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.
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Todd may not be a household name, but his influence on music has been pervasive. We'll forgive the western burbs for giving us Cinderella.
ReplyDeleteI was not previously familiar with Jim's son AJ. He's okay, but not grabbing hold of my musical soul.
Arlee Bird
Wrote By Rote
Lee-are you disrespecting my brothers from Upper Darby?
DeleteCinderlla's later efforts were a lot less hair metal and a lot more bluesy-worth a listen. Tom Kiefer (lead singer) did a solo album that I also like quite a lot.
Nope. Ain't never gonna listen to a group of guys calling themselves "Cinderella". Not gonna give 'em a chance later to find some man stones, either.
ReplyDeleteJIM CROCE, however, now him I ALWAYS LIKED. Had no idea he was from your neck of the woods though, LC. I consider him one of the best lyricists ever, and 'PHOTOGRAPHS & MEMORIES' is amongst the saddest (in a good way) songs I've ever heard.
I love 'WORKIN' AT THE CAR WASH BLUES', and 'RAPID ROY' has always, always made me think of my Pa. My Dad wasn't a race car driver, but other than that, he WAS Rapid Roy.
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
Croce had quite a few good tunes-very sad he died so young.
DeleteI knew Jim Croce went way before his time but didn't know how. Had to look it up. Airplane crash at the hands of a pilot who shouldn't have been flying, who hit the only tree for hundreds of yards. Man, what an awful way to go, especially while on top.
ReplyDeleteA.J.'s stuff isn't bad. Like Arlee it didn't particularly grab me, but it was still worth the listen. Plus who doesn't love an album set in a bar?