Hitting Pause

I was checking out the site stats a few days ago and noticed there haven't been many site visits over the past month or so, and only 2 post engagements during that same time.

With that in mind, I'm going to hit pause on the blog for a little while.  While I do have a few ideas about the direction I want to take, I don't know that I'm 100% committed to implementing those ideas right now.

I hope to be back in a little while...  if not on this blog, then maybe on another.  The links here will remain active for the time being.

So long for now.

Let There Be Drums

Today we share a song from an era where a drum solo could be a Top 40 hit...  Let There Be Drums by Sandy Nelson!

I didn't realize that he passed a little over a month ago (back on Valentine's Day).

Enjoy!

Crowd Control 03.03.2022

This week's Radio Show Saturday brings us something from SiriusXM's Phish Channel.

Crowd Control is a show that airs Tuesdays and Thursdays.  The premise of the show is that a fan gets to pick their 5 favorite live tracks (though occasionally a studio track makes in on a show).  Now, as a heads-up, some of the fans are really into it, and come across as rather nerdy (and this show is no exception).

For those not really aware of Phish, they're a jam band...  meaning the songs will feature an extended period of improvisation amongst the band members.  As mentioned above, while there are only 5 songs chosen by the fans, the shows average a hour + in length.

Here's a list of tracks (all by Phish) featured on today's show (chosen by a guy named Josh Cohen), to be followed by listening and download links:

Harry Hood  (7.16.94  North Fayston, VT)

Chalk Dust Torture  (7.16.94  North Fayston, VT)

Simple  (10.31.94  Glens Falls, NY)

Divided Sky  (10.31.94  Glens Falls, NY)

Reba  (10.31.94  Glens Falls, NY)

Listen here

Crowd Control 03.03.2022

Enjoy!

Major Tom (Coming Home)

Heard this the other day and got transported back to junior high!

Back in 83/84, Peter Schilling's Major Tom (Coming Home) got quite a bit of airplay...  deservedly so, if I do say so.

Interestingly, I don't remember ever seeing the video for this.  Guessing it must've come out after we left Delaware (where we had MTV) for Oklahoma (where MTV was still considered one of the tools of the devil).  The video it pretty typical for the era...  nothing earth shattering.  But hey, I looked it up for the song to enjoy and share, so...

Enjoy!

Dead Double Play

As I mentioned a little while back, I started listening to, and getting into the Grateful Dead over the past few years, to the point where I have the Grateful Dead Channel on SiriusXM on in the car from time to time.

The more shows that I listen to, the more I've found these two songs, China Cat Sunflower and I Know You Rider to pretty much be inseparable.

If you're new to the Dead (as I pretty much am), give this one a listen, and if you like it, dig a little further into their catalog (especially the live stuff).

Enjoy!

KRFK

Learned about this listening to Eddie Trunk's show on Hair Nation last week...

Apparently Ron Keel has been running an internet radio station out of Sioux Falls, SD (where he's lived for about a decade now) for a little while now.

Now, I'm not going to tell you that I've listened to the station (because I have yet to give it a listen)...  what interested me (from the interview) was that he's got some nationally syndicated shows playing on the station...  shows such as The Joe Elliot Show, The House Of Hair with Dee Snider, and a few others.

If you like rock with a harder edge, give it a listen.  I know I will be!

Click the link below to listen, or to check out the program schedule.

KRFK Radio

Enjoy!

Third Stage

This week's album of the week is Boston's Third Stage.

Released in 1986, fans of Boston had waited 6 years for this album to come out.  The first single (and lead track on the album) Amanda was the only #1 single for Boston...  something that I found somewhat surprising.  I was also surprised that this album only sold 4 million copies as it seemed as though it was much bigger than that back in the day.  I know the 4 singles that were released from this album got quite a bit of airplay in 86/87.

