Matt Steady	The Dragons Refrain
Neil Young	After The Gold Rush
Neil Young & Crazy Horse	Zuma
Neil Young	Comes A Time
Neil Young	Harvest
Neil Young	Everbody’s Rockin’
Various	Shine A Light – A Tribute To Michael Knott Vol. 2

I saw Matt Steady on Facebook giving away a free CD, The Dragons’ Refrain, for the cost of shipping. I listened to him, liked what I heard and requested the CD. No regrets, I have listened to this CD three times in the first three days after it arrived. I love the Celtic elements woven into the album, both between and within the Prog songs. 

I am a huge fan of Daniel Amos, so I was happy to see Robert Watson’s name and affiliation in Matt Steady’s albums. As I read the back sleeve notes, I saw Eleanor from “Eleanor & the Lost” included as a singer. Putting the two together, I immediately thought of the song “Eleanor, It’s Raining Now” by The Lost Dogs, with whom Robert Watson also played keyboards. The Lost Dogs are a branch in the DA family tree.
So, there we have a nice example of six degrees of separation, all thanks to The Dragons’ Refrain.

1.)The Dragons’ Refrain > 2.)Robert Watson > 3.) The Lost Dogs > 4.)”Eleanor, It’s Raining Now” 5.) Eleanor > 6.)Eleanor & the Lost 7.)The Dragons’ Refrain brings us full circle.

Neil Young is an artist whom I have seen live and enjoyed his music for many years. He used to be a Canadian, but he kind of walked away from that to live in the USA. Can’t say I blame him; a winter in California has to be better than a winter in Winnipeg. Harvest is my preferred listen from these six samples, taken from a massive catalogue of his music. A person would have to be very rich and have lots of time on their hands to be a completist when it comes to Neil Young’s music. Neil has released 45 studio albums, as well as numerous live albums, compilations, and other releases. I didn’t bother to count them all. I’m sure you get the gist of the matter. He has released a lot of music over the span of his career. Harvest is my sentimental favourite from the meagre selection that I have on vinyl. I only have one CD and no cassettes. Plenty of good music on the ones that I do have. Quality over quantity, I say.

Neil Young	After The Gold Rush
Neil Young & Crazy Horse	Zuma
Neil Young	Comes A Time
Neil Young	Harvest
Neil Young	Everbody’s Rockin’

Various	Shine A Light – A Tribute To Michael Knott Vol. 2
Frank Zappa	Freak Out!
Frank Zappa	Absolutely Free
Frank Zappa	Chunga’s Revenge
Frank Zappa	Joe’s Garage Act 1
Frank Zappa	Joe’s Garage Act 2&3
Frank Zappa	You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Sampler
Warren Zevon	Excitable Boy

Eh 2 Zed

On January 1, 2023, I set a goal to listen to all my albums in alphabetical order. Warren Zevon was the final listen on March 24, 2026, 1178  days and 1380 (+/-) records later. I will add one caveat: I only listened to the artists in the main collection, not compilations, classical, kids, gospel, or miscellaneous oddball records. Takeaways from this project? I have a lot of really good albums that deserve more listens. I have a lot of really bad albums that deserve less than one listen. Favourite listens? Too many to list here; I don’t keep desert-island lists.

1517 CDs are the next task I am giving to myself. I am not going to go through the alphabet this time; I have added a code to the spreadsheet that will generate random selections.

Bette Midler	Bette of Roses
Various	Good Old Country
Various	Ties That Bind
REM	Out Of Time
Black Grape	Stupid, Stupid, Stupid
Billy Bragg	Mr. Love & Justice
Tom Waits	Glitter and Doom
Bob Dylan	Rough and Rowdy Ways
Louis Armstrong	The Great Chicago Concert 1956

That offers a really broad selection that matches my diverse musical tastes. From Good Old Country to alt-rock, folk to pop, jazz to jazz/rock fusion. This is going to be an exciting journey.

I have Bette Midler as a bit of a guilty pleasure; I just love her voice. Ms. Midler had an affair with Tom Waits, and their musical styles are far apart, yet they both make great music. Glitter and Doom is a live show near the end of Tom’s recording career, and it is an absolute hoot to listen to. He is relaxed, banters about all kinds of things, and presents a gem of a musical show.

REM gave us the great song Losing My Religion, which is not about losing faith in the God of your choice. I tried to learn the mandolin part, but it didn’t go well. REM is in fine form on Out Of Time.

Wikipedia: The title phrase is an expression from the Southern United States that means “losing one’s temper or civility” or “feeling frustrated and desperate”. Michael Stipe said the song was about romantic expression and unrequited love. The lines “That’s me in the corner / That’s me in the spotlight” were originally “That’s me in the corner / That’s me in the kitchen”, describing a person at a social event too shy to approach the person they like. Stipe compared the theme to “Every Breath You Take” (1983) by the Police, saying, “It’s just a classic obsession pop song. I’ve always felt the best kinds of songs are the ones where anybody can listen to it, put themselves in it and say, ‘Yeah, that’s me.'”

Black Grape is a great band for road tunes, roll down the window and turn up the volume. It is difficult to pin them to a genre; just listen to them as good music that doesn’t have to be pigeon-holed.

Bob Dylan released Rough and Rowdy Ways, featuring his longest single, “Murder Most Foul.”  Released during the COVID era, this spoken-word, sing-song about the assassination of RFK, President Kennedy.  If you have the time, I would recommend reading the story of his highly controversial acceptance speech, given on December 13, 1963, in which an intoxicated Dylan admitted that he “saw some of myself” in Lee Harvey Oswald before he was booed and rushed from the stage of the grand ballroom of the Hotel Americana in New York where he was given the Tom Paine Award of the Emergency Civil Liberties Committee for his work in the civil rights campaign. The speech sparked hysteria in the press, prompting Dylan to issue a written statement clarifying his comments without apologizing. This is a good album, controversy or not.

Billy Bragg is an artist that I never got into; there is nothing wrong with his music, his lyrics or him personally. I just can’t love every artist and every recording. This is a decent album.

Louie Armstrong, the Great Chicago Concert 1956. There is a huge backstory to this two-CD set that adds considerably to an understanding of the event. Another reason why I like physical media is the sleeve notes. If you have an ounce of jazz in your veins, you will love this sprawling evening with a great star of the jazz scene. Mr. Armstrong was highly respected in the jazz community and had many fans. If you only know him for “What a Wonderful World” or “Hello, Dolly!,” you are missing out on a lot of great music. Playing with an all-star band and playing to an adoring audience, Louie Armastong is in good form in this concert. This is a good jazz record to have if you are planning on being on a desert island anytime soon.

