West Coast Music Releases Highlights from Year 2014

The West Coast AOR music is still popular and new releases, reissues and compilations.

At Blue Desert we always try to write about what is new and interesting and at the same time highlight some of the classic masterpieces. Some years a lot of material is released and other time less.

Here are some of the highlights that was released in the year 2014:

Chicago - XXXVI

Marquee Records 2014

Tracks: Now, More Will Be Revealed, America, Crazy Happy, Free At Last, Love Lives On, Something´s Coming I Know, Watching All The Colors, Nice Girl, Naked In The Garden Of Allah, Anoter Trippy Day (Bonus Track) & Introduction (Live) (Bonus Track).

Musicians on the XXXVI album: Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane, James Pankow, Walter Parazaider, Jason Scheff, Tris Imboden, Keith Howland, Lou Pardini, Walfredo Reyes Jr. and others.

Russ Taff - The Ultimate Collection

Word Entertainment 2014

Tracks: Tell Them, Jeremiah, We Will Stand, Unto The Lamb, Silent Love, Medals, Not Gonna Bow, Here I Am, Rock Solid, Walk Between The Lines, Believe In Love, I Still Believe, Winds Of Change, I Cry & Farther On.

Musicians on the Ultimate Collection: Russ Taff and others.

Various Artist - Too Slow To Disco

How Do You Are? Recordings 2014

Tracks: Get It Up For Love, Let´s Put Our Love Back Together, Deco Lady, Over And Done With, Liverpool Fool, Lotta Love, Do You Feel It?, Steal Away, Room To Grow, Saturday In The Park, Shut The Door, Rendezvous, If I Saw You Again, Losin´End, Sugar Daddy, Steal Away, Spaceship Earth, I´ve Got A Thing About You Baby & Don´t You Know.

Musicians on the To Slow To Disco album: Ned Doheny, Micky Denne And Ken Gold, Rupert Holmes, White Horse, Browning Bryant, Nicolette Larson, Alessi, Jim Photoglo, Brian Elliot, Chicago, Don Brown, Matthew Larkin Cassell, Pages, Doobie Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, Robbie Dupree, David Batteau, Tony Joe White, Jan Hammer Group and others.

Toto - Live In Poland

Eagle Records 2014

Tracks: CD1: Intro 13, On The Run/Child´s Anthem/Goodbye Elenore Medley, Goin´Home, Hydra, St George And The Dragon, I´ll Be Over You, It´s A Feeling, Rosanna, Wings Of Time, Falling In Between, I Won´t Hold You Back & Pamela. CD2: 99, The Muse, White Sister, Better World, Africa, How Many Times, Stop Loving You, Hold The Line & Home Of The Brave (Encore).

Musicians on the 35th Anniversary Live In Poland album: Steve Lukather, David Paich, Steve Porcaro, Joseph Williams, Simon Phillips, Nathan East, Amy Keys & Mabvuto Carpenter.

Ian Matthews - Stealing Home "Reissue"

Omnivore Recordings 2014

Tracks are: Gimme An Inch, Don´t Hang Up Your Dancing Shoes, King Of The Night, Man In The Station, Let There Be Blues, Carefully Taught, Stealin´Home, Shake It, Yank & Mary (Smile), Slip Away, Sail My Soul, Tigers Will Survive (live), Stealin´Home (live), Shake It (live), Just One Look (live), King Of The Night (live), Man In The Station (live), Don´t Hang Up Your Dancing Shoes (live), Call The Times (live) & Payday (live).

Musicians on the Stealin´Home Reissue album: Ian Matthews, Bryan Haworth, Phil Palmer, Jim Russel, Rick Kemp, Pete Wingfield, Mel Collins, Duffy Power & Simon Morton.

The Doobie Brothers - Southbound

Arista Records 2014

Tracks: Black Water, Listen To The Music, What A Fool Believes, Long Train Runnin´, China Grove, Takin´It To The Streets, Jesus Is Alright, Rockin´Down The Highway, Take Me In Your Arms, South City Midnight Lady, You Belong To Me & Nobody Intro / Nobody.

