Ridin’ Out The Storm

Hurricane Ike from 2008.

By now everyone should be ready for this big storm. Just remember – when the wind’s blowin’ stay indoors, and try to find high ground when the floodwaters come. These big storms are gifts from Mother Nature, who doesn’t give a shit if you live in New York City or Podunk, Texas.

She couldn’t care less if you have someplace to be or something to do, and if you think you are going to show Mother Nature how tough you are then she may just want to show you back. That’s usually when we read about you in the paper – in the past tense.

Be smart, stay high and keep dry. Do that and you’ll stay safe. Here are some tunes to help you ride out the storm.

MP3: “Ridin’ The Storm Out” (live) by REO Speedwagon

MP3: “Stormbringer” by Beck

MP3: “Storm” by Blackmore’s Night

MP3: “Stand Out In The Rain” by the Jayhawks

MP3: “Into The Storm” by Yes

MP3: “Stormy Weather” by Dizzy Gillespie

MP3: “Thunder Island” by Jay Ferguson

MP3: “Rainy Night In Georgia” by Conway Twitty & Sam Moore

MP3: “Rainy Day Blues” by Lightnin’ Hopkins

MP3: “Box of Rain” by the Grateful Dead

MP3: “Didn’t It Rain” by the Band

MP3: “Rainy Day” by America

MP3: “Let It Rain” (live) by Derek & the Dominos

MP3: “When the Wild Wind Blows” by Iron Maiden

MP3: “Light From Your Lighthouse” by the Fireman

MP3: “After The Storm” by Mumford & Sons

MP3: “The Only Living Boy In New York” by Simon & Garfunkel

National Hurricane Center

The Weather Channel

Mike’s Weather Page (This excellent page is one of the best I’ve seen – it’s a virtual hurricane command center)

Your Sister’s (Record) Rack, Part 9.5: More singles!

I had this entire series finished late last night – then I found these.  I listened to every one – twice – then decided to just throw them out there without documentation.  Hope that’s OK!

MP3: “Dark Star” (single version) by the Grateful Dead

MP3: “War Song” by Neil Young and Graham Nash

MP3: “Ride Captain Ride” by Blues Image

MP3: “Shakedown Cruise” by Jay Ferguson (I used the LP version because my single was so scratched up)

MP3: “The Family Of Man” by Three Dog Night

MP3: “Lost Her In The Sun” by John Stewart

MP3: “Thoroughfare Gap” by Stephen Stills

MP3: “Down By The River” by Albert Hammond

Your Sister’s (Record) Rack: More Psychedelic Relics!

This has been a busy week – we apologize for the gap in posts but we plan to ride this thing into Record Store Day tomorrow and beyond.  I had some ideas for this week’s posts scribbled on a scrap somewhere and I’ve lost it … so let’s freestyle with a couple of personal faves from the psychedelic daze.

One of my all-time favorite bands from those fuzzy days of yore is Spirit, the California rockers led by guitarist Randy California and master singer/songwriter Jay Ferguson.  Formed in 1967, Spirit was the American answer to Brit rockers Traffic (Steve Winwood) – their music encompassed rock, pop, folk, blues, classical and jazz.  Best known for their hits “Animal Zoo” and “I Got A Line On You,” as well as the classic Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus (1970), the band was certainly one of the best of their era.

In 1968, French film director Jacques Demy asked Spirit to write and record a soundtrack to his movie Model Shop.  Demy was seeking to make a film that captured the “vibe” of Los Angeles, and after seeing Spirit perform in a local club he decided they would be the perfect musical counterpoint for his movie.  In Ferguson and California, Spirit had two strong songwriters but they rarely collaborated – except on the Model Shop soundtrack.

The band’s jazz leanings come to the fore on “Eventide” and a few other songs.  In fact, most of the songs cut for the soundtrack were instrumentals, only “Green Gorilla” and “Now Or Anywhere” have vocals by Ferguson.  When the movie was finally released in 1969 it was a flop, so the soundtrack album release was scrapped.  Because Spirit cut the soundtrack between sessions for their second and third albums, there’s a bit of continuity – two outtakes from The Family That Plays Together (1968) – “Fog” and “Now or Anywhere” – turn up on the soundtrack.

And later in 1969, some material for Clear came from the unreleased soundtrack.  For example, “Model Shop II” became the title song and “Song for Lola” was used as part of “Ice”.  Nevertheless, a lot of the material here remained unheard until 2005, when Sundazed Records got their hands on a set of  long-lost master tapes and reassembled the soundtrack for a CD release.

MP3: “Now or Anywhere” by Spirit

MP3: “Eventide” by Spirit

MP3: “Song For Lola” by Spirit

It’s Time To Enshrine Spirit!

Spirit was one of the most entertaining American bands to come off the West Coast in the late 1960s.  Sorry, Dead and Airplane fans – Spirit, based out of Los Angeles, had the best players.  Led by singer Jay Ferguson and guitarist Randy California (who was apparently a protege of Hendrix), Spirit played progressive and psychedelic music but always anchored its albums with some crankin’ rock tunes.  They should certainly be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Ferguson was the better songwriter in the group, but California penned Spirit’s biggest hit, “I Got A Line On You,” from 1968.  The group peaked with the psychedelic album 12 Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus (1970) with standout Ferguson tunes like “Animal Zoo” and California’s moody “Nature’s Way.”  Spirit’s drummer was bald-headed Ed Cassidy, California’s uncle, and the bassist was teenaged Mark Andes.