Bachman Turner Overdrive – Best of Bachman Turner Overdrive
This album gave me flashbacks to when I was 18 and driving around town with the windows down and BTO at 11 on the 8-track.
Isaac Hayes – Hot Buttered Soul
It’s a fantastic album. I listened to side one twice and could easily have listened again. Isaac Hayes’s cover of By The Time I Get To Phoenix is brilliant on an already excellent record. I think Hot Buttered Soul belongs on my list of deserted island records.
Jigsaw – Like The Wolf
I hadn’t listened to this for ages; it has aged well. Folky indie music makes my head bob and my foot tap.
Isaac Hayes – New Horizons
After Hot Buttered Soul, this album, New Horizons, is a downer. This album should be on the Lawrence Welk show; it’s too heavy on the string section and light on R&B and soul music.
Kamasi Washington – Epic
Yes, it is epic, clocking in at just short of three hours for this three-vinyl release. Kamasi Washington uses a wall of sound that crosses between a swell of synths, a chamber of choral voicings, and a mass of indistinguishable music. There are moments when the wall isn’t there, and I feel myself letting out a sigh of release as I let go of the tension that had built up. Is this wall necessarily wrong? No, not necessarily so. I get what Kamasi Washington is doing, but I wish he had done less. The prudent use of this mass of music in the background builds tension and adds to the epic, which is the release’s name and the sound he creates. The horn section is epic. Kamasi Washington is an excellent sax player, and he uses the talents of other high-quality players for an epic sound even if there is no wall.
Last week, I penned a somewhat tepid paragraph about the album Transience by the band Church of Trees. I embarked on a musical journey, listening to it three times, with each experience yielding different results. However, I was compelled to give it another chance, and so I did. The fourth listen was the charm. My appreciation for Transience deepened with each subsequent listen, culminating in a newfound admiration after the fourth. This album, it seems, is a slow-burner, one that requires time for the lyrics to meld and resonate.
Church of Trees holds their services 24 hours a day. Giving is optional but deeply appreciated. Transience is readily available for your listening pleasure. You can find it at churchoftrees.com, Bandcamp, and the @churchoftrees2497 YouTube channel. And if you’re a fan ofEverything’s Gonna Be Alright, and all other Transience singles, you’ll be delighted to know that they’re also available on most streaming services, ensuring you can enjoy it wherever you prefer to listen.
For those who appreciate a good deal, you can purchase the Transience digital album for CAD 13 or their entire catalogue, all 23 releases, for only CAD 49.40 on Bandcamp and save 50%. That’s a steal at just over $2 per release, allowing you to immerse yourself in the Church of Trees’ musical world without breaking the bank.
Anyhow, I ramble on. I recommend listening to Transience a couple of times if it doesn’t grab the first time. I might be a slow learner, but it really sinks in deep when I get it.
Sunday, May 26, is time for some quick reviews and musings about the music I have listened to in the past week. First comment: there has been an unusual load of new music in the last two weeks, and it has taken me more time than usual to plough through my listening and find ones that warrant inclusion on this list.
So, hear we go. Yonder Mountain String Band – I’d Like Off. I listen to bluegrass music enough to have a basic appreciation of the genre, and now and then, a new bluegrass band will warrant a mention here.
Stan Kenton – City of Glass. I doubt I will ever listen to this again, but it was interesting. City of Glass is a fusion of jazz and orchestral music; it was underwhelming, but I listened to it from start to finish.
Country Johnny Mathis –Just Do The Best You Can. This is old-timey Country and Western music—the kind my Dad played and music that I grew up listening to. I endorse this album to fans of C/W, and if you aren’t familiar with the genre, this is an excellent place to start. “Just Do The Best You Can” was recorded in 1968 by Country Johnny Mathis at RCA Studios in Nashville. The song was licensed for a TV Commercial in 2022 and has continued to air on national TV and social media campaigns in 2023. That’s a good run!
