Category: 1990s

My Favorite George Harrison songs

Everyone who knows me knows that John is my favorite Beatle, but since I’ve been blogging, I’ve met a lot of people who have been won over by George. I’ve always liked George, but I’ve probably delved more into his catalog than I did before because of people’s enthusiasm about him. I know many bloggers now who consider him their favorite out of The Beatles, including Lisa from tao-talk.com, who ironically, inspired this post from her John Lennon post on Sunday. Enthusiasm rubs off, so I thought I would list my top ten favorite George songs. For some of Lisa’s posts about George, check here, here, here, here, and here. George’s popularity has grown a great deal in the past few years. 

I can only imagine how he felt being in a band that contained two of the top songwriters of the 20th Century. Unlike John and Paul, George didn’t start writing songs until 1963-1964. John and Paul had been writing songs since 1956. He was influenced by both of them, and I think he influenced them later on. Songs like Something, you can hear McCartney’s influence. With Taxman I can hear some of John in that one. 

You may notice something about this list. It leaves off his two biggest hits. My Sweet Lord and I’ve Got My Mind Set On You. Maybe I’ve heard them too many times, I don’t know, but the other ones hit me more. I’m also going to leave off Beatles (and Wilburys) songs that George wrote. If I made a list of John’s songs (which I will now), I won’t include his Beatles songs because I think they belong to all four, not just John. 

I switched my number one and two songs a little while back. They are close to me, but the number one song has won me over again and again. 

  1. All Things Must Pass

This is not only my favorite George Harrison song, but I also think it’s one of the best solo Beatles songs, period. 

This 1970 George Harrison song is on the album All Things Must Pass. He brought it up during the Let It Be sessions; they went over it, and it sounded fantastic for a rehearsal…you could hear it taking shape. George was mindful of the TV show concert of some kind on Let It Be (it wasn’t decided yet). He wanted to play acoustic and was afraid the acoustic would get lost live.  All the songs they did on Let It Be live on the rooftop…were rockers. They went through the song over 30 times. They picked it back up before the concert, but George dropped it. George wanted to do more of a rocker. 

To me, it’s the greatest non-officially recorded Beatles song. When all the Beatles’ voices came together in the chorus while rehearsing this one…a shiver went through me. None of them could reproduce those vocals apart. 

2. Isn’t It A Pity

I think this one gets forgotten, and it shouldn’t be that way. It was the B side to My Sweet Lord and I think it’s the superior side. George said he wrote it in 1966, but it didn’t see the light of day until 1970. 

It resembles Hey Jude in its structure. 

3.  What Is Life

What an uplifting song this is. It’s a slice of guitar-pop ecstasy. Power pop? Soul-pop? Sunshine fuzz-rock? However you tag it, it belongs high on anyone’s list of 1970s songs. 

4. Blow Away

I bought this album, which was in a cut-out bin at a record store and I was surprised how good this album was. This is a song that doesn’t come up as much when you hear George’s music. Much like Isn’t It A Pity…it gets forgotten. It’s nothing earth-shattering or complicated about this song… It’s just a truly great pop single. 

5. Any Road

This song was released posthumously, and it remains one of my favorite George songs. It pretty much sums up his philosophy, and I love it. It seemed like a final message from George to everyone. 

I heard this song before George passed away…a live version of it by him on a VH1 special that he was on. The interviewer kept pushing him to do a song…I’m glad he did now. When I heard it, I smiled because it was so George. With George’s songs, you could expect a good melody, slide guitar, and his own nugget of knowledge that he left behind.

This song was on George’s last album, Brainwashed, in 2003. George wrote the song in 1988 while working on a video for “Cloud Nine.” 

I would follow with these songs. 

6: Crackerbox Palace –I first saw the video of this song on television in the seventies. I might have seen it on the SNL broadcast…probably a repeat. A good catchy song by George off of his Thirty-Three & 1/3 album. 

7: Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) –  Another positive song from George. George Harrison said this about the song: “Sometimes you open your mouth and you don’t know what you are going to say, and whatever comes out is the starting point. If that happens and you are lucky, it can usually be turned into a song. This song is a prayer and personal statement between me, the Lord, and whoever likes it.”

8. When We Was Fab – It was nice to hear him having fun with his legend instead of the bitterness that all of them had for a short time. 

9. Devil’s Radio – From what I read about George, as a kid, he didn’t like the neighbors knowing his business and hated gossip…this song says that plain and clear about the press as well. 

10. The Art of Dying – Harrison wrote these lyrics while he was still a Beatle. He found it hard to get many of them on Beatles albums because there was only so much room. The good side is that when The Beatles broke up, he had a backlog full of songs.

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Call – What’s Happened To You

I remember seeing The Call on MTV in the mid-eighties, and there was a reason I remembered them. Playing the organ was no other than Garth Hudson for that song. It was a minor MTV hit, and I liked it a lot. The riff really stuck with you. I started to explore more of what they did, and this song is on their album Red Moon, released in 1990. 

