Not Paying Attention

As we all stood underneath the only light at the Happ softball field in Ringwood, otherwise known as the “field of dreams” which received this moniker by Johnny, who would always say- “we never had fields like this in Brooklyn?!;” I could feel my stomach begin to growl. The summer night game had ended about twenty minutes prior and one of the unwritten rules was that as a teammate you had to have an extremely sufficient reason to leave the “up-top” premises immediately after the final out. “Hanging out” with the team afterwards was mandatory and of course, the normal “ribbing” would begin. Yes, I was a frequent target of the taunts- “Hey Joe, did you see the hole that Errol drilled in the outfield grass by the second inning?” or “When are you going to stop thinking when you are up at the plate, you are not equipped!” Ahh the memories.

Another requirement for the post game festivities included each member taking their turn on bringing refreshments. Believe me when it was your turn, overstocking the inventory was the safer way to ward off the ridicule because the boys & girls were usually thirsty and if there was a “seven p.m.” game start time, you would not put the key into your front door until midnight. On this pitch-dark sultry evening I was looking for more than the usual “sea salt” potato chips (which are beyond addictive, and I am not a “chip” person) and a “cold one.” Itching to bolt but I knew I had to be there at least twenty minutes and also needed a good enough excuse to leave, especially on a Friday night. Trying to sneak away was nearly impossible because we always gravitated under the light and standing in the dark could leave you open to an approaching bear as Ringwood is a resort for wildlife.

When I started to pack my gear, the screams came reigning down- “Hey, 17 where are you going?” Looking like a deer in headlights, I knew a lie would fall short, so I exclaimed that hunger had taken over and I needed nourishment. Surprisingly, it worked as no other complaint was hurled in my direction as I quickly ran to my car, which was parked in the dark and believe me, fear makes me faster. Trying to get to the local pizza parlor because I knew that by “nine-thirty” they would be closing for the night, I may have gone a few miles over the speed limit. My “go-to” sandwich back in the 1990’s was a “peppers & egg” hero, and this establishment made it with grandma’s hands. Trying to avoid people because I knew that my aroma was wretched because I normally perspire during the winter, so you can imagine a humid summer evening.

When I parked the car in the driveway, I could not wait to eat but I wanted to shower and dine like a normal human instead of my usual gulping down a sandwich while standing over the kitchen counter letting crumbs fly everywhere. I know, I will reheat the peppers & egg in the microwave for a minute or two and then take a military shower for the same amount of time. After the microwave door closed, I turned to run to the shower and all of a sudden, I began to hear these freakish noises, like a lightning storm on steroids. As I turned around, the microwave looked like it was going to burst as I saw flashing electric currents- think when Frankenstein came to life as Dracula pulled the switch for the electricity to bolt into his ears- and smoke billowing out from every orifice of this seemingly nice kitchen appliance.

Anger was screeching out and then I saw a flame emerge almost touching the overhead cupboard where we kept our plates. Immediately, I dove from the middle of the kitchen towards the microwave and my right hand was able to punch open the latch while my body was on the floor. All the noises end as I quickly stand up and throw the sandwich into the kitchen sink while blasting the cold water to put out the smoke. When the dust settled, I had forgotten to remove the aluminum foil.

During an in-person management meeting when I worked in the structured finance group at S&P I could feel the necessity for a bathroom break (boy do I have numerous stories about that topic but maybe for another time), but I did not want to be rude because the conversation was going well. Of course, it lingers longer than I expected as I continue to gulp down more water. I don’t know about the rest of you but as I have become older, the ability to constrain has become increasingly difficult. Throw in a nice obsessive-compulsive disorder and there are makings of an explosive event. When the summit ends, pleasantries are exchanged while I can see the restrooms out of the corner of my eye and just like when I am driving home from the long commute, the closer I am to the house, the more it is just ready to exhale.

Gently breaking free, I said my goodbyes to the client and was to meet my colleague after the break. As I walked into the two-door entrance that was the first time I thought to myself that this place was “fancy.” Upon arrival I noticed that there were no standing latrines but a row of sinks and across stood a chain of extravagant enclosed commodes. After flushing, I clicked open the beautiful handle on the door and emerged. My head was in a downward position while I was washing my hands and I heard that similar noise of a latch opening. As I lifted my eyes into the mirror with the water running, my female colleague comes into view. Based on her expression, I immediately realized that I was not in Kansas anymore. We never spoke of the incident, but you can imagine that my embarrassment was of seismic proportions and our relationship was never really the same.

“Please take water with you because the kids will need it to ward off the humidity” was the last thing that my bride said to me on her way downstairs while my foot was out the door as both offspring were waiting on their bikes in the driveway on this stifling summer day. “Oh, we will only be gone for about thirty minutes maximum, they can survive without liquids” was the last thought in my head as I completely ignored her advice for the umpteenth time. When they were ten years old, I was barely into my forties and was a machine with expectations that if I could manage it, so could these pre-teenagers. Barking orders to remain on their bikes as we tried to peddle up our exceedingly steep road, even I had trouble remaining on course. Recognizing that I could not keep the pressure on, I jumped off my cycle and pushed it up the rest of this forty-five-degree angle of a road. When they reached the top of the hill, I noticed that my eldest’s’ face was a bit red but just assumed it would cool down, now that we were on a downward trajectory.

As we started to climb back up again around the “circle” of the adjoining road, their pedaling became slower but I knew that this one was nowhere as vertical as the one we had come off, so I kept going but did not push them as hard because the sweat was seeping off my face down to the ground as if I were taking a shower. When we approached the top of our street, I noticed that my oldest’ feet were shuffling on the floor as he was trying to balance the bike in between his legs and then suddenly, he fell over on to the ground. I took off like a jet to one of the homes on the road and met a neighbor at that very moment while begging for water. She went flying into the kitchen and returned with a glass while squatting down like a catcher next to him. She slowly poured it into his mouth and over his face, while I ran, I think the fastest in my entire life down the hill- if you are old enough think the opening theme from the “Six Million Dollar Man.” There was not time to reflect on how much trouble I was in at that moment as I bolted through the door and screamed for my bride. “Get in your car and drive up the block!” I immediately ran out through the garage and back up the road while seeing this woman cradling him in her arms, like he was her son, as he slowly came back to a normal color. Needless to say, I was not paying attention.

This week’s playlist is for those situations where we may not be at the top of our game and will contain words in the title that reflect instances where we are not paying attention or have a momentary lapse of judgement. (Enjoy!)

1— “Sleepwalk” by Santo & Johnny—Sometimes in life when we are not paying attention it is the equivalent to sleepwalking. Remember the infamous episode of “The Honeymooners” where Norton was sleepwalking and caused Ralph to lose consecutive nights without any sleep? The story goes that Santo and Johnny Farina could not sleep one night after a gig and decided to write some music. Inspired by their dad to learn how to play the steel guitar, they laid down the harmonies to what would become this song and later on added the steel melody. They shopped the song around for over a year, the legendary Alan Freed introduced it on his radio show in September 1959 and it was the number one song for two weeks. This all-instrumental was the inspiration for Stephen King when he wrote his first screenplay, the 1992 horror film, “Sleepwalkers.” The tune was also profiled in “Mermaids” which starred Cher. I love the groove and it is extremely soothing.

2— “A Sign of the Times”—by Petula Clark– Imagine having a career that spanned more than seven decades? Petula’s career began during World War II when she was a child entertainer on the BBC radio. She is still with us as she had a milestone birthday last November. How many times have you missed a sign? I remember when I joined “Mr. G’s” baseball team as a teenager and when he went through his signs I used to freak out because it was intricate. “Wait, did he tell us if he touches his nose, that is when the signs go into effect, or when he slid his one hand down the opposite arm? Or vice-versa” was what I would ask myself. Luckily, I was super-fast whereby he pulled me over to the side and informed me that I could steal any base at any time, so I did not have to know when his signs went into effect. And most times, I was leadoff so that kind of excluded me from watching him in the third-base coaches’ box. If we ever batted around, I would look down at him and he would wave his hand. Whew.

3— “Dizzy”— by Tommy Roe- When we are not paying attention, people might believe that we are dizzy, no? How great is this track? OMG, the music from the late 1960’s was phenomenal. The chorus is beyond addictive. “… I finally got to talk to you and told you just exactly how I felt… then I held you close to me and kissed you and my heart began to melt…” I love when the strings or violins come in with the “… da, da, da, da, da, daaaahhh…” part and the seemingly simple drumming is flat out mesmerizing. I can recall when I slammed my head in Central Park during our annual trek with Paul & Sophia when the kids were young and when I lifted my head, I really was dizzy.

4— “Careless Talk”- by Billy Joel-Obviously when I put a sandwich into a microwave with aluminum foil covering it, I was beyond careless, right? Whenever I hear this track, I see visions of the “doo-wop” era as I can picture Billy and his friends standing underneath a lamppost anywhere in New York at night bellowing their hearts out. I believe that my oldest has stated that this is one of Billy’s, if not the best, efforts ever, meaning the landmark album- “An Innocent Man.” I think my dad would approve of this tune.

5—” My Favorite Mistake”- by Sheryl Crow– The fan voting for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ends this Friday, so if you are a fan of Ms. Crow, there is still time to “stuff the ballots.” According to the current statistics, Sheryl needs her brethren to come out in droves to move that needle upwards. Not paying attention usually results in some sort of mistake, right? She has confirmed that the song is not about her relationship with Eric Clapton and stated that she is extremely private. Divergence of what or who the song is about will be left to all of us to decipher. And it is possible, it will conjure up images of someone you may know that is your favorite mistake.  

