"You ride on the swing in and out of the bars; Capturing moments of life in a jar..."
598230
The double LP set of WINWOOD was issued as UAS-9950 by UNITED ARTISTS (UA) in 1971 after Stevie's band, Traffic left the label for ISLAND. As it was unauthorized, some legal action from Winwood and ISLAND caused the album's brief recall, but it soon reappeared as UAS-9964 with no change to the track order or content.

All here are familiar. Best is of course subjective. My favorites are "Stevie's Blues," "Forty Thousand Headmen," "Heaven is in Your Mind" and "Cross Roads."

This 1966 to '70 sampling of Steve Winwood's best early stuff is still good listening for any of his fans, myself included.

SIDE ONE
[2:42] Keep on Running - The Spencer Davis Group
[1:57] Somebody Help Me - The Spencer Davis Group
[2:22] Goodbye Stevie - The Spencer Davis Group
[2:32] Cross Roads - Powerhouse
[2:53] Gimme Some Lovin' - The Spencer Davis Group

SIDE TWO
[2:48] I'm a Man - The Spencer Davis Group
[3:37] Can't Get Enough of It - The Spencer Davis Group
[3:50] Stevie's Blues - The Spencer Davis Group
[3:23] Paper Sun - Traffic
[4:02] Heaven is in Your Mind - Traffic
[2:44] Coloured Rain - Traffic

SIDE THREE
[5:33] Dear Mr. Fantasy - Traffic
[2:36] Smiling Phases - Traffic
[2:44] Dealer - Traffic
[3:36] Medicated Goo - Traffic
[3:15] Forty Thousand Headmen - Traffic
[5:15] Vagabond Virgin - Traffic

SIDE FOUR
[5:25] Sea of Joy - Blind Faith
[4:45] Empty Pages - Traffic
[4:05] Stranger To Himself - Traffic
[6:02] Freedom Rider - Traffic

TOTAL TIME: 76:06
181226
This book is a real life memoir of the author as a young college student on his travels in the US and abroad. His ability  to make you feel like you are sitting across the table from him while he relays a story or event he experienced, make this book a pleasant and entertaining read. I found myself easily finishing it in one sitting. His ability to see humor in life's small details and his insight on the lessons he carries away from them are thought provoking and will have you laughing as you follow along with his adventures.
1689438
You never quite know what to expect when you open up a book about touring the U.S. on a bike.  Some spend most of their time describing the details of the ride, which we bikers enjoy.  Others inject a good bit of humor.  My favorite part of the book were Weber's descriptions of traveling through eastern Washington and Montana.  Having lived near Missoula, MT, for a number of years, I enjoyed following his trip up the Going to the Sun Road and the sameness of eastern Montana.  I confess to skimming certain portions--his descriptions of his relationship with Catherine; his mother's eulogy; crying the night before his heart surgery--but 90% of the book was a real pleasure.  I enjoy his writing so much, and share his love of baseball, so I've ordered his "As They See 'Em."  Looking forward to it.
912394
What a book! I laughed, I cried. For us baby boomers whose parents schlepped us up to The Country every summer of our young lives this book brings back such wonderful memories of a very special time.  Allen masterfully weaves stories of his friends, family and acquaintances in such a way that you feel you are right there with him. He is able to write from a different perspective of living there when all of us who lived in the city had to go back after the summer. In addition, he was fortunate to have grandparents on both sides of his family that owned bungalow colonies.

As I read the book memories flooded back to me of being up in the country.  Women playing mahjong and the men playing pinochle on the front lawn, my grandma hanging laundry on the communal clothes line, doing musicals in the casino, going to Crossways for pizza, swimming in the lake, getting bialys and onion rolls at Frieds Bakery in town, and the best of all  The Carnival.

Life was magical and sweet up in the mountains after spending the year in the city.  It was a respite from all the noise and commotion there so to be up where you were able to feel the coolness in the mornings, walk in the woods and commune with nature was a mechaya (Yiddish for a great pleasure).

