Albums that we play all the way through.

Greetings and salutations, Fire Enthusiasts. I hope this new week finds you and yours well. I continue to be crazy busy with everything but writing, I'm afraid. The day job just continues to time suck everything around it. I logged another 64 hours this past week (8 hrs on Saturday). I only hit the treadmill twice and I find myself this Sunday morning, sitting out on my patio, skipping church and taking some "me" time. My wife didn't sleep as she waited for our boys to come home from Southern California where they took a day trip with some friends to a concert. I'm pleased to report that they made it home just fine. The oldest is 19 and has made many a day trip, so I trust him. That's why I slept just fine. *evil grins*

Don't let me kid you, however. There's always a lot of praying before and during their time away.

If you know me at all you know that if anything is more important to me than books, it is music. I could go weeks without reading. Without music, however, I would curl up and die a lot faster than I would without water or food. Believe me! I have the 120GB iPod and have *runs to check* 7400 songs on it. With that in mind I thought we could discuss music this week. Specifically I would like to talk about albums that can and perhaps should be played all the way through without skipping. It wasn't always that way, was it? There was a time when albums were just records to hold that one song, and then the record company ushered the band or artist right back into the studio to do the next one. It wasn't until the 70's that the album begin to take on a bigger meaning. In the 80's we suddenly milked that album for every hit we could possibly get.

The debut from Boston is arguably the greatest debut of all time. I bet you've heard each and every cut on the radio at one time or another.

What's Going On from Marvin Gaye turned Motown and music in general on its collective head. I came to this one late, taking a chance on it one day. I was blown away. If you read the history, you'll find that this record was almost never made. It's a personal cry from Marvin that strikes a chord in all of us. Trust me.

This Is War by Thirty Seconds to Mars is brilliant. My oldest turned me on to these guys and I love them. The band and I probably don't agree on a lot of subjects in life, but their record hits each and every one of my buttons and I can't stop listening to it.

Three Sides to Every Story by Extreme is a triumph. This one didn't have the hit singles that Pornograffitti did, but it has a spirit that will drive you to tears. It is a deeply personal and spiritual record that should be taught at Berkeley. As a Christian, I recognize all the Biblical references, but it is done so in a way that doesn't hit the non-Christian over the head.

Songs From the Big Chair by Tears for Fears is still magic all these years later.

Asia by Asia. I played the heck out of this thing back in '82 and it's what I'm listening to now as I pen this post. Supergroup indeed!

Pyromania by Def Leppard was a record that my younger brother bought while I picked up Frontiers by Journey. The reason that I recall that particular trip to Tower Records is due to my insistence that my Journey record would blow his away. Well, Frontiers was and is very good, but Pyromania proved to be a monster. You may disagree that the Hysteria album was far better - it certainly had the hits. There's just a couple of those hits that played so much that I don't need to hear them again. *laughs*

This Fire by Paula Cole is something that I listened to just recently while doing yard work. I had forgotten how supremely talent this artist is. I don't believe she had the success before or after this album, and many of you probably laughed at some of her lyrics, especially during the "Where Have all the Cowboys Gone". However, she hit the proverbial home run with this one. It rocks, strokes the heart strings, and is incredibly brave at times. She really nailed it here.

Don't Say No by Billy Squier was his biggest hit and there's a reason for this. The whole thing is fantastic. Sometimes his whole need to rhyme everything can get old, but not here.

Shake Your Money Maker by the Black Crowes was everything we needed to shake rock music up. It put some Rolling Stones-kind of Blues swagger back into rock music. It had the three hits, but some of these others may actually be better. I don't care for the changes that were made with regard to the addition of horns. Stay with the classic, my friends.

The Stranger by Billy Joel. I really didn't know Joel until An Innocent Man. Those songs were fun, but not moving like the stuff that came before. This was the first cd I bought as I investigated who Billy was in the 70's. Since then I have trolled iTunes and snagged nearly everything he did back then. I have some stuff from the 80's too, but oh those 70's!

