Rock Island - Chapter Ten

Roy manages to scavenge parts from the space capsule (you weren't hallucinating!) before high tide takes it back out to sea. Oddly, he also finds a Superman refrigerator magnet, an oversized red and white tennis ball, a Mel Torme album, a green t-shirt with a Paddy's Pub logo, and a ventriloquist dummy with the name "Bob" embroidered on the shirt. Now there's talk that Roy's working on a way to get everyone off the island.

"Did you hear about Roy?" Ann Marie asks you. "He's thinking we could be off the island in a few days." You tell her that's great, but she sees you're not as excited as everyone else. "I still want to hear about the rest of the songs you have," she says to cheer you up. It works. You continue:

• Jane - Comin' Again; Early In the Morning; Jane-Session
• Jeff Healey Band - Something To Hold On To; Highway of Dreams
• Jefferson Airplane - Somebody to Love
• Jethro Tull - To Cry You a Song; Hymn 43; Locomotive Breath
• Joe Satriani - Big Bad Moon
• Kansas - Carry On Wayward Son
• Kebnekaise - Resa Mot Okänt Mål
• Kiss - Rock and Roll All Nite; God of Thunder; Shout It Out Loud; Beth; Love Gun; Exciter; Psycho Circus
• Led Zeppelin - Babe I'm Gonna Leave You; Communication Breakdown; How Many More Times; Whole Lotta Love; Immigrant Song; Stairway to Heaven; The Song Remains the Same; The Rover; Kashmir; Achilles' Last Stand
• Mahogany Rush - Requiem for a Sinner; He's Calling
• Mogg/Way - Muddy's Gold
• Molly Hatchet - Power Play; Fall of the Peacemakers; Devil's Canyon; Silent Reign of Heroes; One Last Ride
• Montrose - Space Station #5
• Mountain - Don't Look Around
• Murasaki - Double Dealing Woman; Devil Woman; Doomsday
• Nazz - Lemming Song
• Night Ranger - Don't Tell Me You Love Me
• Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
• R.E.O. Speedwagon - Golden Country; Take Me
• Rainbow - Man on the Silver Mountain; Sixteenth Century Greensleeves; Stargazer; Light in the Black; Long Live Rock 'N' Roll; Gates of Babylon; Kill the King; All Night Long; Eyes of the World; Lost In Hollywood; Hall of the Mountain King
• Ram Jam - Black Betty
• Road - I'm Trying; Spaceship Earth
• Robin Trower - Victims of the Fury
• Rolling Stones - Paint It Black; Sympathy for the Devil; Gimme Shelter; Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)
• Rush - Working Man
• Savoy Brown - Hellbound Train
• Shooting Star - Tonight; Last Chance

Ann Marie wants to listen to some songs, and you happily oblige.

Top Ten - 1998

Two non English-singing bands made the 1998 top ten list. I do like both bands a lot, even if I can't sing along to the songs. There are many big names among the 43 albums rated for that year, and while most released albums worth buying (or at least worth considering), there were a few notable duds.

1998 Top Ten:
91.18 -- Iced Earth - Something Wicked this Way Comes
89.74 -- Helloween - Better than Raw
89.18 -- Mägo de Oz - La Leyenda de la Mancha
88.59 -- Molly Hatchet - Silent Reign of Heroes
87.81 -- Savatage - Wake of Magellan
85.47 -- Iron Maiden - Virtual XI
84.96 -- Joe Stump - Rapid Fire Rondo
84.67 -- Symphony X - Twilight in Olympus
84.40 -- Bruce Dickinson - The Chemical Wedding
84.00 -- Aria - Generation of Evil

Other 1998 releases:
83.97 -- Angra - Fireworks
83.80 -- Riot - Inishmore
83.52 -- Blue Öyster Cult - Heaven Forbid
83.35 -- Running Wild - The Rivalry
82.84 -- Stratovarius - Destiny
81.22 -- Threshold - Clone
80.64 -- Kiss - Psycho Circus
80.46 -- Blackmore's Night - Shadow of the Moon
79.84 -- Axel Rudi Pell - Oceans of Time
79.52 -- Vanderhoof - Vanderhoof
79.27 -- Iron Savior - Unification
79.10 -- Edguy - Vain Glory Opera
79.04 -- Labyrinth - Return to Heaven Denied
78.67 -- Blind Guardian - Nightfall in Middle-Earth
78.64 -- Balance of Power - Book of Secrets
76.84 -- Monster Magnet - Powertrip
76.46 -- Blitzkrieg - The Mists of Avalon
76.46 -- Nightwish - Oceanborn
76.15 -- Angel Dust - Border of Reality
75.92 -- Rage - XIII
75.79 -- Gov't Mule - Dose
75.06 -- Kamelot - Dominion
74.94 -- Kamelot - Siege Perilous
74.23 -- Brainstorm - Unholy
73.56 -- Motörhead - Snake Bite Love
72.54 -- Hammerfall - Legacy of Kings
71.21 -- Therion - Vovin
70.27 -- Whitesnake - Restless Heart
68.55 -- Anvil - Speed of Sound
68.23 -- Praying Mantis - Forever in Time
68.21 -- Liquid Tension Experiment - Liquid Tension Experiment
60.93 -- Deep Purple - Abandon
59.79 -- Van Halen - Van Halen III

Rock Island - Chapter Four

You realize the snobby couple isn't so bad (even though the guy sounds strangely like Mr. Magoo, who you never really cared for). His wife (her name is Dovey) appears to be a bit tipsy more often than not, and more than once you've helped walk her back to her hut, wondering where she hides the alcohol.

"Do you play any instruments?" Ann Marie asks the next day. "Only air guitar," you lamely answer. She laughs (a little too politely, you think), but you recover well after you tell her that Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, The Doors, Cream, Kiss, Led Zeppelin and The Who are on your MP3 player. You also mention you have obscure bands like Buffalo, Captain Beyond, Dust, Toad and Warhorse. She's interested in hearing them. "Maybe being stuck here isn't so bad," you think.