The College Crowd Digs Me

"...but then they started playing the whole side  of the Zazu album.  For some reason, that became our trademark whenever the radio played us." ~ John Melnick ~      This is the 50th anniversary of the little-known 1975 " Zazu"  album filled with tasty prog-rock and prog-pop nuggets.  Led by John Melnick , Zazu's self-titled square fries and bakes while still maintaining a slice of pop sensibility.  Add the lightest of lysergic dustings, and it's a fun spin.   Upon its release, radio stations in Chicago, St. Louis, and New York, among other places, began spinning  Zazu  on their after-midnight airfare, and the album became a staple of late-night radio.   Then disaster.  Zazu's debut album had barely started shipping out the door before their record label, Wooden Nickel, suddenly closed up shop.  No forewarning.  No heads up.  Wooden Nickel was gone faster than 'Hey, Hi you.'   And unfortunat...

"Diamantina Cocktail" - Little River Band (1977 )      This was a bit of a nostalgic pick-up.  A good one, however, and a cheap one.  I readily admit I am not a serious Little River Band connoisseur.  I'm mostly just a cherry-picker of their singles. However,  "Diamantina Cocktail"  has staked out a piece of shelf at my abode.  The album strikes an emotional chord for me that continues to satisfy.  My Dad used to play this in his car aplenty, and he especially liked the song  "Days On The Road."    He liked'em all, but that was the one.  That song meant something to him.  I'd ask him about the song, and he'd give the smallest of smiles and shake his head.  The song got to him.  And he kept it close.  And, of course,  the song has since gotten to me.  But all the songs here play nicely together.  The better-known songs with the lesser-known.  And though the American tracklist fo...

"The Farm Band" - The Farm Band (1972 )      The self-titled debut album by The Farm Band is a bit of a rarity.  Probably 1,000 copies, give or take, were pressed.  Originals can sometimes get pricey and are not easy to come by.  I was lucky to find an original back in early July at a garage sale on the east side of College Hill, closest to the VA  Hospital.  Only a few records in a box, and I recognized it right away.  Unfortunately, the seller knew what he had, as well.        There was a $75 price tag on it, and he showed me how shiny and clean the vinyl was.  While talking, we learned that we both had spent some time in West Virginia.  Shady Springs, for him; Peterstown, for me.  It was the kind of coincidence that makes people instant friends.  After we shared a few stories, he decided he could let the square go for $50.  Still, a pony-up for this short-pocket fella, but way more than f...