Top 10 Albums for a Road Trip - with a Twist

We've all been on road trips and to break up the monotony, good tunes can be the difference and make the time go by more quickly. I'm all over the map and have quite a swing of music I like, so here's an offering of a few different points of interest. Let me be perfectly clear, some (most?) of the best road trip music is classic rock so I'm listing more than enough jamming rock classics. By the way, if classic rock wasn't that great then why is it that nearly every time you watch a movie with someone on a road trip, you hear another rock song from the 60s, 70s or the 80s. And for that matter, almost any movie period, has classic rock gems. Following, my choice of tenth to first (with a twist):

10. Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill

This was an amazing debut album by an amazing young woman (she wasn't even 20 yet). I guess you'd call it alt-rock (not always my favorite genre) with some pop. As 'angry' as some have said the Canadian (and now American) was when she made this, I think it's fairly easy to listen to and has a great beat.

9. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo's Factory

This is one of the all-time greatest albums by one of the all-time greatest bands. Anything Creedence did was toe-tapping music which is saying a lot for the music of the day that wasn't always easy to dance to - unless you went with R&B. This album has some of their biggest hits: "Lookin' Out My Back Door", "Up Around The Bend", "Long As I Can See the Light" and more. Since I know every song and like everything they ever did, I might be biased a little. Singing in the car on a road trip must have gotten started with Cosmo's Factory first song, Ramble Tamble: "Move, down the road I go".

8. Russ Freeman & The Rippingtons - Sahara

If you like smooth pop jazz, then this set of songs will do just fine. I've listen to this so many times, yet I never get tired of it. When it comes to road music, it works wonderfully. Some jazz can lull a bit too much for driving but Sahara keeps moving right up to the end. Russ does another amazing job and what a talent.

7. Hui Aloha - Hui Aloha

Some Hawaiian music can soothe you too well but Hui Aloha with its band of renown slack key players, is uplifting. This debut album starts with one of my favorite songs: "Steal Away", yet the mostly standard Hawaiian songs never quit delighting you with a comforting sound that will steal away the hours quickly. Whether you're into the island sound or not, this ones definitely a high quality choice.

6. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping

OK, I'll admit, this is my favorite group (and my favorite genre - Southern Rock) so there had to be one of their many impressive albums on this list. My choice is probably what most others would consider and this second album might have been their best work. Of course, "Sweet Home Alabama" is great but there are so many other fine melodies that you'll find yourself singing along to. This is a fun disc, especially when you sing with the window down (from "Mr. Breeze"): "Call me the breeze, I keep blowin' down the road."

5. Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms

This was tough because I love listening to anything by Dire Straits. "Dire Straits" (the self-titled album) could easily fit here too; but Brothers In Arms is a little more fun and that counts when road trip driving. There are a lot of big hits including "Money For Nothing" (of MTV fame). Of course Sting is on this and coupled with Mark Knopfler and his crew, the music is so easy to listen to, it was hard not having them in the top five.

4. Styx - Cornerstone

You could ask: A hair-band group? Styx might have been more than a hair-band with their opera rock sound but there's a story behind this particular pick. We used this album (cassette tape) to go back and forth to the Colorado River in a big ol' motorhome for a few years. The motorhome was full of people (how legal that was, I don't know). We had to please a lot of folks as none of us were the same age yet, we all liked this tape and played it till we fried it one year. It's one of their more pop sounding albums so the songs are easy to listen to and sing to.

3. Ravel - 1994 Greatest Hits (Bolero)

Huh? Bolero just may be the greatest song ever written. Have you ever listened to it? Ravel didn't think much of it so you might be impressed by the other songs on this compilation. These are different composers but his music still comes through. You might find yourself moving around in the car like never before (careful). And if the truth be known, the old classics might be the best road trip music ever. I'm a big fan of Beethoven but any of the great composers could be a fine choice. Try it, you'll like it.

2. Merle Haggard - Fightin' Side Of Me

Merle Haggard is one of the United States' biggest music icons. His 'Bakersfield Sound' sets off his unique sound. The Fightin' Side Of Me was a live album which I'm not usually fond of but this one is so entertaining that it works. My favorite part is where he does impersonations and they're incredible. I have listened to this album (cassette) so much, even I had his impersonations down. Fun music and you'll recognized many of the songs including the big hit "Okie From Muskogee".

AN EXTRA TWIST - MORE MUSIC!

1b. Eric Clapton - Unplugged

I was lucky enough to watch this on MTV when the album was produced. My entire family loves this album and we're talking multiple generations. To listen to the wide variety of work - all done acoustically - is a pure treat. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to this CD; it must have more miles on it than I've ever driven. Go up and down the California coast with this and you'll see what I mean - it's magic.

1a. Foghat - Fool For The City

This could have been number one but is more likely the best driving album. When you're cruising in the car listening to the bluesy rock sound of Foghat, you don't necessarily need to be on a long road trip. I'm not the biggest fan of live recordings but some say the live version is better than the studio set. But regardless of what version you get, no song is as fun to listen to in a car as "Slow Ride": "Move to the music, We can roll all night".

1. Aerosmith - Toys In The Attic

A friend of mine and I must have burned up this tape at least a couple of times because he owned one and then I did and they were gone long before CDs came along. I memorized every song and if you don't think this is driving music, then you don't know driving music. Wow! Your head won't stop bobbing and as Mr. Steven Tyler said so eloquently: "Cause a month on the road an' I'll be eating from your hand".

OK, most people will immediately jump and say what kind of list is this? This gives you everything you need. If you're a music lover, this is an ideal grouping of songs. Personally, for when I'm not driving, I'd have had listed albums from Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead, Cyril Pahinui, The Band (The Last Waltz is incredible), Five For Fighting and on and on. As you can tell, I fudged a little on my list with the twist being more than ten and across the board of music. Let me hear it - there are so many songs to listen to.

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