Music Break

Now that I've been able to assemble a set of five songs, it's time to present them.  Most of these are songs I remember from my younger days, but one I have recently discovered.  First up is something from Arlo Guthrie, most famous for his 18-and-a-half-minute anthem Alice's Restaurant.  His only hit, however, was a cover of Steve Goodman's City Of New Orleans.  The video shows footage of the namesake train, with a brief appearance by the song's writer towards the end.


In 1977, Supertramp released the album Even In The Quietest Moments.  At this time, the band consisted of Roger Hodgson (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Rick Davies (keyboards, harmonica, vocals), John Helliwell (sax, clarinet, keyboards), Dougie Thompson (bass), and Bob Siebenberg (drums, percussion).  This is the title song, written and sung by Hodgson.


The next song is one that I've recently run across, but came out in 1992.  That year, the B-52's released Good Stuff, their only album without singer Cindy Wilson.  The band's remaining female singer Kate Pierson more than holds her own, while looking better in this video than forty-somethings should be legally allowed.  (I plead guilty to having lusted after her from time to time, even though she swings the other way.)  The band's two male members are singer Fred Schneider and guitarist Keith Strickland.  This is the album's opener Tell It Like It T-I-Is.  Julee Cruise, hired to sing Wilson's parts, appears in the video, but as far as I can tell, is not on the album.


Led Zeppelin recorded Houses Of The Holy for the album of the same name in 1972, but it off that album and later included it on Physical Graffiti, released in 1975.


To finish, this is Day After Day by Badfinger, from their 1971 album Straight Up.  The band then consisted of Pete Ham (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Tom Evans (bass, vocals), Joey Molland (guitar, vocals), and Mike Gibbins (drums, percussion).  Ham wrote and sang this one, and plays slide guitar along with guest musician/producer George Harrison.  Guest musician Leon Russell plays piano.  During the album's recording, Harrison had to drop out and was replaced as producer by Todd Rundgren.