If you read a lot about music, one of the things you'll learn is how damn important it is. I watched a documentary on punk rock paragons the Clash and people kept saying how the Clash asked all the right questions. I never figured out what those questions actually were. But I do know that a couple years after the Clash debuted, a band called the Alarm, who were kinda like the Clash but not as well-liked, asked "Where were you hiding when the storm broke?" and that was apparently a dumb question because their album was poo-pooed and they aren't invited to join the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame while the Clash were voted in mightily.

Just recently I was listening to these swell Kentucky boys, Black Stone Cherry, and in their song "Rain Wizard" they ask, "Rain wizard, what the hell?" I thought to myself, "Now, that's a question worth asking. I mean, 'Yeah, rain wizard, what the hell?'" It made me think about how many times I've had my life altered by a song, how music has changed me as a

Thousands of songs have the word "summer" in their title. Believe me, I checked. Because just as Fred Flintstone once discovered that people liked "Songs About Mother," people also like songs about the seasons. It's something we can all relate to. Who doesn't experience the seasons, other than maybe that goofy deaf, dumb and blind kid the Who sing about? That kid's just flat out creepy.

With so many songs to choose from, it's difficult - no, impossible - to determine what the five best songs about summer could possibly be. And, I implore you, to check out the next installment where I choose the WORST summer songs.

But here are five wonderful songs that make summertime seem like the right time, that make you feel like lazing around and doing nothing (as if you needed a song to encourage you!), that will lower your blood pressure just when you're about to tell your neighbor to put that damned weed-wacker away because it's harshing your mellow. Now, go find a neighbor's pool and play

I used to think people were kidding when they told me that 1967 was a great year for music. Cream? Jefferson Airplane? The Doors? Jimi Hendrix? What is this other than classic rock radio sticking us with the music THEY want us to hear? How about the music the PEOPLE want to hear? The music that made a difference and that has now been shut out because it was simply TOO POWERFUL? That's what we've got here. The Five Albums from 1967 celebrating their 40th anniversary that aren't named Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

The Electric Prunes - I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)

Any album that includes a song called "Are You Lovin' Me More (But Enjoying It Less)" deserves to be better remembered. Any album that also includes tunes with names such as "Luvin'," which indicates that about ten seconds went into the effort for a title, "The Toonerville Trolley" and "About A Quarter To Nine," one of the finest songs to get the time approximately right, should be owned by everyone. The

The coolest thing about punk rock used to be how it complained about EVERYTHING: Reaganomics, Censorship, Racism, Sexism, Corporate Oppression, Religion, School, Homework, Rich People, Poor People, Middle-Class People, People Who Weren't Punk Enough, People Who Thought They Were Punk But Weren't, Punks, Metalheads, Jocks....

But then punk rock started singing more about emotions and love and how you broke my heart and that's not fair and "I'm a loser" and it became like every other stupid genre just with lousier music.  But the world's a mess these days! And we need to have our voices heard! And there's no better way to do it than to inspire the masses through the magic of song!

If you can't afford to buy a Clash album to hear how it's done, just write down what you can about these edgy, enduring topics!

War: Always a good one. Be sure to be anti-war. Slam-dancing violence and breaking someone's nose at a show is all in good fun, but the real stuff is always bad. Remember the enemy