My top 10 artists of the last 20 years

Continuing my reflections at the end of a decade, I now turn my attention to the top artists of the last 20 years. This was a particularly difficult list to put together. First, I really started getting into music in 1993, therefore grunge had a huge impact on my taste. On the other hand, most of the grunge bands didn't make it out of the 90's, making their lasting effect a little more difficult to judge. But still, I am happy with my list. My criteria again:

Quality: Obviously, you had to be good. Since quality is subjective, I will again proclaim my affection for Rock and Alternative music. I can recognize good pop acts and have little experience judging country and rap. My apologies upfront.
Longevity: For this list you pretty much need to have had success in both 90's and 2000's. Exceptions to artists who couldn't make it due to death.
Trailblazers: If you changed music, you score bonus points. If you were able to change your own style and remain successful you get points as well.

My choices:
1. Dave Matthews Band: One of those bands that the first time I heard them I knew they were special. The depth of their music can take in anyone. Dancers/partyers love them. Those who just want a catchy tune love them. If you love great solos and progressions you love them. And nobody sounds like them. Nobody has the guts to try. You can identify a Dave song pretty quickly and chances are by the end of the song you will enjoy it. In fact, the only reason people don't like DMB is because they are too popular. People used to say that about the Beatles. Didn't make sense then, doesn't make sense now. Here is a video of DMB playing Ants Marching live in Central Park.



2. Nirvana: Quite simply, Nirvana changed the rules of the game. They took powerful/distorted guitars and laid some great hooks to them. But instead of making it pretty, they went with the emotional ridden screeching vocals that caused a generation to realize that music was more than teeny bopper pop music. I am still sad that Kurt Cobain had to die so early. I understand he had troubled life and it would have been hard for him to survive. But he was a musical genious. Nobody has made the quality of grunge Nirvana did. And since bands have been trying to replicate that magical sounds for almost 20 years, that's saying something.

Here is a video of Nirvana playing the 1992 MTV VMA's. They started playing "Rape Me" just to make MTV mad, then went on to play a classic version of "Litium." Watch the most epic fail of a bass toss at the end.



3. Red Hot Chili Peppers: I feel there are two categories of RHCP songs. Those that rock hard (Give it away Now) and those that rock soft (Under the Bridge, Scar Tissue). Both have a huge infusion of funk that is carried by the music of bassist Flea and guitarist John Frusciante. It is this use of funk and great melodies that makes the Chili Peppers a great band. They're one of those bands I always catch myself listening to on the radio. I never change it because they always brings quality. Again, nobody sounds like these guys because they do it so well.

4. Pearl Jam: My personal favorite band, these guys are still rocking almost 20 years later. How to describe why I love them? Their music is timeless to me. No matter how much I listen to an album the progressions and riffs still speak to me. Plus Eddie Vedder's lyrics are always heart felt and well thought out (even if you don't understand a word). Two things Pearl Jam did to last this long. First they make music for the music, not for sales. They write stuff they enjoy and hope others enjoy it, instead of trying to write hits. Second, they follow their hearts which leads them to be politically active. When Pearl Jam started most "hair bands" were singing about sex drugs and rock n roll. Pearl Jam didn't just write from the heart, but they followed it in their lives supporting their causes. It's something that didn't exist back then, and I'm glad they spoke their minds. It made me make up my own.

5. Green Day: Green Day made Punk popular. They took fast/sloppy music and put some great melodies and hooks to them. Later they showed their writing abilities with songs like "Time of your life" and "When September Ends." They too chose to become politically active late in their careers, which to me shows a sign of maturity. Who would have used the word maturity to describe Green Day when they released "Dookie?" Not me, but that's why they are successful. They allowed themselves to grow.

6. Jay Z: Poser alert: I do not listen to much rap. But I know talent. Jay Z is on a very short list of Rap artists I can listen to. Mostly because I hear music when I hear his songs, not just a rapper trying to draw attention to himself. Fun Fact: Jay Z has the most number 1 albums of the last 20 years.

7. Weezer: When Emo bands started becoming popular earlier this decade, I was unimpressed. Mostly because Weezer had already done it 10 years ago. Distorted guitars with downer lyrics? Please that was soooo 1996. Although Weezer is a little more hit and miss with their songs and albums, their hits are legendary. Sweater Song. Buddy Holly. Hash Pipe. Beverly Hills. Pork and Beans. All quality above and beyond what most bands reach. They have a special place in my heart, and every good alternative fan better have the Blue Album. Their video for Pork and Beans cleverly utilizes youtube and its popularity.

