So you want to read something resembling a chronological story?  Here’s the place to start.  The numbered pieces are in chronological order, give or take a piece or two.   Most of the other pieces are like magazine sidebars — little bits of extra music that accompany the nearest story, but not always.

Memoir:

• 1. The Mamas, The Papas, and The Grandpas
• 2. School’s Out Forever
• 3. When Am I Gonna Come Down?
• 4. My Dark Confession
• 5. Show Me the Way
• 6. Just For One Day
• 7. Your Dreams Were Your Ticket Out
• 8. You Can Check Out Any Time You Like
• 9. The Cutout Bin
• 10. Loose Nut

•  11. Hey It’s Good To Be Back Home Again
• 12. Does Anybody Want To Get Mellow?
• 13. Never Before Have I Turned On You
• 14. What Time Is It?
• 15. A Rambling Prologue To A Long Overdue Post
• 16. Your Lightnin’s All I Need
• 17. Like A World Without Sun
• 18. If Never I Met You
• 19. Who Can Go the Distance?
• 20. This One Goes Out to the Ones I Left Behind

• 21. Who Are You?
• 22. Life Begins at the Hop
• 23. Here Comes the Savage Day
• 24. Thank You Driver For Getting Me Here
• 25. A Live Wire, Barely A Beginner
• 26. This Is the First Song Off Our New Album
• 27. I’ve Been Trying to Get a Message Through the Air to You
• 28. Leaving the Things That You Love From Mind
• 29. You Don’t Know What the Sound Is, Darlin’
• 30. Strewn With Time’s Dead Flowers

• 31. I Was Walking In He Was Walking Out
• 32. What’s Your Favorite Color Baby?
• 33. I Don’t Know How You Were Inverted
• 34. Little John the Conqueroo
• 35. Take Your Time, Don’t Live Too Fast
• 36. So I Lit A Fire, Isn’t It Good?
• 37. Loneliness Will Haunt You, Will You Sacrifice?
• 38. What Song Is It You Want to Hear?
• 39. That Sleepwalk Should Be Over By Now
• 40. To Learn How To Love And Forget How To Hate

• 41. We Rock At Dawn On the Front Line
• 42. Changes Aren’t Permanent (But Change Is)
• 43. A One-Way Ticket, Only One Way To Go
• 44. Won’t You Help Me Girl Just As Soon As You Can?
• 45. As Deep As Any Ocean, As Sweet As Any Harmony
• 46. Shake the Dust Off Of Your Wings and the Tears Out Of Your Eyes
• 47. Rising Up To the Challenge Of Our Rivals
• 48. Once We Had An Easy Ride and Always Get the Same
• 49. This Is A Public Service Announcement (With Guitars)
• 50. The Punk and the Godfather (Why It Matters Revisited)

• The Cutout Bin Revisited
• 51. I Hate the Teachers and the Principal, Don’t Wanna Be Taught to be No Fool
• 52. Devil’s In the House of the Rising Sundae
• 53. Try To Use A Mirror, No Bullet Or Knife
• 54. It’s So Easy To Fly Through A Window
• 55. At the Late Night Double Feature Picture Show
• 56. The Brightest Fireplace Glows In Every Face
• 57. I’d Give You Everything I’ve Got For A Little Piece Of Mind
• 58. I Can’t Wait For You to Operate
• Ventriloquism For Dummies
• 59. Pretty Young Things, Repeat After Me
• 60. I Wondered If I Had Enough Class

• 61. Bewitched
• 62. Turn and Face the Strange
• 63. The Alton Ellis Incident
• 64. I Started Drifting To A Different Place
• 65. Wherein I Am Completely Wrong
• 66. Give Me Three Steps Toward The Door
• 67. I’m Up and Down and In Between
• 68. Just Sitting Here Watching The Wheels Go Round and Round
• 69. But You Know You’re Not Dreaming, Signore
• 70. The Dream Is Always The Same

• 71. Surrender My Good Life Or Bad
• 72. But I Swear It Was In Self-Defense
• 73. I’d Like It If They Like Us, But I Don’t Think They Like Us
• 74. Gonna Get Inside Your Bitter Mind
• 75. I Don’t Believe In Peter Pan, Frankenstein Or Superman
• 76.  Return Of The Son Of Cutout Bin
• 77. Everyone’s Breaking Past My Speed Of Sound
• 78. But Ain’t That America
• 79. No One Will Guide You Through Armagideon Time

