Bloggerhythms

WXPN's 885 Greatest Songs From Movies And TV, #8: Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle - Picking Up After You (From The Movie One From The Heart) (1982)

2026-10-21T07:03:38.544-04:00

Today's post is about a song that is probably the most obscure piece of music on my entire top ten list. Anyone who puts it on their ballot deserves a huge round of applause because it's a marvelous, moody, blues-fueled, jazz vocal song.

More than four years ago I wrote about a virtually unknown soundtrack album from a long-forgotten, 1982 movie that I have never seen. The music to One From The Heart was composed entirely by Tom Waits with country star Crystal Gayle as a featured guest vocalist on six tracks. The sessions were produced by Bones Howe.

The celebrated Francis Ford Coppola directed the picture starring Frederic Forrest, Teri Garr, Raúl Juliá, Nastassja Kinski, Lainie Kazan and Harry Dean Stanton.

Bloggerhythms' post about the complete soundtrack included a brief discussion on the flick's title track that Waits sang as a duet with Gayle. So, for #8 on my list of greatest songs from movies and TV I'm simply going to lift my own words about "Picking Up after You" from the original post.

The song makes "the listener believe they're in a seedy, underground, smoke filled bar with a trying-to-smile Humphrey Bogart downing a whiskey with a woman he both loves and loathes at the same time."

"Gayle proved she is a surprisingly effective jazz singer. "Picking Up After You" is one of the best duets to ever come from such an unlikely pairing. No, let me correct that. The song ranks up there as one of the all-time great duets by any anyone, anywhere, anytime, any genre. It includes a wonderful, soulful trumpet solo from Jack Sheldon who also stars on several other tracks."

In my humble opinion this is the best music Waits ever made. I don't think anyone could have written lyrics like these except for him.

"Here comes the bride
And there goes the groom
Looks like a hurricane
Went thru this room
Smells like a poolhall
Where's my other shoe
And I'm sick and tired of pickin' up after you

Looks like you spent the night in a trench
And tell me,
How long have you been combing your hair with a wrench
Blue roses are dead
And the violets are too
And I'm sick and tired of pickin' up after you

Well, I've told you before
I won't tell you again
You don't defrost the icebox
With a ball point pen
This railroad apartment
Is held together with glue
And I'm sick and tired of pickin' up after you

Because I know
I been swindled
I never bargained for this
Once more you never cared about me
Why don't you get your own place
So you can live like you do
And I'm sick and tired of pickin' up after you

Take all your relatives
And all of your shoes
Believe me I'll really swing
When you're gone
I'll be living on chicken and wine
After we're thru
With someone I pick up after you
With someone I'll pick up after you
With someone I'll pick up after you
With someone I'll pick up after you"

WXPN's 885 Greatest Songs From Movies And TV, #9: The Wonders - That Thing You Do (From The Movie That Thing You Do) (1996)

2026-10-16T07:30:00.000-04:00

"That Thing You Do," the theme song to the 1996 movie of the same name, was composed by the late Adam Schlesinger, leader of the fun power pop quartet, Fountains of Wayne.

This Academy Award nominated record for Best Original Song reminds me of another fantastic one-hit wonder, The Knickerbockers' "Lies," a big hit from 1965 that many people believed was actually The Beatles.

It's easy to be reminded of the Fab Four while listening to this exuberant production that only reached #41 - especially when you realize the film's story takes place in 1964, the same year the Liverpool guys hit the big time in America. It deserved a much better fate, but power-pop wasn't being played very often on the radio during this grunge infested year of 1996. The fictitious liner notes from the soundtrack CD claimed "That Thing You Do" reached #2 on the Hot 100.

The four actors who played The Wonders in the movie didn't record the song. Schlesinger played most of the instruments himself and sang backup while Mike Viola - a producer who worked with the now disgraced Ryan Adams, Mandy Moore, Dawes, Jenny Lewis, and Semisonic - sang lead. He co-produced the track with its composer.

"That Thing You Do" was only a moderate success at the box office. It wasn't as critically acclaimed as the edgier High Fidelity and Almost Famous were as fictional films using rock music as a major plot line, but it's still a nice little movie.

The film was the first screenplay by Tom Hanks, and it was also his directorial debut.

It's hard to believe that it has been thirty years already since the movie and song were released.

WXPN's 885 Greatest Songs From Movies And TV, #10: Jackson Browne - Before The Deluge (From The Movie No Nukes) (1979)

2026-10-11T08:29:19.926-04:00

"Before the Deluge" has always been one of my all-time favorite Jackson Browne songs. Yes, it's political - and therefore controversial - but it also has a gorgeous melody that was helped in no small part by the late, great - and always drug free - David Lindley whose sad violin work on this track is the highlight regardless of its intended message.

"Before the Deluge" is one of Browne's most memorable songs. It's from Late for the Sky (1974) - an album most people consider his best. I loved the original studio recording, but it was easily topped five years later by this live version from the historic No Nukes soundtrack that made the original sound lifeless by comparison. To me, it's the definitive performance of this great song and it made me realize just how important Lindley was to Browne's music.

Browne continued to have a long and moderately successful recording career, but I always believed that after Lindley left his band following the release of Hold Out (1980) that the hall-of-fame singer-songwriter's records were never the same. His first album after Lindley's departure, Lawyers in Love (1983), was listenable, but something was missing, and I'm convinced it was the band's former main sideman. Whatever the reason, Browne never regained what he lost when his good friend left for a career of his own.

Many years later, the duo worked together again when they toured Europe together in 2006. A double-set, live album, Love Is Strange: En Vivo Con Tino, celebrating the event was praised by the press. I even attended and wrote about their last stop on that tour at the Philadelphia Folk Festival.

WXPN's 885 Greatest Songs From Movies And TV

2026-10-06T13:27:22.316-04:00

Bloggerhythms has closely followed and often participated in radio station WXPN's annual 885 countdowns they've aired every fall for about the last twenty years or so.

After years of counting down the usual fare of best songs, albums and artists the non-commercial station at 88.5 FM - licensed to Philadelphia's University of Pennsylvania - decided to go rogue with some unique lists.

Recent themes have included the 885 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century. I don't remember what came in at #1, but John Mayer had more songs on the list than anyone else. Two years ago we all voted for the 885 Greatest Songs By Women.

This year the station offers listeners a fun countdown. Currently, you can vote for your ten favorite songs that appeared in movies or on television. Your selections don't have to be theme songs, they just have to be tunes that were aired on any TV show or featured in any film. They can be from concerts, documentaries, musicals, dramas, comedies, variety shows or any other genre. Hey, maybe Philadelphians will even vote for their beloved Action News theme song.

