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In 1954 Decca Records celebrated their 20th anniversary. It also marked 20 years of recording their biggest star Bing Crosby. To commemorate, they released a deluxe set called "Bing: A Musical Autobiography." It followed the print release of the autobiography "Call Me Lucky" published the previous year. The format was simple, Crosby narrating brief introductions to the songs he was best known for. Since Decca didn't have the rights to his earliest records, Bing performed them anew with The Buddy Cole Trio, one of his most frequent and effective collaborators. The stuff with Cole is great, each song sung to intimate perfection in a small group setting. Later on in the set they would use the original recordings made for Decca. The packaging of the product was also a deluxe affair, with the whole set of records being housed in a small box with a lock on the side, like a diary. Inside were seventeen 45 extended play records. The set would later be released on LP, including a series where each of the 5 albums could be purchased separately. On first listen, the spoken introductions are delightful, but on repeated listens becomes tedious. Still the original recordings and the archival ones impress these many years later. For those interested the set is available to stream.

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Lay Down

One of the great Woodstock anthems was from an artist little talked about today. “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)” was a huge hit for Melanie in 1970. Taken from the album of the same name, it was her third LP and really clicked with the audience in those hopeful, idealistic days. Backed by the Edwin Hawkins Singers, the song was a perfect encapsulation of the counterculture notion of the time, which unfortunately makes it impossible for some folks in today’s much more conservative environment to appreciate it. The album was good, with her own “What Have They Done to My Song” displaying her unique ability to make social commentary in a humorous and very musical way. She also does a great rendition of James Taylor’s “Carolina in My Mind.” Melanie would go on to score several other hits: “Peace Will Come”, “The Nickel Song” and “Brand New Key” rode the charts with ease in the early seventies. As time and trends changed, her hippie flower child image faded, as did her success. She still writes, records and performs today but will never see the level of success she found with “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain).” It’s a pity really, she is still a dynamic and unique musical voice. Besides, as Elvis Costello once said “What’s so Funny ‘Bout Peace Love and Understanding.” Amen.

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Cover Records

From the days of the minstrel shows forward, white musicians adopting black culture to suit their own desires has been an ongoing theme in American music. Benny Goodman may have been “The King of Swing” in pop culture, but the music he performed was lifted from black musicians, who were usually better than Goodman was. Although racism was at the heart of this, Benny wasn’t prejudiced and didn’t steal the music strictly for his own gain, he genuinely loved it and wanted to play like his black heroes. He often employed black musicians to play in his band, which was not the norm of his time. In the fifties, as R&B gained popularity, many white singers sought to bolster their careers by covering successful black artists. The resultant “cover” records always outsold the originals, just as they had done earlier with ragtime and jazz. As R&B morphed into rock and roll, the differences between black and white versions of a song created a backlash, as white disc jockeys like Alan Freed refused to play cover versions.

As rock advanced, racism and concerns over teen age morality became national obsessions. Elvis may have been crowned King like Goodman before him, but the attacks on Presley were far more intense than those of Benny had endured. Elvis, of course, loved the music he covered, which set him apart from other performers who were trying to cash in on a trend. Intended as a play on the H-bomb, the Chords driving hit “Sh-Boom” was remade into a hokey white bread glee club hit by The Crew Cuts. Vegas lounge act The McGuire Sisters had a big seller with a cover of “Sincerely”, a doo wop masterpiece by the Moonglows. Lavern Baker was so angry when her hit “Tweedle Dee” was covered by pop singer Georgia Gibbs, she tried to sue to get her royalties back.

By far the biggest offender, and the most successful cover singer of the fifties was Pat Boone. His 1955 hit “Tutti Frutti” was so clueless as to make it unlistenable today. Originator Little Richard once said he tried to write songs that were too fast for Boone to cover, but it made no difference, Mr. white buck shoes covered them anyway, outselling Richard every time. Boone’s record of the Fat Domino classic “Ain’t That a Shame” was similarly awful, but Pat was seen as an artist safe for consumption by parents of white teens, whereas black artist were not given the same publicity and promotion. As time went on, the covers fell pray to their own blandness, and as rock became more and more popular, original versions began to find their own place on the charts.

