Readings 2015

This was an usual year for me in my reading habits. I still read about the same number of books overall but it appears I mostly read fiction this year with on only eight non-fiction books and just one biography. Forty books this year and thirty of them were novels. Normally I read a more balanced selection between those three categories.  Fourteen books were in the science fiction or dystopian genres and seven in the crime/detective/spy genres which is also a little unusual for me.

Several of my favorite authors were on my reading list this year including David Mitchell, Neal Stephenson, James Ellroy, Nick Hornby, Tana French, Philip Kerr, Margaret Atwood and William Gibson, 

I also read a lot of and about William Burroughs this year which was a little different for me,

Non-fiction

1. The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World - Andrea Wulf, 2015
2. Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania - Erik Larson, 2015
3. This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs the Climate - Naomi Klein, 2014
4. Days of Rage: America's Radical Underground, the FBI, and the First Age of Terror - Bryan Burrough, 2015
5. The Day of Battle: The War in Sicly and Italy, 1943-1944, 2007
6. Call Me Burroughs: A Life - Barry Miles, 2013
7. Vintage Beer: A Taster's Guide to Brews That Improve over Time - Patrick Dawson, 2014
8. The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies?, 2012
9. Outlaw Platoon: Heroes, Renegades, Infidels, and the Brotherhood of War in Afghanistan, 2012

Fiction

1. Seveneves - Neal Stephenson, 2015
2. The Bone Clocks - David Mitchell, 2014
3. The Martian - Andy Weir, 2014
4. Station Eleven - Emily St. John Mandel, 2014
5. The Peripheral - William Gibson, 2014
6. Perfidia - James Ellroy, 2014
7. God's Pocket - Pete Dexter, 1983
8. Redeployment - Phil Klay, 2014
9. An American Spy - Olen Steinhauer, 2012
10. Word Virus: The William S. Burroughs Reader - William S. Burroughs, 1998
11. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage - Haruki Murakami, 2013
12. The Secret Place - Tana French, 2014
13. The Time Regulation Institute - Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar, 1961
14. Funny Girl - Nick Hornby. 2014
15. Unmanned - Dan Fesperman, 2014
16. The Word Exchange - Alena Graedon, 2014
17. The Heart Goes Last - Margaret Atwood, 2015
18. Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn, 2012
19. The Lady From Zagreb - Philip Kerr, 2015
20. The Girl in the Spider's Web - David Lagercrantz, 2015
21. Vulture Peak: A Royal Thai Detective Novel - John Burdett, 2011
22. Dust - Hugh Howey, 2013
23. Shift - Hugh Howey, 2013
24. Rain Falls Like Mercy - Jack Todd, 2011
25. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline, 2011
26. The Penguin Book of Ghost Stories: From Elizabeth Gaskell to Ambrose Bierce - Michael Newton, Ed., 1984
27. The Book of Strange New Things - Michel Faber, 2014
28. Of Beasts and Beings - Ian Holding, 2010
29. The Book of Life - Deborah Harkness, 2014
30. Doors Open - Ian Rankin, 2007
31. Notes from the Internet Apocalypse - Wayne Gladstone, 2014

In The Meantime - Songs 1995

A second mix from my Songs 1995 series. Some of the hits from the year and some deep cuts.






All albums released in 1995.

1. Spacehog - In The Meantime (Resident Alien)
2. Dishwalla - Counting Blue Cars (Pet Your Friends)
3. Radiohead - High And Dry (The Bends)
4. Oasis - Wonderwall (What's The Story, Morning Glory)
5. Blur - Charmless Man (The Great Escape)
6. Elastica - Lined Up (Elastica)
7. Alanis Morissette - All I Really Want (Jagged Little Pill)
8. Tricky - Black Steel (Maxinquaye)
9. Morphine - Radar (Yes)
10. St. Germain - Deep In It (Boulevard)
11. Soul II Soul - Love Enuff (Vol. V: Believe)
12. Bjork - Hyper-Ballad (Post)
13. Spiritualized - Lay Back In The Sun (Pure Phase)
14. David Bowie - Strangers When We Meet (Outside)

May The Wind Take Your Troubles Away - Songs 1995

A mix of songs from some of my favorite albums released in 1995. The first mix of my Songs 1995 series.




All albums released in 1995.

1. Son Volt - Windfall (Trace)
2. The Jayhawks - Blue (Tomorrow The Green Grass)
3. The Rembrandts - Drowning In Your Tears (LP)
4. Teenage Fanclub - Don't Look Back (Grand Prix)
5. Blue Rodeo - Better Off Than We Are (Nowhere To Here)
6. Blind Melon - Walk (Soup)
7. Radiohead - Street Spirit (Fade Out) (The Bends)
8. Luna - Chinatown (Penthouse)
9. Yo La Tengo - Tom Courtenay (Electr-O-Pura)
10. Mathew Sweet - Not When I Need It (100% Fun)
11. Oasis - Don't Look Back In Anger (What's The Story, Morning Glory)
12. Smashing Pumpkins - 79 (Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness)
13. Pulp - Common People (Different Class)
14. Charlatans U.K. - Just When You're Thinking Things Over (The Charlatans)
15. Blur - Country House (The Great Escape)
16. The Verve - On Your Own (A Northern Soul)

Everything In Its Right Place - Decade 5

A mix of songs from the late 90's and early 2000's. That fifth decade of rock.

