KSHE KLASSICS SHOW, Jan. 24th, 2021

[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 an American address. This week, according to https://whatismyipaddress.com/ i was listening from Norfolk, Virginia, a three-hour drive from where i was last week.]

Quotation Of The Week ~ James Taylor: To be a musician, especially a singer-songwriter - well, you don't do that if you have a thriving social life. You do it because there's an element of alienation in your life.

Episodes like this week's remind me of why i am a devoted listener to The Klassics Show -- it was magnificent and definitely worthy of a grade of "A+". Of course, the inclusion of Dan Fogelberg (and one of my favourites of his, too) pretty much guarantees that grade, but today's show merited it regardless. It was almost like listening to songs from my own record collection without the bother of having to get up every few minutes to change the album.

Remember last week, when, due to some technical problem, Uman announced that he had played Poco's Rose Of Cimarron when he hadn't? It's one of my top 100 favourite songs; i would have noticed. He played it this morning, yay. (I'd played it myself at home the day before but still, i never tire of it.) Also, you may recall that i'm on record as stating that after the initial successes of The Animals, Eric Burdon became a pretentious little git. Today's installment began with with one of their last great songs, and was immediately followed by the full nine-minute version of Oh Well. What an excellent start!

There was absolutely nothing today that i didn't like -- even the U2 song was perfectly bearable, and there were so many favourites: Peter Gabriel (who doesn't often show up here), Manfred Mann, Bob Dylan, Yes, Robin Trower (a track i wasn't familiar with), Tull and one of my faves by Supertramp. Oh, so good.

Things i learned today: i was listening to the KBC Band, of whom i'd never heard before (AFAICR) and thinking, what a bunch of rip-off artists, they sound so much like Jefferson Airplane! Then i discovered that KBC stands for Kantner (as in Paul) Balin (Marty) Casady (Jack), in other words, three fifths of Jefferson Airplane. Duh! (I could have sworn i heard Grace Slick's voice in there, too, but no, wrong again.)

I also learned that Randy Meisner was a founding member of Poco (see above) but either quit or was fired after their debut album. It must have been pretty acrimonious because his picture on the album's cover was replaced by a picture of a dog!

Oh, it wasn't this dog.                                                                                              

 But here's the playlist:

The Animals -- It's My Life

Fleetwood Mac -- Oh Well

Phil Collins -- I Don't Wanna Know

Queen -- Play The Game

The KBC Band -- America

The Little River Band -- Statue Of Liberty

Jethro Tull -- Sossity, You're A Woman

Peter Gabriel -- Red Rain

Supertramp -- It's Raining Again

Molly Hatchet -- Fall Of The Peacemakers

Robin Trower -- I'm Out To Get You

Atlanta Rhythm Section -- Neon Nites

Jefferson Starship -- Caroline

Manfred Mann's Earthband -- You Angel You

Gary Wright -- Blind Feeling

The Grateful Dead -- Estimated Prophet

Charlie -- Fight Dirty

Steely Dan -- Everyone's Gone To The Movies

Poco -- Rose Of Cimarron

Dan Fogelberg -- Illinois

Randy Meisner -- Deep Inside My Heart

Bob Dylan -- A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall

The Marshall Tucker Band -- Ramblin'

Blind Faith -- Had To Cry Today

Nantucket -- California

Van Morrison -- Caravan

U2 -- Two Hearts Beat As One

Jackson Browne -- For A Rocker

Wings -- Magneto And Titanium Man

Gerry Rafferty -- Right Down The Line

Flo & Eddie -- Keep It Warm

Boz Scaggs -- Dinah Flo

Hellfield -- Too Long

Stillwater -- I Reserve The Right

LeRoux -- Last Safe Place On Earth

Yes -- Wonderous Stories

The Climax Blues Band -- Hey Mama

My own personal playlist is not as long as some have been of late, thanks to the inclusion of some double-disc sets. And, from an extraordinarily selfish point of view, this second lockdown has been great because it has given me time to re-acquaint myself with albums i hadn't played in a long while. For instance i'd nearly forgotten how much i like Carly Simon's music. Anyway, here's the list:

Various Artists -- Angel Haired Hipster: The Songs Of Marc Bolan & T. Rex (2 CD)

Zaz -- Zaz

Martin Carthy -- Shearwater

June Tabor -- Ashes And Diamonds

Chicago -- Chicago II (2 CD)