As the years rolled by, white musicians still covered blacks, but it was usually in the spirit of imitation is the best form of flattery than any sense of exploitation. Today, of course, black musicians own the music market place in a way that they couldn’t have dreamed of back in fifties. Although cultural appropriation still exists, progress has been made in levelling the playing field in the melting pot that is America.

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It’s a bit hard for me to put into words my feelings about Tony Bennett. His amazing music has meant so much to me in my life that it’s fair to say it changed me. The last of the great singers that flourished after World War Two, Bennett did as much as anyone to make pop music an art form. He was a pop sensation in the pre rock fifties, scoring one huge hit after another: “Rags to Riches”, “Stranger in Paradise”, “Because of You”, “Just in Time” and Hank Williams “Cold Cold Heart.” When rock and roll came along, his emphasis moved toward albums, just like others pop singers of the time, giving us such joys as “Cloud 7”, “The Beat of My Heart” and “Long Ago and Far Away.” He always had a big, powerful voice, and sometimes over sang in his early days, but he was always trying to hone his craft, improve his style. By the time he recorded his signature song “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” he had learned the art of subtlety, singing in a soft conversational style while building to a climax that showed off his chops. In the sixties, he did a string of albums that focused on great songs, eclipsing even his idol, Frank Sinatra. Over the years he continued to refine his style. His performance on MTVs Unplugged series opened a new audience for his timeless music. His work with modern performers such as K.D. Lang, Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga endeared him and his music to millions of new listeners, making him a virtual ambassador for the Great American Songbook. His catalog is so vast that it’s too great a task to detail all of his best recordings. I will, however, list a few favorites: “It Was Me”, “Fly Me to the Moon”, “Blue Velvet”, “I Do Not Know a Day I Did Not Love You”, “Who Can I Turn To.”, “A Lull in My Life”, “I Walk a Little Faster” and “If I Ever Love Again.” RIP Tony Bennett, we will not see the like of you again.  

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Bob Wills was an amitious band leader. He wanted a band that could do it all. For a couple of recording dates in 1940 and 41, he succeeded in havng such a group. He had always mixed jazz, pop and country elements together, but for those sessions he was able to not just have take off soloists, but a full fledged big band with horn and reed sections. It was with this group that he scored his biggest hit "New San Antonio Rose", which didn't feature fiddles or guitars at all, letting the section work do the heavy lifting. The sides from those sessions are killer, although a couple of the best cuts "Liebestraum" and "The Girl I Left Behind Me" stayed unreleased till the 1980s. Hearing the quality of the recordings, it's hard to understand why they stayed in the can, maybe the record company wanted to keep him more focused on the string band, but I guess no one will ever know for sure.

What we do know is that Bobs expansive view of music was at it's height just before America entered WWII. He would always have horns, but the full section sound was fairly short lived…….after the war he was forced to pair down the size of his band, bringing the fiddle back to the foreground. The big band playboys clearly demonstrated just how successful Bob was at realizing his vision of a band that could do it all. They also demonstrate what a titan he was in American music. As Waylon Jennings once declared "Bob Wills is Still the King."

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Jack Greene

In 1967 the CMA held their first awards ceremony. The star of the night was Jack Greene, who took home honors for Male Vocalist of the Year, Best Single and Best Album. The song that brought all these accolades was "There Goes My Everything." The song was written by Dallas Frazier, who took home the Song of the Year award. Greene had been a member of  Ernest Tubb's band The Texas Troubadors for several years, often taking lead vocals when the group recorded on their own. Soon Tubb was telling Greene to go solo, which led to his fist huge seller "There Goes My Everything." Jack, however, was no one hit wonder. He scored 5 number one hits before 1970, was nominated for 4 Grammy Awards, and would also have hits with duet partner Jeannie Seely. His records were mostly smooth Nashville Sound  affairs, but he was no bland balladeer. His voice was deep and powerful, giving the records an emotional depth that made them compelling. This is most apparent on his 1969 hit "Statue of a Fool", a tour de force vocal and one of the best country records ever made.

Although Jack would perform and record for many years to come, his biggest hits were over by the mid seventies. Today he is barely mentioned, his classic Decca Records unavailable on major streaming services. The recorded evidence upholds his abilities, even if it's currently hard to come by. Beloved by fans and fellow performers alike, his death in 2013 left a hole in the community he had served so well. Although overlooked by historians, Jack Greene left a legacy that will surely be rediscovered someday. At least we can hope that is the case.

