Our 10 Favorite Rory Gallagher Songs (no particular order) Hoodoo Man To Tattoo'd Lady

Saturday, January 7, 2017

Do You Read Me Hoodoo Man In Your Town Tattoo'd Lady Treat Her Right Off The Handle Overnight Bag Bad Penny Jinx Philby

Closing Time To Mule Variations Favorite Songs Of Tom Waits

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Favorite 10 Tom Waits Songs in No Particular Order: 16 Shells From a Thirty-Ought-Six Jersey Girl Hold On Jack & Neal/California Here I Come San Diego Serenade Ol' 55 Ruby's Arms Tom Traubert's Blues Hope I Don't Fall In Love with You Kentucky Avenue

• Closing time, Downtown train, Ol' 55, Tom Waits, Waiting for waits, Waits, piano has been drinking not me in rock music

Aja To Pretzel Logic 10 Favorite Steely Dan Songs

Saturday, June 13, 2015

[Slideshow: 123] In No Particular Order: Pretzel Logic Glamour Profession Boston Rag Deacon Blues My Old School Kid Charlemagne Do It Again Dr. Wu Monkey In Your Soul Show Biz Kids

• Aja, Deacon Blues, Donald Fagen, Pretzel Logic, Steely Dan in Steely Dan Best Tunes, rock music

10 Of Our Favorite Van Morrison Songs From Belfast To Avalon Sunset

Saturday, May 2, 2015

[Slideshow: 1234] In No Particular Order: Cypress Avenue Moondance Brown Eyed Girl Into The Mystic Tupelo Honey St. Dominick's Preview Here Comes The Night Domino Gloria Crazy Love

• Them, Van, Van Morrison, Van The man, astral weeks, moondance, tupelo honey

Top Led Zeppelin Songs From Misty Mountains To The Ocean

Friday, January 23, 2015

[Slideshow: 1234] We asked our listeners for their favorite Zep tunes. In no particular order: Tangerine Since I've Been Loving you Misty Mountain Hop Whole Lotta Love Rock And Roll Four Sticks You Shook Me When The Levee Breaks Friends No Quarter

• Best Of Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant, Rock, Zep, Zeppelin

10 Best Songs Of Bob Marley From Pinnacle To Kaya

Thursday, January 15, 2015

[Slideshow: 123] We asked listeners for the favorite Bob Marley Songs: In No Particular Order: Three Little Birds No Woman, No Cry Redemption Song Exodus Satisfy My Soul Rastaman Vibration One Love One Drop Get Up, Stand Up Turn Your Lights Down Low

• Best Of Bob Marley, Bob Marley, Marley, Marley & The Wailers, Rasta, Reggae

Sweet 16 Top Albums Of 2014 (No Particular Order)

Friday, January 2, 2015

Sweet 16 Top Albums Of 2014 ChestnutRadio.com In No Particular Order: By Ralph J Rizzo Goat- Commune Conor Oberst-Upside Down Mountain Jack White-Lazaretto The War On Drugs-Lost in The Dream Spoon-They Want My Soul Kasabian-48 13 The New Pornographers-Brill Bruisers Chrissie Hynde-Stockholm Robert Plant-Lullaby & The Ceaseless Roar Damon Albarn-Everyday Robots St. Vincent-St. Vincent The Black Keys-Turn Blue Ben Watt-Hendra Sharon Van Etten-Are We There Swans-To Be Kind Beck-Morning Phase

• 2014, Beck, Conor Oberst, Goat, Jack White, New Pornographers, Robert Plant, Sharon Van Etten, St.Vincent, The Black Keys, Top Albums, War On Drugs

Young Neil: The Sugar Mountain Years By Sharry Wilson

Friday, July 11, 2014

[Slideshow: 123] Young Neil is a detailed chronological narrative of the early life of iconic Canadian musician Neil Young. Exploring a time in this Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s life that has yet to be documented with such depth of research, Young Neil is an exhaustive document of his “Sugar Mountain” years, from 1945 to 1966. From his birth in Toronto through his school years in Florida, Ontario and Manitoba, the book examines the development of Young’s unique talent against a backdrop of shifting postwar values, a turbulent family history, and a musical revolution in the making. Includes many previously unseen photos, memorabilia, and set lists.