Barlow -- Barlow

Jefferson Airplane -- Crown Of Creation

Zaz -- Sans Tsu Tsou

Sinéad O'Connor -- Throw Down Your Arms

Alison Krauss & Union Station -- So Long So Wrong

Jorma Kaukonen -- Quah

The Psychedelic Furs -- Greatest Hits

Talking Heads -- Fear Of Music

T. Rex -- Electric Warrior

Jacques Brel -- Master Serie

Daryl Hall & John Oates -- Greatest Hits

Various Artists -- Tower Of Song: The Songs Of Leonard Cohen

The Snake Charmer -- Bagpipes Are Coming To Town!

Yes -- Tales From Topographic Oceans (2 CD)

Jane Siberry -- No Borders Here

Carly Simon -- The Best Of Carly Simon

Hothouse Flowers -- The Platinum Collection

Marc Cohn -- Marc Cohn

Steeleye Span -- Hark! The Village Wait

Pink Floyd -- Ummagumma (2 CD)

10,000 Maniacs -- In My Tribe

Poco -- Crazy Loving: The Best Of Poco 1975-82

Fairport Convention -- Rosie

T. Rex -- T. Rex

Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble -- The Sky Is Crying

James Taylor -- Hourglass

Soft Machine -- Land Of Cockayne

The Band From Rockall -- The Band From Rockall

Roy Wood -- Mustard

Zaz -- Effet Miroir

Big Wreck -- In Loving Memory Of...

Judy Collins -- Who Knows Where The Time Goes

Joan Osborne -- How Sweet It Is

KSHE KLASSICS SHOW, Jan. 17th, 2021

[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 an American address. This week, according to https://whatismyipaddress.com/ i was listening from Herndon Virginia again.]

Quotation Of The Week ~ James Taylor: I believe 100 percent in the power and importance of music.

It's very difficult to know how to grade this week's edition, but i think i have to go with a "B", even though the Mott The Hoople and City Boy numbers would surely be among my top 100 favourites and several others would make my top 500. But there was just too much that was awful. Aphrodite's Child and Grand Funk Railroad (whose song, one might be forgiven for thinking, is about gay sex but it isn't -- it's about God or a divine spirit or ... something; the theology is pretty murky) and Mason Profitt, Austin Lounge Lizards, Roy Harper (whose song went on 'way too long). Even The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, a group whose music i've enjoyed betimes, were embarrassingly bad.

There was some great schtuff, too, obviously. The Traffic track is one of my faves of theirs, likewise the Deep Purple, The Band, Flash & The Pan and Pete Townshend. But they weren't ebough to redeem the painful moments.

And what the heck? At one point Uman announced that he'd just played Poco's "Rose Of Cimmaron" (another song in my personal top 100) but he hadn't and further he compared them to a "group i played earlier, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band." He hadn't played them, either. I guess that when a program is pre-recorded, technical glitches are inevitable.

Things i learned today. America's song The Sandman was written for American troops in Viet Nam, praying that they might stay alive through the night. Vangelis was a member of Aphrodite's Child. The Moody Blues wrote their song because, up until that point, their biggest hit had been Nights In White Satin and fans would keep approaching them asking for the answers to life, the universe and everything. Obviously they should have replied that the answer is 42, but no, they would say, go away, kid, ya bother me. I am, after all, just a singer in a rock & roll band. And thus their second-biggest hit was born. (It's not a personal favourite, btw: i think they've done many better.)

Anyway, here's the playlist and a message from Tom Petty:

America -- The Sandman

The Firm -- Radioactive

Danny Spanos -- Hot Cherie

New Riders Of The Purple Sage -- Panama Red

Martin Briley -- Salt In My Tears

The Ozark Mountain Daredevils -- Chicken Train

Mott The Hoople -- All The Way From Memphis

City Boy -- 5.7.0.5.

