Albums and All That, Starting with the letter S as in Sierra, Part 11

Thirsty Forest Animals [00:25]
"Nape"
Southeast of Saturn: Michigan Shoegaze/Dream Pop/Space Rock
Third Man Records TMR-629 2020
All of this, yes. When I lived in NYC in the 90s, so many of my friends were from Michigan that it's amazing some stayed around to develop these sounds.

Fauna [05:26]
"To Ecstasy"
Southeast of Saturn, Vol. 2: Midwest Shoegaze/Dream Pop/Space Rock
Third Man Records TMR-750 2022
I also knew a lot of folks from Minneapolis, where Fauna hail from. This track is from their 1992 release Everafter.

Glen Campbell [09:23]
"Southern Nights"
Southern Nights
Capitol SO-11601 1977
Glen takes an excellent turn with Allen Toussaint's "Southern Nights" originally recorded in 1975. Glen heard that version and was reminded of his childhood in Arkansas. This single made it to number 1 on the charts, and the album made it as high as 22 on the Billboard 200. You can see Glen playing one of his weirdo Ovation electric 12-strings here on The Midnight Special.

Hawkwind [12:24]
"Sonic Attack"
Space Ritual
United Artists Records UA-LA120-H2 1973
Epically epic space jams with interspersed spoken words as exampled here with "Sonic Attack" written by Michael Moorcock and recited by James Calvert. The sleeve art by Barney Bubbles is a thing of majesty. If space jams are your thing and you've never heard this album, seek it out. Amazingly, this album briefly dented the Billboard 200, making it to number 179. The album jacket is quite a work of art. If you'd like to see the full artwork, join me over on Patreon for video liner notes.

Depeche Mode [17:24]
"Dreaming of Me"
Speak & Spell
Sire SRK 3642 1981
What a difference a decade makes (as compared to Hawkwind)? The debut album by the boys from Basildon, and the only one recorded with Vince Clark (before he moved on to Yaz and subsequently Erasure). This album also just cracked the Billboard 200 here in the US, making it to number 192. This single did actually make it into the US Billboard dance charts, going as high as 47.

The English Beat [21:01]
"Sooner or Later"
Special Beat Service
I.R.S. Records SP 75069 1982 (1987 reissue)
Everyday someone is born who has never heard "Sooner or Later". Perhaps you are one of those people who has never heard "Sooner or Later". If so, enjoy! This guitar sounds (and this video) have been permentantly etched into my musical brain thanks to the early days of MTV.

John Zorn [24:36]
"Hico Killer - Long Mile to Houston"
Spillane
Elektra Nonesuch 9-79172-1 1987
Gritty road story from master blues musician Albert Collins, tinged with Zorn & Co's trademark oddballness.

Con Funk Shun [29:19]
"Juicy"
Spirit of Love
Mercury SRM-13806 1980
The Bay Area's very own Con Funk Shun. If you've got a funk/soul album with a track called "Juicy" you know you've got to listen to it. Or at least, I do. Written by the band's guitarist and vocalist Michael Vernon Cooper.

The Wonderland Singers [34:07]
"Bats in the Belfry"
Spooky Halloween
Wonderland Records LP-293 1974
They just don't make organ music like they used to, and probably for good reason. At least the cover art is cool.

Ustalost [35:20]
"III"
The Spoor of Vipers
Gilead Media RELIC82 2017
Some blackened heaviness from this solo project by Will Skarstad of Yellow Eyes. For those of you who appreciate this style of music, seek out A Wandering Path: The Story of Gilead Media on a streaming service near you.

Missing Persons [40:49]
"Bad Streets"
Spring Session M
Capitol Records ST-12228 1982
This album made a strong impression on my when it came out and I still find myself thinking about it. For this episode's selection, I took a look at the track listings and immediately heard this song in my head. The album made it to number 42 on the Hot 100 and generated 4 singles: "Words", "Desitnation Unknown", "Windows", and "Walking in L.A.".

Graham Parker and the Rumour [44:30]
"Local Girls"
Squeezing Out the Sparks
Arista AB 4223 1979
Another heavy rotation video from the early days of MTV, despite being made in 1979. The album attempts to explore English suburbia. The album cover features some great typography by Gerard Huerta.

Amazing Rhythm Aces [49:48]
"Third Rate Romance"
Stacked Deck
ABC Records ABCD-913 1975
Some fun country-inflected rock from these Memphis gents, sounding almost perfectly mid-70s in a good way. The album reached 11 on the country charts and 120 on the Billboard 200. This single also hit 11 on the country charts and 14 on the pop chart. The band even made an appearance on the second season of Austic City Limits. Love Barry "Byrd" Burton's finger pickin on this.

Sly and the Family Stone [53:11]
"You Can Make It if You Try"
Stand!
Epic BN 26456 1969
The mighty Sly Stone and family take a funky turn at this song originally recorded by Gene Allison and also covered by the Rolling Stones. Fans of Primal Scream will also recognize the tail end of the track that precedes this album closer.

Jacksons [56:49]
"Blame It on the Boogie"
Star Fire
Ronco R 3200 1980
As seen on TV! 18 original hits by 18 original artists! A compilation of hits, mostly from 1979. In honor of the late Tito Jackson, I had to go with this uptempo Jacksons single from 1978.

Wet Willie [01:00:00]
"Keep on Smilin'"
Star Trackin' '76
Ronco R 1976-2 1976
As seen on TV! 20 original hits by 20 original artists! While 8 year old me would have been extremely excited about the "Theme from S.W.A.T.", I decided to go with Mobile AL's own Wet Willie. I could have also gone with Abba's "Waterloo" but loyal listeners already know how much I love Abba.

Music behind the DJ: "Charade" by Charlie Barnet and his Orchestra