The Call was formed in Santa Cruz, California, in 1980. The Call was led by bassist, singer-songwriter Michael Been, a gravel-voiced singer who brought fire and the introspection of a tortured poet. His lyrics weren’t about getting the girl or cruising in muscle cars; they were about faith, doubt, injustice, identity, and the fragile grip we keep on hope. Heavy stuff delivered in tight, taut rock songs that carried a punch. 

I think the general public really missed a great band here. They did have some MTV play now and then, but never broke through. Probably because they were more Americana, and that didn’t fit in at the time of big production and synths. Altogether, they released 9 albums from 1982 to 1997. In 2024, they released an album called The Lost Tapes with unreleased music from the 1980s and early 1990s. 

Where earlier Call albums leaned into their Springsteen/U2 style, Red Moon pulls things inward. The rhythm section is more restrained. There’s even a bit of The Band in the album’s organic, Americana leanings. I also hear some Van Morrison in this track. 

The production is warm and minimal, again almost Band-like in its restraint. You get brushed drums, subtle guitar, and just enough space to let the song breathe. You could hear this playing while drifting out of a cracked car window on a long, lonely drive.

They did have one celebrity on this recording. Irishman Van …Bono. He did the backups on this song.  In the record company’s infinite wisdom…they picked this one as the single off the album. The reason? Oh, because Bono sang backups. Michael Been said, “I don’t care if Elvis and Lennon came back to life and sang backgrounds, it’s not a single kind of song.”

The song peaked at #25 on the Billboard Alternative Charts and #39 on the Mainstream Rock Charts in 1990.  

It is a good song, though…very Americana. The band members were Michael Been, Bass and lead vocals, Jim Goodwin, keyboards and sax, Tom Ferrier, guitar, and Scott Musick, drums. All of them did vocals except Musick. 

Here is the song that got me to pay attention to this band. The guest organ player is one of a kind. 

What’s Happened To You

La la la la la la la laLa la la la la la la laEverybodyLa la la la la la la laLa la la la la la la la

What’s happened to you?You used to be so shyYou used to hang your head downYou wouldn’t look in my eyesDid you some great vision?Did you finally break through?Did you shake the foundations?What’s happened to you?

La la la la la la la laLa la la la la la la la

What’s happened to you?You used to look so tiredNow there’s a spring in your stepAnd your words are on fireDid you hear some great secret?Did the words ring of truth?Did you rise from the ashes?What’s happened to you?

Where the four winds meetThe world is so stillThe waves are not poundingAnd the hungry are filledOur shadows have crossed hereWhere the sun touched the groundThe gathered are singing (ooh)What a beautiful soundThey’re singing

La la la la la la la laLa la la la la la la laEverybody singLa la la la la la la laLa la la la la la la la

What’s happened to you?You used to be so unkindYou used to curse at this poor worldSo what changed your mind?What stirred such compassionIs a mystery to meI don’t know what’s happenedOh, but I like what I see

Where the four winds meetThe world is so stillThe waves are not poundingAnd the hungry are filledOur shadows have crossed hereWhere the sun touched the groundThe gathered are singingWhat a beautiful soundThey’re singing

La la la la la la la laLa la la la la la la laEverybodyLa la la la la la la laLa la la la la la la la

Everybody!

La la la la la la la laLa la la la la la la laOh singLa la la la la la la laLa la la la la la la la

…

Johnny Cash – I’ve Been Everywhere

Happy 4th of July and a belated Canada Day. 

I don’t think any performer is as popular and liked across generations and genres as Johnny Cash. I’ve met hard rock, country, and blues fans who love him. He was an American Icon. This man had been everywhere, and he had the stories to back it up. 

The song originated in Australia in 1959, written by Geoff Mack, which name-checked towns like Mooloolaba and Wollongong. Lucky Starr popularized it in Australia at the time. Hank Snow gave it an American twist in the early ‘60s, with a rapid-fire list of U.S. towns delivered at a gallop, sounding like he was being chased by a state trooper and an angry tour promoter at the same time.

Hank Snow made this song popular in 1962 by taking it to #1 on the Billboard Country chart and #68 on the Billboard 100. Johnny covered this song in 1996, and it’s the version I remember. Cash had a way of making a song his own. He released it in 1996 but had been doing it for years live. 

The genius of it, though, is that despite the fast pace, it never feels like a gimmick in his hands. There’s that world-weary baritone voice, like a man unrolling a crumpled map that’s been folded a thousand times. The song becomes not just about where he’s been, but what he’s seen, motels, hotels, and empty stages. He’s been everywhere, but not always by choice.

The song was on the album American II: Unchained produced by Rick Rubin. The album peaked at #26 on the Billboard Country Album Charts and #170 on the Billboard 200 in 1996.

I hope everyone living in the U.S.  has a happy, safe Fourth of July! I know I will!

I’ve Been Everywhere
I was totin’ my pack along the dusty Winnemucca road,
When along came a semi with a high and canvas-covered load.
“If you’re goin’ to Winnemucca, Mack, with me you can ride.”
And so I climbed into the cab and then I settled down inside.
He asked me if I’d seen a road with so much dust and sand.
And I said, “Listen, I’ve traveled every road in this here land!”