1. Radiohead - Everything In Its Right Place (Kid A, 2000)
2. P. J. Harvey & Thom Yorke - This Mess We're In (Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea, 2000)
3. R.E.M. - I've Been High (Reveal, 2001)
4. The Beta Band - It's Not Too Beautiful (The Beta Band, 1999)
5. Mercury Rev - Goddess On A Hiway (Deserter's Song, 1998)
6. The Flaming Lips - Waitin' For A Superman (The Soft Bulletin, 1999)
7. Arcade Fire - Wake Up (Funeral, 2004)
8. Interpol - Obstacle 1 (Turn On The Bright Lights, 2002)
9. Wilco - Heavy Metal Drummer (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, 2002)
10. Yo La Tengo - Stockholm Syndrome (I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One, 1997)
11. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - You Have Been Disconnected (Bravery, Repitition and Noise, 2001)
12. Ambulance LTD - Primitive (The Way I Treat You) (Ambulance LTD, 2004)
13. My Morning Jacket - Mahgeeta (It Still Moves, 2003)
14. Built To Spill - Trimmed and Burning (Ancient Melodies Of The Future, 2001)

Days of Rage

 

Days of Rage: America's Radical Underground, the FBI, and the Forgotten Age of Revolutionary Violence by Bryan Burrough, 2015

Read this book in December 2015.

This fascinating book explores the confrontation between the FBI and the radical underground groups of the 70's which include the Weathermen, The FALN, The Symbionese Liberation Army and The Black Liberation Army. I remember those days very well and the almost daily bombings of domestic targets in the news. A bunch of middle class kids smuggling bombs into skyscrapers and government buildings and denotating them made for a compelling read. It looked into the hearts and minds for the motivations that inspired these home grown terrorists,

The author interviewed many of the participants and members of these revolutionary groups and the federal agents who pursued them. It was also interesting to follow the police actions and investigations into these groups including the many informants. 

I was in the Navy and overseas during much of the period covered in this book so I personally did not see all of the everyday news coverage of their activities but did hear about it constantly.

We'll Meet Along The Way - Reflections

Another mix in the Reflections series. These mixs are collections of quiet reflective songs for hanging out. They are mostly indie folk rock and americana songs from the last ten years which also makes this mix part of my Decade 6 series.

1. Hem - We'll Meet Along The Way (Funnel Cloud, 2006)
2. The Head and The Heart - Down In The Valley (The Head and The Heart, 2010)
3. PJ Harvey - In The Dark Places (Let England Shake, 2011)
4. Patty Griffin & Julie Miller - Coming Home To Me (Downtown Church, 2010)
5. Matthew Sweet - When Love Lets Go I'm Falling (Modern Art, 2011)
6. Winterpills - July (The Light Divides, 2007)
7. Kathleen Edwards - Chameleon/Comedian (Voyageur, 2012)
8. Gemma Ray - Shake Baby Shake (Milk For Your Motors, 2014)
9. Norah Jones - Miriam  (Little Broken Hearts, 2012)
10. Mary Lou Lord - She's Still Bewitching Me (Backstreet Angels, 2015)
11. Azure Ray - Don't Leave My Mind (Drawing Down The Moon, 2010)
12. Jolie Holland - All The Love (Wine Dark Sea, 2014)
13. Neko Case - Fever (Middle Cyclone, 2009)
14. Robert Plane & Allison Krauss - Rich Woman (Raising Sand, 2007)
15. The Weepies - Take It From Me (Say I Am You, 2005)
16. Ed Harcourt - Rain On The Pretty Ones (The Beautiful Lie, 2006)

There Comes A Time - Reflections

More songs of life and love. Quiet reflective music from my Reflections series of  mostly indie folk rock released during the past decade.

1. Ray LaMontagne - Let It Be Me (Gossip In The Grain, 2008)
2. Amos Lee - Stay With Me (Mission Bell, 2011)
3. Cat Power - Love & Communication (The Greatest, 2006)
4. Beck - Unforgiven (Morning Phase, 2014)
5. Low - So Blue (The Invisible Way, 2013)
6. Joseph Arthur - Someone To Love (The Graduation Ceremony, 2011)
7. The Civil Wars - Dance Me To The End Of Love (Barton Hollow, 2011)
8. Glen Hansard - Bird Of Sorrow (Rhythm and Repose, 2012)
9. The Cave Singers - Distant Sures (No Witch, 2011)
10. Kings Of Convenience - Me In You (Declaration Of Dependence, 2009)
11. Great Lake Swimmers - She Comes To Me In Dreams (Lost Channels, 2009)
12. Sufjan Stevens - Enchanting Ghost (All Delighted People EP, 2010)
13. Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter - Spectral Beings (Like, Love, Lust & The Open Halls Of The Soul, 2007)
14. Paul Weller - Invisible (22 Dreams, 2008)
15. Marissa Nadler - Love Again, There Is A Fire (The Sister, 2012)
16. The Lone Bellow - You Never Need Nobody (The Lone Bellow, 2013)

Your Heart's On The Loose - Reflections

More songs of life and love from my Reflections series. These songs are mostly indie folk rock and country that have been released over the past ten years. Quiet and reflective.

1. Ryan Bingham - The Weary Kind (Junky Star, 2010)
2. Ryan Adams - Save Me (Ashes & Fire, 2011)
3. The Felice Brothers - All When We Were Young (Yonder Is The Clock, 2009)
4. Bon Iver - Skinny Love (For Emma, Forever Ago, 2008)
5. Feist - The Bad In Each Other (Metals, 2011)
6. Blitzen Trapper - Love The Way You Walk Away (American Goldwing, 2011)
7. Hayes Carll - Bye Bye Baby (KMAG YOYO & Other American Stories, 2011)
8. John Hiatt - Hurt My Baby (Same Old Man, 2008)
9. Steve Earle - Love's Gonna Blow My Way (The Low Highway, 2013)
10. Dave Alvin & The Guilty Women - Don't Make Promises (Dave Alvin & The Guilty Women, 2009)
11. Lucinda Williams - Buttercup (Blessed, 2011)
12. Alejandro Escovedo - Can't Make Me Run (Big Station, 2012)
13. Buddy & Julie Miller - Everytime We Say Goodbye (Written In Chalk, 2009)
14. Jackie Greene - Another Love Gone Bad (Giving Up The Ghost, 2008)
15. Rhett Miller - Out Of Love (The Dreamer, 2012)
16. Greg Brown - Mercy Mercy Mercy (Freak Flag, 2011)

Change Of Time - Reflections

Reflections... I've come back to another series of quiet reflective mixes of mostly indie folk rock songs from the last ten years. Although I have these mixes collected under the Reflections series they are also part of my Decade 6 series since all the music comes from approximately 2005-2015.

