"Face to the wall and the universe is calling. I'm not ready!"
- Writing The Book Of Last Pages by Let's Active
Those who know me, which is pretty much all 5 of you who bother to read my blather, are well aware that over the years, I have developed a fondness for music which is categorized as Power Pop. It stems from a childhood spent listening to The Monkees and their ilk. I have honed my love of this genre as time goes by and there are several touchstones within Power Pop that I need to blog about. One of these is the band Let's Active who were in existence from 1981-1989. They formed in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and were the brainchild of Mitch Easter who was the only member that stayed with them throughout their 9 years. As far as recorded output goes, they were signed to I.R.S. Records and released an E.P. Afoot in 1983. This was followed by 3 full length albums, Cypress in 1984, Big Plans For Everybody in 1986, and Every Dog Has His Day in 1988. These records sold horribly and sounded nothing like most of the music being put out in the 80s. I was introduced to them on a show that used to run on Much Music in its infancy called City Limits. It was a forerunner to The Wedge and hosted by a guy called Christopher Ward. Anyway, he used to play a video by Let's Active from Cypress called Waters Part and Steve and I really dug it. Steve liked the fact that Mitch Easter had 2 females in the band ("That guy knows what he's doing" is his direct quote) and I liked that they played Rickenbachers and sounded like a 60s band. Then, in late 1985, I met a girl named Michelle who managed the Mr. Sound record store in downtown London. She was from Omaha, Nebraska and had ended up in London whilst running from the law in the U.S. with her coke-dealer boyfriend. He flew the coop and she liked it in London and loved her job, so she stayed. She was the one who made me a big fan, not only of Let's Active, but a couple of other little bands who were connected to Mitch Easter named REM and Game Theory. She once camped out on Michael Stipe's parents lawn in Georgia and had the photos to prove it. Mitch Easter produced the first 2 REM albums, Murmur and Reckoning, as well as all of the releases by Game Theory at his record studio in Winston-Salem called the Drive-In. (Yes, it was an old drive-in that he converted into a recording studio.) Let's Active's sound was a mixture of jangly guitars, some country influences and a little Big Star, but mainly it was the writing genius of Mitch Easter with his catchy melodies and vocals that drew me into their lair. I still listen to them all the time and they have stood the test of time very well. Their records sell for exorbitant prices on Ebay to this day. You should get into them too! I guarantee you will not be disappointed!
Best Of Let's Active
1. Won't Go Wrong
2. Waters Part
3. In Little Ways
4. Talking To Myself
5. Counting Down
6. Horizon
7. Prey
8. Ring True
9. Still Dark Out
10. Sweepstakes Winner
11. Writing The Book Of Last Pages
12. Crows On A Phone Line
13. Blue Line
14. Fell
15. Easy Does
16. Badger
17. Ornamental
18. Mr. Fool
19. Lowdown
20. Every Dog Has his Day
21. Co-Star
Friday, July 30, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
Listomania! - 1973
1973 was a very good year in my life. It was the end of public school / beginning of high school, which I think is a great period in most people's lives, so I'm not special in that regard. I was riding high in Grade 8, winning 2 trophies at graduation for best marks and citizenship. I had just played 2 big roles in the school production of Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado to much acclaim (and attention from girls!) and we had moved into our first house that we owned. I was all of 12 years old and this was probably the biggest my ego ever got - you know, that point in life where everything is so peachy that you can't imagine anything ever going awry. I think of that year often when I am feeling nostalgic, but, as Homer Simpson put it, "Now it's back to stupid reality." Music had become my true passion and I started buying albums instead of 45s.
Top 10 Of 1973
10. Just One Victory - Todd Rundgren
As Robert Plant once said, "This is a song of hope." From the freaky-weird A Wizard, A True Star, this song always puts a smile on my face. From the goofy "hold that line, baby, hold that line" backing vocal, to the rousing chorus, this is Todd being happy and forward-looking. The lyrics now seem a bit hokey, but it is a product of its era. I love the start where Todd is almost like a preacher, calling on God or whomever to make things better. There are a lot of overdubs and studio trickery on this song, but it wouldn't be a Todd Rundgren record without those kinds of touches. The little descending bass line is killer too! " We may feel about to fall, but we go down fighting. You will hear the call if you only listen." This is the official anthem for optimists everywhere!
