Videos by American Songwriter
The deadline to enter the May/June On My Deathbed contest, brought to you by Taylor Guitars, has expired.
Sean Moran of Honolulu, Hawaii, is the contest winner. For his Deathbed list, he selected:
Reckoning, R.E.M.
Into The Mystery, David Wilcox
Greatest Hits, The Police
Shangri-la, Mark Knopfler
The Name of This Band is Talking Heads, Talking Heads
Surprise, Paul Simon
All For Nothing, Nothing For All, The Replacements
Blood on the Tracks, Bob Dylan
Shine, Daniel Lanois
461 Ocean Boulevard, Eric Clapton
ABOUT THE GUITAR:
Taylor’s SolidBody Classic sports a sharp, modern-retro look with a solid ash body, vintage crushed pearl pickguard, maple neck and chrome hardware. The versatile Solidbody Classic allows you to swap pickups out quickly with Taylor’s interchangeable Loaded Pickguard design. Taylor has also added an array of custom ordering options and after-market flexibility for the Solidbody line of guitars. Players can choose from options like new colors, 11 pickup configurations, and four pickguard colors, with an optional tremolo bridge available for any model. For more on Taylor electric guitars, check out the review on pg. 43 of this issue.
Hot Tuna – Burgers
Ryan Adams – Cold Roses
The Band – Northern Lights, Southern Cross
Little Feat – Waiting for Columbus
Traffic – John Barleycorn Must Die
Emmylou Harris – Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town
The Allman Brothers – The Fillmore Concerts
The Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers
Ry Cooder – Bop ’til you Drop
Mick Taylor – Mick Taylor
Thanks – Let it hap’n cap’n!
Chris Whitley- Hotel Vast Horizon
Whiskey Town- Pneumonia
Lucinda Williams- Live at the Philmore
Tom Petty- She’s the One (Soundtrack)
Counting Crows- August and Everything After
Darrell Scott- Theater of the Unheard
The Beatles- Revolver
Ani Difranco- Knuckle Down
Elvis Costello- When I was Cruel
Wilco- Summerteeth
Long Trip Alone – Dierks Bentley
Highway To Hell – AC/DC
Shine On – Jet
Jet Black & Jealous – Eli Young Band
The Slim Shady LP – Eminem
The Bake Sale – The Cool Kids
Everything In Transit – Jack’s Mannequin
Led Zeppelin I – Led Zeppelin
Champion – The Audition
Fiver Score and Seven Years Ago – Relient K
Allman Brothers at Fillmore East. The Band- Rock of Ages. Bob Dylan – Highway 61 Revisited. Bob Dylan- Blood on the Tracks. Derek and the Dominos- Layla and other Assorted Love Songs. John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers w/ Eric Clapton. The Band -Music from Big Pink. Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac. Kooper,Bloomfield & Stills Super Session. Clarence White 33 Acoustic Guitar Instrumentals.
Yes – The Yes Album
Radiohead – Kid A
Wilco – Being There
Red Hot Chili Peppers – By the Way
King Crimson – Larks Tongues in Aspic
Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
James Taylor – Sweet Baby James
U2 – How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Michael Card – The Life
Elliott Smith – New Moon
Radiohead – OK Computer
Dinosaur Jr – Green Mind
Pink Floyd – The Wall
Beach Boys – Pet Sounds
Damien Rice – O
Pixies – Doolittle
Elliott Smith – Roman Candle
Bright Eyes – I’m awake, its morning.
Jeff Buckley – Grace
1. Brand new eyes- Paramore
2. Riot!- Paramore
3. Avenged Sevenfold- Avenged Sevenfold
4. Enema of the State- Blink 182
5. The Silent Force- Within Temptation
6. Inhuman Rampage- Dragonforce
7. Hand of Blood- Bullet for my Valentine
8. No Helmets, No Pads… Just Balls- Simple Plan
9. A Lesson In Romantics- Mayday Parade
10. Awake- Skillet
1.We’re Only In It For The Money – Zappa/Mothers.2.Quadrophenia – The Who. 3 Discipline – King Crimson 4. Forever Changes – Love. 5 Roxy and Elsewhere – Zappa/Mothers. 6.The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter – The Incredible String Band 7. The House On The Hill -Audience.8 Thick As A Brick – Jethro Tull.9 I Just Can’t Stop It – The [English] Beat 10 Spyboy – Emmylou Harris
1 – Ryan Adams – Gold
2 – Pink Floyd – The Wall (on vinyl)
3 – Paul Simon – Graceland
4- Nirvana – Nevermind
5 – Creedence Clearwater Revival – Willie & The Poor Boys
6 – Joe Purdy – Paris In The Morning
7 – Amos Lee – Amos Lee
8 – The Black Crowes – The Southern & Musical Companion
9 – Counting Crows – August & Everything After
10 – Free – Songs Of Yesterday
My “can’t live without” albums in roughly chronological order:
1. Cream – Disraeli Gears
2. The Beatles – White Album
3. Genesis – Foxtrot
4. Led Zeppelin – 1st Album
5. King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King
6. The Beatles – Abbey Road
7. The Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed
8. Gentle Giant – Free Hand
9. Yes – Fragile
10. Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon
For Django by Joe Pass (Amazing!)
