No, I Have NOT Been Sleeping!

Some music added during the past few weeks, from the NeverEndingWonder archives:


Jonathan Edwards - Honky Tonk Stardust Cowboy
Second album from folk/country rock pioneer Edwards is just as strong as his first.


Santana - Abraxas
THE classic album that brought Latin flavored rock to most of America.


Quicksilver Messenger Service - Happy Trails
Second album from QMS, was also the last that featured the founding members. Every number is strong- from their version of Mona to the 25 minute Who Do You Love Suite.


Pig Iron
Fabulous brass heavy band from 1970. They lend support to one of my favorite obscure albums- The Naked Carmen. Their debut album featured worthy covers like I Put a Spell On You, Neighbor Neighbor and I Can't Make It Alone, as well as great originals.


Captain Beyond - Sufficiently Breathless
Pioneering Pro rock outfit's second album finds them issuing a more straightforward sound, that is nonetheless equal to their more exploratory debut album.


Sun Ra - My Brother the Wind Volume 2
This rather schizophrenic album is split between Sun Ra's free jazz side and his electronic experimental side. Some of the moog experiments may sound quaint today, but at the time they were fresh and innovative.


The Nutty Squirrels
Classic novelty album from 1960. When jazz musicians Don Elliott and Sascha Burland heard the Chipmunks, they figured, hey we can do that- only with jazz! The result spawned a couple of top 40 hits, and their animated cartoon actually made it to the tube before the Chipmunks did.

That's just a taste, folks! Tune in NOW to hear what else you're missing!
NeverEndingWonder Radio
On iTunes find NeverEndingWonder Radio in the radio section, Eclectic category.

Coming soon:
Two new albums by Bill Mumy! Yes- THAT Bill Mumy!

New album from Gary Duncan, founding member of Quicksilver Messenger Service!
New album from John York- former member of The Byrds!

A Mixed Bag!

We have a really variety in new items added to NeverEndingWonder Radio this time around. Would you expect anything different? We start off with a pair of outstanding independent releases:


Wat Cronin - The Gousters
This is the second album in a row Walt Cronin released titled "The Gousters." Last album was a collaboration. This one is a solo effort. The couple of years in between releases has found Cronin polishing his sound yet maintaining the depth of emotion in his lyrics. It's a worthy successor to his debut release. Top of the line Americana.
The Gousters



Rebecca Oswald - October Wind
Solo piano pieces by Oregon pianist and composer Rebecca Oswald. I get an awful lot of solo piano releases, which makes me think there's a lot of piano players out there with talent that have no regular outlet for their work. That's a shame because there's a reason the piano has remained a popular instrument for so many years. The depth of emotion and the variety of its tonal qualities are equalled by no other instrument. Rebecca Oswald know how to coax these emotions from the piano and this release is worth your attention.
Rebecca Oswald



A Thurl Ravenscroft Festival
If you know the name Thurl Ravenscroft at all it's most likely either as the voice of Tony the Tiger or that glorious deep bass that sang "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" in the original Grinch Who Stole Christmas. Thurl, however, was one of Hollywood's busiest voice artists, acting and singing in many movies, including a lot of Disney fare. As if that wasn't enough, Ravenscroft was also a busy recording artist, as backup singer for a lot of popular artists in the 50s and even recording in several groups. Here were present Thurl in many of his guises- as a member of The Mellomen, The Sky Boys, his own group Big John and the Buzzards, singing a variety of ad spots, and backing up such singers as The Andrews Sisters, Georgia Gibbs, Rosemary Clooney, Betty Blake and some rare solo recordings.


Rhino Brothers Present The World's Worst Records
Well, no they aren't, really. They're just damn odd. A lot of classic stuff here- Edith Massey (the infamous Egg Lady from John Waters movies) with her cover of Big Girls Don't Cry, Ogden Edsl's Kinko the Clown, Jimmy Cross with I Want My Baby Back, and more wonderfully twisted songs.


