My all-time top 200 favorite inspiring albums! (sorta)

The original idea was to compile a top-ten list. That turned out to be too difficult to accomplish. My influences are way too wide and varied to capture it in ten albums. So I went for top-twenty and well as you can see it eventually turned into my top-two hundred! Still an extremely difficult task and honestly depending on my mood I'm sure these rankings would differ frequently. I challenge you to give a good 'go' at it.

1. 1. Back In Black -AC/DC
2. 2. Obscured By Clouds -Pink Floyd
3. 3. Skull N' Roses -Grateful Dead
4. 4. Eat A Peach -Allman Brothers Band
5. 5. Bat Out Of Hell -Meat Loaf
6. 6. Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs -Derek & The Dominoes
7. 7. Houses Of The Holy -Led Zeppelin
8. 8. For Everyman -Jackson Browne
9. 9. Dark Side Of The Moon -Pink Floyd
10. 10. Waiting For Columbus -Little Feat
11. 
    
12. 11. The Last Waltz -The Band
13. 12. The Harder They Come Soundtrack -Jimmy Cliff
14. 13. Abby Road -The Beatles
15. 14. Workingman’s Dead -Grateful Dead
16. 15. Live At Budakon -Bob Dylan
17. 16. The Healing Game -Van Morrison
18. 17. Highway 61 -Bob Dylan
19. 18. Naturally -JJ Cale
20. 19. Maggot Brain -Funkadelic
21. 20. Exile On Main Street -The Rolling Stones
22. 
    
23. 21. Blood On The Tracks -Bob Dylan
24. 22. Blizzard Of Oz -Ozzy Osborne
25. 23. Animals -Pink Floyd
26. 24. Band Of Gypsys -Jimi Hendrix Experience
27. 25. Babylon By Bus -Bob Marley & The Wailers
28. 
    
29. 26. 461 Ocean Blvd. -Eric Clapton
30. 27. So Long So Wrong -Alison Krauss & Union Station
31. 28. Remain In Light -Talking Heads
32. 29. Astral Weeks -Van Morrison
33. 30. Live At The Fillmore East -Allman Brothers Band
34. 31. Led Zeppelin IV -Led Zeppelin
35. 32. Deja Vu -Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
36. 33. Troubadour -JJ Cale
37. 34. ’74 Jailbreak -AC/DC
38. 35. Cheap Thrills -Big Brother & The Holding Company
39. 36. Shakedown Street -Grateful Dead
40. 37. Point Of Entry -Judas Priest
41. 38. Nature Of The Beast -April Wine
42. 39. Moondance -Van Morrison
43. 40. Highway To Hell -AC/DC
44. 41. Pearl -Janis Joplin
45. 42. Alive! -Kiss
46. 43. Rumors -Fleetwood Mac
47. 44. Really -JJ Cale
48. 45. Foreigner 4 -Foreigner
49. 46. Zebra -Zebra
50. 47. Moving Pictures -Rush
51. 48. I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll -Joan Jett
52. 49. High ‘N’ Dry -Def Leppard
53. 50. Electric Ladyland -Jimi Hendrix Experience
54. 
    
55. 51. Changesonebowie -David Bowie
56. 52. Led Zeppelin III -Led Zeppelin
57. 53. Diary Of a Madman -Ozzy Osbourne
58. 54. Surrealistic Pillow -Jefferson Airplane
59. 55. American Beauty -Grateful Dead
60. 56. Sticky Fingers -The Rolling Stones
61. 57. Blind Faith -Blind Faith
62. 58. 77 -Talking Heads
63. 59. Live After Death -Iron Maiden
64. 60. Old And In The Way -Old And In The Way
65. 61. Imaginos -Blue Oyster Cult
66. 62. Bark At The Moon -Ozzy Osbourne
67. 63. Terrapin Station -Grateful Dead
68. 64. Something/Anything? -Todd Rundgren
69. 65. Giant Step/De Ole Folks at Home -Taj Mahal
70. 66. Court and Spark -Joni Mitchell
71. 67. Stop Making Sense -Talking Heads
72. 68. At Folsom Prison -Johnny Cash
73. 69. Live At The Grand Opera House -Van Morrison
74. 70. Road to Ruin -The Ramones
75. 71. Ra -Utopia
76. 72. The Wall -Pink Floyd
77. 73. Are You Experienced? -Jimi Hendrix Experience
78. 74. Aretha Live at Fillmore West -Aretha Franklin
79. 75. Running On Empty -Jackson Browne
80. 
    
