ROCKOLLECTIONS

These next 2 chapters can be listened to either BEFORE or AFTER Thanksgiving.
So no need to take time away from your turkey preparation, just listen at your leisure.
I open this one in a similar fashion to Part One, but from across the Atlantic.
Did you know George Wahington declared a Day Of Thanksgiving in 1789, but my man Thomas Jefferson dismissed it?
What the hell was he thinking, lol?
A women's magazine editor named Sarah Hale felt we should have one though, and wrote editorials and letters to presidents, governors and other influential people for FORTY YEARS, until President Lincoln proclaimed a National Day Of Thanksgiving in 1863.
In 1941, Congress made it a Holiday- the 4th Thursday in November.
In this episode, songs about Ships- including one co-written by David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Paul Kantner (Kantner for years couldn't collect on it because of contractual obligations- don't you love those?).
Then I will begin a collection of songs for people heading for the dock, port or harbor, and those who are there waiting for them.
Starting with another contrast- this time between some old, poetic Dylan and the Hollies.
I will continue with that sub-topic in our final, concluding entry with a varied selection of songs you should enjoy.
Getting closer and closer to Turkey Time!

Here's the link to hear some delicious tunes Pilgrims, and watch for the pop-up timer at the end, at WLSO.FM, lol:

http://wlso.fm/wordpress/archives/1569

Mike

I should point out that if anyone is interested in the past 3 years Planes, Trains & Automobiles series for Getting Home For Thanksgiving, they can be found and heard in the archives at WLSO.FM and Clickcaster.com.
Back to the Boats, and if you are getting seasick that's because you are in the Boat and on top of the water.
Let's hop over the side and musically explore what is going on Under The Sea!
After that I have a back to back contrast of an overlooked song written by Neil Diamond- the contrasting versions will be by Neil and...believe it or not...Lulu!
I remember the song here in the U.S. as her flip side of To Sir, With Love.
I'll close this one out with a wonderful song regarding a look back by an old Sea Captain.
Two more episodes to go next week, which you can listen to either BEFORE or AFTER Thanksgiving.
I planned it that way, lol!
We have so much to be thankful for- with me it's easy, for example if I am feeling down, I just take a look at those things on my body I am supposed to have two of- if I have two of each, I am very blessed and grateful, for there are many folks who can't say that.
Just look around you!
The Journey Home By Boat continues next week...

Here's the link to take you away on the high seas anytime you'd like, at WLSO.FM:

http://wlso.fm/wordpress/archives/1564



Mike

For the last 3 years I have done a Getting Home For Thanksgiving series based on the Thanksgiving movie, Planes, Trains & Automobiles- never realizing I had the order wrong, lol!
But so what.
Anyway, this year I was thinking about yet another mode of transportation to get home by.
And it hit me.
The Mayflower is so intrinsically a part of our American celebration of Thanksgiving, BOATS would be the obvious choice.
However, unlike those original settlers, today's going home by Boat would undoubtedly be the most luxurious and leisurely of all, at least compared to Planes, Trains & Automobiles.
But I needed some sort of a precedent- for the last 3 years I used a movie, this time it's a song which enables us to get started and set sail for Home.
Get your sea legs- this and the next three chapters are going to be FUN!

Meet you at the dock with your luggage and this necessary link to board, at WLSO.FM:

http://wlso.fm/wordpress/archives/1562



Mike

We are going to start this concluding chapter with my favorite Monkees song.
It took me years to realize I had one, lol!
We’ll talk a bit about them having Jimi Hendrix as an opening act- Engineer Ken was actually at the concert at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium in Queens.
Those teenybopper mothers were aghast.
So it seems that the Monkees were hipper than I gave them credit for.
During their 2nd season on TV they invited Frank Zappa and Tim Buckley on the show.
They were at the Monterey Pop Festival in ‘67, although they didn’t play.
So, I gotta give them credit, those things were cool.
In among the Monkees songs this time, I will play their last Top 20 song, and the original version by the Coasters- and I wonder how many people even knew there was a previous version.
And to take us out, another surprise.
A fun take on that favorite Monkees song of mine, by the writer of it.
I’ll bet you have never heard it!
This show turned out to be a lot of fun, as I suspected it would and how they usually are for me.
And I have revised my opinion of the Monkees.
They weren’t terribly important to Rock & Roll, but they were entertaining and valid.
Come hear for yourself!