This album came out my sophomore year in high school, and I had a friend (who was a senior) in Spanish class that raved about this album every day for about two weeks.  Finally I said let me borrow it, and have to say that I was rather impressed with the album, though admittedly, there was a stretch where I just played side one over and over again.  Anywho...  I gave it a listen, made myself a copy, and took it back the next day, telling my friend that I really liked it.

It seems as though I dig this album out every now and then and still appreciate the music.

If it's not already in your collection, give this one a listen!

Boston: Third Stage

Enjoy!

American Top 40 Archives

Since the American Top 40 shows from the 70s seem to be the most popular shows I post on Mixcloud, I thought I'd share a couple of links where you can listen to many of the Casey Kasem shows from the 70s and 80s.

Casey Kasem AT40 Archives: 1970s

Casey Kasem AT40 Archives: 1980s

The two links above will give you many of the AT40 shows that Casey Kasem did from 1970 through 1988.  And yes, there is an option to download the shows if you so desire.  The one downside...  the shows are at terrible bitrates, 128kbs or less (all of my posts are at 320kbs unless otherwise noted).  What that means is the you will get a lower sound quality at the Internet Archives sites, though everything available is still quite "listenable."

Happy hunting, and enjoy!

American Top 40 03.19.1977

This week's Radio Show Saturday takes us back 45 years ago today...  Casey Kasem and the American Top 40 for March 19, 1977!

This show clocks in at just under 2 1/2 hours, and these are the songs you'll hear, to be followed by listening and download links:

I Wanna Get Next To You  -  Rose Royce

Spring Rain  -  Silvetti

All Strung Out On You  -  John Travolta

Lido Shuffle  -  Boz Scaggs

Enjoy Yourself  -  The Jacksons

At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)  -  Rufus featuring Chaka Khan

Disco Lucy ("I Love Lucy" Theme)  -  The Wilton Place Street Band

Trying To Love Two  -  William Bell

Gloria  -  Enchantment

Weekend In New England  -  Barry Manilow

Free  -  Deniece Williams

The First Cut Is The Deepest  -  Rod Stewart

Do Ya  -  Electric Light Orchestra

New Kid In Town  -  Eagles

Year Of The Cat  -  Al Stewart

Right Time Of The Night  -  Jennifer Warnes

Sam  -  Olivia Newton-John

Here Come Those Tears Again  -  Jackson Browne

Long Time  -  Boston

Southern Nights  -  Glen Campbell

Crackerbox Palace  -  George Harrison

Hotel California  -  Eagles

Blinded By The Light  -  Manfred Mann's Earth Band

Say You'll Stay Until Tomorrow  -  Tom Jones

So Into You  -  Atlanta Rhythm Section

Carry On Wayward Son  -  Kansas

I've Got Love On My Mind  -  Natalie Cole

Maybe I'm Amazed  -  Wings

Boogie Child  -  The Bee Gees

The Things We Do For Love  -  10CC

Go Your Own Way  -  Fleetwood Mac

Don't Leave Me This Way  -  Thelma Houston

Don't Give Up On Us  -  David Soul

Torn Between Two Lovers  -  Mary MacGregor

I Like Dreamin'  -  Kenny Nolan

Dancing Queen  -  ABBA

Night Moves  -  Bog Seger

Rich Girl  -  Daryl Hall & John Oates

Fly Like An Eagle  -  The Steve Miller Band

Love Theme From "A Star Is Born" (Evergreen)  -  Barbra Streisand

Listen here

American Top 40 03.19.1977

Enjoy!

Trunk Nation: KISS Throwdown

Here is a Trunk Nation show that ran on Tuesday, March 15.

For those who aren't in the know, Trunk Nation is a show on SiriusXM's Volume channel, hosted by Eddie Trunk (you may remember him from That Metal Show that was seen on VH1 for a few years) that runs weekdays from 2-4PM Eastern, and basically is a two hour of discussion of all things rock and roll.

