Crowd shot masthead ApologetiX Logo Keith Haynie plays bassBill Hubauer plays lead guitarJ. Jackson sings leadJimmy Vegas Tanner plays drums
59,731
as of March 19, 2024

<< Back to the fan club


Search Past News:

Sort by Relevance Date

Yesterday's News:

03.18.24Get Multiple Downloads for One Donation
03.18.24USBs Include New Single & Next CD
03.18.24How to Donate Online or by Mail
03.18.24Over 1650 Tracks for $100
03.16.24Influential Albums: 1402-1408
03.16.24New CD Slightly Delayed, BOGO Continues
03.16.24How to Get the ApX Library, USBs, Multiple Downloads
03.16.24This Week's Bible-Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
03.16.24Easter Season Playlist 2024
03.12.24This Week's News Bulletin
03.09.24Influential Albums: 1395-1401
03.09.24This Week's Bible-Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
03.09.24The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
03.05.24This Week's News Bulletin
03.03.24New Single: '74 Solo Smashes
03.01.24A Serious Problem We're Trying to Address
02.29.24All About Our Next CD
02.29.24Influential Albums: 1388-1394
02.29.24This Week's Bible-Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
02.29.24Clues for 2024 Single #5
02.25.24This Week's News Bulletin
02.22.24Get Ready for Our Next CD
02.22.24Influential Albums: 1381-1387
02.22.24This Week's Bible Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
02.22.24Wayne Is Retiring, What's Next for Him and Us?
02.22.24The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
02.19.24This Week's News Bulletin
02.19.24New Single: Billy & The Beach
02.16.24Influential Albums: 1374-1380
02.16.24This Week's Bible Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
02.16.24Remembering ApX Friend Paul "Doc" Nigh (1956-2024)
02.16.24Clues for 2024 Single #4
02.10.24Influential Albums: 1367-1373
02.10.24Fans Making Plans to Attend Our Big Show September 1
02.10.24This Week's Bible Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
02.10.24The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
02.06.24This Week's News Bulletin
02.06.24New Single: '74 & '83
02.03.24ApX Lead Singer/Lyricist Shares His Testimony 36 Years Later
02.03.24Influential Albums: 1360-1366
02.03.24This Week's Bible Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
02.03.24Latest CD Added to iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, Etc.
02.02.24Clues for 2024 Single #3
01.29.24This Week's News Bulletin
01.26.24Influential Albums: 1353-1359
01.26.24How to Get the ApX Library, USBs, Multiple Downloads
01.26.24This Week's Bible-Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
01.26.24Flashback: J.'s Vision for ApologetiX in 2014
01.26.24J.'s Vision for ApologetiX in 2024
01.26.24The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
01.24.24Checking in With ApX Alum Drummer Fred Behanna
01.22.24This Week's News Bulletin
01.22.24New Single: '70s #1 Hits That Remade '60s Top 10 Hits
01.19.24Influential Albums: 1346-1352
01.19.24Encouraging Message from Longtime Fan in Oklahoma
01.19.24This Week's Bible-Reading & Rock Thru the Bible
01.15.24This Week's News Bulletin
01.12.24Influential Albums: 1339-1346
01.12.24The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
01.12.24Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
01.12.24New Testament Reading Started Wednesday
01.11.24New Worship Songs Available from ApX Alum Bill Rieger
01.08.24New Single: '81 & '83
01.08.24New CD BOGO Ends Sunday
01.08.24New USB Thumb Drives on the Way
01.05.24Clues for 2024 Single #1
01.05.24Influential Albums: 1332-1338
01.05.24Have You Heard About the Other Music City Miracle?
01.05.24This Week's Bible Reading & Rock Thru the Bible
12.29.23Influential Albums: 1325-1331
12.29.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
12.28.232023: A Record-Breaking Record-Making Year
12.28.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
12.26.23This Week's News Bulletin
12.26.23New Single: 1974 & 2008
12.23.23Influential Albums: 1318-1324
12.23.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
12.23.23ApologetiX Updated Christmas Playlist
12.18.23This Week's News Bulletin
12.18.23New Samson CD Mailed to Fans, New Orders Sent as They Come In
12.16.23Influential Albums: 1311-1317
12.16.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
12.16.23New Story
12.16.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
12.11.23This Week's News Bulletin
12.11.23New Single: '83 & '84
12.11.23ApX Apparel: Order by Tuesday with Express Shipping
12.07.23New ApX Apparel and More: Order Soon for Christmas
12.07.23Influential Albums: 1304-1310
12.07.23Just Reword CD Added to iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, Etc.
12.07.23Clues for 2023 Single #25
12.04.23This Week's News Bulletin
12.02.23Influential Albums: 1297-1303
12.02.23This Week's Bible Reading & Rock Thru the Bible
12.02.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
12.02.23New Shirts & Other ApX Merch Coming Soon
12.02.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
11.28.23This Week's News Bulletin
11.28.23New Christmas Single: All '80s
11.24.23Influential Albums: 1290-1296