8. Radiohead: I admit, I am just now getting into these guys. And I am impressed. It's like a grunge time capsule I just got to open. Crazy good songwriting, crazy good vocals. Probably a little off-the-wall for the average fan. But if you want 15 years of solid gold grunge, Radiohead is a great place to turn.

9. Mariah Carey: I know she went crazy. But she has 18 number 1 hits. Eighteen! That's the most for any female artist, and second only to the Beatles. Some day, when they crazy fades away a new generation will discover her only to say "why doesn't anyone ever talk about her?" Well, crazy does that. Unless your Michael Jackson. Then we talk more.

10. Foo Fighters: They rock hard, and I love it. Another group that every time I hear them on the radio I never change the channel. Their hits are just that awesome. Their biggest knock: As much as their singles rock, the rest of each album sucks. Sorry guys, but just not enough quality all the way around. Still, Foo Fighters carry the banner of Hard Rock well. That's enough for my list.

Special Mention: Dave Grohl The man amazed me. He was the drummer for Nirvana (who changed music as I mentioned) then goes on to have an amazing career and a singer/songwriter. Not many people not named Ben Folds can do that.

My top 10 artists of the last 30 years

As another decade comes to a close I like to reflect. And since I am a child of the 80's, I felt a recap of the artists of the last 30 years would be appropriate. My criteria:
Quality: Obviously, you had to be good. Since quality is subjective, I will say that I am a fan of rock and alternative. I can recognize good pop acts and have little experience judging country and rap. My apologies upfront.
Longevity: For this list you pretty much need to have had success in each decade. Exceptions to artists who couldn't make it due to death.
Trailblazers: If you changed music, you score bonus points. If you were able to change your own style and remain successful you get points as well.

Here is goes. Please feel free to argue in the comments. That's what top 10 lists are for!

1. U2: Is there any doubt? They've been the biggest band in the world twice! They made politically challenging music when nobody else was. They sneak Christianity into their music in a way that is meaningful for anyone. Oh, nobody sounds quite like them. In the 80's they created a fresh new sound. In the 90's they wrote music that will take us years still to understand. In the 2000's they came roaring back. I could go on. Here is a clip from their Superbowl halftime show in Feb 2002. I consider this the most meaningful live performance since the Beatles on Ed Sullivan.



2. Metallica: These guys have had 3 careers. In the 80's they defined metal. They played faster and harder than anyone, and most metal bands still can't compete. In the 90's they went more mainstream and managed to dominate in a way nobody thought metal could. In the 2000's I think they just started making music for themselves again with nothing to prove. If you want to dismiss them as just playing loud and fast, listen to some of their 80's stuff. They were totally into arpeggios and solos that are more musically interesting than any metal I've heard. This is the music video for their song "One." (of Guitar Hero fame) It tells the story of a man who loses his arms, legs, sight and hearing in war. And it has one of my favorite guitar solos ever.

3. Michael Jackson The King of Pop. Thriller is the highest selling album of all time by a lot. He could be the single most talented performer of the century. The only reason he's not at the top is because he went nuts somewhere in the 90's. Still, there's no denying he did what nobody did before and what only few dare to try now. This is the performance that put Moonwalk on the map and made Jackson a star above all the others.



4. Madonna: Before Madonna woman singers were talented, but usually stayed conservative with their music (outside of jazz, do some homework on that) Madonna pushed the envelope of what a female pop star could be, both musically and with her live performances. How good has she been? Well, most of the stars who have followed her have gone crazy from all the pressure of being so controversial. There have been better singers, but no better female performers. This is her famous performance of "Like a Virgin" at the 1984 MTV Awards (this is copied by Princess Fiona at the end of Shrek 1) (This also has the 2003 performance with Madonna, you can ignore that if you wish)



5. Bruce Springstein: The Boss. While his individual hits might not be as huge as some of these other artists, his body of work is pretty awesome. He was huge in the 80's, strayed away from the E Street Band in the 90's only to come charging back in the 2000's. His song "The Rising" was a great tribute to the spirit of America following 9-11-2001.

6. Weird Al: Why Weird Al? Not only was he the first to do the comedy parodies of songs, but he has been the best. So good that he owns the market all to himself. Quick, name another parody artist. No one. Weird Al created and perfected a genre in one fell swoop. Here is an example of his brilliance. In 1999 the whole country (world?) was super pumped about the release of the new Star Wars film The Phantom Menace. I mean crazy excited. So what did Weird Al do? He took "American Pie" by Don Mclean and sumarized the whole movie in "The Saga Begins." You can watch it here.