Well, this episode was an interesting one as the theme was a KISS Throwdown: Gene vs. Paul.  The premise was of the remaining two original members, who was and is more important to KISS.  Many called in offering their opinion (many of which were very interesting), and at the end of the show, the votes were tallied and the winner named.  Sorry...  not going to give it away.  You'll just have to listen to the show if you want to know!

As always, links to follow for listening and downloading.

Listen here

Trunk Nation: KISS Throwdown

Enjoy!

Let me just add that if you are a KISS fan, you won't want to miss this one!

Working Class DJ 03.11.2022

Think I'm going to go with a run of radio shows for the next few days...

As today is St. Patrick's Day, I thought I'd go with last weekend's Working Class DJ with Rick Springfield as the theme of the show was everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's Day.

As usual, it's a fun show from Rick Springfield featuring songs from Irish bands and songs about drinking...  just perfect for St. Patrick's Day!

Here's a list of the songs you'll hear on this show, with listening and download links to follow:

Have A Drink On Me  -  AC/DC

Brass Monkey  -  Beastie Boys

A Good Heart  -  Feargal Sharkey

Under Their Thumb Is Under Is Under My Thumb  -  Boomtown Rats

I Drink Alone  -  George Thorogood

Mandinka  -  Sinead O'Connor

Red Red Wine  -  UB40

The Irish Rover  -  The Dubliners featuring The Pogues

Listen here

Working Class DJ 03.11.2022

Enjoy!

Be Good Johnny

Since I went with some recently heard 80s New Wave gold yesterday, I thought I'd drop another one today.

It's Be Good Johnny by Men At Work.  This was the third (and final) single off their debut album, Business As Usual (which to my ears, is one of the greatest albums ever made, and one I still listen to today).

I still remember seeing this video on MTV back in the day, and is still a favorite of mine when I hear the rare instance it's played on the radio.

Enjoy!

Jukebox (Don't Put Another Dime)

Heard this the other day, and it's one of those songs that just gets stuck in your head.

It's Jukebox (Don't Put Another Dime) by The Flirts.  This song appeared in the Valley Girl movie, and on the soundtrack, and is one of those great 80s New Wave gems.

Enjoy!

Deep Purple: The Anthology

The album of the week is a special one to me...

Released in 1985 in the Netherlands as a double album, this was my introduction to Deep Purple.  I found this as a double cassette at a record store in one of the Oklahoma City malls, I'm guessing in late 1988 (though the memory is a little foggy on this one...  could have been a little earlier).  As I recall, I found it in a "cheapie bin," and paid $5.99 for the double cassette collection.

This was only released on vinyl and cassette, and I've been searching around for a digital copy for what seems like a small eternity.  With that in mind, I had attempted re-created this, editing many of the "unreleased" tracks that became available on the various DP collections that have been released since the early 90s...  but the one big problem is there is a version of one song on this collection that I haven't found available anywhere but on this album.

Well, last week, I was checking out Revolution Rock, and much to my surprise, there was a digital download available on the discography collection.  To say I was elated with my discovery would be an understatement!

Now, I gave it a listen, and it definitely sounds like a vinyl (or cassette) transfer...  not saying the sound quality is bad, but this doesn't have the "full" sound you'll find on the remastered releases from the 2000s...  but hey, to my ears, it was as great as the first time I listened to it on the Walkman back in late '88.

It seems as though I've rambled on quite a bit with this one, but I really can't say enough about this great compilation, or my elation over the find.  So without further ado, here's the download link for all to enjoy (hopefully as much as I have over the past 33+ years).

Deep Purple: The Anthology

Enjoy!

Metal Mythos: Yngwie Malmsteen

Back in January, I posted a Metal Mythos episode covering Dokken.  Today, it returns with the Yngwie J. Malmsteen episode.

Again, as a warning, there is gratuitous cussing in this epside...

Now, I really enjoyed Malmsteen's first few albums, but lost interest after Trilogy.  I found this episode to be interesting as I really was unaware of his music post 1988.

