Eva Cassidy - "Live at Blues Alley"

I first heard Eva Cassidy searching napster for all of the versions and covers of the Fats Waller jazz tune "Honeysuckle Rose". When I heard her version I was struck by her voice. It's unbelievably clear and smooth and her phrasing was gripping. I started looking for more of her music and found that she died of skin cancer while on her way up in the music scene. Most of her music has been released posthumously and has been a commercial success, especially in Great Britain. Like the Gillian Welch album, I picked this one up for Collyn's birthday. It has a handful of tunes that people will now, but sung differently than what they have heard before. Arguably, the best song on the album is a cover of Sting's it "Field's of Gold". I really liked Sting's version, but Eva's makes his sound like an amateur karaoke performance. This is the kind of vocalist the record executives should be finding and signing. Go listen to her stuff at Amazon, but don't stop with this album. Listen to all of her stuff.

Gillian Welch - "Soul Journey"

I first heard Gillian Welch on the soundtrack to the movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?". She sings old timey music with a sparse, haunting style. I found this album a few weeks ago looking for something to get Collyn for her birthday. The album is outstanding. It includes a version of "Make Me a Pallet On Your Floor" a song I associate with Mississippi John Hurt, though I think it's an old traditional tune. I find myself with several of the songs stuck in my head, notably "Lowlands". Take a listen to the album on Amazon.

James Hunter - "The Hard Way"

I've gotten a little bit into 60s soul music recently. That's largely a result of Atomic Ballroom starting up a Swing & Soul night a few months back, though I have enjoyed The Temptations for a while. A few days ago when browsing through Starbucks' music site I found James Hunter. His music could be best described as modern soul. It's got a great groove that makes sitting still tough to do. I met up with Collyn at the Starbucks by her place and my gym on Friday morning before I hit the gym and grabbed the album from the music rack. It's been in my car cd played since and I've listened to it full through a couple times now. I'm enjoying it. Check it out at Hear Music.

Lyle Lovett and his Large Band - "It's not big it's large"

Collyn loaned me this one. She's been buying most of her music from Starbucks as of late, which is where she picked this one up. I'm not typically a Lyle Lovett fan, although admittadly, I don't know much about his music, having just heard him here and there during tv appearances. The album runs the gamut from country to jazz. It's one of those albums that is just good music. It's an enjoyable album to just sit and listen to. The first track is Lester Young's "Twinkle Toes", a big band jazz piece. One of my favorite tracks "Up In Indiana" makes two appearances, the first as a more modern sounding country tune, and then as the last track on the album as an acoustic bluegrass styled piece. You can preview it at Starbuck's music site, Hear Music.

That's all folks.

As of today, I'm out of albums. The posts of this only represent a small fraction of my music, since for the past few years I've been acquiring a lot of mp3s. Most of my music is purchased in mp3 rather than album form anymore. As a result I have a lot of really good music that is still worthy of a post. In order to include this music, from this point I'm transitioning the blog to a general music blog. Whenever I find new music or a new artist that really hits me you'll find a new post here. The posting probably won't be as frequent as in the past, but considering the amount of time I invest in finding music, it will still be pretty frequent.

Seth Horan - "...this is the session"

I bought this cd after first hearing Seth play at The Neighborhood Cup coffee shop. At the time he was in the process of recording Conduit. I was a little disappointed, because this album is more about the songs than Seth's bass playing. That means that there is a full band, so his bass playing just becomes part of the overall sound. The problem with this is that his bass playing is so unique and interesting it's a shame that it isn't showcased more. After listening to his fans, he's since changed the way he records, so that his recorded stuff is almost exactly like what you hear if you see him live...bass, vocals, and a multi-track loop recorder. The songs on here are good, but when I'm in the mood for Seth Horan, Conduit is such a better album that I always go for it. As a result I haven't listened to this much since acquiring the other.

Lonesome River Band - "One Step Forward"

This is the last album of theirs that I own, purchased several years. Like their others, the talent shown here is phenomenal. This album has a couple of songs that I really like, such "When You Go Walking", the instrumental "Southern Comfort", and "Carolyn the Teenage Queen". I haven't listened to this album much in the last year or two, simply because I've been listening to a lot of jazz. However, it's one that at some point will make it back into regular rotation. You can preview it on Amazon.

Last Action Hero- Soundtrack

I bought this back in high school, and I can't exactly remember why. I haven't seen the movie. It was likely because the bands were all pretty big at the time, AC/DC, Alice In Chains, Tesla, Cypress Hill, and more. Most of the songs skew toward the hard rock/metal side of things. I never really listened to this album much, as I just don't think it's all that good. Great bands, but mediocre songs. This one will get lost amongst the other albums again. You can preview the tracks on Amazon.

The Swing Years - Volume 1

I bought this cd back in 1995 from a second hand store. It was my first ever cd of swing music. It has some well known swing songs, such as "Take the "A" Train", "Sing, Sing, Sing" and "In The Mood" as well as many others. It was a great introduction to 40s swing music. I listened to it a fair amount up until I started to expand my swing music collection, and I rarely listen to it anymore. No luck finding this one online so you'll just have to imagine the songs.

The Brian Setzer Orchestra - "The Dirty Boogie"

This is the album that gave the orchestra their only radio hit, a remake of Louis Prima's "Jump, Jive An' Wail". When I bought it, I felt kind of lame, like I was just another person jumping on the neo-swing bandwagon, but dangit, I'd been listening to this group for years. This is the last album of their's that I bought, because they largely transitioned to rockabilly swing. I used to really like this album and listened to it a lot. Brian Setzer is an absolutely amazing guitarist, and there is a spectacular version of the early rock and roll instrumental "Sleepwalk" on here. There's also a swingish remake of the Stray Cat's (Setzer's old band) hit "Rock This Town". I don't listen to this album much any more, but every once in a while I get in the mood for it. You can find it on Amazon.

Howard Emerson - "A Tale To Tell"

I found this album looking for finger pickers on the internet 3 summers ago. Howard Emerson does clinics for Martin guitars and plays off and on with groups and on his own. The album is superb. It's played with a lot of alternate tunings, which I have never played in before. He has a percussive syncopated style, sort of a modern twist on Delta style acoustic blues. I don't listen to this album all that often, because although it's a collection of songs, it really needs to be listened to all at once. Some of the tracks are just 30s riffs just showcasing a style. This ranks as one of the best guitar albums that I own. It's the type of things that makes me want to pick up mine and become a better player. You can hear clips at Howard's website.

The Gibson Brothers - "Bona Fide"

I purchased this album from Sugar Hill Records a few years back. They specialize in bluegrass artists. I must have not previewed this album first, because it's a bit of a disappointment. There are a couple of good songs, but for the most part it just seems soft. I have only listened to it a couple of times. I think a large part of the problem is that the songs just aren't that good. Maybe they should hire someone else to write for them. You can check it out on Amazon.

Ugly Kid Joe - "America's Least Wanted"

I'll admit it, I bought this album for one song, namely "Everything About You". I love that the character Pat from SNL made some vocal contributions to this album, although in all likelihood it was simply sampled. These guys are a hard rock band that made little headway in the grunge era, scoring two small hits, "Everything About You" and a remake of the Cat Steven tune "Cats in the Cradle" which is also on this album. The only other song I really care about on this album, is "Busy Bee", mostly because it has a great guitar solo. Aside from those 3 songs, I haven't listened much to this album. It never has been a favorite of mine, but I do like those couple of songs. You can hear those and the rest at Amazon.

