Monday, July 27, 2015

GREAT Songs Ruined by Radio

On July 6th of this year, I wrote a blog called A Stream Runs Through It. I created a sidebar called, Great Songs Ruined by Radio. I've now gotten feedback from several people, so I thought I'd feature it this week. (For me, several people = a go in this stage of my blog writing.) Anyway, If you didn't read that blog, I asked everyone, to think of great hit songs that you once loved that have been ruined for you by overplay, year after year on commercial radio.

So, from several people, Google searches and many years of being in a car, I started a bullet list with no rankings or general order of once great but overplayed songs. As the list emerged, it was clear that I was editing out songs that were definitely overplayed, but in my personal opinion, were not great and often just terrible. I'm talking about big 70's - 80's hits from groups like Boston, Foreigner and Journey that followed many of the 60's groups. Rock 'n roll has alway had its share of second tier acts, but let's just say, for a Boomer, my musical crap gauge was developed in the 70's. So please don't get hurt feelings, if you came up with, More Than A Feeling by Boston. In fact, it may be irritating that classic rock radio ruined, Stairway To Heaven for everyone, but it's a far greater crime to be in the supermarket and forced to listen to Journey's, Don't Stop Believin' for the billionth time. Anyway, this is why one writes a blog, to share their own opinion and this week, it's about greatness diminished by satiation.

So here's my current list (that I will periodically update) with the great songs and artists who recorded them. Note, I won't be creating a linked playlist this week because I (and possibly you) don't want to hear these songs anymore, okay maybe Satisfaction again in a few more years. My suggestion for the week is to listen to deeper cuts by these same wonderful people or musicians that are new to you. Also, start listening to community radio (see radiofreeamerica.com) and the sounds of fresh air.

GREAT Songs Ruined by Radio 
  • Stairway to Heaven, Led Zepplin
  • Hotel California, The Eagles  
  • Satisfaction, The Rolling Stones 
  • Brown Eyed Girl, Van Morrison
  • Moondance, Van Morrison
  • Our House, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
  • Light My Fire, The Doors 
  • Proud Mary, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Ike and Tina Turner
  • Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours, Stevie Wonder
  • Hey Jude, The Beatles 
  • For What It's Worth, Buffalo Springfield
  • Happy Together, The Turtles
  • Layla, Eric Clapton 
  • Respect, Aretha Franklin
  • Summer Breeze, Seals & Crofts 
  • Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen 
  • Heart of Gold, Neil Young 
  • Heard It Through The Grapevine, Marvin Gaye, and CCR
  • Magic Man, Heart 
  • I Love Rock 'n Roll, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
  • Sultans of Swing, Dire Straits 
  • Won't Get Fooled Again, The Who 
  • Here Comes the Sun, The Beatles (Submitted by my wife, Mary Kit. But here's the thing even though I've included several Beatles songs myself here; The Beatles are a rare exception in that, after all these years, many people still never tire of even their top hits.)
  • Take It Easy, The Eagles 
  • Oh, Pretty Woman, Roy Orbison
  • Southern Man, Neil Young (Sorry but the rebuttal, Sweet Home Alabama by Lynard Skynyrd was a hit and overplayed, but not great) 
  • Owner of a Lonely Heart, Yes
  • My Girl, The Temptations 
  • Your Song, Elton John
  • California Dreamin', The Mamas And The Papas 
  • What A Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong
  • Ramblin' Man, The Allman Brothers Band
  • Let It Be, The Beatles 
  • Maybe I'm Amazed, Paul McCartney 
  • Imagine, John Lennon 
  • Money, Pink Floyd
  • Daniel, Elton John 
  • American Pie, Don McLean
  • Rhiannon, Fleetwood Mac 
  • Hungry Heart, Bruce Springsteen
  • Evil Woman, Electric Light Orchestra 
  • Reelin' In The Years, Steely Dan 
  • Doctor My Eyes, Jackson Browne 
  • Jump, Van Halen
  • Sara Smile, Hall and Oates
  • Billie Jean, Michael Jackson 
  • Rock This Town, The Stray Cats 
  • (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay, Otis Redding
  • Born in the USA, Bruce Springsteen 
  • My Guy, Mary Wells
  • Boys of Summer, Don Henley
  • Start Me Up, The Rolling Stones
  • Rock The Casbah, The Clash
  • Burning Down The House, Talking Heads 
  • I Melt With You, Modern English
  • Sledgehammer, Peter Gabriel
  • Good Riddance (Time of Your Life), Green Day
  • Losing My Religion, REM 
  • Smells Like Teen Spirit, Nirvana 
  • Babylon, David Gray
  • Home, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros (Submitted by my step-daughter, Abby. Now what's interesting about this song is that I had to look it up on YouTube and play it. Now once I heard it, I recognized it and yes, a good song overplayed to death. I just had to laugh at myself as I keyword searched "overplayed songs" from the last several years as I couldn't recognize one song from reading the titles. Maybe I've just saved myself a lot of frustration by drastically limiting my listening to commercial radio in the last five years. Thank you KPBS/NPR and Jazz88.3 in San Diego!)
  • Rolling In The Deep, Adele 
  • I Will Wait, Mumford & Sons
  • Let It Go, Idina Menzel (as a consumer, Disney hits you on so many fronts and as a grandparent, I can't take this song anymore!)

Monday, July 20, 2015

1970

In 1970, I was a 15 year-old freshman in high school with the world in front of me. From the sidelines, I watched the hippies lined up by the 101 to hitch-hike, the Vietnam war live on TV and listened to all the wonderful music. We took the music for granted at the time, as the industrial revolution was beginning to crumble, rock 'n roll was our biggest cultural industry. American music (with a little help from the Brits) did more for democracy than Nixon's flag pin would ever do. As James Taylor sang four years later,



Cause tennis shoes, and rhythm and blues
Are second generation
All across the nation, now,
And mama knows,
Papa too rock 'n roll is music,
Rock 'n roll is music, now.


