#655: Spring Playlist(?!)

I use the term "Spring" with some hesitation, since here it's in the 40s & raining ... but the Weather Guys R saying possibly 70 degrees & sunny by Weds. I'll believe it when I see it.... We had ONE nice week of sun & temps in the 60s about 3 weeks ago ... & we've bn paying 4 it ever since....
Anyway, here's what I've bn listening 2 lately, during 1 of the craziest weeks in recent memory -- is the world going nuts or is it just me?

Randy and the Rainbows -- Denise.
Journey -- Feeling That Way/Anytime, Something to Hide, La Do Da.
Moody Blues -- Question, It's Up to You, The Story in Your Eyes, One More Time to Live, You Can Never Go Home, My Song, I'm Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band, Steppin' in a Slide Zone, Had to Fall in Love, Blue World, I Know You're Out There Somewhere, Say it With Love, Tuesday Afternoon, Nights in White Satin, Ride My See-Saw, Legend of a Mind, Lovely to See You, Gypsy, Watching and Waiting.
Strawbs -- Ghosts, On Growing Older, The Man Who Called Himself Jesus, Stormy Down, I Turned My Face into the Wind, Queen of Dreams, Witchwood, Keep the Devil Outside, The Hangman and the Papist.
Bachman Turner Overdrive -- Blue Collar, Roll on Down the Highway.
Byrds -- Mr. Spaceman, 5D (Fifth Dimension), My Back Pages, So You Want to be a Rock 'N' Roll Star, Mr. Tambourine Man, Turn! Turn! Turn!, Eight Miles High, I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better, Lady Friend, Did You See Her Eyes?, Ballad of Easy Rider.
Marvin Gaye -- What's Goin' On?, Inner City Blues, Trouble Man.
Stevie Wonder -- I Was Made to Love Her, My Cherie Amour, Yester-me Yester-you Yesterday, Signed Sealed Delivered, For Once in My Life, If You Really Love Me, You are the Sunshine of My Life, Superstition, Higher Ground, You Haven't Done Nothin', I Wish, Sir Duke, That Girl.
Temptations -- Get Ready, I Can't Get Next to You.
Boston -- Used to Bad News, Hitch a Ride, We're Ready, My Destination, Can't'cha Say/Still in Love, Hollyann.
Kansas -- Miracles out of Nowhere, Questions of My Childhood.
Beatles -- Eight Days a Week, Ticket to Ride, Help!, Paperback Writer, She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand, Can't Buy Me Love, A Hard Day's Night, I Feel Fine.
Three Dog Night -- Out in the Country, Celebrate, My Impersonal Life, Let Me Serenade You.

