Poised & Ready- Brendan Benson
From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)- Bruce Springsteen
Eleggua- Dr. John
Daydreamin' Of You- The Dreamers
Say Goodbye- Cheap Trick
Lick It Back- Winston Samuels
Mistral Wind- Heart
Poised & Ready- Brendan Benson
(I was thinking how we hadn't heard from Brendan Benson in years and to be sure, I looked it up. It seems he put out a record in 2022 that I somehow missed. Has anyone heard that aptly titled "Low Key" album? Any good? That said, "My Old, Familiar Friend" remains my favorite and this one is from that.)
From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)- Bruce Springsteen
(I think most of us heard Dave Edmunds version years before we heard Bruce's original. They both rock.)
Eleggua- Dr. John
(Dan Auerbach's production on "Locked Down" made it one of The Night Tripper's very best. Here's one I love.)
Daydreamin' Of You- The Dreamers
(One of the deeper cuts from Cameo-Parkway, this one on the subsidiary Fairmount label. This is a great little record. Hard not to fall for the "sha-na-na-na-wo-wo" background vocals.")
Say Goodbye- Cheap Trick
(A pop gem from the lost Red Ant record of 1997.)
Lick It Back- Winston Samuels
(One of many fantastic tracks on the "I Love The Reggay" compilation. Listen to this, then listen to the rest. https://www.discogs.com/release/17400868-Various-I-Love-The-Reggay-Boss-Sounds-From-Randys)
Mistral Wind- Heart
(And we close things out with Heart at their most Zeppelin-y, with their drummer Michal Derosier at his most Bonham-y.)
Really enjoyed The Dreamers track.
ReplyDelete- Paul in DK
I have "Low Key" -- and I don't remember anything about it these years later other than it wasn't nearly as good as "Friend" and a disappointment because of that.
ReplyDeleteFamiliar with only one of these, so looking forward to the listen, especially given your reviews. And speaking of Springsteen....I'm just now getting to Tracks II, and like many here, already had the L.A. Demos as boots. I wonder if you've given more listens and adjusted your initial takes. I was expecting a country pastiche from North Of Nashville, based on your review, but instead found an Americana record a la Dave Alvin, which is all good in my book; I don't think these would've worked better as straight rock songs, but are better served in their arrangements with slide (not so much pedal steel) guitar and punchy production. It occurred to me, with that, that part of my issues with BS is the saminess of the ESB sound, both soundwise and 'go for the epic feel'-wise. This might be why I have tons more BS boots (demos, run-throughs) than final products, and like Nebraska so much more than most of his stuff (To be fair, melancholy BS is what I love best, so Nebraska and Ghost Of Tom Joad start out with points ahead).
ReplyDeleteThat cover of the day cooks, and imagine my surprise as I heard first Phil Lynott and then Steve Marriott come in with verses. Geez I miss Marriott's voice.
C in California
The ESB sound and "go for the epic feel" is what I fell in love with it way back when, so I don't hear it as a "saminess." That said, I have been on board with most of Bruce's ventures outside of that ESB box. I think "Magic" ranks right up there with his classics. And I didn't hate "Working On A Dream" or "Western Stars" the way others did. But the records in the Tracks II box don't seem as natural to me. The Nashville record is good, but it feels like Bruce made a to-do list--"Gotta makea Nashville record. Gotta do a moody soundtrack. Gotta do a crooners album." If I can get through that wall, maybe I'll hear those records differently.
DeleteOkay C. You're right. This is why I stress the importance of not giving up on legendary artists. Just listened "North Of Nashville." Hit me much harder than first pass. This is a solid record. Thanks for that.
DeleteYay!! And on another pass thru it I realized it DOES have a lot of pedal steel guitar, which I somehow had missed the first time! So we both had new ears on! I think he shoulda called it Somewhere North of L.A., since it sounds more Bakersfield than Nashville to me.
DeleteC in California
Thanks from your passionnate selection ! (from France)
ReplyDeleteAnd Burning Wood at its most Burning Wood-y!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this mix Sal! And I think 70's Heart is so underrated. I don't care about any of their hits from that time, but love smaller songs like this one.
ReplyDelete