1. Josh Ritter - Change Of Time (So Runs The World Away, 2011)
2. Iron & Wine - Walking Far From Home (Kiss Each Other Clean, 2011)
3. Son Volt - Shine On (Honky Tonk, 2013)
4. Wilco - Black Moon (The Whole Love, 2011)
5. Fistful Of Mercy - With Whom You Belong (As I Call You Down, 2010)
6. Fleet Foxes - The Plains / Bitter Dancer (Helplessness Blues, 2011)
7. Keren Ann - Between The Flatland And The Caspian Sea (Keren Ann, 2007)
8. Alexi Murdoch - Orange Sky (Time Without Consequence, 2006)
9. Vetiver - You May Be Blue (To Find Me Gone, 2006)
10. Wye Oak - The Alter (Civilian, 2011)
11. Damien Jurado - Throwing Your Voice (Saint Bartlett, 2010)
12. Will Hoge - What Could I Do (The Wreckage, 2009)
13. Calexico - Fortune Teller (Algiers, 2012)
14. Allison Moorer - Revelator (Mockingbird, 2008)

The Word Exchange

I recently finished reading The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon. This was her first novel and a spectacular one. There were a few places where there needed some judicious editing but overall this was a well written fantastic story.

It is a digital age dystopian novel set in the near future about the dangers of technology. The story was a little crazy at times and especially with the use of words. I read a paper copy of this book and right from the beginning I was wishing I was reading it on my tablet e-reader because there were quite a few words I wanted to look up in a dictionary. I was actually missing the ability to tap on a word and instantly find its meaning. I thought the book was interesting on many levels.

Please Please Baby Lemonade - Songs 1970

Volume 12 of Songs 1970.













All albums released in 1970.

1. Syd Barrett - Baby Lemonade (Barrett)
2. Nick Drake - Bryter Layter (Bryter Layter)
3. The Pretty Things - She Was Tall, She Was High (Parachute)
4. Badfinger - Without You (No Dice)
5. Neil Young - After The Gold Rush (After The Gold Rush)
6. The Grateful Dead - Brokedown Palace (Workingman's Dead)
7. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Mr. Bojangles (Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy)
8. The Byrds - Chestnut Mare (Untitled)
9. Tom Rush - Merrimac Country (Wrong End Of The Rainbow)
10. The Guess Who - Share The Land (American Woman)
11. Dave Mason - Only You Know And I Know (Alone Together)
12. The Beatles - Two Of Us (Let It Be)
13. The Beach Boys - Add Some Music To Your Day (Sunflower)
14. Melanie - Ruby Tuesday (Candles In The Rain)
15. The Flying Burrito Brothers - Farther Along (Burrito Deluxe)
16. Van Morrison - Domino (His Band And The Street Choir)
17. Donovan - Clara Clairvoyant (Open Road)
18. Emitt Rhodes - Fresh As A Daisy (Emitt Rhodes)
19. John Cale - Bring It On Up (Vintage Violence)
20. Santana - Samba Pa Ti (Abraxas)

It's A Marvelous Night - Songs 1970

Volume 11 in my Songs 1970 series. This mix focuses a little more on some of the Top 40 hits of the year and closes with a set of songs from the Beatles.






All albums released in 1970.

1. Van Morrison - Moondance (Moondance)
2. Eric Clapton - After Midnight (Eric Claption)
3. Chairmen Of The Board - Give Me Just A Little More Time (The Chairmen Of The Board)
4. Freda Payne - Band Of Gold (Band Of Gold)
5. The Grass Roots - Temptation Eyes (More Golden Grass)
6. The Four Tops & The Supremes - River Deep Mountain High (The Magnificent 7)
7. The Supremes - Stoned Love (New Ways But Love Stays)
8. Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose - Treat Her Like A Lady (Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose)
9. Candi Staton - I'd Rather Be An Old Man's Sweetheart (Than A Young Man's Fool) (I'm Just A Prisoner)
10. Dusty Springfield - Brand New Me (A Brand New Me)
11. Aretha Franklin - Call Me (This Girl's In Love With You)
12. Chicago - Colour My World (Chicago II)
13. Neil Diamond - He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother (Tap Root Manuscript)
14. Gordon Lightfoot - If You Could Read My Mind (Sit Down Young Stranger)
15. George Harrison - Behind The Locked Door (All Things Must Pass)
16. John Lennon - Mother (Plastic Ono Band)
17. Paul McCartney - Junk (McCartney)
18. Ringo Starr - Beaucoups Of Blues (Beaucoups Of Blues)
19. The Beatles - Let It Be (Let It Be)

Heaven Help Us All - Songs 1970

More of what made 1970 a great year for music from the perspective of my record collection. This is the tenth mix of my Songs 1970 series that focuses on albums released that year. This set has a mix of rock and soul music.



All albums released in 1970.

