British Invasion: B-Squad II – Part 2

When one studies the musical cultural diffusion that occurred between the United States and the United Kingdom in the latter half of the 20th century then one can discern a wonderful pattern of musical ebb and flow. American blues and ‘50s rock & roll influenced the ‘60s British Invasion which influenced ‘60s American garage rock which influenced the Ramones who influenced ‘70s British punk which influenced American punk and hardcore music which influenced ‘90s grunge which influenced Britpop- and the ball is still in America’s court. While we’re waiting for the U.S. to provide an answer to Coldplay, Snow Patrol, and the Verve (come on already!), I’ll just say thanks for the original British Invasion and here are some more of my favorites. Enjoy!

Them

01. Les Fleur de Lys – “Circles” (1966)

02. Chad & Jeremy – “A Summer Song” (1964)
03. The Creation – “Making Time” (1966)
04. The Tremeloes – “Here Comes My Baby” (1967)
05. The Hollies – “King Midas in Reverse” (1967)
06. The Who – “Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere” (1965)
07. The Action – “I’ll Keep Holding On” (1966)
08. The Zombies – “The Way I Feel Inside” (1966)
09. The Ivy League – “Funny How Love Can Be” (1965)
10. Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders – “Game of Love” (1965)
11. Them – “Gloria” (1964)
12. Them – “Don’t Look Back” (1965)
13. Them – “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” (1966)
14. Small Faces – “Itchycoo Park” (1967)
15. Manfred Mann – “Mighty Quinn” (1968)
16. Small Faces – “Whatcha Gonna Do About It” (1965)

The Action

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British Invasion: B-Squad II – Part 1

Although British Invasion music lasted only about three years, it’s impact on America and popular culture around the world was enormous including in art, film, fashion, and television. To me the best of British Invasion music still sounds great and stirs up feelings of fun, freedom, first loves, and endless summers. Most people know the big names of the British Invasion- Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Animals- but here are some more of my favorites from the lovable (though lesser-known) B-Squad. Enjoy!

Manfred Mann

01. Manfred Mann – “Just Like a Woman” (1966)
02. The Zombies – “Brief Candles” (1968)
03. The Hollies – “Bus Stop” (1966)
04. The Hollies – “I’m Alive” (1965)
05. The Pretty Things – “Rosalyn” (1964)
06. The Zombies – “This Will Be Our Year” (1968)
07. Manfred Mann – “Sha-La-La” (1964)
08. Peter and Gordon – “A World Without Love” (1964)
09. The Searchers – “Don’t Throw Your Love Away” (1964)
10. Manfred Mann – “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” (1964)
11. The Creation – “Biff Bang Pow” (1966)
12. The Who – “I Can’t Explain” (1964)
13. The Action – “Brain” (1967)
14. The Action – “Something to Say” (1967)
15. The Mindbenders – “Groovy Kind of Love” (1965)
16. The Searchers – “Needles and Pins” (1964)

The Searchers

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Blue Jean Rock Poets III

After a painful break up in the mid-‘00s I began turning more and more to singer-songwriter music for comfort (Joni Mitchell’s Blue is required break up music but so is Frank Sinatra’s In the Wee Small Hours). I still remember the night I poured myself a glass of Scotch and sat alone in my apartment listening to Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks and in my wounded, fragile state the music moved me and brought tears to my eyes. Good singer-songwriters draw me in, feel my pain, and hopefully can help bring me out the other side. Some of it can be challenging, mystical, and personal, but weird oddball songs from the likes of Van Morrison, Tom Waits, Warren Zevon and the rest are what keep rock music interesting. Here are some more of my favorite singer-songwriter songs. Enjoy! 