The New Pornographers	The Former Site Of
Louis Armstrong	The Great Chicago Concert 1956
John Fogerty	The Long Road Home
Godspeed You Black Emperor!	Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress
Johnny Blue Skies & The Dark Clouds	Mutiny After Midnight
Lowsunday	Low Sunday Ghost Machine – White EP
L.S. Underground	The Grape Prophet (Deluxe Edition)

I am a long-time fan of The New Pornographers, and have several of their albums, and have seen them live numerous times. I don’t have all their albums because new vinyl is so expensive these days. I can’t justify spending $50 for an album. I streamed “The Former Site Of”. It sounds like The New Pornographers, no surprise there. However, they manage to keep it sounding fresh with some great vocal weaving among band members and lyrics that delighted me. This is a bit of a concept album, A.C. Newman, has stated that he saw signs around various part of New York state that annouced these as places that were “the former site of.” I am particulary enamoured by “Ballad of the Last Payphone”, a dirge on the loss of an icon of a former era that slowly disappeared as cell phones replaced the payphones. The video is quite good as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUoqZnUZE84

Pittsburgh’s Low Sunday presents ‘Nevver‘ single (via Projekt Records)
“Low Sunday Ghost Machine – White EP“, their first all-new material in 25 years, is out now. I enjoyed this punkish album. It has energy and grit, qualities that are lacking in many albums these days. I suggest giving them a go if you are in the mood for something new. I haven’t tried it, but I think this would be a good road album.

L.S. Underground is bringing us this remastered deluxe edition of an under-the-radar album. This comes from Michael Knott, an artist I thoroughly enjoy but who will likely be a challenge for some. I challenge you to give him a shot and listen to some of his music. You never know, you may just find a new source of music that you like.

Michael Knott (December 22, 1962 – March 12, 2024) was an American singer-songwriter and frontman for various bands, many of whom performed in the Christian rock genre. He released about 35 albums, including solo and band albums with LSU and Cush. He has been credited for pioneering the “alternative Christian rock scene”. Knott’s songwriting appealed to many people, particularly Christians who could admit their flaws and appreciated the honesty with which he confronted his own shortcomings. Examples include “Double,” “Shaded Pain,” and “Rocket and a Bomb.”

John Fogerty’s album The Long Road Home was a really fun trip through the land of nostalgia. I am seasoned enough to remember when many of these songs were released and the albums that gave us the singles. I was doing some work around the house with this on at a slightly higher volume than normal, and sang along with the lyrics that are magically still attached to my neurons. Good clean fun.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress is a 2015 release from another album that doesn’t get mentioned much in the mainstream of music. Pity, because they are very good at what they do. What they do is create music that defies current mainstream content-driven sounds and do their own thing. Their own thing on this album juxtaposes two dense, riff-driven compositions with a pair of ambient, drone-based pieces, marking a shift toward a more concise, distilled sonic approach. Upon release, the album received widespread acclaim from music critics, who praised its intensity, cohesion, and evolution of the band’s sound. They put on one hell of a good live show and have released 10 albums that don’t all sound the same, original and defying genres again, I seem drawn to music like that.

The Johnny Blue Skies & The Dark Clouds  album, Mutiny After Midnight, arrived in the mail the day after I bought Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress. I saved both of these albums for a listening session with Joel. It was a delightful evening as we listened to the new album, Mutiny After Midnight, and a blast from the past from Godspeed You! Black Emperor. These albums are as sonically different as two albums can be. Alternative country music from Johnny Blue Skies and ambient drone post-rock from Godspeed You! Black Emperor.  Upon some contemplation on that last sentence, I have changed my mind. Johnny Blue Skies, aka Sturgill Simpson, is not afraid of doing something new musically. He has gone from the straight-up the middle of country and western music on his premier release, High Top Mountain, to the Outlaw Country sounds of Metamodern Sounds in Country Music. From Cuttin’ Bluegrass to the genre-defying Sound & Fury, Sturgill is not afraid of stepping out of character and doing something new. Mutiny After Midnight gives us his most political views to date. He is not afraid of throwing a few jabs at Donald Trump. Mutiny After Midnight has a 1970’s feel, with a mix of funk, spunk, and even disco. The album has received mostly favourable reviews, but one aspect of those reviews that troubles me is their fixation on the sexual aspects of the album. Yes, Johnny Blue Skies does sing about sex on the very first track, Make America Fuk Again but I think sex is just one part of a much larger canvas that is being painted by this album.

Johnny Blue Skies lashes out at hedonism, fascism, oligarchy, ICE and Donald Trump, while telling us we should be making love and having sex. Those last two are not mutually conclusive. People can have sex and be in love with the person they are having sex with. People can have sex with people who are complete strangers. While sex does pop up here and there throughout the album, I like to see the bigger picture that is being told in the mini-stories, aka songs. Sex is a part of that, but not the whole part.

The Doomday Clock is at 85 seconds to midnight. In 85 seconds, Johnny Blue Skies is declaring mutiny. Will there be anyone left to declare mutiny after midnight arrives? Maybe we don’t have to find out if we can turn this train around and fuck our way to a better world. Maybe we can save what we have if we learn to love one another instead of killing our immigrants, silencing the dissenting voices, and stifling the voices of the George Floyds. Is there hope for the future? I don’t know, and Johnny Blue Skies doesn’t offer us much hope because the album ends on these words, “The poor stay poor, and the rich get rich, nothing ever changes man, ain’t that a bitch.”

Sturgill Simpson is very good at making music and writing lyrics that challenge the status quo and rattle the cages of our social constructs. He challenges us to listen carefully because his music is complex and his lyrics are carefully crafted messages. Mutiny After Midnight continues that arc. Get comfortable, have a beverage on hand, put your phone on mute, have the lyric sheet close by and settle in for a wonderful listening session.

I am back on the horse and listening to lots of good music, some old and some new. To paraphrase an old friend of mine, Ernie, “All music is good music, but some are better than others”. And that is subjective.

Luke the Drifter Jr. by Hank Williams Jr.

