February 3rd, 2010

Todays Music

I am sad and decided some melancholy sounds of the Moody Blues fits how I feel. Sad for the world. Sad for someone in my world.

'Seventh Sojourn'
The Moody Blues
Side 1 'Lost in a Lost World' 'For My Lady'
Progressive Rock
The poetry in these songs written over 30 years still hold true today.

"Lost In A Lost World"


I woke today, I was crying
Lost in a lost world
So many people are dying
Lost in a lost world

Some of them are living an illusion
Bounded by the darkness of their minds
In their eyes it's nation, against nation, against nation
With racial pride

Sounds...
Thinking only of themselves
They shun the light
(shun the light)
They think they're right
(think they're right)
Living in their empty shells

Oh, can you see their bodies thrashing
(so many people, so many people)
Crashing down around their feet
Angry people in the street
Telling them they've had their fill
Of politics, people who kill

Grow... the seed of evolution
(so many people, so many people)
Revolution everyone
It's just another form of gun
To do again what they have done
Let all our brothers come and get some
(so many people, so many people)

Everywhere you go you see them searching
Everywhere you turn you feel the pain
Everyone is looking for the answers
Well look again, come on my friend
Love will find us in the end
Come on my friend
(on my friend)
We've got to bend
(got to bend)
Down on our knees and say a prayer

Oh, can you see the world is pining
(so many people, so many people)
Pining for someone who really cares enough to share his love
With all of us so we can be
An ever loving family
Have we forgotten who loves who
(so many people, so many people)
Children from a family tree
That's longer than a centipede
Started long ago when you and I
Where only love....
(so many people, so many people)

I woke today, I was crying
Lost in a lost world
So many people are dying
Lost in a lost world

So many people, so many people
People lost in a lost world
So many people, so many people
People lost in a lost world

February 2nd, 2010

Todays Music

'The Best of John Coltrane
'His Greatest Years, Vol. 2'
Side One 'India'
Jazz
I have had very little exposure to John Coltrane. You can say now, I am a believer. I enjoyed the traditional jazz version of Greensleeves on this side too.


'Harbor'
America
Side Two
Soft Rock
This album was made in Hawaii. Unfortunately it didn't make them any better as they had been on a downward spiral and had hit their peak long before this album was cut. The vocals are shaky and sometimes just downright aweful and the overall 'America' classic sound is just not there. Stay wiith early "America' and you will be pleased.

February 1st, 2010

Todays Music

'Japanese Melodies, Vol III'
Yamanakabushi Rampal
Side 2 & Side 1
Japanese Traditional

'The Best of Bobby Blue Bland'
Side Two 'Turn on Your Love Light'
Soul Blues
Barbara says " Is that Sam Cooke?" I said "No, but it sure sounds just like him,  huh?" I am not sure why Bobby Bland was not as famous but I will do some reading up on that history.

January 31st, 2010

Todays Music

Since I was on a road trip to Joshua Tree National Park, I confess I didn't listen to vinyl LP's but I did bring a great selection of driving music along for the ride. Here is a list of the CD's that I took along for the trip, all are some of my most favorite music I have on digital media and I have not aquired, if available, any of these on vinyl:

'How Long Has This Been Going On'
Van Morrison with Georgie Fame and Friends
Some of Van's best stuff is his less popular music. If you haven't ventured off the beaten path of populist Van Morrison music, check this one out.

'Walter Trout'
Self Titled
Great lesser known blues artist from Europe. Great stuff!

'Smokin' O.P.'s'
Bob Seger
Noticed that apostrophe in 'Smoki'n' is misplaced on the cover art which is made to look like a 'Lucky Strike' cigarette box label. There is no mistaken he smokes the songs he covers on this labum. I can't wait to find it on vinyl! Too many favorite cuts to list just a few.

'The Best of Joe Cocker'

'VH1 Behind the Music-
The Daryl Hall and John Oates Collection'

'One More Car- One More Rider'
Eric Clapton- Live on Tour 2001
The best of Clapton combined with the live versions....you can't beat that!

