Reminiscing is something that just comes naturally to geezers, so bear with me as I proceed to indulge in it. And I hope you'll all join in -- after all, isn't that one of the reasons we're here? (That, and - you know - my witty writing.) Anyhow, I ran across an old picture recently … Continue reading Living Local – Neighborhoods Then And Now
Category: Oldies
And What Was Your Strange High School Custom?
My sister recently told me that she'd just attended her 40-year high school reunion and had a great time seeing old friends and catching up after all those years. She's quite a bit younger than me, so to think that she's marking 40 years out of high school makes me feel like Methuselah. It also … Continue reading And What Was Your Strange High School Custom?
Afternoon Delight – A Dual-Purpose Guilty Pleasure
We all know about "guilty pleasure" songs -- tunes that catch your attention (and sometimes make you smile) the first time you hear them. They're tunes that might not be melodies for the ages, but they have a quality that's impossible to ignore. But here's something funny -- in rare cases, both the song and … Continue reading Afternoon Delight – A Dual-Purpose Guilty Pleasure
Johnnie Ray – The Prince Of Wails
In the late 1940's and early 1950's there was a type of singer who bridged the gap between swing era crooners and the pop vocalists who would come along later. They were guys who'd probably come up through the club route rather than as big band vocalists, and often had a sound that was a … Continue reading Johnnie Ray – The Prince Of Wails
Origins Of Rock – Michael Jackson Echoes Bobby Day
Sigh. Looks like I did it again. Sometimes I stumble onto a bit of musical info that seems - in retrospect - so obvious that it causes me to wonder how I missed it before. (And it's often accompanied by the suspicion that I'm the only one who isn't aware of it.) I think that's … Continue reading Origins Of Rock – Michael Jackson Echoes Bobby Day
Origins Of Rock And Roll – Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith
It's unusual for a musician to embrace his hit song to the extent that he even makes it part of his name. After all, it might serve to pave the way for becoming known as a "one-hit wonder", normally something to be avoided. But when Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith realized he had a winner on … Continue reading Origins Of Rock And Roll – Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith
Before Weird Al, Newhart And Sherman Tickled America’s Funny-Bone
Comedy albums have gone through some ups and downs through the years but have been around for a long time, and generally fall into one of two types. They're either straight comedy, such as a recording of a comedian's act, or novelty music -- sometimes satirical but often just plain silly. (A subject I've touched … Continue reading Before Weird Al, Newhart And Sherman Tickled America’s Funny-Bone
REVIEW: Boots Randolph – A Whole New Ballgame
I know what you're thinking, because I had the same thoughts when I received this new album for review. Boots Randolph, the guy whose honkin' sax ruled Nashville for years, is still around? The guy who struck gold with "Yakety Sax" is still tooting his horn? Well, yeah -- and the truth is, he sounds … Continue reading REVIEW: Boots Randolph – A Whole New Ballgame
Beyond Doo-Wop – The Original Platters
I've never been able to come up with a catchy name for a type of song I've written about before. It's not a genre in the usual sense of the word, although in the broadest definition - as a category of music - I guess you could call it a genre. But this particular genre … Continue reading Beyond Doo-Wop – The Original Platters
Buffalo Springfield – Two Short But Amazing Years
It always seemed to me that one-hit wonders have gotten a bum rap, with the assumption being made that the musicians were a flash in the pan and their hit song was almost a fluke. However, there's plenty of evidence to the contrary, and with my strong record as a contrarian I'm always ready to … Continue reading Buffalo Springfield – Two Short But Amazing Years
Geezer Music Club 