Category: Acoustic Music

Today It’s Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash in Nashville, Our ‘All About Blue’ Playlist, and Rare Gems From Emmylou Harris, Monday, April 4, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! Those Mondays always seem to roll around again, don’t they? But you can certainly make it better by tuning us in. I promise.

Here’s your Monday line-up:

11:00 a.m. Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash: The Nashville Sessions 1969

In the midst of recording Nashville Skyline, Bob Dylan got together with Johnny Cash ‘in session’ in Nashville to churn out some music. As it turns out one of those songs would make it onto the album, The Girl From the North Country. The rest were released much later, and we have them here for you today.

3:00 p.m. All About Blue: Various Artists

Today’s multi-artist list is all about the color blue in the title, lyrics or both. You’ll hear Robert Johnson, Marvin Gaye, Shawn Colvin, Phoebe Snow, Linda Ronstadt, Van Morrison, Electric Light Orchestra, Jerry Jeff Walker, The Beatles, Cream, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, B. B. King, Little Feat, The Smithereens, Canned Heat, Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy, The Doors, and more!

7:00 p.m. Emmylou Harris: Rare Tracks and Forgotten Gems

We have a nice 47-minute interlude to close out our programming today. These are some of the songs you may not be so familiar with, including some sung with The Pretenders, Linda Ronstadt, The McGarrigle sisters, Dr. John, Willie Nelson, and Steve Earle.

And then we’re back to wide Open Stream. Mondays always need a boost, so why not make it musical. Close your office door, pull up a tab, and listen in with your friends from around the globe today. You won’t regret it. I promise.

All About Blue

It’s Sunday In The Mermaid Lounge With ‘The Original Sixties Rotation’ EP and Emmylou Harris’ “Luxury Liner” as Our AOW, April 3, 2022

Good Morning, Sixties Veterans! Today we’ve got one of the very first playlists we ever made, and the very first one we turned into an extended playlist, ‘The Original Sixties Rotation.’

Here’s Sunday’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Luxury Liner by Emmylou Harris NEW!

Emmylou Harris’ fourth studio album is truly a thing of beauty. It is absolutely one of my all-time favorite albums with not one singular inferior song from start to finish. It was her second consecutive number one country album on the Billboard charts. She sings the songs of Gram Parsons, Chuck Berry, the Louvins, Rodney Crowell, Susanna Clark, for starters. The album also includes the cover of Townes Van Zandt’s haunting Pancho & Lefty which, subsequently, would become his best-known composition. You couldn’t ask for a better bunch of artists for help, with Nicolette Larson (duet vocals), Dolly Parton, and Fayssoux Starling providing duet and backing vocals, and a laundry list of brilliant musicians including members of The Hot Band, Albert Lee and James Burton on electric guitars, Hank DiVito on pedal steel, Glen D. Hardin on keyboards, and more. Just wow.

3:00 p.m. The Original Sixties Rotation: Various Artists

I say this every time this EP and it’s sister (volume two) are up for playing: The music that inspired this radio station. You’ll hear Del Shannon, Little Eva, The Beatles, Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Hollies, The Walker Brothers, Dusty Springfield, Mary Wells, The Searchers, The Monkees, Sonny & Cher, Petula Clark, Glen Campbell, The Dave Clark Five, Johnny Rivers, The Supremes, Harry Nilsson, The Band, The Yardbirds, The Kinks, Simon & Garfunkel, Blind Faith, Janis Joplin, Tony Joe White, Barry McGuire, Marvin Gaye, The Who, Procol Harum, The Temptations, Fats Domino and more! That’s 98 songs over five hours of uninterrupted bliss.

It’s Sunday, people. No stress. No strain. No retail. Stay home. Enjoy your friends, family, and the music. We’re here 24/7 with no commercial advertising and no requirements for you to listen. Not one. Except, of course, a computer.

The Sixties!

No Joke, Music Lovers! We Start the Month With Our ‘M Is For Motown’ EP and ‘live’ Little Feat Later, Friday, April 1, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! We’re no fools here in The Mermaid Lounge. We kick off the month with our great ‘M Is For Motown’ EP and Little Feat live from London later!

