Some topics come in songs pretty often . . . girls, cars, death, The Man, being done wrong and drugs. In Lesson 106 we handle the last one on the list and focus on d-r-u-g-s. People have been writing songs about dope since people have been writing songs. So, find yourself a nice, soft place to sit and let a couple hours’ worth of songs about Mother Nature’s favorite herb happen to your brain. Indica. Sativa. Hybrid. (Yes. Yes. And yes.) Don’t forget to roll up a towel to put under the door after the pizza guy leaves.
101 Series Lesson 7 – The Rat Pack
We hate to tell you this, kids, but . . . your grandparents invented cool. They really did. Don’t argue. You’ve got Katy Perry and Gah-gah, they had . . . The Rat Pack. Say no more. In episode 7 of Swingtime, we mix the drinks and light the smokes and give you a couple hours of the greatest voices the Sands Hotel ever got slayed by: Frank, Dean and Sammy. Loosen your tie, stay awhile.
101 Series Lesson 101: Nirvana
Ready to feel like you’re going to burn out and fade away? The 30th anniversary of Nirvana’s Nevermind just passed. Teen spirit? Middle aged ennui! Soak yourself in bleach, it’s time for your friends at Balcony Radio to entertain you . . . with a classic rebroadcast of our 101 Series dedicated to the music of Kurt, Krist, and Dave. Dig out that flannel and Doc Martens from the back of the closet and crank it up.
And here is what we wrote on our original post in 2014: Out of the Seattle sludge many bands emerged . . . only one is in the rock and roll hall of fame. That band is called Nirvana. In Lesson 101 of the 101 Series, we explore the best power trio in rock (fuck Rush!). Here we are now, let Dave Kurt and Krist entertain you. Enjoy two hours of solid noise without a single mention of Courtney.
101 Series Lesson 91: Van Morrison
The green isle of Ireland has given the world a great many things: James Joyce, the Boston P.D., Guinness and a certain Mr. Van Morrison. In Lesson 91 of the 101 Series, we sit down and bask in the warm glow of the Belfast genius . . . And we try not to bug him. We try really hard. (He still kicked Scott and took a swing at Anthony before doing a version of “Into the Mystic” that made us cry and call our moms.)
PLAYLIST:
BROWN-EYED GIRL (‘LIVE’ 1973)
BESIDE YA (ASTRAL WEEKS)
TURA LURA LURAL (THE LAST WALTZ)
HERE COMES THE NIGHT (‘LIVE’ 1973)
GLAD TIDINGS (MOONDANCE)
BLUE MONEY (HIS BAND & STREET CHOIR)
WILD NIGHT (ROCKPALAST 1974)
WARM LOVE (‘LIVE 1973)
SPANISH ROSE (BLOWIN’ YOUR MIND)
HERE COMES THE NIGHT (IT’S TOO LATE TO STOP NOW)
GLORIA (W/ THEM) (FRENCH TV 1965)
CRY FOR HOME (INARTICULATE SPEECH OF THE HEART)
JOYOUS SOUND (MONTREAUX 1980)
BULBS (VEEDEN FLEECE)
REAL, REAL GONE (ENLIGHTENMENT)
CHECKIN’ IT OUT (WAVELENGTH)
FULL FORCE GALE (WEST GERMANY 1982)
RELOAD TIME (ST. DOMINIC’S PREVIEW)
HAVE I TOLD YOU LATELY? (‘LIVE’ ON LETTERMAN)
BRIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD (W. GERMANY 1982)
HERE COMES THE KNIGHT (NO GURU, NO METHOD, NO TEACHER)
BABY PLEASE DON’T GO (W/ THEM) (‘LIVE’ 1965)
HIGHER THAN THE WORLD (‘LIVE’ 1989)
DOMINO (IT’S TOO LATE TO STOP NOW)
INTO THE MYSTIC (‘LIVE’ 1997)
DAYS LIKE THIS (DAYS LIKE THIS)
101 Series Lesson 80 – Baseball Melodies
It’s time to dust off your cleets, pull out the Louisville Slugger from the storage locker and pop on the cap of your favorite team. Baseball is in the air! Spring training is just about to start and the grounds crews are raking the dirt, trimming the grass and filling in the base path lines. Oil that glove. The play will be tougher than ever this year.