I’ve been everywhere, man.
I’ve been everywhere, man.
Crossed the desert’s bare, man.
I’ve breathed the mountain air, man.
Of travel I’ve a-had my share, man.
I’ve been everywhere.

I’ve been to
Reno, Chicago, Fargo, Minnesota,
Buffalo, Toronto, Winslow, Sarasota,
Wichita, Tulsa, Ottawa, Oklahoma,
Tampa, Panama, Mattawa, La Paloma,
Bangor, Baltimore, Salvador, Amarillo,
Tocopilla, Barranquilla, and Padilla, I’m a killer.

I’ve been everywhere, man.
I’ve been everywhere, man.
Crossed the desert’s bare, man.
I’ve breathed the mountain air, man.
Of travel I’ve a-had my share, man.
I’ve been everywhere.

I’ve been to
Boston, Charleston, Dayton, Louisiana,
Washington, Houston, Kingston, Texarkana,
Monterey, Faraday, Santa Fe, Tallapoosa,
Glen Rock, Black Rock, Little Rock, Oskaloosa,
Tennessee to Hennessey, Chicopee, Spirit Lake,
Grand Lake, Devil’s Lake, Crater Lake, for Pete’s sake.

I’ve been everywhere, man.
I’ve been everywhere, man.
Crossed the desert’s bare, man.
I’ve breathed the mountain air, man.
Of travel I’ve a-had my share, man.
I’ve been everywhere.

I’ve been to
Louisville, Nashville, Knoxville, Ombabika,
Schefferville, Jacksonville, Waterville, Costa Rica,
Pittsfield, Springfield, Bakersfield, Shreveport,
Hackensack, Cadillac, Fond du Lac, Davenport,
Idaho, Jellico, Argentina, Diamantina,
Pasadena, Catalina, see what I mean-a.

I’ve been everywhere, man.
I’ve been everywhere, man.
Crossed the desert’s bare, man.
I’ve breathed the mountain air, man.
Of travel I’ve a-had my share, man.
I’ve been everywhere.

I’ve been to
Pittsburgh, Parkersburg, Gravelbourg, Colorado,
Ellensburg, Rexburg, Vicksburg, El Dorado,
Larimore, Admore, Haverstraw, Chatanika,
Chaska, Nebraska, Alaska, Opelika,
Baraboo, Waterloo, Kalamazoo, Kansas City,
Sioux City, Cedar City, Dodge City, what a pity.

I’ve been everywhere, man.
I’ve been everywhere, man.
Crossed the desert’s bare, man.
I’ve breathed the mountain air, man.
Of travel I’ve a-had my share, man.
I’ve been everywhere.

I’ve been everywhere.

Paul Brady – Can’t Stop Wanting You

If Paul Brady’s name doesn’t ring out like Dylan’s or Springsteen’s, that might just be because he was too versatile for his own good. In the music industry, which prefers its musicians to pick a lane and stick to it, Brady chose the scenic route, wandering from Irish traditional ballads to blue-eyed soul, from Dylan-esque singer-songwriter fare to ‘80s radio pop.

Brady was born in Strabane, a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland in 1947. He was raised in a musical household (his mother taught piano), Brady was classically trained early on but gravitated toward American rock and blues as a teenager, playing in local showbands before finding his way into the 1960s Dublin folk scene.

This song is on his album Trick or Treat, released in 1991. Paul was a busy man on this album. He is listed doing vocals, mandolin, piano, keyboards, tin whistle, percussion, drum programming, acoustic, and electric guitar. Some of Toto helped him out in the studio for this one. One of them was Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro in one of the last projects before his death. This song sounds like it should have been blaring out on the radio in the summer of 1991. The album did peak at #1 on the Irish Charts.

I want to add one more song from his second album, Hard Station, to give you another example of him. Hard Station was released a decade earlier than Trick or Treat in 1981. This man is worth checking out!

On Crazy Dreams, that opening guitar riff is tight and dry, like a fuse just waiting to burn down. Then Brady’s voice comes in, urgent, soulful, every syllable laced with exasperation and hope. It’s very smooth without being too smooth. 

Can’t Stop Wanting You

Hot words on a summer night
You ‘n’ me having a fight
One drink and it all come out
Before I knew what we were fightin’ about

Hurt come from a midnight place
Dressed in a web of lace
Brainstorm blowin’ up inside
I can’t stop wanting you
I can’t stop wanting you

Now I know it’s a modern world
And baby you’re a modern girl
And I try to be tops at school
Pickin’ up on these modern rules
Teacher come and teacher go
Teacher know when a boy is slow
This boy got a lot to learn
I can’t stop wanting you
I can’t stop wanting you

It’s a new kind of world
For a boy and a girl
And my mind’s in a whirl
I can’t stop wanting you
I can’t stop wanting you

Hot words on a summer night
You ‘n’ me having a fight
One drink and it all come out
Before I knew what we were fightin’ about
I tried but the truth is out
I can’t stop wanting you
I can’t stop wanting you

…

Reverend Horton Heat – Psychobilly Freakout

This one was fun to write about. Sometimes I like to post the offbeat kind of artists, and the Reverend fits that description. This is what happens when you turn frantic Rockabilly up a notch or three. Let’s just rip the band-aid off. This thing doesn’t walk into the room, it tears the hinges off the door, screams in your face, steals your beer, and does donuts in the church parking lot. It is high-octane and has some great guitar. 

