BW's Saturday #45

 

Too Soon?

 

I've been trying for years to appreciate Nicole Atkins. I have friends who love her. Elvis Costello, Steve Nicks and Raul Malo love her. But, her records just don't do it for me. On paper, I should be a fan. But her tendency to "belt one out" over music that doesn't always need a voice that "belts one out" gets under my skin. On this new Christmas duet with French singer Gaspard Royant, on the other hand, she really hits the spot.

 

 

Good morning.

I'm dealing with some real life issues at the moment that have left me both distracted and uninspired. If I don't get a jolt between now and Thursday, have a very Happy Thanksgiving and hopefully, I will see you soon after.

Songs Of The Week, 2024: 11/16-11/22

 

Messed Around- Squeeze
Gawd Above- John Fullbright
Sookie Sookie- Tina Britt
Obsessed With Aretha- Graham Parker
Forbidden City- Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
The Sunny Side Of The Street- The Pogues
Blessed- Lucinda Williams

zip

BW's Saturday #44

 

It's The Weekend! The Best Time To Go Record Shopping!

]

Back in June of 2012, I bought a large collection of LPs. Really large. Like, thousands upon thousands. With the help of some friends, we made this happen over a weekend. I only had an inkling of what I was getting, as the collection was purchased from an old friend who I trusted. There was no list of titles with detailed descriptions of condition. It was more like, "You know what I like. I've been collecting for years. You won't be sorry." Yes, that was good enough for me.

So on this Saturday morning in June, a semi-trailer pulls up and what I recall being 93 cartons of meticulously curated and well-cared for records gets unloaded mostly into my basement storage space two blocks from my home, with about a dozen randomly chosen boxes left on the sidewalk for me to handtruck back to house, about three at a time,

Not before or since, have I ever had that much fun buying and selling vinyl. If it was on your wish list, I had it, sometimes in both stereo and mono, often in both U.S. and U.K. configurations. I was the Vinyl King Of Queens for 2012 and 2013. 

Dealers were lining up at my record fair tables, three deep. It was a glorious time.

Things aren't nearly as wonderful now. To be fair, you don't catch a great white shark on a routine basis. It's mostly a few porgies here, maybe a tuna that you can cut up with a few friends. Plus, the market is flooded. Every Tom, Harry and Dickhead thinks they know how to sell records and more times than not, only Tom and Harry do, while Dickhead ruins it for everybody else by slapping a $40 price tag on a ragged but playable copy of Kiss "Destroyer" that should probably only sell for $8. 

There are few things I love more than buying and selling records. Put me in a record store with a pocket full of cash and I will disappear for a few hours, BP down to a normal number, anxiety attacks in the rear view.

I recently bought a collection of about 1000 or so classic rock records. You have to buy everything. Cherry-picking is frowned upon for good reason, otherwise everyone would be left with nothing but their America and Chicago records. There were some great titles, all needing a little bit of love. A seam split here, a light mark there. But in the end, a little cleaning up, a nice poly bag, and you've got a totally fine copy of Joe Jackson's "Look Sharp" for $5. 

Back in June of 2012, I had about 1500 records listed on Discogs and another 200 listed on eBay, not to mention, a real deep inventory. These days I barely have 200 listed on Discogs, but I stand by most of what's there.

Take a look. I could use the work. You know, idle hands and all... 

It's the weekend, the best time to go record shopping. I offer free shipping if you spend $25. And who wouldn't be happy with a copy of "Look Sharp" on their turntable?

Discogs Shop

The Coward Brothers

As a long time, ardent non-supporter of most things involving T-Bone Burnett, including his 80's stint as Elvis Costello's Coward brother, I fully expected to not like this new revival LP. Burnett has this stellar reputation as a producer, and you might be a fan. But to my ears, he makes all of his records sound like there is a wad of dust on your stylus. A perfect example is Costello's "National Ransom," a record that I find unlistenable because of just how bad it sounds. And while, I do love both records by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, despite the grainy T-Bone production, I can only imagine how much better both could have sounded. But that's enough about what I don't like about T-Bone Burnett. I had to listen to "The Coward Brothers" because of how much I love Elvis Costello.

If you are one of those E.C. fans who got off the bus after "Imperial Bedroom," maybe this record isn't for you. But if you are like me, someone who has embraced Costello's genre-hopping, this new collaboration with T-Bone is a big time winner.

