Folkstation

"the clouds will be a daisy chain.. so let me see you smile again..Dear Prudence..."

we got the Sultan of Swing to lead rock and roll back to its roots.....the guitar!!

he came in and nearly saved the art form when it was disntegrating into punk and non-musical meanderings...

add that to the tens of thousands already petitioned and maybe justice will be served

way back in the sixties guys in their twenties are now in their sixties!! but they are still playing music that I loved then and love now....I can put on a Jefferson Airplane CD and go back to a wonderful time in California..and who can not love the wild eyed bass playing of Jack Cassady or the brilliant guitar of Jorma?

and Grace Slick wrote the anthems "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit"..and Jorma's "Embryonic Journey" still is a masterpiece...

so Jorma and Jack will be at the Lobero Jan 6 2010 with David Bromberg..acoustic guitars and Americana music at its best...

Kim Morgan is a writer whose film, music and culture pieces have ranged from the power of cars in cinema ("Two-Lane Blacktop" the best, of course), to the greatest of film's twist endings to movie's most memorable blondes and more. She writes essays for MSN Movies and authors and runs MSN's daily film blog, The Hitlist. She also writes for Huffington Post, IFC, Entertainment Weekly and Garage Magazine where she authors the movie column "Drive, She Said." Her photographs have also been published in Garage.

I was watching 'Heartbreak Ridge' this Memorial Day weekend..the Clint Eastwood movie..it was pretty good..but the beginning really got me..images of war with someone singing the brilliant "Sea of Heartbreak" in the background....I didn't know who was singing until I googled... Don Gibson, writer of maybe the best song I've ever heard... "I Can't Stop Loving You"....

from "Society's Child" to the incredible "At Seventeen" ...a true artist....she picked up a guitar and wrote this masterpiece!

every time I see a Deborah Kerr film, I am amazed how good she is...there's something about her..her eyes...her proper sexiness..what a joy she is to watch!!

"the worst that could happen"....what a great song by Jimmy Webb..and sung incredibly by Brooklyn Bridge and the late great Johnny Maestro

back in the 1970s Mother Nature was on the run and so was I ...I lived in Ventura on Poli St in an old three story apartment building with fantastic views..but it was a dump..and I loved it. Drunks lived there and they'd stop in and tell me their troubles..I'd hear them moaning and crying all night..I was singing and playing guitar in restaurants and bars like the Founders and the Bandar...the old Country and Western place..I had long hair and the old western redneck guys would loolk at me like I was a freak until I started playing songs they liked, then we were all cool and they were actually really nice guys once I got to know them..but boy they liked to drink alot!

Ventura was pretty cool back then...kinda run down but man we had fun. I remember the donut place off Main and the Top Hat hamburger joint as two places I went for something quick to eat..the Top Hat is a tiny building on the corner of E.Main and Palm streets and over the years became an unofficial landmark where they still shout out your order..it is a look at a simpler time..

fast forward to 2010 and the Top Hat folks were served an eviction notice from the property owners, who live in Carpinteria, name-a Watlings...the Watlings tried to raise the rent from $1800 to $5000 per month..now this is what ticks me off..I have no sympathy for people who buy property in an historic district (usually at deflated prices) and then cry about property rights when people want to save the buildings! if you don't respect the history of a town, then don't do business here! WATLING!! YOU HEAR ME?? Try that in Carpinteria and see what happens! You are a disgrace!

It is clear that the Top Hat is the hub of this part of the city! Ventura is still cool..a hodgepodge of styles and businesses makes for a fun day.

E Main Street at Poli by City Hall is a step back in time...most of the stores were full of shoppers, working class families, bikers, punks normal folks..all blended in quite well together...lots of Thrift stores and excellent restaurants..a bustling main drag...Santa Barbara could learn a thing or two from Ventura..you can't cater only to rich people..and if you keep quadrupling rents, you will lose in the long run...small businesses need fair rent and tax breaks, not harassment...it is clear the little hamburger joint run by three generations of the same family means a great deal to many people...the saving grace is that it is located in an historic district and property development will be difficult..to the Top Hat..long may you run!

Welcome Blues Fans!

The 2011 Simi Valley Blues Festival Box Office and Online Store is Now Open and Ready To Serve You!!

Get your tickets for the 2011 Simi Valley Blues Festival which will be held on Saturday, April 30th at the beautiful Hummingbird Nest Ranch in the hills of Simi Valley!

This musical charity event which benefits the American Diabetes Association as well as other local organizations, will have you dancing in aisles to the sounds of top blues artists amidst the beautiful backdrop of the Hummingbird Nest Ranch. In addition to the great music there will be a kids play area, craft vendors, a variety of delicious food and more! This year we have added a top of the line sound system, an all-new stage, and a dance floor!

Tickets are just $20 in advance! These make a great gift for that Blues Fan on your shopping list! We also have festival hats for sale in our online store! Visit http://www.simiblues.org today!

Not ! a Blues Fan? You will be!

Simi Valley Kiwanis
http://www.simiblues.org

how cool is that!!!

that was a great song from 1966 that I never can get out of my head... and this was a great folk group...Don Williams went on to be a country star and the girl, Susan Taylor had the prettiest, haunting voice...and eyes..and god is she beautiful...hard to find a CD of the old songs but they are fantastic and I'm still looking...thank goodness for youtube!!

Taylor is still singing today under her "Taylor Pie" stage name..and she's still fantastic!

I heard her on a Sprint LG tv commercial and was intrigued by the voice and guitar..then I found out she plays a harp, has the coolest voice I've heard in a long time and well, she must be heard!!

then... there was another girl on a commercial whose voice captivated me..her name is Laura Veirs...the song is called " I Can See Your Tracks" and it's gorgeous! and she can rock, too.. I don't know where Sprint is finding these ladies but it's a good sign for music!!

the "End of the World" was the prettiest, saddest song..I fell in love with Skeeter's voice when I was a kid, and the song kills me to this day...Chet Atkins produced it and together they made an absolute musical gem....

From left to right: Unidentified mod chick, Richie Furay (Buffalo Springfield vocals/guitars), Dewey Martin (B.S. drummer), Unidentified Woman, Lind, Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Dickie Davies (B.S. manager), at a Los Angeles club. Lind and Neil Young shared the mad genius of Jack Nitzsche's musical talents..Lind on "Elusive Butterfly" and on Young's first album which featured beautiful string arrangements and the "Loner"!

if there's one song that captures the fantastic time and atmosphere we experienced as kids in the 1960s, it's Procol Harem's "Whiter Shade of Pale"...that organ, Brooker's voice, those lyrics..gawd, it was beautiful!! well, Gary Brooker and the group will be at the Lobero on Nov 13...I'd go just to hear him sing it on a ukulele...I still love the song and what an opportunity to see one of the greats of the British Invasion!!

The recording itself, which arrives Aug. 17, was a "labor of love" for Wilson, 68, who was a George Gershwin fan long before he was a Beach Boy or had even discovered the piano. "Before I could play music, I could hear it," Wilson says, and Gershwin became a hero when he first heard Rhapsody in Blue at about age 4.

Gershwin begins and concludes with truncated versions of that instrumental classic, with Wilson vocalizing the melody line in the layered harmonies that are part of his own signature sound. In between, the veteran singer/songwriter revisits 10 beloved Gershwin songs, among them Summertime, I've Got Rhythm, Our Love Is Here to Stay and They Can't Take That Away From Me.

