WHAT CLASSIC ROCK (OR JUST PLAIN ROCK) ARE YOU LISTENING TO?

So what are you listening to right now? Any genre is cool.

For me:

Scott's Hidden Treasure

Depeche Mode - Wrong (courtesy of Niels)

Kim Mitchell - Akimbo Alogo (courtesy of Jon)

Next week's Album of the Week (hint: think orchestra)

Shinedown - The Sound of Madness

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Yngve J. Chapleen on June 2, 2023 at 3:31pm

Eat all the bananas sheltered in my outdoor kitchen so I had to venture into the jungle to find new ones. I was happy to locate a tree, but when I picked its fruit it tasted like poopoo. I must've mistaken a plantain for a banana. WhoTF plants plantains on a dessert island? There's nothing sacred anymore?

Speaking of mistaken. I have a skill I never owned but I can convince people otherwise purely by my presence. It's like Keanu Reeves and Kung Fu. Normally I wouldn't consider cashing on something like this but desperate times... I'll get to what that skill is later but first, let me tell you something about my appearance. I have one of those faces people recognize instantly. Nothing special really, many of us do. But, I do have a shape people associate with things on a whim. Now, that's something to brag about. Yet, stranger things happened when I was in school. Once, we got a new teacher. She introduced herself, we introduced ourselves, and on she went with lecturing us, until it was time to test our knowledge. Of all the students in our class, she picked Tibi to answer. (Tibi is short for Tibor). The funny thing is, we had no Tibor in our class. Nevertheless, she landed on her feet by pointing at me. When I told her my name is not Tibi, she replied "Well, you look like one". For the first ten times, I tried to correct her, but then I gave up. I think she felt bad about it because she always gave me grades much higher than I deserved, but who's complaining? Or mayhaps she was extremely fond of me. Either way, I enjoyed the fruits of my appearance.

As you can tell, being mistaken is a recurring occurrence for me, and afterward an embarrassing revelation for lots of folks who err in their conceptions. So, there was a time when I decided to have fun with the whole experience and give people a more dignified ending. For that to play out as intended, I had to think on my feet 24/7 and not hesitate or break a smile while acting. Don't worry, with all the experience under my belt, I became a true expert. And no, this is not the skill I was referring to. Be patient. Everything will be revealed to you in due time.

Once I decided to stop by the school unannounced to check on my kids. As soon as I walked through the entrance, the custodian ran to me all excited: "Thank God, you're here! Alice is anxiously waiting for you in the office."
Any novice at this game would be thinking, WhoTF is Alice? But not me. I played my part as cool as a cucumber.
"Well, in that case, let's not waste her time! Point me in the right direction!"
Walked up to the designated area and nonchalantly knocked on her door: "Alice?"
"You're here!?"
"I am."
"Well, I hope your punctuality will be more punctilious when you start driving our students around."
(BINGO! School Bus Driver, there's a skill I don't have, yet played along in the role as if I never did anything else in my whole life).
"Oh believe me I wouldn't dream of giving them the slightest pleasure of missing classes and all the fun of education."
"Very well. That's the answer I was looking for. Now, every morning, before you take your seat behind the wheels, I want you to check the brakes, tires, lights, doors, and mirrors. Not necessarily in that order, but don't skip an inspection. During the week you can leave the bus at your place, but comes weekend you MUST bring it back to us. Park, anywhere within the schoolyard. Got it?" - she went straight to the business. I liked that.
"Got it. However, now would be the time to mention, my balcony is covering half the driveway, which means the bus is going to be partially parked on the road. But don't worry. God will protect it." - was my slightly provocative reply.
"Nooo way. That's a no-go. In that case, I'm afraid you must sign in and out every day. Would that be a problem?" - she presented a pickle and a window of opportunity for me to exploit.
"Not for me, but can you please remind me how much am I getting paid for this?"
She was stunned, and frankly so was I, although not for the same reason. She didn't want to lose a driver and I just realized how easy it was for anyone with a criminal record and no driver's license at all to steal a school bus full of children, as long as he is OK to work for peanuts. Did I mention this was a Catholic School? It makes sense now, does it?
Alice took her time answering my question which clearly indicated she needed me more than I pretended to care for this job. It was obvious, the "real candidate" didn't show up because the pay sucked. As I walked through the door, leaving her office for good, she shouted at me: "$24.00 per hour + benefits".
"OK, I'll think about it... not!" - that was my answer. I aced the interview. In fact, I think it went rather well... And all that without releasing my load, beforehand, as it is commonly suggested for instances such as this.

