Today’s Cool Album of the Day(#555 in the Series and #58 in the Live, Saturday Night Series) is The Band, Rock of Ages. (Capitol) Rock of Ages is the first of four “official” live albums by The Band. Most people regard the expansive box set of The Last Waltz to be The Band’s most impressive live statement, but I think a closer listen to Rock of Ages will give an argument that this is not only The Band’s best live album but perhaps one of the top 10 live albums that has ever been released. I’m usually a purist when it comes to original releases vs. reissues. I felt for years that the original double LP released in...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#494 in the Series) is The Band, Music From Big Pink. No, The Band’s 1969 album titled The Band, was not their debut album. That distinction would be given to their 1968 release, Music From Big Pink. I know we have a ton of followers of The Band that visit our site. Yeah, I knew you knew, but many actually don’t. Quite a few people actually. Last week we looked at a great debut album from The Pretenders. We spoke about how that was one of the best debuts in music history.  This one is also in that team picture. When that Pretenders album hit the streets, they were a new act for...

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#477 in the Series) is the first Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band. I’ve always been a huge fan of these Ringo Starr All-Starr tours. I think they are just a fantastic idea. Besides being a fantastic drummer, Ringo’s a smart man. He knows he doesn’t have the body of work, vocally, to front a tour that will allow him access to large venues.  So he fills out his band with well-known musicians and they take the lead also during the show. Great idea, but what makes it even better is the musicians that Mr. Starkey takes on the road with hi. He always picks some really interesting people.  I don’t think...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#434in the Series) is Carlene Carter, I Fell in Love Youngsters from musical families have a huge advantage over the majority of society.  Not only is music given to them via their genes, but having it in their ears from before birth is just a wonderful way to grow up. A dear friend of mine was from a musical family.  He’s a guitar player/singer/songwriter etc. etc. He married a singer/dancer and yes, their two children have grown up to be extremely musical in their own write.  In fact the daughter has been headlining places like the Rainbow Room and Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles all this summer. But what else makes...

David Bromberg’s new Use Me tickles the ear with a spicy smorgasbord of the many musical ingredients that make up the “Americana” genre. David’s concept for the CD was to ask a wide variety of singer-songwriters and musicians to write (or choose), produce, and perform on songs showcasing his versatility as a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. Answering his call were some of the greatest talents in contemporary music: Dr. John, spreading New Orleans “fonk”; Los Lobos (with a Mexican-flavored waltz); country music’s Vince Gill and bluegrass’s Tim O’Brien; Linda Ronstadt, making a rare appearance (on a Brook Benton ballad); Levon Helm (playing on two chunks of Woodstock blues and goodtime music), Southern jam band Widespread Panic, contemporary roots singer-songwriter John...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#16 in the series) is The Band’s, “Northern Lights, Southern Cross.” No, It’s not as popular as some of The Band’s other releases such as ‘Music From Big Pink, Stage Fright” or the live masterpiece, “The Last Waltz,” but 1975’s “North Lights, Southern Cross” is still a great listen. Choice cuts include “Ophelia, Hobo Jungle”, and two of my favorites. “It’s Makes No Difference” and “Acadian Driftwood. Acadian Driftwood” tells the story of the the Canadian Acadian tribe and how they drifted down the Mississippi river and became, Cajuns. All songs were written by Robbie Robertson. It was the first album to be recorded in The Bands newly opened California studio called Shangri-La....