“Luke the Drifter Jr.” comes on the heels of his father’s shoes, and those are mighty big shoes to fill. Hank Jr. strived to find his own voice, one that is original and not dependent on his Dad’s songs. Luke the Drifter Jr. gives us some of that original material and finds Hank Jr. pivoting away from riding his dad’s coattails. It is a good album, but some of Jr.’s best were released after the Drifter. And as always, that is in my subjective opinion.

“The Mason Williams Phonograph Record” by Mason Williams. Famous for one track, Classical Gas, but the album has more to offer than that. This album was a nice chill break, a relaxing listen that didn’t require much of me.

Next up is the last of the Williamses. Robin Williams. He did some really good acting on TV (Mork and Mindy) and on the big screen (Good Morning, Vietnam). Robin Williams starred in many movies that established him as a respected actor in the eyes of both critics and fans. He also did live stand-up comedy and made the rounds of late-night talk shows. Unfortunately, this record did not strike a chord with my wife or my funny bones. There were very few chuckles to be found.

Bob Wills and Boxcar Willie were both really good albums. Bob Mills was a big deal in western swing, and Boxcar Willie was a traditional country and western star. Both of these danced into my wheelhouse.

Wings, aka Sir Paul, entertained me for a while. These are not my favourite solo albums from the Beatles; I leaned heavily towards John Lennon. These are not bad records, just not my cupa tea.

Mac Wiseman snapped me back to listening to Country music. This is a good example of traditional country music. I will have to listen to this one again in short order.

Stevie Wonder brings us to Innervisions is my only Stevie album, but what an amazing album it is. Often sitting in lists of island records and best-of collections, Innervisions finds Stevie Wonder moving from his early period as Little Stevie Wonder into a place where he has a more mature sound, his own voice. He also started using. 

Return of the Halcyon Days by The Bloody Strummers arrived in my inbox a few days back, and I have listened and re-listened to this album. My first impression was that I thought they sounded like Joy Division. I listened to Closer and then Return of the Halcyon Days. And then I listened to Unknown Pleasures, and then I listened to Return of the Halcyon Days again. The connection faded somewhat, but I still hear the synth-driven sound, as well as the way certain words are pronounced and delivered to us. They may give a tip of the hat to Joy Division, but that does not make them a cover band. The Bloody Strummers have their own sound, their own delivery and their own lyrical content. Bring that all together, and we have a darn good album that can stand on its own two feet.

Gary Wright started his music career with the Band Spooky Tooth and achieved some success with them before going solo, which led to Dream Weaver. This was his third solo album, and it would prove to be his most well-known and commercially successful. It has passed the test of time in the gap between my ears. I enjoyed reuniting with Dream Weaver.

Have two albums by XTC, issued 8 years apart, that sound like they could have been back-to-back. I confess that I only have these albums for two songs each. I bet you know which songs those are. “Finding Nigel” and “Dear God”. I put “Dear God” in my Nonconformist God playlist. I have eight songs in there now, so a blog about that could be in the works.

Back to some Country and Western music. Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room features two of Dwight Yoakam‘s biggest hits, “I Sang Dixie” and “Streets of Bakersfield,” which was a duet with Buck Owens. I recommend reading about Streets Bakerfield on Wikipedia. Would stretch that to reading about all of the albums that I list on my blogs. There is a plethora of information on Wikipedia alone, not to mention other sources. I like reading the backstories and learning about the artist and their connection to the song, and more often than you would guess. Connections to other musicians, such as linking Dwight Yoakam to Buck Owens and explaining where they fit in the traditional country, Outlaw country, Bakersfield sound, and Nashville sound camps. I am definitely in the traditional camp, but I am not snobbish and will listen to the slick Nashville music when an artist from there pops up.

Faron Young, Hello Walls. I had a cousin named Faron Young; as far as I know, he never sang country music. The Faron Young who sang the smash hit Hello Walls was not my cousin. This album took me to a good place. A dopamine flood filled my brain, and I sat back and listened. Focused listening, hearing the individual instruments. Listening for the flow of the lyrics and their waltz with the music. Good stuff.

Neil Young will close the “Y” section, but I only had enough time this week to listen to one of his albums, After the Gold Rush. After the Gold Rush was Neil Young’s third album. The album was recorded with members of both of his associated groups at the time, Crazy Horse and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, as well as the first appearance by long-time collaborator Nils Lofgren. Neil had an impressive group of friends. CSN&Y are a long-time favourite of mine, and I discovered Nils Lofgren from this album. I don’t have every Neil Young album, but I do have a nice little collection of his music. I look forward to hearing more of Neil this week.

 

Shameless Promotions sent me an email that had the lovely band The Noise Who Runs and a single from them. Great listening, I kept it on repeat.

UK alternative electro-pop artist The Noise Who Runs a.k.a. Ian Pickering(known for his work with SNEAKER PIMPS and Front Line Assembly) returns with the energetically-charged single ‘Bang Bang‘, a reflection on the psychic exhaustion of life in constant crisis mode, capturing the physical, emotional and political toll of a world where outrage replaces thought and reaction substitutes responsibility. This and a second video, ‘The Bodies Are Under The Bus Again‘, preview his ‘RE: GEN X’ album, addressing the struggles of modern life, the grind of underpaid, overworked existence and betrayal in the echelons of power.

Now based in Lille, France, Pickering is originally from Hartlepool in the north-east of England. Pickering co-authored such Sneaker Pimps hits as ‘Spin Spin Sugar’, ‘6 Underground’ and ‘Tesko Suicide’. Pickering’s new album highlights the generational divide, with Generation X, the beneficiaries of the now-dying post-war dream, having left younger generations to navigate a precarious future. As Pickering puts it, “We fucked up the kids.”

Thank you, Shawna.

Luke The Drifter, Jr.	Luke The Drifter, Jr.
Mason Williams	The Mason Williams Phonograph Record
Robin Williams	Reality…What a Concept
Bob Wills	The Voice and Band of Bob Wills
Boxcar Willie	King Of The Road (20 Great Tracks)
Wings	Venus and Mars
Wings	Wings at the Speed of Sound
Mac Wiseman	Mac Wiseman
Stevie Wonder	Innervisions
The Bloody Strummers	Return of the Halcyon Days
Joy Division	Closer
Gary Wright	The Dream Weaver
XTC	Drums and Wire
XTC	Skylarking
Dwight Yoakam	Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room
Faron Young	Hello Walls
Neil Young	After The Gold Rush

Hiram “Hank” Williams (September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953)

My Dad was a country music singer and guitar player, and sometime in the 1950’s he went into a store in Edmonton where they would cut a record with your singing on it. He did the songs “The First Fall Of Snow / Someday You’ll Call My Name.” These were two songs off a Hank Williams 45 rpm single released in 1955, but actually recorded in 1948 or 1949 during a radio broadcast. I grew up listening to Dad play Hank’s songs and playing his records at home. I never outgrew my appreciation for the talent of Hank Williams, and a testament to that is this week’s listening playlist. 14 Hank Williams albums. I thought I might tire by the end of the week, but I didn’t. I enjoyed listening to all but one of these albums. A K-Tel double album that was horribly produced. Volume would rise and fall randomly, and instruments would pan from speaker to speaker, then drop off completely. I will keep the album in my collection as an example to how bad some records can get.