Your votes are weighted, meaning your #1 choice receives ten points, your #2 will earn nine points and so on down the ballot. Voting is happening now and ends October 29, 2026. Participants can vote here.

I'll be listening again this year and as usual, voting for my ten favorites. All of them will be discussed on Bloggerhythms between now and the beginning of the on-air countdown that begins on December 3rd with #885. Stay tuned.

Four of my ten picks are from television shows, the rest are from movies. Not all of them are theme songs. In the meantime, here are a couple of good ones that didn't quite make my top ten. Both are from TV.

The ELP Laser Turntable

2026-09-30T07:14:40.055-04:00

I know this may sound like a commercial, but I must tell you about a true audiophile's dream. ELP, a Japanese company, has developed a laser turntable that has no tonearm or stylus. Instead, it uses five laser beams to play your old, 45 and 33 rpm, vinyl records and even your older 10-inch, 78 rpm, shellac discs if you happen to have any. This revolutionary piece of equipment will never damage or wear out any of your records as even the most expensive, traditional, turntables do. One thousand plays later your precious 12-inchers will sound exactly the same as they did when they were first played on this unique unit unless you happen to damage one of them. Unfortunately, there is a MAJOR drawback. ELP, begins pricing at $19,000 because each turntable is custom made.

This stylish machine is 100% analog. Company founder, Sanju Chiba, believes "Analog music is more natural... it is the sound of the master tape" so there's no digital technology involved.

According to ELP's website, "The system employs five separate laser beams: two to track the grooves, two to read the stereo information, and one to maintain the height relative to the record surface." The lasers also allow the turntable to play warped records because there is no tonearm or stylus that can be bounced around while they are playing.

One criticism of the unit is that the lasers are so sensitive that they pick up everything, so it is essential that your records be cleaned with Discwasher or a similar product before each playing.

Just like most CD players, the record plays inside the turntable drawer so listeners who love to watch it spin (me) will be disappointed. (Hey, nothing is perfect). Also, a remote control is included that allows you to play any track while the LED screen shows you either the elapsed time or the remaining time of the album.

This component is far out of my price range. I'm sure it's true about almost everybody who will read this, but it sure is a fascinating piece of equipment to dream about.

Here's a detailed review from Decoded Magazine posted in 2025.

Virgil Fox - Bach Live At Fillmore East (1971)

2026-09-23T07:36:29.804-04:00

Writing about classical music is not in my wheelhouse. I don't feel as if I'm qualified to expound on it in any great detail, and I'm including the works I like. One of them is a concert recording by Virgil Fox, a slightly eccentric church organist from New York City who made a name for himself by applying modern techniques to his live, solo performances.

Older, staid, classical music purists and devoted Johann Sebastian Bach aficionados weren't always fond of Fox's interpretations of the classical composer's music. The New York Times wrote that William F. Buckley said, Fox "must have figured that it was more important to fill the house with listeners who would hear Bach for the first time than worry about those who would resolve, like me, to have heard Fox for the last time."

Bach Live at the Fillmore East, Fox's live, concert album that appealed to many young progressive-rock fans was recorded on December 1, 1970 and released the following year.

So, what is special about this concert? Fox played what he called his "heavy organ" at rafters rattling volume. He told the audience at the Fillmore - a much-loved rock venue of the early classic rock era - that they were about to experience a "happening," and if they weren't ready for such an event they should move back because there were one hundred and forty-four speakers on stage ready to blast Bach from the star's specially built Rodgers Touring Organ into his fans' eardrums. Fox's non-traditional performance was also accompanied by a light show.

Those were the days when prog-rock was all over the radio, the charts, and concert halls both in America and in Europe where an abundance of prog music came from. If you're familiar with this much loved and much maligned rock sub-genre you may be able to understand Fox's popularity. Add electric bass and drums and you can envision a loud Emerson, Lake and Palmer show, the trio who were probably the foremost example of interpreting classical music for the rock world.

Fox had a long and successful career. He played on the Ed Sullivan and Mike Douglas TV shows, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center.

The Mike Jacoby Electric Trio - Welcome To The Family (2026)

2026-09-17T07:36:31.207-04:00

Once again, Mike Jacoby has written all of the songs on his California band's latest release, Welcome to the Family, and once again it's a good set of rocking tunes.

On this, the trio's third release, guitarist, composer and lead singer Jacoby continues to work with his solid supporting cast, Don Read on bass and drummer Mike Levin. They're three middle-aged guys who can rock 'n roll, so I don't think they'll be telling their kids to "turn it down" anytime soon.

Jacoby also writes intelligent - frequently edgy lyrics - and he's not afraid to get political. That's a brave act these days because too often artists take a huge chance of alienating a good chunk of any potential audience. On the hook-filled title track he sings, "There you are – a random face. You’ve come a long way from a distant place. Look over your shoulder – keep your eyes cast down. Never assume that there’s no one around."

The trio's sound isn't the least bit country, but Jacoby seems to identify with the working man on the high-powered "The 75/24 Split." "I’m getting near Chattanooga – heading north up to Detroit, Some stupid in a Nissan thinks he’s badass A.J. Foyt. My truck has been through hell, and I can’t afford another wreck. I’ve had way too many close calls at this ugly bottleneck."

"Love on Love" and the British Invasion influenced "Together" prove Jacoby can write about romantic entanglements without the overly syrupy sentiments that often plague the too-often-sung-about topic.

I wouldn't describe the band as a power trio, but you can use any other description you want: garage rock, power pop, heartland rock, or even Americana. They all fit.

For the third consecutive release, The Mike Jacoby Electric Trio proves they deserve widespread attention.

Welcome To The Family - The Album!!! by The Mike Jacoby Electric Trio

Seamus Kelleher/Blackthorn - September Skies (2006 & 2007)

2026-09-11T07:13:52.818-04:00

Due to all of the bad news of the last few years the sad events of September 11, 2001 may have receded deep into the minds of many people. But, on this twenty-fifth anniversary of the World Trade Center and Pentagon disasters - and the heroics of the passengers on United 93 - I believe it's time to discuss one of the saddest songs you'll ever hear.

Seamus Kelleher was known around the Philadelphia area as an excellent rock guitarist when he was a member of the now disbanded, locally popular, Celtic-rock quintet, Blackthorn. He left the band in 2011 to pursue his own muse and released two solo albums. Both of them were favorably reviewed here.

Kelleher is quite eclectic. He's versatile on both acoustic and electric guitars. Not only can he play the hard driving blues-rock of Rory Gallagher, he also covers slide guitarist Elmore James. On his second album, Another Side of Town, he gets mellow and topical with "Streets of London," a folk song written and recorded by English singer-songwriter Ralph McTell.