Musicians on the Southbound album: The Doobie Brothers, Zac Brown Band, Blake Shelton, Hunter Hayes, Sara Evenas, Toby Keith, Huey Lewis, Chris Young, Love And Theft, Casey James, Brad Paisley, Tyler Farr, Jerrod Niemann, Amanda Sudano Ramirez, Vince Gill, Charlie Worsham and others.

Boz Scaggs - Live At The Fillmore West

Keyhole Records 2014

Tracks: CD1: I Feel So Good, We Were Always Sweethearts, Painted Bells, I Will Forever Sing the Blues, We Been Away, Hollywood Blues, Bay’s Callin’ Home, Stepping Stone, Country Girl, Somebody Loan Me a Dime, Make My Heart Shine & I’m Easy. CD2: Near You, Sweet Release & Various Live Boz Scaggs.

Musiciansl on the Live At The Fillmore West album: Boz Scaggs and others.

Bjarne Langhoff - Safe Distance

Langhoff 2014

Tracks: We Made Our Mistakes, Jesus Throught The Light, Lullaby, New Mexico, Silence, All Day Funny, Hollow Soul, Safe Distance, Hollywood & We Made Our Mistakes (Radio Edit).

Musicians on the Safe Distance album: Bjarne Langhoff, Lars Daugaard, Allan Nagel, Jonas Krag, Tine Dynæs Juhl & Jens Kokholm.

David Pack - Napa Crossroads

Concord Records 2014

Tracks: O´Blessed Vine, Silverado Free, Next Adventure, Vineyard Stomp, Full House Full Heart, Every Time I Look At You, You Were The One, April Born In May, Wine Country Cowboy, Corner Of This Room, A Friend Like You, Napa Crossroad Overture, Crossroad Bound & Harvest.

Musicians on the Napa Crossroads album: David Pack, Ray Manzarek, Bela Fleck, Alan Parsons, Todd Rundgren, David Benoit, Billy Dean, Jimmy Wayne, Larry Carlton, Doyle Dykes, Mindi Abair, Robert Schwartzman, Lincoln Parish, Rick Braun and others.

Richard Marx - Beautiful Goodbye

Zanzibar Records 2014

Tracks: Whatever We Started, Suddenly, Inside, Beautiful Goodbye, Forgot to Remember, Turn Off The Night, Have A Little Faith, Like The World Is Ending, To My Senses, Getaway, Eyes On Me, Just Go (Target bonus track) & Moscow Calling (Target bonus track).

Musicians on the Beautiful Goodbye album: Richard Marx and others.

The Doobie Brothers - Live New York 1973

Plastic Soho 2014

Tracks: South City Midnight Lady, Clear As The Driven Snow, Long Train Running, Listen To The Music, China Grove, Rockin Down The Highway, Disciple, Jesus Is Just Alright/Disciple & Without You.

Musicians on the Live In New York 1973 album: Doobie Brothers and others.

Karizma - Live at Motion Blue

Creatchy Records 2014

Tracks: E Minor Shuffle, Dismemberment, Five Storks, Kimbissa/Cuba, Donna, Ire, Heavy Resin, Dream Come True, Fried Neckbones, Corbitt Van Brauer & Sweet PC.

Musicians on the Live at the Motion Blue album: David Garfield, Larry Klimas, James Harrah, Jimmy Johnson, Oscar Seaton Jr. & Lenny Castro.

Karizma - Live At The Baked Potato with Jeff Porcaro

Creatchy Records 2014

Tracks: Ire, Sting, Blues For Ronnie, Me, Five Storks, All Blues, TJ & Corbitt Van Brauer.

Musicians on the Live at the Baked Potato with Jeff Porcaro album: David Garfield, Larry Klimas, Michael Landau, John Pena, Jeff Porcaro & Lenny Castro.

Jim Photoglo - Halls Of My Heart

Grifftone Records 2014

Tracks: Try Me Tomorrow, Shadow And Light, Halls Of My Heart, Brown-Eyed Boy, Brothers Medley: Rev. Al Green / Johnny Otis /Brothers (tribute), Liliana, My Father´s Son, What Do I Tell My Son, Something Of Me & The Hours.

Musicians on the Halls Of My Heart album: Jim Photoglo and others.

