Originally written by John Prine in 1971, "Angel from Montgomery" is a poignant song narrated from the perspective of a middle-aged woman reflecting on her life, expressing feelings of longing, regret, and a desire for escape.
From her 1974 album Streetlights, Bonnie Raitt brought her incredible talent, and her soulful, bluesy delivery to craft what has become one of the definitive versions of this staple in American songwriting.
Enjoy.
I usually try to not post the same artist twice in less than a year, and while I already posted about The Cure back in June, I felt it was appropriate to pause and congratulate them on their first, that's right, The Cure's first Number One album.
Songs of a Lost World, their newest release, debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, marking the band’s best performance on that chart since releasing Wish in 1992. The album then hit No. 1 on five Billboard charts, becoming the first release in the band’s storied history to do so.
The Cure Go No. 1 in the US for First Time with Songs of a Lost World:
The Cure’s ‘Songs Of A Lost World’ is the top selling physical album in the US:
So, congrats to Robert Smith and the band, well done on producing decades upon decades worth of iconic and influential music. Here's to their willingness to experiment and push boundaries while always maintaining that deep emotional connections with the fans.
Here's to you, the only Cure we've ever really needed.
What makes a song "cool"?
That's certainly an age old question, hell, what makes anything "cool"? What even is "cool?"
"Cool", in and of itself, seems to be quietly vanishing from our cultural landscape, does it not? Things these days are new, exciting, adventurous, challenging, scary, frightening, wondrous, woke, anti-woke, and the list goes on and on. Cool, however, keeps fading out, keeps falling lower on that list.
I'm old school, I'm always for things that are cool, especially cars and music. A 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390 Fastback will always be cool. Forever. "Son of a Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield will always be cool. Forever.
I think songs are cool if they stop you in your tracks. If they can, almost instantly, get you into it's groove. Songs are cool if they speak to you, or give you new insight into a person or idea. Cool songs can be long or short, but they can never be meh. Bland will never equal cool. Groove will always be cool. Forever.
I think the Cadillac Three are cool.
Top Gun ("Danger Zone"), Footloose (the title track "Footloose"), and Caddyshack, I would put Kenny Loggins right up there with John Williams in terms of an artist's music being associated with the movies.
The 1980s belonged to John Hughes, action movie stars like Arnold and Sylvester, and Kenny Loggins.
Sorry Messina. You know "Danny's Song" will always hold a special place in our hearts.
Loggins wrote "I'm Alright" specifically for Caddyshack after director Harold Ramis approached him to contribute to the soundtrack. Ramis wanted a song that would reflect the youthful, offbeat vibe of the movie, and Loggins delivered exactly that.
It's a song that stands up, and might be even better today. It seems like being able to say, “I’m alright, don’t nobody worry ‘bout me” is, in itself, a revolutionary declaration. It's one of the reasons I do this blog, it helps with my own mental wellness. There isn't any money, but when I die, on my deathbed, I will receive total consciousness.
So I got that goin' for me, which is nice.