One would think, one School Bus Driver "incident" is enough for one lifetime, but when it comes to mistakes, I'm anything but average. So the story continues. When I was employed at the woodshop I used to have a colleague... let's call him... Bozo. I did. Bozo only had one skill, but he was great at it. Always found the easiest work, and stretched it out for as long as he had to until the next workload of similar attributes came around. We are talking about a 5-hour stretch for a job any monkey from the street could have done it in 15 minutes or less. That's how talented he was. Needless to say, his work ethic started to bother me, so I went to our boss. You know what he said? "Quit whining and do your job!" Now, that was his code for "I hired a mentally challenged person, so don't be a jerk". So I wasn't. I even felt sorry for poor Bozo. Things went on as usual when suddenly I realized that not only am I doing all the hard, technical, and physically demanding tasks, but also the easiest ones as well. So, I look around and Bozo's nowhere to be found. Approached my other colleague... let's call him... Bozo 2. I did, and I asked him what happened to Bozo (the original)?
"Haven't you heard? He went back to his old job." - informed me Bozo 2.
"What!? They took him back, despite the fact he left three fingers there." - I was stunned.
"No, as*hole. His true calling. He went back to being a School Bus Driver." - Bozo 2 got offended by me not knowing this simple fact about his friend, who left us BTW... A month ago.
Well, 'scuse me! What's this? Bozo's stick together. I don't give a fu*k. I have my own problems to sort through. For example, I need to process the lie that Bozo wasn't mentally challenged, as for the longest time I was led to believe, but a real retard, lazy fu*king piece of sh*t, who only ever worked hard in the boss's office, behind closed doors and shut blinds... on his knees.
It took me a while to calm down. I don't get dumbstruck easily, but really? Are we talking about the same Bozo? You know, not the polka dot onesie, painted face, colored wig, big sphere foam red nose wearing jolly fella, but the short, chubby stature, static dendriform fuzz-fest above his lips trying to pass for a mustache, receding thin layer of cow-licked hair, and wide-rimmed soda-glasses sporting oaf, whose picture we last saw in the dictionary next to the word: pedophile. That Bozo! Anyway, as it may be, I decided to turn this episode into something positive. Heard a lot of great things about a movement called "pay it forward". My small contribution to its popularity was to start a rumor around the shop telling everybody how Bozo is now a SCUBA DIVER! Nobody believed me. They couldn't think of him as a Scuba Diver. Well, I'll rather have them not think Bozo can be a Scuba Diver than think this guy is driving their children to and from school... every.day.
Yikes.

I'll admit, it was kind of a long-winded presentation to answer your question: Would I be driving a school bus for a living, or not? To answer your question, with a question of my own: Will I have to consociate with Bozo again? In which case, let me stop you right there, thanks, but no thanks. Although... I heard of another popular post-Covid-19 movement, where employees are allowed to work from the comfort of their homes.
Now, if that's true I could certainly drive a school bus out from my living room. Sure.
I'm all in.
— Yngve J. Chapleen

Desert Island Collection: Jewel Case CDs

2010
ANCIENT BARDS – The Alliance Of The Kings (The Black Crystal Sword Saga Pt.1)
RICCARDO CHERUBINI – Riccardo Cherubini
CRAZY LIXX – New Religion
TIAGO DELLA VEGA – Hybrid
EDENBRIDGE – Solitaire
DINO FIORENZA – It's Important
FIREWIND – Days Of Defiance
STÉPHAN FORTÉ – The Shadows Compendium
FREEDOM CALL – Legend Of The Shadowking
HALFORD – Halford IV-Made Of Metal
JALDABOATH – The Rise Of The Heraldic Beasts
KISSIN' DYNAMITE – Addicted To Metal
SHINICHI KOBAYASHI – Nekutai Jigoku
LOUD LION – Die Tough
YNGWIE MALMSTEEN – Relentless
ALEX MASI – Theory Of Everything
MIKE ORLANDO – Sonic Stomp II
POISON SUN – Virtual Sin
PRETTY MAIDS – Pandemonium
ROYAL HUNT – X
SCORPIONS – Sting In The Tail
SIGNUM REGIS – The Eyes Of Power
TETSUO SAKURAI ft./ GREG HOWE / DENNIS CHAMBERS – Vital World
TOBIAS SAMMET'S AVANTASIA – The Wicked Symphony
ROBERT WALKER – Storyteller
WUTHERING HEIGHTS – Salt
KYOJI YAMAMOTO – The Life Album

