Top Five - List No.7 ~ This Is Not The End

It's funny ~ the one thing I didn't want to think about when I was younger, is the thing I can’t stop thinking about now that I’m older. I was afraid to die. But over the years, as I have mellowed, there is a peace I've never know before. I won’t go into all of it, but picking some of my favorite songs has been kind of a spiritual experience.

As all my favorite songs float around in my head, plucking five out kind of tells a story of how I felt in very important periods of my life. If you want to listen to them, I have given you the album titles.


Here are the top five songs I want you to play at my funeral!

No.5  Comes A Time [ Neil Young ] (1979, Live Rust)

No.4  All Things Must Pass [George Harrison] (1995, Beatles Anthology Vol. 3)

No.3  Do You Wanna Dance [ The Beach Boys ] (2005, Sounds of Summer)

No.2  Pennies From Heaven [Bing Crosby] (1999, Millennium Collection )

No.1  Crackerbox Palace [George Harrison] (1976, Thirty Three & 1/3)
Honorable mention goes too ~ Rock and Roll All Nite [Kiss] (1976, Kiss Alive!)

Top Five - List No.6 ~ Loves of My Life

My older boys are getting to the point in their lives were they're getting girlfriends. Only one has got his heart broken so far, the others have pretty much stuck to shallow waters. It's really alright. For guys it's normal to play it safe. I try to tell them it's Ok too to put yourself out there. It's out in those deep waters were you have the best experiences.

I whole heartedly believe in...
"It is better to have loved and lost, than to never to have loved at all"

Sometimes you've just got to go out there and get your heart busted...

With Becky, I was way out of my league.
When I finally mustered up the courage to talk to her; we hung out a lot before we went on our missions, we wrote the whole time, and when she got home from her mission we dated more seriously. I was a great dancer, but not good enough.

Vicky took my breath away the moment I saw her.
She was with some geek at a dance. I couldn't take my eyes off her...I'm sure that pissed him off. We didn't speak. The second time I saw her she was in her mother's living room. Time stopped...but we still didn't talk...but the third time! We were sitting in her Mom's car, and we talked! For hours! We talked about everything: God, the universe, and spaghetti! It was wonderful. That was it. Sometimes life just hands you a moment!

Coming out of a divorce, my parents dieing, loosing my house, unemployment and bouts of deep depression, I was "tore up from the floor up". It had been years since I dated. I hadn't a clue what to do anymore. Enters Terri!
I could have met her anywhere: when we were kids, or going to the same high school or as adults, it wouldn't have matter, I couldn't have helped falling in love with her. That's just how it was!
...and can we talk about "Crash and Burn?" Epic!

Your first love is nothing like any other. Flames burn brighter, ice cream is colder. At 50 I can hear our song and I'm flooded with Tammy memories. Sorry for her and for me, I learned more about what not to do than anything else, but when we see each other these days, she gives me a big hug, we talk and we quietly remember way back when.

Which brings us to number one.

As good as any of the others on this list were, they don't reach the depths of my heart as Jennifer did. Thank you for 7 beautiful children. I am blessed for knowing her, and being apart of her life for as long as I was.

Before I go, I'd like to give a shout out to Elena who didn't make the list, but is still note worth. She is the sister of my soul, a fellow artist, and full time inspiration!

Let your life power your art. The good the bad, the happy and sad. Don't hide from any of it. You'll be glad you did.

No.5 Becky ~ "Out of my league"
No.4 Vicky ~ "Love at first sight"
No.3 Terri ~ "The muse"
No.2 Tammy ~ "First love"
No.1 Jennifer ~"Handed my ass to me on a plate!"

See Other Top Five List

Top Five - List No.5 ~ Sad Bastard Music

"The blues ain't nothin' but a good man feelin' bad, thinkin' 'bout the woman he once was with"
Crossroads (1986)

Never in my life have I felt myself slipping into such a deep, dark, yet exquisite, funk! You ask what is causing the mudslide of my soul? A woman of course!