Hank Williams did not live an easy life. He was prone to periods of melancoly and then there were times, mostly due to his drinking, of lashing out in rage. His relationships with his wives were rocky.

Wikipedia:

“On December 15, 1944, Williams married Audrey Sheppard. It was her second marriage and his first. Their son, Randall Hank Williams (now known as Hank Williams Jr.), was born on May 26, 1949. The marriage was always turbulent and rapidly disintegrated, and Williams developed serious problems with alcohol, morphine, and other painkillers prescribed for him to ease the severe back pain caused by his spina bifida occulta. The couple divorced on May 29, 1952. In June 1952, Williams moved into a house on the corner of Natchez Trace and Westwood Avenue in Nashville, sharing it with singer Ray Price. Price left soon after due to Williams’s alcoholism. Following an unsuccessful tour of California and several stints in a sanatorium, Williams moved to his mother’s boarding house by September. A relationship with a woman named Bobbie Jett during this period resulted in a daughter, Jett Williams, who was born five days after Williams died. His mother adopted Jett, who became a ward of the state after her grandmother’s death. She was adopted and raised by an unrelated couple and did not learn that she was Williams’s daughter until the early 1980s. On October 18, 1952, Williams and Billie Jean Jones were married by a justice of the peace in Minden, Louisiana.”

I listened in chronological order, though I don’t think it would make much difference, since all of these are compilations of his material. Hank Williams recorded during an era when radio ruled the airwaves and single releases dominated music sales. Hanks’ singles recordings began to be collected for release on long-play records shortly after his death, and that has continued to the present. I have a wonderful 5-CD collection of his radio singles that will eventually be played for these blog posts.

Hank Williams	I Saw The Light	Country	LP	Mar 1	1954
Hank Williams	Sing Me A Blue Song	Country	LP	Mar 1	1957
Hank Williams	Wait For The Light To Shine	Country	LP	Mar 1	1960
Hank Williams	14 More Of Hank Williams’ Greatest Hits Vol. III	Country	LP	Mar 1	1963
Hank Williams	The Very Best Of Hank Williams Volume 2	Country	LP	Mar 1	1964
Hank Williams	Hank Williams	Country	LP	Mar 1	1966
Hank Williams	The Immortal Hank Williams	Country	LP	Mar 1	1966
Hank Williams	Hank Williams In The Beginning	Country	LP	Mar 1	1968
Hank Williams	Memories of Hank Williams Sr.	Country	LP	Mar 1	1973
Hank Williams	The Collector’s Hank Williams Volume One	Country	LP	Mar 1	1975
Hank Williams	The Collectors Hank Williams Volume II	Country	LP	Mar 1	1978
Hank Williams	The Collector’s Hank Williams Volume 3	Country	LP	Mar 1	1979
Hank Williams	The Collectors Hank Williams Volume 4	Country	LP	Mar 1	1981

While putting this blog together, I was reminded of some great songs that mention Hank Williams or his lyrics. Hank’s influence on modern music has been huge, and not just in country music. There are plenty of artists who have covered his songs and plenty of his songs that have been covered. The most notable is most likely “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.” This song has influenced artists from K.D. Lang to Bob Dylan. A notable cover is by Bim, for acquired tastes only. There are also numerous movies, stage shows, tribute artists, and cover shows that showcase the man and his music.

The list of songs about or mentioning Hank Williams is long, really long. Here is a list of my favourites.

Has Anybody Here Seen Hank? by The Waterboys

Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way? by Waylon Jennings

If You Don’t Like Hank Williams by Kris Kristofferson

Long White Cadillac by Dwight Yoakam

Midnight In Montgomery by Alan Jackson

Montgomery in the Rain by Steve Young

The Night Hank Williams Came To Town by Johnny Cash (feat. Waylon Jennings)

Nosferatu Man by Slint

The Ride by David Allan Coe

This Old Guitar by Neil Young refers to Williams’s original D-28 Martin guitar, which Young has toured with for over 30 years.

Tower of Song by Leonard Cohen

Everything Is New by Frank Black & the Catholics

Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love) by Waylon Jennings (feat. Willie Nelson)

If you are not familiar with Hank Williams or his music, I would recommend, at the very least, sampling some of his material in the online streaming service of your choice.

This has been an exciting week in my musical journey. The week started with a sentimental favourite of mine: “Famous Blue Raincoat” by Jennifer Warnes. I am a moderate Leonard Cohen fan; I listen to him occasionally. Jennifer Warnes toured with Cohen and appeared on his albums as a backup singer. In 1986, between Cohen’s tours and albums, she recorded her own album, Famous Blue Raincoat.

The record spans much of Cohen’s career, from his 1969 album Songs from a Room to his 1984 album Various Positions (on which Warnes sang), and even two songs (“First We Take Manhattan” and “Ain’t No Cure for Love”) from Cohen’s then-unreleased album I’m Your Man.

Famous Blue Raincoat got me hooked the first time I heard it, and 40 years later, I am still fixated on this record. It is not just a collection of Best of songs. It is Jennifer singing her heart out to a man who tutored her and encouraged her to record his songs. I am glad he did, because this album is an amazing interpretation of a selection of Leonard Cohen’s songs. I think this would qualify as a desert island recording, magic, pure magic.

Doc Watson was another record that I thoroughly enjoy listening to. Doc’s guitar picking is second to none, his choice of songs on his self-titled album is excellent, and he is a darn good singer as well. He is a master at reinterpreting the music of others, giving them a shot of Doc Watson that sets his songs apart.