• 80. Though I Am Weary I Can’t Stop To Rest
• 81. You Know That The Hypnotized Never Lie
• 82. If I Could Buy My Reasoning I’d Pay To Lose
• 83. Not Everyone Can Carry The Weight Of The World
• 84. Happiness I Cannot Feel And Love To Me Is So Unreal
• 85. Between The Velvet Lies There’s A Truth That’s Hard As Steel
• 86. Forgotten Lies Aim To Distract Me
• 87. Who’s Going To Teach Me Peace And Happiness?
• 88. Oh I Have Been Out Searching With the Black Book In My Hand
• 89. Radio’s On and I’m Moving ‘Round the Place

• 90. I’ve Got A Handful Of This, What Do I Do With It?
• 91. More Fun In the New World
• 92. In the Eyes Of the Confessor You Can’t Tell A Lie
• 93. Face To Face and Back To Back
• 94. A Message That I’m Sending Out Like A Telegraph
• 95. And I’ll Lay Right Down In My Favorite Place
• 96. How Long Can I Carry This Monkey Around?
• 97. Keep Your Eyes on the Road, Your Hands Upon the Wheel
• 98. Lots of Trouble, Lots of Bubble
• 99. Falcon Spirals to the Ground

• 100. When Two Tribes Go To War
• 101. December
• 102. I’m Relying On Your Common Decency
• 103. Take Me By the Hand This Is All I Can Offer You
• 104. You’re A Daisy If You Do
• 105. Giving Me Everything Inside and Out
• 106. They’re Gonna Find the Queen is a Man
• 107. All My Goodness Has Turned to Badness
• 108. These City Lights, They Shine as Silver and Gold
• 109. It’s Up to Me Now, My Daddy Has Gone Away

• 110. But I Just Wanna Stay in the Garage All Night
• 111. What’s It Gonna Be, Boy?
• 112. I’d Hate To Look Into Those Eyes and See an Ounce of Pain
• 113. I Have Only One Burning Desire…
• 114. You Don’t Know How to Play the Game
• 115: It’s A Beautiful Day For A Rerun
• 116. You Act As If You Just Don’t Care
• 117. Stars Will Fall From Dark Skies
• 118. The Boys Are Back In Town
• 119. Return of the Son of Son of Return of the Son of the Cutout Bin

• 120. The Turn of a Friendly Card
• 121. Goodnight, You Moonlight Ladies
• 122. Don’t Leave Me Hanging on the Telephone
• 123. Tell Your Mama Babe
• 124. When You Change With Every New Day
• 125. Whatsoever I’ve Feared Has Come To Life

Deep Cuts  (playlists):

• Eight Reasons To Reconsider KISS
• Five Reasons Hendrix Is For Everyone
• Ten Live Songs For Your Playlist
• Intro to WockaWoll Guitar
• Moby Frank
• Ten Covers Done Right
• Stop Time and Turn Up the Radio Songs
• The Greatest Bowie Song You’ve Never Heard
• The Kubler-Ross Breakup Playlist

• Library Rock, A-I
• Library Rock, J-R
• Library Rock, S-Z
• Eight Songs About Flying
• Weird Television Musical Appearances
• Ten Songs To Hate School By
• Seven Decades of Sweet Transvestites
• The Bromley Contingent and Then Some
• Songs About Fighting

• The Obligatory Christmas Playlist
• Songs for Ten Resolutions
• Classic Rock
• A Listener’s Guide to the Chitlin’ Circuit
• Queen’s Dragon Attack
• Top Ten Songs from Nic Cage Movies
• In Defense of Styx
• Songs For Grieving
• Music Goes To Court

• The Rainy Day Playlist
• Seventies Electronica
• Math Songs
• Bicycle Songs
• Guitar Gods Who Aren’t
• Daisy Petal Pickin’
• Best Of Benefit Albums
• The Rock Week
• The Woodstock You’ve Never Heard
• The E Street Shuffle
• Ken Nordine’s Colors
• 8:22 Songs
• Your Independence Day Playlist
• Beach Songs
• Summer 1984
• Songs For Fresh Starts
• From the Class of 1984
• Songs From A Promo Party
• Jim Steinman
• Songs To Confess By