Adam Gershwin, the great-nephew of George and his brother/lyricist Ira, notes that this is the first time the family has authorized "derivative works of George and Ira Gershwin songs with new lyrics." Once the estate found out Wilson was planning a tribute, he was granted access to more than 100 obscure and unfinished songs.

Gershwin sees "a great similarity" between Wilson and his great-uncles. "Brian also is a musical visionary and refuses to be pigeonholed within a musical genre. It seemed to me a match made in heaven."

Iris Dement/ My Life..beautiful...Infamous Angel..beautiful...her voice, her songs made a believer outta me
Joni Mitchell/Blue.. "Little Green" and "Carey" show off how fucking brilliant this lady is!
Lead Belly/Where Did You Sleep Last Night.. in the beginning..
Beatles... Yesterday and Today & Revolver /English Version WOW! These two albums contained the most interesting music from the Beatles. A few songs on Y&T were also on the English version of "Revolver". "Yesterday and Today" had the infamous "babies" cover and was released shortly after John's "we're more popular than Jesus" statement..rightwingers and bible belters were burning their records and denouncing them... and I knew during all the uproar that the English fellows were the coolest thing going!
Beatles..White Album....astonishing..the Beatles were the coolest, hippest thing going.... still!!
Chris Montez..."Call Me" is the sweetest song, written by Tony Hatch (one of the best who wrote some great tunes for and with Petula Clark) and produced by Herb Alpert. Chris sang it like noboby else..free-wheelin' jazz pop cocktail party- on- the- island feel...a love song that I can relate to always..I mean, why doesn't she "call me?" Doesn't she know I love her??
Byrds... Greatest Hits/Notorious Byrd Brothers... the Byrds were the coolest thing I've ever heard...pioneers of that bold 12 string Rickenbacker guitar sound ..I was so happy to be moving to California in 1966.. the Byrds were to play at SBJHS one summer and I was so excited..god... all that music..."Wasn't Born to Follow" is truly beautiful, a gem written by Carole King/Gerry Goffin. Byrds ... It had that little psychedelic part for "Easy Rider" and some country pickin' from Clarence White. The stunning "Eight Miles High" and most anything they did was pivotal and captured LA and California in the sixties better than anyone! McGuinn put the electric 12 string front and center..listen to "It Won't be Wrong" or Gene Clark's thunderous "Feel a Whole Lot Better"...perfect! and those harmonies..ahhh...
Sonny and Cher..they were mainstays on AM radio and the music was GOOD! Cher did wonderful versions of Dylan's "All I Really Wanna Do" , the very touching "You Better Sit Down Kids" (written by Sonny) and Bob Lind's brilliant "Elusive Butterfly"..she had a killer voice in those days!
Traditional Chinese Folk Music at chinese folk songs is so pure and beautiful that I feel like doing Qi Gong!
Buried Treasure..from the 60s vaults..absolute gems like " Comin' Home Baby" by Mel Torme; "Angel on my Shoulder" by Shelby Flint; "He's A Doll" by the Honeys (written by Brian Wilson!)...oh man, this is good...
The Who..Who's Next..Roger Daltry could be the best singer in the world!
Moody Blues..Questions, Tuesday Afternoon..California 1967...
Eric Burdon and the Animals...so much good music from 1964-1968 and the stunning "Sky Pilot" still gets me...
Poco.. after his Buffalo Springfield brilliance, Richie Furay led this brand of country tinged rock that hit on all cylinders...it was a fresh sound with great songs that still works today when others fade away..
Roy Orbison... I can't listen to "In Dreams" without some emotional catharsis taking place.. or "Pretty Woman" without turning the radio up..this guy was a dark genius
Billie Holiday..."Strange Fruit" ... I watch her sing this incredible song and it scares the shit outta me..she was so beautiful and drugged out and in pain..pain brought by the pathetic racism in the south way back when..have we evolved?? No Billie? Then, no Janis, no Marvin, no Grace, no Joni, no Aretha, no....
Laura Nyro..love her stone soul music to death..."and when I die, and when I'm gone, there'll be one child born, in a world to carry on" such mastery! BS&T did justice to the song with their jazzed up soulful version.... and "Save the Country" seems right on today!! Her first album was a real stunner and a tip of the hat to Darlene Love and the Blossums...at 19 or 20 years old she was writing songs like "He's a Runner" and "Wedding Bell Blues".. then Eli and her masterpiece New York Tendaberry...man, I loved her... who else was this raw? Billie, Joni and Laura....amazing women!
Treasury of Folk Music.. Oh these songs! John Hartford.. "Gentle on my Mind"...I will always wonder how a guy could write a song this good.. "Walk Right In" the Rooftop Singers..that 12 string guitar sounded like a cannon blast!!
Chris Williamson...great songs and voice...she loves women and so do I!
Judee Sill...around 1971 her first album came out..I was especially interested in her song "Lady-O" after hearing the Turtles mangle it...Judee's version was sweet and lovely..Graham Nash produced some of the songs...A few more albums followed, Heart Food being another studio gem with "the Kiss" as more evidence of her extraordinary talent, but Sills mysteriously disappeared with rumors of drugs and her untimely death...who can figure out those incredible days....the kiss
Del Shannon...Searchin' and other pop gems ..produced Brian Hyland's incredible version of Curtis Mayfield's Gypsy Woman... and he wrote "I Go to Pieces" for Peter and Gordon!!
Spanky and Our Gang..had some catchy, well crafted pop hits with Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane's beautiful voice, great writers and producers..and then "Give a Damn" came out in 1968.. an amazing song that created some problems for the establishment: "Give a Damn" was released as a single in the summer of 1968. In spite of being banned in several states because of the profanity in its title - and in some cases due to the fact that it was a comment on racial equality that became the theme song for the New York Urban Coalition - the song became a regional hit where released and overall made #43. It was also performed live on an episode of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, resulting in CBS Standards and Practices division receiving numerous complaints about the song's title being used during 'family viewing hours'. One such complaint reportedly came from Richard Nixon!
Mamas and Papas..."California Dreamin" indeed...we were living in Illinois (which I loved) and were set to move to California in 1966...it was easy to fall in love with this state... John Phillips was the main guy behind the Monterey Pop Festival in June 1967..the summer of love.. THE greatest event in California rock history as far as I'm concerned..
MC5..the first only and best heavy metal band with a political decree! Blue Cheer was cool, too!
Shelley Fabares..what's Johnny Angel got that I haven't??
Nancy Sinatra..I love her! Sugar Town and Summer Wine were coool!
Hershel Berke Gilbert..wrote themes to TV shows but the one I loved was the Rifleman theme and a poem he set to music called " Oh That We Two Were Maying" by Charles Kinsley. The song was from the "Vision" episode that I completely related to... the beautiful Marion Seldes played the mother/vision and most recently was the school principal in "Mona Lisa Smile"...incredible TV from 1960! The Maverick theme was also a favorite.. "riverboat ring your bell!"

hear it!

