Overdrawn at the Memory Bank

Many thanks from The Mrs. and I to everyone who extended condolences via the comments to my post about our cat, Abby. The loss of a pet is one of those situations in life where if you have to ask why it matters, you wouldn't understand the explanation--and I'm glad so many of you didn't have to ask. We now return to happier subjects--I'm happy to link you to some worthwhile music posts at other blogs. First, the Christmas division:

--Pogo A GoGo has a Christmas mix featuring "Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto" by James Brown. It's worth hearing, if just for that title.

--Some Velvet Blog has been posting music that was essential radio fare during the golden age of Top 40 radio. First it was John Denver and the Muppets--now it's the Carpenters, including "Merry Christmas Darling"--which is, in fact, the most popular Christmas single released in the 1970s and one of the biggest Christmas hits of all time.

--Indieblogheaven has another track from Aimee Mann's One More Drifter in the Snow, "The Christmas Song." This is the best track I've heard yet from the album. (While you're there, check out Fiona Apple's "Frosty the Snowman," too.)

Now, the non-Christmas division:

--The Duke of Straw at the Late Greats put up Dolly Parton's cover of "Stairway to Heaven," and you really ought go listen to it, because you may never come across a recording that will lead to a more ambiguous set of reactions. Hell yes, it's a sacrilege for anybody to cover the most famous recording in the classic-rock canon; hell yes, it's silly for someone as undeniably non-rock as Dolly to even presume to try it. But then again--it's not without its charms, either.

--The Idolator (part of the Gawker Media empire that includes sports blog Deadspin and political gossip blog Wonkette) posted the Four Tops' "Are You Man Enough," their last trip into the Top 20 until 1981's fine "When She Was My Girl." This is another mighty example of the glory that was early 70s soul, and the third big hit from the Tops' post-Motown era, coming on the heels of "Ain't No Woman Like the One I've Got" and "Keeper of the Castle."

--And finally: If you're my age, your parents may have owned a bunch of records by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass back in the '60s. Mine did. You may not have heard them since. I hadn't. Not until Mike at nialler9 put up a few TJB tracks that are stored in my memory bank--and yours.