned my high school days. Like the Go-Go’s, I am not sure it was cool to like the band, but I did. I just realized that the tune was written by Mutt Lange, a songwriter and producer of great renown. His formula later provided remarkable success for Def Leppard (Pour Some Sugar on Me, Rock of Ages) as well as his one-time wife, Shania Twain. Shania is an extremely attractive lady, but her Lange penned hits got a little old after a while and sound like a country gal singing Def Leppard. Anyway, I dig this Loverboy tune with odd words like “antenna” and “aerial” as well as “shoot me like a rocket into space” (a concept revisited in Def Leppard’s “Rocket”, co-written by Lange).

6. Run to the Hills – Iron Maiden (1982)
My Iron Maiden catalog pretty much consists of this song as I would be hard pressed to name many others by these metal mavens (I do know that their mascot was named “Eddie”). MTV was solely responsible for my knowledge of this edgy tune as it got plenty of airplay when released. Imagine if you will, this tune interspersed with Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical,” Dexy’s Midnight Runner’s “Come on Eileen,” A Flock of Seagulls “I Ran” and 38 Special’s “Caught Up in You”. Such was the wonderful world of music television once upon a time.

Stay tuned for the rest of the countdown tomorrow. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 10 Trip Tunes – March 20, Part II

Posted on by Troy Jackson

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

Top 10 Trip Tunes – March 20, Part I

Posted on by Troy Jackson

I dig my tunes as much as I dig my fishing so the “Trip Tunes” feature is back for another year. For those who are unaware of the project, I document the Top 10 tunes that I hear on the fishing round trip and ramble a bit on each cut. Dating back to the debut of the concept in September 2017, the list now contains over two hundred different tunes.

10. We’re Not Gonna Take It – Twisted Sister (1984)
Lots of things for a person of my age to point out in the video for this anthemic protest song. Sure, folks will say, “Hey, isn’t that Neidermeyer?” in reference to the father figure’s iconic “Animal House” role. But what about the appearance of Robin Yount, one of my all-time favorite baseball players on a poster in the boy’s room? Not to mention the attention-grabbing garb, glam and grit of the band mixed in with some Three Stooges worthy slapstick.

9. Heading Out to The Highway – Judas Priest (1981)
While I was admittedly tuned into Top 40 radio at the time, early MTV was a real eye opener. This video got regular airplay and struck a chord to broaden the horizons with a little heavy metal. What a wonderful musical menagerie in those days where one could hop from Priest to Madness to Blondie to Adam & The Ants to .38 Special and more in the span of an afternoon.

8. Immigrant Song – Led Zeppelin (1970)
As my kids would say, “It’s the Thor song” after its inclusion in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A good fit, all things considered. Epic, adventurous, mythic, references “the hammer of the gods”, interchange Valhalla and Asgard…Those Zep guys were pretty creative and from what I understand the use of their tune in Thor cost the film financiers a pretty penny.

7. Flying High Again – Ozzy Osbourne (1981)
Like Judas Priest, I was introduced to Ozzy in junior high. A buddy of mine tuned me into the first two Ozzy solo albums (Blizzard of Oz and Diary of a Madman) and that stuff was rather cool. Just a bit different than Billy Joel, Christopher Cross, Donna Summer, Kool & The Gang or The Commodores. I was always fascinated by the country performer, Mel Tillis, who stuttered when speaking but flawlessly delivered his tunes. Well, Ozzy enunciates just fine in his tunes too, but otherwise you can’t understand a thing he says.

6. What’s Your Name – Lynyrd Skynyrd (1977)
I am a mental collector of lyrics and among my favorite opening lines is “Well, its eight o’clock in Boise, Idaho.” For the life of me I cannot think of another tune that references that exact location and that is cool (Note: “I’ve Been Everywhere” doesn’t count because, well, he’s been everywhere). Plenty of love for New York, Chicago, or L.A. in musical history so a thumbs up to giving the “Gem State’ some props. However, the bar incident in the lyrics did not actually occur in Boise. No problem, I still dig the line and the tune. As a result, my favorite Idaho shout out now belongs to Napoleon Dynamite, slightly edging out Evel Knievel and his Snake River Canyon stunt.

Nostalgia, bordering on nonsense is sometimes the name of the game when I head off on these tangents. Here’s hoping something along the way triggers you to do a little internet exploring and reminiscing of your own. Part II on the way. Talk to you later. Troy

Fishing Lines Top 10

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Without further ado, I present the Top 10.

10. “I’m like a fish out of water, I’m just a homesick man.”
Fool for the City – Foghat (1975)
Cool band name, cool cut, and cool album cover. Takes me back to flipping through the albums at Musicland, Lindstrom’s, Co-Op, and The Platter once upon a time.

9. “Just for the record let’s get the story straight, me and Uncle Tom were fishin’ it was gettin’ pretty late.”
Uncle Tom’s Cabin – Warrant (1991)
A hair band, a story song, a fishing line, and a banjo? Poke fun all you want, but I think this is a darn good tune.

