Category: Tunes

The Cover of the…

Posted on by Troy Jackson

RIP, Ray Sawyer, the eye-patched co-lead singer of Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show who passed away earlier this week.

Sawyer’s vocals are featured on the iconic hit, “The Cover of the Rolling Stone”, a satirical romp on making it big. If you’ve never checked out this crew doing their thing on this cut, it’s worth a search and brings a smile. It also leaves you wondering just what these guys were up to and to what degree their performances reflect a bit of chemically influenced reality versus an entertaining batch of leg pulling. At any rate, they sure looked like they enjoyed their craft.

A tongue in cheek assessment of the pinnacle of rock stardom was offered up in the following bit of the Shel Silverstein penned lyrics:

“Wanna see my smilin’ face on the cover of the Rollin’ Stone.”

Well, they made it once upon a time, in caricature. Mission accomplished by this wild crew who produced plenty of smiling faces on those who with an ear on their craft and an eye on their antics.

And being that this is an “outdoor” website, I do have a tie in to the world of fishing and one of its publications. While Illinois Game & Fish may not pack the star powered punch of Rolling Stone, it is kind of cool to see your smilin’ face looking back at you from the cover.

Don’t know what fraction of Andy Warhol’s “fifteen minutes” the 2010 appearance might rate but still fun nonetheless. Got a larger shot and a shout out in the accompanying article as well but that is a tale for another day, perhaps this spring.

Talk to you later. Troy

2018 Lyric of the Month – Part II

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Much appreciated if you are back for more as we take a look at the second half of the lines from 2018.

July
“Everyone’s feeling pretty, it’s hotter than July.”
Master Blaster (Jammin’) – Stevie Wonder (1980)
Several months ago, a Facebook group that I follow posed the question of who is the greatest singer or musician of all-time. I narrowed it down to those I have seen or heard in my lifetime and sure think it would be tough to beat this fella.

August
“I feel it in the air, the summer’s out of reach.”
The Boys of Summer – Don Henley (1984)
I chose this one as once August rolls around these days I always feel that the summer is done since school starts so much earlier than when I was a kid. I always dug some of the imagery that Henley’s lyrics conjured up and as a 17 year-old kid “I can see you, your brown skin shining in the sun” was quite fascinating.

September
“Hey, I heard you missed us, we’re back.”
Hot for Teacher – Van Halen (1984)
Just like the song above, here’s another one from the start of my senior year of high school. And if you have enjoyed that phase of life, are familiar with this tune and lived in the early days of MTV, well, you know where I’m coming from. If you have yet to hit to hit that age, enjoy it, and know that if we could trade places for a few days…

October
“We could exist on the stars, it’d be so easy.”
Miracles – Jefferson Starship (1975)
Hey, what do you know? Another love song and this one is a winner. Marty Balin croons it from the heart with nearly seven entertaining minutes of rambling without rhyme that just hits the spot. Sadly, my reason for selecting this cut was Balin’s passing on September 27, 2018.

November
“When the days get shorter and the nights get long.”
She’s So Cold – Rolling Stones (1980)
Proving that there is a method to my madness, this one was chosen to coincide with the onset of Daylight Savings Time and the coming Winter Solstice. I’m a science guy at heart and dedicated music buff so it’s kind of fun when it all of that potentially useless knowledge upstairs all comes together.

December
“It snowed today, its cold here for November.”
If Hollywood Don’t Need You (Honey I Still Do) – Don Williams (1982)
Lots of stuff going on here. Always a treat to hear the “Gentle Giant” who passed away in September 2017. And his reference in this classic tune to Burt Reynolds was also timely as “The Bandit/Gator/Paul Crewe” had died in September 2018. Finally, a near 14” Thanksgiving weekend snowstorm deserved a shout out.

Okay, thanks to those of you who have hung in there for the musical interlude of this outdoor website. We now sort of resume our regular programming with a music/fishing tribute piece up next before moving on to some 2018 and all-time Top 5 stats. Actually have some fish up next week as well with the earliest start ever to our Top 5 project. In fact, the first catch of 2019 will never be beaten only equaled. Talk to you later. Troy

2018 Lyric of the Month – Part I

Posted on by Troy Jackson

As you may or may not know, each new month features a new lyric tucked away at the bottom of the webpage as an added feature. All for fun and gives me an excuse to share my passion for tunes alongside some fish, family, fellow anglers, nature and whatever else crosses my mind as those wheels are always turning.