The Beatles – Let It Be. This was a bin dive find at my favourite record store. A shout-out to https://www.recordcollectorsparadise.ca. This is the first copy release; you can research history at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_It_Be_(album). I have been listening to the Beatles music forever, and I was surprised that I didn’t have a vinyl copy of this album; I did have it on CD. We went on a road trip midweek, and I popped The Beatles’ Number Ones into the CD player; it is a good sing-along driving down the highway album.
Butch Hancock – Own and Own. I enjoy the West Texas music of The Flatlanders, an American country band from Lubbock, Texas, founded in 1972 by Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Joe Ely and Butch Hancock. The group garnered little success during their brief original incarnation from 1972 to 1973. Still, when the individual members found success in their solo careers, interest in The Flatlanders was rekindled, and the band has reunited several times since. An earlier incarnation of this band was known as The Double Mountain Fork Of The Brazos River Boys. I had a hankering for some music from there. Butch Hancock – Own and Own satisfied that yearning as I dipped my toe into the letter H.
NOFX – Half Album. I don’t know why I listened to this, but it was good. It has the best song about cancer I know of. I confess that I have never put together a mixtape about the topic of cancer or the Tropic of Cancer, either. It is still the best one I have ever heard.
Church Of Trees – Transience: This is an oddity in my listening over the past week or two. When I first heard it, I liked what I heard, and I like supporting local bands. They are from Canada, and so am I, so that counts as local. Then, I listened to them some more and liked them slightly less, and on the third spin, I liked them again. I have no idea where the fourth spin will lead me.
Emmylou Harris– Elite Hotel. After Hancock, we have Harris. That would make a good album, I bet! Hancock and Harris, someone should look into making that happen. Elite Hotel is a smooth country and western album with a great ensemble of musicians backing her smooth-as-silk voice.The album yielded two number-one country singles: “Together Again,” written by Buck Owens, and Harris’ version of the Patsy Cline hit “Sweet Dreams.” The Beatles’ “Here, There and Everywhere” entered the pop charts at number 65. Harris has many musical tastes and has performed songs on this album by Hank Williams, The Beatles, Gram Parsons, and Buck Owens. Harris’ vocals on the album earned her the Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female.
Mark Heard – Stop the Dominoes is the only Mark Heard album that I have on vinyl. It’s not my favourite; Second Hand on CD gets that nod over coffee.
Lovelorn Dolls – Deadtime Stories. The Belgian alt-rock duo Lovelorn Doll hails from Brussels. Lovelorn Dolls are Kristell Lowagie (lyrics, vocals) and Bernard Daubresse (programming, guitars, synth). They are back in a big way after a 5-year hiatus that saw Kristell transform into the photographer/ visual artist Kristell In Wonderland, exhibiting throughout Europe. With a gothic rock underbelly, their sound resembles a mix of Theatre of Tragedy, Lacuna Coil and The Birthday Massacre. On ‘Deadtime Stories,’ the duo embraces a stronger identity – creepy cute ambiance, eerie Tim Burton-esque scenes, guitar-driven sounds, catchy dark melodies, childlike synths, industrial tones, and Kristell’s distinctive voice, all boldly and fully embraced.
I’d like to give a tip of the hat to Shameless Promotion PR for sending me Deadtime Stories to see what I think. I think I’ll make the time to listen to this repeatedly and make a note to myself to listen to their back catalogue. If I may be so bold, I suggest you listen to the Lovelorn Dolls – Deadtime Stories. They make some compelling music.
The Deadtime Stories album is available on fine digital platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify, andBandcamp. It can also be ordered via the label or directly from the artist via Bandcamp.
This is a visit to an old friend, and I realised how much I have missed him. It’s good to make the effort to keep those cherished relationships healthy.
A3 – Power In The Blood
Power In The Blood. This album is a treat for bass enthusiasts, with its great bass lines adding depth and richness to the tracks. Interestingly, the bonus acoustic version offers a different perspective, like listening to another band. It’s a good idea to listen to both versions.
Jimmy A – Secrets
It was a good listen, but it could have been better. Jimmy Abegg has collaborated with some great musicians, but his solo work could be more balanced and engage me as a listener.
