What are you listening to Part the Third

*mikeymad* · December 18, 2022

50yo

Foxtrot
Genesis
1972

Example:

I was trying not to play too many 50yo albums that I am familiar with {wanting to still discover new albums to myself}, but once I played the first few seconds of this album, I could not help it. Just so good. Michael's bass is killer on this album.

*mikeymad* · December 18, 2022

Acoustic Sessions EP
Morgan Wade
2022

https://album.link/i/1636955701

Example:

Nice little EP. Strong voice and a new artist to me. A good find that I will check out a bit more.

*Hopstretch* · December 18, 2022

Been getting back into some 80s Texas (of Scotland.) If it was good enough for Alan Rickman ...

*swt61* · December 18, 2022

I know many don't like Country music, and think it simple, hillbilly prose. And a lot of it is forgettable to be honest. But in the same way that I love early blues music, I love early country music. It's the blues of the blue collar worker. It tells of the struggle of the common man (me), and the best of it does it poetically and gracefully.

Bobbie Gentry is an artist that never got the respect she deserves in my mind. In 1967, a time when "girl singers" were singing about standing by their man, and overlooking his faults, Bobbie Gentry penned "Ode to Billie Joe". A song about two teenagers that had a secret affair, got pregnant, hid it, then threw the newborn baby over a bridge to keep from being discovered. Then the boy commits suicide, because he can't live with what he's done. And she delivered that song with poetry and grace.

Three years later she penned the song "Fancy", about a poor "white trash", sickly mother and her two children. One a starving infant, and the other a girl on the cusp of womanhood. The mother knows she's dying, and the only way she knows to give her daughter a chance at a better life, is to dress her up and "turn her out". I don't mean kick her out. Turning someone out is a phrase popularized by pimps, meaning to make the woman they've been grooming start turning tricks.

How this woman managed to get any songs published at that time is amazing enough. Only a very few women were taken seriously as song writers. But to convince a producer to publish songs of such a serious, taboo nature is almost miraculous back then.

Worth a listen if you're not familiar.

Edited December 18, 2022 by swt61

*blessingx* · December 18, 2022

If people need more encouragement, she’s on Rolling Stone’s Best Nashville Country Albums list

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-country-albums-1234581876/

Edited December 18, 2022 by blessingx

Dusty Chalk · December 18, 2022

19 hours ago, mikeymad said:

Acoustic Sessions EP
Morgan Wade
2022

https://album.link/i/1636955701

Example:

Nice little EP. Strong voice and a new artist to me. A good find that I will check out a bit more.

This song is amazing, thanks for sharing, will check the rest of the EP out.

*TMoney* · December 20, 2022

Pink Floyd - Animals (2018 Remaster)

I hadn’t listened to this album front to back in years but this new remix had me dipping back in.

It sounds great. This album rocks.

Shame these guys still don’t get along with each other to this day (supposedly this was delayed from Roger and David fighting over the liner notes?). They had such a unique sound together. IMO the worst of the Floyd albums is better than any of David or Roger’s solo work.

*skullguise* · December 20, 2022

^^ Animals and Wish You Were Here are the only albums I still love from them that are post-~1972 (Meddle). I tend to favor the Barrett-era Floyd the most, but those two are masterpieces IMO.

That said, I DO think some of David's solo work is awesome too. But I wouldn't argue with your assessment overall....

*mikeymad* · December 20, 2022

50yo

Talking Book
Stevie Wonder
1972

https://album.link/i/1440485202

Example:

He had two albums in '72 - This one is the one to listen to (the other Music of My Mind). Two big hits on this with You Are The Sunshine Of My Life and Superstition with the latter being a killer track to this day. But, I definitely been missing out on some additional sweet tracks. It is a mix of good funk (example track that I wanted to share) and super soft tracks (You and I), showing future directions into 'I just called to say I love you'. I don't mind the mix, but I would have had different order of the tracks. The slow downs are too slow, it takes the energy out of the flow, where it should just give you a break and transition into the next track. Superstition should be on a rise to a peek, not the start of a rise. Small complaint, enjoyable album.