Deep Purple -- Highway Star

The Band -- Up On Cripple Creek

The Grateful Dead -- Uncle John's Band

Alice Cooper -- Under My Wheels

Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah -- Lakeshore Drive

Aphrodite's Child -- Loud, Loud, Loud / Four Horsemen

Austin Lounge Lizards -- The Tower

Jay Ferguson -- Thunder Island

Firefall -- Strange Way

Flash & The Pan -- Down Among The Dead Men

Heartsfield -- As I Look Into The Fire

Pete Townshend -- And I Moved

Bob Seger -- If I Were A Carpenter

Roy Harper -- The Game

Rod Stewart -- Blondes (Have More Fun)

Grand Funk Railroad -- I Can Feel Him In The Morning

Bob Welch -- Hot Love, Cold World

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers -- Even The Losers

The Moody Blues -- Just A Singer (In A Rock & Roll Band)

The Marshall Tucker Band -- Take The Highway

The Charlie Daniels Band -- Saddle Tramp

Mason Profitt -- Two Hangmen

Rocky Burnette -- Tired Of Toein' The Line

Survivor -- Poor Man's Son

Gary Wright -- Silent Fury

Traffic -- The Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys

Toby Beau -- Westbound Train

My personal playlist for the week is another long-ish one, thanks to the lockdown and the stay-at-home order that came into effect on Thursday. (It would have been longer if i hadn't spent so much time watching CNN and Steven Colbert!) I like staying at home by myself, but it must be difficult for the gregarious types.

Terje Rypdal -- Descendre

The Fixx -- One Thing Leads To Another: Greatest Hits

Zaz -- Recto Verso

Nik Kershaw -- To Be Frank

Marc Jordan -- Mannequin

Joni Mitchell -- Hejira

Big Audio Dynamite -- Planet B.A.D.: Greatest Hits

Bowling For Soup -- A Hangover You Don't Deserve

City Boy -- Anthology

Zaz -- Paris

Eliza Gilkyson -- 2020

The Dixie Chicks -- Fly

Klaatu -- Hope

Collective Soul -- Afterwords

Procol Harum -- Shine On Brightly

Van der Graaf Generator -- World Record

Stone The Crows -- Teenage Licks

Sandy Denny -- Sandy

Mike Oldfield -- Elements: The Best Of Mike Oldfield

Various Artists -- Grandson Of "Morris On"

Fairport Convention -- Full House

Wood-Wilson-Carthy -- Wood-Wilson-Carthy

Yes -- Close To The Edge

Saga -- Saga

The Cranberries -- Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?

Various Artists -- A Little On The CD Side, Vol. 20

Joan Osborne -- Songs Of Bob Dylan

The Beatles -- Revolver

Propaganda -- A Secret Wish

Rory Gallagher -- Top Priority

Voice Of The Beehive -- Honey Lingers

Chicago -- Chicago Transit Authority

Weezer -- Six Hits

10 c.c. -- How Dare You!

Genesis -- Foxtrot

The Kinks -- Schoolboys In Disgrace

Brian Plummer -- No Questions

The Faces -- First Step

Jethro Tull -- Crest Of A Knave

Tim Hart & Maddy Prior -- Folk Songs Of Old England Vols. 1 & 2

Ofra Haza -- Queen In Exile

KSHE KLASSICS SHOW, Jan. 10, 2021

 [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 an American address. This week, according to https://whatismyipaddress.com/ i was listening from Herndon Virginia. I haven't been there very often. It's a suburb of Washington D.C. and i certainly wouldn't want to be there in the next little while!]

Quotation Of The Week ~ Eddie Izzard: Before birds get sucked into jet engines, do they ever think, is that Rod Stewart in first class?

After an entirely uninspiring first forty-five minutes (oh, okay, the Santana song was all right), the show roared into life with the quintuple whammy that began with The Allmans and included Rory -- who automatically means a grade of A+ for this week's show. Even the ads were mostly not too obnoxious and there was even a spot by my ole buddy Bart Inman and it's always great to hear his droll sense of humour.

There was, as usual, a mix of so-so music and brilliant music this morning and there was nothing that was painful to my ears. (I find a lot of U2's music painful but today's song was from their debut album, recorded before Bono decided he was God's gift to humanity.)

I particularly enjoyed hearing Immigration Man (the only decent song on Nash & Crosby's bo-o-ring album) and Steely Dan and Deep Purple and one of the few songs from Eric Clapton's drug-drenched seventies that i like a lot. Hearing Eric Burden (with The Animals) before he became an awful poseur is never a problem.

One thing, though: i'm not 100% certain about the identity of the song played between Traffic and Project P. I think it's by Night Ranger (i had to Google the lyrics, as the KSHE website didn't name it) and Night Ranger was the most likely suspect, even though i don't recall them being played here before.