The 365-Day Album Challenge: Week 16
Fri., Aug. 28. 2020 12:15am EDT

J. Jackson, lead singer and lyricist for ApologetiX here again.

Back in May, two friends asked me to share 10 albums that influenced me on Facebook. I narrowed it down to 365. I post the cover art for a different album every day with a brief explanation of how/why they influenced me. Fans have asked me to include them in the newsletter, too. Here are this week's entries:

106. Gotta Take That One Last Ride - Jan & Dean
Did you really think I'd be content with just one Jan & Dean double album? As the title says, you gotta take that one last ride … especially when it's only $3.99. Most of the big hits were on this one, but I think my favorites wound up being some of the goofiest ones — "Vegetables," "Shlock Rod, Pt. 1" and "Shlock Rod, Pt. 2."

107. Fleetwood Mac – Fleetwood Mac
I owned this album but didn't play it nearly as much as Rumours. But I loved the opening tracks on each side, "Monday Morning" and "Say You Love Me." Ironically, ApologetiX has yet to spoof any songs from Rumours, but we've already spoofed two from this one — "Rhiannon" and "Landslide" — so it definitely made an impact. Many people attribute this album's success to the new members, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, but of the three Top 20 hits on it, two were sung by Christine McVie, who had already been part of the band for over five years. In fact, she sang the first of those three hits, "Over My Head," which also was Fleetwood Mac's first U.S. Top 40 hit ever.

108. Comedy is Not Pretty! – Steve Martin
I liked Steve's first two albums so much that I bought this one pretty soon after it came out in 1979. I'd heard "The Cruel Shoes" played on my local radio station, and I couldn't wait to have my own copy. The rest of the album may not be as strong as his first two, but it still has some memorable bits.

109. Greatest Hits Vol. 2 – ABBA
I bought this the first time I ever saw it in the record store in 1979, right after it came out. My friend Jeff Henry had owned Arrival and my friend Dave Rhodes had owned The Album — those two albums supplied eight of the 14 tracks on Greatest Hits Vol. 2 — so it wasn't hard to take a chance on it. As it was with Elton John, I liked both volumes of the greatest hits but preferred Volume 2. My favorites are "Knowing Me, Knowing You," "Summer Night City," "Eagle," and "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" but there were some many great tunes on it.

110. ELO's Greatest Hits - Electric Light Orchestra
I already owned two ELO albums when Greatest Hits came out, but it still contained eight songs I didn't have. Anybody who thinks ELO is wimpy needs to hear "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle." Ironically, they put that song right after "Telephone Line" on this album. Back then, we didn't get to choose our telecommunications carrier, so you had to have Ma Bell if you wanted a telephone line. I don't know if the record company did that on purpose, but they did lead off side one with "Evil Woman" and side two with "Sweet Talkin' Woman."

111. Seventh Sojourn – The Moody Blues
More Moodys from the Columbia House discount section. They called it Seventh Sojourn because it was their seventh album with Justin Hayward and John Lodge (who had taken the band in a different direction after replacing future Wings-man Denny Laine and Clint Warwick), but it was my fourth. The big hits on it were "Isn't Life Strange" and "I'm Just a Singer (in a Rock and Roll Band)." My faves wound up being "You and Me" and "For My Lady." I also liked "Lost in a Lost World," "New Horizons," and "The Land of Make-Believe."

112. The Best of Bill Cosby – Bill Cosby
Now that the world has heard the worst of Bill Cosby, it's tempting not to mention this album, but I can't deny its influence in my life. The routines were clean, and the skits about Noah and Adam got me thinking outside the box in regard to telling Bible stories. It's a shame the comedy will always be tainted by the tragedy of the real-life events that came to light later.

Note: The albums are not listed in order of preference or excellence, but in chronological order of when they influenced me. Also, just because the albums on my list influenced me back then doesn't mean I give them all a blanket endorsement now.

I started actively listening to music in the early 70's and didn't become a born-again Christian until early 1988, so it's going to be a while before we get to the Christian albums, but there will be many of those when the time comes (literally).