By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

For this week's Summit Essential, we bring you the latest release from AARP upstarts and arguably, the greatest rock and roll band that ever walked the earth. Yes kids, it's The Rolling Stones, and unless you've been in hiding, you are probably aware they have released their first album of new material in nearly 20 years. Taylor Swift was only 16 when 'A Bigger Bang' was released and now she owns the world. Time flies as it changes shapes.

With the death of original drummer Charlie Watts, in 2021, the membership of vintage Stones is down to three; guitarist Ronnie Wood (who joined in 1975) and founding members guitarist Keith Richards and vocalist Mick Jagger. Surely, you've all heard of these fine folks. Well, they have released a new album and truth be told, it's not half bad! The approach the band has used for the past many years is still in place, in other words, you can't always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need, or so I've heard.

'Hackney Diamonds' was produced by Andrew Watt, a 33 year old hipster producer, best known for his work with non-rockers like Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa, and Post Malone, among others. Watt was brought in, apparently, to give the new tunes a bit of modern polish for this Tik-Tok streaming world I’ve heard about. Remember, Jagger is 80, with Keith right behind, and Wood is a sprightly 76, and honestly, they don’t need to play that game, but that’s where we are. So then, things kick off in fine form with the first single, 'Angry,' a riff driven rocker firmly out of the Stones playbook. It's instantly recognizable as our dear ol' Rolling Stones with its driving riff and Jagger snarl sounding half his age.

Throughout the album, the vintage presence rears its head. 'Get Close' and 'Whole Wide World' both rev up classic sounding riffs, while 'Depending On You' has some nice slide guitar to sweeten the deal. Elsewhere, 'Live By The Sword' (featuring Elton John) falls flat, and 'Bite My Head Off', with the much talked about appearance of Paul McCartney on bass, suffers from the 'it's just a riff, it's not a song’ dilemma the band has often been guilty of.

That being said, the real highlights of the album shine with the country tinged 'Dreamy Skies,' the Keith sung 'Tell Me Straight' and the Muddy Waters cover of 'Rollin' Stone Blues.' The high-water mark of the album, however, comes on the penultimate track, 'Sweet Sounds Of Heaven,' which features a Lady Gaga duet with Jagger. It's on this song in particular that The Rolling Stones sound like The Rolling Stones. It's a gospel blues not far removed, in spirit at least, from the ‘Sticky Fingers’ era Stones. Jagger sounds totally at home, and Gaga adds a dynamic soulful performance that rides tandem with Mick perfectly. Mix in Stevie Wonder on keyboards and it's the crown jewel of the album.

Original bassist, Bill Wyman, along with Watts, both make an appearance on this new album by the way, but like the Elton and McCartney collabs, it's more about the credits than the performances. The truth on The Rolling Stones is, if they had called it a day after their first decade of recordings, exiting after 'Goats Head Soup' in 1973, their legend would have remained the same in terms of quality. Everything they did in those years not only cemented their reputation, but all their recordings from that first decade still rank among the greatest rock and roll records ever made by anyone, so anything else added to the catalog is just icing on the cake.

The final tally is that it really is an alright record, much better than many expected. The sheer fact that they can deliver at this level, 60 years into their career is pretty damn amazing, Mick still defies gravity with not only his physique, but with his vocal chops. If 80 is the new 60, bring it on! The band will defy gravity as well when they hit the road in support of ‘Hackney Diamonds,’ as they continue to break any rules or taboos surrounding aging in rock and roll. So while it's not going to replace 'Beggars Banquet,' 'Exile On Main Street,' 'Aftermath,' or any of their many other classic albums, it's a strong late journey entry that stands up tall enough to catch a view other bands have never even attempted, and we God bless them for it!

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

When the Beatles burst into American living rooms on Feb. 9, 1964 via the Ed Sullivan Show, they altered the direction of the universe. That's no exaggeration! There was the world before the Beatles, and the world after. What we have now is the world after the world after, which is a big room in a lot of disarray, most of the old paint peeled off the wall, but a few of the original layers still able to peek through. 

The music of the Beatles startled and shook the music world to the core. Countless musicians sited that Sullivan show as the moment they knew they wanted to be a musician while others less musically inclined still pointed to it as a 'one day the world was suddenly in full color' moment. A huge reason the Beatles were not dismissed as temporary entertainment and fodder for the kids was because even those of an older generation knew there was something more to their music than a typical teenage come hither or empty calorie sugary beverage. There was, ahem, substance! 