He does some Brian Setzer and Duane Eddy style guitar playing at 11. It’s NOT a storytelling song. It’s a vibe, a warning, and a shot of tequila thrown down your throat.  I love Dylan, Prine, and the other great songwriters, but this isn’t it, and it’s not meant to be. Some songs make you want to sing. Some make you want to cry. This one makes you want to smash furniture and swing from the rafters. 

He was on the record label Sub Pop, which also had Nirvana, but he sounds nothing like them. His real name is James C. Heath, and he grew up in Dallas, Texas. His influences were Junior Brown, Willie Nelson, and Merle Travis. He and his band have made 13 studio albums, and many of them charted. In the early 2000s, a friend at work named Lee played this one and a song called Wiggle Stick (live version), which, to be truthful, is more accessible than this one. I loved the sense of humor and sound right away. 

This song came off the album Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em released in 1990. Reverend Horton Heat’s songs have been in movies, and he has a huge following. 

Wiggle Stick

Psychobilly Freakout

It’s a psychobilly freakout!

Well, we’re off, we’re off, we’re off!
It’s, it’s, it’s a psychobilly freakout!

Well, we’re off, we’re off, we’re off!

I’ll tell you what it is! (what is it, God dang it?)
It’s some kinda Texas psychobilly freakout
That’s what it is

Well, we’re off, we’re off, we’re off!
It’s a psychobilly freakout!

Ben Vaughn – Shingaling with Me

This song has been in my head for a week now and won’t get out and thats a good thing. The feel of this sounds like it crawled out of the back seat of a 1963 Rambler. It really fits in with The Swingin’ Medallions, Doug Sahm’s 60s style of music, with a tiny bit of a tame Lou Reed thrown in. You can also hear a little of Springsteen in his music at times.

I’m far from an expert on Ben Vaughn, but he shouldn’t be so unknown. Big Star is more well-known than this man. His music is instantly catchy and likable. The song I covered a few years ago, “Too Sensitve for This World,” has hit written all over it. I’m surprised no one has covered that one. Well, I double checked and someone has! Deer Tick…now that is a name that…no I won’t say it. 

Vaughn is from New Jersey. He got his start in the late ’70s, playing in punk and new wave bands before forming The Ben Vaughn Combo in 1983. The Combo was everything great about mid-’60s rock and roll, reimagined with a little punk energy. The band was together for five years, releasing two albums and touring the U.S. several times.  They received rave reviews in Rolling Stone and People magazine and video airplay on MTV.

This track comes from Mood Swings, the 1992 album that put Vaughn on the map as a Jersey jangle-pop garage guy with a deep record collection. It’s a compilation album that contains his best songs from 1985 to 1990. This song was originally on his 1987 album Beautiful Thing.

Vaughn started a solo career in 1988 and has released over 17 albums. He is very versatile… he plays Rock, blues, jazz, folk, soul, R & B, country, Power Pop, Bossa Nova, movie soundtracks, easy listening, and more, all with Vaughn’s musical slant.

His older albums are not on Spotify, but here is a YouTube playlist that covers a lot of this album. It really doesn’t matter because his songs are just plain out good.

I blogged about Vaughn a while back with this great song.

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Masters of Reality – She Got Me (When She Got Her Dress On)

Chris Goss was a musician who produced Queens of the Stone Age and Kyuss. He is from  New York, and loved Cream, The Beatles, and Black Sabbath, not a bad trio if you’re planning to warp some minds. He started in Syracuse in the early 1980s. Goss, who had been around the local music scene, wasn’t trying to follow trends; he was trying to mash his obsessions together into something new. Sabbath’s doomy riffs, filtered through a kind of psychedelic Beatlesque sound, with a sprinkle of blues on top.

This song was on their 1992 album Sunrise on the Sufferbus, which had a drummer who was quite well known for greatness. Ginger Baker played drums on this album, and the results were terrific. Every band worth its salt needs a track they can ride a groove just for the hell of it, and this one is that song.

It’s so cool to hear Ginger basically fronting the band with his drums. It’s a drum show for professionals and amateurs alike. You get the sense he could’ve played this with a cigarette in one hand and still kept time better than most drummers could with both arms taped to a click track.

You can tell this probably was improvised, and they just took off. There’s a looseness to the playing, like the band knows they’ve hit on something cool and are just letting it roll. The album is really good; it’s not just hard rock, it’s hard rock with humor as well.

Another good song off the album is John Brown which I’m posting below. That song was off their self-titled debut album in 1988. It was a toss up between which one to feature so I added both. 

This song peaked at #8 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts in 1992..