Flip Wilson - You Devil You
More great comedy bits from the criminally overlooked Flip Wilson.


Khazad Doom - Encore
CD reissue of rare recordings by Khazad Doom a great lost progressive band from the 70s. Includes naterial they recorded as The Laymen, selections from their album 6 1/2 and their never released second album. It's a shame the latter material had to wait thirty years to see the light of day because it's very fine music, as I'm sure you'll agree.


Lemon Pipers - Green Tambourine and

Lemon Pipes - Jungle Marmalade
The story of The Lemon Pipers is tragically typical of the 60s music scene- label scouts spot a band they think shows promise, sign them to a contract and force them to record music completely different than the music that attracted the label in the first place. Their hit "Green Tambourine" penned by songwriters Paul Leka and Shelley Pinz was a Number One Hit, and creditted by some as the first top bubblegum hit. The band didn't care for it. They considered themselves a hard edged blues and psychedelic outfit. So there is where you get complaints from consumers of albums that "only have one good song on them" when they buy an album expecting to hear more of what they heard on the radio. I'm not going to call Green Tambourine a bad song- I love it. It's just not what the band was about. Listen to their nine minute "Through With You" or the eleven and a half minute "Dead End Street/Half Light." They had a lot more in them than Green Tambourine.


Kinks - Lola vs. Powerman and The Moneygoround
This may be the Kinks greatest album. A cynical concept album about the vagaries of the music biz predates Tom Petty's similar "Last DJ" by thirty years. The album spawned two top 40 hits- Lola and Apeman. Ray Dsvies is at his satirical best and there's not a bad song on the album.


Miss Bette Davis
Bette Davis Rerecords some songs from earlier in her career, such as I've Written a Letter to Daddy from "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" and They're Either Too Young or Too Old, as well as some whistful numbers about love and lonliness. She's not a singer but she's one hell of an actress and knows just how to deliver the material.


Oscar Brand - Bawdy Songs and Backroom Ballads Vol. 3
Oscar Brand has recorded hundreds of songs over the decades and most of them are dirty. Most of them can not be found anywhere else, either, because Brand records music that is TRUE folk music- songs handed down through oral tradition over the decades and mostly not even written down anywhere. Songs like Seven Old Ladies Locked in a Lavatory and Three Prominant Bastards. Silly, satirical, scurrilous, clever, witty- we're very fortunate there's someone like Oscar Brand who had the foresight to record these gems before they were lost.


Nervous Norvus - Stoneage Woo
I saved the best for last. Nervous Norvus was the stage name of Jimmy Drake- a demo singer from California. Aspiring songwriters would send Drake their lyrics and for a modest fee he would set them to music and record a demo version which the songwriter then could send out to prospective recording artists. Fortunately for us, Drake had another side- the cracked persona of Nervous Norvus whose appropriately shaky vocals made a hit out of Tranfusion, Ape Call, Dig and a few others. They're all included here, as well as a raft of other crazy songs and even some of Drake's demo work. Not to be missed!

You can hear all this on... where else but:

NeverEndingWonder Radio

Pink Floyd & Richard Wright Marathon Today!

I was very sad to read of Pink Floyd keyboard player Richard Wright's death on Monday at the age of 65, from cancer.

While he never got as much attention as Roger Waters, David Gilmore or even Syd Barrett, like the "quiet Beatle" George Harrison, Wright's immense talent was very much a core element of Pink Floyd's sound. Additionally, his vocals are very much characteristic of the Pink Floyd sound and can be heard on such memorable numbers as "Time," "Comfortably Numb," and "Astronomy Dominae."

To mark his passing, NeverEndingWonder Radio will present a six hour Pink Floyd & Richard Wright Marathon today, Tuesday, September 16, from 12 noon to 6 PM Pacific time. I'll also include some Polka Floyd songs!