Van Morrison

01. Van Morrison – “Astral Weeks” (1968)

02. Tom Waits – “Tom Traubert’s Blues (Four Sheets to the Wind in Copenhagen)” (1976)

03. Van Morrison – “Cyprus Avenue” (1968)

04. James McMurtry – “Where’s Johnny” (1992)

05. Ted Hawkins – “Bring It Home Daddy” (1982)

06. Randy Newman – “Political Science” (1972)

07. Van Morrison – “Sweet Thing” (1968)

08. Lucinda Williams – “I Just Wanted to See You So Bad” (1988)

09. Paul Simon – “Wristband” (2016)

10. Warren Zevon – “Life’ll Kill Ya” (2000)

11. Paul Simon – “Still Crazy After All These Years” (1975)

12. Cat Stevens – “The First Cut Is the Deepest” (1967)

13. Rodriguez – “Crucify Your Mind” (1970)

14. Paul Simon – “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” (1975)

15. Bob Dylan – “Trying to Get to Heaven” (1997)

16. Jewel – “You Were Meant for Me” (1995)

17. Donovan – “Hurdy Gurdy Man” (1968)

18. Craig Finn – “Maggie I’ve Been Searching for Our Son” (2015)

19. Paul Simon – “The Obvious Child” (1990)

20. Jackson Browne – “Fountain of Sorrow” (1974)

21. Patty Griffin – “Mary” (1998)

22. Lucinda Williams – “Blue” (2001)

23. Elton John – “Amoreena” (1970)

24. Warren Zevon – “Desperados Under the Eaves” (1976)

Warren Zevon

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Everything’s Not OK

Adult contemporary- a sub-genre of pop music- can be easy to ridicule given its often slick ‘80s sounding production and the fact that one usually hears it at the dentist, waiting on hold, or riding in the car with mom. But there is a dark side to adult contemporary and it’s this darkness- with its themes of pain, disappointment, and loss of innocence- that stays with me and in some cases has stayed with me since childhood. For many, adult contemporary means light office music but for me the best of adult contemporary haunts, hurts, and reminds us what life is really about: no pain no gain, things are tough all over, and everything is definitely not OK. Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy!

01. Don Henley – “The End of the Innocence” (1989)
02. Elton John – “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” (1973)
03. Martika – “Toy Soldiers” (1988)
04. Elton John – “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” (1975)
05. Neil Diamond – “Hello Again” (1980)
06. Don Henley – “The Boys of Summer” (1984)
07. Sheryl Crow – “The First Cut Is the Deepest” (2003)
08. Billy Joel – “We Didn’t Start the Fire” (1989)
09. Jackson Browne – “I Am a Patriot” (1989)
10. Jackson Browne – “My Problem Is You” (1993)
11. Jackson Browne – “Sky Blue and Black” (1993)
12. Bryan Adams – “Straight from the Heart” (1983)
13. Jackson Browne – “Everywhere I Go” (1993)
14. Rod Stewart – “Downtown Train” (1989)
15. Elton John – “Little Jeannie” (1980)
16. Elton John – “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues” (1983)
17. Bonnie Tyler – “It’s a Heartache” (1977)
18. Bonnie Tyler – “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (1983)

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Billy Joel – “We Didn't Start the Fire”

Adults Only II

Adult alternative is lite rock for people born in the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s and for me it was mostly women who got me interested in adult alternative music. Many of my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers in late ‘90s Bulgaria were young American women- straight out of college- and they introduced me to artists like Sarah McLachlan and Goo Goo Dolls (if you dated a feminist in the ‘90s then you know Sarah) and soon I began getting in touch with my feminine (and European sides) while listening to a lot of Sting and U2 (City of Angels became one of my favorite albums though I still haven't seen the movie.)

Sarah McLachlan

There were other ‘80s European artists who helped pave the way for ‘90s adult alternative such as Sinéad O'Connor and Peter Gabriel (though I was already digging them when I was a teenager). After the 9/11 tragedy I started listening to the B-52’s (I wanted to laugh) and it’s nice to know adult alternative music will always be there to provide soothing relief and understanding in a rough world. Here are some more of my favorites including songs written by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Warren Zevon, and Prince. Enjoy the adult entertainment!

The B-52’s

01. Sarah McLachlan – “River” (2006)
02. Sarah McLachlan – “Angel” (1997)
03. Sinéad O'Connor – “Mandinka” (1987)
04. The Wallflowers – “Lawyers, Guns and Money” (2004)
05. Sinéad O'Connor – “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” (1992)
06. The B-52’s – “Channel Z” (1989)
07. The Cranberries – “You and Me” (1999)
08. Goo Goo Dolls – “Here Is Gone” (2002)
09. U2 – “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (Live)” (2005)
10. The B-52’s – “Love Shack” (1989)
11. Morphine – “In Spite of Me” (1993)
12. The B-52’s – “Deadbeat Club” (1989)
13. The Wallflowers – “Three Marlenas” (1996)
14. Sheryl Crow – “Mississippi” (1998)
15. Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush – “Don’t Give Up” (1986)
16. Sinéad O'Connor – “Nothing Compares 2 U” (1990)
17. Sheryl Crow – “Strong Enough” (1993)
18. Sinéad O'Connor – “The Emperor's New Clothes” (1990)

