And his Top Five (sometimes of all time)

LED ZEPPELIN



“LED ZEPPELIN I”



   In 1970, Led Zeppelin started the term “heavy.” It was

a year before I was born and a new era in rock began. The heavy aspect

is mostly due to John Bonham’s powerhouse technical ability, and Jimmy

Page’s unrelenting riffage. Another of Page’s contributions was the

tone he crafted with his guitar, made primarily by employing a Gibson

Les Paul guitar and a Marshall amplifier. It’s a tradition carried on

by many esteemed guitarists today. The band did have a couple covers on

the album; “I Can’t Quit You Babe” and “You Shook Me” were originally

recorded by bluesman Willie Dixon. And Robert Plant is no old-time

blues singer, at least traditionally speaking. But he hit octaves

usually best sung by female vocalists, and thereby originated glam rock

vocals. – Atlantic Records, 1969

FOO FIGHTERS



“THE COLOUR AND THE SHAPE”



   Dave Grohl uses Gibson guitars 95 percent of the

time—further proof of their exquisite tonality. But who’d have thought

the former drummer of a grunge band (Nirvana), would go on to write,

play and sing such a timeless album. I must’ve listened to it at least

a hundred times and I still appreciate its originality and the genuine

substance of the music. The surprising part is that it’s loaded with

pop hooks. Grohl is a songwriting genius but it’s my opinion Pat Smear

had a lot to do with the style of this album. No other Foo release has

had this caliber of creativity since. Sadly, Smear quit the band right

after recording was finished. – RCA Records, 1997

THE STROKES



“IS THIS IT?”



   The Strokes must be fans of Lou Reed. Being a fan of

the man myself, it’s not a surprise I also like the band. While

inheriting their sound from groups well before their day, The Strokes

manage to make it their own—dirty yet stylish, retro/pop/punk, guitar

driven, back-beat rock. One of the best aspects of the album is that

you can hear every instrument without all the polish. The dynamics

between the two guitars is understated and poignant for each song. No

guitar heroes here. Julian Casablancas eloquently slithers his vocal

phrases in a talk/sing style that would make his idol (Lou Reed) proud.

– RCA Records, 2001

THE PIXIES



“WAVE OF MUTILATION: BEST OF PIXIES”



   With 23 great songs in a row, it’s nice to press play

and walk away—that is, if you’re still an iPodless cave person. Back in

‘86, Frank Black dropped out of college to make the band happen. Then

Black convinced a friend, Joey Santiago to do the same. The two

recruited bassist Kim Deal, and drummer Dave Loveing. The Pixies helped

usher in an era of music that would save our ever-loving souls from the

tasteless, ego-driven crap of mainstream ‘80s music. Basically, Black

and the rest of the band laid the foundation for all that is good about

music today. You would disagree? Well, there’s Sonic Youth, Nirvana,

Kings of Leon, just to name a few. That’s right—now go listen to Best

of Pixies. – 4ad Records, 2004

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE

“SONGS FOR THE DEAF”



   This is rock in its purest form. Normally, repetitive

guitar riffs bore me. However, with all the talent in this band, the

repetition comes across like a freight train, pounding those blissful

guitar tones into your skull. I’ve heard some complaints of the overly

mid to low frequencies in the guitar parts. Personally, I love it. I

think it has a lot to do with what makes this recording so powerful.

Josh Homme’s and Mark Lanegan’s crooning vocal melodies, along with

Nick Oliveri’s psychotic screaming, rounds it all out. Another

interesting part about this album is the intros for most of the songs,

sounding as if actual DJs—ranging from an underpaid sloth to an

over-hyping spazz—are introducing the material. Anyway, it’s a

conceptual touch that is aural icing on the cake. – Interscope Records,

2002