E.T.’s Music Appreciation list: Top 25 for now….

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Eric Turnbow <etcosmic2000@yahoo.com> wrote:

So who are your top 25 artists? That is a tricky question. There are just so many. But we could take a stab at it perhaps!

Wow, This is great idea. As an all pro DJ it is all about having the right cut for the right occasion such as a wedding or toga party. This will be a very useful tool for me. Thank you, and what a great idea. I rather enjoyed Marilyn and Marc Lund’s lists, and have a lot of music in common with them. That is also a lot of hard work and time consumption. Job well done! I like so much stuff that a top 100 list would be a tough duty. I would have to pick almost all of the Beatles albums for one thing! So I am going to do this my own way. I prefer to mention Bands and not albums, but touch on my favourite work within the artist catalogue. Thanks again for this idea and opportunity. I love music! It makes my world go ’round. I also enjoy being online. Quite the hobby for me I must say.

E.T.’s Music Appreciation list:
Top 25 for now……. (March 22nd, 2006)

01. The Beatles:


I think my favourite song has to be “A Day in he Life”, followed by “Across The Universe”. I love the “golden Slumbers medley” from Abbey Road, “Julia”, and “The Long and Winding Road”. and if I had to pick a favourite album I may surprise you when I choose “Magical Mystery Tour”. I love that one, but I love ALL of them baby! I am into the art and poetic lyrics. I love to know what inspired the song, such as “Martha” was Paul’s sheep-dog, and the back ups on “Girl” were all about the female anatomy “tit tit tit tit tit”. Paul has confirmed this on the Anthology dvd’s. I know al ot more but this is just item number one!

02. Paul McCartney:


I have to say his solo work is some of my all time favourite stuff. I own EVERY cd, even the classical stuff. I really dig the early Wings stuff like “McCartney”, “Ram”, and “Red rose Speedway”. An overlooked gem, for me anyway is 1997′s “Flaming Pie”. I dig that album. I really miss Linda a whole lot. A great track that comes to mind for me is “Venus and Mars are all-right tonight”. My least favourite Paul song is “Silly Love Songs”. He did not need to go there. But Paul is definitely my favourite Beatles. 51% Paul to 49% John. Just my opinion,

03. Bob Dylan:


His song-writing is almost UN-matched. His body of work is terrifying, and still growing. I like it all. My favourite album though is still “Blood on The Tracks”, followed by “Desire” and then maybe “Highway 61″. I am in awe of his talent for creating words and music. Some of my all time favourites are “Forever Young”, one of my theme songs, and “I’ll be your baby tonight”, “Just like a Woman”, “Ride Me High”, and “Tonight I’ll be staying here with you”. Bob is just so great. I wish he still had his melody together when he plays live though. The records sound a lot better. I love it all.

04. Neil Young:
I have to go with “Harvest Moon”, “Comes a Time” and “Unplugged” as 3 of my favourites. It’s all good. Innovative and great. I like the country acoustic sounding Neil way more than grunge Crazy Horse Neil. Speaks to me a lot more. My favourite tour was Neil Solo all the way talking to the audience and playing his classic Martin and Gibson guitars. That is Neil in his best form, for me anyway. Let me just mention Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young here as well! Or even just CSN as a three some. Fantastic! Great stuff!

05. Eric Clapton:


I learned all his guitar licks when I was in high school. I dig the blues, and a really special record for me was “E.C. Was Here”. The one with the female boobs on it. I copied all those licks and learned the guitar that way. “We’re all the Way” is a sentimental song, and his unplugged album if just great. Won 6 grammy’s in fact. The record “Slow hand” is also a favourite of mine.

06. Pink Floyd


Wow they are way at the top, in the top five. I just overlooked them! “Dark Side of The Moon” is a masterpiece. Their spacey experimental music is just my cup of tea. It was nice to see them reunite for “Live 8″ last summer,. Sentimental and touching. Concept albums and great music. “Brain Damage” is a song that comes to mind. Wow. That cd “Echoes’, with the greatest hits all run together is one of my favourites. Great group.

07. Led Zeppelin


Also in my top five. My favourite cd is “Houses of the Holy” and I like “Physical Graphitti a lot as well. The acoustic stuff like “That’s the Way”, and “Going To California” are stand outs. That was one hell of a band! They still hold up today. Long live Led!

08. Tom Petty:


Petty all night. What a great writer and Rock Icon. I like everything he did. “Echoes” was one of his best for me. The song “Room at The Top of The World” is a really great tune. I love his attitude. Of course “Full Moon Fever” has to be mentioned. Incredible work.

09. Elvis Presley


Especially the later Vegas Elvis with James Burton on Guitar. What a band! Awe inspiring. I like the album “Moody Blue” a lot, and the “Aloha From Hawaii” ranks up there in live performances for me. I like the Mac Davis penned “Don’t Cry Daddy”. and his version of “Pledging my Love”. Elvis was way cool. His bass player Jerry Sheff was a monster, and Ronnie Tutt the drummers drummer. Quite a catalogue.