Here's the link to what turned out to be more than just bubble gum, at WLSO.FM:

http://wlso.fm/wordpress/archives/1556


Mike

Here is a group I never thought I would play.
I honestly thought I was too hip to do so, lol!
They were a MANUFACTURED group, the Pre-Fab Four!
A cheap knockoff of the Beatles!
Everyone should know about the ad put in Variety by NBC.
But time has a way of making you mellow, and their music is catchy.
Mainly because they had some great songwriters handing them songs, like Tommy Boyce & Boby Hart, Carole King, and Neil Diamond.
They were considered TV actors first, musicians a distant second!
Mike Nesmith seemed the most serious about music, he wrote Different Drum for Linda Ronstadt & the Stone Poneys among some other very good songs- and in an interview I once heard with him, he sounded so sad about his and the band’s musical shortcomings, he forever had me on his side.
In fact, the Monkees were not ALLOWED to play anything on on most of their 1st records, just sing!
But Nesmith was able to put some of his songs on those albums.
They were immensely popular at the time, and I guess I have to say I like many of their songs- I even have a favorite.
So just for those reasons alone, I bring you the Monkees, lol!
Enjoy, and there is a second half to come.

This is the link to get Monkee-ized, at WLSO.FM:

http://wlso.fm/wordpress/archives/1554


Mike

Funny, this show was broadcast on a hot August day, and now today I have been battling a cold, flu or whatever the hell has gotten into me!
I feel like crap, but listening to this debut album by Crosby, Stills & Nash helped.
Side Two is all ready to go.
And I went off on why I like the song Helplessly Hoping so much.
Besides all the alliterations included in it, there is that chorus...oh that chorus!
Brilliant to me, and my breakdown of it just shows what a true romantic I am, lol!
Always loved the song, always will.
There is the rest of the side of course, plus I had time to throw in a bonus track.
So sit back, kick off your shoes and listen to some fabulous harmonies.
I rank them right up there with the Mamas & Papas, Beach Boys and anyone else I can think of.
It's strange, I put so much work into the Theme shows and sometimes just simply playing an album is so satisfying.
Please do enjoy the sounds.
It's a sick man's request, lol!

Here's the link to the music only, don't worry you won't get too close to me, at WLSO.FM:

http://wlso.fm/wordpress/archives/1550



Mike

I broadcast this show this past August- a hot, sticky August day in New York City, after having taken the bus and train to get to the radio station.
The hard candy in my pocket was melting!
It seemed like the kind of day to just play an album all the way through.
Nothing difficult, just take a classic album from 1969, let it spin and talk a little about it.
So that's what I did with the debut album by Crosby, Stills & Nash.
The LP blew everyone away upon its release and they became superstars.
The Players in our drama:
David Crosby, from the great and still-thriving Byrds;
Stephen Stills, from the great and dissolved Buffalo Springfield;
Graham Nash, feeling stifled with the great and to continue being great Hollies.
And to keep the feeling of playing an album, I have Side One in this chapter.
I'll flip the album over for the forthcoming Part Two.

