Is It Really?

Three Hundred Forty-Two

Artist - Lou Rawls
Album - That's Lou
Released - 1967
Label - Capitol
Genre - Funk/Soul

Tracks:
Side One
When Love Goes Wrong
Problems
Reminiscing Monologue
They Don't Give Medals (To Yesterday's Heroes)
Ear Bender Monologue
What Are You Doing About Today
Show Business Monologue
Show Business
Side Two
Please Give Me Someone to Love
Hard To Get Thing Called Love
(How Do You Say) I Don't Love You Anymore
Street Dreams
The Love That I Give

Not since the great Ray Charles burst into the musical firmament has an entertainer illuminated contemporary music with the brilliance of Lou Rawls.  Having a string of smash hit albums to his credit, Lou approaches the materials in tis album with supreme confidence and self-assuredness of a "star."  He knows what to do.  He knows he's right.  And when you know you're right, you an hardly ever go wrong.  And the combining of Lou Rawls with H.B. Barnum's music is a stroke of genius or good fortune (or both) unparalleled since someone at Capitol thought of putting Nelson Riddle together with Frank Sinatra.

What great things to come out of Lou Rawls and what amazing things he has done for this record.

Enjoy!

Is It Summer Yet?

Three Hundred Forty

Artist - The Beach Boys
Album - All Summer Long
Released - 1964
Label - Capitol
Genre - Rock, Surf Rock

Tracks:
Side One
I Get Around
All Summer Long
Hushabye
Little Honda
We'll Run Away
Side Two
Wendy
Do You Remember?
Girls On The Beach
Drive-In
Don't Back Down

It definitely felt like Summer when I decided to play this record first thing in the morning.  That was, of course, until I stepped outside to about 40 degrees of cold weather smacking me in my face.  The sixth album by SURF ROCKERS The Beach Boys, All Summer Long is very in tune with the Summer and being on the beach.  I guess that is why you would categorize them as Surf Rock, which is a term I laugh at because I guess you can pretty much name any type of rock.  Brian Wilson is pretty much the mastermind behind all of The Beach Boys' hits.  Such a talented writer and musician.

Enjoy!

A Journey

Three Hundred Six

Artist - Steve Miller Band
Album - Recall The Beginning...A Journey From Eden
Released - 1972
Label - Capitol
Genre - Rock

Tracks:
Side One
Welcome
Enter Maurice
High On You Mama
Heal Your Heart
The Sun Is Going Down
Somebody Somewhere Help Me
Side Two
Love's Riddle
Fandango
Nothing Lasts
Journey From Eden

Enjoy!

Holy Hair

One Hundred Ninety-Nine

Artist - Heart
Album - Heart
Released - 1985
Label - Capitol Records
Genre - Pop Rock

Tracks:
If Looks Could Kill
What About Love
Never
These Dreams
The Wolf
All Eyes
Nobody Home
Nothin' At All
What He Don't Know
Shell Shock

Yes, Holy HAIR indeed.  Well we have to think what 1985 looked like and I know it certainly had a lot of Aqua Net hairspray and tight pants. I remember this band, like if it was yesterday, since I basically grew up on MTV and some of these songs on this record were in heavy rotation at that time.  Their ninth record, Heart (self-titled) was probably the record that put them on the map of mainstream rock n' roll.  I wouldn't classify this band as Hard Rock (their look will say differ), but definitely a Pop Rock type style.  What About Love is probably that song that you blast and sing along too.  I know, because as I was listening to this record, I caught myself doing that exact thing.  These Dreams is another song you can do the same too, but all in all, this record is not that bad...for 1985.  I certainly had a blast listening to it and of course it brought me back to my life at the time I started listening to Heart.  Ahhh the memories.

Enjoy!

It's Never Enough

Two Hundred Ninety-Six

Artist - The Steve Miller Band
Album - Book of Dreams
Released - 1977
Label - Capitol Records
Genre - Rock

Tracks:
Side One
Threshold
Jet Airliner
Winter Time
Swingtown
True Fine Love
Wish Upon A Star
Side Two
Jungle Love
Electro Lux Imbroglio
Sacrifice
The Stake
My Own Space
Babes in the Woods

The more I play these older records, the more surprised I am to see such amazing music in true form.  The Steve Miller Band has been around...well they formed in 1967.  Book of Dreams is their tenth record and after finding this out, I'd like to go out on search for all The Steve Miller Band records. Their sound is so psychedelic and trippy and the vocals are great. The guitar playing on this record, for that time, was so futuristic.  The next time I stop at a record store, which should be fairly soon, I will put out an APB on The Steve Miller Band records.

Enjoy!

Fly, FLY

Two Hundred Ninety-One

Artist - Steve Miller Band
Album - Fly Like An Eagle
Released - 1976
Label - Capitol
Genre - Rock, Psychedelic Rock

Tracks:
Space Intro
Fly Like An Eagle
Wild Mountain Honey
Serenade
Dance, Dance, Dance
Mercury Blues
Take The Money And Run
Rock 'N Me
You Send Me
Blue Odyssey
Sweet Maree
The Window

Ahhhh yes, this record has definitely held up my oh so fine attitude for the day.  Nothing like a little Steve Miller Band to lift you into space.  The ninth album by the Steve Miller Band, Fly Like an Eagle is pretty much a national trademark of America.  Fly Like an Eagle was the song for the U.S. Postal Service, so when listening to it, not only does it remind me of that, but it also reminds me of my father who was a postman.  This is a fantastic record and I'm so glad it got played today, out of all days.  As you can see in the photo above, I was trying to mimic the cover.  Of course without the guitar and fine attire worn.