• Psychology Songs
• Songs For Loneliness
• JFK Songs
• Cadillac Songs
• Paint Songs
• Songs for the Seafood Lover in You
• Bowie Goes to the Movies
• Law Songs
• The Music Year
• I Want Songs

• Eighties One Hit Wonders
• Flower Songs
• The Best of John Hughes
• Prognostication Songs
• Spartanburg’s Greatest Hits
• Drive-In Songs
• A Glam Rock Christmas
• Boxing Day Songs
• The Best of Best Songs
• The World’s Worst Mix Tape

• My Playlist Wants To Kill Your Mama
• Welcome Songs
• Songs Afire
• I’ll Be Crying Over You
• Songs For A Beautiful Day
• They Came From the South
• The Best of Not the Best of Sting
• Great Big Organs
• Playing Card Songs
• Songs About Names

• Telephone Songs
• Songs About Stealing
• Doctor Songs

From the Stacks (album covers and other music ephemera):

• Sammy Davis Jr. Now
• The Leaning Tower Of Bowie
• Mr. T’s Commandment
• Party Party, Original Soundtrack
• Holiday for Pianos
• Something Gonna Jump Out the Bushes
• Uncle Murray’s Record Collection
• Pussycats Can Go Far
• Open Up And Say…Ahh

• Les Paul And Trio
• Force Majeure (Clear Cut)
• Lou Cicchetti’s “Bronx Classics” “The Bronx”
• Exactly Like You
• I Wonder What She’ll Think About Me Leaving
• Melodies Of Love
• Earl Meyers Sings Praises
• The Big Beat: A Rock Blast
• The Harmonicats Dolls Dolls Dolls
• Crown of Creation

• The Kid Inside and Chestnut Street Incident
• Morrison Hendrix Winter Jam
• Mom’s Apple Pie
• Kings Road Plays The Heavy Sounds Of The Watkins Glen Concert
• Born To Add
• Herb Alpert Going Places
• Scorpions Lovedrive
• Chastain – Mystery Of Illusion
• Nothing Will Be As It Was Tomorrow
• The American Song-Poem Anthology

• Ariel – Starbody EP
• Rusty Warren – Knockers Up!
• Dennis Duke Guns It With…Gangster’s Heaven Baloo
• The Black Crowes – Amorica
•  Lynyrd Skynyrd “Street Survivors”
• Chadwick Symphonic Sketches
• Best of Freddy Fender
• Video All Stars TV Jazz Themes
• Red Hot Chili Peppers – Mother’s Milk
• Tina Turner – Private Dancer (LaserDisc)

• The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Electric Ladyland
• The Rocky Horror Picture Disc
• John Sex – Hustle With My Muscle (12″ single)
• Celebrate the Spirit
• Various – Propaganda
• Roger Waters – The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking
• The Beatles – Rubber Soul
• Mefistofele Highlights
• Phillip Cassadore Sings Apache Songs
• UFO – Force It
• Moog Machine – Switched-On Rock

• Dynamite Doo Wopps, Vol. 6
• Wet Willie – The Wetter the Better
• The Rolling Stones – Burning at the Hollywood Palladium
• Fear: The Handbill
• Jose Feliciano – Of Muse and Man
• The Guitar Sounds of Buddy Merrill
• Hot Damn! – Big Fat Lover
• Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart
• Chocolate Milk
• Hudson Brothers – Hollywood Situation

• A Christmas Adventure in Disneyland
• Tears For Fears – Head Over Heels (Picture Disc)
• Bow Wow Wow – See Jungle! See Jungle!
• Chuck E. Weiss – The Other Side of Town
• Samson – Head Tactics
• Bodies in the Basement (self titled)
• U2 – Boy
• John Stewart – Bombs Away Dream Babies
• Keola and Kapono Beamer – Honolulu City Lights
• David Lee Roth – Sonrisa Salvaje

• Kick Axe – Vices
• Lady Pank – Drop Everything
• What It Is!
• Cold Blood
• Alice Cooper – Raise Your Fist and Yell
• Le Pamplemousse
• Klaatu – 3:47 EST / Self-Titled
• Kid Sheik Cola – Sheik’s Swingsters
• Led Zeppelin – Going to California
• A Random Photo of Ian McCulloch

