So it’s mid-November in North Alabama and autumn is definitely upon us. The fall leaves are beautiful, college football rules the airwaves, and there is a nice chill in the air when I head to work each morning. What a glorious time of year! I hope all of are having a wonderful fall wherever you live.
To celebrate this time of year I have picked my favorite fall songs to help you start your weekend. As always, let me know what you think.
Autumn Almanac – Kinks
Fall In Philadelphia – Hall and Oates
Forever Autumn – Justin Hayward
This is not just one of my favorite fall songs…..it is close to the top of my list of favorite songs of all time.
Indian Summer – Poco
The Boys Of Fall – Kenny Chesney
This video features my Alabama Crimson Tide team……..Roll Tide Roll!
Today’s word of the week is “Happy”. You might be asking yourself why. Well the answer is that I am happy that the election is almost here. To be absolutely honest, the whole process has exhausted me. I feel passionate about the issues and have tried to do my share through this blog but there are just not enough hours in the day to take care of my family responsibilities, do my job that pays the bills, write about the election issues, and try to provide enough music posts to keep my core audience entertained. I need a break…..
So…..I am happy that soon I will be able to get back to thinking about music with my free time. Until then, I have some “Happy” songs for you. The range of these songs is huge. It starts with my favorite REM song which always makes me so happy that I have to move. It ends with a song by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans that makes me happy because it reminds me of my carefree childhood back in the 50s and early 60s. In the middle are songs from a diverse series of bands including the Turtles, Iron Butterfly, and Blood Sweat and Tears. I hope you take time to enjoy the music as you start your weekend.
Shiny Happy People – REM (with Kate Pierson) – My favorite REM song!!!!
Happy Together – The Turtles
You’ve Made Me So Very Happy – Blood Sweat and Tears
Are You Happy – Iron Butterfly (Fillmore East 1968)
Happy Trails – Roy Rogers and Dale Evans
Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
Happy trails to you, keep smilin’ until then.
Who cares about the clouds when we’re together?
Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.
Happy trails to you, ’till we meet again.
Some trails are happy ones,
Others are blue.
It’s the way you ride the trail that counts,
Here’s a happy one for you.
Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
Happy trails to you, keep smilin’ until then.
Who cares about the clouds when we’re together?
Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.
Happy trails to you, ’till we meet again.
I hope you have a great weekend. Don’t forget about our fellow citizens in the Northeast that are struggling! Happy trails to all of you………
This is the last, and I think the best, of our four part Friday Word of the Week Series based on the root word “dream”. Today we have:
Another great Jamey Johnson song. You definitely will like this one if you enjoyed this week’s “New Music That Doesn’t Suck” post.
Great live performances by the Cranberries and The Mamas and Papas
An amazing acoustic version of one of my all time favorite John Waite songs…If I haven’t told you this before, John is one of my absolute favorite singers of all time!
I hope you enjoy this post and I encourage to join me in dreaming of a second term for President Obama.
For the third straight week we are continuing with “dream” as our root word for the week. We have some great dream songs for you with a cast of performers that include John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Dan Fogelberg, and Gary Wright. I guarantee you there is no better way to kick off your weekend. Sit back, relax, and enjoy these great songs then go out and have a wonderful weekend!
This is my second of four Friday Word of the week posts focused on the root word “dream”. I like the songs in this post a lot…a little spacey, a little moody, and a great duo. Who could ask for more? As always let me know what you think.
Daydream – Robin Trower
Rainy Day, Dream Away – Jimi Hendrix Experience
Your Wildest Dreams – Moody Blues
Beyond My Wildest Dreams – Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris
Still dreaming of a second term for President Obama! How about you?
We are into October and it is now less than a month from the US Presidential election. The root word that came to me for this week’s word of the week is “dream”. Myself, and many of my fellow citizen, are spending the time between now and the election dreaming about President Obama being re-elected and the ways he can make the United States better. I invite all of you to dream with me!
In picking “dream” as my word, I have to say I have hit the motherload. I was absolutely amazed at the number of “dream” songs in my music collection! As a result, “dream” will be word of the week for every Friday in October, “dream” songs will be the focus of every Long Song Tuesday posts in October, and I will still will have unexplored “dream” songs left over at the end of the month.
This first of four “dream” word of the week posts is a special “Southern California Sound” collection. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what your favorite “dream” songs are.
Too many things to do, too many people to keep happy, and no time for me or the things that I want to do. Fortunately for me I have lots of songs about being empty and today is the day of the week when I share those songs with you…..my loyal readers/listeners.
Let’s kick things off with my favorite Empty song of all time, and the one that best captures my feelings this evening, Running On Empty by Jackson Browne. This is a great live performance from his 1977 tour. I was lucky enough to see him twice on this tour, once in Birmingham and once in Nashville.
Empty – Ray LaMontagne (I love the lyrics to this song!)
I never learned to count my blessings,
I choose instead to dwell in my disasters.
I walk on down the hill,
through grass, grown tall and brown
and still its hard somehow to let go of my pain.
On past the busted back of that old and rusted Cadillac
that sinks into this field, collecting rain.
Will I always feel this way?
So empty, so estranged.
Big Empty – Stone Temple Pilots
Empty Pages – Traffic
Often lost and forgotten
The vagueness and the mud
I've been thinking I'm working too hard
But I've got something to show
Staring at empty pages
Centered 'round the same old plot
Staring at empty pages
Flowing along the ages
The Emptyness – Hall and Oates
If I can get over my emptyness, I have some great stuff I need to finish and post for you. I am working on:
a great post about Racism and Politics
a review of a superb first album by “or The Children’s Crusade”, a young new local group that I have posted about before
Today I am tired. I’m tired because its the end of a long work week but more than that I’m tired of the bullshit going on in the world right now. So….”tired” is the word of the week. Since I am so tired you only get two songs today.
In addition to being “tired” I am really down at this point so I’m taking the weekend off from posting. I will re-evaluate whether I’m going to continue with this blog on Monday.
For what its worth, I am more convinced than ever that John Lennon had it exactly right. I suggest you spend some time thinking about this song over the weekend.
I don’t know what September is like in the rest of the world but here in Alabama it represents the beginnings of the transition from Summer to Fall. The temperatures start to moderate a little, the humidity level goes down, and if we are lucky there will be a few cool mornings when there is a nip in the air. All in all it is normally a great month so let’s celebrate it today.
Here are my favorite “September” songs…..as always, let me know what you think and what your favorites are.
Once again there is something here for everyone. Enjoy your weekend!
Personal Note: Billie Joe Armstrong get well soon!