Gino Vannelli - Collected

Universal Music 2014

Tracks: CD1: People Gotta Move, Felicia, Lady, Poor Happy Jimmy, Powerful People, Keep On Walking, Love Is A Night, Love Me Now, Mama Coco, Fly Into This Night, Love OF My Life, Summers Of My Life, Appalossa, Brother To Brother, I Just Wanna Stop, People I Belong To, Wheels Of Life & The River Must Flow. CD2: Living Inside Myself, Nightwalker, Sally (She Says The Sweetest Things), Stay With Me, Black Cars, Just A Motion Away, In The Name Of Money, Persona Non Grata, Wild Horses, Young Lover, Hurts To Be In Love, If I Should Lose This Love, Inconsolable Man, Sunset On L.A., The Time Of Day, I Die A Little More Each Day & Slow Love. CD3: Never Cry Again, Crazy Life, Lost And Found, Belladonna, The Longer You Wait, L’Amour En Face (In The Face Of Love), Close Your Eyes, Parole Per Mio Padre, The Song Of The Nightingale, The Great Divide, It’s Only Love, A Good Thing, Knight Of The Road, Night Drive, The Measure Of A Man & Brothers In The End.

Musicians on the Collected album: Gino Vannelli and others

Livingston Taylor - Blue Sky

LT 2014

Tracks: Would You Mind, Pick Yourself Up, Blue Sky, On and On, You Can Take Me Home, Sweet Blindness, Shouldn’t Have Fallen, Here You Come Again, Paperback Writer, Boatman, Sleepy Is Good & I Have Dreamed.

Musicians on the Blue Sky album: Livingston Taylor and others.

Bill LaBounty - Into Something Blue

First And Main Records 2014

Tracks: All This Time, Ax To Grind, The Cooling Board, You Can´t Break My Heart, Lover Man, If You Don´t Come Back, Funny But I Still Love You, Stray Dog Blues, Subterranean Homesick Blues, Reprise (All This Time) & Something Blue.

Musicians on the Into Something Blue album: Bill LaBounty, Jack White, Rick Chudacoff, Larry Carlton, Mark Douthit, Joey Richey, Nicole Richie, Stephanie Wilson, Barry Green, Bryan Cumming, Tom Hemby & Danny Parks.

Stephen Bishop - Be Here Then

General Records Inc. 2014

Tracks: Pretty Baby, Rescue You, Sparkle U Shine, Make It Last, Promise Me The World, Vacant, Fooled By Love, Cry Of The Broken Hearted, Loveless & Love Is U.

Musicians on the Be Here Then album: Stephen Bishop and others.

Russ Taff - Beginnings

Word Entertainment 2014

Tracks: The Trumpet Of Jesus, Finish What You Started, Any Good Time At All, Be Still My Soul, I´m Forgiven, Eagle Song, Higher Power, What I Can Do For You, Closer Than Ever, Let Jesus Do It For You, Overcomer & Praise The Lord.

Musicians on the Beginnings album: Russ Taff and others.

Ned Doheny - Separate Oceans

Numero Group 2014

Tracks: Get It Up For Love, Each Time You Pray, What Cha’ Gonna Do For Me (with Average White Band), To Prove My Love (Vocal version), Labor Of Love, A Love Of Your Own, I’ve Got Your Number (Demo), If You Should Fall (Demo), When Love Hangs In The Balance (Demo), Fineline (Demo, featuring Glenn Frey and Don Henley), On And On (Demo, featuring Glenn Frey and Don Henley), I Can Dream (Demo, featuring Glenn Frey and Don Henley), I Know Sorrow, Standfast, A Love of Your Own (Demo), On The Swingshift (Demo), The Devil In You, Love’s A Heartache (Demo) & Get It Up For Love (Demo)

Musicians on the Separate Oceans album: Ned Doheny and others.

Christopher Cross - Secret Ladder

EAR Music 2014

Tracks: Reverend Blowhard, I Don´t See It Your Way, The Times I Need You, Island Of Anger, “V”, Experiment, Simple, Wonderland, Light The World, With Me Now, Got To Be A Better Way & A Letter To My Children.

Musicians on the Secret Ladder album: Christopher Cross, Keith Carlock, Jeffery Foskett, Will Lee, David Man, Michael McDonald and others.