6— “Don’t Look Now”- by Creedence Clearwater Revival– Don’t look now but that momentary lapse of judgement just may lead to injury. When my brother and I were in grammar school during those eight months when we lived with our grandparents in Otisville, we loved the snowstorms there because the frequency of frozen liquid occurred more often than the warmer New York City winters. Anyway, I took Rich, Dutchie, and a toboggin to the nice hill that could be seen from our home windows. Finally reaching the top of the hill, I rode “shotgun” as the driver, despite never riding on one because the “Flexible Flyer” ruled “dead man’s hill” in Sunset Park. We put our loving German shepherd in the middle with Rich being the anchor. Finding it exceedingly difficult to navigate, the nose began to shift towards a terrain that looked like the top of those prison fences when you drive by them on the highway and see the extreme barbed wire to discourage escape. Our ride was accelerating at a fast pace and these rose vines covered in thorns thrusted upon us in an instant. My correct instinct was to duck but my momentary lapse in judgement led to my brother’s entire face being swiped by hundreds of “needles” (picture the netting used to capture lobsters) and when we finally arrived at the bottom, he looked like he had been scratched by at least three cats. The pain on his face told the story as even in the cold, I could see the “frozen” blood. Dutchie was safe because she was already laying down. Sorry again, Rich.   

7— “Must of Got Lost”- by The J. Geils Band– For the younger generation maybe you think that the J. Geils Band was “Centerfold”, but they are so much more than that and this is just a taste of their greatness. John Geils was a great guitarist with his roots deep in jazz and the blues. And Peter Wolf was the eccentric front man that knew how to work a crowd. When we are not paying attention maybe we are lost in other thoughts, which is the reason for our gaffe. We all have been in situations where our attention to the task at hand may be obstructed by other thoughts.

8— “Signs”- Tesla– With the three situations I mentioned above, I missed all the signs, right? The signs were there for me to read or pick up, but the lapses could have led to disastrous outcomes, but I was lucky enough to survive.  Okay, folks for those who do not know Tesla, this is probably their most well known “hit” as they took this classic written by the Five Man Electrical band and made it their own. The first thing I think about is when my aunt Gayle was sitting next to their original drummer, Troy Luccketta, on a nearly six-hour flight to Vegas as he tried to tell her about their famous version but to no avail. “My nephew probably knows your music.” Was she ever right?! Speaking of Vegas, on the last night of their residency at the House of Blues, Tesla brought out their friend, Sebastian Bach, to help them perform this classic. The crowd lost their minds, I am still on a high from those shows and it was a month ago.

9— “Judgement Day”- by The Dead Daisies-For those who know who the Dead Daisies are and maybe think that Glenn Hughes is the right guy for the job, listen to this track when John Corabi led this fantastic band. And I mean absolutely no disrespect to the legend known as Mr. Hughes, it is just that this unit was meant for John, in my opinion. Yes, I know that this group was originally crafted to shift players in and out, but when Mr. Corabi became the lead singer, it was such a natural fit. I was extremely happy for him because after all the stuff he had to deal with in his experience with Motley Crue, I finally felt that he had “his” band. Their live shows with John at the helm were exceedingly energetic and he was just too cool. Glad to see Brian Tichy back behind the skins and what else can be said about Doug Aldrich as a lead guitarist? That man can shred! (My definition of “shredding” is different from the real meaning as explained to me by my oldest son, who is an actual guitarist, LOL)

10— “Miss the Misery”- by Foo Fighters– It has been a while since I have included a Foo’s song so when I saw the title, I knew I could add it to the list. When we “miss the mark” or “miss the boat” I believe it is the same thing as not paying attention. I know I need to write about this track, but have you heard their new single- “Rescued”- all I will say is “Boy, how much do I love this unit?!!” Lots of rumors swirling around that Matt Cameron, drummer for Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, will tour this year with the Foo’s. Imagine being Matt? Wow! I have heard that many of the Foo Fighters brethren will say that “Wasting Light” was the last solid album that they have released, and I am here to say that is totally not true. But I agree that this album is fantastic and as usual the chorus is addictive.  

11— “Judgement Day”- by Van Halen– I cannot believe I am adding a song from the Van Hagar era because every other day Sammy is still taking shots at Diamond Dave, at this point I have to assume its jealousy. Yes, of course Sammy is a better singer but there is or has never been a question about what version of Van Halen is the greatest… not even close. Anyway, this song is taken from the best Van Hagar album and you should have this body of work in your library.

12— “ATTENTION ATTENTION”- by Shinedown– This title track off of their sixth studio album released in 2018 added to their legacy while most of the general public did not even know that a new body of work was out. Folks, this album (and all of their others) deserve your ATTENTION!  The groove is stupendous, and you will not be able to get the chorus out of your head- “… nothing ‘bout me is ordinary… my friends all say that I am going crazy… I don’t hear a word that they say…. Cause the voices in my head are legendary… but I’ll never tell ‘em where the bodies are buried… keeps them coming back every day…” Barry’s drumming will keep the body moving and if there is a better rock singer out there than Brent Smith, I need to know. “Oh no… Oh no…” I say, “Oh Yes!” Shinedown rules!

13— “No Attention”- by Soundgarden-At this point, the fan vote for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has Soundgarden in fifth place. Folks, if Iron Maiden and Soundgarden are not put into the Hall by the experts, then I am truly done. With no disrespect to the current nominees, I have the blinders on and will cover my ears like a child if one tries to talk about the others, especially if it is their first nod. This would be the icing on the cake as all the “frostiness” between Vicky Cornell, wife of the late Chris, and the rest of the members of Soundgarden have finally been settled. (And a last album of unreleased material is hopefully forthcoming). This is taken off of “Down on the Upside” and when the tempo changes at the 2:35 mark with the head crashing flow, I just lose it. Kim Thayil’s guitar playing is off the charts and the aforementioned Matt Cameron on drums is flat out incredible. Smash! Smash! Smash!  “… they’re gonna tell you where to walk… when to smile and just what to say… they say have your own fun, make your own mind… but don’t make no waves… and I’ll pay no attention.”

14— “Sleepwalk My Life Away”- by Metallica– Metallica has been around for more than forty years and for them to remain at an extremely high standard of creating music is astounding. The riffs, the “crunches,” the flow, the “pulsating bass lines” from Robert, the childlike grin from Lars as he smashes his way into rock and roll eternity, the headbanging guitar work from both Kirk and James, all are still there for you to hear, especially off of their latest album, “72 Seasons.” Hammet’s guitar solo at the 4:18 mark is freakishly good. If you have a chance, go back, and listen to their interview with Howard Stern on Sirius, it is never boring, and their insight is enjoyable. Like fine wine, this band only gets better with age. ‘Nuff said!

15— “Distant Early Warning”- by Rush– This past weekend I caught up with dear friends and of course, the topic of music comes up. And one of my buddies is a freak of a fan for the band, Sum 41. Stu claims that they are the gold standard from Canada. I quickly reminded him of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band by the name of Rush. Nora quickly tosses out the following comment- “all the songs by Rush sound the same and all are over ten minutes long.” I hung my head dejectedly and tried to catch my breath. I should have picked up on the early warning signs when my oldest was dehydrating. (I know what you are thinking- what about Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, The Guess Who, Bryan Adams, Arcade Fire, The Tragically Hip, Drake, or the Weeknd?).

16— “Oblivion”– by Shinedown– When I informed my bride about the mishap with my former S&P colleague, the first thing she wanted to know was why I was oblivious to the fact that it did not look like the normal inside of a men’s room. Yes, another song by Shinedown and not only because of the title, which fits perfectly, in my opinion. For some reason, “Threat to Survival,” seems to be considered somewhat “less than” but I know that I listen to the entire album from top to bottom with this track being my favorite. It has a “gospel” feel to it and then the guitar comes in to take the groove into over-drive. I love the way Brent sings this tune, freaking unbelievable, especially the “Ay- Oh- Ay-Oh-Ah… Ay-Oh-Ay-Oh-Ah!!” “Can’t keep me hear in the dark!”

17— “Blurry”- by Puddle of Mudd– I clearly recognize that this tune could (should) have gone on last week’s post related to vision but I think it fits here as well because when we are missing something it may be because things are blurry. No? Okay, well anyway, as previously mentioned I was beyond obsessed with “Come Clean” when it was issued in 2001. This is the song that put them on the map and was played on popular radio across the U.S. The MBIA concert crew went to see them at the Roseland Ballroom on Friday March 22, 2002, and folks, when I tell you that they tore it up, I mean it. This is when Wes was just starting out under the mentorship of Fred Durst and the hunger was at the forefront. Sadly, the band, in my opinion, never achieved the success they should have had and the stories with Mr. Scantlin never seem to really end. Love this song!

18— “Lost in California”- by Little Big Town– This is one of their best songs ever, I know I could have gone with “Lost” but at the end of the day, the dreamy vocal style by Karen takes this tune to a level that few can reach. “The Breaker” is a phenomenal album and I believe this is the highlight. This is the kind of lost I prefer- “Let’s chase the waves and let ‘em take us under… on some deserted piece of virgin sand, yeah… hold on to the freedom and the wonder… while we can…” I want to go to that place with my bride and hopefully those types of days are not too far off where the sand can drift between our toes with no more worries about our contributions to the work world. I love the vibe that this tune emits.

19— “Careless Whisper”- by George Michael– When we are not paying attention, sometimes it can be chalked up to being careless and what better song than this? Folks, this song was released in 1984 when I was up to my neck in hard rock and had an image to uphold but you know what? I loved this track when it was released and love it more now. The musicianship is beyond stellar and who can sing it like George? I think this is a perfect song to play at weddings or anniversary parties because of the smoothness, which makes it easy to dance to with your favorite partner. “…Tonight, the music seems so loud… I wish that we could lose this crowd… Maybe it’s better this way… We’d hurt each other with the things we’d want to say…” Well, on second thought, maybe this is a better song to dance alone together in an apartment? LOL.  

20— “A Song for Sleeping”- by Stone Temple Pilots-Any chance I have to put songs on a list from “Shangri-La Dee Da” you know I am going to include, and this is up there as my most favorite tune by STP. I love how the late Scott Weiland was not afraid to write/sing songs that were extremely personal and when you listen to his vocals on this track, it brings a tear to the eye. Written for the birth of his son, I know I related to the love that exudes in the lyrics, especially when Scott sings the following- “… so for the moment… I’ll watch you breathe… and when you wake up in the morning… and I pour the coffee… you’re always smiling… sweetly…” Boy do I miss the days when our offspring sat in their highchair with their small spoons while banging it because they were hungry. And I hope that Noah is doing good these days, despite not having his dad along side him while he was growing up.

