ALBUMS-

• THE DOO WOP BOX III: DISC 2: 2000: THE SHOULD HAVE BEEN HITS: 2 1/2 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: CD: Picking up from yesterday- the Doo Wop Box III continues to be the disappointment I remember it being the last time I listened. This disc is entitled The Should Have Been Hits- I am not hearing many songs here that should have been hits.

• VAN MORRISON: INTO THE MUSIC: 1979:  5 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS:VINYL: Both Van Morrison’s Into The Music and Dylan’s Slow Train Coming came out in the second half of 1979- the Dylan album got much more acclaim and attention mostly due to Dylan’s shocking conversion to Christianity. The 18 year old me was a fan of both artist but much more into Dylan at the time. That album along with Neil Young’s Rust Never Sleeps were my most played albums at that time. I got the Van album listened a few times, liked it but forgot about it for a while. Slow Train Coming is one of Dylan’s best sounding albums- Jerry Wexler and Barry Beckett came in and produced the album. Over the years though as I got more into Van Morrison I came to love Into The Music. I would certainly place it on my Mount Rushmore of Favorite Van Morrison albums. Both albums are in a sense religious themed and what I like about Into The Music is Van doesn’t hit you over the head with it. On this album he sounds as if he is pretty happy. I still love the Dylan album- but he sounds like what he was- and something I would recognize as I got older- he sounds like someone who has just found religion and wants to let everyone know he has the answers. He sounds on this album like a fanatic whereas Van doesn’t. I give both albums five stars but much prefer Into The Music- in 2018. Favorite songs on Into The Music- Bright Side Of The Road, Full Force Gale, Troubadours,  Rolling Hills, Angelou,  And The Healing Has Begun, It’s All In The Game.  Favorite songs on Slow Train Coming- Gotta Serve Somebody, I Believe In You, Precious Angel, Slow Train,  Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking and When He Returns.

• BOB DYLAN: SLOW TRAIN COMING: 1979: 5 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: VINYL:

• SIMON AND GARFUNKEL: BOOKENDS: 1968: 5 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: CD: The 50th anniversary of the release of Bookends- was a couple days ago, so I thought it was a good time to play it again. Mrs. Robinson was the big hit on this album [it is also on the soundtrack for The Graduate} America was also a hit. Other favorites- Bookends Theme, Old Friends, At The Zoo, Hazy Shade Of Winter and Fakin’ It. Their 4th album their best album.