Hugo Schwyzer

It’s a busy day of grading, book proposals, meetings, and exercise. No time for blogging. I’ll be back on Monday…

Several songs on today’s FRT are oldies recorded before I graduated college. #1 is from my hair band days; #2 just showed up a short time ago on an FRT, my favorite song from my favorite new group; #3 a classic from an old junior year favorite; #4 is Emmylou doing bluegrass at its most transcendent; #8 is Patty Griffin’s song, and she and Burke both turn this tribute to MLK’s final speech into a three-hankie number; #9 is one I played a lot when I was single again, thinking my last chance had passed me by; #10 is a song of which I have at least three downloaded versions, and with Kottke and DeMent, you can’t go wrong. For all of his periodically faux sentimentality, I have a soft spot for Randy Travis, and the bonus track today is off my favorite of his albums.

1. “Breaking the Chains”, Dokken
2. “Things that You Know”, Wailin’ Jennys
3. “Mandela Day”, Simple Minds
4. “Darkest Hour is Just Before Dawn”, Emmylou Harris and Ricky Skaggs
5. “When You Awake”, The Band
6. “Windfall”, Son Volt
7. “Your Embrace”, Shakira
8. “Up to the Mountain”, Solomon Burke
9. “Table for Two”, Caedmon’s Call
10. “Banks of Marble”, Leo Kottke and Iris Dement

Bonus Track: “What’ll You Do About Me?”, Randy Travis