The College Crowd Digs Me

(a short jaunt) "Dark Star" - Crosby, Stills & Nash / "CSN" (1977) "Forgive me if my fantasies might seem a little shopworn. I'm sure you've heard it all before.  I wonder what's the right form." I love the build-up to the dance.  Tiptoe congas and snares.  Cock-strutting guitar.  Shoulder-tapping drums.  All leading up to  Stephen Stills  cutting to the chase.  We know each other all too well.  And with his partners,   Graham Nash and David Crosby , they knock it outta the park.  As much as I like  "Shadow Captain,"  this one should've been the opening track.  And I would've voted for an extended intro.  This was CSN's 2nd studio effort in this teamwork combination...and the one I play most often. (OWN) "Bang, Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" - Terry Reid / "Bang, Bang You're Terry Reid" (1968) "You grew up, and I left town. I would always call you mine. You would always laugh and say,  ...

(a short jaunt) "The Nazz Are Blue" - The Yardbirds / "Roger The Engineer" (1966) "I got a hundred and fifty things, now all I gotta find is you. And if the Nazz don't help me, baby you better forget about me too." I get it.  This is just a basic blues rock jam.  But  Jeff Beck makes it sound popping dough fresh right out of the oven.  I have no idea if Beck is the one singing, but if so...he gott'er done.  The UK album, "Roger The Engineer" ...was released as "Over Under Sideways Down" in the States.  Minus a couple of songs.  This one for sure.  Good Lord, why?!  This was their third US album. (NEED) "Liverpool 8" - Ringo Starr / "Liverpool 8" (2008) "Liverpool, I left you, said goodbye to Madryn Street. I always followed my heart, and I never missed a beat. Destiny was calling, I just couldn't stick around. Liverpool, I left you, but I never let you down." At a certain age, a sweet, simpl...

(a short jaunt) "Rudy" - Supertramp / "Crime Of The Century" (1974) "Rudy's on a train to nowhere, halfway down the line. He don't want to get there, but he needs time." A proggier pop flavor than some and with a whole Yahtzee of ideas tossed into the cup and ready to be rattled.  But there are no second-guessings with this roll.  You just relax, because the band is all in.  And once you get your head and ears in the right place...and all systems are a go...it's an out-and-out chest rush.  The first time I heard "Rudy" the song made very little if any, impression.  But...the first time I actually listened to the song, it punched my ticket like a conductor in a hurry for me to find my seat.  And that's exactly what it took.  It took actual active listening for me to get my ticket punched.  Active listening made all the difference.  Just put your hands on the wheel and count the headlights on the highway.  And sorry, but this on...

(a short jaunt) "(Do The) Instant Mash)" - Joe Jackson / "Look Sharp" (1979) "It's so easy.  It's so easy. Grab can, lift arm, stack can, turn around. It's so easy.  It's so easy. Do the instant mash." Man, but did  Joe Jackson have himself a band!  Step away from the vibe, people, and no one gets hurt.  Otherwise, this will groove your move.  Go on now.  "Make some instant cash."  This was JJ's debut album and one of my favorites from this year. (OWN) "Midnight Rider" - Gregg Allman / "Laid Back" (1973) "Well, I've got to run to keep from hidin' And I'm bound to keep on ridin' And I've got one more silver dollar But I'm not gonna let 'em catch me." This sultry groove thing is a timeless killer.  One of my all-time favorite songs.  And definitely my favorite version.  The album is really good as well.  I remember finding a near-mint copy in the dollar bin and I pic...

(a short jaunt) "Hey Fredrick" - Jefferson Airplane / 'Volunteers" (1969) "Either go away or go all the way in. Look at what you hold." Grace Slick makes her demands known right from the start of this musical epistle which gradually builds up into a guitar jam of acid fuel proportions.  It was at about this time my head slipped into autopilot mode.  The sounds of JA have an almost Pavlovian effect that still causes my head to travel light.  This was the band's fifth album and the last with founder Marty Balin and drummer Spencer Dryden . (OWN) "Angel In Blue" - J. Geils Band / "Freeze Frame" (1981) " And the bees they had stung her. The birds they had flown. There were guys she could number but none had she known ." This doesn't sound like any J. Geils I'd ever heard.  But dang if the band's sincerity isn't dripping out of the speakers in spades.  No smokescreens here, folks.  And I'll take catchy s...

