99* x 50

during a simple dinner alone at a nice restaurant, i opened my ever-present notebook to a blank page because nothing so perfectly relaxes and stimulates me simultaneously, as a piece of paper not yet written on. to avoid re-thinking the news of the day that i sought to escape for awhile, i began to list my favorite music albums after reminiscing meeting Jake La Botz the week before and telling him personally that his work "Graveyard Jones" was simply "the best album i've ever heard". which caused me to recollect and question: "what was the best album i'd ever heard before his?"

the answer immediately came. "Love and Theft" by Bob Dylan. which in turn, initiated the question again and more answers. thus began a list of "top-ten" favorite albums that evolved quickly into twenty, then thirty, fifty, etc. and filled the page, forcing ever smaller writing, then abbreviations, and ultimately initials, in the remaining blank spaces.

somewhere during the recollection process, i realized that the works i was listing had a common denominator. without any question i had listened to every one of them more than fifty times during the past forty years. equaling a minimum of 2500 hours of my life on these five score works of music alone, because these albums were but those that were enjoyed in their entirety, sans skipping from song to song. a practice that was much easier in the days of 33rpm vinyl recordings, before compact discs and remote controls. (yes, i am that old, but in my defense, i did begin at the age of four)

so, in no particular order (for now), without any further ado, here is "99* x 50"....


the doors
johnny rivers - live at the whiskey-a-go-go
arc angels - 1st album
jake la botz - graveyard jones
bob dylan - love and theft, ++++
springsteen - darkness/edge of town, born to run, the river, tunnel of love ++++
rem - life's rich pageant, document
rush - 2112
ac/dc - high voltage, power age, highway to hell, back in black, ++++
the who - the kids are alright (soundtrack)
jj cale - naturally, #5, +++++
david lindley - el rayo x, win this record
rolling stones - sticky fingers, some girls
the beatles - meet the beatles, help, sgt pepper's, let it be, white album ++++
led zeppelin - 1, 2, 4, in through the out door
bb king - take it home
bob wills - for the last time
willie nelson - red headed stranger
beethoven - ninth symphony
tchaikovsky - 1812 overture
eric clapton - slowhand, just one night, ++++
pink floyd - the wall
the romantics - 1 & 2
the rainmakers -
the cult -
howlin wolf - the london sessions,
george thorogood -
dire straits - ++++
mellencamp - scarecrow
srv - ++++++++++++++++
the pursuit of happiness - (all)
U2 - joshua tree, rattle and hum
the georgia satellites -
kris kristofferson -
the london quireboys -
jet -
the smithereens - (all)
keith sykes - (all)
tom petty - (all)
los lobos -
the cars - 1 & 2
the kinks - live, destroyer
the clash - greatest hits
SEX PISTOLS - NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS, filthy lucre (live)
asylum street spankers -
the monkees - (all)
neil young - (all)
neil diamond - holly holy
linda ronstadt - what's new,down so low*
elton john - captain fantastic, goodbye yellow brick road
little steven/disciples of soul
keith richards - take it so hard,
pete townshend - empty glass
david gilmour - no way out of here, out of the blue
kiss - alive 2 (first 8-track :)
tommy tutone -
john hiatt -

+ many greatest hits compilations...
bob dylan
brook benton
bb king
beach boys
beatles
rolling stones
elton john
neil young
the monkees
buddy holly
wes montgomery
motown
rock'n'roll (first album i ever bought)
neil young
neil diamond
howlin wolf
smokey robinson/miracles
curtis mayfield

to be continued, mo later