December 25: Brandi Carlile - In These Silent Days

For a final pick, my favorite album in recent memory. "You and Me on the Rock" is perhaps my favorite song of the last few years. 

Merry Christmas, y'all! 

December 24: Lake Street Dive - Obviously

As we near the end, I'm digging into the digital music purchases. 

Several songs from this album got a lot of play on our community public radio station, particularly on our favorite show, Undercurrents. (Sadly, Undercurrents ended its run earlier this year, and oh boy do we miss it! A streaming option is still available: https://www.undercurrentsradio.net/listen)

The two songs on this album that I love most are "Hypotheticals" and "Know That I Know". Just so rich and groovy!

December 23: Bonnie Raitt - Luck of the Draw

Much like with Fleetwood Mac, this was my introduction to Bonnie Raitt, even though she was hardly a new artist at the time. This album came out in 1991, and two songs in particular played on the radio constantly: "Something to Talk About" and "I Can't Make You Love Me".

December 22: Toys - Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

This album does not exist on Apple Music, but I wanted to include it because it's the only album in our random CDs collection that is (kind of) Christmas-themed. 

The movie Toys, starring Robin Williams, came out around the holidays in 1992, and my family definitely saw it in the theater and had it on VHS and watched it regularly. The title song "Closing of the Year" got lots of radio play around the release and has been stuck in my head since then. The soundtrack also includes Enya and Tori Amos and Hans Zimmer. 

In retrospect, this movie is BANANAS, and the only passing resemblance to a Christmas movie is that it's set in a toy factory. 

December 21: Kansas - The Best of Kansas

Some of the songs on this album are the ones I know and sing along to. ("Wayward Son", I'm looking at you.) But some of the ones on this album are longer ones that rarely get radio play, so I'd never heard them before, and of that set, I think "No One Together" is my favorite.

December 20: A Chorus Line - Original Cast Recording

The $0.99 section offered up this gem! I think Bryan even found it and gave it to me? He does not share my love of musicals, or this one in particular, but we listened to it in the car anyway.

December 19: Huey Lewis & the News - Greatest Hits

This was Bryan's pick, and I gotta say, I want to sing along to almost every song on it - even one I forgot about, the duet with Gwyneth Paltrow from that weird karaoke movie.

December 18: Sheryl Crow - C'mon, C'mon

This is another CD from the bin at the Friends of the Library book sale this summer. A few songs I remember, a few songs I don't. 

December 17: Dolly Parton - Ultimate Dolly Parton

I came later in my life to my appreciation for Dolly Parton, but now I'm all in. Books for kids, funding for COVID vaccine research, and a bunch of great music. What's not to like? I listened to Dolly talk about writing "9 to 5" on the Apple Fitness+ Time to Walk podcast, and this collection includes that song.  

Funny story: when I was little, I thought Dolly was married to Kenny Rogers, I think because they appeared together in a Muppet Christmas special I saw on TV.

December 16: Eagles - Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)

Just a whole bunch of songs we know well. Excellent road trip music.