Paul's Book Store, Madison Wisconsin

Browsing like it's 1978, my first year in Wisconsin.

Song of the Day: "Wie Der Wind Am Ende Einer Strasse" by Amon Duul II

Can't quite remember how I used to describe this group to people. The Paul Winter Consort blended with early Pink Floyd? I think that's the combo. Anyway, after 35 years -- I bought the album in 1974 at Heads Together in Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh -- I never get tired of listening to Wolf City.

Song of the Day: "Whiskey Woman" by the Flamin' Groovies

One of the great unknown bands in rock'n'roll.

If they received any radio airplay upon the release of Teenage Head in 1971, I certainly didn't hear it. Flipping through the bins of a Cavages store in Buffalo, I bought the album on a hunch. Plus I just couldn't resist the hokey, low-budget cover photo. Money well spent!

Song of the Day: "Post Toastee" by Tommy Bolin

I remember hearing the news of Bolin's death on the radio, a distinct note of disgust reverberating in the DJ's voice. I imagined him wanting to say, "This is so 1970. Dying of a drug overdose is just stupid now."

Quite a loss nonetheless. I certainly felt the void. At 25, Bolin had already developed quite a resume in his musical career. "Post Toastee" is his magnum opus.

Song of the Day: "Shakin' All Over" by the Guess Who

I heard this song for the first time on a school bus, traveling from Meadville to Warren, Pennsylvania, after a high-school track meet in May of 1965. By the time the song ended, all conversation had been brought to a momentary halt. You’d think that with this kind of stunned-into-silence reaction, the song would have reached the top 10 – and perhaps it climbed this high in regional markets – but it peaked in June at #22 (no bullet) for 2 weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100.