Midnight Blue by Kenny Burrell
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly (This is THE ONE that made me want to play guitar!)
A Space in Time by Ten Years After
Abraxas by Santana
The Allman Brothers at Fillmore East by Allman Brothers Band
Sweet Baby James by James Taylor
Batdorf & Rodney by Batdorf & Rodney
Couldn’t Stand The Weather by Stevie Ray Vaughan
The Sky Is Crying by Stevie Ray
If I could sneak in one non-guitar record in one of the other covers:
Kind of Blue by Miles Davis
Please let me win!!!!
Pink Floyd – The Wall
John Prine – Great Days
Greatful Dead – American Beauty
Led Zeppelin – How the West Was Won
Goose Creek Symphony – Welcome to Goosecreek
Allman Brother Band – Fillmore East
Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon
Grateful Dead – Skeletons In the Closet
Bob Dylan – Live at Budakon
Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
A Night at the Opera – Queen
Running With The Devil – Van Halen
Kind of Blue – Miles Davis
At Folsom Prison – Johnny Cash
Hotel California – The Eagles
Back In Black – ACDC
Abbey Road – The Beatles
Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd
Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkle
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John
1. Led Zeppelin-4
2. Deep Purple- Machine Head
3. Black Sabbath- Master of Reality
4. Metallica- Master of Puppets
5. the Rolling Stones- Beggar’s Banquet
6. the Beatles- Abbey Road
7. the Doors- the Doors
8. Pink Floyd- Darkside of the Moon
9. David Bowie- the Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust
10. Jimi Hendrix- Electric Ladyland
My birthday is June 21st, the Taylor Solidbody Classic would be a nice birthday present.
A challenge indeed and the responses so far all worthy. I am surprised however that not one of guitarist/composer/band leader Pat Metheny’s many records was listed. Find a sampling online or visit Pat Metheny Radio on iTunes.
1. Jimi Hendrix – Band of the Gypsys
2Johnny Winter And – Live
3.John Lennon – Live Peace in Toronto
4.Humble Pie – Rockin the Fillmore
5.Neil Young – Harvest
6.Black Sabbath – Paranoid
7.Lynyrd Skynyrd – Street Survivors
8.Ten Years After – Shhhh
9.Stevie Ray Vaughn – Double Trouble
10.Iron Butterfly – In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida
In no particular order:
1. Pink Floyd – The Wall
2. AC/DC – Back in Black
3. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV
4. Guns ‘n Roses – Live Era: ’87–’93
5. Billie Holiday – The Essence of Billie Holiday
6. Boston – Boston
7. The Cure – Galore
8. New Order – Substance
9. Joy Division – Substance
10. The Smiths – The Sounds of the Smiths
1. Jimi Hendrix – Are You Experienced
2. Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
3. Antonio Vivaldi – The Four Seasons with The Drottningtholm Baroque
4. Pink Floyd – Animals
5. Yamamoto, Tsuyoshi Trio – Midnight Sugar (Three Blind Mice label)
6. The Doors – Greatest Hits
7. AC/DC – Highway to Hell
8. The Rolling Stones – Let it Bleed
9. Albert King – Born Under a Bad Sign
10. Led Zeppelin IV
Played in any order
1 “The Sweetest Thing” – Juice Newton
2 “What’s Forever For” – Michael Martin Murphey
3 “I Don’t Call Him Daddy” – Doug Supernaw
4 “I Let Her Lie” – Daryle Singletary
