Ranking: Songs from Elvis Is Back

  Elvis' first studio album released in 1960 after his stint in the Army.  The original version of this album had 12 tracks.  But such great singles like "It's Now or Never", "Are You Lonesome Tonight", "Fame and Fortune", "Stuck on You" and " A Mess of Blues" were not included on the album.  Although added in the 1990's on the deluxe version. Elvis is Back is one of his greatest albums as it shows his range and depth on a wide variety of songs.  Elvis is in great voice, committed to the material and ready to show the world he hasn't lost any of his talent since leaving the Army.  I'm only ranking the original 12 track album.

1.  Reconsider Baby

2.  Such A Night

3.  Girl of My Best Friend

4.  Fever

5.  Dirty, Dirty Feeling

6.  Thrill of Your Love

7.  Make Me Know It

8.  Like A Baby

9.  It Feels So Right

10. Soldier Boy

11. Girl Next Door Went A'walking

12. I Will Be Home Again

RIP Dave Marsh

  Dave Marsh was one of the first music critics who shaped my listening habits. I first noticed his name when I took out my first subscription to Rolling Stone magazine in the late 70's.  His column, American Grandstand, became a must read.    Then came his first book on Elvis Presley in 1982.  This was the first book on Elvis I read.  After that I purchased the first Rolling Stone record guide, which he edited,  as well as the Book of Rock Lists.  There were other books:  Springsteen, the Who.  

  The best of all was 1989's The Heart of Rock & Soul: 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made.  It was his best book.  I also subscribed to his monthly Rock & Roll Confidential (later Rock & Rap Confidential), from the 80's through the 90's. 

  Marsh was fan of 70's R&B.  That's what made me a long time reader.  Spinners, Stylistics, Teddy Pendergrass.  Philly Soul especially.  His love of this era made him stand out against other critics from that era.  

  Marsh was one of the earliest members on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's nominating committee.   He championed many R&B acts while on the NomCom.  For me, most notably, was getting Joe Tex nominated five times.

 He was also a champion of human rights, civil rights and other progressive causes.  Again, another reason I read him.  

  And I can't forget the weekly show he had on SiriusXM, Kick Out the Jams.  Essential listening.  He hosted other show on SiriusXM too.  

  As with any critic, be it movies, television or whatever, I didn't agree with every opinion by Marsh.  But more often than not he opened my ears to artists and records that I would have never heard. 

  

  Back in 2006 I came up with the idea for a Music Critics Hall of Fame.  But it wasn't until 2019 that I actually published it.  I updated it in 2021 (Music Critics Hall of Fame) The thought was music critics might get into the Rock Hall someday.  That hasn't happened and probably never will.  But it was fun recognizing some of the great music critics of yesterday.  

  Of course Dave Marsh would be a first time inductee into any critics hall of fame.  One of music's first and influential critics.  