1 Oh! that we two were Maying 2 Down by the stream of the soft spring breeze; 3 Like children with violets playing 4 In the shade of the whispering trees. 5 Oh! that we two sat dreaming 6 On the sward of some sheep-trimmed down, 7 Watching the white mist steaming 8 Over river and mead and town. 9 Oh! that we two lay sleepin 10 In our nest in the churchyard sod, 11 With our limbs at rest on the quiet earth's breast, 12 And our souls at home with God!
Del Rey..this chick can play the guitar sooo funky goood!
Connie Smith..sometimes I miss the really good ones, and I didn't know who Connie was until I heard her sing "Ribbon of Darkness"..a great Gordon Lightfoot song. She's fantastic, not as famous as some, but a real find if you've never heard of her... recently married to guitar great Marty Stuart..
Holly Near...a continuing legacy of fine music..folk, Americana, jazz, bluegrass, socially conscious..she does it all...I'm a huge fan!
The New Christy Minstrels..all those girls and guys and acoustic guitars..standing together they looked like a high school yearbook photo..but the amped up folk songs sounded really fine. Keith Barbour was a member and when he left, scored with an incredible song about Vietnam called " Echo Park"..the guy had a voice!
Elvis Presley..the commerorative LP has got it all.."Little Sister" and "Marie's the Name" are fine examples of a guy WAAAY ahead of his time! Elvis was cooool.. as a young kid watching his movies, I was hooked..the slick hair, the smile, the guitar, those wonderful songs and the girls...
Crosby Stills and Nash..acoustic beauty. Back porch folkies who came off stints with Buffalo Springfield, Byrds and the Hollies and blended their talents into some great music. The scene was Laurel Canyon in the 60's, where musical gypsies with a lot of drive and talent (Mama Cass, Joni Mitchell et al) got together and played at the Troubedour, Whiskey A Go Go and turned LA into a mecca of music until money, egos and drugs blew it up. Below the surface of the lovely music was volatile personalities, in-fighting and youth..too good
Jackson Browne...one of the guys who invented the southern California rock sound...the '70s were laid back, but had an edge, too..
Bob Seger...good old rocknroll by a master
Bobby Vinton...I was a kid in puppy love with a girl named Katy in Gloucester, Massachusetts...and "Blue Velvet" was on the radio..I loved it..."Roses are Red"....loved it..and "Blue on Blue"..a most beautiful song...when I hear these pop music masterpieces by Bobby Vinton, I get all choked up inside...I wouldn't have it any other way
We Five.."You Were on my Mind"..what a great song by this mysterious band..the awesome Beverly Bivens sang the lead on the Ian and Sylvia classic and turned it into a #1 hit.. loved the harmonies and ringing guitars and the energy..and the innocence! oh God this is good!