'Eagles, Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975'

January 30th, 2010

ROAD TRIP 2010 was today! No LP's! No CD's! Just iPods loaded with the latest indie music by five different twenty-something attendees. Sean, Carolyn, Mike, Barbara, and Kathy all supplied me with tunes for the day while I drove the gang around to abandonded places to shoot photos. While I may not remember all of the tunes to list them here and I admitedly don't know most of the bands, I liked just about all of the music with maybe the exception of one song Kathy even had the presence of mind to stop midway! Another one of those outings with stories to tell.
Another time, another blog.

January 29th, 2010

Todays Music

'Gene Norman Presents an Evening With Louis Armstrong
And His All Stars in Cocert at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium'
Side 2 'My Bucket's Got a Hole In it'
Soul Jazz
PRISTENE
The sound on this album is incredible! The albums look unplayed but unfortunately the 12 page photo album and biography was missing from the album jacket.

January 28th, 2010

Todays Music

'The Best of Bread'
Side One 'Everything I Own' 'It Don't Matter To Me'
Soft Rock
All of the songs on Side One were hits in the 70's. Not many albums get every cut played on popular radio and this one has so many memorable classics.

Footnote: Just wondering what the story of behind the bands name. Will Wiki that one soon.

January 27th, 2010

Todays Music

'Phoenix'
Dan Fogelberg
Side One Title song
Folk Rock
Found this in the $1 specials at Pepperland. Not a bad album actually. Led me to think Mr. Fogelberg was good enough that he had to be part of a band but couldn't think which one and when I googled it found that he was always a solo artist but he did produce the likes of REO Speedwagon and Joe Walsh. He died way too young at the age of 56 in 2007 of prostate cancer.

January 26th, 2010

Todays Music

'Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band'
Various Artists
Picks from all 4 sides 'Long And Winding Road' 'Getting Better' 'Get Back'
Rock Opera Sountrack
I forgot how great this album is and the excellent version of 'Get Back' by Billy Preston!

Footnote: I must search out the movie and see it as it has been years!

January 25th, 2010

Spent the better part of the day working on some garden club stuff so I listened to this guitar album I had wanted to hear since I found it last year. It has a watercolor of a barefoot boyt strumming a guitar for a donkey on the cover. Very quaint. Will play it again for Mike and Barbara when I see them this week.

'Segovia-Five Pieces from "Platero and I"'
Andres Segovia
Side One
Guitar Instrumental
Nice soft guitar poems written about a little donkey. Nice easy listening.

January 24th, 2010

No music today
Just football.

January 23rd, 2010

It's just been a crazy week of rain and the sun is finally shining. I must go out and play today.

January 22nd, 2010

Todays Music

'Madman Across the Water'
Elton John
Side  'Tiny Dancer' Title song
Pop Rock
This album has most of my all time favorite EJ songs. The cover art is amazing and was created by hand over a weekend by Helen Walters. It was originally released with a real demin cover. It would be awesome if I had that version, but I have a reprinted version as that cover is very rare. This copy has some great liner notes in the form of a booklet included inside the bi-fold album cover. I collect a lot of my albums for their cover art. Something that is hard to appreciate on todays minimal CD sized releases. I would love to see Barbara start doing album cover art.

'Music'
Carole King
Side Two 'Song of Long Ago' 'Too Much Rain' 'Back To California'
Carole King is one of the BEST song writers of our generation. It would be a a treat to hear the 'Song of Long Ago' duet done by Carole King and James Taylor for those lucky enough to have tickets to the Troubador Tour at the Hollywood Bowl in May.

Interesting fact: This album hit number one on the Billboard Chart in January 1972 just after 'There's a Riot Goin' On' by Sly & the Family Stone Billboard and just before 'American Pie' by Don McLean. That gets me thinking about how to go about procuring my collection. I already have the later but maybe not the former. I say 'maybe' because I am still finding things I forgot I had.

'Honey'
Bobby Goldsboro
Side One 'Honey'
Country Pop
This contains the only BG song ever to make it number one on the Billboard charts, 'Honey'. 