Destroyer by Kiss. I hate short versions of songs with a red hot passion, so please don't play me "Detroit Rock City" unless it's from here. I saw these guys right after they took off the makeup back on the Lick It Up tour and thankfully saw the first reunion tour when they put it back on. Great shows! Great songs! Great career! You could make an argument for their debut here, but I chose this one.

The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance was introduced to me by my oldest son. As you might have noticed I'm not one of those stuck on one kind of music or decade. If you've got something good, please share and I'll check them out. So it was that my son begged me to take him to see My Chem when they came to our neck of the woods. I didn't think I'd enjoy myself at a show where I was unfamiliar with the music, but I was wrong. At the show they played this album from first song to last - and so should you.

Under Lock and Key by Dokken is everything that was good about hair metal.

Rumours by Fleetwood Mac is astounding to me. How did they make such magic when the flame of their personal lives was being snuffed out so profoundly between John and Christine and Lindsey and Stevie? Incredible!

I would be remiss if I didn't include Sports by Huey Lewis and the News, wouldn't I?

My wife would kick my rear if I failed to list Kick by INXS. We still miss you, Michael...

My oldest will tell you that Continuum is his best, but I still find myself going back to Room for Squares. Please, John, enough of the country stuff you seem to be stuck in at the moment. Oh, and no more girl talk, okay. Just play...

Screaming for Vengeance by Judas Priest was great back in my heavy metal days, and it works very well while I'm hitting my treadmill. :)

The untitled fourth album contains the greatest song ever written, but the brown bomber cemented The Mighty Zep as the masters.

I don't care for much of what Maroon 5 is doing these days, but Songs About Jane is an incredible record. They toured for about five years on this record, going from indie to the top of the world - and there is a reason for it.

I have seen Matchbox Twenty three times in concert and they never get old! Everything they do is great; however, More Than You Think You Are is the one that cannot be skipped. Just play it and forget about it.

I love Train, but sometimes they can get a bit silly. Drops of Jupiter is the cd that sucked me in. I've seen them three times too, and give them a pass on whatever they want to do.

I guess I'd better call it a day right here. There's a lot more albums out there, I know. What did I fail to list? You don't have to leave a long comment. In fact, just list the album and I'll go find it or shake my head right along with you that I can't believe I forgot about it. Before I do, I'd better list The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd. This thing was on the Billboard top albums chart for 741 weeks!! That's from 1973 to 1988, people. It was the first cd I ever bought when I wanted to test just how fabulous my first cd player was compared to my old record player back in the day. Play it at night with headphones while laying in your darkened bedroom. It really is the only way. You don't need chemicals or booze. Just lay back and enjoy.


We'll talk soon.    

Genre Favorites Blogfest

Hello, Fire Enthusiasts. As always, thanks for dropping by. As you can see, we're shaking things up a bit this week. Rather than discuss my vampire series - my book is on the right and we've got the cover reveal for the forthcoming sequel over there as well - I've decided to join Author and Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh's latest and greatest blogfest. These things are always huge and lots of fun as we meet new people and share a bit of ourselves. Today, we're discussing Genre Favorites in books, music and film.

As a horror writer you might worry that my books and films would be full of blood and guts, and my music dark and eerie; however, you may be surprised to find that my choices might be scary for all the wrong reasons. Let's get started, shall we?

Favorite Movie Genre: Here's where I leave you scurrying off into the night. You see, I have a poster of The Exorcist on my library wall and I was a teenager when teenagers were being sliced and diced in the original Friday the 13th and Halloween films, but when I curl up on the couch to be comforted, I choose Romantic Comedies... What? Yep, it's sad but true. I write vampires, but would rather watch Notting Hill, An Affair to Remember, Love Actually and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.

Favorite Music Genre: Now this one should make a bit more sense to you. I listened to pop music as a child, but it was when I got into Junior High that things changed. Since then, it's all been about Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. We call is Classic Rock now and refer to the 80's musicians as Hair Bands. My first real show was Kiss just after the make up came off. I saw Motley Crue, Iron Maiden, Scorpions, Sammy Hagar, Van Halen and much more. Here's a photo of me taken when Van Halen was "standing on top of the world for a little while." I'm kneeling in the center.