wefive
Betty Buckley..the same woman who starred in Carrie, Frantic and the goofy sitcom "8 is Enough" is really a fantastic jazz singer..I just found this out and now I'm in love....
John Mayall..acoustic blues at its finest. "Empty Rooms" on Polydor was a gem with with Almond and Mark who went on to form the Mark/Almond band..
Green Day..very funny, good, satirical and theatrical band..a little Kinks and a little Clash..I love the energy!
The Bellamy Bros..for one song..a really good song "Let Your Love Flow"
Lou Reed..hey babe take a walk on the wild side!
Michelle Shocked....indie wild soft tough sweet..love it!
Skeeter Davis..the Essential Skeeter Davis..as a young guy in Illinois in 1964 or so, I heard "End of the World" on the radio. The singer had the sweetest, saddest voice I'd ever heard..the song still haunts to this day.. it was produced by guitar master Chet Atkins..thank god for his music sensibilities!
Chet Atkins...one of my prized albums is a "2 record set" called "Chet Atkins..Country Pickin'"...aside from the fact that Chet was a musical genius, the record was an RCA Camden Dynaflex recording..the records were lightweight, smoother, didn't warp, sounded better and prevented "turntable slippage"..how can you resist that sales pitch... and the guitar playing wasn't too bad, either...
John Prine..."Hello in There" ad "Lake Marie" are examples of one of the great American songwriters!
Mickey Newbury...fantastic singer...hard to find nowadays..but worth the effort..Americana at its best
Lorrie Morgan..beautiful woman with a lovely voice...what else do I need
The Singing Nun... Jeanne-Paule Marie Deckers AKA Soeur Sourire, or Sister Smile..I've always loved the song " Dominique"..a lovely harmony and single guitar produced a fine record..and this lady is my kind of nun..not afraid to criticize the church: Although she was deeply religious, she was also increasingly critical of some of the Roman Catholic Church's doctrine and eventually became an advocate of birth control. She also agreed with John Lennon's statements about Jesus in 1966. In 1967, she recorded a song entitled "Glory Be to God for the Golden Pill" — a paean to contraception — under the name Luc Dominique. It met with commercial failure. Her end was tragic indeed..suicide with her partner due to financial/personal problems..strange
The Yardbirds..Heart Full of Soul...a great album full of fuzz tones and bitchin' English blues and pop.. the Jeff Beck era!
Mick Taylor..I took notice of Mick on the Stone's "Sticky Fingers" album..he and Keith played the most beautiful guitar I've ever heard on "Can't you Hear me Knocking" ...raunchy and jazzy...the sax solo wasn't too bad either!
The Seeds..one of the best garage bands from the 60s and great songs..Sky Saxon jumping around and the guitar player on "Pushin' Too Hard" was manic!
Roger Miller..great songwriter..some social satire before anyone else did it..
Larry Gatlin..and the Gatlin Bros...100% high quality music from guys who know how..esp nice is the new album "Pilgrimage"...welcome back
Tish Hinojosa..Culture Swing was a great cassette.yes cassette...I still got it and it sounds wonderful..Tish has a beautiful voice and can rock, too
Ana Moura..sometimes I like to listen to a beautiful woman sing beautiful songs in Portuguese..
Rory Block...I have a cassette by Rory Block from 1992...it's called Ain't I a Woman..yes, she is... the cassette still sounds good.. and she's a first rate singer, guitarist, Delta Blues woman and songwriter..there's a song on the album called Sisters; there's a few more gems on the LP, too...listen to her, you won't forget her...
Grace Jones..outrageous and beautiful..I loved "Libertango"!!
Jessica Fichot..saw her at the French Festival..a young beautiful woman singing in French and English...I'm smitten..fantastic singer!
the Smothers Brothers..thank God Tommy and Dick were brave enough to fight censorship!
Pink Floyd...ahhh.. for the British Invasion! I loved "Us and Them" and "Money"..great riff and radio stations are censoring the "bullshit" line to this day...KTYD did that a few days ago...how lame!
Guy Mitchell..singin' the blues..check out this video youtube..ohh it's good!!
Brian Setzer...you gotta love what Brian did with the big orange Gretsch and yeoman effort to preserve rockabilly music...
Jools Holland's Big Band Rhythm & Blues...I was watching Concert for George last week and this woman came on and belted out the best song of the evening..a song I'd never heard before..the woman was Samantha Brown, the song was "Horse To The Water" written by George and son Dhani. Jools Holland led the arrangement..Clapton et al were a part of the band this night...it was a stunning performance..I got the album and George was singing his last performance a few weeks before his death...it is a great song and both versions are full of such spirit...brought me to tears..
Glen Campbell..a session musician/great voice, who hooked up with Jimmy Webb and John Hartford, recorded some of their stellar songs and became a big hit and star....
Peter Sarstedt.."Where do you go to my lovely" and "Beirut"...two really good songs about life outside the US..
John Stewart...folkie and fantastic songwriter with Americana front and center...Queen of Hollywood High, Blondes, Judy in G Minor, Daydream Believer...John was a true original
Michael Murphy...Wildfire, Cosmic Cowboy, and the gorgeous "Carolina in the Pines" with Jac Murphy's rockin' piana
Jerry Lee Lewis..speaking of rockin' piano players!!
the Caravelles..I found these gals on an oldie CD and they were so good.. way ahead of their time, pre-folk pop, pre-Chordettes and all those girl bands! They were two office workers in Britain who got a record contract in 1963 and you gotta listen.. spooky and sexy!!
Tom Waits..great first album..wrote.. Ol' 55, Shiver me Timbers, Heart of Saturday Night...greasy spoons and night owls.. and killer love songs
Gordon Lightfoot...many fine songs..and "Beautiful" is one of the best..
Greg Allman...I loved his solo album "Laid Back".. rock and jazz..the best version of "Midnight Rider" and the beautiful " Queen of Hearts" are highlights..the Allman Bros were inducted into the RR Hall of Fame in 1995
Jo Ann Campbell...I was listening to an oldies CD and stumbled across Jo Ann singing "Kookie Little Paradise"...I remember the song but hearing it again made me laugh so hard..Jo Ann was a rockabilly joker who was way ahead of her time..pick up an old collection..you won't be sorry...
the Seekers..I loved them! a fantastic 12 string guitar player, a stand up bass and great chick singer..."I'll Never Find Another You" is a gem
Peter and Gordon...part of the British Invasion and great songs from the duo
Lovin Spoonful...so many songs that were so good..pop-folk-country-jazz-jugband.. Summer in the City, Darlin' be Home Soon...where has all the good music gone!!
Judy Collins..the most beautiful version of "Turn Turn Turn" was done live by Judy and Pete Seeger
Byrds..Sweetheart of the Rodeo..Roger McQuinn, Chris Hillman, Clarence White and Gram Parsons made the strangest, most beautiful album of alt country rock before there was alt country rock..the best version of Dylan's "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"....ever
Steve Winwood..from Spenser Davis to Traffic to Blind Faith, Winwood was at the heart of some great music..he's the one who could bring out the best in others
Aretha Franklin--Now seriously, who was better than Aretha?
Nana Mouskouri..she has the voice of an angel...and does a beautiful version of a most beautiful song: Plasir D'Amour....
Siedah Garrett...."Everchanging Times" is a lovely Bacharach song..Siedah's version is the best..goes right to the heart..where's my hanky??
Sun Kil Moon..I think Mark Kozelek is a musical genius..Steve Martin highlighted this fact in his great "Shopgirl" with Claire Danes
Rock Around the Clock..the movie...Bill Haley and the Comets..the Platters doing the "Great Pretender".. Lisa Gaye dancing...oh! the beauty makes me weep... Alan Freed and the payola scandal...the 1950's... man..you'll never see this again!
Janis Ian..the first song about racism I ever heard. "Society's Child" was beautiful and powerful in 1966 ....and still is.... record companies wouldn't touch it back then due to the controversy of an interracial romance theme sung by a teenage folksinger! Luckily, Leonard Bernstein liked it and his interest got Janis some publicity...us little white kids LOVED it!
Norma Tanega....she was a bluesy folkie who played great guitar..and had a fluke hit with the wonderful "Walkin' my cat named dog"...with that harmonica!
Nancy Wilson..you don't know how glad I am she sings!!
Teena Marie....RIP....I bought a cassette years ago to hear "Out on a Limb"....I thought the girl singing was incredible...what a voice..what a song...what a loss
Lady GaGa...this young woman is full of attitude and fun...she's smart and the music is quite good!
Joan Armatrading...came on the scene with the lovely.."Down to Zero"... wonderful spirit and voice..where'd ya go, Joan? Hey! Saw her on "Live from Abbey Road" recently and she was in fine form!
Spiral Starecase..superb pop songs with Pat Upton's very high and soulful voice..
Dr. John....I love hearing Dr. John on the radio...a great studio musician, too
Classics IV.. singer Dennis Yost recently died, but the pop songs were first class..."Traces" is wonderful... Stormy and others..a cross between Motown and LA!
Booker T and the MGs.."Time is Tight"... ah yeah... and so was the organ, the guitar, the drums, the bass...what a song!
the Buckinghams..before Blood Sweat and Tears and Chicago, there was the Buckinghams, a group of kids from Chicago that had some great songs like "Kind of a Drag" and "Don't You Care". They featured the powerful vocals of Dennis Tufano and a punchy, soul-styled horn section that was the brainchild of James Guercio, who would later go on to produce the band Chicago.
Jeannie C Riley..."Harper Valley PTA" nails hypocrisy better than anyone before or since! now there's a woman! youtubejeannie
Stan Rogers..Canadian singer with a big booming voice, cool acoustics guitars and some great songs..died in the 1970s in a plane crash
Jane Child..there was some disco that was good..Jane was funky and soulful..great voice and sexy with big hair..bodacious to the max
Eddie Holman.."Hey There Lonely Girl"...I love this song!!
Glen Phillips..you gotta hand it to Glen...puts art before money and still makes a good living ..the hardest working man in showbiz...the solo career, Toad the Wet Sprocket...deserves all the accolades