21— “Miss You in a Heartbeat”- by Def Leppard– There are moments when I revel in the “gooey” love songs, and this is one of my ultimate’s. This legendary band continues to “mow ‘em down” and I love the fact that they can rock out with the best but then turn on a dime, while creating the greatest power ballads ever. I know Grace, you are screaming at your phone or laptop, but I make no excuses, because I love sappy, gooey, or whatever adjective you may want to add. I am forever grateful for the band known as Def Leppard, without them my life would never have been the same and that includes meeting my bride.

22— “Somethin’ Stupid”- by Frank Sinatra & Nancy Sinatra– I do not like to use the word “stupid” but have to admit that when I put a sandwich covered with aluminum foil into a microwave… well. This is a perfect song for your next dinner event at your house with friends or family. Of course, Frank is Frank and Nancy holds her own as her voice is splendid.

23— “Momentary Lapse of Judgement”- by A.J. Croce -Yes, this is the son of the late legendary Jim Croce and Adrian James (A.J.) was eight days away from his second birthday when his father unfortunately passed away in a plane crash in September 1972. And just about when he turned four, he temporarily lost his vision because of the abuse he received from his mom’s then boyfriend. Vision in one eye returned and when he was fifteen, his family house burned to the ground. And believe it or not, his wife passed away in 2018 from a rare heart virus while he was experiencing his own health issues. He is still surviving and recently covered his dad’s work after years of not wanting to ever “touch” Jim’s catalog. A.J. has a nice library of songs, check him out.

24— “Lost Without Your Love”- by Bread– Melancholy or sad songs make me think of things and I need again to apologize to my oldest son, as well as my bride, for not taking water with us on that bike ride. When I think of what I put him through, my heart breaks and my momentary lapse of judgement scares me tremendously because I think of what I could have done to him. I would have never lived it down. Obviously, I would be lost without the love of my bride and family. Folks, we all make mistakes because we are human, so let’s limit the blunders that are caused by not paying attention.

VISION

“ERROL, WATCH OUT! YOU ARE IN THE WRONG LANE!”

When I was young and vibrant the experience with nagging injuries was limited, except for an arthroscopic procedure on my right knee when I turned twenty-one. Ever since I can remember, being physically active has been a necessity each and every day. It began early as I delivered newspapers as a teenager well before the sun even rose, most times I was back home before daylight broke because I loved to run. After the “three o’clock” whistle, it was straight to the schoolyard to play whatever season of ball that matched the calendar year. When I was excused from the dinner table, it was back outside to soak in all the fun with my 46^th street friends by participating in “kick the can” or “manhunt” to keep the juices flowing. Saturday and Sundays were filled with at least two games of either softball or football for the entire fifty-two-week season. Even when I started working at Dan’s supermarket, I would run from our home on 53^rd street to 46^th street in nano seconds. About ten years ago, while attending a wake, one of the neighborhood guys who I had not seen in decades, came over to me and said, “I have to ask you a question, did you ever walk when you were younger?” The three or four people in the circle all laughed and had the same inquiry. In all the years of physical activity there were never any issues, and I was (am) one of those people who maybe go for an annual physical every ten years or so. The last thing I ever thought was that my vision would deteriorate, and it was something that came upon suddenly with near misses that could have been disastrous. 

As I was driving southbound with my bride in my Oldsmobile Cutlass on the New Jersey Turnpike while approaching a toll to pay the required fare, unbeknownst to me, I was in the northbound lane, coming upon a car that luckily had already stopped to hand the tollbooth collector their money. The lights were shining in my face, which did not help the situation and if it were not for my wife alerting me the way she did, at the last moment, at the very least I would have deserved to have my license revoked. After her screams, I slid back to the right side as the person behind me probably thought that I was going to realize my mistake and left room for my recovery with no consequences.

A few months prior to this near mishap, I was on my way back to Staten Island after my parents made the fateful decision to leave the lovely confines of Brooklyn after living there for most of their lives, except for excursions in the Bronx and Otisville. Being homesick I was constantly driving back and forth to see my friends because I knew the Island was not in the picture as the plans for our wedding were in place, with no thoughts of residing there, while Brooklyn was too expensive for a couple just starting out. After passing the last exit in Bay Ridge, I noticed to my right that there were absolutely no cars headed for the lower level of the Verrazano Bridge.

For whatever reason, my preference the first half of my existence for any crossover was for the bottom layer, despite the fear of being crushed like a pancake from the upper, so to remain in conformity, I trended towards the right side of the highway. And in an instant, I heard crumbling and crushing noises underneath all four tires along with the feeling of running something over. Immediately slamming on the brakes, I jumped out of my car assuming the worst. In the pitch dark, I noticed at least five bright orange cones scattered all over the place instead of the straight line where the setup obviously indicated that officials did not want anyone on the lower level. I unfolded at least two of them, while standing the rest up in their natural order before quickly getting back into my vehicle and driving away while praying no law enforcement witnessed this extreme infraction.

Before leaving Brooklyn, I knew that I needed to soak up the last few months of playing on at least seven softball teams because the northern hills of New Jersey would soon be our new home with expectations to join at least one squad to alleviate the withdrawal process. One of my favorite fields that we played on was the concrete diamond in Sunset Park and “The All-Outs” were stacked with supreme talent, including Cheesy who may have not been the quickest left fielder, but he possessed a cannon for an arm and could throw out even the fastest opponent by at least three steps to any bag, especially third. His reputation grew to mythical heights whereby even new competitors would not even think about running on him because the prominence reigned supreme.

Anyway, on the other hand, his reliance on my speed was also legendary because if it were not hit right to him, he would stand at attention and watch me track down every fly ball in our vicinity. It was a tight game in the bottom of the last inning, with two outs and the winning run was on first with the tying on second base as dusk started to settle into the sky. I hear the crack of the bat but don’t see anything circular in the air. I did notice that the entire infield had turned their heads knowing that it was hit in my direction, and some headed towards the dugout assuming the game was over. So did Cheesy but then frantically everyone screamed my name aloud realizing that the ball was way over my head. When the ball rolled to the outfield fence, the winning run easily scored while the embarrassment fell upon me quicker than the darkness of the night. Dejected, I apologized to my teammates.

These three events solidified a trip to the optometrist, along with a promise to not be a passenger by my bride. It turned out that I could not see from afar, so glasses were needed for driving and watching a movie inside a theater. Ironically, my prescription has not changed much since the original diagnosis but more recently I have started to notice that small fine print is getting harder to digest. After a while, especially at work, I would wave to anyone because a large number of people thought that I had become “stuck up,” for lack of a better phrase, because I could not see people extending an “hello” from way down the hallway. This week’s setlist deals with vision and may not just be about a physical condition. (Enjoy!)

1— “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” by The Platters—The Platters were played around our house while we were growing up, it actually felt like we knew the members not only because of their fabulous songs but also because of the narration that my dad would supply us about their lives, including where they grew up and where he saw them in concert. As soon as this tune begins, I am completely engulfed by the engaging arrangement and is there a better song to play at a wedding or anniversary party? I can picture everyone from grandma down to the great grandkids picking a partner and dancing to this exquisite track. Folks, this is beyond a classic tune, I do not even know how to describe it.

2— “My Eyes Adored You”—by Frankie Valli– One has to admit that Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons have created some of the most iconic songs in the history of music, right? And I would bet again that every generation loves this tune, no? Sometimes when I play songs from my era to the younger generation, I can even hear that “old” sound but not with this track. It sounds like it was recorded yesterday, and it brings out such a loving feeling.  I don’t know about you but tunes like this bring back the days of remembering when we were young and carefree where not knowing what it really meant to “go out” with someone when you are in the sixth grade, it just brings a smile to my face. The stages of life are a journey that is filled with surprises, compromises, sadness, and absolute joy. This song takes me through all of those phases.

3— “Spanish Eyes”— by Engelbert Humperdinck- How much do I love the music of Engelbert? I can listen to him “sing the phone book” because he has a majestic voice that can soothe just about any situation. If you need a “calm” app, look no further than his catalog because each tune he has ever sung is done with a passion that is second to none. Each time I hear this song I think of my beautiful bride and her eyes really are the prettiest of them all. I am at home whenever I look into those Spanish eyes. “… Say you and your Spanish eyes will wait for me… say you and your Spanish eyes will wait for me…”

4— “Can’t You See”- by The Marshall Tucker Band-Despite the fact that I have heard this song way too many times in my life, there is no denying its excellence and yes, I can see what it means to the millions of their fans across the universe. For some reason over the past few years while heading back to concerts after Covid, I have noticed that this song is on many “pre-game” festivities, and I have to admit it is emotional to see the reaction it evokes in the crowd as it becomes a love fest with everyone singing along to the infectious chorus. The piano work and guitar solo are legendary. It has to be regarded as their ultimate tune but also as one of the greatest songs ever recorded. In my opinion, it is impossible to not sing along with the late Toy Caldwell.

5—” Double Vision”- by Foreigner– Song one on side two on their sophomoric effort and not one time have they been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? I would encourage all of the experts to slip on a pair of comfortable headphones and listen to the entire production of this astounding song. And then let me know if this one tune does not get them in. I will say it until they receive their recognition- Lou Gramm was one of the greatest vocalists of the 1970’s and 1980’s. Mick Jones and the rest of the original band deserve their time on the carpet, although sadly both Ed Gagliardi and Ian McDonald are no longer with us. How many bands or artists can say that they have sold more than 80 million albums or have nine top ten songs in their history, which is more than Journey ever had.

