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MORE OF
ROB'S RECOMMENDED
RECORDINGS

Rolling
Stone 		Rolling Stone Album Guide
Barnes & Noble.com Music Store
Billboard Magazine Billboard
Magazine
Remember, you can hear selections from many of the albums shown here by checking in with Barnes&Noble.com!
Nanci
Griffith 		One Fair Summer Evening Album Cover The Very Best Cover Other Voices, Other Rooms Cover Other Voices, Too
I first became familiar with Nanci Griffith when I got a promo copy of One Fair Summer Evening. The song that caught my attention on the first couple of listens was Julie Gold's song "From A Distance." Though it's been recorded by a variety of artists since that time, Nanci's version will always be the definitive one for me. Other Voices, Other Rooms is simply one of the best albums of the early 90's, featuring songs written by a veritable who's-who of the folk genre, many of whom perform on the album as well. (See my Nine for the Nineties page.)
God is watching us......from a distance.
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John
Hiatt 		Bring the Family Cover Art Slow Turning Cover Art Stolen Moments Cover Art Live at Budokan Cover Art
John Hiatt is a songwriter's songwriter. With the release of Bring The Family in the late 80's, he established himself as a recording artist to be reckoned with. Subsequent releases Slow Turning and Stolen Moments (another candidate for my Nine for the Nineties list) cemented that status. Live at Budokan presents hard rocking renditions of the best songs from the three prior releases. Hiatt's touring band is kickin'! John's latest is Beneath This Gruff Exterior, released in May, 2003. The writing is as strong as ever, and the slide guitar licks by Sonny Landreth may alone be worth the price of the disc!
In time you will move mountains...and it will come...through your hands.
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Carrie
Newcomer 		My Father's Only Son Cover
 Gathering of Spirits Cover
My friend Roz from Pittsburgh introduced me to this artist. Newcomer is a superb singer/songwriter. The lyrics are very heartfelt, the music is somewhere between folk and soft rock...sort of a latter day Karla Bonoff, if you will. My Father's Only Son is the album to start on; it features a wonderful song Roz told me about called "Amelia Almost," written for Carrie's then-13-year-old daughter. The Gathering of Spirits, released in 2002, became a constant companion of mine during the long, cold winter that followed, and never fails to lift my spirits.
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Tom
Paxton 		Even A Gray Day It Ain't Easy Elektra Years Paxton Best
Like Eric Andersen, Paxton is another of the folk troubadours (and under-appreciated performers) to whose music I was introduced by Elizabeth's Mom. A genuine song craftsman, Paxton has written some of the true classics of the folk genre, including "Ramblin' Boy," "I Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound," and "The Last Thing On My Mind." All three are found on the collection, The Very Best of Tom Paxton. Even A Gray Day is 30 minutes of pure bliss.
May all your ramblin' bring you joy......
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Poco Very Best of Poco The Essential Poco The Forgotten Trail
Put these guys in the category of "stuff I grew up on." This is one of the bands I was introduced to in my High School years through listening to Pete Fornatale (NY radio personality heard theses days over the internet on WFUV). I first tuned into Pete in the summer of 1975 and he'd occasionally play a song from the band called "A Good Feeling To Know," which by then was already a few years old. Part of the Buffalo Springfield family tree, I would venture to say that their best work holds up well by comparison to any other country rock ensemble you can think of. To my amazement and chagrin, they rarely receive airplay on the classic rock stations that play the Eagles quite frequently. Bandmembers over the years included Jim Messina, Randy Meisner, Richie Furay, Rusty Young (best pedal steel player I've ever seen and heard), Paul Cotton, Timothy B. Schmit and George Grantham, some of whom still get together for the occasional tour. At this time, I know of no definitive retrospective, due to the group having changed record labels a few times, making the titles shown here the best available at the moment.
There's just a little bit of magic in the music they're singin'.....
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Kim
Richey 		Kim Richey Album Cover Bitter Sweet Album Cover
Good singer/songwriter who came to my attention from a sales rep for Polygram, Billy Holdsworth. She's also toured extensively and has opened shows for Mary Chapin Carpenter on occasion. Lots of twangy guitars, gritty voice, good melodies, lyrics usually involving a relationship in turmoil. Somewhat reminiscent of 70's Linda Ronstadt, but Kim writes her own material. (I guess she's catching on.....I recently heard an instrumental version of one of her songs in a department store!)
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Good news! Kim's made my Nine for the Nineties list!

Bruce
Springsteen 		The Rising Album Cover
On this collection of songs written, for the most part, in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, Springsteen gives voice to the wide range of emotions so many Americans were experiencing at that time. What surprises and delights me is how uplifting much of this music can be, despite the stark nature of the subject matter. This is achieved thanks in part to the inspired playing of the E Street Band, and in part to the prayerlike choruses that almost evolve into a mantra, as on the second track called "Into the Fire." The end result is to leave me feeling hopeful with every listen I give this album.
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Train Train Album Cover
My daughter has been into this band for a while, and two of my old music industry friends mentioned them to me in separate conversations. So I gave them a serious listen and I have to say that they are getting better and better with each release. My Private Nation, their third major label release, is a terrific sounding CD with so many hooks and clever turns of a phrase that I find myself smiling and wanting to sing along every time I hear it. Except for "When I Look to the Sky" and "Calling All Angels," which have been known to bring a tear to my eye under certain circumstances. My kid took me to see them perform in a club setting recently and they are as good live as they are on record. Singer Pat Monahan has to be one of the best frontmen in the business.
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Thanks for stopping by! And please feel free to email me with any comments or questions. I'd love to hear from you!

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This page created in 1998 by Robert F. Waters. Last updated December, 2006.


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