9. Days Gone By - Joe Walsh
Another song for the glass half-full crowd, this is from Walsh's great The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get album. Rocky Mountain Way has been air-guitared by every fist-pumping lunkhead in the world, but this tune is not Rocky Mountain Way. Featuring great playing by the whole band, I especially love the piano, which is played by drummer Joe Vitale. As if his stellar work on piano and drums weren't enough, he throws in some amazing flute work too. Some people don't care for Walsh's voice, but this song is maybe his best vocal ever. It doesn't have his usual nasal affectation, just a smoothly-delivered, laid-back, jazzy groove baby. The bass is pretty cool too, snaking its way through the song in such a way that it makes you sit up and take notice of it. "In the end we'll see how much of the party we've missed already, please tell me." Damn, I love this song!
8. All The Way From Memphis - Mott The Hoople
Christ! That piano just makes me want to kick up my heels! What a freakin' fantastic piano that is! Played by Mott front man Ian Hunter, it's funny that the ivories take center stage in a song about guitarist Mick Ralphs' guitar getting sent to Oriole, Kentucky instead of Memphis where they were to play a show. Once again, you cannot just sit still and listen to this. You must get up and groove and make a complete ass of yourself to get the full enjoyment of this song! Andy Mackay of Roxy Music throws down some smokin' sax as well. My interpretation is that it's about people looking down on selfish rock stars and their excessive lifestyles. "Yeah it's a mighty long way down Rock'n' Roll, through the Bradford cities and the Orioles, 'n' you look like a star but you're really out on parole! All the way from Memphis." Poor little Rock 'n' Roller!
7. Dancing Days - Led Zeppelin
Cock-rock at its finest! Robert Plant is coming for your daughters and you are powerless to stop him! John Bonham just lays it down so hard on the skins, Page is all slide and ferocity, and John Paul Jones does double duty on the bass and the scorching organ throughout. Like a lot of Zep tunes, the lyrics are actually quite bad, but the words never really mattered with them in my books. It's all about that swagger and groove here. This is dancing music folks, no need to argue, just get on up there and swing it! Apparently, it drove the band to dancing on the lawn of the recording studio when they heard the playback of the finished product as they were so overcome with joy at what they had created. "You are my flower, you are my power, you are my woman who knows." Groovy baby!
6. Time - Pink Floyd
From the stoner classic Dark Side Of The Moon the first part of this song is a real eye-opener. I once played it at a party when everyone was starting to lag, and turned it up to ear-splitting levels when the alarm clocks rang. Needless to say, I instantly became Mr. Popularity at that moment. This is a gorgeous song about time passing you by without you realizing it. The older I get, the more relevance this song has for me. I was 12 when this came out and I didn't hear this particular song until I was 13, but the message didn't hit home like it does now. Sung by David Gilmour and Richard Wright, this is just one song from an amazing album, but it is the top one for me. Hell, the guitar solo by Gilmour alone makes it that. This might be my fave guitar solo in any song ever. It is just so majestic and beautiful that I can listen to the solo over and over and it touches me every time. "Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way." Stiff upper lip mate!
5. Hard-Hearted Alice - Alice Cooper
When I play this gem for most people, they have no idea that it is Alice, especially the slow part near the start. From the album Muscle Of Love, his last with his fantastic original band, this song is full of great dynamics. The organ is quite tasty in the slow part, then the drums and bass take over when the song speeds up, then the organ does a nice little solo, followed by Michael Bruce and a rocking guitar solo. Alice's singing on this one is one of his best vocal parts as he loses most of his trademark sneer and plays it pretty straight, sounding very good in the process. I used to play this daily on the cafeteria jukebox in Grade 9 as I couldn't get enough. "Mind gets scrambled like eggs, get bruised and erased when you live in a brainstorm." V.O. will scramble your mind good, right Alice?
4. Lady Grinning Soul - David Bowie
It starts off with an amazing piano part by Mike Garson, sounding like a 19th century music hall piano. It trills all the way through the song, adding flavour and character to this fantastic song. Bowie's vocal is my favourite of his ever, all clear and full of feeling in the gorgeous tenor he had at that time. I always felt that he was so much more than a rock star, even before the movie roles and such. He is a true entertainer who can rock if he wants, but his versatility is virtually unmatched in popular music. The real topper though is the flamenco-like guitar part at about 1:40 by the under-appreciated genius that was Mick Ronson. Bowie has played with a ton of musicians in his long and distinguished career, but it would be pretty hard to top Ronson. He was so much more than just a guitar player. His string arrangements and other talents were top-notch. This beauty of a song is off the great Aladdin Sane record, with its unforgettable and iconic cover art. A tip of the hat to my bestest and oldest buddy, Steve, for being a teenage Bowie fanatic and laying so much great music on me! "Touch the fullness of her breast, feel the love of her caress. She will be your living end." One word.....beautiful!