81. 76. Axis: Bold As Love -Jimi Hendrix Experience
82. 77. Tupelo Honey -Van Morrison
83. 78. Speaking In Tongues -Talking Heads
84. 79. Couldn’t Stand the Weather -Stevie Ray Vaughan
85. 80. Blows Against The Empire -Jefferson Starship
86. 81. Pyromania -Def Leppard
87. 82. Greatest Hits -James Taylor
88. 83. Black Sabbath Vol. 4 -Black Sabbath
89. 84. Sports -Huey Lewis & The News
90. 85. Saturate Before Using -Jackson Browne
91. 86. The Best of Blondie -Blondie
92. 87. G N’ R Lies -Guns N’ Roses
93. 88. Tattoo You -The Rolling Stones
94. 89. Full Moon Fever -Tom Petty
95. 90. Shout At The Devil -Motley Crue
96. 91. Alive II -Kiss
97. 92. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band -The Beatles
98. 93. Blues For Allah -Grateful Dead
99. 94. Let It Be -The Beatles
100. 95. The Slider -T. Rex
101. 96. Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ -Bruce Springsteen
102. 97. Dreamboat Annie -Heart
103. 98. Dynasty -Kiss
104. 99. Tapestry -Carole King
105. 100. Allied Forces -Triumph
106. 
     
107. 101. Rock ‘n’ Roll High School Soundtrack -The Ramones
108. 102. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath -Black Sabbath
109. 103. Lost In Love -Air Supply
110. 104. Who’s Next -The Who
111. 105. Toys In The Attic -Aerosmith
112. 106. Pay The Devil -Van Morrison
113. 107. Appetite For Destruction -Guns N’ Roses
114. 108. Subterranean Jungle -The Ramones
115. 109. Tommy -The Who
116. 110. Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll -Rainbow
117. 111. White Album -The Beatles
118. 112. Born Again -Black Sabbath
119. 113. Quadrophenia -The Who
120. 114. Live at Watkins Glen -The Band
121. 115. Very Best of Cream -Cream
122. 116. Freeze Frame -J. Geils Band
123. 117. Nebraska -Bruce Springsteen
124. 118. Seven Turns -Allman Brothers Band
125. 119. Late For The Sky -Jackson Browne
126. 120. The Last In Line -Dio
127. 121. Extraterrestrial Live -Blue Oyster Cult
128. 122. Shades Of Two Worlds -Allman Brothers Band
129. 123. Born To Run -Bruce Springsteen
130. 124. Jerry Garcia Band (Live) -Jerry Garcia Band
131. 125. Free-for-All -Ted Nugent
132. 
     
133. 126. Gov’t Mule -Gov’t Mule
134. 127. The Soft Parade -The Doors
135. 128. Dire Straits -Dire Straits
136. 129. Music From Big Pink -The Band
137. 130. Made In Japan -Deep Purple
138. 131. Electric Warrior -T. Rex
139. 132. Meddle -Pink Floyd
140. 133. Evangeline -Emmy Lou Harris
141. 134. Wish You Were Here -Pink Floyd
142. 135. We're Only In It For The Money -Frank Zappa
143. 136. Machine Head -Deep Purple
144. 137. Slide It In -Whitesnake
145. 138. Led Zeppelin II -Led Zeppelin
146. 139. Never Mind The Bullocks -The Sex Pistols
147. 140. Fire Of Unknown Origin -Blue Oyster Cult
148. 141. Powerage -AC/DC
149. 142. Closing Time -Tom Waits
150. 143. Flexible -Steve Vai
151. 144. Back At The Chicken Shack -Jimmy Smith
152. 145. Physical Graffiti -Led Zeppelin
153. 146. As Recorded At Madison Square Garden -Elvis Presley
154. 147. Blood Sugar Sex Magik -Red Hot Chili Peppers
155. 148. Led Zeppelin -Led Zeppelin
156. 149. Master Of Puppets -Metallica
157. 150. Women And Children First -Van Halen
158. 
     
