Some people smile when they see Cheap Trick "The Latest" at the top of my 2009 faves. I think some people just don't take them seriously. There is probably good reason since so many classic rock bands are relegated to the nostalgia tours and repackaging their greatest hits.
I've always loved Cheap Trick when I heard them on the radio, well except for some of the late 80's stuff they put out. Great rock songs from a band that doesn't take themselves too seriously. But my love of Cheap Trick was limited to hearing them on the radio, until their last CD "Rockford" came out. I read a few reviews that praised it and said it was among the best that year. That was all it took for me to check it out. Sure enough, Cheap Trick had produced a gem and I was hooked.
It took me several months to pick up "The Latest." I wanted to but I kept putting it off. Finally I saw it on a few end of the year best of lists for the Metro Times and that put me over the edge. After one listen I knew why these critics ranked it as their favorite of the year. It has great rock songs filled with hooks that bring you back to them hours later. They also avoid any calculated attempts at radio airplay. You get the sense that they set out to please themselves, and in the end they created a CD that holds its own with their best albums.
So far my favorites are "Miss Tomorrow", "These Days", and "Sick Man of Europe."
Interesting note, this is their first CD that they self released. I guess that saves them any arguments with the record company about what songs to include. I was also interested to see that in addition to a vinyl version they also released it on 8 Track Tape. Too funny. They even have a You Tube commercial on their website for one of their shows. It says "The Latest" is the number 1 selling 8 Track of 2009. Imagine that!
I have a dream that sometime they will play a show at the Salem High School Auditorium as a benefit for the high school radio station I manage. I know, it won't likely happen. But WSDP could use the money, and I'm sure they would come away with quite a few new fans. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Cheap Trick Tops My Best of for 2009
I'm a little behind on getting my best of 2009 together. I wrote a list of CD's that I picked up throughout 2009 and mulled it over for a few weeks. I thought Switchfoot would be my top choice and then I picked up both Cheap Trick and Rosanne Cash at the end of the year and they changed my opinion.
I've been very negligent about writing in my blog this past year. I hope to spend future blogs writing about some of my favorites of 2009. Hopefully I will get started on it before May. There's a resolution for me.
1 Cheap Trick - The Latest (Independent)
2 Rosanne Cash - The List (Manhattan)
3 Switchfoot - Hello Hurricane (Atlantic)
4 Drew Nelson - Dusty Road to Beulah Land (Waterbug)
5 Buddy and Julie Miller – Written in Chalk (New West)
6 Derek Webb – Stockholm Syndrome (INO)
7 Over the Rhine – Live From Nowhere Vol. 4 (GSD)
8 Need to Breathe – The Outsiders (Atlantic)
9 Sara Groves – Fireflies and Songs (INO)
10 Jen Sygit – So Long Pollyanna (Earthwork)
11 Sam Baker – Cotton (Music Road)
12 Susan Werner – Classics (Sleeve Dog)
13 Pierce Pettis – That Kind of Love (Compass)
14 Wilco – Wilco (The Album) (Nonesuch)
15 U2 – No Line on the Horizon (Interscope)
16 Transatlantic – The Whirlwind (Radiant/Metal Blade)
17 Rachele Eve – Mouth of Feathers (Independent)
18 The Mountain Goats – The Life of the World To Come (4AD)
19 Jars of Clay – The Long Fall Back to Earth (Gray Matter/Sony)
20 Mindy Smith – Stupid Love (Vanguard)
21 Chris Richards and the Subtractions – Sad Sounds of the Summer (Gangplank)
22 The Ragbirds – Finally Almost Ready (Independent)
23 Mark Olson and Gary Louris – Ready for the Flood (New West)
24 Michael Miller – I Made You Up (Shiny Shiny)
25 Tinted Windows – Tinted Windows (S Curve)
26 Keri Noble – Keri Noble (Telarc)
27 Jo Serrapere – Love Going South (Detroit Radio Company)
28 Gurf Morlix – Last Exit to Hollywood (Independent)
29 Mayer Hawthorne – A Strange Arrangement ( Stones Throw)
30 Serena Ryder – Is It OK (Atlantic)
I've been very negligent about writing in my blog this past year. I hope to spend future blogs writing about some of my favorites of 2009. Hopefully I will get started on it before May. There's a resolution for me.
