In Nick Hornby's book High Fidelity (arguably the Rock Geek Bible) his lovesick protagonist Rob Fleming randomly made top-five lists while toiling about his North London second hand record store. Hornby takes his list-making obsession to new heights in Songbook, a collection of essays about his most cherished and personally dissected songs ever. The book also known as 31 Songs in Britain, is a wonderful reminder of the power of a simple ditty or textured arrangement to enhance our daily existence. Bruce Springsteen once claimed in song of course that "I learned more from a 3 minute record than I ever did in school" and I'm sure many of us can relate. So in that spirit I've asked many musical minds, local and otherwise, to compile their own lists of 31 favorite songs. As in Hornby's book the criteria was not picking what you believe was the artist's greatest work, just what you hold as a personal favorite. I sincerely don't believe Hornby would cite Bob Dylan"s "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window" as Dylan's best work ever, just that it's the one that has a place in his heart. People who wouldn't normally make lists have expressed concern about making such a list but have conceded to the fact that a list of personal 31 songs chosen in the moment is not written in stone.

Another anxiously awaited list is presented today. The author of which is a great source for info and music whatnot and has steered me towards and away from particular movies. He has a cool Ronnie Lane website at :

http://www.angelfire.com/home/telleveryone/

I knew he would serve up a juicy 31 songlist and he didn't disapoint. He is Kris Jake Cerese :

These are songs that at various periods of my life and still today have never really made it out of the old record player…. Uh, I mean CD player

1. Beatles - "Happiness is a Warm Gun" : Is it about guns? Is it about sex? Is John calling Yoko Mother Superior? Theories may be abound but there is no doubting the quality of this song. The metaphores are crazier than in I am the Walrus but this only adds to the true greatness of the song.

2. Pete Townshend & Ronnie Lane - "Heart to Hang Onto" : From Pete & Ronnie’s Rough Mix album. The only song the two sing together. Touching, heartfelt, and just one of the many great songs of the album.

3. The Who - "I’ve Had Enough" : This track from the quintessential Quadrophenia album says it all.

4. Cat Stevens - "Wild World" : I can’t tell you how many times this song has been in my CD player on repeat.

5. Guns N Roses - "You’re Crazy" : (slow version from LIES) My favorite band as a teenage kid. What young kid didn’t want to be Axl Rose back in those days. This is one of those songs that just worked for me.

6. Metallica - "Fade to Black" : You can’t mention the Gunners and not soon after mention Metal-leeca. I remember listening to my sister’s Ride the Lightning album for the first time on her crappy turntable in her room. Ah, the memories…

7. Dire Straits - "So Far Away" : I think this is the song that every young guy with girl problems has related to at one time or another. Hey, at least it’s not She’s So Cold by the Stones

8. Rolling Stones - "Out of Time" : Speaking of the Stones, you have to delve into the Flowers album to find this buried treasure. Why isn’t this played on Classic Rock radio? Oh yeah, They would butcher it like all the rest!

9. Leon Russell - "Jumpin’ Jack Flash/Youngblood" : Continuing with the Stones this medley of Stones and Coasters from the George Harrison Concert for Bangladesh has always stood out the most to me from that memorable event. It’s also about the only time I can stomach Jumpin’ Jack Flash

10. David Bowie - "Young Americans" : Yes, it’s not Bowie’s best but has always put me in a good mood and I couldn’t decide on any one song from the Hunky Dory album.

11. Live - "Shit Towne" : 2 years in Greenville, NC can make you feel and think like #2 but 12 years in old Apple Chill has got to be the ole brown icing on the cake.

12. Dion - "Runaround Sue" : It’s Rock & Roll at it’s finest

13. Buddy Holly - "Oh Boy!" : Well, I second that!

14. The Rascals - "Good Lovin’" : Better make it 3!

15. The Swinging Medallions - "Double Shot of My Baby’s Love" : While we’re on Oldies

16. Jimmy Cliff - "Many Rivers to Cross" : This painstaking, heartfelt song from the Harder They Come soundtrack is hard to leave out

17. Small Faces - "Itchycoo Park" : One the best singles ever made from one of the greatest bands of all time. They were the ultimate Mods! The Who were just marketed that way.

18. Pearl Jam - "Leavin’ Here" : It’s a cover of a cover. The song is best known from the early days when the Who briefly changed their name to the High Numbers and recorded this upbeat tune about the appreciation of women. Pearl Jam, who are enormous Who fans really bring the song to life and originally recorded it back in the mid 90’s for the Home Alive benefit double CD. Anyone who has appreciation for hard hitting classic rock will become obsessed with this song.

19. The Faces - "Ooh La La" : I wish that I knew what I known now, when I was younger. Lyrics written by Ronnie Lane and music by Ronnie Wood.

20. Ronnie Lane - "Don’t Try & Change My Mind" : The former member of the Small Faces and Faces actually went on to a critically acclaimed solo career with his band Slim Chance. Ronnie faced many obstacles during his music career including a long battle with MS which ended in 1997. Folks, there isn’t anybody out there that was more real than Ronnie Lane. He walked away from fame and fortune at the peak of his career to work on a farm and play tunes with his mates at the local pub.

21. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - "Letting You Go" : Yet another Heartbreaker from the Hard Promises album (go figure)

22. Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - "Ain’t No Mountain High Enough"

23. Tom Waits - "Jersey Girl" : just substitute with a different state so that I don’t picture myself with a big haired girl from the 80’s

24. Neil Young - "Stupid Girl": This great track from the Zuma album hit a little too close to home.

25. Kinks - "Catch me now I’m Falling": I couldn’t narrow it down to one and just finally went with this one

26. The Clash - "Police on My Back" : (Live) Hearing this song performed live will give you new appreciation (as will any song by the Clash) for this Sandinista track.

27. Steve Marriott & Peter Frampton - "Out of the Blue": recorded shortly before the death of Steve Marriott in the early 90’s this song would have been a classic if it would have ever been released. The 2 core members of the hard rockin’ Humble Pie reunited for what was supposed to be a complete album but ended being only a few songs due to the unexpected death of former Small Face frontman Steve Marriott. This exists only on bootleg

28. Keith Richards/Rolling Stones - "Slipping Away" : This beautiful tune from the live Stripped album of the mid 90’s is a personal fave of mine from cigarette voiced Richards.

29. Yardbirds - "You’re a Better Man" : Often said and probably true

30. Velvet Underground - "Satellite of Love"

31. Elvis Costello & the Attractions - "Welcome to the Working Week" : First album, first song. He set a standard and kept rolling and this appears to be a good place to stop.