2011
CHRONOLOGY – The Eye Of Time
ExCUBUS – Lagauchetière
HAMMERFALL – Infected
JOHNNY HILAND – All Fired Up
SEREE LEE – Into The Mystic Side
FABRIZIO BICIO LEO – Mr. Malusardi
LARS ERIC MATTSSON – Aurora Borealis - Concerto For Orchestra & Electric Guitar
MYRATH – Tales Of The Sands
DANIEL PIQUE – Boo!!
ROYAL HUNT – Show Me How To Live
SUGARLOAF – Instant Karma
THE FRANCESCO ARTUSATO PROJECT – Chaos And The Primordial
ADRIAN WEISS – Big Time
ATSUSHI YOKOZEKI – Jet Resurrection

2012
AT VANCE – Facing Your Enemy
BURNING POINT – The Ignitor
CRIMSON CULT – Tales Of Doom
GEORGE GAKIS – Too Much Ain't Never Enough
HIGUCHI PROJECT TEAM – Free World II ~ Last Collection
JOSE RUBIO'S NOVA ERA – Nova Era
ELMO KARJALAINEN – Unintelligent Designs
KIKO LOUREIRO – Sounds Of Innocence
OBSESSION – Order Of Chaos
REINXEED – Welcome To The Theater
ANDREY SMIRNOV (Андрей Смирнов) – Adrenaline
SPEED VIOLATION – Speed Violation
TRICK OR TREAT – Rabbits' Hill Pt. 1
WIG WAM – Wall Street

2013
ALEXEY CHERNYSHOV / BULGAKOV (Алексей Чернышёв, Алексей Булгаков) – Океан Фантазий
DREAMTALE – World Changed Forever
MATTIAS IA EKLUNDH – Freak Guitar-The Smorgasbord
RICK GALLEGOS – Time Machine
KING OF TROLLS – The Cave
LORDI – To Beast Or Not To Beast
DARIO LORINA – Dario Lorina
MASAKI – Psycho Daze Bass
MEAN STREAK – Trial By Fire
TORE St. MOREN – Devilbird
SILENT FORCE – Rising From Ashes
VHÄLDEMAR – Shadows Of Combat
KOSTA VRETO – Pictures Of A Broken Heart

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by TageRyche on June 3, 2023 at 8:45am

2010 - The Halford and Scorpions albums.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by RJhog (Admin) on June 2, 2023 at 7:57pm

286. Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - Damn The Torpedoes

287. Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run

288. Night Ranger - Midnight Madness

289. Aerosmith - Rock In A Hard Place

290. Survivor - Vital Signs

291. Stevie Nicks - Bella Donna

292. Sweet - Desolation Boulevard

293. Tears For Fears - Elemental

294. Chris Rea - The Road To Hell

295. Kenny Rogers - The Gambler

296. The Oak Ridge Boys - Room Service

297. The Cars - Heartbeat City

298. The Smithereens - Especially For You

299. Nazareth - Hair Of The Dog

300. Sweet & Lynch - Heart & Sacrifice

301. Def Leppard - Drastic Symphonies

302. Rival Sons - Great Western Valkyrie

Album Streams

303. Small Faces - There Are But Four Small Faces

304. Status Quo - Piledriver

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by TageRyche on June 3, 2023 at 8:46am

I've got the Survivor, Night Ranger and The Cars albums.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by TageRyche on June 3, 2023 at 8:52am

My playlist this week!