Right on schedule, there’s a new lyric down there but since it’s also the beginning of the New Year, I’ve also got a bunch of lyrics up here too. For the “outdoor” posts of the next two days it’s a look back at the dozen batches of lines, titles, artists and years that graced the footer as “Lyric of the Month” in 2018. Of course, I add a little two cents as well in this recap as I enjoy talking tunes as much as tackle.

January
“It’ll be just like starting over, starting over.”
(Just Like) Starting Over, John Lennon (1980)
Such a shame that Lennon’s new start after an extended absence from the music business was senselessly ended only six weeks after this song was released as a single.

February
“But February made me shiver…”
American Pie, Don McLean (1971)
One of my earliest memories from the AM dial. Didn’t understand it then, sort of do a bit more now but simply epic, nostalgic, and tragic and that good, old “drove my Chevy to the levee” line is still a favorite piece of lyrical artistry pushing 50 years later.

March
“I’m your vehicle, baby, I’ll take you anywhere you wanna go.”
Vehicle, Ides of March (1970)
While a little creepy as “I’m a friendly stranger in a black sedan won’t you hop inside my car” and so on, this one jams with some soul and a horn section. Kind of fun that the songwriter and Ides’ leader, Jim Peterik, would find future stardom with his band, Survivor.

April
“The thoughts of a fool’s kind of careless, I’m just a fool waiting on the wrong block.”
Fool in the Rain, Led Zeppelin (1979)
The best songs are love songs, no matter the presentation, fast, slow or samba. And when you can’t suppress a smile or resist the urge to sing along to the tale of a soggy, broken hearted fool who doesn’t know it or won’t admit it, that’s musical magic. Six minutes later, I’m happy when I should feel bad for the guy.

May
“If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow, don’t be alarmed now, it’s just a spring clean for the May queen.”
Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin (1971)
Oft cited as one of the greatest rock cuts of all-time and I would have to agree, it simply doesn’t get old. It’s always fun too, when you get more than one song wrapped into one song (see also “Band on the Run”).

June
“Man, it’s a hot one, like seven inches from the midnight sun.”
Smooth, Santana featuring Rob Thomas (1999)
Hard to believe this one is going to turn 20 years old, time flies. This one was fitting for a late spring heatwave and was just fun proof that a lifetime of listening has left me with a lyric (or two or three or…) for every occasion. Drives my kids (and sometimes Julie) nuts but amuses myself.

And tomorrow gives me another occasion to ramble with the second batch. Talk to you later. Troy

Trip Tune Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

A New Year’s Eve highlight while growing up was something called “The Big 89 Countdown” featured on Chicago’s WLS 890 AM radio. The annual rundown of each year’s hits ran from 1967 through 1986 with my listening heyday being the mid-70s into the 80s. The countdown would kick off in the evening and run you right up to the midnight reveal of the year’s top tune. Awesome stuff for a young radio buff, stat kid and fan of countdowns/lists. Call me a goof, but I actually used to get out the notebook paper and make my own list as the disc jockeys spun the way to number one.

Oh, what a countdown, late December back in 1976…the rest of the archives can be found by clicking here

Here on the blog I have managed to find a way to work in some of those old tunes under the guise of outdoor stuff with a feature that I call “Top 10 Trip Tunes.” For those not familiar with the concept, I compile a list of the Top 10 songs that grace the airwaves during the round trip to the fishing hole (typically an hour or so each way). Thus far, these blog postings have racked up a total of 115 tunes (a shorter outing featured only a Top 5) going back to the first go round from a September 2, 2017 outing.

So, what the heck, it’s time for some stats as we bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new.

Top 10 Trip Tunes – Top Artists (by appearance)
4 – Led Zeppelin
3 – Blondie
Boston
The Cars
ELO
Jackson Browne
Jefferson Starship
Orleans

Top 10 Trip Tunes – Top Decades
1970s – 77 tunes
1980s – 28 tunes
1960s – 6 tunes
1990s – 2 tunes
2000s – 1 tune
2010s – 1 tune

