So on this lazy Labor Day I listened to some old folk by a couple of favorites. First, I was looking at some vinyl and was going to use my new cleaning solution and then record some music and I came across The Best of Eric Andersen and since it’s a favorite I decided to record it. I listened to the first side and then recorded the second side without listening. When it was done I discovered that I had not even started the recorder to record either side! So I listened and recorded the first side again! That side is probably the most played side of the two album set with the first three songs being the favorites: “My Land is a Good Land”, “Hey Babe, You’ve Been Cheatin'” and my favorite “Thirsty Boots” and the last song “Close the Door Lightly” is also a favorite!
After I had screwed up I went to get something at Staples (note to self avoid Staples the day before school starts) and 
listened to another Andersen album on the way. His 2004 release The Street was Always There an album of covers of great songs by Eric’s 60s contemporaries in The Village. Andersen does a good job of making songs by various of artists his own. The album contains songs by Fred Neil “Little Bit of Rain” and “The Other Side of This Life”, Buffy Saint Marie’s “Universal Soldier” which Donovan made more famous than Buffy. Staying with the anti-war theme there’s two Phil Ochs songs “I Ain’t a Marching Anymore” whose refrain “it’s always the old that lead us to war, it’s always the young that die” is still relevant! Andersen does a nice cover of a favorite Paul Seibel song “Louise” and Dylan’s “A Hard Rains A Gonna Fall” Also Tim Hardin’s “Misty Roses” and Patrick Sky’s “Many A Mile”. All in all listening to the album brought back a lot of memories!
The second album I listened to was Tom Rush’s 1984 release Late Night Radio from a 
concert recorded in 1982. The album has some good Rush songs including “Late Night Radio”, “Jazzman”, Jackson Browne’s “Jamacia, Say You Will” and my favorite “Beam Me Up Scotty” written by Jake Holmes a very funny song obviously based on Star Trek. The album also features tracks by other favorites Buskin and Batteau, who do their song “Annette” an ode to that favorite member of the Mickey Mouse club (at least for young boys) Annette Funnicello! Buskin and Batteau also perform “The Boy with the Violin: another favorite! Steve Goodman contributes “City of New Orleans” and Mimi Farina “Swallow Song” Another good listen that brought back lots of memories!
Here’s Eric with a 2009 performance of “Violet’s of Dawn” from his first album and it appears on The Best of Eric Andersen as well as Vanguard Visionaries:Eric Andersen