Childish Gambino – Atavista
Altavista is the reissued version of the fourth studio album, 3.15.20, from Donald Glover. I recommend this video of the feature track Little Foot Big Foot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLX1HxJm5wM
Cage The Elephant – Neon Pill
Neon Pill is CtE’s new album and a good listen. It may not be better than their first album, but I am partial to the debut album, Cage the Elephant because we used to play some of their tunes when I played (poorly) in a band.
Chagall Guevara – Halceon Days
I hadn’t listened to this in ages. When it first came out in 1991, I was head over heels enamoured by this album. These days, in 2024, I keep my feet on the ground and my head on my shoulders, and this album is still a good listen.
Steve Taylor & The Danielson Foil – Wow To The Deadness
Wow, two artists stretching the boundaries of gospel music and two artists that I enjoy listening to are now available on one album. It did not disappoint me, I enjoyed hearing this collaboration.
Per Ubu – YouTube selections
I hadn’t listened to Per Ubu, even though they have been around since the 1970s. I can’t listen to every band out there, but I am trying to. I just skipped around on YouTube, listened to about a half dozen of their tracks, and liked what I heard.
Half-handed Cloud –
As Stowaways In Cabinets Of Surf, We Live-Out In Our Members A Kind Of Rebirth
Flying Scroll Flight Control
What can I say about Half-handed Cloud? They have a unique sound, and their lyrics are challenging. The Stowaways album had a lyric sheet that I needed a magnifier to read, and I was left wondering what that album was about. Flying Scroll Flight Control has a lot of Biblical narratives, but the way John Ringhofer writes lyrics, I have trouble understanding what he is trying to say. Apart from the lyrics, there is the music. I have very few artists to compare Half-handed Cloud with. Danielson Famile or Danielson Family are about as close to Half-handed Cloud as you will get.
Daryl Hall – Sacred Songs
Yes, this is the Hall from Hall and Oates, and yes, it is the Robert Fripp from King Crimson. Sacred Songs features an interesting pairing of musical prodigies. Hall is a world-class songwriter. If you want to know more about Daryl Hall, I suggest reading Wikipedia, which has a comprehensive list of the hit singles that he has contributed to.
Fearless Movement is a long player, logging in at 1 hour and 26 minutes for the dozen tracks. This may sound daunting; however, I never felt bogged down or wanting to skip to the next track. Kamasi Washington is an extraordinary saxophonist, but his natural talent lies in his ability to draw inspiration from other musicians and inspire them to reach new heights. As the adage states, the sum is only as good as its parts, and Kamasi has assembled some fantastic parts to collaborate with him on Fearless Movement.
Mark Knopfler – The Boy is a fun little EP by Mark Knopfler, an artist whose musical talents are gaining my new admiration and appreciation.
Black Country / New Road – For The First Time
Well, this is the first time I have listened to this band, which has been compared to Slint and Black Midi, two bands I enjoy already, so I had to give it a listen. They are OK; my first listen didn’t light my world on fire. I think I will have to listen to them some more.
Iron & Wine – The Sea & the Rhythm
Some laid-back chill on a lazy day.
Herbie Hancock – Head Hunters
Classis Jazz Funk.
A Perfect Circle – Thirteenth Step
It’s been a while since I first heard this, but it feels like a good fit as I marked 35 years clean and sober this weekend.
Guadalcanal Diary – Walking In The Shadow Of The Big Man
A pleasant blast from the past.
Guess Who – The Greatest of the Guess Who
Blasting even further into the past, taking me to a happy place.
Adam Again – Dig
This album has become an earworm for me. Not just a song, but the whole album! Well, several songs, but I listened to it all twice more for good measure.
At 70: The Percussion Music of Stuart Saunders Smith, Vol. 1
Alex Prior – The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra – Ballet Edmonton – Chronos Vocal Ensemble – The Wolf of Lafontaine Song & Dance
Jocelyn Morlock was an artist who’s work was presented, quality, quality.
HUNGRYTOWN: Circus For Sale
Circus For Sale is a recording that I fell in love with from the first listen, and I haven’t stopped listening to it. Smart lyrics and a cracker of a band are a winning combination. Released by Big Stir Records.
