Songs to Know and Love

I sing the body eclectic this fine Sunday morning, with a trio of tunes I've heard and liked recently.

The first one's gonna be smack in Rootsy's wheelhouse, but all of y'all rock and rollers owe the artist a debt, because he inspired just about everyone in the game, directly or not. In 1936 and1937, Robert Johnson laid down 29 tracks across two sessions with producer Don Law. Most of us have heard the scratchy recordings of those sessions that survive to the modern day.

But recently, someone discovered a metal master of "Cross Road Blues" that may have been pressed in 1940. And it's crystal clear. Here's some musical history for you:

Veering wildly to the modern day, someone I owe a debt to went to the lab and created a band tuned perfectly to my frequencies. I give you Chicago's own Ratboys.

And back, somewhat, to the middle. An appreciation of an artist I came to through my youngest who I very much enjoy. Harry Styles' new record is both grown up and backwards-looking. My kidlet says this one sounds like One Direction (complimentary).