This Is Me--2024 A to Z Theme

My A to Z Themes in the past have covered a range of topics and for 2024 the theme is a personal retrospective that I call "I Coulda Been" which is in reference to my job and career arc over my lifetime. I'll be looking at all sorts of occupations that I have done or could have done. Maybe you've done some of these too!

Friday, April 15, 2022

More Albums Out of the Many I Have ( #AtoZChallenge )

      More albums out the many albums I still have are to be found in this post.  This is another long one.  I assure you that more short posts are to come.   This post will be like a carton of eggs.  An even dozen.

#AtoZChallenge 2022 Blogging from A to Z Challenge letter        Mountain is gone from my vinyl collection, but fortunately I have their albums on CD.  May Blitz and Moody Blues albums are no more for me, but at least I did get some Moody Blues on CD.  Good-bye to my Joni Mitchell and Harvey Mandel albums.  But never fear there are a whole bunch of M albums here...    


Links to the music are included throughout the post if you want to hear the music.




Ian Matthews "Tigers Will Survive"  (1971)  I was first made aware of this artist through his hit version of Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock" which he recorded with his band Southern Comfort.  When I saw this album in the cut-out bins in 1973 or so I figured it would probably be good and it is.  Matthews chose good songs and performed them well.  "Tigers Will Survive" is an extremely listenable album that is hard to not like.  


McGuinness Flint "McGuinness Flint"  (1970) I knew this group from their hit "When I'm Dead and Gone" so when I saw their album in the cut-out bin it caught my interest. The cover art intrigued me and the album was a bargain so I bought it.  This is an outstanding album that has given me hours of listening enjoyment.  I'm glad I bought it and now I'm glad I kept it.


Murray McLauchlan   "Hard Rock Town"  (1977) & "Sweeping the Spotlight Away" (1974)  I discovered the music of this artist when I was working in Canada and looking for music from that country.  Murray McLauchlan has been unjustly overlooked by American audiences, but he is a Canadian treasure.  He's released a ton of great music since 1971,  I acquired much of his catalog on cassette tape and that's mostly what I have now.  However I did find two of his albums on vinyl at a used record store in Knoxville back in the late eighties.  I've kept these because it's not likely I'd find them again--at least not in the United States.


The Magic Show  (1974)  Soon after "The Magic Show" opened on Broadway I joined a touring magic show that I was with for a couple years.  During my stint with The Ken Griffin Magic Show I became interested in all things magic.  In 1976 when we were playing a magic convention in the Catskills we took a trip down to NYC to see "The Magic Show".  We were greatly disappointed to find the show sold out so Roberta Griffin sent a note backstage to Doug Henning, the show's star.  As it turned out, the Griffins, who had written a book about illusion shows, were like heroes to Henning.  He invited us backstage to meet him and then arranged for us to have special seats for the show. It's the only show that I've seen on Broadway and it was fantastic.   The soundtrack is wonderful--worth keeping for the music and for the memories.


McKendree Spring "3"  (1972)   After I heard this group's version of Neil Young's "Down By The River" on the radio I knew I had to buy their album.  After all, the group features a violin player and as I've said before I tend to be drawn to any group with a violin player since I play violin.  This is excellent music in the progressive folk rock vein.  I bought this album at full price at the University of Tennessee bookstore.  That was my place to go for albums that were difficult to find elsewhere. And besides, I was there going to school anyway so it was convenient for me.  


The McCoys  "Human Ball"  (1969)  At the time I found this album in the cut-out bins the song "Stormy Monday" was a quite popular song for bluesy bands to cover.  The album included a version of the song so I figured I would buy it.  I'd already known the McCoys from their hit "Hang on Sloopy" so they were on my musical radar.  Not that I liked their hit that much, but this album doesn't sound much like that song which is fine with me.  This is a very good album with an interesting mix of songs.  The album took me by surprise when I first heard it and now I think it's good enough to keep in my collection.


Larry Murray  "Sweet Country Suite"  (1971)  This album was part of the early country rock movement.  When I saw it in the cut-out bin I had little idea of what it was, but it looked interesting so I procured it for a pittance.  I was pleasantly surprised and ended up spinning this disc on my turntable with some frequency.  I recall many an afternoon sitting alone in my parents' basement rec room relaxing to this pleasant album.  I'm gonna keep this one.