Kelleher also writes a lot of his own tunes. One of them is "September Skies," a truly wonderful work from his first solo outing, Four Cups of Coffee. Even though it's about the events of 9/11 it's not political at all, so the song should strongly resonate with anyone who lived through that nightmarish Tuesday.

At the time, Kelleher lived in Northern New Jersey and his town, Cranford, lost six people when the Twin Towers were destroyed. Due to the the ensuing chaos, many people who were in lower Manhattan at the time were unable to contact their loved ones at home, so it wasn't known if they survived. According to the song, the abandoned cars parked at the local train station were the only way many of the townspeople discovered which friends, neighbors and family members would never be returning home. That is the song's sad story.

Kelleher was teaching classes at NYU at the time of the tragedy. He told irishphiladelphia.com that "My wife and I worked in the World Trade Center back in the late 90s and we knew every inch of the towers. We knew some of the people who were killed there, six from our home town. My neighbor across the street just got out of the towers before they fell. He said to me, 'Seamus, I've seen things today no man should.'"

There are two versions of "September Skies" below. The first one is from the last Blackthorn album, Push & Pull, from 2006 and the second one was released a year later on Kelleher's first solo disc.

You can find out more at Kelleher's website.

Almost Hits: The Kinks - Celluloid Heroes (1972)

2026-09-06T12:01:26.354-04:00

My wife and I have been watching Turner Classic Movies more than we usually do lately. Just a few nights ago we watched Sunset Boulevard (1950) starring Gloria Swanson and William Holden. It's about a washed-up, silent screen actress, Norma Desmond - played by Swanson - who can't come to terms with the fact her career is over. She lives in a dark, fantasy world where she's still a star.

A down-on-his-luck screenwriter, Joe Gillis (Holden) - whom Desmond both torments and falls in love with - tells the former star, "You used to be big." Her famous reply: "I am big. It's the pictures that got small."

The film reminded me of one of the great lyrical conquests of the Classic Rock era, The Kinks' "Celluloid Heroes." It's a single from their 1972 LP, Everybody's In Show-Biz, that didn't chart but still made an impact among devoted music and movie fans. Album-oriented radio stations mostly played the superior LP version that runs 6:19, approximately two minutes longer than the 45 RPM. Neither composer Ray Davies nor The Kinks ever put a better song on vinyl.

Davies was inspired to write "Celluloid Heroes" by the many stars he saw embedded on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame. His thoughtful lyrics generate a lot of emotions that complement a gentle, pleasing melody and arrangement.

The lyrical centerpiece of the song is the line "Celluloid heroes never feel any pain and celluloid heroes never really die." Those words hit me hard every time I see an old movie star still so vibrant and alive on film who is no longer with us.

The line "Don't tread on dearest Marilyn because she's not very strong" is the antithesis of her onscreen personality and so accurate. Also mentioned are actors Bette Davis, George Sanders, Greta Garbo, Mickey Rooney, Bela Lugosi, and Rudolph Valentino. Composer Davies is able to convince us that he knew these stars intimately even though he never met them.

While many important and famous people from the past such as Cleopatra, Henry VIII, Leonardo da Vinci, Christopher Columbus, George Washington, Ben Franklin and Abraham Lincoln are well known to us none of them seem alive today. There are paintings, busts, and photographs of these individuals and even their own writings, yet they all feel like the historical figures they really are. Many of the film greats from Hollywood's golden era who have passed on continue to walk, talk, sing, dance, laugh and cry in movies today, but after you listen to "Celluloid Heroes" reality sets in. That is what makes the song so very, very sad.

_______________________________________

Almost Hits is an occasional exploration into songs that failed to reach the top #20 on the American Billboard Hot 100. Many have become classics despite what their chart position would indicate.

Sugarloaf - Sugarloaf (1970)

2026-08-31T07:30:00.000-04:00

Sugarloaf was a psychedelic, jam band from Colorado fronted by leader, singer, guitarist and composer Jerry Corbetta.

Corbetta co-wrote five of the six tracks on the quartet's eponymous, debut, LP that featured a 9:00 medley combining an original organ piece he helped compose with an instrumental cover of The Band's "Chest Fever." A second cover tune was also an instrumental - The Yardbirds "Train Kept a Rollin'."

The album's highlight is easily the opening track, "Green-Eyed Lady," a perfect example of the psychedelic influences that embellished the records of so many bands during the highly experimental late 60s and early 70s. The song was written about Corbetta's girlfriend who his bandmates referred to as their leader's "green eyed lady."

The 3:33 single was a big hit. It reached #3 on the Hot 100 while the longer, more psychedelic album track ran to 6:49. Bob Raymond's bass work and Corbetta's organ solo are highlights. The group also possessed some jazz chops because "Things Gonna Change Some" has a 5/4 time signature written by guitarist Bob Webber, Corbetta, and Raymond who admit they were influenced by the Dave Brubeck/Johnny Desmond classic "Take Five."

I've read reviews that say too much of the album is loaded with instrumental noodling, but I found the combination of Corbetta's organ work, light prog-rock and psychedelia quite listenable. I don't believe Sugarloaf is a great LP, but it's fine for anyone looking for something a little on the experimental side.

Sugarloaf is not a one-hit wonder although many people have probably forgotten "Don't Call Us, We'll Call You" (#9 in 1974), a scathing but humorous treatise about trying to make it in the record business featuring a Wolfman Jack impression, a riff from Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" and the famous guitar lick from The Beatles' "I Feel Fine."

Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris - Trio (1987)

2026-08-25T16:54:27.931-04:00

I know there have been too many reruns on Bloggerhythms lately, but I'm posting another one today due to the sad passing of the legendary Dolly Parton at age 80 after an unfortunate battle with cancer. This post first appeared here on October 15, 2013. Too many celebrated musicians have said goodbye to us lately.

In 1987 three great female talents formed a vocal ensemble for the ages. In a true collaboration, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt blended their voices together perfectly to record the award winning Trio, producing beautiful, Appalachian style, three-part harmonies in the process. They created the kind of music you envision hearing in Parton's Smoky Mountains on 1940's AM radio, back when banjoes, dobroes, fiddles, and acoustic instruments ruled, back when the music was still called country and western and before it became a huge, more urban-centered business.

Harris, Parton, and Ronstadt worked together without considering their own egos and the sessions were an obvious labor of love for all involved. One of the finer examples that demonstrate the respect they have for each other is Parton giving Harris the lead vocal on her self-penned piece, "The Pain of Loving You."

