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They’re Red Hot Tracklist: Please Leave a Comment!    Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band featuring Sam Moore: “Hold On, I’m Coming > Soul Man” One of a few spectacular performances at the 25th Anniversary concert for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The band is on point and on fire. Bruce […]

Merry Christmas! Tracklist: Please Leave a Comment!    Chuck Leavell: “Hey Santa” Chuck Leavell’s Christmas album, What’s in That Bag? is loaded with more funky good cheer. —Rock Stamberg Ryan Culwell: “It’s Christmastime, I Know (Ho Ho Ho)” I heard it, I liked it, and here it is. —RS Ben Kweller: “Try to Love […]

Listen To The Music Tracklist: Please Leave a Comment!    Grateful Dead: “Let The Good Times Roll” When they are on, one of the things the Grateful Dead do best is hit a rhythm that floats effortlessly like a river going downstream. I offer this song as my example. – John Stix I’m a […]

Ain’t Nice To Talk Like That Tracklist: Please Leave a Comment!    The Allman Brothers Band: “Little Martha (Live at The Beacon Theatre, NYC)” “Somewhere in a burst of glory, sound becomes a song.” – Paul Simon. That’s how this rendition of “Little Martha” arrives, courtesy of the Allman Brothers Band at The Beacon […]

So May We Start Tracklist: Please Leave a Comment!    Sparks (featuring Adam Driver, Marion Cotillard, & Simon Helberg): “So May We Start” This is such an unusual song … but not for Sparks. It’s catchy despite itself. Recorded for the soundtrack to the film “Annette,” those are indeed some of the actors singing […]

Boom Bapa Boom! Tracklist: Please Leave a Comment!    Jimmie Vaughan: “Boom Bapa Boom” A cool groove and a cool song. Nonsense lyrics be damned! –Rock Stamberg As a fan of brother Stevie Ray’s roar and conviction on the guitar, I found Jimmy Vaughan’s playing too tame for my taste. But upon hearing his […]

Merry Christmas 2023! Tracklist: Please Leave a Comment!    The Beatles: “1966” Ringo Starr: “Dear Santa” Augie Rios: “Donde Esta Santa Claus” Andy Partridge: “Let There Be Snow” Ed Sheeran & Elton John: “Merry Christmas” Nick Lowe: “Silent Night” Wizzard: “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday” Debbie Dabney: “I Want to Spend Christmas […]

Let’s Get It On Tracklist: Let us know by LEAVING A COMMENT!    Fleetwood Mac: “Teen Beat (Outtake) [2016 Remaster] ” This is an outtake from Fleetwood Mac’s Mirage album from 1982. Featuring a somewhat unhinged Lindsey Buckingham coaxing Mick Fleetwood and John McVie to follow and enhance his fun romp, this is a […]

Ooh! My Soul Tracklist: Let us know by LEAVING A COMMENT!    Little Richard: “Ooh! My Soul” This Little Richard screamer is a killer and always will be. Can you imagine what teenagers’ parents must’ve thought if they heard their little ones grooving to this monstrous recording in the ‘50s? I’m so glad this […]

Getting Better Tracklist: Let us know by LEAVING A COMMENT!    Beatles: “Getting Better – Vocals Only” No matter how you slice ‘em up and whittle ‘em down, every aspect of The Beatles’ strengths always shone through. Such a great lyric, by the way. —Rock Stamberg This track sounds so good, so full, so […]

Naked in The Jungle Tracklist: Let us know by LEAVING A COMMENT!      Van Morrison: “Naked in the Jungle” I like Van Morrison’s rarely heard raucous side as evidenced on this beauty. He left it in the can for twenty-something years until he released his The Philosopher’s Stone collection of outtakes in 1998. […]

When we put together the final version of NHT for podcasting I look over the tracks and make note of which ones are truly unique. Well, what do you know, this one is batting 1000%. It’s an NHT Hall of Famer. — John Stix Tracklist: Let us know by LEAVING A COMMENT! Note: The “Play […]

I’m Shakin’ by The Blasters Tracklist: Let us know by LEAVING A COMMENT! Note: The “Play this track” cues below may be off by several seconds on mobile devices.    The Blasters: “I’m Shakin” Isn’t this track amazing? Surely, the vocal, the performance … heck, the *vibe* are all curiously driven. An unusual track […]

This is a tribute to Jeff Beck Tracklist: Let us know by LEAVING A COMMENT! Note: The “Play this track” cues below may be off by several seconds on mobile devices.    Jeff Beck: “Where Were You” This is an excerpt from a tape I made at Jeff’s house. I spent a day with […]

The Who’s Guitar and Pen hails from their 1978 Who Are You album, the last one with Keith Moon on drums. Tracklist: Like what you hear? Let us know by LEAVING A COMMENT! Note: The “Play this track” cues below may be off by several seconds on mobile devices.    The Who: “Guitar And […]