Sarah McLachlan supports ASPCA- so should you

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The B-52’s – “Love Shack”

Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush – “Don’t Give Up”

Sinéad O'Connor – “Nothing Compares 2 U”

Rock Me Softly II

Whether it’s expat poolside barbecues in Zambia, “sundowners” at the Raft in Walvis Bay, or Friday night pizza in Virginia (or hanging out at the Regal Beagle with the gang from Three’s Company), I’m all about lite rock’s mantra of chilling out, making friends, and taking it easy. Lite rock can make you feel like it’s 1975 and you’re driving a van down an empty desert highway with the sun in your eyes before spotting some young, long-haired hitchhikers in the distance. Over the past five years or so I’ve noted Millennials’ growing (and I hope unironic) interest in classic lite rock, especially Bread- a band who for me looms large in early childhood memories of riding in the car with my dad (a Vietnam War veteran).

Lobo

After the tumult, fun, and rebellion of the ‘60s, most baby boomers eventually settled down, got married, and had kids but many of them didn’t want to lose touch with the spirit of John, Paul, George, and Ringo and so ‘70s lite rock became a sonic salve for many ‘60s souls trying to stay true to their ideals while making it in the post-revolution. No pun intended but many lite rock songs are about “making it”- often with strangers- yet these songs never mention the pregnancy, venereal disease, broken families, and psychological damage that can accompany unbridled fornication. (Other dangers associated with lite rock include casual drug use, the New Age movement, and a relaxation of dress standards). 

Dr. Hook

Sure, lite rock lyrics may include half-baked, hedonistic philosophies encouraging listeners to satisfy every urge, make it with every person, and put our most selfish desires above all else, but to me ‘70s lite rock also represents a pretty cool time in American history “before the deluge” as Jackson Browne said. I mean, there's no way the ‘90s, ‘00s, or whatever time we’re living in now is superior to the ‘70s which looking back may have been the coolest decade in my lifetime and the high point of American civilization before the ‘80s destroyed all those ‘60s dreams of peace, love, civility- and fun- dreams that people actually tried to put into practice in the ‘70s. Here are some more of my favorite lite rock songs. Enjoy! 

01. Captain & Tennille – “Do That to Me One More Time” (1979)

02. Lobo – “Don’t Expect Me to Be Your Friend” (1972)

03. Bread – “It Don’t Matter to Me” (1970)

04. King Harvest – “Dancing in the Moonlight” (1972)

05. Paul Davis – “I Go Crazy” (1977)

06. Gary Wright – “Dream Weaver” (1975)

07. Bread – “The Guitar Man”  (1972)

08. Bread – “Baby I’m-A Want You” (1971)

09. Lobo – “I’m Only Sleeping” (1974)

10. Bread – “Make It with You” (1970)

11. Dr. Hook – “When You’re in Love with a Beautiful Woman” (1978)

12. Seals and Crofts – “Summer Breeze” (1972)

13. Sammy Johns – “Chevy Van”(1975)

14. Dr. Hook – “Sharing the Night Together” (1978)

15. Starland Vocal Band – “Afternoon Delight” (1976)

16. Christopher Cross – “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” (1981)

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Three’s Company

Summertime Dream – Part 3

I think what I enjoy most about Gordon Lightfoot’s music is its bittersweetness and the way he’s able to empathize with the highs and lows of being human. In reviewing Frank Sinatra’s 1965 album September of My Years a music critic wrote: “Sinatra’s verdict? Life is unfair… but beautiful” and that’s how I feel when listening to the songs of Gordon Lightfoot. People don’t want music that makes them feel happy all the time; human beings are more complex than that. They also want to feel sadness, longing, and dream about what was- and what might have been. Like Sinatra and other great storytellers, relating complex feelings of joy and disappointment are Gordon Lightfoot’s bread and butter.