Bobby Caldwell - After Dark

JVC Victor 2014

Tracks: Follow Me, I Only Have Eyes For You, The Most Beautiful Girl In The World, Too Marvelous For Words, I´ve Got A Crush On You, Please Be So Kind, Saturday Night (Is The Loneliest Night Of The Week), What You Won´t Do For Love (After Dark), My Kind Of Town (Chicago Is), In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning, Fly Me To The Moon, Without A Song, Yellow Days, Come Fly With Me & You Make Me Feel So Young.

Musicians on the After Dark album: Bobby Caldwell and others.

Kere Buchanan - Goodbye Yesterday

KB 2014

Tracks: If You Need Somebody, Could This Be Love?, Slippin’ Away, Until I Found You, Never Gonna Give You Up, Goodbye Yesterday, Miss Josephine, My Love, Shining Star, All Because Of You, Hard Goodbyes, Never Gonna Give You Up (JP Bonus Track) & Happy When I’m Sad (JP Bonus Track).

Musicians on the Goodbye Yesterday album: Kere Buchanan, Bill Risby, Brendan St. Ledger, Chris Kamzelas, Jim Kelly, Leon Gaer, Mark Punch, Tony Azzopardi, Stewart Kirwan, Mark Taylor, Gary Pinto, Michelle Martinez, Angus Gomm, James Greening, Glenn Bidmead, Robbie Buchanan, Karen O’shea, Louie Shelton, Andy Bickers, Bill Champlin, Geoff Robertson, Barry Leef, Natasha Stuart, Jerson Trinidad, David Longo & Jo Jo Smith.

AOR - L.A Connection

Escape Music 2014

Tracks: On The Edge Of Glory, The Pride Of Strangers, Closer To Zero, Once Off Guard, Lost Souls Don’t Cry, Exiled In Sadness, Age Of Desire, Circle Of Danger & The Crystal Heart.

Musicians on the L.A Connection album: Frederic Slama, Tommy Denander, Paul Sabu, Jeff Paris, Sherwood Ball, David Forbes, Philip Bardowell, Rick Riso, Tamara Champlin, Colin Rodgers, Pat Thern, Pete Newdeck & Bob Harris.

Taylor Mesple - Elusive

Old Port Records 2014

Tracks: Turn Away, When You Love Somebody, Glory (2013 Remix), Elusive, Answer Your Own Question V2, Darkness and Light (A Piano Improvisation), Victory Land, I Burn for You, Leaving the Shore, Slow Motion, All the While (Acoustic Version) & Bristol Shore.

Musicians on the Elusive album: Taylor Mesple, Tim Hill, Tim Pierce, Abe Laboriel Jr., Mel Brown, Proxy, Ike Sturm, Alex Nekrason, Rebecca Mesple, Dave Beegle and others.

Jeff Larson - Close Circle

NCompass Music 2014

Tracks: Rescue, Following The Echoes, Every Hour On The Hour, Even When The Rain Comes, Goodbye Ocean Street Beaches, Rain Soaked Cloud (featuring America), Always The Mystery, How Long Running, Arizona Again, The Lay Of The Land, Every Hour On The Hour (Alternate Acoustic Mix)

Musicians on the Close Cirle album: Jeff Larson, Jeff Pevar, Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell), Jeddrah, Randell Kirsch, Jeffrey Foskett and others.

Ray Kennedy

Real Gone Music 2014

Tracks: it Never Crossed My Mind, Isn´t It Time?, Just For The Moment, Can´t Seem To Find The Time, My Everlasting Love, You Oughta Know By Know, Sail On Sailor, Starlight, Let Me Sing You A Love Letter, Dance The Night Away (Unreleased - Bonus Track), It Never Crossed My Mind (Unreleased Original Mix - Bonus Track), Just For The Moment (Unreleased Original Mix - Bonus Track) & Starlight (Single Version - Bonus Track).

Musicians on the Ray Kennedy album: Ray Kennedy, David Foster, Steve Lukather, Jeff Porcaro, Jack Conrad, Steve Porcaro, Jai Winding, Mike Porcaro, Kim Kestersen, Bob Glaub, Bill Champlin, Tommy Funderburk, Paulette Brown, Venette Gloud, Jerry Hey & Tom Kelly.

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