Favorite Book Genre: Here's another category which should make more sense to those that stare at the flames above and wonder what the hell happened to make me like tear-inducing films. *laughs* As a teenager, I found myself reaching out for Jaws and The Amityville Horror (still one of the most frightening reads ever, whether you believe it was fake or not). I then found Michael Slade, Clive Barker and Uncle Stevie. I'm still reading horror, but now they are mostly Indie books and you guys wrote them.

Guilty Pleasure Genre: Hmm? This provides an interesting choice. I could tell you how my iPod also includes Air Supply, Neil Diamond and the Bee Gees, and that would be a lot of fun, watching you scratch your collective heads once again. Instead, I think I'll list Dramas as my guilty pleasure in books. In fact, I'll tell you that my favorite all-time book is Beach Music by Pat Conroy. Yeah, I know. I didn't want to read it either, and fought it for a while before succumbing to what I think is a masterwork and one of the most brilliant books ever crafted. My sister in law peer-pressured me into reading it and I have yet to put it down. Every couple of years of so, I find myself grabbing it off of my book shelf and carrying it with me on vacation or just to spend a weekend. I can't help myself. It's that good. I am firmly on record as having said that I will die happy if I can write a story half as good as Conroy did there.

So there you have it. I hope I have gained some new friends in this latest and greatest from Ninja Alex, and haven't scared others off. Lol! I look forward to seeing your answers. I can guarantee you that it will take me most of the week to get through the list, but I will. Eleven hour day jobs do that to people. Here's the link back to Alex's list here. I'll see you guys there.

We'll talk soon.

Music on my Mind

Hello, Fire Enthusiasts. Several things to do with music went down this past week, so I thought I would discuss a little bit of it with you. We’re breaking up the monotony as they say. Music is, after all, my favorite thing; more important to my well-being than even my writing. I could go without a lot of things (yeah, go ahead and giggle), but in all seriousness, music is not one of them.

One of my favorite newer bands, Train, came out with a new album last Tuesday, entitled: California 37. I have been listening to it all week. I have seen these guys three times in concert already: California Mid-State Fair, Vegas and The Fresno Fair; if that tells you anything about my devotion to everything that they do. If you like them as well, you’ll probably like the new stuff. If you are like my wife and eldest son, you may find your devotion waning.

You see, my wife loved, loved, loved the first album, Train, as well as the sophomore effort, Drops of Jupiter - after that, only a song here or there. My almost 18 year old, himself a musician (both Wind Ensemble and Choir; twice making All-State Jazz Choir), who appreciates all types of music, was a huge fan of DoJ and My Private Nation. For my part, I love them like a family member, so with this album as they dabble in some Country flavors, which I usually am not a fan of, I can let it go.

The following are the highlights: "This'll Be My Year" - you may find the lyrical timeline that Pat sings a tad hokey, but the chorus will end up inside your head before long and should be enough to lean this one into the winner column. "Drive By" - This one is catchy and a safe play as their first single. "50 Ways to Say Goodbye" - No one in my family digs this one, but I think it's fun. When you hear the opening Spanish intro you may fear that you've had too much to drink and ended up married to someone you don't remember in Tijuana. *gulps* Shouldn't have told you that... ;) "We Were Made for This" - Everything that Train does well is here. Sweet vibe, touching lyrics and understated vocals by Pat Monahan and a rare display of guitar power by Jimmy Stafford. "To Be Loved" - It's a great track to finish the record. Train fans like me eat it up. It's all warm and fuzzy and mid tempo, making you want to come back for more with the subsequent records.

The low lights on this album are some of the lame lyrics that Monahan whips out. They can be cute and amusing when used sparingly, but this time he goes to that well too often. On "Mermaid", a song that beckons thoughts of Jimmy Buffett, drinks with colorful umbrellas and sand that one can never quite be free of, he sings, "Can't swim, so I took a boat to an island so remote, only Johnny Depp has ever been to it before." It's a cringing moment, even for me.