5 “Little Red Rodeo” – Collin Raye
6 “If Bubba Can Dance (I Can Too)” – Shenandoah
7 “We Danced” – Brad Paisley
8 “You and I” – Crystal Gayle & Eddie Rabbitt
9 “Austin” – Blake Shelton
10 “Pour Me” – Trick Pony
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot – Wilco
Heartbreaker – Ryan Adams
Dark Side Of The Moon – Pink Floyd
Appetite For Destruction – Guns N’ Roses
Unplugged in New York – Nirvana
Horehound – The Dead Weather
Neon Bible – The Arcade Fire
I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning – Bright Eyes
Consolers Of The Lonely – The Raconteurs
Into The Wild – Eddie Vedder
Mew – And The Glass Handed Kites
Metallica – … And Justice For All
Queens Of The Stone Age – Era Vulgaris
Alberta Cross – Broken Side Of Time
Radiohead – In Raindows
Mattafix – Sign Of A Struggle
Katamari Fortissimo Damacy
Кино – Звезда По Имени Солнце (Kino – The Star Which We Call Sun)
White Lies – …To Lose My Life
Foals – Total Life Forever
1)Sonvolt – trace
2) Rodney Parker and the 50 peso reward – The lonesome dirge
3)Willie Nelson – Red headed stranger
4)Ryan Bingham – Mescalito
5)Drive-by Truckers – Decoration Day
6)Shooter Jennings- Put the O back in country
7)The Wood brothers – Ways not to lose
8)Steve Earl and the dukes – Shut up and die like an aviator
9)Chris knight – Enough rope
10)Adam hood- different groove
(no particular order)
1. Exile on Main Street. Rolling Stones
2. Rubber Soul. Beatles
3. Music From Big Pink. The Band
4. American Son. Levon Helm
5. Pneumonia. Whiskeytown
6. Blonde on Blonde. Dylan
7. Dylan Live 66
8. On the Beach. Neil Young
9. Cash at Fulsom Prison
10. Plastic Ono Band. J. Lennon
Counting Crows – August and Everything After
Jerry Jeff Walker – A Man Must Carry On
Bob Dylan – Slow Train Coming
Touch – Windham Hill 25 Years of Guitar
Chris Knight – The Trailer Tapes
Natalie Merchant – Tigerlily
Queensryche – Operation Mindcrime (guilty pleasure…)
Suzanne Vega – Suzanne Vega
Buddy & Julie Miller – Written in Chalk
Derek Webb – She Must and Shall Go Free
1. Pink Floyd-Dark Side of the Moon
2. The Eagles -Hotel California
3. Deep Purple -Machine Head
4. Stevie Ray Vaughn – Double Trouble
5. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV
6. Jimi Hendrix – Are You Experienced
7. Time – Time I
8. Queen – A Night at the Opera
9. Santana – Abraxas
10. The Beatles – White Album
1. Radiohead- The Bends
2. Meshell N’degeochello- Bitter
3. Matthew Good- Hospital Music
4. Tool- Undertow
5. Jeff Buckley- Grace
6. Tegan and Sara- The Con
7. Nina Simone- Nina Simone Sings the Blues
8. Red Shoe Diaries Soundtrack
9. Magnolia Soundtrack
10. k.d. lang- Ingenue
Neko Case – Fox Confessor
Eels – Blinking Lights and Other Revelations
Wilco – Summerteeth
Andrew Bird – Noble Beast
Regina Spektor – Begin to Hope
Big Star – #1 Record
Conor Oberst – Conor Oberst
Of Montreal – Sunlandic Twins
Elliot Smith – From a Basement on a Hill
John Rouse – Nashville
*Josh Rouse – Nashville 🙂
1, dream theater, systematic chaos
2, rush, 2112
3, pink floyd, the wall
4, frameshift, unweaving the rainbow
5, steve vai, alien love secrets
6, the rolling stones, sticky fingers
7, metallica, s and m
8, toto, best of
9, eric clapton, unplugged
10, zz top, recycler
It’d be awesome to land that Taylor solid body!
