Gordon Lightfoot

There was a time when various musics could not be easily defined but someone found the solution. 70's Americana is a 2021 compilation searching what could be used to describe folk pop, country, country rock or pop rock with all of the above. X5 Music Group/Warner Music Group made this possible.

If the smoothest of music makes you want to cuddle, this collection may motivate you to cuddle even more. Smooth 70s is a 2021 compilation of some of the most pleasant pop music of the 1970's, when pleasantries in music could still be enjoyed. Who made this? X5 Music Group/Warner Music Group.

Regarded as pioneers of the folk & Americana genre, Ian & Sylvia, The Lost Tapes features over 20 unreleased recordings.
Collectively as individuals & as a duo Ian & Sylvia Tyson have sold over 400K albums in the US alone during the Soundscan era. Regarded as pioneers of the folk & Americana genre, Ian & Sylvia first came to prominence in the early 60's folk scene in Greenwich Village and Yorkville performing alongside Bob Dylan (they were also managed by Albert Grossman), Joni Mitchell and Gordon Lightfoot (who they made famous by being the first to record Early Morning Rain) and were a headliner on the now famous 1063 Newport Folk Festival. Ian's composition ''Four Strong Winds'' is now considered a standard and a CBC poll in 2005 named it the ''most essential'' piece of Canadian music. Ian & Sylvia were one of the first artists to explore an electric Country Rock sound recording with both New York and Nashville musicians. In early 2019 Sylvia discovered a box of old 1/4 inch analog tapes in her attic that were professionally recorded in the early 1970s in front of a live studio audience. Over 20 previously unreleased recordings, included many of Ian & Sylvia's classics, but also enough to have a full CD of recordings of songs never before included on any Ian & Sylvia album.

Three CDs. Gene Clark Collected brings together a full overview of the legendary singer/songwriter's extensive career. Though he never reached stardom as a solo artist, Gene Clark inspired many of the greats with his songwriting, including Robert Plant, John Mayer, Gram Parsons and many more. This release contains both his work with groups and duos like The Byrds, The Gosdin Brothers, Dillard & Clark, McGuinn, Clark & Hillman and Carla Olson, as well as many tracks from his highly regarded solo albums. The 3rd disc contains a beautiful selection of rarities, demos and outtakes. The cover photo is a previously unseen photo by legendary L.A. photographer Henry Diltz, the digipack and booklet contain more photos, albums and singles artwork and extensive liner notes.

Something about the 1975 Loss Leader, I Didn’t Know They Still Made Records Like This, seems a little different… yet the same. Starting with the album cover, whose design reeks of some long-ignored graphics designer and photographer teaming up to hatch a surefire scheme to meet hot cover models. Then there’s the curious song selection. It’s always great to hear Van Morrison’s “Moondance,” but the album it came from was released five years prior, in 1970, while Randy Newman’s “Mama Told Me Not To Come” comes from his already ancient ’71 live album. Joni Mitchell’s “Carey” is from her 1971 LP, Blue, and Arlo Guthrie’s cover of “City Of New Orleans” was first issued in 1972. Now… these are all great songs, and considered ‘should-owns’ for any collection, but on the surface it looks like Warners didn’t have any new music to promote. Perhaps they were just pushing the back catalog, or maybe it’s as the cover suggests… they don’t make records like this anymore, and here are some of them again to remind you. The uncredited liner notes offer no reasoning, and are more historical than revelatory. So, I Didn’t Know They Still Made Records Like This ends up being an oddball entry in the ongoing series… one that wasn’t even advertised all that much (if at all) via inner sleeves, either. All the while stylistically seeming like an earlier edition in the series, thanks to the older material. Something I didn’t know (or just refused to remember) is that Leo Sayer’s career was kickstarted when The Who’s Roger Daltry specifically picked him to write songs for his debut solo album. Now you know who to blame.