6— “Color Me Blind”- by Extreme– The year was 1992 and my musical taste began gravitating to the heavier side of the street with the “Black Album” by Metallica, which forever changed my life from the year before. “III Sides to Every Story” is another body of work that changed my existence, and the three parts are heavy, somewhat heavy, and soft.  The three phases of this extremely undervalued album are stunning, and the lyrics sadly are still applicable today. “…picture the world, without any color… you couldn’t tell one face from the other… I don’t understand, why we fight with our brother?… Color me blind just to love one another…” Nuno’s guitar solo is freakishly stellar, and the background vocals rank up there with the best of them. I cannot wait for their new album to come out in June and if they tour, folks I am telling you right now, you will not be disappointed if you purchase a ticket. I wish that Live Nation or Ticketmaster were not involved but I have a feeling that it will be unavoidable because this band is big.  

7— “Find Your Way Back”- by Michelle Branch– My oldest was barely ten years old when he introduced “Hotel Paper” to his dad, and I welcomed it with open arms. Nearly twenty years later, this stunning album sounds as fresh as it did when it was first released in 2004. When we lose our sight or vision, we should all strive to find our way back and, in my opinion, that would be the middle ground. I believe it is achievable because our past generations were successful and hopefully history will repeat itself. Not sure if Ms. Branch is still around making music but her contribution with this album will always be appreciated.

8— “In the Dark”- Billy Squier– The year was 1981 and I remember when this iconic album was released because this was the first song on side one that helped put Billy on the map across the universe. I can picture Paulie and Big Joe sitting on their stoop with the boom box as this song was blasting out of the speakers. I was stoked because I knew each and every song on this album. Here were the “metal heads” of the neighborhood playing Billy Squier, so you know it had to be great. Sometimes when we can’t see, we are in the dark and it takes a vision to rescue.

9— “Eye of the Tiger”- by Survivor-The “Rocky” series could arguably state that they had the best music to accompany their story of Mr. Balboa as he fought his way to the top. For those of us who are of age, who could forget the incredible rise of “Mr. T” as the bombastic opponent in Rocky III? His performance in the movie was legendary as I can still feel him come through the screen with such ferocity that I knew I never wanted to be Rocky in the ring against him. Sly approached Survivor to write a song for the movie after Queen turned down his request for “Another One Bites the Dust” to be the signature song and it turned out to be a brilliant move for their career because everyone knows it!

10— “Sound and Vision”- by David Bowie– There are many of the Bowie brethren that would put this song at the top of his illustrious career, and I would have no argument. The groove is delicious while the bass lines are incredibly addicting and who else, but David adds the low sultry vocal style that fits the tune perfectly. If Jeff Beck changed his trajectory on the guitar while trying to improve on his skills, I would say that Mr. Bowie was forever changing while never resting on his laurels to push the boundaries of his love of music to the ultimate level as a singer, songwriter, and performer.

11— “Long as I Can See the Light”- by Credence Clearwater Revival– I still say that CCR is the greatest American band ever and I would point to this song as “Exhibit A.” It will forever be a shame that the two brothers could not see eye to eye but when they were one, the results are undeniable. I am extremely happy for John Fogerty as he finally won back the rights to his songs this past January after fifty years of legal battles. Each time I hear this song, I am back in the MBIA Spin room after an amazing run by Chris and I put this on as a “cool down” song. I can picture the line of folks just drifting off into another world as the sweat poured off us, onto the mats below while probably going back in time to their younger days. I bow to CCR!

12— “Can’t Find My Way Home”- by Blind Faith– The band’s name is Blind Faith, so there is the hitch and sometimes when you cannot find your way, it may have to do with vision, which could be lacking. Imagine crafting only one album and this could, be it? Something happened between Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton but years later they did do a reunion tour at Madison Square Garden for which you know I was there to witness the spectacle. In my opinion, Steve pushed Eric because to this day I still hear all the high praise heaped upon Mr. Clapton (deservedly so), but I still maintain that he had to be way on top of his game because of the massive skills that Mr. Winwood put on display during that tour. Anyway, the debut album is beyond words. Absolutely spectacular.

13— “Beware of Darkness”- by George Harrison– I often wonder if John & Paul sat back and thought to themselves that maybe they should have given George the platform to showcase what was waiting to come out  of his system because there is no denying that the triple album “All Things Must Pass” remains near the top of the heap when the discussion comes up about the best solo albums by each member of The Beatles. But then again, if they did not split who knows if this would have come out of George. In the end it does not matter because we are all the beneficiaries of some of the world’s greatest music ever created. I recently heard Howard Stern talk about how unbelievable this song is, and I was surprised because I did not know he was a fan of George. This is one of his superior achievements as a singer/songwriter.

14— “Eyes of a Child”- by Sully Erna– I recently saw a video of a little girl giving her cup of water to a homeless person on the street while also helping him to drink ensuring that he was able to sip each drop. My heart grew and broke at the same time because there was this innocent child recognizing that someone needed help while making no judgements because adults had walked by without trying to assist. I live my life through the eyes of a child because, in my opinion, there is no better way. Folks, I will say it again- Sully Erna’s debut solo album deserves your attention- yes, the lead singer of Godsmack. “Avalon” is a masterpiece, in my opinion!

15— “These Eyes”- by The Guess Who– This is one of the most severely underrated bands in the history of music and I will never understand why because if a group of individuals can craft a song of this stature, there is no denying their talent. This band was a force during the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Whenever I see concert footage of these guys back in their heyday, they just looked like they were having the time of their lives and that is what music is supposed to do. The combination of Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman are on a level that falls right below that of Lennon-McCartney or Richards and Jagger, there, I said it!

16— “Hungry Eyes”– by Eric Carmen– “Dirty Dancing” was such a phenomenon when it was released in 1987 and this tune will forever be associated with this film. At that time, I was a twenty-two-year-old up to my neck in AC/DC and Van Halen, but even I could not ignore the film or the soundtrack. It is still sad that Patrick Swayze has left us way too soon. And I will sound like an old man that I am, but I love the fact that the movie was one hour and thirty-seven minutes. Now when one watches something on Netflix or any other streaming device, the time needed to invest is at least three hours. By that time my eyes start to close instead of being hungry.

17— “Girl with the Hungry Eyes”- by Jefferson Starship– Brian and I have shared various songs over the past year from the incredible “Freedom at Point Zero” album that was released in 1979 and features Mickey Thomas on vocals. Folks, I would sit in my bedroom for days on end listening to this wonderous body of work and this was the last song on side one. Of course, I cannot forget to name the late Paul Kanter as the writer of this song as well as the guy who has the sweet guitar solo. I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I have listened to this song in my life, too many to count.

18— “Goin’ Blind”- by KISS– The acoustic version is one of KISS’s best performances as one can hear how much effort Gene put into his vocal prowess and no matter what you may think of him (because he can turn people off) there is no denying his abilities as a singer or bass guitarist. Now I know the KISS Army will disagree and tell you that the original version on “Hotter Than Hell” is the only rendition to listen to but I would disagree. I do not know if you all are on top of the latest gossip but here goes: KISS recently appeared on the Howard Stern show promoting the Final Tour announcement dates and Howard asked Paul why KISS did not perform at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Paul stated that it was insulting to Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer. And to have Peter Criss and Ace Frehley perform with them would have sounded more like “PISS” than “KISS.” Of course, Eddie Trunk has Ace on his show where Ace informs Paul that he wants a formal apology within a certain number of days, or he is going to release 150 pages of documents that have dirt on both Gene and Paul. The clock struck midnight, and nothing happened. I am sorry but Mr. Trunk used to be a hero of mine, but he is an “Ace and Peter” apologist and will never put the blame at the feet of either original member. Paul and Gene made the right decision by letting them go.

19— “Love Will Find a Way”- by Pablo Cruise– For those of age, do you remember Pablo Cruise? They were a mainstay during the 1970’s with some really great songs and the musicianship was fantastic. This will always take me back to the summer days and nights spent in Otisville. If you are lost and can’t find your way, look no further than the love of another.

20— “The First Time I Saw Your Face”- by George Michael– I think I may have utilized this tune on another playlist but Mr. Michael’s touch on the classic by Roberta Flack is flawless, in my opinion, and needs to be included. It is extremely sad that George is no longer with us and one of my biggest regrets is not attending his last concert tour when it came to Madison Square Garden. Can you imagine if he were still around and did another tour? Ticketmaster or Live Nation prices would have been higher than KISS, which last time I checked, one ticket for their last show topped $25,000. And no one steps in to help the “average” person attend a concert? People work as hard as they do to sometimes splurge on themselves and now that is taken away. Shame on the powers that be. Anyway, this tune is beyond stupendous.

21— “Daylight”- by Shinedown– I have to hand it to Brent Smith and the members of Shinedown because they continue to spread the word of hope. Their vision, ever since there was turnover in the players after the second album, has elevated them to a level that not too many other bands/artists have achieved. Brent’s passion for letting humans be humans is extremely comforting and I hope people receive their message. I continue to be baffled at reactions to things that do not even matter and violent responses are applauded or encouraged to destroy the lives of those who are different. “… you saved my life, not once but twice… you keep me free from falling… you saved my life, make it all right… when I don’t feel like talking… you make sure I always see the daylight…” I am praying to see the light at the end of this dark tunnel.  

22— “I’ll See You in My Dreams”- by Joe Brown– Folks, if you have never seen the documentary “Concert for George” it truly is one of the best recorded concerts ever in tribute for the late George Harrison. When you see Joe come out and play this song on ukulele be prepared to shed some tears, especially when it blends in with the orchestral instruments and his voice is beyond spectacular. George’s wife, Olivia, asked Joe to sing this song for George because it was one of his favorites and Joe literally brought down the house with this stunning rendition. Each time I hear it, the tears flow easily while I think of those who have gone to the other side. It is hard to believe that George passed away over twenty years ago.

23— “Blind Faith”- by Myles Kennedy– Losing his father at an early age, Myles had built up years of suffering and needed a release. It took him a long time to complete but his first solo album “Year of the Tiger” is one of the world’s greatest albums ever. This body of work is not only therapeutic for Myles, but it can be for you as well because the lyrics are extremely personal, truthful, and ultimately uplifting. I believe we all have blind faith when it comes to our parents, and I cannot even imagine losing either before becoming a teenager. You can hear the ache of Myles heart when he sings this to his father, asking why he left “like a whisper in the night.” Folks, you need to own this body of work.