I recommend this book for everyone that was there and for those who want to taste what it was like to experience a slice of life that will never be again.
302492
From the title, I thought this might be Junker's musings on growing older. Not at all, it's about everything. Memories, criticisms, commentary--every entry is different and they're all interesting. Sometimes funny, sometimes not, but always thought-provoking.

You can dip in and out of this book at your leisure, or devour it all in one sitting (as I did). Either way, you're in for an entertaining ride.
1312145
A recollecting of fun times as a late teen and young adult in the sailboat community on the Atlantic coast.  From school and family, through college and job with an engineering firm, the interest in sailing hovered and resulted in purchase, renovation, and a coming together of friends to crew.  From there, life devolves into a weekend mania for regattas, races, and other such fun.  Interspersed among the sailing are humorous anecdotes common to young men of an age.
Narrator Jack gives a fine performance.  Just like sitting dockside and listening to another sail nut rattling on about his experiences.
This book was an entertaining gift
705331
A marvelous romp through yet another California subculture. An inspiring story of rejuvenation, renewal, and random breat grabbing. Vaughn's contagious exuberance for life comes through in his fine literary depictions of everything from opera arias to Peruvian coffees. The book also features the best description of being stoned in English prose. I felt like I was high, and I haven't touched the stuff for years. Bravo!
108804
Phil's book captures a special period in music, life in NYC, Boston ,etc. A ride that will have you laughing and then heartbreak. Early days at CBGB'c and Max's Kansas City. thru Glam, Punk ,Sex and Drugs....Meeting Wayne Kramer (MC5,Gang War) . Listening to Johnny Thunders talk about pasta sauce. Watching The Ramones at there first ever gig.  And fronting one of the coolest bands to come out of NYC " The Senders"  "Punk Avenue" will also have you pulling out your vinyl and listening to Mink DeVille , The Cramps, The Real Kids , Blondie...A book for anyone that loves Music, Arts, Fashion ,etc. A book for anyone that loves the history of great music which Phil and his  friends created in the 1970's.
1646731
A story of friends told in vignettes of their adventures together.  How wonderful it might be to sit back, enjoy life and measure this experiences by the glass (of wine).
4005504
The best part of Playboy magazine has always been the interviews. (Although I've never glanced at the many photos in each monthly issue, I've been told that they, like the interviews, have their own unique charms.) If, like me, you're not an athlete, you'll obtain, from reading this book, a good idea of what it's like to actually be one. It's all there, between book covers: the exhilaration of participating in the games, and the challenges of doing so. The inevitable injuries. The rage the athletes sometimes felt--and the joy. And the effect of so much wealth upon the recipients of it.
4109467
"Raise your can of beer on high and seal your fate forever, Our best years have passed us by - the Golden Age of Leather" - Blue Oyster Cult.
  DLR & Eddie.  Sugar skull gals and tattooed Marilyns.  Del Taco.  The Trona Pinnacles.  Joker Brand.  Anthony Kiedis.  Surf boards & hot rods.  CALIFORNIA.  You know Altamont '69, but how about Hollister '47?
  To a male born in the '50's, Marlon Brando was El Rey.  Weaned on Hunter S. Thompson, I was aware of Hollister '47 at an early age.  During the 4th of July weekend in 1947 events transpired that soon appeared in Life magazine.  The 1953 movie "The Wild One" was inspired by said events.  Johnny's Bar & Grill (AKA "The Birthplace of the American Biker") is the biker bar smack dab in the middle of Hollister '47.  Author Charisse "Cat" Tyson (no relation to Mike - but just as tough) is owner of Johnny's, and, due to writing with transparent, remarkable candor, you, the reader, can vicariously live "La Vida Loca".
  The plucky, likeable Tyson is an able storyteller and a hardworking, savvy businessperson who embodies the American entrepreneurial spirit.  Her book is a insight/primer into everything inherent in running a biker bar (and not into the ground, mind you).  Dealing out attitude adjustments on an as needed basis, she takes no prisoners regarding all comers (on BOTH sides of the law) who would interfere with the smooth operation of her establishment.
  The book is laid out nicely, well-paced and never leaves the reader in one place for too long.  Unfortunately I don't have the opportunity to read for long periods at a time, and it was nice that the book is broken down into small, convenient chapters - all of which hold the reader's interest.  Tyson wisely has the first part of the book establishing her "street creds" before she details her road to redemption in the latter part.
  SUPPORT JOHNNY'S!
2688920
It ain't called "Jumpin' Jive" for nothin'!  I was given an original cassette for my 23rd birthday back in 1983 and am amazed at its longevity.  I've always enjoyed swing music, am glad that it's enjoying a  resurgence, but this particular album consistently boosts my mood when I'm  feeling blue or overwhelmed with responsibilities.  The orchestration is  well tailored for each song--I've heard many versions of some of these--and  the listener gets the sense that the musicians involved in this production  had a blast making this album.  "Do you hear me, Jack?"
3371958
