Rock-tober: Day 31

Soo...

After 30 days it's come down to this. The last day of Rock-tober. Thirty songs taken from the psychedelic 60's to the very far edge of the glam rock '80's. What band could possibly tie off this historic effort?

Back on the radio version of Rock-tober, closing honors usually went to Rush or Zeppelin. Nothing against those boys, but this is my list, and I'm closing it out southern style. This requires a southern band. And not just any southern band, I'm talking about a southern Rock-and-Roll band.

I'm talking about Skynrd, y'all.

But which song?

Before you start breaking out your bird whistles, let me tell you, that's not where we're going. I'll flick my Bic and yell "Freebird" at every concert just like any other true believer, but today's destination is a whole other place.

Growing up in South Mississippi, it was common sport to make fun of our neighboring state to the east. While Mississippi may have lagged in national polls on education, income, and healthcare, we could always say, "At least we aren't Alabama."

With irony not lost on me, after graduating from high school, I wound up attending college first at the University of South Alabama and then the university of Alabama: Auburn. All told, I spent the next 10 years of my life in this foreign land. In those 10 years, I graduated from college, got my first job, and proposed to my wife. Not bad for a Mississippi ex-pat living abroad.

During my exile, I saw almost every corner of the state. I hiked the trails in Chewacla, enjoyed the sun and sand in Gulf Shores, caught the view from the state's highest point on Mt. Cheaha, and watched lightning storms up close and personal from my hillside apartment in Birmingham.

I also partied during Mardi Gras in Mobile, hunted for lost treasures at the Great Boaz Flea Market, and shared a bottle of Southern Comfort while Hank Jr. performed at Oak Mountain Amphitheater.

And the food...

With fresh seafood on the coast, mouthwatering barbecue up north, and the best Sunday-after-church lunch spread in the entire state in my mother-in-law's dining room, Alabama was almost heaven for a foodie.

I came to really enjoy my life there. So, yeah, at the end of it all, I was actually a little sad to leave.

Have you figured out our final song? Of course you have.

Sing us home, boys!

Rock-tober: Day 30

Dire Straits was founded in 1977 around the guitar slinging Knopfler brothers. Their sound is unique, and if you listen to any Dire Straits song you'll hear their jazz and blues roots shining through.

Of their six albums, my favorite is their fifth, Brothers in Arms, put out in 1985. This album garnered a couple of Grammys and saw the release of 5 singles. One of them went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Top 100: "Money for Nothing".

The problem is, I really don't like it. Maybe I can blame MTV. Back in the day, the station only had a handful of music videos and they played them repeatedly - burning me out permanently on the song. Besides, I think other tracks on the album are way more interesting and showcase their blues influenced style way better.

I've owned two copies of this album. The first was actually a cassette that I brought with me on board the USS Seahorse. I added it to the collection in the galley's stereo system, and just about every time I walked in, night or day, it was playing. When I disembarked I left it behind figuring it was in a loving home.

I relied strictly on radio airplay to get my Straits fix after that. This lasted until 2006 when a Ukrainian lady I was working with gave me her copy, now in CD format. After 17 years I owned the album again. Thanks, Olga!

Here's the thing. After all that, my favorite Straits song isn't even on Brothers in Arms.  For that, you've got to go all the way back to 1978 and their self titled, debut album, Dire Straits. If you ran with me back in the day, you'll know which song I'm talking about.

Rock-tober: Day 29

A wise man once said, "Bend the rules, but don't break them."

Rock-tober Ground Rule #2 states no songs newer than 1989 are allowed on the list. While today's song was released as a single in 1990, it was on an album released in 1989 - all is still right in Rock-tober.

In August of 1989, I'd just completed a training cruise aboard the USS Seahorse. We were docked in Charleston and I was in the barracks packing for my flight home the next day.

While packing, I was listening to the radio, and Steve Tyler was a guest on a local rock station giving us a sneak preview of their upcoming record, Pump.

Over the next few hours before each song was played, he introduced it and talked about its inspiration and back-story. A few weeks later, Pump was released and went on to become one of Aerosmith's most successful records. It spawned six singles that all broke into the Billboard Top 40 with three going to number 1, including today's feature, "What It Takes".

Online sources say two videos exist for this song. One has the band performing in a honky-tonk, and the other is footage from the creation of Pump. For whatever reason, the Pump footage garnered more airtime. That's a shame, because I think Aerosmith performing in a country dive behind chicken coop wire is brilliantly hilarious.

Rock-tober: Day 28

You'll not likely find this band on any national list or all time top 100 lineup.

LeRoux was formed in the heart of the '70's and in the heart of Bayou country. Thriving regionally throughout the mid '70's and into the present, their venues consist mainly of concerts in and around New Orleans and state and county fairs all along the Gulf Coast.

