LIST 25 - Great Rock and Roll Names

T. Bone Burnett
Johnny Thunders
Lorna Doone
Joe Strummer
John Lord
Edward Van Halen
Gina Schock
Benmont Tench
Flea
Chrissie Hynde
Marty Willson-Piper
Joni Mitchell
Captain Sensible
Stevie Nicks
Stiv Bator
Exene Cervenka
K.K. Downing
Glenn Danzig
Suzi Quattro



 

LIST 24- Kick Ass Soundtracks

Heavy Metal
Rock and Roll High School
Superfly
Bottle Rocket
Last Waltz
Jackie Brown
Repo Man
Help!
Riot on Sunset Strip
Saturday Night Fever
Great Rock and Roll Swindle
High Fidelity
School Of Rock
The Decline of Western Civilization
Risky Business

LIST 23 - No Sophomore Slump Here

Second albums are sometimes dodgy and other times brilliant. Here is a list of some gems.....

Wilco - Being There
Jimi Hendrix - Axis, Bold As Love
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
Doors - Strange Days
Shudder To Think - Ten Spot
Rush - Fly By Night
High Llamas - Hawaii
Echo and the Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here
Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure
Drive Like Jehu - Yank Crime
Apples In Stereo - Tone Soul Evolution
Lemonheads - Creator
PIL - Second Edition
Clawhammer - Ramwhale
Sloan - Twice Removed
No Means No - Sex Mad

LIST 22 - Favorite Album Covers (Part 1)

One of the things that gets lost with the CD technology is the vast and superior beauty of a phonograph album cover. I love my records and love the physical presence they provide. Long live vinyl.

BEATLES - Yesterday and Today (the first punk album cover)
SLINT - Spiderland
ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN - Heaven Up Here

JIMI HENDRIX - Electric  Ladyland (the banned cover of course!)

TODD RUNDGREN - Runt: The Ballad Of Todd Rundgren

BOSS HOG - Cold Hands
THE CHURCH - The Blurred Crusade
ROBERT PLANT - Pictures at Eleven
REDD KROSS - Third Eye (is that Sophia?)
PINK FLOYD - Animals
NIRVANA - Nevermind (just a classic)
BLUE CHEER - Outside Inside
TALK TALK - The Colour Of Spring
BRAID - Frame and Canvas
JANDEK - Everything
DRIVE LIKE JEHU - S/T
BLUES MAGOOS - Psychedelic Lollipop
DESCENDANTS - Milo Goes To College (minimalism rules here)
SYD BARRETT - The Madcap Laughs
MILTON NASCIMENTO - Clube De Esquina 
LOVE - Forever Changes

LIST 21 - Great Rock and Roll Shoes

I have never been a big style guy but some shoes just look cool on rockers.

VANS (preferably the Hi-tops)
Army Boots
Nike (old school swoop only)
Beatle Boots
Wing Tips (hard leather)
Cockroach Kickers (K-Mart specials)Chuck Taylor Converse (Hi-top only)
Desert Boots
K-Swiss (vintage and beat up only)
Adidas (should be black)
Flip Flops (Thrifty or TG&Y variety)
Barefoot (friggin hippies we are)

LIST 20 - Best of Christmas Music

I don't particularly like the genre but what the heck.......'tis the season.

Elvis Presley - Elvis' Christmas Album
Beach Boys - Christmas Album
Vince Guaraldi - A Charlie Brown Christmas
Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass- Christmas Album
James Taylor - Christmas With JT
Bing Crosby/Frank Sinatra - 12 Songs Of Christmas
Christmas Vacation Soundtrack
Phil Spector - A Christmas Gift For You From Phillies Records
Johnny Cash - Country Christmas

LIST 19 - Rock Fights I Would Wanna See....

Neil Young vs. Johnny Van Zant   (the match-up we have all been waiting for)

Billy Korgan vs. Steven Malkamus (stop bitching and get in the ring)

Courtney Love vs. Liz Phair (mud wrestling?)

Sting vs. The Other Two Guys in The Police (over $$$ nonetheless)

Liam Gallagher vs. Noel Gallagher (brother bashing)

Glenn Danzig vs. Jerry Only (short guy kicks tall guys ass)

Steve Perry vs. Arnel Pineda (flaming against more flaming)

Joey Ramone vs. Johnny Ramone (All over a girl)

GG Allin vs. Sid Vicious (a battle of attrition)
Michael Stipe vs. Evan Dando (went 12 rounds)
Iggy Pop vs. Mick Jagger (Don King must have been involved)

LIST 18 - Over Rated "Great" Albums

Beatles - Sgt. Peppers
U2 - The Joshua Tree
Police - Synchronicity
Def Leppard - Hysteria
Pearl Jam - 10
REM - Monster
Pink Floyd - The Wall
Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever
Metallica - Black Album
Michael Jackson - Thriller

LIST 17 - TV Rockers

Rock and Roll has always had a place in the American T.V sitcom.