Top 10 Trip Tunes – Top 10 Years (including my Top Hit)
1978 – 19 tunes (Right Down the Line – Gerry Rafferty)
1975 – 12 tunes (Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd)
1979 – 11 tunes (Fool in the Rain – Led Zeppelin)
1976 – 9 tunes (The Boys are Back in Town – Thin Lizzy)
1981 – 8 tunes (Watching the Wheels – John Lennon)
1980 – 7 tunes (Stomp – The Brothers Johnson)
1973 – 6 tunes (Reelin’ in the Years – Steely Dan)
1977 – 6 tunes (Lido Shuffle – Boz Scaggs)
1970 – 4 tunes (Your Song – Elton John)
1972 – 4 tunes (Doctor My Eyes – Jackson Browne)
1974 – 4 tunes (Killer Queen – Queen)

Okay, I won’t keep you any longer as I’ve fed my music fix for the time being. Kind of fun for me and up for interpretation as to whether it says more about the listener or the formats of my favorite presets on the truck radio dial. Plenty more hits were included along those rides and I suspect that there will be several more batches as the 2019 fishing season unfolds.

For tonight, I suggest that you find some of your favorite tunes, old or new, and crank ‘em up as you count down the final hours of 2018. Happy New Year to all and talk to you later. Troy

Top 11 Trip Tunes 9/23 – Part II

Posted on by Troy Jackson

And the countdown continues…

5. Brain Damage/Eclipse – Pink Floyd (1973) – The grand finale to arguably the top album of all-time. Forever linked and you shouldn’t really listen to one without the other, wonderfully loony and heavy at the same time. If you are among the few on the planet who has yet to purchase a copy of this classic Floyd album, the time has come. See you on the “Dark Side of the Moon.”

4. Karn Evil 9 (1st Impression Part II) – Emerson, Lake & Palmer (1973) – If I were to pick a theme song for my blog, this might be the one. “Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends…” And in regards to this blog thing, well “you’ve got to see the show, it’s a dynamo.” “Rest assured you’ll get your money’s worth” (it’s free by the way) and every now and then “you’ve got to see the show, it’s rock and roll.”

3. Let’s Groove – Earth, Wind & Fire (1981) – What can you say? This is the jam, even got my boys hooked as they call it the “Boogie on down” song. Gotta pat myself on the back as a good Dad for that one. Just cool, gets you moving and singing along even if you’re not sure of some of the words, go ahead and make ‘em up as you go, more about the vibe than the lyrics anyhow. Although, “just move yourself and glide like a 747” is pretty hip.

2. American Girl – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (1977) – Just my opinion but I favor the old Tom Petty (say 1977-1985) over the rest of his lengthy and illustrious career. This one is a perfect example of my preference as the older stuff just seems a little more varied and a little rawer. Got lots of favorite lines in lots of songs and for this one I would definitely choose “she stood alone on her balcony” as Petty’s pronunciation and delivery are quite fun.

1. My Best Friend’s Girl – The Cars (1978) – Second straight Top Tunes post that features The Cars at the top spot (see 7/28 list – Bye, Bye Love) and both tunes are from the same album, the band’s self-titled debut. Yet again, a solid mix of musicianship, lyrics and delivery, straight up Cars magic as we prepared to leave disco behind in favor of something new, as in New Wave. And who wouldn’t be a little envious of his buddy’s lady with her “Nuclear boots” and “suede blue eyes?”

Ah yes, another one of my distractions. I have fun with the tunes, hope no one minds the occasional bit of meandering. Next up though, back to some fishing with a report and a flashback to get us through the weekend. Talk to you later. Troy

 

 

Top 11 Trip Tunes 9/23 – Part I

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Hey, let’s do this again.

And one better than a Top 10 in “turning it up to 11” as I just had too many good cuts to choose from on this particular trek to the Knox County strip mines.

11. Youth Gone Wild – Skid Row (1989) – For a number of years I had trouble coming to grips with my affliction for that interesting period of rock music when “hair” bands roamed the radio and television dial. But then I just flat out decided that I like it (and I know you like it too). Many great high voices (tone and otherwise) rocked the airwaves but tough to beat Sebastian Bach’s pipes when he wailed away. Rock has long been the domain of the rebel and this offering represents an anthem for the hair generation. Additionally, kind of cool when you can work your band name into the lyrics (see also Boston, Bad Company, The Who…)

10. Midnight Blue – Lou Gramm (1987) – Anybody ever associate a particular song with a time or a place or a person? Of course you have, that’s what good tune does. Anybody else hitting that age where you recall something and then wonder if the memory is correct? In the case of this song, I seem to recall a lefty on the Knox College baseball squad nicknamed Giddy who really dug this cut and I do too. Giddy, I know you’re out there, if you read this let me know if I’ve got it right or simply losing my mind.