• Appetite For Destruction
• Porno For Pyros – Picture Disc and Suck On This
• Both Sides of Herman’s Hermits
• Floaters (self-titled)
• Carly Simon – No Secrets
• The Standells – Dirty Water
• Donny and Marie – Goin’ Coconuts
• The Three O’Clock – Arrive Without Travelling
• Various – Dancehall 101
• Rockabilly Hot

• Rod Hart – Breakeroo!
• Talking Heads – Stop Making Sense
• Mark Radice – Intense
• Ahh…The Name Is Bootsy, Baby!
• Big Sur Festival – One Hand Clapping
• Various – A Million Or More Best Sellers
• Various – Slash, the Early Sessions
• The Partridge Family #2: The Haunted Hill
• Maynard Ferguson – M.F. Horn
• The Charlie Daniels Band – Saddle Tramp

• Evie – Come On, Ring Those
• Rush – Hemispheres
• George Jones Sings Bob Wills

On My Turntable (record reviews):

• Tawny Ellis, Who Are You Talking To? (Don’t Tell Me)
• Jane’s Addiction – The Great Escape Artist
• The Who – Quadrophenia: The Director’s Cut
• Van Halen – A Different Kind Of Truth
• Mars Volta – Noctourniquet
• Tenacious D – Rize of the Fenix
• Rush – Clockwork Angels
• Public Image Ltd. – This Is PiL
• a dark horse (Debut EP)
• Alabama Shakes – Boys and Girls

• ZZ Top – La Futura
• Kevin Seconds – Don’t Let Me Lose Ya
• Bob Dylan – Tempest
• Heart – Fanatic
• David Bowie – “Where Are We Now?”
• Conspirator – Unleashed

Concerts:

• Rush Photos and Set List: Sleep Train Pavillion, Concord, California, June 26, 2011
• Anomie Belle at the Blue Lamp, 10/30/11
• Anomie Belle Live, Chocolate Shakes, and Change
• Zappa Plays Zappa at the Crest Theatre, 2/18/12
• The Black Keys with Arctic Monkeys, Power Balance Pavilion 5/05/2012
• Gillian Welch Signs On For Calgary Folk Music Festival
• Countdown To Patti Smith
• Patti Smith At The Mondavi Center, 05/08/12
• Jane’s Addiction On Tour
• The Who Brings Quadrophenia Tour To North America

• Fishbone at Center for the Arts, Grass Valley, California, August 30, 2012
• Jane’s Addiction Live: Portland, September 4, 2012
• Joan Jett & the Blackhearts Live: Midtown Music Festival, 9/21/2012
• Todd Rundgren and Ethel Workshop, 11/3/2012
• The Who Live, Reno, Nevada: February 2, 2013
• Vintage Trouble Live, Reno Events Center, 02/02/2013

Guest Appearances:

• Why It Matters To Novelist Alanna Coca
• Meet The Clutter Family
• Why It Matters to Corey Glover (and How to Score Some Cool Stuff)
• A Conversation With “Chitlin’ Circuit” Author Preston Lauterbach
• Why It Matters To Mother’s Finest
• Why It Matters To The Bar-Kays (and How To Score Some Cool Stuff)
• Why It Matters to Flipron
• Why It Matters to WAZU
• Why It Matters To Jon Butcher (Plus A Big Announcement)
• Why It Matters To Bill Wadhams
• Why It Matters to Bernie Worrell

• Why It Matters to Country Joe McDonald
• Why It Matters to Dennis Coffey
• Why It Matters to the Standells’ Larry Tamblyn
• Why It Matters to Michael Quercio
• Why It Matters to The Members’ JC Carroll
• Why It Matters to Danny Phillips

• Conversations With Adrian Bellue, part 1
• Conversations With Adrian Bellue, part 2
• Conversations With Adrian Bellue, part 3
• Conversations With Adrian Bellue, part 4
• Conversations With Adrian Bellue, part 5
• Conversations With Adrian Bellue: Wrapping It Up

Tributes/Obituaries:

• Goodbye, Amy Winehouse
• Warrant’s Lead Singer Dies
• Cappy Lewis: 1939-2011
• Johnny Otis: 1921-2012
• Don Cornelius: 1936-2012
• Davy Jones, 1945-2012
• Levon Helm: May 26, 1940 – April 19, 2012
• Beastie Boy Adam “MCA” Yauch: 1964-2012
• Ray Torres: 1942-2012
• Storm Thorgerson, 1944-2013

