Three for the Ride: A Girl Called Eddy, Donnie Iris, Jimi Hendrix Experience

Some days, I take the train to work. Other days, I drive. Either way, I listen to music on the way. I put the iPhone music player on shuffle, and off I go. Calling my collection eclectic would be an understatement. It's often an interesting mix. There are songs though, that I really wish the world could appreciate as much as I do. Songs that make me say, "Ooh, listen to THIS! Isn't it great?!"

Here's what I heard this morning:

A Girl Called Eddy: "Life Through the Same Lens"
In 2004, A Girl Called Eddy, a.k.a. Erin Moran, released her self-titled debut A Girl Called Eddy. It reached the #1 spot on Amazon's customer favorites list for that year. She's got a great, smooth voice, reminiscent of Aimee Mann and Suzanne Vega at times. IMO, this particular track has a very Parisian feel to it.



Donnie Iris: "Back on the Streets"
From 1980’s Back on the Streets, this is another one of so many great pop-rock tracks that appear on Donnie Iris's debut record. Donnie, formerly of Jaggerz and Wild Cherry, put out several albums with The Cruisers during the early eighties. He's a strange cat, kind of working the Buddy Holly look, and perhaps didn't get a lot of well-deserved attention because of it. This album is so great and has such a collection of great 80's pop-rock compositions. He should have had more hits off the record than just "Ah, Leah!" Check out the lyrics in this killer song and the huge orchestration and production on it.



Jimi Hendrix: "I Don't Live Today"
In 1967, the Jimi Hendrix Experience released their debut album, Are You Experienced? It's littered with hits, including "Purple Haze," "Manic Depression," "Hey Joe," "The Wind Cries Mary," "Fire," "Foxy Lady,"and the title track, "Are You Experienced?" But right there at the end of side one is this unknown gem that reminds me a lot of the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows" (mostly because of Mitch Mitchell's all too familiar drum beat). It's also got some great guitar multi-tracking going on at the end. It's also got a bit of an American Indian theme going on in the guitars. Hendrix, part Cherokee, dedicated the song to Native Americans. Definitely not one of Hendrix's more well-known works.



Until next time...