David Grisman - "The David Grisman Rounder Compact Disk"

Rounder records is the record label that put this album out. They are the main label for bluegrass artists today and I have a lot of albums from various artists signed to them. Gor those of you who don't know, David Grisman is a mandolinist who started playing bluegrass back in the early 70s, which is when these tracks were recorded, and eventually hybridized it somewhat with Django Reinhardt styled hot jazz. I bought this album with some gift card money a few years ago. The album has a definite bluegrass bent, but shades of jazz show through and make for an interesting listen. There are a couple of weak tracks, but for the most part this is a solid album. I don't listen to it a whole lot, largely because it's best enjoyed all at once, and I tend to listen to music in bits and pieces as I'm driving. You can check it out at Amazon.

O Brother, Where art Thou? - Movie Soundtrack

From favorite movie comes one of the most influential cds of my collection. I bought the soundtrack after loving the music in the movie. As a result, I started checking out some of the artists featured on the soundtrack and eventually found my way into bluegrass music. This cd is responsible for a large amount of my music collection, and thus also indirectly responsible for my mandolin purchase and my attendance at various bluegrass events. Before buying this album my exploration of new music was largely non-existent. Since then, I spend a lot more time seeking out new music, largely of the acoustic genre. I love this album, though it's not for everyone. Listen to some of that old timey music at Amazon.

Stevie Ray Vaughan - "The Sky Is Crying"

I have been anxiously awaiting this album's turn. I bought this back in high school, and it was, to drop a pun, instrumental in making me the guitar player I am today. The album was released after his death. It starts off with the wailing slide tune "Boot Hill", with a man telling his woman to go get his gun so he can kill her. The tune sounds as dark as the lyrics. It continues with one of SRV's signature tunes, his take on Elmore James' "The Sky is Crying". This album also contains the epic remake of the Hendrix tune "Little Wing". The end tune of the album is a simple 12 bar blues acoustic number about his battle with drugs and alcohol titled "Life by the Drop". This is one of my favorite albums and I listen to it fairly often still. I own the tab book and have learned to play several of the songs, although I'm sure I hardly do them justice. Have a listen to an amazing work at Amazon.

Stray Cats - Greatest Hits

I picked this album up a decade or so ago. I got it as a result of getting into the Brian Setzer Orchestra. I knew a few of the Stray Cats' songs, and seeing as Brian Setzer was the guitarist I figured I'd pick up their greatest hits album. I like about 1/2 of the 10 tracks on it, and typically skip the rest. Most people will know the songs, "Rock This Town" and "Stray Cat Strut". They style is rockabilly, and Setzer and bassist Lee Rocker are both exceptionally talented. Overall it's an ok album that I listen to fairly infrequently. Still, sometimes it's fun just to pull it out and listen to the tracks that I like. Amazingle enough, Amazon doesn't sell this album, but I did find it at Circuit City.

brewer and chase - "jokes for birds"

Chase was a student at my school and graduated last year. He and one of his friends had a "band", which was basically just vocals and a guitar. They write all of their own stuff, mostly mellow pop. It's pretty good considering their experience. It's not something I listen to all that much, but I'm still glad I bought it. I don't have a link for thi album, but you can hear some of their new stuff at cdbaby.

Gene Krupa - "The Best of the Big Bands: Gene Krupa"

Originally part of the Basie Band, Gene Krupa later started his own big band. Familiar to most people for his drum work on the hit "Sing, Sing, Sing" while playing with Goodman, Krupa also had hit with his own band, notably "Rhumboogie" and "Boog it". I bought this album a few years ago and I don't listen to it all that often. That's mostly because I ripped the songs off of it and distributed them throughout various swing play lists on my computer and mp3 player. So, I do listen to most of the tracks pretty regularly, just not the complete album. Boog it at Amazon.

The Mask - Movie Soundtrack

I saw the movie "The Mask" when it came out in theatres back in 1994. I liked the music and decided to buy the soundtrack. It's sort of an odd mix between neo-swing and dance club type of songs. It's a good soundtrack with a pretty broad range of songs. There's a song on here by the Brian Setzer Orchestra called "Straight Up", which is what actually got me to buy their first album. I've never actually listened to this album a lot, largely because there's such a broad feel in the music that it's not the sort of thing to listen to straight through. I used to pull it out on a regular basis and sort of skip through various tracks. Check it out atAmazon.

Van Halen - "Live: Right Here, Right Now"

Van Halen was the rock band of my early childhood. I still remember when Brian Waltz got the "1984" lp with the smoking cherub on the cover. We made guitars out of cardboard and garden stakes and practiced Eddie's moves to Jump and Panama. When Dave left the group we were terrified that was the end of Van Halen. Somehow I made it high school before I bought a Van Halen album, that being "Live: Right Her, Right Now". I went with this one because it had most of their songs on it that I really liked. I listened to this album a lot in high school, and a decent amount in college as well. I even learned a few of the songs from it. There are good and bad parts of the album. Some of the solos go on for too long, and a few tracks, such as "Spanked" and "Dreams" and even "Jump" are a little weak. Considering how formative of a song "Jump" was to me, it's disappointing that this version of it lacks any real impact. However, these low points are largely made up for by outstanding versions of "One Way To Rock", "Finish What You Started", "Top of The World", and an amazing cover of The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again". Hear the rest of the tracks at Amazon.

Led Zeppellin - (4)

I bought this album in high school for one reason...Stairway. Yes, the song that ended every single dance at my high school. A couple of years ago someone started at the bottom of the stairs of Strands Beach and wrote the lyrics line by line, on the front face of the steps, so that as you climbed the stairs you climbed the stairway to heaven, or something. That song alone would make this album worth owning, but when you throw in "Black Dog", "Rock and Roll" and "Misty Mountain Hop" it becomes an album worth killing for. Though not as popular as the previously mentioned tracks, I also really like the haunting "When the Levee Breaks". The album is short at only 8 tracks, but the sonic grandeur is overwhelming. There is a reason that Jimmy Page and Robert Plant are considered one of the most potent duos in rock, and it's certainly not for nothing that Led Zeppelin is widely considered to be the father of the heavy metal genre. I haven't listened to this album in quite a while, and I've been missing out. This one is back in the regular rotation. You too, can get the led out at Amazon.

Lonesome River Band - "Carrying The Tradition"

I bought this album a few years back, along with several other albums from the same group. This is probably my least favorite of their albums that I own. There just aren't many songs on it that grab me. They're still a great bluegrass band, but I have better albums from them. As a result, I don't listen to this one much. You can hear samples at Amazon.

ali ali oxen free (self-titled)

I bought this album my freshman year of college. I went to a concert of local bands, and these guys were one of the groups playing. They played an awesome acoustic songs called "Seesaw Simplicity" and I decided to buy their album. Unlike their concert, the album is very hippie-ish. The music is driven by two acoustic guitars, but there are a lot of various instruments included on the tracks. The vocal are mostly harmonized with a male and female voice and the melodies and harmonies, not to mention the lyrics, make me think more of San Francisco in the 60s than Provo in the 90s. I don't really listen to this album much, because there are only two tracks I really care for, both of which, and I don't know of these means anything, were recorded live. The album has actually received quite a bit of play, because Jen liked it and listened to it fairly regularly. No link for this one.

Eric Clapton - "From the Cradle"

I bought this album during my freshman year of college. I listened to it a lot that year, as did several other guys on the floor who either had their own copy or borrowed one from someone who did. There are two songs on this album "Five Long Years" and "Groaning the Blues" that I tend to skip to, mostly because they both have great solos. I listened to this album regularly for a number of years, but when I got into bluegrass music I sort of stopped listening to blues. The odd part about my experience listening to it today was that I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. It's no longer something I really enjoy listening to. Whether that's due to changing musical tastes, or that the album just doesn't stand up to a long term test of time, I don't know. You can listen and try and decide for me by going to Amazon.