Here's the most hated man in Missouri these days: junior Republican senator and spoiled little rich boy Josh Hawley, who cheered on the insurrectionists at the Capitol on Wednesday and who wants to run for president in 2024 so much that he bought the tie. His nickname in Missouri is "weasel boy," which i think is an outrageous slur on weasels. I know, i shouldn't introduce politics here but it's hard to avoid these days.

Stanley Clarke -- Rock 'N' Roll Jelly

U2 -- I Will Follow

The J. Geils Band -- Looking For A Love

Santana -- Winning

Nils Lofgren -- No Mercy

Couchois -- Roll The Dice

The Allman Brothers Band -- One Way Out

Billy Joel -- Captain Jack

Steve Winwood -- While You See A Chance

Wet Willie -- No No No

Rory Gallagher -- Country Mile

Rare Bird -- Peace Of Mind

Graham Nash & David Crosby -- Immigration Man

Nektar -- Show Me The Way

Deep Purple -- Space Truckin'

Morningstar -- Sad Lady

The Animals -- We Gotta Get Out Of This Place

The Ozark Mountain Daredevils -- Spaceship Orion

Shooting Star -- Last Chance

Zebra -- Who's Behind The Door?

Uriah Heep -- Stealin'

Toto -- I'll Supply The Love

38 Special -- Wild-Eyed Southern Boys

Jackson Browne -- That Girl Could Sing

String Driven Thing -- Circus

April Wine -- Just Between You And Me

Steely Dan -- Black Friday

Bliss Band -- Doctor

The Painter -- West Coast Woman

Grinderswitch -- Higher Ground

The Edgar Winter Group -- Round And Round

Sniff 'N' The Tears -- Driver's Seat

Pete Townshend -- Rough Boys

Michael Fennelly -- Touch My Soul

Traffic -- Light Up Or Leave Me Alone

Night Ranger -- Running Out Of Time???????????????

Planet P Project -- Why Me

Tony Carey -- A Fine, Fine Day

Triumvirat -- March To The Eternal City

Eric Clapton -- Let It Rain

Denim -- Throw Away

My own personal playlist is a fairly lengthy one this week, in spite of the inclusion of the 4-CD Led Zeppelin set and the fact that i spent a lot of time glued to CNN on Wednesday. Well, we're back in lockdown, which means i'm often leaving work early and have extra music-listening time -- which is okay by me, obviously, although not so great for the country. Here's the list:

Mary-Chapin Carpenter -- Stones In The Road

Steely Dan -- Countdown To Ecstasy

The Kinks -- Sleepwalker

Davy Spillane -- Atlantic Bridge

Zaz -- Zaz

CANO -- Aù Nord De Notre Vie

John Kirkpatrick -- Sheepskins

Roy Wood & Wizzard -- Main Street

Jeff Beck -- Jeff

The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver -- The Very Best Of The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver

Various Artists -- Songs Of Our Native Daughters

Jackson Browne -- Lives In The Balance

Fairport Convention -- Fame And Glory

Dixie Dregs -- Night Of The Living Dregs

Dan Fogelberg -- High Country Snows

Zaz -- Effet Miroir

Steve Earle -- Guitar Town

Warren Zevon -- Genius: The Best Of Warren Zevon

Led Zeppelin -- Led Zeppelin (4 CDs)

Pink -- Try This

Tony Banks -- A Curious Feeling

Steeleye Span -- Est'd '69

Luna -- Luna

Dire Straits -- Money For Nothing

Art Garfunkel -- Simply The Best

ABBA -- Gold: Greaest Hits

Joan Osborne -- Trouble And Strife

Richard Thompson -- Bloody Noses

Roxy Music -- For Your Pleasure

Dead Can Dance -- Into The Labyrinth

Heart -- Heart

Portishead -- Portishead

Mike Oldfield -- QE2

Rory Gallagher -- Fresh Evidence

KSHE KLASSICS SHOW, Jan. 3rd, 2021

 [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 an American address. This week, according to https://whatismyipaddress.com/ i was listening from Campbellsville, Kentucky, home of the historic First Street Brewery.]

Quotation Of The Week ~ Warren Zevon: I mean, I haven't been completely lacking in some enjoyment of Chuck Berry or Buddy Holly. But I just didn't pay attention to that period of music, obviously.