John Mayall "Back to the Roots"  (1971)  In the early seventies it seemed like everyone I knew had a copy of this album.  Maybe it was always sold at a bargain price because, like me, my friends liked a good record deal whenever they could find one.  I probably picked this double album up for a couple of bucks and it was well worth the expenditure.  Legendary John Mayall is joined by a host of other legends including the amazing jazz blues electric violinist Sugarcane Harris. I was already familiar with Harris's work on Frank Zappa's "Burnt Weenie Sandwich" and was wild about what he did on that album.  Knowing that he was on the Mayall collaboration was worth buying the album.  This music still holds up very well.


Mason Proffit   "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream"  (1971) This group was another pioneer of the country rock movement and this album is an excellent collection of their music. This is the only album by the group that I've owned, but I have several cassettes that the Talbott brothers who formed Mason Proffit released in the eighties.  John and Terry Talbott both went on to become Christian artists and recorded several albums together as well as solo.  When I was buying those albums I initially didn't know that they had been part of Mason Proffit until I read about it in a Christian music magazine.



Mortimer  (1968)  "Dedicated Music Man"   When I saw this album in cut-outs the picture put me in mind of The Beatles so I bought it.  As it turns out they did have support from the Beatles.  The music is quite pleasant and nicely recorded.  This is music that makes me smile wistfully.  Ah, those younger days!    A short documentary about the group can be found here--interesting story about a mostly forgotten group.

   
The Merry-Go-Round   (1967)  Emitt Rhodes had a long solo career without spectacular success though he is revered by many music lovers.  Before going solo he was the primary creative force behind the short-lived group The Merry-Go-Round.  The music is sunny pop psychedelia with a Beatles like sound.  I always found this to be a likable album with pleasing songs.
 



Myrth  (1969)  If you like the big horn bands like Chicago and Blood Sweat & Tears then you will likely find this album appealing.  Another find in the cut-out bins, I wasn't sure what I was getting into with this album though I knew it would have horns. After a spin on the turntable I knew I had a winner.  This album is a powerhouse of music.  This band from Phoenix AZ should have had more success, but so it goes and then it goes into cut-out bins for music lovers like me to keep in their collections.


        Which of these albums do you know?   Do you have a favorite Broadway musical?   What would be some of your picks for the letter M?









27 comments:

  1. I just visited the McGuinness Flint link and heard them. Loved the music. It's on my playlist now! Thanks for sharing such lovely music albums with us.

    momandideas.com

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    1. Mom, McGuinness Flint was such a fine group. Their song "When I'm Dead and Gone" is a classic.

      Lee

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  2. Playing catchup - it's been a full on week! I'm afraid I have no clue about any of these today, but your experience with The Magic Show sounds brilliant. M is really easy for me, Måneskin top my picks - they're Italian, but currently working on taking over the world. Then Muse and My Chemical Romance are good'ens too. M is a popular letter.
    Best wishes,
    Tasha
    Tasha's Thinkings: YouTube - What They Don't Tell You (and free fiction)

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    1. Tasha, I'm not at all familiar with the Italian group but the others I've heard of and have heard some of their music. I think I actually have a CD by Muse.

      Lee

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  3. A lot of bands I've never heard of.
    Current M favorite - Mastodon!

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    1. Alex, I know you've mentioned Mastodon before. I'm sure I've listened to some of their music, but can't say I know much about their music.

      Lee

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  4. A lot of stuff here I've never heard of.

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  5. I was a fan of Ian Matthews early, particularly the songs Shake It and King Of The Night.

    Mayall is a fixture of the blues-rock genre.

    Mason Proffit had a great live show, saw them three times.

    Two other Ms; Roger McQuin, specifically Cardiff Rose, and James McMurtry, any and all of his stuff.

    In response to question yesterday, I have no social media presence at the moment, there is a reason, but that might change as I retire from what I was doing.

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    1. That sounded too ominous. I design products that bring great joy to many. Some of those products are also used in competition, and some of the countries that use these products for competition consider that competition to be a source of national pride.

      If you watch the summer Olympics you might have seen some things I designed. Because of the importance of winning, I have been threatened a time or two. I had to hide in plain sight to mitigate that. Nothing ominous to anyone else.