3. In Every Dream Home A Heartache - Roxy Music
This was a real tough one. I debated long and hard over this or Mother Of Pearl. Martina, you will have to forgive me as I know Mother Of Pearl is your fave by them, and it is certainly one of mine, but I just couldn't omit Dream Home from my list. It's one of those songs that upon first listen, you go, "What the hell was that?" Then, after you've heard it 300,000 times, you go, "What the hell was that?" Just the creepiest song you may have ever heard, that's what! Bryan Ferry starts the song out questioning opulent living and God, then slowly moves into an ode to the underlying weirdness in people's seemingly ordinary lives, in this case his "lover ungrateful", a blow-up doll. Andy Mackay adds to the creepy factor with a snaky sax part and then Ferry hits home." I blew up your body, but you blew my mind." Then, it's all Phil Manzanera with a searing guitar part and Dave Thompson's maniacal drumming. "I bought you mail order, my plain wrapper baby. Your skin is like vinyl, the perfect companion." What the hell was that?
2. Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding - Elton John
This is Elton's masterpiece. The lead track on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, the first album I ever bought, is 11 minutes long, but every second counts. The ARP synthesizer leads us in and then it is augmented by Elton's piano, Nigel Olsson's great drumming, Davey Johnstone's fab guitar and Dee Murray's full and nimble bass. The first part is a beautiful instrumental elegy that draws one in with its sadness. Then, the piano starts rollicking as only Elton can, and off we go! But wait! After some fantastic lead guitar, the piano quietly starts part 2, and then some big power chords kick into the vocals. The Love Lies Bleeding part features Johnstone and his guitar again and Elton's voice, which was quite good back then, before he became a caricature of himself and started re-writing songs for dead princesses. " The roses in the window box have tilted to one side. Everything about this house was born to grow and die." I miss those gatefold double LPs!
1. 5:15 - The Who
About a week after I bought Yellow Brick Road, I made my second album purchase, Quadrophenia, Pete Townshend's self-proclaimed "best thing I ever wrote." Townshend himself sings the lead in "Why should I care" part, then slam! bang! The Who kick it in like only they can and Daltrey is at his cocksure, mic-twirling best. The story of Jimmy, a young Mod with the weight of his world on his shoulders, misunderstood at home, not big with the ladies, and just wanting to belong. This great rockfest of a tune occurs when Jimmy is riding the train to Brighton at the height of his alienation, his brain full of amphetamines. As I get older, it seems to me that Jimmy was a little too self-centred for my liking, but this is still one of my favourite songs and albums. As usual with the Who, Moon is his own crazed self and Entwhistle kicks the shit out of his bass. A true anthem for doomed youth! "Inside outside, leave me alone. Inside outside, nowhere is home. Inside outside, where have I been? Out of my brain on the five fifteen." Those darn kids!
Top 10 Of 1973
10. Just One Victory - Todd Rundgren
As Robert Plant once said, "This is a song of hope." From the freaky-weird A Wizard, A True Star, this song always puts a smile on my face. From the goofy "hold that line, baby, hold that line" backing vocal, to the rousing chorus, this is Todd being happy and forward-looking. The lyrics now seem a bit hokey, but it is a product of its era. I love the start where Todd is almost like a preacher, calling on God or whomever to make things better. There are a lot of overdubs and studio trickery on this song, but it wouldn't be a Todd Rundgren record without those kinds of touches. The little descending bass line is killer too! " We may feel about to fall, but we go down fighting. You will hear the call if you only listen." This is the official anthem for optimists everywhere!
9. Days Gone By - Joe Walsh
Another song for the glass half-full crowd, this is from Walsh's great The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get album. Rocky Mountain Way has been air-guitared by every fist-pumping lunkhead in the world, but this tune is not Rocky Mountain Way. Featuring great playing by the whole band, I especially love the piano, which is played by drummer Joe Vitale. As if his stellar work on piano and drums weren't enough, he throws in some amazing flute work too. Some people don't care for Walsh's voice, but this song is maybe his best vocal ever. It doesn't have his usual nasal affectation, just a smoothly-delivered, laid-back, jazzy groove baby. The bass is pretty cool too, snaking its way through the song in such a way that it makes you sit up and take notice of it. "In the end we'll see how much of the party we've missed already, please tell me." Damn, I love this song!