8. “Well, it’s just now and then my line gets cast into these time passages.”
Time Passages – Al Stewart (1978)
This one deals in reminiscing and what a wonderful collection of lines. To a guy who digs fishing, tunes, writing and waxing nostalgic, this song is spot on. Also see, Stewart’s “Year of the Cat” for some more sonically (and visually) appealing lyrics.

7. “And it don’t matter if we sit forever and the fish don’t bite, jump in the river and cool ourselves from the heat of the night.”
Fishing in the Dark – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (1987)
I’ve long said that fishing ain’t just about catching fish and this song is proof. I guess that I’ll just leave it at that.

6. “But I got to stop wishin’, got to go fishin’, down to rock bottom again.”
A Pirate Looks at Forty, Jimmy Buffett (1974)
This tune came out when I was seven years old, I didn’t discover it until I was in my twenties and the “forty” in the title is well over a decade in the rearview mirror. Wistful and a bit melancholic with the selected fishing line expressing that there are few better pursuits than fishing to soothe what ails you.

5. “If it were easy as fishin’ you could be a musician.”
Takin’ Care of Business – Bachman Turner Overdrive (1973)
Now, BTO could rock, and I dig many of their tunes. But fishin’ is “easy”? Sure, it makes for a great lyric in a classic tune but some days, fishin’ ain’t quite as easy as these fellows might think. I suppose playing guitar ain’t a walk in the park either.

4. “Catfish are jumpin’, that paddle wheel pumpin’, black water keeps rollin’ on past just the same.”
Black Water – The Doobie Brothers (1974)
Hate to say it, but I can’t recall any instances where I’ve witnessed catfish jumping. Rolling, maybe, or perhaps I just haven’t been in the right place at the right time. These days, Asian carp would qualify but that would ruin the whole flow of the song. And besides, they are an invasive species. Regardless, is there anyone who can resist singing along to the “funky Dixieland” part of this tune?

3. “Hands are full of a fishin’ rod and the tackle on our backs.”
And It Stoned Me – Van Morrison (1970)
It don’t get much better than Van Morrison and an autobiographical tune about the exploits of a couple young boys out fishing. Been there, still do that and could say that it still can stone me all these years later.

2. “If you want to talk fishin’, well I guess that’ll be okay.”
Don’t Ask Me No Questions – Lynyrd Skynyrd (1974)
Some days, these lines and this song title just about say it all. I suppose that I would add music and baseball to the allowed topics as well.

1. “Now he lives in the islands fishes the pylons and drinks his green label each day. Writing his memoirs, losing his hearing but he don’t care what most people say.”
He Went to Paris – Jimmy Buffett (1973)
I’m no Parrothead but have simply always loved a good story song. Fishing, booze, writing and a bit of a recluse; there have been occasions when I’ve aspired to be that guy.

It’s been a fun ride for me this week as anytime I can work some tunes into an outdoor blog, I’m a happy camper. Here’s hoping that you may have learned something new, rediscovered a forgotten tune or have some fishing tunes of your own to offer (let me know as MTV will turn 50 eventually).

In closing, I’d like to thank J.J. Jackson, Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman, Martha Quinn, and Alan Hunter. And, to paraphrase the Top 40 legend, Casey Kasem…

“Keep your lines in the water and keep reaching for the dipnet.”

Talk to you later. Troy

Fishing Lines #20-#11

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Quite a collection of not only fish in this bunch of tunes but a veritable menagerie of creatures. The hits keep coming as we enter the Top 20 “Fishing Lines.”

20. “You got fins to the left, fins to the right and you’re the only bait in town.”
Fins – Jimmy Buffett (1979)

19. “Well, I love her, and I love to fish…Yeah, I’m gonna miss her, Oh, lookie there, I’ve got a bite.”
I’m Gonna Miss Her – Brad Paisley (2001)

18. “I like catchin’ fish on a cane pole just about sundown time, my kinda action is country relaxin’.”
Country Relaxin’ – Hank Williams Jr. (1984)

17. “Stoppin’ at the log where catfish bite”
Green River – Credence Clearwater Revival (1969)

16. “They don’t do much huntin’ and fishin’ up here, ya know, but I have met a few squirrels and one porcupine.”
Dixie On My Mind – Hank Williams, Jr. (1981)

15. “Blow across the home of the Seminole, the alligator and the gar.”
Seminole Wind – John Anderson (1992)

14. “I know there’s fish out there but where, God only knows.”
The Downeaster Alexa – Billy Joel (1989)

13. “I can catch catfish from dusk ‘til dawn.”
A Country Boy Can Survive – Hank Williams, Jr. (1981)

12. “I eat fish to pass the time away, ‘neath this blue Canadian moon, this world has made me crazy, crazy as a loon.”
Crazy As A Loon – John Prine (2005)

11. “You oughta see his wife, she’s a cute little dish, she smokes like a chimney and drinks like a fish.”
It’s A Big Old Goofy World – John Prine (1991)

One more day to go, stay tuned for the Top 10.