Perhaps no song better illustrates the world of Gordon Lightfoot than “Carefree Highway” in which the narrator confesses: “Now the thing that I call living is just being satisfied with knowing I got no one left to blame.” There are worse philosophies. Despite some health scares during the 2000’s, Gordon Lightfoot is still writing, recording, and touring today (at the age of 79) and Canada- and the world- are better for it. Here are some more of my favorite Gordon Lightfoot songs. Enjoy!

01. Gordon Lightfoot – “Second Cup of Coffee” (1972)
02. Gordon Lightfoot – “Ordinary Man” (1972)
03. Gordon Lightfoot – “Same Old Loverman” (1971)
04. Gordon Lightfoot – “Looking at the Rain” (1972)
05. Gordon Lightfoot – “Miguel” (1971)
06. Gordon Lightfoot – “On Susan’s Floor” (1972)
07. Gordon Lightfoot – “Ode to Big Blue” (1972)
08. Gordon Lightfoot – “Tattoo” (1983)
09. Gordon Lightfoot – “Carefree Highway” (1974)
10. Gordon Lightfoot – “Early Morning Rain” (1975)

Gordon Lightfoot, Bob Dylan, and Roger McGuinn

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Gordon Lightfoot Talks Sadness, Regret, and Maritime Disasters

Summertime Dream – Part 2

I’ve never listened to Gordon Lightfoot with other people around- Gordon and I kind of have our own private relationship- but I imagine his songs would serve as good background music not only to napping but also driving on a scenic highway, sailing, or relaxing in my nautical themed study I hope to have some day replete with maps, bookcases, leather chairs, a fireplace, and a view of the sea (I was born and raised on Long Island but have always been enchanted by California’s coastline, Pacific Coast Highway, and that wealthy ‘70s West Coast lifestyle I've seen and admired on old Columbo episodes).

In the ‘70s Gordon Lightfoot re-recorded many of his best known ‘60s songs because he didn’t like the way he sang back then and for the most part I agree with these decisions since his masterful ‘70s sound is very different from his ‘60s sound (although I prefer his original version of “Song for a Winter’s Night”. By the way, leave it to Gordon to record not one but two Christmas songs involving alcoholism). Here are some (more) of my favorite Gordon Lightfoot songs. Ahoy- and enjoy!

01. Gordon Lightfoot – “Christian Island (Georgian Bay)” (1972)
02. Gordon Lightfoot – “Shadows” (1982)
03. Gordon Lightfoot – “Song for a Winter’s Night” (1967)
04. Gordon Lightfoot – “Circle of Steel” (1974)
05. Gordon Lightfoot – “The Circle Is Small” (1978)
06. Gordon Lightfoot – “The Watchman’s Gone” (1974)
07. Gordon Lightfoot – “Rainy Day People” (1975)
08. Gordon Lightfoot – “High and Dry” (1974)
09. Gordon Lightfoot – “Summertime Dream” (1976)
10. Gordon Lightfoot – “Pussywillows, Cat-Tails” (1968)

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Summertime Dream – Part 1

A lovers’ getaway to Mendocino- maybe Monterey; a remote seaside restaurant with waves crashing nearby; and a glass of brandy at sunset. Or, a candle-lit evening on the sofa with a glass of wine and that special someone; the smell of smoke and perfume in the air; and the feel of shag carpet underfoot. This is the world of Gordon Lightfoot- a world that also includes yellowed, bittersweet tales of sailors, mermaids, whales, and shipwrecks. When it comes to singer-songwriters Gordon Lightfoot is one my favorites and a crucial link between ‘60s folk and ‘70s soft rock balladry. Just look at Lightfoot’s album covers- he even looks like a roguish, lovesick pirate- and old Gord sings it like he’s lived it.

One of my favorite summer pastimes is taking afternoon naps and what better music to carry me away to summertime dream than Gordon Lightfoot. I first started getting into Lightfoot’s music around 2004 and- like his fellow Canadian Joni Mitchell- Lightfoot has a reputation for being a singer-songwriter’s singer-songwriter. To me Lightfoot is pure ‘70s blue jean rock and his songs feel as comfortable and broken in as an old pair of blue jeans. The best of his music always manages to teleport me to another world where it’s 1975 and I’m with the one I love for a passionate weekend; or I’m sitting alone and heartbroken in a one room apartment with a half-empty bottle of whiskey remembering the good times we had. Here are some of my favorite Gordon Lightfoot songs. Enjoy!

