HIDDEN TREASURES - OLD GEEZERS

Last week Scott explored the future of metal. He and I are switching up forums for the month of April, and since March Metal Madness is officially over, I thought I'd bring you some hidden treasures from some "old geezers". By "old geezers", I mean folks that have been doing this for a long time. All of these guys have been bringing you music since 1980 or earlier. Here we go:

Playlist: Old Geezers

The Robert Cray Band

In My Soul

2014

Did You Know? Cray was the uncredited bassist in the house party band in the film National Lampoon's Animal House (Otis Day and the Knights).

1. Fine Yesterday

Robert Cray was born in Columbus, Georgia. His first album was released in 1980. He didn't find any real success until his fourth album, Strong Persuader, was released in 1986 (that happens to be my favorite). That was his lone Top 20 album (#13) and contained his only Top 40 hit Smokin' Gun (#22). He is a five time Grammy winner. The lack of popular success has not stopped Cray from continuing to release quality albums. In 2012 he released Nothin But Love and last year he released In My Soul, his 17th studio album. Cray is sixty-one years old and shows no sign of slowing down. I'm willing to bet that you've not heard anything from this album, and probably weren't even aware that the man was still making American blues music.

John Oates

Good Road To Follow

2013

Did You Know? Oates was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 as a member of Hall & Oates.

2. The Head That Wears The Crown

John Oates is an American rock, R&B and soul guitarist, vocalist, musician, songwriter and producer. Of course, we all know him has half of the duo Hall & Oates. Although Oates' main job in the duo was guitarist, he also co-wrote and sang quite a few songs. You've Lost That Loving Feeling and She's Gone are very popular Hall & Oates songs that feature John on lead vocals. Hall & Oates have released 18 studio albums, though it has been almost ten years since their last release. While he hasn't been particularly prolific with the solo albums, his latest, Good Road To Follow, hit the shelves in 2013. The man will hit sixty-seven in April, and from the sound of his and Hall's latest solo albums, a new Hall & Oates album would make a lot of us happy.

John Mellencamp

Plain Spoken

2014

Did You Know? Plain Spoken is the Mellencamp's first recording under his new lifetime recording contract with Republic Records (a lifetime contract has to be a comfortable feeling).

3. Tears In Vain

John Mellencamp is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and actor. To date, he has released twenty-two studio albums. Mellencamp has released twenty-two Top 40 hits in the U.S. and holds the record for most number one hits by a solo artist on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart (seven). He has won one Grammy Award, while he was nominated thirteen times. He was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 2008. He will be sixty-four years old this October. The song featured comes from his latest studio offering from last year called Plain Spoken. It's certainly not as rocking as his most successful stuff, but Americana/folk styled music seems to fit him well at this stage of life.

Rick Springfield

Stripped Down

2014

Did You Know? From 1972 to 1973 he starred as himself in the ABC-TV cartoon series Mission Magic! He usually wrote and performed one original song in each episode.

4. If Wishes Were Fishes (Explicit)

Rick Springfield is an Australian singer-songwriter, musician, actor and author. Let's face it, you know who all of these guys are. Springfield has been recording albums since 1970 (Zoot's debut album Just Zoot). His first solo album was released in 1972 (Beginnings). He has released a total of sixteen solo albums, with the latest (Songs For The End Of The World) coming in 2012. He has issued two Top 10 albums in the U.S. and five Top 10 hits in the U.S. including the number one hit Jessie's Girl (he also won a Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for Jessie's Girl). That's quite impressive. But he's not done. Songs For The End Of The World was a fantastic album and in his latest, brand new live release he strips some of his best songs to the bare minimum and along with a couple of covers he includes one brand new song which is heard here.

So come clean. Did you know these dudes were still going strong? Do you own any of the albums featured here? Who would you have included on this list?

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jon on April 1, 2015 at 9:37am

Robert Cray still sounds like Robert Cray.

John Oates sounds like he wants to rock!

John Cougar Mellencamp is starting to sound like Tom Waites. A lifetime contract isn't really all that and a bag of chips, especially if you signed up with Sea Org.

Rick Springfield sounds like Rick Springfield. Song was funny.

Yes. No. John Fogerty.

Nice attempt, but Scott does it better. He talks to us like he's a friend.

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Permalink Reply by RJhog (Admin) on April 1, 2015 at 10:08am

Well, you are stuck with me for three more weeks sucker.

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Permalink Reply by Scott on April 1, 2015 at 11:22am

Hey a compliment! Woo Hoo!

This looks like a fine list and fine topic. Looking forward to listening. ...

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Permalink Reply by Scott on April 1, 2015 at 7:16pm

You know, I've always felt like the Hidden Treasure forum is one of the best on the net. Back in the day, and that would be 76-85-ish, I used to make mix tapes often. I did them for myself and stored them neatly in a very cool cassette case I had in my car. I titled all my mix tapes "Good Shit Vol. X", and had many friends ask me to make one for them. But I never made Good Shit for anyone but myself. I made tapes for friends, but titled them differently... I still love making up mixes and in some subliminal way the SHT moniker is an homage to the mix tape series I popularized in my youth. And so handing off guest host duties for a month is not done lightly. It has to be someone I trust to do a great job...

Old Geezers, of which I am not one yet, is an interesting take on longevity, something every artist on this list has. I love young Robert Cray. Love his voice. This track is very bluesy as expected and he doesn't sound old at all. Its a nice kick off to this list, which I suspect is fairly mellow...

Oates oozes that ooey-gooey pop melodicness. This is a pretty good tune! But he's definitively missing Hall.

Mellencamp fell off my radar years and years ago. This doesn't really bring him back into view. I like what Jon said about his sounding like Waits. This just in not interesting at all and I'm finding his later work to be the same. Sea Org.... hahaha - if he's truly a member then his clear status is murky and he may need more auditing!

When we agreed to swap forums I suspected some Smithereens, Petty, and Springfield. 1 down 2 to go... Did you know Beeb Birtles of Little River Band fame was a member of Zoot as well? Pretty funny lyrically, and certainly qualifies as hidden! Treasure on the other hand, is in the ear of the beholder...