You can tune in here:

NeverEndingWonder Radio

NEW AMAZING MUSIC: Oxygene 8, Days Between Stations, Marvin Ayres, Todd Grubbs & GG06

More new music on NeverEndingWonder Radio:

OXYGENE 8 - FREAK OF CHANCE

The driving force behind Oxygene 8 is Chapman Stick player/vocalist Linda Cushma. She creates a sound that's somewhat proggish and somewhat poppish. This works splendidly as it makes for and edgy sound that still sounds catchy. Cushma uses her voice effectively and she has some top talents working with her on this project. Drummer Tim Alexander worked with Primus and guitarist Claudio Cordero with Cast. I can find no information on synth player Steve Parrish, but he definitely adds an essential quality to the sound. The music is powerful, complex, involving. My only complaint is that it's an EP. I want more!
Oxygene 8

DAYS BETWEEN STATIONS

More proggish type fun with "Days Between Stations." This duo consists of guitarist Sepand Samzadeh and keyboardist Oscar Fuentes, who met in Los Angeles in 2003. They describe their music as art rock and post-prog. I'd add to that the genre of space rock. There's a lot of Pink Floyd here, and Ash Ra Tempel as well as Hawkwind or Ozric Tentacles. The songs range from the languid & eerie "Requiem for he Living" to the captivating rocker "Radio Song." The centerpiece of the album- 22 minute long "Laudanum" features sax, trumpet, trombone, bass, drums and classical guitar in addition to Samzadeh and Fuentes guitars and synthesizers. It's a great, meandering number that reminds one of some of King Crimson's early lengthy excursions. At turns spacey, jazzy, haunting- it's a marvelous composition. For fans of inventive, adventurous music this is well worth a listen.
Days Between Stations

MARVIN AYRES - ECCENTRIC DELIQUESCENCE

Marvin Ayres refers to his music as "ambient orchestral minimalism." That can cover a lot of ground, and o his Eccentric Deliquescene album he does cover a lot of ground. "Forever Is Now" begins sounding like a piece for chamber orchestra and slowly morphs into an ethereal droning. "The Bark That is Bearing" is a traditional love song sung at first in a quiet a capella voice that is eventually swallowed up by its own echo. "Coiling Compotation" plays with overtones and dissonance. "Durdy" is two minutes of bansheelike feedback. Each piece goes its own direction on this release. It's inventive, experimental and varied. Exciting listening!
Marvin Ayres

TODD GRUBBS - TIME, SPACE AND THE ELECTRIC

Todd Grubbs' "Time, Space & The Electric is all about one thing- rock guitar. This is an album of rock instrumentals with Grubbs and his guitar front and center. Since he has the skill and talent to pull it off, this release is a winner. Grubbs has devoted his life to instrumental rock guitar. An unusual path, but listening to this CD, I'm glad he's doing it! It's not just about jamming out though- Grubbs realizes melody serves a purpose and his inventive tunes keep the listener interested.
Todd Grubbs

GG06

This is much more conventional music than the rest in this article, but it's just as interesting. You know these guys, even though you don't know you do. GG06 are Kevin Godley and Graham Gouldman who once played together in the band 10CC, which gave us such hits as "Things We Do For Love" and "I'm not In Love." Accordingly what we have here are a collection of actual songs with lyrics that verses and choruses, instrumental hooks and the like. Here's the catch- these are REALLY GOOD songs. Why I can't hear these songs on the radio is beyond me. Well, no it's not- you just won't hear music this good on the radio any more. These gentleman have the musical experience and expertise to create interesting, involving tunes that just happen to be catchy as well. They've managed to create six new songs in three years, with no indication when there might be a proper release for these songs. You CAN go to their website and watch some videos of the new band in action, and purchase the songs if you so desire. I found the website to be a bit confusing to navigate, but if you're persistent you'll eventually find everything. Check it out- it's worth it!
GG0G

All this marvelous music can be hear on NeverEndingWonder Radio

New Music Update: Angelique Kidjo, Delaney & Bonnie, George Cates, Gypsy & More!

