Top Ten:Making It Through The Flood

While going through the archives of Crabby, I have noticed one big thing-I do bitch a lot and judging from the archives it seemed like we had lots of rain even way back to July of last year.  Thankfully, we have gone four days of no rain this week.  I love that, no rain.  And so do most of y'all here too.

My brother left a note saying that the old dulplex we call Broadcast Manor didn't fare so well.  Seems like the old place got at least four inches of rain and mud in the duplex itself, or even four feet of mud and rain at one point.  My thoughts go out to the tennants.  As I said before, floods are no fun.  They suck in 1993, I'm sure they sucked in 1929 and they definley were not fun this year.

I hope nobody goes through this kind of flood ever again.  Anywhere in this world.

And now in a attempt to get back to normal, the top ten with my observations.

1.  Red-King Crimson 1974  As much as we like In The Court Of The Crimson King, I still perfer the angry prog rock of this album and the title track.  It's probaly the closest thing to heavy metal that Robert Fripp ever got to.  It was to be the last album that Fripp would name under the King Crimson banner, but then again he always seem to end the band after each new album at that time.

2.  Save It For Later-The English Beat 1983  I miss the old days of MTV showing videos and TBS's long gone Night Tracks, you would see this video quite a bit in the old days.  Later covered by Pete Townsend.

3.  Feed The Tree-Belly 1993  I could have swore that I put this song on the Top Ten Of The Week a few times, but maybe I did that over at the Yardbird's Roost on MSN.Com.  Looked through about a year and half of Top Tens here and didn't see it, so here tis.  The best song that Tanya Donnelly did in this band. It cries out for a 90s compliation since most of the album its on isn't that great.

4.  Faster Car-Keith Urban 2006  This song is more rock and roll than what I hear on the "real rock" stations and a year and half later I still find Keith's last album to be very listenable.  Take away the banjo and you couldn't tell the difference between this and Fleetwood Mac.

5.  Big Fat Mama-Status Quo 1973  Boogie boogie boogie.  These guys never did much over here and I'm still trying to get their last album but I think once upon a time, KFMH used to play this song on the late Progression show at that time of the 70s. Strange to see the reissue didn't have the two bonus tracks that Repitore Records put on their Piledriver album.  And found that for three bucks sealed at Half Priced Books.

6.  I Can't Stand It-Robin Trower 1974  From Twice Removed From Yesterday, Trower played in Procol Harum before going solo and becoming a cult guitar hero.  The secret weapon had to be James Dewar's singing.  This record is a bit darker and bit more muddier sounding than the next album Bridge Of Sighs.  But I perfer my music a bit more muddier and darker sounding.

7.  My Friend John-The Fratellis 2008  Two albums in two years!  What are these guys trying to do, bankrupt the recording industry?!?  But they're doing better than other Brit bands such as The Feeling and McFly whose last album stayed on the other side of the pond.  The reviews on the new Frattellis Here We Stand album have been less than stellar but I do believe that I like this one better than Costello Music, even though that album was pretty darn good.

8. Can I Tell You-Kansas 1974  Sure you can tell me anything you want.  From the debut album, to which my vinyl copy, donated to the Salvation Army in Czech Village was washed away by the flood.  But I did find the CD at Mister Money downtown for a dollar.

9.  Nothin-Robert Plant/Alison Krauss 2007  The success album of the year.  They said that the pairing of ole Percy and the lady would not work out but instead they have been wowing them in concerts across the country.  Course they get Crabb points for covering the last song that Townes Van Zandt wrote and recorded too.

10.  St. Georg & The Dragon (up all night)-Eclection 1968  A band that had furture Fairport Conventioneers Gerry Conway and Trevor Lucas, these guys sounded a cross between the Mamas and Papas and Jefferson Airplane Takes Off era.  Mike Rosen and Georg Hultgreen were the main writers and performers and they do sound a bit more progressive than Fairport was.  This came out on Elektra back in late 1968 and reissued about 35 years later on Collector's Choice Music.  Of course, this CD was gathering cobwebs on the shelves of Half Priced Books and I waited till they stuck in the bargain bins. 

Even in a era of 4 dollar gallon gas, and ranging river and floods I still manage to find the bargains.

Stay dry people :)