Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#95)

(#95, A Hard Day's Night by The Beatles)

For you trivia buffs out there, this is the first Beatles album to not feature any cover tunes, and this may be my daughter's favorite Beatles record.  This is all I've got for you today, the Packers and Bears are battling on my tv.













Here is "I'll Cry Instead" and "Things We Said Today" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#96)

(#96, Armed Forces by Elvis Costello & The Attractions)

Yes, I grew up with Billy Joel and The Beatles, but as I sit her right here, right now, Elvis Costello is my favorite artist.  This is one of his many masterpieces.












Here is "Accidents Will Happen" and "Oliver's Army" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#97)

(#97, Rain Dogs by Tom Waits)

The musicianship on this record is incredible, and, oh my god, is that Steve O on the cover art?

A must listen.














Here is "Jockey Full of Bourbon" and "Gun Street Girl" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#98)

(#98, In Utero by Nirvana)

The final studio album by Nirvana, and it's a shame.  I would have loved to seen how Cobain grew as an artist over the years.  Of all three of their studio efforts, I believe this is the one that most captures the sound and energy they were looking for.












Here is "Pennyroyal Tea" and "All Apologies" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#99)

(#99, The Ghosts That Haunt Me by Crash Test Dummies)

When you get this deep into a list like this, the line "I could listen to this all day" applies to every record that will be shared going forward.  I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've spun this in the last 20 years.  Fantastic debut from a terribly underrated band.












Take a listen to "Superman's Song" and "At My Funeral" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#100)

(#100, We Are in Love by Harry Connick Jr)

This may have ranked higher if my roommate the last six years didn't get acid reflux every time Connick's music was played on the stereo.  I sing pretty much every one of these songs in the shower, and that won't end anytime soon.














Here is "Recipe for Love" and "Heavenly" ...

newgazzi Vol 20

This month's playlist was sequenced by the lovely Heather Heisler ... enjoy !!

1) "Back to the Shack" by Weezer




2) "I Don't Know You Anymore" by Bob Mould




3) "Language of the Dead" by Delta Spirit




4) "Colour" by Wild Cub




5) "For the Feel" by Bleached




6) "Work Song" by Hozier




7) "Flavor" by Twin Peaks




8) "Lead Me On" by Joe Henry




9) "You Got Me Singing" by Leonard Cohen




10) "Hell's Bells" by Lauren Shera




11) "Animal of One" by The Fresh & Onlys




12) "Mirror" by Cold Beat




13) "Time Shows Fools" by Justin Townes Earle




14) "Champions of Red Wine" by The New Pornographers




15) "Anything Goes" by Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#101)

(#101, Days of the New by Days of the New)

I'll be honest.  In preparing to write this post, I assumed that Travis Meeks died years ago.  I'm glad he's not, and didn't realize he has released two more self titled Days of the New records since this one, but nothing since 2001.  I'm gonna have to give those a listen, because if they are half as good as this one is, they will be in solid rotation for the rest of my life.











Take a listen to "Shelf in the Room" and "Touch, Peel and Stand" ...

Winding Down

Hello newgazzi readers,

2014 started off being a disaster for me. A few short months after taking a great job with Kohler Credit Union, I developed a bad stutter, and feared the worst as it related to my health.  On Sunday night, February 16th, I decided to hit the pause button and try to figure out what was wrong.   Shortly after that, my roommate drove me to the emergency room (at that point, my stutter was so bad, I couldn't form words, let alone full sentences).  After running several tests, and having them all come back negative, the nurse asked how I handled everyday stress, and I didn't know how to answer the question.  So I entered a psychiatric hospital.  Everyday, I stood up in front of a room full of strangers, and told them why I was there, and what I wanted to accomplish while I was there.

I ended up spending nine weeks there, and feel like every minute I spent there was important.  It prepared me for the next chapter of my life.  And for the first time in my adult life, I understood life, and could now handle anything that it threw at me.

I rejoined Kohler Credit Union in early April, doing something that I truly love. A few months into my second tenure with them, I met the woman of my dreams.  It didn't take long to realize that she was the person I would spend the rest of my life with.  And she likes me too!  We are getting married next year, and are expecting our first child together in early May.

Life is great.  Truly a joy ...

And it's been a joy bringing you newgazzi since July 15, 2009.  But all good things must come to an end.  I've decided that the last day of newgazzi will be December 31, 2014, the day I reveal my #1 album of all time.

We've reviewed records, tv shows, talked sports, counted down songs, SNL moments, we've had wrestling tournaments.  It's been a blast.  But the fact is, and quite honestly, I was hoping this blog would help springboard my writing career.  It hasn't.  I average about 30 readers a day, maybe 100 or so when the newgazzi playlist is published.  It's time for me to put that part of my life to bed.

In May of 2015, I will become a father once again, and raising four kids and enjoying this new found happiness will be all I have time for.

In four weeks, I will be doing something that I've waited 24 years to do.  I will be playing organized baseball for the first time since 1990.  I'm hoping I feel exactly like Rocky does at the end of the sixth installment.  Get it out of my system, put some closure to that part of my life, and start getting the next generation ready to live their dreams.

