Forgotten Friday Set List

So the first album that came out of the stack of vinyl here next to the old USB record player was Tom Paxton’s 1983 release Bulletin. While Tom is one of my all-time favorites this album never got a lot of spins. I guess because a few other things were happening in those years like Andrew being 1 year old and Nick being 4 and other stuff. Anyway Track 1 was “It’s Only a Game” a song about that wonderful Rubik’s Cube and the way it can frustrate you and leave you shaking your head saying  “It’s Only a Game!”. The album was produced by Tom’s friend Bob Gibson and the second  track I listened to from the album  “Something’s Wrong with the Rain” feature’s background vocals by Anne Hills and Cindy Mangsen. Tom, Anne Hills and Bob Gibson have recorded an album together and Tom and Anne recorded a great album together Under American Skies.

Track 3 comes from Jake Holmes 1969 self-titled album Jake Holmes. Jake Holmes is know in the music world as the guy who wrote Led Zeppelin’s song “Dazed and Confused” and went to court to prove it! The third track was “Beautiful Girl Good-bye” and the titled says what the song is about and it’s a great song. Track 4 also comes from this album and is “Yes, Virginia” a song about Jake’s take on organized religion. The album was recorded at Cinderella Studio in Nashville and features great session men Kenny Buttrey on drums, Ted Irwin on guitar, Irwin also produced the album and Weldon Myrick on pedal steel guitar. These same guys played with Steve Goodman and others and formed the nucleus of Area Code 615.

Track 5 comes from an album I bought in the bargain bins at the University of Florida around 1972 and became an all time favorite Here to There by Frummox. Frummox was a duo consisting of Steve Fromholz and Dan McCrimmon. The albums has lots of good Texas Country songs including :Man with a Big Hat” which tells the story of a hard working cowboy. Jerry Jeff covered the song years later with Willie Nelson providing the voice of the cowboy! Anyway the song I listened to is my favorite track on the album “Song for Stephen Stills” a great song!

Track 6 comes from an album that won a posthumous Grammy 1988 for an all-time favorite Steve Goodman Unfinished Business. The title of the track again tells it all “God Bless Our Mobile Home”. A song with the usual wit of Steve Goodman!

Track 7 is the title track from John Stewart’s album Willard. This song is one of the best songs about loneliness and and the second verse is just great:

soldiers of glass,

standin’ by the trash,

Willard’s colored bottles in a line,

Soldiers of glass,

It’s funny you should ask,

But they’re the only friends he has

to pass the time.

Track 8  a Flatt & Scruggs song “Down the Road” comes from a great bluegrass album High Country Snows released in 1985 by Dan Fogelberg. Fogelberg gathered together a great group of musicians for this album, including:

Ricky Skaggs, Herb Pederson, David Grisman, Chris Hillman, Jerry Douglas, Russ Kunkel, David Briggs, and Charlie McCoy (members of Area Code 615), Al Perkins and a special appearance by Doc Watson.

I also listened to the second track on the album “Sutter’s Mill” just to hear Jerry Douglas’ dobro!

Track 9 “Freedom” comes from the album Last Night I had the Strangest Dream by Mason Proffitt a pre-Eagles country rock band. In 2003, Al Perkins (previously mentioned as being on the Dan Fogelburg album)  joined forces with Terry Talbot and other original members: Bruce “Creeper” Kurnow on keyboard and harmonica and original bassist Tim Ayres to resurrect Mason Proffit. Al’s electric and acoustic guitar, steel guitar, banjo, lap slide guitar, Dobro and vocal range bring an exciting dimension to the band.

The night’s listening ended with Track 10 “I Would Not Be Here” a cute song from John Hartford’s album Gentle on My Mind. The song humorously tells a tale of how one thing only happens because another and another and another happen.

Another great night of forgotten music particularly Jake Holmes I listened to both sides of the first album and some of the second and the songs sounded great! And if you’ve forgotten these folks reconnect and if not try a few for the first time!