Most folks north of the Mason-Dixon will never have heard of them, and that's fine. We'll just keep them a southern secret - just like the best location for beignets in the Quarter or the one sure way for a girl to get some beads on Mardi Gras.

Someone said, "All women are beautiful. God just spent a little more time on Southern women." In "New Orleans Ladies", LeRoux extolled the virtues of the Crescent City's creole beauties, qualities that easily extend to all women of the south.

But it's not all moonlight and magnolias. From "Take a Ride on a Riverboat", the group cautions

"Delta nights are deadly,

Delta women, too."

They can frustrate, exasperate, and bring you to the brink of despair. But in the next moment, they can melt away the melancholy by a look, the scent of her perfume, or the mere sound of her voice.

"A sassy style that will drive you crazy.

And they hold you like the light

hugs the wick when this candle's burning." 

So, what's my final take on life with a Southern gal? Let's just say I'm smiling.

Rock-tober: Day 27

Chances are, if you came of age in the '80's, you were listening to Bon Jovi.

The boys from Jersey were one of the hottest tickets in those days, and when it came to Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, guys wanted to be them and girls wanted to be with them.

Starting with their debut album, Bon Jovi, and continuing with 7800° Fahrenheit  their success continued to build with each successive release. When Slippery When Wet was unleashed in 1986 it became the bands turning point. No longer an opening band, they became headliners in their own right.

Slippery When Wet was eventually certified a Diamond album, and it spawned two number one hits, "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Livin' On a Prayer".

I have a special affinity for Bon Jovi because it's like they wrote the soundtrack for my teenage years...

"Remember days of skipping school

racing cars and being cool?"

...described my home town...

"Sometimes this town ain't pretty,

but you know it ain't so bad..."

...and even my car...

"...on a steel horse I ride..."

...yeah, I know that last one was a stretch.

The folks from Young Guns II approached Jon Bon Jovi about using "Wanted" for the movie's soundtrack. Jon didn't think it was a good fit since the song actually describes the life of a rock star rather than a cowboy. He came up with an alternative, "Blaze of Glory", that was used in the movie. I actually think this is my favorite song of his, but unfortunately it was released in 1990 and violates Rock-tober Ground Rule #2.

Rock-tober: Day 26

While I know this is Rock-tober, let me take a moment to acknowledge America's bluegrass and country heritage. Music from this genre has a certain sound to it, the "twang" that comes from its deep bluegrass roots that most people love or hate. Music from this genre is also slower than your typical rock ballad. I believe it's because these songs actually tell a story - something hard to do if you're riffing on a guitar at 120 beats a minute.

Call it Southern Rock, Rock-a-Billy, or whatever; there's no denying groups like Marshall Tucker, Skynrd, and Molly Hatchet have influenced and are influencing the sound of rock and roll.

Copperhead Road, was released by Steve Earle in 1988. While definitely in the rock category, there's no mistaking the country influence. The title track, "Copperhead Road", opens with what sounds like synthesized bagpipes before easing into a lilting bluegrass rhythm.

Earle then regales you with the history of three generations of the moonshining Pettimore clan and their troubles with revenuers, the local sheriff, and the DEA. Toss in a souped up "big black Dodge", the Vietnam War, and "some seeds from Colombia and Mexico", and you've got the makings of a pretty intriguing story.

I've been told that a certain relative of mine was a bit of a bootlegger in his day. While working the oil fields in Saudi Arabia, he developed his own hooch recipe. So, in the heart of the Arabian kingdom with some pretty draconian penalties hanging over him if caught, he was distilling and selling 'shine. Dude had some brass ones.

I wonder if he still has the recipe.

Rock-tober: Day 25

Crosby, Stills, and Nash have been making music together since the 60's and have an impressive collection of songs under their belts. However, from their entire discography, I only have a single song.

"Southern Cross" came off Daylight Again, released in 1982.

Stills said part of the inspiration for "Southern Cross" was a long boat trip he took after a divorce. The guy in the song is reeling from a really bad breakup, and he sails out onto the open ocean for solace and healing. I think it's a valid prescription.

There's something both terrifying and beautiful about being on the water. The sheer vastness tends to put your perceived problems in perspective. My first night on the open ocean I was on the fantail of a Navy frigate. In the middle of the night, in the middle of the ocean, I looked up.

Above me from horizon to horizon was largest, brightest expanse of stars I'd ever seen. What I thought was a starry night back on shore, I now realized was a cheap counterfeit. These stars seemed both impossibly far away , but also close enough for me to reach out and touch them. The whole experience was cathartic.

"When you see the Southern Cross for the first time,

you understand why now you came this way."

Indeed.

