The Rolling Stones - Black and Blue.   You may have noticed that my blog's title page record album has changed.  I hope you like, becuase I think that photo will be up there for a while.  It's perfect: a great inner album photo, a classic record, and an awesome band.  I am reading the Keith Richards books and liking it very much.  The best part of Black and Blue is that it was recorded on and with the use of Ian Stewart's famed Moblie Studio.  Like a van, with tape machines and mixers in it.  The mobile recording studio was driven to Munich, Mortige, Rotterdam, Casino, and Montreaux.  Produced by Glyn Johns, Billy Preston plays on it, and it was Ronnie Wood's official debut.  Released in 1976, their first studio album with Ronnie Wood in as Mick Taylor's replacement.  Before this Ronnie played 12-string acoustic guitar on "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)."  In his book Keith recalls heading to Munich to make it when Mick Taylor said he was quitting the band.

The photo at left is it.  If it could talk!  From 1970 to 1990 these records were made using it:  Led Zeppelin III, Sticky Fingers, Led Zeppelin IV, Machine Head, Exile on Main St., Houses of the Holy, Penguin and Mystery To Me - Fleetwood Mac, Burn - Deep Purple, Physical Graffiti, Run with the Pack - Bad Company, and Moonflower - Santana.  To name a few.

Nazareth - Malice in Wonderland

An awesome band from Scotland - Nazareth - with Malice in Wonderland.  My wife's favorirate group is also from Scotland - Simple Minds.  Naz had the mega FM radio hit Hair of the Dog (known as Now You're Messing with a - a Son a Bitch) and also Love Hurts.  I had to have this record so I knuckled under and used eBay: bought it for 99 cents and 4 bucks shipping- argh!  HAD to have it.  It was recorded at the famed Compass Point Studios, in the Bahamas.  Leave a comment if you know the best record ever made there!  Do you remember the semi-hit song on this record called Holiday?  The chorus goes - Mama mama please no more: facelifts, etc.  Then...Drinkin' my wine, makes me feel fine, Gonna have me a holiday.  Poorman's party, rich man's daughter, Gettin' hotter and hotter.  She's pushin' way too hard.  I don't want any part of her way.  It's a holiday, it's a holiday.  Mama, mama, please no more jaguars - I don't want to be a pop star.  and so on.  The reason that song is so good is a bright-sounding major key, and the the fact the record was produced by Jeff "Skunk" Baxter.

Elton John - Elton John

Elton John - his eponymous album.  I had look that up - one who is referred to as eponymous is someone who gives his or her name to something.  It's on MCA's UNI label with the funky swirl pattern on the label.  It is what I call his first record, from April 1970.  Elton did have a record out before this one, called Empty Sky - but is was not released in the US until 1975.  I was struck by this cover because Elton features as equals, besides his bandmates and lyricist Bernie Taupin, his famed arranger - Paul Buckmaster and also this record's (and many more of is records) brilliant producer, Gus Dudgeon.  Years later on Elton's live in Australia, before going into Have Mercy on the Criminal, Elton takes a moment to point out the genious Buckmaster's fine strings arrangement.  Listen for that if you have that CD.   Also in that photo line-up above left is Diana Lewis.  She is credited as playing the Moog synthesizer.  Buckmaster plays cello here.  This record opens with Your Song on side one.  My personal favorite - and remains today among his best, is Sixty Years on.  Take me to the Pilot appears as song 3, side one.  Border Song is song two, side two.  On the upper left of the left photo above, it reads Suitable for Mono.

Jay Ferguson - Real Life Ain't This Way

This is an awesome record.  You probably know Jay Ferguson for his Thunder Island hit song.  But the one I like best of his is Shake Down Cruise.  It was produced by Bill Szymczyk.  Joe Vitale drums on it - that must be the Eagles - Joe Walsh - Bill Szymczyk connection.  It must be because I am a Pieces that I love this Shake Down Cruise tune - the water, the sailing.  A dear music pal of mine - the esteemed Radio Dave is know for assembling topical theme compilations disks for friends.  If you just had a baby - you'd get 3-CD set with all the "baby" songs on it.  Like food?  You'd get 4 disks with all the Cheeseburger in Paradise types songs on it.  I told him about a live- aboard sailing and SCUBA trip I was going on out of Bimini a few year ago and he gave me the awesome his 5-disk sailing song packet.  He's the ultimate expert - but I had to nicely let him know that Shakedown Cruise was missing on that compilation.  Not at all a slam at you, Dave - but I thought it was cool of me to know of one that he missed.  That just never happens - he's too good.  Click the post title for a real nice cover version of this great song.

Rolling Stones: Still Life (American Concert 1981); plus book review: Keith Richards

Book Review:  I am two-thirds of the way through the Keith Richards autobiography, Life.  A must-read for anyone who's a rock and roll fan.  Based on the drug consumption though - it reminds me of Eric Clapton's similar tell-most book out a few years ago.  While reading - I keep thinking, well OK, he dies this chapter.  With vignettes by his mates Bobby Keys et al., KR explores his relationship with Mick, how they (he) wrote songs, living in places like Villafranche (to avoid UK's 98% tax rate) and recording the two-record Exile on Main Street masterpeice.  I'm at the part where he just lost his 2-month old son to CID, just got busted in Toronto (again), and the band's gathering in Paris to make Some Girls.  I picked this live single record because I went to the concert on this tour - at the Rosemont Horizon, Nov. 1981.  They opened with Under my Thumb that entire tour.  When I hear that song - I love thinking back that I got to see them this one and only time with these extras on the tour with: Ian McLagan – organ, the band's founder  - Ian Stewart on piano and Ernie Watts on saxophone for Waiting on a Friend.  The book is worth a couple more posts and I have the Stones vinyl to go with it.  I also own (and recoomend) the Martin Scorsese-directed concert DVD fimed at the Beacon Theater.

Driftin' and Dreamin' in Hawaii. Instrumentals for Listening

LP-3412 HI-FI.  Driftin' and Dreamin' in Hawaii.  Instrumentals for Listening.  Enchanting Melodies with Benjamin Rogers at the Hawaiian Steel Guitar.  49th State Hawaii Record Co. P.O. Box 2891, Honolulu 2, Hawaii.

Blue Hawaiian Waters - Harry Kaapuni and His Royal Polynesians

Blue Hawaiian Waters - Harry Kaapuni and His Royal Polynesians.  On Coronet Records, a Division of Premier Albums Inc. CX-128 High Fidelity.