24— “See You Again”- by Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth -This song was written for the late Paul Walker, who tragically passed away in a car accident in 2013 while filming “Furious 7.” When I first heard this tune, I had no idea of either performer but was awestruck at the rawness and feeling that went into this heartfelt open letter. I believe each of us, unfortunately, has someone on this list where we know we will eventually see them again. Obviously, it includes my mother and both grandmothers as well as a number of other family members and friends. And now sadly we have lost Davey, who was the brother to Leo, Vinny, Vera, and Angie as well as the cousin to Johnny, who idolized his older “brother” for decades. He now joins his mom, dad, aunt, and uncle on the other side. Davey, I will forever remember you as one of the best ballplayers I ever had the privilege to play alongside and a person that could work magic with his hands as an expert craftsman. You can now rest in peace, love you brother, and we all will miss that smile. Godspeed.

Commuting

Have you ever been in a situation where despite your best efforts to become invisible, the person, whether you know them or not, begins their approach in your direction? The turn of the head never works. Walking away quickly may grant success but that typically will lead to deflection or denial once your friend inquires at a later point in time. Trying to scurry from a stranger could lead to further awkwardness or possible vulnerability, especially if there is surrounding gridlock.

When I moved to Ringwood in 1991, my commute to lower Manhattan was at least 105 minutes in each direction and since I learned from my dad never to be late for anything, I knew I would be on one of the first New Jersey Transit trains in the morning. And early on, I found someone who is just like myself in a lot of ways, with the love of the morning being first and foremost. Recalling one instance where I had to be in extremely early, I informed “99” that I would not be on the train because I was driving to Hoboken the next day. “What time are you leaving? Would you mind picking me up?” When I informed her, the day would only be four hours old, she did not blink an eye and was actually waiting for me in their driveway when I pulled up. By the way, “99” is a herculean woman who performed the unbelievable task of bringing her toddler daughter every step of the way from Northern New Jersey to New York for years and I think she let me help her once.

The years of making our way to and from our homes were exceedingly joyous, filled with much laughter, which made the shuttle that much shorter. Anyway, there was this one adventure that ultimately led to merriment when we recollect but for a moment there was genuine apprehension. After exiting the Bergen County line at Hoboken, we made our way to the PATH train. Being the same type of person as me, if we saw too many people on the platform, it was an automatic turn to jump on the Ferry to take us to the back of the World Trade Center. This particular morning, we boarded the train because there was no stalemate to be seen but we all have been on public transportation where you are screaming in your head to close the doors while you make believe you do not see that person trying to extent whatever they can to make the entrance snap back open again while running as fast as possible to poke their way through. Little by little, the PATH is now starting to look like the NYC number four subway as the amount of people is increasing close to that of being in a sardine can. Then it happens, there is that person you want to avoid at all costs.

As “99” and I are holding on to the pole in the middle of the car, he makes a beeline towards me. Never wanting to disparage another human being, one could see that he probably would now be described as emotionally disturbed and when he noticed a pin of the Norwegian flag on my raincoat, the question could not get out of his mouth faster. “Hey, what country does that pin represent?” I can see “99” trying not to laugh, because like my bride, she says I am a magnet for stuff like this. Now there was no way I could not answer because it felt like rush hour and his nose was right next to my left cheek, with absolutely no room to budge. When I inform him that it is Norway, I knew there was another question coming as he quickly interjects and wonders why I am not wearing the American flag. “99” has turned her head down and to the side as I can see her body shaking from laughing. I did not answer and tried to do the move in a crowded elevator, where you imitate an owl by rotating your neck 270 degrees without popping a vessel.

As the train pulled into Exchange Place, we slowly walked away wondering if running to the next car would be the best way to end this standoff as the guy seemed to be upset with me because I was not wearing the appropriate lapel. Of course, the delay continues as the doors remain open and more people are trying to squeeze in. No matter where our destination was, the man remained our shadow. I looked at 99 and gave her the cue as we both bolted out the door, while scurrying to the next available opening. I turned my head as my right foot entered the floor of the next car and I see the man burst through like he was trying to kick his way out of a paper bag. He is now charging our way; this is when the fear became real. But for some reason, like when a dog that cannot burst through the electric fence, he bounces back and stares at us. Over the loudspeaker, the conductor warns all to watch the closing doors as we both braced for him to suddenly charge at us like a bull. When the doors closed, I thanked the Lord above that they were not opening and closing at least five times like they do on almost every NYC subway train at every stop. We watched him stare at us from the platform while the PATH slowly pulled out of Exchange Place. When we exited out to the World Trade Center, the relief was extraordinary, while the laughs still continue to this day when we look back on that moment.

As the Metro North train was making its way into Grand Central, just like the air-traffic controllers, the authorities let the conductors know which one will go to what track and time to roll ahead. Yes, I am one of “those people” who have to be the first off once the doors open, so I typically make my way towards the front cars to explode and be the leader of the pack as we all fly towards the subway. This one morning, there are some people that beat me to the punch, and I know I will not be able to get to the front, so I picked the door that I knew where I would be the initial person to exit. Just as I am approaching the landing spot, the conductor purposely swerves to make me fall. My backpack was heavy, and I started to plummet headfirst. Having no time to break my fall and headed right towards a woman seated, I knew that I could not put my hands out because they were on the same level just below her collar bone. With no other choice but to lead with my head, I crash into her skull, like cue balls on a billiard table and the train turns yet again. I am completely stuck on her head as I tried to keep my eyes down but could not break loose, it was like our craniums were magnetically connected. Finally, she used her two hands and violently thrusted me off of her while screaming – “Get off me!!” I barely caught my balance while never looking back as I rapidly exited as the doors were opening.

On another trek into Grand Central, I decided at Harlem that I was going to use the restroom knowing that I would still have time to bolt towards the front. The old trains have these long sliding doors where the toilet seat is set way back from the notch that locks the door. When I hit the nozzle for water to come out after applying the soap, of course nothing disperses. With nowhere to wipe the soap I used the toilet paper to remove the residual from my fingers, slip my backpack on and go to the exit. For some reason, the latch to open the door will not behave and I am now locked inside. When the train is approaching the final destination, I hear someone on the outside jiggling the handle. Thinking that no one would ever look through the keyhole (yeah, the ticket worker on the train was nowhere to be found, he had the key) I squinted my left eye while looking through this small opening with my right.

At that same moment, the gentleman on the other side has his eye in the keyhole as we both jumped back as he loudly asks- “are you locked in?” When I responded, he feverishly tried to jam it open but with no success. The loud ring indicates that the main doors are opening at Grand Central and as I heard them slide in, the guy was gone in an instant. Banging from the inside, not one person tried to help, nor did they report me being trapped inside. After about ten minutes I sat with my back against the door figuring that I would end up on some abandoned tracks for days without food or contact with my family, and then I laid on this filthy floor. Exasperated I kick the door with my left leg and all of a sudden, the door slowly slides open. The joy that came upon me was uncontrollable as I quickly made my exit and saw the ticket person, along with the conductor laughing and talking with each other, near the end of the track. After telling them of my demise, they both looked at me and said, “you are here telling us so there is nothing to report, right?” Yeah, thanks!

Patience is a virtue that has not completely settled into my system and for a lengthy period of time I would always look for that seat next to the door where it was the only one where you had to use your hand to push it down and quickly sit before it snapped back into its upright position. I heard the clicking of the punch hole by the ticket person and assumed he would be right there to look at my monthly pass in my wallet, while putting a ticket above my head to prove that I was a paying customer. However, like many other instances where there are “free” rides all the way in (or back home, especially if the train is crowded) the Metro North worker never arrived to verify if I had paid the required fare. Unbeknownst to me due to my impatience while waiting to show my pass, I let my wallet sit by my side, instead of putting it back in my pocket, as I continued typing away for the next blog post.

When we arrived at Grand Central, I left with my backpack and walked to the store that sits in the middle of the floor to purchase the trusty New York Times. As I put my hand on the right side of my pants, I did not feel my wallet. Panic stricken; I did not remember what track it arrived on, so I ran to the information booth. The woman inside had just arrived to start her day as I anxiously tried to gain her attention, but she ignored my presence. I immediately informed her in a desperate voice that I left my wallet on the Harlem line train that had a 4:58 a.m. stop at Goldens Bridge. “Track 28” she yells as I take off like I was shot out of a cannon. While running down the ramp I can see the red lights flashing indicating that the train is ready to depart, destination unknown because there were no passengers. I am screaming while running- “Stop the train!” The worker who had his head sticking out the small window asks what the matter is. “I left my wallet inside.” He opens the door and follows me to the only spot where the “flip-up” chair was on the entire train. I pushed the seat down quite hard and to my absolute surprise it came into vision just like a candy “pez” would shoot out of those toy-like dispensers. It was only “six a.m.” but already my day was spent. But I had my wallet and there were no calls to the bank or AMEX or VISA to cancel cards.

The working from home mandate was lifted after a full three-year period and traveling to lower Manhattan to the office is now required. So, for all those people who are now back in their cars, trains, buses, boats, or riding their bicycles or walking, here is a list of songs to help you appreciate that long commute. (Enjoy!)

1— “Bus Stop” by The Hollies—How great were the Hollies? I do not know about you, but their songs are like “comfort food” for me because the love of creating those tasty dishes resulted in a “full belly” but always room for dessert. “… Every mornin’, I would see her waiting at the stop… sometimes she’d shopped and showed me what she bought… All the people stared as if we were both quite insane… someday my name and hers are going to be the same…” Maybe not exactly the same thing but when I first saw my bride in the back entrance at 25 Broadway when we both worked at S&P, I knew that one day that we would go out on a date. Oh, by the way, since I am older now, I only want to wait at bus stops on a sunny morning, if there is drizzle in the forecast, I am working from home. This is from a guy who would scream at the umpire from centerfield asking out loud why he was calling the game in a heavy downpour.