Check out Todd Rundgren’s new Christmas song! Tracklist: Like what you hear? Let us know by LEAVING A COMMENT! Note: The “Play this track” cues below may be off by several seconds on mobile devices.  The Beatles: “1965” Huey “Piano” Smith & The Clowns: “All I Want For Christmas (is a little music)” The […]

A Tribute to Christine McVie Tracklist: Like what you hear? Let us know by LEAVING A COMMENT! Note: The “Play this track” cues below may be off by several seconds on mobile devices.  Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie: “Feel About You” The duet album this song comes from what was actually going to be Fleetwood […]

Check out this month’s satisfying songs about food for more aural treats. Tracklist: Like what you hear? Let us know by LEAVING A COMMENT! Note: The “Play this track” cues below may be off by several seconds on mobile devices.  Bo Diddley: “Bo Diddley” I get that it’s all about the beat, but this […]

“Travelin’ High” is a song from John Fogerty’s eponymously titled debut solo album from 1975. Tracklist: Like what you hear? Let us know by LEAVING A COMMENT! Note: The “Play this track” cues below may be off by several seconds on mobile devices.  Hello, I’m Mr. Ed: I love snippets of dialogue from movies, […]

Tracklist: Like what you hear? Let us know by LEAVING A COMMENT! Note: The “Play this track” cues below may be off by several seconds on mobile devices.  STEVE WINWOOD: “Different Light” Late-period Steve Winwood  conjures a magical groove on this tune. It’s both unusual and delicious. —Rock Stamberg In the latter half of […]

Tracklist: Like what you hear? Let us know by LEAVING A COMMENT! Note: The “Play this track” cues below may be off by several seconds on mobile devices.  XTC: “I’m the Man Who Murdered Love” I just love XTC and this song is pretty perfect in my opinion. —Rock Stamberg It’s pure pop for […]

Tracklist: Like what you hear? Let us know by LEAVING A COMMENT! Note: The “Play this track” cues below may be off by several seconds on mobile devices.  MARK KNOPFLER: “Sultans Of Swing” (Guitar & Vocal only) It is often said that the greatness of a song can be measured with only a voice […]

Tracklist: Like what you hear? Let us know by LEAVING A COMMENT! Can’t get enough Christmas music? Load up our special episodes for Christmas 2019 and Christmas 2018. Note: The “Play this track” cues below may be off by several seconds on mobile devices. DAN PUGACH NONET FEATURING NICOLE ZURAITIS “Sleigh Ride” Here we are […]

Tracklist: Like what you hear? Let us know by LEAVING A COMMENT! Note: The “Play this track” cues below may be off by several seconds on mobile devices.  THE BEATLES: “Strawberry Fields Forever” (Take #4) Another way to hear The Beatles’ gem … before the overdubs —Rock Stamberg TERRY MELCHER: “These Days” This radical […]

Tracklist: Like what you hear? Let us know by LEAVING A COMMENT! Note: The “Play this track” cues below may be off by several seconds on mobile devices. HARRY NILSSON: “Gotta Get Up” Nilsson’s first “rock” song. That voice. —Rock Stamberg THE KINKS: “This Time Tomorrow”  Another great—yes, great—Kinks song that flew under the radar. […]

Tracklist: Like what you hear? Let us know by LEAVING A COMMENT! Note: The “Play this track” cues below may be off by several seconds on mobile devices. ELVIS COSTELLO: “Miracle Man” My Aim is True is in the rarefied group of strongest debut recordings. The songwriting, lyrics and performance are all top notch. I […]

Tracklist: Like what you hear? Let us know by LEAVING A COMMENT! Note: The “Play this track” cues below may be off by several seconds on mobile devices. BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS: “Smiling Phases” This is one of my favorite tracks from one of my favorite jazz rock albums. I rank the first two BST […]

Tracklist: Like what you hear? Let us know by LEAVING A COMMENT! Note: The “Play this track” cues below may be off by several seconds on mobile devices. JEFF BECK GROUP: “Got the Feeling” In the world of Jeff Beck fans, Truth and Blow by Blow are the universal keystones. To a much smaller cadre […]

Tracklist: Like what you hear? Let us know by LEAVING A COMMENT! Note: The “Play this track” cues below may be off by several seconds on mobile devices. John Stix’s Song Notes: JAMES TAYLOR: “Go Tell It on the Mountain” JT has done a good amount of Christmas music. Much of it is too slick […]

Tracklist: Like what you hear? Let us know by LEAVING A COMMENT! Note: The “Play this track” cues below may be off by several seconds on mobile devices. Song Notes: JONI MITCHELL & TOM SCOTT AND THE L.A. EXPRESS: “Big Yellow Taxi” Tom Scott and the L.A. Express were Joni Mitchell’s touring band in 1974 […]

SEATRAIN: “I'm Willing” Back in the early 1970s, Singer Sewing Centers sponsored live radio broadcasts. They did this because they wanted you to know they had large record departments in their retail sewing centers. One of these broadcasts, which I still have on cassette tape, was by the group Seatrain. I was sold by that radio concert.