8. All The Way From Memphis - Mott The Hoople
Christ! That piano just makes me want to kick up my heels! What a freakin' fantastic piano that is! Played by Mott front man Ian Hunter, it's funny that the ivories take center stage in a song about guitarist Mick Ralphs' guitar getting sent to Oriole, Kentucky instead of Memphis where they were to play a show. Once again, you cannot just sit still and listen to this. You must get up and groove and make a complete ass of yourself to get the full enjoyment of this song! Andy Mackay of Roxy Music throws down some smokin' sax as well. My interpretation is that it's about people looking down on selfish rock stars and their excessive lifestyles. "Yeah it's a mighty long way down Rock'n' Roll, through the Bradford cities and the Orioles, 'n' you look like a star but you're really out on parole! All the way from Memphis." Poor little Rock 'n' Roller!
7. Dancing Days - Led Zeppelin
Cock-rock at its finest! Robert Plant is coming for your daughters and you are powerless to stop him! John Bonham just lays it down so hard on the skins, Page is all slide and ferocity, and John Paul Jones does double duty on the bass and the scorching organ throughout. Like a lot of Zep tunes, the lyrics are actually quite bad, but the words never really mattered with them in my books. It's all about that swagger and groove here. This is dancing music folks, no need to argue, just get on up there and swing it! Apparently, it drove the band to dancing on the lawn of the recording studio when they heard the playback of the finished product as they were so overcome with joy at what they had created. "You are my flower, you are my power, you are my woman who knows." Groovy baby!
6. Time - Pink Floyd
From the stoner classic Dark Side Of The Moon the first part of this song is a real eye-opener. I once played it at a party when everyone was starting to lag, and turned it up to ear-splitting levels when the alarm clocks rang. Needless to say, I instantly became Mr. Popularity at that moment. This is a gorgeous song about time passing you by without you realizing it. The older I get, the more relevance this song has for me. I was 12 when this came out and I didn't hear this particular song until I was 13, but the message didn't hit home like it does now. Sung by David Gilmour and Richard Wright, this is just one song from an amazing album, but it is the top one for me. Hell, the guitar solo by Gilmour alone makes it that. This might be my fave guitar solo in any song ever. It is just so majestic and beautiful that I can listen to the solo over and over and it touches me every time. "Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way." Stiff upper lip mate!
5. Hard-Hearted Alice - Alice Cooper
When I play this gem for most people, they have no idea that it is Alice, especially the slow part near the start. From the album Muscle Of Love, his last with his fantastic original band, this song is full of great dynamics. The organ is quite tasty in the slow part, then the drums and bass take over when the song speeds up, then the organ does a nice little solo, followed by Michael Bruce and a rocking guitar solo. Alice's singing on this one is one of his best vocal parts as he loses most of his trademark sneer and plays it pretty straight, sounding very good in the process. I used to play this daily on the cafeteria jukebox in Grade 9 as I couldn't get enough. "Mind gets scrambled like eggs, get bruised and erased when you live in a brainstorm." V.O. will scramble your mind good, right Alice?
4. Lady Grinning Soul - David Bowie
It starts off with an amazing piano part by Mike Garson, sounding like a 19th century music hall piano. It trills all the way through the song, adding flavour and character to this fantastic song. Bowie's vocal is my favourite of his ever, all clear and full of feeling in the gorgeous tenor he had at that time. I always felt that he was so much more than a rock star, even before the movie roles and such. He is a true entertainer who can rock if he wants, but his versatility is virtually unmatched in popular music. The real topper though is the flamenco-like guitar part at about 1:40 by the under-appreciated genius that was Mick Ronson. Bowie has played with a ton of musicians in his long and distinguished career, but it would be pretty hard to top Ronson. He was so much more than just a guitar player. His string arrangements and other talents were top-notch. This beauty of a song is off the great Aladdin Sane record, with its unforgettable and iconic cover art. A tip of the hat to my bestest and oldest buddy, Steve, for being a teenage Bowie fanatic and laying so much great music on me! "Touch the fullness of her breast, feel the love of her caress. She will be your living end." One word.....beautiful!
3. In Every Dream Home A Heartache - Roxy Music
This was a real tough one. I debated long and hard over this or Mother Of Pearl. Martina, you will have to forgive me as I know Mother Of Pearl is your fave by them, and it is certainly one of mine, but I just couldn't omit Dream Home from my list. It's one of those songs that upon first listen, you go, "What the hell was that?" Then, after you've heard it 300,000 times, you go, "What the hell was that?" Just the creepiest song you may have ever heard, that's what! Bryan Ferry starts the song out questioning opulent living and God, then slowly moves into an ode to the underlying weirdness in people's seemingly ordinary lives, in this case his "lover ungrateful", a blow-up doll. Andy Mackay adds to the creepy factor with a snaky sax part and then Ferry hits home." I blew up your body, but you blew my mind." Then, it's all Phil Manzanera with a searing guitar part and Dave Thompson's maniacal drumming. "I bought you mail order, my plain wrapper baby. Your skin is like vinyl, the perfect companion." What the hell was that?
2. Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding - Elton John
This is Elton's masterpiece. The lead track on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, the first album I ever bought, is 11 minutes long, but every second counts. The ARP synthesizer leads us in and then it is augmented by Elton's piano, Nigel Olsson's great drumming, Davey Johnstone's fab guitar and Dee Murray's full and nimble bass. The first part is a beautiful instrumental elegy that draws one in with its sadness. Then, the piano starts rollicking as only Elton can, and off we go! But wait! After some fantastic lead guitar, the piano quietly starts part 2, and then some big power chords kick into the vocals. The Love Lies Bleeding part features Johnstone and his guitar again and Elton's voice, which was quite good back then, before he became a caricature of himself and started re-writing songs for dead princesses. " The roses in the window box have tilted to one side. Everything about this house was born to grow and die." I miss those gatefold double LPs!
1. 5:15 - The Who
About a week after I bought Yellow Brick Road, I made my second album purchase, Quadrophenia, Pete Townshend's self-proclaimed "best thing I ever wrote." Townshend himself sings the lead in "Why should I care" part, then slam! bang! The Who kick it in like only they can and Daltrey is at his cocksure, mic-twirling best. The story of Jimmy, a young Mod with the weight of his world on his shoulders, misunderstood at home, not big with the ladies, and just wanting to belong. This great rockfest of a tune occurs when Jimmy is riding the train to Brighton at the height of his alienation, his brain full of amphetamines. As I get older, it seems to me that Jimmy was a little too self-centred for my liking, but this is still one of my favourite songs and albums. As usual with the Who, Moon is his own crazed self and Entwhistle kicks the shit out of his bass. A true anthem for doomed youth! "Inside outside, leave me alone. Inside outside, nowhere is home. Inside outside, where have I been? Out of my brain on the five fifteen." Those darn kids!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Listomania! - 1972
"I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse."
Don Corleone
1972. The Godfather, A Clockwork Orange, Deliverance. A great year for movies. It was also the year of my first slow dance with a girl (thank you Laurie!) and the year that Watergate hit the news. But, the biggest thing that year was the Canada-U.S.S.R. hockey series in September. It captured my attention like nothing before and I was glued to the TV for every game. It's one of those moments where you can remember exactly where you were when Henderson scored his famous winning goal. I hated the Russians back then, but I feel quite differently now. It was as much a battle of politics as it was hockey, but I knew nothing of politics back then really. I believed what I was told and I was told the Russians were the bad guys. Unbeknownst to me, our school let everyone watch the game in the gymnasium instead of having class. The game was played at 2 in the afternoon our time and I thought if I went to school I'd miss it, so I was allowed to stay home that day and missed the communal experience of celebrating with my friends. Instead, my Mom and I jumped around the room and cheered and yelled. It was truly unforgettable. This list had several great songs cut from it to make 10 and that is regrettable. For instance, I couldn't decide on a song from one of my fave albums, Exile On Main St., so I just left it out. But, here's the list:
Top 10 Of 1972
10. Remake, Remodel - Roxy Music
I was going to pick Ladytron, but only because it would make Steve laugh. The first song on Roxy's first album begins, appropriately, with the sounds of a cocktail party. Then the band crashes in, a cacaphony of sound, all Brian Eno's crazy synth and Andy Mackay's wild sax and Phil Manzanera's wicked guitar. Bryan Ferry's voice sounds so young back then, but it is still unmistakably Ferry. The "CPL - 593H" backing vocal supposedly came from a license plate on a car that Ferry saw being driven by a hot young thing. The coolest part is near the end when each player takes a solo on his instrument echoing famous songs past and present such as The Beatles' Day Tripper, Duane Eddy's Peter Gunn, and Wagner's Ride Of The Valkyries. The album cover featured a model on the cover, which would remain a Roxy Music staple on each subsequent cover. "Next time is the best time, we all know. But if there is no next time, where to go?" How about Amazona?
9. Old Man - Neil Young
This song reminds me of listening to the radio in my room and wailing along with Neil. From his breakthrough record, Harvest, Neil wrote it about the caretaker on his newly purchased California ranch. I love the pedal steel guitar on this and it was the first time I realized that pedal steel wasn't just for Conway Twitty records. It was recorded in Nashville when Neil went there to appear on the Johnny Cash TV show. The other guests that night were James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt, so Neil invited them into the studio, where they sat on a couch and recorded the backing vocals. Taylor also played a fantastic banjo solo on this. "Love lost, such a cost, give me things that don't get lost. Like a coin that won't get tossed, rolling home to you." This was when AM radio ruled my world.