If you're wondering who Yngwie Malmsteen is, he's a guitar player who ushered in the genre referred to as "Bach Rock," blending guitar shredding with classical music sensibilities.  Again, his first few albums were magnificent.

Enjoy!

The Retro Vault 01.15.2022

This Radio Show Saturday takes us north of the border!

The Retro Vault is a show that runs every Saturday from 3-6 PM (Pacific Time) on CKQQ (103.1 FM, Kelowna, BC).  The show is syndicated on stations across British Columbia.  Ara Andonian hosts the show, and if you give it a listen, his love for sharing the music really comes through.

How did I find this station, you ask?  Well, a little over 2 1/2 years ago, my wife and I took a trip to Kelowna, BC, and this radio station was just down the road from the resort we stayed at.  I had the station on in the room a few times, and decided to find out if they had an internet feed a few months after we returned home.  Fortunately, they did...  and as an added bonus, it was a hi-definition feed!

Moving along, this show plays a mix of music spanning from the 1970s through to the 2000s, and like every other station north of the border, it has its mandatory Canadian content.  This show runs right around 3 hours, and if you choose to give it a listen, here is what you'll hear (with the listening and download links to follow):

Is There Something I Should Know  -  Duran Duran

Candle In The Wind  -  Elton John

Loser  -  Beck

Come And Get It  -  Badfinger

Fine State Of Affairs  -  Burton Cummings

Money Talks  -  AC/DC

Hit The Road Jack  -  Stampeders

Old Man Down The Road  -  John Fogerty

Barely Breathing  -  Duncan Sheik

Honky Tonk Women  -  The Rolling Stones

You Belong To The City  -  Glenn Frey

Five Days In May  -  Blue Rodeo

Smoke On The Water  -  Deep Purple

Throwing It All Away  -  Genesis

Beautiful Day  -  U2

You Turn Me On, I'm A Radio  -  Joni Mitchell

And The Cradle Will Rock  -  Van Halen

A Long December  -  Counting Crowes

Bloody Well Right  -  Supertramp

The Longest Time  -  Billy Joel

High Road Easy  -  Sass Jordan

Some Kind Of Wonderful  -  Grand Funk Railroad

Cherry Bomb  -  John Mellencamp

Love Will Keep Us Alive  -  Eagles

China Grove  -  The Doobie Brothers

Cover Girl  -  Prism

Alive  -  Pearl Jam

Cracklin' Rosie  -  Neil Diamond

I'll Be There For You  -  Bon Jovi

Just A Girl  -  No Doubt

Take The Money And Run  -  The Steve Miller Band

Strut  -  Sheena Easton

Cryin'  -  Aerosmith

Last Dance  -  Donna Summer

Run To You  -  Bryan Adams

All The Small Things  -  Blink 182

Lovin' You Ain't Easy  -  Michel Pagliaro

Stop Draggin' My Heart Around  -  Stevie Nicks with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Save Tonight  -  Eagle Eye Cherry

With A Little Luck  -  Paul McCartney & Wings

Epic  -  Faith No More

Listen here

The Retro Vault 01.15.2022

Enjoy!

I highly recommend giving this one a listen.  It's got a great mix of music, and you'll get to hear a Helmut's Sausage Kitchen commercial!  Also, the link at the top of the page will take you to the station's website.  They run great shows throughout the day, including That 80s Show twice a day.  And if you like what you're hearing from Ara, he also hosts the morning show every weekday.

Now Hear This Show #5

Finally, I got the 5th edition of the Now Hear This show completed!

I decided to go with what I'm calling a Mucho Metal (yes, I ripped that name off from Beavis & Butt-Head) edition of the Now Hear This show.  I'm featuring early 80s hard rock and metal tunes...  covering the genres from 1980-1983.  I tried to mix in some deep cuts with tunes that may be a little more familiar to those who listen to this sort of music.