Jimmie Rodgers' "Hobo's Lament" is a perfect vehicle for Ronstadt. "Wildflowers" and "Those Memories of You" show off Parton's abundant vocal abilities. The traditional "Rosewood Casket" is another gem. Perhaps the highlight of the album is the old 1958 pop hit by The Teddy Bears, "To Know Him Is To Love Him." The Phil Spector tune doesn't have country roots, but its arrangement and perfect mix of voices allow it to fit in brilliantly with all of the traditional stuff.

There isn't a trace of rock 'n roll anywhere on the CD, even in Ronstadt's contributions. Her voice gives the group's harmonies additional power and depth. Parton brought along a couple of great songs and both she and Harris provided the rural sensibilities that were essential to the success of the entire affair. Take away any of the three ladies and Trio is a less successful artistic statement.

Those of you with minds open enough to know good music when you hear it regardless of genre will find Trio to be a very fulfilling experience. Enough people liked the album to send it to #1 on Billboard's country chart and to #6 on the US Billboard 200 album chart. It sold over four million copies and won two Grammy Awards.

Trio II was released to less fanfare in 1999, but it still became a certified gold record.

Ruby James - Call It Rock & Roll (2026)

2026-08-23T07:31:37.564-04:00

The review of Ruby James' first single, "Bumble Bee," from her new album of raucous tunes, Call It Rock & Roll, appeared here a few months ago. It's a loud, seven-song assault of mostly hell-raising rockers that create a lot of damage - in a good way - in just a little over twenty-four minutes.

James is a diverse musical sponge. She's heavily influenced by blues, R&B, and lots of pre-70s rock all fused together into her own unique style that sounds more modern than any of her rootsy, individual influences.

Highlights abound. The very funky "Boogie Downtown" was born from the singer's love of Sly and the family Stone. The heavy riffage of "Voodoo Queen" could have come from the fingers of Keith Richards. Rock veteran and close friend Rosie Flores shows off her chops on the single and two additional stinging tracks.

The record's power ballad also has a very sharp edge. "Punk Rock Love Song," is a reworking of a tune originally done by The Supersuckers, a band that is unknown to me. James added lyrics to their original tune, "Pretty F***** Up" proving she isn't afraid to stretch the boundaries of good taste if she believes controversial language is the best way to make her point.

James is a veteran performer originally from Los Angeles, but she's led bands in Florida, Texas, Austin, Wisconsin and Nashville, although I dare you to find any Music City sounds anywhere on Call It Rock & Roll.

An earlier James track, "She Won't Go," has been featured on Sirius XM's Little Steven's Underground Garage as one his show's "Coolest Songs in the World."

Learn more about this powerhouse rocker at her website.

Pete Best Live On An American TV Game Show - 1964

2026-08-17T07:45:00.841-04:00

Here's another rerun of a post originally published in July 2015 that many of you may find interesting.

Are you old enough to remember the game show I've Got A Secret? It was a TV program I watched a lot as a kid. For those of you who aren't familiar with it the premise was simple. A panel of four celebrities asked a series of mostly "yes" or "no" questions to a guest with the goal of uncovering his or her secret. In a lot of ways the show was nothing more than a TV adaptation of twenty questions, a game many of us have played at home.

The original series was hosted for most of its run by the late Garry Moore who also had his own variety show that was instrumental in giving Carol Burnett's career a huge boost.

The panelists during the years I watched were former Miss America and New York City politician Bess Myerson, game show host Bill Cullen, comedian Henry Morgan, and actress Betsy Palmer.

The original and most famous version of I've Got A Secret aired on CBS from 1952 to 1967. The show was briefly revived in the 70s and there was even a cable version of it on Oxygen in 2000 - 2001. Until I saw the video below I hadn't thought about the program in many, many years.

In this episode from March 30, 1964 former Beatle Pete Best is one of the guests. There are some things you should notice while viewing his brief appearance. Moore feigns surprise when Pete tells him his secret. A bigger lie comes from Best when the host asked him why he left The Beatles. The drummer's explanation was total fabrication. He was devastated when The Beatles fired him. Also, I was totally surprised when Moore announced that Best still had a social relationship with the Fab Four. In these very early days of Beatlemania in America I'm guessing the real story wasn't common knowledge yet.

Also, in what is typical of the day, notice how quickly the conversation turned to The Beatles' hairstyles. Both Myerson and the crew-cutted Cullen bring the topic up immediately during their turns and later Moore, whose hair is the twin brother of Cullen's, does the same. Before they became permanently embedded as musical and cultural icons it was the group's carefully coiffed hair that was often the most discussed thing about them.

Badfinger - Straight Up (1971)

2026-08-10T06:44:30.484-04:00

Here's a recently updated, old post from February 2009 about a very good classic rock album. It's been re-posted along with both of its original comments.

Unfortunately, it seems most of the world has forgotten Badfinger. They're probably best known for recording Paul McCartney's "Come and Get It," from their first LP on which the sadly star-crossed band was correctly faulted for sounding too much like a Beatles clone.

To me, the Welsh quartet's third album - produced by both George Harrison and Todd Rundgren - is among the best British power pop records of all time. Straight Up is full of Beatlesque influenced pop and is still the biggest selling non-Beatle album ever released by Apple Records.

Badfinger's second album, No Dice (1970), maintained an obvious Beatles influence, but they were now writing their own songs and people were listening. The album featured the hit single "No Matter What," the original version of "Without You," - a tune that later became a huge hit for Harry Nilsson in 1972 - and "We're for the Dark," a track that could have been a hit if it had been released as a single.

Then came Straight Up. Featuring the big hits "Day After Day" and "Baby Blue" the album provided Badfinger with everything musicians wanted: popularity and critical acclaim. The band combined pleasant melodies, fine musicianship, great singing, and, best of all, a flair for original composition and arranging. Other top flight songs on this album include "Money" (not the Motown song later covered by the Beatles), "Suitcase," "Sweet Tuesday Morning," "Sometimes," and "Perfection."

Unfortunately, everything fell apart shortly afterward, not because of a lack of talent, but by the implosion of Apple and Badfinger's mismanagement of their own business affairs. They continued to make albums, but by 1975 the first of the quartet's two suicides - partially stemming from their business related problems - stopped the group in its tracks. A few years later they reunited but a second suicide effectively ended their career. As of last year all four members who made this album have passed away.

Straight Up should be heard by all who enjoy clever mainstream rock and roll with a distinctly English flavor. Although No Dice is also worth hearing, if you only buy one, Straight Up should be your choice.