Bob Marley..reggae came along provided a whole new vibe and dimension to the music scene...Marley did it the best... we was jammin'! Don't forget Johnny Nash pre-reggae reggae " I Can See Clearly Now"!
Joe South..fantastic songwriter! Pre- Boss, Kristofferson, Prine et al. "Don't it Make You Wanna Go Home" is as good as it gets..South was also a prominent sideman, recording the memorable guitar part on Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools", Tommy Roe's "Sheila" as well as appearing on Bob Dylan's album Blonde on Blonde. He also played the electric guitar part that was added to Simon & Garfunkel's first hit, "The Sound of Silence".
Willie Nelson...Red Headed Stranger, Blue Eyes Cryin', and lots of great music is my kinda cowboy music
Tiny Tim..I recently got an oldies CD and "Tiptoe Thru thru the Tulips" was on it..I hadn't heard it in years, but it brought a big smile to my face..isn't that what artists are supposed to do??
Monkees...a group of actors, musicians, theatre troupers and rich kids with some mojo..they made some great pop songs, Mike Nesmith wrote "Different Drum" and "Some of Shelly's Blues"; Tork was a folkie in New York in the early days; Dolenz was the Circus Boy! and Jones was an actor..they were harmless and funny..
Standels.."Dirty Water" is an anthem and "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White" is funny...
Ned Miller..."from a Jack to a King" a great song and the guy had a great voice
Patti Griffin...superb....1000 Kisses gave us "Rain"....
Janis Joplin..I heard "Move Over" the other day and was floored! Janis was a ballsy chick singer with a huge, broken heart....
Shirley Bassey..one of the greats...had the corner on singing the James Bond themes, and "Moonraker" showcased her powerful talent..
Dixie Chicks...free speech is what they love; free speech is what redneck conservatives hate...aside from the great music, Natalie Manes awesome vocals and the "I'm ashamed of Bush" statement/controversy..the girls have a lot more soul than the simple minded crap that passes for country music nowadays (Toby Keith, Trace Adkins et al "Dumb Country")...
Brian Auger and the Trinity...with Julie Driscoll...master keyboardist teams with Julie Driscoll for some lovely music..a multitude of music styles blended together for a rockin' jazz soul journey. "Lament for Miss Baker" is simply wonderful...
Bonnie Bramlett..this woman has got a huge soulful bluesy voice.. "I can laugh about it now" is a must listen!
Amy Winehouse.. FINALLY...a new ballsy singer with an old soul.. .She's supremely talented & good..and really troubled! What's not to like?
Natasha Bedingfield..if Amy's too dramatic, there's the flip side, Natasha..a young woman of great soulful voice and quite striking to look at..
Emmylou Harris.. "Pieces of the Sky" showcased this new, lovely singer. It was country music with a little California and Gram Parsons thrown in..."Boulder to Birmingham" remains a most beautiful song.... Emmylou is as fine as a cool country spring, as bright as a California blue sky, as pretty as a sunflower by the side of the road...
The Wainright Family...Louden, and Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Martha and Rufus Wainright...all possess uncanny talent
The Thompsons...Richard and Linda and son Tommy....all from a music vein that is rich and pure..
Loggins and Messina..a little heavier than Seals and Crofts and a little lighter than Poco...pretty good kinda hippie cowboy stuff... "Mother Lode" was a great album esp "Fever Dream" and "Be Free"....Messina of course produced the "Last Time Around" the Buffalo Springfield's last record.. complex and beautiful...
The Fifth Dimension..Marilyn McCoo was sooo beautiful..and they highlighted Jimmy Webb's amazing songs.. a big part of the AM radio brilliance of the 1960s
Tim Hardin..Tim was a fantastic songwriter who decided to kill himself with drugs and self pity
Taj Majal...always put the music first..
Tommy Roe..huh? yep.."Sheila" and "Everybody" were as good or better than anything on AM radio in the early 60s..I loved it!! Sweet Little Sheila!! c'mon!! the best Buddy Holly imitation ever!!
Ojay's...I spent one summer in the 1970s traveling cross country on an Ojays tour..we had the merchandising and were like roadies..man, did my eyes open on that tour..it was cool, scary, fun and amazing..the Ojays were riding high on a new single "Used to be My Girl" and of course "Love Train" from the '60s..total professionals, the music was great, the people were fantastic altho we had some violence and racism around us..what an experience!
Three Dog Night..I love "Out in the Country" by Paul Williams..the guys did a lovely version. Plus, they filled a radio void with some really fine vocals and arrangements
Easy Rider soundtrack...a great film..hippies vs hillbilly rednecks..the music was awesome from the Byrds to Steppenwolf's "Born to be Wild"...turn it up!!
the Motels..Martha Davis and the guys put out some great smart rock n pop music.."Only the Lonely" ..."He hit me.. and it felt like a kiss" are shining examples of Martha's sardonic wit..
Lori McKenna...one of the best newer indie artists to hit the big time..quality songs and a great voice take on the flaws of the American dream...yet we all keep trying...
B.B. King..king of the blues! made some great pop/blues songs, too...Lucille sounds so good..
Dusty Springfield....such a great voice, especially riveting live..and all those songs..one of the greats!
Los Lobos..these guys are great...building a musical bridge between cultures is not easy..remaining true to the roots of Mexican and American music and blending them is even harder..I hear their influences voiced in a sound that is completely their own..that's the hardest.. but it's easy to listen to them!
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown.. FIRE was the coolest song....full of humor and attitude and a fantastic crescendo..outrageous!
The Runaways...Joan Jett and the girls were way ahead of their time and a true musical mystery!
Flying Burrito Bros..with a name like that, how could it be bad? Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman took country rock to another level...the history of Gram and co reads like a horror mag, but cool indie country rock was invented by them.
Buddy Holly, Big Bopper and Richie Valens..as the years go by, I keep hearing music by these guys and I LOVE it..staying power long after a plane crash took them.. "GUESS IT DOESN'T MATTER ANYMORE" Holly's brilliant reading of a great song. Who wrote it? Paul Anka!! and my favorite Holly song "Everyday"..it is so simple and beautiful and sounds good today.. the guy was all over the music spectrum..rock, country, folk, r&b...he influenced everyone and left a musical legacy that is always a joy to listen to!
Woodstock soundtrack..Hey man, I thought the movie was a friggin' masterpiece.. Richie Havens, Arlo, Santana, Jimi, CSN, Ten Years After, the Who and all them hippies..damn, what a time!
Paul Butterfield Blues Band -East West..wow..this was an unstructured masterpiece...Mike Bloomfield's guitar and Butterfield's harmonica blended and bended the blues.....nothing better on a Saturday morn listening to this..STILL!
Johnny Rivers...first song I heard was "Poor Side of Town"...then, a bunch of hits form "Secret Agent Man" to "Mountain of Love" to "Summer Rain".. covers of great pop and R&B songs..always first rate and Americana at its best.
Roberta Flack...what a wonderful voice...a gem of the 70's
Chris Hillman..unsung hero of some top musical forces..Byrds, Flying Burritos, Manassas... his skills helped make the other guys sound exceptional..thanks Chris!
Leonard Cohen.."Sisters of Mercy" played as a theme song in the great McCabe and Mrs. Miller...I was a fan of the poetry which never was flowery, always real...
Sammy Haggar...good old fashioned rocknroll, screamed at you like no one else..."I Can't Drive 55" you gotta love it!
Led Zeppelin...I liked the transformation ... from hard driving rock to country rock..Plant liked the Buffalo Springfield and the Sunset Strip scene, while Page was amazing, playing anything on guitar: jazz, blues, rock and country...some great stuff
Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes...."the love I lost!!!"
Neil Diamond..a hit maker! Had some great music on the radio in the '60s...really good, uplifting stuff..
Brian Hyland...I loved his songs in the 1960s.."Sealed with a Kiss" and "Ginny Come Lately"...a killer version of Curtis Mayfield's "Gypsy Woman" and some great music early on that was a precursor to folk rock ...
Sam Cooke..." Darling, You Send Me, honest you do"...
Ian and Sylvia..folkies from Canada..immortalized in "Festival Express" and of course, with "Four Strong Winds"...
Patti Dahlstrom..in 1973, she came out with an album called "The Way I Am" Well, the way she was was FOXY..and the songs were lovely.
Burl Ives..Big Burl was an old folkie, had a guitar line named after him long before it was in vogue, sang " A Little Bitty Tear" and "Funny Way of Laughing"...and I used to deliver papers to him on Buena Vista in Montecito long ago!
Edith Piaf..if you wanna go back to France in the glorious 1940's..revolution, real food, music and people..listen to her voice...it is a powerful experience
Dionne Warwick.. lovely voice..took Bacharach and David's songs to another level
Chuck Berry..Oh, Maybeline, why can't ya be true? I hear Chuck Berry and there it is..R & B and R & R!!
John Wesley Ryles... in 1968 at 18 years old, Ryles had a hit with " Kay" an extraordinary song by Hank Mills..."Kay I'm livin', yet I'm dyin', staring out at music city from my cab".....a country pop story song about war, stardom and failure that Ryles sang so well and is always a joy to hear...
Sam and Dave.. "Soul Man" and "When Something is Wrong with My Baby" written by Isaac Hayes, were two powerhouses. I saw Sam perform both recently and Isaac did "Shaft"..full orchestra and back-up singers..the guys producing this music were brilliant..as was Steve Cropper's guitar work on Soul Man!
Carly Simon..Carly was sexy, cool and wrote some great songs...What's not to like!
Lynyrd Skynyrd...southern rock with an attitude.."Gimme Back my Bullets", "Sweet Home Alabama" an answer to Neil Young's "Southern Man" ..it wasn't all mellow in the 70s!..I loved it!!