159. 151. Live at Leeds -The Who
160. 152. Love -The Cult
161. 153. The Pretender -Jackson Browne
162. 154. Weird Scenes Inside The Gold Mine -The Doors
163. 155. Tres Hombres -ZZ Top
164. 156. Ummagumma -Pink Floyd
165. 157. True Democracy -Steel Pulse
166. 158. Slowhand -Eric Clapton
167. 159. Let There Be Rock -AC/DC
168. 160. The Mob Rules -Black Sabbath
169. 161. Blow By Blow -Jeff Beck
170. 162. The Song Remains The Same -Led Zeppelin
171. 163. Electric -The Cult
172. 164. Too Fast For Love -Motley Crue
173. 165. Van Halen -Van Halen
174. 166. Eliminator -ZZ Top
175. 167. Discipline -King Crimson
176. 168. Combat Rock -The Clash
177. 169. Europe '72 -Grateful Dead
178. 169. Love At First Sting -The Scorpions
179. 170. Metal Health -Quiet Riot
180. 171. Graceland -Paul Simon
181. 172. Trick or Treat Soundtrack -Fastway
182. 173. Ride The Lightning -Metallica
183. 174. Holy Diver -Dio
184. 175. Unleashed In The East -Judas Priest
185. 176. Live From Austin -Delbert McClinton
186. 177. Van Halen II -Van Halen
187. 178. Greatest Hits -Jim Croce
188. 179. Dirty Deeds (Done Dirt Cheap) -AC/DC
189. 180. Prime Prine -John Prine
190. 181. Beggar's Banquet -The Rolling Stones
191. 182. Atom Heart Mother -Pink Floyd
192. 183. Mothership Connection -Parliament Funkadelic
193. 184. Sailin' Shoes -Little Feat
194. 185. From The Mars Hotel -Grateful Dead
195. 186. Nearly Human -Todd Rundgren
196. 187. Peace Of Mind -Iron Maiden
197. 188. The Best Of -Hall & Oates
198. 189. Frampton Comes Alive -Peter Frampton
199. 190. Its' Naz -Nazareth
200. 191. Mad Dogs And Englishmen -Joe Cocker
201. 192. Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley -Robert Palmer
202. 193. Imagine -John Lennon
203. 194. Bad Attitude -Meat Loaf
204. 195. Dancin' on The Edge -Lita Ford
205. 196. In The Dark -Grateful Dead
206. 197. Repo Man Soundtrack -Various Artists
207. 198. 3.V -Zebra
208. 199. Lark's Tongues In Aspic -King Crimson
209. 200. Morrison Hotel -The Doors

"YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT"

Sam Cutler has delivered the goods in his new novel about working as tour manager for both the Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead. The book is refreshingly intelligent and well written. From the moment I started reading the first pages, I read the book straight through cover to cover. I could immediately identify with Cutler’s passion as both a writer and a man behind the scenes. This passion lives and breathes close to my heart as I’ve been continuously working on my own memoir involving my work behind the rock and roll curtain, specifically my personal and professional experiences also had within the Grateful Dead family.

Whereas the Stones and the infamous battle of Altamont are concerned, General Cutler puts you there like no other interpretation I’ve ever read or seen. The author celebrates the accomplishments, failures and utter chaos that define the human condition; especially when that human is subjected to the war like conditions of a massive public gathering gone horribly mad. History has indeed shown us that these events and the people involved in them were significantly important. Sam gives us an inside perspective like no other could. He lived it, he breathed it, he bled it and now he delivers it to us in a well reflected essay for us to enjoy and contemplate.

Personally I absolutely loved reading his version of events and I highly recommend to all to get back on the bus for this one, it’s a worthy trip.

-Dewey Paul Moffitt