As a Train fan, I hold out hope that this will not one day be Train featuring Pat Monahan. He's a fantastic vocalist and very underrated among his peers, but with each record I worry that we'll get more of him and less of the remaining original members Stafford and drummer Scott Underwood. This album is fun, moving at times, rocks a little for those (like my wife) who are growing tired of mid-tempo and proves to be a worthy successor to the great catalog.



On a sad note, we lost a couple of important legends this week: Levon Helm and Dick Clark.




If you don't immediately recognize Levon's name, I didn't quite recall it either, although I knew who he was. Levon Helm was the vocalist and drummer for The Band who had huge hits in the late 1960's with "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "The Weight" and "Up on Cripple Creek". The Band broke up in 1976, but reformed for the classic 1978 Documentary, The Last Waltz, directed by Academy Award winning Director Martin Scorsese. Mr. Helm was diagnosed with throat cancer back in 1998, underwent a series of treatments which eventually helped him regain his voice; however, just a day before (much like with Freddie Mercury) an announcement was made signalling that Helm's journey was nearly over. He died April 19.




As is all too often the case, celebrities tend to die relatively close together and this week was no exception as the once ageless wonder, Dick Clark, died the day before on April 18. Generations of music lovers have been touched by him, whether they know it or not. As host of American Bandstand, Clark helped usher out racial and music prejudices as he featured the greatest singers, bands and acts, regardless of color or style or volume. He also created The American Music Awards. As host of Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve, he helped the country ring in the new year with his positive energy and great demeanor.  For decades he was known as "America's oldest teenager" and teased for being the man who never aged. Sadly, that all changed when he was afflicted by a terrible stroke which robbed him of this, causing him to seemingly age instantly in 2004.




Mr. Clark is famous for having said, "Music is the soundtrack of your life". I totally believe that, and as I have said many times, I could not live very long without it.




Because of his passing, I will forgo my usual goodbye to you and paraphrase what was the last thing that he typically ever said to us.




"...So long..."

To Review or Not to Review...

This is my actual book shelf. Pretty soon I will have just as my books in my Kindle!

...That is the question that I pose to you, Fire Enthusiasts.

Greetings. I do not have a book review for you this week. Well, that is not entirely accurate. You see, I did complete a book this week and begin another; however, I have no plans to share anything about it with you here. Why am I being such a tease, you ask? It is because I thought that the book was merely only okay.

It would not be difficult for you to figure out which book I am referring to. We are all on many of the same sites, are we not? It would probably only take you a few moments to discover which book I'm referring to, but I hope that you won't actually attempt to figure it out. I would rather that you find the book and like it or not like it all on your own. The book didn't suck! Many of you might actually like it, and by all accounts, many have thought highly of it. I just thought it was a bit of a miss.

So, what's the big deal, you ask? The big deal is that although I do not really know the gentleman, I know of him. He's like me, and he's like many of you as well. No doubt he dreamt a lot about being a writer, and probably spent a lot of time dreaming up that book. He researched, outlined, wrote, rewrote, revised, edited and is now hard at work promoting the hell out of it, much like all of us. Knowing what I know about that whole process, I just don't feel the overwhelming urge to do anything but reach out and shake that man's hand, pat him on the back and wish him well.

I have one book written, and although it has received some pretty sweet reviews, I am quite certain that there are more than a few people who probably think I might be better off working my 11-12 hour day job and spending the rest of my evening watching television. *laughs* I also have my second book in the editing stages, as you know. Lastly, I started writing my third novel during Christmas vacation when that much publicized cold (read: whining blogs/Tweets) had begun to dissipate. I'll want lots of people to read all three of those books when they are all on a shelf together one day, virtual or otherwise, and not have someone go all negative on me.

Is that why I chose not to review that book, because of Karma? Absolutely not. I may write horror and listen to classic rock and 80's and 90's heavy metal on volume 20, but I also love to be moved by my books, movies and music. That means I have to have some feelings within me. And it is because of those feelings that I chose to be respectful and simply leave an "okay" review on one of the book social networks.

