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...

  Today’s Cool Album Of the Day (#1016 in the Series) is Ivan Neville, If My Ancestors Could See Me Now. If My Ancestors Could See Me Now is a fantastic album by a fantastic musician, Ivan Neville. Ivan is a multi-instrumentalist and the son of the great singer, Aaron Neville.  It was released in 1988. I guess you could describe it as two parts funk, one part new wave and one part rock and roll. Toss in a little blues as well. It did well but nothing special, sales wise. It did much better with the critics. Unfortunately something went bad shortly thereafter.  There was a fall out between Ivan and his then label Polydor.  Due to that...

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1015 in the Series) is Chris Squire, Fish out of Water I can’t give you the date. I wish I could, but I remember it like yesterday coming home as a wasted teen, turning on Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert and seeing  Bill Bruford with his Boston Bruins cutoff jersey, Chris Squire with his signature cape and Patrick Moraz standing in front of an orchestra performing the first two tracks on this gem of music.  I recognized it well, as I got it on vinyl as soon as I could. It would later remind me of Peter Gabriel’s first solo record, not sounding all that much like the famous and great band they...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1014 in the Series) is Crowded House, Woodface I’ve always loved the Finn brothers, Tim and Neil.  To me, the best overall music they produced was in the Split Enz, at least when you look at their music as a complete picture. I never thought I’d say this, especially considering how I adored the Enz, Time and Tide, but the best single album that the brothers ever recorded was Crowded House’s Woodface.  Both releases could easily be on my Desert Island Disc listings, that’s how strongly I’ve always felt about them. I’ve said it more than once on these pages, why aren’t these New Zealanders stars in the States, especially when you look...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1013 in the Series) is Keith Richards, Talk is Cheap. I think I listen to this album more than any Stones album. Great songs, great arrangements, great musicians, great performances. But talk is indeed cheap. So give a listen to “Struggle,” ” Take It So Hard,” “You Don’t Move Me” and “I Could Have Stood You Up.”  The latter definitely channels one of Keith’s favorites, Chuck Berry. One of the more interesting cuts on the album is “Make No Mistake.” Here Keith has written a song that Al Green would be proud of.  It’s a nice departure with some great duet vocals by Sarah Dash. Word has it that this 1988 recording was during a period...

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1012 in the Series) is Bryan Ferry, The Jazz Age Talk about something coming completely out of left field. I had heard nothing about this album until one day I saw it pop up on a listing of new releases for the week. What makes it more surprising is that was true even though it had been out in the UK for about three months. The premise of The Jazz Age is quite simple. Bryan Ferry takes some of his more popular recordings and transposes them into 1920s era jazz pieces.  I love the idea but I must admit that it did take me a few listens to warm to the record....

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1011 in the Series) is Jason Isbell, Southeastern. Well, this one has kinda taken me by surprise to be honest. As a long-time admirer of both Jason Isbell and his former band Drive By Truckers I really thought I had him pegged and that I knew pretty much what to expect from anything he’d release next: good, solid  Americana fare with maybe three or four exceptional songs on each album. I have to say however that he’s proved me wrong with Southeastern, this time out he’s offered up a complete gem of an album, full of wonderfully personal songs, straight from the heart, sparkling and emotive. He’s taken it to the next level...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1010 in the Series) is Buddy Guy, Damn Right I’ve Got the Blues The process of selecting a blues album to review is not an easy one.  First of all, a lot of people will not think they like the blues or will say they don’t know enough about the blues.  The real answer to both of these questions is that if you listen to music at all, and like music, then you are by definition a fan of the blues.  All of the great rock & rollers of today were heavily influenced by the blues in one form or another. “I’m a King Bee,” “Walking the Dog,” and “Now I’ve Got a...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1009 in the Series) is Nirvana, Nevermind. In 1990 I had never heard of Nirvana, in fact, not many had. The only people that were familiar with them were the ones that were lucky enough to know them from their Sub Pop Record days. Most of those people were from the northwest. They and some real audiophiles, but not me. The grunge genre hadn’t really hit the map yet, better yet, “Alternative Music” was still, get this, alternative!  It wasn’t everywhere like it would be in the near future.  It was still “our secret” to many of the die-hards. At this time I had a “very, very close friend” that worked for Nirvana’s...

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1008 in the Series) is Carole King, The Legendary Demos Carole King demos have been floating around the music industry for as long as I can remember, some were better than others. This release is the first time that some of those have hit the streets on an official basis. Let’s say, it’s been worth the wait. It’s not too late. This package was released in 2012 and it covers about a decade of Carole’s early writing career.  These songs are indeed demo versions, but they are not solo demos. Many of the songs do indeed have a small band playing with her, some songs however are just her. I have a...