Friday, February 03, 2023
Wednesday, February 01, 2023
Playlist for 2/1
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Playlist for 1/24
Friday, January 20, 2023
My Appearance on Rock In Retrospect Podcast
RIP David Crosby
The first time I really paid attention to David Crosby's voice, sometime in the early 70's, I was surprised by how tender, fragile and yes, angelic it was. Crosby may have been one of the ultimate hippie counter-culture musicians of his era. Certainly one of the most unforgettable characters in Rock history.
His greatest moments are peppered throughout some remarkable records with the Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash (sometimes Young). Not to mention his duo albums with Nash. Then there's his solo career which got off to an amazing start with 1971's of its time masterwork, If I Could Only Remember My Name. Some critics hated its managed to grow in praise over the decades. "Music Is Love", "Laughing" and "What Are Their Names" endure. Oddly enough Crosby wouldn't release another solo album until 1989.
With the Byrds, Crosby's harmonies were often a highlight. And he wrote or co-wrote some of their most interesting pieces like "Lady Friend", "Everybody's Been Burned", "Renaissance Fair" and the masterpiece "Eight Miles High". Leaving the Byrds his hookup with Stills & Nash resulted in even more classics like "Long Time Gone", "Guinnevere", "Wooden Ships", "Almost Cut My Hair" and "Deja Vu". And on his duet albums with Nash, "Carry Me". But as the years rolled on Crosby's drug problems hindered his creativity. Remarkably, he managed to make some of his best music in the last few years of his life. Sky Trails and For Free, his last released in his lifetime are very strong, showing that Crosby's voice has maintained its immediacy.
Crosby reached a new generation of readers and listeners with his presence on Twitter. Often playing the part of the great curmudgeon he really was, his opinions bounced off any topic that he or his followers could think of. For more of that check out his excellent 2019 documentary, Remember My Name.
A two-time Rock Hall inductee with the Byrds and CSN, plus a Songwriters Hall inductee with S&N, Crosby will always be linked with the 60's and early 70's Classic Rock era. His best music from that era still ringing out from Laurel Canyon.
Thursday, January 19, 2023
2023 Rock Hall Nominee Predictions
Wednesday, January 18, 2023
Missing From the Songwriters Hall of Fame (2023 Inductees Updated)
B.B. King
Bert Berns
Billy Joe Shaver
Bo Diddley
Bob McDill
Bobby Womack
Bonnie Raitt
Boz Scaggs
Bryan Adams
Bryan Ferry
Carl Perkins
Chrissie Hynde
Chuck Willis
Curly Putnam
Dallas Frazier
Dan Fogelberg
Dan Penn
David Gates
Dean Dillon
Dean Pitchford/Michael Gore
Debbie Harry/Chris Stein
Dion DiMucci
Donna Summer/Giorgio Moroder/Pete Bellotte
Doors
Dwight Yoakam
George Harrison
George Michael
Guy Clark
Harry Nilsson
Harry Wayne Casey
J.J. Cale
Janet Jackson
Jerry Chesnut
Jerry Fuller
Jimi Hendrix
Jimmy Cliff
Joe South
John Hiatt
John D. Loudermilk
Kate Bush
Kenny Loggins
Led Zeppelin
Lefty Frizzell
Lindsey Buckingham/Stevie Nicks/Christine McVie
Lucinda Williams
Luther Vandross
Madonna
Mark Knopfler
Mary J. Blige
Max D. Barnes
Mike Chapman/Nicky Chinn
Mike Love
Morrissey/Johnny Marr
Muddy Waters
Neil Young
Nick Lowe
Outkast
Pam Sawyer
Paul Overstreet
Percy Mayfield
Pete Townshend
Peter Gabriel
P.F. Sloan & Steve Barri
Phil Ochs
Prince
Randy Goodrum
R.E.M.
Ric Ocasek
Richard Thompson
Robbie Robertson
Robert "Mutt" Lange
Rod Stewart
Rod Temperton
Rodney Crowell
Roger Miller
Roger Waters/David Gilmour
Rosanne Cash
Rudy Toombs
Sandy Linzer/Denny Randell
Shel Silverstein
Sheryl Crow
Sly Stone
Sonny Throckmorton
Spooner Oldham
Steve Earle
Steve Perry/Neal Schon/Jonathan Cain
Steve Winwood
Talking Heads
Tim Hardin
Tom Waits
Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart
Tony Macaulay
Tony Joe White
Townes Van Zandt
Tracy Chapman
U2
Vince Gill
Walter Becker/Donald Fagen
Warren Zevon
Waylon Jennings
Whitey Shafer
William Bell
Labels: Song Hall, SongHall, Songwriters Hall of Fame
Monday, January 16, 2023
Music Years Of My LIfe: 1964-69
Also known as the early years. What was the first song you remember hearing? Doing these posts on my music life had me going way back to my childhood for the answer. My conclusion is that the first songs that I heard had to have come from sister's bedroom. It was there that the radio and turntable were playing the latest hits.
And I'm convinced that the first sounds I heard were from the Beatles. My sister had the 1966 album, Yesterday and Today, which was a collection of songs from the '65/'66. The song that stuck with me was "We Can Work It Out", which topped the charts in early '66. Is is the first? Maybe. But it's possible that I heard that album in 1967. "Hello Goodbye" is another Beatles contender. Released in late '67 and getting lots of airplay through early '68. But there was another song released earlier and discussed below.
Here's the story. I was born in 1964. But I can still recall hearing certain records even at the age of 2 or 3. My sister had a small collection of singles and very little albums. But AM Top 40? Always on. Most of the records I remember are from '67-'69. Her 45 of "Daydream Believer" ('67) was played a lot.
Other songs from that time frame that I never forgot:
"These Eyes" - Guess Who ('69)
"Good Morning Starshine" - Oliver ('69)
"Love Is Blue" - Paul Mauriat ('68)
"Like To Get To Know You" - Spanky and Our Gang ('68)
"People Got To Be Free" - Rascals ('69)
"In The Ghetto" - Elvis Presley ('69)
"Whiter Shade Of Pale" - Procol Harum ('67)
There are others, but none would qualify as first heard.
But here's the surprise. Is it possible to remember something when you're a year old. The Beatles' "Eight Days A Week" always held a special place in their pantheon for me. And I think the reason is pretty obvious. Released in early '65, it has to be the song I heard first. I'll never know for sure, and it's not something one discusses with their parents, but if it's a Beatles song that lodged into my brain first, and set me on my way to being the music nut I am today, then so be it. Could have been something worse.