Peter Nero - "Plays The Music Of Duke Ellington"

Several years ago I was driving to work listening to the radio. I tend to flip through my presets, one of which is 88.1 KKJZ, also known as K-Jazz. A song was just starting, and I recognized as an arrangement of the Duke Ellington hit "I'm Beginning To See the Light". It was a small combo, just piano bass and drums, and the pianist was amazing. His runs were so smooth and his playing so dynamic and expressive that I nearly pulled the car over to just listen. After the song the dj announced the previous handful of songs, and gave the pianists name as Peter Nero. As soon as I got to work I got on the internet to see if I could find the album the song was on. I quickly found the Peter Nero is the conductor/director of the Philly Pops orchestra and has been a professional pianist since the 50s, which goes a long way in explaining his talent. I also found not only the name of the album, but that nobody had it for sale. I spent the better part of my prep period (good thing I don't work an office job) tracking down a used copy.

The album is short, with just 6 songs. Most of them are quite long, but the album is still just over 30 minutes long. It's a fantastic 30+ minutes, however. I love this album and listen to it regularly. The first track on the album is the aforementioned "I'm Beginning To See the Light" and it's my favorite. One of these days I'll do a bit more exploring of Peter Nero's music, but the sheer size of his recorded output makes it a daunting task. Unlike when I first went looking, you can now get this album on Amazon, although you're still buying from an outside seller because the album is out of print.

Jonathon Stout and his Campus Five - "Moppin' and Boppin'"

This is the album that I bought along with "Crazy Rhythm". I don't have much to add as compared to the earlier review of "Crazy Rhythm" as it's largely the same style and sound. This is the more recent release, for what it's worth. The nice part about having this cd is I dance better when I hear them live, because I know their arrangements. I heard them a couple of weeks ago when they played for the SoCal College Swing Cup and they're the live band next week for the Jack & Jill finals at the weekly Wed dance that I go to. Samples of this album can be found at campus five.com

Aerosmith - "Pump"

I bought this album in high school after buying the previously reviewed "Get a Grip". I had scattered memories of hearing Aerosmith songs from this album on the radio, namely "Love In An Elevator" and "Janie's Got A Gun", that I liked. This album, more than most, typifies sex, drugs, and rock n' roll. The lyrics, while probably safe from a parental advisory - explicit lyrics sticker, are certainly suggestive past the point of a lot of early rock n' roll, which I maintain is some of the dirtiest stuff ever to receive radio play in terms of sexually suggestive lyrics. I haven't listened to this album in a while, which is a shame because it's a really good album. It's the sort of stuff that's perfect for a road trip, if you plan on speeding most of the way or going Thelma and Louise. Get your 80s rock on at Amazon.

Neil Young - "Unplugged"

Let me start by saying I'm not that big of a fan of Neil Young. However, I really liked his "Harvest Moon" album. Is was a big departure from his electric based rock, with a much mellower sound and more introspective lyrics. Due to the popularity of that album he played on MTv's show, unplugged, the same one that had earlier led To Eric Clapton's hugely successful album. I bought this album back in high school, a few years after buying "Harvest Moon". This is a solid album and I listened to it regularly for years. In the ensuing years I've picked up a lot more acoustic albums and Mr. Young's playing just doesn't hold up when compared against other acoustic guitarists. The charm of this album is the harmonica, and his best work is when you uses it to highlight a sweet melody, such as on "Stringman", my favorite track. I haven't listened to this album in quite a while, largely because I just haven't been in the mood that works so well with it. It's hard to describe what mood that is, but you may get it after listening to a little of the album on Amazon.

John Mayer - "Heavier Things"

Let the critics and music snobs say what they want about John Mayer. I like his music. I bought this album back in 2004 I think. I've listened to it quite a bit, but not so much in the last year or so. I like it enough that it gets a spot on my mp3 player and for a while it was a regular in the car as well. My favorite songs bookend the album, which is nice because it makes for a great start and end when listening to it. The only song that I don't really care for is "Home Life". The album taken as a whole has a very different feel from his earlier stuff. Whether that's good or bad largely depends on whether or not you believe an artist is defined by "their" sound. I like his acoustic guitar stuff, and I like this more electronic stuff as well. You can hear it on Amazon and decide for yourself.

Timepieces Vol. II - 'Live' in the Seventies

I actually forgot I owned this album. I pulled it out, and for a second thought I had the other "Timepieces" album that I wrote about a few days back. I don't remember buying it, although the BMG stamp says it was late in high school, and I don't remember ever listening to it. As such, it was like listening to a new album. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed. There is a reason I don't remember it, and that reason is because there isn't really anything worth remembering on it. It's mostly forgettable songs. There is another version of "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" that I liked, but that was about the only bright point. Perhaps it's also telling that Amazon doesn't provide audio clips from this album.

ZZ Top - "Antenna"

I bought this album back when it came out in 1994. It, like many other albums from this time, was part of my BMG collection. I got it largely because I liked most of the ZZ Top songs I had heard up to this point. I can't remember why I just didn't buy one of those earlier albums. Maybe BMG didn't have it available. I never really listened to this album much, and it's probably been a decade since I last listened to it. I've been missing out. They didn't have any hits off the album, and a few of the songs, such as "Fuzzbox Voodoo" sound like they belong to an earlier decade, but the album is solid. The legendary fuzz tone of the guitar alone makes the album worth a listen. I will probably be listening to this one on a more regular basis now. You can preview it on Amazon but the compression algorithm just kills the guitar tone so you're not going to hear it the way it really sounds. You'll have to trust me that the cd, played on a good system, will make you wish you played a big fuzzy guitar.

Bruce Springsteen - "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions"

I put this album on my Christmas list back when it first came out. I'm not really a Bruce Springsteen fan, but this isn't his typical music. Basically, it's a weekend jam session that got recorded; an eclectic group of musicians playing songs brought into popular culture by Pete Seeger. Unlike a lot of jam sessions, the musicians stay together and don't step all over each other. There was, I'm sure, some arranging done, but the feel of the music is still very loose. The songs are stellar Americana, and most people will recognize at least a few of them. I love the music. The banjo intro to "Froggy Went a Courtin'" is one of my all time favorite music sections. This is one of my favorite albums. It was kept in my car and listened to on a very regular basis up until a few months ago when it lost out to some newer music, but it still gets listened to regularly. I've been looking forward to grabbing this one. See how many of the songs you know by checking it out at Amazon.

Eric Clapton - "Timepieces: The Best of Eric Clapton"

I bought this album back in high school because it contains "Layla", "Wonderful Tonight" and "Cocaine". Those songs are great, as well as a few others, but this album also has its misses, like "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" done with a calypso beat. It leaves me unsure whether Clapton even knows what the song is about. I liked it enough to buy the guitar tab book for the album and learn several of the songs, although I have neither played them or listened to the album in years. In truth, it's a good album, but the songs just don't really move me and I've got enough other music that I like better that I just don't get around to listening to this one. I did really enjoy hearing "Knocking On Heaven's Door" again, having just heard a very different version of it on Guns & Roses' - "Use Your Illusion 1" album last Friday. You can hear Slowhand [play his best from the 70s at Amazon.

Mississippi John Hurt - "The Complete Studio Recordings"

You would think that nearly 3 hours of one man fingerpicking his way through songs on a guitar might get old after a while, but it doesn't. It's that good. I can't remember when I first heard Mississippi John Hurt, but I believe the songs was "Candy Man". I had collected a few more songs in the ensuing years, and when I decided I was going to learn Delta Blues fingerstyle he was the one I wanted to model myself after, so I went looking for more of his music and found this collection. I've had it for a few years now, and I still listen to it regularly.