This record is full of wonderful surprises. Melodies and arrangements take twists and turns, veering in and out of Americana, rockabilly, and even a touch of psychedelia.

How does it sound? Just like a T-Bone production, slightly muddy and occasionally and unnecessarily old-timey. But there are 20 songs and none of them overstay their welcome.

You Can Call Him, Reverend Al

 

"Life's Rich Pageant" is one of my favorite records of all time. But I'm really not a fan of R.E.M.. 

I've come around to "Murmur" after doing all I could to avoid it when it was released. I mostly don't like Stipe as a vocalist. And there are few songs I despise as much as "Everybody Hurts"...until now.

Ladies and Germs, The Reverend.

 

I grew up in two different places with two sets of parents, two sets of friends and two sets of neighbors. In the 60's and 70's, everyone knew each other. The entire apartment building on Broome Street was filled with people that cared about each other. We celebrated birthdays and holidays with our doors open and people spilling out into the hallways from the ground floor to the fifth. If someone in the building sneezed, you'd hear a chorus of "Gesundheits" in the courtyard. We cooked for each other. We ran errands for each other.

In Sheepshead Bay, you could walk from the corner of East 19th Street and Avenue Z all the way to Avenue Y and identify the families living in almost every house. If you played touch football in the street, you knew which cars to avoid and which were owned by those who'd be happy to toss the ball around with you. Doors were left open. People came and went with a little knock to announce their arrival.

"Hi, I picked up the newspaper for you." 

"It's me. I made eggplant and brought you a plate."

I've lived in Astoria Queens for 32 years. Though my neighbors on either side of me weren't quite as familiar as those on Broome Street and Sheepshead Bay, they still said "Good Morning" or helped with the trash. One summer, we had a little BBQ in the backyard, and I found six folding chairs on my side of the fence. I had told my neighbor about the party and asked him to come over. He didn't, but he was kind enough to lend me the chairs in case I needed them. I didn't even ask. He has since retired and moved to Florida. Now that two family house is occupied by two different couples in their late 30's, possibly early 40's. One couple has a two year old daughter. The other couple just got married. He smokes a lot of weed and they have a dog. I've seen those four people almost everyday since they moved into that house three years ago.

They never say hello.

The weed smoking guy, if he is high, will come out laughing and nod his head occasionally. His translucent wife, Miss Icebox deYogamat, stares right at me as I smile and say "Good Morning," and then puts her head back down, saying nothing. She doesn't even try to pretend she is enthralled by the TikTok video on her phone and doesn't see me standing two feet to her left. She looks right at me with this dead stare and then looks away. The couple with the baby will force a hello, as if putting two fingers down their throats to puke up a bad clam. If I don't say hello first, they'll blow right by me.

I don't understand this entitlement, if that's even it. Is it generational? What the hell is it that makes a person wake up and not give a crap about the people around them? What is this inability to show some neighborly warmth? I am not going to invite myself in with a bottle of Wild Turkey and spend the evening spinning Todd Rundgren bootlegs. Just say hello, damnit!

You might need me one day.

I always go back to the Maya Angelou quote, which at this point has been used to death, but I guess that's because it's a good one.

"When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."

When you're a kid, decisions are usually made for you. I made friends in first grade and they remained my friends through eighth grade. I was bullied in first grade, and those bullies never became my friends, not even 60 years later. It was a simpler time. As adults, with a lot more experience under our belts and time spent in the trenches of real life, we learn to manipulate. Put on a happy face for a few hours to impress someone and then spend the ride home trashing them with your loved ones. I can't do that because I apparently wear my heart on both sleeves. I'm usually miserable when I arrive at a place I don't want to be and let the situation play itself out. You know what you're getting.

I probably should have stopped trying to be a neighbor after the first three times I was ignored. But contrary to popular belief, I'm really a softie at heart. I love the idea of neighbors you can talk to and count on. I'd be the first to help you if I was able to. I have a few friends who know, if I only have $20 in my pocket, which has been the case lately, I am still buying you a beer with ten of it.

But I have also learned the hard way that even when you try to take the high road, it can backfire. Some people will only offer themselves up during the good times, when you really don't need them. (There's an old blues song about that.) People don't like confrontation. They'd just as soon let a situation rot to the point of no return, than to discuss a possible fix. It's easier to just keep walking, as if there is no elephant in the room, than it is to confront the problem. I know I have reached out to people, but they have never reciprocated. Maybe it's me. I could very well be the problem. Believe me, I know I am no bargain. I am well aware of my shortcomings. There's no law stating that you can't not like me. But then tell me to go fuck myself like a man instead of putting on the Mr. Rogers charade. 

