The staff of the College Football America Yearbook is on the road every weekend of the college football season, shooting games and gathering information for the following year’s book. That means a lot of driving and listening to a lot of music.
Earlier this year our College Football America Yearbook publisher Kendall Webb and our director of editorial content Chuck Cox put together ‘The Coronavirus Countdown – 100 Days of Great Music.’ Each of them sat down and compiled a list of 100 great albums. Their goal was not to select the ‘100 greatest albums of all time.’ It was simply to select 100 great albums to write about as they passed the time during quarantine and shelter-at-home orders.
This 2020 college football season will be unprecedented in so many ways. It’s very likely none of us will be on the road for games because, like most people, we’re trying to stay healthy. And we hope you are too.
So, for the next 100 days, we’re going to publish their countdown here at CollegeFootballAmericaPR.com (the list was originally published on Webb’s personal site, kendallwebb.net). Consider it the ultimate playlist for the ultimate college road trip — music for every taste, from every genre and from every decade of the modern era of music. When the staff of the College Football America Yearbook is back on the road, you can bet these will be some of the tunes we’re listening to.
Day 8: The Coronavirus Countdown – 100 Days of Great Music
The staff of the College Football America Yearbook is on the road every weekend of the college football season, shooting games and gathering information for the following year’s book. That means a lot of driving and listening to a lot of music.
Earlier this year our College Football America Yearbook publisher Kendall Webb and our director of editorial content Chuck Cox put together ‘The Coronavirus Countdown – 100 Days of Great Music.’ Each of them sat down and compiled a list of 100 great albums. Their goal was not to select the ‘100 greatest albums of all time.’ It was simply to select 100 great albums to write about as they passed the time during quarantine and shelter-at-home orders.
This 2020 college football season will be unprecedented in so many ways. It’s very likely none of us will be on the road for games because, like most people, we’re trying to stay healthy. And we hope you are too.
So, for the next 100 days, we’re going to publish their countdown here at CollegeFootballAmericaPR.com (the list was originally published on Webb’s personal site, kendallwebb.net). Consider it the ultimate playlist for the ultimate college road trip — music for every taste, from every genre and from every decade of the modern era of music. When the staff of the College Football America Yearbook is back on the road, you can bet these will be some of the tunes we’re listening to.
And, if you missed the previous installments of our series, just click here to head to the Coronavirus Countdown — 100 Days of Great Music home page.
Here’s Day 8. At the time, we were still tracking the health of folk legend John Prine and Asleep at the Wheel frontman Ray Benson. But, Kendall saw time to acknowledge the passing of another music legend.
We do mourn the passing of the great Bill Withers. Withers is not a coronavirus victim, but it’s impossible to ignore the passing of such a musical giant during a national emergency like the one we are currently experiencing.
Withers’ 1972 recording “Lean On Me” from his “Still Bill” album has become an anthem of sorts during troubled times with its message of hope and strength and endurance in the face of life’s trials and tribulations:
Sometimes in our lives we all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there’s always tomorrow
Lean on me, when you’re not strong
And I’ll be your friend
I’ll help you carry on
For it won’t be long
‘Til I’m gonna need
Somebody to lean on
We’re leaning on your song, Mr. Withers, to help us through this. We’ve also got a couple of albums here today to lift you up and brighten your day as well.
– Chuck Cox and Kendall Webb
CHUCK’S ALBUM OF THE DAY
Why I Love It
When it comes to debut albums, this one is tough to beat. Van Halen forced the rock and roll world to sit up and take notice with its 1978 monster debut. Who knows how many kids Eddie Van Halen inspired to pick up a guitar because of this album? For me, this record was the harbinger of the 1980s salad days of metal. And it still holds up today.
Album Highlights
“Runnin’ With the Devil,” “Eruption” and “Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love”
Kendall on Chuck’s Album of the Day
Much of what happened in rock music after this album couldn’t have been achieved without it, and Van Halen’s influence echoes down through the decades since this album hit the shelves. It is truly a seminal album in the history of rock music — one that reaffirmed and then redefined the role that rock guitarists play in the genre’s mythos. One of the true guitar gods of all time at his best.
KENDALL’S ALBUM OF THE DAY
Why I Love It
One thing I hoped to do with this list is uncover a few gems that you might not be familiar with. Brinsley Schwarz is one of those picks.
Constructed around the songwriting of Nick Lowe, this was arguably pub rock’s finest moment on record, and I would put this on a short list of the best overlooked rock and roll records of all time. The energy feels spontaneous, and the performances capture a band that clearly seemed to be enjoying each other’s company and feeding off that energy in the studio. There are other Brinsley Schwarz records worth your time, but “Nervous On The Road” serves as a good introduction to both the band itself and the pub rock sub-genre they helped to define.
Album Highlights
“Happy Doing What We’re Doing,” “Don’t Lose Your Grip On Love” and “Nervous On The Road (But Can’t Stay At Home)”
Chuck on Kendall’s Album of the Day
This is the album on Kendall’s list I know the least about. I’m so glad he included it. What a great sound and a fantastic record. I will definitely familiarize myself more with Brinsley Schwarz.
College Football America PR 