Top Ten Of The Week-Headphone Classics

While in Arizona I was subjected to plenty of different types of music thanks to XM radio and I hardly played any CDs this time out. But that didn't stop me from getting a few things and then coming back just in time for Half Priced Books 20 percent off sale and finding a couple more things and some books and of course, Dan Fogelberg Phoenix.

Coming soon, an appearance on Hoarders.

Thanks to Brooksie for sitting in. But she has informed me that she's retiring from blogging on her website at My Space. We'll miss her insightful reviews of bands that even I don't know about. She was a part of the Friday Night chats at MSN.com and later Multiply com at The Roost but as you know life happens and she's off to do her thing. Thanks Donna.

1. 10358 Overture-Electric Light Orchestra 1971 Mike Edwards, who played cello but didn't join the band till after the release of No Answer died Friday afternoon while driving and and getting hit by a runaway bale of hay which has to be the strangest way to die that I have heard. The first album No Answer was the only one to feature Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne. A strange concept of classical instruments set to rock music but I think it's more classical progressive than progressive rock and roll. Wood would leave to form Wizzard and Jeff Lynne picked up the pieces and would continue the classical rock mode for a couple more albums before scoring a top ten hit with Can't Get It Out Of My Head in 1975.

2. Radio Activity-Kraftwerk 1975 The only band I know that started out using a Gieger Counter for actual instruments. Some say they are more accessible than Neu! but on this song and album they do go into the valley of weird. And sometimes, weird can be good.

3. If I Had More Time-The Godfathers 1988 Why these guys never caught on in the US is beyond me but I enjoyed all of their 3 albums made for Epic. Perhaps they were too much rock guitar driven since most people were into hair metal or prissy keyboard bands, or Tiffany.

4. Head Over Heels-The Yo Yo's 2000 Another band that played Motors type of pub rock and had their album put out on the Sub Pop label at the turn of the century. It was in the dollar section of some Seattle music store that I can't think of the name of while visiting Seattle that year. Interesting to note that when I was in Seattle in 2001 that the whole 5 days I was there it was nice and sunny. No rain whatsoever.

5. Going Back To Birmingham-10 Years After 1974 From the crappy Positive Vibrations album to which I found a copy on Chrysalis instead of the usual Columbia label. Alvin Lee: great guitar player but an average songwriter at best. TYA would break up and then come back 14 years later with the subpar About Time, then Lee would go solo and the rest of the guys replaced him and made three albums the last decade. But I have yet to hear them.

6. When I Touch You-Spirit 1971 For a band that was highly great they only caught my attention on the classic 12 Dreams Of Dr. Sardonious by then they have broken up and the late David Briggs put it all together. Starts out with the John Locke Space Child and then mutates into When I Touch You which rocks with that freaky middle 8 when Randy California lets loose with lotsa screaming. Got this on Mobile Fidelity as one of those original master recordings they were famous for. Then Sony Music reissued it with bonus tracks and a 5.98 list price.

7. Justice-Molly Hatchet 2010 I really should give up reviewing these guys. Their last album Warriors Of The Rainbow Bridge was an absolute piece of shit and I shouldn't give Justice a second chance but I heard a decent review and found a used copy so WTF. Actually Justice improves twofold, Dave Hlubek is heard more on this and there is a bit more southern rock than the plastic hair metal guitar overdrive of Bobby Ingram. Phil McCormick will never replace Danny Joe Brown but sometimes he does a nice vocal intimation of D J Brown. But still, Justice could have used better production and a better sound, like Warriors, the recording is shitty but the title track remains one of their better numbers. In fact, you have to go back to Devil's Canyon for their last good album, which was the last album DJ Brown figured in and Phil took over after DJ Brown got too ill to continue. Or so what Bobby Ingram says.

8. First I Look At The Purse-J. Geils Band 1973 Live Full House is classic live Geils and Peter Wolf kicked major ass when he led this band in the early 70s. Sure they make their royalty checks count when they scored big with Centerfold and Freeze Frame but I prefer them in their R and B and rock and roll mode than that 80's production. Don't get me wrong I do like Centerfold but since FM radio plays it everyday I don't see the need to hear it at home anymore. And so it goes.

9. A Saucer Full Of Secrets-Pink Floyd 1969 Deep Tracks, that wonderful XM satellite station that I spent most of the time listening while driving on Arizona played this track but they played the version off Ummagumma then the second album. I tend to think that Pink Floyd pioneered space rock with the live side of Ummagumma. On a side note: Hawkwind, a band that was influenced by ummagumma has a new album out. Heard it rocked.

10. Explosion-Eli "Paperboy" Reed 2010 Finally a light of logic. While kids today are too busy getting into auto tuned rap and Glee like singalongs and more autotuner this dude goes for a R and B vibe aka Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. I understand this guy is more blues based and I haven't heard his early albums but thought I take a chance with his Capitol debut. This guy might be the second coming of Roy Head as he hoots and holler over a smoking James Brown groove from his band. Heard this playing over the speakers at Hastings in Flagstaff last week, sandwiched between the new Godawful Katy Perry album and the Glee covered Dream On. I'd love to see Reed make it but since he's on a dead label (EMI) chances are you won't be hearing this on the radio. And that's a shame. This is God honest soul music done right by a white guy that can bring it. Check it out gang.