1 Cheap Trick - The Latest (Independent)
2 Rosanne Cash - The List (Manhattan)
3 Switchfoot - Hello Hurricane (Atlantic)
4 Drew Nelson - Dusty Road to Beulah Land (Waterbug)
5 Buddy and Julie Miller – Written in Chalk (New West)
6 Derek Webb – Stockholm Syndrome (INO)
7 Over the Rhine – Live From Nowhere Vol. 4 (GSD)
8 Need to Breathe – The Outsiders (Atlantic)
9 Sara Groves – Fireflies and Songs (INO)
10 Jen Sygit – So Long Pollyanna (Earthwork)
11 Sam Baker – Cotton (Music Road)
12 Susan Werner – Classics (Sleeve Dog)
13 Pierce Pettis – That Kind of Love (Compass)
14 Wilco – Wilco (The Album) (Nonesuch)
15 U2 – No Line on the Horizon (Interscope)
16 Transatlantic – The Whirlwind (Radiant/Metal Blade)
17 Rachele Eve – Mouth of Feathers (Independent)
18 The Mountain Goats – The Life of the World To Come (4AD)
19 Jars of Clay – The Long Fall Back to Earth (Gray Matter/Sony)
20 Mindy Smith – Stupid Love (Vanguard)
21 Chris Richards and the Subtractions – Sad Sounds of the Summer (Gangplank)
22 The Ragbirds – Finally Almost Ready (Independent)
23 Mark Olson and Gary Louris – Ready for the Flood (New West)
24 Michael Miller – I Made You Up (Shiny Shiny)
25 Tinted Windows – Tinted Windows (S Curve)
26 Keri Noble – Keri Noble (Telarc)
27 Jo Serrapere – Love Going South (Detroit Radio Company)
28 Gurf Morlix – Last Exit to Hollywood (Independent)
29 Mayer Hawthorne – A Strange Arrangement ( Stones Throw)
30 Serena Ryder – Is It OK (Atlantic)
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Mindy Smith's New CD
Mindy Smith will release her latest CD, Stupid Love, this month. Many of her fans became familiar with her music through her debut CD "One Moment More" and the cross-format hit Come to Jesus.
Her latest CD brings a bit more of an edgy sound to some of the songs. The CD opens with What Went Wrong, a song that incorporates some crunchy, distorted guitars. If there is any justice the current single, Highs and Lows, will pick up airplay on adult alternative stations. It has pop hooks galore.
One of my favorite songs is Surface. Mindy's gorgeous vocals captivate you as she sings "Everybody's searching, trying to find a reason to live in this world of fallen kingdoms, looking for a little truth, cause maybe just a little truth may get us through." In just under 4 minutes she manages to capture so much of the human condition.
She has alot of her friends contributing musically. Guest vocals from Amy Grant, Vince Gill, Leigh Nash, Thad Cockrell, Susan Ashton, and Kate York. Add on that the beautiful cello work of Matt Slocum and you have a CD that is very easy to enjoy. I love hearing Leigh Nash on the backup vocals for What Love Can Do. Their singing styles blend beautifully.
I only have a couple complaints. The CD packaging is disappointing. The CD would have benefited from a booklet complete with lyrics. This isn't her first CD so lets put some money into the packaging to make this a more worthwhile purchase. Who knows, hopefully this packaging is just for the pre-release and they'll do it up a bit when people shell out their hard earned money.
One of her producers, Ian Fitchuk, duets with Mindy on True Love of Mine. He is a pleasant vocalist but when you have folks like Vince Gill and Thad Cockrell singing backup vocals, I think you could shuffle the singing responsibilities and have one of them sing the duet.
With that said there is alot to like about Stupid Love. Hopefully Mindy will garner more airplay for this CD, and pick up more fans along the way.
Her latest CD brings a bit more of an edgy sound to some of the songs. The CD opens with What Went Wrong, a song that incorporates some crunchy, distorted guitars. If there is any justice the current single, Highs and Lows, will pick up airplay on adult alternative stations. It has pop hooks galore.
One of my favorite songs is Surface. Mindy's gorgeous vocals captivate you as she sings "Everybody's searching, trying to find a reason to live in this world of fallen kingdoms, looking for a little truth, cause maybe just a little truth may get us through." In just under 4 minutes she manages to capture so much of the human condition.