Music wise, the 70's were going to build off the 60's and it was all going to start with the break-up of the best band of all-time, The Beatles. 1970, among many things, was the year of the solo album and again the Beatles would lead the pack in that department too. All four Beatles had solo albums plus movies, soundtrack credits and yes of course, Let It Be.

I started this blog after seeing this Wikipedia article called, 1970 in music. You have to go to this link now because it sets up my YouTube Playlist for this week. The events (including Janis Joplin's and Jimi Hendrix's deaths) and albums created by such gifted people are simply astounding. For me, I clearly remember two conflicting thoughts. One, I wished that I was 18, ("To be on your own, with no direction home"), to be free of my parent's world. And two, I was just lucky enough to be too young to be drafted for the war. I actually lived the Wonder Years, a tail-end boomer just old enough to take it all in. I was an outside spectator who wanted in. Enjoy my mix (link w/release dates & notes), (I keep adding more by the hour) released from January-December, 1970.





Monday, July 13, 2015

Mary Jane's Last Dance

I woke up Saturday morning thinking I'd never seen Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in concert and that I'm going to make that a priority for the future. I then starting singing Mary Jane's Last Dance in my head all day, and that always tells me, "there's a blog in there somewhere."

People have different theories on what the song is about. Many think the song is about weed or drugs, but I think it's about Tom's experience with Microsoft Windows (just kidding). The band's official video of the song kind of turns the whole thing upside down with a creepy Weekend at Bernie's theme going on. I think that video is just Tom and the boys having a little fun with us all. The song, as band member Mike Campbell says, "could also just be a goodbye love song." Well, that's always been my interpretation as I tend to lean heavily towards 'love lost' songs. But, I'll save that talk and Don Henley's Boys of Summer (also co-written by Mike Campell), for another day.

I love the beat and guitar riffs in Mary Jane's Last Dance, by one of the best bands, the Heartbreakers, but the lyrics and chorus harmony just knock me out.

Mary Jane's Last Dance

She grew up in an Indiana town
Had a good-lookin' mama who never was around
But she grew up tall and she grew up right
With them Indiana boys on them Indiana nights

Well, she moved down here at the age of eighteen
She blew the boys away, was more than they'd seen
I was introduced and we both started groovin'
She said, "I dig you baby, but I got to keep movin' on
Keep movin' on"

Last dance with Mary Jane, one more time to kill the pain
I feel summer creepin' in and I'm tired of this town again

Well, I don't know, but I've been told
You never slow down, you never grow old
I'm tired of screwin' up, tired of going down
Tired of myself, tired of this town

Oh, my my, oh, hell yes
Honey, put on that party dress
Buy me a drink, sing me a song
Take me as I come 'cause I can't stay long

Last dance with Mary Jane, one more time to kill the pain
I feel summer creepin' in and I'm tired of this town again

There's pigeons down on Market Square
She's standin' in her underwear
Lookin' down from a hotel room
Nightfall will be comin' soon

Oh, my my, oh, hell yes.
You got to put on that party dress
It was too cold to cry when I woke up alone
I hit my last number and walked to the road

Last dance with Mary Jane, one more time to kill the pain
I feel summer creepin' in and I'm tired of this town again

And now, a live concert video of the band performing, Mary Jane's Last Dance, one of my all-time favorite songs along with a longing to see these guys live myself, singing this song.

Monday, July 06, 2015

A Stream Runs Through It

This past May, I visited my pal Bill DeVoe at his home in Wilder, Idaho (population about 1000). This is a fifty-minute car ride from Boise. Anyway, he has his truck and kitchen radio tuned to Radio Boise KRBX, a community radio station which also streams its programming on the Internet at radioboise.us/stream/.

During my stay, I got hooked by the eclectic variety of music coming from the various community DJ's on Radio Boise. I was surprised to be hearing such wonderful diverse music all the while surrounded by alfalfa, wheat and hops fields. Every morning we would take a walk next to the network of water irrigation channels running through all these fields. We would then come back and Radio Boise was on during breakfast and sometimes in the evening. I was in a different place and simply enjoying my new surroundings. I couldn't tell you one song I heard there, but the beauty is that the music had become a part of my overall positive experience while in Idaho.

This trip got me thinking about how important it is to get out of our routine and be a part of another routine for at least a short while. And if you can't physically get away, try something small and new out of your routine. One little suggestion is to stop listening to your same radio stations and even your personal music collection and simply, step out of your musical box.

Here is a fun musical exploration to do just that, try Radio Free America.

"Radio Free America is the FREE online / mobile platform for public radio (college, independent and non-commercial / educational stations) and their DJs / Program Hosts - along with the listeners and the contributors that make up the broader community. We provide not only the streams, but essential tools and services - free of charge - to optimize the radio experience for all users and stations. Our cloud-streaming and cloud-storage environment supports and enhances public radio stations, allowing them to preserve and distribute the innovative content served up in this, the last bastion of unencumbered free form radio." From - About Radio Free America

Currently, I'm in my hometown of Santa Maria, California and visiting with another old pal of mine, Paul Hobbs. I'm telling Paul about this blog and I asked him to provide me a song title I want to include here about me being 60 years old and having heard the same classic rock song, far too many many times. I said give me a good example of a great song you once loved, but radio has forever killed it for you. He said, "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison. So true, within earshot, my mind just wants to block out that song. We humans can only take so much saturation of the same thing, but yet that is what we are fed on the commercial airwaves.

So I would like to start a little sidebar here called, Great Songs Ruined by Radio.

Now, think of a song that you once loved that has been ruined for you by overplay, year after year on radio. Please write it in the comments section below if you like or send me an email at dgmcintosh@gmail.com with the subject line - Great Songs Ruined by Radio. I will collect a list and present in a future blog with the same title.

