KDHX 88.1 FM
- Lydia, The Tattooed Lady-Rowlf The Dog (The singing, piano-playing Muppet pulls off a fun, credible rendition of this quirky tune. I also recommend his version of "New York State Of Mind.")
- Do Not Go Gentle-Jorma Kaukonen (A low-key, melodic acoustic number from the Jefferson Airplane guitarist that was a strong first song choice on "Backroads" Saturday.)
- Summer's Almost Over-Cheryl Wheeler (A perfectly timed choice of seasonal lyrics. Wheeler's voice and guitar conjure up seasonal images effectively. Much like Carrie Newcomer, Wheeler is adept at making you want to know, or at least understand, the people about whom she sings. Also recommended: "75 Septembers" and "When Fall Comes To New England.")
- Blackbird (Live)-Joan Baez with David Crosby (One of Paul McCartney's most thoughtful, sensitive Beatles compositions, covered by two folk-rock giants. It's one of the best performances from Baez's "75th Birthday Celebration" CD, released in June.)
- Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child (Live)-The Wailin' Jennys (Sadly, these sentiments felt all too appropriate to hear on September 11. The vocal harmonies are appropriately solemn. Surprisingly, The Wailin' Jennys up the tempo when you might not expect it.)
- Long Ago And Far Away-Earl Klugh (James Taylor's hit works equally well as an acoustic guitar instrumental.)
- Knocks Me Off My Feet-Stevie Wonder (Considering how effectively Wonder sets the mood with his piano playing and vocals, I'm surprised this wasn't a top 40 hit. The stellar album from which it originates, "Songs In The Key Of Life," is a treasure trove of some of his best work. Among its many highlights: "Another Star," "As," "I Wish," "Saturn," and "Sir Duke.")
- The Tide Is High-Blondie (An unusual tropical style for a number one hit, particularly in 1981, but it works.)
- Tainted Love-Soft Cell (Among the many one-hit wonder '80s tunes, I suspect this ranks high on the list of tunes-with-which-people-sing-along-without-realizing-it. It just draws the listener in from the beginning with "Sometimes, I feel I've got to run away...")
