In Labor

Apparently David and Lucy are at the hospital right now, with Lucy in labor. I'm going to grab a bite to eat and head on over. I'll keep you posted...

Top 10 Best Rock Albums Ever

I've finally succumbed to that malest of traits: making a list of my favorite music. The trait has been well documented in popular culture, most notably in the movie High Fidelity....so to prove I'm male, here is my list. Note I did make two rules: to make it into the top 10, the album had to be at least 10 years old. The reason is that I think it takes ten years to determine if a recording has staying power, ie does it withstand the test of time? Second, I have to still listen to it on occasion. If it just sits on the shelf, well it must not be that special to me. The ten albums in this post have withstood that test and still make it into my CD player. In alphabetical order:

Jethro Tull's Aqualung (1971) is undeniably a classic in my book. The songs are unique, they are very memorable, and it lyrically says things that noone else dares say. Since the first time I heard Aqualung in 1975, I really related and latched on to it. To this day, I listen to it at least a few times a year. It warms my heart. In a weird way.

Okay, I admit it. I was a teenager when AC/DC's Back in Black (1980) came out. I was full of raging hormones, and this album fed every last one of them. It is one of those albums where I have to be in a very special mood to listen to - a heavy partying mood! But I do still listen to it on ocassion...not that I have to dig it out. It is still played quite regularly on the radio and at clubs. Apparently I'm not the only one who loves it.

Apparently America agrees with me on this one, too. Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon (1973) stayed on the charts longer than any other album ever. And that's saying something. Several on the songs on here (Money, Us and Them, Time) are still very regularly heard in daily life. For good reason. They are excellent. I want to give honorable mention to another Pink Floyd albums that holds a special place in my heart: The Wall (1979). Anyone who was in their late teens when it came out probably can relate.

Now this one will probably surprise you. This probably makes it onto very few Top 10 lists. But I think Brian Setzer's Dirty Boogie (1998) is stunning. It is fun, classic, enjoyable music that always make me want to get up and dance. My wife and I started listening to this when our kids became older and we started getting our evenings free again. That may be one of the reasons I really like it. In any case, it just barely makes it past my "10 year" rule...as more albums make it past, this top 10 list may change. To see who future challengers may be, look at the top 20 list.

Any teenager from the 1970s will have no qualms with this selection. Led Zepplin IV (1971) is universally loved and garners and understanding head-nod from persons of my vintage - no explanation needed. An interesting note for the younger crowd: when we used to buy this album on vinyl (gasp! yes we bought actual records), almost EVERY ONE of these damned things were warped. If it wasn't warped when we bought it, it was within six months. We never did figure out why, but it ensured we bought many a copy of Led IV, as it is affectionately called. Honorable Mention: Zepplin's In Through The Out Door (1979).


Thin Lizzy's Live and Dangerous (1978) is an often overlooked gem. This album has some very fast, moving, hard rocking songs like Jailbreak, Rosalie/Cowboy's Song, and of course The Boys are Back in Town. And it has some very slow, moving ballads such as Dancing in the Moonlight and Still in Love with You.

While raising my kids, I really didn't have time to listen to music much. But a little band called Nirvana caught my attention on TV one night, and it was addiction at first sight. I bought everything I could get my hands on of theirs. I didn't fall for grunge so much as I fell for this one grunge band. Big Time. Because of it's uniqueness, timelessness, and sheer musical beauty I nominate Nirvana's Nevermind (1991) to my top 10 list.

I struggled for awhile on this one. I could not make a top 10 without Queen. But Queen's best stuff is littered over 5 or 6 albums. I narrowed it down to two: Queen's Jazz (1978) is excellent, but it was beat by a nose by A Night At The Opera (1975) which probably marks their zenith...especially due to the inclusion of Bohemian Rhapsody...an undeniable classic. Oh, and a third great album is The Game (1980) even with it's heavy disco influence...and News Of The World (1977), and...see my delimna?

 I can narrow down my all-time favorite album to one of three.  Aqualung, listed at the top of this post, is one of them. Steely Dan's Pretzel Logic (1974) is another. I can't explain why this album speaks to me so loudly - it just does. Perhaps part of it is because I discovered it after my family had moved across the country in my mid-teens and I was lonely. Maybe it is because the music really is that good. I'll probably never be able to look at P.L. in an unbiased way, but no matter. It is definitely in my top three.

And the third? The album I wasted a great deal of my youth listening to. I was known far and wide as the largest Aerosmith fan in Stillwater, OK. My claim to fame in those years. And my favorite of all Aerosmith albums is Toys in the Attic (1975). I have this album memorized from start to end and can play it in my mind at will. Not sure if I'm proud of that or not. In any case, honorable mention goes to two other Aerosmith albums that are a close second and third in my Aerosmith favorites: Rocks (1976) and Get Your Wings (1974) which is an oft-overlooked gem.



