S.O.D. "Almost Cut My Hair" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

2/23/2023 David Crosby wrote this song, which was released in 1970. Crosby commented on the song, stating “It was the most juvenile set of lyrics I’ve ever written… but it has a certain emotional impact, there’s no question about that.” Mr. Crosby left us on January 18, 2023 after a successful and very influential 59 year musical career. He joined The Byrds in 1964 and would become one of the pioneers of folk rock and psychedelia. It was the 60s, when musicians used their real name on stage. His middle name was Van Cortlandt.

Crosby is best known as a member of Crosby, Stills, & Nash, and sometimes Young. This super group composed most of the hits he would have a part in. Crosby confessed that the outcome of every song he wrote was cannabis influenced. He was a long time cannabis advocate, releasing his own strain at one point, and being invited in 2018 to join the advisory board of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).

He was also an active political activist, and more interestingly, a sailor. Crosby purchased a 59 foot schooner with money from a settlement involving The Byrds, and proceeded to write many songs while sailing thousands of miles in the Pacific and Caribbean. He named his boat, Mayan. David Crosby is an important and influential part of our musical heritage. He has six children.

S.O.D. "Today' the Day" by Pink

2/22/2023 Alecia Beth Moore, known professionally as Pink, wrote this 2015 song along with record producer, and multi instrumentalist Greg Kursten. It was exclusively written as the new theme for the Ellen DeGeneres show, on which Pink performed the song.

S.O.D. "Thunderer March" by John Philip Sousa

2/21/2023 An 1889 composition that featured a primitive pyrotechnic show with the drums and bugle corps. Sousa left us in 1932 at age 77. He served in the Marines as a sergeant major, and in the Navy as a lieutenant commander. He composed many marches, and is referred to as “The American March King.”

S.O.D. "Song 2" by Blur

2/20/2023 This popular 1997 rock song has a very good reason, or many reasons actually, for its title. It is the second song on two albums, has two verses, two choruses, and is two minutes, and two seconds long. In popular culture, it has been used extensively, including by more than 10 sports teams, and during the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony. Even a song written as a joke about the record industry can become a hit, as this was originally meant to be.

S.O.D. "The Art Teacher" by Rufus Wainwright

2/19/2023 Funny story behind this 2004 song, which has been compared to the works of American composer, and pianist, Philip Glass. Let’s see how proactive you would like to be, and look up the song title in Wikipedia, to discover the story. Enjoy!!

S.O.D. "Dancing in the Moonlight" by King Harvest

2/18/2023 Sherman Kelly, the original composer of this pop rock song, released it first, in 1970 with his band Boffalongo. During his tenure with King Harvest, the song was more successful in 1972.

S.O.D. "The Search Is Over" by Survivor

2/17/2022 One of the more tolerable love songs that emerged during the 80s. It actually went to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and topped the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

S.O.D. "Bada Bing, Wit a Pipe" by Four Year Strong

2/16/2022 This pop punk group came out of Worcester, Massachusetts in 2001. Most of their music is a sound that they want to hear, and was developed with that in mind. When they came up with this sound, there was really no one else that sounded like them at all. This is their debut single.

S.O.D. "Green Eyed Monster Girl

2/15/2023 This is from the debut album of Mr. Stone, born Sylvester Stewart. He was the front man for Sly and the Family Stone, and one of the first founders of the funk genre. Recognized in the world of music during his childhood years, the multi instrumentalist, record producer, and singer-songwriter is now in his 72nd year of, shall we say, music greatness. He has been referred to as the founder of progressive soul.

S.O.D. "The Song of the Sun" by Mike Oldfield

2/14/2023 This English musician, songwriter, producer, and video game designer, is the composer of “Tubular Bells.” This is the song you hear at the beginning of the 1973 film, “The Excorcist.” He was 19 at the time, and is now in his 56th year of bringing us awesome sound.

S.O.D. "Gigantic" by Pixies

2/13/2023 A 1988 release from their debut album “Surfer Rosa.” The song remains one of their most popular tunes, and is often played as an encore at concerts. It was written by bassist Kim Deal, who has now moved on to The Breeders, and guitarist/vocalist, Black Francis, the group’s primary songwriter.

S.O.D. "We Build, Then We Break" by The Fray

2/12/2023 From their 2009 album, “The Fray,” which is the American rock band’s 2nd studio album. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, and made it to #1 on two other US charts. The album also charted in 14 other countries, and spawned four singles.

S.O.D. "Cherokee" by Wynton Marsalis

2/11/2023 This mind blowing trumpeter from New Orleans, active since 1980, has earned just about every existing award for music. This includes a Pulitzer Prize in 1997 at the age of 36 for “Blood on the Fields.” He is also the only musician to win Grammy awards in jazz and classical music in the same year. Actually, he did this two consecutive years.

Marsalis is the current artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, and enjoys promoting classical and jazz music to young audiences. Mostly as being leader, and also sideman and collaborations, he is a part of over 120 works. You simply cannot take your ears off him.

S.O.D. "Roads" by Portishead

2/10/2023 The 1994 album where you’ll find this song is “Dummy.” The album charted well internationally, and hit the #1 spot on two UK charts, and #2 on another. It has sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide.

S.O.D. "Gets Us All in the End" by Jeff Beck

2/9/2023 One of the more innovative guitarists that graced the instrument, Jeff Beck has left us. At age 6 he knew that he wanted an electric guitar when he heard Les Paul on the radio playing “How High the Moon.”

He grew up in East Sussex, England, and through his sister, met Jimmy Page when they were both teenagers. His first attempt at building a guitar consisted of cigar boxes bolted together, and a fence post as the neck. He painted on the frets, and used model plane control lines for strings.

Other than Les Paul, his influences include Gene Vincent, B. B. King, Cliff Gallup, Steve Cropper, Lonnie Mack, and more. Visualizing past the clean, bright sound, Jeff experimented with, and brought distortion and audio feedback to the forefront. Doing many different things with his fingers when playing, Eric Clapton stated “With Jeff, it’s all in his hands.” He is often referred to as a guitarist’s guitarist.

S.O.D. "Stay in the Country" by The Marshall Tucker Band

2/8/2023 This song is about South Carolina, the band’s home state. They’re in their 51st year of laying down the tunes. The name Marshall Tucker was never a member of the band, but a piano tuner in Columbia, South Carolina. The group had rented a rehearsal space in Columbia, and noticed this name inscribed on the tuning key. This man just passed away on January 20, 2023 at the age of 99.

S.O.D. "Short Skirt, Long Jacket"

2/7/2023 This alternative rock/funk rock song released in 2000, gained many media spots. Different way of approaching a music video, which is very entertaining.

S.O.D. "Sweet Potato Pie" by James Taylor

2/6/2023 One of three singles released from his 1988 “Never Die Young” album. American music industry trade magazine, Cash Box stated that the song contains “smooth yet deceptively deep material.” Mr. Taylor is in his 57th year of music.

2/5/2023 " Alaska Highway" by Dan Bern

2/5/2023 Here we have quite the clever artist. Not only has he written more than 1000 songs, but is also a visual artist and author. Seems that he wrote a book under one name, and the preface under another. His works have been compared to Woody Guthrie, Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, and Bruce Springsteen.

S.O.D. "Direction of the Sun" by Screaming Trees

2/4/2023 This grunge/psychedelia/rock group was active from 1984 to 2000, originating in Ellensburg, Washington. They are one of the pioneers of grunge. Enjoy!!