2— “Drive My Car”—by The Beatles– “Baby you can drive my car… yes I’m gonna be a star… baby, you can drive my car… and maybe I’ll love you… beep, beep, beep, beep, yeah!” Simple maybe, but brilliant at the same time because all these years later we are all still singing Beatle tunes. “Rubber Soul” is flawless and as my good friend Chris pointed out last week, these guys were in their early to mid-twenties when they changed the world. I have been saying for years that nothing beats youth, and this is the proof in the pudding. Harry Harrison always used the “beep, beep” part of the song whenever WCBS FM went to the traffic report- hey, it is what I remember.

3— “Rock the Boat”— by The Hues Corporation- This song lands in my top ten songs of all-time, yes, I said it! Ever since I was a kid, I have loved this song with such a passion and every time I hear it, I am back to being on 46^th street sitting on the stoop with Audrey, John, Mary, Colleen, and endless number of friends, where the hardest decision of the day was whether to play “Co-Co-Caleevio” or “Red Light, Green Light.” I can remember the O’Leary’s grandfather standing on the stoop watching out for all of us, (he was the one that gave me the nickname “Whitey” because of my extreme blond hair at an early age) while Mr. Brown would light up our days with his smile. Years later, we were all startled to find out that Mr. Brown’s grandson was none other than our best friend from 48^th street, Joe. Then there was Jimmy with his trusty cigarette along with his fedora and ultra-thin mustache yelling at Johnny-Boy to get away from us nice kids. Benny would guard his yellow car like it was made of gold but then later on would invite us in his house for amazing Italian food and delicious desserts. The Blum’s, The Alessio’s and The Montalbano’s were the staples on the other side of the street where there was always some car illegally parked in front of the “johnny-pump” that would always mess up our game of “triangle.” The bus stop was right down on the corner, Dan’s Supermarket took over the movie theater that my parents used to attend (and now that property is a New York City School). Those were the days!

4— “Bicycle Race”- by Queen-This song reminds me of a junior high school friend, Andrew, who I believe moved to Hollywood Florida before we all went to high school. He absolutely loved Queen with a passion, and it made me appreciate his admiration. I get extremely psyched when I witness other people become possessed by music because I feel at home. I also recall that he thought “Jazz” was the ultimate, in part due to the song “Mustapha” as it struck a personal chord. Wish I knew how he is doing. By the way, a few years ago I was walking towards Brookfield Place in lower Manhattan and did not realize that I was in the bike lane. Talk about a race, those guys flew by me at such a speed along with a few choice words to get over to my side.  

5—” Walk on Water”- by Eddie Money– This has to be considered one of Eddie’s best efforts ever as I could listen to this song all day long. I do not know why but I absolutely love when Eddie sings the following- “… All along, I told you lies… To err is human, forgive is divine… don’t be a fool, don’t settle the score… cause I can’t take it no more, I can’t take it…” Folks this tune has an addictive chorus along with handclaps- are you kidding me? This is the ultimate tune to have cranking in your ears as you walk to work. “Do I have to walk on water for you?” Yes, Eddie, you do! Miss you all the time, hope you are still smiling on the other side.

6— “Highway 61 Revisited”- by Bob Dylan– My oldest has a deeper appreciation of Mr. Dylan but I do have some of his “greatest” hits on my classic I-pod and this is at the top of my list, there is something that is mysterious about this track. I love the whole package, including his vocals and especially all the various noises. Who says Bob can’t rock it out? At his core, there is rock and roll.  

7— “Shut Up and Drive”- by Rihanna– This past Valentine’s Day I helped out Johnny Boy with flower deliveries and after about five trips, I looked over at him while lip-syncing Rihanna’s words. Afterwards the only thing running was the car motor, LOL!  I thought her Superbowl performance was excellent and did not seem that easy to pull off. I know I would not have wanted to be all the way up in the air like she was and there is no denying her status as worthy to be called upon to play halftime at the biggest game in the world. ‘Nuff Said!

8— “Rock and Roll Train”- by AC/DC– Is there a better commute than being on the rock and roll train with AC/DC? Brian Johnson is BACK! And the world has now returned to its axis. Folks, I have some bad news, I recently went for a hearing test, and it turns out that listening to rock music at alarming levels all these years, going to concerts without ear protection, has led to a decent deterioration. I looked at the doctor and asked, “is my life over?” He looked at me like I was crazy. He asked why I said that. “Doc, I have numerous concerts lined up this year including two nights with Metallica, and they have Pantera, Five Finger Death Punch, Ice Nine Kills, and Mammoth helping them out- does this mean I can no longer attend live shows? Might as well stop eating.” He advised wearing ear plugs that can help stave off further damage. Songs like this one make me want to rip them out of my ears, already!

9— “Keep on Truckin’, Pt. 1”- by Eddie Kendricks-Wow, how fantastic is this song? The groove is off the charts and when the flow changes at the 2:04 mark, even I am dancing, and I don’t even know how to! Folks, this has to be considered one of the greatest tunes and that 1970’s era of R&B- there is nothing like it! I can listen to this all day long.

10— “Walk This Way”- by Run DMC– Okay I know I will upset the Aerosmith brethren, but this is the ultimate version of this song, hands down, not even close and I think even the boys from the band would admit that. Run DMC resurrected Aerosmith’s career with this track and I still maintain that this is the greatest video ever created. Even Joe Perry looked like he was having a blast and watching Steven dance with Daryl and Joseph towards the end is beyond iconic.  

11— “Little Red Corvette”- by Prince– If you are lucky enough to drive to work in a little red corvette, I would assume that has to be a nice ride which should help when you are stuck in the normal rush hour traffic. It is hard to believe Prince is gone but we have his wonderful catalog to help us remember his fantastic gift.

12— “A Gallon of Gas”- by The Kinks– The year was 1979 and if there was one album that I was beyond obsessed with, it was this because it is filled with pure rock & roll. However, for reasons I cannot figure out, most fans of the band hardly ever mention this album, it is like it never existed. But in my world, it was on all the time. “… I’ve been waiting for years to buy a brand-new Cadillac… but now that I’ve got one I wanna send it right back… I can’t afford the gas for my luxury limousine… but even if I had the doe, no one’s got no gasoline…” Weird thing was back in the mid to late 1970’s the gas shortage was real as I could remember the long lines and all the fighting at the stations as it was the lead story on the evening news each night. Now, the price is out of control. Anyway, folks, this is a great album!

13— “Drive By”- by Train– Not a fan of the title but I love the tune as I can picture people who are stuck in traffic on the FDR drive in NYC just leaving their cars while dancing their way to work with this upbeat groove. Folks, I recently took the FDR for the first time after my own personal ban that lasted for more than a decade because I was stuck between 14^th and 34^th street to the point where we all turned our cars off and laid on the hoods of our cars to soak in the sunshine for about two hours. I could not believe that the traffic did not budge for that long period of time and when I drove off that day, I knew I would always use the west side of Manhattan. But “Waze” has brought me back.

14— “Can’t Stop”- by Ozomatli– Continuing on the path of dancing down the FDR drive and since it is a long walk to the 34^th street exit, take this song with you because it will make you move that much faster. Love this band and their grooves are always infectious. There are moments on your commute where you are hoping that that bus, train, or boat just can’t stop now. Keep it moving.

15— “Slow Down”- by Skip Marley & H.E.R.– Sometimes I wonder why I use up so much energy all the time and I can hear a voice in my head saying- “Slow down,” everything will still be there when you arrive. This is the perfect song to take it down. There are instances where I am on the Harlem line on long straight aways thinking that this train needs to slow down because it feels like it is going to come off the tracks. Commuting can be frustrating and exuberant at the same time because there will be times where you appreciate the alone time but on the flip side, delays can be exhausting.

16— “Boat on The River”– by Styx– This has always been one of my ultimate songs by Styx from their often forgotten “Cornerstone” album and each time I hear it, I immediately think of my mother because she loved Tommy’s vocals as well as the melody highlighted by the mandolin. Believe it or not, when our family moved to Staten Island (yes, I lived there for about eight months before I married) the commute to lower Manhattan is extremely long, in my opinion, because depending where you live on the Island, trying to get to the ferry can take some time. And if you miss the boat, the wait for the next one adds more time and despite it looking like one can swim across the river faster, it does take a while for the ferry to dock on either side. It took me one hour and a half to get to 25 Broadway. A few months later, I added another fifteen minutes to get all the way to Northern New Jersey, go figure?

17— “Takin’ it to the Streets”- by Doobie Streets– Probably my most favorite song with Michael McDonald on vocals. The Doobie Brothers were everywhere during the 1970’s as it seemed like every other year there was another stadium anthem to be sung by the entire world. It is amazing to me how tunes that were written decades ago still apply to our world today but mostly sad that the message still has not been received as we continue to try to dominate instead of negotiating.

18— “Highway 20 Ride”- by Zac Brown Band– Wow what a personal song that pulls the heart strings down which triggers tears to fall from your eyes. Divorce can be a devastating thing for all involved, especially the children “left behind.” This is a father letting his son know how much he loves him while he would make that drive to see him after working all day. The Zac Brown band is on my list of bands to see in the next year.

19— “Walking in Rhythm”- by The Blackbyrds– Oh my these 1970’s songs are just flat out incredible and when you have this in your ears while walking to work, is there anything better? Or on the flip side- “I’ve got to get back home.” I love the flute solo as this is one of the coolest tunes ever recorded.

20— “Drive”- by The Cars– You know I had to put a song by the Cars and what better title than “Drive?” This is most likely their biggest song ever because it is recognized internationally and by any generation. And it is probably the best vocal performance by the late Benjamin Orr. Absolute perfection all the way around.

21— “Heart Like a Truck”- by Lainey Wilson– The life of a truck driver has to be tough because their commute is probably never ending. Lainey’s take is obviously different but just like a truck, her heart is strong because of its run through the mud. “Bell Bottom Country” has grown on me over the past few months, and I would recommend its purchase.