Personally, I can discuss problems for hours. I want to work at the solution. Others, not so much. This is how friendships are lost and how neighbors become enemies.

I had a good friend who got a tattoo across his back that read, "TRUST NO ONE."
He told me he was getting it, and I tried talking him out of it. I failed. But now 30 years later, I am starting to believe he has the right idea.

Maybe we only need a few good people in our lives, you know, six or eight solid people you can rely on versus 50 who come and go like a Don Rickels sitcom.

Trust no one? That's a shit way to live. But maybe, keeping my head down and ignoring all the bullshit that's around me is really the healthiest way to live out the rest of my life. Not caring is the new high road.

Thanks for letting me ramble on.

I feel better now.

Larnell Lewis

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Larnell Lewis Music (@larnelllewismusic)

 

 

A friend sent this to me with the message, "I don't know him, but Stanton Moore follows him. I luv this."

I didn't know Larnell Lewis either. I did know Snarky Puppy, though I haven't heard a note of their music. Larnell Lewis has been Snarky Puppy's drummer since 2014. This mindblowing solo is from a song called "Gravity," played with the Jeremy Ledbetter Trio, someone else I didn't know.

I don't think you need to be a drummer to be floored by the playing here. But as a drummer, it did make me want to toss my sticks and take up the kazoo.

If there are any Snarky Puppy fans reading, can you suggest one record that might excite me as much as this clip?

Songs Of The Week, 2024: 11/9-11/15

 

Shellshock-New Order
Life After Death- Ian Hunter
Made My Bed, Gonna Lie In It- The Easybeats
Planet Claire- The B-52's
Thinking Of You- Terry Adams
Every Dog- Robin Zander
Who's Sorry Now?- Todd Rundgren

zip

 

BW's Saturday #43

 

"The Monkey Speaks His Mind; A New Orleans Mix For Your Soul": THE WEEKEND MIX

 

 

 

My friend Allen Vella and his radio partner Susan Shaw have been serving up an amazing two hours of New Orleans music for some time now. The show, "All That Gumbo," which airs on Fridays from 4-6 P.M. on WIOX in The Catskills, is a joy from start to finish, not just because of the music being played, but because you can almost see the joy of its hosts coming through the airwaves. I love people who love music the way Allen and Susan love music.

I had been listening regularly back in 2019, but a series of events starting with the pandemic lockdown in 2020 and continuing with some other unwelcome personal speed bumps, took "All That Gumbo" off my radar. But another recent event made me realize that the comfort of music and community was a far better choice than disappearing into the abyss as darkness descends. I needed something to snap me out of what I feared would be a months-long malaise and last Friday, Allen and Susan delivered one of the most inspiring shows I have ever heard. It was that show that inspired this mix.

Enjoy the music and tune in to Susan and Allen's "All That Gumbo" on Fridays at 4PM. 

 

 

TRACKLIST
The Monkey Speaks His Mind- Dave Bartholomew & His Orchestra
Mickey Mouse Boarding House- Walter "Wolfman" Washington
What Comes Around (Goes Around)- Dr. John
Back To Broke- All That
Last Night On The Back Porch- James Andrews
The Joke- Reggie Hall
I'm Gonna Sit Right Down & Write Myself A Letter- Alexis & the Samurai
Why- John Boutte
Gilbert- David Torkanowsky & David Paquette
If You're Lonely- James Booker
Time For The Sun To Rise- Earl King
Flyin' High (In The Friendly Sky)- Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Trouble In Mind- Preservation Hall Jazz Band w/Richie Havens
This Love- Trombone Shorty
We're No Exception- Jon Cleary
Our Day Will Come- Irma Thomas
La Chanson Des Migrateurs- Zachary Richard
Salt Of The Earth- Johnny Adams
American Tune- Allen Toussaint
Don't Dream It's Over- Deacon John

zip

Shel Talmy, 1937-2024

 

If you've been paying attention, you'd know, this man was responsible for a major part of this blog's content. 

That's all.

I'm not in a great mood. I don't have the head for a proper tribute. I've sold four records in the past week. 
Coincidence? Who knows? But I'm not having it.