Rock-Tober: Day 24

When a kid hits a certain age and gets his driver's license, sometimes he inherits the old family sedan. I was fortunate that this was the case for me. I was doubly fortunate that the old family sedan was a '70 Mustang with a 302.

Mom and Dad were understandably nervous as they passed me the keys, and they had one adamant rule: No racing!

So, one day I find myself at the drag strip. I figured I'd make a couple of runs and call it a day with no one the wiser. Well, I wind up winning a 1st place trophy.

Now I'm really torn. I decide I've got to come clean. At home I tell Mom about my day at the track, and she was not amused. Crap.

"We told you not to race that car! When your dad gets home you know you're going to have to face him." Double crap.

So what does all this have to do with the psychedelic, drug addled song, "Magic Carpet Ride"?

Going full throttle was an awesome feeling. It still is. I could swear there's a certain speed where the pitch of the engine's drone kicks endorphin production into high gear. In that sense, speed really is a drug and the 'Stang just happens to be the "Magic Carpet".

After sweating bullets all afternoon, Dad finally gets home and starts trimming a hedge in the backyard. I walk over to him slowly and tell him I took the Mustang to the track. As he turns to face me, his brow gets furrowed, he plants his hands on his hips, and I'm feeling about two feet tall.

Then his expression changes. He raises an eyebrow, "Did you win?"

"Umm, I, uh, beat a Camaro..."

"A Camaro?"

"I got a trophy...."

"You got a trophy?"

"...uh...and a case of oil..."

"Hmph. OK. Don't do it again." And he turns around and goes back to trimming the hedge.

Easily in my Top 5 Father - Son moments!

Rock-tober: Day 23

Back when I was still at Auburn, one popular hangout was my buddy John's house. Unlike the rest of us students living in dorms, trailers, or tiny efficiency apartments, John somehow scored an actual "house", house.

One evening a large group of us were all over for one of our frequent dinner parties. Sometime during the course of the evening, I stepped away from the party and wandered into the unoccupied living room. "When a Man Loves a Woman" started playing on the stereo and I remember just standing there transfixed, listening to the lyrics and the music.

I must have been a curious sight because another one of John's guests was intrigued by the scene of me staring off into space with an R&B classic playing in the background. She asked me what was on my mind, and I honestly can't remember what I said.

Back in the mid-'60s, Percy Sledge was performing one night at a club in Sheffield, Alabama. At the time, he was feeling pretty low about a recent breakup with his girl and was having trouble focusing on the performance. On stage, he turned to his band and asked them to play something bluesy and slow. They started, and after a pause, Percy just belted out what was on his heart. The result was a totally ad-libbed outpouring of himself.

It struck a nerve with a lot of people because when it was released as a single in 1966 it went all the way to number 1 on both the Billboard 100 and R&B charts. Good music, as I've said is timeless, and when Michael Bolton released his cover of the song a quarter-century later, it earned him a #1 record as well as a Grammy.

Back at my buddy John's dinner party, the two wandering guests eventually returned to the group. But that simple exchange led to longer, more memorable conversations in the following months. To make a long story short, I married her. Did we get some mojo off this classic? Maybe. It's a cool story anyway.

Rock-tober: Day 22

There's a plaque hanging on the wall at my favorite watering hole. On this plaque is a quote from H. L. Mencken: "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats."

You know those days when you get into that mood? Those days when you just double dare the meanest dog in the neighborhood to make a run at you? Those are the days made for "Hair of the Dog".

"Hair of the Dog" is the title track off the '75 release, Hair of the Dog. The lyrics are a one-sided dialog of a dude telling some manipulative temptress that she's met her match in him. Guess what? No one cares. Even if you could understand the lyrics through their thick Scottish accents, what hooks people is the chorus:

"Now you're messin' with a Son of a B*tch."

Amusingly, that part is very easy to understand. But what about the album name?

Nazareth wanted to name the album Son of a B*tch. The record label said, "No."

Nazareth then asked, "How about 'Heir of the Dog'?" (since heir of the dog loosely translates to SOB...). 

"No."

Fine. This is how we got Hair of the Dog - a misnomer, wrapped in a pun, wrapped in a PG-13 marketing strategy.

Regardless, this is the soundtrack you want backing you up when you're just ballsy enough to charge the world and take it on in a no holds barred grudge match.

You know what? I think I just found my new ring tone.

Rock-tober: Day 21

Yes, I know Don Henley is a member of the Eagles. Yes, I know Don Henley recorded "The Boys of Summer". No, this does not violate Ground Rule #3.

Building the Perfect Beast was a solo album for Henley and was not an Eagles project, therefore Ground Rule #3 is preserved. So there. Any more complaints? Refer to Ground Rule #1.