Illusory - Crimson Wreath

Sabaton - The War To End All Wars

Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part II

Overkill - Scorched

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jon on June 9, 2023 at 3:22pm

America—Here & Now
Chris Rea—The Road To Hell
Jackson Browne—The Pretender
Joe Walsh—Analog Man
Sparks--Sparks
Ozzy Osbourne—Patient Number 9
Eric Clapton—461 Ocean Boulevard
Rival Sons--Darkfighter
Yes—Open Your Eyes
Angel—Sinful
John Waite—Rover's Return
Alice Cooper—Lace & Whiskey
Led Zeppelin—In Through The Out Door
The Doobie Brothers—The Doobie Brothers
The Rolling Stones—Dirty Work
ZZ Top—El Loco
The Cult—Pure Cult: The Singles 1984-1995
The Kinks—The Journey, Pt. 1
Eurythmics—Be Yourself Tonight
Rush—All The World's A Stage
Steeleye Span—Rocket Cottage
Saga—The Beginner's Guide To Throwing Shapes
Status Quo—Quo
The Jason Bonham Band—When You See The Sun
Armored Saint--Revelation
Wishbone Ash—Here To Hear
Various Artists—Gas (Special Edition Film Soundtrack)
Electric Boys—Upside Down
Styx--Cornerstone
Nevermore—The Obsidian Conspiracy
Queen—News Of The World
Opeth—Blackwater Park
UFO—Obsession
Megadeth—Countdown To Extinction
Iron Maiden—Powerslave
AC/DC—Flick Of The Switch

(686)

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by TageRyche on June 9, 2023 at 5:17pm

I've got the albums from Ozzy Osbourne, John Waite, Armored Saint and Iron Maiden.

That AC/DC album is the one studio release of theirs that I don't have.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Yngve J. Chapleen on June 9, 2023 at 4:23pm

Being so alone for so long, on this deserted island got me into a habit that might or might not be approved by a law-abiding citizen. In my defense, what I'm doing, I'm doing out of necessity and at one designated spot only. Let's call that place a "gray" area. Well technically, since my regular visits, it's more of a "brown" -ish zone than anything, but the color is not the issue here. The awful stink is. What!? I can hold it with the best of them, but how long do you want me to hold it anyway? Chalk it under exigent circumstances. When nature calls, I respond. Simple as that! It's not very hazardous anyway. The small creatures consume all the waste almost immediately, and they seems to be fine... For most of the time. If anything, I'm the one in danger here. I have to go there day after day, and you don't hear me complaining about the biohazard. Do you? Besides, I'm a treehugger. No seriously. I can't squat for an extended period of time, so I do my business at a tree where I can support this awkward position by hugging the trunk in front of me. Clever, eh?

Now, why am I bringing this up? Well, in my research for a prosperous return to civilization, I could potentially gain a skill that might or might not be looked upon favorably by the law. If you are "privileged" you wouldn't understand and you got no right to judge me. As for those who aren't "socially advantaged", a high-five is in order. So what is this mysterious skill, you might ask? Well... if I tell you bluntly, you might be compelled to condemn me, so I'll ease you in with a little bit of background.

I know a guy who...
No, it's not like one of those things when I know a guy who knew a guy, who knows the guy... No!
I know a guy who has his own company and always brags about the money he makes. He'll say things like: "The retention bolt broke off the blade grip on my helicopter so the whole trunnion popped off the mast, and now I must replace the retention bolt, and the Jesus nut as well". Or: "What do you guys think? Should I buy a black or red Lamborghini?" I don't know what his business is exactly but I suspect he's an astronaut or something. Why? Once I followed him to an undisclosed and restricted building where he stayed for 10 hours straight. A business van full of people dressed as astronauts (or similar) left the hangar shortly after but due to their all enclosing outfits I could not positively identify him. I bet the secrecy is to prevent the rest of us from getting rich from his idea.

Don't worry, despite this predicament, I do have a way in. Let's just say he owes me... Big time.
Once I walked into a bar and I noticed him immediately. No, not because the bar was empty but because his head was the size of an overripe watermelon. I asked him what happened. You know, I didn't ask him in a rude way: "Hey Dude, Whasup!" but gently like: "What Happened, Buddy?"
He told me his mother-in-law suspects he's cheating on her daughter.
"That's absurd! You? Cheating on your wife? Why would she think that?" - I was shocked by her insinuations.
"Because I asked to scrub her back in the shower... while her daughter was at work." - he replied with innocence and sincerity in his eyes.
"WHAT!? That makes zero sense. You just care, right?" - was my empathetic and natural response.
Needless to say, based on that unbiased suspicion of hers, she broke the rolling pin on his head. And not one of those smooth surface, rubber pins, but a wooden one with Christmas decorations that not simply flatten the dough but also cut cute little designs in to it too. Which of course, explained the two angels holding hands imprint on his forehead.
What do you mean by what have I done next?
I did the right thing, of course.
I gave him a hug!
By doing that, for all you know, I probably saved his life.
Hence, he owes me.
What do you mean by what if he won't give me a job?
He will?
How can I be so sure?
Well, in the unlikely event of him not seeing his situation as dire as it is, I'll say: "I'll talk to your mother-in-law and I'll tell her I know what your no-good, low-life son-in-law... Did last summer." - that will change his tune.