Here's the all-important link so you can hear some fine music, at WLSO.FM:

http://wlso.fm/wordpress/archives/1549

Mike

As promised, I will take a look at Wolves and Werewolves in the concluding chapter for this year.
And I will be doing my lame quasi-Bela Lugosi and Maria Ouspenskaya impressions.
We'll have songs expected, and some perhaps surprising, regarding our topic.
For your further enjoyment, here are some interesting facts about Monster Movies:

Boris Karloff, who starred as Frankenstein, had to wear 22-
pound size 24 boots. He also donned two pairs of pants with
steel struts shoved in them, and a double-thickness quilted
suit.
Karloff's facial makeup was one-sixteenth of an inch thick,
and the bolts on the side of his neck left long-term scars.
Bette Davis wanted the part of Mrs. Frankenstein, but was
turned down because she was "too aggressive."
Among the lighting tricks in the classic film Dracula: Twin
pencil-spotlights were shined in Bela Lugosi's eyes to give
Count Dracula his legendary hypnotic stare.
The Castle Dracula and Carfax Abbey sets were so expensive
to build that Universal Pictures kept and reused them. You
can spot them in numerous Universal films of the '30s.
In Boris Karloff's second big monster flick The Mummy, he
had to be wrapped every day in linen and gauze, and was
covered with mud.
Lou Chaney, Jr.'s werewolf makeup in The Wolf Man took five
hours to apply every day.
The werewolf costume was actually made of yak hair.

Enjoy the show.
Happy Halloween Everyone!

Here's the link to the Big Bad Wolf, at WLSO.FM:

http://wlso.fm/wordpress/archives/1543



Mike

Well, I find it incredibly interesting that my 300th podcast is this one- dedicated to someone who meant very much to me.
It could never have been planned that way!
I will open this final chapter (until a sequel somewhere down the road) with some ID’s I owe from the last one.
Engineer Ken was making me laugh and making this one more fun because he kept writing and saying ANGLES instead of Angels, lol!
The beginning set will start with a great duet between two musical legends, then a song that is actually from an album Angel left in my house, (there are always things like albums left behind during a breakup- I got some of her albums, undoubtedly she got some of mine).
The set closes with another terrific duet. Bonnie Raitt calls John Prine onstage to do a classic Prine song.
Those 3 should flow nicely.
I’ll read a lovely poem sent to me by a girl from Illinois, that she found on the wall of a church.
It is simply called “Angels”.
Then one last trip to the movies, and the beginning of the end.
My three favorite Angel movies are The Bishop’s Wife with Cary Grant, of course Wings Of Desire which we already played something from, and this one…with my favorite movie Angel.
Some scenes from it, and fitting music.
As always, I hope you have enjoyed this topic and journey, using music as our means of transportation.
And Ang, I hope I did you proud.
I counted them, and I had brought 111 Angel songs to the program (maybe that means something to a numbers person!).
So there were plenty left over, which would almost guarantee sequels and return visits to the Angels.
In the meantime…Ring Them Bells folks!

Just click on this link to hang with some better beings than I'll ever be, at WLSO.FM:

http://wlso.fm/wordpress/archives/1535


Mike

As we continue with our Rock & Roll musical exploration of Angels, I have to explain the beginning.
Frequently, people outside will wave, make faces or something, or Engineer Ken will say something into my headphones just as I am about to open the show in an attempt to make me laugh and screw it up.
That was the case here. See what I have to put up with, lol?
Being a man of limited ideas, since we opened Part One with a Calling All Angels, I thought we would do it again.
This time by a group called Train.
There are a few people I tell when I am thinking about doing a Theme Show.
Sometimes they have good, even brilliant, suggestions.
Sometimes horrid ones- AAHHHHHHHHH!!!!
And I keep it small because when they do suggest something and I DON’T play it, they may be insulted and I have to explain why I didn’t.
Not enough time mostly, didn’t fit in anywhere, or it just plain sucked.
This time, so many of them mentioned a song I had not the slightest intention of playing, I had to re-think it.
Kind of glad I did play it now, cause it did bring a warm memory of simpler times.
We will discover that Angels are not just for crackpots- there are many stores devoted to them, and prestigious universities teach courses in them, including Harvard Divinity School and Boston College.
Got a cover of an oldie to play you may not have ever heard, by John Lennon from a posthumous album released in 1984.
Interestingly, Angels can be found anywhere.
Knocking at your door, living right next door to you, even in a Broken Radio!
We’ll take a look and listen to that phenomenon.
One more episode to go, and 2 things to mention.
If you are interested in that terrific Wim Wenders movie, Wings Of Desire, a friend of mine named Matt pointed out to me that U2's video for the song Stay (Faraway So Close) is an obvious homage to that flick.
Watch the video and you will get a tiny taste of Wings Of Desire.
And that next episode will be my 300th podcast.
Seems real nice to me that it comes in the Finale of remembering a loved one!
Here's the link to an interesting mix of old and fairly new, at WLSO.FM:

