The College Crowd Digs Me

"Save my life... I'm going down for the last time." ~ Head East ~ We've all seen those five-star lists. The critically-acclaimed album this and blah-blah-blah album that.  And I get it.  I appreciate the opinions.  They're fun to read. But sometimes you just have to judge an album on a different scale.  Like how much you actually play it.  And how much you enjoy it. Sometimes...you just have to let your own ears be the judge. So when Roger Boyd's keyboards explode from out of my speakers to kick it in gear...I feel better.  My car drives better. I get better gas mileage.  Pretty simple, really. ROGER BOYD INTERVIEW - APRIL 2016 Roger Boyd Casey Chambers:   "Never Been Any Reason" is the opening track from Head East's debut... "Flat As A Pancake." (1975) And your keyboard really strikes the match for the rest of the album. How did you get your keyboards to sound the way they did? Roger Boyd:  The synthesizer p...

"I won't cry  for the wasted years, 'cause you ain't worth the salt in my tears." ~ Martin Briley ~ Martin Briley is one of those wonderful creative musical cats who may not necessarily be a household name (except for those in the 80s who had their hearts busted up) and yet you know him just the same.  This successful singer-songwriter-musician has performed, recorded, and written spirals of songs for a host of diverse artists.  From Ian Hunter to Gregg Allman.  Pat Benatar to Barry Manilow.  Mick Jones to Charlie Pride.  And dozens in-between. Martin Briley has also provided music for television and movies.  And, of course, he has recorded his own albums, as well...including the pop-rock, critical rave-up... "One Night With A Stranger." Well worth seeking out.  A one-trick pony, he's not.  He thinks quick on his feet.  Leads, when necessary. Improvises, when needed.  Adapts, when imperative.   Martin Bri...

"I am a  repairman of  neon lights." ~ Freedy Johnston ~ One of the unexpected gems from 2015, and one that seems to have passed mostly unnoticed, is singer/songwriter Freedy Johnston's beautiful... "Neon Repairman."  And it's one of his best. A collection of ten songs filled with out-of-step characters who find themselves traveling on the kind of roads that demand single file.  And they may be broken, but he likes them.  You can hear it in Freedy's voice. And his voice has never sounded better. Just listen as he sings... "...in the winter night. She remembers longer days..."  (" Summer Clothes")   An achingly beautiful story about a woman left to wander the streets with no place to go.  Not really, anyway. Then there's the terrific..." A Little Bit of Somethin’ Wrong" ...about a soldier struggling to adjust.  The deceptive melody disguises darker lyrics.   "...I've got a wife and kid, but ...

"... I'd rather do without prediction." ~ Steve Forbert ~ With 16 albums now under his belt, all sorely under-appreciated, Steve Forbert has taken us from "Alive On Arrival" (1978) to "Compromised."  (2015)  So, has he?  Compromised, I mean? Steve Forbert is a little older, obviously.  Wiser, well probably. He continues to wear his heart on his sleeve, but he keeps his arms a little closer to his vest.  And, I suspect, he's not near as "careless in his way"... not in the way that youth allows.  But he continues to write with a painter's eye.  And he lets us ride shotgun while he discovers his lot.  So...compromised?  I guess so. But fearless?  Hell yeah! Steve Forbert  Interview - December 2015 "Compromised" - Steve Forbert (2015) Casey Chambers:  Steve, I'm really excited about the release of your 16th studio album... "Compromised. "  It's good to know you're still..."...

"...It made us feel so groovy." ~ The Buckinghams ~ The Buckinghams worked AM radio like butter.  They created great pop songs and captured great pop sounds.  Fans were spinning 45s, drinking colas, and finding paradise by the AM radio dial. But in the late 60's, radio was starting to change and so were The Buckinghams .  At least they wanted to.  The band was adding more churn to their burn, keeping their garage vibe door open and slipping some light-psych in for good measure.  They definitely had something going on...and their albums were all the better for it.  A little more FM tasty, if you like. Unfortunately, the band found themselves pigeonholed inside an "AM Only" fence that wouldn't let them escape.  Not radio stations. Not record companies. Not even many of their fans.  This is no pity party, though; the boys were hugely successful.  Still, too bad what we might have missed.  And I mean really...too bad. ...