In an emotional and unique story, "The Last Bar In NYC", follows the path of a young man who grows up in and around various bars and spends his life searching for the perfect bar. The story chronicles the upbringing of a young man born in the Bronx of very early 1960's into a typical Catholic family. By 1968 our protagonist's father has him working inside various bars and tap rooms with his trusty shoe shine box. With money being very tight father gets a daily kickback for the household money. Running around growing up with his best pal "Poe Poe" our young "Bartender" gets his education of the streets at a very early age. With the end of high school in the mid 1970's it was easy to get work in a bar. Paying almost nothing and living off tips alone the "Bartender" must survive on a daily basis going from job to job. Without respect and almost no money to survive on, the Bartender has to look for other ways to get along in some bad situations. One fateful day with a lazy ride hanging onto an empty beer keg that winds one river into another before heading out to sea, he's lucky a tug boat captain fishes him out of the drink. As the 1980's seem to spin out of control as the decade of the "ME" generation, bars must adapt almost weekly to survive. The Bartender starts to see his future through a haze of cocaine, booze, and cigarettes. Seemingly the endless list of women to be conquered becomes more depressing day after day. Even working for and rubbing elbows with childhood hero Mickey Mantle becomes an afterthought of another move to many more jobs at various bars. As the Bartender ages through the 90's and past 9/11, only one more goal seems to be gained. One day running his own bar doing it his own way is only box left to be checked on his endless stream of booze joints to toil in. Setting up his very own place with a former girlfriend and her brother gives him joy and tremendous heartache at the same time. With a plot that makes a person stop and ask why the Bartender would keep torturing himself with a merry-go-round of locations, booze, and women ?. It's a sad fact of life that while in your 20's you don't realize in the next moment you're turning 50. It's a tough life in your 50's and working 16 hours a day in a bar. It's somewhat sad the Bartender never actually sees his life catching up with himself. Burning the candle at both ends even clean for long periods is a plan for disaster. An emotional and reaching out story, "The Last Bar In NYC", certainly is a microcosm of the Big Apple from the dirty 1970's through present day. A thoroughly enjoyable read in which I had to read the last 160 pages in one reading, "The Last Bar In NYC", is a do not miss read. At just over 250 very quickly reading pages this unique read was educational as it was interesting. Author Brian Michels weaves a tale to tug on heart strings as well as making the reader be angry with the main character. I'm not sure if the main character was Brian himself, I didn't read it that way. The main character could be the face of any bartender that's seen as a tap room or bar door is opened. Without question five stars out of a possible five stars for, "The Last Bar In NYC". This is a do not miss read no matter what genre you like to read from.
5 likes
4837427
Although I like all the songs on this album, I'm especially fond of "You and Me and the Bottle Makes Three Tonight." Snappy lyrics, and brass that's spot on. You can't ask for more in a swing band!
1376920
Laurie, This morning I found a couple of hours to tumble into your world. Thank you for sharing such vivid memories of that incredible period of yours and Bill Evans' lives. The joy you felt comes through so clearly but you also communicate the fears and melancholy times so well that at times, while reading, I could have sworn I was sitting across the table from you in a New York coffee shop listening while it was all happening. Clearly, your spiritual view of life was part of what got you through the difficult times, but it sounds like it was a magical adventure that must have been inspiring for the emotion, the places, and the people. What a growing experience! As an Edmontonian, I got a real charge out of your mention of people and places close to home. And the descriptions with sights, sounds, and smells - well done! You really painted the scenes into life! Thanks again for sharing those times, the good and the not-so-good, and letting me in on the roller coaster ride of those 18 months. I will treasure the book and print always. I wish the best of luck to you and that the book gets recognition as an important piece of the puzzle that was Bill Evans".
2683027
If you ride, especially if, like me, you've been riding for decades, you'll love this book.  Whether you completely agree with the author's choices or not, I'm sure the bikes chosen will take you on a trip back down memory lane.  It'll bring back memories of magazine road tests, show room visits, and times spent standing in display areas at motorcycle shows.  It will remind us of  those enjoyable days of yesterday, make us lust for bikes we never had the chance to ride, and, most of all, remind us why we still ride.  We don't stop riding because we get old, we get old because we stop riding.  Every time I see my 78 year old friend roll his racing Vincent around his Yamaha street bike to load it for another race, I understand even better why I own this book.
1572816
The Red Album of Asbury Park captures the late 60's of Asbury, New Jersey, and its music scene. This was a time when the town was resonating with a "rock and roll" energy (the same time that then-unknown/up-and-coming musicians like The Boss were just getting started). There is a nice, melancholy mood and tension throughout the book, which features a style of prose writing that's original and smooth-flowing. The characters were introduced, and/or entered the scene(s) very naturally and at a good pace as well. I found the lead character, the 22-year-old musician Sam Nesbitt, to be introspective, pensive, and philosophical (with a snarky sense of humor at points - this conversation is an example):