So there it is. My top 10 as of October 21, 2009. Subject to change. Void where prohibited.

Top 20 Best Rock Releases Ever

Now for the next 10 albums in my top 20. These albums don't have to be at least ten years old, but I do have to listen to them once in awhile. Since they haven't stood the test of time yet, this part of the list will probably change over time. So be it! In alphabetical order:

Dire Straight's self-titled album (1978) is likely to remain on the list simply because it has been a favorite for so long. It is hard to describe how new, crisp, and utterly unlike anything that preceded it this album was in 1978. Dire Straights no longer sound unusual because of all the other D.S. that have followed and all the airtime that those albums get. But in 1978, I can tell you that this was the album to have in most any freshman college dorm room.

Another album you probably did not expect, and that you may not even know about. The Uncle Kracker album Double Wide (2001) has quickly become a favorite of mine. It probably has a great deal to do with the fact that it sounds a lot like Kid Rock - another favorite of mine. Give it a listen - you may be surprised. (Note: no K.R. has made it onto my list yet because there are usually great cuts on his albums, and miserable cuts on his albums...not very consistent. But I'm seriously considering adding Rock N Roll Jesus (2007) to my top 20)


Now, folks, now we're talking! If you haven't noticed, this is the first female singer on my list. I really didn't like most of the female singing from decades past (Heart excepted), but since 2000 there has been an abundance of great stuff out there. The first I noticed this was with Ciara's Goodies (2004) and there has been a continuous stream since then. Welcome to my collection, all you female singers!

Now I've been using a rule that a band can't have two places in my top 20, which almost gets broken here since Mr. Fagen is half of the duo we normally think of as Steely Dan. But this album came out of his solo career, so I don't count it as a Steely Dan recording. Kamakiriad (1993) is very jazzy, very laid back recording that just sparkles. I'm not sure why and I'm not sure when I got hooked. But I am most certainly hooked.

Here's another one: Gwen Stefani's Love Angel Music Baby (2004) is rarely not found in my car interior somewhere. I just love it. I love it so much that I have to watch carefully that I don't play it too much and burn out. My favorites include Luxurious, Harajuku Girls, and Rich Girl. Very nice work, Gwen! If you don't agree, let me take you for a spin in the Vette one Saturday night with this playing...I think you'll change your mind.




And here is the album we discovered when we discovered gyms. I credit this album with motivating me to do just one more set each night, which in turn motivated me to lose weight, which in turn motivated me to a stronger self image. Yes, Black Eyed Peas Monkey Business (2005) has been very good to me.

It's a crying shame that Eric didn't make it into my top 10, but I would not be able to sleep at night if he wasn't in my top 20. So here is Slowhand (1977) which is in my opinion head and shoulders above anything he did before or since. Just listen to Wonderful Tonight, Lay Down Sally, and We're All The Way and tell me you don't agree. I dare you.

OH, Oh, oh. Does this album ever hold a special place in my musical collection. We had just bought this CD when we went to Vegas and, perchance, were given a convertible as a rental. We ran around that town until daybreak every night with this playing in the warm night air, with the bright Vegas lights making our heads glow. There is some very memorable music on Outkast's double album Speakerboxxx / The Love Below (2003) and I'm sure it would be in my top 20 anyway, but that Vegas weekend sure didn't hurt it any.

Let's jump into the way-back machine one more time and take a gander at this Edgar Winter classic. In some ways I'm miffed that it got knocked from my top 10, but in other ways I'm perfectly content it is still in the top 20. No matter what your age, no matter what type of music you like, check your pre-conceived notions at the door and listen to They Only Come Out At Night (1972) when you are in a relaxed, content, open-minded mood one evening. It's great and I would really like to expose it to as many people as possible. Take care.

My oldest son introduced me to Stone Temple Pilots and I'm very glad he did. We were just starting to explore their discography when Tiny Music - Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop (1996) came out and we fell in love almost instantly. This one is a favorite of our entire family. And we immensely enjoyed the STP concerts we've attended (the most recent: July 4, 2009 in Pala, CA). Please give this a listen. Actually, ten listens as I don't think one can truly appreciate music until it has been played 10 times within a week or two.

Don't Tread On Me

Well my beloved cell was run over Friday night by a Ford Explorer...full on, no glancing blow. And it still works! The screen shattered internally, so it is now toast. That's too bad, as it has an excellent feel in my hand...Feels very high quality, fits perfectly, very very nice. Except that that damn keypad made texting a royal pain.

So the Sprint store manager showed me a new phone...works like my hold phone, but it has a qwerty keyboard too! I can text so much more easily now...can't believe I lived without qwerty for so long...