One of mine is, Won't Get Fooled Again by the Who. Damn you KGB-FM. I'm not just talking about in your car where you have control, but at the grocery store, the mall, or at the stop light from some baby boomer's car with the windows rolled down - "pick up my guitar and play just like yesterday."

I'll leave you with Radio Boise's piece on Why is Community Radio Important?  Here is an excerpt -

"There is almost a limitless amount of music that’s been recorded in the world, yet most of it doesn’t get heard.

up and down the radio dial, most stations are owned by highly- consolidated media organizations – many suggest that it’s 7 corporations (CBS, Time Warner, Clear Channel, Disney, Comcast, News Corp, Viacom) that direct most of the public media we consume every day. talk about ultimate control of content and discourse. at RadioBoise, DJs shape the tone of their shows independently around the loose guidelines of providing sounds that are more like a unique gems than overplayed sameness that exists on other stations.

The internet provides vast means in which you can entertain your ears, most of which at their root are computer programs. When human beings program a show to share on the airwaves, the idea is that a warmth and personality is communicated with awareness of our communities’ nuances that the automated mechanisms cannot provide. That is one definition of community. The station’s goal is to make sure we’re filling a unique niche in music and local-interest programming that is refreshing, engaging, and helps expand our listeners perspective."

Monday, June 29, 2015

I'm In a Philly Mood

This week I'm in Philadelphia at the convention center at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Conference. So while here, I would like to feature one of Pennsylvania's own, Daryl Hall.  Daryl Hall is most famously associated with John Oates in the most successful band from the mid 70's to mid 80's, Hall and Oates.

In 2007, Daryl through the power of the Internet created, Live from Daryl's House which has gone on to be a highly successful television show on Palladia and CMT. Today, I would like to feature one show with guest Amos Lee, a Philadephia native who gives Episode 66 a Philly mood (click on link here for entire show), not to mention the great song they perform together, I'm in a Philly Mood.



Here is also a great Live From Daryl's House YouTube Playlist by JC9852



Independence Hall, 6/28/15

Monday, June 22, 2015

James Taylor, for the long run

This past week James Taylor released, Before This World, his 17th studio album of new material and first since October Road, in 2002. James says in this recent article about his life and crafting songs, James Taylor: 'A big part of my story is recovery from addiction'"It used to be that these songs got squeezed out of every pore, and you just couldn’t stop ’em. Then it slowly turned to where you had to kind of coax them out. Now you have to pull them out with a winch."

I often go back to the classic tale of the Tortoise and the Hare, as a life's lesson in defining achievement. My take has a slight twist on the classic line, 'slow and steady wins the race'. I would prefer to say, "slow and steady for the long run." As an inspiration to us all, James has done just that. After a whirlwind start, James was fast out of the gate, first young artist to sign with the Beatles on Apple Records, drug addiction, hit songs and famous women, and a life of activism. Except for the drug part, James was the man, or at least the walking man in the 70's to aspire to. But as addiction and fame take so many, James learned to slow down and set a new, slower pace for himself. I'm personally inspired by James to enjoy the fruits of life but also stay steady on our run here on earth and to always keep creating.

So last Tuesday, I bought Before This World and highly recommend you purchase it too. Now as I get older, I find myself getting extremely emotional when watching a great movie, drama or news show, and of course, great music. On Saturday, Mary Kit and I saw, Everybody's Talkin': The Music of Harry Nilsson, at the Lyceum Theater in San Diego. Well, if you read my previous blog, As time goes by Harry Nilsson, you hold up, you know I'm a big Harry Nilsson fan. Nilsson's music is so emotionally deep and was sung so well by the cast, that I teared up quite a bit during the whole play. Same thing this past week with listening to Before This World, tearing up because the songs are so deeply crafted and with James, it just hits home. The song, You and I Again is one of James Taylor's best songs ever, and I'm guessing you will agree as well.  I'll lead with it on my Before This World YouTube playlist. Enjoy and just keep creating and loving for the long run my friends.

Update - Before This World has debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 in it's first week! Though James has had eleven albums reach "Top Ten" in his career, this is his first #1 album. 



Monday, June 15, 2015

Monday Monday Motown

On Saturday, I went to see the play, Motown the Musical at the Civic Theater in San Diego. Here is George Varga's review in the San Diego Union-Tribune. The play was based on Barry Gordy's book and is a very nostalgic view of the history of Gordy and Motown.

But hey, Mary Kit and I were there for the nostalgia and did this musical ever deliver the music! The songs and singing performances were electric and still have us humming the tunes we grew up with on the radio. I'm sure many of these songs will be in my head for weeks as I put this Motown playlist together for this blog.
Also, since the play only mentions one line about The Funk Brothers, I do want to mention their impact to the world of popular music in the 1960's and early 70's. The Funk Brothers, were hand-picked studio musicians assembled by Gordy in 1959 to be the house band for all the recordings done at Motown in Detroit (Hitsville... USA), until Gordy moved Motown to Los Angles in 1972. The Funk Brothers were not invited to join Motown in Los Angeles. This is all brought to light in the 2002 documentary, Standing in the Shadows of Motown about The Funk Brothers, which I highly recommend. I believe I saw it on Showtime several months ago, but currently I can't find it being played on TV or freely streamed on any service. (Here is the Amazon Prime rent price of $2.99 and purchase price for $5.99 if you are interested.)

This week is also the traditional time of year for K-12 school to end and celebrate high school graduation. I can't think of a better way to kick off the summer with a playlist of all my favorite Motown songs on YouTube. Motown the Musical uses the promo line, "A beat of a generation. A soul of the nation." So now, enjoy all these wonderful artists' enduring songs with the beat and soul of the Funk Brothers backing them up.