An easy "A+" for this week's installment -- not only because of the inclusion of one of Dan Fogelberg's best songs (and the song that got me hooked on his music originally). There was a lot to love today and even the track by those bozos in REO Speedwagon wasn't horrible (but is it really necessary to play them every bloody week, John?).

I know i've ranted in the past about what a wanker Eric Burdon became later in his career with his cod social commentary and pretentiousness, but today's song, one of the first singles by The Animals -- which was one of the longest 45s ever released up to that time (1964) at 4" 28' -- proves that he was at one time a seriously good blues-belter and probably just a lovable Geordie lad. Classic, er, Klassic rock, for sure.

Other highlights included Nazareth, Robin Trower, The Allmans, Genesis, Steely Dan, Bob Dylan of course, and wow it was wonderful to hear that old Wet Willie song again.

Jay Ferguson -- Cinnamon City

Deep Purple -- Burn

The Marshall Tucker Band -- Heard It In A Love Song

Judas Priest -- The Ripper

38 Special -- Fantasy Girl

Slade -- Gudbuy T'Jane

Dan Fogelberg -- Part Of The Plan

The Animals -- House Of The Rising Sun

Stevie Nicks -- Enchanted

Bobby & The Midnites -- Too Many Losers

Bachman-Turner Overdrive -- Hey You

Wiggy Bits -- Oh Captain

REO Speedwagon -- Keep The Fire Burnin'

Nazareth -- Holiday

Molly Hatchet -- Gator Country

Robin Trower -- Day Of The Eagle

The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band -- Trouble In Paradise

The Allman Brothers Band -- Don't Want You No More / It's Not My Cross To Bear

Elton John -- Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding

April Wine -- I Like To Rock

Ambrosia -- Livin' On My Own

Fleetwood Mac -- Sara

Jackson Browne -- For Everyman

Genesis -- Man On The Corner

Bob Dylan -- Knockin' On Heaven's Door

Frank Zappa -- Don't Eat The Yellow Snow / Cosmik Debris

Steely Dan -- Black Cow

Crabby Appleton -- Go Back

Iron Butterfly -- Scorching Beauty

Pete Townshend -- A Little Is Enough

Wet Willie -- Keep On Smilin'

The Beat -- Don't Wait Up For Me Tonight

Mott The Hoople -- The Golden Age Of Rock And Roll

Utopia -- Love Is The Answer

Sad Café -- Black Rose

The Michael Stanley Band -- In The Heartland

The Rolling Stones -- Neighbours

Black Oak Arkansas -- Jim Dandy

Taxxi -- I'm Leaving

Todd Rundgren -- Love Of The Common Man

Gamma -- Voyager

My personal playlist this week reflects my new-found love for French singer Isabelle Geffroy a.k.a Zaz. Her voice reaches into my throat and pulls my heart out.

A Fine Frenzy -- Pines

Zaz -- Paris

Dead Can Dance -- Anastasis

Various Artists -- Songs Of Our Native Daughters

Max Webster -- Mutiny Up My Sleeve

Bob Dylan -- Highway 61 Revisited

Rob Hyman et al. -- Largo

Ian Anderson -- The Secret Language Of Birds

Toto -- Past To Present 1977-1990

Caro Emerald -- Emerald Island

Eliza Gilkyson -- Land Of Milk And Honey

A Fine Frenzy -- One Cell In The Sea

Al Stewart -- The Best Of Al Stewart

Eric Burdon & The Animals -- Inside Out

Zaz -- Recto Verso

Eliza Gilkyson -- 2020

The Beatles -- Please Please Me

Richard Thompson -- The Old Kit Bag (2CD)

Brian Eno & David Byrne -- My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts

Hot Tuna -- Burgers

Afrocelts -- Seed

Zaz -- Effet Miroir

James Taylor -- Greatest Hits

Various Artists -- A Little On The CD Side, Vol. 19

Alison Krauss -- Essential Allison Krauss

Roger McGuinn -- Live From Mars

John Kirkpatrick -- Earthling

3 -- The Power Of Three

Renaissance -- A Song For All Seasons

Marillion -- Sounds That Can't Be Made

London Grammar -- If You Wait

Dengue Fever -- Cannibal Courtship

The Kinks -- Come Dancing: The Best Of The Kinks 1977-1986

Jefferson Airplane -- After Bathing At Baxter's

KSHE KLASSICS SHOW, Dec. 27th, 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 an American address. This week, according to https://whatismyipaddress.com/ i was listening from one of my regular haunts, Cheney, Kansas.]