FLEETWOOD MAC: “Second Hand News” What a great album opener. Rumours was *the big one* for Fleetwood Mac and it’s fitting they led it off with this amazing Lindsey Buckingham song. Deceptively bouncy and even fun, performance-wise, its stealth personal lyrics foreshadowed Buckingham’s increasing position in the Mac and subsequent reputation as a musical eccentric to be reckoned with.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND: “10th Avenue Freeze-Out (Ballad Version)” Bruce Springsteen has always been at ease changing up the recorded version of a song for the stage. It’s a Dylanesque trait that has served him well. I spent months searching for his live ballad version of “For You.” And man is that good. But this masterful remake of “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” is hands-down my favorite Springsteen track that has yet to be officially released. The original is a great “strut rocking song.” This ballad spotlights the power of the lyric, the image of the night. It’s absolutely cinematic. —John Stix

STEELY DAN: “Instrumental Overture” 1993 was the year Steely Dan became a touring band after a 20-year layoff. When they recorded their first album, Can't Buy a Thrill, in 1972, leaders Donald Fagen and Walter Becker were surprised when their record company asked them to tour to support it. They were songwriters, not performers, and Fagen certainly didn’t see himself as a front man. The road provided no second takes, shoddy sound reinforcement and no particular allure for the band. But 1993 introduced a great band with a great sound able to project their great songs. Like the old Motown reviews, the backing band would come out and play ahead of the duo’s arrival on stage. All the nuance, dynamics, and deep colors of each song were performed flawlessly. This version of “Bad Sneakers” was not officially released and its inclusion would have enhanced the Dan’s surprisingly unimpressive Alive in America live album released in 1995. —John Stix

THE BEATLES: “Christmas Time (Is Here Again)” This is the complete take, an edited version of which appeared on the 1967 edition of The Beatles’ Fan Club’s annual Christmas Flexi Disc sent to Fan Club members, gratis, every year. The track’s off-the-wall Christmas-themed lyrics and classic 1967-vintage Beatles sound are in full flower here. Then there’s John Lennon’s inspired “Krimble” finale, which makes this one golden. This complete take of “Christmas Time (Is Here Again)” appeared as the b-side to the “Real Love” single from February 1986.

CLASSICAL INTRO > Pete Townshend: “A Little Is Enough” Ahh, the days of making mixed tapes with my old Nakamichi 500 cassette deck. I was always playing around, looking to concoct some fun segue. In this case I randomly taped a classical station on the radio and thought it would work nicely mashed up with Pete Townshend’s “A Little Is Enough.” I was totally enamored with Pete’s 1980 solo record, Empty Glass. For my taste it was one of the two best records of the year. It had killer songs and I love Pete as a vocalist because his voice isn’t that of a classic “lead singer.” Like Joe Walsh — another favorite singer of mine — Pete has to work at his vocals and own them. I guess it’s his authenticity that attracts me. —John Stix

THE BEATLES et al.: “Help!” Ah, the Nakamichi 500. What a cassette deck. The pause button was so precise that you could stop and start the tape flawlessly. I once tried to get as many different songs splices as I could fit on a 45 minute cassette. I think I got upwards of 40 different songs snippets on there. This opening for “Help” is just one example of how it works. I put this on every mixed tape I made for years. And it was decades before my daughters heard the original Beatles version. Their response was, where’s the opening? —John Stix

“Why Do Fools Fall In Love” (Joni Mitchell/The Happening/Spike Jones) Once again, it’s me using my vintage Nakamichi 500 cassette deck back in the day. I would input two different sources into the deck and mix them live on the fly. The Happenings were kind of a joke band, perhaps influenced by Spike Lee. Joni Mitchell was just all smiles, touring around with Jaco Pastorius, Pat Metheny, Lyle Mays, Michael Brecker and Don Alias. It was probably one of the acclaimed jazz musicians’ better paydays and everyone involved was having fun. — John Stix

“Something’s Coming” (WEST SIDE STORY/Todd Rundgren): Sometime in the late ’60s I purchased a Nakamichi 500 Cassette Deck. That, along with my Dual 1219 Turntable was the pride of my stereo setup. My favorite function on the deck was the pause button. It was automatic. There was not a moment of hesitation, so if there was a break in a song I could pause the tape and whenever I let it go, it would be a flawless segue into the next song. It was magic. In this case I started with the soundtrack to West Side Story and "Something's Coming" and segued into Todd Rundgren's version of the same song. Magic! There was a difference in the key that Todd played in, but the Dual had a knob that let you dial in the speed and there you have it.