10. Moody Blues


I am a huge fan! I must single out “Days of Future Past” and “In Search of The Lost Chord”. I have sentimental memories attached to these albums. One stand out track for me is ” I never Thought I’de live To Be a hundred”, and another is “Are you sitting Comfortably”. Great band.

11. Fleetwood Mac:


Stand out albums “Rumours”, and the first album with the females together. “Landslide” is one of my favourite songs ever. I love Stevie Nicks. She is my favourite female rocker. This chemistry in this group works
well.

12. Rolling Stones.
Bone turned me onto “Beggars Banquet”, and some of that old stuff really rocks. Especially the acoustic guitars. “Sticky Fingers” is a must for any collection. A stand out song for me is “Salt of the Earth”. They nailed it with Paul Shaffer Band on the New York 911 Tribute. “No expectations” is a stand out cut for me as well.

13. The Eagles


I love the harmony in this group. “7 Bridges Road” is a great song to learn harmony on. They are classics. I love the “Desperado” cd. It is like a concept album. Another stand out for me is “The Last Resort” from Hotel California. There is a lot of great tracks. Too many to list.

14. The Allman Brothers Blues Band

That Duane Allman and his slide guitar! I am hooked. The live album “Live at The Fillmore” still ranks as one of my top ten cd’s of all time. “Dreams I’ll Never See”, and “One Way Out”, Fabulous. That Southern music has a rocking kick and influenced my bass and guitar playing tremendously.

15. Merle Haggard


I know he is old and country, but man, Merle is my favourite good old boy. Just great. “That’s the Way Love Goes’, is a stand out track for me, as well as “Heaven is a drink of wine” and “Silver Wings”. He has lived his music and as far as country goes, he is the best for me.

16. Lynyrd Skynrd


Man I love the classic band before the plane crash. “Simple Man”, is one of my theme songs, and you can’t go wrong with “Free bird” as a rock anthem. I grew up with that group, and still listen to the street survivors to this day. They just made the hall of fame last week! About time!

17. Aerosmith


Americas Rolling Stones, but way hotter, live at least. They rock. My favourite record of theirs is “Pumped” with stand out tracks like “Other side” and “What it Takes”. Classic stuff is good and holding up well like “Seasons of Wither”. They are real comrades of rock.

18. Simon and Garfunkle


Wow. The songs are right on. “The Only Living Boy In New York” is a great track. I love that “Sounds of Silence” album. The chemistry and song writing was really spot on. No doubt. Terrific! “Kathy’s Song” another great one. All their music was fantastic come to think of it.

19. The Who


“Tommy” is still one the best concept albums to date. I love it. Great rocking band. Great songs. “Behind Blue Eyes” is a stand out song. “Guadrophenia” another great piece of work. Sad to say 2 are dead now. Their music will live on for eons.

20. Grateful Dead


“American Beauty” is my favourite record of theirs. I love “Ripple” and all the stuff that Robert Hunter wrote. Great jam band, and great music catalog.

21. Kansas


I have always been a huge fan. I guess “Left overture” and “Point of no Return” are stand outs for me. They are unusual and just great. “Magnum Opus” was a song I always liked.

22. Nora Jones


I gotta get a girlie here. “Come Away With Me” is a fine record. I just love it. Ravi Shankar is her dad so she has a Beatles connection as well. “Don’t Know way” is a stand out cut for me.

23. Billy Joel


Love the Piano Man. He has such a great volume of work that stands out. One of my favourite records of his is “Innocent Man’. The lyrics on “We didn’t Start the fire” are clever and really good. Great songs.

24. Elton John

“No Sacrifice” is one of my favourite songs. “Your Song” is another stand out. His partnering with Bernie Taupen came close to Lennon and McCartney and their work is just great. “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” is a classic and who does not like “Crocodile Rock”. Sir Elton. Go dude.

25. Shawn Mullins


A lot of people do not know him well, but he speaks to me. His album “Souls Core” is one of the best. Nice acoustic and mellow songs. His deep voice singing straight from the heart. “Gulf of Mexico” is a real stand out song for me. Check that album out.

This is just the tip of the ice berg, Top 25 for now.
There is much much more. I assure you. Look at (CCR,
John Mellencamp, The Doors, Hendrix, Stevie Ray
Vaughn, Gordon Lightfoot, Crosby Stills and Nash, Joan
Baez, Leonard Cohen, Bad Company,) and so many more to
come! Wow. This is fun. Thanks for indulging me.

Eric Turnbow
Music Lover…………..

 

The Great Marc Lund Responded to this cool list of Music Favourites!

