#1251 – QUE SERA, SERA (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) – Sly & the Family Stone – 7/6/2020

Originally recorded and released by Doris Day for the 1956 Alfred
Hitchcock thriller “The Man Who Knew Too Much”, this version is sung by Rose
& Sly Stone and appears on Sly’s 1973 LP “Fresh”. For those of you too
young to recollect Sly & the Family Stone, this is the last of Sly’s Columbia releases and
includes the ultra-funk fest single IF YOU WANT ME TO STAY.

I thought this a tune suitable for my return not only to FB
but to encapsulate my 3.400 mile road trip during this time of CoVID to help my
Mom & Sister move my Mom from her apartment she has lived in for the past
13 or so years into an assisted living facility in town. Movers (such as they
were) did much of the packing and heavy physical lifting but there was plenty
of emotional cargo to be toted around also.

The song fits my mood. I would love to have more control
over the situation, but at the end of the day Mom is getting older (as are we
all) and I must face that hard truth. There is a line in the song that rings
quite true to me this morning: “Whatever will be, will be / The future’s not
our’s to see / Que sera, sera”. But as is reflected in our polar modalities Yin
& Yang, for every darkness there is light. As heavy as my heart was saying
goodbye to my Mom at her door last Thursday night, I was buoyed by my younger
family members whose thoughtfulness & kindness reflect the virtues held so
dear by my Mom. I saw her loving spirit in their actions this weekend.

My nephew John touched me with his great care for his Mom
helping her out when I had to leave with some leftover pieces of the move
unfinished. His son Nick, who just graduated Boston University
last month, had his first article published as the cover story in the Boston
Globe. My niece Makenzie drove well out of her way to meet me for a wonderful lunch
and a laughter-filled conversation which felt as if no time had passed since
our last chat years ago.  

Ultimately, I was able to spend 9 days with my Mom and
sister. The move went OK and Mom is safely in a 14-day quarantine at the new
facility. Most of her staff there seem nice, but I have met very few. We are not
allowed in due to the virus and visits will be by appointment only. It will be
quite a change for all of us in the family, but especially my Mom & Sister.
Please keep them both in your thoughts these coming days.

If any family members would like Mom’s new address please let me know
and I will provide it. I do not know if her phone number will stay the same but
will provide that when I find out as well. If any of you are so inclined, if
you dropped her a quick note or card to say Hello and send your love, I am sure
it would help her days in isolation pass more quickly.

Thanks everyone. I missed most of you and hope you are well.

1973 

#433 – RIVIERA PARADISE - Stevie Ray Vaughan - 6/24/2020

One of my favorite concert recollections was of SRV sitting
on the edge of the stage, feet dangling on a hot, humid summer New England
evening June 24^th, 1989 playing this song as if just for me. I had
thought this tune was the stand out from Stevie’s just released LP “In Step”
and went nuts when he and the band started playing into. However he quickly
transformed the outdoor venue into a small jazz club for a magical 10 minutes
of the song’s duration. To this day, I have not been able to think of that
night whenever I hear it. 

1986

#921 – CHIMES – The J. Geils Band – 6/23/2020

The original version of this piece was released on the 1973
masterpiece: “Ladies Invited”. There isn’t a lame tune on the LP but CHIMES was
the standout; a moody and menacing tune that was a departure from the band’s standard
sound. This tune stands apart from the boogies and shuffles while
simultaneously slipping in individual solo licks that all owe heavily to their
blues & R & B influences.

This live version ratchets up the heartbreak to a fever
pitch.

1973/1976

#1129 – THE BOYS OF SUMMER – Don Henley – 6/22/2020

Certain songs always are married to specific moments or
periods of time. For me, this tune evoked the 80’s like nobody’s business – for
better or worse.