• Neil, Neil Young, Sharry Wilson, Sugar Mountain

Nowhere To The Ramada Inn The Best Neil Young Songs

Friday, June 20, 2014

[Slideshow: 12345] We asked Chestnut Radio Listeners For Their Favorite Neil Young Songs. The list is in no particular order: Sugar Mountain Down By The River Alabama Unknown Legend Like A Hurricane Ambulance Blues Cowgirl In The Sand Harvest Moon Cortez The Killer Rockin' In A Free World Cinnamon Girl After The Gold Rush Helpless Walk On Heart Of Gold

• Best Of Neil Young, Harvest, Harvest Moon, Neil Young

Psychedelic Time Capsule Review: The Move "Shazam"

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Proof of the long term effects of MSG on the human body... The Move- Shazam [Regal Zonophone / A&M 1970] - by The Mickster When "SHAZAM" was released in early 1970 I read a review from a "reputable" rock critic saying: "this is an artier version of the overly self-conscious mode I call stupid-rock, simultaneously gargantuan and prissy, like dinosaurs galumphing through the tulips." And those were his kind words. Well I found out that usually if "he" liked a record I usually thought it sucked and so on....you know the drill. So I decided, after 34 years, just to see how my now "older and more educated ears" hear this 12" slab of vinyl that was once on my turntable night and day.....here we go..... From the opening guitar riff I realized that "Hello Susie" is substantially different than the Amen Corner's hit of the same name "can this be the same song? I ask myself"...you betcha! 12 string it is. Roy Wood [guitar], Rick Price [bass], and Bev Bevan [drums] knock you senseless whilst Carl Wayne's vocals are devastatingly brutal, arguably delivering the best performance of his career. An uncharacteristic spare, heavy arrangement by Wood gives way to some of the greatest "drop-in" cockney background vocals ever" 'ello Suzie'. Bevan shines about 2:30 in with a tremendous drum fill bouncing around your speakers and nearly spilling out onto the floor ala Keith Moon. Wood ferociously attacks his 12 string Rickenbacker while Rick Price drives the whole thing over the cliff. Awesome stuff. The rock world hadn't heard an opening track that assaulted your senses since "Shape's Of Things" on Jeff Beck's 1968 monster, "Truth." Checking in at 4:56, "Hello Susie" is my favorite opening track on any album, anytime, anywhere. Hands down. Track 2- "Beautiful Daughter" starts after a street reporter bit. Carl Wayne shows off his vocal prowess with strings devil-dancing on top of a great arrangement by Wood. On this track they sound a little like the Move of old. A wonderful track stuck between two stunners holds it's own and wouldn't be out of place on a McCartney LP. Track 3- Cherry Blossom Clinic [revisited] starts with Wood musing about his confinement to a mental hospital...."they gave me some food for me thoughts...." It's a hard rock remake of The Move's own classic "Cherry Blossom Clinic" that appeared on their self titled debut LP. Wood is at the top of his game with an arrangement that rocks, rolls, twists, & turns. After an acoustic bridge, a series of "composed" pieces rollercoaster around falling just short of plagiarism. Price's bass ties the song together and the production is just incredible. I give it a 95 because I can dance to it. Track 4- "Fields of People" is a remake of a song originally done by American Art/Baroque rockers "Ars Nova". At almost 11:00 minutes there's plenty of room for the band to jam and Wood flex's his production muscle. Again the arrangement takes you on a journey through baroque pastures, show tunes, rock and [dare I say it] vaudeville whimsy. Halfway in you know your in for a treat when the arrangement starts to rock....Bevan has never sounded better.. "eh? what's this?"...the song takes another turn when Wood trades his guitar for a sitar and leads the way into a raga freakout that would get Ravi Shankar two steppin'! Let's recap: rock, baroque arrangements, show tunes, whimsy, and raga rock. Simply put: Incredible. Track 5- Mann/Weil's "Don't Make My Baby Blue". Wood adopts a monster guitar tone that would make Jimmy Page [at the height of his powers] proud. Wayne emotes while Woodøs double tracked guitar morphs into a wah-wah freakout. Bevanøs drums are explosive. Devastating and heavy! Track 6- The lads give a go at Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing On My Mind"-a beautiful finger-picked guitar, cymbal rides and Price's trademark bass lines lead the way for Wayne to again show what he got. He's almost crooning here, but the arrangement and performances are so great that your compelled not to bail and see where they take you. Wood teases the listener with short 12 string fills that wouldn't be out of place on a Byrd's album. In fact this cover reminds me of the Byrd's covering Dylan. Halfway in Wood takes off into Mighty Baby territory with one of the greatest 12 string / wah wah jams ever recorded. I'm on the floor begging for mercy! Well there it is....smash or trash? The Move will never be inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Shame...er....Fame but that's par for the course and ok by me. In fact I hope they never do get nominated..."let those that enjoy the Hall's inductee's keep 'em.... Just don't mess with mine! The Mickster, host of The Dangerous R&R Show.