It's 3 full length cds of pure acoustic bliss. Recorded in the 60s near the end of his life, he plays Delta blues with amazing dexterity. His right thumb rhythm work is so solid, it drives the music like someone banging on a drum. It seems earily disconnected from his melody work, played with his other fingers. You just wouldn't think that someone could pick two different patterns with one hand, so cleanly it takes a bit of faith to accept that the sound came from one guitar. And that's pretty much all it is. One man, one guitar, playing songs from 40 years earlier in Mississippi. The recording is so clean and well mastered you could be sitting in the same room. John Hurt was huge in San Fransisco during the 60s folk era, and several of his songs made it into american folk, including "Shortnin' Bread", "Hot Time In the Old Town" and "Goodnight, Irene" all of which my dad used to play on ukulele when I was a kid. Do yourself a favor and check out some great music at Amazon.

Eric Clapton - "Unplugged"

This album is what got me started playing guitar. When I purchased my first guitar back in 1993 I bought the tablature book for this album and started working my way through it. "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" is one of the first songs I ever learned. This album was huge for a reason. It's phenomenal. It's a mix of blues and pop, played acoustically. Some of the songs are strummed chords, like "San Fransisco Bay Blues" (incidentally, my Dad used to play and sing this song with his tenor ukulele when I was a kid), a large number are finger picked, and there's even some slide on the tracks, "Rollin' and Tumblin" and "Running On Fath". Most of the people who purchased this album did so because of the "Tears in Heaven". It's speaks to the quality of the rest of the album that this song almost gets lost amongst the rest of the tracks. I haven't listened to this album in quite a while, and it's been a long time since I've played my way through the songs on it. I really enjoyed listening to it again, and I have a feeling that I'll enjoy playing the songs even more. I need to go grab my guitar. Go take a listen at Amazon.

Guns N' Roses - "Use Your Illusion 1"

I bought this album way back in high school when I was a BMG member. Remember BMG? Anyway, I bought this largely because it had the tracks "November Rain" and "Don't Cry". I probably haven't listened to this album in over 10 years. It's actually a pretty good album. Some of the things are kind of boring hard rock, but there's enough variety to make it worth popping in every now and then. Slash's solo on "The Garden" is certainly worth a hearing on a regular basis. Axel Rose isn't at his best hear, which if memory serves me correct is likely due to the drug, alcohol, and abuse issues he was dealing with it the time. You can preview it on Amazon.

Cephas and Wiggins - "Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad"

I bought this album about 3 years ago from Barnes and Noble because I had a gift card and wanted some music. Basically, I went to the blues section and found several cds I thought might be good and started listening to them. I had never heard of these two before, but I'm glad I have now. They're a guitar and harmonica duo that plays Piedmont style blues, which is sort of a happier style of Delta blues. It's basically the way I tend to play finger style blues, only better. The album doesn't really have much for standout songs, it's just good music. It's really easy to imagine these two just jammin' away on a street corner. I really should buy more of their music, because I listen to this CD quite a bit. You can hear it at Amazon.

Lifescapes - "Swing"

I bought this album from a bargain bin (I think Circuit City) back in 1999. It was basically put out by a studio to capitalize on the swing trend. Hire a composer and a few studio musician's, put out a "Swing" album and make a few bucks. The music actually isn't that bad. There are a few songs I actually like. However, it isn't swing music. There's jump blues, boogie woogie, rockabilly, and some straight ahead jazz, but no swing. I don't think a single song qualifies as swing. I blame the rhythm section. The guitar is barely audible on most tracks, the drummer insists on playing a shuffle pattern on the ride cymbal, that sustains for too long. The pianist is the worst of the bunch. He's obviously never played swing music, because he insists on playing between the beats, and his solos wander all over the place rather than riffing off the melody and maintaining the chord progression. I don't think a single song hits four to the floor. The music actually isn't half bad, though a bit sterile. It will fit into most people's idea of "swing" music, even though it's a little campy. However, if you're looking for music to Lindy Hop too, this is not the album. I was unable to track down any audio samples for this one.

Seth Horan - "Conduit"

I first heard Seth Horan when he played at a local coffee shop. He is a bass player, which seems an odd choice of instrument for a singer/songwriter, but he also doesn't play bass like most people. He plays a six string bass and through the use of two hand tapping, harmonics and chord work makes it sound like drum and guitar accompaniment. He has a good voice and a great sense of humor, so he's great to see live. I purchased the album the second time I saw him as it was n the works the first time. He comes through town every year for the NAMM show.

The album is great, with the only letdown being that he uses additional instruments. I know that may sound a little odd, but his virtuosity is a lot of what makes his music so great, and it can get lost amongst a fuller arrangement. That being said, this is the album that I have people listen to as an example of modern pop music that showcases actual talent and depth. I highly recommend attending a concert of his. You can find out if he's playing near you at his page on reverbnation.com and clicking on the SHOWS tab. You can listen to clips of his album at cdbaby.

The Infamous Stringdusters - "Fork In The Road"

I first heard of and heard these guys at Summergrass in San Diego a couple of years ago. They're a bluegrass band formed of young musicians from back east that all went to Nashville in pursuit of music careers. When I first heard them they were getting ready to record this album. I was impressed with their playing, and they became a favorite of a friend who I went with to Summergrass. He caught a concert of theirs during a trip to Carolina a while later and as a result of getting on their mailing list, emailed me when they came back to Orange County last fall and played as part of a monthly concert series for top acoustic talent called Lord of the Strings that is put on here in Orange County. I went to that concert, which was held in a small theatre. This is one I actually picked up the album. It struck me as funny that the first time I heard them it had cost me $15 to hear a full day of bluegrass music, with them being one of the bands. This time it was $25 to hear just them. They're coming back for Summergrass 2008, so I will get to see them again for $15.

As far as the album goes, it's has a surprisingly broad range for a debut album. There are several traditional style instrumentals, a mix of vocal numbers, and some more modern sounding arrangements, including a cover of John Mayer's "3x5". "Poor Boy's Delight" is a lovely waltz with sweet lyrics that I would love to dance to with someone. It's the first song off the album that I learned the vocal to. The band members share singing duties, and in fact the feel of the group is very much like a bunch of people just jamming together. The one thing they lack that I enjoy about most of the other bluegrass albums in my collection is vocal harmony. They do some, but it's more background type vocal filling rather than actual vocal harmony for a song. But hey, they're young. I'll cut them some slack. You can check them out on Amazon.

Lonesome River Band - "Talkin' To Myself"

Like my other Lonesome River Band Albums, I had many of these songs in mp3 format before I decided to just buy many of their cds. Like the others, this is great to sing along to. I learned to play mandolin to some of the tracks, "Talkin' To Myself" and "Willow Garden". This album always puts me in a good mood. I associate it with driving, because I spent a day driving from Utah to Montana through Yellowstone Park (and then reversed it several days later) on my to a family reunion, singing at the top of my lungs, and waving to motorcyclists because I kept forgetting I was in a car instead of on my motorcycle. There is one track, "Mary Ann", that I dislike, but the others are all solid. It's a bit disappointing that they're all vocal tracks, as the musicianship is so good that I would have preferred a few instrumentals showcasing their talent. Like almost every other cd released in the U.S., you can find this one on Amazon.

