Soul by the Dozen

I prefer songs to albums. Songs are cheaper, for one thing, and there are bad albums with only one or two good songs. Why would I buy a bad album just to get one or two good songs? That’s why they invented greatest hits compilations- that's why people cherry-pick and make playlists- that's why we have DJs. There are now online music streaming services which allow you to listen to entire albums for free and perhaps this will allow people like me to rediscover the art of the album. 

James Brown

Anyway, I have collected lots of individual songs over the years but organizing and storing them can be a challenge. So, for the past year or so, I have been trying to clean up my music files and this has led to some wonderful discoveries. I had forgotten how much I enjoy soul music- Motown, funk, retro, R&B- you name it, I dig it. These twelve songs were homeless but now have a home on this brief but jam-packed soul mix- and they sound really great together. Enjoy!

James Brown and Mick Jagger

01. Noisettes – “Never Forget You” (2009)

02. Sly & the Family Stone – “M’Lady” (1968)

03. The Supremes – “I’m Livin’ in Shame” (1969)

04. The Impressions – “People Get Ready” (1965)

05. James Brown – “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World (Live)” (1969)

06. Bobby Byrd – “Back from the Dead” (1974)

07. Noisettes – “24 Hours” (2009)

08. Fontella Bass – “Oh, No, Not My Baby” (1966)

09. Donny Hathaway – “Jealous Guy (Live)” (1971)

10. Arthur Alexander – “Anna (Go to Him)” (1962)

11. Doris Duke – “I Don’t Care Anymore (I’m a Loser)” (1969)

12. James Brown – “That’s Life” (1969)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...  

Recommended Links:

James Brown's Greatest Dance Moves

New Country

As a Yankee punk rocker growing up on Long Island, I had limited exposure to country music- but then I moved down to Virginia in 2001 and was suddenly surrounded by it. At first I fought against it but soon I found myself exploring and enjoying all branches of country music. It was just before 9/11- still the golden age of new country radio: Martina McBride, Brooks & Dunn, Dixie Chicks- and I was living just down the road from the Pentagon where new country was to northern Virginia as classic rock was to Long Island.

Dixie Chicks

While it has its roots in traditional country music, new country (or contemporary country) incorporates more pop and even rock elements to create a slicker, more urban sound yet stays true to traditional country’s styling and storytelling. For me, new country radio reached its zenith just after 9/11 and then started going downhill fast as the formula got beaten to death and the songs became really dumbed down. There is still respectable contemporary country to be found these days- you just have to know where to look for it- or just get lucky. Here are some of my new country favorites. Enjoy!

Martina McBride

01. Alan Jackson – “Remember When” (2003)

02. Dixie Chicks – “There’s Your Trouble” (1998)

03. Clare Bowen & Sam Palladio – “I Will Fall [Studio Version]” (2012)

04. The Band Perry – “If I Die Young” (2010)

05. Martina McBride – “Independence Day” (1993)

06. Dixie Chicks – “You Were Mine” (1998)

07. Darius Rucker – “Wagon Wheel” (2013) 

08. Dixie Chicks – “Travelin’ Soldier” (2002)

09. Martina McBride & Pat Monahan – “Marry Me” (2011)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...  

Recommended Links:

Forever Country

Martina McBride - "Anyway"

Civil War Drama

With Nashville’s the Civil Wars you get two singers for the price of one. They're a country duo who sing about relationship pain in the grand tradition of George Jones & Tammy Wynette, Tom Petty & Stevie Nicks, etc. The fun thing about guy/girl duos is you’re always left wondering: are they a real couple? I don’t want to know the answer. At times the Wars beef things up with a heavy sound, sometimes blues, sometimes country, always the drama. I prefer the acoustic numbers where the pain is allowed to seep out and those sad harmonies shine like the sun after a rainstorm. I guess you could call this album a break up record as these two battered souls try to come to terms with reality and move on. 

Two ships passing in the middle of the night songs can be thrilling, but torch songs and end of the affair songs just hurt. My interest began to wane toward the end of the album and I found the out of place Smashing Pumpkins cover to be over the top- but perhaps that’s the point. The Civil Wars reminds me of the Once soundtrack, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Williams & White also eventually make their way to Broadway. If you and your significant other are looking for some additional drama to bring with you on your next road trip then by all means give The Civil Wars a try. (Warning: listening to The Civil Wars alone is not recommended but, really, who’s going to stop you?) Grade: B

Listen to songs from the album on Spotify...