• Bev Bevan, Carl Wayne, Cherry Blossom Clinic, Rick Price, Roy Wood, The Move, psychedelic rock

From Ground Control To Mars. Best Songs Of David Bowie

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

[Slideshow: 12345] We Asked David Bowie Fans & Our DJs At Chestnut Radio For Their Favorite David Bowie Songs. Here They Are In No Particular Ranking: "Life On Mars?" "Heroes" "Andy Warhol" "Moonage Daydream" "Rebel Rebel" "Station To Station" "Space Oddity" "Ziggy Stardust" "The Jean Genie" "Unwashed And Somewhat Slightly Dazed"

• Ashes To Ashes, Best David Bowie Songs, Bowie, Bowie Songs, David Bowie, Jean Genie, Moonage Daydream, Space Oddity, Spiders From Mars, Ziggy Stardust

Top Bruce Springsteen Songs Near the Swamps of Jersey At Chestnut Radio

Sunday, May 11, 2014

[Slideshow: 1234] We asked the DJ's at ChestnutRadio.com for a favorite Bruce Springsteen song. All grew up here in New Jersey except me. Lists are full of criticism. We are here at Chestnut Radio to share with our listeners and have fun! We welcome your favorite Bruce songs and feedback. Our List is in no particular order: "Rosilita" (Come Out Tonight) "Adam Raised A Cain" "Murder Incorporated" "Ballad of Jesse James" "Candy's Room" "Brothers Under The Bridge" "4th Of July, Asbury Park" (Sandy) "Jungleland" "The River" "New York City Serenade"

• best bruce songs, bruce, bruce springsteen, e street band, springsteen, the boss in Bruce Springsteen Songs, rock music

Mighty Baby's Brilliant Debut LP

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

One of the great debut albums of all time by the UK's Mighty Baby. Mighty Baby- "Mighty Baby" [Head Records 1969] Sometimes refered to as the "Egyptian Tomb" LP. by Bob Mickey Spillane, host of The Dangerous R&R Show Mighty Baby's self titled debut, one of the greatest of all psychedelic records of the 60's, was languishing in obscurity for over 10 years before Psycho Records reissued it in the 80's. After what was a limited pressing it went back in limbo until the advent of CD's when the word eventually got around and it's now considered a psychedelic classic. Hard to find on vinyl when it came out and even harder to find these days at garage sales, attics, musty & moldy basements, or even auctions, it's a skillful blend of psych, jazz, great melodies & songwriting. At it's core the music is wrapped around the instrumental dexterity of Martin Stone and Ian Whiteman's mesmerizing woodwind and keyboard passages. Mighty Baby was formed in 1968 around Alan "Bam" King [guitar), Mike Evans (bass) and Roger Powell (drums), all were founding members of one of the UK's greatest Mod groups, The Action. Late-period arrivals Martin Stone (guitar, ex-Savoy Brown) and Ian Whiteman (piano, saxophone) completed the lineup and Mighty Baby was born. Stone & Whiteman actually joined the latter days of The Action making what would be known as "The Action/Mighty Baby Demos". Most of my record collecting acquaintances bow their heads and speak in hushed tones when the subject of Mighty Baby comes up. "You donøt have an extra copy kicking around? Do you? It doesn't have to be Mint....I'll take a beat up copy.. just so I have one, you know?" But I digress.....as mentioned before, the roots of Mighty Baby lie in The Action, a mod band from London who formed in 1963 and gained a healthy following due to their powerhouse live shows and a clutch of five finger poppin' singles released between the years 1965 and 1967 on the Parlophone label. But as the mid 60's turned into the late 60's, striped bell bottoms and frilly chest baring Rod Stewart tops were being turned in for kaftans and acid tabs all around London. [Has anyone told Rod that he's a wee bit not happening these days? I mean really....The Cole Porter Songbook?!!??] Musical barriers weren't just being kicked down they were demolished and conciousness was being expanded. The Action was there front and center ready to mount their assault. The initial change came when Action acquired guitarist Martin Stone and pianist Ian Whiteman into their fold. Stone was fresh from a stint of trying to psychedelicize Savoy Brown. As the story goes, Stone got Savoy Brown busted for drugs when he was searched at the airport and was promptly tossed out on his arse.....who knows how these rumors start?....you be the judge. One day I will have Martin Stone on The Dangerous R&R Show and we'll ask him. With two highly proficient and willing new members, The Action saw their opportunity to "Tune In, Turn On & Drop Out". The Action loved jazz and while Mingus & Miles were admired they adored the king of freedom, John Coltrane. When Ian Whiteman joined the band they developed their particular style of "freeform" by covering Coltrane's INDIA. Mighty Baby's recording of this song is only available on a CD entitled FROM THE ATTIC. A live recording made in 1971, discovered in the attic of one of the members, and released by the band. The CD claims "That's all there is, there is no more". When Mighty Baby started playing their rock-fueled version of India with a belly full of enthusiasm and a head full of blotter, they confused the mods and sent dope soaked hippies into outer space. The quintet's self-titled debut album, released on Head Records in 1969, starts with what is considered their theme song.... EGYPTIAN TOMB: What is this glorious racket coming out of my speakers? What instruments are creating that melody? From the opening my ears are standing up straighter than Lyndon B. Johnson's beagle at a photo shoot. Whitemans' sax [left channel] and Stones' guitar [right channel] are seamless and yet altogether miles apart. Then all of a sudden the chorus comes crashing down and I'm on my knees asking...no.. begging for more. A wonderful blend of jazz, rock and melody seemingly improvised but somehow you know that this isn't possible! Martin Stones' over amplified guitar notes seem liquid.....caressing every nuance....gaining momentum until it's dissipated finality. 5 minutes / 30 seconds of brilliance. A FRIEND YOU KNOW BUT NEVER SEE: is lighter fare... maybe ....rolling piano, powerful drumming and guitarwork that is certainly skinny dipping in the "Oil-0-Joy" with a riff that The Bevis Frond might have borrowed for "African Violet" this is one outstanding track. I'VE BEEN DOWN SO LONG: the band dips into the west-coast vibe, Whiteman trading in his sax for piano and again the interplay between he and Stone stands out. Michael Evans flexes his muscle on bass and it's Stone's turn to pan left to right. Ahhh.....it was almost 1970 but the lads were keeping the 60's alive for sure. SAME WAY FROM THE SUN: Martin begins in the left channel working his way to the middle setting the stage for Alan Bam King..excellent vocal! The song morphs into a psych rave this time Stone jamming with himself. Just when it seems that the song is over [a big psych crash] the band comes fading back, speeding up things and here Whiteman shines on the big B-3 Hammond. HOUSE WITHOUT WINDOWS: the laid back vibe is evident. Stone setting the pace, Whiteman picking it up for the first verse, a staggered chorus then back to the main theme, second chorus leading into another Stone mind-melting solo! Big business, Atom bombs, fighting for the Queen, reasons to exist again...."in a house without windowsøin a house where no wind blows"... Indeed. TRIALS OF A CITY: rockin' in the Status Quo vein here..excellent production.. guitars, piano, sax, bass, drums....fun stuff with one of my favorite studio tricks, hand claps. I'M FROM THE COUNTRY: opens with Stones' acoustic but it only takes a couple of bars before the band is in full bloom with their early take on "Americana". Martin Stone demonstrates that he's comfortable with a variety of styles, here taking on the Clarence White [Byrds] style of country rock guitar. AT A POINT BETWEEN FATE AND DESTINY: recalls the pastoral musings of fellow countrymen, Barclay James Harvest. The rhythm is laid down with the acoustic guitar and Whiteman adds some soaring B-3 organ. Every passing minute gets you closer to the patented Mighty Baby jazz/rock improvisation. The tension is there teasing you but never quite fulfilling the promise making you want to turn the record back to side one for more.....brilliant IMHO. Having dipped into that intoxicating world of psychedelia, I can say that this is perhaps one of the best debuts of the 60's, most certainly on every psychedelic record collectors top 10 list. The Mickster hosts "The Dangerous R&R Show"