Without rambling any further, here's a list of the songs you'll hear on today's show, to be followed by listening and download links:

Armed And Ready  -  The Michael Schenker Group

Everybody Wants Some!!  -  Van Halen

Neon Knights  -  Black Sabbath

Metal Gods  -  Judas Priest

Wheels Of Steel  -  Saxon

The Ides Of March/Wrathchild  -  Iron Maiden

I Put The Finger On You  -  AC/DC

On Through The Night  -  Def Leppard

Love Me Like A Reptile  -  Motörhead

Too Fast For Love  -  Mötley Crüe

Restless And Wild  -  Accept

We're Gonna Make It  -  Twisted Sister

Straight Through The Heart  -  Dio

Young And Wasted  -  KISS

Long Stick Goes Boom  -  Krokus

LISTEN HERE

Now Hear This Show #5

And before I get any comments that Metal Gods does not appear on the Screaming For Vengeance album, I just wanteded to let everybody who hasn't heard that album know that it's a great one that's really worth your time if you've not listened to it.

Enjoy!

On a side note...  I became a SiriusXM subscriber again after getting an offer that was too good to refuse.  With that in mind, I'm going to have a little less time to produce this show, though I do hope to have new shows available every 2 to 3 weeks.  Thanks for the continued support, and I'm hoping you'll keep checking in!

Cheap Trick: Rockpalast 1979

I was going to post a video download for this when I went looking around and found it on YouTube...

It's Cheap Trick on Rockpalast in 1979.  For those who don't know, Rockpalast is a German television show that was broadcast on the Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) network.  The show started back in 1976 and has featured tons of bands over the years (for a list, check here).

Now, I have a few of these shows saved on my hard drive, but chose to share the Cheap Trick 1979 show because they're a band I've always wanted to see live, but for whatever reason, haven't (yet).

Anywho...  here's the show, courtesy of YouTube:

If you're interested in having a copy of this show, let me know as I can upload it and make it available.

Enjoy!

Hi-Heel Sneakers

This song appeared on the '60s Satellite Survey over the weekend (where it was #22 on the Top 40 chart), and I was reminded just how much I like this song.

It's the original version of Hi-Heel Sneakers as performed by Tommy Tucker.  And yes, there have been many covers of this song, but I always come back to this as being the best version out there.

Enjoy!

Best Of April Wine

Best Of April Wine is this week's album of the week.

Released in 2003, this offers many highlights of the Canadian band's career, though in my personal opinion, it's missing an essential track or two.  But with that said, it's a good introduction if you've never heard the band's music (though if you listen to any classic rock stations, I'm guessing you've probably heard at least one song featured on this album).  To my ears, this is one of the best rock bands to come out of Canada.

Best Of April Wine

Enjoy!

Stone Machine

A couple of days ago, I posted a YouTube link for a band called Stone Machine.  If you liked the song you heard, here is their entire discography.  As I mentioned a couple days ago...  I really like their sound!

Stone Machine (2012)

American Honey (2012)

Rock Ain't Dead (2014)

10 Stones (2015)

Enjoy!

Taking You Back To March 1965

We're back with our regular Radio Show Saturday!

This week, the '60s Satellite Survey is taking us back to March 1965...  the week of March 13 to be exact.  You'll hear the Top 40 songs from that week, as well as a few extras, because that's what Dave Hoeffel does on his show.

As usual, this download is a single file and clocks in at just under 2 hours and 14 minutes.