Minneapolis Blues

I was thirteen years old- still listening to Bon Jovi and Whitesnake- when I stumbled upon my first Replacements album (Pleased to Meet Me) and was instantly hooked. They were just four kids from Minneapolis playing rock 'n' roll but early on the Replacements got labeled punk. Their raucous early albums sounded like heaven to beer drinking teenage boys and their live shows were famous for being awful or amazing- it depended on which night you caught them (they never played or recorded songs the same way twice). 

But it was singer and multi-instrumentalist Paul Westerberg’s ability to compose empathetic songs about feeling sad and insecure that always set the Replacements apart from their ‘80s musical peers and his teenage confessionals and anthems really resonated with the young people who were lucky enough to hear them. Most Replacements songs sound as if they might fall apart at any second but after losing guitarist Bob Stinson in 1986, the band began experimenting with a more polished sound- just before breaking up in the early ‘90s. 

At times I feel I’ve outgrown the Replacements and now it’s some other teen’s turn to discover them. But then I meet an adult who somehow made it through adolescence having never heard the Replacements and I feel like they missed out and should immediately crack open a cold one and have a listen. I think the Replacements work best as an album band since each of their albums has a totally unique sound and feeling: Let It Be will always be my favorite; Don't Tell a Soul is underrated; Tim is good though overrated; Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash is meant to be played loud; and Pleased to Meet Me changed my life. Here are some of my favorite Replacements songs that have inspired me at different times in my life. Enjoy! 

01. The Replacements – “Skyway” (1987)

02. The Replacements – “Achin’ to Be” (1989)

03. The Replacements – “Can’t Hardly Wait” (1987)

04. The Replacements – “Can’t Hardly Wait (The Tim Version)” (1985)

05. The Replacements – “Alex Chilton” (1987)

06. The Replacements – “Unsatisfied” (1984)

07. The Replacements – “Talent Show” (1989)

08. The Replacements – “Never Mind” (1987)

09. The Replacements – “Bastards of Young” (1985)

10. The Replacements – “Sixteen Blue” (1984)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...  

Recommended Links:

Inside the Replacements' Disastrous 'Saturday Night Live' Debut

Paul Westerberg Remembers Prince

Dark Tunnel

This is not a party record and you do not want to play these songs in a bar- at least not any bar I've ever been to. This is an intimate and painful work, and I imagine those who purchased this album in 1987 expecting Born in the U.S.A. Part 2 probably threw it in the trash- or left it in a cabin. The themes of Tunnel of Love include marriage, infidelity, emptiness, regret, and how at least these things can make you feel alive- for a while. Some say monogamy goes against man’s natural state, but man’s wounded natural state is a result of original sin. As Christians we believe one cannot have a fruitful marriage without God’s grace, and a successful marriage requires love, patience, sacrifice, prayer, and obedience to God- all things Christ teaches us by example.

There are no short cuts in marriage- it’s always going to be a work in progress, ‘til death do us part- and the road to the divorce attorney’s office is paved with good intentions. To me it sounds like the characters in these songs got married for all the wrong reasons and are now living with the results. They’d give anything to find a way out of the darkness but they just keep making one mistake after another. Instead of obeying God’s law they are just following their own selfish desires and still dreaming of a perfect lover who doesn’t even exist. The scariest moments on the album are about waking up and realizing your spouse is a stranger- and just how easy it is to find comfort in the arms of someone else, someone who is nice and who seems to understand you even though you’ve only just met them.

If you're patient, Tunnel of Love continues to throw you little surprises upon repeated listening and Side 2 is where the Boss really brings home the bacon. The last song- “Valentine's Day”- I don’t think it’s about his ex-wife; it’s about the one who got away. Grade: B+

Listen to songs from the album on Spotify...

... or check out the playlist on YouTube

(To open music in separate window, click title bar at top of video box)

Recommended Links:

Jesus Was an Only Son

Who’s the Boss?