Christian Parker, Patrick Cleary, Earl Poole Ball And Jay Dee Maness - American Cosmic Revival, Vol. 2: Miles From Nowhere (2026)

2026-08-03T13:45:32.772-04:00

Country, rock and pop artists who perform cover versions or use outside songwriters for their primary source material are never respected as much as the stars who compose their own music, but classical and jazz musicians don't seem to be held to the same high standard. Their updated interpretations of the great composers or definitive jazz tracks are often praised. To me, that just isn't fair, especially when there are superb musicians who know how to properly deliver great songs from the past.

Christian Parker, Patrick Cleary, Earl Poole Ball and Jay Dee Maness specialize in celebrating the great recording artists and composers that made names for themselves in country-rock. Last year the foursome revived an entire 1968 LP, Back at Home, originally recorded and released by the late, great Gram Parsons' International Submarine Band of which both Ball and Maness were members.

Now the quartet is back with American Cosmic Revival, Vol. 2, twelve-songs first composed and/or recorded by mostly other Americana music legends long ago. They're performed with lovingly created country-rock arrangements that should be appreciated by the legion of Parsons fans and those who prefer their country to be genuine.

"Wheels," a Parsons and Chris Hillman track originally done by The Flying Burrito Brothers opens this set, but then the group expanded their horizons beyond the work of the infamous cosmic cowboy.

A Boudleaux and Felice Bryant composition, "Brand New Heartache" - an Everly Brothers standard - is here. A Bob Dylan song from Nashville Skyline, "I Threw It All Away" is a pleasant surprise. It keeps the spirit of the beloved Noble Prize winner but with better vocals. The quartet turns "Wild Horses" into even more of a country tune than The Rolling Stones' did. They also cover Rodney Crowell's "No Memories Hangin' Round" featuring some nice pedal steel guitar. Merle Haggard's "If We Make It Through December" is another winner.

The beautiful, jointly composed Gene Clark/Bernie Leadon effort, "Train Leaves Here This Morning" is from Eagles' 1972 eponymous debut, and in my opinion it's the most beautiful deep track the Southern California hall-of-famers ever laid down on tape. Leadon's vocal is smoother, but this slightly more upbeat version still carries the essence the writers intended, and that's a very good thing.

Parker said, "The project was created to celebrate and extend the musical legacy of these artists while bringing these songs and influences to a new audience." The finished work definitely extends that legacy, but I hope the last part of that statement also becomes true so a whole new generation discovers how good the often-maligned country music genre can be.

The Guess Who - Live At The Paramount (1972)

2026-07-27T08:15:53.665-04:00

Because they had too many hit singles in the mid-60s some rock fans believe The Guess Who were only commercially minded, middle-of-the-road rockers, but nothing could be further from the truth. While they did place eleven singles in the top forty - including seven in the top ten - the Canadians proved they could be a dynamic, hard rocking, live act. One of their heavier records, "American Woman," gave them the distinction of being the first group from north of the border to have a #1 single on America's Hot 100.

All these years later, the Winnipeg, Manitoba outfit still hasn't earned the same respect as many other classic rockers, but Live at the Paramount proves they deserve it.

This concert was recorded in Seattle, WA on May 22, 1972 shortly after lead guitar player Randy Bachman - who went on to have additional success with Bachman-Turner Overdrive - left the band. The Paramount show featured pianist and lead singer Burton Cummings and two other original members, bassist Jim Kale and drummer Garry Peterson. Apparently, it took two guitarists, Kurt Winter and Donnie McDougall, to replace Bachman.

This remixed and remastered CD version of the show was re-released in 2000 and included a few additional tracks - thirteen in all. Hits played that night included "Albert Flasher," "Rain Dance," "These Eyes," "Hand Me Down World," "Share the Land," and a barn burning take of the evening's closer, "No Time."

Unlike on the American Woman LP, "New Mother Nature" is separated from "No Sugar Tonight" - which isn't present here - with an updated, shuffling arrangement that I find to be much more interesting than the original.

"American Woman" is turned into an almost 17:00 jam session that includes a 5:00 Peterson drum solo that goes on just a tad too long and are the only few tedious moments on the 74:00 disc. Otherwise, it's a dynamic performance that starts out with Cummings and the band improvising on the introduction before it explodes into the main part of the song just as it does on the original classic LP.

Cummings proves he's among the finer singers to ever front a rock band in any decade. He possesses both range and power in vocal chords that have always been one of the band's most important assets. He shows off his fine chops on "Sour Suite" a ballad that features only his voice and acoustic piano.

The set also includes three songs, "Glace Bay Blues," "Runnin' Back to Saskatoon," and "Truckin' Off Across the Sky" that have never appeared on any of The Guess Who's studio albums.

Don't be fooled by what you hear on oldies radio. This band can rock.

The Lemon Twigs - Look For Your Mind! (2026)

2026-07-21T07:30:00.000-04:00

The D'Addario brothers - known to most of the world as The Lemon Twigs - have released six full-length albums, an EP and a live set. Their latest, Look For Your Mind! is getting a lot of buzz and deservedly so.

Hailing from Hicksville, Long Island, NY brothers Michael and Brian - now 25 and 27 years old - began their careers ten years ago writing and singing their own songs, playing all of the instruments themselves and even producing their own records. They operated differently on this album. In addition to all of the guest musicians lending their assistance The Twigs brought their sturdy road warriors - bassist Danny Ayala and drummer Reza Martin - into the studio with them.

Despite their ages the young duo's taste in rock music shows them to be heavily influenced by a long list of 1960's legends on this fourteen-song gem of a record. Revolver era Beatles instantly comes to mind. The Twigs make full use of woodwinds, brass, strings, a synthesizer, and even an Indian instrument called the tanpura. You'll also hear reminders of The Beach Boys, British Invasion, The Cyrkle (remember "Red Rubber Ball"?) and with their love of the 12-string guitar, The Byrds. There are even traces of a more modern approach to power pop such as Fountains of Wayne on "I Hurt You."

Lyrically, many of the songs look at the various stages of romantic entanglements like much of 60s pop did, but there are a few outliers. "Bring You Down" is about tolerating a mean boss and working at a job the singer hates while brazenly using an arrangement that is a close cousin of "Surfin' USA." The harmonies on "Mean to Me" sound like a good Brian Wilson produced vocal arrangement.

"2 or 3" tells the tale of a boy who believes he doesn't deserve his girlfriend because she's so much more worldly than he is. The woman tells the protagonist that "You're not well read/And you have no eye for art/But it's not what's in your head/It's about what's in your heart." It's not the usual lyrical fare about a relationship.