The Mosquitoes - The coolest band ever to be stranded on a tropical island.

The Standells - They rocked the house on the Munsters.

Open 24 Hours - Johnny Slash's band of All-Stars

Drake Parker Band - He got to play his own songs on his own show.

Leather Tuscadero Band - Richie plays a mean sax and Chachi rocks the drums.

White Shadow Cast - They gave new meaning to singing in the shower.

Quincy Punx - "I dig pain, I feel it in my brain."

Doobie Brothers - They don't like being bootlegged.

Silver Platters - More pop but they were trying I guess.

Pinheads - Not from a sitcom but rather a hit movie by a sitcom star.

I know I missed some so please contribute.......

LIST 16 - Some of the Worst Songs Ever From the 1980's

It was an awkward time of music and fashion, especially because of MTV and the movie Flashdance.

Here are some personal low-lites from the pop music world.

Take On Me - A Ha   (falsetto and all)

Touch of Grey - Grateful Dead  (you did get high but didn't survive)

Every Song By - Air Supply (so gay, not that there is anything wrong with that)

True - Spandau Ballet (see above)

The Reflex - Duran Squared (JJ Jackson-ism)

Footloose - Kenny Loggins (didn't see the movie and didn't like the song)

That song that goes "Touch me once, touch me twice". I think I hate this one the most.

Pour Some Sugar On Me - Def Leppard (theme song for strip clubs everywhere)

De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da - Police (the title says it all)

Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Tears for Fears (cliche, touche)

This Is Not A Love Song - Pil (this is not a good song)

Missing You - John Waite (not missing hearing this one)

Here I Go Again - Whitesnake (David Coversong badly remade his own tune)

When We Were Fab - George Harrison (sentimental garbage)

When It's Love - Van Hagar (horrible and commercial as hell)

Always Something There To Remind Me - Naked Eyes version (Molly Ringworm-ism)

I have to stop now and go listen to some good music..........................

LIST 15 - Reunions that should have never happened

I don't like when professional athletes retire and then come out of retirement.

And it often stinks in rock and roll too!

PIXIES - Nothing like watching people who dislike each other play music together. Cha-ching.

SLINT - I think it was like $40-50 to see a band that no one saw when they were originally together.

MISFITS - Sans Danzing makes them not only a joke but a joke band.

STOOGES - With Watt or not, i just can't dig Iggy at 60 acting 19.

JANES ADDICTION - They said they never would and then they did. 

SEX PISTOLS - The bass player actually played his instrument. A true upgrade.

POLICE - Am I offending anyone? I hope so. I heard they sucked. And see Pixies comment.

EVERY LAME 1980's BAND IN EXISTENCE - Too many and too embarrassing to mention.

ROLLING STONES - Oh yea, they never retired. They are the Brett Farve of rock, just retire already!

EAGLES - $$$$$$$. More $$$$$. On a dark desert highway.........

PHISH - Jerry would be proud.

LIST 14 - Great American Rock and Roll Bands

 These are bands that I like, so make your own list.........

TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS

RAMONES

FUGAZI

REDD KROSS

BIG STAR

KOOL AND THE GANG

WILCO

PRETENDERS

MC5

REM

NEW YORK DOLLS

AEROSMITH

BAD BRAINS

BEACH BOYS

VELVET UNDERGROUND

MINOR THREAT

LIST 13 - Brother Rock

Notable bands with brothers in them minus Allman Bros., Kinks, Beach Boys, etc.

Redd Kross

Stooges

Bad Brains

Lymbyc Systym

Pontiak

No Means No

Ik Ben

AC/DC

Sly and The Family Stone

Oasis

Robert Randolph Band

Blasters

Free Design

Adolescents

LIST 12 - Albums I Bought for Less Than $10 that are now worth bucks

Sad to say but my old punk albums are worth more than my old baseball cards............

Life Is......Trilogy of Punk Comps. (New Underground Records) Pay no less than $100 each for these records?

Black Flag - Damaged 

Avengers - Avengers

Descendents - Milo Goes To College

Mood of Defiance -Now

Rat Music For Rat People Compilation Album

Gary Kail - Creative Nihilism 

Germs - GI

 

LIST 11 - Rock Duos

The White Stripes won't make this list.........

JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD

LYMBYC SYSTYM

ROB AND RIC SESSION

LIGHTNING BOLTS

FLAT DUO JETS

RUINS

SUICIDE

NO AGE

TYRANNOSAURUS REX
LOCAL H

EAGLES OF DEATH METAL
SILVER APPLES

SUNN O)))
EVENS

LIST 10 - Great Albums from 1970

Had to make a list of albums from the year of my birth.......