1984

#1077 – MR. TAMBOURINE MAN – The Byrds – 6/21/2020

55 years ago, this song was released and is a tune that can
correctly be included in the patheon of rock & roll groundbreakers. Jim
McGuinn as he was known at the time of the first 2 years worth of Byrds
recordings, Gene Clark, & David Crosby were the three headed monster that
were the Byrds. They cleared the way for an untold amount of singer-songwriters
in the nightclub in Laurel
Canyon, San Francisco
& Greenwich Village marrying electric instrumentation with folk music’s
sensitive lyricism. Ironically, this tune is not written by any of these
wordsmiths, but by a fella from Minnesota,
Bobby Zimmerman. Incidentally, it is the only Dylan-penned tuned to every reach
#1 on the any Billboard Chart until 2020’s MURDER MOST FOUL.

1965

#92 – FINS – Jimmy Buffett – 6/20/2020

Still one of my top 5 favorite films, “Jaws” opened 45 years
ago today to mass hysteria  and enormous
lines becoming the highest grossing film of all time until it was usurped by
“Star Wars: A New Hope” in 1977. I still get chills when Robert Shaw performs
his U.S.S. Indianapolis soliloquy.

I am proud to say I saw Buffett 6 times before his drunken
middle aged bourgeoisie fans turned his concerts into slobbering pukefests. In
those earlier days (‘75 – ’85) Jimmy’s shows were wild, spontaneous and a joy
in every way to attend. With each successive years’ tours the crowds got less
spontaneous and more self—obsessed, wanting to be “part” of the concert
experience instead of simply experiencing it.

This song is also a shout out to our feline mascot of 26 Dove Lane, Finns
T. Catt.

1979 

#2315 – THE BAGMAN’S GAMBIT – The Decemberists – 6/19/2020

June 19, 1953 saw Julius & Ethel Rosenberg become the
first U.S.
citizens to be convicted and executed for espionage during peacetime. Both
refused to admit any wrongdoing and proclaimed their innocence right up to the
time of their deaths, by the electric chair.

I have to send a thank you to my nephew to turning me on to
this band of quirky Oregonians. We were driving to a family gathering and I
asked what the tune was were hearing on the CD player. It was this LP –
“Picaresque”.  He popped it out and gave
it to me. This bizarre tune of love and espionage immediately caught my
attention, and still remains a fave.

2005

#997 – CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ – The Mamas & the Papas - 6/18/2020

53 years ago today saw the last day of the Monterey Pop
Festival. It seems apropos that I choose the song by one of the founder’s John
Phillips. It is so hard to imagine the corruption and dysfunction that came
after – especially in “Papa” John’s life. The album that contained this classic
song was released in 1966 – “If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears” was
essentially the highpoint of this groundbreaking act who seemed to fit the
classic stereotype of too much success too soon. It is still a groundbreaking
tune, especially considering how poorly it has aged.

1965

#1732 – MY COUNTRY ‘TIS OF THEE – Billy Preston - 6/17/2020

On this date in 1885 Lady Liberty first sailed (in pieces)
into New York City,
where she would remain a symbol of freedom to this day. The statue arrived at
its new home on Beldoe
Island and was
reconstructed and dedication the following year by President Grover Cleveland.
As Americans we should look at her and never forget the words of Emma Lazarus
inscribed on her inner wall: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled
masses yearning to breathe free…”

1971

#2035 – FUNHOUSE – Danny Gatton - 6/16/2020

Roller coasters are amusement park staples. You would figure
them to be an invention born in the 20^th century, but the first one
built in the U.S. but the
Granddaddy of them all still has its home on Coney Island.
On this day in 1887 the first “switchback railway” - as they were then called -
opened for business, thrilling the public. The classic Coney Island Cyclone –
which is still standing – replaced the switchback railway and still thrills
fans to this day.

1993

#1845 – NO SUGAR TONIGHT/NEW MOTHER NATURE – The Guess Who - 6/15/2020

14 years ago today, the ceremonial first stone was laid for the Global Seed Vault inside a mountain in Norway. It is something out of t old Sci-Fi film classic “Silent Running”. The idea behind the seed vault is to
provide insurance against both incremental and catastrophic loss of crop
diversity.