1-Pink Floyd-Dark Side of the Moon
2. On the Beach. Neil Young
3. Cash at Fulsom Prison
4. Rodney Parker and the 50 peso reward – The lonesome dirge
5.The Beatles – White Album
6.Neon Bible – The Arcade Fire
7. “What’s Forever For” – Michael Martin Murphey
8. Led Zeppelin I –
9. Damien Rice
10. Jack Johnson -to the sea
1. Gorilla – James Taylor (…because I want to go out harmonizing)
2. Excitable Boy – Warren Zevon (…because if I’m on my deathbed howling like a werewolf, that would be so awesome)
3. Highwayman – Nelson, Jennings, Cash, Kristofferson (…because each song on this album deals with mortality and frailty but still makes you want to sing along)
4. Avalon – Roxy Music (…because it is both soothing and lush)
5. I Hear You Rockin’ – Dave Edmunds live (…because seeing him perform live made me feel glad to be alive)
6. Poetic Champions Compose – Van Morrison (…because I’d want to hear an Irishman growling about Alan Watts on my last day)
7. Songs from the Labyrinth – Sting (…because the thought of Sting playing a lute would keep me smiling)
8. The Stranger – Billy Joel (…because passing away to the whistled extro that ends the album would be fitting)
9. Once Upon A Summertime – Blossom Dearie (…because it’s the musical equivalent of champagne)
10. Neck and Neck – Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler (…just because)
1. Abbey Road – The Beatles
2. Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd
3. Selling England by the Pound – Genesis
4. Fragile – Yes
5. Queen II – Queen
6. Disraeli Gears – Cream
7. Can’t Buy a Thrill – Steely Dan
8. Texas Flood – Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
9. Toto IV – Toto (if for nothing else but the outro solo in Rosanna)
10. High Voltage – AC/DC
Real tough call but here are some that are top of mind . . .
1. Secret Story by Pat Metheny
2. Aerial Bounderies by Michael Hedges
3. Quiet by John Scofiled
4. Bumpin’ by Wes Montgomery
5. The Complete Tom Jobim – By Antonio Carlos Jobim
6. I’m Not Alone by Ivan Lins
7. Jim Hall & Pat Metheny by Jm Hall and Pat Metheny
8. Burt Bacharach in Concert by Burt Bacharach
9. The Baazil Project by Toots Thieleman
10. Barefoot on the Beach by Michael Franks
DEVO – Q: Are we not men? A: We are DEVO!
The Beatles – Abbey Road
Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV
The Who – Who’s Next
The Alan Parsons Project – I Robot
Jean-Luc Ponty – Cosmic Messenger
Jethro Tull – Aqualung
Genesis – Nursery Cryme
Robin Trower – Bridge of Sighs
Loreena McKennitt – The Book of Secrets
1. Magical Mystery Tour (the 1st Beatles album I didn’t have to share with my brother)
2. Allman Brothers: The Fillmore Concerts (best live album ever)
3. Neil Young – Harvest (taught me how to write a song)
4. Crowded House – Woodface (you have to sing along with this one)
5. Revolver – The Beatles (the launching pad for the studio album idea)
6. Hold on to a Dream – New Grass Revival (who knew Bluegrass rocked)
7. Copperhead Road – Steve Earle (REAL Alt Country)
8. The Who – Live at Leeds (2nd best live album ever)
9. Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy – Return to Forever (holy cow!..especially in 1974)
10. Abbey Road – The Beatles (side 2 was a game changer for me)
Ryan Adams – Heartbreaker
Dr. Dog – Easy Beat
Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska
Cat Power – The Covers Record
Gillian Welch – Time (The Revelator)
Johnny Cash – Live at Folsom Prison
Josh Ritter – The Animal Years
Neil Young – On the Beach
Paul Simon – Graceland
Wilco – Summerteeth
Blood On The Tracks–Bob Dylan
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere–Neil Young
Four Way Street–Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Everything’s Different Now–Til Tuesday
Revolver—The Beatles
I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight–Richard & Linda Thompson
In The Dark With You–Greg Brown
Land Of The Bottom Line–John Gorka
Taking The Long Way–Dixie Chicks
Come On, Come On–Mary Chapin Carpenter
Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen, Ten – Pearl Jam, Shangri-La – Mark Knopfler, Streetcore – Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, Eat a Peach – The Allman Brothers Band, Building the Perfect Beast – Don Henley, Singles Soundtrack – Various Artists, Girlfriend – Matthew Sweet, Songs You Know By Heart – Jimmy Buffet, Live from Folsom Prison – Johnny Cash
1. Bob Dylan- Blonde on Blonde
2. Joni Mitchell- Dreamland
3. Leonard Cohen- Various Positions
4. Bon Iver- For Emma, Forever Ago
5. The Avett Brothers- I and Love and You
6. Tracy Chapman- Tracy Chapman
7. Phoenix- Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
8. Greg Laswell- Three Flights from Alto Nido
9. Taylor Swift- Fearless
10. The National- The Virginia EP
In no specific order:
Janis Joplin-Pearl
Crosby Stills and Nash
Laura Love-Octaroon
Bruce Springsteen-Greetings From Asbury Park
Byrds-Sweetheart of the Rodeo
The Last Waltz
John Hiatt-Bring the Family
The Beatles White Album
Allman Brothers Live at the Fillmore East
Van Morrison Moondance