01. Gordon Lightfoot – “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgrald” (1976)
02. Gordon Lightfoot – “Protocol” (1976)
03. Gordon Lightfoot – “Saturday Clothes” (1970)
04. Gordon Lightfoot – “Sundown” (1974)
05. Gordon Lightfoot – “Talking in Your Sleep” (1971)
06. Gordon Lightfoot – “Beautiful” (1972)
07. Gordon Lightfoot – “Daylight Katy” (1978)
08. Gordon Lightfoot – “Harmony” (2004)
09. Gordon Lightfoot – “If You Could Read My Mind” (1970)
10. Gordon Lightfoot – “Inspiration Lady” (2004)

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Pet Rocks! – Part 4

Why does Tom Petty drop “Joe Piscopo” from the ‘97 live version of “Jammin’ Me”- a biting, hilarious, pre-Internet lament Petty wrote with Bob Dylan (I still remember when it was released in 1987)? Maybe because by 1997 no one knew who Joe Piscopo was anymore which is the point of the song: most of what passes as “important” news and entertainment is just an onslaught of nothingness jamming our senses and damaging our souls and we’d be better off- and better informed- staring at a wall. Still, I’m mad at Petty for dropping the Joe Piscopo line. And I’m mad at Petty for becoming a heroin addict during the ‘90s (a fact he kept hidden but finally admitted in 2015) and I’m mad at him for- like Prince- getting addicted to fentanyl during the last days of his life before dying of an “accidental” drug overdose.

Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty

Was Petty’s life that bad that drugs were the only way out? What does that say to the rest of us about fame, money, and success? In the end you die alone on the bathroom floor of your Malibu beach house, or purple mansion- and then what? I’m mad at Tom Petty and Prince. If you had told Tom Petty when he was a teenager in Gainesville that he would get to grow up, be a rock star, and play music with- and befriend- his rock & roll heroes- Roy Orbison, George Harrison, Roger McGuinn, Bob Dylan, etc.- but he could only enjoy it for 40 years- I think Petty still would have said yes. I just wish Tom had been strong enough to overcome the drugs- yet stronger souls than Petty’s have fallen. Hopefully people will take notice and learn something from his death. Here are some more of my favorite Tom Petty songs. Enjoy!

Bob Dylan with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

01. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “Runnin’ Down a Dream (Live)” (2006)
02. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “Here Comes My Girl (Live)” (1980)
03. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “The Waiting (Live)” (1981)
04. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “Jammin’ Me (Live)” (1997)
05. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “Refugee (Live)” (1983)
06. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “So You Want to Be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star (Live) (1985)
07. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “Breakdown” (1976)
08. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers feat. Stevie Nicks– “Learning to Fly (Live)” (2006)
09. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers feat. Stevie Nicks – “Insider (Live)” (1981)
10. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “Mary Jane’s Last Dance (Live)” (2006)

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Tom Petty – CBS Sunday Morning

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “Jammin’ Me”

Tom Petty on Prince’s guitar work at Hall of Fame gig: ‘he just burned it up’

Pet Rocks! – Part 3

So what was the secret to Tom Petty’s successful 40-year career in rock music? I think it starts with the songs. While I find most of his music to be so-so filler when Petty strikes gold he hits the mother lode and has an undeniable gift for crafting timeless rock songs. Besides his own golden ear Petty also has Mike Campbell on lead guitar and Campbell is the secret weapon not only in the Heartbreakers but also on Petty’s solo albums (where he serves as producer). Early on Tom Petty found a way to tap into the rock mythos and stay true to the basic rock formula while appealing to the widest possible audience (he and the Heartbreakers may have overreached on the ambitious Southern Accents but Petty learned his lesson and soon returned to what he does best: Tom Petty music).

Like Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty stood for the underdog and while Springsteen may have received more love from the critics I think Petty was more beloved by the masses because he had an upbeat message about life and was smart enough to keep his politics and his music separate. Petty- who understood rock music and his fans better than anyone- was also a master showman and in his live performances you can hear the audience become the band’s sixth member. On the epic 4-disc The Live Anthology there are some really incredible moments and while the studio versions are necessary I think it’s Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ live recordings- especially those on The Live Anthology- that will ultimately age best and serve as their finest legacy. Here are some more of my favorites. Enjoy!

01. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “I Won’t Back Down (Live)” (2007)
02. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “Free Fallin’ (Live)” (2005)
03. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “Rebels” (1985)
04. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “American Girl” (1976)
05. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “About to Give Out” (1999)
06. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “Don’t Come Around Here No More” (1985)
07. Tom Petty – “You Don’t Know How It Feels” (1994)
08. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “Breakdown (Live)” (1985)
09. Tom Petty – “Somewhere Under Heaven” (1994)
10. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “Even the Losers (Live)” (1980)

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Runnin' Down a Dream: The Official Trailer

Pet Rocks! – Part 2

In the same way many people think swamp rockers Creedence Clearwater Revival are from the South (they’re from California) for years I had no idea Tom Petty and most of the original Heartbreakers hail from North Florida and are in fact Southerners- a fact Tom and the boys may have tried to keep hidden after the group moved to L.A. in the mid ‘70s (though being Southerners didn’t seem to hurt the careers of ‘50s rockers like Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry,  Elvis Presley, or Little Richard).

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ early songs don’t sound anything like Southern rock- they sound like California power pop mixed with Byrds and Beatles- and it wasn’t until much later in his career that Petty started exploring Southern sounds and elements in his music (which in my opinion is an improvement and makes for a much more interesting listen, though of course Petty and the Heartbreakers’ trademark “California” sound is nothing to sneeze at). Here are some more of my favorites. Enjoy!

01. Tom Petty – “Down South” (2006)

02. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “Free Girl Now” (1999)
03. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “Room at the Top” (1999)
04. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “Kings Highway” (1991)
05. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “Learning to Fly” (1991)
06. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers feat. Richard Manuel – “The Best of Everything” (1985)
07. Tom Petty – “Runnin’ Down a Dream” (1989)
08. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “Refugee” (1979)
09. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “You Got Lucky” (1982)
10. Mudcrutch – “Scare Easy” (2008)

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Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “You Got Lucky”

Pet Rocks! – Part 1

Tom Petty’s career took off when I was still in diapers and until his passing last year he was always just kind of around- celebrated and honored, to be sure, but also underappreciated and taken for granted given how much music the man’s given so many (he was still touring and selling out shows with the Heartbreakers right up until his death). Petty’s music was- and is- such a part of everyone’s life that his death really shook many of us and to think of the world without him feels strange- I'm still in disbelief.

Admittedly- with the exception of the awesome “You Got Lucky” video on MTV- I was too young to appreciate the early glory years of the Heartbreakers and arrived a bit late to the Petty party. As a teenager I was partial to Petty’s late ‘80s work with Jeff Lynne: I received Full Moon Fever (Petty’s first solo album) as a Christmas gift (who didn’t?) and even during my hardcore/punk years The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1 remained one of my favorite albums. It wasn’t until the mid-00’s that I began going back and rediscovering Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ earlier music and there’s even some pretty good Petty stuff from the ‘90s and later. Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy!

01. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “The Waiting” (1981)
02. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers feat. Stevie Nicks – “Insider” (1981)
03. Tom Petty – “Yer So Bad” (1989)
04. Tom Petty – “Time to Move On” (1994)
05. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “Two Gunslingers” (1991)
06. Tom Petty – “I Won’t Back Down” (1989)
07. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “ The Wild One, Forever” (1976)
08. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “Even the Losers” (1979)
09. Mudcrutch – “Shady Grove” (2008)
10. Tom Petty – “Free Fallin’” (1989)

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Remembering Tom Petty – PBS News Hour

Rock Grab Bag IV

Yes! I passed my Arabic test this morning! Now- in addition to Bulgarian and Mandarin Chinese- I am also officially able to read and speak the Arabic language which means my family and I will be shipping off to the Middle East this September. It’s been a long 11 months and I feel like a weight is off my shoulders and I can now start enjoying the summer: cool grass beneath my toes at sunset with a summery beverage in hand- and of course I just want to rock out. No rock in particular mind you- just rock- which means it’s time for another rock grab bag (summer victory edition) with more of my favorite rock songs including hard rock, folk-rock, classic rock, singer-songwriter, art & progressive rock, instrumental rock, and Southern rock. So come rock out with the Jean! Enjoy!