"Gather Round" is a nod to today's political climate. It seems to celebrate a new leader who the singer naively believes is going to help us all.

If a combination of power pop, garage rock, harmony and melody turn you on The Lemon Twigs need to be a part of your life.

Look For Your Mind! by The Lemon Twigs

Peter Green - In The Skies (1979)

2026-07-16T15:06:00.000-04:00

Much has been written about the troubles of the late guitarist Peter Green (1946 - 2020), the founder of Fleetwood Mac.

After leaving the band in 1970 Green spent most of the decade either in jail or in hospitals due to mental illness that was heavily fueled by his unfortunate usage of LSD. You can read about the sad and sordid details of his personal life at various stops along the Internet.

Regardless, Green was considered one of the premier blues-rock guitarists of the classic rock era and many considered him the equal of Eric Clapton, the man he replaced in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers.

Green released one poorly received solo album, The End of the Game, not long after he left the Mac but it took another nine years until he issued In the Skies, quite possibly the best work he's done outside of his famous band.

Green sang lead on the LP's only four songs with vocals. The rest are instrumentals. He wrote or co-wrote all nine tracks and shared lead guitar with Snowy White, another renowned, English blues-rocker who was a member of both Thin Lizzy and the 90s version of Pink Floyd. White's lead fretwork is featured on the title tune and on the instrumental "Slabo Day."

In the Skies is not a blues album in the truest sense. Most of the tracks are solid, straight-ahead rock, and every note is crisp, tasteful, and inspiring.

The highlight of the record is a slow, smoldering blues, "A Fool No More," that proved Green could still knock listeners' socks off when the world was going well for him.

In the Skies was widely released in Great Britain but in America it was issued on a very small label, Sail Records, after Green rejected a multi-million dollar contract from a major company.

The album isn't vintage, early Fleetwood Mac but it definitely is a joy to listen to. One spin on your turntable and you'll realize how great of a career Green could have had if his circumstances had turned out differently.

Joel Paterson - Let It Be Guitar! (Joel Paterson Plays The Beatles) (2019)

2026-07-07T07:14:18.795-04:00

Last week Bob Dylan introduced us to his band's new guitar player. Joel Paterson is a very talented electric and acoustic axman who specializes in releasing concept albums that show off his unquestionable versatility playing instrumental covers of rockabilly, country, jazz, blues, and western swing.

On his own, Paterson has recorded two Christmas records, an album of original, acoustic blues, and two albums of Beatles' classics.

I first discovered Paterson last year playing lead and steel guitar on an album starring upcoming singer-songwriter Annie Dolan with whom he shares equal billing on a set of tunes that emphasizes her fine vocals on a bunch of old pop, rock, and country standards mostly from the fifties and sixties.

Let It Be Guitar! was originally released in 2019 and again in 2023 as a digital only album. Paterson's choices are mostly from The Beatles' touring years, and that could be because those early songs suit his style better than the group's more musically sophisticated and adventurous later records. A small group, bare-bones take of "I am the Walrus" just doesn't seem to fit well in this setting.

Let It Be Guitar! is suitable for all occasions. You can play it as background music, but it's upbeat enough that you can dance to it too. Paterson's unadorned remakes of these classics show how superb The Beatles were at writing melodies. To me, it was always their strongest asset. The Chicago native instinctively knows what original touches each track needs while remaining true to the songs' original intentions. He adds just enough of his own flair to keep the whole set interesting.

"All My Loving" and "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" lend themselves well to a Chet Atkins, country setting while "Can't Buy Me Love" and "Drive My Car" find some tasty, jazz-rock organ grooves. "Honey Pie" sounds like the faux-period piece it's meant to emulate.

Paterson's second Beatles tribute CD, Let It Be Acoustic Guitar!, is an all-acoustic affair with a mostly different track listing.

The album cover is interesting too. It's a parody of the famous photograph from Introducing The Beatles that was released on a small label, Vee-Jay, here in the United States even before Meet the Beatles hit the shelves.

Dylan and his band aren't musicians who normally blow the audience away with pyrotechnics, showmanship and sheer volume so Paterson appears to be a good fit for the long-time, folk-rocking legend's stage shows.

Let It Be Guitar! (Joel Paterson Plays the Beatles) by Joel Paterson

Brian Wilson With Carole King - I'm Into Something Good (2008)

2026-07-01T16:32:34.559-04:00

Among the seemingly endless number of songs Gerry Goffin and Carole King wrote together is "I'm Into Something Good." As usual, during their songwriting partnership she wrote the music and he wrote the lyrics.

"Something Good" was first released in 1964 by Earl-Jean McCrea who only used her hyphenated first name on the record. McCrea was also a member of The Cookies, a girl group who earlier had R&B and crossover successes with "Don't Say Nothin' Bad (About My Baby)" and "Chains." (The latter was later covered by The Beatles on their full-length, debut LP, Please Please Me.) Both of these Cookies' hits were also written by Goffin and King.

Earl-Jean's version was a pop-rhythm and blues single that only reached #38 on the Hot 100. The 45 rpm was arranged by King and produced by Goffin.

"I'm Into Something Good" didn't become famous until it was released as Herman's Hermits' debut single in both Britain and America later that same year. Their record was faster paced and that gave the song an even stronger mainstream, pop sound. A couple of years later the single would probably be derided as pure bubblegum-rock, but it also ranks as one of the British Invasion quintet's best songs because it gets stuck inside your brain so easily without any warning. You just can't be depressed while listening to this exuberantly melodic and upbeat, #13 hit.

I only discovered Brian Wilson's cover recently. King admits she wrote the song with him in mind. "I make no bones about it, that song was influenced by Brian's music."' I'm sure it's the reason she was invited to sing it with him as an exclusive bonus track that appeared on copies of Wilson's That Lucky Old Sun CD that were sold only at Best Buy.

On this track, Wilson is in full-blown, mid-60s, Beach Boys mode. He recorded it with his own band, but the guitar solo sounds like it's his brother, Carl, jamming with the Wrecking Crew. When Wilson and his renowned guest harmonize on the acapella bridge, it's summertime in Southern California.

Take A Tour Of The Museum Of Music Technology

2026-06-23T08:03:32.427-04:00

Emerson, Lake & Palmer superfan, Andy Pincus, posing with
Keith Emerson's "World's Most Dangerous Synthesizer"

Do you want to marvel at Keith Emerson's very own Moog synthesizer? Do you also want to hear someone play it live? Are you interested in the history of ARP and Moog synthesizers? Do you want to learn about electronic wind instruments, keytars, guitar synthesizers and electronic drums? Do you want to test drive an electro-theremin yourself just like I did?