'Dylan Jazz'
The Gene Norman Group
Side One 'Don't Think Twice'
Jazz
This album is traditional jazz adaptions of Bob Dylan classics. Nice easy listening with lots of flute, saxophone and guitar played by a young Glen Campbell before his hit song 'Gentle On My Mind' brought hit to fame and success.

'Benefit'
Jethro Tull
Side One 'With You There To Help Me' 'Inside' 'for Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me'
Progressive Rock
Backwards flute on 'With You There To Help Me'. Much softer sound than songs common to most JT fans like 'Aqualung'.


'The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl'
Side Pne 'Ticket To Ride' 'Things We Said Today'
Rock and Roll
After reading more about 'The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl' LP during a discussion on Facebook with Terry I was ready to check it out. Unbelievably, this was their first ever live LP release. That is more than a decade after they rose to stardom. I would have thought it commonplace to release LIVE LP's at the bands peek and not after their breakup. After listening to just two songs I can't think of why anyone would want to own this album but for provenance. The recording quality is lackluster forcing me to adjust the treble down and the bass up just to reduce the screaming, literally, through the WHOLE album of all the little twitterpatted, fancrazed school girls. Even through 'Things We Said Today'! It is just sickening. Thank God for modern technological advances in recording! I like the Beatles and their music but I can't honestly say they are one of my top ten favorites. I do have vague memories of having the chicken pox and being quaranteened to my room where I listened to 45 records of the Beatles and jumping on the bed to 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' and 'She Loves You' probably around the same time this album was recorded.

I found a great site to keep track of albums in my collection, read info on LP's and search for info. Its at http://www.discogs.com/ . If I can find a way to share my link, I will post my collection. It will take time to log everything I have though.

Footnote: Ray Stevens is listed as one of the arrangers on several songs on the Bobby Goldsboro album showing another of his multi-talents. Would like to find some of his LP's, especially 'Everything is Beautiful'.

January 21st, 2010

I just pulled out some of the most incredible stuff I forgot I had! Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl, Madman Across the Water, some Dizzie Gilespie, and more. It's gonna be a great weekend of music so keep the rain a comin'!

Todays music

'Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head'
B.J.Thomas
Side 1 'Little Green Apples' Title song 'This Guys In Love With You'
Pop Rock
Call me sentimental. You gotta love these songs as they are the kind of standards that are easy to sing to if you are into that...you'll almost always catch me singing in the car...not the shower.

'Pendulum'
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Side 'Have You Ever Seen the Rain'
Country Rock
Great CCR! Is there anything bad?

'Hysteria'
Def Leppard
Side One 'Pour Some Sugar On Me'
Hard Rock
This album is PROOF I will listen to ANYTHING! Thank goodness its finally over. Someone actually laid down $10 for this album. Thats all I have to say about this album except to say a small part of me likes some 80's music even though I view the 80's as a less than stellar decade in music history.  Disagree with me if you will but first please tell me three bands that were a product of the '80's still being played regularly on radio today. Ok, I rest my case.

'Face Dances'
The Who
Side Two 'How Can You Do It Alone'  'Another Trcky Day'
Rock
This is The Who's first full new album with drummer Kenney Jones as a replacement for Keith Moon. Many of the classics we here everyday. I ma pretty excited that they are doing the Superbowl. I just hope its about the music.

'The Romantics'
Side Two 'What I Like About You'
Rock
Ok, I commited  a bit of a 'faux pas' when I dissed 80's music because The Romantics are definately played today so I am sure there are a few others...maybe. This album makes you want to dance for sure! I don't think Lady Gaga is so original now after seeing these guys on the cover all donned in red leather suits.

Let's bring it down a notch...

'Here and Now'
George Shearing
Side One 'Dear Heart'
Musac
Wow! That was down a few too many notches...perpetual elevator music. I can appreciate the strings and xylophone though.