I will bring you 101 more Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums entries.
You will receive 4 more newgazzi playlists (volumes 20-23)
Hell, I may even put on one more wrestling tournament.

Then it's goodbye.

Thank you for reading newgazzi!

Joey

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#102)

(#102, Unplugged by Eric Clapton)

Known mostly for his moving rendition of "Tears in Heaven" and the slowed down version of "Layla", this was and forever will be one of the better Unplugged shows that MTV has done.  This whole show is top notch.













And here it is ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#103)

(#103, Stunt by Barenaked Ladies)

I have no way to prove it, but while everyone else was getting into this band when "One Week" came out on VH1, I had already been a long time fan.  This was the record that gave them the mainstream exposure they most definitely deserved.  Much like Squirrel Nut Zippers, however, you take a piece of the band away, in this case Steven Page, and I lose interest.  I wish that wasn't the case.










Here is "One Week" and "It's All Been Done" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#104)

(#104, Home as in Houston by The Get Togethers)

I discovered this band about a year and a half ago.  They were the first band to really embrace and understand what I was trying to do here at newgazzi.  The story behind the making of this record needs to be heard ...

Click Here to Read About It

And, oh, by the way, the record is amazing.

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#105)

(#105, Hot by Squirrel Nut Zippers)

I guess in hindsight, it's a good thing that Billy Joel stopped recording music in 1993, and Weezer was on hiatus from 1997-2000, because this album was all I had time for in 1997.  I wish they were still together and recording.  I recently bought a live album that was recorded in 2009, but they are not the same without Tom Maxwell, and never have been.  Just my opinion.











Here is "Hell" and "Bad Businessman" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#106)

(#106, Automatic For the People by R.E.M.)

This record has sold 18 million copies worldwide, had six singles released from it, and Bono calls this "the greatest country record never made".  In anticipation of writing about this album, I believe I've listened to it about six times since last weekend.  Brilliant and perfect.













Take a listen to "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" and "Man on the Moon" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#107)

(#107, Fifty Eggs by Dan Bern)

This is one of those rare albums that I loved from the very first time I heard it.  Most albums, even if I like them the first time around, I spin it several times before I can say I love it.  As soon as "Tiger Woods" was over, I couldn't wait to hear the rest.  This was a recommendation from Howard Goldstein in 2003, and I became a big fan over night.  Bern has become one of my favorite singer/songwriters since then.









Take a listen to "Tiger Woods" and "One Thing Real" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#108)

(#108, Wasting Light by Foo Fighters)

One of my favorite bands of all time.  This record lived up to the hype, and the Back and Forth documentary confirmed three things for me:

1) Pat Smear is Lord

2) Butch Vig's moustache is Lord

3) There is nothing cooler than listening to Butch Vig talk about recording music, while sporting that mustache.

I'm very much looking forward to the new record.



Check this out ... the full album played live from Studio 606 ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#109)

(#109, Come Away With Me by Norah Jones)

I had such a damn crush on this woman in 2003, and I wore the bejesus out of this album for about two years.  The crush is long gone, but the love for the music on this record lives on.  Every single note of this album is joyful to the ear.














Here is "Don't Know Why" and "Come Away With Me" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#110)

(#110, The Heart of Saturday Night by Tom Waits)

Many critics say this is his magnum opus, but I have this as my fourth favorite Tom Waits record.  But how many artists can say they will chart four records in the top #110.   You'll have to tune in every damn day and find out !!












Take a listen to "New Coat of Paint" and "(Looking For) The Heart of Saturday Night" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#111)

(#111, Vampire on Titus by Guided by Voices)

The kings of lo-fi with their most lo-fi effort.  People always say these records would sound better with better production, but I say it's the lack of gloss that give these GBV records their appeal.  This is a fantastic record, start to finish.

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#112)

(#112, Rhythm and Repose by Glen Hansard)

This gentleman has become one of my favorite artists over the past few years.  After putting out several albums with The Frames and The Swell Season, this is his first (and to date) only studio album.  This was listed as my 2nd favorite album of 2012, and if it wasn't for GBV putting out their best album since Alien Lanes in the same year, it would have been #1.   I consider Glen Hansard appointment listening from here on out.











Here is "You Will Become" and "Love, Don't Leave Me Waiting" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#113)

(#113, The Ragpicker's Dream by Mark Knopfler)

The album cover does a great job capturing what this record is all about.  Notice a black and white picture of a man and a woman dancing, in what appears to be a very small apartment.  They look really happy.  This album's central theme circles around people who find joy in the small things that many people take for granted.  I really relate to the characters portrayed here.  This is a real joy.









Take a listen to "Devil Baby" and "Quality Shoe" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#114)

(#114, Unplugged by Alice in Chains)

MTV Unplugged is still one of my favorite MTV shows ever, right up there with The State and Remote Control.  There were many great episodes, but this has to rank near the top.  AIC purists may not have liked this, but I feel this showed they could paint with many different colors.  This is one of Layne Staley's last performances before he passed away.

