101 Series

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.

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Before you listen to this episode, purify yourself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka. Then we’ll leave you behind in the snow – just because we can! For Lesson 102 of the 101 Series we focus on the music of the enigmatic musician, Prince. It’s a journey through funk, rock and psyche. Get up and get ready to dance to 2 hours of ass-pumpin’ Prince – or whatever he decides to call himself – action. We feel like hitting the dance floor right now. Don’t worry – we left our purple g-strings at home.

PLAYLIST:
U GOT THE LOOK (SIGN O’ THE TIMES)
DELIRIOUS (1999)
BABY, I’M A STAR (PURPLE RAIN)
HEAD (DIRTY MIND)
PARTYMAN (BATMAN SOUNDTRACK)
SOFT & WET (FOR YOU)
JACK U OFF (CONTROVERSY)
STRANGE RELATIONSHIP (SIGN O’THE TIMES)
DIRTY MIND (DIRTY MIND)
GETT OFF (DIAMONDS & PEARLS)
PEACH (THE HTS/B-SIDES)
POP LIFE (AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAY)
NEW POSITION (PARADE)
LITTLE RED CORVETTE (1999)
TRUST (BATMAN)
I WANNA BE YOUR LOVER (PRINCE)
PARTY UP (DIRTY MIND)
IN LOVE (FOR YOU)
KISS (PARADE)
LET’S WORK (CONTROVERSY)
RASBERRY BERET (AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAY)
MY NAME IS PRINCE (SYMBOL)
ALPHABET ST. (LOVESEXY)

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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.

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For the celebration of reaching the milestone of the 100th Lesson, in this episode of the 101 Series we play the songs WE like. 20 of ‘em! And party or asses off. WHOO-HOOO!! Enjoy!

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PLAYLIST:
APOSTROPHE: FRANK ZAPPA (APOSTROPHE’)
DON’T RENEGE ON OUR LOVE: RICHARD & LINDA THOMPSON (SHOOT OUT THE LIGHTS)
SLIPPING INTO DARKNESS: WAR (ALL DAY MUSIC)
THROW YOUR ARMS AROUND ME: NEIL FINN (LIVE)
AQUIRING MARIJUANA: JACK MARGOLIS (A CHIKLD’S GARDEN OF GRASS)
YOU DROPPED A BOMB ON ME: THE GAP BAND (GAP BAND IV)
WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT: LOU REED (ROCK & ROLL ANIMAL)
YOU SAID SOMETHING: PJ HARVEY (STORIES FROM THE CITY, STORIES FROM THE SEA)
WHEN THE SHIT HITS THE FAN (SUNSET BLVD.): TODD RUNDGREN (A WIZARD A TRUE STAR)
JUNGLE LOVE: MORRIS DAY & THE TIME (ICE CREAM CASTLE)
NEW PARTNER: PALACE MUSIC (VIVA LAST BLUES)
LIAR: QUEEN (QUEEN)
SWINGIN’ PARTY: THE REPLACEMENTS (TIM)
21ST CENTURY SCHIZOID MAN: KING CRIMSON (IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING)
JUST LIKE TOM THUMB’S BLUES (HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED)
REBUTTAL: SPEAKER ASHLEY ROACHCLIP: CHEECH & CHONG (BIG BAMBU)
DON’T LET ME DOWN: THE BEATLES (HEY JUDE)
THE WIZRD: AL DIMEOLA (LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN)
CALIFORNIA STARS: WILCO (MERMAID AVENUE)
TIME AND A WORD: YES (YESTERDAYS)

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)

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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

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.

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!

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.

To honor our pledge to never forget, we’d like to take this time to play music from the greatest city on Earth. All 5 Boroughs are out to represent in Lesson 32 of the 101 Series where we celebrate the music of NYC. Rock, pop, R&B, punk . . . we got enough subway fare to hit all the major spots.