9. Let It Whip – Dazz Band (1982) – Speaking of Knox College, back in the early 80s the college radio station, WVKC 90.7FM, used to feature a weekly program focusing on a mix of funk, hip hop, rap, post-disco and R&B infused pop. Interesting stuff for a kid normally tuned in to WLS 89AM or the local Top 40 station, Q93. Spent many of those Saturday nights tuned into “The Voice” as the station was nicknamed (Sunday nights was Dr. Demento on 97X). Anyway, what a treat it was to hear stuff like this one or “Controversy” by Prince or “White Horse” by Laid Back or “Take Your Time Do It Right” by The S.O.S. Band or “The Breaks” by Kurtis Blow or “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five or…time to revisit these jams on the internet once I get this post completed.

8. Wasted on the Way – Crosby, Stills & Nash (1982) – This is another one of those cuts that hits a little closer to home these days than it did when released in the summer before my sophomore year of high school. Would make a nice addition to side two of a cassette tape along with “Time” from Pink Floyd, “Running on Empty” from Jackson Browne, “Long May You Run” from Neil Young and “Like a Rock” from Bob Seger. “Oh when you were young…”

7. Sooner or Later – The Grass Roots (1971) – Dare you not to sing along to this catchy love song. Plenty of vocal roles to choose from, too. Maybe you’re a lead singer, perhaps you opt for harmony, possibly just pitch in with the punctuated “time”, “mind”, “when”, “again”, take part in a little call and response or go ahead and let it all hang out during an improvised finale. Just one of those make you feel good, could listen to it all day, they don’t make ‘em like that anymore tunes.

6. The Ballad of Curtis Loew – Lynyrd Skynyrd (1974) – Discovered this one rather late. Never was much of an album kid, didn’t have any money after buying baseball cards, so never heard this tune until sometime in the 90s on the radio. Knew who it was right away but not quite what it was and always a treat to find something old on the dial that’s brand new to my ear. Great story song about a wonderful piece of common ground called music.

How’s that for a blog entry? You get Curtis Loew and Kurtis Blow all in one post. And on an “outdoor” blog to boot! Now that’s some good stuff. Part II tomorrow to finish off our eleven songs for the price of ten. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 10 Trip Tunes 7/28 – Part II

Posted on by Troy Jackson

On with the countdown…

5. Jane – Jefferson Starship (1979) – I dig this song on several levels. Such a cool blend of instrumentation with everybody getting in on the action and briefly taking center stage at various points as this one chugs along. Mickey Thomas’ vocals are top notch and there’s even a cool kind of grunt after the disco themed interlude which itself is a killer sort of nod to the fading fad. And I’ve got this thing for repetition, certainly a hook when it works, and 35 “Janes” (or “Janeys”) in this one does for me (may have missed a few, let me know what you come up with). Note: also see “Lola.”

4. Your Song – Elton John (1970) – One of the earliest hits from a legendary performer but how about the guy who wrote the words? Shout out to Bernie Taupin for his role in this partnership. Many characters, many stories and a whole lotta love songs including this favorite. This one is endearing and enduring, gets better the older I get. And how cool that Taupin penned these lyrics before he reached his 20th birthday. Simply amazing.

3. Stranglehold – Ted Nugent (1975) – Does it get any more fun than a rocker from Uncle Ted? A nasty groove to get things warmed up before you get hit with “Here I come again now baby, like a dog in heat.” Are you kidding me? And there’s still seven and a half more minutes of rocking to go. I don’t care if I sound old but they don’t make ‘em like that anymore.

2. You Better You Bet – The Who (1981) – I’m a fan of this pretty fabulous foursome that often seem to take a backseat to another fab quartet as well as a batch of Stones.Gotta give Roger Daltrey some props on this one too. Solid, solid frontman who could always “sing a razor line.” Great stuff here and one of the first videos to be played on something called MTV.

1. Bye Bye Love – The Cars (1978) – Endless debate, no definitive answer, but what is the finest debut album of all-time? Take a listen to this band’s self-titled 1978 release as it certainly deserves some votes. Tough to pick my favorite track, kind of depends on the mood when one of them comes on the radio. This one was the winner on this trip, fun flow to Ric Ocasek’s lyrics and outstanding delivery from Benjamin Orr mixed with a new sound coming out of my clock radio back in the late 70s, something called “New Wave.”