• Scott Miller Family Memorial Fund Needs Your Help

The Woodstock Series:

• Introduction
• Richie Havens
• Sweetwater
• Bert Sommer
• Tim Hardin
• Ravi Shankar
• Melanie Safka
• Arlo Guthrie
• Joan Baez

• Quill
• Country Joe McDonald
• Santana
• John Sebastian
• Keef Hartley Band
• The Incredible String Band
• Canned Heat
• Mountain
• The Grateful Dead

• Creedence Clearwater Revival
• Janis Joplin
• Sly & the Family Stone
• The Who
• Jefferson Airplane
• Joe Cocker
• Country Joe and the Fish
• Ten Years After
• The Band

• Johnny Winter
• Blood, Sweat & Tears
• Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
• Paul Butterfield Blues Band
• Sha Na Na
• Jimi Hendrix

• Wrapping It Up

Miscellany:

• Humor and Opinion:
  • The End of Music
  • Answers to Google Searches
  • More Answers To Google Searches
  • The Rise of the Planet of the Lemeloes
  • Rise Of the Planet of the Lemeloes 2: Electric Boogaloo
  • Rise of the Lemeloes III: The Next Generation
  • Rise of the Lemeloes IV: The One With Dolph Lundgren
  • Susan Sarandon, Are You Listening?
  • Death Of A Record Store
  • What If God Wrote A Book On The Bible?
  • You’re A Bluebird On A Telegraph Line

• Why It Matters News and Contests
  • “Why It Matters” Meets Under the Gum Tree
  • Notes From A Public Reading
  • Happy Birthday to “Why It Matters”
  • A Lovely Gift For Your Mailbox
  • A Why It Matters Chapbook For You Tactile Types
  • Coming Soon — Why It Matters For Your Walls
  • Cinder “Keep On Stomping” Update
  • Keep On Stomping Update
  • Some Weekend Housecleaning
  • Congratulations Laura B. From Somewhere USA
  • Congratulations Kelly and Tomas
  • The Hipgnosis Bestiary
  • Guess The Plagiarism, Win A Doodle
  • The Basic Why It Matters Restaurant Desktop
  • Introducing the Controversial Album Cover Gallery
  • I Fall To Pieces, You Win A Book
  • 10/13/2012: Print Signing and Fund Raiser
  • I Read A Book, You Win A Prize
  • Fundraiser Through 10/13!!!!!!
  • Why It Matters In Print
  • Why It Matters Live! This Friday, 10/19/12
  • Happy Birthday, Wimbot
  • James Wags His Uvula
  • Win Limited Edition Perry Farrell Swag!
  • Sneak Preview – 2013 Chapbook Art!
  • James Takes On More Writing Than He Can Handle
  • The Bottom Five Stories of 2012
  • I’d Like To Solve The Puzzle, Pat
  • Lightning In A Bottle Tickets Presale
  • And the Answer Is…
  • Win Today’s Cover Art and Album!
  • Two Free Tix! Conspirator in SF on 3/15!
  • Do A Good Deed, Get Free WIM Art!
  • New WIM Art!

• Everything Else:
  • Since I’m On the Topic of Rush…
  • All is Quiet on New Year’s Day
  • Help Stripmall Architecture, Score Some Cool Stuff
  • New Stripmall Architecture Video Released
  • A Summer Rerun
  • Musician-Painters
  • After These Messages We’ll Be Right Back
  • Pardon Our Dust In the Wind
  • Guys In Black Tee Shirts Who Jam, 2011 Edition
  • Dylan Graffiti, Sacramento, California
  • Jimi/Janis Graffiti, Sacramento California
  • Rocking It Sears Wish Book Style, 1975
  • What Every Record Store Window Should Look Like
  • Free Jane’s Addiction Download!
  • Merry Christmas, No Money Down
  • One From My Vacation Home
  • The True Tale of the Blue Shark
  • One From My Vacation Home
  • The Dreams That You Dare To Dream
  • Legend Records Release Party, San Diego 3/31
  • One From My Vacation Home
  • One From My Vacation Home