"The Boys of Summer" was the first track on Building the Perfect Beast released in '84. I seem to remember this song more from the video than from radio airtime. This makes sense, since it won Video of the Year and other awards including Best Cinematography.

One interpretation of this song is it represents coming of age. One day you look around and realize you have a family, a mortgage, and a 9 to 5 job. There's nothing wrong with being 20 years down range from high school, but there's a periodic tendency to look back to simpler times.

For me, this was summertime on the Mississippi Gulf Coast: the scent of blooming magnolias, cruising the beach with the windows down, the carnival atmosphere of the Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo, salt spray on the boat ride to Ship Island, and the shade of the Friendship Oak. I realize I'm remembering all this through the rosy lenses of nostalgia, but I'm good with that.

Don Henley: The Boys of Summer

Let me leave you with another personal factoid. I'm no singer, but if I'm in the car alone when this song comes on, I will absolutely belt it out.

Rock-tober: Day 20

Guns N' Roses was formed in 1985 from members of two bands, L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose. As Guns N' Roses, they released Appetite for Destruction in the summer of 1987, and "Paradise City"  was released as a single a year later in the fall of 1988.

In the spring of 1989 I was at Auburn University waiting for spring break to roll around. The plan was to hit Panama City, work my way west, and eventually wind up at home in Long Beach. As I'm sitting in class, the words to this song kept running through my head. I found myself rocking it out on air drums during the lecture, and the lyrics eventually morphed into

Take me down to Panama City,

where the water's blue

and the girls wear bikinis.

Hey, it's cheesy now, but it put a smile on my face during differential equations...

I eventually did make it to Panama City. The water was definitely blue, and indeed, there were girls wearing bikinis.

Rock-tober: Day 19

It was 1985. The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire, and Rocky IV packed theaters; Reagan was in the White House dealing with Khadafi's "Line of Death"; gas was about a buck a gallon; and that fall I was a Junior at Long Beach High School.

Also that fall, "Home Sweet Home" was released and it went all the way up to....89 on the Billboard Top 100. What?! The song did not do well on its initial release, so why do I remember otherwise?

The band was at odds with Elektra Records about what songs to release off Theatre of Pain. The band was pushing for "Home Sweet Home", but this was rejected by Elektra. Undeterred and believing in their song, the Crüe shot their own video and approached MTV

In the fall of '85, MTV was barely four years old and actually played videos all the time. Part of their programming included a video daily request. When "Home Sweet Home" aired, it stayed on the daily request chart for three months. It stayed so long, MTV was forced to enact the unofficial Crüe Rule, allowing them to eliminate a video from their playlist after 30 days.

In spite of Elektra not promoting the song at all on the radio and thanks to a fledgling MTV, "Home Sweet Home" went on to become the Crüe's most powerful ballad and the band's own favorite. Nikki Sixx even said, "...that song's kind of like our 'Dream On' or our 'Stairway To Heaven.'" It just goes to show, don't always listen to the naysayers. Rock on!

Mötley Crüe: "Home Sweet Home"

Incidentally, I'm not sure what the story is on the little umlauts in their band name. Linguists may correct me, but pronounced correctly, Mötley Crüe is actually Mutt-lee Cruh.

Rock-tober: Day 18

When I was a kid in junior high, my buddies and I would ride our bikes down to Jeff Davis Avenue and watch the cool "older kids" cruise the boulevard.

We'd look at each other and say, "Gee, fellers. One day that'll be us."

Fast forward to high school and we were the guys making the half mile loop down the strip. It may not have been Miami or Modesto, but it was ours, and many a long night was spent talking about the future parked along that half mile stretch. Not to mention it was written up in a 1986 article in Life magazine, so suck it, haters.

Two things are required to be cool on a cruise:

1. Cool ride
2. Cool tunes

I was in a '70 Mustang. Cool ride, check. The 'stang only had a stock AM radio - uh oh, the cool tunes were in jeopardy. Drop in a state of the art AM/FM cassette player and now we're golden. Now, what to play?

"In the Air Tonight" is the ultimate cruising song. You take to the road going low and slow, perfectly matched by the song's tone and tempo. The air of mystery in the lyrics just adds to the mood of the drive. Nod your head to the beat to enhance your nonchalant coolness. Now put your right hand at 12 on the wheel and stick your left elbow out your rolled down window, and hey! You, too, are now one of the cool "older kids".

Rock-tober: Day 17

Back in college, a group of lady friends once asked me what physical trait I first noticed about a woman. Holy crap. Talk about a loaded question. I looked around the room - all eyes were on me and I was the only guy. The doors were too far away for an easy exit, and the pause I took to consider my situation had lapsed into uncomfortable silence. I stumbled along and extricated myself rather diplomatically.

"Her eyes. Definitely her eyes."

"Awwww."