1. Stevie Wonder - Heaven Help Us All (Signed, Sealed & Delivered)
2. Aretha Franklin - Spirit In The Dark (Spirit In The Dark)
3. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Long As I Can See The Light (Cosmo's Factory)
4. The Guess Who - Hand Me Down World (American Woman)
5. Spirit - Nature's Way (Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus)
6. Quicksilver Messenger Service - Fresh Air (What About Me)
7. The 5th Dimension - Save The Country (Portrait)
8. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Teach Your Children (Deja Vu)
9. John Lennon - Working Class Hero (Plastic Ono Band)
10. The Doors - Ship Of Fools (Morrison Hotel)
11. Funkadelic - I'll Bet You (Funkadelic)
12. The Temptations - Take A Stroll Thru Your Mind (Psychedelic Shack)
13. Eric Burdon & War - Tobacco Road (Eric Burdon Declares War)
14. The Allman Brothers Band - Midnight Rider (Idlewild South)
15. Three Dog Night - Out In The Country (It Ain't Easy)
16. The Velvet Underground - Rock & Roll (Loaded)

Your Love Is Fading - Songs 1970

Volume 9 of Songs 1970. Some long jams on this one.









All albums released in 1970.

1. Rare Earth - (I Know) I'm Losing You (Ecology)
2. Creedence Clearwater Revival - I Heard It Through The Grapevine (Cosmo's Factory)
3. Isaac Hayes - Something (The Isaac Hayes Movement)
4. B. B. King - Nobody Loves Me But My Mother (Indianola Mississippi Seeds)
5. Cat Stevens - Hard Headed Woman (Tea For The Tillerman)
6. Grateful Dead - Box Of Rain (American Beauty)
7. Elton John - Amoreena (Elton John)
8. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Country Girl: Whiskey Boot Hill/Down, Down, Down/Country Girl I Think I Love You (Deja Vu)
9. Derek & The Dominos - Layla (Layla and Assorted Love Songs)
10. George Harrison - Isn't It A Pity (All Things Must Pass)

Truckin' Down By The Roadside - Songs 1970

This is the eighth mix in my Songs 1970 series.







All albums released in 1970.

1. T. Rex - Beltane Walk (T. Rex)
2. Grateful Dead - Truckin' (American Beauty)
3. Led Zeppelin - Bron-Y-Aur Stomp (Led Zeppelin III)
4. Hot Tuna - Hesitation Blues (Hot Tuna)
5. Jefferson Starship - Let's Go Together (Blows Against The Empire)
6. The Band - Stage Fright (Stage Fright)
7. Eric Clapton - Let It Rain (Eric Clapton)
8. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Who'll Stop The Rain (Cosmo's Factory)
9. Elton John - Bad Side Of The Moon (Elton John)
10. Five Man Electrical Band - Signs (Good-byes and Butterflies)
11. The Kinks - Lola (Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One)
12. Mountain - Theme From An Imaginary Western (Climbing)
13. Free - All Right Now (Fire and Water)
14. The Moody Blues - Question (A Question of Balance)
15. Syd Barrett - Octopus (The Madcap Laughs)
16. George Harrison - My Sweet Lord (All Things Must Pass)

People Can You Feel It - Songs 1970

Mix #7 from my Songs 1970 series. Lots of classic rock from the year and also includes a set of live music released in 1970.  As usual, songs from albums in my collection released that year.

1. The Allman Brothers Band - Revival (Idlewild South)
2. Creedenc Clearwater Revival - Hey Tonight (Pendulum)
3. The James Gang - Funk #49 (James Gang Rides Again)
4. The Who - Summertime Blues (Live At Leeds)
5. The Rolling Stones - Midnight Rambler (Get Yer Ya Ya's Out)
6. Jimi Hendrix - Message Of Love (Band Of Gypsys)
7. Joe Cocker - The Letter (Mad Dogs and Englishmen)
8. Delaney & Bonnie and Friends with Eric Clapton - Only You Know And I Know (Delaney & Bonnie and Friends On Tour With Eric Clapton)
9. Johnny Winter - Rock And Roll Hoochie Koo (Johnny Winter And)
10. Jethro Tull - Teacher (Benefit)
11. Shocking Blue - Venus (At Home)
12. Rod Stewart - It's All Over Now (Gasoline Alley)
13. Poco - You Better Think Twice (Poco)
14. Grateful Dead - Casey Jones (Workingman's Dead)
15. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Helpless (Deja Vu)

That's Where It's At - Songs 1970

The sixth mix in my Songs 1970 series gets back to some hard rock, funk and early fusion. Has a little early reggae from Bob Marley too.



All albums released in 1970.

1. The Temptations - Psychedelic Shack (Psychedelic Shack)
2. Funkadelic - I Got A Thing, You Got A Thing, Everybody's Got A Thing (Funkadelic)
3. Curtis Mayfield - (Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go (Curtis)
4. Ten Years After - 50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain (Cricklewood Green)
5. The Mothers of Invention - My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama (Weaselsl Ripped My Flesh)
6. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Lick My Decals Off, Baby (Lick My Decals Off, Baby)
7. John McLaughlin - Marbles (Devotion)
8. Miles Davis - John McLaughlin (Bitches Brew)
9. Jimi Hendrix - Stepping Stone (single, The Jimi Hendrix Experience)
10. James Brown - Super Bad Pt. 1 (Super Bad)
11. Gil Scott-Heron - Whitey On The Moon (Small Talk at 125th and Lenox)
12. The Wailers - Soul Rebel (Soul Rebels)
13. Jose Feliciano - Susie-Q (Fireworks)
14. Santana - Oye Como Va (Abraxis)

I Gave My Heart and Soul To You - Songs 1970

The fifth mix of my Songs 1970 series explores some of the soul  and love songs of the year from many of my favorite albums in my collection released that year.

