BUKKA WHITE - "Mississippi Blues Vol. 1" (1964)

 

The Blues!

Ain't nobody did it better than the originals, and Bukka White is truly an original.

A lot of modern blues is too clean, sanitary, and lifeless despite all the pedals and effects, and it just can't hold a candle compared to one guy and a 1933 National Duolian resonator guitar of the past.

This is the kind of stuff that makes you want to tap your foot, stand up and holler, jump, and shout!

This 1964 album titled "Mississippi Blues Vol. 1" by Bukka White should be in every person's record collection. It's that good!

"Aberdeen is my home,
But the men don't want me around,
They know I will take these women,
An take them outta town." 

I literally can't sit still listening to this song, and that's all I need to say!

BUKKA WHITE - "Aberdeen Mississippi Blues"

MONSTERS UNDER THE BED - "When I Die" (1997)

 

Rich here to relate a more personal note than usual because I have known Lance Morgan (aka Monsters Under the Bed) since the mid-'80s when he first responded to an ad I'd placed in Seattle's leading rock 'n' roll newspaper, looking for a singer/guitarist for my new band. In Lance, not only did I discover someone whose voice blended perfectly with mine, but I also discovered a prolific singer/songwriter who seemingly wrote more songs in a week than I could in several years. To this day, Lance continues writing and recording at a dizzying pace. 

 

In the early '90s, a few years after our band had run its course, Lance decided to record an album under the fictitious band name Monsters Under the Bed, and he invited me to participate. The album, "Neighborhood of Reality," was full of Lance's introspective lyrics and approachable melodies and harmonies and hooks where you might not expect them. As we approached the end of that recording project, I challenged Lance to write a song with different kinds of chord progressions than he normally used, and he came up with the amusing and catchy "When I Die," a song where he imagines a time when he can "stop writing introspective songs." It was also released as a single, and it's my favorite song from the album.

MONSTERS UNDER THE BED - "When I Die"  

STRANGEWAYS - "Show Her You Care" (1978)

 

Strangeways were a UK Power Pop band from Wakefield, West Yorkshire. This 1978 single was pretty much their whole catalogue, and if you can find a copy, it's going to cost you around $100.00 or more.

As seen here, they were also known as Ƨtrangeways!

STRANGEWAYS - "Show Her You Care" 

THE HEPTONES - "Night Food" (1976)

 

In my humble opinion, some of the best Reggae music ever recorded was in the 1970's. There were just so many bands that were at the top of their creative game, and The Heptones were one of them, and here's a perfect tune to prove my point!

THE HEPTONES - "Book Of Rules" 

THE MIGHTY BLUE KINGS - "Meet Me In Uptown" (1996)

 

I'm in the mood to just listen to some good fun music these days, and this release from the 1996 CD titled "Meet Me In Uptown" by The Mighty Blue Kings does the trick. 

Take a load off, forget all the BS, kick back and have a good time!

THE MIGHTY BLUE KINGS - "Buzz Buzz Buzz"

TAJ MAHAL - "Satisfied 'N Tickled Too" (1976)

 

There are so many great songs in Taj Mahal's repertoire over the years that it was difficult to just pick out one. The song I was looking for, his version of  "Nobody's Business But My Own" that was recorded live at Big Sur, I couldn't find on YouTube for some reason, but that's okay, this song is almost just as satisfying.

So here you go, it's the title tune from this awesome 1976 album.

TAJ MAHAL - "Satisfied 'N Tickled Too"

JIM KWESKIN AND THE JUG BAND "Beedle Um Bum" (1963)

 

There was a time many many years ago when Skiffle music was very big in the UK, and Jug Band music was fairly popular in the states, but then Rock music overshadowed both of them in both countries and bands like Jim Kweskin And The Jug Band pretty much virtually disappeared.

Kazoos are probably the cheapest musical instrument a person can buy, so maybe it's time for a Jug Band music revival. 

This very fun self-titled album was released in 1963, and is chock fully of nutty stuff like this.

JIM KWESKIN AND THE JUG BAND - "Beedle Um Bum"