Another Song with Ginger….John Brown

She Got Me (When She Got Her Dress On)

She got me when she got her dress onShe got me when she got her dress onShe got me me when she looked fineWhen she got her dress onShe got me when she got downWhen she got her dress on

She got me when she got her dress onGot it on

She got me when she got her dress onShe got me when she got her dress onShe got me when she looked fineAnd now she gets it all the timeShe got me when she got her dress on

She got me when she got her dress onGot it on

…

World Party – Way Down Now

The first song I heard from this band was She’s The One that I saw in the movie Matchmaker. I liked the song more than I did the movie.  The second song I heard from them was Ship Of Fools. Lately, I’ve been diving into the albums and more songs than those two. Their album Goodbye Jumbo is a pop masterpiece. When I thought of them at first, it was for their Beatles-type melodies and phrasing, but they also throw in the Rolling Stones. 

Before World Party took form, Wallinger had already built up a behind-the-scenes resume worth bragging about. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he grew up listening to everything from soul and psychedelia to classical and punk. He was a true musical sponge. His big break came in the early ‘80s when he became the musical director for The Rocky Horror Show play, which led to studio work and eventually landed him in The Waterboys for their This Is the Sea era. 

Right out of the gate with this song, you’re greeted with that slinky, rubbery guitar riff that instantly calls to my mind Sympathy for the Devil, and that’s no accident. Wallinger even throws in some “woo-woos” in the chorus.

By now, he’d fully embraced his role as DIY guy, writing, producing, and playing virtually everything himself. Goodbye Jumbo was a masterful example of building an album. Every song is stitched together from analog and digital, but nothing hits quite like Way Down Now, which kicks the album off like a cool joyride through pop

He was armed with a drum machine, some trusty analog gear, and a pile of vintage records for inspiration. This album, to me, is a cross between Britpop and a bar-band.

The song peaked at #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts, #5 on the Alternative Charts, #53 in Canada, and #66 in the UK in 1990. Goodbye Jumbo peaked at #36 in the UK, #26 in Canada, and #73 in the Billboard Album Charts. 

Way Down Now

Inside my TV, INever stop to wonder whyI’m way down nowI’m way down now

Some faceless get on the screenThe most honest man I’ve ever seenI’m way down nowI’m way down now

Won’t you show meSomething true today?C’mon and show meAnything but this

She took us by the handHell was the promised landI’m way down nowI’m way down now

I’m lying by the roadBecause she cut off all my clothesI’m way down nowI’m way down now

Won’t you show meSomething true today?C’mon and show meAnything but this

Inside my future lifeWhat I see just makes me cryI’m way down nowI’m way down now

The clocks will all run backwardsAll the sheep will have two headsAnd Thursday night and FridayWill be on Tuesday night instead

And all the times will keep on changingAnd the movement will increaseThere’s something about the living, babeThat sends me off my feet

There’s breeding in the sewersAnd the rats are on their wayThey’re clouding up the imagesOf my perfect day

And I know I’m not aloneAnd I know I’m not aloneAnd I know I’m not alone

Anything but thisCan you hear me?

Inside my TV, II never stop to wonder whyI’m way down nowI’m way down now

Then some faceless get comes on my screenThe most honest man I’ve ever seenI’m way down nowI’m way down

Something newSomething trueSomething newSomething trueSomething newSomething newSomething true

…

Angels – Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again

Many of you who have read this blog for a while know I have a soft spot for bands that never got their full due, especially the ones who could torch a stage and turn a riff into a mountain. Australia’s The Angels (or Angel City, depending on which record bin you’re digging through) are exactly that kind of band.

If you were hanging around an Aussie pub in the late ’70s, there’s a good chance you heard a blistering set from The Angels. Imagine a little the of Bon Scott-era AC/DC, the attitude of punk, and the tension of a film noir, and now picture that exploding from the back of a sweaty pub in Adelaide. That’s The Angels. As the old saying goes, they took no prisoners. 

The Angels began as the Moonshine Jug and String Band in 1970, a folk/jug band formed by brothers Rick and John Brewster. But by 1974, they swapped their washboards for electric guitars and rebranded as The Keystone Angels. The real turning point came when they were spotted by AC/DC’s Angus Young and Bon Scott, who were impressed enough to recommend them to their label, Albert Productions.

Like many Australian acts, The Angels took a swing at the U.S. market, but there was already a band called Angel over here, all makeup and white spandex. So, The Angels became Angel City in the US and released several albums under that name, including Dark Room (1980) and Night Attack (1981).

They had the songs. They had the live chops. But they never quite cracked America the way INXS, AC/DC, or Men at Work would. This was their first single back in 1976, and it peaked at #58 in Australia. It was on their debut self-titled album. Band members John Brewster, Rick Brewster, and Doc Neeson wrote this song. 

They did have one song that peaked at #35 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts called Underground. Underground was released in 1985. They also covered The Animals We’ve Gotta Get Outta This Place in 1986, which peaked at #7 in Australia and #13 in New Zealand. 

When the band plays it live, fans start to answer the chorus with an expletive-laced chant, and it became part of the show. “No way get f*****, f*** off.” It’s become, unofficial part of the song. They are still together, releasing albums. 