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The phrase "long ago and far away" could easily be used to describe the career of singer Marion Harris. She was popular in a time that was marked by a huge shift in American society and culture, a moment so critical that it literally changed everything that came after it. Not much is known about her early life, although it seems likely she came from Indiana and was born around 1896. She first came on the scene singing on movie and vaudeville stages in Chicago in 1914, where she was noticed by Vernon Castle, the famous dancer. His influence landed her in the Irving Berlin show "Stop Look and Listen" in New York city. Her recording career began in 1916 for Victor. In the period between World War I and the start of the Great Depression, she was one of America's most popular vocalist, literally making standards out of dozens of songs she sang. She was one of the first white performers to sing blues and jazz numbers, something she did far better than most of her contemporaries. It was her ability to connect black music with mainstream white culture that made her significant, it also made her very popular.

Some of the songs she would make famous included such long lived titles as "St Louis Blues", "After You've Gone", "A Good Man is Hard to Find", "I Ain't Got Nobody", "There'll Be Some Changes Made" and "Who's Sorry Now."  Her mix of blues, jazz and show tunes proved a major influence on the next generation of singers, such as Annette Hanshaw and Ruth Etting. Several marriages, children and illnesses took her out of showbiz at times, but she kept coming back, always finding the limelight. As the record business suffered through the depression, she continued to sing on the radio, not only at home but also in Britain, where she lived for time in the thirties. She developed a neurological disorder from the constant bombing of London during World War II. She returned to New York for treatment. She was living in NYC in 1944, when she died in a fire that was caused by her smoking in bed. By the time she passed, she was largely forgotten, as changing times filled the musical landscape with new stars. Today she is often completely overlooked, which is a shame. It was all a very long time ago, a century has passed since she first gained notice, but the innovations of her singing style influenced many who came after her. The name Marion Harris may not be well known today, but her legacy endures.

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In the 1920's, Yankee Stadium became known as "The House That Ruth Built", referring to the phenomenal Babe Ruth, who was credited with brining back baseball after the black socks scandal, and establishing The New York Yankees as the games dominant team.  In 1950's that same moniker was given to a another New York institution, Atlantic Records, but this had nothing to do with The Babe. The phrase was adopted due to the huge success of the companies first big star, Ruth Brown. She left her Virginia home and headed for the big apple in the late forties. She was singing in a club there when she was signed by Ahmet Ertegun, owner of Atlantic Records. A car accident postponed her debut session, she was still on crutches when she first recorded, but the payoff was big. "So Long" became the labels first big hit in 1949, and over the course of the next decade, she ran up an impressive list of best selling R&B records that established Atlantic Records, and Ruth Brown, as forces to be reckoned with.

She had a big, powerful voice, one that could shout the blues as well as plunge it's saddest moods. She also had a theatrical stage presence, where she would mug, clown and holler to get the audience on her side. Her big hits included "5-10-15 Hours", "Teardrops From My Eyes", "Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean" and "Oh What a Dream." She embraced rock and roll, scoring a big crossover with "Lucky Lips" in 1957. In the sixties, her career faded as she took time to raise a family. She made a comeback in the seventies, adding TV and stage to her resume. She won praise for her work on television in a show titled "Hello Larry",and was in the cult classic "Hairspray" on the big screen. She won a Tony Award in 1989 for her work in "Black and Blue",and toured with Charles Brown and Bonnie Raitt in the nineties. Her recordings from this period show that even at an advanced age, she still had the goods. She was enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. She passed in 2006, but her lifetime of great performances remain for us to enjoy today. Wildly entertaining and highly influential, Ruth Brown is a legend.