And of course it ends with a track from one of my favorite movies:

There are a lot of rules.

*mikeymad* · December 20, 2022

Oh Julie

Around Midnight
Julie London
1960

https://album.link/i/716392554

Example:

A song for Summer - but one of my new favorites. Just a lovely crooning album from Julie. Beautifully recorded and performed.

*blessingx* · December 21, 2022

#londoniswonderful

*blessingx* · December 21, 2022

Tracey Thorn‘s Tinsel and Lights

ex.

*jpelg* · December 21, 2022

^Oooh, I forgot about that one. Will have to pull that disc out today.

*mikeymad* · December 22, 2022

Zero She Flies
Al Stewart
1970

https://album.link/i/340107757

Example:

Not an album I knew from Al. There is another album other than 'Year of The Cat'? Yup. Simple and layered songs, with some having a Jethro Tull feel.

Dusty Chalk · December 22, 2022

3 hours ago, mikeymad said:

Zero She Flies
Al Stewart
1970

https://album.link/i/340107757

Example:

Not an album I knew from Al. There is another album other than 'Year of The Cat'? Yup. Simple and layered songs, with some having a Jethro Tull feel.

Yup, there's Year of the Cat, Time Passages, and...uh...

...oh wait, there's the live album.

Okay, that's all I know.

*blessingx* · December 22, 2022

George Winston’s December

Full album

*mikeymad* · December 22, 2022

^ literally, just one of my favorite albums of all time. When it came out in the early 80s on Windham Hill records, it blew my mind. I didn't know that music like that could exist and be played by one person on one piano. Same thing happened when I heard Michael Hedges playing the guitar. Happy to have had the chance to see both of them live back in the day. Thanks for the reminder Ric.

*robm321* · December 22, 2022

^ Agreed. I have the LP.

Dusty Chalk · December 23, 2022

8 hours ago, mikeymad said:

^ literally, just one of my favorite albums of all time. When it came out in the early 80s on Windham Hill records, it blew my mind. I didn't know that music like that could exist and be played by one person on one piano. Same thing happened when I heard Michael Hedges playing the guitar. Happy to have had the chance to see both of them live back in the day. Thanks for the reminder Ric.

I literally just posted elsewhere that his version (seen him live regularly on his December circuits) of Carol of the Bells is one of the few examples of Xmas music I can stand. I could have taken this video -- this angle is literally what I remember most about him -- always tried to get a seat slightly to stage right so that I could see him play.

What's funny is that my style of improvising on the piano is very similar -- I distinctly remember that feeling of "running out of keyboard" at the top and just playing the same riff over and over until I could figure out a way to unpaint myself out of the corner. 😆

*blessingx* · December 23, 2022

With Mimi Parker’s passing last month, adding Low’s Christmas to the mix.

Edited December 23, 2022 by blessingx

*blessingx* · December 23, 2022

Johnny Cash The Classic Christmas Album (he has a few similarly named holiday LPs)

Ex.

Edited December 23, 2022 by blessingx

*mikeymad* · December 24, 2022

After watching this last night, I wanted to listen to some more ELO:

I didn't know this one that well. I don't think I ever owned it.

Not 50yo yet - but close.

Electric Light Orchestra II
Electric Light Orchestra
1973

https://album.link/i/1054523017

Example:

Longer songs than most, but they also have the classic Jeff signature. From Arguably an honorary Beatle.

Edited December 24, 2022 by mikeymad

*blessingx* · December 24, 2022

A couple albums with the same title and many of the same family members - American Folk Songs for Christmas by Mike, Peggy & Penny Seeger and their families and American Folk Songs for Christmas by The Seeger Sisters. "Ruth Crawford Seeger (1901-1953), distinguished musician, noted music educator and authority on folk music has assembled a collection of songs from the old-time Christmas, before Santa Claus came to America and neatly trimmed fir trees bloomed with tinsel." Also when Christmas was January 6th.