Brain Tunes

Those who know me well know how important music is to me. I have it playing all the time and go to as many live shows as I can. But there are those times - like biking - when you just can't safely listen to music. So when I can't have have iTunes, I rely on brain tunes.

What are brain tunes? These are tunes that I love and that I've listened to so many times that they are literally seared into my brain, note for note. I can then dial them in and play them in my head whenever the mood strikes.

Some would say I have multiple personalities when it comes to my music taste. Led Zeppelin was how it all started for me and my brother back in high school. Then in college and years beyond, I was a die hard fan of alternative rock. R.E.M. topped the list because they are, after all, the godfathers of alternative rock.

This carried on for a while without much new blood (other than Coldplay) and I eventually got bored with my own taste in music, a victim of overplaying and too narrow a focus.

Thankfully, this all changed one day in August of 2006 when our friend Mark flew out from California and insisted we go to see the Allman Brothers Band with him while he was in town. 7th row seats directly in front of guitar god Warren Haynes had my head spinning faster than Linda Blair's on The Exorcist. That dude can play!! His playing was so unbelievable, in fact, that I thought at times that he (or I) just might spontaneously combust like the drummers on Spinal Tap. Warren plays even better when dueling with slide guitarist Derek Trucks, the second highlight of the show for me. In fact, the Allman Brothers Band could be renamed the Haynes/Trucks band since they are such a powerful presence.

From that day forward, I became a blues/southern rock fan and started listening to everything Allman Brothers and Gov't Mule (Warren Haynes' band). I also expanded into other guitar gods like Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn and have hung there for the last few years searching for the next great guitar solo.

Then totally out of left field just a few short weeks ago, more new blood arrived on the scene. I was introduced to Metallica by my friend Jason, a purist when it comes to their music. The band has been around 20+ years without a second glance from me. But they just released a new album in September and I have an open mind so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I love great guitar and Kirk Hammet can do great - in fact, unbelievable - guitar (especially when the lead singer and drummer get out of the way). I'm by no means a thrash and speed metal fan, but I have become an avid fan of their "kinder and gentler" songs.

Here's the short list (with a hyperlink) to the brain tunes I'm playing these days:

Gov't Mule - Beautifully Broken - Great for long rides with a slow steady incline. The guitar work at the end helps get me up and over the top.

Allman Brothers Band - Soulshine - If you're a Brothers fan, you'll know this one is overplayed and I'm really not a huge fan of this song. But nothing can match the dueling guitars of Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks during the last third of the song. Seeing it live has been one of my great life experiences and definitely helps motivate me out on the road.

Metallica - Fade to Black - One of their "kinder, gentler" songs with unbelievable guitar work. The whole song makes me strive to fly on the flats and the ending solo gives me the kick in the butt I need if I'm starting to drag.

R.E.M. - Hollow Man - This is good when I'm, as Michael Stipe would say, "lost inside my head," being introspective or overthinking during longer stretches on less traveled roads. The fast chorus is great for downhills.

Music is such a big part of my riding, I'm surprised I haven't mentioned it until now. I rely heavily on brain tunes during all of my rides. Better than iTunes or the radio, brain tunes are always available, I can dial them up or down anytime, and I don't need to take my hands off the handlebars to change the station.