Just a monthly reminder: no cheating, whatever comes up, goes up. Cheaters go to hell and you’ll feel pretty stupid if you end up in hell just because you didn’t want to admit that you have Richard Marx on your iPod. Which isn’t to say that it’s not humiliating, because it is, it’s just not "I choose an eternity of fiery torment" humiliating.

So here goes:That’s Entertainment – The Jam
The Riot Act – Paul Motian
Love Is The Drug – Bryan Ferry & Roxy Music
I Want To Touch You – Catherine Wheel
Glory Box – Portishead
Jungle Boogie – Kool & The Gang
That’s When I Reach For My Revolver – Mission of Burma
If It Ain’t Ruff – N.W.A.
Racing Like A Pro – The National
Sylmar – Cool For August

and one more guaranteed to not be Richard Marx: Across the Borderline – Ry Cooder.

Now for other music stuff. I can date my music listening back to the mid-sixties. Yes, I’m that old. I remember Beatles and Beach Boys songs when they were new. I remember radio stations that would play the Archies Sugar, Sugar followed by Marvin Gaye’s Heard It Through The Grapevine.

I remember 45’s.

Over the years my musical tastes have changed but, outside of country music, I’ll listen to just about anything from show tunes to that crazy rappity-hop music that all the kids are "down" with. There is some music that I used to love that, in retrospect, I’m not sure what the hell I was thinking way back when. Like Emerson, Lake & Palmer. I mean, dude? Just… dude, c’mon, really, ELP? I shunned disco, yet embraced it when it became known as house music. I love a good hook as much as the next guy, but extended guitar solos make me want to reach for a gun. I remember times when music just sucked (Rush/Journey/Styx/Dream Theater) and then something would get released that would make it worthwhile to start paying attention again ( Born To Run, London Calling, and Nevermind stick out).

I tend to not hang on to old favorites preferring to look for something new and different but I will admit to a weakness for brit-pop of the late eighties/early nineties, all of which is to say that I received The Brit Box today which is, to my way of thinking, the best box set evah. The La’s, My Bloody Valentine, the Stone Roses, St. Etiene, the Boo Radleys, Spacemen 3, JAMC, and Ocean Colour Scene. This is really good stuff.