Now then: Picked up a CD copy of Randy and the Rainbows' early-'60s doo-wop classic "Denise," which I'd heard maybe 2wice in my whole life. Tho the CD's a little TOO clean & clear -- it doesn't sound like the song's rolling out of your car radio from some distant radio station fading in&out -- still, there R some compensations. The vocals R amazing -- how did they hit those high notes? & it's SO sweet & innocent & pure. & it's over much 2 quick. 4 me, pretty much irresistible, tho of course I can't really sing along with it cos of the high notes....
Went on a brief Moodies kick cos of the 2 recent books I read about them, see below. Even tried out some new stuff. I'd forgotten how silly "Steppin' in a Slide Zone" is. It's really silly -- lotsa spacey sound effects trying 2 dress-up a song that just ain't there. I'd forgotten how lame "Had to Fall in Love" is -- it sounds like a demo. Maybe that's why I don't miss OCTAVE much -- it sez something that Graeme Edge's sorta-rocker "I'll Be Level With You" was the best thing on it.
The other Moodies stuff still sounds great of course, & I still think "I Know You're Out There Somewhere" is glorious. They shoulda retired after it. "Blue World" is a gorgeous overlooked collection of Moodies cliches. & "Say it With Love" is just BLAH.
...& now, the 1st of TWO corrections: The Strawbs' HALCYON DAYS best-of I bought a coupla years back is the UK version. The US version has 1/2adozen diffrent songs, is presented in chronological order (rather than the "stylistic" or "flow" or "whatever" order of the UK version), & still doesn't include summa my faves like the phenomenal live "Where is This Dream of Your Youth?" (a keyboard orgy 4 Rick Wakeman fans & a really angry performance by the band), & the great live "Man Who Called Himself Jesus."
All that said, the UK version also has some good stuff, & it's growing on me. "Ghosts" is (like almost all their stuff) a little overwrought, but there's a nice edge of hysteria in Dave Cousins' vocal, & it really rocks in places. (Cousins is often at his best when pushed, as in "Hero and Heroine" & "Down by the Sea" & "Where is This Dream of Your Youth?")
"On Growing Older" is not quite a joke -- they shoulda included "Oh Me, Oh My" instead. The studio "Jesus" is actually pretty intense too, I'm getting used to it, & it's a great story. "Stormy Down" is pleasant enuf, "Keep the Devil Outside" is the best & closest 2 a "pop" song in this batch, & Rick Wakeman doodles ALL OVER the opening of "Hangman and the Papist." There'll B more of these guys' work Coming Soon....
BTO's "Blue Collar" still sounds like some black R&B band rollin' out a gentle groove. Perfect late-nite listening.... & "Roll On Down the Highway" is still a great driving riff-rocker, even if I can't figure out 1/2 the words....
I loved the Byrds, but I'm 2 the point now where the overlooked stuff is workin better 4 me. "Lady Friend" & "Did You See Her Eyes?" gain a lotta strength with repeated listenings, & stuff like "My Back Pages," "5D," "Mr. Spaceman," "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better" & "Easy Rider" all still sound great. If "Wasn't Born to Follow," "John Riley," "Bells of Rhymney" & "Chimes of Freedom" were on it, 20 ESSENTIAL TRACKS really WOULD B essential....
Still playin' those Motown classics, but don't have much more 2 add about them.... Tho it's worth noting that Stevie Wonder's joyous vocal on "Yester-me" even cuts thru the heavy-cheez factor of that backing choir....
Played summa my Boston faves -- I loved those guys. & tho a lotta their stuff is overplayed, I'm still a sucker 4 all the above + "It's Easy" & "Man I'll Never Be" & "Something About You" & "Peace of Mind." I hadn't heard THIRD STAGE in awhile -- tho there R occasional lags, I think this song-suite is just a step below their 1st album, & therefore a step above the allegedly 1/2-finished DON'T LOOK BACK. "My Destination," "Can't'cha Say," "We're Ready" & "Hollyann" still sound just as cosmic as Tom Scholz intended -- actually, more cosmic now that they've got a few years on them....
...Why isn't "Please Please Me" on the Beatles' #1's? Didn't it make #1 ANYWHERE? Seems wrong....
...Consider most of the other stuff listed above as Recommended....

Nice 2 see Rush & Heart inducted 2 the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame -- but there's still so many deserving folks that have been left out. 1 of the guys from Rush was quoted by USA TODAY saying that now that Rush is in, they hope the door's opened 4 King Crimson & the Moody Blues.... Couldn't agree more.

...& now a 2nd correction: FINALLY got ahold of 1 of the singles I've been seeking 4 YEARS, Randy Edelman's "Pistol Packin' Melody," released by 20th Century in early 1975. 4 35+ years I'd been thinking the song was sung by Andy Pratt -- that's a long time 2 B wrong about something.
Course I haven't actually PLAYED the record yet -- I'm geographically separated from my turntable at this moment. But I WILL B getting 2 it in the not-2-distant future....

...& as I've bn typing this, it's started pouring rain outside. Not the scattered sun & high 50s they'd predicted 4 today. At least not YET. Wouldn't it B great 2 B a Weather Guy? B wrong more than 1/2 the time & still keep your job...?