Bert Jansch – Morning Brings Peace of Mind
Iron & Wine – Light Verse, this is the newest recording by Iron & Wine, aka Sam Beam. This is the seventh album from Beam and carries forward the quality of his previous recording as well and breathing new life into his unique sound and musical stylings.
Iron & Wine – Woman King
The Flavor That Kills – Book of Secrets
Mildlife – Chorus
Chris Connelly – Artificial Madness
Dover Lynn Fox – Low Moon Courtesy of https://www.barkpr.co.uk Album blog to follow, sometime in the future.
Fred Hersch – Silent, Listening This is a style of listening that I endorse. Turn off the T.V, Walk away from the computer. On your phone or iPad use Genius to scroll through the lyrics and Wikipedia to learn more about the artist or recording. But, that’s all! No browsing. No Facebook. No social media, only the ones that present the music that you are listening to. If It’s a streamed album I use my best headphone’s and chill while I listen. It it’s a physical copy I sit in the music room and use the big stereo and let the music envelope me. Either headphones or stereo are OK, the main idea is to focus on what you are hearing. What are the lyrics saying? What vocal qualities deliver those lyrics. What musical instruments are playing. Keep these questions going for every track and get to really know the music.
Starting a playlist with a song recorded by The Call immediately gets my attention. This track, The Walls Came Down, is from what could be considered a lesser-known album, Modern Romans.
Great Lake Swimmers – Great Lake Swimmers
Great Lake Swimmers – Uncertain Country
Great Lake Swimmers – The Waves, The Wake
Great Lake Swimmers – New Wild Everywhere
Great Lake Swimmers – A Forest Of Arms
I plowed through the Great Lake Swimmers‘ discography. I have enjoyed their music for quite a while and have seen them live numerous times, the first being in 2015.
Keith Green – The Prodigal Son
Keith Green – So You Wanna Go Back to Egypt
Keith Green – Songs for the Shepherd
I enjoyed hearing Keith Green again. I often listened to him in a past life, but not so much now. He was a gifted musician and songwriter who has held quite well.
The Decemberists – What a Terrible, Terrible World
I’ve got to have the Decemberists in rotation at least monthly. Seeing them live is still one of the best music experiences I have ever had.
Vetiver – Thing of the Past
Vetiver – To Find Me Gone
I only have one album from Vetiver, and I have enjoyed their slightly different sound. So, I listened to their most recent recording, Up On High, and found it boring, popish music that didn’t push any boundaries. It was very commercial. I then listened to a recording from their middle period, The Errant Charm, and it was more interesting than Up On High and closer to their To Find Me Gone album, but still less appealing to my ears. So, then I listened to the album that immediately followed To Find Me Gone, Thing of the Past. I didn’t have the magic of To Find Me Gone, but it was a very good listen. Thing of the Past has some excellent moments, such as their cover of The Swimming Song, which has been covered umpteen times; my favourite is by Kate & Anna McGarrigle.
A little addendum, I like their art work on these two albums.
Taylor Swift – Midnights
Taylor Swift – The Tortured Poets Department
My son’s girlfriend, Lauren, is a Taylor Swift fan and gave me the album Midnights as a gift. I had previously casually listened to some of her material, but this was my first serious listen. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. So when her new album appeared, I immediately listened to it. Later that day, I talked with Lauren and compared notes. We both thought Midnights was a far better album.
Lee Greenwood – Somebody’s Gonna Love You
I was never a fan of Mr. Greenwood, I think I acquired this album in a collection that I brought in. It has not aged well and I think the cover photo is creepy.
Joey Gregrash – North Country Funk
Joey Gregrash – tell the people
An acquaintance suggested I listen to Joey Gregash and his take on the Neil Young song, Down By The River. He claimed it was better than the original. I didn’t get that impression; it is good, but I’ll stay with Neil Young for now.
Charles Lloyd – The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow
My introduction to Charles Lloyd was the album Vanished Gardens, which he made in collaboration with the backing band The Marvels and roots music singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. This new recording isn’t a Vanished Garden; this time, he comes across as more free-spirited and inventive, but it is still a good listen.