Here's a list of the songs you will hear, to be followed by listening and download links:

All Day And All Of The Night  -  The Kinks

Tired Of Waiting For You  -  The Kinks

Do The Clam  -  Elvis Presley

Shake  -  Sam Cooke

A Change Is Gonna Come  -  Sam Cooke

Stranger In Town  -  Del Shannon

I've Got A Tiger By The Tail  -  Buck Owens

Nowhere To Run  -  Martha & The Vandellas

The Name Game  -  Shirley Ellis

Twine Time  -  Alvin Cash & The Crawlers

New York's A Lonely Town  -  The Trade Winds

If I Loved You  -  Chad & Jeremy

Stay Awake  -  Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews)

Send Me The Pillow You Dream On  -  Dean Martin

Do You Wanna Dance?  -  The Beach Boys

Laugh, Laugh  -  The Beau Brummels

Yeh, Yeh  -  Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames

Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood  -  The Animals

Girl Don't Come  -  Sandie Shaw

I Go To Pieces  -  Peter & Gordon

Ask The Lonely  -  The Four Tops

Red Roses For A Blue Lady  -  Vic Dana

Goodnight  -  Roy Orbison

People Get Ready  -  The Impressions

You Can't Hurt Me No More  -  Gene Chandler

Midnight Special  -  Johnny Rivers

Come Home  -  The Dave Clark Five

Little Things  -  Bobby Goldsboro

Tell Her No  -  The Zombies

The Boy From New York City  -  The Ad Libs

What Have They Done To The Rain  -  The Searchers

Downtown  -  Petula Clark

Shotgun  -  Jr. Walker & The All Stars

Red Roses For A Blue Lady  -  Bert Kaempfert & His Orchestra

You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'  -  The Righteous Brothers

Goldfinger  -  Shirley Bassey

It's Not Unusual  -  Tom Jones

Hurt So Bad  -  Little Anthony & The Imperials

The Jolly Green Giant  -  The Kingsmen

Can't You Hear My Heartbeat  -  Herman's Hermits

Ferry Cross The Mersey  -  Gerry & The Pacemakers

King Of The Road  -  Roger Miller

The Birds And The Bees  -  Jewel Akens

This Diamond Ring  -  Gary Lewis & The Playboys

Stop! In The Name Of Love  -  The Supremes

My Girl  -  The Temptations

Eight Days A Week  -  The Beatles

Listen here

'60s Satellite Survey: Taking You Back To March 1965

Enjoy!

Rock Ain't Dead

And back in the early to mid 2010s, Stone Machine set out to prove just that.

I was over at Hear Rock City the other day and saw a post for the 10 Stones compilation by this band.  It was billed as "a band you have probably never heard of," and they were right.  But I gave the posted track a listen and was impressed!

These guys are from Huntington, WV, and appear to have been active (that is, releasing albums) from 2012 to 2015.  The music has a hard southern rock vibe to it.

Here's their tune Rock Ain't Dead from the album of the same name.

If you clicked on the video and liked what you heard, come back in a couple of days and I'll have their 4 album discography for you.

Enjoy!

Mexican Phish

Last weekend, Phish returned to Cancun for its 5th Phish: Riviera Maya, an all-inclusive vacation experience that saw the band performing 4 nights on the beach.

These are the official downloads for each of the 4 shows (as found on nugs.net).

Phish: Riviera Maya 02.24.2022

Phish: Riviera Maya 02.25.2022

Phish: Riviera Maya 02.26.2022

Phish: Riviera Maya 02.27.2022

Enjoy!

Me And My Old Lady

This should have been released as a single...  it would have been a smash hit!

Me And My Old Lady comes from Cheech & Chong's Things Are Tough All Over movie, and is a song that's been stuck in my head for many, many years now.  And since I saw a great clip of it available on YouTube, I figured I'd share it for anyone who stumbles upon this site.

Enjoy!

Love Is Like A Rock

For whatever reason, the 'official video' was nowhere to be found on the interwebs...

I heard this on a VJ Big 40 Countdown the other day, and it's a song that gets stuck in my head from time to time.  It's Donnie Iris and his Top 40 hit from early 1982, Love Is Like A Rock.

This video features a pretty good live performance of the song in 1981.

Most remember Pittsburgh area native Donnie Iris from his hit single Ah! Leah!, but most forget he was also in The Jaggerz who had a hit back in 1970 called The Rapper.

Enjoy!