Here is another song by the Angels…Take A Long Ride

Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again

You may recognise yourselves here

Went down to Santa Fe, where Renoir paints the wallsDescribed you clearly, but the sky began to fall

Am I ever gonna see your face again?Am I ever gonna see your face again?

Tram cars and taxis, like a waxworks on the moveCarry young girls past me, but none of them are you

Am I ever gonna see your face again?Am I ever gonna see your face again?

Without you near me, I’ve got no place to goWait at the bar, maybe you might show

Am I ever gonna see your face again?Am I ever gonna see your face again?

I’ve got to stop these tears, that’s falling from my eyeGo walk out in the rain, so no one sees me cry

Am I ever gonna see your face again?Am I ever gonna see your face again? Yeah

Can’t stop the memory that goes climbing through my brainI get no answer, so the question still remains

Am I ever gonna see your face again?Am I ever gonna see your face again?

Am I ever gonna see your face again? (No way, get fucked, fuck off)Am I ever gonna see your face again? (No way, get fucked, fuck off)Am I ever gonna see your face again? (No way, get fucked, fuck off)Am I ever gonna see your face again?

Am I ever gonna see your face again?Am I ever gonna see your face again?Am I ever gonna see your face again?Am I ever gonna see your face again?

Hey, I wanna see your face, your sweet smiling faceI wanna see your face, see your face again ‘n’ again ‘n’ again, again, oh

…

Cry Of Love – Peace Pipe

When CB sent me a link to this band, the first name that popped into my pointy head was Steve Marriott, who I think was the best vocalist of his generation. In the middle of grunge, this band came out of nowhere and sounded like a reimagined Humble Pie or Free. The singer Kelly Holland has been compared to various singers such as Steve Marriott, Paul Rodgers, and Chris Cornell…so I wasn’t far off.

In the nineties, Grunge music was king and hard rock was being heard by The Black Crowes and Guns N’ Roses, but there wasn’t a bunch of mainstream success from many others. This band had bad timing written all over them. It’s a shame because they were a very talented rock band. I talked to Deke about them, and he bought some of their CDs at the time, but they were gone before they really got started. They seemed set up to do a lot of damage and have huge success. 

They burned bright in the early 1990s. They were known for their soulful, blues hard rock sound that stood apart from the grunge. They were formed in 1991 in Raleigh, North Carolina. They released two albums in total: Brother in 1993 and Diamonds and Debris in 1997. 

Peace Pipe peaked at #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks in 1993. They had another song called Bad Thing peaked at #2 on the same chart in 1994. 

Lead singer Kelly Holland quit the band after their first big tour because he didn’t like life on the road. He was replaced by Robert Mason (Warrant’s lead singer), and they made the album Diamonds and Debris, which spawned a hit single Sugarcane, that peaked at #22 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks in 1997. It’s a great song! They broke up soon after.  

The band took their name from Jimi Hendrix’s 1971 posthumous album, The Cry of Love. That album was compiled by engineer Eddie Kramer and drummer Mitch Mitchell and featured some of the final studio recordings Hendrix was working on before his death. That was only the beginning of Jimi Hendrix’s posthumous albums. 

This band had a lot of talented musicians. The bass player Robert Kearns later played with Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Audley Freed played guitar with The Black Crowes, and now Kearns and Freed play with Cheryl Crow. 

The band had hits and were set up to do big things, but when Holland quit that pretty much sealed it for them. Unfortunately, Kelly Holland passed away in 2014 from an abdominal infection. 

Peace Pipe
 

In the heat of the morningIn the eye of the sunHear the wind start blowingSee the horse and the gunNow the peace pipe, it ain’t smokin’All the promises are brokenIn the heat of the morningSee the horse and the gunAll in the name of God somehowOh-oh-oo-whoa!Tearing the temple downBurn down the sacred ground!Tear the temple down!In the name of God somehow…Burn down the sacred ground!

In the dead of the evening,When the spears come down,Say a prayer for the plowboyOn the killing ground.Now the peace pipe, it is broken,All the shaman’s gone unspoken.In the dead of the eveningWhen the tears come down, yeah!All in the name of God somehow…Oh-oh-oo-whoa!Tearing the temple downBurn down the sacred ground!Tear the temple down!In the name of God somehowBurn down the sacred ground!

All in the nameAll in the name

All in the name of God somehowHey, hey! Oh-oh, yeah, yeah! Oh-oh-oo-whoa!Burn down the sacred ground!Tear the temple down!In the name of God somehowBurn down the sacred ground!Hey, hey! Yeah, yeah! Oh-oh-oo-whoa!Burn down the sacred ground!Burn down the sacred ground!Burn down the sacred ground!Burn down the sacred ground!

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Big Sugar – Diggin a Hole

I was looking for a band to cover, and CB sent me a link to this terrific Canadian band. I liked the music right away. The first thing I noticed was the great musicianship on the songs. They are the real deal musically, and the guitarist Geordie Johnson is top shelf, and so is the bass player Garry Lowe.  

They were formed in Toronto in the late 1980s, initially as a blues trio built around the guitar work of frontman Gordie Johnson. Before Big Sugar became popular, Johnson started out backing legends like the Muddy Waters alumni and Mavis Staples. 

