Night Tripper - Songs 2014

A collection of mind melting neo-psychedelic, krautrock and freakbeat songs from albums released in 2014. This mix is also part of my Hawkwind inspired Orgone Bliss series.



Holy Wave in the pic.




All albums released in 2014.

1. Holy Wave - Night Tripper (Relax)
2. The Vickers - Inside A Dream (Ghosts)
3. Doug Tuttle - Leave Your Body (Doug Tuttle)
4. Quilt - Mary Mountain (Held In Splendor)
5. Temples - Shelter Song (Sun Structures)
6. Wild Moccasins - When I Said I Saw It Coming (88 92)
7. Smoke Fairies - Shadow Inversions (Smoke Fairies)
8. The Galileo 7 - Don't Want To Know (Fast Memory Lane)
9. Rob Clarke & The Wooltones - Are We Here? (The World Of The Wooltones)
10. The Orgone Box - Judy Over The Rainbow (Centaur)
11. New Electric Ride - Lovers (Balloon Age
12. The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger - Great Expectations (Midnight Sun)
13. Ray LaMontagne - Lavender (Supernova)
14. Chad Vangaalen - Weird Love (Shrink Dust)
15. Sleepy Sun - The Lane (Maui Tears)
16. Frantic Chant - Higher Than Arthur's Seat (Ride It Like A Shark)
17. The Electric Magpie - What's For Tea? (Begins)
18. Mystic Braves - Bright Blue Day Haze (Desert Island)

Dubliners

The Book List

Dubliners by James Joyce, 1914

Finally got around to reading this one.  I read some of his other books in the 70's. One of these days I'll need to get to Dublin.

Tree of Smoke

Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson, 2007.

Read this in June 2014

This entertaining and interesting historical war novel  was the National Book Award winner for fiction in 2007.

It's a mindblowing story of spies and disinformation psychological operations against the Vietcong during the Vietnam War with an interesting writing style. There were dozens of main characters and dozens more of minor ones. Of course the CIA is in itself a character that is fractured, divided and at war with itself that break the law and it's agent' spirit.

I've read a lot of books on the Vietnam War which was a great help in understanding and following along with all the crazy things happening in this novel including a heavy dose of the fog of war. 

By The Sea Gazing With Tranquility - Decade 2

More in the ongoing series of music from the great Second Decade of rock. Approximately 1965-9175.

This particular set leans toward that psychedelic feel.

The pic shows The Beatles and Donovan during their visit to the Maharishi in India in 1968.

1. Donovan - Hurdy Gurdy Man (The Hurdy Gurdy Man, 1968)
2. Tommy James & The Shondells - Crystal Blue Persuasion (Crimson & Clover, 1969)
3. It's A Beautiful Day - White Bird (It's A Beautiful Day, 1969)
4. The Kinks - Shangri-La (Arthur: Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire, 1969)
5. The Bee Gees - Holiday (Bee Gee's 1st, 1967)
6. The Hollies - Pay You Back With Interest (Stop Stop Stop, 1966)
7. The Beatles - Dear Prudence (The Beatles, 1968)
8. The Zombies - I Want Her She Wants Me (Odessey and Oracle, 1968)
9. The Troggs - Any Way That You Want Me (Love Is All Around, 1968)
10. The Rolling Stones - Play With Fire (Out Of Our Heads, 1965)
11. Love - Alone Again Or (Forever Changes, 1967)
12. The Left Banke - Pretty Ballerina (Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina, 1967)
13. Jefferson Airplane - My Best Friend (Surrealistic Pillow, 1967)
14. The Mamas and The Papas - Go Where You Wanna Go (If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears, 1966)
15. Simon & Garfunkel - The Dangling Conversation (Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, 1966)
16. Leonard Cohen - So Long, Marianne (Songs of Leonard Cohen, 1967)
17. The Velvet Underground - I'll Be Your Mirror (The Velvet Underground & Nico, 1967)
18. The Doors - I Looked At You (The Doors, 1967)
19. Big Brother & The Holding Company - I Need A Man To Love (Cheap Thrills, 1968)
20. Neil Young - Cinnamon Girl (Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, 1969)
21. Badfinger - Day After Day (Straight Up, 1971)
22. George Harrison - I Dig Love (All Things Must Pass, 1970)

Standing In The Shadows - New Soul (Versions)

More new soul music from the past decade. Cover versions.

Booker T. Jones in the pic.

