Monday, 20 January 2020

KSHE KLASSICS SHOW, January 19th, 2020


[As you may or may not know, i live in Canada, and for some reason KSHE doesn't stream their audio to here; i have to connect via a VPN, to spoof a non-Canadian address. This week, according to https://whatismyipaddress.com/ i was once again listening from Santa Clara, the 48th largest city in California.]

Quotation Of The Week ~ Samuel Johnson: Of all noises, i think that music is the least disagreeable.

Based on the first two hours, i was all set to grade this week's program an “A” -- pretty much every track was a bona fide classic (or Klassic), but then something dreadful happened: separated only by the song by Asia were two bands i can't abide, Boston and REO Speedwagon: groups who closely studied the “Rock And Roll Book Of Clichės” and didn't understand that it was satire. I fled with blood gushing from my ears (metaphorically speaking, of course!). Things improved for about an hour but then along came Joe Byrd & The Field Hippies (who?) and Aphrodite's Child. At least those two acts aren't clichė-ridden, they're just not very good! The “A” grade was hanging by a thread....

But maybe i'm in a good mood today or something (“unlikely,” my cat adds). Or maybe so much of the show was simply fantastic. Definitely an “A.”

Stanley Clarke – hardly classic rock but great jazz-rock fusion. Mama's Pride – probably the greatest band ever to come out of St Louis. James Taylor and a track from one of my all-time favourite albums, Steely Dan, Atlanta Rhythm Section, The Who, Robin Trower and, well, 10 c.c.... One of the very first times i ever listened to KSHE, all those years ago, they played this track and i realised that this wasn't yer ordinary average rock station. (It's a shame such great proggy music is no longer a part of their regular programming.) Then, just towards the end, “Starry Eyes” by The Records – one of the greatest power pop numbers of all time – and Rod Stewart, when he still had soul. Yum!

I should say a little about Mama's Pride (“the pride of St Louis”). They were formed in 1972 by brothers Pat and Danny Liston and their self-titled debut album was produced by the legendary Ahmet Ertegun and it's full of great tunes – it's called “southern rock” although Missouri is hardly the south! Whatever, it's a great album, and Ronnie Van Zant (of Lynyrd Skynyrd) invited them to go on an American tour with Skynyrd. This should have introduced them to a huge audience and their success would have been assured. Alas, fate stepped in with the terrible plane crash that killed Van Zant and other members of the band. The tour, of course, never happened.

Mama's Pride were Gregg Allman's touring band for a while, released a second album (which is pretty good), but the band was slowly forgotten and broke up in 1982. In 1992 they recorded a reunion album, about which the less said the better, but they continue to re-unite occasionally for one-off gigs in St Lou. And there they are, just down there, looking very much of their time....



Stanley Clarke – School Days
Mama's Pride – She's A Stranger To Me Now
The Ozark Mountain Daredevils – Spaceship Orion
James Taylor – Steamroller
Dave Mason – Taking The Time To Find
The Babys – You Got It
Journey – Too Late
The J. Geils Band – Whammer Jammer
Steely Dan – Black Friday
The Cate Brothers – Union Man
The Who – The Song Is Over
Atlanta Rhythm Section – Angel (What In The World's Come Over Us)
King Crimson – The Court Of The Crimson King
The Charlie Daniels Band – Caballo Diablo
Rush – Cinderella Man
Robin Trower – The Day Of The Eagle
Boston – A Man I'll Never Be
Asia – Don't Cry
REO Speedwagon – Easy Money
The Youngbloods – Get Together
The Rolling Stones – Happy
10 c.c. -- Feel The Benefit
Supertramp – Hide In Your Shell
Bruce Springsteen – I'm Goin' Down
The Michael Stanley Band – In The Heartland
Queen – Keep Yourself Alive
Joe Byrd & The Field Hippies – You Can't Ever Come Down
Aphrodite's Child – Loud, Loud, Loud / 4 Horsemen
Joe Walsh – Ordinary Average Guy
Bob Dylan – Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
The Beatles – It Won't Be Long
Blind Faith – Sea Of Joy
Santana – She's Not There
Stevie Nicks – Talk To Me
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Still (You Turn Me On)
The Records – Starry Eyes
Rod Stewart – The First Cut Is The Deepest

I saw three different therapists (a.k.a. bartenders) this week and two of them i didn't know. I just don't get out enough. Anyway, here are the albums they told me to play at home:

Genesis -- ...And Then There Were Three ...
The Kinks – Soap Opera
A Fine Frenzy – One Cell In The Sea
June Tabor w. Martin Simpson – A Cut Above
Jethro Tull – Heavy Horses
Bob Dylan – Bringing It All Back Home
The Kinks – Muswell Hillbillies
Carolina Chocolate Drops – Genuine Negro Jig
Jon Anderson – Deseo
Sharon Shannon – Sacred Earth
Santana – Santana
Joan Osborne – Little Wild One
Various Artists – Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration
James Taylor – Greatest Hits
Various Artists – Africa Rising
Various Artists – Hard Cash
Court Yard Hounds – Court Yard Hounds
Mama's Pride – Uptown And Lowdown
Renaissance – Azure d'Or
Blȕe Oyster Cult – On Flame With Rock And Roll
The Beat – I Just Can't Stop It
Edith Piaf – L'accordéoniste
Talking Heads – Remain In Light
Kim Mitchell – Shakin' Like A Human Being
Randy Newman – Little Criminals
Fairport Convention – Jewel In The Crown
Nik Kershaw – To Be Frank
Mark Knopfler – Sailing To Philadelphia
London Grammar – If You Want
Max Webster – Mutiny Up My Sleeve
Yes w. The London Philharmonic Orchestra – Symphonic Music Of Yes
Stevie Wonder – The Definitive Collection
Wishbone Ash – Argus
Outback – Baka
The Lovemongers – Battle Of Evermore

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