I have been swamped by thousands of emails wanting to know more about me. Okay, the number is closer to 4, but nonetheless, I have decided to give in to the masses (mass?) and am going to begin a new weekly segment called, the ShayneBlog Top 10 (yes, originality goes a long way). Each week (Usually Sunday or Monday), I am going to list my top 10 favorites of whatever it is I'm in the mood to list.

Keep in mind, the lists are based on nothing other than my personal favorites. FOS (friends of Shayne) will remember my fascination with musical lists and will probably remember how far from reality my top 10 lists were then (back in the day). Yes, when I was a boy (like I'm an platypus now), I kept a top 10 weekly rankings of rock music songs. While I readily admit it was an enormous waste of time, looking through those charts recently brought me back to some very special times in my life (and some not-so-special times also - but we'll ignore those for now).

So, without further ado, in memory of those charts, here is my first weekly TOP 10 LIST:

TOP TEN RECORD ALBUMS (or CD's if you will)

10. Revolver...................................................The Beatles
No list is complete without at least one Beatles album. For me, my favorite of the Fab Four's records is Revolver. Since I was just a little kid during their heyday, it wasn't until I bought the Beatle's CD collection in 1985 that I remembered how much fun that album was. Perhaps it was due to the fact that my siblings listened to it so often, or maybe it was just that good. It seemed to be last of the Beatles "innocent" recordings and at the same time, the first of their "mature" ones. As I listen to it today, it really reflects the evolution of the early 60's idealism into the late 60's radicalism.

9. Songs In The Key Of Life...........................Stevie Wonder
Unlike my siblings, I was always a big Motown fan. While in the late 60's one brother was into the Doors, another brother was into CSNY and my sister listened to Blood, Sweat and Tears (of course we all loved The Beatles), I was dancing to (that's right, when I was little I danced) The Jackson 5. One of my favorite Motown artists has always been Stevie Wonder. Since the first time I heard My Cherie Amour, I have been a fan. Songs in the Key of Life was the album that made me like him like an adult (yeah, I know, I was just 13, but I thought I was an adult after my bar mitzvah). To this day, everytime Sir Duke plays on the radio, I get that urge to dance like a kid. Of course, those who have had the displeasure of actually seeing me dance, know I dance less like Michael Jackson and more like Andrew Jackson.

8. Main Course..............................................The Bee Gees
The Bee Gees had a number of moderate hits for years, starting in the 60's. In fact, just before they finally hit #1 in the US with How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, the Gibb brothers decided to go their separate ways. After a two-year hiatus, the band reformed and with a new energy, went to work on a new album. Fearing being pigeon-holed by their former hits, their producer, Robert Stigwood, sent thousands of copies of a single with no artist's name on them, with a title called Jive Talkin'. That single, and it's follow-up smash, Nights on Broadway, proved that not only were they no longer the Bee Gee's of old, but a band that would soon become the biggest selling music group in history. Anyone who listens to Main Course will know that they really weren't a "disco" band, but a very talented group of songwriters and musicians.

7. Turnstiles.................................................Billy Joel
This was a difficult choice for me. I have been an avid fan of Billy Joel since the first time I heard the song Movin' Out. The Stranger, 52nd Street, Glass Houses and The Nylon Curtain could each have been listed here as well. The Stranger was the first album of his I ever listened to and it was a few years later that I went out and bought his earlier collection. After buying (and hearing) his music for almost 30 years, I have to say that Turnstiles is my favorite. The sheer power of Angry Young Man and emotion of James puts it in a class by itself. However, when you throw in the hypnotic New York State of Mind, the sentimental Summer, Highland Falls, the brash I've Loved These Days and the unforgettable Miami 2017, you begin to understand why Joel is the huge star that he is.

6. A New World Record...............................Electric Light Orchestra
Just like with Billy Joel, this one was hard to choose as well. There are number of ELO albums that could be listed here instead - such as Out of the Blue and Time. However, this one was special for reasons beyond sound. Introduced to Jeff Lynne's music just a couple of years before, with Can't Get It Out Of My Head, Evil Woman and Strange Magic, this album was the first one of their's that got me hooked. As a 13-year-old, I was in a band (being in a band is not the same thing as being a good musician, trust me) and the first song we decided to learn was Telephone Line. Lynne was clearly inspired by John Lennon and his fusion of orchestral rock was the first of it's kind in rock and roll. Of course, Lynne continued to channel the Beatles years later by producing the two "new" releases off of the Beatle's Anthology. Lynne's ELO sound is still heard today through the music of Tom Petty (with whom Lynne has co-written and produced since the mid 90's) and Jet, who hit the charts a year ago with Look What You've Done.

5. Book of Dreams............................................Steve Miller Band
originally part of a two-record set (with it's predecessor Fly Like An Eagle), Book of Dreams continued Miller's growth as a singer. While selling slightly fewer numbers than Fly Like An Eagle, it spawned three of his greatest hits with Jet Airliner, Swingtown and Jungle Love. To me, this record outshined his others because it seemed to connect the songs more more emotionally to the listener.

4. Aja.................................................................Steely Dan
This record was (and still is) their most critically acclaimed and successful album of Walter Becker and Donald Fagan's impressive careers. With vocal help by the Doobie Brother's Michael McDonald, Steely Dan perfected their style of Jazz/Rock fusion. The fact that every song on the album is reguarly heard on Classic rock stations is a testament to the disk's staying power.

3. The Innocent Age..........................................Dan Fogelberg
Fogelberg had already established himself on the pop charts with the sappy Longer. But it was his next album that made him famous. Billed as a "Journey through the cycle of life", The Innocent Age takes the listener through each phase of maturity, starting with the cosmic Nexus and ending with the haunting Ghosts. Created as a two-album set, Fogelberg proves that he is one of the best storytellers though the songs Same Old Lang Syne, Leader of the Band and the hypnotic The Reach.

2. Hotel California............................................The Eagles
This was Don Henley and Glenn Frey at their best. While already a successful country-rock band, with a number of major hits (Best of My Love, Lying Eyes, Desperado - to name just a few), it was this album that - with the addition of rocker Joe Walsh - sent them to superstar status. If you haven't done so in the past, take a long drive out on the highway, pop this baby in the CD player and listen uninterrupted for the length of the record. You won't ever forget it.

1. America.........................................................America
The self-titled debut album by Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek, mixed strong melodies and gawd-awful lyrics. However. as a young kid, I began a love affair with their harmonies and catchy tunes. Since 1972, I have purchased every recording, seen them live a number of times and am an active member in their web-based fan club. You may think that makes me a bonified geek (or stalker, you make the call), but there are actually a fair number of us still out there. Recently, they recorded a live concert for PBS' Soundstage and have recently announced plans to release their first studio album in 8 years.