Not wanting to seem like unhip day old bread, countless artists recorded Beatles songs who otherwise wouldn't have given a second listen to these 'long haired' kids from across the pond. Acknowledgement came from the likes of Leonard Bernstein to Frank Sinatra over time. Sinatra famously recording a version of George Harrison’s ‘Something,’ referring to it as the finest Lennon/McCartney composition. It was the thought that counted. 

Beatles songs were recorded in the mode of easy listening, country, folk, orchestral, jazz, electronic, you name it with nearly all versions succeeding at one level or another, simply because of the quality of the songs. Here then are a handful of Beatles interpretations, some to be take less seriously than others, but all sincere in their homage. Trust me, there's plenty more where these came from! 

By Chad Miller - Summit FM Music Director

What's everyone been listening to out there? So much new music coming at us, so little time! However, these songs that might fly under the radar to most are what I've been diggin' these past few weeks!

Like what you hear? Please email me at chad@thesummit.fm and let me know what you think!

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

After parting ways with Art Garfunkel in 1970, Paul Simon felt free to wander musically. The pressures of the huge success the duo had maintained had only gotten larger and Simon wanted to break free of formula. His first solo album, 1972's self-titled release,  The two singles from that album were both hits, and incorporated influences from reggae to Brazilian style within Simon's pop format. The follow up, 'There Goes Rhymin' Simon' in 1973, tossed some jazz and gospel into the mix. This was Simon's template and was serving him well.

By 1975, Simon was back on top with 'Still Crazy After All These Years,' and album which even included a brief reunion with Garfunkel on the hit 'My Little Town,’ His high ride was about to crash. Following this Grammy winning, chart topping album, Simon left his record label, and stayed out of the studio for nearly five years, finally issuing 'One Trick Pony' in 1980, along with a film of the same name in which he stared. Not that the album was a flop, but it failed to catch the fire he was riding when he dropped out of sight. The next album, 'Hearts and Bones' fared far worse, barely making the Top 40.  By 1984, Simon was in need of another drastic change.

Welcome 1986 and seemingly out of far left field, here comes Simon with and album no one expected. Incorporating a wide variety of styles and influences, Simon created what many would call his solo masterpiece. 'Graceland' was overflowing with energy, fresh air and excitement thanks in large part to all these varied influences. Merging a variety of South African music styles with zydeco, pop, rock and R&B, he created his own take on world music with all roads leading from these distant corners right back to his songbook. Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Youssou N'Dour put their stamp on the recordings as did pop legends the Everly Brothers guested as did Linda Ronstadt, Adrian Belew.

Also lending a hand were Los Lobos, the multi-cultural roots rockers who had been making great strides at the time with their album, 'Will The Wolf Survive.' With Warner Brothers a common label between them, it was suggested by label bosses Lenny Waronker and Mo Ostin that Los Lobos lend a hand to the making of the album. This is where things get interesting.

"We go into the studio, and he had quite literally nothing. I mean, he had no ideas, no concepts, and said, 'Well, let's just jam,' saxophonist Steve Berlin told Jambase in a 2006 interview. "None of us were comfortable; it was like this very alien environment to us. Paul was a very strange guy. The guy was clueless." 

"So we go back in the second day, David (Hidalgo) starts playing one of our songs, a song we started working on like an existing Lobos sketch of an idea that we had already started doing. Paul goes, “Hey, what's that?” We start playing what we have of it, and it is exactly what you hear on the record. So we're like, oh, ok, we'll share this song. 

"A few months later, the record comes out and says 'Words and Music by Paul Simon' and we were like, what the f--- is this? We tried calling him, and we can't find him. Weeks go by and our managers can't find him. We finally track him down and ask him about our song, and he goes, “Sue me. See what happens.”

On the tour that followed, Simon incorporated a cast of South Aftrican musicians to recreate those sounds live. From the harmless pop of 'You Can Call Me Al' to the album's signature title track, it was unlike anything Simon had taken on before. ‘Graceland’ was a risk that paid off artistically and commercially as the album sold over 15 million copies and snagged a Grammy for album of the year. It remains a key piece of Paul Simon’s catalog and a Summit Essential.

Wellness can be achieved by virtue of completing a journey and maintain a lifestyle. But it can also be magnified by our ability to appreciate and be thankful for the things that we already have! Summit Wellness continues to hum the melody of connection between feeling good and feeling grateful!  

Gratitude is a monthly feature contributed by Matt Anthony, Digital Media Producer and on-air host for the Summit FM. Matt reflects on instances where we might uncover more ways to appreciate what’s in front of us, and how those instances might contribute to our overall health and well-being. 