Joe Cocker – The Best of Joe Cocker
A blast from the past, Joe Cocker should be remembered as a good singer and collaborator. You can’t see him on a CD, so you get the music and nothing but the music. Seeing Joe Cocker live should only be done after listening to an album or CD.
The David Grisman Quintet – The David Grisman Quintet
It is a cross between Americana and Jazz, and I like it. The band is full of talented artists who had productive
The Waterboys – Fishman’s Blues
This album has been on my frequent rotation list for a long time. I just heard a reference pop up and had to re-listen to it. It’s just as good as it ever was.
Eleven Hundred Springs – Bandwagon
It’s new to me, with a traditional C/W feel and a Texas drawl.
Bodies of Water – Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink
This album is weird, but weird in an interesting way. I don’t know what I can say, they have their own way of making music and it works here and there, I am fond of the opening track mostly.
Arlo Guthrie – Alice’s Restaurant
I don’t know what it is but I like Arlo Guthrie, Alice’s Restaurant is still a hilariously good song.
Arlo Guthrie – Amigo
Highlights: Great Lake Swimmers, Vetiver,Taylor Swift and much more.
Let’s start at the beginning, in the Marble Zone. This is where self-reflection leads to creativity, and minutes become hours. Welcome to The Marble Zone.
“The Marble Zone is a place where I am at peace, where I can be creative and tap into what I most enjoy. Songwriting is cathartic and therapeutic, so the overarching theme is quite meta. There are references to the process I undertake when being creative, but I think the concept is universal; I invite others to find their own Marble Zone.“Joe Carnall Jnr stated. Speaking on Welcome To The Marble Zone’s sonic palette, he added: “Over the past few years, I’ve been intrigued by the soundclash of guitars and electronic music and found myself listening to many New Order at the time of writing the record. Apart from the obvious ‘Hooky’ bass lines and 808-inspired drum sounds (Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer), I became obsessed with Bernard Sumner’s vocal melodies and delivery. There are many other influences in there; dig around, and you’ll find Talking Heads, Gorillaz, Baxter Drury, LCD Soundsystem, Tame Impala and even a bit of Kraftwerk.“
This sophomore opus is a treasury of diary entries from a thirty-something father of three, who has gone from knowing everything to nothing at all, balancing the chaos, beauty, relentlessness and depression of the past three years – accepting what Carnall refers to as “The Marble Zone.”
“I’m deep down in the Marble Zone, on my last life,” confesses Joe Carnall Jr. as the synth-infused curtain lifts on Good Cop Bad Cop’s sophomore album, Welcome To The Marble Zone, which was released on 5April 2024 via Count to Ten Records.
The brainchild of Joe Carnall Jnr., Good Cop Bad Cop’s frontperson rose to prominence as the figurehead of 00s indie band Milburn, who have enjoyed an incredible resurgence since their return six years ago. However, not being one to look back, Carnall began writing what would become Good Cop Bad Cop’s debut offering in 2018 and recorded the album in Los Angeles, USA, featuring none other than Matt Helders of Arctic Monkeys’ fame behind the kit. Although 2024’s follow-up was put together closer to home, the guitars were left in their cases for the most part, with Carnall and Gold Teeth (Andy Nicholson) opting to push the synth and hip-hop undertones further. The result somehow sounds like both “then and now.”
This album is a keeper. Apart from the PR words I borrowed heavily from, there is only a little I can add. What is my favourite track?
Does It Get Any Easier? Its lyrics resonate with me. Joe Carnall Jr. tells us: “‘Does It Get Any Easier’ is arguably the most instant song on the album. It is a playful acceptance of life as a fully-fledged grown-up when, in all honesty, you still feel like Bart Simpson. Gomez meets Parliament.”
I Cried For A Friend This Morning:Joe Carnall Jr. tells us,” ‘I Cried For A Friend This Morning’ is a love letter delivered too late and easily the most difficult song I’ve ever written. A downside of getting older means losing people you love, something that never really occurs to you, if you’re lucky enough to avoid it, in your younger years. Musically, the overbearing sustain on the piano is a metaphor for grief.”