Anyway, Shel Fucking Talmy!

Blackfire & Dekker

 

A new reggae release from Boss Capone and George Dekker, the latter being the half brother of legendary ska king, Desmond Dekker, and a legend in his own right as a member of The Pioneers, has been getting some real attention here at Casa De Neurotico. "Blackfire," released back in May, is a new, old school ska record and each track is more fun than the last.  It's not just the sparkling vibe of the whole session that does it for me. It's the brilliant production, making it feel like a lost classic from the vaults. Check out these tracks and maybe you'll want to hear more.

 

 

 

Stanton Moore: A Wow For Your Wednesday

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Stanton Moore (@stanton_moore)

"She knows music. She's got the power, Rosalie!"

When I woke up yesterday morning, I had no idea who Rosalie Cunningham was. A few minutes into my third cup of coffee, I received a text from my friend, "Listen to 'Two Piece Puzzle.' I'm betting it will be the best thing you listen to today." 

I listened. He won.

 

 

 

 

Maybe you're familiar with Rosalie Cunningham as a member of Ipso Factor or Purson. I was not. So I went into "Two Piece Puzzle" with zero expectations. I hadn't a clue as to what kind of music she'd be playing. Now that I've listened, it's still hard to nail, other than to say, the album sounded like a fresh creation; a Frankenstein monster pieced together from every record I loved and played to death from 1970-1980. 

I say that in the best possible way. 

 

What I heard on "Two Piece Puzzle" were sounds, melodies and inspiration from Fairport Convention and Genesis. Pink Floyd, both Syd-era and later. I heard a little bit of Macca's "Ram" and "Wild Life." I heard Procol Harum and Rush. Kate Bush. I heard The Move, specifically "Shazam." And yet, at no time did I feel like this record was some second rate pastiche or sneaky rewrite. The musicianship and the arranging will keep you on your toes. This record is one helluva ride.

 

 

I hope I didn't oversell it. 

 

Here are a few tracks. There are a half dozen more if you dig these. Next up, will be her 2024 release, "To Shoot Another Day," though I may need another round of "Two Piece Puzzle" first" 

 

 

 

(h/t hpunch)

Songs Of The Week, 2024: 11/2-11/8

 

Taught By Experts- Paul Kelly
Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand (Mirasound Version)- The Who
To My Own Devices- Soul Asylum
Heard It On The X- ZZ Top
Final Peace- Jeff Beck
Cities In Dust- Siouxsie & The Banshees
Walkin' - Paul Weller

zip

Taught By Experts- Paul Kelly
(Another new Paul Kelly record means another great Paul Kelly record. Here's a fave from "Fever Longing Still.")

Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand (Mirasound Version)- The Who
(This one features Al Kooper on organ.)

To My Own Devices- Soul Asylum
(I still haven't checked out the new Soul Asylum album "Slowly But Shirley." Have you? Is it worth it? Is it as good as "Let Your Dim Light Shine?" 30 years later and I still play "Dim Light" regularly. Here's one from that.)

Heard It On The X- ZZ Top
(Heard it on the iPod. Sounded great while riding the subway.)

Final Peace- Jeff Beck
(This was the first song that my brain went to after waking up to the horrible news on Wednesday. It's a beautiful piece of music that usually has a calming effect over me. It didn't work this time, but that's not Jeff Beck's fault.)

Cities In Dust- Siouxsie & The Banshees
(A favorite, thanks to that opening drum fill.)

Walkin' - Paul Weller

Baby, don't be slow
The world ain't gonna go
'Til we're out walkin'
Leave all the baggage at the door
You won't need it anymore
'Cause we're out walkin'

Take that hate
And turn the world around
Get some faith
And plant it in the ground
The flags don't cut it anymore
The same old lines we've heard before

Leave your baggage at the door
You won't need it anymore
We're out walkin'
It takes nothing to be kind
It's just another state of mind
You ain't used to

Take that hate
Turn the world around
Get some faith
And plant it in the ground
The flags don't cut it anymore
The same old lines we've heard before

So, baby, don't be slow
The world ain't gonna go
'Til we're out walkin'
(Walkin')

BW's Saturday #42

 

 

Apparently, there is a new George Burns/Toulouse Lautrec album.

Unhappy Holiday

 I made this cathartic and joy filled Weekend Mix in 2016, just after last time.   