Del McCoury - "A Deeper Shade of Blue"

I bought this together with the other Del McCoury album I own, as Amazon had a buy both save some money offer. Like the other, this album is blues almost more than bluegrass. It has several slower songs that are a lot of fun to sing along with, notably "More often than once in a while" I like this album more than the other, and listen to it more often as a result. Not much else to add, so go give it a listen.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd - "Ledbetter Heights"

I can't remember exactly when I bought this, but it was in 96 or so. I think I bought it after reading a review in a guitar mag. A couple of the tunes got some radio play as well, but I think by that time I already had the album. This is Kenny's first album. He was, I think, 17 when it was released. For anyone, it's good guitar playing. For a 17 year old it's amazing. I like the vocalist on this album, Cory Sterling, more than Noah Hunt, who sings on his later albums.. This album is a little more blues and less rock than hi slater stuff. I especially like the track, "Shame, Shame, Shame". It sounds like it could be a B.B. King song. I love the intro to "Deja Voodoo". It starts out laid back and slowly builds in intensity for the first minute and a half before kicking in full blast. The guitar playing is very reminiscent of SRV. I like this album. I don't listen to it much, largely because I don't like to listen to a song or two. This is an album that I prefer to listen to the entire way through, so it comes along on road trips and the like. Preview it at Amazon.

Lynyrd Skynyrd - "Skynyrd's Innyrds"

The first Skynyrd album I ever bought was a cassette tape of the live album "One More From the Road" way back in high school. I bought it because it had "Sweet Home Alabama" plus the immortal live version of free bird on it. In the later years I pcked up a few more, including "Skynyrd's Innyrds" which is a compilation album. As such, it has several of my favorite Skynyrd songs on it, including "Call Me the Breeze". This is one of my favorite rock albums and I listen to it a lot, typically while running, although technically I just listen to a bunch of Skynyrd songs, several of which are from this album. At any rate, I highly recommend checking this one out on Amazon.

Adrina Thorpe - "Elusive"

There is a coffee shop in Aliso Viejo that I used to go to pretty regularly on Saturday nights. They have 2 hrs of live music from local artists every Saturday night, and some of them are quite good. The music is outdoors in a covered atrium between the coffee shop and the city library. It's a great venue. A few times I've purchased cds from the musicians, and this is one of them. Adrina plays sparse piano accompaniment to her soft voice. This album is full of songs about leaving behind childhood, falling in love, and other stuff typical for girls in their early 20s. I like her voice and though the lyrics don't particularly strike a chord with me, I've never really listened to music for the lyrics and I do like the feel of the music. I don't listen to this album very much, largely because I don't keep it in my car. If I did, I would likely find myself popping it in the cd player on late night drives. You can hear clips on her website

Del McCoury - "The Cold Hard Facts"

I bought this album largely due to a couple songs I had downloaded several years earlier called "Live and Let Live" and "I'll Sail My Ship Alone" that featured Del McCoury on vocals with Doc Watson and Mac Wiseman. Incidentally, "I'll Sail My Ship Alone" was such an appropriate song at one point that I would listen to it with a sardonic smile. It was the inspiration for a song based around the same idea, but with a much more depressing tone.

Back on track: Del is a multi-year IBMA winner for male vocalist of the year. He has the stereotypical high tenor with a hillbilly twang that typifies the genre. The music on this album is different from most other bluegrass. It's much more blues oriented and the songs are written to be evocative of moods. The best of this is "Blackjack County Chains", a song about a tramp impressed by the county sheriff into a chain gang to build county roads, who eventually beats the sheriff to death with some others in the chain gang. As far as the other songs, let's just say that the album is appropriately titled. I don't listen to this album all that often, because it's the sort of thing you have to be in the mood for, and I'm not often in a mood that is best suited by songs about depression, infidelity and death. When I am, this goes in the cd deck. Hear a little for yourself at Amazon.

Norah Jones - "Come Away With Me"

I bought this album back early in its 2002 release, before she was really getting radio play. I read a review in somewhere and it sounded like something I might like so I checked it out. Turns out I did like it, along with a lot of other people. She came through Orange County and played a small venue called The Coach House a few months later, but the show sold out before I could get tickets. This is the only album of hers that I own, as her later ones, while having bright spots, lacked the cohesive feel and smooth sound of "Come Away With Me". I like that the arrangements are sparse and it sounds like someone playing and singing in a lounge late at night, when only a few people are left and they're just playing for themselves. I still listen to this album a lot, usually while I'm reading and I've often let it play while I've fallen asleep. I like that her voice is basically one octave above mine, so its easy to sing along to. This is one of my favorite albums, and I can imagine still listening to it decades from now. If you're one of the few people who hasn't heard this album, you can find it on Amazon.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - "This Beautiful Life"

Technically I listened to this yesterday, but since it was driving to and from dancing and I didn't want to stay up any later I'm writing about it a day late. Neo-Swing is like the 80s glam rock of the swing world. It's flashy, uptempo, and the outfits play a big part of it. Granted the outfit is a zoot suit with chains rather than neon spandex, but you get where I'm going with this. It was party music for the nerdier set. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy was the Poison of Neo-Swing, and in much the same way, no one wants to admit that they still like to listen to them. Well, I do. This was their second album that I purchased. I bought it back in 1999 shortly before moving to California. Shortly after moving to California I was able to see them in concert. By then the neo-swing fad was dying down, but I kept listening to these guys for years. I haven't listened to this album much since acquiring a lot more authentic jazz, but it's still fun and entertaining to hear. The music really does make you want to wiggle and shake. So, go to Amazon and listen to the band that help turn the nerdier set of the nation's college kids into hep cats back in the late 90s.

Brian Setzer Orchestra - "Guitar Slinger"

This was the 2nd album released by the Brian Setzer Orchestra. It's my least favorite of the three I own. It's mostly jump blues with some rockabilly influence, although there are a few jazzier tunes, such as "Sammy Davis City" which is my favorite on the album. Brian Setzer wrote many of the songs on this album, as compared to his first album with the orchestra, which primarily consisted of cover tunes. That being said, it's also a large part of the reason I'm not as big of a fan of this album. I'm just not a huge fan of many of the songs. There are some covers as well, notably a well done rendition of Stevie Ray Vaughan's "The House Is Rockin'". Setzer's guitar skill is much more apparent in this album as well and the band is tight. This is really what makes the album for me. I purchased this back in 1996 when it was released, and I listened to it pretty regularly for 5 years or so. I don't listen to it much anymore, but that's really because I just don't listen to much jump blues or neo swing anymore, which is where this album falls in terms of genre. As usual Amazon has sound clips.

Christmas Swing

If I recall correctly, I picked this out of the bargain bin at Circuit City when I was buying a home stereo in 1999. It is the only Christmas album I own. It's short, with a running time of about 40 minutes, but it's got a nice mix of songs. It's really more loungy jazz than swing, but it's good music. The musicianship is solid, but nothing stellar. There's only one vocal number, so you can listen to it year round and enjoy the tunes, especially since several, like the Nutcracker Overture, don't even have lyrics. I listen to this a few times every December. I don't know that it gets me in the Christmas mood, but I like it anyway. Amazingly, Barnes and Nobles has it.