Enjoy!

Big Sound, Young Men

One Hundred Sixty-Ninth

Artist - The Beatles
Album - Meet The Beatles
Released - 1964
Label - Capitol
Genre - Rock 'n Roll

Tracks:
Side One
I Want To Hold Your Hand
I Saw Her Standing There
This Boy
It Won't Be Long
All I've Got To Do
All My Loving
Side Two
Don't Bother Me
Little Child
Till There Was You
Hold Me Tight
I Wanna Be Your Man
Not A Second Time

The second album by the illustrious UK band The Beatles, Meet The Beatles is probably one of the best albums ever.  This fearsome foursome, in their early twenties, dominated the airwaves with their music and caused the music industry to change FOREVER.  When listening to this album, I don't know how I would've reacted to listening to such an amazing sound in 1964.  I probably would've reacted like everyone else and just mesmerized by The Beatles.  There is a lot to say about such an amazing, but nothing could even come close to how much of an impact they have made.  Songs like I Want To Hold Your Hand, All My Loving, shoot, ALL THESE SONGS ARE JUST SO AMAZING and let's not forget to add that they put you in such a great mood.  I got home last night from a very exhausting day and I put this on and I instantly transformed into a loving mood.  It's hard, for me at least, to write a review on this, so just listen to it!

Enjoy!

Surfer Rock? Why Not!

One Hundred Sixty-Four:

Artist - The Beach Boys
Album - Surfer Girl
Released - 1973
Label - Capitol Records
Genre - Surfer Rock, Rock

Tracks:
Side A
Surfer Girl
Alley Oop
Your Summer Dream
Spirit Of America
Side B
Hawaii
Why Do Fools Fall In Love
All Summer Long
Wendy
Be True To Your School

Since Kevin is a huge fan of the Beach Boys and they have been playing everywhere that I know of as of late, and let's not forget to mention they are TOURING, here is today's choice.  This record is an unrelated 1973 release of the Beach Boys early 1960 tracks, plus the cover is different from the 1963 original Surfer Girl release.  One of the most influential bands of all time, the songs on this record are just so happy to me.  When I hear songs like Hawaii, Surfer Girl and Wendy, they remind me of a surfer motown type of sound. You have a little blues and jazz mixed in with some rock or as they would classify it, "Surfer Rock!"  I always enjoy a good Beach Boys record from time to time and since I was in the mood, this was it.

Enjoy!

A Team of Sound

One Hundred Sixty-One

Artist - Sound Team
Album - Work EP
Released - 2005
Label - Capitol Records
Genre - Indie Rock

Tracks:
The Fastest Man Alive
It's Obvious What's Happening Here
Orange Bird
In The Dark No One Can Hear You Sweat
Don't Turn Away

I wish I lived in Austin, Texas when this band was still together.  Now I have the remnants of what used to be, which is now TV Torso.  We are here to talk about Sound Team, which a six man band who had a lifespan of 7 years, but their sound definitely lives on.  A band with an amazing drummer (yes, I am a lover of Jordan Johns), Work EP has one of my favorite songs on it, The Fastest Man Alive.   After the release of Work EP, they released a few more albums and even two on cassettes.  I absolutely love that about bands.  On another note, as I was listening to this, I was overly excited with The Fastest Man Alive and Don't Turn Away.  It's something about Matt Oliver's voice that and also his hair, though you can't really tell unless you see it in person.  He is a tall, slender man with the curliest hair.  Ahhh, I love that.  But yes, this record is great, one to definitely appreciate.

Enjoy!

Feed the Animals

My nineteenth pick goes to show you that good music never dies!

Artist - The Beach Boys
Album - Pet Sounds
Released - 1966
Label - Capitol Records
Produced by Brian Wilson


Tracks:
Side One
Wouldn't It Be Nice
You Still Believe in Me
That's Not Me
Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)
I'm Waiting for the Day
Let's Go Away for Awhile
Sloop John B
Side Two
God Only Knows
I Know There's an Answer
Here Today
I Just Wasn't Made for These Times
Pet Sounds
Caroline No

One of the most influential records in the history of popular music.  That is a FACT (in my opinion of course)!! I remember first hearing The Beach Boys when I was a kid, watching Full House (since John Stamos' character was obsessed with them) and Flight of the Navigator.  There are so many good songs on this album and the harmonies of each member of The Beach Boys make it that much better.

Listening to this album makes you think of all the musical artists that were inspired by The Beach Boys and Pet Sounds.  This being their 11th album (yes, they formed in 1961 and this is their 11th album), they introduced a surfer type style to music using different types of instruments and sounds, such as the electro-theremin, which is an AWESOME PIECE OF EQUIPMENT!

It's hard to believe that this album is 46 years old.  I can't even believe it.  When you listen to Wouldn't It Be Nice, the lyrics are so sweet and loving (Happy times together we've been spending\I wish that kiss was never ending\wouldn't it be nice).  Another great song that is so melodic and soft is God Only Knows.  The ultimate love song you can probably ever think of.  This is, by far, definitely a top 10 album in my collection.  Pet Sounds is one of those records you can play and just enjoy to the very end.  It's hard to think that there are people out in this world that do not like The Beach Boys.  I think no matter how much you dislike them, you have to respect their longevity in the music industry and the influence they even have on today's music.

Enjoy!