I enjoy Jim Weatherly’s music for a couple of reasons. First is his ability to write darn good songs. I could type out a list as long as this page, showing people who have recorded his songs. It is an “A” list that includes “Midnight Train to Georgia”, recorded by Gladys Knight & the Pips. He could probably have lived comfortably just off the royalties of that one song. The third reason is his name, Weatherly. I have been trying to connect him to my family tree with little success.

Last but not least or mostest are The Who.

A Quick One/Sell Out

Who’s Next

Meaty Beaty Big And Bouncy

The Who By Numbers

Who Are You

Face Dances

Live at Leeds

I have been listening to The Who since 1975, which is when I bought the album A Quick One/Sell Out. They are still a good listen. I don’t have a favourite so the compilation Meaty, Beaty,Big and Bouncy along with Live At Leeds hit a lot of good song.

A couple of other albums that I listened to this week are:

Warpaint, ST

Waterboys, A Pagan Place

Weather Report, ST

Wet Willie, Drippin’ Wet

Wheatland County Rhythm & Bluegrass

It was an interesting week, musically speaking.

Highlights were:

Pawn Hearts by Van Der Graff Generator, I think it is their stronges album, although they were all enjoyable.

Tom Waits gave us two superb albums, Small Change and Swordfishtronbones. When I finish the album alphabet I will start on my CD collection, which contains a dozen Tom Waits albums, that will be a daunting session.

Other highlights were Jerry Jeff Walker and Porter Wagoner. Two artists who played country and western music, but are very dissimillar. Walker is more in the altcountry/outlaw country flavour and Porter Wagoner is a rhinestone cowboy.

Here/Hear is the complete listening list:

https://weatheredmusic.ca/2026/02/16/feb-8-16-2026/

Van Der Graaf Generator	Pawn Hearts
Van Der Graaf Generator	Still Life
Van Der Graaf Generator	World Record
Van Der Graaf Generator	Vital
Van Halen	MCMLXXXIV
Billy Vaughn	Golden Hits
Greg X. Volz	The River Is Rising
Porter Wagoner	The Best of Porter Wagoner
Tom Waits	Small Change
Tom Waits	Swordfishtrombones
Billy Walker	Live
Charlie Walker	Recorded Live In Dallas, Texas
Jerry Jeff Walker	Walkers Collectibles
Wally Walklin	It’s All Country
Bennie Wallace	Twilight Time
Dionne Warwick	My Greatest Hits

2025 was another good year in the world of music. My official spreadsheet lists these 18 new releases that I particularly enjoyed this year. 

The Near Jazz Experience

Tritone

Jazz has been a gold mine of new music the last couple of years, and The Near Jazz Experience gives us a glimpse of that sound. Hailing from London, the instrumental trio is Mark Bedford, Simon Charterton, and Terry Edwards. Formed in 2018, they create improvisational, hypnotic, and funk-driven music with electronic elements, often described as a mix of jazz-fusion and ’60s film soundtracks. The band features a “heavy” rhythm section (Bedford/Charterton) with Terry Edwards playing multiple instruments, including alto/tenor saxophones simultaneously. https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n2TdDzbi9Z_XFQ1fs283HFJQcRiGLVGuw

Duncan Lloyd

Unwound

I don’t know much about Duncan Lloyd, but I do like this album. I guess I would call it atmospheric indie rock, whatever the hell that means. It is good music and will need more listens to soak it all in.

John C. Reilly & Mister Romantic

What’s Not To Love

When I saw the cover of this album, I knew that I had to listen to it. John C. Reilly has a face that, once you see it, you’ll never forget. He has been a very busy actor, starring in dozens of movies and series. You can check out his résumé on Wikipedia. This is his first solo album, though he has a strong CV in both music and acting. This is not your typical rock/pop recording. I don’t know what genre it would land in, so listen to it and let me know what label you would slap on it. This is definitely on my like list for 2025.

Matthew Nowhere

Crystal Heights

Matthew Nowhere is another artist who came onto my radar in 2025. I copied this from Bandcamp: Matthew Nowhere is a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. 
Blending vintage-inspired sounds from the best eras of music, he shares deeply authentic and soulful music that speaks to the power of love to overcome all obstacles. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, he now lives in Nevada County, California. I don’t know why, but I seem to be a magnet for music that touches on some aspects of space and its environs.

Bible Club

Umbra

The Bible Club makes atmospheric, dreamy music that touches on numerous genres. I was drawn in by their fresh sound and thought-provoking lyrics. It’s been so long between the time that I first heard them and this refresher that I feel like I’m discovering them all over again. Bible Club is a Bristol-based band creating an authentic fusion of post-rock, post-punk, and shoegaze. 
After the success of their first EP, ‘AD’, Bible Club have gone on to work with producer Dom Mitchison on their latest EP, ‘Umbra’. Yet another album, with more songs about space.

From the press release, I copied and pasted this because it said everything I wanted to say, so why reinvent the wheel?

Umbra emerges as the band’s most conceptually innovative and ambitious record to date, vaulting listeners into a bleak and hypnotic landscape corrupted by the symptoms of late-stage capitalism. The band describes it as exploring the“darkest shadow of our times – the umbra – a shadow cast by a force that overpowers.” The EP’s five tracks deliver an unflinching takedown of consumerist society, with lyrics exploring themes of delusion, isolation, misguided optimism, and indulgence.

“Umbra captures the stark awareness of a world stuck in disarray,” the band explains. Their seamless fusion of post-punk, post-rock, shoegaze, and politically charged spoken word is propelled by guitars that seamlessly shift between stark, asymmetrical patterns and unified, powerful waves. This foundation is energised by jumpy, technically impressive drumming that maintains a kraut-inspired motorik rhythm throughout.

A standout amongst the collection is the EP’s focus track ‘Plastic Apples’, boosted by overdriven guitar and characterised by sonic chaos that mirrors the song’s exploration of the “far gone world of post-consumerism.” The track sees Bible Club at their loudest and most unleashed, with a first half reminiscent of Sonic Youth’s 1990s era and a thought-provoking second half that underscores their unapologetic critique of a late-stage capitalist dystopia.

Producer Dom Mitchison drove the band to achieve their vision for this project, which represents a creative leap of faith and significant evolution since their debut EP, AD, released in 2024. “We wanted to focus on our songwriting and explore where we could take our next project, with a developed sound and a core concept,” they add, “Working with Dom Mitchison was a massive inspiration, helping us to achieve what we envisioned. It felt like a studio experience that we’ve truly grown from.”