Small Faces- Ogden's Nut Gone Flake

Friday, April 18, 2014

An ambitious concept album from one of the greatest of all British invasion bands. Though concept albums were considered overindulgent in the '60s, The Small Faces' 'Ogden's Nut Gone Flake' contains enough cockney humor and intrigue to satisfy fans past and present.The Small Faces- Ogden's Nut Gone Flake [Immediate 1968]by Bob Mickey Spillane, The Small Faces: Ogden's Nut Gone Flake [Immediate 1968] Steve Marriott- Guitars & Vocals Ronnie Lane- Bass & Vocals Ian MacLagan- Keyboards & Vocals Kenny Jones- Drums & Percussion Stanley Unwin- Cockney Double-speak The Small Faces will forever be my favorite British mod band with The Who being a close second. Blasphemy? Well if it weren't for Roger Daltry's "devoid of emotion" vocals and his seemingly disinterested stage presence, I'd entertain any arguments to the contrary. But I digress,let's set the controls for the heart of the sun. In the hazy, somewhat crazy Summer of Love, 1967, The Small Faces smoked "dey pot like goods lads" of the day and decided to record "Ogdens Nut Gone Flake", a concept album. Largely a departure from the strengths of most bands, concept records were considered overindulgent and resulted in most bands swan songs. "What's this? A concept record? We'll have none of that!" The Beatles set the bar with "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" in June of 1967, while the Moody Blues explored this territory with their November release "Nights in White Satin." January of 1968 The Rolling Stones jumped into the foray with "Their Satanic Majesty's Request" and in July the Moody's hit it big again with "In Search of the Lost Chord". ["Lost Chord" is a wonderful musical journey, largely put down these days, celebrating the LSD trip and Dr. Timothy Leary.] The Small Faces put out their masterpiece "Ogden's Nut Gone Flake" in June of '68 and The Pretty Things finished the year with the closest thing to Sgt Pepper: "S.F.Sorrow".. brilliant and under appreciated at the time. The Who and The Kinks put out "Tommy" and "Arthur" in 1969. Now that we've set the record straight....forward, Tin Soldiers..onto "Ogden's!!!" Released in June of 1968, "ONGF" took a year to record and mix. Half a concept LP drenched and dripping with psychedelic jams and tongue-in-cheek cockney humor. It was released with its' die-cut tobacco tin artwork and potent music wrapped around four stoned, cockney Elves. Side 1: "Ogden's Nut Gone Flake": The self titled opening track has Ian MacLagan's phased organ arc-ing from speaker to speaker pounding you into submission .."more you little bastard, MORE!". "After Glow" written by Steve Marriott about one of his girlfriends [some say Pat Arnold] is a wonderful journey loaded with spatial effects. "Long Agos and Worlds Apart" written & sung by MacLagan stands on it's own and is a perfect segue into- "Rene", a paean about a loveable East End prostitute, Rene Tungate. "Rene" starts off with Lane singing in a cockney accent and ending with Marriott's guitar and the Mighty Midget Rhythm Section of Lane & Jones plowing a path through your brain into.... "Song of a Baker"...I give up! What a great record! The Mighty Midgets at it again! Some fans consider this the bands best song. At 2:22 you can hear Lane prompt Marriott with "Jump", the lead in to the next line. I love the seemingly unedited looseness that took a year to create. Incredible! We haven't even gotten to the concept side! "Lazy Sunday", written by Marriott about his neighbor just to fill out the side, was released and climbed the charts much to his chagrin.. he never liked the song. "Ere we all are, sitting in a rainbow..blimey, hallo, Mrs. Jones, how's yer Bert's lumbago?" Side 2: Narrated impeccably by BBC Radio & Commercials star, Stanley Unwin, side two starts the magical journey of Happiness Stan, a electric fairy tale about the cycles of the moon. Casting the double-talking Unwin was a stroke of genius. Unwinese is hard to decipher but who cares? It's hysterical. Having spent spent some time with the lads during the recording, Stanley wove some of their daily dialogue into his own cockney double-speak. For all it's linguistic pretentions, it's a load of bollocks, but brilliant nonetheless. "Happiness Stan" starts the tale with Unwin at the top of his form, "Are you all sitting comfty bo two square on your bodieee? Good then I'll begin.." [Professor Irwin Corey would be proud] setting up the harp intro into Marriott's pop-psych phased vocals. "Rollin' Over" with Stan's intro blows the Un-Unwin 45 rpm mix away. "The Hungry Intruder" has the Faces at their whimsical best. "The Journey" features Ian MacLagan?s trademark pumping keyboards. "Mad John" is prototypical Small Faces of the day. Marriott's wonderful acoustic guitar & MacLagan's piano set the backdrop as Marriott trades verses with Ronnie "Plunk" Lane's nasal intoning morphing into a medieval romp! "Happy Days Toy Town"....Unwin- "Clap twiceee, lean on yer back-edo and twistee for awhile-o'..don't worry about the moon. Oh dear joy....cockney, cockney, cockney..remember in your brain bockle, lad: Wrong starts with a Wubble-U! All joyfold! Goodlee byelode!" A cockney knees up. Indeed! Bob Mickey Spillane, your humble host of: The Mickster's Dangerous R&R Show

Sweet 16 Top Albums 2013

Thursday, December 26, 2013

In No Particular Order: Arcade Fire- Reflektor Black Joe Lewis- Electric Slave Laura Veirs- Warp & Weft Laura Marling- Once I Was An Eagle Crystal Jacqueline- Sun Arise Vampire Weekend- Modern Vampires Of The City Julia Holter- Loud City Song Deerhunter- Monomania The Graveltones- Don't Wait Down Rose Windows- The Sun Dogs Typhoon- White Lighter The Head And the Heart- Let's Be Still Wooden Shjips- Back To Land Kurt Vile- Wakin On A Pretty Daze Jonathan Wilson- Fanfare The Samples- America

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Tuesday, May 14, 2013

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Saturday, September 1, 2012

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...the legends and music of Bob Dylan...a little girl, a whole life