Quotation Of The Week ~ Lester Bangs: The thing is that, they all had real strong personalities and real distinct identities, and I don't find most of the groups that are coming out now really do.

OMG, i think that if i had to listen to commercial radio stations all the time i'd wind up throwing the radio out and playing nothing but CDs. There seemed to be more of them than usual today, but at least there was a new spot from Bart Inman of Inman of Inman Air (heating and air conditioning). But there were also a few ads that featured the boring-as-hell voice of Tom Shane (my "friend in the jewellery business" ha ha). Based on the ads alone, this week's Klassics Show scores an "F+".

As to that secondary matter, the music.... I'm reluctantly giving the show a grade of "A+" with reservations. That grade is primarily because of the inclusion of the great Dan Fogelberg song, but there was other excellent schtuff too, starting with the opening track, followed immediately by the second one. Then we had Neil Young, Pretenders, JT, Blind Faith, The Beach Boys' number that apparently Paul McCartney called the "greatest track ever recorded," Blind Faith and The Police.

On the downside, though, while i love a great deal of John Lennon's music, Give Peace A Chance is one of his songs i like least (and it includes Yoko Ono caterwauling in the background), Ted Nugent is a waste of time, Eric Burdon single-handedly fought against religious hyprocrisy in his usual ham-handed fashion, whoever wrote Trapeze's Medusa obviously needs to brush up on his classical mythology (Medusa didn't have a "head of fire," she had snakes for hair), the Titus Groan song was all right but not all right enough to sustain its +10 minutes and David Surkamp, the singer for St Louis's own Pavlov's Dog, has one of the worst voices i have ever heard (apart from my own, that is).

And although it came at the very end of the program, it was nice to hear the tribute to Leslie West of Mountain, who died last week....

Here's the playlist

Genesis -- Alone Tonight

Procol Harum -- Whiskey Train

Rush -- Cinderella Man

Journey -- Dixie Highway

Santana -- Everybody's Everything

Neil Young -- Don't Let It Bring You Down

Novo Combo -- Tattoo

38 Special -- Rock And Roll Strategy

Crosby, Stills & Nash -- Wasted On The Way

Michael Nesmith -- Joanne

Bubble Puppy -- Hot Smoke And Sassafras

John Lennon -- Give Peace A Chance

Paul McCartney -- Monkberry Moon Delight

Ted Nugent -- Snakeskin Cowboys

The Rolling Stones -- All Down The Line

The Animals -- Sky Pilot

The Alan Parsons Project -- Damned If I Do

Dan Fogelberg -- False Faces

Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen -- Hot Rod Lincoln

Heads Hands & Feet -- Country Boy

Trapeze -- Medusa

Titus Groan -- Hall Of Bright Carvings

Pretenders -- Talk Of The Town

James Taylor -- Steamroller

Robert Palmer -- Every Kinda People

Pavlov's Dog -- Natchez Trace

Eric Clapton -- Promises

George Harrison -- Bangladesh

Off Broadway -- Bad Indication

Stephen Stills -- Turn Back The Pages

Blind Faith -- Sea Of Joy

The Marshall Tucker Band -- Fly Like An Eagle

The Beach Boys -- God Only Knows

Rare Earth -- (I Know I'm) Losing You

Styx -- Father O.S.A.

Bad Company -- Crazy Circles

The Police -- Canary In A Coalmine

Elton John -- Harmony

David Bowie -- Jean Genie

Mountain -- Nantucket Sleighride (RIP Leslie West)

My personal playlist is a pretty long one this time. Well, it's Christmas week and my lovely workplace did grant me a whole 3½ days off! Obviously i used the unwonted time off wisely.

