February 28, 2017 Playlist

"Ambrosia" by Ambrosia (1975)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Ambrosia "Ambrosia"  1975 (USA)
Ambrosia scored a handful of memorable soft rock hits in the early 1980's, but they began as a symphonic prog rock band working with legendary engineer Alan Parsons of The Dark Side of the Moon fame. Legend has it the group was inspired by the west coast pop sound of their native California, but then got freaked out by a King Crimson concert and went prog. Somehow they wound up working with Parsons, who engineered their debut and produced their equally progalicious second LP Somewhere I've Never Traveled (which came in an album cover that folded out into a "crystal pyramid"!) After that the group began to head in a more mainstream soft rock direction and racked up their trifecta of hits: "How Much I Feel", "You're The Only Woman", and "The Biggest Part Of Me", all of which were written by guitarist David Pack. However they actually made the Top 40 five times in total: this debut album includes their first hit, "Holdin' On To Yesterday" (a pleasant ballad that's not as memorable as the later hits), and they also scored with a cover of The Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour" recorded for the all-star All This And World War II album. Although I wouldn't vouch for their later records (unless you dig the easy soft rock of 1978-1982), their first two records are more killer than filler. Remarkably, Ambrosia is still around today (playing cruise ships and casinos mostly), and there is ongoing talk of a new album that might be released this year! (Though the guy who wrote all their hits is no longer in the band.)
(N) = New Release
(R) = Listener Request
   
Artist Song Album Year Country
The Joyfull Noise Make A Joyfull Noise Tonight Joyfull Noise 1968 USA
Crow Colors Crow By Crow 1970 USA
Ten Wheel Drive with Genya Ravan Eye Of The Needle Construction #1 1969 USA
Butthole Surfers Whirling Hall Of Knives Rembrandt Pussyhorse 1986 USA
 
 
Ty Segall Break A Guitar
 Ty Segall (N) 2017 (Drag City) USA
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Open Sea Flying Mictrotonal Banana (N) 2017 (ATO) Australia
Wolf People Kingfisher
 Ruins (N) 2016 (Jagjaguwar) UK
   
 
Tommy James & The Shondells Crimson & Clover (album version) (R) Crimson & Clover 1969 USA
Tommy James & The Shondells Changes Cellophane Symphony 1969 USA
   
 
Ambrosia Nice, Nice, Very Nice Ambrosia
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK 		1975
 USA
Ambrosia Can't Let A Woman Somewhere I've Never Traveled 1976
 USA
Ambrosia Mama Frog Ambrosia
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK 		1975
 USA
Ambrosia You're The Only Woman (excerpt) One Eighty 1980
 USA
Ambrosia World Leave Me Alone Ambrosia
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK 		1975
 USA
Daryl Hall & John Oates (produced by Todd Rundgren) 70's Scenario War Babies 1974 USA
   
 
The Moody Blues Higher And Higher To Our Children's Children's Children 1969
 UK
Jethro Tull Sweet Dream A-side 7" single (Living In The Past LP) 1969
 UK
Strawbs Tomorrow Grave New World 1972
 UK
Wishbone Ash The Pilgrim Pilgrimage 1971
 UK
Gentle Giant River Octopus 1972
 UK
Steve Hillage Activation Meditation / The Glorious Om Riff Green 1978
 UK
Caravan The Dog, The Dog, He's At It Again For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night 1973
 UK
   
 
Spaceface Parachute
 Sun Kids (N) 2017 (self release) USA
The Flaming Lips There Should Be Unicorns
 Oczy Mlody (N) 2017 (Bella Union) USA
Joan Of Arc Two-Toothed Troll
 He's Got The Whole This Land Is Your Land In His Hands (N) 2017 (Joyful Noise) USA
Mod Hippie Big Wow
 Big Wow (N) 2017 (Karma Frog) USA
A Tribe Called Quest The Space Program
 We Got It From Here . . . Thank You 4 Your Service (N) 2016 (Epic) USA
 
  
Goat Goodbye
 Requiem (N) 2016 (Sub Pop) Sweden
      
   
   
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