Playlist for 8/10

Brook Benton - My Country

Ricky Nelson - Bright Lights & Country Music

George Jones - We Found Heaven Right Here On Earth

Kay Adams - Wheels & Tears 

Dick Curless - Soul of

Bobby Bare - Streets of Baltimore

Ray Price - Another Bridge to Burn

Porter Wagoner - Confessions of A Broken Man

Esther Phillips - Country Side of

Jack Greene - There Goes My Everything

Tom's Top Albums of 1986

Anita Baker - Rapture

Aretha Franklin - Aretha

B52's -Bouncing Off the Satellites

Bangles - Different Light

Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill

Billy Joel - The Bridge

Billy Ocean - Love Zone

Black Flag - Wasted Again

Bob Seger - Like A Rock

Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet

Boston - Third Stage

Bruce Hornsby & the Range - The Way It Is

Bruce Springsteen - Live 75-85

Cameo - Word Up

Crowded House - s/t

Cyndi Lauper - True Colors

Daryl Hall - Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine

David & David - Boomtown

David Lee Roth - Eat 'Em and Smile

Duran Duran - Notorious

Dwight Yoakam - Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc, Etc

El DeBarge - s/t

ELO - Balance of Power

Elvis Costello - Blood and Chocolate

Elvis Costello - King of America

Eurythmics - Revenge

Fabulous Thunderbirds - Tuff Enuff

Feelies - Good Earth

Freddie Jackson - Just Like The First Time

Genesis - Invisible Touch

Georgia Satellites - s/t

George Strait - #7

Huey Lewis & the News - Fore

Husker Du - Candy Apple Grey

Indestructible Beat of Soweto - Various

Jackson Browne - Lives in the Balance

Janet Jackson - Control

Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy

Journey - Raised on Radio

Kool & the Gang - Forever

Lionel Richie - Dancing on the Ceiling

Luther Vandross - Give Me The Reason

Madonna - True Blue

Megadeth - Peace Sells

Metallica - Master of Puppets

Moody Blues - Other Side of Life

Motorhead - Orgasmatron

New Order - Brotherhood

Nu Shooz - Poolside

Pat Metheny/Ornette Coleman - Song X

Patti LaBelle - Winner In You

Paul Simon - Graceland

Pet Shop Boys - Please

Peter Gabriel - So

Phil Alvin - Unsung Stories 

Pretenders - Get Close

Pretty in Pink Soundtrack - Various

Prince - Parade

Public Image Ltd. - Album

Queen - A Kind of Magic

Randy Travis - Storms of Life

Reba McEntire - Whoever's In New England

R.E.M. - Life's Rich Pageant

Robert Cray - Strong Persuader

Rod Stewart - Every Beat of My Heart

Run DMC - Raising Hell

Salt-n-Pepa - Hot, Cool and Vicious

Slayer - Reign in Blood

Smiths - The Queen Is Dead

Sonic Youth - Evol

Sonny Sharrock - Guitar

Steve Earle - Guitar Town

Steve Winwood - Back in the High Life

Talking Heads - True Stories

Teena Marie - Emerald City

Timbuk 3 - Greetings from Timbuk 3

Tina Turner - Break Every Rule

Top Gun Soundtrack - Various

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Live Alive

Wham - Music from the Edge of Heaven

Willie Nelson - Promiseland

XTC - Skylarking

Playlist for 8/1

Shania Twain - Little Miss Twain

Marisa Anderson - Anthology of UnAmerican Folk Music 

Highwomen - Live at the Gorge 2023

Don Williams - Epilogue:The Cellar Tapes

Sara & Maybelle the Original Carters - An Historic Reunion 

Buck Owens - Open Up Your Heart 

Everly Brothers - Two Yanks in England 

Osborne Brothers - Up This Hill and Down 

Poll: July 1967 Songs

  July 1967. I'm 3 years old.  But some of these songs make up my earliest musical memories:  The Doors, Procol Harum, "Groovin'".

popradiogold.com

"Respect", Aretha Franklin : 1
"A Whiter Shade Of Pale", Procol Harum : 2
"Light My Fire", Doors : 3
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough", Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell : 4
"Groovin'", Young Rascals : 5
"Windy", Association : 6
"I Was Made To Love Her", Stevie Wonder : 7
"Somebody To Love", Jefferson Airplane : 8
"Soul Finger", Bar-Kays : 9
"All You Need Is Love", Beatles : 10
"White Rabbit", Jefferson Airplane : 11
"Let's Live For Today", Grass Roots : 12
"Can't Take My Eyes Off You", Frankie Valli : 13
"Little Bit O' Soul", Music Explosion : 14
"Carrie-Anne", Hollies : 15
"Hypnotized", Linda Jones : 16
"Pleasant Valley Sunday", Monkees : 17
"Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)", Janis Ian : 18
"Up-Up And Away", 5th Dimension : 19
"San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)", Scott McKenzie : 20
"Don't Sleep In The Subway", Petula Clark : 21
"Sunday Will Never Be The Same", Spanky & Our Gang : 22
"New York Mining Disaster 1941 (Have You Seen My Wife, Mr. Jones?)", Bee Gees : 23
"A Girl Like You", Young Rascals : 24
"Silence Is Golden", Tremeloes : 25
"Jackson", Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood : 26
"7-Rooms Of Gloom", Four Tops : 27
"The Tracks Of My Tears", Johnny Rivers : 28
"C'mon Marianne", 4 Seasons : 29
"Make Me Yours", Bettye Swan : 30
"Here We Go Again", Ray Charles : 31
"Alfie", Dionne Warwick : 32
"She'd Rather Be With Me", Turtles : 33
"Come On Down To My Boat", Every Mother's Son : 34
"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy", Buckinghams : 35
"There Goes My Everything", Engelbert Humperdinck : 36
"Don't Let The Rain Fall Down On Me", Critters : 37
"I Take It Back", Sandy Posey : 38
"Don't Go Out Into The Rain (You're Going To Melt)", Herman's Hermits : 39
"Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead", Fifth Estate : 40
"My Mammy", Happenings : 41

Ranking: Songs from Randy Travis - Storms of Life

  Released in 1986, Storms of Life was a major release that helped usher in the New Traditionalist movement of the 1980's.   Randy Travis came from the Merle Haggard/Lefty Frizzell world of Country music.  There was very little Pop crossover moments in his music.  He made other strong albums, but none with the impact that his had on Nashville in 1986.  Three number one Country singles came from this album.

1,  On The Other Hand

2.  Diggin' Up Bones

3.  Reasons I Cheat

4.  1982

5.  No Place Like Home

6.  Send My Body

7.  There'll Always Be A Honky Tonk Somewhere

8.  Storms of Life

9.  My Heart Cracked

10.  Messin' With My Mind 

Playlist for 7/16

Earth, Wind & Fire - To Be Celestial (2026 Documentary) 

War and Treaty - Story of Michael & Tanya 

Rolling Stones - Foreign Tongues

Paul McCartney - The Boys of Dungeon Lane

Taj Mahal - Time 

Willie Nile - s/t

Old No. 1 Revisited - Various 

Dr. Hook - Sloppy Seconds

Dr. Hook - Bankrupt

Earth, Wind & Fire (2026 Documentary) 

Cheech & Chong’s Last Movie (2024 Documentary)