American Road Trip Music Compilation - suggestions?
 

Hi all,

I'm currently putting together a CD compilation for my forthcoming mini roadtrip in the States (Las Vegas to Oklahoma City), and am looking for ideas for songs - tracks that are either evocative of the classic American roadtrip, or just gerat driving songs.

I've already got some obvious ones such as Route 66, Hotel California, Is This The Way to Amarillo, Born to be Wild, Roadhouse Blues, Me & Bobby McGee etc. But what am I missing? - what songs sum up for you the feeling of driving 1,200 miles across the US? Suggestions welcome!

Cheers,
Dave

Bob Seeger, "Here I go again, up on the stage again", Gene Pitney "Twenty Four Hours to Tulsa", Bruce Springsteen "Born in the USA", Willie Nelson "On the Road Again", Linda Ronstadt "You're No Good" (perhaps not a traditional travelling song, but often the reason I was on the road...)

How about John Hiatt - "Slow Turnin", Bruce Springsteen "Pink Cadillac", Tom Petty "Runnin Down a Dream", The Grateful Dead, "Willin", or Johnny Cash, "I've Been Everywhere".

For a travlin' theme, I'm partial to the beach Boys' "Kokomo".

Ever since the hurricane hit New Orleans, Steve Goodman's "City of New Orleans" has been going through my head. Don't forget that *classic* traveling-through-America song, "America", by Simon and Garfunkel. How about "Kentucky Rain", "Homeward Bound", "Kansas City", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", and "Please Come to Boston" ("ramblin' boy, won't you settle down, Boston ain't your kind of town.") Or Neil Diamond's "America".

Cat Stevens "Sitting" always plays as I go out the door for a trip. "I'm on my way ...."

B/

This thread has lots of good suggestions:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34666775

John Denver's Country Roads

Life is a Highway -- not sure of the artist.

Radar Love - again don't know the artist

Everyday is a Winding Road - Sheryl Crow

Steve McQueen - Sheryl Crow

Jackson Browne's "Running on Empty"
James Taylor's "Mexico"

Have fun!

Dionne Warwick, "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?"; Bob Dylan, "Like a Rolling Stone"; Eagles or Willie Nelson, "Desperado"...

You could Take it Easy and stand on a corner in Winslow Arizona and see if any girls in flat bed Fords slow down and take a look at you.

Bennie, you beat me to it. a great song by the Eagles. I wonder if its on Guarro's route.

Wow - thanks guys, there are some great songs here. Some of them I'm going to have to raid my old vinyl for, and others give me a great excuse to go shopping!

A few of the titles I recognise but the version I've got (if they are the same track) are by other artists:
cmcfong - is this "On the Road Again" the same as the Canned Heat song?
Merseyheart - the "Only City of New Orleans" that I own is by Arlo Guthrie - is yours the same one?

bennnie & jorr - yep - I'll be passing straight through Winslow en route from Flagstaff to Santa Fe. Can't wait! And Radar Love is by Golden Earing, who I think were Dutch band - already on the list!

Thanks again - I'm going to have a blast putting the CD together, and hopefully an even better time listening to it on the road.

Cheers all,
Dave

Oh dear, my brother loved Canned Heat, but I have no clue. I tend to think of "On the Road Again" as pure Willie Nelson. If anyone else did it, I haven't a clue. "On the road again, got to get on the road again......." Gee, just thinking about it makes me want to head out the door..........

How could you all forget Grateful Dead's "Truckin...." I also just added showtunes to my ipod for traveling and find myself rolling down the windows and belting out "OLklahoma" with the best of 'em.

>>bennnie & jorr - yep - I'll be passing straight through Winslow en route from Flagstaff to Santa Fe. Can't wait!<<

There's an official "standin' on the corner" corner in Winslow near downtown. :-)

Lee Ann

How about "Drivin' My Life Away" by Eddie Rabbit, "New York State of Mind" by Billy Joel, "Convoy" (can't remember who did it) and "Ventura Highway".

A few of the hundreds of songs I have burned onto CDs for driving music

Allman Brothers' "Jessica" is compulsory.
B-52s, "Love Shack"
Blind Faith - "Can't Find My Way Back Home"
Bob Dylan, "Subterranean Homesick Blues," lots of others
Bob Seeger - again, almost anything, but especially "Hollywood Nights" and "Roll Me Away"
Bruce Hornsby, "Valley Road"
Cyndi Lauper, "I Drove All Night"
Counting Crows, "Omaha"
Dell Shannon, "Runaway" (means a lot to me but I B old)
Derek and the Dominoes' "Layla" is non-negotiable.
Dixie Dregs, aka Dregs, "Kat Food," "The Bash," "Punk Sandwich." Try them, you'll like them.
Don Henley, "The End of Innocence," "The Boys of Summer" I saw a Cadillac with a Deadhead sticker on the back...
Eagles - almost anything, but "Already Gone" is a standout as well as "Take it Easy"
Fleetwood Mac, "Go Your Own Way" and many others
Four Tops, "Bernadette" and "Reach Out," or pretty much anything; also anything by Smoky
Grateful Dead, "Uncle John's Band," "Passenger," "Touch of Gray"
Jackson Browne, "Running on Empty" - mandatory
James Taylor, "Country Road"
Jimi Hendrix, "All Along the Watchtower"
Johnny Cash, "Ring of Fire," "Folsom Prison," others... You are traveling through perfect Johnny Cash country
Mark Cohen, "Walking in Memphis" even if you're not going there
Marshall Tucker Band, "Take the Highway" - another compulsory song
Marvin Gaye, "What's Going On" - you need some classic "city" music
Neil Diamond, "Coming to America" - okay, seriously.
Outlaws, "Ghost Riders in the Sky" - really try to find it
REO Speedwagon, "Roll with the Changes" - great 70s "wall of sound" number; also Boston
Sheryl Crow. "A Change Would Do You Good"
Steppenwolf, "Born to be Wild" and "Magic Carpet Ride"
Steve Miller Band, "Living in the USA." Someone bring be a cheeseburger.
Talking Heads, "Once in a Lifetime"
Tina Turner - plenty; "Nutbush City Limits" (with Ike) is a fave
Tom Petty - several
Traveling Wilburys, "End of the Line"
U2 - "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" - video set in Vegas
Wallflowers, "One Headlight"
Warren Zevon, "Lawyers, Guns and Money" and "Werewolves of London"

and don't forget Dvorak's "New World" symphony and Copeland's "Appalachian Spring" and "Rodeo."

And the radio will have plenty of C & W and Mexican music on offer - don't overlook it.

I just completed a mini road trip (Denver to L.A. via Santa Fe & Flagstaff) and had the following tunes along for the ride:
No Particular Place to Go, Chuck Berry
A Horse With No Name, America
Peaceful, Easy Feeling, Eagles
Take It Easy, Eagles
Take It to the Limit, Eagles
Pink Houses, John Mellencamp
America the Beautiful, Ray Charles
Route 66, Nat King Cole
On the Road Again, Willie Nelson
American Pie, Don McLean
Enjoy the ride! ((#))

I posted a similar question recently, only I am on I-40 heading west (in Memphis now, so "Graceland" by Paul Simon is appropriate for tomorrow).

You'll be passing through Tucumcari, so I will suggest Willin' by Little Feat.