Playlist for 10/11

Miranda Lambert - Postcards from Texas

Mickey Guyton - House on Fire

Shemekia Copeland - Blame It On Eve

George Strait - Cowboys & Dreamers

Garth Brooks - Time Traveler

Steve Cropper - Friendlytown

Cactus Blossoms - Every Time I Think About You 

Tom's Favorite Albums of 2004

A.C. Newman - Slow Wonder

Alan Jackson - What I Do

Arcade Fire - Funeral

Badly Drawn Boy - Hour of Bewilderbeast

Beastie Boys - To the 5 Boroughs

Big & Rich - Horse of A Different Color

Billy Bragg & Wilco - Mermaid Avenue Vol. 2

Brian Wilson - Smile

Common - Like Water for Chocolate

D'Angelo - Voodoo

Destiny's Child - Destiny Fulfilled

Drive-By Truckers - Dirty South

Erykah Badu - Mama's Gun

Franz Ferdinand - s/t

Grandaddy - Sophtware Slump

Green Day - American Idiot

Gretchen Wilson - Here for the Party

Hold Steady - Almost Killed Me

Iron & Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days

Jill Scott - Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2

John Legend - Get Lifted

Joni Mitchell - Both Sides Now

Joss Stone - Mind Body & Soul

Kanye West - College Dropout

Kasey Chambers - Wayward Angel

Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway

Killers - Hot Fuss

Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak

Leonard Cohen - Dear Heather

Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose

Madonna - Music

Madvillain - Madvillainy

Merle Haggard - If I Could Only Fly

Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News

Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten

Nellie McKay - Get Away From Me

Norah Jones - Feels Like Home

Outkast - Stankonia

Pink - Can't Take Me Home

PJ Harvey - Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea

Prince - Musicology

Randy Travis - Passing Trhough

Ray Charles - Genius Loves Company 

Rilo Kiley - More Adventurous 

Scissor Sisters - s/t

Shelby Lynne - I Am Shelby Lynne

Steely Dan - Two Against Nature

Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free

Sugarland - Twice the Speed of Life

Tim McGraw - Live Like You Were Dying

Usher - Confessions

Van Hunt - s/t

Wilco - A Ghost Is Born

Playlist for 10/2

RIP Kris Kristofferson

  To a certain generation Kris Kristofferson was an actor first, singer second. Such was his ubiquitous presence on screen.  Kristofferson had some memorable roles, most just shy of award season recognition. 

  So his death at age 88 should refocus his legacy on his music.  For a time in the early 70's he was the best songwriter Nashville had produced in years.  His greatest songs changed the way Country writers would eventually write their songs.  Where did this come from?  Perhaps it was his time in the Military or just the desire to see things differently, directly. The brutal honesty of "Sunday Morning Coming Down" might be his greatest song.  But that would leave out songs about relationships on their last legs: "For The Good Times", "Help Me Make It Through The Night".  All of these songs and more made Kristofferson more of a Rock star, aligned with the Outlaw movement, than anything. 

  Once he went "Hollywood" his writing suffered even though he still made music. He also became a standard bearer for a new generation of writers. And let's not forget his left-leaning political leanings, which led to him sticking up for Sinead O'Connor when few would. But despite becoming a presence more in front of the camera, Kristofferson never stopped performing.  Always chasing his muse.  By the time of his last performances he had nothing left to prove.  A game changer whose songs will continue to be discovered. I'm so glad he never let the bastards get him down.

Playlist for 9/25

Gillian Welch & David Rowlings - Woodland

Joe Elt - Driven To Drive

Lainey Wilson - Whirlwind

Sabrina Carpenter - Short n' Sweet

Leon Bridges - Laredo

Poll: August 1962 Songs

  August 1962.  Beatlemania is still a year and a half away from hitting the U.S.  This chart gives no indication of the forthcoming British Invasion.  