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David Crosby

Revered or reviled, David Crosby's first solo album is either considered a lost classic, or self-indulgent hippie crap. The only member of Crosby Stills Nash and Young to never score a solo hit, Crosby never found a commercial groove for his music, and in some circles that is looked on as a badge of honor, as if its lack of success in the marketplace makes it better somehow. To my ears, his solo work is a bit of a slog, at times as hard to listen to as it is to understand. "If I Could Only Remember My Name" came out in 1971, a time in which spacey hippie ethos was at its peak, and it certainly has that in spades. The sessions featured all of his cohorts, with support from Stills, Nash, Jerry Garcia, Grace Slick and Phil Lesh. Every note is carefully chosen, each vocal focused on Crosby's trippy ambience. An obvious highlight, "Laughing" is a case in point. With Garcia's spacey steel guitar as a backdrop, Cros spins the out of focus lyric as if it's scripture, completely absorbed into his own foggy fragments of thought. It's both hypnotic and haunting, and a fine example of what he had to offer. It's also long and slow, hardly a contender for radio play. The whole album is like that, kind of burying itself in its own ambitions. Without his band mates to balance his songs, they seem a bit redundant, with every track feeling like it's part of some sleepy dream state. That doesn't mean it's bad, far from it, but it can be hard to relate to. "Song With No Words" is striking on first listen, creating an unmistakable mood of counter-culture ambience. As a matter of fact, it's hard to think of another album that sums up that hazy feeling better than this one. On the flip side of that sentiment, its lack of any kind of hook or commercial vibe doomed the LP to the bargain bin. It can be rewarding if you take the time to get into it, but whether it's worth that kind of effort is questionable, depending on your own perspective. In my final analysis, "If I Could Only Remember My Name" is a testament to Crosby's undeniable talent, a strong statement of its time, and a reminder of just how distant from the average listener that talent can be.

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When Bob Dylan released "Time Out of Mind" in 1997, it was something of a revelation. His most recent album of all new material had come out seven years earlier. That record, "Under the Red Sky" was one of his least worthy efforts, leading him into an odd period where he covered old folk and blues songs. For "Time Out of Mind", Dylan enlisted the support of Daniel Lanois, who had collaborated with him on "Oh Mercy" in 1989. The songs for the new album were mostly sad, dark and full of misgivings. Dylan's world weary voice and the smokey production from Lanois only added to the remorseful feel of the finished product. The murky sound wrapped the songs in a moody ambience that was as distinctive as the songs, which were the strongest he had written since "Blood on the Tracks" back in '75. An instant classic, "Time Out of Mind" was hailed as an instant classic and was quickly ranked with Dylan's best work.

A few out takes from the sessions popped up on the Bootleg Series release "Tell Tale Signs." They were all brilliant, especially "Red River Shore", plus they stripped away the dense sound of the tracks released on the original album. Now the Bootleg Series has delivered its 17th volume with "Fragments", which celebrates and reimagines "Time Out of Mind" on its 25th anniversary. Like the other Bootleg albums, it's filled with alternate takes and left overs, but unlike the others, this one has a remixed version of "Time Out of Mind" that presents the songs without the blurry overlay of Lanois's production. The remix brings Dylan's voice to the fore, which is an impressive update. His craggy voice is at its emotionally charged best, especially on bluesey tracks like "Cold Irons Bound" and "Million Miles." There is an intimacy in these performances that were buried in the first mix. Those who love the original might be put off by the differences, but I am not among them.

I think the remix only enhances the experience, bringing the dark lyrics into focus without sacrificing the downcast mood of the album. The live versions and out takes are compelling, particularly on the traditional song "The Water is Wide", which is a masterpiece of interpretation. That being said, it's the remix of the original album that really impresses, exposing a beauty and resonance that only makes the songs more powerful. From the opening notes of "Love Sick" to the closing line of "Highlands" this is modern music of the highest order, making the case once more for Dylan's genius. Highly recommended.

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1955 was a pivital year for pop music. Although the big rock and roll breakthrough would happen the following year with the rise of Elvis Presley, '55 showed we were clearly headed in that direction. The year gave us such seminal performances as Presley's own "Mystery Train", Chuck Berry's "Maybeline", Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti" and Fat Domino's "Ain't That a Shame." 1955 also gave the new music it's first number one with "Rock Around the Cock" by Bill Haley and his Comets. Along with the rockers the growing popularity of smooth vocal harmony groups was game changing as well. As R&B moved to the forefront of popular taste, more and more vocals groups found success. The emerging sound, later dubbed "Doo-Wop", was an outgrowth of popular vocal groups from the thirties and forties such as The Ink Spots, The Mills Brothers and The Delta Rhythm Boys.