Formed in 2021, Bible Club has proven itself as a refreshing voice in Bristol’s growing music scene. Drawing influence from pioneering acts like CAN, Electrelane, and Spacemen 3, the band creates an authentic fusion of styles, constantly inspired by peers, pioneers, and deep cuts. Their captivating live performances take audiences through contemplative soundscapes to visceral chaos, earning them a strong following along the south coast.

A big thank you to Charlotte Lewis | Bark. PR | Press Assistant 

https://www.barkpr.co.uk

Isolated Youth

miserere mei

Nothing atmospheric here, folks. Isolated Youth charge headlong into our lives. Rock? Yes, definitely. Post-punk? Check. Goth? OK! I was in Sweden in October, and in the excitement of finally being there, I forgot to buy this album. Their press release touts them as hailing from the remote coastal town of Norrtälje. I looked it up on a map. It seems we have different definitions of “remote. My grandparents came from Korpilompolo. That is remote. I have a cousin who lives in Gällivare. That is remote. As remote as Norrtälje may seem to some, their music is not remote. It’s in your face. It is forceful. It marches forward to break out of the bleak Swedish winter. It cries out to be heard and to give a voice to the voiceless. “Miserere me“i was recorded next door to a graveyard. I love this band. I hope Santa gives me a vinyl copy of this album; that would be sweet.

Black Rose Burning

Fear Machine

We’ve got some momentum going now, let’s keep the energy high and blast out of 2025. Black Rose Burning is just the ticket to make that happen. High-energy postpunk and more, Blackrose was created by instrumentalist, producer, and engineer George Grant in 2018. I listen to this, and I hear overtones of prog rock in the layers of sound that Grant has built from the ground up, in the space stories his songs are about, and in the way he keeps my interstellar theme going.

Max Rael

The Enemy Is Us

Max Rael takes us on a trip with electronica as the mixtape. Max lays down layers of sound, which he speaks over with lyrics that chronicle a world full of corruption, greed, and brutality. His debut solo album, ‘The Enemy Is Us‘, was released via London imprint Liquid Len Media. Offering up a dark bouquet of minimalist synth, darkwave, and spoken-word electronic pop, this album introduces Rael’s compelling ‘futuretroist’ sound: an alternative sonic universe built on a unique sound design that feels at once familiar and alien. Not for everyone, but if you give this album time to build a head of steam, you will be rewarded with something new and perhaps a challenge to us in our staid existence.

The Jack Rubies

Visions In The Bowling Alley

I am a sucker for the violin. Double that for electric violin. Triple if it is a rock song. The Jack Rubies delivered that on this album. There are a couple of killer tracks in this offering of great music. I am hard-pressed to pick just one track, but “My Perception,” “Phantom,” and “Are We Being Recorded” stand out and have been released as singles. I see “Are We Being Recorded” as a counteroffer to “Everything Is Recorded” by Richard Russell. Both tracks are worth spending some time listening to. I don’t have a genre to neatly slot The Jack Rubies into. The PR calls them post-punk, a throwback to their early sound in the late 1980s. They offer catchy hooks, intelligent lyrics, and that is a winner in my blogging world.

Thanks to Christina Bulbenko and Rex Broome at Big Stir Records for this suggestion.

Louie Blue

Blood and Bones

From my original post in September of 2025: Blasting out of Finland, Louie Blue grabbed my attention, thanks to Charlotte Lewis of Bark. PR. The album is entirely composed, written, arranged, produced, and mixed by Louie himself, with mastering handled by Aleksis Raivio. In working on Blood & Bones, Louie built his own recording studio and acquired an impressive array of instruments, including a new bass guitar, drums, and a synth. Louie Blue tells us, “I leaned into analog textures and a raw, organic production style. Everything was recorded on tape using live instruments and vintage techniques. I wanted the sound to be warm and imperfect—an antidote to today’s hyper-polished pop.” Louie’s own creative direction accomplishes a retro vibe and unique sound.

Lyrically, Blood & Bones explores spiritual introspection—discerning what he needs in life versus what he doesn’t. “Blood & Bones is a personal exploration of identity, growth, and artistic truth. At its core lies my desire to understand who I am—and who I’m becoming,” says Louie. “The songwriting reflects a journey of emotional maturity: accepting hard truths, embracing myself in the present, and consciously stepping away from external pressures to fit in or follow trends.” The album chronicles his attempt to tame “this sort of learned hunger for irrelevant things by enjoying and romanticising life as it comes, without wanting more,” while simultaneously surrendering to “love, lust and the magic of brief romances that almost feel like fairytales.”

End of quote, and all of that is still relevant today.

Ólafur Arnalds, Talos

A Dawning

I have enjoyed Arnalds’ music for quite some time now, but I was unaware of Talos until I scored this slab of vinyl from a shop in Reykjavík.  A Dawning, the deeply moving collaborative album from Icelandic composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Ólafur Arnalds and the late Irish singer-songwriter Talos (Eoin French). Blending the two artists’ unique musical voices, it moves between moments of raw emotion and luminous hope, inviting listeners on a powerful sonic journey. With its eight evocative tracks, A Dawning stands as both a celebration of artistic partnership and a heartfelt tribute to Talos’s enduring legacy. All artwork was created by Talos himself, offering a personal window into his creative vision. This is music to keep us afloat in dark waters, guiding us towards a glimmer of light on the horizon.

The Prayer Chain

Communion

This is a remastered version of the original album, released on August 31, 1994. I have been a fan of The Prayer Chain since their 1995 release, Shawl. I also have them on at least one compilation. The band has been called “the epitome of the Christian underground”. The Prayer Chain was known for producing moody, angst-ridden music, which, in turn, resulted from creative differences within the band and with their record label. This is a good remix.

Jessie Kilguss

They Have A Howard Johnson’s There

From my blog, November 2025: I have listened to this album about a dozen times this week, and I am still wordless, still listening. I can heap accolades upon it because I honestly, thoroughly, and thoughtfully enjoy this recording. Jessie has a voice that is expressive and passionate, rising above the music and then returning to earth to start again.

The song “St. Teresa in Ecstasy” reminds me of Leonard Cohen. It builds, releases, and builds again. I feel drawn to the ecstasy and epiphany that she emotes in her singing. Powerful. Mesmerizing. A song to get lost in and drift away. A song within an album that I keep hitting repeat after every listen.

