The only things I really need music wise are: Frank Zappa Incredible compositions, coolest genre combinations, incredibly funny and intelligent, and looooong guitar solos. Listen to: Freak Out, We're only in it for the money, Hot Rats Overnite Sensations, Apostrophe ['] Joe's Garage Bob Dylan The words, the guitar and of course the harmonica. Incredible what happens when he sings. Fantastic in normal albums, and always reinventing his own music live. Listen to: The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, Brining it all back home, Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde on Blonde Blood on the Tracks, Desire, Oh Mercy, Time out of Mind, Modern Times (of course others are good too, but this is essential stuff) Steely Dan/Donald [bleep]en I can listen to this untill eternity. It's so catchy and smooth, simple on first hearing, but when you pay attention it's so incredibly complex. And of course their coolness is never equalled. Listen to: Steely Dan Can't buy a thrill, Countdown to ecstasy, Pretzel Logic, Katy Lied, Aja and ah, who cares, we'll cram Gaucho in as well. I'm not know with their latest work. Donald [bleep]en: The Nightfly, Morph the Cat. Ry Cooder Fantastic guitar player and composer. Always working on new material. Browsing trough older and now less popular types of music and re-introducing them. An incredibly important person for modern day music. Listen to: Into the Purple Valley, Paradise and Lunch, Jazz, ChÃÆÃâÃâávez Ravine, My name is Buddy and the soundtrack for the movie Paris, Texas It's funny how two years ago I mainly listened to English pop/rock music from the 60s and 70s. While all the musicians mentioned now are all American. I just don't care much for the Beatles, or the Stones anymore. Got bored of it, I guess. I'll guess it'll be more balanced in another two years or so.