I want that author to keep writing, to keep perfecting his craft, regardless of what this guy thinks. What do you folks think? Should I have been respectful, but also specific? I know that some have gotten into it on the Internet due to negative reviews. I don't want any part of that. Probably no one does. Should I simply have pretended to "forget" that I had ever read that book and leave the reviewing to others?

What are your thoughts? I'd love to hear them.

Before I go, let's forgive Blogger together, cross our collective fingers and hope that you're able to leave a comment. I know things haven't been great in that regard, especially this past week. If you do have issues, you can always drop me a quick line on FB or Twitter. Sometimes that's much easier anyway.

We'll talk soon.

Monday Morning Musings

Hello, Fire Enthusiasts. Happy Monday! No? *sigh* I agree with you. For most people there is no such thing as a happy Monday. If you are one of the few, good for you. If you are one of the majority (including me), then here's hoping that Monday will go easy on you.

My friends, these are exciting times. I'm doing author events now which have been marvelous. A big review just came out for me. The indications were that it would be favorable. Little did I know how favorable it would be!

I could tell you about this, as well as everything else that is going on; however, although this blog was designed as a vehicle for me to promote my work, even I don't want this site to become some sort of shrine to me. Let's keep the head/ego from getting too large, okay? Since I have a couple of events at the end of this week, there will be plenty of time for updates later. I will definitely fill you in on those details soon. For those who can't wait, please check out my Author's Facebook Page.

In the meantime, let's talk some music.

Most of you know how much music means to me. It is with that in mind that I would like to take a few moments to share my current playlist with you. It includes some old and some new.

Billy Joel: I don't know why, but I have been on one heck of a Joel kick for the last month or so. Although I appreciate most of Mr. Joel's catalog, I find myself drawn to everything that he recorded during the seventies. Some complete albums I already owned: Glass Houses, The Nylon Curtain and The Stranger. However, thanks to iTunes, I have been able to pour over that catalog and pick up several songs that I did not own. I have been playing the hell out of several cuts from Cold Spring Harbor, Turnstiles, 52nd Street and of course Piano Man.

SIXX: A.M.: If hard rock music is your genre, then you either know the tunes already or you recognise the name. Nikki Sixx is the bass player from Motley Crue. Apparently a book that he wrote which detailed his excesses ended up pushing him toward creating accompanying music. He did that and had a hit with "Life is Beautiful". However, it was only recently that I found a new album, quite by accident. It is called, This is Gonna Hurt. Being ever on the hunt for new music I thought that I would give it a shot. I was impressed with the musicians as well as the music. For the curious, check out the song "Lies of the Beautiful People".

Sammy Hagar: Yeah, I know. I just read his book, so now I've got his tunes stuck inside my head. Well, you'd be right. However, it's not his greatest hits that I find stuck there, but other stuff that I never really gave a chance. I've gone back and bought some of his earlier works from albums well before Three Lock Box, Standing Hampton and VOA. I bought a few songs from nearly every album, but find myself really playing Ten 13 and Not 4 Sale. I really love "Deeper Kinda Love", "Little Bit More" and "Tropic of Capricorn", but there's a lot of good stuff on the album named after his birthday in October. On the second one, "Halfway to Memphis" and "Things've Changed".

Warrant: So there I was a few weeks ago, looking for something new and I ended up stumbling across something old. I had five Warrant songs on my iPod and "Cherry Pie" was not one of them. Just sayin'! I can't stand that song. I feel demeaned just listening to it. However, I love "Uncle Tom's Cabin", "Heaven", "Down Boys" and "Sometimes She Cries". As my finger was going for the play button, I seemed to recall something about original singer Jani Lane being in some sort of trouble, so I wondered whether he was still in the band or not. It only took a moment to realize that this was definitely not old Warrant. I think I even frowned at the difference. Immediately, my finger began heading for the stop button. Yet, one second led to another and I was still listening. It may not have been the old stuff, but what I was hearing was damn good. Instead of turning it off, I tried another song. Then another. Folks, not only did I buy a few of those songs, I bought the whole thing!! If Rock music is your thing, try "Innocence is Gone" and "Sex Ain't Love". If you like the classic hair metal or power ballad stuff, try "Home", "What Love Can Do" and my absolute favorite, "Life's a Song". I love that some of the old bands that I grew up with are still rockin'. But I also love it when something old becomes new like this. I hope you'll give Warrant's new cd, Rockaholic a shot like I did. I can't turn it off!

