Part Five as I pick two songs from every year of my life based on the songs that were important to me at the time or have had a lasting impact on the me. The ground rules are in the first entry. Here are entries one, two, three and four.

1978
“By This River” - Brian Eno
Loved this song from the moment I heard it in college. Flash forward more than 20 years. Cannes Film Festival, back when Variety had a stand next to the main theater. Music playing during arrivals of stars was louder than usual, so loud that it made talking on the phone difficult. “By This River” starts to play amidst the usual random collection of hit songs. Bewildered and awestruck, I raced outside to soak up the tune. The sky had turned an odd shade of gray with streaks of blue but no sense of rain, as if some art director had taken over earth’s controls and this was the chosen soundtrack for those three minutes. Never seen a sky like that since.

“She's the One” – the Ramones
It's the holiday shopping season in 1979. I'm working in a stereo and TV store in East Brunswick, N.J. where only one other employee is a punk rock enthusiast. We are mocked. I help a guy to his car with his new Sony TV and inside his Mercedes he has raised speakers in the back with stickers of the cover of the first Ramones album on them. “Ramones,” I say, thinking these stickers are more out of place than a Dead sticker on a Cadillac. “You a fan? They're my favorite.” He tells me he's their producer and we chit chat, informing me Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Tommy are working with Phil Spector, which was the epitome of cool and news I had not heard. He has no cash and asks for  my address so he can send me a tip. I say “how about an autographed copy of 'Road to Ruin'?” He takes the address and I figure I'll never see him again. Dec. 23, the mailman knocks on the door with my signed copy of “Road to Ruin.” Ed Stasium became my hero that day.

1979
“Pocahontas” - Neil Young
“Rust Never Sleeps” tour. Philadelphia. Fist time I am seeing Neil Young. He plays one song after an other that no one has ever heard. They are all great but the one about the guys with the rifles and the river and the other one about Marlon Brando stand out. Big time. Album comes out and I memorize it. Years later, at the sessions that would become “Unplugged,” he hits two notes and I naturally erupt in applause; listen closely and you can hear a few people respond before the masses. One of them is me.

“Accidents Will Happen” - Elvis Costello
Second time seeing Elvis Costello, he enters and with just piano accompanying him sings, what I believe is “Exodus will Happen.” A few weeks later, see him again and he repeats it. I'm still convinced the song has something to do with people following in the footsteps of Moses. “Armed Forces” comes out and he has made a pretty cool rock song out of “Exodus,” oops, “Accidents,” but then we play the bonus 45 and get to hear the version the way he played it. As far I could tell, it was the first Costello song that wasn't all brilliantly expressed anger.

1980
“I'm Not Down” - The Clash
The greatest band ever, or at least my favorite. “London Calling” was released in November 1979 in the UK and early 1980 in the U.S. British press declared it the best album of the ‘70s; American press declared it the best album of the ‘80s. That’s an achievement. Met every member of the band after the break-up and of course the coolest of the lot was Joe Strummer.

“Teacher Teacher” - Rockpile
Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe used the same band for three or four albums but there was only one official Rockpile release. They opened for Van Morrison on one of Van's weaker tours; they were the embodiment of great rock 'n' roll.

1981
“Tempted” - Squeeze
One of the best pop songs ever. Written Sung by Paul Carrack, who also penned “How Long” when he was in Ace, a band that played the ballroom next to where my  high school prom was held. I snuck over to hear them play “How Long.” Years later, I go see Squeeze and they play “How Long.” Nick Lowe had Paul in his band for a while, and they did “How Long” and “Tempted.” Fortunately, I never saw Mike and the Mechanics.

“Because” - David Grisman
A friend called me one Saturday afternoon when I was in high school to tell me we had to go see the most amazing band at McCabe's, the David Grisman Quartet. We went and I was blown away. As much as Grisman tapped into the world of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, both of whom I idolized, he was playing music that didn't seem to exist anywhere except for wherever he was playing. I became a foot soldier in the DGQ army that day.

1982
“Senses Working Overtime” - XTC
“Town Called Malice” - The Jam

I have no affection for most so-called new wave and British pop of the early ‘80s; most of my immediate post-college years were spent acquiring old jazz, blues and rock records. There were exceptions, especially when it came to music from bands I admired in the '70s. XTC had me snagged with “Drums & Wires” and I would often argue that they were superior to Squeeze. The Jam was always inferior to the Clash in my eyes, but “Town Called Malice” is one of my favorite records ever.

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