Bluegrass Etc - "Classics"

I first heard these guys at the Julian Bluegrass festival back in 2003. It's a trio, with John Moore, on guitar and mandolin, Bill Bryson on bass, and Dennis Caplinger on everything else, though he primarily plays banjo and fiddle. Though all originally from California, I think Dennis is the only one who still lives here, where he runs a recording studio and does a lot of work for television as well as backing for other musicians. John now runs a horse ranch in Arizona or Texas, and looks like it. He also tuaght Chris Thile, of Nickel Creek fame to play mandolin, and if you've ever really listened to Chris Thile play you'll have some idea as to the talent of the man who taught him how to do it. John Moore is straight up amazing. Fast, clean, inventive, and a flair for improvisational playing and humor, he makes the band what it is. The other two aren't slouches either. Bill is terrific bass player, singer and songwriter, and Dennis can play nearly any stringed instrument like he was born to do it. These guys are straight up amazing. Unfortunately, since west coast bluegrass is no way to make a living, these guy do it as a hobby and thus they don't play together all too often, and have only a couple of recordings. "Classics" is simply them doing arrangements of popular classic bluegrass tunes. Bluegrass fans will likely know every song on the album, but will likely have rarely heard them played this well. The album is available from Tricopolis Records . I did manage to find one mp3 sample from the album if you scroll down here, or you can find a few clips on youtube. I was at the festival where they're playing in the first clip, Summergrass in San Diego.

Richie Pavledis - "Live At The Charles"

I found this album browsing around on cdbaby.com about 3 years ago. Richie is a solo musician from Australia, and like the album title says, this was recorded live at the Charles Hotel in Perth. The music is blues, with Richie playing guitar and harmonica, as well as thumping on a bass drum. He's not only a talented player, but a talented songwriter, having written several of the songs himself. The songs are delta blues and his finger picking does them justice. He's got a great voice for blues as well. One of the neat things about this album, is that because it was recorded live in a small venue there's a feeling of almost being there. During a low point in the music, you can sometimes hear muted conversation and even the click of billiard balls. This is one of my favorite albums, and it gets listened to on a regular basis. Track seven, "Take this Hammer" was the inspiration for a song I wrote a few years ago. It's a goal of mine to able to play like this guy, as his finger picking is a smooth mix of bass runs and hammer ons/pulls offs to flesh out chord changes that makes it sound like there is more than one guitar going. You can here clips from the album on his website by clicking on sounds.

Donovan Frankenreiter (self-titled demo)

I got this from my landlord when I moved into my apartment back in 2002. He's a personal friend of the guy, and had some demo cds to hand out. Turns out the music is really quite good. It's along the same lines as Jack Johnson, which isn't all that surprising considering Donovan Frankenreiter is also a well known free-surfer, and they travel within the same circles in the surfing world where they have been friends for years. I think Jack Johnson actually produced his first full length album It's mellow, strummed acoustic guitar with a bass for backing. The album is short at only 7 songs, but this is a demo. He's since released a full-length album that includes most of the songs on here, with a full backing band. However, I tend to like the versions on here. They sound better with sparser musical backing. I really like this album. I listen to it every now and then when I'm in the mood for watching the sun set over the ocean and feeling melancholy, yet optimistic. Wait, that actually happens a lot. I should listen to this album more often. Unfortunately I don't have a link for this album considering its unreleased nature (Heck, I could probably ebay this things for some good scratch considering he's a decently known musician now.), but you can find music clips on youtube. His site, donavonf.com doesn't actually have any sound clips, which is kind of surprising.

Joe Satriani (self titled)

Joe Satriani is a talented rock guitarist who falls under the umbrella of rock virtuoso. The songs are really more about showcasing talent than crafting lyrics of melody. As such, it just doesn't move me. The guitar playing is really good, but sort of lacks a point. At times it feels like he is simply showcasing technique. You know how instruction books will introduce a technique, include some practice exercises, and then put it in some sort of "song" to allow you to explore that technique? They often include a "play along" cd so you can hear what it sounds like, and then practice it with a rhythm section. This album feels a lot like someone recorded themselves playing along with the cd from a really advanced instructional book. Great technique, but just not all that enjoyable to listen to as music. I picked this album up back when it came out in 1995, and it was very well-reviewed by guitar magazines. However, I've only listened to it a handful of times in the intervening years. People at Amazon seem to really like it as well. Give it a listen and form your own opinion.

Tony Rice - "The Bluegrass Guitar Collection"

I picked this album up a few years ago. Tony Rice is a superb flatpicking guitarist, who was a staple in the bluegrass seen for many years before venturing into other genres. This is a collection of several recorded bluegrass songs that he recorded over a large span of time. The album is a veritable whos who of acoustic virtuosity with Norman Blake (guitar), Sam Bush (mandolin), Vassar Clements (violin, passed away a couple years ago.), Bela Fleck (banjo), David Grisman (mandolin), Doc Watson (guitar) and more. The playing is simply phenomenal. I listen to this album a lot. The 3 guitar medley "Lost Indian" (Tony Rice, Normal Blake, and Doc Watson) is fun to listen to because one can contrast the playing of 3 great flatpicking guitarists. Hear some great bluegrass at Amazon.

Joe Williams - "The Definitive Joe Williams"

I picked this album up during a Winter Holiday trip to New York to visit family about 4 years ago. Joe Williams started off singing with Count Basie's band. This album contains recordings that span his entire career. As a result it encompasses several different styles of jazz including swing, jump blues, bop, straight ahead jazz, lounge crooning... Most of the songs are down tempo, which does a lot to showcase Williams' voice. I listen to this album a lot while driving home late at night. It's relaxing and works when I want to just listen and think. I like this album a lot, and I'm more than a little bumbed that after being stuffed in a cd case I managed to scratch the reflective coating off on part of the last, and one of my favorite, tracks of the album, "What are you doing New Years Eve?" Even if you're not a real fan of jazz, I'm betting you'll find things to like about this album. Hear more of it at Amazon.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd - "Live On"

I think this is the 3rd full album of his. I bought this back in '99 when it came out. I already owned his album "Ledbetter Heights" and had seen him in concert. Though obviously a disciple of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Kenny has much more of a hard rock sound, especially on this album as compared to Ledbetter Heights. The guitar playing is fantastic. I'm a bit disappointed that he only plays, rather than singing as well, but I'd imagine the voice would be a letdown compared to his playing. This is one of those albums where it's easy to listen to all the songs. The mood changes frequently so it never gets old. I particularly enjoy the last track, an instrumental titled "Electric Lullaby". Hear it, and the other tracks at Amazon.

Spin Doctors - "Turn It Upside Down"

If there was a pot lovin' hippie jam band of the 90s, these guys were it. They had several radio hits from their album "Pocket Full Of Kryptonite" which I have on cassette. I loved that album and bought "Turn It Upside Down" based on that. I believe this was their follow up. It's much less radio friendly, and by the time of this release, radio had changed anyway. There are a couple really great songs on here, some that were actually written, and several that are the result of jams. I really like the style of their guitar player. His style is unique, kind of a cross between bluesy rock and funk. I haven't listened to this album for a while, but I think I'm going to put it back in the rotation. And of course, you can check it out on Amazon.

The Brian Setzer Orchestra (self titled)

This was the first album put out by ex-stray cats guitarist turned big band leader, Brian Setzer. It was released in 1994, and I bought it shortly after starting college. I have fond memories of listening to it in my dorm room by an open window while doing homework. I bought this album because of a track that they had on the soundtrack to the Jim Carrey movie "The Mask" titled "Straight Up". Though it's hard to credit just one album, this album, more than any other, is responsible for my fondness for swing music, which is somewhat odd as there really isn't much swing on this album. It was more of the big band association that did it. I feel I should point out that I was listening to these guys and had all of their albums before their remake of Louis Prima's "Jump, Jive and Wail" became a radio hit during the days of the neo-swing craze. This is one of my favorite albums to sing along to. Unfortunately, as Brian Setzer is a tenor, most of it is right at the top or slightly above my range, which means I don't sound good while singing it.