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

By Amanda Jane Some of my earliest childhood memories were set to the soundtrack of the crack and pop of vinyl on the record player in my parent's living room. There were tapes too, but our household was one of records. Played loudly through the speakers that seemed so huge, they might as well have been suspended from the ceiling of Madison Square Garden. Dancing, singing, spinning in circles in the living room to the music that was so infused in my blood from such a young age that it seemed like part of me. Part of my family. Learning early that I could only dance so hard otherwise those wonderful sounds that escaped from those huge speakers would "skip". Nowadays, my own home is also filled with music all the time. I find myself still dancing, only now I have a child of my own, a son, who I delight in infusing with the music that means so much to me. Ours comes mostly out of my iPod or computer speakers. I look at my son...and I realize that while he knows what a record is (I still have them), he doesn't know like I did what it was like to dance and have to be careful not to skip the record. He and I dance all over the place, bump into furniture, fall down in a fit of giggles, and the music doesn't miss a beat. I also look at those speakers my dad had, long blown out by blasted industrial and heavy metal by my brother and I in our teens while our parents were at work, and I realize how small they are now. But in those memories, they were monstrous. In my defense, I was kinda small. There was a lot of folk and electric folk music in our house. My mom had a thing for Peter, Paul, and Mary, the Seekers, Simon and Garfunkel, and others of the late sixties and early seventies folk scene. My dad was into an eclectic mix of Moby Grape (he played "Omaha" over and over), Janis Joplin, Benny Goodman's live album, with heavy doses of The Rolling Stones and the Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, The Doors, and other masters. Then he would dip into the metal stylings of Judas Priest...he had Live Aid on VHS that he recorded off TV and loved their performance with the in sync headbanging of the guitars and bass. He also loved Ozzy and Black Sabbath. It is because of my dad that I love Led Zeppelin. It is because of my mom that I love Billy Joel. There was George Thorogood. There was John Denver. The Fugs. The Cars. Our home was well rounded. One of the most common family visitors who entered through our turntable and came out through those speakers was the amazing Robert Zimmerman...better known to most as Bob Dylan. My father was and remains one of the biggest Bob Dylan fans I have ever met...though I like to think these days I am not far behind him. Some of my earliest memories are of that voice that didn't sound like anyone else, that harmonica that screamed through the speakers, piano, guitar, and how it all blended together and made me feel warm. Even now, I listen to the sounds of Dylan and it takes me to that living room. When I didn't know what it was to worry about anything more than whether or not I would get yelled at for not cleaning my room like I was asked to do, if I had school tomorrow, and brushing the knots from my thin blonde hair after I shook around the room. Hearing "Like A Rolling Stone" break in with Al Kooper's organ playing is one of my all time favorite sounds in the entire world. An amazing song from start to finish, there has been much debate as to the inspiration for this 1965 classic and it's lyrics. Everything from Edie Sedgwick and the Andy Warhol scene of the day to it being simply about Dylan's self conflicts at the time. No one knows but Bob, and if you have seen any of the few, you know he is hardly specific about anything at all in his interviews. It's been covered by everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Green Day. It's surprising to note that prior to the success of this song, a Bob Dylan who had grown exhausted of the public's perceptions of him had debated quitting the music business. I am sure I am not alone thanking whoever was responsible that he didn't. To me, it's the sounds of youth. It's an amazing creation that was thought strange at the time by those big cigar toting record execs for it's length, at over six minutes. Frank Zappa was quoted as saying it was the song that made him want to quit the music business saying, "...if this wins and does what it's supposed to do, I don't need to do anything else..." To me, it's been poetry. A blanket when I was cold. Strength when I felt weak. As I grew older and began writing myself, my appreciation for Bob Dylan took on a whole new light. I found myself engulfed in the way he strung words together making poems, stories, non-fiction accounts of times before I joined this human population. I saw an interview not long ago where Bob was asked if he could write songs like those from earlier in his career...some of those he is known best for...again if asked. He said no...that he did it when it was time to write them. He can't remember how he wrote them. They were just there. I think