The work-day at KDKA radio had been a long one. Aside from the usual radio-station minutiae (along with the daily sword-play that was required of a Browns fan who needed to spiritually survive deep in the heart of Steelers country!), western Pennsylvania had seen its first significant cold snap.  

I spent the better part of the day bravely wrapped in a brown and orange hoodie, trying to stay warm, and churning out on-air imaging-promos centered on the station’s traffic and winter-weather coverage. In the late afternoon, while walking across the Fort Duquesne bridge to my car, I realized that I, too, would have to do battle with winter road-conditions. The normal 20-minute drive into our home in the North Hills took more than an hour. I was exhausted, cold, and ready to call it a day. 

But when I opened the front door and went to dig out the morning newspaper that was lodged in the snow, I smelled something. 
 
“Donna, is that gas?” 

Three phone calls and two hours later, a crew from Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania rolled into the driveway that I had just finished hand-shoveling. There was close to a foot of snow on the ground, it continued to fall, and the temperature was dropping into the lower teens. 

“We have to find the shut-off in your yard and turn off the gas,” one of them screamed. 

I felt so sorry for this crew.  Two of them started in the yard towards the front of the house and dug down into the snow, trying their best to locate the shut-off valve. I couldn’t help. I had absolutely no idea where it was. (“what’s a shut-off valve?”) We stood near the front window, worried about the odor but thankful that we weren’t the ones who had to stand in those miserable conditions and dig. And dig. And dig. 

Donna made tea and I took cup after cup of the steaming hot liquid out to them while they slammed shovels into the snow, trying their best to locate that valve hidden underneath.  They were appreciative.  But, in that frigid weather, the heat of the tea didn’t last long. 

Finally, after nearly 90 minutes, one of them screamed, ‘I got it!”  They dropped down into the frozen white piles, trying to wedge their tool onto the valve in order to turn it off.  Finally, success. The foreman then came to the door.    

“There’s a piece I need to re-attach to this and fix it, but I don’t have it with me. We’re going to have to run back to the shop and get a few things.  But I need to turn your furnace off until we can get back here. We have another emergency that needs attention. It may be a couple of hours before we’re back.  I’m sorry.” 

So, we waited. And we waited. And the longer we waited, the colder the house became.  Donna ran upstairs and grabbed the spread from the bed and wrapped us in it while we sat on the sofa. I glanced out on to the small back deck where we had a thermometer tacked on to the hand-rail. 

9 degrees. 

The conditions outside had worsened.  The wind gusts blasted the sides of the house. I made a move towards the television to see what the forecast was slated to be overnight. 

And then the electricity went out. 

We sat on a sofa, draped in a bed-spread in the cold darkness.  I wondered about pipes freezing, interrupted intermittently by the woman sitting next to me, whose body was now shivering uncontrollably. 

I was helpless. We were helpless. Freezing. Hungry. Worried. But as the gusts intensified outside and the back-deck thermometer registered ‘7’, I suddenly realized that there was much to be grateful for.  

Unlike someone trying to survive the night on the streets, we at least had 4 walls to act as a barrier. If I wanted to, I could climb out from under that blanket, sprint over to the refrigerator, and poke around for something to eat in the cold darkness. And, best of all, we actually had help on the way. 

Nearly two hours later, with the gauge outside reading ‘2’, the electricity triumphantly returned.  And almost simultaneously, a set of headlights illuminated the outside. Columbia Gas had also returned.   

Decked out in parkas and winter gear that rivaled any Antarctic explorer, they pierced the frozen tundra with tools and flashlights, the smoke from their breath enveloping the night-air.  Clawing, digging, adjusting.  Finally, the person who had spoken to us before banged on the front door. 

“Let’s go down and crank up that furnace.” 

I never thought I’d want to hear 8 words so badly in all my life.  Minutes later, next to the glow of his flashlight, the glorious, righteous sound of a furnace resurrecting filled up the basement.  He glanced at me, smiling.  “Heat, huh!?” 

These days, during an arctic evening, when the flurries are pounding the outside and I’m safely and warmly inside as a spectator, I think of that January night in western Pennsylvania, and the gratitude I feel for those who make the heartless effort, the ones who simply do their job because that’s what they’re supposed to do.  I’m grateful for those whose mission it is to do whatever is necessary to simply turn on the heat. 

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

Since bursting on the UK music scene in 1981 with the landmark singles ;New Life,' 'Just Can't Get Enough' and 'Dreaming Of Me,' Depeche Mode had been laying the groundwork for a massive career. Beyond just making great, catchy pop singles, they were pioneering a new way forward in the 1980s landscape, caring templates for what was possible in that 'new age.'

