Running On Empty

For some this record may not be a complete shock to be found in my collection. All things considered Jackson Browne has been widely regarded as one of the best singer songwriters of the times. So it's no shock to see his classic record 'Running On Empty' show up on the blog.

The late 60's saw Browne get his start with The Nitty Gritty Dirt bad in addition to writing material for other artists, including Nico. By the turn of the decade Browne had began to come into his own as a Singer/Songwriter. However in '77 Browne released a non-traditional "Live" album in 'Running On Empty' . The album in a sense was recorded during shows in addition to hotel rooms and tour buses. It remains a classic, giving Browne some of his best known songs in "Running On Empty" and the ode to the road crew "Stay/The Load-Out". The album initially hit Number 3 on the charts and stayed on the charts for an impressive sixty-five weeks. Currently 7X Platinum it remains Browne's best selling album to date.

While Browne continues to tour and record and be a political activist, this album for me will always remind me of growing up. This album was always in constant rotation and for good reason, it's a great record, simple as that. The voice and the soul of a man touring his way through the country shines through from the title track to the last track as he talks about packing it up and going on to the next gig. And again Browne is another musician who's not so serious that he can't make a little appearance in Springfield and visit The Simpsons.

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Seeds

Time to go back to the mid 90's. Ah such a glorious time. This time around we focus on a band that is really to me a one hit wonder kind of band. A band that most people have forgotten about I'm sure, so lets all fondly remember Brother Cane.

The name alone may conjure up a faint memory. If not the band may best be known for their hit track "And Fools Shine On". The band hails from Birmingham Alabama and started out in '90. It wasn't until '95 and their second album 'Seeds' that anyone seemed to take notice. The bands sound was a mixture of Grunge/Punk/Hard Rock. The band become a small hit on the Modern Rock Radio stations, but by '98 the band called it a day. A small reunion in '05 followed before a somewhat return to the scene in '11. 'Seeds' to me was a bit overlooked. The record starts out real strong with some decent track, but kinda loses some steam as it progresses. The album did peak at #184 on The Billboard 200. It seemed the band was poised to breakthrough, but it never really happened. Music fans may recognize Brother Cane's frontman/guitarist Damon Johnson. Damon toured with Alice Cooper for a number of years before joining Thin Lizzy full time. Thin Lizzy of course went on to retire the name and be reborn as Black Star Riders. After seeing Thin Lizzy a few years back, Johnson more than pulls his weight in the band and makes a fine fit. So enjoy a one hit band and fondly recall the glory days of the mid 90's.

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The Box Tops

Time to take a trip back to a time where jukebox's where relevant. The early Sixties in America brought a new wave of music to the masses. Music was simpler and there were so many groups that flew under the radar. The Box Tops were a blue-eyed soul/psychedelic rock back that came from Memphis TN. Perhaps best known for their hit "The Letter" and Guitarist/Vocalist Alex Chilton, the band had a steady career through the Sixties before calling it a day in the early Seventies.

The Box Tops sound came from a mix of Soul, Light Rock and some elements of psych rock. Led by Alex Chilton the band scored an early hit with "The Letter". They kept the success going through the end of the Sixties with other hits like "Cry Like A Baby", "Soul Deep" and their take on the Procol Harum classic, "A Whiter Shade Of Pale". The great thing about "The Letter" is that it's short and sweet. It clocks in at a hair under two minutes, yet was a big success. Proving sometimes you don't need a four minute pop hit in order to be successful. By The end of the decade the band was done, yet legal troubles allowed the band to continue under the same name with different members for a few years. Alex Chilton went on to play in Big Star and his solo trio in addition to producing band like The Cramps for a short time. In the mid '90s the band reunited and continued to tour and release new material up until Chilton's sudden passing of a heart attack in 2010. While widely forgotten, The Box Tops were a great group of the time and worthy of a jukebox spin today. So get familiar with the band with 1987's release, 'The Ultimate Box Tops'.

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One Fierce Beer Coaster

So its time to go back to the Alt genre. This time it's the Bloodhound Gang. Fair warning, it's gonna get childish up in here. Those of you may recognize the name from their hit song "The Bad Touch", but there's more to them then that track, maybe, just maybe.

