Friday, February 15, 2013
"What About These?" : THE WEEKEND MIX
My first exposure to Al Stewart was "Year Of The Cat" and then "Time Passages." Back then, I hated both songs. It was by chance recently, that I acquired his entire catalogue on vinyl and noticed one record featured Jimmy Page on lead guitar. I listened to that record, "Love Chronicles," and that was it. It was nothing like the two hits, so I started from the beginning and now I love Al Stewart. I still don't love the aforementioned hits, but I mind them less. I also didn't mind giving these records a shot. I mean...if you haven't heard it before, it's new to you, right?
This same sentiment is what prompted yesterday's pro-Foreigner post. If "I Want To Know What Love Is" is all you've got, then you just don't have a fighting chance...according to the naysayers. (For the record, I like that sappy Foreigner ballad with the choir more than I like "Year Of The Cat.")
And so we have The Weekend Mix. Some tunes you may or may not know by some artists you may or may not like.
I love them all.
You can't judge a book...blah blah, so dig in to some under the radar shit, including the fab Harry Connick Jr. backed by some Meters, my fave Black Crowes b-side, a Dennis Wilson classic...I think, a McCartney gem from a McCartney lemon (thanks AWITW for the reminder), and Phil Spector's Wall Of Sound via Queen, among others.
It's all better than the ferkakte Lumineers.
(Spotify playlist is edited because not everything is on Spotify.)
TRACKLIST
She- Harry Connick Jr.
Might Just Take Your Life- Deep Purple
Angel Come Home- Beach Boys
Ordinary Dream- Electric Light Orchestra
Idol- Elton John
Beyond & Before- Yes
Steal Your Heart Away- Bonnie Raitt
Grows A Rose - The Black Crowes
Some People Never Know- Wings
Coming Apart- Bread
Summer '68- Pink Floyd
Grounds For Separation- Hall & Oates
Funny How Love Is- Queen
Lost It- Boz Scaggs
Black Muddy River- Grateful Dead
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11 comments:
Not sure why people are so down on Wild Life." Mumbo" is an infectious piece of nonsensical fun. "Some People Never Know" made you list so it's gotta be good. "Tomorrow" is a fine song and all that's missing from "Dear Friend" are some heavy Beach Boys harmonies;it could have been on "Surf's Up", So that makes it at least a 50% album. I'll take it.
I'm a Grateful Dead fan (although not a Deadhead-- I guess it's a matter of degree), but for some reason I only became aware of Black Muddy River recently. Now it's a favorite. You should check out The Persuasions' version.
I like the concept, so I'll bite.
BTW I bought Stewart's "Past, Present, And Future" in 1973 largely due to the Hipgnosis cover and Rick Wakeman's presence. I tried real hard to like it, but the overall wimpiness bothered me, and the sibilance in his voice whenever he encountered an "S". Unfortunately my friends dug him, and bought all the subsequent records, so by the time "Year Of The Cat" came out he was the aural equivalent of fingernails on a chalkboard, and one of my most regretted discoveries.
Way back when, a mate was a big fan of those Al Stewart songs over which he would wax lyrical while it was all I could do to not be sick in a bucket on hearing them. But now many moons later those same tunes sit comfortably with me. I like this mix as always, some new to me & some old faves (Bonnie Raitt & the Floyd tunes especially). Maybe it's simply a passage of time thing (to misquote Mr Stewart) but perhaps a long time of not hearing a song can alter your perception of it. Sometimes for the better, sometimes not. But thanks!
Nice! Thanks for posting it both as Spotify (I'm not a Spotifyer 'tho I know many are) AND a ZIP. Classy!
Also, I don't "get" the Lumineers either. They're headlining a big Atlanta festival soon (over names like Jim James and Drive By Truckers) and many of my friends/neighbors are going, but I don't get it...
Thanks Sal,
I spent a lot of time being "too cool for school" and turning my nose up at songs, artists, genres and I missed out on a lot of very good music.
I'd like to say in my maturity I'm more open minded -- probably b*llshit but I like to say it.
This is a really good mix of music that pretty much wasn't / isn't / wouldn't be on my radar.
Thanks!
And thanks for making the zip for those of us outside Spotify.
Best
Hey...thanks for Spotify and the zip. I listened on Spotify. I like Spotify though it confuses me a bit, but I'm on there. For my personal use I still listen to Pandora, Last.fm and Sirius more, but so many FB pals are on Spot, I gave in. It's very social and they do it well. Really enjoyed this list, love Bread ;), are they considered a guilty pleasure? The Scaggs made me cry, I always forget how much I adore him.
Zipz Rule!
Nice mix - tremendous range and a good bit of depth also . . . Although GD/Hunter have a few songs like Black Muddy River (Brokedown Palace, Must Have Been the Roses, Stella Blue), the prescience of the included track gets me every time, plus I know it is one of your faves!
J. Loslo nailed it dead on . . . that whole Persuasions disc is a treasure.
What a lovely track by Boz Scaggs and there is always appreciation for Bonnie Raitt.
Nice eclectic mix Mr Sal
Regards
Rhod
Also a shout-out for the Harry Connick song leading it off - he seems critically neglected, it not maligned, but I've always enjoyed him - and this track "She" cooks.
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