Nice list and post Brian. Far more thinking than i am capable of! Interesting note so as to harp on the Boss, the only BS album that Derek owns is Born in the USA which is his most commercially successful album but quite possibly the one which has worn the least well over time ...mired with and overabundance of capital P proudness and flag waving. Contrast that with his early work that is humble introspective poetic and frankly, spoke to me when i was "Growing Up" (which is in fact a great tune). Can i divorse the music from the time in which i grew up and look at it objectivelly, no. I would suggest listening to Greeting from Asbury Park as it is perhaps a little more accessible and really brings more meaning and understanding to his second album that came out in the same year, The Wild The Innocent and the East Street Shuffle. I think that the W.I.E.S.S would make a good back to back listen with Closing Time by Tom Waits. Two albums from the same neck of the woods and the same year.

I gotta say that i love rush in small doses and in part because i feel it is always over the top. Perhaps it jumped the shark from the get go, but that's what being prog is all about, is it not? Rush IS different. It has a sound that you can love or hate and it can be pretty hard to get past that and it might be what keeps me at a distance much of the time. The music explores themes for the working man and punches it out in screaming licks with both wild abandon and introspective reflection. I still throw on my copy of 2112 from time to time ...much to m.e's chagrin ....and the meek shall inherit the earth.

Brian, if you are looking for some Acid jazz, do check of Toshinori Kondo and DJ Krush, when you are in a mood to be frenetic, give the Soil and Pimp Sessions disk another spin if you still have the compilation i gave you. (i'll cut you another if you want) I still think they rock. For something a little more down beat to smooth out the ruffled edges, check out Carboot Soul by Nightmares on Wax