Playlist for 2/26

Lucinda Williams - Ghosts of Highway 20
King - We Are King
Jon Savage's 1966 - Various
Weather Report - Legendary Live Tapes 78-81

Playlist for 2/21

Harmonica Frank Floyd - Great Original Recordings 51-58
Aubrie Sellers - New City Blues
Bruce Springsteen - Live In Chicago 1/16
Long Ryders - Native Sons/State Of Our Union/Two Fisted Tales

Playlist for 2/18

Brothers Osborne - Pawn Shop
Savages - Adore
Glenn Frey - No Fun Aloud/Allnighter/Soul Searchin'/Strange Weather/After Hours
Tedeschi Trucks Band - Let Me Get By
Amy (Documentary)
Drunked Stoned Brilliant Dead - Story of National Lampoon  (Documentary)

Playlist for 2/13

Paul Carrack - Soul Shadows
Dylan LeBlanc - Cautionary Tale
David Bowie - Pin Ups
Elton John - Wonderful Crazy Night
Junior Wells - Southside Blues Jam
R&B Book - Big Al Pavlow   (Book)

Playlist for 2/8

Lee Michaels - Best of
Free- Highway
Jackson C. Frank  - s/t
Rudresh Mahanthappa - Bird Calls
Jorge Ben - Ben
4th Coming - Strange Things
Bikini Kill - Singles

My Dad 8 Years Later ( + His Record Collection)

My Dad played a big part in my own eclectic tastes in music. So, here's a Father's Day gift in his memory.  Below is a list, as I remember it, of his vinyl collection.  I heard these records many times. Lots of Country and Pop vocalists.  I may be missing a few titles.  Most are from the early 70's.  I've got some of these in my own collection, but many of these are out of print and have never been released on CD or digitally (as of February 2016).

Elvis Presley - Elvis (1973)
Elvis Presley - Aloha From Hawaii
Elvis Presley - Raised On Rock
Elvis Presley - Legendary Performer Vol. 2
Jerry Lee Lewis - Sometimes A Memory Ain't Enough
Chuck Berry - San Francisco Dues
Neil Diamond - Tap Root Manuscript
Engelbert Humperdinck - After The Lovin'
Tom Jones - Body and Soul of
Tom Jones - Greatest Hits (bought at concert my parents attended)
Johnny Mathis - I'm Coming Home
Tommy Overstreet - Heaven Is My Woman's Love
Merle Haggard - His 30th Album
Merle Haggard - Okie From Muskogee
Merle Haggard - If We Make It Through December
Johnny Cash - Ragged Old Flag
Charley Pride - 10th Album
Charley Pride - Sings Heart Songs
Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn - Louisiana Woman/Mississippi Man
Loretta Lynn - Entertainer of the Year
Johnny Rodriguez - All I Ever Meant To Do Was Sing
George Jones & Tammy Wynette - Let's Build A World Together
Charlie Rich - Very Special Love Songs
Charlie Rich - Tomorrow Night
Tom T. Hall - In Search Of A Song
Kris Kristofferson & Rita Coolidge - Full Moon
John Denver - Rocky Mountain High
Jim Ed Brown - Morning
Don Gibson - Snap Your Fingers
Hank Williams Jr. - After You/Pride's Not Hard To Swallow
Jerry Reed - Lord Mr. Ford
Shirley Bassey - Never, Never, Never
Fifth Dimension -Age of Aquarius

(8 tracks)
Rod McKuen - New Ballads
San Sebastian Strings - The Sea
Elvis Presley - Love Letters From
Bobbie Gentry & Glen Campbell  - s/t

Maurice White R.I.P. (+ Top 20 EWF Songs)

Maurice White's goal when forming Earth, Wind & Fire in 1969 was to elicit positive energy through music. I'd say he achieved everything he wanted.  Some of EWF's songs conveyed positive messages, but funky enough to get up and dance.  At their peak in the late 70's, EWF were one of the best bands on the planet.  Go and check out videos of their shows from that period.

White co-wrote most of the band's hits, and traded vocals with Philip Bailey on many of those. Along with a dynamic rhythm section, the songs had a shimmery glow about them.  And the hits sounded great on the radio.  Before he formed EWF, White was no stranger to the studio, having been a session drummer at Chess Records.

EWF were inducted into the Rock Hall in 2000, the Songwriters Hall in 2010 and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award this year. By the mid-90's White had stopped touring with the band.

Below are my 18 favorite EWF songs, 1 Maurice White R&B hit (his only solo album from 1985) and their 1975 #20 R&B charting collaboration with Ramsey Lewis.

1.  Shining Star
2.  Sing A Song
3.  Serpentine Fire
4.  Can't Hide Love
5.  Reasons
6.  Fantasy
7.  September
8.  Got To Get You Into My Life
9.  That's The Way Of The World
10. Let's Groove
11. Mighty Mighty
12. Getaway
13. After The Love Is Gone
14. Devotion  (live Gratitude LP)
15. Boogie Wonderland
16. Saturday Nite
17. System of Survival
18. Love's Holiday
19. I Need You (solo)
20. Sun Goddess (Ramsey Lewis and EWF)

Bonus: "Best Of My Love" - Emotions
Co-Produced and Co-Written by Maurice.  Went to #1 Pop in 1977.

As for their albums, all their releases from 74-79 are great or pretty great.
Pressed to name the essential ones I'd say you need to hear the partly live Gratitude (75), That's The Way of the World (75),  All 'N All (77), I Am (79) and their last solid album, 1981's Raise.

email:  tmlane12@gmail.com

Playllsit for 2/1

Roger Miller - Early Years 57-62  (Jasmine)
J.D. Souther - John David Souther/Black Rose/You're Only Lonely/Home By Dawn
David Bowie - Blackstar