THE NEW DYLAN THREE AND A HALF DECADES ON

Back when this album was released, Steve Forbert was billed as the "new" Dylan.

Even though the lead single (Romeo's Tune) from his follow-up was a hit, he soon vanished from the mainstream (although he's continued to release music-upwards of forty titles counting the live releases sold from his web site).

I loved the debut-I heard Goin' Down To Laurel on Ed Sciacky's radio show in Philly, and ran out and bought the record.

New Dylan? 

I guess not, but who could live up to that hype? 

That's how Springsteen was hyped, but it took the club mix of Dancing In The Dark for him to hit it big.

Forbert has always stayed pretty true to his roots (Mississippi roots, so that means folk/rock with country flavor).

Here's the song that won me over.

And here are a couple more of my favorites...

The rest is in the vault. Songs 1 through 5 are side one of the record, and I must have worn those grooves flat-that album side was one of my favorites for crashing to.

CHRISTMAS BONUS

...for those of you with access to the Vault...

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

One of my first MTV crushes was Patty Smyth, lead singer for Scandal. I was fortunate enough to see the band and work security when they played my college, but did not get the chance to see her perform live again for a couple of decades.

This year, Patty released a Christmas album, Come On December. While last year I featured a different Christmas release from my collection for each day of the season, this year, this is all you're getting.

Serves ya right-you been naughty!

NEW WORLD

From The Lefsetz Letter, 10/9/2015

What if after a long bout of writer's block you put out an album nearly as good as your debut, but most people ignored it?

Then you'd have Karla Bonoff's 1988 LP "New World."

Produced by Mark Goldenberg of Cretones fame and released on Danny Goldberg's Gold Castle Records this gem sank like a stone...sometimes the public just hasn't caught up with you yet. 

And at least twenty-odd years later "New World" lives on online.

HOW LONG

I'd featured Bonoff's debut a few weeks back (also inspired by the Lefsetz blog), and was reminded of this forgotten gem by Lefsetz' second post of that Friday.

Karla Bonoff still tours, and if you get the chance, I recommend getting out to see her.

One of the greats.

Those with access to the Vault can check out the rest of the album.

THAT'S ME IN THE BAR

I am from Philadelphia's western suburbs.

My favorite musician (Todd Rundgren) is also from the western burbs.

That is sort of a coincidence. 

I say sort of because I was introduced to the music by a high school teacher who had been Todd's classmate, and who knows whether I would have discovered the music otherwise. Todd has never exactly been a household name.

Philly is a music city, and those western burbs have spawned a fair amount of musical success stories (The Hooters and Cinderella come to mind from the 80's). Maybe you remember them, maybe not, but they had their moments in the sun. 

Another musician hailing from those same streets (Upper Darby, to be more precise) achieved a lot wider fame although he tragically died quite young. But who doesn't know the words to Bad Bad Leroy Brown, even if it's only that last line, "Leroy looked like a jigsaw puzzle with a couple of pieces gone?" 

Jim Croce died young sadly, but I think it is safe to say he is a household name. But I'm not here to talk about Jim today, either.

The man who is the focus of today's post is his son, A.J. Croce.

A.J. has been releasing finely crafted albums since 1993, and his second album, That's Me In The Bar, is today's vault entry (and is being reissued on vinyl this year).

So while I do tend to check out artists when I hear they are Philly-based, I am sure upon hearing this album you'll see that the music merits further listening.

THAT'S ME IN THE BAR

CHECKIN' IN

Vault key holders can hear the rest of the album. If you don't know about the Vault, you gotta ask.