Liner Notes 2022

This year’s liner notes picture was generated by Dall-E. If you haven’t played with that yet, give it a try by clicking here.

Firesign Theater

This year I was once again able to insert some “bits” into the playlist, you can hear these bits on the web but not on Spotify. While the Firesign Theater group was certainly a comedy troupe, The bits here are mostly just odd so its hard to call it comedy. Everything in this playlist is from their album “Everything You Know is Wrong”, but my favorite album of theirs is “How Can You Be In Two Places at Once & The Adventures of Nick Danger”

Love Me Or Die

C.W. Stoneking - A random suggestion from Spotify that I found mesmerizing - The singer is a 40ish year old Australian - musically very interesting and a pitifully sad story.

Rehab

Everything about Amy Winehouse truly amazes me. Heartfelt, confessional music with solid funk backing courtesy of the Dap Kings. This is the first of a trio of songs by people who died at 27.

You Go Down Smooth

The phenomenal Lake Street Dive with an ode to a poor choice of a relationship.

Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood

I hate to admit how much I get exposed to new music through television shows these days but here is a stellar example. I was raised on the Animals version of this song. And was not aware of Nina Simone’s version that I’ve included here, a bit softer sound but with more pathos and pain than Eric Burden and company produce.

Breath

During COVID my son Alex Ball put together his own EP in his closet in his apartment. He did plays everything on it except for the drums. Seems to me to be a love song which is appropriate since he just got engaged. Its a very cool record and you can hear the whole thing here on Spotify.

Come as You Are

I saw the Documentary “Montage of Heck” this year about Curt Cobain, it is interesting and well done. I have a reasonable understanding about Nirvana but this was a whole lot of background and great to see. Another person who died at the ripe old age of 27.

Little Wing

Its been over 50 years since Jimi Hendrix died. He was so influential and larger than life and meant so much to music that its hard for me to believe that he has started to fade from memory but it’s been over 50 years so I really have no idea how much people know about him or who he was anymore. One of the greatest guitarists ever, this is a very mellow song, but he went from this sort of mellow sound to completely wild playing - he was famous for playing his guitar while it was actually on fire. Another in the “dead at 27” club.

Golden Years

Staying in the 70s this time with David Bowie. Just wanted some good music by someone really good for this one.

Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want

The Smiths were Emo before Emo was a thing. Classic, sadness from Morissey and the band.

Stay With Me

I don’t think anyone thinks of Sam Smith of Emo but he sure can dig deep into those sad emotions, and here is a stellar example of this. Just heartbreaking from top to bottom. Quite a run of sad songs this year, I’m not really sad, really…

Pale Blue Eyes

I hate to admit how much music I discover from TV shows or movies that have really good music. This is where I found this song, from the show Russian Doll, which is a great show that I would highly recommend. I am not too strong on the Velvet Underground, this song has Lou Reed as the lead singer, I’m far more on top of my Lou Reed catalog than Velvet Underground, and I was really not aware of this song. Hearing a bit of it in the TV show got me to listen to it and once I listened I became obsessed, listening to it over and over again. A really great song, follows a blues format but when the lyrics would normally be repeated he just adds more great lyrics and great thinking. One of my favorite songs on this year’s mix.

Wassiye

I learned about the Malian singer songwriter Habib Koite when I went to a Bonnie Raitt concert earlier this year. I loved the next song on this list and that led me to Koite who has a lot of very interesting music - I found his music friendly, and inviting but with really cool instrumentation and lots of subtleties going on, was very excited to get turned on to him and now I get to share!

Back Around

I got to see Bonnie Raitt this year at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, a wonderful venue that I have not been to in a very long time. This song was a real highlight for me, one that I did not know at all. This song is a collaboration with Habib Koite. On the surface its just another blues song, very Bonnie Raitt and very good. If you listen closely there is all sorts of instrumentation and crazy subtleties going on just underneath the surface. Highly recommend headphones or good speakers and a quiet room to get everything this song has to offer.

Let Me Roll It

Many roads led me to playing something from the album Band On The Run this year. In Marrakech I stayed at the very fancy La Mamounia hotel where Paul and Linda McCartney stayed, but the hotel is NOT the inspiration to the song Mamunia from Band On The Run, the song was named after the studio in Lagos Nigeria where most of the album was recorded. I was also charmed by the back story behind the song “Picasso’s Last Words”. McCartney wrote the song in response to a challenge from Dustin Hoffman who did not believe Paul could write a song “about anything” as Paul had claimed. Hoffman, found a news article about Picasso’s recent death and his last words and Paul played him the song the next day. But this song is better than both of them and in the end it was the song I wanted for this mix.

Tusa

KAROL G. Nicki Minaj - UNDER CONSTRUCTION - Great Song, come back soon for notes…

Crazy in Love

Beyonce - UNDER CONSTRUCTION - Great Song, come back soon for notes…

Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon

Urge Overkill - UNDER CONSTRUCTION - Great Song, come back soon for notes…

Changes

2Pac, Talent - UNDER CONSTRUCTION - Great Song, come back soon for notes…

Alison

Elvis Costello - UNDER CONSTRUCTION - Great Song, come back soon for notes…

Lonesome LA Cowboy

New Riders of the Purple Sage - UNDER CONSTRUCTION - Great Song, come back soon for notes…

Tenessee Whiskey

Chris Stapleton - UNDER CONSTRUCTION - Great Song, come back soon for notes…

Hound Dog

Big Mama Thorton - UNDER CONSTRUCTION - Great Song, come back soon for notes…