Far From Home: “Easily the most blissed out tune on the album, which aimed to steal some of the warmth and tranquility from the chorus of ‘Feel Good Inc.’ by Gorillaz. It is a song about the passage of time and how we only really live to create memories.” This quote from Joe Carnall Jr. inspired me to listen to Gorillaz because I wasn’t all that familiar with their sound, part of the joy of listening to new music is the rabbit trails that it sends me on.
The album artwork of Demon Days by Gorillaz was designed by English comic book artist Jamie Hewlett, who was co-founded the band with Damon Albarn.
I recommend Welcome to The Marble Zone. It has hooks and lyrics that demand more than one listening session. Make a nice cup of tea, settle into your favourite chair, put on your headphones, and give this a serious, focused, and intentional listen. Welcome to The Marble Zone is a good album; I’ll get my cup of tea now.
New Jersey’s QUIZ SHOW presents ‘Flotsam’ EP, the second offering for the boys of From Shudder To Think.
New Jersey-based indie rock trio Quiz Show presents their ‘Flotsam’ EP, released via Montclair, NJ-based Magic Door Record Label. The EP follows up their eponymous debut album, an electrifying collection full of protest, friendship, and frustration, released in 2023 to wide acclaim.
Quiz Show is made up of Chris Matthews of Shudder To Think, bassist Jesse Krakow, and drummer Joe Billy, who replaces the original Kevin March (Guided By Voices, The Dambuilders, Shudder To Think).
These songs are the first that the current Quiz Show lineup wrote together from scratch. Each adding their instrumental work and vocals, they discovered something new and unexpected in the process – a whole that was far more than the sum of its parts. The EP is three original songs that tell stories about living – now and in the past. There is something melancholy about the record but also a resonant chord of joy and perseverance.
Recorded and produced by award-winning producer Ray Ketchem (Guided By Voices, Luna, Versus, Elk City, Gramercy Arms) at his Magic Door Recording Studio, this EP was engineered by Ketchem with Brian Robbins(Blondie, Bring Me The Horizon, Papa Roach).
‘ Flotsam found floating or washed up by the sea, represents the shattered, lost stories of people’s lives. It’s easy to ignore, but there is value in treating flotsam as a mystery to solve, a story to tell, a lost connection between past and present waiting to be discovered.
“‘Super Concrete’ was the name of the company my brother worked for before he passed. He was a different person, mostly a source of the unexpected and usually trouble. Many wrote him off as poorly adjusted – as flotsam – but that’s not even close. So, while he may have lived a nontraditional life working at Super Concrete, living in DC’s gay community, and making a home with his boyfriend, he created a life of beauty and purpose,” explains Chris Matthews.
“Packing ’em'” explores how flotsam gets organized in the chaos of the sea. When we feel adrift, it’s natural to seek refuge. But what can feel like a safe harbour is actually something that uses our struggle to fuel its desires. Be careful when it feels like ‘no one knows, but everybody knows’ simultaneously; people’s answers are probably not their creations or for their benefit.
“China Glaze” is a memorial to a good friend who had an exceptionally brilliant mind. Flotsam here is the way it feels when someone leaves you to continue living without them. Musically, the song tries to reflect the slipperiness and scattered experiences that come with loss. The lyrics include my fractured, precious memories of the man who left, and learning to live well in a world without him. Good luck tomorrow!”
Over the years, my wheels (vehicular modes of transportation) have varied, sometimes for the good and sometimes not so good. My first wheels were a bike, I am in a parade in Viking Alberta in this photo. Cowboy hat and boots were my attire of choice back in 1967 and I still like putting them on.
My first car was purchased from my Mom in 1972, a 1967 Rambler American 440 station wagon, for 800 bucks. It was a nice car that I drove for quite a few years. I drove it to Mexico in 1975; when I pulled into gas stations, I would tell the attendant to check the gas and fill it up with oil. That was back when attendants filled the gas, checked the oil and washed the windows. I used about 20 cans of oil to get there and back. It left a trail of blue smoke behind, leading to police closely following us as we slowly cruised through the posh part of Beverly Hills. I didn’t bother with the bus tour of celebrity homes; I just glanced casually at some of them from the comfort of my car. I should have fixed the engine in the States; it was less expensive than Alberta’s, but we wanted to ensure I had enough money to get us home.
