So in between listening to new music over the last week, I also downloaded and listened to four of my all time favorite albums. John Prine and Steve Goodman’s second albums and one favorite each from Harry Chapin and Jesse Winchester. The first album was Steve Goodman’s second album Somebody Else’s Troubles. This may be my all time favorite Goodman album running neck and neck with his first album. There are just so many good songs on this album! Steve’s cover of Michael Smith’s song “The Dutchman” is on my short list of all time favorite songs! Then there’s “Six Hours Ahead of the Sun” which was floating around in my head when I left Target late at night during the Christmas holidays and” Somebody Else’s Troubles”
and it’s not hard to get along with somebody else’s troubles,
cause they don’t make you lose any sleep at night,
just as long as fate is out there busting somebody else’s bubble,
everything’s going to be all right
…..which has been stuck in my head after listening a few days ago! Then there’s one of the most touching anti-war songs ever “The Ballad of Penny Evans”. And I forgot that the Homer and Jethro song “I’m My Own Grandpa” is on the album! That song makes me laugh every time I hear it…. and it’s appropriate in our house considering my wife’s extensive genealogy collection! If you’ve never heard this album give it a listen you will not be disappointed!!
The next album was John Prine’s second album Diamonds in the Rough Another album that is just loaded with so many great songs From the opening song “Everybody” to the closing track “Diamonds in the Rough” I don’t think there’s a bad song on the album, I mean there’s “Souvenirs” and “Sour Grapes”, “The Late John Garfield Blues” and two songs that always make me laugh that I hadn’t heard for a long time ” The Frying Pan Song” and “Yes, I Guess They Ought To Name A Drink After You” and that subtle “The Great Compromise”. Another album on the top ten all time favorite list. Check it out!
Jesse Winchester’s Learn to Love It is another favorite album that I put on the iPOD this week. I love Winchester’s
music just for that the music. His songs have gospel, folk, country, and R&B influences, just listen to “Wake Me” and “How Far is the Horizon”. I don’t even need to know what he’s saying to enjoy his music one of my favorite tracks on this album is “L’air de la Lousianne” just a beautiful song! And is there a song that creates a “sense of place” better than “Mississippi, You’re on My Mind”? Throw in “Third Rate Romance” and “Defying Gravity” and you have a GREAT album!
The last album but certainly not the least was Harry Chapin’s Short Stories another album that I just love, with songs 
like “W.O.L.D”, and “Mr Tanner” and “Mail Order Annie”. Three of those great slice of life story songs that Harry wrote so well! Then there’s that song about a squirrel migration, “it was just another night I was out on a limb”…. the opening lines of “They Call Her Easy”. One time when we saw Harry live in Atlanta, his guitar player made that comment before Harry started the song, so that when he did sing those words he cracked up! Anyway the album is another of my favorites!
So now I have four of my favorite albums on the iPOD, so do I get rid of the vinyl copies that are on the shelf in the basement??????
Here’s Steve Goodman’s version of “I’m My Own Grandpa” one day I’m going to have to trace this convoluted family tree!!