With each album, they seemed to push forward, testing their own limits and expanding on every idea. They were never content to be cast as simply a 'symth pop' or 'electronic' band. Their music was far deeper rooted than that, something that continued to shince with each release.

By the end of the 1980s the band had become more popular and more respected with albums like 'Black Celebration' and 'Music For The Masses,'  A huge tour followed the 'Masses' album, which was filmed by the legendary  D. A. Pennebaker and released as '101.' One could view this as the end of the first chapter of the band, who were already focused on the next phase.

"We've always felt we wanted to move on, we never wanted to stick in one position all the time. We're always searching for something new," singer Dave Gahan said in a 1990 interview. "In some ways we've kind of gone backwards in a way. The music that's appealing to us, it's more bluesy sounding, a lot more guitars on there."

Released in March of 1990, 'Violator' was the band's seventh album and showed them covering new ground. The first single from the album was a dramatic change of pace. 'Personal Jesus' is essentially a blues song done up in Depeche style and with a guitar driven riff at it's core. Though unlike the band's signature sound, it was a perfect fit, even making the US Top 30 and over time, becoming one of their most cherished songs.

"We use any kind of instrumentation," Gahan continued. "We don't like to limit ourselves, whatever sound fits the part, we'll use it. You can get easily bogged down by all the technology. Some of the stuff that we've done on this album has been a lot more spontaneous." 'Enjoy The Silence,' Policy Of Truth', and 'World in My Eyes' would follow on the singles charts and help push the album into the Top 10 around the globe. 'Violator' remains a big favorite among the die-hard Depeche fans as well as the casual observer, and we most certainly consider it a Summit Essential!

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

After kicking aound the clubs of New York City at the tail end of the 1990s, the Strokes had begun building momentum and a healthy batch of songs. In 2000, the band signed with the highly respected indie label, Rough Trade, who issued their debut EP, 'The Modern Age.' The EP hit the streets in January of 2001, and quickly had people raving about this new band, wich ultimately led to a bidding war among the major labels.

Signing to RCA Records, the band was rushed into the studio to record their debut album. They would hang on to their indie cred by remaining with Rough Trade in the UK. Working with producer Gordon Raphael, the upstarts from NYC set about creating a modern day classic. The combination of the guitars of Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., along with the vocals of Julian Casablancas proved to be a genuine winner.

'This Is It' was not without problems upon release. The UK release was delayed a month before finally hitting stores in August while the US release was held up twice. Once, for controversy of the cover what featured a young woman, sans clothing, with gloved hand on her derriere. This was thought to be too much for the American marketplace. Oh it's a funny world isn't it! Well, isn't it? Then, with new cover art in place, the street date was once again held back due to the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. In light of the attacks, the song ' New York City Cops,' was removed from the album, replaced with a newer song, 'When It Started.'

No sooner was 'This Is It' released and it became a smash, gaining hipster cred across the globe and sending rock critics searching for more and more accolades as 5-star reviews became the norm for this ragged, garage inspired blast. The sound of the Strokes owed a heaping sum to the jagged NYC streets of the Velvet Underground along with bands like the Feelies, Television, the Voidoids and the Modern Lovers. It was a slightly updated take on that sort of vintage cool that had, over the course of the 'Alternative' and 'Britpop' years through 'Electronica' and beyond, had gone out of style.

'This Is It,' 'The Modern Age,' 'Last Nite,' and 'Someday' all raised the band's profile and got a young audience wanting some vintage inspired, yet very contemporary, rock and roll. The short, catchy songs, the band's image and general aloofness, played the right hand to win and in the process, helped focus, along with the White Stripes, Hellacopters and the Cuts, some much needed attention to a seemingly lost approach to rock and roll. Twenty two years on, and the Summit are rather excited to feature this modern day classic on our list of ‘essentials.’

JUST ANNOUNCED!
THE SUMMIT FM PRESENTS AN EVENING WITH ALAN CROSS
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023 AT 7:00 P.M.
ELLET CLC AUDITORIUM - AKRON, OH

The Summit FM is the ONLY station in the United States that plays The Ongoing History of New Music with host Alan Cross. Based out of Toronto, Canada, Mr. Cross is coming TO AKRON for one night only!

Be in attendance for this amazing opportunity. Brad will interview the iconic host and Alan will talk about the history of his iconic show. The Ongoing History of New Music was started in 1993 and is currently the longest running music history documentary program in Canada. In a recent Summit listener survey, it was voted the #1 show on our airwaves.

