Rock Island - Chapter Twelve

Tired of the games, you decide to go for a walk. You soon discover a pussycat swallowtail butterfly, one of the rarest in the world. As you excitedly follow the butterfly, you stumble across a thermal vent. You forget the butterfly and run back to tell Roy about your discovery. Soon everyone is taking hot baths and showers, and Roy even manages to create a hot tub using spare parts from the boat and space capsule.

Everyone appreciates your discovery. Ann Marie is especially happy. One night while enjoying a soak in the tub, she asks about the rest of your music. You finish the list:

• Socrates Drank the Conium - It's a Disgusting World
• Spirit - I Got a Line on You
• Stevie Ray Vaughan - Change It
• Styx - Lady; Lorelei; Miss America; Blue Collar Man; Renegade
• Sweet - Restless; Ballroom Blitz; Fox on the Run; Action; The Lies In Your Eyes; White Mice
• Ted Nugent - Stranglehold; Writing on the Wall; Hammerdown; Cat Scratch Fever; Smokescreen; Rawdogs and Warhogs
• Ten Years After - I'm Coming On; Standing at the Station
• The Nice - Rondo
• The Seeds - Pushin' too Hard
• The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again
• The Yardbirds - Happenings Ten Years Time Ago
• Thin Lizzy - The Rocker; Angel of Death
• Tiger B. Smith - To Hell
• Toad - Thoughts
• Triumph - Ordinary Man; Too Much Thinking
• Truth and Janey - Down the Road I Go; Remember a. A Child b. Building Walls
• Tucky Buzzard - Which Way, When For Why
• UFO - Doctor Doctor; Rock Bottom; Let It Roll; Mother Mary; This Kid's (incl. Between the Walls); Too Hot to Handle; Lights Out; Love to Love; Chains, Chains; Long Gone; Makin' Moves
• Uriah Heep - Look at Yourself; Easy Livin'; The Magician's Birthday; Sell Your Soul; Red Lights; Cry Freedom; Against the Odds; Between Two Worlds; Overload
• Van Halen - Runnin' with the Devil; Eruption; You Really Got Me; D.O.A.; And the Cradle Will Rock...; Everybody Wants Some!!; Where Have All the Good Times Gone!
• Warhorse - Burning
• Wind - Dear Little Friend
• Zebra - Tell Me What You Want; Who's Behind the Door?; Wait Until the Summer's Gone; Arabian Nights

You're alone with Ann Marie. She catches you staring at her. And then you hear Roy calling for you. "I guess I need to go," you say.

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.

Rock Island - Chapter Two

The huts (three of them: one for you, the Captain and Roy, one for Cinnamon and Ann Marie, and one for the married couple) have been built and all supplies have been scavenged from the wreckage. Roy built other solar-powered items, including a refrigerator/cooler in which to store the fish, ceiling fans (made with palm fronds; quite cooling, actually), and a vacuum cleaner (just because he was bored).

One day, while fishing with Ann Marie, you learn she played bass in a classic rock cover band and rode a Harley Low Rider on weekends (and you thought midwest farm girls were shy and wore pigtails and red checkered shirts). Just the mention of John Entwistle, Jack Bruce or Geezer Butler sends her into a rock monologue that makes you weak in the knees. You mentally check the songs on your MP3 player... The Who? Check. Cream? Check. Black Sabbath? Yeah, you have that covered.

Top Ten - 2006

I rated 46 albums released in 2006. Quite a few classic rock artists returned with new efforts and mixed results. Once again, some lesser-known bands cracked the top ten, and you should probably get to know them. (Note: Due to some recent reviews, the Top Ten changed with the addition of both an Anthem and Wolf album).

2006 Top Ten:
90.97 -- Aria - Armageddon
90.85 -- Metal Church - Light In the Dark
89.30 -- Heavenly - Virus
88.88 -- Anthem - Immortal
88.63 -- Elixir - Mindcreeper
88.14 -- Wolf - The Black Flame
87.70 -- Iron Maiden - A Matter of Life and Death
86.92 -- Pretty Maids - Wake Up to the Real World
85.93 -- Benedictum - Uncreation
85.81 -- Axxis - Paradise in Flames

Other 2006 releases:
85.80 -- Rage - Speak of the Dead
85.47 -- Blind Guardian - A Twist in the Myth
85.30 -- Firewind - Allegiance
84.96 -- Krokus - Hellraiser
84.81 -- Sir Lord Baltimore - III Raw
83.77 -- Bloodbound - Nosferatu
83.55 -- Astral Doors - Astralism
83.25 -- Hammerfall - Threshold
83.11 -- Manticora - The Black Circus, Pt. 1: Letters
82.55 -- Twisted Sister - A Twisted Christmas
82.48 -- Mob Rules - Ethnolution A.D.
82.06 -- Riot - Army of One
81.66 -- Tierra Santa - Mejor Morir En Pie
81.17 -- Edguy - Rocket Ride
79.76 -- Iron Fire - Revenge
79.52 -- Cactus - V
79.46 -- Beyond Fear - Beyond Fear
76.80 -- Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime II
76.47 -- Circle II Circle - Burden of Truth
76.39 -- Eddie Ojeda - Axes 2 Axes
75.83 -- Persuader - When Eden Burns
75.74 -- Axel Rudi Pell - Mystica
75.22 -- Budgie - You're All Living in Cuckooland
74.37 -- Andy Timmons - Resolution
74.36 -- Blackmore's Night - The Village Lanterne
73.96 -- Angra - Aurora Consurgens
73.95 -- Jon Oliva's Pain - Maniacal Renderings
73.16 -- UFO - The Monkey Puzzle
72.28 -- Motörhead - Kiss of Death
70.68 -- Empire - Raven Ride
69.30 -- Dominus Praelii - Bastards and Killers
65.72 -- Wizard's Hymn - Hymnal
65.21 -- Felony - First Works
62.64 -- Blackmore's Night - Winter Carols
61.98 -- Deep Purple - Rapture of the Deep
60.96 -- The Who - Endless Wire