I had done some custom work on the Rambler. The first thing was a paint job. I had an accident that caved in the driver’s door, but it was hard to match the faded original paint, so I painted the whole car Cadillac Green with a white pinstripe down each side. I had custom rearview mirrors, which got painted with the car. Fat rear tires gave it an aggressive stance. Unfortunately, I had hit a curb, and the right rear was wobbly, leading to some people driving up beside me and telling me my tire was going flat. Another thing that I would have fixed with a bit more coin. We had left our good-paying jobs with some cash in hand; I think it was about three grand between us. In hindsight, it was foolish to leave the jobs because they were easy money, working in the open pit mine in the Crowsnest Pass. My respiratory doctor tells me that working there probably contributed to my lung condition in later life, along with smoking a pack a day until I quit smoking about 35 years back; it was harder to quit smoking than any other addition in my experience. Back to the Rambler, I took out the front bench seat and put in high back fibreglass seats that never got installed correctly, which made the car a bit embarrassing to take a date in. I rented a car to go on a date once.
The Rambler was getting harder to keep together, so 1977, I sold it for $200 and bought a 1958 Pontiac Sky Chief or Chieftain. The photo above is not my car, it looked similar and the colour is close to what I had. That was a sweet car to drive. I can remember driving it to my sister’s grad party in a farmer’s field; the cops had a check stop but didn’t stop me for some reason. It had its flaws, though. The guy I bought it from had swapped the stock three on the tree for four on the floor. It had a slight problem; he had installed it with the shift backwards, so the first gear was where the fourth should have been, etc. It was otherwise stock and a nice clean car without rust, and the engine ran clean. It was heavy, so it took a block to get it up to the speed limit and then another block to stop. That is an exaggeration, but you get the picture. That car slipped away from me due to my addiction to alcohol and stupidity. I had been driving a company truck on a survey crew, but I quit the job about the time I lost the Pontiac, so I was walking or bumming rides for a spell.
Eventually, I ended up living in Red Deer and buying a mid-70s Chevy 4X4. I don’t have a photo of the truck but it would have been similar to the one in the photo above. It was a good drive for surveying, but not so good impaired. I sold it to a farm kid who put a downpayment on it so he could sell a calf and pay the total price, which he did. I am trying to remember how much I paid for it or how much I sold it for. Nope, I don’t know.
With no driver’s license, I rode a bicycle for a year, and at the end of the year, I bought a 1969 Mercury Montego, which turned out to be a money pit. Once again, I don’t have a photo of the actual car that I owned but it would have been similar to the one above. I had the engine rebuilt, bored, stroked and souped up to get more horsepower out of the little 302 in it. I put on a medium-rise manifold with a Holley 750 double pumper on top of the rebuilt engine and added a Holley exhaust system through Chrome Side Exhaust muffler pipes. It had a nice rumble. I put fat tires on the back and traction bars to hold the rear end down; that was wishful thinking. The little 302 gave me good short bursts of power but no high end. I could beat almost anything off the lights, but it had a top end of 75 mph, terrible on the highway. I was red-lining the poor little engine to drive any distance on a Highway, so it became a street car only. It started falling apart, so in 1984, I sold the Merc to a guy who would part it out, and with the money in my pocket, I moved to Edmonton in my Dad’s 1975 Ford 300. What a piece of shit; I drove it for a very short spell and then gave it for free to my cousin Ken; he is handy with tools and cars. Then I got Dad’s 4X4.