7. REM This band was pretty huge at the end of the 80's and beginning of the 90's. When hair bands and grunge were dominating the air waves REM took simple guitars and awesome melodies to make a variety of hits. Seriously, they had hits in "Shiny Happy People" and "Losing My Religion." Can't get much more different than that! Most alternative bands didn't survive the advent of grunge. REM did, and for that I salute you.

8. Queen: Ok, technically they were a 70's band. But they made some great tracks in the 80's and I feel their music still reaches us today. Bands will always be compared to Queen because Queen did it best. Freddie Mercury had a voice that is like no other. Seriously. I've only heard one that comes close. (Mika, duh) The rest of the band did their part too, providing great sounds to add to whatever bizarrely brilliant vocal tracks Freddie was working on. Freddie Mercury died of AIDS at the age of 45. Who knows what else he could have given to the world of music, but what he did give is still cherished today.



9. Prince I admit, I don't know Prince as well as these other artists. But when you are dubbed the next Jimi Hendrix, you still get some respect from me. He was a talented guitarist and could have written some killer rock songs. But he thrived in pop. He took all his musical knowledge and made pop songs that were interesting, not redundant. He has slowed up on the creation of new music lately, but his music still stands tall. By the way, partying like it's 1999 is soooo 10 years ago.

10. The Police If only they could have stopped fighting. Again, a band whose sound is still unparalleled. Combine a jazz guitarist to a creative song writer and add a dynamic drummer and you get the Police. Although the lyrics don't seem to fit the music, Sting wrote tunes that we are still singing today. And if I ever have to send out an SOS, you know it's gonna be a message in a bottle.

2009 NFL Predictions

Last year I wrote a blog warning Rams fans that if we didn't support our team they would move.

I still stand by that statement, but this time for whole new reasons.

Last year was bad. I am a pretty die-hard fan and I didn't watch several games. It wasn't football. The Rams were taking up space on the field. I wasn't watching competition, I was wasting my time. So went the 2008 Rams to a 2-14 season. It was hard for me to convince people to care.

Start caring again. The Rams did everything right this off season. We promoted the right guy Billy Devaney as our GM. We hired the absolute best available head coaching candidate in Steve Spagnuolo. Together they have made tons of smart decisions for this franchise. We may not win this year, but it is time to pay attention. We will look like a different team.

I have the Rams going 5-11 this year. I feel our defense will be much improved and keep games close. I think our offensive line is improved and Steven Jackson and Marc Bulger will sneak out a couple games maybe we shouldn't win. It will be painful, but at least it will look better this year.

NFC picks: Philadephia, New Orleans, Minnesota and San Fransisco with Green Bay and the New York Giants as wild cards.

AFC picks: New England, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, San Diego with Baltimore and Houston as wild cards.

New England over Philly in the Super Bowl. Wow, how original of me.

The Man and El Hombre

Can anyone under the age of 45 ever truly understand how great Stan Musial was? We all know the legend and the respect he commands. But can any of us rattle off the top of our heads why he was so good? Let's start with some general numbers.

3630 hits, 4th all time behind Pete Rose, Ty Cobb and Hank Aaron.
7-time Batting Champ
3-time MVP
4-time World Champion
24-time All Star. (They played 2 a few years)
All this while missing the 1945 season in the Armed Forces.

Those numbers in themselves show great longevity and talent. Specifically, the 7 batting championships stand out. In comparison Ichiro, Albert Pujols and Todd Helton have the active highest batting averages in MLB today. They have a combined 4 batting titles. Musial has a .331 career mark and 475 homers to go with it. The only left handed batters with a .330 average and more home runs are Ted Williams, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

But there are two lesser know stats that make Stan "The Man". 475 home runs may not be all that many these days, but I'm sure Stan could have hit more if he wanted to. Stan retired with 725 doubles, THIRD all-time(Tris Speaker, Rose). If I were playing a video game, I would just push the up button more. Musial had the contact but played in an era where homers were not the phenomenon they are now.

This gave Musial 6134 total bases....second behind Hank Aaron. Think about it, nobody has touched the bases more than Stan Musial save one man. Not Ruth or Williams. Not Mays or Bonds. That my friends is an accomplishment worth remembering.

And then there is the man, the character that Stan Musial brings. It's hard to explain, but the quote that is engraved on his statue at Busch Stadium says it all:

"Here stands baseball's perfect warrior. Here stands baseball's perfect knight."