Donovan..I love his music..the flower power stuff, Sunshine Superman, Jennifer Juniper... "is she sleeping, I don't think so, is she breathing, yes, very low, whatcha doin' Jennifer, my love??"
Jimmie Spheeris... had a few albums in the '70s, then got killed by a drunk driver in 1984. The album that got me was 1976 "Ports of the Heart"..two songs: "Child from Nowhere" and "It's You They're Dreaming Of" were so good and helped me see some light thru a very dark time... you almost had to be hurting to appreciate the beauty...thanks man..
Heart..the Wilson sisters, Ann and Nancy could KICK ASS! Excellent musicians and singers..CRAZY ON YOU... and they did a great live show
Patsy Cline.. a pioneer. I Fall to Pieces...a dark, mysterious woman whose voice lilted & lifted country music into the mainstream..and she paved the way for beautiful female voices from Skeeter Davis to Emmylou Harris. There is no one, really, that can compare to her....there's just something about her singing...
Shawn Colvin..rock solid guitarist and songwriter and poet..and I love her voice and her looks and..and...her new record "These Four Walls" is really fine!
Mary Chapin Carpenter...had a few country hits awhile back..survived a pulmonary embolism..and has a new album out "The Calling"..she's really, really good...
Lynn Anderson..I fell in love with her when I saw her sing " I never promised you a rose garden"...that's all I can say
Leann Rimes..at 13 she released "Blue" and showcased her big voice..now a young women with more soul and experience, she goes from country to jazz to pop with ease..the voice is still wonderful and she's damn purty, too!
Johnny Cash..the man in black was the real deal..and a superb musician and songwriter.."Tennessee Flat Top Box"; and interpreter " I Walk the Line"; "Ring of Fire" a total original.
Tom Petty..running down the California /American rock dream/sound like no one else
Iron Butterfly..I don't care what people say..I liked them..."Inagaddadavita baby" and "Be Yourself" were cool songs
T Bone Burnett..there are real songwriters (Burnett) and fake ones like country clone Trace Adkins...Burnett is one of the best.. Please listen to "Lonely Man" sung incredibly by Gabriel Mann in the movie " Don't Come Knocking" (Sam Shepard, Jessica Lange and Eva Marie Saint).
Sir Douglas Quintet.."Mendocino"..a great song that stands out today..like I told you, can you dig it..that Wurlitzer sounded so good!
Procol Harem.."Whiter Shade of Pale" was a spooky gem that always sends me back to a wonderful time in the '60s
Lesley Gore..I'm having such fun putting this list together. What artists helped shape the pop music and cultural landscape? Lesley Gore is one. I heard something different when I listened to "It's My Party" way back when. I heard a girl who was stepping up and shouting about her rights! Then, "You Don't Own Me"..a great song about freedom from overbearing relationships. Then, "California Nights" a beautiful pop jazz offering after the Summer of Love!
Sandy Posey...scored big in 1966 with "Single Girl"..a really pretty song with some messages and complaints about loneliness. Her voice was so...vulnerable and yet showed her heart so vividly...
Odetta..the real folk blues gospel spirit..one woman with a guitar and a huge voice...a lost art that we're so fortunate to be able to listen to still
Manassas...a mix of pop, country and rock blended by Stills and Hillman et al into some of the best music I've ever heard...Gretsch White Falcons, Martin acoustics, Gibson Les Pauls, steel guitars, congas....COOL!
Neil Young..Harvest..a great album..Neil's ode to Carrie Snodgrass..but what can you say about this guy..songs like "Mr. Soul" from the Springfield to the loping beauty of "Harvest"... and I do have a soft spot in my heart for "After the Goldrush"..a true musical artist....and Neil's first solo album was so full of soul that it amazes me to this day..
James Brown..godfather of soul, gone, but a legend..
Genesis...from "The Lamb Lies Down" to "Turn It On" , Gabriel and Collins led the band thru some changes that produced some excellent pop fusion...
Cyndi Lauper...she sure is a lot of fun and with "Money Changes Everything" "Time after Time" and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" written by Robert Hazard, proved to be a superior songstress
Muddy Waters.."got my mojo workin', but it just don't work on you"..
33 Essential Guitar Masterpieces--featuring a few gems by Eduardo Fernandez..the best classical guitarist I've heard..unbelievable
Carpenters..Karen Carpenter..the saddest girl in the world with a beautiful voice..Richard Carpenter arranged most of the songs and wrote the great "Top of the World". The Carpenters opened for Steppenwolf at the Blue Law in 1968!
ABBA..I admit it..I love their music..that blonde girl....the accent!
Jesse Colin Young... with the Youngbloods and as a solo artist..first rate singer and songwriter..saw him in the '70s with Loggins and Messina at UCSB and he blew them away!
Mike Bloomfield..if you're a fan of no nonsense blues guitar..he's the man
Gilbert O'Sullivan..."Clair" and "Alone Again Naturally" are quirky, original wonderful songs!
Pretenders...ayyy.. oh.. way to go.. Ohio!!
Don Cherry.. if I had to pick a crooner, I'd pick Don. Out of all the Vegas guys, he is the most musical..an unusual and great voice and an awesome version of "Welcome to my World"
Seals and Crofts..man, I loved the '70's! These guys had some nice, positive tunes that sound great today! Theme from the Robby Benson movie "One on One"..Justice is a Lady.. is really beautiful..and Diamond Girl and Hummingbird!
Eagles, America and Dan Fogelberg...all good music that I loved in the '70s..sorry to hear of Dan Fogelberg's death from prostate cancer..he was 56
Carole King..Tapestry.. the lady behind some big hit pop tunes of the 60's created a new image with her first solo album. A sober and honest look at love and love gone weird... Carole also wrote the lovely theme song to the wonderful off-beat western "Wanda Nevada" with Peter Fonda and Brooke Shields..and one of the best songs I've ever heard is "Child of Mine"..the music is gorgeous and the words, I think, were by partner Gerry Goffin.
Nat King Cole..in a class by himself ..everyone found a reason to listen! L.. is for the way you look at me.... one of the most joyous things you can do is listen to him sing "Mona Lisa"...
Hard to Find Singles from the 60's..Cilla Black's stunning "You're My World", Kyu Sakamoto's uplifting "Sukiyaki" and Garry Miles spooky "Look for a Star" and Steve Alamo's "Everyday I have to Cry Some" and, of course, "Venus" Frankie Avalon's pop masterpiece...
Rush.."New World Man" was a riff rockin' song..I love it to this day!
Nelly Furtado..I just adore her..me and a million other guys
Vance or Towers..Glen and Michael were one of the first bands in Santa Barbara to get a big record company to produce their first album. There was quite a buzz in SB over it back in the seventies..they were a flash in the pan but Glen and Michael's "the Presence of Her Absence" remains a fine and moving song..I tried to team up with Glen after Towers left, he expressed some interest, but nothing ever happened..damn..I think I was intimidated by his talent! more...Vance Or Towers were a truly odd West Coast duo with a line in Sparks-style pop eccentricity and 10cc-esque satire. Though absolutely forgotten, the concept behind these two well-groomed cuties was that teenage girls could choose which one they liked best: Vance OR Towers. Pretty lame as concepts go, the band’s 1975 album on A&M is a different story, boasting both keyboard and guitar-driven rockers that anticipate much of the style and sound of the Quick as well as slick McCartney-style ballads. Far too good to be so unknown, the Vance Or Towers LP is prime fodder for a timely Revola/RPM reissue. Interesting trivia: this song is performed in the prom sequence of ‘Carrie.’ Yes, THAT ‘Carrie;’ look close and you’ll even see Vance Or Towers.
Bruce Springsteen...Tunnel of Love... at one point in my life, this album helped pulled me out of an emotional hole..the power of music!
Little Anthony and the Imperials..what a voice and a group of backup singers! Listen carefully to the intricate beebop and harmonies and the lovely "Think I'm going out of My Head"..and there's no doubt about the chills I get when I hear it!
Randy Newman / Good Ol' boys..beware of the naked man!
John Denver.."Rocky Mountain High" is a great song and a great album! How many of us were "born in the summer of his 27th year"? Well, I was..and that song helped me through the maze and pain and tapped into an appreciation of nature that informed a whole generation (with the help of Julie Andrews/Rogers and Hammerstein in "The Sound of Music".. I go to the hills when my heart is lonely)..Also, John was front and center against censorship when nutty Tipper Gore had a hissy fit over lyrics she and Al didn't approve of...John had some personal issues, but he also had guts and passion.. his version of Steve Gillette's "Darcy Farrow" is simply beautiful...
Eric Clapton..overexposed..sure .. but in the beginning,the Bluesbreakers set the stage for guitar rock with blues influence...sounding rather astonishing... Cream was all anyone talked about in 1968 and of course, "Layla" with Duane Allman's gorgeous slide guitar work
Edgar and Jonny Winter... cool music in the 70's..Edgar was the more commercial (in a good way)..and Jonny was the blues guy
the Clash...London Calling was full of strange new music with raw beauty...you gotta hand it to English musicians!
Rickie Lee Jones...coool chick singer..maybe the last of a dying breed..her first album had "Night Train" on it ..a song that mixed folk and jazz into a chilling evocation
Simon and Garfunkel..Paul Simon's a pop genius..need proof? listen to "the Boxer" or "Peace like a River" in a good pair of headphones
Rolling Stones/ Between the Buttons...does it get better?
Cat Stevens..you better not be a freakin' TERRORIST Yusaf! Cat produced some cool music in the '70s
Kingston Trio.. very underrated and influential group of folkies. Gems like "Scotch and Soda" or "Raspberries and Strawberries" are favorites. When the Americans responded to the "British Invasion", the first responders were all folk artists influenced by the Kingston Trio. The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, the Mamas and the Papas, Lovin' Spoonful, Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane were all transplanted "folkies", born and bred in the musical millieu created by the Kingston Trio.