If your answer is yes to any of those questions you'll need to visit one of the coolest music museums you'll ever find, the hands-on Museum of Music Technology (MMT) in Harleysville, PA, a small but bustling suburb about forty-five minutes from Philadelphia and only about two minutes from the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

MMT is operated by EMEAPP, a 501(c) (3) privately owned, non-profit organization. Here's their vision statement taken directly from their website. "EMEAPP (pronounced ehm-eee-app) is an acronym that stands for Electronic Music Education and Preservation Project. EMEAPP’s primary mission is to serve as the caretaker of one of the world’s most comprehensive private collections of modular, lead and poly synths, electro-mechanicals, amplifiers, guitars, basses, effects and recording gear."

MMT is a place where you can see the actual guitar Steve Howe used to record "Close to the Edge," a keyboard John Lennon played when he worked with Elephant's Memory, and a synthesizer used by Stevie Wonder with braille letters attached to it.

There are three floors, nineteen galleries and more than seventy exhibits devoted to the pioneers of electronic music including Alan R. Pearlman (ARP), Robert Moog, Wendy Carlos, other early innovators and the musicians who benefited from their work.

You'll see and maybe even get to touch equipment that once belonged to The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, The Who, Genesis, Queen, Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, Mike Oldfield, Frank Zappa, The Allman Brothers Band, Neil Young, Jimi Hendrix and Kraftwerk. MMT isn't just for classic rock fans. You'll find stuff belonging to Buck Owens, Dolly Parton, Oscar Peterson, Al Di Meola, Hans Zimmer, Chick Corea, Laurie Anderson, Bobby Darin, Smashing Pumpkins, Bo Diddley, Harry Connick Jr. and more.

Tours are over two and a half hours long because there's over 33,000 square feet of stuff to see. You can't just walk in and expect to be shown around or take a self-guided stroll through the building. Reservations are required. To keep your visit as personal as possible groups are limited to just ten guests at a time. MMT also offers masterclasses and private sessions for people who want to dig deeper. You can buy tickets and reserve your time slot here.

I've recently become an active MMT volunteer as a tour guide assistant. It's a rewarding experience and a terrific way to learn the history of these often misunderstood pieces of equipment.

Stevie Wonder's Braille adapted synthesizer

A stack of Marshall amps

Steve Howe's electric sitar that he
used on "Close to the Edge"

RIP To Chicago's Walt Parazaider: His Best Flute Solos

2026-06-19T07:23:17.474-04:00

Walt Parazaider during a performance at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix, AZ
Photo used by permission of Ken Young & Wikipedia

In the early 70s Chicago meant almost as much to me as The Beatles did and I'll love their early studio albums forever. No one was more disappointed than me when the band's music took too much of a turn toward hornless power ballads. Even so, the sad news of Walter Parazaider's passing at age 81 on June 17th hit me harder than many other deaths of more famous and celebrated musicians. He had been suffering from heart disease and Alzheimer's for close to a decade.

Parazaider earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Depaul University in classical clarinet but after being influenced by The Beatles' "Got to Get You into My Life" he helped organize the band that eventually became Chicago with his friends - guitarist Terry Kath and drummer Danny Seraphine - to play an entirely different kind of long hair music. He was the large band's original and longtime woodwind player from 1967 until his retirement in 2017.

It is worth noting that Walt's marriage to JacLynn Parazaider lasted almost 60 years. He married her in 1966, even before Chicago began. It's a great accomplishment for anyone, but in the world in which he lived it's truly an astounding feat.

Whenever you heard a saxophone, flute or clarinet on a Chicago record it was Parazaider. He mostly played sax as part of the group's famed horn section, but there were times when he was also a featured soloist. I've already covered a few of his great moments in the past - listen to his wonderful, rocking, atonal, sax solo that closes out "Now That You've Gone" and his flute work on "Fancy Colours" as proof.

It's my opinion that many of Parazaider's best solos featured him playing flute. So, to commemorate his passing let's listen to a handful of tracks he played on that very pleasant wind instrument.

"Colour My World" from Chicago II (1970)

"Colour My World" was written by James Pankow as part of his suite, "Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon," that takes up the bulk of side two on Chicago II. The song was released as a single twice, first as the b-side of "Make Me Smile." A year later it reached #7 after being re-released as the flip side of "Beginnings."

Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson grabbed more headlines, but his flute work can't be compared favorably to Parzaider's tone on this low-key ballad sung by Kath. Anderson's breathy playing is no match for Parazaider's smoothness. It sounds like he doesn't come up for air even once.

My wife chose "Colour My World" as our first dance at our wedding reception.

"Happy 'Cause I'm Going Home" from Chicago III (1971)
This deep, jazz track closes out Robert Lamm's "Travel Suite" from Chicago's third double LP release in three years. Its wordless vocals are meant to convey how happy the composer is at returning home after a very long, tiresome tour. Parazaider may have been schooled in classical music and joined a rock band, but this solo proved he had some very nice jazz chops.

"Aire" from Chicago VII (1974)
Another modern, instrumental, jazz track that's also one of Parazaider's rare co-writes. Here he partnered with trombonist/arranger Pankow and Seraphine to prove just how creative the band could be. By this time Chicago wasn't getting much airplay on alternative, FM rock radio anymore, but our local station jumped on this track for a good reason. It proved how creative both Parazaider and the group could be. They never sounded this good again after VII, their last double record set.

"Hot Streets" from Hot Streets (1978) This is Chicago's first LP without James Guercio and Kath. It shows a definite turn toward the mainstream. It's a good album, but except for this Lamm original it's pure pop-rock. Their most eclectic composer and the one who provided them with almost all of their early hits came up with another jazz-rock gem that is definitely the disc's highlight. Parazaider's flute shines again.

The Riflebirds Of Portland - April (2026)

2026-06-17T07:21:19.857-04:00

The Riflebirds of Portland (ROP) were once known simply as The Riflebirds. Their hometown was added to the group's name when they recently discovered there's another band using their shorter, original moniker. Both bands are named after a beautiful and unique looking bird.

It's only after Lee Oser and producer Marvin Etzioni reunited two years ago that the quartet regrouped after decades apart to record a second album. Etzioni is well known as a founding member of Lone Justice.

ROP have a unique backstory. They released two singles and an album simply titled April only on cassette way back in 1989. Earlier this year it was finally released on both CD and on a long-playing twelve-inch record.

The lineup on this thirty-seven year-old set is composer Lee Oser on rhythm guitar and bass; his wife, singer Kate Oser; lead guitarist Kevin Kraft and drummer Kevin Jarvis. They got lots of help from in-demand, recording session all-stars including multi-instrumentalist Greg Leisz who may have played on every Americana track ever recorded and the late Kenny Edwards on bass who was an original member of Linda Ronstadt's Stone Ponies.