The only problem is this new phone is larger than the old one - the extra bulk is very noticable but also probably very necessary to fit the keyboard. And this new one doesn't have the nice, heavy, metallic feel of the old cell phone. It is plastic and feels that way.

Oh well, if that's what it takes to get a qwerty keyboard, so be it. I just need to make sure it stays out from under car tires.

Vegas Summer 2009

 Our annual spring Vegas trip did not happen until summer this year...we had a great time. Here we are at the Hostile Grape in the M Resort.

 Levi and Crystal getting ready to enjoy a fine Japanese dinner...

 ...and just a little farther down, here is my wife and Lexis.

 Now I have been intrigued with the Photobombing series on TheChive lately, which is no doubt what possessed me to do this mugging...or maybe it was the wine, who knows.

 Another shot of us....

And finally, atop the M Resort. The shot above is of the Vegas skyline (the strip is to the far left) and to the right is one windblown shot of the two of us. Very glad we went - it was a very fine weekend...thanks to all who joined us!

Stone Temple Pilots

Well this 4th of July was another one of those amazing things that happens in our life. I'm not sure why all the best stuff falls into our lap, but I can't help but think my wife has something to do with it.

We had heard that Stone Temple Pilots would be playing at the Harrahs Rincon Indian Casino about 20 miles from our house on the 4th of July. We decided to go hang out at the casino that night because the last time we went to a casino during a concert (Kid Rock) there were lots of wild people hanging around the card tables, sort of overflow from the concert venue. We were hoping lightning would strike twice.

Well, it did strike twice but not exactly as we had imagined. We have taken to having dinner at the bars of restaurants (avoids the wait for a table) and a side benefit is that we get to talk to folks at the bar, and the bartenders. Well, it just so happened that someone at the bar had extra tickets to STP and they just gave them to us! That's a hundred dollar value! Man do we have some new friends!

Maybe it was because it was the holiday or maybe it was the economic conditions, but I would say the concert was less than half full. We were able to get front and center very close to the stage with no problem. The light show was tremendous and the sound simply astounding. It was very loud but not distorted, not muddy, and perfectly balanced. We danced for an hour straight!

I like virtually everything STP has ever done, and they played both my favorite STP songs: Vasoline and Creep...

And another thing that has been happening this year...people of all types and ages come up and start talking to us like we're old friends. I have no idea why...we must look approachable...they just grab our arm and talk. We're having so much fun...and last night is a night we'll remember for a long, long time.

100 Carolwood Drive

 Let's take a look at 100 Carolwood Drive. There are apparently a lot of Michael Jackson fans out there...when I got up this morning my blog counter was through the roof - and I don't even mention MJ on my blog! Doing a little research, I found out people were coming here today because I'm very familiar with Carolwood Drive and have posts about Walt Disneys house and Fleur de Lys.

 So as not to disappoint, let's take a look at the house Michael Jackson was renting on Carolwood Drive in Holmby Hills! The first photo above shows the 16,119 square foot home smack in the middle of the photo. The photo to the left shows the underground parking garage entrance.

 Unfortunately for MJ, this house sits right on busy Sunset Blvd and he no doubt had to endure the constant drone of passing traffic. Why anyone would build such a huge mansion right on a major thoroughfare, I have no idea. From what I have been reading, Sean Connery lived in this home at one time though I have not verified that.

 But MJ rented it for $100K a month since his house up north is in foreclosure - he had to make due with a mere 8 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms. Notice this view from the back of the house shows three balconies, one on each of the three floors of the house.

 I had decided to stop posting celebrity houses (notice this is the first such post this year), but since I got a kazillion hits today looking for MJ's rental, I decided to oblige and look into it for you. Since interest peaks when someone dies, I end up feeling kind of ghoulish visiting dead celebrity's homes...

 Let's take a street level look. This is heading southbound on North Carolwood Drive. Carolwood drive branches to the right in this photo, and actually the video I've seen of MJ's ambulance leaving was taken about where the car is on the right branch. That car is sitting just outside the guest entrance to 100 Carolwood.

 But let's head down Monovale Drive instead (this street level view doesn't go down the right branch, and I'm not driving over to Holmby Hills to take my own photos, sorry!).

 As we head down Monovale, that's MJ's house on the right...we're coming upon the underground garage...

 There is a peak inside the garage as we zoom on by. This home was built in 2002 and sold for $18M in 2004. It is valued at about $12M right now. Photos of the home's interior can be found here.

And now that we have passed, a look at it from the rear. Due to the events of this week, this home will no doubt be very famous for a long time to come, and Carolwood Drive became yet a bit more famous (infamous?)...as if it needed the help.