Route 66 - March 21, 2019

One of my all-time favorite artists, and one frequently played on this show is Beck. His debut album, "Mellow Gold" is celebrating it's 25th anniversary this year, so let's take a moment to appreciate this impressive and landmark record.

"Mellow Gold" was released on March 1, 1994. Beck was just 24 years old at the time, but he had been writing music and performing for most of his life. He always showed enthusiasm for multiple styles, from punk to folk to hip-hop and funk. He began incorporating all these varied styles into his own music, and his debut album showcases a wide range of musical genres.

"Mellow Gold" was an immediate hit, due to the very popular single "Loser" which became an anthem for Generation X. Over the years Beck went on to develop a more mature musical sound, writing more profound lyrics and arranging complex instrumentation.

Since 1994, Beck has released 10 albums - all of which are fantastic and near classics. I'm particularly fond of his 2002 album "Sea Change," but it was his 2014 album "Morning Phase" that won the Grammy for Album of the Year.

Here now are the first two tracks from "Mellow Gold" - "Loser" and "Pay No Mind."

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One of the most exciting groups to perform at Woodstock was "Sly and the Family Stone." This is a band I could devote the entire show to discussing and playing, but perhaps I'll save that for another time. They are both a legend and a mystery, having recorded multiple number one songs, yet nothing since the mid-'70s.

Sly and the Family Stone was a multi-racial, multi gender funk-rock band formed in San Francisco in 1967. They were lead by the exceptionally talented singer-songwriting multi-instrumentalist Sylvester Stewart, known simply as Sly Stone. They performed a unique fusion of musical genres, expressing themes of civil rights, peace, and tolerance.

They took the stage at Woodstock on Sunday, August 17th, 1969 and performed a thrilling set featuring their signature style. They continued to have mainstream hits in the years immediately following Woodstock, and were successful enough to influence many similar artists including Prince, Lenny Kravitz, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and even Beck.

Unfortunately, as the decade of the '70s wore on Sly Stone battled drugs and legal problems. Not only did he stop recording, but he completely dropped out of sight. In the ensuing 45 years he has rarely been seen in public and given very few interviews.

Every once in a while he has hinted at a comeback, and it's rumored he has written and recorded new songs at his home studio over all this time. I just imagine one day when all of that music will be released. Sly Stone is now 76 years old and it would be fascinating to hear what he's been up to all these years.

Until then, here are a couple songs Sly and the Family Stone performed at Woodstock back in the Summer of '69.