http://wlso.fm/wordpress/archives/1532

Mike

Around 2000-2001, I visited Angel out in Pennsylvania.
I brought with me a movie I thought she would like- City Of Angels.
It had nothing to do with her name, it was just that after going together for a long time, I kind of knew what she might like (I wasn’t always correct, lol!).
She flipped over the movie, bought it and watched it many times.
However, I knew it was based on a German movie, directed by Wim Wenders, called Wings Of Desire, but I hadn’t seen it at that time.
Well, to me, now that I have, there is no comparison.
The Wenders film is in black & white, is much darker in mood, and has subtitles except when Peter Falk is speaking.
It is far superior- although that’s just my opinion.
So, I thought I would open this chapter up with my favorite scene from the movie- of course it is with Peter Falk and in English.
What he says about living as a human is so simple and beautiful- just a wonderful moment captured on film.
A COMPANERO!
And this will not be our last trip to the movies for Angels.
As for the rest of this episode, I think I will say nothing and just let you listen to the directions we will go in.
However, I do want to thank a dear friend, Denise Decker, for making me listen closer to a beautiful song from the City Of Angels soundtrack I might have overlooked.
And one other thing, I will bring us to this halfway point with a song that has taken on a new meaning for me.
You will understand what I mean.
Many more Angels to come in the next 2 installments.

Here the link and ticket through the Gates- just click, it's easier than trying to be good, at WLSO.FM:

http://wlso.fm/wordpress/archives/1525


Mike

DEDICATED TO THE REPOSE OF THE SOUL OF A PAST GIRLFRIEND

October 19th would be my ex-girlfriend Angel’s birthday.
Unfortunately she will not get to see it.
However, I will celebrate it with a musical exploration of Rock & Roll Angel songs (with a few diversions into other areas, including the movies).
This will not be a wake, unless you count it as an Irish one, and she was most definitely Irish with the name Murphy.
And one helluva beautiful, fun, sexy, smart and tough lady. Don’t know what she saw in me for so long!
We will be all over the place for this and the next 3 chapters- as I am no respecter of decades or genres.
I’ll tell you a little about her, and quickly get myself in trouble by playing 2 songs from the SAME album that would have gotten my butt kicked by her, lol!
You should know the songs, and if you care, they are from a grand old vinyl album.
In putting this Theme Show Series together, going in I thought I would find many more songs about Angel’s wings than I did.
After all, they have them. We don’t.
But far and away, there are more songs about Angel eyes. A surprising number of them!
I’ll play just a few of the many I thought of and found, (those time restraints again!).
So many things went wrong during the recording of these shows, I was beginning to think it was a message from above, lol!
But we persevered, and you will decide how well and entertaining the result was.
I invite you to join me in the celebration of a life- and the Archangels, Cherubim and Seraphim.
The first order of business will be Calling All Angels!

Here's the link to take this heavenly trip, at WLSO.FM:

http://wlso.fm/wordpress/archives/1521


Mike

Dear All,
Rockollections is very much alive and well.
I have moved to a new place, WLSO.FM.
The superior sound quality and reliability make it a very pleasant experience.
Plus they even put a graphic up for me for each show!
So you can join me there for all the new and interesting Artist Profiles, Theme Shows and other things, plus the Archives of the ones I have proudly done in the past.
A Smart Look At Rock & Roll!
Here is the link to the new place I can be heard:

http://wlso.fm/wordpress/archives/category/rockollections

I thank you for your continued support and interest.
Mike Pell
Rockollections