The Doobie Brothers -- Livin' On The Fault Line

Home -- Pause For A Hoarse Horse

T. Rex -- T. Rex

CANO -- Aù Nord De Notre Vie

Zaz -- Recto Verso

Martin Carthy -- Shearwater

Siouxsie & The Banshees -- The Rapture

Fish -- Weltschmerz (2 CD)

Wendy Carlos -- Clockwork Orange

Van der Graaf Generator -- I Prophesy Disaster

Garfield -- Out There Tonight

Richard Thompson -- Henry The Human Fly

Allan Holdsworth -- Metal Fatigue

Various Artists -- Encomium: A Tribute To Led Zeppelin

Robert Plant -- The Principle Of Moments

Zaz -- Sur La Route

Kenny Loggins -- The Essential Kenny Loggins (2 CD)

Fastball -- All The Pain Money Can Buy

Various Artists -- A Little On The CD Side, Vol. 18

Baka Beyond -- The Spirit Of The Forest

Bob Dylan -- The Times They Are A-Changin'

Chuck Berry -- The Great Twenty-Eight

Runrig -- The Ones That Got Away

The Kinks -- Something Else

Zaz -- Zaz

Eliza Gilkyson -- Lost And Found

Joan Osborne -- Breakfast In Bed

Rory Gallagher -- Wheels Within Wheels

Colin James -- Miles To Go

Maddy Prior -- Year

The Home Service -- A New Ground

Steve Hackett -- Defector

The Bothy Band -- Out Of The Wind Into The Sun

Various Artists -- Dream Pop

Sheryl Crow -- Be Myself

The John Kirkpatrick Band -- Welcome To Hell

London Grammar -- Truth Is A Beautiful Thing

Peter Hammill -- Out Of Water

Jane Siberry -- Bound By The Beauty

My Year In Radio, 2020

 This year's first post in my annual wrap-up for this annus horribilis won't be a surprise. As last year, i really only listened to two radio stations.

I attempted a few times to listen to KCLC from Lindenwood University (St Charles, Missouri) , but their app on my phone doesn't seem to want to work, which is a shame, as they play some great music and also have NBC News. But i'm not so upset about it that i want to re-install the app.

So: radio station of the year again is Radio Paradise. Here's a selection from Christmas morning's playlist: this ain't yer average radio station!

William Orbit w. Beth Orton -- Water From A Vine Leaf

Peter Gabriel -- Ngankarrparni

Beethoven -- Moonlight Sonata

Pearl Jam -- Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town

The Pretenders -- Kid

Supergrass -- Grace

Talking Heads -- Thank You For Sending Me An Angel

Metric -- Speed The Collapse

The Bangles -- Walk Like An Egyptian

Kasabian -- Ovary Stripe

Andrew Bird -- Imitosis

Elton John -- Sixty Years On

I Am Kloot -- Fingerprints

Turin Brakes -- 96

Feist -- How Come You Never Go There

James Vincent McMorrow -- Breaking Hearts

Conor Oberst -- Big Black Nothing

Death Cab For Cutie -- Home Is A Fire

Casualties Of Cool -- Flight

One nifty feature on Radio Paradise is their "PSD" (Play Something Different) button. Don't like what you're hearing? Click PSD, and another song will arrive. I personally don't use it often: usually only when The Black Keys or Morrissey make an appearance. A "PIA" (Play It Again) would be nice, but that will probably have to wait for when i start my own radio station.

Radio program of the year -- probably in perpetuity -- the Sunday Klassics Show on KSHE from St Louis, but regular readers of this blog will already know that!

KSHE KLASSICS SHOW, Dec. 20th, 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 an American address. This week, according to https://whatismyipaddress.com/ i was listening from New York City again.]

Quotation Of The Week ~ Barack Obama: When ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance, you don't really have to do anything, you just let them talk.

I'll be the first to admit that there is a lot in this life that baffles me. Quantum physics, for example, is quite beyond my comprehension. How do some people at my work manage to keep their jobs? How can anyone, anywhere, believe a single word that comes out of Donald Trump's cake-hole? And why on earth is REO Speedwagon so popular in St Louis?? I remember, years ago, when i still listened to Canadian FM radio, they were regularly actively derided, and the other (American) station i listen to these days refuses to play 'em. And yet here they are, almost every damn' week. To use a technical term, yuck.

Those bozos and Harry Chapin's pathetic song aside, though, this week's program was a return to normal after last week's comparatively dismal instalment, and earns a grade of "A minus". Certainly there were songs that weren't all that interesting: i started to think about cleaning the cat's litter box during the Stevie Nicks number, for example, but there were also many songs from my own record collection -- some of which i hadn't heard in a very long time. And no Christmas music! Well, there never is: apparently there are no Kristmas Klassics, and i'm not feeling the joy of the season this year anyway....