And, of course, Bob Dylan. He, too, followed in the Trio's footsteps. He cites them directly in his autobiography. Groups popped up all over the place emulating the Kingston Trio, much as British bands popped up to in England to capitalize on the Beatles success. Peter, Paul and Mary, Ian and Sylvia, The New Christy Minstrels (with Barry McGuire and Gene Clark), the Chad Mitchell Trio (with John Denver and Roger McGuinn), the Journeymen (with John Phillips) all owe their careers to the Kingston Trio.

Even folkies Joni Mitchell and Neil Young were influenced by the Trio. They are even cited on the "Buffalo Springfield Again" album as musical influences and prime movers.

Even the Beach Boys (!), of all groups, were heavily influenced by the Kingstons.

The Kingston Trio introduced a ton of classics that have now become part of our musical vernacular. Songs such as "Wimoweh" (better known as "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"), "The First Time" (made famous by Roberta Flack), "It Was a Very Good Year" (Frank Sinatra), "Sloop John B" (the Beach Boys) "Shady Grove ("Quicksilver Messenger Service") and many others were introduced to the American public by the Trio.
George Harrison "33 &1/3" and "All Things Must Pass" ..all us guitar players loved this guy..he was the ultimate utility player who was always one step ahead of all the other guitarists..he made it look so easy..the quiet Beatle was the coolest, too. and .."Here Comes the Sun" is the most beautiful, positive song of hope I've ever heard..
Buffalo Springfield/A Retrospective..cowboys, Canadians and Californians...too much fun and some fine music..perhaps the best collection of songs I've ever heard.. Furay's awesome voice...."Bluebird"..Stills guitar work was stunning..I'd never heard anyone play an acoustic like an electric before..and it blew me away
Elvis Costello...EC came in, shook up the rock establishment and created some great music! PUMP IT UP!
Bob Dylan/ Blonde on Blonde... when I heard "Just Like a Woman" for the first time, I got chills and still do. And by extension, the Band, of course, who signaled the end of Rock n Roll with the amazing " The Last Waltz"
Moby Grape..listen to the Grape and you'll hear: Buffalo Springfield, CSN, Spanky, the Sunshine co, Grateful Dead...yes, these guys influenced everybody..8:05 is a great song and their brand of loose rock n soul was totally original
Jackie De Shannon..a gentle, soulful voice in the middle of a war! She took "What the World Needs Now, Is Love" Bacharach and David"s masterful pop song and created possibly the best recording ever done..and she was a great writer, too. "When You Walk in the Room" debuted in 1963. She invented that 12 string guitar sound long before the Byrds and Beatles!
Buffy Sainte-Marie.."Universal Soldier" and "Until It's Time for You to Go" put her way up there. She wrote without the BS but with all the beauty.

Sainte-Marie has claimed that she was blacklisted and that, along with other American Indians in the Red Power movements, was put out of business in the 1970s.

"I found out 10 years later, in the 1980s, that [President] Lyndon B. Johnson had been writing letters on White House stationery praising radio stations for suppressing my music," Sainte-Marie said in a 1999 interview with Indian Country Today at Dine' College... "In the 1970's, not only was the protest movement put out of business, but the Native American movement was attacked."

Buffy St. Marie's Cradleboard Project
Donna Summer...disco? I dunno but I just love her.."on the radio, oh oh oh oh"
Allman Brothers/ Eat a Peach... guitar masterpiece! I was young, living in sunny California and didn't have a care in the world when this came out.. Dickie Betts BLUE SKY is a gem.. "early mornin' sunshine, tells me all I need to know"
YES..what a great message..rock fused with jazz and folk and energy.."Your Move" still makes me turn the radio UP!
Talking Heads..Byrne's funny.."this ain't no party, this ain't no disco, this ain't no foolin' around!"
New York Dolls...gritty rock n roll and really, really good songs like "Private World"..much more than a silly glam band
Spencer the Gardener..these guys captured the quirky spirit of Santa Barbara we all loved, before it became so self-conscious and self-absorbed!
Basia..really..she's cool..I looooove her voice
Roseanne Cash...Black Cadillac..underrated singer and this is the best album of 2006!
Stones/ Beggar's Banquet..the coolest collection of psychedelic folk songs I've ever heard! This was still the Brian Jones era..listen to his slide guitar on "No Expectations"..simple and beautiful
Kink Kronicles..LO..Lo..LO..Lo Lola, Sunny Afternoon and many more...sheer brilliance from Ray Davies and the guys
Hank Williams..paved the way for the greats of country music like George Jones. Hank Williams wrote "I'm so Lonesome I could Cry".. and "You Win Again" ..that alone puts him at the top. says a fan:

"Hank threw better songs in the garbage than what these modern clowns call hits today--plus, he could sing in key, something most of our "entertainment tonight" proclaimed superstars struggle "