22— “Bridge Over Troubled Water”- by Simon & Garfunkel– Each time the Metro North train heads over some bridge in the Bronx I look down to the water and think of this song. Remember last week when I said that “In My Life” could be the greatest song ever written? Well, this tune falls into the same category. Yes, Paul wrote it and originally sung it but then Art put his take on it. With no apologies to Mr. Simon because he wrote it and there is no better version than when Art takes the lead as the singer. It should be celebrated; I know I do.

23— “Broken Road”- by Sully Erna– As I listened to Father Tim’s homily at the Easter vigil, I felt like the “outside world” is a broken road as he pointed out all the hatred in this world that seems to be highlighted by every source of media which has exasperated the situation to a degree that I have never experienced in my life. And yes, the beautiful stories receive just a paragraph. When I hear songs like this it digs deep down into my soul and I feel like I need (and we all need) to do something, anything, to make this world a better place. Sorry folks, but this past week’s news has been too much to take.

24— “Peace Train”- by Yusuf Islam-I wonder when we are all going to board the peace train? As I watched a human being ask a group of children what gun they would rather be shot by, my heart sunk to a level I never thought was possible. “Now I’ve been crying lately… thinkin’ about the world as it is… why must we go on hating?… why can’t we live in bliss…” Folks, I would board that train with a promise to never make a complaint on how long it would take that trip to achieve peace, love, and civility. Will you join me?

SORRY

Coming home that Friday night, I knew my dad was working late and that our recent new addition in the family would already be sleeping as our dog, Heidi, would plant herself right under the crib, serving as the “mother bear” fiercely guarding the area with no one but family members allowed to be near him. Slowly turning the key to enter the dark apartment, I could see through the opening that my mother was watching “The Exorcist.” At that moment, I dropped to the floor after gently closing the door, made an immediate left rather than go straight down the short hallway to the kitchen because despite being on the ground, I could not take the chance of her seeing my silhouette. Barely breathing, like when one submerges into water, my elbows are now doing most of the work, almost like a military person is making their way under the barbed wire, with the mission now in full force. Heidi knew it was me, so she did not move from her post. Mom is extremely focused on the movie while her fingers gripped the blanket that was up to the lower ducts of her eyes and is clearly uncomfortable watching this scary movie.

Her position on the couch enabled me to come up behind her and she never noticed that my head was now near her stomach but on the floor as I waited for a commercial to pop my head up. As I laid there, I could not believe that she was watching a horror picture because just like her son, being scared was the last thing we ever wanted. Once I heard an advertisement, I rose extremely fast like when someone is performing a “sit-up “and said one word- “Hi.” Well folks, the screams that came out of my mother still haunt me to this day because no matter how quickly I turned on the lights while pleading that it was me, the damage was done. “Errol, why would you do that to me?!” 

A few years later in the same apartment I could not wait to test out my new gruesome Halloween mask that I purchased, which was a huge bald head with red blood dripping down both sides of the face along with bloodshot eyeballs that had a hole in each to enable vision from underneath to see the faces of those you can frighten. No one was home when I unlocked the front door for Johnny while he made his way up the long staircase as I tiptoed to the back room where the mask was lying on my bed. Upon entering I told him to come to my room but made sure that the mask was not on yet because this tightly fitting disguise would have surely muffled my voice. When he walked past Graig’s bed, I was waiting behind the slight incline of a wall that separated the two while purposely leaving the light on in my room so I could see his reaction. Upon entering the wide space, I stepped in front of him and just said one word- “Hi!” Folks, his legs did not even bend as he fell backwards onto the wood with such force that I thought he was going to end up in the store below. Unable to breathe because I was laughing extremely hard, Johnny remained in the still position for longer than I expected but once he rolled to his side, I knew recuperation was inevitable.

While working in Omaha Beef just a few years later, the shenanigans between Johnny and I were at a fever pitch, where one would never know when each other would be under attack. Throughout our lives Johnny could never catch me because I was too fast but his patience to wait in one spot to catch or startle me was hugely impressive. It was now my turn and in this freezer warehouse there were three main levels to perform our work duties while the main floor housed all the customers. My uncle John asked Johnny to head upstairs to assist me in stacking the various frozen meats to take back to the butchers for purchase. Unbeknownst to either of them I was listening through the hole in the floor and saw Johnny walk away. There was very little light on the second floor as I quickly set up shop knowing that once he stepped into the opening I would be waiting. While calling out my name he has no idea that I am kneeling on one knee holding a six-foot long cardboard box full of loins of pork as I am anticipating that he will step in front of the semi-empty pallet because I was not that evil, there were some boxes there to soften his landing. As he stopped to look, I thrusted this thirty-pound box right at his chest. Bullseye, his behind went first as he did not even have time to break his fall and the crash was astounding as the customers below even heard it through the cement separation.

Doubled over from laughing I thought I was going to faint as he looked like a turtle on its back and then I heard my uncle screaming as he made his way to the top step of the second floor. My “school-boy” image needed to remain intact so knowing there was no other way out of this, I quickly ran back to the spot where I was eaves dropping. Realizing time was of the essence, I put my arms at my side and jumped into the hole knowing that I would land in the dumpster below that was housing all the cardboard. None of the butchers saw me exit through the ceiling as I jumped out and started to clean out each of the workers’ stations while Johnny was getting railed by my uncle. When my uncle emerged into the open workspace he asked where I had been. “John, I took a quick bathroom break, and then came down here about twenty minutes ago.” I think he knew something was up, but my reputation had built up a large amount of equity.

Once I began my career at Standard & Poor’s at 25 Broadway, there was a cafeteria where these two wonderful ladies that worked the cash registers fast became our friends as Mike was the ringleader who would constantly joke with them. I believe it was Halloween day when I brought the same creepy concealment as I approached the “conveyer belt” to purchase lunch that rested upon the tray. When it was my turn to pay, it was busy, and when she handed me the change, she finally looked up. Folks, I will never forget the terrified look on her face as she fell backwards while sending the extremely tall chair crashing to the stone floor. Still scrambling despite the fall, she begins to hold her chest as I am feverishly trying to rip the mask off my face, but it was stuck because of all the sweat. People who were sitting at various tables grabbed her arms to help her sit down on a chair while she never took her eye off my disguise. At that moment, I knew my days with this mask were over because the realization that I could have caused a heart attack to a woman who had become like our adopted mother gripped me for weeks. Our relationship was never the same again.

I met my bride at S&P in 1988 and at the beginning of our courtship, we went on a weekend trip up to the infamous “Kutsher’s” resort, which by that time was losing much of its luster, with a bunch of friends of my wife. My car always contains gloves, softballs, wiffle ball & bats and occasionally plastic bases just in case a game breaks out. I convinced my wife to have a catch with me away from the “apartments” where everyone is having cocktails and listening to Andrew Dice Clay, as he had exploded on the scene at that time. Knowing that I need to “play nice,” I gently throw the ball back and forth. But, of course, I began to become bored, so I started to feign throws on my returns. It was going well until I underhanded the ball high into the air while she was staring straight at me, waiting to see my overhand extend. Realizing that this was not going to end well, I quickly shout “heads up!” The ball hits her square between the eyes and on the upper part of her nose. As her head emerges up, there is blood streaming out of every open space of her fingers on to the ground. Paralyzed with fear, I ran down to the porch where everyone was hanging out and then slowly walked in between each to get to the kitchen. Pulling an endless stream of “Bounty” paper towels and stuffing them into my pockets, I head back to my wife as she is hidden out of the view of all who attended. After appearing a few times back at the porch because the bleeding would not stop, finally someone asks what is wrong. I believe it was Ann Marie who stepped off the steps and looked at my wife sitting on a rock with mounds of paper towels covering her face. Do I need to tell you that was the last time we ever had a catch?

When the boys were young, there was this monster snowstorm and it was the “packing” kind where it was exceedingly easy for me to make the hardest snowballs, think when Elf made those perfect round ones before they began their battle in Central Park. Being the good father that is expected, we participate in an innocent snowball fight. Knowing and hoping that I will only have to show them once, they are both standing in the clearing on the driveway, I have four snowballs ready to go. I underhand one each high in the air realizing that their eyes would follow the trajectory and in an instant I fire the other two straight for their little chests. As they both exploded onto each of their jackets, they had no idea that it was their dad who threw the others at their body until I doubled over in laughter. Never again could I lull them into that trick as I recall my youngest always staring right into my eyes while never caring where the one that was softly tossed in the air because he was ready to dart to the floor if he saw my arm move.

During the same storm, I saw my next-door neighbor emerge from his garage with the snow thrower. My kids never took their eyes off me while I tossed more than a few towards Don’s direction. Realizing that he was the target, they informed me how close I was to hitting him. After approximately ten tosses, I told them that this was the last one. And in slow motion I heaved it straight up in the air from behind our cars towards his direction. His back is turned to us as we all can see it racing down through the snowflakes and it strikes him in the back of his head, forcing his hands off the blower and almost knocking him to the ground. “Dad, you hit him!! Uh-Oh, here he comes!” Again, laughing uncontrollably, I allowed him to hit me with snowballs despite the fact that I could have easily outrun him. Don talked about that for years, as did my offspring, while it will remain a memory that we will never forget.

My bride was none too happy of my portrayal of her last week when I posted the piece on “Pain.” But we were both laughing at the depiction and the point that she needs to be heard is that yes, it was dumb of me to leave a note about going to the emergency room without her, no matter what time of day it was. My oldest suggested that this week’s theme should be about apologizing. And in all of the stories that I mentioned above, please believe me when I tell you that I did immediately apologize to those affected. All of my “I’m sorry” stories had good intentions, meaning the goal was not to harm anyone but in one case the outcome could have been disastrous. So, if you are in a position where your actions have caused regrets, here is a list of songs that say, “I’m sorry!” or depict sorrow or ultimately show your love and appreciation. (Enjoy!) 

1— “I’m Sorry” by Brenda Lee—This brings back memories of my childhood as I can picture mom and dad serenading each other with this heartbreaking treasure of a song. Mom, please forgive me for that treacherous trick as well as some other things that caused you grief. Again, it has never been my intention to purposely hurt anyone, especially my mother.