Here’s your April Fool’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. M is For Motown: Various Artists

We’ve got all the best artists in Motown here today; the groundbreakers who created ‘the music that moved th world.’ You’ll hear Barrett Strong, Eddie Kendricks, Edwin Starr, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Jackson 5, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Jimmy Ruffin, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Kim Weston, Mary Wells, Martha & The Vandellas, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, The Isley Brothers, The Spinners, The Marvelettes, The Temptations, The Contours, Al Green, Rare Earth, Fontella Bass, Billy Preston, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, and more!

7:00 p.m. Little Feat Live at The Rainbow Room, London, UK, August 4, 1977

A Mermaid Lounge favorite here live from London’s Rainbow Room. I have seen these guys several times over the years (the Lowell George version only), and they never disappointed. In fact, their performance at the Harvard Square Theater back in the seventies was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen.

Before, in between, and after we’ve got our great wide Open Stream of 27,000 songs. You’d be hard pressed to hear the same song more than once in a day. Tune us in. We’re totally free, unblemished by commercial advertising, and we’ve got The Music Mermaid. Nobody else does.

MOTOR CITY, BABY!

We Close Out Women’s History Month in Style With Lucinda, Linda and Emmylou, on Thursday, March 31, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! We are closing out Women’s History Month in style today with all-women programming! Of course, before, in between and after it’ll be our wide Open Stream, so enjoy the day!

We close out Women’s History Month in style!

Here’s today’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. Lucinda Williams Live at Austin City Limits, December 5, 1988

Lucinda Williams is a singer, songwriter and musician who has fused rock, blues, country and Americana into her own distinctive style. In 1988, she released her album Lucinda Williams to great critical acclaim. The album included the song Passionate Kisses, which would eventually become a hit for Mary Chapin Carpenter. Her commercial breakthrough, however, came in 1998 with the release of her album Car Wheels On a Gravel Road. And as you know, any friend of Mr. Petty’s is a friend of mine. She opened several shows on The Heartbreaker’s final 40th Anniversary Tour. Today, we have her on Austin City Limits.

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Southern Accents by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

This album certainly didn’t turn out the way Tom Petty originally envisioned it, but it holds some great Heartbreaker songs. We’re on our next-to-last airing today, so get in on it while you can. If you haven’t got it in your Petty collection, you’ll want to get it.

7:00 p.m. Emmylou Harris & Linda Ronstadt Live at The Orpheum, Boston, MA, October 1, 1999

Two of our favorites here in The Mermaid Lounge on their Western Wall tour. I had the total pleasure of being at this show. It was damned near life-changing for me to see two such brilliant singers together on the same stage.

We’re on our way to the weekend kids! And there’s no better way to end Women’s History Month than turning the programming portion of the day over to the women of music. Of course, as you know, every month is Women’s History Month here, at least from a musical perspective!

Women in Charge!

It’s All About The Women on Tuesday Bluesday, Plus Our Album of The Week, March 29, 2022

Good Morning, Bluesologists! Here we are again on another Tuesday Bluesday and it’s all about the women today, as we wind down International Women’s Month.

This week’s Tuesday Bluesday programming features Big Mama Thornton and Tracy Nelson!

Here’s today’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. Big Mama Thornton with The Muddy Waters Blues Band, 1966

Recorded back in 1966, Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton and the Muddy Waters Blues Band performed “in session” without the benefit of any rehearsal, and the result? Well, see for yourself. Big Mama Thornton was the original Hound Dog, baby. She sang with such passion she didn’t need rehearsal. And as for her backing band? They had enough skill to pull it off as you will see.

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Southern Accents by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Our second airing of this week’s Album of The Week by The Heartbreakers is up today. This album may not have turned out as planned, but when it comes to our house band, it’s never a disappointment. A great collection of songs. My favorite after 37 years is still Rebels.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Tracy Nelson

The second half of our all-women bluesday comes from Tracy Nelson, a woman who has been around since her days with Mother Earth. That means 20 albums and five decades of music. Not to be missed.

