When Robert Hunter died - one year ago today, I looked at some of his collaborations with artists other than Jerry Garcia.  He wrote over an album's worth of material with Bob Dylan. He contributed to two albums by Bill the Drummer, including the 7 Walkers, a song for Bruce Hornsby, and the lion's share of the material on recent Little Feat and New Riders of the Purple Sage albums.  By far, his major collaborator was Jim Lauderdale. They wrote four full albums and over an albums worth of other songs covering country, alt-country, bluegrass, roots rock - just what you'd expect. When I learned of his death, I had been enthralled with the first part of the Terrapin Station Suite - the Lady With the Fan. I'm not sure what led me there. I think I had heard he was doing poorly. I remember being struck by the line about the storyteller and about how we'd soon "not hear his voice".  Maybe that's why I lingered. Below are the songs that strike me as being, um,...

Gram Parsons died on this day in 1973. His manager, Phil "the Road Mangler" Kaufman - Charles Manson's old cellmate - hijacked his body and burned it at the Joshua Tree National Park in accordance with Gram's wishes. Oh, Gram. We hardly knew ye. Soon thereafter, Emmylou Harris began her solo career throughout which she preserved Gram's legacy. She hired several of the players from his solo albums and - through the years - recorded several of his songs in tribute. These playlists include those tributes, beginning with Emmylou's "Boulder to Birmingham" from Pieces of the Sky . The first half consists of songs Gram wrote (or co-wrote), followed by tracks he recorded with the International Submarine Band, the Byrds, Burritos,  and as a solo artist. Songs from The Return of the Grievous Angel tribute album are not included. Four of the songs here are repeated - "Love Hurts", "Boulder to Birmingham", and "Wheels" - were all ...

On this day in 1975, Pink Floyd released Wish You Were Here . One of the songs  - which many fans had heard during that summer's tour - now featured a guest vocalist, Roy Harper. The same Roy Harper to whom Led Zeppelin tipped their hats with 3:40 of nonsense on Led Zeppelin III . His composition, " Another Day ", is one of the songs on the first This Mortal Coil album. He's a bit of a big deal, or was, among the rock elite in England. He opened up for Led Zeppelin, but the crowds just thought he was a weirdo. Each of his albums throughout the 1970s would have one song where he'd be backed by big names. Moon, Page, and Ronnie Lane back him on "Male Chauvinist Pig Blues". David Gilmour (returning the favor for "Cigar") and John Paul Jones play on " The Game ". " One of Those Days in England " features not only Paul and Linda, but Ronnie Lane, Alvin Lee and Jimmy McCulloch. Jimmy Page accompanies him on " Bank of the D...