Creedence Clearwater Revival

01. Alanis Morissette – “Thank U” (1998)
02. Paul Kantner, Grace Slick, and David Freiberg – “Sketches of China” (1973)
03. Aerosmith – “Girls of Summer” (2002)
04. Elton John – “Amoreena” (1970)
05. Eagles – “Take It to the Limit” (1975)
06. B.W. Stevenson – “My Maria” (1973)
07. Bad Company – “Feel Like Makin’ Love” (1975)
08. Neil Young – “Love and War” (2010)
09. Duane Eddy – “Monsoon” (1967)
10. Creedence Clearwater Revival – “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” (1970)
11. Fleetwood Mac – “Landslide” (1975)
12. KISS – “Rock and Roll All Nite (Live)” (1975)
13. Bruce Springsteen – “American Skin (41 Shots) (Live)” (2000)
14. David Bowie – “Heroes” (1977)
15. Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Tuesday’s Gone” (1973)
16. Joel Alme – “The Way We Used to Beg” (2010)
17. Bachman-Turner Overdrive – “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” (1974)
18. Ted Hawkins – “Bring It Home Daddy” (1982)
19. James McMurtry – “Where’s Johnny” (1992)
20. Jethro Tull – “Living in the Past” (1969)

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KISS – “Rock and Roll All Nite (Live)”

Browne’s Blues – Part 3

In History of the Eagles Glenn Frey recounts how when he and Jackson Browne were both young and just starting out in L.A. he discovered Jackson’s secret to songwriting. Browne was living in Frey’s basement at the time and every morning Glenn would hear Jackson’s piano playing through the floor. Browne would keep punching the same piano chords for hours, trying to get it just right, all the while brewing pots and pots of tea. Apparently songs don’t come easy for Jackson Browne but require good old fashioned elbow grease, patience, discipline- and lots of tea. While no slouch at the guitar (he cut his teeth as a ‘60s folkie in L.A. and New York) Browne seems much more powerful and comfortable at the piano where he has more keys- more weapons- at his disposable to get to your soul and make you feel.

One criticism I have of Browne’s songwriting is that despite his golden voice, impressive musicianship, and wealth of experience for me much of his work can be vague, meandering, and just kind of average. Perhaps I’m too demanding in expecting Browne to hit a home run each time he steps up to the plate and I should just take what I can get from the guy and be happy for both of us when he delivers a gem. Some of Browne’s lyrics- especially his ‘70s material- can reflect a secular humanist worldview that was gaining popularity at the time but it’s when he taps into (or stumbles onto) eternal truths- the frailty of the human condition or the futility of trying to find peace, happiness, and fulfillment without God- that I start paying attention and feel I’ve gotten my money’s worth.

Many of Browne’s '70s songs ask the big questions but don’t really provide any answers. Unlike Dylan or Springsteen, Browne seems uncomfortable speaking authoritatively about life and why there is suffering in the world and while I doubt he’s had any theological training this makes it all the more exciting for me when he nails it and shows how one can come to believe in the necessary existence of God and the spirituality of the human soul through reason and experience. By the time of Live in the Balance in 1986, Browne was at last speaking with authority and his music is better for it. The humble, amiable Browne also seems more at ease- and having a lot more fun- when he’s collaborating with or covering the songs of artists he respects which makes me hopeful he will release a whole album of covers someday.

If one listens carefully then you can hear Browne revisiting, reusing, and reworking some of the same melodies in different songs as if these melodies are so deep inside him he can’t escape them. Despite the heavy subject matter in many of his songs, Browne usually leaves the listener a little bit of light and hope at the end of each song. Even Browne’s “Fountain of Sorrow” is a “fountain of light” or, to quote the ancient Greek playwright, Aeschylus: “And even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, until in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.” I think Browne would agree with that. Here are some more of my favorites. Enjoy!