Pfft. Even as a young lad, I knew the window to extricate myself was small and closing, and they'd soon be lobbing another grenade my way. Their curiosity temporarily sated as they discussed this new intel among themselves, I quickly left to hang with my non-introspective bros.

If I were posed that question today, I would honestly and unapologetically say I'm definitely a legs guy. I've told Andrea many times I love to watch her walk away. Apart from the fact that she'd kill me - again - I'd dedicate this song to her.

"Legs" came off the album, Eliminator, as a single in 1984, and the video made for "Legs" became a freakin' classic. It told the time honored story of redemption and a winning underdog underpinned with themes from a rock and roll fairy tale.

Our two very likable heroes were assisted in their quest for happiness by several great pairs of legs, bearded fairy godfathers, fuzzy spinning guitars, and a tricked out 1933 Ford coupe.

Whoa. God bless America.

Rock-tober: Day 16

For a song to make this esteemed list, there has to be some connection between it and me. Sometimes it's profound, sometimes it's pretty simple. This is the latter.

I was driving home back when I was in high school. It was getting dark early, but I still had my windows rolled down so it must have been fall. In the neighborhood, someone was throwing a party that spilled out into their front yard. I remember looking over and one of the guests was playing the base line to this song. I thought it sounded really cool and that's all it took.

"Don't Stop Believin'" has been described as the perfect rock ballad. After its initial release in 1981, the song seemed to take on a life of its own. Re-released and covered countless times, sung on Broadway, included on the soundtrack of at least a half dozen big screen releases, and making multiple appearances on the small screen, from the pilot of Glee to the finale of The Sopranos solidify this claim.

Not enough street cred for you? How about this: Not only was it featured as a download for the video game Rock Band, it spawned and is the subject of countless memes - today's gold standard of cultural inclusion.

Rock-tober: Day 15

If you were to line up all the Rock-tober songs to date and place "Africa" amongst them, you would probably be saying, "Hmm. One of these is not like the others." On the surface, you'd be right. But there's just something about this song...

As a kid, the best part of National Geographic magazine was the maps. After unfolding them and laying them out, my fingers traced out Columbus's voyage to the New World, the line of Hadrian's Wall that bisected Britannia, or the course of the Colorado as it cut the swath of the Grand Canyon. Exploration and curiosity.

Jimmy Buffet once said, "My occupational hazard is my occupation's just not around." Regrettably, the days of wearing a pith helmet while hacking a trail through virgin jungle or seeing an unknown shore for the first time through a sailor's spyglass are gone. But for me, the inherent need to explore and see what's around the next corner is still there.

Here's another personal factoid: One item on my bucket list is to set foot on all seven continents (I still need to hit three more).

Andrea periodically cautions me to curb my curiosity before it gets me into trouble. She's been proven correct on many occasions, but the urge to just open that closed door or push that red button are always present. She sighs heavily and then gives me a T-shirt that says, "Not all who wander are lost." Huh. Sounds familiar. At least she gets me.

Anyway, that's what this song evokes for me. Cross an ocean just to see what's over the horizon. Scale a mountain just to check out the view. Test the boundary. Push the limit. For me, that's very Rock and Roll.

As a side note, I was fortunate to have spent nearly a month in Africa and Tanzania specifically in an effort to bring the gift of sign language to the deaf and hard of hearing in that land. I'm very proud to be part of that ongoing mission, and I'll post a link later so you can check out the facts. Be different and make a difference. That's also very Rock and Roll. Nothing on the scale of Bono's efforts, but hey, at least I've got a year-round tan. Yeah, that's right. Suck it, Bono.

Now, anybody know how to get to McMurdo Station?

Rock-tober: Day 14

From the name of their band to a recurring theme of their albums (Play Deep, Extra Innings, Playing the Field), The Outfield has thoroughly embraced America's greatest pastime. Not bad for a trio of Brits.

During my senior year of high school, The Outfield was one of the hottest groups out there. "Your Love", a single from their 1985 premier album, Play Deep, was their hottest hit. It seemed like that song was everywhere those days.

Here's a non sequitur and personal factoid: I've only known one person in my life named Josie...

As a freshman at the University of South Alabama, I caught The Outfield when they played on campus. They were pushing their second album, Bangin. Unfortunately, it wasn't nearly as popular as their first effort. This played out in the audience reaction, which was pretty sedate for a college crowd. But when they launched into "Your Love", wow. The noise level doubled. I remember it being shrill, probably from all the sorority chicks.

Soon after, band members left, they tried a new sound, and basically stumbled around for a while. Recently, they reconstituted the original group and released a new album, Replay. Two singles off that record were released, and they both have a sound very reminiscent of the 80's. However, you'll have to track them down yourself since they're outside the pre-1989 cutoff of the Rock-tober ground rules.

