Sunday Acoustic Brunch: 1/16/11

Here is the playlist from the show this week. Nice requests this week too, by the way.

One of my favorite side line benefits to doing this radio gig is discovering the links and web like connections between artists, musicians & publishers. In the process finding their inspiration for certain phrases & songs.

1968-1972 seems like such a long time ago. It was a long time ago. Music from that time frame is considered an oldie or a classic at this point. Thing is, a lot of it is still a big part of the songlines of our lives. An oral tradition being passed on from parents to children. What kind of father wouldn't pass on the appreciation of Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Band, CSN, James Taylor down to his sons and daughters. And what mother wouldn't share the beauty and truth of Joni Mitchell, Dylan, Baez, Browne or Van Morrison with her little ones?

It is a group of musicians and songwriters that all knew one another and crossed paths often. They played together, partied together, loved each other, and wrote songs about one another. I guess its always happening- how can performing artists in that kind of rarefied air not know one another? But for some reason the 68-72 time frame sticks out as a particularly special time.

Stephen Stills wore his heart on his sleeve and wrote some of the most beautiful love songs and odes ever to one Miss Judy Collins. Anyone can hear how it played out, leaving poor Steven with more than his fair share of unrequited angst. The acoustic version of Suite Judy Blues Eyes I played this morning is from the Stephen Stills CD 'Just Roll Tape.' A little piece of memory that leaves you feeling like you spent the afternoon in a living room with deep shag carpet and Stephen, as he fiddled around on his guitar between jokes and drags, tuning and retuning his guitar. He was at a Judy Collins recording session and after she was finished, asked if he could put down a few tracks, songs that were working themselves out in his heart and brain. He played and the gold flowed. The part that I love most is it was post Buffalo Springfield, pre CSN, pre Woodstock, pre anything that resembled an over the top career in the biz. It was a quiet moment- before the avalanche of success and adoration that followed the CSN debut about a year later. A time when the songs were nascent and working themselves out- pure and brilliant demos. It's a raw album (perhaps too raw for some) but worth it for cuts like Wooden Ships, Suite Judy Blue Eyes, Black Queen, Helplessly Hoping and Treetop Flyer. I hope you find time to listen to it in it's entiety, laying on the carpet one lazy Sunday afternoon.

Enjoy the list below and we'll see you next Sunday 9am-noon MST right here at mooseradio.com

Black Crowes- She Talks To Angels- (private stock)

Shawn Colvin- Another Long One- Live 88

Jayhawks- What Led Me To This Town- Smile

Norah Jones- The Prettiest Thing- Feels Like Home

Steve Earle- Sometimes She Forgets- Trains A Comin’

Ben Bullington- Toe The Line- White Sulpher Springs

Tony Furtado- The Willow Cry/River Song- Golden

Ray La Montagne- Trouble- Trouble

Jack Johnson- We’re Going To Be Friends- Curious George Soundtrack

Townes Van Zant- Tecumseh Valley-Live at the Bluebird Cafe

Jason Collett- Waiting for the World-Here’s To Being Here