Westcoast AOR

[KarpetRydOFunk]

Spring is officially here. In the West, anyway. As I said elsewhere, it's been creeping up on 20°. I believe it is perfect weather for Westcoast. However, all I have in my collection are the following:

 

Chicago - II

Chicago - Twenty 1

Jar - Scene 29

Smooth Reunion - Cleaning Up the Business

Think Out Loud - Think Out Loud

Think Out Loud - Shelf Life

West of Sunset - West of Sunset

 

I may have others that are simply mislabeled. But what essential examples of the genre should I seek out? I realize this question is more directed at Jez and Thomas, so I'll wait for them to get here.

[Jez]

Here ya go me old son, start with some of these.

 

 

Airplay - S/T

Alessi - Long Time Friends

Ambrosia - One Eighty

Stephen Bishop - Bowling In Paris

Chicago - 14-19

Christopher Cross - S/T

Dance With A Stranger - S/T

Robbie Dupree - S/T

Jay Ferguson - Terms & Conditions/ White Noise

Dwayne Ford - Needless Freaking

Greg Guidry - Over The Line

Dan Hill - S/T

Marc Jordan - A Hole In The Wall

Keane - S/T/ Today, Tomorrow, Tonight

Ray Kennedy - S/T

Maxus - S/T

Nielsen/Pearson - S/T/ Blind Luck

John O'Banion - S/T/ Hearts/ Danger

Outrider - No Way Out

Pablo Cruise - Worlds Away/ Part Of The Game

David Pack - Anywhere You Go

Pages - S/T/ Future Street

Planet 3 - Music From the Planet

Player - Player/ Danger Zone

Pure Prairie League - Can't Hold Back/ Firin' Up

David Roberts - All Dressed Up

Kenny Rogers - They Don't Make Them Like They Used To

Boz Scaggs - Silk Degrees/ Middle Man

Jason Scheff - Chauncy

Frank Stallone - S/T

State Cows - S/T

Time Gallery - S/T

Toto (Of Course)

John Valenti - I Won't Change

Joseph Williams - S/T/ I Am Alive/ 3

[KarpetRydOFunk]

Is that it? ;}

 

I believe I have Boz Scaggs' Silk Degrees on vinyl, but I have yet to spin it.

[simo]

Not sure if this would be labelled as ''westcoast'' but try Michael Thompson Band's debut ''How Long'' great album. Other than that... Jez's list is quite extensive (listening to Outrider's ''Love Is Killing Me'' on YouTube right now gonna have to check the album out I think sounds very cool) but maybe try Frederic Slama's ''AOR'' releases or ''Standing In The Wings'' by The Kazu Project?

[Maarten]

Some excellent recommendations by Jez. I would add Keven Jordan - No Sign Of Rain, probably my favorite Westcoast/AOR release ever!

[Glen]

Some excellent recommendations by Jez. I would add Keven Jordan - No Sign Of Rain, probably my favorite Westcoast/AOR release ever!

 

Yep backed on Keven Jordan....great album :-)

[Thomas/Coastline]

Good list Jez and I also really like the Keven Jordan album.

 

Another fine slice of Westcoast is The LA Cowboys - Endless Summer.

[Jez]

Backed on the Keven Jordan guys and L.A.Cowboys one too Thomas, I forgot about those 2. There's loads more I've probably forgotten, but Funkboy will have his ears full to bursting with that little lot to start with

[KarpetRydOFunk]

Backed on the Keven Jordan guys and L.A.Cowboys one too Thomas, I forgot about those 2. There's loads more I've probably forgotten, but Funkboy will have his ears full to bursting with that little lot to start with

And bank account drained.

 

Thanks, boys.

[KarpetRydOFunk]

I think in light of recent events, I should focus on Toto this week.

[Nightrain]

I love LA Cowboys, very smooth album that one !

[JC_AOR]

Planet 3

Jay Graydon

Parber & Kerstein

Greg Guidry

Bob Hallifan Jr

Go For It

 

Plenty of goodies already mentioned by Jez an co but these are some of my favourites. There's a song I think by Jay Graydon but also on one of the Planet 3 discs called 'Roxanne' that I just love.

[gener8tr]

Probably get some grief for this one, but I don't care as I absolutely LOVE it...

 

Doobie Brothers - Living On The Fault Line

[gener8tr]

Bobby Caldwell has some nice stuff, too.

