Yucky Fingers

A few days ago I was tagged on Facebook for one of those meme's that is currently floating around.

I was asked to list a dozen albums that had a lasting impact on my life and served as a musical and inspirational NorthStar for the remaining days I had on Earth.

I untagged myself.

First of all, I don't know what purpose it would serve to compile a list that could easily be the list of 20 million or so other 44 year olds who grew up on Rock and Roll. There'd be Led Zepellin, Bruce Spingsteen, Neil Young, Carlos Santana, The Allman Brothers, Little Feat, Sonny Boy Williamson and blah, blah, blah.

More to the point, rock and roll music never 'cut to the quick of my soul' or 'fueled a passion that seared my intestines with a joy that took flight'.

I don't know about you, but I was stoned or drunk through my formative years. Music was played in the background, while we did bong hits and laughed our asses off. I can recite some of the lyrics, with some musical accompaniment, but to this day, I don't have a clue what any of that mostly pretentious drivel means.

Jon Anderson has a great lilting voice, but I challenge anyone to decipher a Yes album.

That is not say there weren't albums that had a huge impact on my life. There were. I hung on every word. Studied the pacing and flow of the phrasing. And picked up on the artistic rhythms. But the albums that stayed with me were of the spoken variety.

And I think when you see the list you'll understand why:


Robert Klein -- Child of the 50's

The 2000 Year Old Man -- Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner

Another Monty Python Record -- Monty Python's Flying Circus

That's Not Funny That's Sick -- National Lampoon

No Respect -- Rodney Dangerfield

Class Clown -- George Carlin

Live on Sunset Strip -- Richard Pryor

Occupation Foole -- George Carlin

Mind Over Matter -- Robert Klein

Wild and Crazy Guy -- Steve Martin

An Evening with Groucho -- Groucho Marx

Normal -- Martin Mull

I know I repeated some of the artists, but Robert Klein and George Carlin had such a keen eye for language and observing the human condition, they deserved special mention.