for some reason, i’ve always been drawn towards live music. even before my days in the band (c’mon, it’s been a while since i mentioned that), i’ve loved the raw sound of a live performance, vs. the perfection that can be generated by studio recordings. it actually might have been this double-disc set that turned me on to live performances– from jim morrison’s extended scream in “backdoor man” to the extended organ solo in “moonlight drive,” i was suddenly aware of how cool a live take on a known song could be.

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Seeing as how I’ve actually purchased two CDs released this calendar year*, I figure the least I can do is write up a couple of quickie reviews for all y’all (shut up - I live in The South now). So skip on past the break if you’re interested in hearing about the Counting Crows’ Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings and/or The Black Crowes’ Warpaint.

*This is a lie in that I don’t really recall the last time I bought a physical CD. (I downloaded these two on iTunes.)
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Counting Crows today released their fifth studio album, Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings, their first release in six years. I’m guessing at that figure. It could also be five or seven years - I really don’t feel like fact checking. Regardless, it’s been a while.

While I do have quite an interest in the album, I may not get around to acquiring it for a while. So, in lieu of a new review, I thought I’d take today to revisit the best of the past. That’s right, I burned a CD of my favorite Crows songs. Jump with me past the break to see the tracklist.

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having huey lewis and the news’s “walkin’ on a thin line” stuck in your head for hours and hours and hours.

Thanks to my lovely wife and her family, I’ve become addicted to listening to holiday music starting Thanksgiving Day. Each year I can’t wait for KOOL 108 to ditch their normal oldies play lists for the sounds of Bing Crosby, Burl Ives, Nat King Cole, and Jose Feliciano.

After listening to KOOL 108 for 4 weeks straight now, I have discovered there are a few songs that I absolutely cannot stand… for various reasons:
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