‘Still Ill’ is a track from The Smiths’ 1984 self-titled debut, one that was a staple of the band’s live shows throughout their existence. This is a prototypical early Smiths songs, with Johnny Marr’s intricate guitar pairing beautifully with the rhythm section and Morrissey’s yearning vocals.
I know, I know, most of you will absolutely hate it!
Today’s random track appears on Joni Mitchell’s 1971 album Blue, her fourth, widely considered one of the greatest singer-songwriter records ever made.
I don’t know Blue well enough to offer my own opinion. I have long had a problem with Joni Mitchell as a vocalist that has kept me at a distance from her work. My loss, I know, because this is clearly next-level songwriting.
Here’s one more track from Jason Isbell’s The Nashville Sound to soundtrack my family trip to Nashville.
Isbell is the rare left-leaning country artist (though refreshingly less rare than even a decade ago). This song, like several tracks on The Nashville Sound, is a reaction to the 2016 election and what it says about the state of America.
My family is in Nashville for the next few days, turning my wife’s work trip into a quick vacation. Some of my favorite artists either live in or have passed through Nashville, but I don’t think we’ll be lucky enough to catch any of them live.
Jason Isbell is a new addition to that stable of favorites. His 2017 album The Nashville Sound is one of the best I’ve heard in recent years.
Today marks a special occasion for Meet Me In Montauk. It’s been exactly ten years since I posted my first Song of the Day.
I’m proud to say I have not missed a single day during that span. Occasionally I have handed the reins to a guest writer or presented a song without commentary, but a new post went up on every one of those 3,652 days.
Meet Me In Montauk 