Old Enough to Forget

I never liked Lionel Richie, and honestly never really gave two shits about the Commodores. I didn't want to count how many times she was a lady. When Lionel fancied himself the third wheel to the Prince / Michael Jackson milking stool I had to suffer through Can't Slow Down  when I was at my girlfriends house. She also loved the Cats Soundtrack too ... ah the blush of a first love. I will say though that I did love Louie Shelton's guitar solo on "Hello" you gotta give credit where credit is due. It was a weird thing when I found myself strangely enamoured with "Nightshift." I found the album cheap back in the day and I think I played it once before filing it away. I did pull the title track off for a few mix tapes but I never really gave the album a chance. I listened once and passed judgment and that was that. During my recent trip to Krazy Bob's to flip through his discount bins I found several copies of Nightshift , and each time I saw a copy I ...

I was this many years old when I finally realized it wasn't Seals & Croft ... it was Seals & CROFTS. Well, better late than never I guess. Seals & Crofts had a pretty good run through the early '70s. While I'd never have called myself much of a fan I had to admit that their radio hits were syrupy ear candy. I still love "Summer Breeze" and "Diamond Girl" and when I saw the Greatest Hits album in the bargain bin (along with about twenty other albums that came home with me ... it was a good haul) I had to get it. So I did. The album after a deep clean was remarkably pristine and the liner notes were still inside the jacket. Sadly it was just a lyric sheet with no credits. At least the back cover listed the producer - Louis Shelton, the legendary session guitarist who I assume also played guitar on the album.  This is a great sounding record, and the intertwined harmonies of James Seals and Dash Crofts are so good. It would have been cool to ha...

David Cassidy was striking while the iron was cooling. Rock Me Baby followed a few months after his previous album Cherish went  gold domestically.  Rock Me Baby  would stall just outside the top 40 at 41. His solo career would fare better in the UK and Australia but in North America but it certainly seemed like the gold run for The Partridge Family and David's solo career had come to an end in the first half of '72.  It must have been incredibly perplexing for a young 22-year-old David, who seemed to be trying to step out of the bubblegum pin-up world he was confined to. Like a lot of people who grew up in the '70s The Partridge Family was essential television, but actually listening to the music outside the confines of the show was a lot to ask. I liked The Osmonds, but I wouldn't be caught dead listening to Donny. Icky ... germs. When I found a copy of Rock Me Baby I snapped it up. Why not? The album cover looked cool, although the back cover was goofy. My ...

Yeah I got an album by The Partridge Family. They weren't the Monkees that's for sure, but dang it it was the early '70s and we didn't have cable - hardly anyone we knew had cable. It was for rich people. We got enough channels with an antenna to be able to keep up with the latest cartoons and the best shows on television. Like the Banana Splits, H.R. Pufnstuf and Star Trek ... when I could figure out when it was on. The world was full of variety shows, and music was everywhere. Then one day a new family moved into my living room  - The Partridge Family. Good lord, it was enough having to watch The Osmonds with a prancing Donny, and the Jackson 5 with little Michael all the time.  At least the Brady Bunch weren't doing a song and dance act ... oh wait, they did. It was horrible. Still, it was fun. The music was terrible. It was also catchy. It was also incredibly safe for family consumption. They also played Ovation guitars. This I remember distinctly, because my un...