The sound came mostly from big cities, where kids in a neighborhood would gather to harmonize without instrumental backing. To accommodate the lead vocals, the other singers would sing a musical counterpoint using nonexistent words such as doo-wah or wop wop. These nonsensical singing parts led to the term Doo-Wop. Groups proliferated in the early fifties but peaked in 1955 with numerous songs and performances that would define the style. No other Doo-Wop song captured the era more than "Earth Angel" by the Penguins. Recorded on the small Dootone label, it made the top ten of the pop charts, a first at the time for an independent record company. One of the best groups were The Cardinals, who recorded for Atlantic Records. Their classic "The Door is Still Open" was written by Chuck Willis.

Another Atlantic group, The Clovers hit pay dirt with their ever popular "Devil or Angel.”  It was a hit later for pop star Bobby Vee. White artists covering R&B was commonplace in those days, a practice that usurped the sales of originals and denied profits to performers. Another nefarious practice was company execs and disc jockeys tacking their names on to writer credits, which took even more money from the groups themselves. Such was the case with a personal favorite. "Sincerely" by the Moonglows was released by Chess Records but covered for the pop market by The McGuire Sisters who scored a number one hit with the song. DJ Alan Freed took partial writer credit, just as he had done with Chuck Berry's "Maybelline." "Two Hearts, Two Kisses" was covered by both Pat Boone and Frank Sinatra but belonged to The Charms.

One hit that managed to near impossible task of outselling the cover versions was "Only You" by The Platters. The group had a big year in '55, scoring again with the all time fave "The Great Pretender." Both songs were released by Mercury Records. Another 1955 classic came from a different Chicago label. Vee-Jay Records scored with "At My Front Door" by The Eldorados. Of course any discussion of fifties vocal groups has to include the marvelous group The Five Keys.  After much success on the Aladdin Label, they moved to Capitol and enjoyed even more hits, including the transcendent "Close Your Eyes."  

Doo-Wop would continue into the late fifties, with scores of singers taking up the style, including a lot of white groups. By the sixties it had morphed into the girl group sound, which became a huge part of Motown Records. By that time, the charming innocence of Doo-wop had vanished, relegating it to the past. Back in 1955, however, Doo-Wop had its day, and what a fine day, and year, it was!

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"Wabash Cannonball" is a legendary song, foundational to the understanding of American Country Music. No one knows exactly where the song came from. Some say it was written by a group of hobos to describe a mythical train that would someday carry them to heaven. At the song’s inception, there was no train called "Wabash Cannonball".......the only train to have ever used that name was in honor of the song. It was first recorded by The Carter Family in 1929, but not released until 1932. It became a signature song for Grand Ole Opry performer Roy Acuff, who sang most every Saturday night on the broadcast for years. It was an oddity in musical history that when Acuff's band, The Crazy Tennesseans s first cut the song in 1936, the vocals were handled by Sam "Dynamite" Hatcher, not by Roy. Acuff did contribute the train whistle effect however. The song was a staple in Acuff's live show, he recorded it with his own voice in 1947. The new version replaced the old, being issued with the same catalog number. The 1947 recording is considered to be the definitive one, although Roy would record it again for Capitol and one more time for Hickory Records in later years.

Woody Guthrie would pinch the melody or his own "Grand Coulee Dam" and "Farmer-Labor Train." He would also use his own adaptation for the 1948 Presidential campaign of Henry A. Wallace. Bluesman Blind Willie McTell recorded "Wabash Cannonball" at his last recording session in 1949. Numerous country stars have done it, including Johnny Cash and Doc Watson. Bing Crosby even recorded it. The song was the first one sung at the new Opry house opening in 1974, cementing its place in country history and in Acuff's legend. Millions of fans worldwide know the song well, and it still puts chills up the spines of old time music lovers to hear the opening line "From the great Atlantic Ocean to the wide Pacific shore." A true piece of Americana, "Wabash Cannonball" place in musical history is well assured.

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During the heady days of the big bands, there were different designations given to individual groups. Well known outfits were known as "name" bands. They were the ones who had hit records and worked out of established entertainment venues such as New York, Los Angeles or Chicago. Others were known as "territory" bands. These were groups that worked in specific areas of the country, performing in smaller cities and touring in sections of the country that were not far removed from their home base. One of best of these "territory" bands belonged to Jay McShann. Jay, known as "Hootie" by friends and fans was a piano playing leader who worked out of Kansas City. He is best remembered for being making the first records featuring Charlie Parker, but it would be shame to limit him to that one achievement. McShann had a band that could swing out, but his records focused mostly on the blues, which is what the Kansas City sound was all about. His vocalist was Walter Brown, who was much more subtle than K.C. shouters like Big Joe Turner or Jimmy Rushing, who was the resident boy singer in the Count Basie band.