'George Harrison'
Side Two 'If You Beleive'
Rock
My favorite of all of the beatles, I feel under-rated, George Harrison's solo career stuff from the Dark Horse label before his days with The Traveling Wilburys. 'Faster' starts off this side with engines reving at the start of the album.

'Zebop'
Santana
Side One 'Primera Invasion' 'Over and Over' 'Winning'
Latin Rock
This is classic Santana sound with some great upbeat latin sound! I was tempted to listen to both sides but I had to get something done today besides listening to music. I used to be such a music nubian I didn't even know the song 'Winning' was Santana.

'Wild Tales'
Graham Nash
Side II 'Another Sleep Song'
Folk Rock
Its alwasy nice to listen to the artist solos stuff. I found 'Wild Tales', made on hiatus from CSN&y refreshing and clean. I liked the soft tones and Nash' style but can clearly see why the three part harmonies of CS&N was more successful over that of the bands individual solos careers.

'Anthology'
Hary Chapin
Side Two 'Circle' 'I wanna Learn a Love Song'
Folk Rock
He died way before we were done learning from him with his somber ballads of truth. One of my favorite alltime Chapin songs is 'Circle'. The other side of this album is loaded with some of his other hits including 'Cat's in the Craddle'.
I will save some of those teasers I mentioned for another day.

Footnote: Must search out some Funkadelic and Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes when I go to Amoeba Records next week!

January 20th, 2010

Todays music

'Nine Tonight'
Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
Side 4 'Night Moves'
Rock and Roll
One of my favorites...what can I say, I am a cliche' when it comes to good ol' rock and roll. I walk to a different drummer but I still listen to the same stuff you do.

Footnote: Wondering just how many copies of Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band 'Nine Tonight' I actually have. I think I've found three so far.

January 19th, 2010

When you live in Southern California, do lots of gardening and God gives you rain, you do what you can to reap the rewards. I spent the better part of the day setting up rain barrels for the coming rain. I finished installing them just as the first drops were failing so I feel good! My toes are cold though a there is an old western called 'The Big Country' with Charlton Heston, Chuck Conors, Burl Ives, and Gregory Peck on the tellie. It was worth all four hours spent next to the fire and watching the rain outside my window. You gotta love how movies use music to dramtacise certain scenes. There will be music tomorrow for sure!

January 18th, 2010

Its been raining all day and today was a National Holiday, Martin Luther King Day.

John was off work for the day so we went to the movies. Played something I know many of you will laugh at but it has 'our song' on it! That's what this blog is all about, listening to music.

'Reflector'
Pablo Cruise
Side One 'Cool Love'
Pop Rock

January 17th, 2010

Todays music

'Sounds of Silence'

Simon & Garfunkel
Side 2 'I Am a Rock'
Folk Rock

Only got one side in, today is a NFL playoff day!

January 16th, 2010

Todays Music

'Be Yourself Tonight'
Eurythmics
Side 1 'Would I lie To You?' 'Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves'
Pop Rock

'Crimes of Passion'
Pat Benetar
Side B 'Prisoner of Love'
Pop Rock

'Wide Awake in America'
U2
Side One 'Bad'
Side Two 'Love Comes Tumbling'
Alternative Rock
I liked the arrangement on 'Love Comes Tumbling'.
Probably one of U2's lesser known songs and probably therefore under-rated.

'His Hand in Mine' (1976 release)
Elvis Presley
Side A Titlke song 'Milky White Way'
Gospel
Great old school gospel!

'Buddy and Sweets'
Buddy Rich and Sweets Edison
Side A 'Easy Does It' 'All Sweets'
Jazz
Very cool combination of trumpet and drums by two classic artists. Wish they were still here to see them live. That is one ticket I would definately buy!

'Eat A Peach'
Allman Brothers Band
Side Two 'Mountian Jam'
Blues Rock
Awesome double album set with interesting inside cover art. Side Two instrumental jam complete with drum solo...fades out at the end leaving me thinking it could have gone on longer..Mike says 'for even another hour'.

January 15th, 2010

Todays music

...being outdoors on a beautiful Southern California day...
No LP's today. I will make sure to make up for it tomorrow!