Home from Vacation? There’s Still Traffic

No, not the bumper-to-bumper kind, but the GOOD kind. One of the most inventive rock bands to come out of British Psychedelia, Traffic blended jazz and British folk into rock rhythms to match Steve Winwood’s distinctive vocals. So relax, take your hand off the horn, and follow the flow for 36 minutes in this week’s wog, You Can All Jog In. At Podwogging.com.

Hit the Road, Jim

I’m willing to bet that Americans log more hours driving during August than any other month of the year. That’s certainly true for me—especially yesterday, when I put in a good 8 hours out on the highway, around the Bay Area and between here and the Sierra foothills. And later today it’s more of the same, as school reunions, family reunions, and summer camp all stake their transportation claims. In honor of my heroic driving efforts, this week’s wog is—what else?—Road Heroes. And it checks in at a honkin’ 76 minutes, at that. Seems like every rock band that’s ever toured has at least one road song in its bag of tricks. So load up your pod and start that trip! Get your itinerary at Podwogging.com.

Fleet of Foot, Mac of Wood

In the mid- to late-70s, Fleetwood Mac ruled the world of soft rock. Stevie Nicks went on to a solo career, and despite several emotion-laden reunions they were pretty much done by the 80s. But don’t let that stop you—the songs in this week’s wog, Jog Your Own Way, make a great way to get 31 minutes of vigorous exercise. In addition to classic Mac, I’ve included a few songs from their pre-Nicks/Buckingham days; these are unfortunately not available for legal download. I highly recommend the album from which they came, Bare Trees, so it’s worth picking it up as a CD.

Haven’t been to Podwogging.com? What are you waiting for?

What a Rush

Mixing intricate beats, pounding bass, ringing guitars, introspective lyrics, lush melodies, and Geddy Lee’s distinctive vocals, Rush has proven to be a true rock institution for the last thirty-odd years. This week’s wog features an hour of Rush, starting with Presto’s Show Don’t Tell and finishing with the anthemic Tom Sawyer from Moving Pictures. This is a Vigorous ÜberWog, so in addition to slower numbers you’ll find infectious joggers like Subdivisions and Between the Wheels. So what’s the Rush? Find out at Podwogging.com.

Want the Real Deal?

From the chunky beats of the cynical My City Was Gone to the snarling, driving Middle of the Road, nobody combined punk sass with sheer hard rock artistry like the Pretenders. This week’s wog, Back on the Jog Gang, features some of this legendary band’s best numbers; in addition to aforementioned, wog out to Mystery Achievement, Back on the Chain Gang, and others. If you want 39 minutes of pulse-pounding bliss, check out this playlist. At Podwogging.com, of course.

Fast Forward

If you’re like me, songs with BPMs in the 140s have the perfect rhythm for cooking up a jog that’s just right. Fast Forward, this week’s wog, is a Flatliner with all but the beginning, middle, and ending songs in that sweet range. In this list you’ll find songs in that range by A Flock of Seagulls, Spencer Davis Group, Supertramp, Jellyfish, and the Grateful Dead. They’ll all stoke your desire to keep that music moving forward in the 140s.

Find it at Pogwogging.com.

Breakfast in America

In the late 70s, Supertramp was your basic breezy pop group with fun songs that still had serious undertones. Breakfast in America was by far their standout album, so it’s fitting that this week’s wog is a One Album Wog comprised of songs from it. Whether opening with The Logical Song and its great sax riffs and a call to a freethinking lifestyle, jogging to the opening harmonica bars of Take the Long Way Home, or wistfully whistling to the strides of Goodbye Stranger, this album delivers 36 minutes of great wogging fun.

Check it at Podwogging.com