She has alot of her friends contributing musically. Guest vocals from Amy Grant, Vince Gill, Leigh Nash, Thad Cockrell, Susan Ashton, and Kate York. Add on that the beautiful cello work of Matt Slocum and you have a CD that is very easy to enjoy. I love hearing Leigh Nash on the backup vocals for What Love Can Do. Their singing styles blend beautifully.
I only have a couple complaints. The CD packaging is disappointing. The CD would have benefited from a booklet complete with lyrics. This isn't her first CD so lets put some money into the packaging to make this a more worthwhile purchase. Who knows, hopefully this packaging is just for the pre-release and they'll do it up a bit when people shell out their hard earned money.
One of her producers, Ian Fitchuk, duets with Mindy on True Love of Mine. He is a pleasant vocalist but when you have folks like Vince Gill and Thad Cockrell singing backup vocals, I think you could shuffle the singing responsibilities and have one of them sing the duet.
With that said there is alot to like about Stupid Love. Hopefully Mindy will garner more airplay for this CD, and pick up more fans along the way.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
One of my Favorite New Songs
My last post was about a horrible song I heard on Christian radio. I decided to post one of my new favorite songs as a balance to the last post. A band called Roman Candle has a new song called "Why Modern Radio is A-OK With Me." I liked their last album quite a bit so I decided to order the new one when I had an Amazon Gift Card to spend. When it arrived I noticed the song right away, probably due to my years of work in radio.
Lately I've been frustrated by the number of quality people that have been fired by their radio stations. So many stations are making more and more cuts, usually impacting people that I never thought would be let go. But this song has more to do about the bland programming that so many stations serve up. If you have a chance check it out online please do. I think you'll enjoy it.
I was down at my favorite watering hole with a buddy of mine that was out on parole and we were flipping through the jukebox, talking how we'd been and how we are.
Well he'd got a library card and he'd pierced his tongue And a buddy in prison had turned him onto Neil Young And he thought it'd be best to play some for the entire bar. Now he didn't know it but while he was in Jail I'd had my heart broke by a woman to wondrous to tell And wed fallen in love to half the songs that jukebox playedS o when he flattened his dollar on the side of the machine and I saw Comes a Time come on the karaoke screen I'd realized there was a few things I had forgot to say:
Don't play Neil Young Don't play Van Morrison Just let some high school emo band start versing and chorusing Because theres no way it will break my heart as far as I can see And thats why modern radio is A OK with me.
(Over the sound of the bar noise my friend looked at me and said) He said a pop song used to be a powerful thing, you could turn on the AM and John Lennon would sing or Frank Sinatra would speak to all of the girls. And you could think like a hawk or think like a dove or think of a winter afternoon when you fell in love and Ten songs on a record sounded like a string of pearls.
Now my buddy rattled on till an hour had passed And I thought about shoving his head through the front door glass And leaving him for dead, but a friend is a friend to stay. So I listened to him talk about Johnny and June And how true love goes from midnight to noon I bought another round just in time to hear him say:
They don't play Sam Cooke They dont play Johnny Cash They let some high school emo band play the prettiest trash And theres no way it can break my heart as far as I can see And thats why modern radio is a sack of monkeys to me.
He said it makes me so mad I want to get out and shout it And I smiled and said I hadn't thought that much about it and we walked out the street and parted ways I might've gone to a movie, but my money was spent so I went on home, the Lord knows where he went and wrote and open letter to all modern djs (saying)
Don't play Bob Dylan Dont play Loose Ends Dont play anybody thats ever heard Sir Patrick Spence Because broken hearted people are looking for a little something to ignore And that is why modern radio is better than ever before And that is why modern radio is better than ever before
Lately I've been frustrated by the number of quality people that have been fired by their radio stations. So many stations are making more and more cuts, usually impacting people that I never thought would be let go. But this song has more to do about the bland programming that so many stations serve up. If you have a chance check it out online please do. I think you'll enjoy it.
I was down at my favorite watering hole with a buddy of mine that was out on parole and we were flipping through the jukebox, talking how we'd been and how we are.
Well he'd got a library card and he'd pierced his tongue And a buddy in prison had turned him onto Neil Young And he thought it'd be best to play some for the entire bar. Now he didn't know it but while he was in Jail I'd had my heart broke by a woman to wondrous to tell And wed fallen in love to half the songs that jukebox playedS o when he flattened his dollar on the side of the machine and I saw Comes a Time come on the karaoke screen I'd realized there was a few things I had forgot to say:
Don't play Neil Young Don't play Van Morrison Just let some high school emo band start versing and chorusing Because theres no way it will break my heart as far as I can see And thats why modern radio is A OK with me.