The 4X4 was a Dodge Power Wagon that was rather unique. Dad had purchased a 1975 Dodge from a guy who had driven it off the dealer’s lot and, a week later, ran into a train with it while driving impaired. The truck’s shell was totalled, but the drive train was still new, so Dad and his friend Ken stripped the truck down, took out all the salvageable parts and chucked the rest out. Dad then bought an older Dodge that the guy had blown the engine out of, but the body was more or less intact. It was in rough shape but intact. It was about to get rougher as our hunting wagon; we drove it off-road plenty of times, and it was scratched and dented. Dad and Ken patched all the parts with the occasional trip to the local auto salvage yard and dubbed it the Johnny Cash special 75,76,77,78,79 Dodge Power Wagon.
They put a custom gas tank under the tool chest that rested on the edges of the box so we could drive for a week without having to gas up. Unfortunately, they forgot to flush the tank, so we replaced fuel pumps daily as the steel shards came through. They also built a heavy-duty bumper on the front that held a winch that I contributed to the build, and they put an equally heavy-duty bumper on the back; I wish we had put a second winch on the back. It was great in the bush and OK for around town, but not a highway driver; it had a nasty shimmy at highway speeds. It also had a terrible blind spot on the passenger side beside the door.
In the photos below we are stuck. The trees didn’t have enough roots to hold them in place and with no winch on the back we were stuck. We slept overnight in the muskeg and in the morning Dad walked out to the road and got a guy with a Ford 4X4 to come and pull us out backwards. He had to winch 3 times to get to where we were stuck.
In 1985, I started working with Coordinate Surveys, which had an office three blocks from where I lived, so I gave the truck back to Dad and walked to work. They let me drive their company vehicles as I moved up the ladder to party chief. About this time, I bought a 1949 Dodge Jeep 4X4 from a vehicle scrap yard for $200; I sold it a few months later at a net profit to a guy from Red Deer who planned to restore it. I often wonder if he ever did. It had most of the original parts.
Fast forward to 1992, I got married, and shortly after that, we bought a 1994 Dodge Spirit. I don’t have a photo of it but it looked like this stock photo. It was Valerie’s wheels until 2001 when Valerie hit some black ice on the Whitemud Freeway, and the car got totalled. We used the insurance money to buy an early 00s Mazda van. It was the top end of whatever year it came out and had all the bells and whistles, including air conditioning and heat to the van’s back seat. That was also its undoing; the rear heat/air conditioner failed, and fixing it would cost somewhere above $3000.
We used the Mazda as a trade-in for a brand-new 2008 Dodge Caravan, stock photo on the right. We drove that van to Miami and back in 2009, 16,000km. We call it our “Epic Road Trip.” Valerie continued using the van, and I drove a 1995 Ford Ranger. A stock photo again, in fact just assume they are all stock. Note to self and others, take photos of your cars and trucks.
It had a V-6 engine and a four-speed manual transmission, and it was a fun little vehicle. Fun until the transmission blew out halfway to Red Deer on Highway 2. It would cost about $3000 to fix it, more than the truck was worth, so we sold it for a couple of bucks. I bought a Kia Sportage that got me around that winter. Next up was one of my favourite rides from all my vehicles: a 1995 Nissan Pathfinder.
It was a real workhorse and plowed through snow up to the bumper; yes, I tested that out. I drove that till 2010 when the transmission died on it; I was ready to cry; I loved that SUV. It had a great custom stereo, oversized rubber and a clean interior. Unfortunately, it was rusting severely, a weak spot for all Pathfinders of that era, and things started falling apart. We had a choice: either keep pouring money into the Pathfinder or take that money and buy a new vehicle.
I had been looking at new vehicles and liked the latest Kia vehicles’ looks and the favourable reviews they were getting. We ended up buying a his-and-hers set of 2010 Kias.
Valerie got a base-model Rondo, and I bought a top-of-the-line Kia Forte Koup SX. As of today, we are still driving those two vehicles. Being retired, I don’t go out much in the Forte, but we drive the Rondo all over the place. It’s a dependable and fun little SUV.
With the hip replacement, I got a new set of wheels: a 2024 Stella Rollator. Along with the Forte, it will probably be my last set of wheels. If I ever won the lottery, I would buy another ’58 Pontiac in the same colour as the one I had owned and a 1995 Pathfinder, preferably rust free. So there we have it, all my rides over the years.
Weathered Music 