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"Hey, rob a liquor store on a Friday night. Do what you have to do to get the money," I said, mindlessly repeating Sal's advice.
"Sam," said Julie, slapping me on the arm.
"What? I didn't say a bank."
"You're a role model."
No, Julie, no role model, I insisted.

(along with this narrative - the introspective/philosophical aspect):

Still, I could not sleep. At 3 a.m., I would sit up in bed with my guitar in my lap, picking out fragments of songs that remained just beyond reach. I was looking for the key, the secret elixir that would transform the sincere and competent into anthems of love, heartache and revolution.

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There are many details the author did not overlook. Some of the lines that I thought were very descriptive/evocative:

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Mannequins posed in the darkness behind the plateglass windows, elegant in their winter clothes, their features only visible when they seemed to turn their heads to the lights of a passing car, and unoffended at the inattention.

I never told her to stay away; she read it in my eyes, that resentment that I hardly admitted to myself: that her presence took me away from the band, the music, the audience.

"Peace," said Jillian, rising.
"Peace," said Julie.
We both stared after Jillian as she picked up her order and danced out the door. A guy walked into the restaurant carrying a girl, her legs wrapped around his waist from the front and laughing like there was no tomorrow. As Janis Joplin said, "It's all one day."

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I thought the dialogs were tight/sharp (nothing worse than superfluous dialog!!) - in the sense that the sometimes *seemingly* meandering conversations _are_ that way for a reason (to this reader, at least) - they capture the ambiguity and tension(s) of a new romance/the mood of the interactions in the (potential) pre-relationship stage.

And always, the lead character's drive/dream of becoming a famous rock star (and the story takes place in New Jersey; NJ natives include Bruce Springsteen, Frank Sinatra, Bon Jovi, Lauryn Hill, Dionne Warwick - talk about pressure).........hangs over him, doggedly. One can't help but feel for the character, in the sense of his despondency/anxiety about being a struggling, young musician (something every artist can relate to!) in the city. But despite the harshness of reality, it doesn't all end in morose catastrophe. I especially liked a certain caption on pg-12. It's sort of a golden thread that runs through the book - which was nice, I don't always enjoy leaving a (humanistic) book on a depressing note!