Today on the VE....50 years ago, the world lived through what might have been the most tense week in modern history...more for what might have happened, than for what did. A half century after The Cuban Missile Crisis, an hour of songs that evoke the events...and the era...

Police: Born In The '50's

John Fogerty: I Saw It On TV

Coldplay: Don't Panic

Pink Floyd: Goodbye Blue Sky

Thomas Dolby: One Of Our Submarines

Men At Work: It's A Mistake

Elton John: Nikita

Red Hot Chili Peppers: Havana Affair

Urge Overkill: Sister Havana

Blondie: Accidents Never Happen

Elvis Costello: Accidents Will Happen

The Fixx: Red Skies

U2: Seconds

The Smiths: Ask

Skeeter Davis: The End Of The World

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Today On the VE....Some songs about songs...and other artists. Each one will mention someone else. Or two....or twenty. You gotta have the right heroes

Blotto: We Are The Nowtones

The Richie Family: The Best Disco In Town

Arthur Conley; Sweet Soul Music

Generation X: Ready Steady Go

The Animals: The Story Of Bo Diddley

Jimmy Eat World: A Praise Chorus

Peter Paul & Mary: I Dig Rock And Roll Music

Simon And Garfunkel: A Simple Desultory Phillipic

John Mellencamp: R.O.C.K In The USA

Glenn Miller Orchestra: Juke Box Saturday Night

Stevie Wonder: Sir Duke

The Dead Milkmen: Instant Club Hit (You'll Dance To Anything)

Weezer: Heart Songs

Righteous Brothers; Rock And Roll Heaven

Everclear: AM Radio

Reunion: Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)

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Today on the VE...autumn weekends and record fairs...I'll share some of the spoils....classic and contemporary....

The Band: King Harvest (Has Surely Come)

Neil Young: Harvest

Avett Brothers: I And Love And You

Rascals: How Can I Be Sure

John Lennon: Isolation

REM: Feeling Gravity's Pull

Ray LaMontagne: Old Before Your Time

Buddy Miles: Them Changes

Jayhawks: Two Hearts

Rolling Stones: Sitting On A Fence

Led Zeppelin: Celebration Day

Pete Townshend: Pure And Easy

The Mountain Goats: Heretic Pride

Animal Collective: Today's Supernatural

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Today on the VE--celebrating the Compact Disc's 30th birthday (?!?!) with some truly great recordings of the early digital era, played off the original vinyl releases, and sounding better than the tinny 80's CDs ever did. Plus, a few analog classics that were ear-candy-marked for the initial CD releases.

Billy Joel: Stilleto

Donald Fagen: New Frontier

Sting: If You Love Somebody (Set Them Free)

U2: Bad

David Bowie: 1984

Dire Straits: Ride Across The River

Peter Gabriel: In Your Eyes

Frida: I Know There's Something Going On

Bruce Springsteen: No Surrender

Pink Floyd: Welcome To the Machine

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