Stevie Ray Vaughan - "Greatest Hits"

This is album is surprisingly good to run to. At just under an hour, it's a little short, but otherwise it it worked really well for a mid-day jog. This album was released posthumously 1995. Hopefully the estate, rather than the label, got most of the money out of it, as I believe this is one of his best selling albums. Stevie's tone is the stuff of legend, and this album typifies why. Depending on how it's picked, the guitar sound is either smooth or fat, crunchy overdrive. It's abosultely perfect for hard hitting blues. This is my favorite of the SRV albums that I own, and I listen to songs from it, if not the entire album, pretty regularly. Check it out at Amazon.

Jonathon Stout and his Campus Five - "Crazy Rhythm"

I bought this album along with the most recent from the same group about 6 months ago. They are an LA based small swing combo that plays all over California at swing events. The band leader, Jonathon Stout, also runs a full orchestra. The interesting part is that he does it while being married with 2 kids and attending Loyola law school full time. I'm not sure how, but I'm glad he does. The band is absolutely superb. They are a top draw for swing dancers for a good reason, as they know how to play for dancers. The album is great, with 21 songs, all danceable, listed with their beat per minute. Aside from one track, it's all covers that span a surprisingly large breadth of swing artists. The arrangements are good, but the songs lack the overall energy of their live performances. That's not to say the cd is bad, because it's superb. It's just that live these guys will blow you out of the water. I'm not a huge fan of their vocalist, Hillary Alexander (who runs Camp Hollywood, one of the largest swing events in the country). I just don't care for her phrasing and she seems a little too tight when she sings. I got a chance to work with Jonathon a while back when I was part of performance at the Loyola law school annual talent show. He led the house band, and as we were doing a swing number, that put together an arrangement that worked for our choreographer. It was a satisfying experience, to be able to work with someone who understood the interplay between dance and music, as he is also a lindy hopper. You can here samples from this album at campusfive.com .

Sofa - "Arcanum"

The very first time I heard this band was at a party my first weekend at college. They were your typical college band, except they were actually good. They played pretty regularly around Provo and I went to several of their shows throughout the year. We even hired them at one point for a dorm party. They got robbed of the battle of the band title at BYU that year, largely because the judges were "older" faculty members, who, in opposition to the crowd, judged a country band the winners. It may also have had something to do with the "no moshing" rule that was flagrantly violated during Sofa's set. In a somewhat odd coincidence, I became friends with an apartment of girls early on that year, and found out a few weeks later that one of the girls was the sister of the lead singer. Since moving to California I have run into both of them, again, under a completely separate set of circumstances. Sofa released their first and only CD in the spring of that same academic year, and I purchased a copy at their cd release party. I still listen to it more than one would expect, not out of any sense of nostalgia, but because it's got some really entertaining songs on it. Considering the limited release, I don't have a link for samples for this one.

Blind Gary Davis - "Harlem Steet Singer"

So this guy used to stand on a street corner in Harlem NY and sing for change. Then someone recorded him and he became a bonafide blues artist. For this album he was placed in front of a mic, and told to sing and play what he wanted. As a result the album is raw, unpolished, and sounds live. Gary Davis' voice sounds exactly like the stereotypical bluesman. Rough, wailing, and full of emotion. The songs on this album are gospel rather than blues, not all that surprising considering he was an ordained minister and also went by the moniker Reverend Gary Davis. His guitar playing style is compelling, consisting of fingerpicked melodies interlaced with with partial chord hits and single note runs that typically fill the space between lyrics. It's great music, and a regular visitor to my car cd player. Listen to a bluesman wail at Amazon.

Blue Highway - "Wind To the West"

I bought this cd a few years back. These guys are a relatively new bluegrass band and they are touch notch. Multiple IBMA winners, their musicianship and vocal talent is superb. There are several harmony laden tunes on this album, with "God Moves In a Windstorm" being my favorite. I like to try and pick out all of the parts and learn them, but I can typically on get three of the four. With bluegrass male harmonies you typically have a tenor that sing the melody with a high tenor harmony that is often above the melody. A bass part fills out the bottom and tucked in the middle is a low tenor or baritone, but since this can often follow the high tenor harmony an octave lower, I have trouble picking it out. Since the high tenor is typically far too high for me, I really only sing two parts. I saw these guys live at a local bluegrass festival a couple of years back and they were even better live than recorded. I listen to this album on a fairly regular basis and consider it one of the better of my collection. Find out more about Blue Highway at their website.

John Lee Hooker - "Mr Lucky"

I bought this back in high school after reading a review of it in a guitar magazine. It's an ok album with a couple of standout songs, those being "This Is Hip", "I Cover the Waterfront", and "Crawlin' Kingsnake". He has better songs on better albums from earlier in his life. I listen to a fair amount of John Lee Hooker, but I don't listen to this album all that much.

Candlebox - "Candlebox"

I bought this album back in '94 or '95. I rarely listen to it anymore. I didn't listen to it a whole lot after I first bought it either. It's not that it isn't a good album, it's that it doesn't have a lot of standout tracks on it. It works well as a complete album to sit and listen to, but if you're, say, driving to work, it's probably not going to be the first thing you throw into the cd player. It's been so long since I listened to it that I completely forgot about how good the track "Rain" is. It goes from blues to rock to almost a funk feel. The guitar sounds so good. You can hear it and the rest of the tracks at Amazon.

Lynyrd Skynyrd - "Street Survivors"

Oh, how I love Skynyrd. I have a dream of playing guitar for a Skynyrd cover band. I shout "play some Skynyrd" at concerts. It's a bit ridiculous. I bought this album 10 years or so ago and I still listen to it pretty regularly as it is on my mp3 player. I wouldn't have guessed, but it turns out that it's great music to jog to. "Street Survivors" doesn't have three of their best known songs, those being "Gimme Three Steps", "Sweet Home Alabama", and "Free Bird" but it does have plenty of fantastic songs like "What's Your Name", a song about having a girl in every town your tour goes through, and "I Never Dreamed", a tune about a guy who get's blindsided when the love of his life leaves. It's a short album at only 8 tracks, but the first 6 of those are some great tunes that I really like. This is an album I can throw in, listen to straight through and be glad I heard it all. The guitar playing is great, Ronnie Van Zant is a stellar singer, and I love the horns peppered throughout. If you are at all a fan of old school gritty rock, this is worth checking out on Amazon.

Aerosmith - "Get A Grip"

One of my all time favorite albums. It's the one that launched the career of Alicia Silverstone after her starring role in the video for succesful single "Cryin'". This was the first Aerosmith album I bought, although I now have more. I bought it during my senior year in high school after a few of the songs had been released for radio and I found I still liked them even though they were played to death. I have fond memories of cruisin' around in the orange Datsun 710, playing this on a portable stereo that I had jury rigged to draw power from the cigarette lighter. It was my default choice for getting pumped before tennis matches that spring. There are a few filler tracks on here, but the others are such great rock songs that it just doesn't matter. The production quality is second to none. It simply sounds phenomenal. This album, probably more than any other I own, will give a person rock star dreams. Aerosmith had several hit songs from this album and garnered an entire new generation of fans, cementing themselves as icons of american rock music. You can find this stellar piece of grinding guitar and screaming vocals at Amazon.

Ronnie McCoury - "Heartbreak Town"

I bought this album a couple years ago, mostly because I owned a couple of his father's, multiple IBMA vocalist of the year winner Del McCoury, albums. Ronnie has been playing mandolin on his father's albums for years and his mandolin playing is very good. His singing is suprisingly week considering his heritage and his song writing is hit and miss. As such, there are songs on the album I love, such as the instrumental Dawggone, a musical tribute to David Grisman, and others, like the title track, that I just skip over. It's an ok album, but since I have so many better ones I don't listen to it much. Listen to tracks of it here.

