The Reverend Will the Thrill Presents the Album of the Week!

I thought of submitting this album late last year or even earlier this year but didn't for one reason or another.  I've been focused on other things this week (so much so, that I initially typed "focusted") and hadn't really given a lot of thought as to which album to highlight until today.  I just knew I wanted it to be different from my last album selection--which was pretty different on its own.

So, kind of at the last minute, I chose this week's album.  It was one of my favourites to be released in 2024 and I'm kind of surprised, in retrospect, that I didn't highlight it earlier.  While doing some basic research on it, such as when it was released (20 September, 2024) and how high the album got on the charts (sadly, it didn't), I discovered that the artist will be NINETY YEARS OLD on Monday (31 March).  Admittedly, I see more and more performers making it into their nineties these days--certainly more so than I did when I was a kid--so the concept of someone that old in the entertainment industry isn't as surprising as it used to be.  But at the same time, you don't see too many of them releasing new albums.

I feel kind of bad for him because I think when most people--especially people my age--think of his music, we tend to write it off as almost elevator music.  Admittedly, when listening to it one can feel like a contestant on "The Dating Game."  It's got a light jazz quality to it that would not be out of place at a 1960s cocktail party hosted by Ward Cleaver.  But, in spite of that, I think it's really good elevator/game show/cocktail party music.  Sure, it's a little corny.  It's a little cheesy.  But it is done well.  I like to think of it as a musical palate cleanser.  In spite of the wide variety of music I listen to, I do tend to be a bit "classic rock" oriented.  It's kind of my go-to genre of music when I need to listen to music.  I'm intimately familiar with it, it's comforting.  But sometimes you can get stuck in a musical rut and need something different.  This week's artist is really good for that.

As I said, this week's album--in spite of its inability to resonate with anyone that doesn't listen to NPR--was one of my favourites of last year.  I was particularly surprised by his covers of such early rock classics as "Sh-Boom," "Are You Lonesome Tonight," and (one of my favourite instrumentals of all time) Santo & Johnny's "Sleepwalk."  In honour of Herb Alpert's 90th birthday, please enjoy his most recent album, 50.

Until next week, stay safe, be good to your neighbours, and please remember that if at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.

Yours in peace, love, and rock and roll!

The Reverend Will the Thrill