he is right to say that songwriting sometimes just comes, and when it comes, you make it come to life. If it's gone, you sometimes can't get it back. It's not just songs. It's writing. It's art. I find it in my own writing...and I am hardly Bob Dylan. I found anger in his music...in songs like "Masters of War", off The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. I didn't know about the war of which it is assumed he spoke. I know of what my parents told me of those times. My parents met in college. They graduated high school in 1968 and were married in 1972. They were at a great age for a great time in music, but a terrible time for war. Still, some of those lyrics transcend time. They translate to the life of anyone feeling anger and struggle against someone who attempts to exert control over us, hurting us and those we love. Taking friends so far away. Sometimes they didn't come back. In October of 1992, there was a 30th Anniversary concert done for Bob Dylan at Madison Square Garden. I remember my best friend's parents ordered it on pay-per-view and VHS recorded it for my parents. At the time, having been a HUGE Pearl Jam fan as they were just coming up in the music world, I was excited that Eddie Vedder would be there to perform a Dylan song. His choice was "Masters of War". I don't think there could have been anyone more appropriate to best represent the emotion in this song the way Dylan wrote it. I was floored. I still am. I found love in his music. Songs like "Lay Lady Lay", off of Nashville Skyline but originally written for the soundtrack to Midnight Cowboy. A song that talks about realizing your love, and wanting so much for your love to realize theirs for you. "Why wait any longer for the world to begin? You can have your cake and eat it too. Why wait any longer for the one you love when he's standing in front of you?". Are you a romantic? Tell me those words don't reach right into your soul and stir you like a pot of boiling soup. There is a story there, behind that song, but you don't need to know what it is to know you can feel that. You have been there. Maybe you are there. Bob was there. And he made that moment sing to us. Covered by everyone from The Byrds, to Melanie, to Ministry...it's a song that no matter where you are in time, it will still speak to someone. Some people don't realize upon first hearing this song that it's Bob Dylan. This, like many songs on Nashville Skyline, were sung in a lower, smoother tone that Dylan had attributed to having recently quit smoking. There are several legends that revolve around the writing of "Lay Lady Lay". My favorite is completely unconfirmed but goes as follows: According to Johnny Cash, Dylan had played the song first in a circle of singer-songwriters that had gathered at Cash's house outside of Nashville. Cash claims that several other musicians and writers were there sharing their new, unheard songs with one another. Dylan played "Lay Lady Lay", Shel Silverstein played "A Boy Named Sue" (later made famous by Cash himself), Joni Mitchel played "Both Sides, Now", Graham Nash played "Marrakesh Express, and Kris Kristofferson played "Me and Bobby McGee", later made famous by Janis Joplin. Can you imagine being a fly on the wall in THAT room?! My love for what Dylan creates...the legends, the sounds, it transcends everything. I danced with my father to "You're a Big Girl Now" at my wedding. I sing "Forever Young" to my son. I find myself singing verses of "Maggie's Farm" to my pit bull Maggie when I am cleaning the house, as she follows me around. As I was blasting "Tombstone Blues" on my way to work this morning, I was thinking what it must have been like when his music was new to the radio. My father tells me stories about how much my grandmother hated when he played Dylan on the family record player. Didn't stop him. He still blasts it on his record player to this very day. But there are so many legends and stories of his shows at small clubs and coffee houses of the village. His visit to Woody Guthrie at Greystone Psychiatric Hospital, just up the street from where I sit right now writing this. How he had a love affair with Joan Baez that brought them to civil rights rallies, and created beautiful and amazing music they both shared...even being so different. How he escaped the public eye with the wife he married in secret and lived quietly in a house in Woodstock to start his family. How so many people got so much of what he said all wrong. His toying with reporters who asked him silly questions. His introducing The Beatles to marijuana, probably assisting in the amazing albums that followed...Rubber Soul...the White Album. We just passed the 50th anniversary of Bob Dylan's first album. So much of a life lived by such a creative man...who every time I see him, looks like he just wants to go sit somewhere quiet and have a cup of coffee and read the paper. I don't know if I will ever get the chance to tell him what he has done and continues to do every day as influence and just simply to soundtrack so much of my own life. But he has. And in my own way, I thank you, Bob. ~AJH