8. Go All The Way - The Raspberries
Those huge guitar chords still get me every time. They just come blasting in and wow! The Raspberries were another Cleveland band, led by singer / guitarist Eric Carmen. Hmm, Eric Carmen you say.... the same dude who had solo hits later with All By Myself and Hungry Eyes? Yes, one and the same. Don't hate him for that though, he needed the money. His falsetto is great on this one as it lifts the gorgeous melody to heights attained by only a select few. This song sports an obvious Beatles fetish too, which, for me, is never a bad thing. I remember the 45 was on Capitol Records and I wore that sucker right out. The album was even cooler though. It had a scratch 'n' sniff raspberry on the cover, which may sound like a great idea, but in every record store I went to back then, the cellophane would be ripped off from people doing the scratch 'n' sniff thing but not buying the record. "Before her love I was cruel and mean. I had a hole in the place where my heart should have been." In rock music, girls either cause or fix all the problems.
7. Baby Blue - Badfinger
Another Power Pop gem! Joey Molland's guitar runs in this, and his short but sweet solo, are the dog's bollocks! The doomed Pete Ham wrote another amazing song and sings it oh so well. It was produced by none other than the genius Todd Rundgren, who produced half the album while George Harrison produced the other half. This became a favourite of mine when I was grounded for breaking our basement window with a puck and I would play this over and over during my week of boredom. Hooks a go-go all over this tune! "Guess I got what I deserve. Kept you waiting there too long, my love." Speaking of Beatle fetishes....
6. Five Years - David Bowie
Ziggy Stardust is not my fave Bowie record. That honour would fall to Hunky Dory. There, I said it. It's a great record, but it always received way too much acclaim I thought. If you had asked me when I was 16, I would have chosen Suffragette City as the top song on this record. Bu,t for several years now, I have liked this one best. This apocalyptic vision of being told the world will end in 5 years is a brilliant piece of music. Steve and I used to go to a bar called Key West in the mid 80s. There were these 2 girls who called themselves Edna & Edna and they played there on Sundays. They played a wicked cover of this and I think that set it in stone that this was my top song from Ziggy. Set to a military-march drumbeat, it has a winsome tone that Bowie really puts across with his ace vocal. The piano part is beautiful too. "And all the fat-skinny people, and all the tall-short people, and all the nobody people, and all the somebody people. I never though I'd need so many people." I didn't name my son Zowie though.....
5. Dialogue Pt. 1 & 2 - Chicago
Another brilliant song penned by the keyboard player Robert Lamm, this was, believe it or not, a single that was played on mainstream radio back then. It was shortened down quite a bit, but nothing like this would ever be allowed to be released as a single by today's record companies. It is a trade-off sung by a pessimist ( guitarist Terry Kath) and an optimist ( bassist and future warbler of horrid make-out crap like If You Leave Me Now Peter Cetera). The amazing guitar played by Kath is something that you should hear, if you haven't heard it already, so imaginative and so original! The pessimist questions pretty much everything, but the optimist's sunny worldview eventually wins him over. They join forces in the second half of the song and sing "We can make it better" and "We can make it happen" and "We can change the world." But the really cool thing is the ending, which makes the listener question whether the optimist was indeed correct in his outlook, as the song ends abruptly half way through the word "happen." Truly a great concept tune! "Will you try to change things, use the power that you have, the power of a million new ideas? What is this power you speak of and this need for things to change? I always thought that everything was fine." The more things change, the more they stay the same.
4. Perfect Day - Lou Reed
From his biggest album, Transformer, this is one of the saddest, most touching ballads ever recorded. David Bowie and his guitarist Mick Ronson co-produced the album, and their fingerprints are all over it. Walk On The Wild Side was a great single, but this song is the heart of the record in my opinion. Ronson arranged the beautiful strings and also played the gorgeous piano part. This song came to modern prominence when it was used in the movie Trainspotting. I love the hurtful sarcasm in the lyrics, which some have said are about Lou's feelings about being a heroin addict. "Just a perfect day, you made me forget myself. I thought I was someone else, someone good." Gets ya right there.
3. Stay With Me - The Faces
Ok, so the party's kind of a drag, and I'm almost asleep. All of a sudden, someone with great taste fires this on the old turntable. I awake with a start and begin trashing the furniture and playing air guitar like a friggin' nutjob! That sums up how I feel about this rave-up, rocking gem of a tune! The Faces are so sloppy and noisy and dirty! The keyboards in this song rank right up near the top in anything I've ever heard. Rod is at his rooster-strutting best here, belting out the misogynistic lyrics in his trademark hoarse-voiced way. Please excuse the awful tone of the lyrics and just listen to this band kick ass and take names! The sound of this record would be what you would play for a Martian if he landed on Earth and wanted to know what rock music was. " Yeah I'll pay your cab fare home, you can even use my best cologne, just don't be here in the morning when I wake up." Attention groupies: This guy won't buy you dinner.