Monday, June 08, 2015

(Updated) - 13 past blogs with new music videos

I have finally updated 13 previous blogs with YouTube videos to replace the Grooveshark  audio files that no longer work. The Grooveshark website was shut down on April 30th of this year.

So, take a look back on these posts as I have included many new tracks along with concert footage or pictorial videos as individual clips or new playlists. Enjoy and please comment on any of these blogs or videos you like.

I'll be back Monday, June 15th with a new blog.


  1. Grooveshark and a Fitting First Post (Updated)
  2. Wake up Everybody (Updated)
  3. 1969, girls, cars and Badge (Updated)
  4. I've been for a walk on a winters` day... (Updated)
  5. Tomorrow Is My Turn, Rhiannon Giddens (Updated)
  6. A matter of heart (Updated)
  7. Please just... Let it Rain (Updated)
  8. Breaking Format - (Updated)
  9. Always with the negative waves, Moriarty (Updated)
  10. Hot town summer in the city (Updated)
  11. Touch of Grey (Updated) 
  12. alligator lizards in the air...in the air... (Updated)
  13. #WeLoveYouJoni (Updated)

Monday, June 01, 2015

Seattle Rain

Mary Kit and I went out on our first date June 1, 1973. We had met as seniors in high school English class. She sat in the desk right in front of me and being the painfully shy person that I was, didn't ask her out on a date until a couple weeks before we graduated. As time was ticking, I asked her out and we went to the movies and saw Blume in Love. Thinking back, it was perfect.

So forty-two years later, and a lot of water under the bridge, I wake up this morning in West Seattle (where Mary Kit's three children live). Well, she surprises me with a gift certificate for a massage in the morning and tickets to Bette Midler tonight at the Key Arena in Seattle. That's my Mary Kit, always giving. Later, I'm driving back from my massage, by myself in the rain, and the song's opening lyrics just come into my head.

"They were perfect for each other and they knew it, they both been around the block and lived through it too"

The song, Seattle Rain, written and sung by dear friend Paul Hobbs. Paul is a fantastic musician who I've known since junior high. Recently, we talked about setting up a YouTube Channel for many of his songs. I also plan to feature his work on a future blog once we get some more songs uploaded.

But for now, I leave you with Seattle Rain, a wonderful song about two people who found each other.

I love you, Mary Kit. Happy first date anniversary!



Monday, May 25, 2015

David Letterman and Paul Shaffer's late-night musical magic

This past week David Letterman finished a 33 year run with 6,028 shows on late-night television at NBC and CBS. This is truly a phenomenal feat of talent and stamina.  Letterman did this all the while with his musical director Paul Shaffer at his side. The trust and bond between these two men have provided the public with a treasure trove of memorable moments through the daily preparation and collaboration of Letterman and Shaffer. I don't think David Letterman would have done 33 years unless he had Paul Shaffer and the band to help deliver the show night in and night out. I'm sure that like Dave, Paul was not feeling it every night, but you would never know. Shaffer's passion and professionalism always shined through and made the Late Show with David Letterman the place to showcase almost every genre of music. From an eclectic selection of musical guests, including famous musicians who just wanted to play the night in Paul's band, we all got treated to music not always heard on mainstream television. America doesn't often play Americana music on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox, but Dave did. Letterman's move to CBS ultimately didn't win the TV ratings war with Leno's and Fallon's The Tonight Show, but he won the hearts of a nation with his unique combination of angst and love. And, Dave loved the music.

With a show of this magnitude and duration, there is no way to capture the thousands of musical guests who created magic on Letterman's shows. This magic was especially preserved in the musical performances in the Ed Sullivan Theater once HD television enhanced the sight and sound of live music. Listen to the more recent recordings and you'll hear the theater's acoustics in the performances. We now have thousands of those moments to enjoy on the Internet and I had quite a task this week to screen a 100 or so videos. I selected 33 choice cuts for your pleasure and hope you enjoy my YouTube Playlist this week.

Dave and Paul, thanks for the memories and 33 years of wonderful music.



I have to end with David Letterman's first guest in 1982 and his last non-musical guest, Bill Murray. Bill takes to the streets and leads a classic Lennonesque chant with the crowd outside the studio,
"All we are saying, is more Worldwide Pants." 

Monday, May 18, 2015

Lucille, the thrill is gone but not forgotten



This past Thursday, Riley B. King passed away at 89 in his home in Las Vegas. We all know him as B.B. King, the most influential Blues guitarist of all time. As Rock 'n' Roll was birthed from the Blues, B.B. is simply King of the Blues and the master of the solo to all the younger electric guitarists coming up in the 60's. B.B. King thrilled these young players as they emulated his style and in turn, these great players thrilled us beyond imagination.


Here is Buddy Guy's statement.

“This morning, I come to you all with a heavy heart. BB King was the greatest guy I ever met. The tone he got out of that guitar, the way he shook his left wrist, the way he squeezed the strings… man, he came out with that and it was all new to the whole guitar playin’ world. He could play so smooth, he didn’t have to put on a show. The way BB did it is the way we all do it now. He was my best friend and father to us all.

I’ll miss you, B. I love you and I promise I will keep these damn Blues alive. Rest well.

All my love,

Buddy”


Here is Eric Clapton's video message on the passing of his mentor and friend. 












B.B. King was a wonderful person and will be remembered not only for his great guitar playing and singing of the Blues, but also as a kind soul who opened up his heart to people and taught us how to share our talent with each other.

I must have played more than 50 videos on YouTube this past week putting together this playlist. I narrowed it down to 10 for your pleasure. Ladies and Gentlemen, the King of the Blues.