[KarpetRydOFunk]

Probably get some grief for this one, but I don't care as I absolutely LOVE it...

 

Doobie Brothers - Living On The Fault Line

Nothing wrong with The Doobie Brothers.

[KarpetRydOFunk]

Bobby Caldwell has some nice stuff, too.

His first two are personal favourites, and some of his later stuff was more Big Band/Standards. His reworking of "What You Won't Do For Love" is amazing, too!

[gener8tr]

Oh man... PAGES

 

So good! Here's a sample or two:

 

 

[Leykis101]

let me just ad one I enjoy, Bernie LaBarge - Bargin In

[Jez]

Bumping this thread for anyone who is interested, as I have loads of new recommendations, due to me being on a real West Coast kick the last couple of months. I decided to do some real digging, so some of these were new to me and some I'd completely forgotten were hiding in the annals of my cd collection, so lots of a refamiliarization in general with all of these.

Be warned, a lot of these are more Trad. West Coast rather than the AOR side of things, so they are pretty lite, but non the less good with some being definite genre classics. Most are Jap only releases, so can be quite pricey, so search around first. The 2 Lava titles have just been issued on CD for the first time, so they should go right to the top of your list, as they are superb examples of the genre. Happy listening

 

Lava - Cruisin

Lava - Prime Time

Larry Lee - Marooned

Frankie Bleu - Who's Foolin' Who

The Joe Chemay Band - The Riper The Finer

Finis Henderson - Finis

Eric Tagg - Dream Walkin'

Amy Holland - On Your Every Word

Rick Bowles - Free For The Evening

Bill Labounty - S/T

Bobby Caldwell - Cat In The Hat

Bobby Caldwell - August Moon

Bobby Caldwell - Carry On

Steve Kipner - Knock The Walls Down

Bill Cantos - Who Are You

John Hall - Power

Michael Ruff - Once In A Lifetime

Gino Vannelli - Night Walker

Jim Messina - Messina

Jay Gruska - Which One Of Us Is Me

Wilson Brothers - Another Night

Bill Champlin - Single

Bill Champlin - Runaway

Jeff Lorber - Private Passion

Jeff Lorber - In The Heat Of The Night

Paul Davis - Cool Night

Tom Snow - Hungry Nights

Bruce Hibbard - Never Turnin' Back

Steve Marrs - Somebody Somewhere

Rick Bowles - Free For The Evening

Far Cry - The More Things Change

Peter Allen - Bi Coastal

Dara Sedaka - I'm Your Girlfriend

Night Plane - S/T

Paul Clark - Out Of The Shadow

Craig Ruhnke - Keep The Flame

Craig Ruhnke - Just Like The Old Times

Byrne & Barnes - An Eye For An Eye

Robert Kraft - Retro Active

[KarpetRydOFunk]

Nice. After listening to "Aria" a few hundred times, I looked and found I have a very poor showing of Westcoast albums. Which is a shame, as it's quickly becoming one of my favourite genres. However, every time I search through the lists you, as well as others, post I find they're quite hard to come by, and often expensive. So, it's a slow-growing collection.

[Jez]

Nice. After listening to "Aria" a few hundred times, I looked and found I have a very poor showing of Westcoast albums. Which is a shame, as it's quickly becoming one of my favourite genres. However, every time I search through the lists you, as well as others, post I find they're quite hard to come by, and often expensive. So, it's a slow-growing collection.

 

 

Yep they can be really expensive as a lot are Jap only releases. I buy new generally from CDJapan, as their prices generally only come out a few £'s more than regular CD releases over here. Others, you'll have to hunt hard on amazon sellers (Tommy's Store is really good) ebay etc and you can generally pick up a bargain or 2. West Coast is still a big market in Japan, unlike most other places, hence why they get all the goodies and we have to suffer for it

[Leykis101]

I really enjoy Bernie LaBarge Bargin In

[KarpetRydOFunk]

I really enjoy Bernie LaBarge Bargin In

We know. ;}

[Nightrain]

Nice. After listening to "Aria" a few hundred times, I looked and found I have a very poor showing of Westcoast albums. Which is a shame, as it's quickly becoming one of my favourite genres. However, every time I search through the lists you, as well as others, post I find they're quite hard to come by, and often expensive. So, it's a slow-growing collection.

 

dude, which 'Aria' is this ?

[Leykis101]

How do you know? I just started liking it, actually ive never heard it, I just wanted to sound like I know what im talking about,