2. The Ballad Of El Goodo - Big Star
I would argue that this is maybe the best melody that a person could ever write. The plucking of the guitar strings alone makes this great! Written and sung by the mad, brilliant, recently-departed Alex Chilton, this sounds nothing like the blue-eyed soul of his previous band The Box tops. These guys are the Godfathers of the Power Pop genre in my books. They influenced, and continue to influence, too many bands to name. Yet, in the 70s, they sold about 10 records, mostly to family and friends, due to bad record deals and no promotion. I never heard of them until about 1986 when I found out about their influence on one of my favourite bands at the time, Let's Active. This is from their awe-inspiring and cheekily-titled debut #1 Record. If you don't already know this album, run to your local shop and grab it. Definitely in my top 20 of all time! "I've been built up and trusted, broke down and busted. They'll get theirs and we'll get ours if you can just hold on." Children by the millions scream for Alex Chilton!
1. Hello It's Me - Todd Rundgren
Right from the first bubbly, perky little bass line, it just grabs you and pulls you in. This is Pop perfection kids! I remember watching an episode of a show that was on ABC on Friday nights in the early 70s called In Concert and Todd walked out on stage with a boom-box, set it down, pushed play and sang this with all the music pre-taped. It blew me away! I'd never seen anybody do that before. He was one of the first studio wizards, a true star! This is from side 4 of his opus Something / Anything, the side on which he uses a band, unlike the other 3 sides of the record where he plays all the instruments himself. Future disco 1 hit wonder Vicki Sue Robinson (Turn The Beat Around) just kills on backing vocals here, along with the stellar band. This was used in the first episode of That 70s Show, where the gang all go to a Todd concert in Milwaukee. I know, what a hokey sentimentalist I am! I'm not sure it's a true love song, but if it is, it's the best one ever written! "Seeing you, or seeing anything as much as I do you. I take for granted that you're always there. I take for granted that you just don't care. Sometimes I can't help seeing all the way through." Oh joy, oh bliss!
Don Corleone
1972. The Godfather, A Clockwork Orange, Deliverance. A great year for movies. It was also the year of my first slow dance with a girl (thank you Laurie!) and the year that Watergate hit the news. But, the biggest thing that year was the Canada-U.S.S.R. hockey series in September. It captured my attention like nothing before and I was glued to the TV for every game. It's one of those moments where you can remember exactly where you were when Henderson scored his famous winning goal. I hated the Russians back then, but I feel quite differently now. It was as much a battle of politics as it was hockey, but I knew nothing of politics back then really. I believed what I was told and I was told the Russians were the bad guys. Unbeknownst to me, our school let everyone watch the game in the gymnasium instead of having class. The game was played at 2 in the afternoon our time and I thought if I went to school I'd miss it, so I was allowed to stay home that day and missed the communal experience of celebrating with my friends. Instead, my Mom and I jumped around the room and cheered and yelled. It was truly unforgettable. This list had several great songs cut from it to make 10 and that is regrettable. For instance, I couldn't decide on a song from one of my fave albums, Exile On Main St., so I just left it out. But, here's the list:
Top 10 Of 1972
10. Remake, Remodel - Roxy Music
I was going to pick Ladytron, but only because it would make Steve laugh. The first song on Roxy's first album begins, appropriately, with the sounds of a cocktail party. Then the band crashes in, a cacaphony of sound, all Brian Eno's crazy synth and Andy Mackay's wild sax and Phil Manzanera's wicked guitar. Bryan Ferry's voice sounds so young back then, but it is still unmistakably Ferry. The "CPL - 593H" backing vocal supposedly came from a license plate on a car that Ferry saw being driven by a hot young thing. The coolest part is near the end when each player takes a solo on his instrument echoing famous songs past and present such as The Beatles' Day Tripper, Duane Eddy's Peter Gunn, and Wagner's Ride Of The Valkyries. The album cover featured a model on the cover, which would remain a Roxy Music staple on each subsequent cover. "Next time is the best time, we all know. But if there is no next time, where to go?" How about Amazona?