Some recent additions to NeverEndingWonder Radio:

TIM MEECE - A TURN IN THE ENDLESS CORRIDOR
Four extended pieces of electric guitar noodling from independent musician Tim Meece.
You can download some free tracks by Tim Meece here:
Free Tim Meece tracks

BAUHAUS - BURNING FROM THE INSIDE

This was Bauhaus's last album and it's an interesting document of the end of the icons of Goth. It contains some unreleased items from the band's early days as well as their last recordings.

GYPSY - GYPSY and IN THE GARDEN


First two albums by 1970s prog outfit "Gypsy." Most compositions were written by guitarist/vocalist Enrico Rosenbaum, which is interesting because it's organist James Walsh that really stands out. His keyboard work is inventive and strong. This and the well integrated vocals, which have a feeling of British prog of the era, make this band stand out from the pack.

KATHI MCDONALD - INSANE ASYLUM

Another rare gem from the 1970s. Kathi McDonald sang as one of the Ikettes and was vocalist for Big Brother and The Holding Company after Janis left. It was a logical choice- her voice is big & bluesy. This is her first solo album, produced by none other than Pete Sears & featuring contributions from Nils Lofgren, Linda Ronstadt, Neil Schon and Papa John Creach among others. She covers Neil Young, Peter Frampton, Willie Dixon and Martha & the Vandellas. She also contributes her own numbers. A dynamite, little known classic of the era.

ANGELIQUE KIDJO - KEEP ON MOVING

Born in Benin, relocated to Paris, Angelique Kidjo has been one of the leading forces in world beat music for over twenty years. This is a "best of" collection of sorts, featuring numbers from five albums released in the 1990s. Of particular note is her recording of Gershwin's "Summertime" performed in Swahili. I know- sounds like a train wreck, doesn't it? Her sensitive rendering of the song transcends any objections. The melody is so pure and she gives it the respect it demands. It may be my favorite version of "Summertime" ever, because it forces you to take a fresh look at the song and realize just how marvelous an accomplishment it is- both the composition and the reinterpretation. She also performs as song with Carlos Santana ("Naima"). The full range of her musical styles are exhibited here- afropop, blues, jazz, funk, rhumba & more.

DELANEY & BONNIE & FRIENDS - MOTEL SHOT

This is the album that got me into traditional American music. I got it because I dug the top 40 hit "Never Ending Song of Love" and was astounded by the rest of what I heard. Lured by the overwhelmingly soulful voice of Bonnie Bramlett and the all-star cast of collaborators which included Duane Allman, Joe Cocker, John Hartford, Dave Mason, Gram Parsons and Leon Russell, I had my eyes opened to the wonders of Gospel, blues, country and folk music all at once. The heartfelt renditions of songs such as Rock of Ages, Will the Circle Be Unbroken and Faded Love all performed on acoustic instruments spoke to me on a very deep level. Combined with the loose "jam session" atmosphere of the recording it makes for a very unique experience.

GEORGE CATES - POLYNESIAN PERCUSSION

This is straight up Exotica. George Cates is mostly remembered, when remembered at all, for his work with schlockmeister Lawrence Welk. Don't worry- there are no champagne bubbles here. This is Arthur Lyman/Martin Denny territory here, done very well. The standards are here- Pagan Love Song, Hawaiian War Chant, Bali Hai. What makes this release stand out are the fact Alvino Ray and Buddy Cole are among the musicians. There's an impressive list of percussion instruments used: Guiro, Boo-bams, Rhythm Logs, Celeste, Marimba, Xylophone, Bells, Pu Ili (or Pui Sticks), Kalaau, Uli Uli, Tympani, Timbales, Conga Drum, Bongos, Maracas, Finger Cymbals (or "Ching-Chings"), and Triangle. My only complaint is there's a bit TOO MUCH of that guiro. That's that thing that looks like this:

A little bit of that goes a long way and we hear it in nearly every song!

All these albums are currently in rotation on
NeverEndingWonder Radio