(a short jaunt) "Ghost Blues" - Rory Gallagher / "Fresh Evidence" (1990) "Came home this morning, looking halfway like a ghost." Funny how we gravitate to certain blues guys.  We love this one, not so much that one.  I don't know nothing much about the blues.  I don't actively seek the stuff out.  I just know what I like.  I like  Rory's joy and who he surrounds himself with.  And  Rory , like Johnny and Howlin' and Taj...they all make the feel...real.  Sure, there is a bit of cult of personality goin' on, but for whatever reason, I'm right there with'em.  This was Rory Gallagher's eleventh and last studio album.  He was only 47 when his health problems finally caught up with him. (NEED) "Seven Seas Of Rhye" - Queen / "Queen II" (1974) "I command your very souls, you unbelievers. Bring before me what is mine at the seven seas of Rhye." This is my 2nd favorite Queen album.  For many reasons I...

 (a short jaunt) "When The World Is Running Down, You Make..." - The Police / "Zenyatta Mondatta (1980) Turn on my V.C.R.  Same one I've had for years. James Brown on the T.A.M.I. show.   Same tape I've had for years. I sit in my old car.  Same one I've had for years. Old battery's running down.   It ran for years and years. I never quite picked up on the lyrics.  It was always the new wave groove that killed.   Almost trance.  Copeland snappin' and poppin' the skins.  Summers and Sting workin' it out.  This was a great band.  And this is just a great song to take for a drive.  Or use for the drive-away ending scene in "Good Will Hunting."  This was the trio's third album. (OWN) "Soul Sacrifice" - Santana / "Santana" (1969) (Instrumental) Back-to-back groove jams.  I fell in love with this song after watching "Woodstock."   I had never heard the studio version til now.  It was an amazing jam...

(a short jaunt) "T.B. Sheets" - Van Morrison / "Blowin' Your Mind" (1967) "Now listen, Julie baby. It ain't natural for you to cry in the midnight. It ain't natural for you to cry when the midnight comes into the wee small hours...long 'fore the break of dawn." The repetitive groove about death digging its claws into the door hits pretty deep.  Tuberculosis is the reaper this time.  "I can almost smell your TB sheets on your sick bed."   And Van begging off his apologies is chillingly honest.  And heavy.  Almost accidental trance music.  (And that's Morrison you hear blowing the mean harp...as well as the mind.)  The song is raw, real, and rude.  Like Sufjan Stevens doing a bad Don Rickles impression.  "Gotta go, baby gotta go!"   This was Van the Man's debut album. (OWN) "Take A Friend" - Rush / "Rush" (1974) "Take yourself a friend. Keep 'em till the end. Whether woman or man i...

(a short jaunt) "Feelin' Blue" - CCR / "Willy and the Poor Boys" (1969) "Hey, look over yonder behind the wall, They're closin' in, I'm about to fall. Now I'm no coward, but I ain't no fool Feel it in my bones, my book is due." Man, but does this beat ever swing.  They may be feeling blue, so why does this make me feel so happy?  I don't remember ever hearing this one before. Nothing special about this song, but it scratches all the itches.  When it comes to CCR , the music seldom lets you down.  The band released three studio albums in 1969.  Three!  Let that sink in a moment.  And this one was released just three months after "Green River" hit the shelves.  Holy shitola, these guys were on fire! (NEED)   "Hard Times in America" - Willie Nile / "Live From The Streets Of New York" (2008) "They say it's getting better. We're closing the gap. You know as well as I do That's just a...