That's not exactly true. I turn it off sometimes and play classic Billy Joel instead. ;)

Thanks for "listening".

We'll talk soon.

Sammy Hagar Autobiography

“Hello, Baby!”

I’m, sorry. Today’s post is about rock musician Sammy Hagar, so I couldn’t resist borrowing his opening from the song, “Good Enough”. It was the first song on the first album that he made with Van Halen, 5150. For some of us, we had yet to hear anything from the new group and many were unsure whether they would be any good anymore without Diamond David Lee Roth. When those two words opened the album, followed by Eddie’s horse-sounding guitar effect, it really grabbed our attention. Speaking for myself, I recall being shocked at how fantastic the album was. I started calling my friends before I had even flipped it over to side two. [Editor’s note: I know Sammy stole the idea from The Big Bopper, by the way. Please, no hate mail.]

In any event, I just bought and devoured Sammy’s autobiography, Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock. It only took three evenings for me to finish that book. I grew up listening to man, so I was keenly interested in everything from his stints with Montrose, Van Halen, Chickenfoot and all of the solo work that he has done. I have seen him perform in the Fresno, California area four times: the For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge tour with Van Halen, the Balance tour with Van Halen, the Marching to Mars solo tour and last year at the Big Fresno Fair. I didn’t see him there, but I have had the pleasure of visiting the Cabo Wabo Cantina down in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. I have nearly every album/CD of his, and where I don’t, I have all of the best cuts from iTunes.



The above photo was taken behind Fresno's Selland Arena. The band is standing across the back row from left to right, Eddie, Sammy, Michael and Alex. That's me kneeling in the middle of the front row. Standing on my left shoulder is my wife's niece, Lee, followed by my sister in law, Imelda. Kneeling on the end and in front of Alex Van Halen is Lee's husband, Daniel. I just wanted to give them a shout-out.

The book was an extremely fascinating read and went very quickly. I suppose many books are really simply recordings that are later transcribed and this was no exception. The co-author, Joel Selvin, seemed to simply write what Sammy said and cleaned up very little, if anything. Having heard many interviews and attended many of his shows, I am extremely familiar with Sammy’s conversational style, so it did not take long to put myself in the room with the man as he recounted his life’s story.

The book begins with a foreword from Michael Anthony, the long-time, but now former base player for Van Halen, who became fast friends with Sammy. In it, he details how he met the brothers and then eventually Sammy, and how it all fell apart. “He is the most upbeat, positive guy in the world. He loves life. He only happens to be a singer and play music, too. And another thing-he’s no bullshitter. If Sammy says it happened, it did.” I knew before beginning the book that it was something that was only going to tick off Eddie Van Halen further, but after reading what Anthony had to say, my appetite for the book was whetted.

It is hard for me to believe that Sammy does anything but tell the honest and bitter truth, whether it be the amount of partying, his life with his first wife that was so difficult for everyone, the dirty details on all of his philandering, to the relationships with all of the rock royalty that he came across over his long and continuing career. When I read those words, it seemed to me to be one of the most genuine things that I have ever encountered; he sugar-coated nothing. When he was an absolute idiot, he told us so. He details his bad decisions and seemed to give all credit where it was due.

What I really loved about the book was the behind the scene moments, such as when he bumps into famous rockers like Van Morrison, Sly Stone, Miles Davis, Stephen Stills and a couple of the members of The Grateful Dead which were fairly hilarious moments.