It's not just that though. It feels like everything in my life is going south at the same time! So right now I’m holding on to my sanity with just my figure tips...

...Thank goodness for music.

Here are the top five sad songs that make me happy right now.

No.5  I Got You [ Train ] (2009)
No.4  Better That We Break [Maroon 5 ] (2008) 
No.3  The Crystal Ship [ The Doors ] (1967)
No.2  The Thrill Is Gone [B.B. King] (1970)
No.1  Sideways [Citizen Cope ft. Carlos Santana] (2007)

Top Five - List No. 4 ~ Fav Album Covers

With all this reminiscing about album covers; I can’t help but post another Top five list of my favorite album art. Thinking about what gets the art in the list I think it’s as much about the spirit of the piece as it is the technique. I’m glad the memory of the Snow White album came up, because it has the essentials elements of great album art. It begins by pulling you in, you pick that one out of all the others, and you hold it and study it, and finally, weather you buy it or not, it has made a lasting impression. Here are my top five picks for favorite album art. Sorry each has its own story, so it’s going to have to do giving you the record store I associate with it.

No. 5 Love Gun ~ Kiss ~ Sears [Barstow, Ca]
No. 4 Sgt. Peppers ~ The Beatles ~ Barstow Music [Barstow, Ca]
No. 3 Physical Graffiti ~ Led Zeppelin ~ Barstow Music [Ca]
No. 2 Evolution ~ Journey ~ City One Stop [Los Angeles, Ca]
No. 1 Yessongs ~ Yes ~ The Record Exchange [Boise, Id]

Top Five - List No. 3 ~ Road Trip!

Going back the the old standard, "If you were going to be stranded on a deserted island what music would you take?"
Mind you, we live in the days of the series "Lost", where it seems anything is possible, so don't worry about "the hows", "the wheres", and "the whys". If it makes you feel better let's plan a road trip! I'm leaving for Boise in the morning. I hope to get a job, talk to B.S.U, but most of all spend as much time with the kids as possible. So here is my top five: "If I was going to be stranded on a deserted island what music would you take? or road trip albums list to go see the kids!

No.5 Nick & Norah's Infinite Play list [ OMPS ] (2009)
No.4 Jazz [ Queen ] (1978)
No.3 Yessongs [ Yes ] (1973)
No.2 Physical Graffiti [ Led Zeppelin ] (1975)
No.1 All Things Must Past [ George Harrison ] (1970)

Happy Trails!

Top Five - List No. 2 ~ The Letter "B"

Today's list is brought to you by the letter "B"

Rush and I go back clear to Jr. High. Some of my happiest and saddest times are tied to their music...so on this the first day of April 2010, I give you, without fan fair or delay, The top five Rush songs that begin with the letter "B"

No.5 Bastille Day [Caress of Steel](1975)
No.4 By-Tor and the Snow Dog [Fly by Night](1975)
No.3 Between Sun & Moon [Counterparts](1993)
No.2 Bravado [Roll the Bones](1991)
No.1 Bravest Face [Snakes and Arrows](2007)
Though we might have precious little,It's still precious.

Have a Beautiful April Fools day!

Top Five - List No. 1 ~ First List

Judas Priest was taken to court for allegedly putting subliminal messages in their music that lead to two young men killing themselves. The press made a big deal out of it. Well what I wanna know is, where was the press coverage when Air Supply and Dan Fogelberg turned me into a pussy? What with their sad sack songs, "Oh don't leave me. How will I live without you" crap! I'm lucky I made it out of my teens alive.

Here are my top five wussy songs and the girls that go with them.

[in order of how bad the song sucks & how bad she thrashed me] :)

No.5 Babe [Styx] ~ Paulette
No.4 Back to Avalon [Kenny Loggins] ~ Cyndee
No.3 Runaway [Jefferson Starship] ~ Lori
No.2 Give Me Some Time [Dan Fogelberg] ~ Denise
No.1 I’m All Out of Love [Air Supply] ~ Tammy

Notice no one ever dumped me to Rush, no surprise there!