- Latest Musical Highlights -

Amazon's
- Music You Should Hear -
- Rock and Rock Hall of Fame: Definitive 200 Albums -
- Billboard's Top-40 Albums -

- Join the Parade -

      As I write this entry I'm occasionally staring up at a hard to find 1991 promotional poster featuring Marc Cohn. If you have ever listened to Marc Cohn sing you could pretty well guess what the poster looks like. The colors are muted, his image is soft and it looks so simple yet complex at the same time that it defines his song writing style perfectly.

      I can go no further without saying one should listen to every album Marc Cohn has released. You may know him for Walking in Memphis which all by itself won him a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1992. That album has eleven tracks and I can remember the lyrics to each and every one.

      His voice is soulful and haunting. Even more haunting is his lyrics as they have the powerful ability to be so easily understood that they instantly transform you. Listening to one of his songs is like examining a part of your life that he has chosen to bring to the surface.

      For examples take Silver Thunderbird and Strangers in a Car two tracks from the same album. The former will have you endless reflecting on your father and the later questioning every one of your past relationships.

      Join the Parade is Marc's first studio album in almost 10 years and comes after years of life-changing experiences. Including being divorced and remarrying, writer's block and being shot in the head during an attempted carjacking. We look forward to catching up with Marc and whether we like it or not we will be forced to catch up with ourselves at the same time.

      Now back to listening to Marc's albums over all of these years he has only released four along with two limited editions sold at concerts. Certainly you can squeeze them in as I'm pretty sure they will more beneficial than seeing a psychotherapist not to mention a lot less expensive.

- Shadows and Light -

      It seems we have always known Joni Mitchell but when we ran across her performing in The Last Waltz we were stuck by how little we actually knew about her. We particularly liked how she had her cigarettes tugged into the top of her skirt during the grand finale.

      Being a singer, composer and lyricist allows her to express herself almost at will for over the last 40 years. She claims to be a painter first and a musician second. However we wanted to know more about the song she sings in the documentary titled Coyote. Well it appears on Shadows and Light and before long we were listening to the rest of the album not to mention finding out just how much we have missed over all of these years.

- The Best That I Could Do
1978 - 1988 -

      Although we prefer John Mellencamp's later albums if you only know his music via truck commercials The Best That I Could Do is a great introduction to his early years. Billed as Johnny Cougar when his first album of covers was released in 1976 called Chestnut Street Incident little did it look like this singer and songwriter would become a major force in the music industry.

      First he won the public with hit after hit and as he matured the critics were won over by his continuing heartfelt lyrics and passion. His band has been performing for over thirty years and with almost as many albums to pick from we guarantee you can find a few to relate to and appreciate regardless of your age or outlook.

- Best of Chris Isaak -

      Who doesn't love Chris Isaak's Wicked Game?  Which is directly followed by Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing as featured in the movie Eyes Wide Shut. The two cuts alone make for a great album but add the other sixteen and you are sure to enjoy the easy listening.

- Not Too Late -

      Norah Jones' third album Not Too Late is a little darker. She wrote most of the material and it appears to reflect more of her personality than her earlier works. It's still a great listen although it requires a little more thought than her break out album Fly Away.

- Night Moves -

      Bob Seger's Night Moves plays like a rite of passage from adolescences to adulthood. As such it brings back a time one can't help but remember. Hopefully fondly! The album is so tight every track feels like a continuation of the previous one and before long you'll be lost in the memories of your youth.

- From This Moment On -

      Diana Krall's latest release From This Moment On sounds terrific on our Sonos system. A perfect addition to any jazz lover's collection. For our ears all of her albums are great with All for You right at the top. If you aren't familiar with Diana feel free to catch a short performance and interview.

- Nick of Time -

      After twenty years of performing Bonnie Raitt hit more than gold with Nick of Time. When listening to her breakout album you can feel the influence all those years brought to each and every track. Whether Bonnie is singing her own song or covering someone else's her Blues and Boogie Rock styles comes through with her strong and powerful voice.

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