1) Sweet Cherry Wine - Tommy James. I was so glad this was at the top. I mean you cringe when someone wants you to write down your top 10 played songs from your personal listening… you never know how you may be represented. This one makes me proud.

There. Judge me. I once met Tommy James, it was in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. I was traveling with Nash Kato on his horrifying national tour (lead singer of Urge Overkill) to support his not so amazing or well received solo record. Well, he had a history of wandering off at the most inopportune times, so it was no surprise that I had to go off looking for him as it was getting closer and closer to time to get back to the club for the night’s set.

It wasn’t a great mystery where I found him, he was in the closest bar to the hotel, but he was oddly engrossed in conversation with a shortish oldish guy with a rather large head of white hair. This oldish dude also had a couple vintage girls on his arm, both looked like 16 year old Justin Timberlake fans – only add 40 years to all parties involved.

As I tried to penetrate their conversation Nash enthusiastically introduced me to the man he was talking to. ‘Bohb, meet Tommy James’. No way. I even said it, “yeah right, Crimson and Clover Tommy James? Come on”. Nash got pissed and serious and told me that I better believe it cause this was one of his musical heroes. It started to sink in, this really could be Tommy James. Well Nash was convinced and that’s all that mattered. As I pulled Nash away from the conversation with his idol he begged Tommy to come to the club, and maybe even to jam with the band. We knew it would never happen, and left for the club, another average gig in a rather shitty room.

I remember the lights were oddly bright the entire evening, like you were playing in someone’s living room. The band was about halfway through the set, and who should walk in the door but our supposed Tommy James, and still with his future menage-a-trois. The party of three walked over to me at the sound booth. I greeted them, offered to get the girls drinks – they accepted.

A few Gin & Something’s later Tommy says that he indeed would like to go up and perform with the band. I enthusiastically send him to the stage. Nash is ecstatic. He announces to the room that the legend Tommy James is joining them onstage. A smattering of applause. I don’t think these 20ish people knew who he was.

Tommy asks the band what song they want to do. There’s no question, Nash’s favorite song is ‘Draggin the Line’. We all know this as he’s been blasting it in the tour van (yeah a van, we didn’t have a bus, don’t judge) for weeks. Nash says “Draggin the Line!!’. Tommy nods his head in agreement, takes the microphone and says, “I Think We’re Alone Now. 1! 2! 3! 4!”

2) Street Fighting Man - Rolling Stones

For a very long time I never listened to the Stones. I was a Beatles guy. I took them to be drunken blues bar band types that I didn’t need. I was right about the first half of that, wrong about the second. I was asked to play in a band with some Chicago music scene friends called Sticky Fingers The Album. The concept being that the band would only play that record, in order, and that’s it.

They asked me to join assuming, as they would and I guess as they should, that I was already a big fan of the record. The truth is other than Wild Horses I was largely unfamiliar with the record. So I joined the band, and downloaded the album from iTunes that night.

It was almost embarrassing to have to use the rather new technology to first procure such a classic album. As I listened I tempered my enjoyment of the album with shame. How had I reduced this to drunken bar blues? It was an amazing, melodic, drug infused and perfected songwriting approach to the blues – and it was great. I’m glad my friends introduced me to the band that I should already have known.

Anyway… I realize this song isn’t on Sticky Fingers. In fact, as a result of our Sticky Fingers The Album band we decided to recreate the Altamont concert for a Halloween show. This gave me the excuse to learn all those songs as well, including this (possible greatest) song by RS.

3) Caught of Guard - Brandon Peterson Oh man. This was a strange one. I go to SXSW music conference every year. If you don’t know what it is, look it up. It’s amazing – and a big deal. I’ve always wanted to play at it, but my band has never been selected, and truthfully I stopped even submitting a few years ago out of laziness. I also suffer from the artistic plague of removing yourself from the option list rather than not be selected. ANYWAY.

My bass player Tom forwarded me an email that he received very randomly. There was this musician from NY who had gotten a nice showcase on a Friday night at SXSW, but he was broke. He couldn’t figure out how to get his NYC band down to TX for the show.

He was wondering if he could find a drummer, bass player and keyboard player who were already going to be in Austin for the conference that would be willing to learn 8-10 of his songs and play with him. Interesting. I said, I play keys. I could learn these songs. So I emailed the guy, told him if he would bring the gear I’d learn the songs. I did, it was funny. We practiced only once, nobody knew each other. We played a medium crappy gig at a club called Treasure Island which was themed like a Pirate Ship. I’m sure it didn’t move Brandon’s career forward one bit, but I can at least say I played a SXSW show now.

4) November Rain - Guns N Roses What? Like I said... Don’t judge me! Just picture Slash standing on the edge of that cliff with the wind blowing his shirt and the church in the background. Yeah, that’s right. (Or click on the link above, and watch it for yourself, if you're not cool enough to remember it...)

5) Hurdy Gurdy Man – Donovan

I love Donovan. I was lucky enough to see him perform this song solo acoustic in a church down at SXSW this year. It was amazing, I sat front pew. For a long time I thought this song was about a mystical ‘Hurdy Gurdy Man’. More recently I’ve changed my mind. I think the Hurdy Gurdy Man is The Man, Business, Commerce, The Government. And when the ‘Hurdy Gurdy Man starts singing songs of love’, well that’s when the culture is in danger because the voices of authority are adopting the voices of the counter culture for their own devices. Or maybe it’s just about weed.

6) The Slider - T. Rex

Ahhhh, T. Rex. ‘And when I’m sad… I slide.’ And don’t we all? I love this tune. This was a second round favorite for me. Obviously when you are looking at the T. Rex catalog your first fave will be Jeepster, Bang a Gong, Metal Guru – and yes those are fantastic. But when you look under the hood (‘I have never kissed a car before’ get it?) you fall for songs like this one. And Spaceball Richochet? Damn.

7) Needle in the Camel's Eye - Brian Eno

Brian Eno is my musical superhero. There. Anything off the fantastic cannon of his 4 ‘rock’ album era slays. And that’s that. Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy. Before and After Science. Another Green World. And this one. Here Come the Warm Jets. Masterpieces. These are truly producer albums, where the individual performances do not add up to anything, because there is nothing greater than the whole. This applies to the albums vs. the individual songs as well. They are remarkable ALBUM size pieces of art.

8) Track #4 - Interpol (Antics)

My Interpol album imported into my iTunes with no song titles. This may be a blessing or a curse. I must judge each tune by its auditory merit rather than title or perceived single. This whole album is fun. And that is saying something, because really I should just feel guilty and listen to Joy Division really. Really? Yes, really. Watch 24 Hour Party People you losers.

9) Surf Wax America – Weezer

I love this album, but when I chose music to put on I typically require something heavier (minded, not heavy metal) or with more philosophical lyrics. But is there a more philosophical lyric than ‘you take your car to work, I’ll take my board. And when you are out of fuel, I’m still afloat’? I think not. But… in my newfound pursuit of exercising I’ve found a renewed spot for Weezer and their nice fast pace in my life. Good.

10) Show What You're Made Of - Bicycle, Tricycle

Yes I was listening to my own new album. You will too, it’s a masterpiece. My musician friends and I call the process of gratuitously listening to your own music ‘Blowing your own mind’. So yes, that’s what I was doing. Blowing my own mind.

*Disclaimer:

I opted to remove multiples from the same artist/same album to get some diversity in my list. Otherwise it would have been all Rolling Stones and Brandon Peterson due to the aforementioned shows i was prepping for.