John Kessler

Blues evolved from many different sources including spirituals, work songs, and chants. “Rock Island Line” began as a work song, first recorded in 1934 by prisoners at Cummins Farm in Arkansas. The rhythm of physical labor is integral to songs like these.

Maybe sometimes the desperation isn’t so quiet, but we begin with a premise by Thoreau, and head straight downhill from there.

The Hoosegow, the Big House, The Clink, Up The River, The Pen. We’ve never been ourselves, but we did time listening to scores of songs about "the slammer."

This week we learned that it’s good to be the king. But it’s a long road from being a lord or lady to becoming a duke, princess or king. Along the way there are dragons to slay and pop songs to suffer through.

Time is Nature’s way of keeping everything from happening all at once. And the sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to catch up. It’s deep thoughts like this that keep us up at night and make us sleepy during the day.

Clothes make the man, and in this case, the radio episode. Who knew that there would enough songs about pants to fill a front loading washer?

This week we pit musical legends against upstarts and imitators, in a duel to the death. You be the judge and jury.

Whenever we think about the past it brings back so many memories.

But what are memories, exactly?

There is a lot of disagreement about whether a “sugar rush” exists, but these studies have  obviously been conducted by scientists who don't have young children.

Nevertheless, there is agreement that anything this good must be bad for you. And it’s clear that sugar consumption is a factor in obesity, diabetes and dentists’s BMWs ...

Fashion never goes out of style, and popular music has always provided the sonic accessory. From “Buttons and Bows” to “Chantilly Lace," musicians love to sing about fashions, but arguably there has been a decline in the looks — and the music.

Songs about Thanksgiving and about giving thanks.

The tone for our episode is set by the down-and-out Johnson family, who have no turkey on the table but enough moralizing from Dad that no one has an appetite anyway.

There are many paths to happiness. Spirituality, relationships, community, a warm puppy. Writing a hit song also helps, if you believe that happiness can be bought.

This week we salute our veterans and the music they made before, during and after their military service.

The first one that comes to mind is this Vietnam War-era classic from Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler, a real-life wounded Vietnam Vet. Even as protest was building against the war, it was the biggest single of 1966, spending 5 weeks at Number 1 on the charts.

Where do babies come from? We may be unqualified to answer that one, but we can tell you with confidence that there’s a sucker born every minute.

For Halloween, a spooky blues that influenced a generation of rock musicians.

“I Ain’t Superstitious” is a bridge between the acoustic blues of the South and the electric blues of Chicago.