Other things that I ate up were the moments of inspiration when a creative spark brought a song out of nowhere. “One night, on the drive home,” Sammy said. “I was listening to this tape where Eddie had written the music and noodled the verses on guitar. He was trying to show me the phrasing of the verses, but he couldn’t, because he couldn’t play the rhythm of the thing, and I started singing it in the car. We didn’t have a chorus, and I just busted out with it, 'Best of Both Worlds'. It hit me hard, right when I was pulling in the garage. Bang. The chorus hit.” I would have loved to have seen more of that, but overall, Sammy does a great job of going through all of the highlights of his career.

I was amazed that Sammy totally expected the phone call that he received from Eddie Van Halen. He told his wife about it. "'They're going to call me, you watch.' Who else were they going to get? There was Ozzy Osbourne, Ronnie James Dio, and me."

If you follow music closely, you no doubt have already heard the stories that Sammy claims to have been visited by aliens and that they either uploaded or downloaded something into his brain. It has been all over the Internet and social networking. When I got to that part of the book, I had to stop and make certain that I had read it correctly. I'm rather indifferent to the whole alien question, neither believing or disbelieving, so I just giggled and continued on my way. I just wanted to know about the music!

I loved the book; however, I cannot recommend it for everyone. It is definitely not for anyone under age because it was definitely uncensored. In fact, I wish it had been a bit censored. I could have done without all of the sordid rock star/groupie details! I couldn’t have also done without the rock star language, but I suppose it is what it is. If you are anything like me, and love Sammy’s music, whether it be in a band or as a solo artist, grab a copy of this book, pour yourself a Waborita and sit back and relax. You won’t be getting up for a while.

Unless it’s to pour yourself another drink.

We’ll talk soon.

Super 8 Debut Albums Blog Hop

Hello, Fire Enthusiasts. So, I was looking for something to post for Monday. I had thought about posting another teaser of my novel. I have done two or three so far. I know some would say that if they wanted to read the novel, they'd buy it. Therefore, I wasn't exactly keen on that idea. I probably will do so at some point, but in the meantime, I found something much, much better. The Super 8 Debut Album Blog Hop, hosted by DiscConnected.

Super Debut Albums? Are you kidding me? I'm all over that.

Now, before we get all crazy, we have to slow down before beginning. Some "debuts" were not debuts at all, but "major label" debuts. By that I mean that the artist or record company hit the restart button on either their material or career. Metal Health by Quiet Riot was pretty darn good, if you discount those Japanese releases. That Jagged Little Pill that Alanis Morissette gave us was kick ass, as long as you forget those Canadian releases that preceded it. Then there is Room For Squares by John Mayer and The Sound of White by Missy Higgins, but each had one or more EPs before hitting it big.

In any event, let's get to the list, shall we?
My criteria: Is it a real debut? How many of the tracks did I skip? Finally, do I continue to play the hell out of it!

Van Halen: I love the Kinks, but after Eddie and the boys covered "You Really Got Me", injecting it with power, you'd almost never want to play your version again. From "Runnin' with the Devil" to "Eruption" to "Little Dreamer" and "Jamie's Cryin'", the album set the table for a monster career.

Shake Your Money Maker: The Black Crowes hit it big in 1990 with this powerhouse. It's got a bit of everything, including some huge hit songs: "She Talks to Angels" and "Hard to Handle" might be the most well-known; however, some of the other tracks are my favorites. "Sister Luck", "Could I have Been So Blind" and "Thick N' Thin" help round out this classic.

Songs About Jane: For me, the bloom has come off of the rose a little bit. Maroon 5 is a bit too safe these days, seemingly making the same music over again; however, "Jane" is a brilliant record. Had they wanted to, they could have released nearly 6 or 7 songs as singles. As it was, they toured for years on just that one album.

Dawn Patrol: I'm still playing Night Ranger to this day. This album came at the beginning of my adolescence, and at the beginning of the hair band explosion of the eighties. "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" and "Sing Me Away" were the big hits on this album, but there's also "Eddie's Comin' Out Tonight", "Young Girl in Love", "Night Ranger" and more.

The Blizzard of Oz: Ozzy has a fantastic catalogue of great songs, but there was definitely something special going on while he was recording and writing with the late Randy Rhoads. What they accomplished with this album as well as Diary of a Madman was magical, making it easier to take that he was no longer in Black Sabbath.