1. The Delfonics - Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time) (The Delfonics)
2. The Presidents - 5-10-15-20 (25-30 Years Of Love) (The Presidents)
3. The Four Tops - Sill Water (Peace) / Still Water (Love) (Still Waters Run Deep)
4. Aretha Franklin - Don't Play That Song (You Lied)  (Spirit In The Dark)
5. Marvin Gaye - That's The Way Love Is (That's The Way Love Is)
6. B.B. King - Hummingbird (Indianola Mississippi Seeds)
7. Derek & The Dominos - Bell Bottom Blues (Layla and Assorted Love Songs)
8. Bee Gees - Lonely Days (2 Years On)
9. The Five Stairsteps - Ooh Child (Stairsteps)
10. Roberta Flack - Let It Be Me (Chapter Two)
11. The 5th Dimension - One Less Bell to Answer (Portrait)
12. Elton John - Your Song (Elton John)
13. Leon Russell - A Song For You (Leon Russell)
14. Van Morrison - Crazy Love (Moondance)
15. Neil Young - Only Love Can Break Your Heart (After The Gold Rush)
16. Stephen Stills - Love The One You're With (Stephen Stills)

I've Got A Feeling - Songs 1970

This 4th mix in my Songs 1970 series gets back to that classic rock sound of that year but includes some soul too. It also touches on some god rock.




All albums released in 1970.

1. The Beatles - I've Got A Feeling (Let It Be)
2. Badfinger - No Matter What (No Dice)
3. Chicago - 25 Or 6 To 4 (Chicago II)
4. Canned Heat - Let's Work Together (Future Blues)
5. The Doors - Peace Frog (Morrison Hotel)
6. Crosby, Stills & Nash - Ohio (single, So Far)
7. Neil Young - Southern Man (After The Gold Rush)
8. Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up (Curtis)
9. The Temptations - Ball Of Confusion (Psychedelic Shack)
10. The Guess Who - American Woman (American Woman)
11. Norman Greenbaum - Spirit In The Sky (Spirit In The Sky)
12. Murray Head - Superstar (Jesus Christ Superstar)
13. John Lennon - God (Plastic Ono Band)
14. Melanie & The Edwin Hawkins Singers - Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)

Just Yesterday Morning - Songs 1970

The third mix of my Songs 1970 series explores some of the singer songwriter ballads and some of the mellow rock of the time.








All albums released in 1970.

1. James Taylor - Fire And Rain (Sweet Baby James)
2. Elton John - Border Song (Elton John)
3. Cat Stevens - Where Do The Children Play (Tea For The Tillerman)
4. Rod Stewart - Country Comforts (Gasoline Alley)
5. Neil Young - Tell My Why (After The Goldrush)
6. Bob Dylan - Went To See The Gypsy (New Morning)
7. Joni Mitchell - Big Yellow Taxi (Ladies Of The Canyon)
8. Simon & Garfunkel - The Only Living Boy In New York (Bridge Over Troubled Waters)
9. The Beatles - Across The Universe (Let It Be)
10. The Velvet Underground - Who Loves The Sun (Loaded)
11. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Have You Ever Seen The Rain? (Pendulum)
12. The Guess Who - No Sugar Tonight / New Mother Nature (American Woman)
13. Grateful Dead - Ripple (American Beauty)
14. Paul McCartney - Every Night (McCartney)
15. George Harrison - If Not For You (All Things Must Pass)
16. Van Morrison - And It Stoned Me (Moondance)
17. Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Lucky Man (Emerson, Lake & Palmer)
18. The Marmalade - Reflections Of My Life (Reflections Of The Marmalade)

Going To The Roadhouse - Songs 1970

The second mix in my Songs 1970 series of some of my favorite music from albums in my collection released that year. This is more of how I experienced that year.

1. The Doors - Roadhouse Blues (Morrison Hotel)
2. Joe Cocker - Cry Me A River (Mad Dogs and Englishmen)
3. Mountain - Missippi Queen (Climbing)
4. Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song (Led Zeppelin III)
5. The Guess Who - No Time (American Woman)
6. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Up Around The Bend (Cosmo's Factory)
7. Rare Earth - Born To Wander (Ecology)
8. Ten Years After - Sugar The Road (Cricklewood Green)
9. Traffic - Freedom Rider (John Barleycorn Must Die)
10. Van Morrison - Caravan (Moondance)
11. Santana - Hope You're Feeling Better (Abraxas)
12. The Who - The Seeker (single, Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy)
13. Stephen Stills - Go Back Home (Stephen Stills)
14. Grand Funk Railroad - I'm Your Captain / Closer To Home (Closer To Home)

The Shape I'm In - Songs 1970

Jumping right into 1970. One of my favorite years for music. This is the first mix of my Songs 1970 series which focuses on some of my favorite songs from albums in my collection released that year.




All albums released in 1970.

1. The Band - The Shape I'm In (Stage Fright)
2. Buddy Miles Express - Them Changes (Them Changes)
3. Eric Burdon & War - Spill The Wine (Eric Burdon Declares "War")
4. Redbone - Maggie (Potlacth)
5. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Run Through The Jungle (Cosmo's Factory)
6. The Kinks - Apeman (Lola Versus Powerman And The Moneygoround, Part One)
7. Seatrain - 13 Questions (Seatrain)
8. Elton John - Take Me To The Pilot (Elton John)
9. Badfinger - Come And Get It (Magic Christian Music)
10. Dave Edmunds - I Hear You Knocking (Forms and Feelings)
11. The Beatles - Get Back (Let It Be)
12. Grateful Dead - Uncle John's Band (Workingman's Dead)
13. Cat Stevens - Wild World (Tea For The Tillerman)
14. Paul McCartney - Maybe I'm Amazed (McCartney)
15. George Harrison - I'd Have You Anytime (All Things Must Pass)
16. The Velvet Underground - Sweet Jane (Loaded)
17. T. Rex - Ride A White Swan (T. Rex)
18. The Beach Boys - This Whole World (Sunflower)

Everyone Is An Alien - Monster Vision

Back to the aliens and spacemen for the fifth mix in my Monster Vision series.

