I'm Leavin' - Elvis Preley

 "Feelin' fast vibrations and I just can't take it

Living from day to day, chasing the dream

I'm, I'm leavin'"

Happy record store day everyone. I tend to stay away from the crowds, but once things get quiet you may find me creepin around flipping through things others may have missed or not wanted. One gem I came across back on Record Store Day 2016 was the I'm Leavin' compilation from Elvis. These songs were taken from recording sessions in Nashville from 1966-1973. These fall into the folk/country period of Elvis. I'm fairly fascinated by this stage and what came after. I know he wasn't in the best shape, but some of those 70's records are down right funky. Plus who's not entertained by a grown man in a sequined jumpsuit doing karate? ( A fashion trend that a few of The Golden Girls would incorporate into their wardrobes years later. I'm looking at you Dorothy!)

The thing that drew me too this particular album was that I hadn't really heard these recordings before. Amazing how many hits the man had but sometimes one can get a little burnt out from the same old same old (not a bad problem to have as a musician I suppose) This particular record has The King covering Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, Danny O'Keefe and the title track by Michael Jarrett (and many others). If you can't find the album, I'm sure it's on youtube. I highly recommend dropping the needle or pushing play and just mellowing out with Kid Creole for an hour or two.

Speaking of The Golden Girls....., Happy Pride Month! In honor of this event I thought it would be appropriate to give a shout out to the Metal God himself, Mr. Rob Halford! Brave man to come out to the metal world  back in 1998 (The song, Hell Bent For Leather may have been an early clue) but to the credit of the scene Judas Priest was and still remain legendary. Crank it up!!!!!!

I'm Leavin'

Judas Priest - Breaking The Law (Official Music Video)

Sonny & Cher | The Golden Girls | TV Land

Mandolin Wind - Rod Stewart

 

 

"Through the coldest winter, in almost fourteen years

I couldn't believe you kept your smile

Now I can rest assured , knowing that we've seen the worst

And I know I love ya'

As a kid the Rod Stewart era I was most familiar with was his big hair, tight white jeans, flashy 80's period. Thanks to MTV I was introduced to Some Guys Have All The Luck, Young Turks, and Infatuation....a little bit of the late 70's Rod was also in the air with Do Ya Think I'm Sexy and Hot Legs. I feel lately he's gone the crooner route and has released endless standards albums. Those aren't necessarily my bag but I still dig some of the 80's tunes. 

After college I went though a period where I was consuming mass amounts of acoustic records. I remember picking up a Guitar World magazine that listed the best acoustic albums you need to hear. The list included records from Cat Stevens (Mona Bone Jakon) to the Rolling Stones (Beggars Banquet) to Rod Stewart. I was of course familiar with Maggie May and Reason to Believe but I hadn't done a deep dive into the earlier catalogue. I instantly fell in love with his early 70's releases.(All of which featured Ron Wood on guitar before he jumped into The Rolling Stones) Gasoline Alley, Never a Dull Moment, and Every Picture Tells A Story are my favorites.

Back in 2017 over Memorial Day weekend my wife and I had the pleasure to take a vacation to Scotland. We started off in Edinburgh, then drove to Oban and took the ferry to the Isle of Mull. After a few days we then headed to Fort Augustus where our temporary home was on Loch Ness in a former Abby built in the 1800's. The cemetery in the back filled with former monks with wild rabbits and grouse's protecting the dead was a nice touch. To say it was magical would be an understatement. From hanging with thousands of puffins on the Treshnish Isles to watching sheep parade around the hills living amongst prayer stones worshipped by early settlers thousands of years ago to sipping on scotch after dinner watching the sunset..... life was good. Almost too many experiences to share in one post. 

We ended up beginning and ending our trip in Edinburgh so for our picturesque drive from Fort Augustus back to the city, we felt it would be appropriate to fill the airwaves with an artist with Scottish roots. We threw on Every Picture Tells A Story and marveled at the hills (always full of grazing sheep) and stone ruins till will made it back to the beautiful medieval city with the castle on the hill. I loved this album before but now when I have a listen so many wonderful memories come flooding back to my mind. Happy Memorial Day everyone. Welcome back summer!

  

 

Rod Stewart - Mandolin Wind

Rod Stewart - Infatuation (Official Video) Remastered Audio HD