Hootie was drafted in 1944, breaking up his band just as he was beginning to find a national audience. After the war he had some success with the blues singer Jimmy Weatherspoon, but remained a territorial favorite, not really registering nationally. He gigged around the home turf for the next twenty years, but then found some success making blues records that not only featured his piano, but his singing as well. The ensuing years would find him a regular at various jazz and blues festivals, bringing the audience to its feet with his fine music and humorous stories about his years on the road. After devoting his life to music, Hootie passed at the age of 90 in 2006. His latter-day success was fitting recognition for a man who never hit the big time but was there for the party for 70 years.

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The King of Rock ‘n Roll

I've always been a big Elvis fan. I started getting into him in the seventies, in the years leading up to his death. It was the Sun and early RCA stuff that drew me in, as The King knocked down one convention after another, creating the most exciting and consequential music of his life. In my view, no one in rock history ever did anything as radical or hard hitting as what Elvis at the dawn of his career. Simply put, he changed the entire trajectory of pop music forever. It didn't take long for the focus to flip, as crass commercialism and market exploitation became the driving force in his career. Even though the man would contribute great performances throughout his life, (just check out "Hurt" recorded during his final sessions to see my point), his career in total has to be seen as a missed opportunity. The first post army recordings, his gospel material and the 1968 TV special certainly proved his talents were intact, but the fact remains that the majority of what he did wasn't up to snuff. Colonel Parker, his carny barking manager can be blamed for much of this failure, but the man himself also consented to it, so there is enough blame to go around. Parker demanded early on that Presley own part of the publishing on what he recorded, which limited his choices quite a bit. His career was marked by uneven albums and terrible movie soundtracks, some of which were so brief that both sides of an album barely made it to twenty minutes. Not that you would want more of the type of material that was involved in most cases. The worst thing about it was the poor songs and slipshod movies were intentional, made only to optimize profit while short- changing quality. He got his groove back for a couple of years following the '68 comeback, but soon fell into the familiar habit of mediocre studio albums and redundant live ones. It sounds odd to look at his career as lackluster, considering how much great and groundbreaking stuff he did, but that is more a testament to his amazing abilities than anything else. It also begs the question: How much more could he have contributed had his career been differently driven. What if he had collaborated with other musicians outside of his circle more? We saw Johnny Cash jamming with Carl Perkins and Eric Clapton on national TV, what if that had been Elvis?  Can you imagine The King on SNL? Probably not, but how much greater might he have been if he had not been isolated as much as he was? But of course, those things never happened, leaving us to ponder the possibilities of what might have been.

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Seals and Crofts were quite well known in the seventies, but their heyday didn't last long. One of the reasons for this is how perfectly their sound fit into their time. The music was soft rock, with jazz, folk and country overtones.  The lyrics were introspective, sprinkled with a bit of spiritual wisdom from their involvement in the Baha’i faith. "Summer Breeze", their first hit, came out in 1973 and immediately established them as major artists. The had known each other for years, playing together as members of The Champs. Their spiritual awakening came in 1969, also the time when they formed their duo. Their first couple of albums came and went without notice, but with "Summer Breeze" they finally hit their stride. Baha’i scripture was the basis for "Hummingbird", their next big hit. Both songs found plenty of airplay, flowing out of radios across the country. Their follow up effort was also very successful. "Diamond Girl" scored hits with the title track and "We May Never Pass This Way Again", both of which became seventies staples. They hit a road block in 1974 when "Unborn Child" was released. Unabashedly anti-abortion, its message based on the point of view of an unborn fetus was controversial enough to get it banned from the airwaves, also bringing condemnation from women's groups. The LP wasn't bad, "King of Nothing" became a minor hit, but did not match the success of their first two hit albums.

They recovered with the next record, "I'll Play For You", but by this time they had lost the impact of their earlier work. "Get Closer" was hit in 1976, but the changing musical scene soon left them behind. The rise of disco and punk music made them sound dated and soft headed, leaving them little room for audience growth. The dance beat of "You're the Love" gave them their last charting hit in 1978. By 1980 they were done, going their separate ways. There were a couple of reunions, even another album in 2004, but it generated little interest. Jim Selas passed in 2022 after a lengthy illness, Dash Croft only performs music as part of his religious activities, and they are infrequent. For all of their popularity in the seventies, they never enjoyed a revival of their music, which is relegated now to oldies and soft rock stations. Perfect for their time, Seals and Crofts saw their time pass them by, although the music is still refreshing, especially to those of a certain age.