01. Jackson Browne – “The Night Inside Me (Live)” (2008)
02. Jackson Browne – “Rock Me on the Water” (1972)
03. Jackson Browne – “My Problem Is You” (1993)
04. Jackson Browne – “Going to Cuba” (2008)
05. Jackson Browne – “Take It Easy” (1973)
06. Jackson Browne – “Our Lady of the Well” (1973)
07. Jackson Browne – “The Load Out (Live)” (1977)
08. Jackson Browne – “Stay (Live)” (1977)
09. Jackson Browne – “The Birds of St. Mark’s (Live)” (2004)
10. Jackson Browne – “Fountain of Sorrow (Live)” (2004)

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Jackson Browne accepts award – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions 2004

Browne’s Blues – Part 2

My first exposure to Jackson Browne’s music was in the late ‘80s when I borrowed my dad’s cassette tape copy of Lives in the Balance. At that time I was listening to whatever music I could find and while the overall ‘80s production of Lives in the Balance may not have aged well the songs inspired me and I really dug Browne’s simple and direct social and political messages. We were living in the depths of the Reagan era- when most commercial artists were singing about nothing- but Jackson Browne was trying to make his voice count for something real and even as a kid I respected that.

Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, and 
Tom Petty at No Nukes concert 1979

Besides being known as one of the genuinely nice guys in rock music, for decades Browne has also been a political activist and like many ‘60s artists he’s not shy about speaking out on issues important to him. Whether it’s protesting nuclear power, gun violence, or corporate greed, Browne remains an active citizen and seems always happy to lend his voice to the fight- even if doing so might cost him some fans or endorsement deals. Whether it’s his birth in Germany, wild youth in L.A., romance with Nico, ‘70s collaborations with Warren Zevon, left wing politics, or sense of humor, there’s always more to discover about Jackson Browne and his music. Here are some more of my favorites. Enjoy!

Browne arrested outside Diablo nuclear power plant 1981

01. Jackson Browne – “You Know the Night” (2014)

02. Jackson Browne – “Doctor My Eyes” (1972)

03. Jackson Browne – “In the Shape of a Heart” (1986)

04. Jackson Browne – “Lives in the Balance” (1986)

05. Jackson Browne – “Lawyers in Love” (1983)

06. Jackson Browne – “Barricades of Heaven (Live)” (2004)

07. Jackson Browne – “The Long Way Around” (2014)

08. Jackson Browne – “These Days (Live)” (2004)

09. Jackson Browne – “For a Dancer (Live)” (2004)

10. Jackson Browne – “Everywhere I Go” (1993)

Jackson Browne and Dawes at Occupy Wall Street 2011

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Bruce Springsteen inducts Jackson Browne – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions 2004

Browne’s Blues – Part 1

One of my favorite artists from the golden age of ‘70s singer-songwriters is Jackson Browne who is still writing, recording, and performing today more than 50 years after he first started out as a professional musician (that’s Browne playing guitar on Nico’s 1967 recording of “These Days” which he wrote at the age of 16.) While I’ve struggled to find a Jackson Browne studio album I can enjoy from start to finish, I have dug and collected many of Browne’s songs over the years and a few of them can still make me cry (that’s hard to do and a testament to Browne’s powers as an artist and a human being).

I’m a real fan of Browne’s live stuff especially the more recent concerts where it’s just the artist and his guitar- or the piano- connecting with fans in an intimate setting where every now and then he’s still able to demonstrate his singer-songwriter wizardry, cast a spell upon the audience, and hit one out of the park. A good songwriter lets the songs speak for themselves and while I know Browne’s had some pain in his life- suicides, including his wife- I don’t need to know the backstory to each and every song (and Browne is too smart to box himself- or the audience- in). 50 years later and Jackson Browne- one of the few masters we have left from the blue jean rock poet era- can still breathe life into old songs (old spells) and I celebrate and am grateful for his many gifts. Here are some of my favorite JB songs. Enjoy!  

01. Jackson Browne – “Linda Paloma” (1977)

02. Jackson Browne – “Song for Adam” (1972)

03. Jackson Browne – “Running on Empty (Live) (1977)

04. Jackson Browne – “Love Minus Zero/No Limit” (2012)

05. Jackson Browne – “Sky Blue and Black (Live)” (2008)

06. Jackson Browne – “The Pretender” (1977)

07. Jackson Browne – “I Am a Patriot” (1989)

08. Jackson Browne feat. Los Cenzontles– “The Dreamer” (2017)

09. Jackson Browne – “Jamaica Say You Will” (1972)

10. Jackson Browne – “All Good Things (Live)” (2008)

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End of an Era