      Delete
    2. Craig, you seem to have an extensive music background that suggests to me that we are of a similar age. Especially if you saw Mason Proffit 3 times! I think they stopped touring as a band in 1973 didn't they? Thanks for the explanation. Now I'm more mystified and curious than before.

      If you start a blog let me know. How did you stumble upon A to Z or my blog in the first place?

      Lee

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    3. From Dena Pawling, whom I know from Janet Reid's blog. One of my bad habits is to write, nuts, isn't it.

      One other M for you; J.J. Grey and Mofro.

      I learned long ago that the best thing I can do for music is to listen to it.

      Delete
    4. Craig, sad when music is made but no one ever hears it. Like that proverbial tree falling in the forest.

      Lee

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  6. I am an utter musical ignoramus since i had scrolled down several posts before coming across anyone i had even heard of. I own zero vinyl having gotten rid of my dozen LPs many years since. I feel jealous of people who have spent the time and energy to know and love such a wide variety of music and maybe will click through and listen to a few.
    Martine Frampton (no relation)(to Peter that is)

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    1. Martine, it could be a generational age thing. These are albums that are as much as fifty or more years old in many cases. I don't know if you should be jealous. We all have our interests and pursuits. Mine just happened to be music, possibly because of my tendency to be a bit of a loner who enjoyed the solitary activity of listening to music. Then my musical interests connected me with others with the same interest. Music gave me so many hours of enjoyment and pure pleasure and yet now, in retrospect in my retirement, I almost wish I had all the money I spent on music over the years. But that was my pursuit and it's a big part of who I was, am, and have become.

      Lee

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  7. I didn't recognize any of the music/albums you posted this time. But, being as I'm a fan of Chicago, I'll definitely have to give Myrth a try.

    AnjelaCurtis.com

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    1. Angela, if you like Chicago and similar bands you should like Myrth. I'm listening to them right now in fact.

      Lee

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  8. Can't say that I'm familiar with any of these albums, but I do recognize some of the bands: Mason Profitt, John Mayall, The McCoys. Think I'll check out Myrth; I love horn rock...

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    1. John, all of those bands you mentioned were fairly mainstream artists at some point of their careers. The album by Myrth is excellent. I've enjoyed listening to it a few times since putting together this post. Too bad they didn't put out any more albums as they showed so much potential in this one effort.

      Lee

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  9. I have run into McGuinness Flint and their hit, and the Merry-go-round a while back. Ian Matthews had a hit my freshman year with Shake It, that always reminds me of someone I know. I've always thought that Rick Derringer and Hang On Sloopy just didn't fit, so not surprised that the rest of their music is different.

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    1. CW, Rick Zehringer/Derringer went through some interesting musical evolvement. Even the album linked above has such a variety of musical styles. I like an album like that.

      Lee

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  10. I hadn't heard of any of these. Followed your link to Myrth and liked it!

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    1. Diedre, Myrth was a band from Phoenix. I've listened to this album a number of times recently and like it much more than I remember.

      Lee

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  11. I have not heard of any of these. I know there are so many out there that most people have no clue. Of course, I go the Moody Blues and have almost all their albums. My brother's child liked Muse from when she was a young teen although they are not a fav of mine.
    I do love The Music Man, Man of La Mancha, Mamma Mia, Mary Poppins, Mame, Meet Me in St. Louis and Maytime. I will also shout out to Mozart!

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    1. Birgit, not even Murray Mclauchlan? He put out so many records that were easy for me to find in Canada but not in the U.S.

      Those are some great M soundtracks. And Mozart is so great that it seems kind of odd that I don't have more of his music. I never bought any Mozart on vinyl, but I have several recordings on CD.

      Lee

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  12. My cup runneth over in the M category: I have the Mavericks, Bette Midler, Nana Mouskouri, and Reba McIntyre.

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    1. Patricia, you have some solid M picks in your collection. I don't think I have anything by any of those artists.

      Lee

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Go ahead and say something. Don't be afraid to speak your mind.
I normally try to respond to all comments in the comment section so please remember to check the "Email follow-up comments" box if you want to participate in the comment conversation.

For Battle of the Bands voting the "Anonymous" commenting option has been made available though this version is the least preferred. If voting using "anonymous" please include in your comment your name (first only is okay) and city you are voting from and the reason you chose the artist you did.

If you know me and want to comment but don't want to do it here, then you can send me an email @ jacksonlee51 at aol dot com.

Lee