Bloggerhythms

Long Road Out Of Eden made me realize just how much I missed the Eagles. Throughout the 70s my favorite Eagle, Glen Frey, his good friend Don Henley, and all of their various bandmates created a classic sound that with the exception of  The Long Run  -   their last full length studio album during their original run of popularity - never wore out its welcome. Readers of this article will have to understand that I came to this double CD set back in 2007 not knowing what to expect and I'm happy to report that I wasn't disappointed. The Eagles' vocal harmonies are perfect as usual and so is their classic 70s sound that was loved by so many of us. Long Road Out Of Eden 's back story was chronicled in many news publications around the world. The group sold millions of copies of the CD through their exclusive deal with Walmart - the only brick and mortar retailer allowed to sell it when it was officially released. The album sold well despite heav...

Below is a music related tribute I originally wrote for President Jimmy Carter over a year ago when he first entered hospice care in February 2023. I expected it would only be a short time until he passed. When he didn't, I decided to save it until October 1, 2024 to celebrate his 100th birthday should he make it to that milestone.  However, with today's unhappy news about the passing of Dickey Betts (1943 - 2024) I decided it is time to finally post the article because the great second guitarist of The Allman Brothers Band is quoted in it. Betts' most famous songs with the outstanding sextet are "Revival," "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed," "Blue Sky," and of course,  "J essica," and  "Ramblin' Man." Because most blogs and websites will likely post more traditional news stories and ...

This CD's title couldn't be clearer. Rhino's  The Very Best of Booker T. & The MG's  has all of the hits and a few other gems released by Stax's famous house band that they recorded under their own name. There are many MGs compilations out there in musicland but this single CD with sixteen tracks is the one to get if you don't need a multi-disc collection. It has superlative sound and two non-LP singles - "Booker-Loo" and "Slum Baby," - that don't even appear on Fantasy Records' three disc set. The Very Best of Booker T. & The MG's covers the years 1962 to 1971, and as the back jewel box insert says, only "original singles masters were used on this collection." The CD includes detailed liner notes with a history of the quartet. For each track you'll learn who played what, the release date and chart positions. You really can't ask for more. The big hits included here are...

Let's begin this post with a little history lesson about Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, a duo who are hardly household names even though they've been a consequential part of the American popular music scene since the 1960s. They'll never be deified by the masses like Taylor Swift. Wallace Daniel Pennington is a singer, a renowned composer, and a record producer. He has released only a handful of albums under his own name, and he is heavily associated with FAME Recording Studios  in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Penn has co-written many hits including "Dark End of the Street" for James Carr (#10 R&B, #77 Hot 100) and "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" (first recorded by Aretha Franklin) with Chips Moman and "Cry Like a Baby" (#2 on the Hot 100 for The Box Tops), "Sweet Inspiration" (#18 for The Sweet Inspirations), and "I'm Your Puppet" (#6 for James and Bobby Purify) with Oldham. He also produ...

Kimmi Bitter with bass player Ben Neal and guitarist Willis Farnsworth There is an old saying that says "If you remember the '60s you weren't there," but it isn't always true. Californian Kimmi Bitter is way too young to have been there yet she remembers it all quite well. Bitter favors the sounds and fashion of that famously tumultuous and historically important decade that is both loathed and revered.  The singer-songwriter's outstanding new CD of classic country music connects with more than a few people. The music of that era is so important to Bitter that she named her debut album Old School . You can find my review  of it  here . Below are a dozen questions that Bitter generously answered for Bloggerhythms. Keep reading to discover what this talented s...