Ah, another fun tangent that brings back more than a few memories and finds me wandering through my own personal request line in cyberspace. This whole internet thing is indeed good for more than just telling “fish stories.” Talk to you later. Troy

Top 10 Trip Tunes 7/28 – Part I

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Hey, haven’t done one of these for a while and too busy to fish so here we go. This one was actually compiled during my last solo bass fishing outing back on July 28. Too busy to write, too.

10. Afternoon Delight – Starland Vocal Band (1976) – Okay, so gotta make the short list of dirtiest songs of all-time and extra fun because it was one of my favorites as an eight or nine year old kid back in the Bicentennial. Even has a fishing verse tucked away in there. But nowadays, with a 51-year old body and four kids running around the house all the time, a little afternoon delight is more like a nap.

9. Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In – The Fifth Dimension (1969) – Always dug this groovy ditty from when I was way too young to actually recall its original release. Must have caught it on the airwaves and seems like there was an album around the house. And what a beautiful lady and voice in Marilyn McCoo. Still a cool cut nearly 50 years later as my oldest daughter, Helena, took a liking to it when featured as a tune in a recent performance of her Quad City Music Guild group.

8. Love Takes Time – Orleans (1979) – I believe this completes the run of Orleans Top 40 hits as their two previous qualifiers have already been featured in Top 10 Trip Tunes (see “Dance With Me” and “Still The One”). Just one of those mellow tunes that finds me off in search of a playlist with the likes of Firefall, Poco, Pablo Cruise, England Dan and John Ford Coley, Ambrosia, Pure Prairie League…

7. Junior’s Farm – Paul McCartney & Wings (1974) – Kind of rock and roll meets Dr. Seuss. I really have no idea and it really doesn’t matter. Good old Sir Paul with a battery of hooks so no surprise that this one always catches my ear. Quite a cast of characters including an Eskimo, a card dealer, a politician and Ollie Hardy. And how about trios of rhyming words like “Parliament”, “President” and “cement” as well as “sense”, “fence” and “pence”? How fun would it be to have such lyrical talent?

6. China Grove – The Doobie Brothers (1973) – This whole internet thing can get distracting, weird and even a bit addictive but it’s totally worth it when it comes to song lyrics. Anybody else out there been singing the wrong words or substituting some runs of gibberish for decades? “Samurai swords”, huh? Makes perfect sense, sorta. At any rate an outstanding piece of 70s classic rock from a band with a little bit of everything sonically thrown into the mix. Hits you right from the start, ends without much warning and keeps driving all the way in between.

Round two tomorrow with another batch of classics. Talk to you later. Troy

 

Top 10 Trip Tunes 6/17 – Part II

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Here we go with the Top 5, some heavy hitters from a range of genres that take me back to some good times I remember and feed my fix for quirky terms, categorical titles and classic lines. Fun to get lost in Part II of the Trip Tunes.

5. Black Friday – Steely Dan (1975) – No such thing as a bad Steely Dan song. Clever, fun and interesting lyrics mixed with impeccable, layered musicianship it’s all right on the money. And while it’s fun to speculate on the meaning of their tunes, in the end I just find myself sonically enjoying those few minutes of escape when it can mean whatever you want or nothing at all. Another part of my fun is mentally categorizing unique words. For example “kangaroo”. “Archbishop” and “Muswellbrook”, seriously, in the same song? And I also like to play the “name another song with a color in the title” or the “songs with a day of the week” game. Ain’t music fun?

4. One Way or Another – Blondie (1979) – I believe this would hold the top spot on my list of “stalker” songs, edging out “Every Breath You Take” by The Police. Both cuts do a nice job of disguising something more than a little scary as a catchy little ditty, even bordering on a love song in the case of my stalker runner-up. Blondie rides that fine lyrical line of redundant repetition and winds up with a winner instead of something tiring. Catchy riff, driving backbeat and well, what can you say about that lead singer? Not all bad if Debbie Harry was to “get ya, get ya, get ya, get ya”, huh?