Each time I drive through Boss country on the New Jersey Turnpike between New York and D.C. I hear “Born to Run” or “Thunder Road” on the radio at least once. Maybe it’s because I’m from New York but I’ve never been a big Springsteen fan and I much prefer the Boss’ later work to his early records. (What can I say? I like my songwriters well seasoned.) You may not know it but Springsteen is still writing songs (good songs) and making albums, and- since the death of James Brown- I imagine the Boss may be the hardest working man in show business.

Every couple of years I discover another Springsteen song I like (this year it’s “None But the Brave”) but there is no Springsteen album I love. But wait. That’s not quite true. A few years ago some friends and I spent the weekend in a rustic cabin where we found an old cassette tape copy of Tunnel of Love. We played that tape over and over so perhaps I should say Tunnel is my favorite Boss album. I should probably listen to that album again. I think what I like most about Bruce Springsteen is his words. The guy has things to say- sometimes deep and spiritual things- and he sings with dignity and respect about what’s really happening in hometowns and souls all across the world.

For me the Boss is at his best when he’s rapping about human nature and there is a real religious dimension to many of his songs because man by his nature is a religious animal. I have no idea whether Springsteen is a practicing Christian or not but the guy has a knack for writing about the pain and weight of original sin; the battle between good and evil in our hearts; and the infinite desires of finite beings trying to survive in dead end towns, dead end jobs, and dead end relationships. His narrators are all too human: funny, honest, and self-deprecating. They know how far they've fallen and what they must do in order to achieve salvation- they just want to get a few things off their chest first. Here are my favorite Bruce Springsteen songs. Enjoy!

01. Bruce Springsteen – “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984)

02. Bruce Springsteen – “Radio Nowhere” (2007)

03. Bruce Springsteen – “Glory Days” (1984)

04. Bruce Springsteen – “I’m Goin’ Down” (1984)

05. Bruce Springsteen – “Hungry Heart” (1980)

06. Bruce Springsteen – “Dancing in the Dark” (1984)

07. Bruce Springsteen – “None But the Brave (Studio Outtake)” (1983)

08. Bruce Springsteen – “Girls in Their Summer Clothes (Winter Mix)” (2008)

09. Bruce Springsteen – “The River” (1980)

10. Bruce Springsteen – “My Hometown” (1984)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...  

Recommended Links:

Little Steven's Underground Garage

My City of Ruins, 09/21/2001

Any Way You Want It

When I was a kid in the ‘80s, album-oriented rock (AOR) sounded awesome on weekend mornings- and magical on the late night airwaves. Sometimes also called arena rock, most of these songs are so slick one needs a magnifying glass to find any traces of rock 'n roll. But the genre still survives at karaoke bars, weddings, and beer pong tournaments- and deep in the souls of the Gen X children it seduced. Here are some of my AOR favorites. Enjoy!

Journey

01. Journey – “Any Way You Want It” (1980)

02. Journey – “Lights” (1978)

03. Pat Benatar – “Shadows of the Night” (1982)

04. Bryan Adams – “Summer of ‘69” (1984)

05. Eddie Money – “Take Me Home Tonight” (1986)

06. Journey – “Faithfully” (1983)

07. The Outfield – “Your Love” (1985)

08. The Hooters – “And We Danced” (1986)

09. Journey – “Wheel in the Sky” (1978)

10. Journey – “Don’t Stop Believin’” (1981)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...  

Recommended Links:

Faithfully

Journey's Steve Perry at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2017

Classic Rock: Choice Cuts

When I was growing up on Long Island there was no shortage of classic rock radio stations and by the time I left for college in the early '90s I was totally sick of classic rock. Radio has the power to introduce new and exciting music to the masses but in those days most FM classic rock stations were just spewing formulaic programs with little imagination: lots of “Stairway to Heaven”  and “We Will Rock You” . I believe there is a place for nostalgia in music and I enjoy recognizing old, familiar songs: that’s why they’re classics. But how many times can you hear the same overplayed classic rock tunes before violent thoughts begin creeping into your work day or backyard barbecue? 

Neil Young

At the close of the last century, the Internet- as well as satellite radio- began challenging traditional radio's dominance over the airwaves and this new competition for listeners finally forced classic rock DJs and stations to add more musical variety to their programs. Some years ago I started rediscovering and enjoying classic rock (some call it album rock) and I’m happy to report there are still lots of undiscovered and underplayed gems out there just waiting to be added to your next playlist. Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy!

01. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers feat. Stevie Nicks – “Insider” (1981)

02. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “The Waiting” (1981)

03. Neil Young – “Revolution Blues” (1974)

04. Manassas – “Colorado” (1972)

05. Neil Young – “Cortez the Killer” (1975)

06. Ray Davies – “Poetry” (2017)

07. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “Even the Losers” (1979)

08. Three Dog Night – “Easy to Be Hard” (1969)

09. Santana – “Everybody’s Everything” (1971)

10. The Band – “Acadian Driftwood” (1975)

11. The Kinks – “Celluloid Heroes” (1972)

12. Alice Cooper – “Desperado” (1971)

13. Fleetwood Mac – “Man of the World” (1969)

14. Van Morrison – “Man Has to Struggle” (2001)

15. Alice Cooper – “Under My Wheels” (1971)

16. The Band – “Atlantic City” (1993)

17. The Moody Blues – “I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)” (1972)

18. Neil Young – “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere” (1969)

19. Three Dog Night – “Shambala” (1973)

20. Alice Cooper – “Be My Lover” (1971)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...  

Recommended Links:

The Last Waltz

Runnin' Down a Dream

Folkies

The world of folk music is vast and may encompass more offshoots and sub-genres than perhaps any other style of music. My enjoyment of folk music tends to revolve around American, British, and Celtic folk artists from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Lately I have also been listening to some folkies who get labeled “Americana”- too tough and streetwise for folk, too sensitive and introspective for country- but who play traditional American music and so fit comfortably under folk's large umbrella. Besides Simon & Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits, I don’t really have any particular favorite folk albums but here is a collection of some of my favorite folk songs from the past year or so. Enjoy!

James McMurtry

01. Burl Ives – “Call Me Mr. In-Between” (1962)

02. Loudon Wainwright III – “Dead Skunk” (1972)

03. Kate & Anna McGarrigle – “The Swimming Song” (1976)

04. Jackson C. Frank – “Blues Run the Game” (1965)

05. Ralph McTell – “Nanna’s Song” (1968)

06. Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit – “Into the Mystic (Live)” (2007)

07. Jim Sullivan – “U.F.O.” (1969)

08. Guy Clark – “Anyhow, I Love You” (1976)

09. James McMurtry – “Long Island Sound” (2015)

10. Alejandro Escovedo – “Farewell to the Good Times” (2016)

11. Judy Collins – “Send in the Clowns” (1975)

12. Noel “Paul” Stookey – “The Wedding Song (There Is Love)” (1971)

Alejandro Escovedo

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...  

Recommended Links:

No Direction Home

Girl Groups!

The ‘60s girl group music phenomenon is not hard to fathom: the burgeoning youth market was hungry for sentimental love songs- told from the girl’s perspective- so the music industry sold the kids what they asked for. I think the best of the girl group tunes sound best when heard blasting from speakers at a summer block party though most of us born after the ‘60s probably first heard these songs on oldies radio stations or in movies. Perhaps each new generation of music fans eventually discovers these classic songs and wonders- who the hell made this music? 

Phil Spector and the Ronettes

Obviously the now infamous Phil Spector played a huge role in the development of this short-lived musical genre. Spector had an ear for what young people wanted to hear and- more importantly- what they wanted to feel. Many of the most popular girl group songs are far from simple but were meticulously crafted by top-notch studio musicians and expert songwriters and producers. When you’re in the right mood there is nothing like that ‘60s girl group sound to lift your spirits, make you remember your first crush, or help you get over that jerk who broke your heart. So gather your friends for a slumber party, grab some hairbrushes for microphones, and enjoy some of my favorite girl group songs!

The Shangri-Las

01. The Crystals – “Then He Kissed Me” (1963)

02. Dusty Springfield – “Stay Awhile” (1964)

03. The Crystals – “He Hit Me (And It Fell Like a Kiss)” (1962)

04. The Cookies – “I Never Dreamed” (1964)

05. The Shangri-Las – “Give Him a Great Big Kiss” (1964)

06. The Crystals – “He’s Sure the Boy I Love” (1962)

07. The Ronettes – “Be My Baby”(1963)

08. The Shangri-Las – “Out in the Streets” (1965)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...  

Recommended Links:

Little Steven's Underground Garage

The Wrecking Crew