Recently Rediscovered Old Bands

Bloody good music

Lately, I’ve been delving into older music that I listened to in my youth, but hadn’t really had in my playlists lately. I thought I’d share some of the highlights and then invite any readers to add to this in the comments with bands I ought to check out.

First up is Big Country. My love for this band has been lifelong, but I have been diving deep into every song they’ve ever done and they’re simply fantastic. Here’s a killer highlight song - “Remembrance Day”:

If you want a deeply beautiful love song from these guys, try “The One I Love.”

Another band I’ve been really digging is, stay with me, Mr. Mister. They’re known for a few hits like “Broken Wings” and “Kyrie Eleison.” Here’s a slightly lesser known tune, “Is It Love”.

Then there’s The Cult. Now, you’d think that with my background, I would do everything in my power to keep anything associated with cults and even the use of such a word far from me. Not so. I love this band. They have more than one album that is simply chock-full of bangers. Pretty much my favorite song by them is called “Sweet Soul Sister” because it displays their solid rock and roll credentials in every way: guitar riffs, drums, and Astbury’s soaring and gravelly voice.

Next up? The Waterboys. This is an Irish band that put out a lot more music than you might think. Their most recent album came out in 2022. So.

Anyway, there’s this magnificent song that was a huge hit, “The Whole of the Moon.”

But then there’s “Fisherman’s Blues,” which you definitely want to listen to:

The next band I’ve been really enjoying again is 10,000 Maniacs. To be fair, Natalie Merchant and this amazing band have had a pretty strong presence on my playlists over the years, but they have a lot of great songs that I have to share! “Because the Night” and “These Are Days” are absolutely perfect songs. You know another perfect song? “Like the Weather”:

Honestly, Natalie Merchant, you’re pretty much perfect. Dadgum.

Anyway, moving on. Another killer artist that I’ve loved digging back into is Genesis. Phil Collins and Genesis are perennially on my playlists, but some intentional deep dives into the massive discography of Genesis proves a singular fact: they may be one of the greatest bands of all time. Banks, Rutherford, Gabriel, Phillips, and Collins made absolute magic. You want to boogie while at the same time having your mind blown? Here’s “Home by the Sea” parts one and two:

It makes sense to follow that up with Mike + the Mechanics. I would add Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins too, but I listen to them all the time. Mike Rutherford put together this band and it was simply a hit machine. I love “Silent Running” with deep parts of my soul.

Finally, I’m totally indebted to Luke Combs, the country star who did a cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.” Why had I not listened to all of Chapman’s albums all the time for the last forty years? She’s so good. Her voice, her guitar, her way with words. Gah, I just love her. Here’s “Give Me One Reason.” Frik, I love this song.

Anyway. I hope you enjoyed this nostalgia fest and celebration of older, better musicians. Today’s music landscape is overproduced. That’s all I’m going to say about that.

Okay, one more opinion: Give me astonishing musicians making music for the love of it who get successful because they’re amazing, not because they get the clicks or have the hooks. Bands like Toto (always on my playlists) and Styx (also always there) and Heart. Bloody good music.

I’d love to get your thoughts and suggestions. Who else do I need to rediscover? If you say Vanilla Ice, I have a special gift for you the next time I see you. Wear something waterproof.