Rock-tober: Day 13

Where did you get your first guitar?

Dad was stationed in Rota, Spain, with the Navy in the late 70's. While he was there, Mom asked him to pick up a Spanish guitar for my aunt who had expressed an interest in learning to play.

Fifteen years later, after her interest waned and my own was rising, she gifted it back to me. In a very roundabout way, Dad bought me my first real six string. I always thought that was pretty cool.

I liked to play in college. For me, it was a great portable, lowcost stress reliever. If there was a guitar close buy, it wound up in my hands. Today, I still have it, and I'll still reach for it, just not nearly as often. I don't know if that means my life is less stressful these days or I just developed a thicker skin.

Unlike me, Bryan Adams has a parade of hit songs on his resume. "Cuts Like a Knife" and "Run to You" come to mind. He even graced the soundtrack of my favorite campy Costner flick, "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves."

Yeah, don't hurt yourself laughing there, Chuckles. Costner shared screen time with a scimitar wielding Morgan Freeman and a cameo shot with a crowned Sean Connery. That sentence alone makes it a bad ass film and your objections are invalid.

For the record, Bryan Adams was born on 5 November 1959. So...in the summer of '69, Bryan Adams was all of 9 years old. All this talk of buying a guitar at the local five and dime, an abortive attempt at starting a band, and making out with some girl on her mamma's porch is, I'm guessing, probably poetic licence on his part.

Rock-tober: Day 12

One afternoon back in the late 90's, Andrea comes home and asks if I'd be interested in catching Eric Clapton in concert.

"Nope. Sorry, Babe. I'm dining with the president that evening."

"I'm serious."

She was serious. Holy crap! I don't remember if I had anything going on that night, but if I did, it was summarily canceled. Thanks to Andrea and her job at the time, I had the distinct privilege of seeing Slowhand when he came through Washington, DC. The seats were incredible. I could feel the wind off his fingers as he fanned that 6-string.

Picking a single Clapton tune is another hard Rock-tober choice. I could choose his Caribbean infused rendition of  "Knocking On Heaven's Door", or "Layla" with its soaring guitar postlude, or even  "Wonderful Tonight" which is probably's Andrea's favorite Clapton offering.

I chose "After Midnight", but not the '70 release. I never could get into that version. It always seemed too...peppy, even a little campy. But something happened on the way to the 80's. When it was repackaged on the '88 album, Crossroads, it was a whole different animal. Like a naive little kid who had to grow up fast in a bad neighborhood, the latest incarnation was somber, harder, and with a bit of an edge. In Clapton's hands, the guitar nearly growled at you.

Mom always said, "Not much good ever happens past midnight." Well, if this song was playing in the background, I'd be willing to tempt fate.

Rock-tober: Day 11

"Gee, Wayne, most of the stuff you're posting came out of the 70's. Just how old are you?"

Shut up. Remember, good music is timeless. But to satisfy you youngsters who can't relate to bell bottoms, exhaust belching big blocks, and be-bopping down the street with a tinny transistor radio held to your ear, let's fast forward to the 80's - at least for a while.

Personally, I didn't get the whole glam rock image Poison and their brethren were portraying back then, but I loved their music. Surveying my collection, Poison makes up the bulk of my big hair band tracks with the possible exception of Bon Jovi, but that's another post.

Poison's range is impressively wide. They released the soulful ballads "Something to Believe In", "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", and even a pretty good cover of The Marshall Tucker Band's "Can't You See". Remember them form Rock-tober Day 5? Like I said, good music is timeless. These guys can rock it out, too, and my favorite from this side of their house is "Nothin' But a Good Time".

C.C. DeVille leads the charge on guitar, and the rest follow on a song best enjoyed on the open road. For my part, windows are down, shades are on, and the stereo is cranked. Like a buddy of mine says, it's time to "drive it like I stole it."

Rock-tober: Day 10

The Hollies, a group out of the UK, released "Long Cool Woman" in 1972. It opens with a strutting guitar line punctuated by drum beats before starting into some of the most unintelligible lyrics I've ever heard. Maybe it's because they're British - I turn captions on when I'm watching BBC America. Thanks to the Internet, I finally figured out they're saying, "She was a long cool woman in a black dress, just a 5'9", beautiful, tall." Huh. Sounds like a red head I know...

This was not a big hit for the Hollies in the UK - it only went to #32. However, in the US, they rode it all the way to #2, making it the highest ranked song of their US Top 10 singles. Maybe it's the gangster motif and the gun play that made it more relevant over here. For me, it's the only song of theirs that I own. Their other hits, and there's a number of them including "Air That I Breath" and "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" are a little too "bubble gum rock" for me.