(a short jaunt) "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" - Warren Zevon / "Warren Zevon" (1976) "Well, I met a girl at the Rainbow bar She asked me if I'd beat her. She took me back to the Hyatt House... (I don't want to talk about it.)" Warren Zevon painted pictures that were darker than most and catchier than many.  And through all his tongue-in-cheek frolics and strolls, I don't doubt there was many a truth peeking their excitable head around the rocks and trees.  Warren wrote songs that were dead on the mark and straight off the grid.  Killer stuff.  And man but did Linda Ronstadt feast hearty on a few of the Z-man's compositions.  Change the pronouns and off she'd run.  Here's one of his songs straight from the horse's mouth.  And that's Lindsey Buckingham adding some backup vocals.  This was Warren Zevon's second album. (OWN) "The Wheel" - Jerry Garcia / "Garcia" (1972) "The wheel is turning and you ca...

(a short jaunt) "Eli's Coming" - Laura Nyro / "Eli and the Thirteenth Confession" (1968) "Eli's comin', better walk, walk. But you'll never get away.   No, you'll never get away from the burnin' a-heartache. I walked to Apollo by the bay Everywhere I go." Hearing the original version of "Eli's Coming" for the first time after all these years is head-shaking.  Singer-songwriter Laura Nyro penned the song, giving it her own personal ride and she makes it feel a little more desperate and ominous.  I have to admit it though, I've never heard a song covered and bettered with a more blistering urgency than Three Dog Night's version.  My favorite from those TDN guys for sure.  Hell, I wanna listen to it right now.  But hearing this song coming from the original source...I think I now have a better appreciation of Laura Nyro's songwriting heart.  For whatever reason, Laura Nyro's name or music doesn't...

(a short jaunt) "1921" - The Who / "Tommy" (1969) "I had no reason to be over-optimistic But somehow, when you smiled I could brave bad weather." How very strange to hear this deep track apart from the rest of the album.  Like finding a lost puppy separated from its family.  This is a delightful fresh-ears experience.  A really clever song...and with fantastic harmonies.  Pete has a damn fine voice, as well.  The Who's fourth studio album. (OWN) "Seminole Wind" - John Anderson / "Seminole Wind" (1992) "Progress came and took its toll And in the name of flood control They made their plans and they drained the land Now the Glades are goin' dry" I'm a big fan of John Anderson . Love his voice.  Love the way he never drifts too far away from the cornbread.  Cool and effortless.  And he takes it to the house on this one.  It reminds me of the time I once heard someone take the gentle fade-out from this John Anderson...

(a short jaunt) "Almost Cut My Hair" - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young / "Déjà Vu" (1970) "I could've said it was in my way But I didn't and I wonder why I feel like letting my freak flag fly. " Let the beautiful stinging and heady guitar licks corral any misgivings you might have that Crosby's hippie declaration is anything less than an... "if you don't like our kind, you can kiss our ass."   Because the song has always been about more than strands of long hair.  This was the bands' second album, the first to feature Neil Young.  And this square grabbed the #148 spot on RS's list of the 500 greatest albums.  Nicely packaged album, as well. "29 Palms" - Robert Plant / "Fate of Nations" (1993) "A fool in love A crazy situation Her velvet glove Knocks me down and down and down and down." The song has almost a time machine effect on me.  Makes me want to roll down my windows and trance into th...

 (a short jaunt) "Perfect Day" - Lou Reed / "Transformer" (1972) The last episode of "Breaking Bad."   The very last scene.  Badfinger's " Baby Blue" was such a great song to go out with.  Fitting for sure.  But I always thought the irony in Lou Reed's haunting "Perfect Day"  playing out while the flashing police lights in the night keep getting closer and closer to Walter would've been an acceptable choice, as well. (OWN) "Nasty Dogs And Funky Kings" - ZZ Top / "Fandango!" (1975) If you remember, "Fandango!" is a part live / part studio album.  Side one had pieces of a live set thrown together.  Not a thing wrong with it.  But it's side two (the studio side) that begs spinning.  It opens with  "Nasty..."  and is everything I love about "southern rock."  Have a friend who needs an introduction?  Put this one on.  In fact, the entire of side two is just a "keeping...