At capacity, the vault will be able to store 2.25 Billion
seeds. Its location, deep within a mountain is ideal for cold storage and will
protect the seeds even in the event of a major rise in sea levels. The enormous
vault, where seeds can be stored in such a way that they remain viable for
decades opened in 2008.

The New Mother Nature indeed. Thank goodness for
scientists whose insight will protect us tomorrow even as our greed blinds us
today.

1970

#1603 – A CHANGE IS GONNA COME – Sam Cooke – 6/14/2020

Ahead of his time – both as an artist and a messenger.

1964

#167 – RACING IN THE STREET – Bruce Springsteen & the E. St. Band - 5/30/2020

The very first Indianapolis 500 was won by Ray Harroun on May 30 1911. Harroun crossed the finish line ahead of thirty-nine other cars. Originally founded as a test track to test the potential top speeds of the different auto producers, the thought was that a centralized high-performance track would create an environment for high speed unavailable due to the then poorly developed public roadways.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT4pSt4kie8

1978 

#2107 – IN THE HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN KING / GREAT BALLS OF FIRE – Electric Light Orchestra - 5/29/2020

Sixty seven years ago today, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Nowadays there is literally so much traffic and guided tours up the mountain it has a pollution problem, but in 1953 making the summit was a monumental achievement.

It also allows a pretty good segue into this track from an early ELO concert recording which was released in America as an import LP titled “The Night the Light Went on in Long Beach”. The sound of the initial recording was atrocious and has since been remixed and mastered during the CD years. It is tough to find a Youtube version of the actual track, but it shows the wilder, classically-fused side of ELO, which became wildly popular for softer hits like MR BLUE SKY & TELEPHONE LINE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGsqvas8CHo

1974 

#1070 – THE JAMES BOND THEME – The John Barry Orchestra - 5/28/2020

Today marks the birth date of Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond. Commander Bond has been portrayed by 7 different actors in 26 separate films (not counting the film to be released later this year, “No Time to Die”.

The actual Bond theme has quite a history itself. The composition credit goes to Monty Norman (twice successfully litigated in British court) but has become popularized by John Barry, whose version appears here – shaken, not stirred.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye8KvYKn9-0

1962

#497 – I LEFT MY HEART IN SAN FRANCISCO – Tony Bennett - 5/27/2020

The Golden Gate Bridge opened to pedestrian traffic on this day in 1937. If you have never visited San Francisco and driven or walked the span, do it. It is one of the few “must see” tourist attractions that does not disappoint. If you have visited this beautiful city, sit back and relive your memories letting Mr. Benedetto’s vocal carry you there.

Rarely do all the facets of a particular song come together to create magic. To me, this is one of those songs; the performer, the music, the lyrics & the subject matter create something greater that the sum of its parts. It’s a pretty simple lyric (written in Brooklyn, NY of all places) – preamble, a couple of simple stanzas, a tremendous coda all performed by a true American treasure, Tony Bennett. I sincerely hope you enjoy it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7RDIlzCJaQ

1962 

#559 – MONKEY WRENCH – Foo Fighters - 5/26/2020

This tune comes from the 2^nd Foo Fighters album, “The Colour and The Shape”. This was the tune that first hooked me on Foo Fighters. There has been at least one tune per each successive release that has kept me coming back all these years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BvlB_LrfkI

1997 

#1206 – ALL DAY MUSIC – War - 5/25/2020

Curiously, the band has a tune called SUMMER that doesn’t make me think of summer as much as this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lmp0uqPYK1k

1971 

#1453 – TALKIN’ NEW BOB DYLANS – Loudon Wainwright III - 05/24/2020

The 79^th birthday one of America’s treasures Bob Dylan. This is a witty homage to the man by one of the guys saddled with the title: “The New Bob Dylan”. Happy birthday, Mr. Zimmerman!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO6yGnpo64A

1991 

#2098 – MAIS QUE NADA – Sergio Mendez & Brazil ‘66 - 5/23/2020

Pass the SPF 30. I’m burnin’ like a freakin’ lobster over here..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSDjyvL1mnA

1966