1. Hall & Oates - Standing In The Shadows Of Love (Our Kind of Soul, 2004)
2. Joss Stone - Some Kind Of Wonderful  (The Soul Sessions, 2003)
3. Emily King - Ain't No Sunshine (East Side Story, 2006)
4. Adele - Lovesong (21, 2011)
5. Aloe Blacc - Femme Fatale (Good Things, 2010)
6. Aaron Neville - Be My Baby (My True Story, 2013)
7. Michael McDonald - Walk On By (Soul Speak, 2008)
8. Joan Osborne - I'll Be Around (How Sweet It Is, 2002)
9. Bettye LaVette - Why Does Love Have To Be So Sad (Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook, 2010)
10. Steve Cropper & Felix Cavaliere - I Can't Stand It (Midnight Flyer, 2010)
11. Etta James - Groove Me (The Dreamer, 2011)
12. Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours (Sweethearts, 2014)
13. Marc Broussard - Love And Happiness (S.O.S.: Save Our Soul, 2007)
14. The Temptations - I Hear A Symphony (Reflections, 2006)
15. Lee Fields & The Expressions - My World Is Empty Without You (My World, 2009)
16. Lulu - Try A Little Tenderness (Little Soul In Your Heart, 2005)
17. Rumer - Soulsville (Soulsville, 2012)
18. Booker T. Jones - Crazy (The Road From Memphis, 2012)

It Makes No Difference - Porch Sittin'

Part of my Porch Sittin' series of mixes. Sometimes it's fun to sit on the porch with a few brews and listen to some interesting cover versions of songs. This set has some Lou Reed passing through it and a little Big Star too.

Over The Rhine in the pic. 

1. Over The Rhine - It Makes No Difference (Meet Me At The Edge Of The World, 2013)
2. Jonathan Wilson - Isn't It A Pity (Pity Trials & Tomorrow's Child, 2012)
3. Iron & Wine - Such Great Heights (Such Great Heights, 2009)
4. Shelby Lynne - How Can I Be Sure (Just A Little Lovin', 2008)
5. Neil Young - If You Could Read My Mind (A Letter Home, 2014)
6. R.E.M. - Pale Blue Eyes (Dead Letter Office, 1987)
7. Joseph Arthur - Stephanie Says (Lou, 2014)
8. Cat Power - I Found A Reason (The Covers Record, 2000)
9. Chris Whitley - Perfect Day (Perfect Day, 2000)
10. Hollis Brown - Who Loves The Sun (Gets Loaded, 2014)
11. Calexico - Alone Again Or (Convict Pool, 2004)
12. The Watson Twins - You Showed Me (Night Covers, 2011)
13. First Aid Kit - Tiger Mountain Peasant Song (Drunken Trees, 2009)
14. Tommy Keene - Nighttime (Excitement At Your Feet, 2013)
15. This Mortal Coil - You And Your Sister (Blood, 1991)
16. The Civil Wars - Talking In Your Sleep (Between The Bars, 2014)
17. Duncan Sheik - The Ghost In You (Covers 80s, 2011)
18. Allison Moorer - Dancing Barefoot (Mockingbird, 2008)
19. Patti Smith - Helpless (Twelve, 2007)
20. Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs - Who Knows Where The Time Goes (Under The Covers, Vol. 1, 2006)

Nothing But A Heartache - Songs 1969

Soul music from 1969 that kept me going that year.

1. The Flirtations - Nothing But A Heartache (Single)
2. Marvin Gaye - That's The Way Love Is (M.P.G.)
3. David Ruffin - My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me) (My Whole World Ended)
4. The Delfonics - Ready Or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide From Love) (The Sound of Sexy Soul)
5. Aretha Franklin - I Say A Little Prayer (I Say A Little Prayer)
6. Jr. Walker & The All Stars - What Does It Take (To Win Your Love) (Gotta Hold On To This Feeling)
7. Isaac Hayes - Walk On By (Hot Buttered Soul, single version)
8. Jerry Butler - Moody Woman (Ice On Ice) 
9. Stevie Wonder - Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday (My Cherie Amour)
10. Martha & The Vandallas - (We've Got) Honey Love (Single,)
11. The Isley Brothers - It's Your Thing (It's Our Thing)
12. James Brown - Mother Popcorn (The Popcorn)
13. The Temptations - I Can't Get Next To You (Single)
14. Sly & The Family Stone - I Want To Take You Higher (Stand!)
15. The Jackson 5 - I Want You Back (Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5)
16. Clarence Carter - Snatching It Back (The Dynamic Clarence Carter)
17. Joe Simon - The Chokin' Kind (Single)
18. Johnny Adams - Reconsider Me (Heart & Soul)
19. The Originals - Baby I'm For Real (Green Grow The Lilacs)
20. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Baby, Baby Don't Cry (Time Out For Smokey Robinson & The Miracles)
21. The Dells - Oh What A Night (Love Is Blue)
22. The Supremes - Someday We'll Be Together (Cream Of The Crop)

Me and Tommy... stylin' in '55

I posted this picture to Facebook a couple of days after Tom's funeral service in Chestnut Hill. This photo was taken at our sister Betsey's first communion in May 1955 in our backyard on Greene Street. There were lots of comments about the fabric of those suits.

The suits were made by our Great Aunt Mary, our grandmother's sister, who lived around the corner from us on Seymour Street. That would be the same house I would buy from her estate in 1973 after I got out of the Navy. Aunt Mary grew up in that house, never married and worked most of her life as a seamstress in one of the big downtown Philadelphia department stores which I think was Strawbridge's but could have also been Gimbel's or Wanamaker's. We were wondering where that fabric came from. She also made Betsy's communion dress.