Update! My beautiful wife, Valerie, sat and listened to the whole album with the lyrics and liked it. She doesn’t listen to much music, but she listened to this album start to finish, with one pit stop. After listening to St. Teresa in Ecstasy, we listened to Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen, with him singing to a live audience. To my ears, there is certainly some connection between those songs. Is it spiritual? It could be. Is it lyrical? I think so. Is it musical? I hear the lift and the music as it builds tension, then releases it, only to start again in both songs. Are they the same? No, they are two distinct songs, but something is going on that causes me to draw a connection between St. Teresa in Ecstasy and Hallelujah.

Back on solid ground, I listen to the rest of the album, which is all good music, and then hit repeat.

A shoutout to Shauna McLarnon at Shameless Promotion PR

The Gold Needles

Mood Elevator

From my blog, November 2025: How do you take your classic rock? Via a gold needle perchance? Not I! I take mine to the top on a mood elevator. Mood Elevator by The Gold Needles is straight-up classic rock and roll. Nothing fancy, but clean and well presented. Not sounding like any blast from the past through my old ears, The Gold Needles have developed something new out of something old. Classic rock with a new vibe. Well-written song lyrics complement the musicians’ infectious grooves.

So, I had a good night’s sleep, listened to this album again as I read the mail, and enjoyed my first cup of joe. I like it more today than yesterday. They took my brain for a ride through music that sounded like the best of the seventies, but with a new twist. And then they broke out of that cloud and into another with overtones of modern alt-rock. I’m just enjoying every element of this album. They may be contenders for my album of the year. Thanks to Christina Bulbenko and Rex Broome at Big Stir Records for this suggestion, pure gold, my friends.

AudioGust

Falling From Down

From my blog, November 2025: AudioGust is another band that fits into the all-encompassing “classic rock” genre.Falling From Down is not earth-shattering; it is just good old down-to-earth rock and roll played and sung by competent practitioners of that art. These folks kept me listening to find out what the next song would sound like. AudioGust are musical chameleons, changing the colours with every song. Variety is the spice of life, and Falling From Down is a spice rack of good music.

Thanks to Shauna McLarnon from Shameless Promotion PR for this one.

2025 gave us some really solid new material, as each of the above albums illustrates. It was also a year of moving through my albums from the letter “L” to the letter “S”. I am still moving through “S”; it has a big population. There are too many highlights to list here; suffice to say, it was fun to hear the variety.

The boring part, statistics.

600+ listens of full albums

Unknown singles and partial albums

Oldest album, Jimmie Rogers from 1956

The year with the most albums: 1972, which makes sense because I was a teenager who was discovering the world of rock and roll. The 60s and 70s were the most listened to decades. 2025 had only 30, which makes sense because my focus was on vinyl, mostly older material.

Genres

Rock 274

Prog 43

Pop 163

Folk 57

World 21

Country 97

Jazz 33

Psychedelic 42

All of these are generalities because it would be too anal to list all of the subgroups of the different genres. 

I listened to Dark Side of the Moon 6 times, making it the favourite for the year. Pink Floyd was the most popular group, which comes as no surprise. In second place was The Jack Rubies, a new album and a new group to me.

439 slabs of vinyl

78 CDs

169 streamed/online

Tomorrow is a new day and a new year, and I am sure it will be full of good music. Thanks to everyone who brought new music to my attention. Thank you to all the artists who created music, both old and new. Thank you to anyone who actually reads these blogs. Thank you to my wife, Valerie, for giving me the time and space to make this blog happen.

The music this week featured a bunch of guys named Smith, the intersection of faith with music, and my adventures in buying and selling used records.

First up, the Smiths, not the band, I listened to Strange Ways Here We Come last week. This week I listened to Arthur, Carl, Hank, and Stuff, a quartet of Smiths. All four of these records came from boxes of assorted records I bought last winter and only just now got around to listening to. The first three also share the genre they play and sing in: Country Music. Stuff played jazz. The C&W albums were released in 1963, 1969, and 1970, respectively, and they showcase the golden era of traditional country and western music. Stretching from the 1940s into the 1970s. Stuff Smith was active from the 1930s until his death in 1967.

Arthur Smith was a huge success in the 1940s and ’50s, topping charts and pioneering country music broadcasting. The album Arthur (Guitar) Smith and Voices includes tracks showcasing his famous guitar style, alongside vocal numbers, reflecting his work with groups such as his brothers, Sonny and Ralph, in the Crackerjacks. He also wrote the tune that became “Dueling Banjos,” from the 1972 movie Deliverance. The lead track from this album is his signature tune, one of his early hits, the instrumental “Guitar Boogie“, which he wrote and recorded in 1945. It sold over three million copies and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA. The song earned him the moniker Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith. It was recorded by numerous other musicians, including Tommy Emmanuel, and became known worldwide. Renamed “Guitar Boogie Shuffle”, it became a rock and roll hit by Frank Virtue and the Virtues. Virtue served in the Navy with Smith and counted him as a major influence. Other musicians who have been influenced by Smith include Nashville studio ace Hank “Sugarfoot” Garland, Roy Clark, and Glen Campbell.

Carl Milton Smith (March 15, 1927 – January 16, 2010) was an American country singer. Known as “Mister Country“, he was one of the genre’s most successful male artists during the 1950s, scoring 30 top-10 hits on the Billboard charts (21 of which were consecutive). Smith’s success continued well into the 1970s, when he had a charting single every year but one. In 1952, Smith married June Carter, with whom he had a daughter, Carlene; the couple divorced in 1956. His eldest daughter, Carlene, was the stepdaughter of fellow country singer Johnny Cash, who later married his ex-wife, June Carter. He later married Goldie Hill, and they had three children together. This sounds more like a soap opera sketch than a musical tribute. In 2003, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. According to the Hollywood Walk of Fame website, he was a “drinking companion” to Johnny Cash, his daughter’s stepfather.

Hank Smith, CM (September 15, 1934 – October 19, 2002) was a Canadian country music singer. He was born in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, and moved to Canada in 1957. He founded the band Wild Rose Country in 1963 and recorded ten albums. Twelve of Smith’s singles made the RPM Country Tracks charts, including five that went to Number One. Hank Smith was the founding president of the Academy of Country Music Entertainment in 1976, now the Canadian Country Music Association. Smith was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 1994.

The music on all three of the above albums made for a very enjoyable day. I was raised on Country and Western music and still listen to plenty of it. As well-known as these gentlemen are, they hadn’t shown up on my radar until this past week. I know them now and will most likely listen to these three albums again.