Asia: It almost shouldn't count when a band is formed like a high-priced mercenary squad, but that's what we got here with this supergroup. John Wetton, Carl Palmer, Geoff Downes and Steve Howe all came from other successful groups of the 70's. "Heat of the Moment", with it's infectious drum and guitar work was a staple on a young MTV. "Only Time Will Tell", "Time Again", "Wildest Dreams" and more make this a classic debut.

The Doors: William Blake wrote: “If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear as it is - infinite”. Aldous Huxley took the quote and wrote a book, and James Morrison and The Doors labeled their band and the rest is history. From "Break on Through" to "The End", this is a album that not only started something huge and groundbreaking, but blew The Doors off of the joint!

Boston: Just like the last music blogfest that I participated in, where I proclaimed that the list was only ever going to be about nine of the ten best songs because "Stairway to Heaven" was going to be number one, the same thing holds true here, There is no doubt in my mind that the greatest debut album ever is by Boston. Each of these songs can stand on its own. There's not one track that should be skipped. It is the second best-selling debut of all-time to Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses. I didn't list "Appetite" because I only ever listened to half of its songs. Listen to classic radio long enough and you will eventually hear all 8 of these Boston tracks. And isn't it fitting that this blogfest is entitled Super 8? That's what the debut from Boston should be nicknamed.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope this has sparked some memories and inspired some to investigate these great albums for themselves.

We'll talk soon.

Monday Morning Musings

Hello, Fire Enthusiasts. Since it seems that I am working many holidays while others are blessed with the day off, I will refrain from doing any happy dances today. This is President's Day in America and I do have this day off. We used to only celebrate President Lincoln and Washington's birthdays in February; however, (I suppose) in an effort for every president from the great to the scoundrel to the inept to get some recognition, we now celebrate them all.

I thought I would use this day as an opportunity to touch base with all of you on a variety of issues, ranging from entertainment to my writing.

Writing:

I continue to write for many, including myself. I have the every other Friday slot at Wicked Writers, which I share with the wonderful author, Carole Gill. I assist some other great Vamplit Publishing authors with the Something Wicked This Way Comes blog. There, I recently reviewed the wonderful horror film, Let Me In. If you have yet to see that film, you really ought to give it a chance. I do not really watch horror films anymore, but I'm so glad that I gave this little vampire story a chance. It really is something special. Lastly, I write once a month for a local on-line magazine in my neck of the woods: Kings River Life. I typically write articles or interviews about stories concerning my town.

Books:

I haven't been able to read very much. I work 11 hours a day during the week, and it's all that I can do to keep up with PR for my novel and all of the other writing. The last time that I got any reading done was during the holidays. This weekend is the first time since then that I have even considered reading something, but since I could, I started reading "Cut Short" by Leigh Russell. I do not know Leigh very well, although we have had the opportunity to say hello to one another on occasion along the world wide web. If the rest of this book is as good as what I have read so far, then the hype I have read about this wonderful writer is all true. We faithfully read Patricia Cornwell's Key Scarpetta series in our home. What Leigh is doing with this debut is just as good as that. I have book 2 on my shelf and I understand that book 3 is on the way. With any luck, I'll be reviewing the novel this week.

Music:

A few months ago I discussed what I had been currently listening to. I'd like to do the same now. Unfortunately, things have been rather quiet. I went nuts when The Beatles catalogue was finally available on iTunes, hunting through each and every album for tracks that I just had to have. Hell, I didn't even wait to get home, but was buying the music from trusty iPhone. I continue to listen to the newest releases from 30 Seconds to Mars and My Chemical Romance. Other than that, the only new music that I have discovered is by a newer artist, Lauren Pritchard. Her album is entitled, Wasted in Jackson. I stumbled upon it while surfing around iTunes one day last year and am so glad that I did. As fate would have it, her cd is physically coming out this week in the US. Lauren is being described as an American soul singer and they might be right.

Whatever you are doing today, I hope it is a good day. Take care of yourselves.

We'll talk soon.