Hoyt Axton:

Less Than The Song: (1973)

I love this album, its gentle bluesy acoustic riffs, its evocative lyrics just wrap around you like the big arms of the man himself. That said, I knew Axton as an actor, specifically as the Dad on Gremlins, before anything. Then I was hipped to the fact that he had written a song I've always dug, I've Never Been To Spain, which lead me to reading more about him. Damn, he lived quite a life. I came across this album for twenty-five cents in a bin at a thrift shop, and with the first play, I loved it. When this came out in '73 Rolling Stone said it was, "one of the most rewarding achievements by a singer/songwriter." I would suggest a key track for you to check out if you haven't heard this album, but really you should hear it all. So, see if you can pull it up on one of the many avenues online, or search your local record store. This really is a gem.  

The Animals:

Best Of: (1973)

"Best of's" can be an interesting grab-bag of songs. Sometimes they stick to songs that bordered on hits, and others, like this album, contain B-sides, and deeper cuts. The Animals had some killer hits, It's My Life, Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood, We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place, and the undying, House Of The Rising Sun. However on the other side of their coin you had a band that was extraordinary at bumping Jimmy Reed riffs up in tempo, and rocking 'em. In many ways they did it better than the Stones. However, I think the musical split between their pop sound, and their blues sound is something hindered them. I mean, the Stones made the decision to go all out with their own pop sound, and thusly gaining longevity. The Animals seem to always have been torn between the two, and this collection highlights that.

Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass:

Whipped Cream & Other Delights: (1965)

Going Places: (1965)

Sounds Like...: (1967)

Yes, I own, and enjoy these records. A friends of mine was recently disparaging bargain bin records that you can find by the truck load in any second hand store or trash pile, and mentioned Herb Alpert. But, for there to have been so many all over the place, somebody had to have been buying them. And they were. The "A" in A&M Records stood for Alpert. Not to mention, the work of the famed Wrecking Crew is all over these records, so the playing is superb. Whipped Cream & Other Delights has a cover that people still reference. But why do I like 'em? They make me smile. They seem so unpretentious and fun. Come on...play one...and I dare you not to smile. Come on, grab a drink, and play one, and try not to enjoy it...even if it's just a little.

Roy Acuff:

Jeff Tweedy once sang, "Name me a song everybody knows, and I'll bet you it belongs to Acuff-Rose." The Acuff of which he sang was none other than the "King of Country Music", Mr. Roy Acuff. So it is here that I'll start this blog at the top of the alphabetical setup of this section of the collection with four Acuff records.

Country Music Hall Of Fame's Roy Acuff and His Smokey Mountain Boys: Twelve of Their Most Famous Songs of The Smokey Mountains (1964)

When this Best Of album came out, they certainly didn't skimp on the title. Could it be more of mouthful? In any case, it's a nice selection of highlights from a towering figure in music history. Why limit his name to the field of Country when so many artists from parades as different as Punk to Indie to Hardcore to Jazz have all reminisced about influence of either hearing Roy on the Grand Ole Opry, or discovering that a song they love had been made famous by him.

Great Speckled Bird (1958)

 Great Speckled Bird is a tune the Acuff first recorded in 1936, and has enjoyed great longevity with covers by Johnny Cash, Lucinda Williams, and many others. Acuff himself recorded it many times in his career, and this 1958 rendition is a fine example of his yelping vocal style that Hank Williams sited as a great influence on his own style. But maybe my favorite on this album is Wreck On The Highway. Which I can't help but feel might have had some sway on the Springsteen song by the same name. It's a great take on the morality play song serving as a warning that without true fine religion in your life you could be left high and dry when you really need help. 
"When I heard that crash on the highway
I knew what it was from the start
I went to the scene of destruction
And a picture was stamped on my heart
There was whiskey and blood all together
Mixed with glass where they lay
Death played her hand in destruction
But I didn't hear nobody pray"

This album also holds a great version of Tennessee Waltz, which would inspire an amazing retelling from Jesse Winchester, but more on that later. We've got a long way to go to get to the W section of the collection. I'd like to mention at this time that Great Speckled Bird has some killer album art. A classic bit of Western pastiche.

Waiting For My Call To Glory (1966)

Acuff's success was deeply rooted in his spirituality, and connection to a religious core. After all, his father was a Baptist preacher. That said, I've never felt that he was heavy handed with it, even on albums like this, which I think speaks to his aptitude as an entertainer. He always maintained a jaunty bounce in his brand of Country that went right along with the friendly smile he plied on every audience he came in contact with. A key track for me is The Devil's Train.

I Saw The Light (1971)

Hank Williams was one of the monuments Roy Acuff helped to erect, and on this release from '71 Acuff pulls out two Williams penned tunes. One of which being the title track, which might be the next best version to Williams' own... I'll state that now, and reserve the right to recant later. Turn Your Radio on is a tune that makes me giggle. Why? Well, because the first time I heard this song it was being sung by Ray Stevens, and as a kid I didn't know he did anything by funny songs. So in my child's brain I tried to find humor in all the songs he did, and you know, I did. So even this serious Acuff cut still tickles me. Wait For The Light To Shine is a favorite of mine on this record.