James Hill - "A Flying Leap"

James Hill is a ukelele player from Canada. I picked up this album about 18 months ago after someone recommended it in a music thread on a dance forum. It's not really dance music, just something new and interesting by a really talented musician. He does a duet cover of Hendrix's "Little Wing" that is superb. The album has a good mix of songs with a different feel, so it's not like you're listening to the same thing over and over again. This album is in my regular rotation and I still listen to it relatively often. It's happy music. It can now be found on Amazon.

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - "Live Alive"

I can't remember when and where I got this album either. It was sometime back in the late 90s and I bought it because it has SRV's version of Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile". This album has a different feel than the other SRV albums I have, which may be due to it being earlier in his career. Plus, because it's a live album there is a much looser feel to it. The playing isn't as good as his "Live at Carnegie Hall album". Sort of the difference between thinking "That's awesome, I'm going to practice like crazy until I can play like that", vs. "Holy *Bleep*! I will never sound that good no matter how much time I spend practicing." This album also has the song "Look at Little Sister", which I've always thought works so much better on an acoustic than an electric, largely because it's a simple blues riff that just sounds like some blind guy out of Mississippi should be banging it out on an old carved top Gibson. It's a good album, but when I want an SRV fix, I will almost always grab a different album of his. And of course, the Amazon link.

Doug Young - "Laurel Mill"

I picked this album up a couple of years back. I was just searching around the net for finger style guitar music and found Doug Young's album. This is a self recorded, produced and released album. The guitar playing is quite good, and the recording quality and mastering is as well. It's all instrumentals, laid back and mellow. There's a nice cover of the Fleetwood Mac tune "Rhiannon" and an arrangement of the traditional tune "Shenandoah" that I liked enough to learn it and record it myself. I've never listened to this album a lot, but it's the perfect thing for when I'm just sitting at home reading a book in the evening. It's the type of music that's most likely to be appreciated by other finger style guitarists. You can hear a few samples at cdbaby.

Queen - "Greatest Hits"

I remember when I was a kid it was rumored that if you played "Another One Bites the Dust" backward it said "Smoke marijuana". I had a friend who's older brother had the song on vinyl, but we could never get it to work. I'm not even sure I really knew what marijuana was at the time other than it was a drug and drugs were bad for you. This album has been a disappointment to many of my generation who's main exposure to Queen was through the movie, "Wayne's World", because many of them bought the album before realizing that the main song they were buying the album for, namely "Bohemian Rhapsody" isn't on it. Who cares! I don't even really like that song. This album does have the other Queen songs that everybody knows, the aforementioned "Another One Bites the Dust" and the two songs sort of in one "We Will rock You" and "We Are the Champions". This album also has one of my personal favorite songs, "Fat Bottomed Girls", that has an absolutely terrific vocal intro and guitar hook. The second half of the album is kind of a letdown, but the first half is such great high energy music that you skip the second half and not feel bad about it. Most of the tracks are high energy and well-suited to doing your best Freddie Mercury impression while driving too fast with the windows rolled down. I've tried to workout to this album before and it just didn't work. I kept getting distracted. I think I originally got this as a Christmas present a decade or so ago and it's still one of my favorite albums that gets regular play while driving. You can sing along about your own personal love of the fat bottomed girls at Amazon

The Black Crows - "Shake You Money Maker"

I can't remember for sure when or where I picked this album up. I think I may have got it used at a second hand record store in Provo somewhere around 1998, or as a present. This is their debut album, and if you like blues based rock, which I do, this is good album to have. There isn't a weak track on the album, and it's got a lot of variety. The band's playing is tight, and the musicianship is good. I like this album, but I should like it a lot more than I do. As I listened to it I kept having the thought, "I bet these guys are great live." For some reason, the tracks just seem low energy. They're missing that thing that grabs you and pulls you in. I've seen this with other bands, where the feel of their live playing just doesn't translate to recording. But still, it's great music to drive and sing along to, and it does make me want to pull out my sg, dial in some crunchy overdrive and make some noise. Once again, Amazon has it.

John Mayer - "Room For Squares"

I wake up to an acoustic version of a song from this album every day, track 3, "My Stupid Mouth". I bought this album about a year after it came out. It's full of melancholy songs about all the drama of being in your 20s. Considering I was 26, going through a divorce and trying to find employment after graduating from grad school it sort of struck a chord with me. I still listen to songs from this album pretty regularly. In fact, I have a station on Pandora.com based around it. My favorite track is St. Patrick's Day, both because of the music and the words. It's very melancholy and I find myself in that mood a lot. And just in case you aren't familiar with it, you can listen to samples at Amazon.

Mr Big - "Bump Ahead"

I ordered this album from BMG back in high school, 1993 to be exact. These guys had a couple of decent hits, "To Be With You" that was on their first album "Lean Into It", and a remake of the Cat Stevens song, "Wild World", that is included on this, their second album. It's an ok rock album, maybe something to play in the background, but certainly not something I would just sit and listen to. It's heavy on ballads, and most of them are pretty good. Considering the bassist Billy Sheehan, and the guitarist Paul Gilbert, were a couple of the best rock musicians of the time, I would expect something stronger. Listen to samples at Amazon.

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - "Live at Carnegie Hall"

Stevie Ray Vaughan is one of my biggest guitar influences. I bought this album back in 1997, when it was released posthumously. This was one of his later concerts and it occurred on his birthday. The first half of the concert is just him and has band Double Trouble, and the second half he brings in several guests, including his brother Jimmie Lee and guest vocalist Angela Stirling, who has a fantastic voice for blues. In the ensuing years I've learned to play several of the songs on guitar, although I don't know that I'll ever be able to play Rude Mood at the speed he plays it. You can listen to clips of this album at Amazon.

Lonesome River Band - "Finding the Way"

Granted bluegrass music is not the typical fare to get one in the mood for swing dancing, but that's where I was driving to and that's the cd I grabbed. I got into these guys back in 2002 when I stumbled into bluegrass music after exploring various artists on the "O' Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack. I nearly forgot how good this cd is. Fantastic musicianship, great harmonies, and some really catchy tunes. The songs cover a pretty broad range for most bluegrass albums due to different songwriters being utilized. Some of Ronnie Bowman's (the bassist) stuff leans a little too schmaltzy country for my tastes. The final track, an instrumental called "Devil Chased Me Around A Stump", is one of my favorite bluegrass instrumental tunes. The dobro playing is superb. You can hear clips of this album here.

Really? I used to like this?

I have a lot of cds that I never listen to. That's partially because I've converted several of them to digital format. It's also because my music tastes have changed over the years. I have never sold any music that I've purchased. That means I still have a cassette tape of Weird Al Yankovik's "Even Worse" album that I bought when I was 12. I've always thought of my music as similar to a picture of me. It's a snapshot of who I was at some point in my life.

So I've decided to revisit my music collection. My work commute runs about 25 minutes each way, so that gives me 50 minutes, Monday through Friday, to listen to an album, which is just about perfect. On the weeks I'll most likely have to listen at home. Now, given that I'm not all that principled in doing this, I may not do it every day, and during the summer when I'm not working I may get even more lax. I will miss some days. I'd like to include my cassette's in this, but given that I don't even own a working cassette player this will be somewhat difficult. Maybe I can stream them off Napster. I'm initially planning on doing this with complete albums, so a lot of my recent music acquisitions won't be included. No mix cds or single song downloads, just complete albums for now.