1. Pink Floyd - Astronomy Domine (Piper At The Gatews Of Dawn, 1967)
2. Jefferson Airplane - Have You Seen The Saucers (Early Flight, 1974)
3. David Bowie - Starman (The Rise Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars, 1972)
4. Sparks - A Fun Bunch Of Guys From Outer Space (In Outer Space, 1983)
5. Super Furry Animals - (Drawing) Rings Around The World (Rings Around The World, 2001)
6. The Apples In Stereo - Floating In Space (Travellers In Space and Time, 2010)
7. Air - Surfing On A Rocket (Talkie Walkie, 2004)
8. Monster Magnet - 2000 Light Years From Home (4-Way Diablo, 2007)
9. Dead Meadow - The Crystal Ship (A Psych Tribute To The Doors, 2014)
10. The Flaming Lips - Life On Mars (This Here Giraffe, 2003)
11. T. Rex - Ballrooms Of Mars (The Slider, 1972)
12. Gary Numan & Tubeway Army - Praying To The Aliens (Replicas, 1979)
13. Yo La Tengo - Ultra-Powerful Short Wave Radio Picks Up Music From Venus (Genius + Love = Yo La Tengo, 1996)
14. Sun Ra - Interplanetary Music (We Travel The Spaceways, 1992)
15. Parliament - Mothership Connection (Star Child) (Mothership Connection, 1976)
16. Margot & The Nuclear So And So's - Earth To Aliens, What Do You Want? (Buzzard, 2010)
17. Sufjan Stevens - Concerning The UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinoise (Illinoise, 2005)
18. David Max - Everyone Is An Alien (Simple Psychedelic Pleasures, 2010)

In The Middle Of The Night - Monster Vision

More creepy songs about nightmares, monsters, evil creatures and aliens. The fourth mix in the Monster Vision series.

1. The Fuzztones - I'm The Wolfman (Monster A-Go-Go, 1994)
2. The Cramps - Goo Goo Muck (Off The Bone, 1983)
3. The Chesterfield Kings - Running Through My Nightmares (The Mindbending Sounds of The Chesterfield Kings, 2003)
4. Larry & The Blue Notes - Night Of The Sadist (Devil's Jukebox: Taboo 60s, 2011)
5. George Thorogood  - Purple People Eater (Halloween, 2008)
6. The Rezillos - Flying Saucer Attack (Can't Stand The Rezillos, 1978)
7. Hoodoo Gurus - Mars Needs Guitars (Mars Needs Guitars, 1985)
8. Imelda May - Dealing With The Devil (No Turning Back, 2009)
9. X - Devil Doll (More Fun In The New World, 1983)
10. Lydia Lunch - Spooky (Queen Of Siam, 1980)
11. The Soft Boys - Alien (...And How It Got There, 1980)
12. The Adverts - Gary Gilmore's Eyes (Crossing The Red Sea With The Adverts, 1978)
13. The Velvet Underground - The Black Angel's Death Song (The Velvet Underground & Nico, 1967)
14. Sinead O'Connor - I Am Stretched Out On Your Grave (I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, 1990)
15. Pinback - Devil You Know (Autumn Of The Seraphs, 2007)
16. The Brunettes - If You Were Alien (Structures and Cosmetics, 2007)
17. The Red Plastic Buddha - She's An Alien (Songs For Mara, 2014)
18. David Bowie - Hallo Spaceboy (Pet Shop Boys Remix) (Nothing Has Changed: The Best of David Bowie, 2014)

Sympathy For The Devil - Monster Vision

The third volume in the Monster Vision series. Evil is going on with more creepy songs about monsters, zombies, vampires and the devil himself (or herself in some of these stories). The set starts off with some acoustic ballads, adds some blues and rock before finishing with some guitar mayhem.

1. Rickie Lee Jones - Sympathy For The Devil (The Devil You Know, 2012)
2. Robyn Hitchcock - The Devil's Radio (Moss Elixier, 1996)
3. Roma di Luna - The Devil Walks (Find Your Way Home, 2007)
4. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Red Right Hand (Let Love In, 1994)
5. Chris Whitley & The Bastard Club - I Go Evil (Reiter In, 2006)
6. Shelby Lynne - Evil Man (Identity Crises, 2003)
7. Seasick Steve & The Level Devils - Walkin' With The Devil (Cheap, 2004)
8. Alex Chilton - Walking Dead (Bach's Bottom, 1980)
9. The Cramps - Zombie Dance (Songs The Lord Taught Us, 1980)
10. Heliotropes - I Walked With A Zombie (A Constant Sea, 2013)
11. Dr. John - I Been Hoodood (In The Right Place, 1973)
12. Howlin' Wolf - Evil (Going On) (Moanin' In The Moonnight, 1959)
13. Electric Light Orchestra - Evil Woman (Face The Music, 1975)
14. Jonathan Richman - Vanpire Girl (You Must Ask The Heart, 1995)
15. Matthew Sweet - Devil With Green Eyes (Altered Beast, 1993)
16. Pixies - Evil Hearted You (Complet 'B' Sides, 2001)

Seveneves - a novel

Although titled as Seveneves it is pronounced as seven eves. I should start by saying that Neal Stephenson is one of my all time favorite authors and I always look forward to reading his novels.

This new book met all my expectations and then some. I was very happy to have him back to doing hard science fiction again and writing wonderfully in the first part of the book. This was a tech-thriller epic story of the end of the world, the human drama and then the process of world building. The second part of the book was speculative fiction of the highest form of epic journey. I loved this book.