Monday, May 11, 2015

As time goes by Harry Nilsson, you hold up

Who is harry nilsson.jpgInto the late 1960's, pop and rock 'n' roll stars just couldn't sing other people's songs. Yes, all the greats still covered other artist's songs but it was a new day and the up and coming stars were both singers and songwriters. Harry Nilsson was one of the best. He could cover a tune as most of us first heard him on the radio in 1969 with the hit song, Everybody's Talkin' from the movie, Midnight Cowboy. Harry could also write songs with a range that put him in a very elite group of singer-songwriters by the early 1970's. But my god, the voice, this guy could sing as well as Bennett and Sinatra not only on ballads but rock 'n' roll tunes too.

If you haven't seen the documentary, Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him)? Check it out on Netflix.

Harry Nilsson is one of my all-time favorites and his voice and songs simply hold the test of time. Enjoy my little YouTube Harry Nilsson Playlist here.


p.s. Blog update - With the demise of Grooveshark, I learned this past week how to make Playlists in YouTube. I played with Spotify and Amazon Prime music but for finding and creating playlists, YouTube is probably the best way to go.  YouTube has a treasure search of playing free music, not to mention making playlists on your Youtube Channel. With YouTube, I can also play my free playlists on my smartphone as well as share and embed them, like my blog here. Oh, and don't forget to put the lime in the coconut.

Monday, May 04, 2015

Riding with lady luck

Last week a couple of things happened that inspired this post. First off, Grooveshark was fatally speared as the sea of lawsuits by the BIG recording companies finally brought them down. And down they went, not to mention their parental scolding inspired apology statement on their former website. You could almost feel the tears - Please Please don't put us in jail! Kind of makes me think this will truly be the last (company-based) mp3 pirate of the free Internet. Almost makes you want to reminisce over the wild west days of Napster and Limewire. Anyway in 2011, Grooveshark was a free and subscription music service on the Internet and it got me actively back into listening to music from the 60's and 70's. I tried free Internet radio and playing with streaming services like Spotify,but nobody beat Grooveshark for having rare older songs and also the ability to customize free streaming playlists for both my computers and smartphone. But as it sometimes goes with free apps, here today and gone tomorrow. Hey, but I'll be on the search and will report back once I find a (probably fee-based) music service with customized playlists to share. In the meantime, I'll happily embed here with the deep pockets of Google's YouTube to share 40+ year old songs with you.

That brings me to my musical selection as business took me to Bakersfield this past week. From San Diego, one takes the I 5 north through LA, over the Grapevine, to Highway 99 and into Bakersfield. The whole trip was freeway, cars and trucks and it made me instantly think of the Tom Waits song, Ol' '55, covered by the Eagles on their 1974 record, On the Border. Well I was driving with my true lady luck, Mary Kit, as we must have passed a thousand trucks in the blazing heat . It's not like we were roughing it like in the old days, going over the Grapevine in a car with no AC, it's 95 degrees with the windows rolled down, and you're praying the radiator doesn't blow. Kind of decedent of me to admit having a Honda CRV with the AC on and the heated leather lumbar seats on to keep my old back loose on the trip, just talking with my lady.

Well here's the great song,  Ol' '55. I'll say bye-bye to the audio link in Grooveshark as this is now shared to you courtesy of YouTube.

This song goes out to the boomer's as they know the experience of being inside a 1955 car on the roadways. No need to buckle up.

Monday, April 27, 2015

It Don't Come Easy


It's kind of been a Ringo couple of weeks for me. Got tickets to see Ringo and his All-Starr Band October 2nd in Paso Robles with VIP seating, oh boy living the high life! With that, I received in the mail a Ringo t-shirt that I'm wearing as I write this and also a Ringo canvas bag and poster that I have on my office wall. I was never in the The Beatles Fan Club or saw them live, but now, I finally get to see a Beatle!

So what's been playing in my head all week, It Don't Come Easy written and produced by George with Ringo assisting in 1970. George was so kind to his dear friend that he gave the song and all writing credits to Ringo. It got me thinking, these guys had been through so much together as struggling to famous musicians that their friendship could never be shaken . As the Beatles were now broken as a group in 1970, George and Ringo would just continue to be the great friends they were, bonded forever. It Don't Come Easy was released as a Ringo single in 1971 by Apple Records and went to #4 in the UK and US single charts. The song gave Ringo an identity outside The Beatles and kick-started his solo career. And George, just giving and being the great friend he was to Ringo.

Most of us have developed an extended circle of friends over the years. But if you are so lucky, you may also have a much smaller group of friends who you grew up or went to school with, and they still mean the world to you. As you grow older, you start to realize that getting new friends in your inner circle, don't come easy.

Deep friendship is a powerful gift. The trust between two great friends is understood and unshaken even if you don't see or talk that much together on a regular basis. Once you are in the presence of a great friend, it's like you both never skipped a beat, you are talking and interacting just like you did years ago, well maybe with a bit more maturity. Great friends are simply timeless and so is this song!

Concert for Bangla Desh, It Don't Come Easy - YouTube

Monday, April 20, 2015

What would you think if I sang out of tune...


Ringo StarrWith a Little Help from My Friends from the first verse and song written by John and Paul for their buddy Ringo, it's often the ongoing impression many have of Richard Starkey. Part self-made fool and Beatles manufactured court jester, Ringo is still to this day often maligned as the weak link in the best band in the world.  I just heard someone on TV the other day say something about every group or family having a "Ringo." This is just old crap and time to lay to rest the tired bit about Ringo as the lovable but inferior one. To me, Ringo is such an inspiration for overcoming sickness and adversity in childhood to becoming the definitive rock and roll drummer of all time, and yes, still very lovable.