Bloodhound Gang hail from the aptly named King Of Prussia, PA, taking their name from a PBS Kids show of all things. There's the child theme again. Started out in '91 but not releasing a debut til 95. The band didn't gain notice until their second album, 'One Fierce Beer Coaster', which gave us the timeless track "Fire Water Burn", you know the one you quote when you're dunk at a party, "the roof, the roof is on fire..", yeah that one. The album takes Alt rock and tosses in hip hop and lyrical innuendo and it comes out like, well something that's on constant rotation at a Frat House. Nevertheless the album works and it began a career for the band. This album draws influence from bands like the Beastie Boys, Weezer, and early Sugar Ray, all of which played an important role in the 90's alt rock scene. Bottom line the album is childish and at times down right funny. Look no further than references to The Pixies, Judas Priest, and more. And did I mention Vanilla Ice guests on this album?! That's right kids, fire up the beer bong and lets party.

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George Benson

Time to add some Jazz flare to the blog again. This time with a one time child prodigy and now ten time Grammy award winner, George Benson. Cutting his first single record at the age of ten, Benson has remained a constant in the Jazz world.

At seven George bought a Ukelele, at eight it was a Guitar, and by ten he was already recording. By the time twenty one hit, he had recorded a record as a band leader. By the mid sixties, Miles Davis was utilizing Benson's Guitar playing on his 'Paraphernalia' record. By the end of the decade Benson was covering The Beatles' 'Abbey Road' record and covering Jefferson Airplane. By the mid seventies Benson's critically acclaimed album 'Breezin'' would bring in a wider audience and he continued to work with other musical giants including Stevie Wonder. Since the 90's though Benson has transitioned into a more Smooth Jazz musical direction. Still ever popular, Benson continues to tour in support of his music. For the jukebox tonight though we showcase 'The George Benson Collection', the 1981 release which featured the new song and future number one R&B hit song "Turn Your Love Around". Great album for those rainy Summer nights.

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Tony Bennett

Time for something that is perhaps truly fitting of the theme of unexpected albums in my collection and that is the legendary Tony Bennett. Lets just say there's not a lot this man hasn't done. Maintained decades long career, check. Fought in WWII, check. Author, check. Painter, check. Grammy and Emmy award winner, Eighteen Grammy's and two Emmy's, umm check. Stay relevant in today's musical cesspool, check. Lets not forgot the main point, Tony can flat out sing.

Tony Bennett may best be known for his hit "I Left My Heart In San Francisco", but his career started after his service in WWII. Starting in '51 and pretty much continuing to this day, Tony still cuts records. Although he started off with a bang, for nearly two decades, Bennett struggled. From the mid sixties to the late seventies, Bennett faced an ever growing changing music scene, where records weren't selling, work was limited to Vegas shows and a drug habit nearly spiraled into the death of him. Thanks in part to his son, he soon regained control of his career and by the nineties was a staple on TV, appearing on the Late Night shows as well as The Simpsons and perhaps the most odd, various MTV shows. Side note, Tony was the first celeb to play himself with his cameo on The Simpsons. It seemed that playing concerts sponsored by Alt Rock radio helped Bennett get a new generation of fans. In '94 with a little help from the likes of k.d. lang and Elvis Costello, Tony recorded 'Unplugged' for MTV. Since the comeback, Tony has continued to work and introduce a new generation to his music by releasing his 'Duets' records with have featured the likes of Lady Gaga, John Mayer, Michael Buble, John Legend, Aretha Franklin, Bono and many more. Perhaps in keeping with introducing himself to another generation is his last album, a collaboration with Lady Gaga on old Jazz standards. In any case Tony Bennett is still relevant as he ever was and continues to bring the voice to the masses. So for the jukebox its, 'The Ultimate Tony Bennett' a nice collection of old favorites.

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Odelay

Throwing back to the glory days of Alternative in the '90's, lets get fire up the Jukebox and groove on Beck. Perhaps most know for his hit song "Loser", which became somewhat of an anthem in the 90's, Beck has released quite a bit of music over the years, blending just about every genre into an album, I will always recall that point in the 90's where Beck was the Alt King.