Todd Rundgren - Runt 

Syd Barrett - The Madcap Laughs

Pretty Things - Parachute

Black Sabbath - Paranoid

Ringo Starr - Sentimental Journey

Love - Four Sail

Miles Davis - At Fillmore

George Harrison - All Things Must Pass

Soft Machine - Third

Deep Purple - In Rock

LIST 9 - 10 Rockers That Should Have Been Pro Athletes

Ozzy - Soccer (Mid Fielder)

Bruce Springsteen - Baseball (3rd Basemen)

Peter Buck -Basketball (Power Forward)

Frank Zappa -Swimming (Olympian)

Glenn Danzig - Jockey (Horse Racing)

Little Richard - Football (Cornerback)

Jack Black - Bowling

Mike Campbell - Basketball (Small Forward)

Andrew Scott - Track and Field

Johnny Ramone - Baseball (Relief Pitcher)

LIST 8 - Important Female Rock Drummers

They rock.

Sandy West

Janet Housden

Katherina Bornefeld 
Janet Beveridge Bean

Yoshimi P-We

Tara Jane O'Neil

Hilarie Sidney

Gina Schock

Sheila E

Janet Weiss

Lynn Truell

LIST 7 - Without Guitars

Good Bands without guitars.

Ruins

Dianogah

Medeski, Martin and Wood

Tumwater

Suicide

Double Dagger

Bad Plus

Morphine 

Silver Apples

Ben Folds Five

Lightning Bolt

LIST 6 - Favorite Rock Films

Must contain live footage of band but not necessarily one entire concert film.

Fugazi - Instrument

The Band - Last Waltz

Rocket From The Crypt - R.I.P.

Clash - Rude Boy

Jeff - Alive In The Basement

Doors - The Doors Are Open

Braid - Killing A Camera

Led Zeppelin - Song Remains The Same

Wilco - Ashes of American Flags

Rush - Exit, Stage Left

Metallica - Cliff 'Em All

LIST 5 - Great Rock Albums Created in The 1960's But Not By The Beatles, Hendrix, The Who, Beach Boys, Stones or Kinks

Criteria : It had to be recorded and released in the 1960's. Damn, the Pretty Things' Parachute was released in 1970! By no means a complete list as I am still discovering gems from another time.

Soft Machine - Volume Two (1968)

Love - Forever Changes (1967)        

Zombies - Odyssey and Oracle (1968)

Red Crayola - The Parable Of Arable Land (1967)

Blues Magoos - Basic Blues Magoos (1968)

Deep Purple - Shades of Deep Purple (1968)

Lollipop Shoppe - Just Colour (1968)

Blue Cheer - Vincebus Eruptum (1968)

Strawberry Alarm Clock - Wake Up, It's Tomorrow (1968)

Bonniwell Music Machine - Bonniwell Music Machine (1967)

LIST 4 - Best Performances In Film By Rockers

Tom Waits - Down By Law

David Johansen - Let It Ride

Jeff McDonald - Spirit of '76

Huey Lewis - Back To The Future

Ann Magnuson - Making Mr. Right

Steve McDonald - Lovedolls Superstar

John Lurie - Stranger Than Paradise

Paul Simon - Annie Hall

Joe Strummer - Mystery Train

Courtney Love - The People Vs. Larry Flynt

LIST 3 - Vital Punk Compilation Albums of the 1980's

1. Rat Music for Rat People

2. Life is Beautiful So Why Not Eat Health Foods

3. The Decline of Western Civilization

4. Someone Got Their Head Kicked In

5. Hell Comes To Your House

6. Party or Go Home!

7. Welcome to 1984

8. If the Kids Were United

9. Not So Quiet on The Western Front

10. Flex Your Head

LIST 2 - Favorite Indie Labels

ROIR

Touch and Go

Dischord

Thrill Jockey

4AD

Merge

New Underground Records

SST

Headhunter

Poptones

Stones Throw

Drag City

Red Eye

Infinity Cat

Amigo

Bad Compilation Tapes

New Alliance

LIST 1 - Fine Albums By the Solo Practitioners

Criteria - The album must have been recorded mostly or entirely by one musician playing drums, bass, guitar, keyboards and vocals.

Hasil Adkins - Out To Hunch (1987)

Jason Loewenstein -  At Sixes and Sevens (2002)

Robyn Hitchcock - I Often Dream Of Trains (1984)

Foo Fighters - Foo Fighters (1995)

Lonesome Organist - Forms and Follies (2003)

Lenny Kravitz - Let Love Rule (1989)

Brant Bjork - Jalamanta (2003)

Tom Petty - Highway Companion (2006)

Paul McCartney - McCartney (1970)

Stevie Wonder - Innervisions (1973)

The Rock Blog Of Lists

One of my favorite rock books of all-time is the Rock Book of Lists by Dave Marsh. If you are not familiar with this book, it contained different lists comprised of the various best and worst of rock and roll. Dave Marsh first published the book in 1984. My personal favorite list was titled 25 Reasons Paul McCartney is Dead. Hilarious, indeed. So, this blog was inspired by the book and will contain my lists. Please send in your contributions. Thanks.