Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#975 in the Series) is Warren Zevon, The Wind In the final episode of season 2 of the hit Showtime series Californication, down on his self-inflicted luck, writer Hank Moody has just finished a book project and is ready to begin his post-project ritual. “Every time I finish a book, It’s Whiskey, Weed and Warren Zevon, It’s the little things” he says, while ”Keep Me in your Heart” plays delicately in the background. “Keep Me In Your Heart” is the emotional core of The Wind, the last album that Warren Zevon made prior to his death of lung cancer in September of 2003. The album was already in the works in late August...

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#938 in the Series) is the eponymous debut from Karla Bonoff Karla Bonoff is almost the female version of J.D. Souther.  Like J.D., she was a denizen of Laurel Canyon and hung with the likes of Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Warren Zevon, Jackson Browne, and the rest of the cosmic cowboys. The two also shared the unique gift of song-craft that perfectly suited the times and the country-rock vibe that was permeating the L.A. scene in the early to mid-seventies. Also like Souther, Karla made a name for herself with her songs that were recorded by other artists most notably “Home” that was recorded by Bonnie Raitt, as well as “Someone To...

  Jackson Browne will embark on an acoustic tour beginning July 14th at the Belk Theater in Charlotte, North Carolina.  The first leg will run though August 15th.  It will pick up again on October 15th and run until November 15th.  Got that?  Jackson will be playing guitar and piano and songs from throughout his career will be featured. Set lists will vary at each show. The opening act for all shows will be fiddler/singer songwriter Sarah Watkins. Sarah was formerly in the group Nickel Creek. Jackson is a fan of Sarah’s: “I’m really excited to have Sara joining me on this tour,” says Jackson.  “We’ve played together a number of times in the last few years, sometimes on her show...

  I had a chance to see this on DVD awhile back. I can’t even remember how I got a copy of it; I don’t believe it was ever released here in the States. I’m not sure if it was ever televised here either.  Maybe BBC American ran it, I don’t know, they produced it. The official title is Hotel California, L.A. From The Byrds to The Eagles. If you’re a fan of the Los Angeles music scene from say…. ’66 thru about ’75, then this is a must watch for you. It looks at the careers of The Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers, Gram Parsons, Linda Ronstadt, The Buffalo Springfield, CSNY, Poco, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, David Geffen and...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#437 in the Series) is Dawes, Nothing Is Wrong The “mellow mafia” ghosts are definitely haunting Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith along with their canyon-rock band Dawes. The band that recently released their excellent sophomore effort “Nothing is Wrong”, is so entrenched in the Laurel Canyon scene that bred Linda Ronstadt, Stephen Stills, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Warren and many others, that they purchased a home in the musical Mecca that is in the hills just north of Los Angeles. With the subject matter of some of their songs along with their country rock-vibe sound, you would think that back in the day they were running around naked like the kids on the cover...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#393 in the Series) is Linda Ronstadt, Heart Like A Wheel Laurel Canyon is a stretch of Los Angeles wonderland that runs through the Hollywood Hills from the Sunset Strip to the San Fernando Valley. That curving, stretching, boulevard of hipness and “California Noir” is where Carole King escaped to create her “Tapestry” masterpiece.  It was in Laurel Canyon, while living on Lookout Mountain with Joni Mitchell, that Graham Nash wrote “Our House”.  Leading the “Soft Parade” of Laurel Canyon artists, musicians, singers, and songwriters that included Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Warren Zevon, The Mamas and the Papas, the various incarnations of The Flying Burrito Brothers including Gram Parsons, most of The Eagles,...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#360 in the Series) is Jackson Browne, The Naked Ride Home This album is generally not considered to be the best Jackson Brown album. That honor belongs to the The Pretender, or Running on Empty, depending on your tastes, or for my mine, Saturate Before Using, which contains two of my favorite songs, “Doctor My Eyes”, and “Rock Me on the Water.” The Naked Ride Home, released in 2002, peaked at number 36 on the billboard charts, and was highly anticipated since Browne had not released a new album since 1996, the six years between records representing the longest recording gap in his career. Some critics have dismissed this collection, complaining that these...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#347 in the Series) is Ray Davies, See My Friends. The pantheon of rock’s elder statesmen for me includes Eric Clapton, Billy Joel, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart, and Ray Davies.  There are others, but these are the AARP members that when they put out a new album, I will make it a point to check out their new work.  Of this group, Billy Joel has not put out anything new since 1993.  That’s right folks, the “Piano Man”, has not put out an album of new material in 18 years. Elton is Elton, and Paul is Paul, that is both of them can do no wrong.   They keep their respective fingers...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#139 in The Series) is John Prine, Bruised Orange. John Prine’s debut album, called simply John Prine is considered his masterpiece, and rightly so. It’s quite the feat when you think that he wrote Sam Stone, Illegal Smile, Donald and Lydia, Angel From Montgomery, Paradise, Six O’Clock News, You’re Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore and of course, Hello in There ALL before he was 25. Looking at that track list you can see why that album is held in such high regard.  I am, however, going to feature Bruised Orange. I’m not sure why this album was always so high on my list of Prine classics.  Part of it might...