MusicHead

The Staple Singers: WE’LL GET OVER (1970)*

The Staple Singers were about the only gospel group in the sixties to cross over into the mainstream and also about the only one who made a particular effort to delve in to the issues of the day. Sadly, those same issues are still with us.

Collected Tracks

• We’ll Get Over
• Everyday People
• Tend to Your Own Business
• The Challenge
• Games People Play
• When Will Be Paid

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Steve Earle & The Dukes: THE HARD WAY (1990)*

I’m not in love with Steve Earle’s voice. But his writing…

Collected Tracks

• The Other Kind
• Hopeless Romantics
• This Highway’s Mine (Roadmaster)
• Regular Guy

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Stevie Wonder: FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE (1968)*

It’s Stevie, y’all.

Collected Tracks

• For Once in My Life
• Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day
• You Met Your Match
• I Wanna Make Her Love Me
• I Don’t Know Why
• Sunny
• God Bless the Child

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Sting: THE SOUL CAGES (1991)*

I honestly cannot remember if I’ve heard this one before, so I’m treating it like it’s new. More Sting isn’t a bad thing, though. I genuinely prefer his solo work to The Police. I like The Police, but I’ve never loved them. Solo Sting is my choice.

Collected Tracks

• All the Time
• Mad About You
• Why Should I Cry for You?

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Stompin’ Tom Connors: …MEETS BIG JOE MUFFERAW (1973)*

Most famous for “The Hockey Song,” I just had to hear more from this lesser-known artist. Much in the line of Hank, Sr., Lefty Frizzell, and Sons of the Pioneers than his contemporaries. There’s an impish glint to many of his songs, and frankly, I can’t name a more proudly Canadian country artist.

Collected Tracks

• Log Train
• Roll On Saskatchewan
• Algoma Centra No. 69
• Poor, Poor Farmer
• Rocky Mountain Love

The primary way I build my digital music collection is by maintaining a playlist called, “The Rotation.” On this list, I load albums of artists I’m interested in hearing; mostly new-to-me artists or albums. Because I need some organizational principle to conduct this survey, I go by the alphabetical listing of the artist. I typically move from earlier records to later records, although there are exceptions. If I’m excited to hear a new album by a favorite artist I’ll add it in an apparent random placement to hear it sooner than later. From this list I’ll select tracks to add to my collection. It’s rare that I DNF a record, and uncommon for me to not select a single track from it. I’ve been doing this for a while and am currently on my 9th trip around the alphabet. Below are the albums heard in a given session and what thoughts, if any, I have about them. These are mostly first impressions, so don’t expect in-depth analysis.

Asterisks (*) after the album title indicate that it is a new-to-me record.