You see!!!
This is why I didn't tell you my plan right away.
I knew you'll jump to conclusions and call me an extortionist.
A few white lies and a little bit of blackmailing never hurt anyone.
He'll get over it.
Except...
If he chooses the hard way, then all bets are off. That means, not only will he have to pay me more, but I will also refuse to wear that silly suit of his. It's not good for my respiratory system, anyway. Whatever his business is about, his men will have to do everything. And I mean EVERYTHING!
I'll just show up, look pretty, smile, and collect the checks without even lifting my finger.
That'll teach him!
— Yngve J. Chapleen

Desert Island Collection: Jewel Case CDs

2014
ADRENALINE RUSH – Adrenaline Rush
DON AIREY – Keyed Up
PRIESTER AQUILES | CARMO GUSTAVO – Our Lives, 13 Years Later...
BABYMETAL – Babymetal
BRIAN TARQUIN & HEAVY FRIENDS – Guitars For Wounded Warriors
DERDIAN – Human Reset
DEVIL'S HEAVEN – Heaven On Earth
MARTY FRIEDMAN – Inferno
H.E.A.T – Tearing Down The Walls
TAKESHI HIRAI – Rays Of The Jet
MELODIUS DEITE – Episode II: Voyage Through The World Of Fantasy
NOZOMU WAKAI'S DESTINIA – Requiem For A Scream
GLENN PROUDFOOT ‎– Ineffable
SEVEN THORNS – II
ADRIAN SUBOTOVSKY – Subotango
THE STRUTS – Everybody Wants
ATSUSHI YOKOZEKI – Jet Destiny

2015
AMBERIAN DAWN – Innuendo
ARKTIDA (Арктида) – Помни
BATTLE BEAST – Unholy Savior
BLACKWELDER – Survival Of The Fittest
SERGEY BOKAREV (Сергей Бокарев) – Отражение
BURNING POINT – Burning Point
C.O.P – State Of Rock
CRYSTAL BALL – Liferider
CSILLAG ENDRE – Csillagok És Gyémántok
OL DRAKE – Old Rake
THOBBE ENGLUND – From The Wilderness
FREE FROM SIN – Free From Sin
GLORYHAMMER – Space 1992: Rise Of The Chaos Wizards
KONSTANTIN JAMBAZOV – Matter In The Nothingness
YUKIHISA KANATANI – Cry For The Moon
JORN LANDE & TROND HOLTER – Dracula (Swing Of Death)
POKOLGÉP – Metalbomb
REVERENCE – Gods Of War
SHADOWQUEST – Armoured IV Pain
STARGAZERY – Stars Aligned
TRIDDANA – The Power & The Will
U.D.O. – Decadent
UNLEASH THE ARCHERS – Time Stands Still
VOODOO HILL – Waterfall
KYOJI YAMAMOTO – Lafcadio

2016
GIORDANO BONCOMPAGNI – New Shred Generation
BURNING POINT – The Blaze
DREAMTALE – Seventhian ...Memories Of Time
GRAHAM BONNET BAND – The Book
HAMMERFALL – Built To Last
HANSEN & FRIENDS – XXX (Three Decades In Metal)
JORN – Heavy Rock Radio
LASERDANCE – Force Of Order
LUCIFER'S FRIEND – Too Late To Hate
MONUMENT – Hair Of The Dog
RECKLESS LOVE – InVader
SABATON – The Last Stand
STRIKER – Stand In The Fire
SYMPHONITY – King Of Persia
SYU – You Play Hard
THUNDERSTONE – Apocalypse Again
TYGERS OF PAN TANG – Tygers Of Pan Tang