First, Albert hates being called "El Hombre." He says he has too much respect for Stan the Man to take the moniker given to him.

All the more reason to embrace it.

Albert (God willing) is probably only halfway through his career. And yet it is impossible to not dream of how the numbers will stack up when he's finished. Let's look at those.

First is the obvious 9 seasons with .300 average, 30 homers and 100 RBI's to start a career. Yeah...nobody. Nobody has done it. First. Holy Crap. Albert says he is a contact hitter who happens to hit for power(Much like Musial with all his doubles). For one, I believe him. His average is what sets him apart.

Pujols career average to date is .333. He also currently has 358 career home runs. We know the names with a higher batting average and more career home runs: Ted Williams, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig. Notice anything?

Pujols has the highest average and home run combination of any right handed batter. Period. There are four right handed batters that stick out. Rogers Hornsby with a .358 average (second all time) and 301 homers (he could have hit more). Joe Dimaggio and Jimmy Foxx both hit .325 with 361 and 532 homers respectively. I should also mention Hank Aaron had a .305 average with his 755 homers.

Now, the trick to this stat is that most career batting averages drop significantly at the end of a player's career when they don't quite have the skills they used to (Musial included). But who's to say Pujols won't hit for MORE average before its all said and done. My point is that Pujols already can legimately be in the conversation for best right handed hitter of all time.(since Manny and A-Rod wrote themselves off with their steroids use)

Then there is the man who is Albert Pujols. He is extremely charitable off the field. He is a deeply spiritual and faithful man but is not in your face about it. And he is a fiery competitor. The kind of guy everyone wants on their team because he makes everyone better. He will steal a base when needed, he will lay out on the infield for a ground ball. It is all about the team for Albert.

ESPN has dubbed Albert "The Machine." They are so wrong. It's Albert's heart that seperates him from the rest, both on and off the field. He is no machine to St. Louis. He is a man in every sense of the word. He is "El Hombre."

(This blog is inspired from several conversations with my Dad about the legacy of both Musial and Pujols.)

"Pardon me for a moment while I stand and applaud."

In the Summer of 1966 the All-Star game came to St. Louis and Busch Stadium. There, my father and grandfather watched Tim McCarver score the winning run as the National League won 2-1 in extra innings.

It took a while, but I was able to go to the All-Star game with my dad on July 14th. To say I looked forward to it would be an understatement. I was looking forward to celebrating baseball, honoring baseball, honoring St. Louis, honoring the way St. Louis celebrates baseball etc. And I was also going to be in the presence of President Obama who was close enough in the broadcast booth I could see him smile and wave...literally.

First, we saw the players drive by with their families in the red carpet parade. Pretty much we got pictures of the back of their heads but great pics of their families. We then got inside for batting practice which was actually really exciting. We were close enough to a couple homers that I got beers spilled on my pants at 5pm. Eh, whats a ballgame without the smell of beer? (I dislike beer fyi)

We got settled into our seats (middle deck one section off home plate). We had our hot dogs and I had my scorecard knowing it would be the most challenging scorecard of my life. When the Clydesdales came out we were ready.

The staring lineups were fun. First, to show some respect for the AL. Then to boo the only Cub. But mostly for Albert and Yadi. The applause given for Albert was incredible and he has said it even surprised him. That's saying a lot I think.



The biggest surprise came from the President himself. His video about serving America was pretty special. The living Presidents (Obama, Bush, Clinton, Bush Carter) all joined together to support those who serve our communities and are All-Stars among us. A worthy cause and I'm glad it happened. I point that out because it took 10 minutes and pretty much used up all the time.

The one regret for all St. Louis fans was the lack of focus on our great hall-of-famers. When they walked out together I knew the ball was dropped. They should have been brought out individually. Ozzie Smith. Bruce Sutter. Lou Brock. Bob Gibson. Red Schoendienst. These men and ball players are as much the reason St. Louis is a great baseball town as any. Parents want to tell stories of these guys and want their children to play ball and live life in their image.

And finally there had to be more for Stan Musial. From the seat all you saw was him being carted out to applause. We didn't know Joe Buck was listing his credentials on the broadcast. There could have been a video montage before he came out or have all the All Stars greet him on the cart a la Ted Williams. Anything. The only thing I can say is it is hard to be top bill when the President is there. I think Stan, Lou, Red, Bob, Bruce and Ozzie know how much they mean to us, regardless of that one night.