PLAYLIST:
BASEBALL PROJECT: THE DEATH OF BIG ED DELSHANTY
BILLY BRAGG & WILCO: JOE DEMAGGIO DONE IT AGAIN
COUNT BASIE: DID YOU JUST HIT THAT BALL JUST HIT THAT BALL?
KENNY ROGERS: THE GREATEST
MABEL SCOTT: BASEBALL BOOGIE
ALBERT JONES: VIDA BLUE
THE TRENIERS: SAY HEY (THE WILLY MAYS SONG)
ALABAMA: THE CHEAP SEATS
BELLE & SEBASTIAN: PIAZZA, N.Y. CATCHER
TODD SNIDER: AMERICA’S FAVORITE PASTTIME
JONATHAN RICHMAN: WALTER JOHNSON
PETER, PAUL & MARY: RIGHT FIELD
MOUNTAIN GOATS: CUBS IN FIVE
TERRY CASHMAN: WILLIE, MICKEY AND DUKE
SISTER WYNONA CARR: THE BALL GAME
EDWARD MECKER: TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME
THE INTRUDERS: LOVE IS LIKE A BASEBALL GAME
JERRY JEFF WALKER: NOLAN RYAN
HOODOO GURUS: WHERE’S THAT HIT?
JOHNNY DARLING: BASEBALL TODAY
JACKIE AVERY: LOVE IS BIGGER THAN BASEBALL
GENERAL CAINE: BASEBALL
KELLEY STOLTZ: ’84 TIGERS
WARREN ZEVON: BILL LEE
JONATHAN COULTON: KENISWAW MOUNTAIN LANDIS
CENTERFIELD: JOHN FOGERTY
101 Series Lesson 59: Songs About The Presidents
Hello and welcome to the pseudo-holiday, but hell it’s a day off for everyone, called President’s Day! Join your fellow Americans at BalconyRadio.com for a show about the person steering the freedom ship: el presidente. In honor of the holiday, tune in to a classic Balcony Radio episode we call “Songs About the President.” We pay tribute to Resident #1 and a few of the people who’ve tried to kill him….skip the primaries, drop out of the electoral college, light up a sparkler and enjoy the show.
101 Series Lesson 52: Church Rock
The one thing we at the Balcony truly consider blasphemous is when you consider gospel and rock two different things. You ever seen a big choir put on a show? They’ll kick your ass more than an Arcade Fire concert, that’s for damn (darn, sorry) sure . . . In Lesson 52 of the 101 Series we take our secular-living-long-hair-having-dope-smoking-devil-horn-throwing-up asses to church for some religious music. Join us for two hours of proof that rock stars have soul. Now throw some bills in the collection, not coins . . . you don’t want to wake up the Lord too early on a Sunday morning. Say Hallelujah!
PLAYLIST:
TESTIFY: PARLIAMENT (UP FOR THE DOWNSTROKE)
WORKIN’ ON A BUILDING: JOHN FOGERTY (BLUE RIDGE RANGERS)
I CLOSE MY EYES TO THINK OF GOD: COMET GAIN (REALISTES)
HOLD ON TO GOD: DWIGHT YOKUM (BUENA NOCHES FROM A LONLEY ROOM)
THE CROSS: PRINCE (SIGN O’ THE TIMES)
JESUS CHRIST WAS AN ONLY CHILD: SUN KIL MOON (TINY CITIES)
I BELIEVE IN THE MAN IN THE SKY: ELVIS PRESLEY (ULTIMATE GOSPEL)
WHEN GOD COMES AND GATHERS HIS JEWELS: HANK WILLIAMS (COMPLETE HW)
LET IT BE: IKE & TINA TURNER (WORKIN’ TOGETHER)
GOD IS MY FRIEND: MARVIN GAYE (I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE)
GOD BLESS US ALL: NRBQ (GOD BLESS US ALL)
HAVE A TALK WITH GOD: STEVIE WONDER (SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE)
FIRST, YOU’VE GOT TO RECOGNIZE GOD: THE BURNADETTES (MOTOWN 1963)
MEET ME IN CHURCH: SOLOMON BURKE (I WISH I KNEW)
PRAYER IN OPEN D: EMMYLOU HARRIS (SONGBIRD)
JESUS CHRIST: BIG STAR (THIRD/SISTER LOVERS)
