The College Crowd Digs Me

"But I'm a howler monkey.   Moreau's half & half-man." --> Blue Oyster Cult <-- I've always been a fan of Blue Oyster Cul t . But sometime in the eighties, BOC sorta fell off my rocknroll radar after back-to-back (to back)...dud releases. It was only by lucky accident , I stumbled upon their "Heaven Forbid" (1998) CD and was able to take it with me on a 3 hour Tulsa road-trip.   Surprise ! Blue Oyster Cult are swinging their scythes again. Original members... Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma ...have unburied the coffin. LOST GEM--> "Damaged" <-- is classic Buck Dharma with an agenda. Bruising churn & burn riffs quickly push a left-of-center intro out of the way. Hey, I admit it. I thought this band was over the hill. But these cemetery chord bangers are fit...and don't they know it. Have you heard this gem? Wish I was a better person With more control Turn the other cheek When the punch comes, r...

"I wish I could please you tonight.  But my medicine just won't come right." --> Richard & Linda Thompson <-- When Richard Thompson & Linda Thompson went into the studio to record... "Shoot Out the Lights" (1982) ...it would be their final album together. The marriage was failing. Emotions were running raw. The album is a frustrating journey to the inevitable.   No amount of bandages will ever be able to stop the bleeding. Yet through all the hurt and sadness, when it comes to their craft, the couple obviously trusted each other to bring their best Richard & Linda Thompson LOST GEM--> "Walking On A Wire" <-- is an emotional chainsaw. Linda's vocals are both sultry and weary. And finally, accepting . The couple's harmonies are back of the throat...and personal. Finally, enough can not be said about Richard's guitar work . It is an exercise in restrained pain. And then, on the final refrain...he joi...

"They all come down on the Kool-Aid Kids. Gonna try  and steal their dimes." --> Bloodrock <-- This was Bloodrock's third album and the band's last truly solid release.  And to be sure, '3' is definitely worth seeking out for several cuts worthy of purchase. Bloodrock Lost Gem:-->   "Kool-Aid Kids" ...has a jazzy churning riff that makes for some tasty highway-driving fuel. This is early 70's classic rock from "another" little ol' band from Texas. The firehouse keyboard play is provided by underrated Stevie Hill . Also guitarist Lee Pickens compliments with some delicious interplay. "I vant to drink your Bloodrock." Have you heard this gem? My nose is long and my temper is short And I want to know everything. People like lead boots are holdin' me down Gonna drown if it ever rains. Well I ain't lyin' there's good folks dyin' 'cause everybody's got a way....

"You don't ask any questions... for fear that she will respond." --> Scott Gagner <-- A common misconception about the songwriting process..."Songs that are catchy and easy on the ears...Well, those are the easy ones to write!" Sometimes, maybe. The truth is...writing songs that make tasty ear-candy is very, VERY difficult. However, Scott Gagner ...sure makes it sound easy. Scott's exciting debut... "Rhapsody In Blonde "...has more hooks than Roland Martin's tackle box. (God, I've been waiting to use a fishing reference for a long time). Using a blended confection of Golden Smog and Jayhawks as reference... Gagner delivers each song with a young man's spirit and an old man's wisdom. And the band... Prairie Prince: Drums Arnold Kim: Lead & Rhythm Guitars, BG Vox John Paul McLean: Bass James Nash: Stunt Guitar Jonathan Chi: Lap Steel ...brings just the right swag for each song. There is not a...

"...but I was the one there  who felt out of place." --> Skip Ewing <-- Skip Ewing ...is a highly respected songwriter...mostly hidden in the shadows, while great artists f rom George Jones to George Strait record one song of his after another. But sometimes an original songwriter's interpretation cuts close to the elusive truth. When this happens... best to just stand out of the way. On this one... this clever rascal  captured a genie. Lost Gem:-->   "The Gospel According To Luke" ... Skip Ewing's strength is seeing great things in small moments.   And making them great, too. A sweeter, gentler song...you'll be hard-pressed to find. And it's okay to occasionally push the RnR aside. When it feels this good. Have you heard this gem? He was an old hand at livin' and makin' his way He smelled like old whiskey and he needed a shave His home was an alley off 8th Avenue If you had a minute or an hour or two He'd ...

"Tell me one more time  that love was only my illusion." --> Joe Jackson <-- In 1979, Joe Jackson hit the States with one of the best albums of the year. Filled with venom and attitude... Jackson was quickly labeled... along with Costello and Parker as being "The Angry Singer-Songwriters" . Joe Jackson would later evolve into much broader musical stylings than one single label could define. But Jackson's ... "Look Sharp" ...is the CD I reach for when I need a heavy dose of familiar frustration. Lost Gem:-->   "One More Time" ...and the ground rules are set. Gary Sanford' s guitar jumps out from the speakers like a runaway town-crier.    G raham Maby catches up with some wicked talented bass-bombs. Both clear the way for the deliciously pissed-off Joe Jackson and his cynical...sarcastic vocals .  This was new-wave-rock at its finest. Aggressive...catchy...with a stinging left hook and a point! Have you h...

"Since my baby left me... I've been losing my mind." --> Deep Purple <-- Deep Purple was a different band from their "Smoke On Water" days. Singer Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover had left the band in '73, leaving axe legend Ritchie Blackmore and bandmates to find replacements. Enter bassist Glen Hughes and then unknown vocalist David Coverdale . Coverdal e (future Whitesnake frontman) had much to prove, daring to replace loyal Purple fans' favorite vocalist... Ian Gillan . But with Blackmore and company's thunder... DP released a solid and very underrated album that stands firmly on its own legs. Lost Gem:-->   "Mistreated" ...buried deep on side two is a searing rock-blues wailer that leaves no doubt of Coverdale's qualifications.   Blackmore's sweet riffing and exit solo make it very clear they can still throw it down. Have you heard this Gem? I've been mistreated, I've been abused. ...