The lineups were great. I enjoyed watching Ichiro, Jeter, Halladay, Buehrle, Papelbon and Rivera from the AL. I enjoyed Howard, Pujols, Buehrle, Molina and Franklin get the home town treatment. 20 years from now I will get to tell about all the Hall of Famers I saw play in one night. That is special.

The game itself was....a little dry. Good defense. Bad defense. A triple. Actually, they best be glad this particular game was played in St. Louis. I'm not sure other fans could have sat through it and loved it like we did.

In the end, it truly was the celebration of St. Louis Baseball I envisioned. I left that game thinking how glad I am to be a fan of the greatest game in the greatest town.

My trade for the Cardinals

A couple weeks ago the Cardinals made a good trade in my opinion. While Mark Derosa has never been an All-Star caliber third baseman, he is a certain upgrade at the position and a veteran with some playoff experience (even though it was with the Cubs the last two years!) And while it solves our weakness at third base, it may not solve the weakness in the four spot in our lineup.

I was looking at Pujols career stats and saw the usual awesomeness in homers and RBI's. But the stat that has had the biggest dropoff is runs scored. Back in the day s of Pujols/Edmonds/Rolen Albert would score 130+ runs a year. Now he is lucky to get just over the 100 mark. For as often as he gets on base he should be scoring 120 easy. We need an RBI guy in the four slot and I don't think we should rely on Rasmus this year.

Some names have floated around, mainly Matt Holliday. Heck, even Larussa has expressed an interest in Holliday. It's easy to see why. Last year he got hurt, but for the most part in Colorado he was a 30+ homer, 130 RBI and .320 average guy. Awesome. The question mark is how does he hit away from Coors Field? And for me the question is will the Cards pick up his 13 million dollar salary? Oakland is in last place and would probably deal Holliday, although their GM has a history of taking great players from teams in trades (Dan Haren anyone?)

Enter my solution: Adam Dunn of Washington. Dunn plays for a last place team. He is 29, the same age as Holliday. And he makes 8 mil, or 5 million less than Holliday. Adam Dunn is a production machine. He has hit 40 homers FIVE YEARS in a row, and looks to add a sixth this year. He walks a lot, but his RBI totals are down. (probably because he played in Cincinatti) His average this year is in the .260's which would be 6th on the team and a huge upgrade from Ludwick/Ankiel/Duncan. He has strikes out a lot, but only 160 which is down from his 195 SO days.

So Holliday has the average and RBI's but comes at a price both in trade value and salary. Dunn has the homerun factor and is cheaper both in salary and probably in asking price. Oh, and Holliday is right handed which the Cardinals want also. I really like Matt Holliday but he will cost some future prospects. If we could get Dunn for say Ankiel/Duncan and a minor league pitcher I would take it.

That would give us a lineup of say Schumaker-Rasmus-Pujols-Dunn-Derosa-Ludwick-Molina-Pitcher-Ryan. I would take that lineup into the post season. I think with a little more offense our pitching staff will settle down and we could start to put some streaks together. Thoughts? Comments?

UPDATED: I heard a few things on the radio today. First, the Cardinals have expressed interest in Roy Halladay at a price tag of 4 top prospects and like 20 million dollars to sign long term. In a word: NO. Second, one MLB GM told ESPN's Buster Olney that they think the Cardinals spent all their trading money on Mark Derosa. So looks like any further trades would take special owner approval. Third, it sounds like Mark Derosa is out 4-8 weeks and could require surgery. Seriously, we might only have gotten 3 games out of the guy.

My non-trade solution......is Brett Wallace. I know it's not good to rush a guy to the big leagues and if he doesn't get a call up I will trust Tony's and Mo's decisions. But if he can hit like everyone says he can....let him play.

Youtube star: Julia Nunes

June is a busy month for me, so I will do a simple blog of sharing other people's talents. This one's about Julia Nunes, a college student somewhere in NY I think who's simple videos has earned her 100,000 subscribers on youtube.

I came across one of Julia Nunes videos on youtube a couple months ago and it's a little embarrassing to say I think I've seen all her videos now. Her voice is pure, her harmonies are amazing and her creativity is entertaining. I mean, she uses a slinky for percussion on one of her songs! She is most known for covering songs on her ukulele, but she has written two CD's that I plan on purchasing at some point this year. She is also very quirky and weird in her video commentaries which again is something I enjoy.

This is her version of "You're My Best Friend" by Queen. The song is only about 3 minutes and the rest are her humorous promotions from whenever she made this video. I hope you enjoy it!