My Love Is Alien - Monster Vision

Monster Vision series continues with a mix that veers off into alien and spaceman territory. There's plenty more where this came from. Loving the alien indeed.

1. Split Enz - Poor Boy (True Colours, 1980)
2. Damien Youth - Girl From Outer Space (Alchemy, 2006)
3. David Bowie - Loving The Alien (Scary Monsters and Super Creeps, 1980)
4. Ash - Girl From Mars (1977, 1996)
5. A Flock Of Seagulls - Space Age Love Song (A Flock Of Seagulls, 1982)
6. The Only Ones - Another Girl, Another Planet (Special View, 1979)
7. The B-52's - Planet Claire (The B-52's, 1979)
8. Tom Tom Club - Booming And Zooming (Tom Tom Club, 1981)
9. Peter Schilling - Major Tom (Error In The System, 1982)
10. Easy Star All-Stars - The Great Gig In The Sky (Dub Side Of The Moon, 2003)
11. Easy Star All-Stars - Paranoid Android (Radiodread, 2006)
12. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Pt. 1 (Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, 2002)
13. Radiohead - Subterranean Homesick Alien (OK Computer, 1997)
14. Elton John - Rocket Man (Honky Chateau, 1972)

Rockin' Bones - Monster Vision

Here is the first mix of my Monster Vision series. These are songs about creatures, aliens, zombies, spacemen, vampires, witches, ghosts and assorted ghouls. The term monster vision comes from the old TNT TV show that featured horror and science fiction movies.

The Halloween holiday is approaching and this is a good time to revisit and update some of my horror and science fiction themed mixes.

1. The Cramps - Rockin' Bones (Psychedelic Jungle, 1981)
2. The Misfits - Ghouls Night Out (Misfits, 1986)
3. The Fabulous Poodles - Vampire Rock (Think Pink, 1979)
4. Imelda May - Zombie Girl (Tribal, 2014)
5. Dead Man's Bones - My Body's A Zombie For You (Dead Man's Bones, 2009)
6. Michael Jackson - Thriller (Thriller, 1982)
7. Brian Eno & David Byrne - The Jezebel Spirit (My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts, 1981)
8. David Bowie - Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) (Scary Monsters, 1980)
9. Alan Vega & Alex Chilton - The Werewolf (Cubists Blues, 1996)
10. Gnarls Barkley - The Boogie Monster (St. Elsewhere, 2006)
11. Split Enz - Dirty Creature (Time and Tide, 1982)
12. Dave Edmunds - The Creature From The Black Lagoon (Repeat When Necessary, 1979)
13. Roky Erickson & The Explosives - I Walked With A Zombie (Holloween Live 1979-1981, 2008)
14. Bauhaus - Bela Lugosi's Dead (Bela Lugosi's Dead, 1979)

Spellbound - Songs 1981

More songs from my collection of albums released in 1981. My favorites and not always the popular stuff as usual. This is volume 3.




All albums released in 1981.

1. Siouxsie & The Banshees - Spellbound (Juju)
2. Magazine - About The Weather (Magic, Murder and the Weather)
3. The Church - The Unguarded Moment (Of Skins & Heart)
4. David Byrne - Big Business (The Catherine Wheel)
5. Heaven 17 - (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang (Penthouse and Pavement)
6. Gang Of Four - What We All Want (Solid Gold)
7. X - We're Desperate (Wild Gift)
8. Pretenders - Message Of Love (Pretenders II)
9. The dB's - Black And White (Stands For Decibels)
10. Gun Club - Sex Beat (Fire Of Love)
11. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - Bad Reputation (Bad Reputation)
12. Kid Creole & The Coconuts - With A Girl Like Mimi (Fresh Fruit In Foreign Places)
13. Rick James - Super Freak (Street Songs)
14. Prince - Controversy (Controversy)
15. Tom Tom Club - Genius Of Love (Tom Tom Club)
16. Grace Jones - Use Me (Nightclubbing)
17. ESG - You're No Good (ESG)
18. Split Enz - I Don't Wanna Dance (Waiata)

Walking On Thin Ice - Songs 1981

The second mix of songs from 1981 that were in my collection and that I experienced throughout the year. Once again these songs could be labeled New Wave. Not really chart busters like some of the songs in volume 1.



All albums released in 1981.

1. Yoko Ono - Walking On Thin Ice (Season Of Grass)
2. Kim Wilde - Kids In America (Kim Wilde)
3. Duran Duran - Careless Memories (Duran Duran)
4. Was (Not Was) - Out Come The Freaks (Out Come The Freaks)
5. Brian Eno & David Byrne - America Is Waiting (My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts)
6. Coati Mundi - Que Pasa/Me No Pop I (Que Pasa / Me No Pop I)
7. ESG - Moody (ESG)
8. Pete Shelley - Homosapien (Homosapien)
9. Lene Lovich - New Toy (New Toy)
10. Grace Jones - Pull Up To The Bumper (Nightclubbing)
11. Trio - Da Da Da (Trio)
12. New Order - Ceremony (Movement)
13. Heaven 17 - Play To Win (Penthouse and Pavement)
14. The Human League - Love Action (I Believe In Love) (Dare)

We Want The Airwaves - Songs 1981

Flashing back to 1981. Here is a mix of songs from some of my favorite albums released that year. Lots of new wave hits on this one with some emphasis on synth pop but this collection is certainly not a best of the year or most popular songs of the year. There are a few chart toppers here and some with little or no airplay. This mix like all my Songs of Year mixes come from my personal collection and my personal experience of the music of the year.

Most of this stuff I still have on vinyl up on the third floor.

All albums released in 1981.