There's other guys, Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, who can almost go without mentioning due to their impact...imagine that..grown men singin' about peace and social injustice........pure genius!
Woody Guthrie..this land is your land ,this land is my land, from California, to the New York Island... this song says it all: it is a call to action, to appreciation, to love and to passion: America is a glorious place, with natural wonders..take care of it!
Electric Flag/Long Time Comin',,folk, pop and jazz with a bit of soul courtesy of drummer Buddy Miles and blues courtesy of Mike Bloomfield's brilliant guitar playing..... Killin' Floor & Groovin' is Easy....WOW! RIP Buddy Miles
Blood Sweat and Tears was happenin', too! "You've Made Me So Very Happy" was soulful and a great pop song..
Pet Sounds or Holland/ Beach Boys....the genius of pop emerges. On Holland Brian Wilson's "Sail on Sailor" and funny "Funky Pretty" were masterful recordings. Al Jardin shined with "California Saga".. add to the mix Blondie Chapman's near perfect and wholly intuitive vocals... a masterpiece
Beach Boys..Surf's Up..hmmm..an odd one..two of the most beautiful melodies I've ever heard.."Surf's Up" and Bruce Johnston's "Disney Girls"..the rest of the LP was full of odd sounds, interesting songs, awesome depth harmonizing and the antithesis of the "Surfer Girl" era
Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66..pure, clear and beautiful Latin jazz pop songs
Gene Pitney...Anyone who can write "Hello Marylou" is okay by me. Early 1960's, Gene's voice was on the radio a lot and he had some truly great moments.."Only love can Break a Heart" and the astonishing "Half heaven, Half heartache" still sound incredible today.
For the Roses/ Joni Mitchell man oh man, does she know how we work, guys! She always goes where others dare not. After all, this is the woman who wrote "Both Sides Now" a song which told more about life in three minutes than anyone before or since..in any format...that's genius
Ed Ames..the Best of.. "Try to Remember" ...really a stunning version by Ames.. wow
Songs in the Key of Life/and Innervisions-Stevie Wonder..kinda started the new jazz movement..some of the most beautiful music ever recorded
Marvin Gaye/ 17 Greatest Performances...a visionary..Mercy Mercy Me (the Ecology) blew me away and still does.. he mixed together jazz, pop, soul, and the ecology of the 70's and formed a potent musical statement that stands alone even today
Coltrane/Miles Davis...how can you talk about music and not mention their influence?..you can't! Try this: on a rainy day, some hot chocolate, a book and these guys on the stereo..free form jazz when nothin' else is workin'..ya know??
Morman Tabernacle Choir/Greatest hits..sooo nice.."Climb Every Mountain" by Rogers and Hammerstein breaks my heart it's so beautiful!
The Clancy Bros with Tommy Makem... Irish folksongs ..spooky, old and beautiful..even Dylan's a fan
Danny O'Keefe/ So Long Harry Truman...I love this guy
Jobim/Terra Brasilas....an album full of really lovely music
Sandie Shaw vs Petula Clark/Import..these woman can sing and I got a thing for Petula Clark..
Jackie Trent..before Petula, Dusty Springfield, Sandie Shaw and a few others, there was Jackie Trent. Altho not as good a singer as the other birds from England, you can hear her unmistakeable influence... fantastic stuff!
Time Fades Away/Neil Young ...a jaded, raunchy gem ..."Don't Be Denied" the story of the Buffalo Springfield chronicled brilliantly in song..(nobody cares but Springfield fans) ... and "LA" are above and beyond the call of duty!
John Sebastian..The Best of JS..really some great songs..think of a beautiful girl, listen to a JS song and you feel good, ya know?
Joan Baez..single-handledly saved folk music ...her voicing of Phil Och's "There but for Fortune" is amazing! Always stands up for peace and against the messy wars we get ourselves into..conservatives are afraid of her because she's got a BACKBONE and a beautiful voice!
Doors...embodied California, 1967ish, with organic, home grown rock...I was never a huge fan, but the long version of "Light My Fire" sounds really good driving down Highway One thru Big Sur! Jose Feliciano's version is JUST AS GOOD!!
Connie Francis..I love her cos she looked like my late mother and aunt! However, Connie's "Lipstick on your Collar" was the first rock'n'roll chick singer I heard..long before Grace and Janis!
Jefferson Airplane..psychodelic, man! Grace was cool and "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit" were anthems in 1967 to us youngsters.The San Francisco scene also gave us Quicksilver Messenger Service (Fresh Air) and Moby Grape among others. It was coool music, especially on a warm sunny California day in the late 60's!
Faces... Ooh La La... the real Faces..I love this album..Rod and Ron and the lads never sounded so good.
Steely Dan..California 1970's was represented by quirky, brilliant pop music thanks to these guys
Gary Lewis and the Playboys..what?? yes indeed! These guys produced some great pop music and used top notch studio musicians like Leon Russell. Their arrangements and songs were precursors to FM California quirkiness..just go back and listen
Graham Nash.."Songs for Beginners" "Used to be a King" has the most gorgeous steel guitar courtesy of Jerry Garcia and a very soulful vocal by Graham!
Diana Ross and the Supremes.."Stop! in the Name of Love"...the gals had SO many great songs!
Nicolette Larson..her first album was wonderful..."lotta love" and the great & oddly gorgeous "Mexican Divorce" showed off her musical soul sensibilities..she sang backup with nearly everyone and was bright..like a shooting star..and don't miss her "Sleep, Baby, Sleep" album for children.. her songs shine and it'll get ya right in the heart!!
Faron Young....a mix of country, folk and blues..way ahead of his time, but got lost in the middle somewhere
Jimi Hendrix-electric ladyland or anything really..just a guitar master who took it to another level...Voodoo Child from the Woodstock out takes is proof! The best guitarist in rocknroll!
Amy Grant- yeah, she's a Jesus freak..but she's cute and can sing better than almost anyone!
Tim Moore- I could not have imagined life without "2nd Avenue"! Were we in love with the same girl, Tim??
Bobbi Gentry.."Ode to Billie Joe" was an extraordinary song..her only big hit it stayed at #1 on the charts for 4 weeks in the midst of the '60s rock n roll craze..and her albums were full of great music!
Linda Ronstadt..a cool chick with a beautiful voice and a line to the best songs!
Vikki Carr-Greatest Hits...underrated singer with a great sense of pop, jazz and emotional edge. Listen to "Where Are you"....pop singers today can't hold a candle to her!
You Gotta Sin to get Saved...Maria McKee steps up and into my dreams..this album is stunning.
The Sunshine Company...these guys had so much talent that they imploded. Fortunately, they rearranged and recorded Steve Gillette's "Back on the Street Again" and created a pop masterpiece.
Dave Mason..Alone Together with its marble vinyl.. "World in Changes" with Leon Russell's masterful influence felt throughout the album and the last song's guitar solo is reason enough...Dave..if you're listening..what were you playin'?? SG? and Mason played acoustic to Hendrix's electric on "All Along the Watchtower"...now that's a pop song!
Peter Frampton Live in Detroit..a really lovely album..forget the 70's fluffy hair stuff..this guy's got the passion as you listen to "Lines on my Face"..he nailed it!
Peter Gabriel...Salsbury Hill is an amazing vision..i've walked the hill many times....my heart going..boom boom boom!!
The Brits: Traffic, Jethro Tull, Ten Years After, Zep, Bowie......FM radio never sounded so good! Dave Clark Five, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Hollies..AM radio never sounded better!