   

I didn't enjoy my childhood, largely due to my abusive toxic narcissist father's idea of running a household, and his inability to stay in a job.  As you might imagine, more of this guy doesn't make me happy. I've been playing a lot of records, and working in my studio on some ambient pieces.

Music has always been my safe place. The last time I heard this was in 2016, and listening now, I think it still works. It's a "car tape" made for going to and from uncomfortable family holiday gatherings specifically Thanksgiving.

Unhappy Holiday

-BBJ

One Last Thing Before The Music Begins Again

I don't feel very inspired at the moment. I am sure that will change. I'll get some music up tomorrow and your Songs Of The Week zip on Sunday. We always need music. 

The following is something I posted on social media after being laughed at by two Trump voters because I said I was devastated by the outcome of Tuesday night, while also being told by another, someone I have known for almost 60 years, that "We all have opinions and we are allowed to voice them. It doesn't matter who wins." Apparently, these people don't understand something called social responsibility. They see no difference between "I don't like Blade Runner" and "Fuck the Mexicans."

 

For the record, I am still not over John Starks' nightmare performance in Game 7 of the 1994 NBA finals against the Houston Rockets 30 years ago. And that’s just fucking sports! Please, to those gloating and to the others who just don't seem to get it or actually care, get out my face with your “Get over its” and your “It doesn’t matters.” It matters! Jeez, it fucking matters! Okay?  So I'll keep out of your face while you sit back and wait for the money to start rolling in. You enjoy your delusion of 30 cent tomatoes and 5 cent licorice sticks and wax lips. And you keep out of my face with your smug and insensitive comments. 

 

It heartens me to see so many like-minded people here commenting on recent events. And by the way, for those of you who don't see your ignorant, racist comments published, hey, that fascism for ya. You voted for it.

Democracy, R.I.P.

 

VOTE!

 

Quincy Jones

 

Quincy Jones' body of work will forever be overshadowed by his years with Michael Jackson. But one perusal of his credits will make your jaw drop. I haven't listened to it all, by any stretch. But I do have a few favorites.

Songs Of The Week, 2024: 10/26-11/1

 

Albert Of India- Split Enz
Sunday (Moby Remix)- David Bowie
The Words- The Cyrkle
Feel It- Todd Rundgren
I'll Always Love You- The Detroit Spinners
Bring It To Me- I Roy
Buggin'- The Flaming Lips

zip

Albert Of India- Split Enz
(The collapse of the New York Yankees reminded me of an old friend who was a fan, as well as a Tim Finn/Neil Finn fanatic. Whenever we'd discuss a new album, either by Crowded House, or a Finn solo project, she'd always joke, "I bet nothing on it is as good as 'Albert Of India.'" We begin with her fave.)

Sunday (Moby Remix)-David Bowie
(I've made it clear many times just how much I love Bowie's "Heathen" record, but I can't recall the last time I listened to the CD bonus tracks. This one stood out. I love the added violin...or cello...or is it viola? Whatever is being bowed really added to the track.)

The Words- The Cyrkle
(An excellent b-side that popped up recently, "The Words" is probably the Cyrkle at their most psychedelic.)

Feel It- Todd Rundgren
(I was gifted a key, so to speak, to a Todd Rundgren vault a week or so ago. I can't go into the whole story right now, but I have been overwhelmed by the musical treasures found within. If I thought any of you reading would be as tickled as I am by any of this, I'd share some music from time to time. For now though, here is a favorite track from "Nearly Human." I'm sharing this one after listening to some studio sessions of this song.)

I'll Always Love You- The Detroit Spinners
(They hit the big time when they left Motown for Atlantic, but this one is a gem.)

Bring It To Me- I Roy
(I have a few I Roy and U Roy records, but "Dread Baldhead" was new to me and I loved it. Heavy on the bass with some truly joyful toasting. Maybe you'll dig this. Odds are you won't.)

Buggin'- The Flaming Lips
(Still having trouble getting this band. I admit, I haven't tried very hard because when I do, the music immediately gets under my skin. But I'd buy the Flaming Lips album that sounded like this.)

BW's Saturday #41

 

"With Threshing Oar": Burning Wood's WEEKEND METAL MIX

 

 

"Okay, thank you. Bye now. Bye. Thanks. Take care. Buh-bye. Nice seeing you. Been awhile. Thanks so much. Tell Phil I said hello. See you soon. Bye. Bye now. Goodbye. Toodle-oo. Thanks for coming. Oops, wrong door. Exit to the left. Ha, that's the one. Okay now. Thanks. Bye. Bye now. Bye. Oh stop it! The pleasure was all mine. Drive safe. See you again. Remember, pinochle next Thursday. Take care. Okay. Thanks."