What I admire most about Ringo is his sustainability. As most rock stars fade, Ringo endures through hard work and taking care of his body and mind. At 74, he shows us to keep doing the thing that makes us happy and brings joy to ourselves and everyone around us. Ringo is that social person who gets his strength from and with, his friends.  And Ringo is on a roll. He has a new album out, Postcards from Paradise, he's continually on tour with his All-Starr Band, and on Saturday he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Now this last part goes back to the rub described above. Why did it take the rock and roll establishment until 2015 to bring Ringo into the Hall of Fame as a solo artist? But from the man himself, no worries and complaining about his respect, he only needs it from the people around him! You have to love this guy for his sheer tenacity and willingness to just be a good person to everybody. I love this line by Paul about Ringo in the Rolling Stone article, Being Ringo: A Beatle's All-Starr LifeHe remembers the first show the Beatles did with Ringo, in 1962, at the Cavern in Liverpool, was when they became a real band. "The first few minutes that Ringo is playing, I look to the left at George and to the right to John, and we didn't say a word, but I remember thinking, 'Shit, this is amazing.' "

As George would say, "Ringo's got the best back beat I've every heard and can play 24 hours a day." Well I can't wait to hear that beat on October 2nd at the Vina Robles Ampitheater in Paso Robles, second row middle seats baby. Ringo simply rocks and yes, can carry a tune!

Enjoy the video below of the 2015 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and will be on HBO, Saturday, May 30th at 8pm.

Monday, April 13, 2015

Viva Lost Wages

Writing Sunday morning at 5:45 am in the Las Vegas Airport. My head is remarkably clear but my stomach is now saying, "dude, what in the hell have you been putting in me for the past 4 days!" I'm not eating anything on this plane ride back to San Diego that's for sure. Anyway, I'm popping Altoids to settle things down so let's talk Vegas, history and music as I'm hearing country pop piped in from the ceiling.

For me, Las Vegas is always a fish out of water experience as I land here and start my little venture with wall to wall people from all over the world, coming to have a little fun in sin city. This trip included my sister Stephanie, her husband Roger and my lovely wife Mary Kit. My daughter Shawna
Beatles Play a Slot Machinerecommended that we see the Mob Museum located in the historic federal courthouse and U.S Post Office building. It was fantastic! You've got to do this on your next visit here as it will not disappoint. By the way if you're ever in Memphis, you must also see the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Hotel (site of Martin Luther King's assassination). For Boomers, both museums let you travel through our parents and our own generation's history either directly experienced or connected through conversation, books, news, television and the movies. You get little mental flashbacks of yes I remember that and lots of new info too. I didn't realize for example that the Beatles were scheduled to play at the Sahara Hotel on their 1964 tour, but with the overwhelming response the two shows had to be moved to the Las Vegas Convention Center to hold at least 8,000 screaming fans. The mafia ruled the town back then with a lot of other interesting people who made this place America's playground. It got me thinking about being born in the 1950's. We landed right in the middle of the 20th century and I think it gives many of us an unique perspective on life. For example, we know a lot of things about The Great Depression and World War II even though we weren't there. We know who Moms Mably was and are interested in Frank Sinatra (see new HBO documentary) and the Rat Pack  all the while streaming new digital music to our smartphones. We experienced the middle and end of the industrial age, created the digital age and will carry that probably to some middle stage before we check out. I just hope this perspective can be valued a little more as we get older because we have something to share to young people about our times here. We were good listeners.

Well now, back to Vegas 2015. The low cost hotel rates and meal days are long gone here and you're just going to have to shell out some cash from your savings if fun is on your agenda. The only thing that's the same and eerily nostalgic about Las Vegas is the deja vu levels of second hand smoke you experienced as a child. You literally get that thick-head smoke high once you enter the casinos, combined with the recycled AC, your body is changing and you haven't even started drinking beer, cocktails and eating rich food yet. Oh did I mention that other thing, the part about giving your hard earned money away to shiny machines or to a person sitting around a table with strangers?

But oh, the musical entertainment in this town is the reason many of us come here in the first place and Las Vegas doesn't disappoint. First off, we got to see The Beatles Love at the Mirage for the second time (Mary Kit her third). It's becoming a religious pilgrimage for us and we converted Stephanie and Roger too. I don't think you can ever see this very special Cirque du Soleil show too many times.

Fleetwood Mac TicketsSecond up, we got to see Fleetwood Mac at the MGM Grand. A simply fabulous show by the same people who formed the 1975 - present lineup of the band: Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham and the wonderful Christine McVie. (Mary Kit, pal Mark Hunter and I saw the band way back in 1975 at the old Balboa Stadium in San Diego with Heart, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Rod Stewart on the same bill.) Anyway, Christine is back touring with the band after a 16 year absence and makes them complete. Mary Kit and I just saw them in December in San Diego (40 years later) when they started their tour and they even seemed more energized this time while doing this long tour together. Stevie said this was their 78th show of the tour and they just had the place rockin', lots of smiling from the band and the crowd was in a very singalong groove. With that I leave you some YouTube videos from the recent April shows, and as the band says, "Don't stop thinking about tomorrow." Or as Frank would say, "Vegas baby." So get online, check out who's playing when and where and start planning that Vegas trip soon!

Monday, April 06, 2015

#WeLoveYouJoni (Updated)


Last week, I like many people had to stop for a moment when hearing the news that Joni Mitchell was found unconscious in her home and taken to the hospital. Joni means so much to so many people and is one of a small group of artist's that transcend her time of popularity in the 1970's. Her lyrics and music speak to young and old and we all carry her songs with us, all the time. Her friends have created a hashtag, #WeLoveYouJoni and if you can, give her a message using the hashtag through your Facebook or Twitter account. Here is the site where of all these messages can be viewed by her and you too.

This week, I have put together a variety of Joni Mitchell songs into an (updated YouTube) playlist, enjoy and (continue to) send some positive waves in your thoughts her way.




Monday, March 30, 2015

alligator lizards in the air...in the air...