The mid 90's were chock full of Alt goodness, Grunge was hanging on somehow, but Alt Rock seemed to be the next big thing. Beck had released 'Mellow Gold'  in '94 and was poised to hit pay dirt with the success of "Loser" and he did just that with 'Odelay' when it hit in '96. The album gave us five singles and videos that were gold. "Where It's At", "Devils Haircut", "The New Pollution", "Sissyneck" and "Jackass" put Beck on the top of the Alt Rock mountain. Combining any genre and mixing it up into Beck goodness is exactly what this album was. It was party, upbeat, somber all in one. Beck of course went on to make more eclectic records through the years, even going as far as releasing a book of sheet music at one point. While 'Odelay' remains a classic to me, Beck gets points for playing himself as a Folk Rock icon in Futurama. So dust off the flannel and torn jeans and take a trip back to the good ol days.

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Solid Gold Hits

So time to flip the blog upside down for a bit and feature some Hip Hop. Yes that's right. Don't worry it's just the Beastie Boys though. So take a trip down with three guys from Brooklyn who taught us Hip Hop could be goofy.

The Beastie Boys oddly enough started out as a Hardcore Punk band in the early 80's before transitioning to Hip Hop and becoming one of the best selling artists of the genre. MCA, Ad Rock,  and Mike D started out down the Hip Hop trail in '83, employing at one point a young DJ by the name of Rick Rubin. Rubin of course later would produce bands and form Def Jam Recordings. The band supported Madonna, Public Image Ltd, and Fishbone during the early years before releasing their debut record 'Licensed To Ill' in '86. Over the next two decades the band would go from goofballs to standing up for political issues. The constant thing was the epic and glorious music videos. From "You Gotta Fight" which featured a then young unknown MTV news anchor Tabitha Soren, to "No Sleep Til Brooklyn" which featured Slayer Guitarist Kerry King, to the made for TV video "Sabotage", the band never lacked creativity. Sadly MCA passed away at the young age of 47 in '12 from Cancer. The band vowed to put the band to bed and never perform under the Beastie Boys name again. For me the Beastie Boys were never really a true Hip Hop group, there were too many elements of Punk/Metal/Hardcore fused in for it to be true Hip Hop. In any case enjoy 'Solid Gold Hits' the last Best Of collection that was released in '05.

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Crackle

And now back to something complete different. So how about featuring what a lot of people consider to be the first Goth Rock band? No it's not Depeche Mode, but if you're nice I'll post some of that later. It is however Bauhaus. Although not a well received band per say in the USA, the band remains influential for their unique style.

Formed in '78 in Northampton England, the bands first run lasted only until '83. The band took it's name from the Art Movement of the '20's. Originally called Bauhaus 1919, the band later dropped the numerical addition to their name. Led by Peter Murphy, whose baritone voice lends itself quite well to the Goth Rock sound. Perhaps the best place to start with the band is the rather lengthy track "Bela Lugosi's Dead". While the Radio cut is just over three minutes, the full version clocks in at just under ten minutes. The track sums up the early Goth Rock sound, mixed with Industrial/Avant-Garde/Punk influences. The band released a hanful of singles leading up to their debut album 'In The Flat Field'. Over the years the band would release five albums in total, including a few Live records and compilation albums. To really see the big picture and influence of Bauhaus, I've decided to showcase the '98 Compilation record, 'Crackle'. This album encompasses the band's work and includes some remastered songs along with non album singles. This is a good place to start and see how the early Goth Rock scene evolved and later influenced bands like Christian Death, Type O Negative, NIN, Skinny Puppy and many more. So break out the black eyeliner and get depressed and enjoy some Goth Rock.

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Worlds Collide

I swear I'm gonna get off this trend of you wouldn't really be surprised to see this in my collection trend here, but not quite yet. I've got one more that shouldn't really be a shocker. And it's some crazy Finnish Cello Metal. Of course it's time for some Apocalyptica.