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In the eighties country music was wide open, with a lot of diverse talent finding themselves part of the scene. I remember reading in a 1986 copy of Country Music magazine reviews of three debut albums that would help redefine what was possible in the genre. "Storms of Life" by Randy Travis dug deep into main street country tradition, "Guitars, Cadillacs" by Dwight Yoakam opened the door to hard core honky tonk with an edge not heard in years, and then there was "Guitar Town" by Steve Earle. They were all great records, but I think the it was "Guitar Town" that ultimately introduced the greatest talent in the group. Earle had a world worry view, fueled by cynicism and anger, that was not typical in the country of the time, finding more in common with Springsteen than anything out of music city. Still, he was no Bruce wanna be. His wellspring is the outlaw stuff from the seventies, with songs that owed to not only Waylon, but also Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark and Billy Joe Shaver. The music here is definitely aimed toward the country audience, while refusing to cowtow to current notions of what that even meant.

As such, it packs a punch. The title track, with it's backbeat and Duane Eddy guitar licks doesn't sound like anything else coming out at the time, as audacious as it was original. He knew full well that the line "everybody told me you can't get far on thirty seven dollars and a Jap guitar" would keep it off radio, but as he would prove throughout his career, he was more concerned with what he had to say than ithe reception it received. As fine as "Guitar Town" is, for me the real statement of purpose here is "Hillbilly Highway", a song that tells the story of generations leaving their rural lives for opportunities elsewhere. The same sentiment is expressed in "Someday", where the hopelessness of small- town life is expressed in the line. "I work at the fillin' station on the interstate. Pumpin' gasoline and countin' out of state plates. They ask me how far into Memphis son, and where's the nearest beer. They don't even know that there's a town around here." The restless feeling is even clearer when he sings "I got me a 67 Chevy, she's low and sleek and black. Someday I'll put her on that interstate and never look back."

For all his defiance, the heart of the album's quiet "My Old Friend the Blues" shows that underneath all the bravado is a sense that heartache and disappointment are just a given in this life, feelings that underscore the need to fight it out, even if it's a losing battle. Its all powerful stuff, providing the audience not only a good listen, but an intro the restless heart of a man who would become an icon of the roots movement. Steve Earle would go on to do better records than this, but that's a relative judgement. Anyone knew from fist listen that this is one of the best debut albums of its time, a marker that a new guy was in town, and that we were going to be hearing a lot more from him.  

[maximumbob-universe]

When we were teenagers, my brother was a big fan of classical music. He had an album of Arturo Toscanini conducting Rossini overtures with the NBC Orchestra. He took it with him to some gathering at school, but when he came home, we found the record inside the jacket was not Toscanini, but a copy of Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits. For some reason, I decided to listen to it, and it blew my mind! I had never heard anyone who sounded like that......the voice the music and the songs were like something from another planet for me, and I loved it. Who would write a song with the opening line "You got a lot of nerve to say you are my friend?" The songs were poetic and pointed but clouded in a kind of mystery that fascinated me. "Take me disappearing through the smoke rings of my mind" rang in my head for days.

. I immediately became obsessed with Dylan and started gobbling up every album of his I could. Members of my family complained about his voice, but for me it was perfect. I thought his voice was just right for the songs, and I still do. For me, no one could compete with his snarling "no! no! no it ain't me babe" as he barked out the song like a curse. The same is true for the line "you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows." The song wasn't pretty and wasn't meant to be......it stabbed into my mind like a hot knife through butter. Nothing had ever spoken to me like that before, "how many years can some people exist before they're allowed to be free?" is still a question that defies easy answer, but Bob put it out there.  

.  I named my blog "Records Changed My Life", and there have been many that have, but none like this one did. Dylan has made a lot of records, some good some not so good, and he has certainly released compilations more compelling than this, but this is where I came into it and it still speaks volumes to me.  "Come gather 'round people wherever you roam and admit that the waters around you have grown" opened my ears and my mind to new and endless possibilities. Without a doubt, this is the music that changed my life.