Spring in Southern California, the weather starts to warm up in the 70's and low 80's and the alligator lizards start to appear. I first see them on my trail run as they bask in the sun on the dirt edge and scurry off in the brush as my Clydesdale running style announces my presence. Then, they start to appear as little guys on my front walkway and also on the patio in the backyard, just sunning it up. Now the little ones never hang out by the front or back screen door, but the big ones, 8"-12" inches with their impressive tails, want to come in the house. They lay right at the foot of the door, frustrated that they can't find a way in.

This past year, I finally got a new front door, new vinyl windows and screens and a new back slider and screen, all sealed. Ha Ha you stupid little creatures! Every spring or summer until now, I have always found at least one alligator lizard inside my house, just hanging out. So on Saturday, I'm clearing out a small pile of branches that I had trimmed a couple of weeks ago. I pick up a branch and a 12" alligator lizard goes flying in the air and lands back in the dirt next to fence. With a little prompting with the branch, I guide the lizard to an opening spot where it goes under the fence. Yep, my works done here, protecting the wife from such a sight and all, I retire indoors. Well about three hours later, I step out from my sliding back door and just as I'm about to put my foot down, there is Mr. Alligator Lizard, I jerk and jump about 3 feet up and over him, damn, scared the hell out me, you stupid little creature! I guess we're even.




I sit down in a lawn chair and then the harmony comes into my brain, "alligator lizards in the air...in the air..." For the past two days I have been playing that line and the entire 1972 song of Ventura Highway by America, in my head. Can't get it out of my head. This song actually brings back fond memories of early driving days up and down the 101 coast. My friend Bill says he thinks of me every time he hears the song and I'm thinking it probably has good memories for you as well, and thus my feature for the week.




I found the Ventura Highway Wikipedia fascinating because the line, "alligator lizards in the air', is pretty off the wall, but very singable. As a Santa Maria boy, this song had a more in depth meaning than I ever realized.

"Dewey Bunnell, the song's vocalist and writer, has said that the lyric "alligator lizards in the air" in the song is a reference to the shapes of clouds in the sky he saw in 1963 while his family was driving down the coast from Vandenberg Air Force Base near Lompoc, California where they had a flat tire. While his father changed the tire, he and his brother stood by the side of the road and watched the clouds and saw a road sign for "Ventura".[2]
"He also stated "I remember vividly having this mental picture of the stretch of the coastline traveling with my family when I was younger. Ventura Highway itself, there is no such beast, what I was really trying to depict was the Pacific Coast Highway, Highway 1, which goes up to the town of Ventura."[4]

And, if you've ever wondered why you can't get a particular song out of your head, watch this.

Monday, March 23, 2015

Touch of Grey

Well it's actually a bit more than a touch of grey, more like full-on grey (see my profile picture, oh boy). This Thursday, I turn, turn, turn 60 and I've got the B-cards coming in. This card was LOL funny and thought it would make for a great playlist of songs for this week's blog. Also thought I'd add the large size font just to play along with my children. Anyway, here are two songs each from the real bands that made us sing and dance when us boomer's had our original hair color. Enjoy!





Monday, March 16, 2015

Hot town summer in the city (Updated)


Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty.... Yes living in the drought years, winter is spring and spring is summer. Yesterday I was watching the LA Marathon on the news and people were just literally melting in the heat. That is why the LA Marathon is scheduled for March, because logic says it's not going to be in the low 90's in March. Oh well, two songs came to me quickly in the past 72 hours. The first I'm sure you've surmised from the title, The Lovin' Spoonful's Summer in the City.



 Second up is Linda Ronstadt's Heat Wave which came to me last night while contemplating a run for this Monday morning. Well I'm keeping this short today so I can get that run in before I melt. Stay cool!

Monday, March 09, 2015

Always with the negative waves, Moriarty (Updated)

Like most people, I feed off positive words, energy and action. We humans are social creatures who tend to huddle with folks we like. We like them because they give us a sense of being, they share their humanity with us and it helps us grow, together we are happy. But in our quest of riding that train of happiness, there are always unkind and flat out mean people to disrupt our trip. For me, this past week has been full of disruption. I've was having wonderful breakthroughs in getting a new business off the ground, but it was coupled with a surrounding negative vibe that was throwing me off my game. As I proceeded through my week, I couldn't help but think of the movie, Kelly's Heroes and feeling like the character Oddball. Here is a great compilation clip from YouTube that just sums it up.


So to combat these negatives waves I turned to John Prine to give me inspiration. He is a genius at getting to the core of our souls through his words and music and I needed his help. He just laid out the problem for me with his song, Some Humans Ain't Human. Please stop reading and listen to this.



After that, I started listening to some of his more upbeat and humorous songs including, It's a Big Old Goofy World. The world's a funny place, let's go through life with a sense of humor and respect and just enjoy the ride.

Monday, March 02, 2015

Breaking Format - Updated



If you listen to music on your car radio, you probably are constantly flipping your preset station buttons. I often just turn off the radio and listen to my own tunes on my smartphone. I live in San Diego and after all these years of trying every station up and down the dial, I always fall back to just one station now. I love rock, pop, jazz, blues, folk and americana to name a few genres, but a lot of the music I want to hear is just not on FM radio today. This month I turn the big six oh, so I've heard a lot of rock n roll in my time, but on the radio you are only going to hear the big big hits from the narrow narrow radio formats.

jazz88.3.png
So what music do I listen to on the radio? KSDS Jazz 88.3. It is bar none the best music radio station in San Diego County. Why? Because they play such a variety of jazz and blues. On Jazz 88.3, you will never hear the same song twice in a week and probably not in a month. As people get older they tend to get more conservative in life, with the exception of music. It is one of those magical things in life as most people actually expand their musical tastes over the years. With many young people, it is just the opposite. I strongly recommend Jazz 88.3 to anyone young and older who were just raised on hip hop or rock n roll, respectively.  If you live in San Diego, give it a try for week and let me know if you have ‘expanded’ your radio listening.