Eight of the nine songs came from the pens of either Oser, Etzioni, or both working in tandem except for a really fine, rocking interpretation of a deep Beatles track, "And Your Bird Can Sing." April is an album that clocks in at under a half-hour, so it goes by quickly and dares you to listen to it again. It took several spins for all of the songs to sink in, but now I'm hooked.

April is definitely a rock record infused with a singer-songwriter sensibility. It sounds more 80s than 70s but there are no drum machines (thank you for that) and the band makes only minimal use of electronic keyboards. There are, however, lots of acoustic instruments to complement Lee Oser and Kraft on their electric axes and even a horn section on "After Today."

Kate Oser's vocals may remind listeners of Sandy Denny or Annie Haslam, but what really makes April special is the songwriting. "Might as Well Stay" - a joint Oser/Etzioni collaboration - is about a shipwrecked couple in which the writer tells his lover that he'd love her anywhere so they might as well stay right where they are. "Michael" was inspired by the death of Oser's brother from an overdose at age thirty-three, but because he turns it into a love song for Kate to sing, it isn't at all depressing. He also tells us you should never walk down "Memory Street" to a cool but slow-burning, rock arrangement. "Pieces of Time" is the lead-off single and is made for radio.

With its unique arrangements, thoughtful songwriting and Kate Oser's fine vocals it's a shame April took so many calendar flips to become available to the public again.

Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (1968)

2026-06-11T07:16:00.804-04:00

No doubt about it, "In-a-Gadda-da-Vida" - the 1968 album and song by Iron Butterfly - is a relic from a different age.

I bought the record to reward myself for passing my driver's license test after I turned sixteen the following year.

Every classic rock fan has an opinion about this 17:05 track that took up all of side two on the original 33 1/3 rpm record from which it came. It's a song that people either love or hate. There appears to be no middle ground. While it's really a very simple composition built around a very famous riff it represents all of the excesses of the psychedelic era: extended guitar jams featuring both fuzz and wah-wah pedals, lots of electric organ, and long drum solos.

The lengthy work's name is based on the phrase "In the Garden of Eden." Supposedly, singer/organist/composer Doug Ingle was so drunk in the studio that when he recited the lyrics of the epic-length piece to bandmate Ron Bushy the drummer wrote the slurred words down exactly as they sounded to him - and voilà - we have an unusual song title and the album's name.

Iron Butterfly was always a revolving door of personnel changes. On this release the San Diego quartet featured band leader Ingle and seventeen-year-old electric guitarist, Erik Brann. The rhythm section of Lee Dorman on bass and Bushy rounded out the best-known version of the band. Sadly, this classic "In-a-Gadda-da-Vida" lineup have all passed on to Rock 'n Roll Heaven.

Iron Butterfly wasn't a one-hit LP wonder - their follow up, Ball, also went into the top ten - but "In-a-Gadda-da-Vida" was so astonishingly successful compared to everything else they ever released that it's the only song anyone ever associates with them. Multiple credible sources claim the album sold over thirty million copies.

Aside from the riff, the highlight is the drum solo located smack dab in the middle of the track. I'm not the only wannabee drummer who attempted to play along with Bushy on any table, countertop, or hard surface we could find. His simple but fast paced playing on the floor tom-toms made his work as accessible as any drum solo ever put on tape. At under three minutes Bushy's moment in the sun doesn't overstay its welcome.

Dorman's heavy bass foundation supported the riff throughout the song while Brann showed some surprisingly accomplished fret work for a very young man. Ingle's singing was nothing out of the ordinary, but the church organ sounds he produced coming out of the drum solo provided a very pleasing respite from the loud and heavy rock on the rest of the record.

Flipping the LP over to side one revealed more pop-oriented songs than one would expect, especially after listening to the mostly overblown affair on the other side. These five tunes sound dated today primarily due to Ingle's organ work that often took the lead over Brann's guitar. His lyric writing on "Most Anything That You Want," "My Mirage," "Flowers and Beads," and "Are You Happy?" pose no threat to the reputations of Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, John Prine and other exceptional composers known for their wordplay.

Iron Butterfly had their fleeting, fifteen minutes of fame based on one truly spaced out, hippie anthem. Fond memories of my youth will make me love the song forever regardless of its quality.

Last Albums: Grateful Dead - Built To Last (1989)

2026-06-05T08:52:24.934-04:00

I liked the Grateful Dead, but I was never a Deadhead. I wholeheartedly believe the sextet was better in the studio than they were live. To adherents of the late 20th-Century religion known as Deadism that statement is enough to send me to Hell for eternity.

The Dead's faithful do not believe in Purgatory because it's not possible to cleanse a sinner's soul in the Afterlife. Only total devotion to the band while earthbound can save a person from eternal damnation.

I know I'm one of the condemned because I believe The San Franciscans' sacrosanct triple LP/double CD, Europe '72, is boring. It's the album that never ends. I came to that conclusion after listening to it a few times back in my college days and again just a few weeks ago to see if my opinion had changed. It did not.

Garcia, Weir and company continued to release live material regularly, but they abandoned the studio completely after 1980's Go to Heaven because their later studio work wasn't nearly as compelling as their early 70s classic albums. The Dead didn't make another record until their very good comeback, In the Dark, in 1987. It became their only top ten album that was helped along by their only top 40 hit single, "Touch of Grey" (#9).

I've got to assume that the success of that record encouraged the Dead to continue in the studio. Unfortunately, their follow-up and final record, Built to Last, was a disappointment. The Dead's musicianship was excellent as usual, but the songs never resonated with many listeners. It only reached #27 on the album chart - not a bad showing - but a disappointment after the success of its predecessor.

One of the problems was the Dead's late keyboard player, Brent Mydland. He did not own a good set of pipes, yet he was front and center on four of the nine songs that he co-wrote. In general, the tracks all lack memorable hooks, so nothing stuck in my head post-listening. It really wasn't a good way for the legends to end their recording career. Despite that, they continued to please their devoted fans with their live shows and a multitude of in-concert releases.

Instead of listening to this final set pull out your copy of In the Dark again, or - even better - enjoy your copies of vintage works like Workingman's Dead or the terrific American Beauty.

_________________________________

Last Albums discusses music that was recorded as new material and intended to be released to the public as a complete album but not necessarily the last one. Live albums, greatest hits or "best of" collections and compilations do not count, nor do posthumous releases of leftover tracks cobbled together to make a final album.