JESUS: CAT STEVENS (BUDDAH & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY)
WE’VE BEEN TOLD: ERIC CLAPTON (THERE’S ONE IN EVERY CROWD)
HE TURNED WATER INTO WINE: JOHNNY CASH (GOSPEL SONGS)
JESUS: VELVET UNDERGROUND (VELVET UNDERGROUND)
I KNOW I GOT RELIGION: STAPLE SINGERS (SWING LOW, SWEET CHARIOT)
TRAVELIN’ ON FOR JESUS: KATE & ANNE MCGARRIGLE (KATE & ANNE MCGARRIGLE)
JESUS GAVE ME WATER: SAM COOKE (THE TWO SIDES OF SAM COOKE)
YOU’RE GONNA NEED PURE RELIGION: LUCINDA WILLIAMS (RAMBLIN’)
CHRIST FOR PRESIDENT: BILLY BRAGG & WILCO (MERMAID AVENUE)
IF THERE’S A GOD IN HEAVEN: ELTON JOHN (BLUE MOVES)
SHINE A LIGHT: ROLLING STONES (EXILE ON MAIN STREET)
101 Series Lesson 47: Toots and The Maytals
Every once in a while we at the Balcony get in a boat with no sail and drift off toward Trenchtown, somewhere near Kingston (we’ll find it). On this trip to the islands we meet a group of friends called Toots and The Maytals. Jamaica doesn’t have garage bands, but they got tin roof bands . . . in Lesson 47 of the 101 Series we pull up a spliff and vibe out to the best band the islands ever produced.
101 Series Lesson 50: Surf’s Up!
Hello, students. Time to gas up the Woody, break out the Sex Wax and pack up the cooler with beverages. The weather is getting warmer and the waves are getting higher so it’s time for some sun and sand in your sandwiches. Lesson 50 of the 101 Series says it’s “Surf’s Up!” – we get out of the classroom and on the road to beaches around the world – or maybe right down the 101 Freeway – and listen to lots of twangy guitar. Get your sunscreen and zinc oxide and hop in the back. Time to use some vacation time!
101 Series Lesson 20 – Crosby. Stills & Nash (and Young!)
In honor of the recent passing of BalconyRadio hero David Crosby, we’d like to break into the archives for a show in his memory. Way back when on Lesson 20 of the infinite 101 Series, we covered the music of Crosby, Stills, Nash (and sometimes) Young. We can’t think of a better way to honor the Croz than checking out some of the best harmonizing that ever echoed out of Laurel Canyon.
PLAYLIST:
CSNY: 7 BRIDGES ROAD (DEJA VU)
CSNY: HARVEST (LIVE)
CSN: YOU DON’T HAVE TO CRY (CROSBY, STILLS & NASH)
CSN: MERRAKESH EXPRESS (DEMOS)
CSBY: EVERYBODY I LOVE YOU (DEJA VU)
CNY: HEART OF GOLD (LIVE)
CSNY: DEA OF MADNESS (ARCHIVES)
DAVID CROSBY: WHAT ARE THEIR NAMES (IF I COULD ONLY REMEMBER MY NAME)
CS: LONG TIME GONE (DEMOS)
STEPHEN STILLS: CHANGE PARTNERS (JUST ROLL TAPE)
CSNY: TELL ME WHY (LIVE)
GRAHAM NASH: BE YOURSELF (DEMO)
STEPHEN STILLS: FISHES & SCORPIONS (STEPHEN STILLS 2)
YS: LONG MAY YOU RUN (LONG MAY YOU RUN)
GRAHAM NASH: SLEEP SONG (DEMOS)
CSNY: HELPLESS HOPING (LIVE)
CNY: WOODEN SHIPS (LIVE)
YS: OCEAN GIRL (LONG MAY YOU RUN)
CSNY: COWGIRL IN THE SAND (FOUR WAY STREET)
CSN: SEE THE CHANGES (CROSBY STILLS & NASH)
CNY: ALMOST CUT MY HAIR (LIVE)
YS: FOUNTAINBLEAU (LONG MAY YOU RUN)
STEPHEN STILLS: SONG OF LOVE (MANASSAS)
GRAHAM NASH: CHICAGO (DEMOS)
YN: WAR SONG (ARCHIVES)
DAVID CROSBY: MUSIC IS LOVE (DEMOS)
CSNY: TEACH YOUR CHILDREN (LIVE)