Sadly, I Am Not Steve Perry. And Other Random Facts.

I've got no real direction with this one, I've been kind of all over the place thoughts-wise, so bear with me. I just thought I should write something before I go and buy NCAA 2009, and then you guys won't hear from me for at least 2 weeks. I'm sorry. I'm 24, with some free time, and some losses to avenge. My first order of business will be searching for some poor sap who will play with South Carolina, and I will destroy him/her. I hate Steve Spurrier so much that I do this every year. Sad? possibly. Fun? Absolutely. Anyway. First off, Josh Hamilton. That was the greatest thing I've ever seen in a HR derby, but also the biggest letdown when he didn't win. I watched the derby at a little bar by my place, and while Hamilton was going nuts, the place was just electric.

After Hamilton rocked my world, one of the people I was with went over to the jukebox and stated that she was going to try an experiment. I don't often experiment with jukeboxes, so I was a bit nervous. Seconds later, though, the all too familiar start of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing'" poured from the speakers. And we watched people. We watched people slowly start to tap their feet along with the music. And then we watched people build up to the chorus. And then finally, we watched as pretty much everyone in the tiny bar sang along to the end of the song. So, it got me thinking...is this the ONE song that everyone knows at least one part to, and can't help singing along to? I mean, I think it's a fair assumption that at least most people know some part of this song. Even if it's only "Just a small town girl....", and how can you not sing along? Even Family Guy knows this: Don't Stop is the ultimate karaoke song. I can't think of anything that will challenge this, but I'll take suggestions. I mean, I'm only a casual Journey fan. I like them, but they're a "greatest hits" band for me. Meaning, some bands just may not have an essential "need to own" album for you, but you have to have their greatest hits. And with Journey, you've got to have the 2001, double disc version of their greatest hits, not the 1988 one. Why? well, the 2001 version has "Still They Ride" on it. And if that ain't Journey's GREATEST hit, then I don't know what is. I used to think REO Speedwagon was a greatest hits only band, but then I realized that I wasn't listening to their greatest hits, I was actually just listening to Hi Infidelity. It's a thin line. The Eagles are a greatest hits band, while Fleetwood Mac is not. Fleetwood Mac is not because no greatest hits collection of theirs has "Secondhand News" on it (more on that song later)....see where I'm going with this? Billy Joel could be greatest hits, while Elton John is obviously not. Bon Jovi, yes. Springsteen, no way. Run-DMC, probably. N.W.A., absolutely not. If I can grab your greatest hits and hear every song that I want to hear (give or take one or two), then hey....I'm good to go. But if you, even in 2-4 cd's (I'm talking about you, Bob Dylan) can't give me every song I love in one compilation, then I've got to seek out the individual albums.

The ultimate greatest hits band? Probably Gin Blossoms. I've got no basis for this, but I just got done road tripping, and as anyone from my generation knows, The Blossoms are perfect road trip music. Any band that's a "singles" band is usually good for road trip music. Goo Goo Dolls, Wallflowers (Which reminds me, Jakob Dylan's new solo album is top notch), etc.

Moving on.

Me and my music nerd friends sit around High Fidelity style and make really weird top 5 lists. It's cool, don't act like you guys don't do it too. So, we're so far reaching at this point that we thought up a new one:

Best lines to open an album.

That's a stretch, but when you're into lyrics like I am, if an amazing lyric opens an album, you'll get sucked in. Any references to your previous album score immediate points. For example, Fall Out Boy opened their latest album, Infinity On High, with the line: 'Last summer we took 3's across the board' ('But by fall, we were a cover story now in stores'...from the song "Thriller"), and that was easily one of my picks. It's the perfect mix of self deprecation, but also a bit of cockiness that makes it charming. Lindsey Buckingham opened Rumours with the line: 'I know there's nothin' to say/Someone has taken my place'....(From the aforementioned "Secondhand News"). This also got a vote from me, due to the fact that it is a tone setter. That set the entire tone for this album about horrible emotional distress, but he sings that song in a fun, lighthearted way (as is the trend with most of his stuff). I actually strayed from the popular pick of Patti Smith opening Horses with 'Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine'. Mostly because I think she opens all of her other albums with better lines, namely Wave and Easter.

I think my top pick though, although probably cliche' is Kurt Cobain. Maybe 3 times, but first overall, has to be the opening line to In Utero. Simply: 'Teenage angst has paid off well'. And indeed it had by that point, so can you blame the guy for bragging about it? He in general knows how to open an album, though. Nevermind ('Load up on guns, bring your friends') started with a bang (no pun intended. I don't think I'm that poor in taste...), and by choosing to open the unplugged set with About A Girl, it opens with the line 'I need an easy friend'.

Don't we all, Kurt. Don't we all.

Anyway, it's off to NCAA 2009 for me. I actually took a weeks vacation off of work for this. Again...sad? maybe. Fun? no. doubt.