Now to television, a medium that is actually getting better with cable and pay for view programming. Last week, I got a couple of pleasant surprises to shake my 'ol preconceptions about two current and very popular music artists. Gotta love it when that happens.

Image result for You+Me roseave
First, I'm watching my favorite music tv station, Pallada owned by VH1 (Time Warner Ch. 286, San Diego). Pallada gets it, they play shows and concerts from a very eclectic range of pop and rock people, good stuff. I came across, You+Me: Live in Santa Monica (check TV scheduling) , a folk duo project by Dallas Green and Alecia Moore (better known as P!nk or Pink). What? Pink doing folk, I was shaking my head, this should be interesting. Well, it was. It was better than that, it was damn good! These two artists and their vocals together are a perfect match and it blew me away. I actually got the goosebumps tingle. You know the tingle, that feeling that goes up the back of your spine to your neck hairline when you witness something special.



Second up, it’s the 2015 Academy Awards, not a great show this year, but then came on Lady Gaga. Like Pink, not a person I sit down and listen to (like change the preset button or channel). I know she has being doing her thing with Tony Bennett, doing standards and I was getting to start to appreciate her range, but then this The Sound of Music film tribute...and I'm stunned. Hey, I was also getting the goosebumps tingle again and with music coming from network TV! It was something like watching a great scene from Breaking Bad, it was that good. So just sit back and appreciate the work and respect she gives.

Monday, February 23, 2015

Please just... Let it Rain (Updated)

Rainy Days and Mondays (1971) by the Carpenters always assaulted the senses of my crowd growing up in the 60's and 70's as most of us linked the brother and sister duo with the Lawrence Welk view of the world. Well last night and this morning, it has been raining in Southern California, and that SONG just creeped back into my head, "Raining days and Mondays always get me down."  Bummer! Just please disregard that as I'm going to try to keep this blog upbeat and a way to start your week. So if you live in So Cal you know that rain is a very good thing after four straight years of drought. Let's all hope we can keep getting some more of the wet stuff coming our way!

Oh, it appears my blog post is too late, I see the sun now shining through as I write this line. This screws up my whole bit here, I was going to feature Eric Clapton's Let it Rain, but might have to switch to George Harrison's, Here Comes the Sun.

Well I'm going to be water optimist and stick with Let it Rain,
co written by Delaney Bramlett and Eric Clapton on his 1970 debut solo album, Eric Clapton.

And so, a hippy rain dance....



Monday, February 16, 2015

A matter of heart


Tomorrow is the 13th anniversary of my heart attack and it is something that I have quietly celebrated with my wife Mary Kit every year since. Sometimes we go out to dinner on February 17th and I guess that is ironic in that Mary Kit and I never celebrate Valentine's Day which is just a few days before. I feel that Valentine's Day with the heart symbols, flowers, chocolates, dinner and cards is kind of a Hallmark holiday.  Mary Kit woke up this morning and told me that she loves me and I would say that we say, "I love you" everyday to each other. I like to think we celebrate the spirit of Valentine's Day everyday and in my own way, I celebrate my life this time of year as reminder that each day is a gift. We all need to work on our health and be there for the people we love and our music will always there for us, to keep us young at heart.

So I got to thinking about 'songs with heart in the title' and googled it. I looked at several hits and found a very A-Z comprehensive list. I don't have the data, but would guess that more than half of all songs written are about love or a metaphor for love, attraction, desire and well, on and on in that vein.

Check out my new updated playlist on YouTube and take care.


Monday, February 09, 2015

Tomorrow Is My Turn, Rhiannon Giddens (Updated)

Tomorrow Is My Turn
Buy @ Amazon
I usually don't post twice on Monday, but tomorrow, February 10th, Rhiannon Giddens releases her first solo album, Tomorrow Is My Turn. If you have been following my previous posts on Monday Monday Music, you'll already know that I'm a big fan and believe it is truly her turn to get the attention she deserves. Here, she is again in good company as T Bone Burnett has produced this album and continues to guide one of the most dynamic voices of her generation.



Here is her YouTube Channel Playlist for Tomorrow Is My Turn


T Bone Burnett's Americana: Part II

Last Monday, I wrote about T Bone Burnett's influence on the music industry and his ability to bring together very talented and divergent musicians in various projects. Today, I would like to continue in that same vein as I've had the pleasure to experience two wonderful documentaries presented by Showtime in 2014. First, Another Day, Another Time: Celebrating the Music of 'Inside Llewyn Davis which I wrote about last week and featured Marcus Mumford and now, Lost Songs: The Basement Tapes Continued (next airing, Feb. 14th, 2pm).

Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes (Deluxe Edition)
Buy @ Amazon
This new project is Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes produced by T Bone Burnett. It uncovers new lyrics that were written in 1967 by Bob Dylan that were never released and not part of the original, The Basement Tapes (The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete). These sessions were home-recorded reel to reel tapes made with members of The Band at their "Big Pink" house basement in Woodstock, New York, 1967. 

Mr. Burnett's vision with The New Basement tapes was to capture the open spirit and collaboration of the original recordings with a new group of musicians including: Elvis Costello, Rhiannon Giddens, Taylor Goldsmith, Jim James and Marcus Mumford. Watching the documentary of the creative process of Burnett with this group of people was very inspiring to me. I think this would be a great activity for any organization to view; how a group of people can come together and create something completely new from a set of existing materials, in this case, Bob Dylan's handwritten lyrics and drawings.

The song, Lost on the River was recorded in several different versions with different members of the band taking lead- adding new lyrics, orchestrating the arrangement and lead vocals. One arrangement, just blew me away as Rhiannon Giddens goes through her journey with her mates on this song. I hope you appreciate her work here, because if you have not heard of Rhiannon Giddens, you will after this, and know that a star is born in our Americana consciousness.