Who doesn't love America, right? Right! America is awesome. I don't have much else to say about these guys. I've seen them in concert, and they are still awesome for old dudes. They definitely do not rock, but they are pure fun to sing along to.

Also? They ARE the soundtrack to The Last Unicorn, possibly the best animated film of all time. (and The Last Unicorn is from 1982, but I'm giving you tracks anyway)

1. Sandman – (off America, 1971)
2. A Horse With No Name – (off America, 1971)
3. Ventura Highway – (off Homecoming, 1972)
4. Don’t Cross the River – (off Homecoming, 1972)
5. Muskrat Love – (off Hat Trick, 1973)
6. Tin Man – (off Holiday, 1974)
7. Lonely People – (off Holiday, 1974)
8. Daisy Jane – (off Hearts, 1975)
9. Sister Golden Hair – (off Hearts, 1975)

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1. The Last Unicorn
2. Man's Road
3. In the Sea

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So 60s & 70s Week got a rocky start with my site going down, so this might bleed into next week. I'm sure you folks won't mind :)

A little advice: never go to a Steve Miller Band concert unless you’re really fucking high. The Steve Miller Band specialty is really trippy, extremely long intros to their songs, guitar solos that go on for a half hour, etc. Oh my god, it’s so boring if you aren’t high out of your mind, trust me.

However! Their recordings? Really awesome. Pirate Booty and I have been known to blast Fly Like An Eagle from a hotel balcony. I’m not exactly proud of that, but it’s true. We wore out our tapes playing Steve Miller Band over and over in our bedrooms, cars, etc, and I think maybe my brother liked a few of their songs, but no one I’ve come across has been as dedicated to Steve Miller as PB and I, without the benefit of pot. Lots and lots of pot.

They’re still around today. I believe they're still touring. They were putting out albums all through the eighties and I even own a tape of their last studio album Wide River (1993), though I never bothered to upgrade, because there’s nothing like their old 70s hits.

Personal favorites: um, probably Jet Airliner, although I’m awfully fond of Serenade and Rock ‘N Me, and hell, you know what, I love all these, know all the words by heart and they’re so fun to sing along to, so. Enjoy.

1. The Joker (off The Joker, 1973)
2. Fly Like an Eagle (off Fly Like an Eagle, 1976)
3. Wild Mountain Honey (off Fly Like an Eagle, 1976)
4. Serenade (off Fly Like an Eagle, 1976)
5. Take the Money and Run (off Fly Like an Eagle, 1976)
6. Rock ‘n Me (off Fly Like an Eagle, 1976)
7. Jet Airliner (off Book of Dreams, 1977)
8. Winter Time (off Book of Dreams, 1977)
9. Swingtown (off Book of Dreams, 1977)
10. True Fine Love (off Book of Dreams, 1977)
11. Jungle Love (off Book of Dreams, 1977)
12. The Stake (off Book of Dreams, 1977)

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Welcome to the 60s & 70s week! I'll just be highlighting a few of my favorite bands, some of which are still producing music. Um, this was going to be just 70s, but then I really, really wanted to do The Guess Who, and they span both decades, so. (And later in the week, one of my other highlighted bands will nudge into the 80s. We're playing fast and loose, but I totally can, because no one can stop me!)

So when my brother and me were in high school, the best thing ever was borrowing my dad's car. We had our own cars, but dad's car had a CD changer - a total novelty back then - and there were three CDs that dad ALWAYS had in there. Time in my dad's car for both us was always spent blasting either The Blues Brothers soundtrack, The Beatles' Revolver, or The Best of The Guess Who.

I'm not going to get into the band specifics, but The Guess Who is/was a Canadian rock group and they've had a butt-load of former members, and as far as I know they're still making music under yet another incarnation. I've even seen them in concert with my dad, back in, like, '96 or something.

In college, I got my roommate Brownstone hooked. We'd turn up Laughing in the car and I'd carry the verses and she'd rock the backing vocals and whoever was driving would drum the steering wheel at that part right before "time goes slowly" because we were/are giant dorks. No Sugar Tonight is possibly my favorite song ever. Lenny Kravitz completely ruined American Woman, by the way, god. The original is so much better. The very, very beginning, "American woman gonna mess your mind..." before the riff starts, dudes. Dudes.

I can pretty much sing all these songs by heart, and what you need to do is burn them onto a CD or hook your iPod up in your car and just rock out on your way to work, school, where ever. Make sure it's loud.

It's My Pride (reissue off Shakin' All Over (2001), 1967)
These Eyes (off Wheatfield Soul, 1968)
Laughing (off Canned Wheat, 1969)
Undun (off Canned Wheat, 1969)
American Woman (off American Woman, 1970)
No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature (off American Woman, 1970)
No Time (off American Woman, 1970)
Hand Me Down World (off Share the Land, 1970)
Bus Rider (off Share the Land, 1970)
Share the Land (off Share the Land, 1970)

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Note: I'm nearing the very end of my data transfer limit for the month of April (first ever time it's happened! kind of exciting, even though my site might go down) so if anyone has problems downloading, PLEASE let me know! everything should be good to go now!