James Taylor ‘That’s Why I’m Here’
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1042 in the Series) is James Taylor, That’s Why I’m Here. “Come on everyone, come on… let’s go! James is recording a new album. We all have to help him out! Was that the clarion call throughout Los Angeles in 1985 when James Taylor decided to record for the first time in years,who knows? ButI’m guessing it was close. It seems like every hot musician from within 100 miles played on this album. So before I get into the rest of album, let me make a list of who answered that call. Here’s who makes an appearance on That’s Why I’m Here. Don Henley, Leland Sklar, Peter Asher, Randy + Michael Brecker...
Mark Knopfler and EmmyLou Harris “Real Live Roadrunning”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1017 in the Series) is Mark Knopfler and EmmyLou Harris, Real Live Roadrunning. To this day, I can still kick myself for not seeing this tour. EmmyLou Harris and Mark Knopfler . This was 2006; I had just seen Mark in 2005. Yes, that was a fantastic show, but I decided I’d pass on this tour. Then I listened to the album. I should have known! Often if you miss an act’s tour, well, you can just catch the next one. This is why I’m so angered about missing this tour. I’m nearly positive that this was a one in a lifetime chance. Do we really expect that they’ll team up and...
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band “Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#994 in the Series) is Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy Most music fans will know the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (if they know them at all) as the makers of “Will The Circle Be Unbroken”, a superb album which has become semi-legendary in certain circles, with good cause. It was an essential purchase when it came out in 1972, a wondrous 3 LP set within which tribute was paid by a younger generation to some of the most revered performers of traditional Country music. The likes of Mother Maybelle Carter, Earl Scruggs and Roy Acuff were on board for a seminal release on which both sides of...
Boo Hewerdine and Darden Smith ‘Evidence’
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#990 in the Series) is Boo Hewerdine and Darden Smith, Evidence It was 65 degrees here in Chicago a couple of short days ago. Within 10 hours it was down to 32. Yes, it was freezing. I tell you that weather tale as I lead into a piece on this great album by Boo Hewerdine and Darden Smith titled Evidence. Why you might have asked? I mention that because I’ve always had certain albums that I associate with the different seasons or even sometime more specifically a certain time of that season. I could never listen to Frank Zappa’s Apostrophe in the dead of summer because no one “trudges across the tundra” in...
Nanci Griffith “One Fair Summer Evening”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#977 in the Series ) is Nanci Griffith, One Fair Summer Evening. “Variety; Learning about different types of music; bringing different genres to different people.” These were just some of the objectives that we publically discussed when we started this project just about a year ago. We’re most definitely going to continue in that direction tonight. This is one of those albums that requires you to “be in the proper” mood. However, when you are, this album is about as good as it gets. “What mood is that?” you ask? Mostly a mellow feeling I’d say, interested in hearing some wonderfully written songs being sung by a woman with a marvelous voice that...
Justin Townes Earle “Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#973 in the Series) is Justin Townes Earle, Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now (Bloodshot Records) When your father is one of the best singer-songwriters in the business and you are named after another about whom Steve Earle once said “Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world, and I’ll stand on Bob Dylan’s coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that”, the expectations are very high, and with his most recent release for Bloodshot records, Nothing’s Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now, Justin Townes Earle, the son of Steve Earle and the step-son of Allison Moorer, has emerged in his own...
Hal Ketchum “Past The Point Of Rescue”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#971 in the Series) is Hal Ketchum, Past the Point of Rescue. I don’t know what it is. I’ve always been a sucker for those songs when an artist takes a known track, their’s or possibly another artists, and recreates it using a slower tempo. I’m thinking of tracks like Joe Jackson’s live version (played as part of the Big World tour) of “Steppin’ Out” or Loey Nelson’s take on “To Sir with Love” if you were lucky enough to hear that. Here, Hal Ketchum does a spectacular rendition of The Vogues, “Five O’Clock World.” Please check it out below. That was the track that first exposed me to Hal Ketchum. As I...
The Kenn Morr Band ‘Along The Way.’ … NEW ALBUM REVIEW
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#964 in the Series) is The Kenn Morr Band “Along the Way.” The Cool Album of the Day site went dormant for way too long. At times life interferes with life. One thing I’ve missed is finding cool little surprises in my mailbox. Yet once in a while I would still find a nice bubble wrapped package separating bills, coupon packets and info from the latest candidate that promises to make my life better. However, every so often I’d still get one of those care packages. Every so often the content in said package is also a darn good listen. Can you believe that not every gift isn’t always good. Tru dat....
Neil Young and Crazy Horse “Live Rust”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#960) is Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Live Rust If I read it one more time I’m going to hurl. Now what would that be? Well that would be that Live Rust was recorded on Neil Young and Crazy Horse’s tour supporting Rust Never Sleeps. No, No a million times no! Most of Live Rust was recorded at the Cow Palace in San Francisco on October 22, 1978. Rust Never Sleeps was released, June, July 1979. Live Rust was released on Nov., 1979. How wrong is the statement that Live Rust was recorded to support Rust Never Sleeps? Well, some of Rust Never Sleeps was recorded during the Live Rust tour. Live Rust was...
Shawn Colvin “A Few Small Repairs”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#956 in the Series) is Shawn Colvin, A Few Small Repairs A Few Small Repairs is one of those albums that takes love gone wrong and turns what could be a litany of heartbreak and “woe-is-me” into an autobiographical purging, and the listener goes along for the ride with some soaring beautiful melodies punctuated with hard-knock lessons. Colvin didn’t come to the making of this album without a lot of hard work, learning guitar in her childhood in South Dakota and performing in The King and I as a teen, then like most of us had some twists and turns which led to this release, her fourth, in 1996. The album opens...