It's difficult for me to choose a favourite song from this morning. Possibly the Billy Joel, with Buffalo Springfield a close second, but Yes, Neil Young, Steve Winwood and The Doobies also made the short list.

Interesting facts i learned this morning: 1. Jackson Browne wrote These Days but didn't record it initially; instead he gave it to his friend Gregg Allman. It wasn't until Jackson heard Gregg's version and was impressed by his arrangement of it, that he decided to record it himself. 2. At the time of the recording of The Doobie Brothers' Livin' On The Fault Line album, singer Tom Johnston was very ill (stomach ulcers that required emergency surgery) and couldn't perform. The band brought in Michael McDonald (a St Louis native) to help and he's been with them ever since. Today's song, though, was a Tom Johnston composition.

Here's the playlist, and the opening of The Queen's Christmas Message for 2020:

Yes -- Parallels

New Riders Of The Purple Sage -- Glendale Train

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young -- Helpless

Fleetwood Mac -- Sunny Side Of Heaven

King Crimson -- Epitaph

Wings -- Bluebird

Santana -- Stormy

Neil Young -- Tell Me Why

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers -- Restless

The Small Faces -- Itchycoo Park

Steve Winwood -- Arc Of A Diver

Little Feat -- Feets Don't Fail Me Now

REO Speedwagon -- In Your Letter

The Little River Band -- Days On The Road

Chicago -- Happy Man

Nite City -- Summer Eyes

Foghat -- My Babe

Axe -- Rock 'N' Roll Party In The Streets

Bruce Springsteen -- 4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)

Michael Quatro -- In Collaboration

Dixon House Band -- Sooner Or Later

PM -- Piece Of Paradise

Strawbs -- Heartbreaker

Aphrodite's Child -- Break

The Blue Őyster Cult -- In Thee

Bob Seger -- Get Out Of Denver

Cream -- I'm So Glad

Stevie Nicks -- If Anyone Calls

Toto -- Ninety-Nine

The Outlaws -- Freeborn Man

Eddie Money -- When You Took My Heart

Jackson Browne -- These Days

Supertramp -- Ain't Nobody But Me

Bourgeois - Tagg -- I Don't Mind At All

Lake -- Do I Love You Much Too Much

Billy Joel -- Prelude / Angry Young Man

Harry Chapin -- Taxi

The Doobie Brothers -- Turn It Loose

It's A Beautiful Day -- A Hot Summer Day

The Fabulous Thunderbirds -- Tuff Enuff

Bruce Springsteen -- Fade Away

Buffalo Springfield -- Bluebird

Michael Stanley Band -- Strike Up The Band

This week's personal playlist is not an especially long one, thanks to crazybusy-ness at my other job. It also indicates my new obsession with the music of Zaz (real name, Isabelle Geoffroy), whose voice touches me deeply at some visceral level and makes me melt. Check her out on YouTube, or don't. Up to you.

Various Artists -- A Little On The CD Side, Vol. 16

The John Kirkpatrick Band -- Force Of Habit

Zaz -- Sur La Route

Tony Banks -- A Curious Feeling

Wishbone Ash -- Nouveau Calls

The Cure -- Greatest Hits

Afro Celt Sound System -- Volume 2: Release

Dan Fogelberg -- River Of Souls

The Electric Light Orchestra -- Zoom

Amazing Blondel -- Fantasia Lindum

Original Soundtrack Recording -- West Side Story

June Tabor -- On Air

Son Volt -- Notes Of Blue

Bruce Springsteen -- Born To Run

James Taylor -- Mud Slide Slim And The Blue Horizon

Fairport Convention -- Fame And Glory

Ashley MacIsaac -- Hi How Are You Today​?

Bill Bruford -- Feels Good To Me

Karl Jenkins -- Diamond Music

Zaz -- Recto Verso

Zaz -- Paris

The Doobie Brothers -- The Captain And Me

Sheryl Crow -- Threads

Luna -- Luna

Blondie -- No Exit

Propaganda -- A Secret Wish

Genesis -- Nursery Cryme

Bela Fleck & The Flecktones -- Three Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

The Beatles -- A Hard Day's Night

Ofra Haza -- Kirya

T. Rex -- Electric Warrior

Alan Stivell -- The Best Of Alan Stivell

Various Artists -- A Little On The CD Side, Vol. 17