Check out our new digs!

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

We have a fresh new look for the summer here at Chestnut Radio... Stay tuned for more contest announcements coming soon!

Top of the morning’ to ya!

Sunday, March 18, 2012

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, here's a might fine Irish mixtape for ya! Enjoy! Helter Skelter U2 Soon My Bloody Valentine Baby, Please Don't Go Them What An Idiot He Is Ashley MacIsaac Jesus Says Ash Wild Night Van Morrison Volcano Damien Rice Crazy World Aslan Tongue Bell X1 Broken Boy The Walls Heroes or Ghosts The Coronas Sweet Suburban Sky Paddy Casey Something Good Can Work Two Door Cinema Club Some Days Are Better Than Others U2 Fallen From The Sky Glen Hansard Stardust Roesy Tuesday Mark Geary When The Stars Go Blue (ft. Bono) The Corrs Galileo (someone like you) Declan O'Rourke Back to Before Jerry Fish & The Mudbug Club Whenever, Wherever Mundy Nothing Compares 2 U Sinéad O'Connor Gold Interference Blue Shoes The Swell Season Drowning Man U2

Obscured By Clouds Review

Monday, February 6, 2012

Psychedelic Time Capsul Record Review Pink Floyd - Obscured By Clouds / La Vallee [Harvest Records 1972] Cover - Hipgnosis Personnel: David Gilmour - guitar / vocals / VCS3 Synth Nick Mason - drums / percussion Richard Wright - keyboards / vocals / VCS3 Synth Roger Waters - bass / vocals / VCS3 Synth I know what your thinking....this isn't some obscure LP that's nearly impossible to find. Nor is it that elusive rock and roll gem you find at a garage sale hidden amongst Englebert Humperdink's Greatest Hits, Three Dog Night, Seals and Crofts, David Bowie's "Let's Dance" or Christopher Cross......but if you did see it in this box of 70's & 80's dreck a crepuscular ray of light would stream through the "clouds" and despite whatever kind of feelings you have about the totally obnoxious empire of Pink Floyd, listening to Obscured By Clouds would serve as a plausible reason to throw all of those feelings out the window. Why? Because it's probably nothing like the Floyd you've known and heard before, given that your exposure stretches only to the follow up, "Dark Side of the Moon" or 1979's elaborate, band ending"The Wall". During the recording of "The Wall" keyboardist extroadinaire Richard Wright told Roger Waters "to fuck off" when told he had to cut short his Christmas vacation during the recording which prompted Waters to demand Wright's resignation...but that's a whole other story..... Eagerly placing the stylus along the edge of the faintly scratched LP suddenly the walls begin to 'shake & vibe-er-ate'. The low buzzing of the album's title track builds, while David Gilmour gently (as only he can] picks out a rough-around-the-edges guitar solo seemingly simple, ha ha!! Perfect.... a brilliant opener. If your like me you welcome the slight crackling as the music fades past all of the nitty of the gritty "Introduction", easing into "Burning Bridges," a beautifully mellow track that foreshadows the future signature sound of the Floyd to come. Skip to the next track and you hit "The Gold It's In The..." Yeah, a little bit of an annoying cliffhanger title, but the real gold is the proceeding "Wot's...Uh The Deal," which should be someone's favorite Floyd song. The piano lead in mid-song.... I don't know, it's simply ridiculous, and all the more depressing. God rest your soul, dear Richard. Side 1 ends on the notion of the instrumental track "Mudmen." Filler? Could be. It's actually pretty satisfying, especially if you choose to listen to the album all the way through. Flip over to side 2 and you'll hit "Childhood's End," another sort of funky-catchy track that serves well as an opener. After that it's a lush free for all with "Free Four," the album's only single and the only one written by Waters exclusively. Can anyone remember any stations playing this?!? "Stay" is the obligatory ballad, echoing a sort of desperate tone, but then again "Obscured by Clouds" was originally recorded as the soundtrack for Barbet Schroeders' La Vallee [The Valley]. At this point in their career, the