For those unfamiliar with the name or the premise of Apocalyptica, it's a couple of crazy Finnish guys who got their start playing Metallica covers on the Cello. Total gimmick right? Not quite. Since the band started in '93, they've released a handful of records, evolving from playing Metal covers, to penning their own material and featuring some more well known Metal talent. Although I'll get some flack for choosing this record due to the "Radio Friendly Hits" contained within, I still dig this record. 'Worlds Collide' was released in '07 to a well received Rock Radio welcome. The album features quite a few guest stars, including Corey Taylor (Slipknot/Stone Sour), Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer/Philm), Till Lindemann (Rammstein), Cristina Scabbia (Lacuna Coil), Mats Levin (Candlemass/ex-Abstrakt Algebra), and Adam Gontier (ex-Three Days Grace). Right there you see Modern Rock Radio begins to drool and they did. With the tracks "I'm Not Jesus" and "I Don't Care" getting heavy rotation, people started to dig Apocalyptica. But trends change and the band was seemingly forgotten. But not by people who had been following the band for years. This album top to bottom is chalk full of great tracks. Sure the Radio tracks are great but check out "S.O.S" with features haunting guest vocals from Cristina Scabbia. All in all this is the high point in the bands career, but there's so much more to them.

I got into Apocalyptica back in the late 90's. I picked up their 'Plays Metallica By Four Cellos' at Circuit City. Yeah I dated myself there, but to be fair that Circuit City had a damn good selection of Metal. Anyways, like the masses I thought another Tribute album that's got a gimmick. Nevertheless I was impressed with the band and followed them as they went from playing Covers to original tunes. I got to see Apocalyptica play alongside Metallica a few years back during a Festival show. I gotta say those crazy ass Fins were up there rocking out hard, running around with their Cellos and just tearing it up. At one point there was an impromptu "Seek And Destroy" jam in which the few thousand of us that were there sweating in the Arizona sun started singing along to. Who knew Classical could be so fun.

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Leaving Eden

This is another post that may border on the not shocked it's in the collection. This time around it's Metal but not quite Metal. We focus on the UK Acoustic Rock/Avant-Garde/Ambient band Antimatter. Now with that genre vomit, this album I've selected is pretty much a straight forward Acoustic album, very laid back and mellow.

'Leaving Eden' marks the fourth release from Antimatter and the first without founding member Duncan Patterson. Founded in '98 by Mick Moss and Patterson, both of which have had involvement with the band Anathema. The band started out as somewhat of a Dark Electronic/Ambient/Gothic direction. The early records featured guest female vocalists and a dark theme to them. By the time of 07's release of 'Leaving Eden' the band consisted solely of Moss now, moved towards a more acoustic direction. The album features Danny Cavanagh, another Anathema veteran, helping out on Lead Guitar and Piano. While far from an upbeat album, this release does focus on the simple musicianship between Moss and Cavanagh. Melancholy and simple can best sum this band up. This is perfect for the more relaxed times.

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The Animals

This is one of those posts where I don't know how many people would be shocked to find this in my collection. Nevertheless this band I feel sometimes is a tad underrated and gets lost in the mix of the other big British Invasion bands. Of course I speak of The Animals.

Formed in Newcastle upon Tyne in the early 60's, the band fronted by Eric Burdon would find commercial success with their hit "House Of The Rising Sun". The band took from other UK acts and started out covering R&B tracks before developing a sound of their own. Eventually hitting paydirt in the US as part of the British Invasion. With tracks like "We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place" and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", the former track would later be covered by Punk band Fear, The Animals seemed to be headed for great things. Of course though like many acts of the era only lasted a few years due to poor business management amongst other things. The lineup went through various name changes through their first incarnation before dissolving in '66. Eric Burdon went onto form another version of the band focusing on more of a hard rock/psychedelic sound which was on display during the Monterey Pop Festival. Bassist Chas Chandler went onto to manage an unknown guitarist at the time named Jimi Hendrix. In addition Eric Burdon also went onto play with War for a short time, gaining some success with their track "Spill The Wine".

The Animals are best known for "House Of The Rising Sun", a song which has the dubious claim of being the most covered song in the world. However I feel like the band gets treated as an one hit wonder in some senses. What's overlooked is the vocals of Eric Burdon and the brooding sense with every tale on songs like "House Of The Rising Sun" or "We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place". And while the band never gained the success as some of their British Invasion counterparts, the band does have some legacy as an influence on musicians like Bruce Springsteen. So for that, take a nostalgia trip and enjoy 'The Best Of The Animals'.

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