Standard Music Monday Intro:
Let's say I have a CD player in my truck. And just for the sake of a blogable subject let's suppose that the CD player broke one day in such a way that the compilation CD currently in the player could not be ejected, the volume could not be changed from its position at medium loud and I cannot change over to the radio. If I'm in the truck and the key is in the ignition, then the CD is playing at medium high volume and it will continue to play until I exit the truck. It's music will span a trip to the corner convenience store for some Jumbo Juicy Love or across the entire nation. So I am stuck listening to this CD for all eternity. What 15 songs would I want the CD to contain and why?
My top 15 Songs in no particular order.
Previous Mondays:

#1 "La Grange" by ZZ Top from the 1973 album Tres Hombres.
#2 "Magic Man" by Heart from the album Dreamboat Annie.
#3 "Train Kept A Rollin'" by Areosmith from the album Get Your Wings.
#4 "Cowboy Song" by Thin Lizzy from the 1976 album Jailbreak.
#5 "Walkin' In Memphis" by Marc Cohn from the 1991 album Marc Cohn.
#6 "Peace Of Mind" by Boston from the 1976 album Boston.
#7 "Mediterranean Sundance" By Al Di Meola from the 1977 album Elegant Gypsy.

Today's offering: "Show Me The Way" by Peter Frampton, originally from the 1975 album Frampton, but most notably from the 1976 album Frampton Comes Alive!

Frampton left Humble Pie to pursue music that showcased his technical guitar skills because Pie was heading toward a more Hard Rock sound. And boy are we glad he made that decision....

I am not going to write a critique of this song or album. I will say that if I were to make a movie that was set in the 1975-1978 time span, somewhere in that movie soundtrack would be a place for this song. It is an instant touchstone to that time but at the same time there is a timelessness to the song. I don't know how something so rooted in a era can be timeless but somehow Frampton pulls it off.

I fondly remember attending a Frampton concert at the Lloyd Noble Arena in Norman, Oklahoma during the "Frampton Comes Alive!" tour. There are stories to tell from the buying of tickets to the actual trip to the concert. I remember it all very vividly but mostly I remember that after we left the concert and were sitting in the car in the parking lot, waiting for traffic to clear out, we switched on the Katt radio station out of Oklahoma City. And the first thing we heard was this song. The parking lot was mostly empty and seemed quiet because of the ringing in our ears. We just sat there and listened again.

When this song is cued up on a classic rock station now and I am out driving on a cool night I have been know to pull over, park, roll down the windows, feel the cool wind on my face and crank IT UP. No playing air guitar, no talk boxing into your Route 44 Cherry-Vanilla-Diet Dr. Pepper straw... just sitting in a darkened parking lot, head bowed, blue-green stereo lights glowing.... just sitting.... and listening.

I posted on the old blogger about this... I think... but they are currently brokeass and I can't bring it over right now..... but one of those times I pulled over "just to listen" was one night as I passed the Lloyd Noble arena parking lot on my way to pickup or drop off my daughter at the dorms. Exact same song, almost exact same spot almost exactly 30 years to the day later. I just sat there and listened. I'm telling you it was a rush.... a magical, spooky rush.... a once twice in a lifetime thing.