Eric,
Great list!  Obviously we have a lot of the same faves, but lots of differences, too.  Through your first 5, I’d say my only difference of note would be that I love Neil with Crazy Horse, in addition to the acoustic Neil.  I still think “Everybody Knows this is Nowhere” is a masterpiece that has easily stood the test of time.  Saw Neil at Farm Aid last fall.  He did a great version of Fats Domino’s “Walkin’ To New Orleans.”
Your Dylan picks are mine as well, along with the Bootleg Series cds I put on my list.
With Clapton, you didn’t mention Derek and the Dominos, but since you love Duane Allman’s slide (as do I, but only because he was JUST FUCKING GREAT!), you gotta love the Layla album.
In your next 5 we begin to go our separate ways a bit.  I like the Moodys, and specifically the 2 albums you mention.  I still love the “dinosaur” stereo effects on “In Search of the Lost Chord.”  Play that back to back with Joe Walsh’s “Rocky Mountain Way” for good laughs and good music.
I always thought Zep was a “good” band — until I heard the cd “How the West Was Won” — and then I realized they were one of the greatest bands ever.  I don’t know if you have their dvd “DVD,” but it’s spectacular and amazing.
Elvis???   Haven’t really listened to much of the King.  I first heard him do “Mystery Train” about 45 years ago.  I was impressed then, and I’ve never changed my mind about it.  I also have a Dylan cover album with Elvis doing “Tomorrow Is A Long Time” and it is a stunner!  So maybe you could point me towards listening to some particular album???
Artists 10-15    I’m with you all the way on the Allman Bros.  Their box set “Dreams” is a great one.  I like their early covers of Cream, Yardbirds, Jeff Airplane, etc.  Love their demo version of “Dreams” with wah-wah guitar thrown in.  I do admit to finding it impossible to explain how they continued to make great albums forever after Duane died, but they did.
Haven’t ever really heard any Merle other than “Okie from Muskogie.”  Fleetwood Mac is okay.  I know some think Stevie bleats rather than sings, but I always feel her tongue in my ear when I listen to her.
I guess I consider the Eagles somewhat of a guilty pleasure, but they put out a lot of good music that I really like.  As for the Stones, those geezers can still rock.  I love all their early covers, especially Slim Harpo’s “I’m a King Bee.”  If you listen to Slim and then Mick & the boys, then you can see they copied him note for note –don’t care–I love it.
Your next 5….Lynyrd Skynrd and Aerosmith have never been bands I’ve listened to much, tho’ I love Lynyrd Skynrd’s song “That Smell.”
I’ve already written you tons about Simon and Garfunkel, so I’m with you there…and I will admit that their album “Bridge Over Troubled Water” is growing on me.
I love the Who.  I od’d on Tommy a long time ago, but I can never get enough of “Who’s Next.”  Some Grateful Dead puts me to sleep, but some of it is just incredible.  “American Beauty” and “Workingman’s Dead” are great records.  Not sure which of their jam stuff I would say is their best.  Lord knows there is thousands of hours of that stuff available.  Don’t know if you saw the movie “Festival Express,” but the Dead were just fucking great in the movie, as were Janis Joplin, the Band, the Flying Burrito Bros., Buddy Guy, etc.  If you haven’t seen that movie, drop everything.  Is is just wonderful.
Your last 5 I gotta go a separate way.  I really like Elton’s “Tumble weed Connection” album, and to a lesser extent, “Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road,” but most of the rest of his stuff I can easily do without.
The other 4 are pretty much unknowns to me.  Other than the few FM hits Kansas had, I’ve never really tuned into them.  Don’t know that I’ve ever heard any Nora Jones, tho’ the name rings a bell.  I think the only Billy Joel song I ever liked was “Allentown.”…and I’ve never heard of Shawn Mullen.
Here’s my 25 artists off the top of my head and in no particular order:
  1. Bob Dylan
  2. Richard Thompson/Sandy Denny/Fairport Convention
  3. Neil Young
  4. Van Morrison
  5. Beatles
  6. Stones
  7. Who
  8. Simon & Garfunkel
  9. Van Morrison
  10. Frank Zappa and the Mothers
  11. Allman Bros
  12. Jimi Hendrix
  13. Janis Joplin (especially when with Big Bro)
  14. The Band
  15. Santana
  16. Rod Stewart
  17. Doors
  18. Camper Van Beethoven
  19. Credence
  20. Talking Heads
  21. John Lennon
  22. Steely Dan
  23. Joe Cocker
  24. Tom Petty
  25. Delaney and Bonnie
I know I snuck in a couple extras by putting RT, Sandy Denny and Fairport on one line, but I couldn’t help myself,  Bad enough to have to leave the Eagles, Byrds. Velvet Underground, Elvis Costello and the Police off the list…. I just couldn’t bear leaving off Tom Petty and Delaney and Bonnie….
Keep on Rockin’

Marc

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