I’m back in retail land today, but if you’ve got some time today, we’ve got the music. See for yourself, folks. We’re totally free 24/7. The Music Mermaid is never on vacation. And we do not interrupt our music with commercial advertising. Not allowed. We never ask for a credit card or your personal information. Just do it, people.

Tuesday Bluesday!

Today We Serve Up Our ‘For Foodies Only’ Playlist, Celebrate The Women With Irma Thomas, and Remember The Great Taylor Hawkins, Monday, March 28, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! It’s a bittersweet day today as we pay respects to Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters. That’s not all we’ve got, but it’s a day to remember one of the greatest drummers on the planet and just how fleeting life really is.

Here’s today’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. For Foodies Only: Various Artists

Somebody suggested we make a playlist including songs about food. I’m glad they did because this is a really cool and eclectic playlist. You’ll hear The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Judy Collins, Sam & Dave, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Four Tops, The Strangeloves, Led Zeppelin, Don McLean, Cream, The Guess Who, Tommy James & The Shondells, The Eagles, Neil Young, Lucinda Williams, The Kinks, Bob Dylan, Guy Clark, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Harry Nilsson, Fats Domino, Steely Dan, and more!

3:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Irma Thomas

We continue our celebration of Women’s History Month with Irma Thomas, a contemporary of Aretha Franklin who could easily be right up there on the musical food chain next to Aretha. But there’s apparently room for one one Queen of Soul, so Irma Thomas had to settle for the title of Soul Queen of New Orleans.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Foo Fighters

I wish we were running this playlist for happier reasons, but we’re not. We lose another great musician far too early in his life, and another one to drugs. Tonight we pay respects to the great Taylor Hawkins, and sincerely hope Dave Grohl and his mates eventually pull out of this sadness and keep on keepin’ on, even though there will never be another Taylor Hawkins.

What are you doing on Monday? Back to work? If you are in an office and have a computer, you can simply pull up a tab and join us for the day. We have many listeners around the globe who do. We have proof. We have emails! Best of all, we run 24/7 totally free of charge with no commercial interruptions. What’s not to like here?

Put it right here.

Sunday In The Lounge Brings TPATH’s ‘Southern Accents’ As Our AOW, and Our ‘Water, Water Everywhere’ EP, March 27, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! It’s Sunday in The Mermaid Lounge and that means I don’t have to rush around to get to retail hell. We’ve got a great line-up today, including a multi-artist playlist about water everywhere — in the title, lyrics or both!

At 3:00 p.m. we give you five hours of music about water, which actually covers 71% of this planet we live on!

Here’s today’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Southern Accents by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers NEW!

Thirty-seven years ago yesterday, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers released their sixth studio album, which was considered a failure at least by the critics (not the fans). According to at least one critic, it was envisioned as a concept album that was “weighted down by its own ambitions.” When one looks at the songs cut from the album, you have to wonder why that decision was made, I must admit. Still, it’s The Heartbreakers, and it’s an album with several great songs, three of which were co-written with Dave Stewart of The Eurythmics, including Don’t Come Around Here No More. But my favorite song on the album remains Rebels.

3:00 p.m. Water, Water Everywhere: Various Artists

And then, there’s water…in the title, lyrics, or both. Water, a valuable resource that covers 71% of the planet we live on, is more than worthy of it’s own EP. And we’ve got it here. You’ll hear Valerie Carter, Bob Dylan, The Band, Linda Ronstadt, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Deep Purple, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Bruce Hornsby, The Grass Roots, Lindesfarne, Electric Light Orchestra, Gordon Lightfoot, Bonnie Raitt, Carole King, Mudcrutch, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Tracy Nelson, B. J. Thomas, Al Green, Foo Fighters, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Steely Dan, Tom Rush, The Beatles and more!

This is a great day to tune us in. We’ve got great programming, but most of our day every day is dedicated to Open Stream with no commercial interruption, and no overly talkative disc jockeys. Just music for the masses. Just push play.

PLAY.

