Classic album: B.B. King – Live at The Regal 1965

“B.B. King is not only a timeless singer and guitarist, he’s also a natural-born entertainer, and on Live at the Regal the listener is treated to an exhibition of all three of his talents.”
– Allmusic

Live at the Regal is a 1965 live album by American blues guitarist and singer B.B. King. It was recorded on November 21, 1964 at the Regal Theater in Chicago. The album is widely heralded as one of the greatest blues albums ever recorded and is #141 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In 2005, Live at the Regal was selected for permanent preservation in the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress in the United States.

“Ladies and gentlemen, how about a nice warm round of applause to welcome the world’s greatest blues singer, the king of the blues; B.B. King.”

This is how one of the best live blues albums ever made starts,  we get 35 minutes of blues captured just as blues music was designed to be heard, live and loud! Continue reading “Classic album: B.B. King – Live at The Regal 1965”

October 24: Laura Cantrell released her debut album Not The Tremblin’ Kind in 2000

I’ve loved and played this album for…2o years now! Time flies…

This is an album that is mentioned far too seldom in the press and is too unknown by way too many. Laura Cantrell reclaims the essence of americana songwriting, she does story-songs about drinking, relationships gone south and long days and nights being on the road. She is the real deal.

Not the Tremblin’ Kind is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Laura Cantrell. It was originally released in 2000 on Diesel Only Records. The album bears a dedication to “the original Beverly Hillbilly”, Zeke Manners.

Laura Cantrell (born 1967) is a country singer-songwriter and DJ from Nashville, Tennessee. She used to present a weekly country and old-time music radio show on WFMU called The Radio Thrift Shop. Since October 2005 she has only made occasional appearances on the station (but is hosting a show on SiriusXM about George Harrison and his music no less!) . She is one of the relatively few contemporary artists mentioned and played on Bob Dylan’s radio show Theme Time Radio Hour.

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October 19: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers released Damn The Torpedoes in 1979

“…Tom Petty and his bar band defrilled classic rock: In 1979, he filed for bankruptcy; then Torpedoes took off, mostly because “Here Comes My Girl” seemed to keep the promises those like Jagger et al., forgot they’d made. Perfectly produced by future music-industry megamogul Jimmy Iovine, Torpedoes gave bright jangling Sixties rock a sheen that made pretty much everything else on AOR radio seem lumpy and stiff, while Petty’s obvious authenticity kept the music from ever seeming calculated or overly”
– Rolling Stone

I got this album on vinyl in January 1980, it is still my favourite Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers album.

Damn the Torpedoes is the third studio album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, released on October 19, 1979. It built on the commercial success and critical acclaim of his two previous albums and reached #2 on the Billboard album chart. The album went on to become certified Triple Platinum.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 313 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and 315 in a 2012 revised list. It is at 231 on the 2020 list from Rolling Stone magazine. It’s climbing!

Great documentary on Damn The Torpedoes in The Classic Album series , Part 1:

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October 17: The Traveling Wilburys released their debut album Volume 1 in 1988

The Traveling Wilburys (sometimes shortened to the Wilburys) were a British-American supergroup consisting of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty. The band recorded two albums in 1988 and 1990, though Orbison died before the second was recorded.

Personell on Volume 1:
“Nelson Wilbury” – George Harrison
“Otis Wilbury” – Jeff Lynne
“Lefty Wilbury” – Roy Orbison
“Charlie T. Wilbury, Jr” – Tom Petty
“Lucky Wilbury” – Bob Dylan

Handle with care:

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October 15: Tom Waits released The Heart of Saturday Night in 1974

Oceanside ends the ride
With San Clemente commin up
And Sunday desperados slip by
And cruise with a dry buck
And the Orange drive-in, neon billing
And the theaters filling to the brim
With Slave Girls, Hot Spur, Bucket Full of Sin
– Tom Waits, Diamonds on my windshield

The Heart of Saturday Night is the second studio album by singer and songwriter Tom Waits, released on October 15, 1974 on Asylum Records.

It is a fantastic album!

(Looking for) The Heart of Saturday Night and San Diego Serenade, PBS soundstage in 1975:

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October 14: David Bowie released “Heroes” in 1977

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_message message_box_color=”mulled_wine” icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-quote-left”]And you,
You can be mean
And I,
I’ll drink all the time
‘Cause we’re lovers,
And that is a fact
Yes we’re lovers,
And that is that
― David Bowie (“Heroes”)[/vc_message][/vc_column][/vc_row]


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