Rock-tober: Day 9

There's a lot of theories and suppositions out there attempting to explain just what this song is really about. The song itself teases you with lines like "Seventy-three men sailed off into history" and the refrain, "Ride, Captain, ride upon your mystery ship." Seventy-three is an oddly specific number. Wait, there's also a mystery ship? It must have some hidden meaning, right?

There's a large camp that says it's a story about the USS Pueblo. A competing theory supports the idea that it's about Sir Francis Drake.

Look, if you really want to exercise your Scooby Gang credentials and solve a mystery, go here. Otherwise, just sit back and enjoy some 70's funk.

Rock-tober: Day 8

The Guess Who hail from our northern neighbor and released "American Woman" in 1969.

Some folks say this song is a condemnation of American Materialism and Imperialism.

Some folks say this song was written in protest against American involvement in the Vietnam War.

Some, more literal folks, say this song is about American women in general and how they're not as compliant as other women around the world.

Some folks out there even say it's a slam against the Statue of Liberty.

*sigh*

From www.songfacts.com:

Randy Bachman explained the origins of this song in an interview with Words & Music magazine, Spring 2005. Said Bachman: "We were playing in a curling rink in Kitchener, Ontario (Canada), and I broke a string. I was up there alone, tuning up my E an B strings on an old Les Paul. I started playing that riff and in the audience, heads started turning. The band got up, and I said, 'Keep playing this, I don't want to forget it.' When Burton had run out of solos, I yelled out, 'Sing something!' So out of the blue Burton just screamed, 'American Woman, stay away from me!' That was the song, the riff and Burton yelling that line over and over. Later, he added other lines like 'I don't need your war machine, you ghetto scenes.' Before America knew it, it was a #1 record and it was a protest song."

LOL. No insurrectionist intent here. Dude was just tuning his guitar...in a curling rink. You've gotta love Canadians.

Rock-tober: Day 7

There's something visceral about tearing down the road at 80+ mph with the stereo cranking out a hard charging rock anthem - a screaming guitar and your car's throaty rumble assaulting your ear drums as the world blurs past.

That being said, I'm now wise enough to realize that going full tilt nonstop at 120 beats per minute is a good recipe for a flame out.

We've all got a lot of noise in our lives. Everyone and everything around you is demanding your attention. Sometimes you just have to slow down. Sometimes you just have to shut the world out and go to your happy place. Sometimes  you just have to chill, recharge, and contemplate. "Drift Away" embodies these sentiments perfectly.

I've not tested this, but it feels like my blood pressure drops by verse two. The high profile, critical emergency the boss just dropped in my lap - meh, it's not so daunting. That jackass driver that just cut me off - maybe he's rushing home because his gas station sushi lunch didn't agree with him. Whatever. This song has a very calming effect for me and has earned it a permanent place on my playlist.

Enjoy the track, preferably with a stiff drink in one hand and cigar in the other, all while watching the sunset from your front porch. I know I am.

Rock-tober: Day 6

When I first met Andrea, her musical tastes were...not as broad as they are now. Back then, she humored me and never messed with the 'stang's radio which was always pegged on some classic rock station. One day, we were tooling around Auburn, and the radio started playing an Eagles song.

Testing her new found knowledge base, she asked, "Is that the Eagles?"

"Yup."

She gets really excited at this point.

"Hey! I recognized the Eagles!"

Not thinking I might quash her new enthusiasm for the classic rock genre, I just blurted out, "Pfft. Everybody recognizes the Eagles."

I don't remember what happened next. She either pouted or punched me in the arm. Maybe both.

The bookend to that story took place 15 years later when Andrea and I were on vacation in the Southwest. We followed Historic Route 66 for a while and found ourselves in Winslow, AZ. She obliged my rock-n-roll geekness by snapping this pic of me. On a corner. In Winslow, AZ. Think about it....

Anyway...

The Eagles broke up in 1980 and were asked repeatedly, "When are you guys getting back together?" The response was always, "When hell freezes over." Well, the Eagles got back together in 1994 for their appropriately named "Hell Freezes Over" tour. They played a venue close to Mobile, AL, where I was living at the time. I checked on ticket prices and found the cheapest seats were way north of $100 - might just as well have been a cool million back then. Luckily, I was able to catch taped performances later. One of the best things to come out of that tour was the re-release of an acoustic version of "Hotel California". What I thought made this more than a microwaved rehash of an old hit was a 12-string guitar extended intro. The crowd had no idea what was coming until after the familiar opening refrain from one of rock's greatest ballads washed over them.