My 2014 NFL Predictions

For my 11 readers, my 2014 NFL Predictions ...

NFC East

1.  Eagles
2.  Giants
3.  Cowboys
4.  Redskins

NFC Central

1.  Packers
2.  Bears
3.  Lions
4.  Vikings

NFC South

1.  Saints
2.  Falcons
3.  Bucs
4.  Panthers

NFC West

1.  Seahawks
2.  49ers
3.  Cardinals
4.  Rams


NFC Playoffs

Wild Card Weekend
Saints over Bears
49ers over Eagles

Divisional Playoffs
Seahawks over 49ers
Saints over Packers

NFC Title Game
Seahawks over Saints


AFC East

1.  Patriots
2.  Jets
3.  Dolphins
4.  Bills

AFC Central

1.  Bengals
2.  Ravens
3.  Browns
4.  Steelers

AFC South

1.  Colts
2.  Texans
3.  Titans
4.  Jaguars

AFC West

1.  Broncos
2.  Chargers
3.  Chiefs
4.  Raiders

AFC Playoffs

Wild Weekend
Patriots over Texans
Bengals over Chargers

Divisional Playoffs
Broncos over Bengals
Colts over Patriots

AFC Title Game
Colts over Broncos

Super Bowl 49
Colts 27 Seahawks 21

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#115)

(#115, Blinking Lights and Other Revelations by eels)

Despite what Jamie Armata will have you believe, this is not a compilation album.  It just took MOE six years to write and record it.  This is a fantastic double album, and the record that made me a huge eels fan.













Take a listen to "Trouble With Dreams" and "Old Shit/New Shit" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#116)

(#116, Crooked Rain Crooked Rain by Pavement)

If Todd Kemper wants to fight, I'll fight.  This is Stephen Malkmus's magnum opus.  Nothing he's done since can touch it.














Here is "Cut Your Hair" and "Range Life" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#117)

(#117, Alice in Chains by Alice in Chains)

Or as my daughter calls this, "The Three Legged Dog Record".  I'll be honest, I'm not really sure how or why I became a fan of this band.  This isn't really my cup of tea musically, and the lyrics are beyond depressing, but for whatever reason, I've always connected to this band.  I think about this often.  I mean, this is ranking much higher than several Weezer albums, and a handful of Billy Joel's records, but yet I can't figure out why I love it so much.

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#118)

(#118, Mutations by Beck)

Beck was to the 90's what Elton John was to the 70's and R.E.M. was to the 80's ... the best album artist of the decade.  I remember a lot of people being upset when this came out, because they basically wanted Odelay II.  I wore the hell out of this in 1998 and 1999.  Still love it today.













Here is "Cold Brains" and "Nobody's Fault But My Own" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#119)

(#119, Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel)

I'm not sure why I remember this, but Mike Birkenbach was a huge Simon & Garfunkel fan.  Whatever happened to Mike Birkenbach?  Seriously, I'm curious.  And Dan Berg.  And Dan Goetzinger.  I'm skipping my 20 year anniversary this year because these three gentlemen were not at the 10 or 20 year galas.

This is a great record, by the way.  Listen to it ...










Here is "Old Friends" and "Mrs Robinson" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#120)

(#120, Dear Catastrophe Waitress by Belle & Sebastian)

I love this record, and not just because there is a song that references Mike Piazza.  This is a popper sound than I'm used to from them, but the songs here are great.  You know what?  I think I'm gonna watch High Fidelity tonight!













Take a listen to "Step Into My Office, Baby" and "Piazza, New York Catcher" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#121)

(#121, This is How I Let You Down by The Franklin Electric)

These gents from Montreal wrote and recorded my third favorite album from 2013, and my second favorite song (the title track from this record).  Recently re-released with three orchestral versions of three of the songs, this album is a must listen.  I can't wait to see what they do next.











Here is "This Is How I Let You Down" and "Uninvited (Storm)" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#122)

(#122, Return of the Rentals by The Rentals)

Who knew that "P" was Paulina Porizkova?  I remember the first time I saw the video for "Friends of P", I thought for a second that Weezer kicked Rivers and Brian out of the band. After recording this and Seven More Minutes, the band went on hiatus for a long time, returning in 2009 with the Songs About Time multimedia project (which is awesome), and just recently released Lost in Alphaville, their first long player in 15 years (which features reworked versions of many Songs About Time tunes).  I've always appreciated what Matt Sharp has done since leaving Weezer, and I've never really pondered what a reunion with the boys would be like, because Scott Shriner is doing is thing, and I like what Matt Sharp is doing.



Here is "Friends of P" and "Waiting" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#123)

(#123, Midnite Vultures by Beck)

This will be the first of four entries in what I will forever refer to as the "Mount Rushmore of Beck Records".  I'm sure Todd Kemper is fuming that I'm ranking this as my 4th favorite Beck album, but please put this in perspective.  I only like 122 albums more than this one.  How many albums have been recorded over time ?  Millions?  Trillions??  This is fantastic.










Here is "Sexx Laws" and "Mixed Bizness" ...