Tickets for this exclusive event are $10 each with a VIP ticket option for $50, including an exclusive meet and greet with Alan Cross himself.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS NOW

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

There are some people who literally seem like a flash in time, a moment blindingly bright, then gone just as quickly. The rock and roll role call is full of those who died too young, some by their own device, others by tragic circumstances, all sad. Among the saddest has to be the death of Jim Croce, fifty years ago. 

Croce was a struggling singer/songwriter for many years before hitting the big time and doing so in such a seemingly simple way. His path to notoriety began after he had entered Villanova University in Pennsylvania in the early 1960s.  The folk scene was in full bloom and Croce joined up with the Villanova Singers while at University, he also was a disc jockey on the college station there. It was also there where he met his soon to be wife, Ingrid. 

After receiving a gift from his parents, for the sole purpose of making a recording, Croce recorded and self-released his debut album, 'Facets,' in 1966, in a limited pressing of 500 copies. His parents gave him the money to make the album with the underlying thought that, once the album failed and he got it out of his system, so to speak, he could focus on life. Instead, he was able to sell out of the pressing which in turn fueled his desire to create. 

From that point on, Jim and Ingrid decided to make themselves a musical team, and began performing as a duo, doing Croce's mixture of folk, blues, country and rock. They set out to capture their dream and moved to New York City. With a bit of luck, they managed to get a deal with Capitol Records who, in 1969, released their sole album, Jim and Ingrid Croce to less than enthusiastic reception. With a child on the way, Jim drifted from job to job before giving music another go after grabbing a deal with ABC Records in 1972. 

Suddenly, everything was starting to click. Released in the summer of 1972, 'You Don't Mess Around With Jim' became a Top 10 hit (#8) followed two months later by 'Operator,' which hit No. 17. Those singles help sell the 'You Don't Mess Around With Jim' album, and by year's end, Croce was a star on the rise. March of '73 brought his first chart topper with 'Bad Bad Leroy Brown,' cementing his status. A second album, 'Life And Times,' rolled out in July of '73 and everything looked great, if only for a moment. 

On Thursday, September 20, 1973, during the 'Life And Times' tour, Croce, along with five others, was killed as their plane crashed into a tree shortly after takeoff, ending the life and career of the promising young singer. The very next day, 'I Got A Name,' was released, with  

'Time In A Bottle' following two months later, hitting the top of the charts. One final album, 'I Got A Name,' was also issued by year's end, thus ending the all too brief life of Jim Croce at age 30. 

It seems odd looking back fifty years at the man and his music. When it was new, and seemingly on the radio all the time, it was hard to imagine just how short a time he would actually occupy, and ever since, those songs have thankfully lived on as part of the soundtrack to that era. Fifteen months and that was it, from hitting pay dirt to it all literally crashing. It’s a pretty amazing, and very sad story. 

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

After releasing five albums in just seven years, the Black Keys were on a roll to say the least. Each album boosted their presence in the public eye and raised their stakes artistically. By the time of the 2008 LP 'Attack & Release,' the Keys had jumped from the indie world (Alive! and Fat Possum labels) to being signed by major label offshoot Nonesuch. 

By that moment in time, they had critics raving and fans drooling over their minimal yet fully packed sound. It was at that point in the timeline that band leader Dan Auerbach decided to shake things up a bit by releasing his debut solo album. Released in 2009 on Nonesuch, 'Keep It Hid,' plays off the sound the Black Keys had built and at the same time, distills things down to, shall we say, a more personal level. 

The album opens with arguably one of Auerbach's best songs, 'Trouble Weighs a Ton,' things are off and running in a more subtle, and striped down setting with Auerbach and acoustic guitar. It's a wonderful showcase for his style and this song. 'Whispered Words (Pretty Lies)' is another gem that shines from a similar approach before full band saunters in mid song. 

Stylistically the album jumps around, in a good way, and keeps the listener intrigued as to what's next! Some songs like ' The Prowl' and 'Heartbroken, in Disrepair' could easily have made their way onto Keys records but it's when he strays a bit that things really gel. 'Real Desire,' 'Mean Monsoon' (with its slithering guitar work), and the beautiful 'When The Night Comes' offer up other highlights while the title track and 'My Last Mistake' are instant classics. 

Auerbach is a creative force who seems to always be looking forward, this is one solid batch of songs, hence, our listing it in the 'Essential' column. Enjoy the music and please, turn it up! 

‘Keep It Hid’ has just been re-issued on Auerbach’s own Easy Eye Sound label, including various colored vinyl variations!