Rock-tober: Day 5

The Marshall Tucker Band has been around for a loonnngg time, and this longevity has established them as one of the greats of the Southern Rock genre. I saw them twice. Once at Oak Mountain Amphitheater near Birmingham and the other at some smoke filled bar in Columbus, GA. At both (very different) venues, these guys came across as very down to earth, friendly, and highly appreciative of their fans, and both times they put on an a kick ass show. At the Columbus venue, the end of one song just melted into a 30 minute, free-form jam session.

"Can't You See" was released waaayy back in 1973. Originally it didn't do very well on the charts, but the song had amazing staying power and today it's a staple on any reputable classic rock station. Great songs are relatable to every generation, and every guy out there at some point in his life will be able to relate to this song's lament.

For you local peeps, the Marshall Tucker Band will be playing locally at Ram's Head in Annapolis on December 12th. Maybe I'll see you there.

Rock-tober: Day 4

Drivin' N Cryin' came out of Atlanta in the mid 80's and was part of a movement including R.E.M. and the Georgia Satellites that was redefining the sound of Southern Rock. During my tenure at Auburn, DNC was red hot and making the rounds of all the southeastern venues. I don't recall them making it to the War Eagle Supper Club, but it didn't matter. You could hear tracks from "Mystery Road" being cranked full blast at every party in town soon after its 1989 release.

The hits off this album were "Straight to Hell" and today's featured song, "Honeysuckle Blue". The immediate guitar frontal assault got my attention quickly. After that, the poignant lyrics take hold:

 "Abandoned by the promised land;

set sail on your own.

How much longer will the well

be dry for those who roam?"

Toss in references to my own fond memories of the south:

• southerly breezes
• blooming dogwoods
• the Blue Ridge Mountains
• and of course, honeysuckle vines

and you've got one of my top Southern Rock ballads.

Rock-tober: Day 3

Bob Seger is not your typical rock star who came through the 80's. No product-laced, teased-up hair jacked to Jesus, no dark eye liner, no leopard print spandex pants. He's a dude's dude, and the soulful, no nonsense grittiness of his voice is that of someone who paid his dues to get where he is.

This was a hard decision. Seger's discography is a large part of all of my classic rock playlists. "Against the Wind", "Night Moves", and "Hollywood Nights" were all contenders, but I comfortably selected "Like a Rock". The older I get, the more I relate to this song. Seger was in his 40's when he wrote it, and the lyrics describe an older guy looking back on his life thus far, mirroring my own internal dialog. Do I have regrets? Sure, but none of them are incapacitating. Have I accomplished all the dreams from my youth? Nope. Some died while others have been changed or tempered and refined by life, and I still believe in them. Oh, and I still have no time for "these hucksters and their schemes".

Seger previously turned down many lucrative Mad Men type offers of corporate sponsorship, not wanting the strings that came attached with those relationships. The story is, an anonymous man changed his mind. Sitting at a bar, a stranger walked up to him and asked, "How come you never do any commercials for the auto companies and help us out a little bit?" The rest is history. Did Chevy actually have better trucks at that time? Debatable, but during one of the longest and most successful ad campaigns in history, Chevy, using "Like a Rock" as their tagline, sold a lot of trucks. Obviously, something about the song resonated with a lot of people. They just figured out something I already knew.

Rock-tober: Day 2

In the late 80's you would only find a few cassette tapes in my car, and Whitesnake's self titled album was one of them. This release was chock full of great tracks, but by far my favorite was "Here I Go Again". When I first heard the opening lyrics, "I don't know where I'm going, but I sure know where I've been." I was thinking "Holy crap, this song was written for me. Why, this could be my personal anthem." Pfft. Silly teenager, you have no frackin' clue. A few decades later, the lyrics still resonate, just without all the teenage angst.

Oh, and the video didn't hurt either.

Shortly after we got the '67, I was watching this vid when Andrea was in the room.
"Hey, Andrea, check this out. We could probably..."
"No."
"Wait, it would be pretty cool if..."
"No."
"Seriously, just a few shots is all..."
"No."

She was a good sport about it.

Rock-tober: Day 1

A few years ago, Andrea and I invited another couple over for dinner on Valentine's Day. Andrea was in charge of the menu and I was responsible for the evening's music selection. Drawing on my vast collection, I tried to craft a playlist that featured the softer, romantic side of rock and roll. The finished product was dubbed simply "Valentine's Day Mix", and this was track #1.

At dinner the first course was set, and the wine was being poured. "Hey, Hon, how about starting the music?" asked Andrea. With a knowing smile I hit "play" on the remote with the system cranked to 11. Our female guest jumped out of her chair, hands up ready to fend of some attack. With an utterly confused look on her face, she looks quizzically at me, then at Andrea, then back at me. "Wait. What? That can't be right. What?"

Meanwhile, Andrea's head was in her hands and she was muttering something along the lines of "Oh my word..."

But dude and I were high-fiving and fist bumping the rest of the night.