Well, that's done. I want to thank the remaining six of you for sticking around and being open to this heavy metal Weekend Mix. I guarantee, it will not be a total bust if you just give some of these amazing tracks a drive around the compound.

For the record, I don't really know anything about heavy metal. If you look at my song choices, the most recent selection is 30 years old. I stopped listening to new heavy metal around the time of the first Mastodon album, a band I respect, but could never quite get into. I dislike more heavy metal artists than I like. I am not a fan of the cartoon bands, the hair spray, the misogyny, the juvenile lyrics or the posing, though I find it hard to believe that only heavy metal acts spend more time in front of a mirror than practicing. Mick Jagger didn't come out of the womb doing the chicken dance. (Though I guess I can't prove that.)

The songs selected for this mix are all favorites of mine for one reason or another. I make no apologies that none of the songs are about Hattie Carroll, or feature one man, an acoustic guitar, a few chords and a sad, mopey story. Don't get me wrong. I love those mopey sad songs as much as the next guy. But it's time to break out. Or let loose. Or go batshit. Pick your poison. (Now, that's a band I never liked. There are no Poison tracks on this mix.) You don't need to get so drunk that you pass out in an Uber and wake up the next morning with an Opeth tattoo. Just allow yourself one night, where no one is paying attention. Bend your knees. Untuck your shirt. Crack open a Schlitz. Say out loud, "THAT WAS A GREAT FUCKING GUITAR SOLO!" Maybe even play a little air guitar in front of a mirror. No one will care and I promise, your Townes Van Zandt records will be there when it's all over.

These songs are riff heavy and full of energy. The musicianship is often mind-boggling. Occasionally, the choruses rival some of the best pop songs of the last 60 years. Do I love every song by every artist represented? Absolutely not. But I do love enough not to dismiss an entire genre based on the bad apples and bad hairdos.

The few metal fans who are reading this might notice the conspicuous absence of Iron Maiden, often cited as the greatest heavy metal band of all. Well, I just never got them. I am not a fan. Look at it this way. When Uncle Tupelo broke up, some went with Son Volt while others went with Wilco.

"Some of them his friends, some of them her friends. Some of them understand."

I prefer Wilco. And in this case, I prefer Judas Priest, not Maiden. Understand?

TRACKLIST
Fireball- Deep Purple
Black Shapes Of Doom- Trouble
Ace Of Spades- Motorhead
Hammered- Motley Crue
Uncle Tom's Cabin- Warrant
Skin O'My Teeth- Megadeth
Fall To Pieces- Velvet Revolver
Jack The Stripper/Fairies Wear Boots- Black Sabbath
Perry Mason- Ozzy Osbourne
Don't De-Rock Me- Tesla
Green-Tinted Sixties Mind- Mr. Big
Cowboys From Hell- Pantera
Bringin' On The Heartbreak- Def Leppard
Only- Anthrax
Stargazer- Rainbow
Steeler- Judas Priest

zip

The Notes:

FIREBALL- DEEP PURPLE:
Some, myself included, would argue that Deep Purple isn't heavy metal. A lot of the time that would be true. But if I was making a weekend mix of 40's pop crooners, I'd still want to open it up with "Fireball." Ian Paice's opening drum pattern is a wonder of the world. 

BLACK SHAPES OF DOOM- TROUBLE:
Trouble are one of the pioneers of doom metal, you know, down tuned riffs and spiritual lyrics. That stuff. This wasn't the appeal for me and I could basically care less about their first few records. But then they met Rick Rubin, and their 1990 self-titled release on DefJam really knocked me out. I don't see much of a difference between this song and a number of MC5 songs, but that's me.

ACE OF SPADES- MOTORHEAD:
This is rock and roll. It's Chuck Berry. It's Dave Edmunds, who once produced Motorhead. The difference is, it's louder, harder and faster. What's wrong with that every now and then?

