Ian Woolstencroft "Innocent Days" from Last of the Runaways by Giant

This is a prime slice of classic 80’s hard rock, all big guitars and big choruses (not to mention big hair). At it's heart is Dann Huff, providing both screeching guitar and emotive vocals.

Picking a track from Giant’s debut wasn’t easy, it’s packed full of great songs but this one kind of summed up my feelings. This album and others like it were the soundtrack to my late teens/early twenties, a time when anything seemed possible. “These are the innocent days” sings Dann Huff and you know what? He was right.

Glen Boyd: "Live At CBGB's New York, NY 08/11/1979" from Wolfgang's Vault by The Patti Smith Group.

So I'm not sure if this really qualifies for The Listening Room or not, but this week an amazing show from Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Patti Smith was added over at Wolfgang's Vault, and I can't stop listening to it.

Starting off with an incredible reading of "Land" from Horses that segues seamlessly into "Land of 1000 Dances", Patti and the boys are extremely loose throughout this two hour set. The best parts come toward the middle with a four song sweep that begins with "Dancing Barefoot," moves quickly through "Space Monkey" and "Privilege" from Easter and then winds up with a ferocious "25th Floor," which finds the band sounding particularly muscular. There are also several choice covers here, ranging from John Lennon's "Cold Turkey" to the Yardbirds "For Your Love" (with Lenny Kaye on lead vocals!). The Patti Smith Group of this period was renowned for it's live performances, and this one is no exception.

Anna Creech: "Prisoner of War" from Life Beneath The Sun by Michelle Mangione

By the time I finish reviewing a CD, I usually have one or two songs that I keep coming back to over the next few days and weeks. The most recent is Michelle Mangione's "Prisoner of War." The song begins minimally with an acoustic guitar and Mangione's voice, backed with a little bit of accordion. As the song shifts into the chorus, a little percussion is added, and then electric guitar. The build-up of instrumentation is classic acoustic pop-rock, and it does a good job of following the lyrical ebbs and flows. Every time this song comes around on shuffle, my ears perk up and I can't stop bobbing my head along with the beat. The whole album is good, but for some reason the combination of lyrics and music keeps drawing me back to this track in particular.