(a short jaunt) "Mercy Street" - Peter Gabriel / "So" (1986) The album was nominated for “Best of the Year” (Lost to "Graceland") but I never owned a copy.  And don't believe I ever listened to "So" in its entirety.  For whatever reason, I mostly lost interest in Peter Gabriel .  And I easily pass on Phil Collins ' stuff.  I loved Genesis  though...while they were still the golden egg...but then it cracked.  "Mercy Street” is nicely atmospheric and dreamy... and sounds important.  Probably a grower and an album I should give a fair shake.  This was Gabe's fifth album. (NEED) "Hard Lovin' Loser" - Judy Collins / "In My Life" (1966) You'll find no hints of “Send In The Clowns" with this song, my babies.  Judy's not sad this time.  Here, Judy is having fun and getting down with her bad self.  And daddy likey.  This was already Judy Collins' sixth album. (NEED) "Need Your Loving Ton...

(a short jaunt) "Ride The Tiger" - Jefferson Starship / "Dragon Fly" (1974) "I want to ride the tiger. I want to ride the tiger. It will be black and white in the dead of night. Eyes flashing in the clear moonlight. I want to ride the tiger." Near the end of the Airplane, they were beginning to sound like tired individuals just backing up whoever authored the song.  Trying not to give too much of themselves away.  Not broken, but certainly cracked.  Not on this bad boy, though.  Here the band brings the noise like they've come to collect a debt.  And it's a great opening song.  By the way, that's their new guitarist Craig Chaquico dancing on the wires.  This was their "official" debut as the Jefferson Starship . (OWN) "The Black Parade"  - Willie Nile /  "Beautiful Wreck of the World" (1999) "You laugh at the shape I'm in. Drink cheap wine and have all your fun. But you'll wipe off that graveyard gri...

(a short jaunt) "Someone To Talk To" - The Police /  b-side of  "Wrapped Around Your Finger" (1983) "Though it's me that's on fire, not this cigarette I was stabbed in the back by that young suffragette." I thought this was an earlier Police song.  It has that unique sound we instantly recognize.  The sound that keeps on giving.   Andy Summers guitar riffing tones are everywhere.  And Holy McSchniekes, Stewart Copeland is popping and snapping and riffing in all the right places.  Pretty excellent b-side if you ask me.  Too bad it didn't make it onto their "Synchronicity" album.  I could've bumped at least one track to get this one on.  Anyway, The Police released the album... "Flexible Strategies" (2018) ...that features all their non-album b-sides. (NEED) "Greenwood Creek" - The Doobie Brothers / "The Doobie Brothers" (1971) "I can hear that southbound rollin'. Carryin' all my hop...

(a short jaunt) "Fast Life Rider" - Johnny Winter / "Second Winter" (1969) "Done bought me a ticket.  The trunk's already gone. Lord, don't bother, ain't gonna be here long. Lord, first I'd rather this be the last of you-all...goin' down." Who doesn't like Johnny Winter ?  The last track on the album was mostly an improvised, off-the-cuff blues jam and it sizzles.  Wah-wahs and stinging guitar throughout with his backing band staying right there with him.  I learned later that when wearing headphones, the right and left panning effects of "Fast Life Rider" really messes with the head.  This I have not tried.  Johnny's third album.  (WANT) "Sexy Little Thing" - Chickenfoot / "Chickenfoot"  (2009) "Well, she got back and up front. She's everything any country boy need. Inside is outside. Now what you see is what she got up her sleeve." Sammy Hagar will never be accused of being deep. ...

 (a short jaunt) "How Are You" - Kinks / "Think Visual" (1986) "How is your life?  How is it going? Are you still dreaming and making big plans? How are the nights?  Are they still lonely? Are you still struggling the way that I am?  Oh, how are you?" From The Kinks 22nd album.  Really?!  And it's one of those songs that fell through the cracks and went mostly unnoticed.  As did the album.  But what a damn good song.  Rainy and grey and...hopeful.  Wear it on the days when the melancholy pulls on your sweater.  Screw the video.  Let your head play its own story. "Only A Fool Would Say That" - Steely Dan / "Can't Buy A Thrill" (1972) "I heard it was you talkin' 'bout a world where all is free. It just couldn't be. And only a fool would say that." Steely Dan's debut was a fantastic album with a fantastic closing track with a bonus fantastic album cover.  I put Becker and Fagen right up there with Kei...