[the 'stache]

Oh man.

Enuff Z'Nuff-this album, and the band, had the incredible misfortune of debuting in August of 1989, just as the grunge era was beginning in Seattle. Had this album come out five years earlier, Enuff Z'Nuff would have become one of the biggest bands in the world. As it is, their look made them MTV darlings as hair metal was in its death throes. Their record label famously pushed an image on the band that gave them tremendous visibility. But when the musical landscape changed, that image amounted to a straight jacket after the band had been pushed overboard, and sank to the bottom, even with media heavyweights Howard Stern and David Letterman endlessly promoting the band on their shows.

When I recommend this glam metal masterpiece to friends, I describe the band as a hybrid of Van Halen, The Beatles and Sweet. The band's classic lineup, lead vocalist Donnie Vie, bassist Chip Z'Nuff, guitarist Derek Frigo and drummer Vik Fox, had an astonishing level of musicianship, and were absolutely fantastic live. Their hard rock/glam metal songs compositions featured some of the catchiest hooks any hard rock act have ever had, and classically trained virtuoso Derek Frigo infused one volcanic guitar solo after another into their thoughtfully crafted tracks. And then, there were their vocals. Those harmonies. Donnie and Chip were meant to sing together.

Their first three albums, the eponymous debut, Strength, and Animals With Human Intelligence are all must haves. But the first album is absolutely addictive.

Carole King-Tapestry

Tori Amos-Little Earthquakes

Stevie Nicks-Bella Donna

Rush-Moving Pictures-really, I could pick a number of their albums depending on my mood. But Moving Pictures represents a very special time for me, when I first got into the band. I keep coming back to it. The Camera Eye is a perfect song.

Jeff Buckley-Grace

Queen-Sheer Heart Attack. Like Rush, I could pick a number of their albums for this list. Queen II is one of the greatest things I've ever heard. It marked Queen truly becoming Queen. They had much of their sound in place with their debut, but the progressive elements, the theatricality of the band, first started revealing itself on the second album. White Queen is one of the greatest songs ever recorded. But Sheer Heart Attack was their break out. Completely uncompromising, it was Freddie Mercury's putting the world on notice. Really, Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack, A Night at the Opera, A Day at the Races and News of the World are all perfect in their own way. Their albums after that had just a slight touch of unevenness at times. Jazz and Hot Space had some highs, but just didn't completely work. The Game and The Works were fantastic albums. I'll go weeks at a time and listen to nothing but Queen or Rush. I completely binge on them, and never grow tired of them. Ever.

Van Halen-Fair Warning. With all due respect to Jimi Hendrix, Brian May, David Gilmour, Jimmy Page, Ritchie Blackmore, Randy Rhoads, Alex Lifeson, John Petrucci, Jake E. Lee, Criss Oliva and a few others that have also been huge influences on me as a musician, Eddie Van Halen is the greatest rock guitarist of all-time, and Fair Warning is his masterpiece.

Miles Davis-A Kind of Blue

Dream Theater-Images and Words


There are more, I'll have to think about it.