(Over the sound of the bar noise my friend looked at me and said) He said a pop song used to be a powerful thing, you could turn on the AM and John Lennon would sing or Frank Sinatra would speak to all of the girls. And you could think like a hawk or think like a dove or think of a winter afternoon when you fell in love and Ten songs on a record sounded like a string of pearls.
Now my buddy rattled on till an hour had passed And I thought about shoving his head through the front door glass And leaving him for dead, but a friend is a friend to stay. So I listened to him talk about Johnny and June And how true love goes from midnight to noon I bought another round just in time to hear him say:
They don't play Sam Cooke They dont play Johnny Cash They let some high school emo band play the prettiest trash And theres no way it can break my heart as far as I can see And thats why modern radio is a sack of monkeys to me.
He said it makes me so mad I want to get out and shout it And I smiled and said I hadn't thought that much about it and we walked out the street and parted ways I might've gone to a movie, but my money was spent so I went on home, the Lord knows where he went and wrote and open letter to all modern djs (saying)
Don't play Bob Dylan Dont play Loose Ends Dont play anybody thats ever heard Sir Patrick Spence Because broken hearted people are looking for a little something to ignore And that is why modern radio is better than ever before And that is why modern radio is better than ever before
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
If I Was Jesus
I was listening to Christian radio recently. (I know, why do I do this to myself?). I heard a song by Paul Coleman called "If I Was Jesus." It might be one of the worst songs I've ever heard on Christian radio, and that says alot. I was looking for the lyrics online and noticed that Toby Keith also recorded it (enough said).
I also noticed that it was cowritten by Phil Madeira, who I think is an excellent songwriter. Don't let this song discourage you, if you haven't heard his music you should check it out.
Where should I start. Here are the lyrics. I'll let you decide.
If I Was Jesus, I’d have some real long hairA robe and some sandals, is exactly what I’d wearI’d be the guy at the party, turnin’ water to wineYeah me and my disciples, we’d have a real good time.
Ooh and I’d lay my life down for you (woooooh)And I show you who’s the boss (woooooh)I’d forgive you and adore youWhile I was hangin’ on your cross
If I Was Jesus.I’d have some friends that were poorI’d run around with the wrong crowd, man I’d never be boredThen I’d heal me a blind man, get myself crucifiedBy politicians and preachers, who got somethin’ to hide.
Ooh and I’d lay my life down for you (woooooh)And I show you who’s the boss (woooooh)I’d forgive you and adore youWhile I was hangin’ on your cross
If I Was Jesus.If I Was Jesus, I’d come back from the deadAnd I’d walk on some water, just to mess with your headI know your dark little secrets, I’d look you right in the faceAnd I’d tell you I love you, with Amazing Grace.
Ooh and I’d lay my life down for you (woooooh)And I show you who’s the boss (woooooh)I’d forgive you and adore youWhile I was hangin’ on your crossIf I Was Jesus.If I Was Jesus.
I also noticed that it was cowritten by Phil Madeira, who I think is an excellent songwriter. Don't let this song discourage you, if you haven't heard his music you should check it out.
Where should I start. Here are the lyrics. I'll let you decide.
If I Was Jesus, I’d have some real long hairA robe and some sandals, is exactly what I’d wearI’d be the guy at the party, turnin’ water to wineYeah me and my disciples, we’d have a real good time.
Ooh and I’d lay my life down for you (woooooh)And I show you who’s the boss (woooooh)I’d forgive you and adore youWhile I was hangin’ on your cross
If I Was Jesus.I’d have some friends that were poorI’d run around with the wrong crowd, man I’d never be boredThen I’d heal me a blind man, get myself crucifiedBy politicians and preachers, who got somethin’ to hide.
Ooh and I’d lay my life down for you (woooooh)And I show you who’s the boss (woooooh)I’d forgive you and adore youWhile I was hangin’ on your cross
If I Was Jesus.If I Was Jesus, I’d come back from the deadAnd I’d walk on some water, just to mess with your headI know your dark little secrets, I’d look you right in the faceAnd I’d tell you I love you, with Amazing Grace.