band were not new to scoring movies. They had already scored the films "More" [another Barbet Schroeder film] and Michelangelo Antonioni's "Zabriskie Point" in 1969 and 1970 respectively. So when they went in to score Vallee, they had a lot more experience and therefore produced a much finer product. Floyd was already working on The Dark Side of the Moon during this period, but production was interrupted when they travelled to France to score the movie. Nick Mason refers to the project: "After the success of More, we had agreed to do another sound track for Barbet Schroeder. His new film was called La Vallée and we travelled over to France to record the music in the last week of February... We did the recording with the same method we had employed for More, following a rough cut of the film, using stopwatches for specific cues and creating interlinking musical moods that would be cross-faded to suit the final version... The recording time was extremely tight. We only had two weeks to record the soundtrack with a short amount of time afterwards to turn it into an album." The album closes on "Absolutely Curtains"....I love the synths and gentle percussions [[the first Pink Floyd album to feature the VCS 3 synthesiser]. An eerie note to conclude the record on, but it no doubt foreshadows the even darker shit that was on it's way as this was actually recorded during the rough construction of "Dark Side Of The Moon"...... The music fades and a sketchy chorus of children appear as a man begins to sing in a foreign language. Nothing new for Pink as they sampled fans at a soccer match on their previous and transitional record "Meddle". As you can see below Roger Waters was not the primary songwriter or singer for the LP. He was instrumental in the writing process as was David Gilmour & the much underrated Richard Wright. Track listing: Side one 1. "Obscured by Clouds" Gilmour, Waters [Instrumental] 3:03 2. "When You're In" Gilmour, Waters, Wright, Mason [Instrumental] 2:30 3. "Burning Bridges" Wright, Waters / Lead vocals: Gilmour, Wright 3:29 4. "The Gold It's in The..." Gilmour, Waters / Lead Vocals: Gilmour 3:07 5. "Wot's... Uh the Deal?" Gilmour, Waters / Lead vocals: Gilmour 5:08 6. "Mudmen" Wright, Gilmour [Instrumental] 4:20 Side two 7. "Childhood's End" Gilmour / Lead vocals: Gilmour 4:31 8. "Free Four" Waters / Lead vocals: Waters 4:15 9. "Stay" Waters, Wright / Lead vocals: Wright 4:05 10. "Absolutely Curtains" Gilmour, Waters, Wright, Mason [Instrumental] 5:52 Obscured by Clouds was issued in June, 1972 -- seven months after "Meddle", nine months before "Dark Side of the Moon", the tail-end of Pink Floyd's prolific epoch. All in all not their best but essential for Floyd fans as it layed the groundwork for "Darkside of the Moon" / "Wish You Were Here" and the aformentioned "The Wall".

The Imperial Teens

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

THE IMPERIAL TEEN- RUNAWAY http://www.mergerecords.com/ watch now WE LOVE THE NEW ALBUM AT ChestnutRadio.com Please join me every weekday morning at 10am-noon est. for the greatest to the latest in rock!

In Honor of DJMC's 24 Reasons to Love Pearl Jam

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Want to know one of the reasons Pearl Jam works? It's because of the amazing vocal talents of lead singer Eddie Vedder. Want to learn how to sing just like him? Well now you can thanks to Paste Magazine. Check out their article...

MY FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2011 (no specific order) SWEET 16

Saturday, December 17, 2011

COWBOY JUNKIES- DEMONS THE KILLS- BLOOD PRESSURES WASHED OUT- WITHIN AND WITHOUT WILCO- THE WHOLE LOVE THE RAPTURE- IN THE GRACE OF YOUR LOVE JOY FORMIDABLE - THE BIG ROAR JONATHAN WILSON- GENTLE SPIRIT STEVEN WILSON- GRACE FOR DROWNING THE DECEMBRISTS- THE KING IS DEAD THE BLACK KEYS- EL CAMINO ROBBIE ROBERTSON- HOW TO BECOME CLAIRVOYANT THE WAR ON DRUGS- SLAVE AMBIENT A. A. BONDY- BELIEVERS FLEET FOXES- HELPLESSNESS BLUES HAYES CARLL- KMAG YOYO HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM ChestnutRadio.com Ralph Rizzo