2— “Hard to Say I’m Sorry”—by Chicago– From the late 1970’s through most of the 1980’s decade was there a band that put together a string of hits like Chicago? Yes, some of it turned into “guilty pleasures” but there is no denying that there were numerous tasty treats. “…hold me now… it’s hard for me to say I’m sorry… I just want you to know… hold me now… I really want to tell you I’m sorry…” Whether it is a spat between partners, friends, or family, the bottom line is we all should want or need to say sorry. The change of the flow towards the end of the track has always been mysterious to me and I am not sure why it was done but who am I to question.

3— “Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word”— by Elton John-This is one of my ultimate songs by Elton and each time I hear it I just freeze while hanging on his every word. “… it’s sad… so sad… why can’t we talk it over… oh it seems to me… that sorry seems to be the hardest word…” Sometimes in life, there are situations where both sides believe they are right, and there is no budging but, in the end, is it worth the strife? Beautiful but sad song.  

4— “Apologize”- by One Republic-The chorus in this tune is beyond addictive. I know this is a Timbaland tune but I love the One Republic version and Ryan Tedder wrote it, while also performing a mesmerizing rendition. This song should be used for the “Calm” app when you find it hard to fall asleep or relax, is there a more soothing track?

5—” Sorrow”- by Sly & The Family Stone– I was listening to Howard last week when he profiled Sly & The Family Stone and he was absolutely correct in his assessment that this band was amongst the greatest this world has ever seen or heard. He went through the entire “Stand” album and the number of unbelievable songs on that body of work is astounding but “Life” is no slouch either as these classics are awaiting your perusal. This tune has no words but believe me you will be at a loss for them when you hear this stunner.

6— “Sea of Sorrow”- by Alice In Chains– Hard to believe that the year was 1990 when “Facelift” was released because it feels like yesterday. It is a travesty that AIC, nor Soundgarden have not been accepted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and boils my blood. Do I have to say that this one song gets them into the Hall? Okay I will! Seriously folks, this band deserves your attention because Jerry Cantrell is a musical savant that can shred like few others, while the late Layne Staley has to be considered one of the best voices ever. After all these years, they are no longer an “acquired taste.” Dive in headfirst.

7— “Harvester of Sorrow”– by Metallica– “Justice” is a fantastic album despite not doing justice for Jason Newsted’s debut into the band. Remember folks, I painted my first sons’ room while the walls were shaking as this tune is perfect for applying continuous perfected coats. Unfortunately, whenever I hear it, I think back to my days on Serpentine Road. Our neighbor across the street from us kept his dog in the garage all day and did not return until about 8:00 p.m. while it barked continuously from the moment, he left to the arrival back home. Our youngest was colic at that time and we could never get him to sleep, which added to the frustration. One night I could not take it and called the local police station figuring I would not have to give my name, well I couldn’t. The next day he knocked on my door with his dog that now had a muzzle covering the mouth and I felt terrible. He definitely was not happy and wanted to settle it in a different way, but I apologized, while trying to diffuse the situation. The last thing he ever said to me was- “I never called the police when you blasted Metallica from inside your house but the next time you do, I am calling.” He was a nice person and if he ever reads this, I’m sorry.

8— “Sorry”- by Daughtry-I always wondered why this song could not be purchased on its own with the I-Tunes store but after listening to it over and over, I can understand why Daughtry decided to have the entire album be contingent on this tune. My interest in American Idol has faded over the past five years and when I hear people say the “big names” I totally get that Carrie and Kelly get the top billing. And ironically Jennifer as well, despite being turned away as the winner. Same with Chris, I remember how much he crushed it each time he was asked to perform. I would like to say “I’m Sorry” to Mr. Daughtry and his wife for the loss of their twenty-five-year-old daughter. And this was a week after his mother passed away. Too much to handle but hopefully he is in a good place now. (This is an I-Tunes song only, so I substituted “Jealous Guy” by John Lennon)

9— “Every Time I Hear that Song”- by Brandi Carlisle-I feel like that I may have just recently included this tune on another setlist but when I heard the chorus, I knew it had to be included: “… by the way… I forgive you… after all… maybe I should thank you… for giving me what I’ve found…” Sometimes in life, it can be one of the toughest things to do but in almost all cases, after apologizing, the angst dissipates.

10— “Forgiveness”- by John Mellencamp– I believe that “Freedom’s Road” is one of John’s best efforts and this is Exhibit A. “… Thank God for forgiveness… I don’t know how else we could get along… without forgiveness… without forgiveness… I’d like to say I’m sorry now…” The transition in his career, in my opinion, began with this body of work as one could sense that it was now his turn to go down his own path (as opposed to the beginning where he was forced to use a different last name) and he does not have to offer up any apologies because, like fine wine, he gets better with age.

11— “Please Forgive Me”- by Bryan Adams– Even I recognize that it seems each week there is a Bryan Adams song on these lists, but it is not done purposefully and I do not think an apology is needed in this case because this is another beautiful tune by a man who has been able to keep his career going with a love of his craft. And in 2023, he is still playing at Madison Square Garden. Not too many can say the same thing.

12— “Back to December”- by Taylor Swift– Wow what a personal song and Ms. Swift is the one making the apology as the lyrics depict a torment that caused heartache for both parties. “… So, this is me swallowing my pride… standing in front of you, saying, I’m sorry for that night… And I go back to December all the time…” Another one of her endless treasures. 

13— “In Between”- by Linkin Park-“Minutes to Midnight” is a classic album that seems to fly under the radar but if you go back to listen from top to bottom, it is truly impressive. Mr. Shinoda does a nice job on this tune that is sparse but the vocals keep you invested as the urge to skip over it disappears because before you know it, the hook, line and sinker is in your mouth. I totally agree with Mike in the assessment that Linkin’ Park should not use a hologram of Chester Bennington and glad he shut it down quickly.

14— “All Apologies”- by Nirvana– Folks, I believe you are witnessing history here because I do not think that I have ever included a Nirvana song on any list I have done. Even Pink Floyd has been included at least a few times from my recollection. I will never deny Nirvana’s impact on the music world, which is iconic, it was just that besides a few songs here and there, it never connected with me. Obviously, this is one that makes the cut. I apologize to everyone out there who is scratching their head in disbelief.  

15— “Sorry”- by Justin Bieber– I have to hand it to Justin because there was a part of me that thought his career would not be continuing at the high level it has been doing and he has reached a point where he has no worries of ever falling flat. In addition, he seems like a class act, and I hope that he makes it through the personal issues that he is dealing with. Nice job, Justin!

16— “My Stupid Mouth”- by John Mayer-Mr. Mayer’s career has been extraordinary and what I appreciate the most is how unassuming he seems to be. This is a finger snapping song that keeps you focused on his words. I love the following lyrics- “… how could I forget?… Mama said think before speaking… no filter in my head… oh, what’s a boy to do…” When will we learn that mom is always right?

17— “Heartbreaker”- by Will.i.am feat. Cheryl Cole– Okay hopefully I have the “clean” version and the groove is infectious, which is usually the case when will.i.am is involved. I like the way he says “sorry” as I do not seem to hear the letter “y.” It says that Cheryl is part of this tune but I do not seem to hear her contributions on this version, maybe just the chorus. How many times have our hearts been broken? Here is his apology to that someone special.

18— “Sorry”- by Ciara – Sometimes in life, that someone special is just waiting for what seems to be the hardest words to say- “I’m sorry.” As the years have gone on, I now sense that there is less remorse for poor decisions with the assumption that depicts weakness. Just the opposite, admission, and regret display that you are human because everyone makes mistakes.

19— “Who’s Sorry Now”- by Connie Francis – I cannot even begin to count how many times I have heard this song in my life. It was a staple around the house growing up as we would all take turns to try and sing it like Connie. “You had your way… now you must pay… I’m glad that you are sorry now.” Ouch.

20— “A Long and Sad Goodbye”- by Lenny Kravitz – Listen closely to the heartbreaking lyrics that Lenny sings to his father on his deathbed. It’s a sad tale of a young boy losing his father to infidelity and there was little communication for numerous years. Fortunately, apologies and acceptance were recognized before his dad passed away. The background harmonizing vocals are astounding. Tough song to listen to as he begs the question- “why did you turn your back? Why did you leave and make her cry?”

21— “A Moment Like This”- by Kelly Clarkson –As mentioned above I have tried to live my life to not purposely hurt someone because I want to live in a world where regrets do not exist but I know that is not real. To say that my bride and I have never had disagreements over our time being married would be disingenuous. Believe me when I say that I have said “I’m sorry” to my wife multiple times over and vice-versa. Whenever I hear Kelly sing this song, the tears begin to form in the ducts of my eyes because I bestow it to my bride, especially when she belts out – “could this be the greatest love of all?… I wanna know that you will catch me when I fall…” Folks, she has caught me more than a few times.  

22— “Give Thanks and Praises”- by Bob Marley and The Wailers – If one searches for Bob Marley online or I-Tunes or anywhere there is music, the amount of tunes and albums are staggering. It is a testament to the legacy that he left behind and he passed away over forty years ago. His tunes have a way of soothing all the nerves in the body and are also extremely exquisite.

23— “In My Life”- by The Beatles –I could see an argument made that this could be the greatest song ever written in the history of music because I do not have any evidence to the contrary, especially when I am listening to it while trying to think of another tune. Obviously, these words ring true for my better half (sorry Roxy)- “In my life, I love you more.” Boy, do I miss John and George while wondering if there ever could have been a “reunion,” even for just one song.

24— “Thank You”- by HELLYEAH –Probably the most gut-wrenching song I have ever heard because the love of his brother was legendary. As stated at the top, this is a tune of appreciation of those people that have meant the most to you. It starts off with the love for his brother and by the end of the tune, there is a salute to his mother, father, sister, daughter and all the best friends. I want to say the same thing- thank you to my bride, my children, all my family and friends for always being there for me. This includes all who read this blog because you are my friend. “I just wanna say… Thank you, for all the things… for saving me (saving me) …” Apologies and appreciation fulfill the heart!