Stuff Smith lists Stéphane Grappelli as a featured artist on his self-titled album. These are two of the heavy hitters in jazz, swing, and big band violin playing. This is an interesting release because of the different versions available. I have a release from 1969 that lists Stéphane Grappelli as a featured artist in small type below Stuff Smith’s name on the front cover. This album was also released as Stuff and Steff with Stephane Grappelli, with Mr. Grappelli getting equal cover space. There are also about a dozen variants, which makes me glad that I am not a completist; I am happy with the two that I have. I am a fan of jazz violin, and this is a good album to showcase it.

Arthur (Guitar) Smith	Arthur (Guitar) Smith And Voices
Carl Smith	Carl Smith’s Country Music Hall
Hank Smith	The New Country Sounds Of Hank Smith
Stuff Smith	Stuff Smith
Sniff ‘n’ the Tears	Fickle Heart
The Little Willies	The Little Willies
Jim Weatherly	Pictures & Rhymes
Pat Benatar	Greatest Hits
King Crimson	In The Wake Of Poseidon

Sniff ‘n’ The Tears. One song, Drivers Seat.

The Little Willies. I had to hear what kind of music a band played that was audacious enough to name themselves The Little Willies sounded like. They sound good.

Wikipedia:

The Little Willies is an American alternative country supergroup formed in 2003. It features Norah Jones on piano, keyboards, and vocals; Richard Julian on guitar, keyboards, and vocals; Jim Campilongo on guitar; Lee Alexanderon bass; and Dan Rieser on drums.

The group formed around a love of country classics. Between members’ regular gigs, they first played at The Living Room in New York City. The show led to a series of events, including a benefit concert for public radio station WFUV. The “loose-knit collective” found itself with a growing following. The Little Willies’ self-titled debut album has added to their popularity.

Their first album features covers of tracks by Fred Rose (“Roly Poly”), Hank Williams (“I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive”), Willie Nelson (“Gotta Get Drunk” and “Nightlife”), Townes Van Zandt (“No Place to Fall”) and Kris Kristofferson (“Best of All Possible Worlds”). Fusing cover material with a few of their original compositions, the band delivers what a review by John Metzger describes as “an affable set that occasionally strikes pure gold.”

Their second album was released in January 2012 and features covers from a variety of down-home legends, including Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and many more.

My takeaway? I liked it enough to leave it in the car for a week and several trips around the block.

Mostly Wikipedia:

Jim Weatherly wrote songs for almost 50 years. His best-known song is “Midnight Train to Georgia“, recorded by Gladys Knight & the Pips. It peaked at number 1 on the pop and R&B charts and went on to win a Grammy Award. The song was subsequently inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, and was chosen by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Recording Industry Association of America as No. 29 of the 365 Songs of the Century. Ray Price has recorded 38 of Weatherly’s songs. Both Gladys Knight & the Pips (in 1972) and Bob Luman (in 1973) had top-five records with “Neither One of Us“. Other artists who have recorded Weatherly’s songs include: Glen Campbell, Kenny Rogers, Asha Puthli, Neil Diamond, Kenny Chesney, and Garth Brooks. Weatherly was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006. Five years later, he was inducted into the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014. He was also conferred the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Music by the government of Mississippi that same year.

Plus the fact that I like his name.

Pat Benatar, Greatest Hits. Some radio-friendly songs, not bad, but not my jam.

King Crimson, In The Wake Of Poseidon.

This is the second release from one of my all-time favourite bands, King Crimson. Having discovered In The Court of The Crimson King in 1969, I was happy when they released In The Wake Of Poseidon. It follows the arc of their first album without sounding like a clone. The band had a revolving door during the recording of the album, and no musicians to form a touring band. Fripp keeps the personnel of King Crimson on a Rolodex; you never know who will turn up to play. I was privileged to see King Crimson live in 2015 in Calgary and in 2019 at The Royal Albert Hall in London. In The Wake Of Poseidon is not on my short list of King Crimson’s best albums, but in the top ten. The discography of King Crimson consists of 13 studio albums, 23 live albums, 23 compilation albums, 6 extended plays, 10 singles, 9 video albums, 2 music videos, and 9 album/era-specific box sets. I would have to sell my car and take out a double mortgage on the house to have a complete set of King Crimson material. That’s not going to happen. I am content with what I have.

Kevin from On Repeat Records did post on faith and music that got me thinking, which can be a dangerous thing. My faith, or lack thereof, has deeply influenced my music listening habits. My Mom was a Christian who dragged me to church every so often. I only went because children were taught to obey their parents. My faith was nominal at best. Entering my teens, I was following in my Dad’s footsteps, lacking religious conviction, but with a love of music, something my Mom lacked. I spent the years between my 16th birthday and my 35th in a state of unhealthy life choices, but lots of good music. In 1989, I became a Christian myself and sold off a huge chunk of my record, CD and cassette collection in the mistaken belief that God had some favourite music and I had to listen to the same thing all the other good little Christians were listening to. I regret to this day that I sold all that good music. I have since bought back as many of those albums as I could remember and expanded on the number considerably. So, this past week, I came up with the brilliant scheme to sell off a huge chunk of my record, CD, and cassette collection. I was optimistic that I could trust Discogs‘ value estimations and would soon be rolling in the dough. I then pulled out any records or CDs I wanted to save, let my son pick out some he wanted, and contacted a local record store about selling the music as a lot so I wouldn’t have to sell them one at a time online. And that is when the reality of the value of what was left of my collection settled into the cracks of my brain. I was not going to get rich selling off the music, and I would get more pleasure keeping them and listening to them again. It was when I put the music all back into the alphabet that I realized how much faith had shaped my music over the past 30 or so years. I had amassed over 300 Christian CDs, and probably a similar number of records and cassettes. I didn’t bother to count them all. This is when I read Kevin’s blog at thekevinalexander@substack.com and thought about how music has shaped my listening habits over the years. I have come to believe that faith is not an unwavering line that keeps rising as our faith grows. I feel that faith is more like a sine wave; it moves up and down as our lives and experiences shape our lives and our listening habits. I no longer consider myself a Christian; that’s a much deeper story, and my music listening habits have changed yet again. I listen to a broad palette of music and no longer categorize music as one genre or another. To paraphrase the words of my co-worker, Ernie, “All music is good music, but some is better than others.” Faith and music have intertwined in my life in both small and big ways, but always present, moving and active.