Ooh and I’d lay my life down for you (woooooh)And I show you who’s the boss (woooooh)I’d forgive you and adore youWhile I was hangin’ on your crossIf I Was Jesus.If I Was Jesus.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
My Top 40 of all time
For awhile Facebook was filled with people posting their top 5, 20 or 40 CD's of all time. I read many of the lists and they got me thinking. Of course, it took me far too long to get my list posted. But here it finally is. I probably missed something that I'll think of as soon as I hit "publish post." I admit that I cheated and included some best of's and box sets, but I stand by the picks.
1. U2 – Joshua Tree
2. Elvis Costello – King of America
3. Peter Case – The Man with the Blue, Postmodern, Fragmented, Neotraditionalist Guitar
4. Vigilantes of Love – Audible Sigh
5. Johnny Cash – Unearthed
6. Stevie Wonder – At the Close of the Century
7. Amy Grant – Behind the Eyes
8. Emmylou Harris – Wrecking Ball
9. Over the Rhine – Good Dog Bad Dog, or Eve, or Ohio (depends on the day and my mood)
10. Tonio K – Romeo Unchained
11. The Innocence Mission – The Innocence Mission
12. Arrested Development – 3 Years, Five Months and Two Days in the Life of…
13. Kings X – Gretchen Goes to Nebraska
14. Bob Marley – Legend
15. Jon Anderson – Three Ships
16. Sam Cooke – Portrait of a Legend
17. Sam Phillips – Martinis and Bikinis
18. Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
19. Mark Heard – Second Hand
20. John Austin – The Embarrassing Young
21. Jan Krist – Curious
22. The Alarm – Declaration
23. Al Green – Let’s Stay Together
24. Lone Justice – Lone Justice
25. The 77's - Seventy Sevens
26. Kansas – Vinyl Confessions
27. The Bears – Rise and Shine
28. John Hiatt – Bring the Family
29. Steve Taylor – I Predict 1990
30. Charlie Peacock – Secret of Time
31. Bruce Cockburn – Nothing But a Burning Light
32. Rodney Crowell – The Houston Kid
33. Midnight Oil – Blue Sky Mining
34. Julie Miller – Broken Things
35. Monk - Quiver
36. Pierce Pettis – Making Light of It
37. TheByrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo
38. Rich Mullins – A Liturgy, A Legacy and A Raggamuffin Band
39. Larry Norman – Only Visiting This Planet
40. Patty Griffin - Living With Ghosts
1. U2 – Joshua Tree
2. Elvis Costello – King of America
3. Peter Case – The Man with the Blue, Postmodern, Fragmented, Neotraditionalist Guitar
4. Vigilantes of Love – Audible Sigh
5. Johnny Cash – Unearthed
6. Stevie Wonder – At the Close of the Century
7. Amy Grant – Behind the Eyes
8. Emmylou Harris – Wrecking Ball
9. Over the Rhine – Good Dog Bad Dog, or Eve, or Ohio (depends on the day and my mood)
10. Tonio K – Romeo Unchained
11. The Innocence Mission – The Innocence Mission
12. Arrested Development – 3 Years, Five Months and Two Days in the Life of…
13. Kings X – Gretchen Goes to Nebraska
14. Bob Marley – Legend
15. Jon Anderson – Three Ships
16. Sam Cooke – Portrait of a Legend
17. Sam Phillips – Martinis and Bikinis
18. Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
19. Mark Heard – Second Hand
20. John Austin – The Embarrassing Young
21. Jan Krist – Curious
22. The Alarm – Declaration
23. Al Green – Let’s Stay Together
24. Lone Justice – Lone Justice
25. The 77's - Seventy Sevens
26. Kansas – Vinyl Confessions
27. The Bears – Rise and Shine
28. John Hiatt – Bring the Family
29. Steve Taylor – I Predict 1990
30. Charlie Peacock – Secret of Time
31. Bruce Cockburn – Nothing But a Burning Light
32. Rodney Crowell – The Houston Kid
33. Midnight Oil – Blue Sky Mining
34. Julie Miller – Broken Things
35. Monk - Quiver
36. Pierce Pettis – Making Light of It
37. TheByrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo
38. Rich Mullins – A Liturgy, A Legacy and A Raggamuffin Band
39. Larry Norman – Only Visiting This Planet
40. Patty Griffin - Living With Ghosts
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