  For this latest poll 42 songs were picked to vote on. Here are my rankings.  Listen to this countdown at popgoldradio.com

"Bring It On Home To Me", Sam Cooke : 1
"Breaking Up Is Hard To Do", Neil Sedaka : 2
"The Loco-Motion", Little Eva : 3
"She's Not You", Elvis Presley : 4
"Let's Dance", Chris Montez : 5
"Sherry", 4 Seasons : 6
"You'll Lose A Good Thing", Barbara Lynn : 7
"I Can't Stop Loving You", Ray Charles : 8
"Sealed With A Kiss", Brian Hyland : 9
"Twist And Shout", Isley Brothers : 10
"Party Lights", Claudine Clark : 11
"Having A Party", Sam Cooke : 12
"Beechwood 4-5789", Marvelettes : 13
"You Beat Me To The Punch", Mary Wells : 14
"Devil Woman", Marty Robbins : 15
"Sheila", Tommy Roe : 16
"Wolverton Mountain", Claude King : 17
"I Need Your Loving (Every Day)", Don Gardner & Dee Dee Ford : 18
"Johnny Get Angry", Joanie Sommers : 19
"Roses Are Red (My Love)", Bobby Vinton : 20
"The Wah-Watusi", Orlons : 21
"You Don't Know Me", Ray Charles : 22
"Ramblin' Rose", Nat "King" Cole : 23
"Teen Age Idol", Rick Nelson : 24
"Stop The Wedding", Etta James : 25
"Heart In Hand", Brenda Lee : 26
"What Kind Of Love Is This", Joey Dee & the Starliters : 27
"Vacation", Connie Francis : 28
"Little Diane", Dion : 29
"(Thinkin' Of) Things (Like A Walk In The Park..)", Bobby Darin : 30
"The Stripper", David Rose & His Orchestra : 31
"Call Me Mr. In-Between", Burl Ives : 32
"What's A Matter Baby (Is It Hurting You)", Timi Yuro : 33
"I Love You The Way You Are", Bobby Vinton : 34
"(Last Night I Had) A Wonderful Dream", Majors : 35
"(Girls, Girls, Girls) Made To Love", Eddie Hodges : 36
"Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes)", Dee Dee Sharp : 37
"Dancin' Party", Chubby Checker : 38
"Ahab, The Arab", Ray Stevens : 39
"Rinky Dink (instrumental)", Dave "Baby" Cortez : 40
"Speedy Gonzales", Pat Boone : 41
"Theme From Dr. Kildare (Three Stars Will Shine Tonight)", Richard Chamberlain : 42

Poll: Best Albums & Singles of 1974

Here's a 50th anniversary poll I took part in: my Top 20 albums & top 10 singles of 1974.  Had to leave a lot off, but these are pretty solid lists. 

Albums

Joni Mitchell - Court & Spark (25)

Linda Ronstadt - Heart Like A Wheel (20)

Gram Parsons - Grievous Angel (20)

Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic (20)

Raspberries - Starting Over (15)

Willie Nelson - Phases & Stages (15)

Brian Eno - Here Come The Warm Jets (10)

Richard & Linda Thompson - I Want To See The Bright Lights Shine Tonight (10)

Average White Band - AWB (10)

Big Star - Radio City (10)

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping (10)

Barry White - Can't Get Enough (5)

Bad Company - s/t (5)

Dolly Parton - Jolene (5)

Jackson Browne - Late For The Sky (5)

Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness' First Finale  (5)

Roxy Music - Country Life (5)

Millie Jackson - Caught Up (5)

ELO - Eldorado (5)

Ohio Players - Fire (5)

Singles

Dolly Parton - Jolene

Dionne Warwick/Spinners - Then Came You

George Jones - Grand Tour

BTO - You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet

George McCrae - Rock Your Baby

Blue Magic - Sideshow

Billy Swan - I Can Help

Spinners - Mighty Love

Shirley Brown - Woman to Woman

Stylistics - You Make Me Feel Brand New