3. Paradise City – Guns N’ Roses (1988) – I turned 25 in Indianapolis, IN at the Hoosier Dome as the clock struck midnight and July 22, 1992 passed into July 23, 1992 while jamming to these guys in concert with my youngest brother and his buddy (my original concert tee pictured above, still got it). Flat out awesome performance including this cut, of course, which rocks with an anthemic quality custom made for a crowd. These guys had it dialed in from the get go and I wore out my Appetite for Destruction cassette on a boombox, quite memorably with my buddies and some beer around the weekend campfires (often like bonfires) at a spot called “Green Oaks”, the Knox College biological field station. Those were the days, fond memories but content to have toned it down these days.

2. Old Days – Chicago (1975) – The definition of a good “oldie” here as it kicks that old nostalgia gene into full gear, an important aspect of my fondness for music. This 70s cut hits on a number of items that made up my childhood as it references “baseball cards”, “drive-in movies”, “summer nights” and “birthdays.” One in a nearly endless list of tunes that “Take me back to a world gone away, boyhood memories seem like yesterday.” Does what music is supposed to do, with a horn section to boot. Great stuff.

1. Stomp! – The Brothers Johnson (1980) – I got no rhythm and ain’t remotely hip but this is my jam, gets me moving and singing along. So “Fill it up, let’s blast the jams and ride” and “slap me five” because “The heat is on and the funk just won’t leave us alone.” Heck, yeah!

And with that last jam, I leave you as I head back to 1979-1981 on the internet with my ears set on “Give Me the Night” by George Benson, “Master Blaster” by Stevie Wonder, “Take Your Time” by the SOS Band, “Let’s Groove” by Earth, Wind & Fire and “Don’t Let Go” by Isaac Hayes, maybe some Kool & The Gang, Commodores…Talk to you later. Troy

Top 10 Trip Tunes 6/17 – Part I

Posted on by Troy Jackson

On the road around 4:00am on a Father’s Day morning fishing trip. Wonder if I can find anything worthwhile on the radio dial? Yep, not an issue finding some tunes worthy of the latest Top 10 Trip Tunes. Part I today, Part II tomorrow.

10. Undun – The Guess Who (1969) – Mentioned in a Top 10 edition from last year that you just don’t hear this band’s work very often on the airwaves so when this one hit my ears it was an automatic inclusion. Written by band member, Randy Bachman, later of Bachman-Turner Overdrive; moody, jazzy, and a flute solo. Also kind of fun with the deliberate misspelling of the title, I dig that stuff (band names as well, put on those musical thinking caps…)

9. Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway) – Billy Joel (1976) – I’ve always liked “story songs” and this one fits the bill with a native New Yorker penning a song that looks forward from the perspective of someone looking back. Gotta admire the effort from a songwriter who knew his subject, and besides, it is a fun ride musically as well. Don’t know much about New York City and its troubles in the 70s but pretty bad shape. Not a big city guy, too many people, too much hustle and bustle and in the case of my state, too much corruption. Perhaps I should get to work on a ditty about Chicago breaking free from the rest of us “downstate” and becoming its own solitary island afloat somewhere out on Lake Michigan.

8. Da Ya Think I’m Sexy – Rod Stewart (1978) – Don’t answer…This one occupies a spot that takes me back to a kid on the verge of becoming a teenager and brings to mind a new television music countdown program known as “Solid Gold.” Now, I had long dug my 70s tunes on the radio but getting a weekly look at some eye catching dancers to go along with my music, well, let’s just say “Wow!” Also an awkward time when a song like this came on the radio when riding somewhere with your folks, much less the music video, makes you feel like singing along but not sure if it’s appropriate…Fast forward about 40 years and I just hope my kids don’t really have a clue what most of the current stuff on the radio is all about yet.

7. The Zoo – Scorpions (1980) – A classic rocker, this was probably my top pick on the jukebox at a local watering hole known as “G.P.s Lounge” where once upon a time me and my buddies spent more than a few evenings, and nights and afternoons…More than a few quarters invested in this one and some darts and just a few cold ones.

6. Fly By Night – Rush (1975) – Very fitting that this one came over the airwaves at 5:02am, still dark on my escape to the fishing hole while any young anglers who may wish to tag along were still snuggly tucked in bed. Just had to grin at the timing. I’ve got this mental list of favorite lyrics and this song features a few lines that will make that list one of these days, maybe when I start up a music blog, yeah right, got time for that. Anyway, “Quiet and pensive, my thoughts apprehensive” is pure genius, might trade fishing for such literary ability.

Five down, five to go, back tomorrow. Talk to you later. Troy