There is no rhyme or reason as to how I come up with the songs I choose to write about every day. They usually spring out of something I’ve been listening to or something I’ve read. So, if you regularly follow this column, you’ll get a pretty good idea of some of the stuff I […]
Song Of The Day – “Just A Song Before I Go” by Crosby, Stills & Nash
The release of 1977’s “CSN” album signaled a comeback for the trio during a time when like-minded artists like Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, America and many others of that ilk were seeing their biggest successes. The airwaves were chock full of mellow singer-songwriter rock, and the group’s now-matured hippie idealism put […]
Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “Graduation Day” by The Beach Boys
The Four Freshman took this song to the top twenty back in 1956 and the Wilson brothers were listening. And while The Beach Boys certainly were influenced by the Freshmen, the Freshmen were in turn influenced by vocal groups of the Big Band Era like The Pied Pipers and The Modernaires, as well as the […]
Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “Love (Can Make You Happy)” by Mercy
This slice of easy listening splendor hit the number two slot on the Billboard charts in 1969. At the time Mercy consisted of artists signed to the small Sundi Record label from Florida, and centered around member Jack Sigler, Jr. Once the song began to take off on the charts, Sundi rush-released an album with […]
Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “Mother People” by The Mothers Of Invention
It’s Mother’s Day and you should always listen to you MOTHERS! Have a Happy Mother’s Day!
Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “Me And The Wind” by XTC
They were a band with two very distinct songwriters…Colin Moulding wrote some of their biggest early hits (“Making Plans For Nigel,” “Life Begins At The Hop”) that were typified by stop-start rhythms, big drums and infectious melodies, while Andy Partridge was the guy who was responsible for some of their prettiest, most pastoral recordings (“Summer’s […]
Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “Summer Highland Falls” by Billy Joel
I revisited the “Turnstiles” album by Billy Joel today. It was the first time I’ve given the record a spin in at least a decade and it fit me like a glove. I often marvel at how music has the power to bring you right back to what you were doing when you first experienced […]
Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “Silver Train” by The Rolling Stones
“Goats Head Soup” is one of the most maligned albums in the Rolling Stones’ catalog, and I’ve never really understood why. Certainly, its proximity as the follow up to the mighty “Exile On Main Street” has something to do with it, however “Exile” was not well received upon its release either. But while “Exile” has […]
Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “Wind Up Working In A Gas Station” by Frank Zappa
In 1976, the year that the album “Zoot Allures” was released, Frank Zappa was tied up in legal issues. His manager, Herb Cohen, began renting Zappa’s studio out while Zappa toured and allegedly pocketed the money for himself. This led to Cohen making off with tapes for a proposed Zappa three LP set called “Lather” […]
Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “Funtime” by Iggy Pop
“FUN! We want some! We want some!” Words to live by from the Iggster with an assist from David Bowie. Bowie came along to offer a little career rehab for Iggy whilst meanwhile rehabbing his own addictions of the time. “The Idiot” was recorded at their getaway retreat… in Hansa, Germany, and was sandwiched in […]