Another member who made them sound distinctive was bass player Garry Lowe. Lowe joined Big Sugar in 1994 and played on eight of their albums.  He bridged the reggae and Rastafarian culture of his native Jamaica with a rock audience.  Lowe was sometimes criticized for working in Big Sugar by Rastas and Jamaican music followers who wanted him to keep reggae pure, but he continued to play and blend his style into others. 

They have released 11 studio albums since 1991 and 2 live albums. Their last studio album was released in 2020 and is called Eternity Now. Their success has been mostly in Canada, with one song getting some US airplay with You Better Get Used To It.

I’ve been listening to different cuts, and they cover a lot of ground. They have some heavy blues riffs, some reggae rhythms, roots music, with a pinch of psychedelia here and there. Their breakthrough album was Five Hundred Pounds, which hit big on Canadian college radio at the time.

This song was on the 1996 album Hemi-Vision. It was their biggest hit in Canada, peaking at #9 in the Canadian Charts. I asked my friend Deke if he had heard of them, and he has seen them live a few times. He also sent me this video of Jack White (who is a fan) who is releasing their album Five Hundred Pounds again on vinyl.

Diggin A Hole

Got my head in a haze
Feel like a cat in a cage
I’ve been crying for days and I’m falling apart
Digging a hole in my heart
Give me the lies on page
I’m feelin’ twice my age
I’ve been crying for days and I’m falling apart
Digging a hole in my heart

Digging a hole is that the way you treat me
Digging a hole just tie me up and beat me

Got my head in a haze
Feel like a cat in a cage
I’ve been crying for days and I’m falling apart
Give me the lies on page
I’m feelin’ twice my age
I’ve been crying for days and I’m falling apart
Digging a hole in my heart

Digging a hole is that the way you treat me
Digging a hole just tie me up and beat me

Got my head in a haze
Feel like a cat in a cage
I’ve been crying for days and I’m falling apart
Give me the lies on page
I’m feelin twice my age
I’ve been crying for days and I’m falling apart
Digging a hole in my heart
Digging a hole is that the way you treat me
Digging a hole just tie me up and beat me

Greg Brown – Laughing River

CB featured a video of Greg Brown live with guitar player Bo Ramsey. The venue looked like a small club, and with just those two, the sound was huge. I started to listen to Brown’s catalog around two weeks ago. His songs are a lot to take in lyrically, which immediately hooked me. As with several artists lately, picking one song is hard. If you like storytelling, then Greg Brown is your guy. 

This song makes me feel good. I love the baseball metaphors and imagery that he uses and the total mood of the song. This song was covered back in 2022 by Seth Avett. Seth made an album called Seth Avett Sings Greg Brown…an album with all of Brown’s songs. A truly beautiful song. 

He got the inspiration for the song during a road trip through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. He saw a sign for Laughing River that was likely referring to the Laughing Whitefish River near Laughing Whitefish Falls State Park, and composed the song on the hood of his car. It was originally released in 1992 on his Dream Café album. 

Brown is from Iowa, and he grew up in a musical household. His father was a preacher, and his mother sang and played guitar. He was influenced by country, gospel, and blues and locked into the folk music scene of the 1960s. He worked with Eric Andersen and Odetta, and even had a stint as the musical director for the Public Radio International show A Prairie Home Companion.

One artist Brown influenced was Iris DeMent, whom Brown later married. He has been compared to Leonard Cohen, John Prine, and Bob Dylan, but his voice sets him apart. Brown has released over 30 studio and live albums combined. 

Laughing River

I’m goin away,
’cause I gotta busted heart.
I’m leavin’ today,
if my Travel All will start.
And I reckon where I’m headed,
I might need me different clothes–
way up in Michigan,
where the Laughing River flows.

Twenty years in the minor leagues–
ain’t no place I didn’t go.
Well I gotta few hits,
but I never made the show.
And I could hang on for a few years,
doin what I’ve done before.
I wanna hear the Laughing River,
flowin’ right outside my door.

My cousin Ray,
said he’s got a job for me.
Where the houses are cheap,
and he knows this nice lady.
He said she even saw me play once,
said she smiled at my name.
Well upon the Laughing River,
could be a whole new game.

So goodbye to the bus.
Good bye to payin’ dues.
Goodbye to the cheers,
and goodbye to the booze.
well I’m trading in this old bat,
for a fishing pole.
I’m gonna let the Laughing River,
flow right into my soul.

I’m goin away,
’cause I gotta busted heart.
I’m leavin’ today,
if my Travel All will start.
And I reckon where I’m headed,
I might need me different clothes–
way up in Michigan,
where the Laughing River flows.

…

Radney Foster – Just Call Me Lonesome

I was talking to my friend Ron, and he mentioned a country duo in the 80s called Foster and Lloyd. This aligns with Dwight Yoakam and the new sound that was coming at the time. The Nashville establishment didn’t like this because it wasn’t pop with a country accent…it had its roots in older country music. Nashville loves to eat its own at times, but that has changed some through the years. 