HAMMERED-MOTLEY CRUE:
Before you roll your eyes right back into the depths of your skull, this is NOT Vince Neil. I'll admit, I fell for "Live Wire" and "Looks That Kill" back in the 80's, mostly because I loved the way Tommy Lee played the drums. But Motley Crue overstayed their welcome and they are most likely the poster boys for all of the reasons people hate the genre. Then, John Corabi took over lead vocal duties from Neil and in 1994, Motley Crue released their best record. It's a proper heavy metal album with riffs to die for and a monster sound. It's full of hooks but without the clown front man.

UNCLE TOM'S CABIN-WARRANT:
The first song I heard by Warrant was "Cherry Pie." I hated it. I hated the video. But this track is brilliant. It was a huge hit for good reason. Maybe more hard rock than heavy metal, but I wanted to include it.

SKIN O'MY TEETH-MEGADETH:
A few of you felt violated when I posted "Bad Omen" last month. Sorry about that. You're probably not here now, so here's another from Megadeth. This is a band where I dislike more than I like. But they are really good at what they do, and when they hit, they hit big...even if Dave Mustaine is a putz.

FALL TO PIECES-VELVET REVOLVER:
As good as a power ballad gets.

JACK THE STRIPPER/FAIRIES WEAR BOOTS-BLACK SABBATH:
Sabbath started it all, no? This is probably the least metal sounding of all their songs, but it's my favorite Sabbath song, so it had to be here.

PERRY MASON-OZZY OSBOURNE:
45 years after "Paranoid," Ozzy meets Zakk Wylde on 1995's "Ozzmosis" album. This intro is an all timer of heaviosity. The Dr. Phibes organ into that first power chord at 0:30 and that riff that just won't quit that begins at 0:58 make this an absolute monster of a record. And Ozzy sounds great!

DON'T DE-ROCK ME-TESLA:
Tesla hit the big time with power ballad, Bic lighter waving, MTV hit "Love Song." Eh, it was okay. Overall, I think Tesla is just okay. But this song kills me. It's relentless. Just listen to the energy. And surely you can appreciate the instrumental jam that happens between 2:20-4:30, even if you can't appreciate the genre.

GREEN-TINTED SIXTIES MIND-MR.BIG:
I love Mr. Big. I love that guitarist Paul Gilbert is the ultimate shredder while absolutely loving the Beatles and Todd Rundgren. And while I will NOT defend the schmaltz that was "To Be With You," I will fight to the death that this track is as good as any of your favorite power pop songs. Check out those harmonies on the chorus.

COWBOYS FROM HELL-PANTERA:
I can only listen to Pantera in small doses. True story: I literally became physically ill one afternoon while listening to "Vulgar Display Of Power" at a painful volume while working at Smash CDs on St. Mark's Place. It was an onslaught of sound that caused nausea and a panic attack that lasted an hour. As Jack Paar would say, "I kid you not." But a few Pantera songs here and there really work for me. This is one nasty groove.

BRINGIN' ON THE HEARTBREAK-DEF LEPPARD:
I don't know anyone who doesn't like this song. I'm sure you'll tell me otherwise. But this is excellent record-making.

ONLY-ANTHRAX:
Funny, like Motley Crue, I mostly had little use for Anthrax until they got a new singer. Though seeing Anthrax, Public Enemy, Primus and the Young Black Teenagers from a V.I.P. section at The Ritz in 1991 was a concert highlight of my life. This track is from 1993's "Sound Of White Noise" which was the first album with singer John Bush. This sounds more like Alice In Chains than what you'd expect from Anthrax. Key stretch: 2:40-3:40.

STARGAZER- RAINBOW:
This is the template. It's epic! It's got wizards, chains, whips, towers, rainbows and stars, as well as one of the greatest voices of all time, Ronnie James Dio.

STEELER- JUDAS PRIEST:
We finish where it all began for me. One afternoon, while listening to all of my favorite records- Beatles, Bowie, Todd, Queen, Roxy, Mott, etc., I put on WNEW in time for Scott Muni's "Things From England" and heard "Beyond The Realms Of Death" from Judas Priest's then new record, "Stained Class." From that moment on, I was all in. They are not just my favorite metal band, but one of my favorite bands of all time. There have been missteps along the way, but then 50 years after the fact, they throw "Firepower" at us, a record I think is their best since 1980's "British Steel," my pick for Best Metal Record of All Time. "Steeler" closes out "British Steel" and closes out this mix. There are few stretches of music that can transport me to an otherworldly level as often as the second half of this track does. It begins at around 2:30 and only lets up when it's over. This is heavy metal thunder.