1. The Ramones - We Want The Airwaves (Pleasant Dreams)
2. Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough (Speak & Spell)
3. The Human League - Don't You Want Me (Dare)
4. Soft Cell - Tainted Love (Non Stop Erotic Cabaret)
5. The Cure - Primary (Faith)
6. The Cars - Since You're Gone (Shake It Up)
7. Hall & Oates - Private Eyes (Private Eyes)
8. Kim Carnes - Bette Davis Eyes (Mistaken Identity)
9. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - Make Believe (Bad Reputation)
10. Squeeze - Tempted (East Side Story)
11. Men At Work - Who Can It Be Now? (Business As Usual)
12. Garland Jeffreys - Ghost Of A Chance (Escape Artist)
13. The English Beat - Doors Of Your Heart (Wha'ppen?)
14. Split Enz - One Step Ahead (Waiata)
15. The Police - Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (Ghost In The Machine)
16. Pretenders - Day After Day (Pretenders II)
17. Robyn Hitchcock - The Man Who Invented Himself (Black Snake Diamond Role)
18. Gary Myrick & The Figures - I'm Not A Number (Living In A Movie)

The Beatles and Me in 1968

A FB friend and fellow former AoTMer recently posted a comment after listening to The Beatles White Album where he pondered what it must have been like to hear that album for the first time back in 1968 when it was released. I’ve thought about that recently too and decided to share my experience.

The White Album was such a radical change from the previous two Beatle albums released in 1967. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band came out in June and Magical Mystery Tour came out in November. We were constantly listening to new and astounding Beatle songs broadcasting over the airwaves all throughout the year. In early 1968 there were reports of another new Beatles album in the works and the anticipation grew throughout the year. I was a junior in high school during the early part of the year and a senior by the end. It was prime time music experience for me and I was buying lots of albums and singles. I was also going to lots of shows during this time.

In early 1968 the radio was still constantly playing the non-album singles released in 1967 such as Strawberry Fields Forever, All You Need Is Love, Hello Goodbye and I Am The Walrus. Lady Madonna was released in March so there was no lack of Beatle music. Also in 1968 we saw the beginning of the underground rock stations on the FM dial that would develop into progressive rock stations. In Philly, WMMR switched from “beautiful music” to a free form DJ format that emphasized album cuts. Listening to rock music on the radio suddenly changed drastically.

However, I was still carrying around a little transistor radio with no FM capacity and so part of the time I was still stuck listening to top 40 radio. In the summer of 1968 everyone was waiting for the expected new Beatle music and I remember an evening in August as I entered our neighborhood park the DJ announced a brand new Beatle song. I cranked up the radio as I made my way through the park to the group of benches where my friends were hanging out. It was about a three or four minute walk to the top of the hill. I arrived with the radio blaring and the Beatles song was still playing. I exclaimed to everyone that this was a new Beatles song and to our surprise it still kept going for several more minutes. It was Hey Jude and not only was it a very long single, it would go on to be the longest run at the top of the US charts at the time. I also went out and bought the record. The promotional performance video would air on The Smothers Brothers Show in October. This was more than a decade before MTV and it was very unusal to see a video of a band on TV that wasn't a live stage performance or lip synced mess.

So we waited for the new album to come out and then it was announced that it would be released on November 22^nd.  I had a part time job in 1968 working at a machine shop which gave me some money to spend on albums. I walked to the record store several blocks up the avenue and got the album the first Saturday after it was released. At first I was shocked at the plain white cover. It was such a change after having spent so much time examining the cover of Sgt. Pepper. It was amazing that they would go to the opposite extreme but of course this was The Beatles. I was excited that it was a double album with lots of music and then discovered there was a big poster inside, a lyric sheet and also individual photos of each Beatle.

My first impression was the album got off to a good rocking start with Back In The USSR and then followed with Dear Prudence which has turned out to be one of my all-time favorite Beatle songs. Then things got weird with the next few songs but the end of side one with While My Guitar Gently Weeps and Happiness Is A Warm Gun was awesome. Side two took a few listens to appreciate. This was all something so new for me and there were some songs I could have done without. I had a better first impression with side three where they rocked out again. Maybe I was really into the rock songs more than the introspective quirky acoustic stuff because after all I was a teenager then. I loved the sound of Yer Blues, Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except For Me and My Monkey and of course Helter Skelter.

Side four started off with a slower version of Revolutionand then went on with a few more odd ball songs before getting to a more different radical version titled Revolution No. 9 that certainly sounded nothing like the song on the flip side of Hey Jude.  You could definitely tell that Yoko Ono was in the studio. I really liked Cry Baby Cry.

Overall the White Album is not one of my favorite Beatles albums. Although it contains some of their best material it also has plenty of weird filler that is all worth a listen but I really don’t go back to it very often. I was certainly not disappointed the first time I heard it but it did make me stop to consider what I was listening to. That also occurred with Sgt. Pepper too.

Just for some fun and blasphemy here is my condensed single record version of the album:

1. Back In The USSR
2. Dear Prudence
3. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
4. Happiness Is A Warm Gun
5. I'm So Tired
6. Blackbird
7. Yer Blues
8. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except For Me and My Monkey
9. Helter Skelter
10. Cry Baby Cry

Here is the original promotional video of Hey Jude that aired in October of 1968. I remember watching that Smothers Brothers show. It was an event.

I have also recently been making a series of mixes spotlighting my music experience of 1968.

• Songs 1968 Vol. 1 - I Am The God Of Hell Fire - List 
• Songs 1968 Vol. 2 - Those Were The Days - List 
• Songs 1968 Vol. 3 - Timothy Leary's Dead - List 
• Songs 1968 Vol. 4 - Everybody's Got It - List 
• Songs 1968 Vol. 5 - I Bet You're Wondering How I Knew  - List 
• Songs 1968 Vol. 6 - All Come To Look For America - List