Radney is from Del Rio, Texas, and started to play guitar and write songs at 12. Later on, he moved to Nashville to start a career in music after college. He became the staff songwriter at MTM Publishing Company in 1985, where he met Bill Lloyd.

The duo formed Foster & Lloyd and signed with RCA Records Nashville in 1986. They had 4 top ten hits on the Billboard Country Charts and were also successful on the Canadian Country Charts. Their first song Crazy Over You peaked at #4, and their second single, Sure Thing, peaked at #8 on the Billboard Country Charts and Canadian Country Charts in 1987. 

​This song was after they broke up, and Radney released it in 1992, and it was very successful. It peaked at #10 on the Billboard Country Charts in 1992 and also at #54 on the Canadian Country Charts. It was on his album Del Rio, TX 1959. 

Foster & Lloyd did reunite in 2011 and released an album called It’s Already Tomorrow. 

Just Call Me Lonesome

Just call me lonesomeHeartbroke and then some‘Cause I ain’t got no oneSince you’ve been goneYou called me babyNow I’ve got a new nameDon’t need my old oneCall me lonesome from now on

You used to call me, your one and onlyBut now you only call me someone you once knewYou were my angel, before some strangerStole your heart and stole my world when he stole you

Just call me lonesomeHeartbroke and then some‘Cause I ain’t got no oneSince you’ve been goneYou called me babyNow I’ve got a new nameDon’t need my old oneCall me lonesome from now on

I see you with him, and fall apart againRemembering when I was the only man you neededWe said forever, We’d be togetherHe came between us and now forever lies in pieces

Don’t need my old oneCall me lonesome from now on

Bo Ramsey – Forget You

The other day CB and I were talking about music, and he sent me some links to this guy. I’ve listened to him this week and the first thing I noticed was that great guitar tone. I’ve listened to many parts of his career and the guy is a master of guitar tone.  A great guitar sound attracts me to songs sometimes more than the singing and lyrics. Once I hear a good opening riff, it usually hooks me. He has a mixture of blues, folk, rock, and Americana. I also enjoyed his songwriting and vocals, as he doesn’t stick in one place. 

He was born and raised in Iowa and started his music career around 1973. He originally fronted The Mother Blues Band in Iowa. His inspirations were Sun Records’ rockabilly and Chess Records’ blues artists of the 1950s. It’s hard to beat those two influences. 

During the 1970s and 1980s, he played with various bands and developed his sound. He took a break from music during the 1980s but came back strong. A turning point was when he heard a song by fellow Iowan Greg Brown on the radio. He recognized a kindred spirit, so he reached out to Brown, starting a collaboration that continues to this day

In 1994, he got his first big break by opening shows for Lucinda Williams. He worked with her producing and adding guitar to her albums, and also played in her band. He has played guitar with various artists. His production and guitar work extend to notable musicians like Joan Baez, Ani DiFranco, Iris DeMent, and Elvis Costello.

This song was on his album In The Weeds released in 1997. 

…

Golden Smog – Glad and Sorry

If you take acoustic country and mix it with Big Star, you get bands like Wilco and this band Golden Smog. You literally get Big Star, Wilco, Uncle Tupelo (who I spelled wrong in the past), and The Jayhawks; the explanation is at the bottom. I’m glad that CB mentioned this band because they are exactly what I’m into right now. 

They started as a loose collaboration of Minneapolis-based musicians who got together to play cover songs under pseudonyms. The name Golden Smog comes from a character in a Flintstones episode. The band initially played country and rock covers, but it evolved into a serious musical project over time.

Membership in this band has been fluid. They have had Chris Mars (Replacements drummer), Jeff Tweedy (Wilco),  Louris and Perlman of The Jayhawks, Dave Primer from Soul Asylum, and more. Also in 1997, Jody Stephens became their drummer. He was an original member of Big Star. 

All in all, they have released 4 albums starting in 1995 with Down by the Old Mainstream. This is the album that this song was on. It was a cover of a Faces song written by Ronnie Lane, and they did a super job on it. I love both versions, and I’m not easy on cover versions, but this hits the mark. 

I will be going over all of their albums in the future. I’ve liked everything I’ve heard by them so far. Here is a list of their members…present and past.

Kraig Johnson (Kraig Jarret Johnson and the Program)
Dan Murphy (Soul Asylum)
Gary Louris (Jayhawks)
Marc Perlman (Jayhawks)
Steve Gorman (Black Crowes)

and their past members

Dave Pirner (Soul Asylum)
Chris Mars (Replacements)
Noah Levy (Brian Setzer and Soul Asylum)
Jeff Tweedy (Uncle Tupelo and Wilco)
Jody Stephens (Big Star)

Glad and Sorry

Thank you kindlyFor thinking of meIf I’m not smilingI’m just thinkingGlad and sorryHappy or sadAll is done and spokenYou’re up or I’m downCan you show me a dream?Can you show me one that’s better than life?Can you stand it in the cold light of day?Well, neither can ICan you show me a dream?Can you show me one that’s better than life?Can you stand it in the cold light of day?Well, neither can I

…