We’re at Week’s End With Our ‘Music From Laurel Canyon’ EP and Shawn Colvin In the Spotlight, Friday, March 25, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We continue now with our celebration of Women’s History Month as we put Shawn Colvin In the Spotlight, but we kick it off early with our ‘Music From Laurel Canyon’ EP!

We start the day off with a visit to Laurel Canyon and some musical memories!

Here’s today’s line-up:

9:00 a.m. Music From Laurel Canyon: Various Artists

Laurel Canyon was a breeding ground for some of the biggest names in music for two generations. It started in the sixties with bands like The Doors, The Lovin’ Spoonful, and The Mamas and The Papas, John Mayall, and spilled over into the seventies with Linda Ronstadt, The Eagles, Jackson Browne and many more. In addition to those artists, you’ll hear The Monkees, The Beach Boys, Joni Mitchell, Manassas, Bonnie Raitt, John David Souther, Canned Heat, Harry Nilsson, Carole King, James Taylor and more!

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Shawn Colvin

Shawn Colvin is one of those amazing singer-songwriters who has, somehow, flown under much of the radar out there for many years. She is best known for her 1998 Grammy Award-winning song, Sunny Came Home, but that’s not all she’s accomplished in her career. You can read more about Shawn Colvin right here. And best of all, if you don’t know much about her music, you can tune it in tonight and see for yourself.

Join your friends this morning. We’ve got listeners on from Chile, Greece, Italy, Ireland, the UK, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Faroe Islands (they’re becoming regulars), Spain, Israel, Canada, Japan, Brazil, Australia, and France! We’re free. We accept no advertising, so there are no commercial interruptions, and we never ask you for personal information. What’s not to like?

JUST DO IT.

Thursday Brings Joni Mitchell, Our AOW by John Mayall, and Bob Dylan’s Songs Sung by Everybody But Bob, March 24, 2022

Joni Mitchell is front and center today as we continue our celebration of Women’s History Month!

Here’s Thursday’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. Joni Mitchell Live at the Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Barbara, CA, September 9, 1979

In 1979, Joni Mitchell took to the road on her Shadows & Light Tour, and she brought her dream band along with her: Jaco Pastorius on Bass, Pat Metheny on Lead Guitar, Don Alias on Drums, Lyle Mays on Keys, and Michael Brecker on Sax. The result was simply sublime.

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: The Sun Is Shining Down by John Mayall

This is the next-to-last airing of this week’s great Album of The Week by the Godfather of British Blues. Saturday will be your final opportunity to hear it here. We’ll have a new selection by Sunday when you roll out of bed.

7:00 p.m. Everybody But Bob: Various Artists

There is no question that Bob Dylan is one of the greatest songwriters on the planet. He even won a Nobel Prize in Literature for his vast volume of work. But today we give you a new twist. Bob Dylan’s songs sung by everybody but…Bob Dylan. You’ll hear Linda Ronstadt, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Joan Baez, Chrissie Hynde, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter, Joe Cocker, Richie Havens, Waylon Jennings, The Neville Brothers, Emmylou Harris, Leon Russell, Hot Tuna, The Band, Tracy Nelson, Maria Muldaur, Fairport Convention, and more!

Join your friends from around the world this morning here on #BecomeUngovernable Radio. We’re on 24/7. The music literally never stops. And we’ve got plenty of music here with more than 27,000 songs in our general rotation. And while we do offer programming nearly every day (except on Open Stream days), most of our time is spent just streaming our collection. At no charge to you, of course.

Cursor Here Please!

It’s Monday and We’re on Wide Open Stream With Trifectas All Day Long, March 21, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We are having some software upgrades completed today and we’re on Wide Open Stream. The Music Mermaid is in charge and she has decided that we’re tossing in Trifectas today! It’s DJ’s choice!

The Music Mermaid is at the controls and life is good!

Here’s today’s line-up:

Music all day long. No commercial interruption, and Trifectas on the hour starting at 9:00 a.m. and ending at 6:00 p.m. We run 24/7 without commercial interruption. Tune. Us. In.

Wide Open Stream!