9. Old Man - Neil Young
This song reminds me of listening to the radio in my room and wailing along with Neil. From his breakthrough record, Harvest, Neil wrote it about the caretaker on his newly purchased California ranch. I love the pedal steel guitar on this and it was the first time I realized that pedal steel wasn't just for Conway Twitty records. It was recorded in Nashville when Neil went there to appear on the Johnny Cash TV show. The other guests that night were James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt, so Neil invited them into the studio, where they sat on a couch and recorded the backing vocals. Taylor also played a fantastic banjo solo on this. "Love lost, such a cost, give me things that don't get lost. Like a coin that won't get tossed, rolling home to you." This was when AM radio ruled my world.
8. Go All The Way - The Raspberries
Those huge guitar chords still get me every time. They just come blasting in and wow! The Raspberries were another Cleveland band, led by singer / guitarist Eric Carmen. Hmm, Eric Carmen you say.... the same dude who had solo hits later with All By Myself and Hungry Eyes? Yes, one and the same. Don't hate him for that though, he needed the money. His falsetto is great on this one as it lifts the gorgeous melody to heights attained by only a select few. This song sports an obvious Beatles fetish too, which, for me, is never a bad thing. I remember the 45 was on Capitol Records and I wore that sucker right out. The album was even cooler though. It had a scratch 'n' sniff raspberry on the cover, which may sound like a great idea, but in every record store I went to back then, the cellophane would be ripped off from people doing the scratch 'n' sniff thing but not buying the record. "Before her love I was cruel and mean. I had a hole in the place where my heart should have been." In rock music, girls either cause or fix all the problems.
7. Baby Blue - Badfinger
Another Power Pop gem! Joey Molland's guitar runs in this, and his short but sweet solo, are the dog's bollocks! The doomed Pete Ham wrote another amazing song and sings it oh so well. It was produced by none other than the genius Todd Rundgren, who produced half the album while George Harrison produced the other half. This became a favourite of mine when I was grounded for breaking our basement window with a puck and I would play this over and over during my week of boredom. Hooks a go-go all over this tune! "Guess I got what I deserve. Kept you waiting there too long, my love." Speaking of Beatle fetishes....
6. Five Years - David Bowie
Ziggy Stardust is not my fave Bowie record. That honour would fall to Hunky Dory. There, I said it. It's a great record, but it always received way too much acclaim I thought. If you had asked me when I was 16, I would have chosen Suffragette City as the top song on this record. Bu,t for several years now, I have liked this one best. This apocalyptic vision of being told the world will end in 5 years is a brilliant piece of music. Steve and I used to go to a bar called Key West in the mid 80s. There were these 2 girls who called themselves Edna & Edna and they played there on Sundays. They played a wicked cover of this and I think that set it in stone that this was my top song from Ziggy. Set to a military-march drumbeat, it has a winsome tone that Bowie really puts across with his ace vocal. The piano part is beautiful too. "And all the fat-skinny people, and all the tall-short people, and all the nobody people, and all the somebody people. I never though I'd need so many people." I didn't name my son Zowie though.....
5. Dialogue Pt. 1 & 2 - Chicago
Another brilliant song penned by the keyboard player Robert Lamm, this was, believe it or not, a single that was played on mainstream radio back then. It was shortened down quite a bit, but nothing like this would ever be allowed to be released as a single by today's record companies. It is a trade-off sung by a pessimist ( guitarist Terry Kath) and an optimist ( bassist and future warbler of horrid make-out crap like If You Leave Me Now Peter Cetera). The amazing guitar played by Kath is something that you should hear, if you haven't heard it already, so imaginative and so original! The pessimist questions pretty much everything, but the optimist's sunny worldview eventually wins him over. They join forces in the second half of the song and sing "We can make it better" and "We can make it happen" and "We can change the world." But the really cool thing is the ending, which makes the listener question whether the optimist was indeed correct in his outlook, as the song ends abruptly half way through the word "happen." Truly a great concept tune! "Will you try to change things, use the power that you have, the power of a million new ideas? What is this power you speak of and this need for things to change? I always thought that everything was fine." The more things change, the more they stay the same.
4. Perfect Day - Lou Reed
From his biggest album, Transformer, this is one of the saddest, most touching ballads ever recorded. David Bowie and his guitarist Mick Ronson co-produced the album, and their fingerprints are all over it. Walk On The Wild Side was a great single, but this song is the heart of the record in my opinion. Ronson arranged the beautiful strings and also played the gorgeous piano part. This song came to modern prominence when it was used in the movie Trainspotting. I love the hurtful sarcasm in the lyrics, which some have said are about Lou's feelings about being a heroin addict. "Just a perfect day, you made me forget myself. I thought I was someone else, someone good." Gets ya right there.
3. Stay With Me - The Faces
Ok, so the party's kind of a drag, and I'm almost asleep. All of a sudden, someone with great taste fires this on the old turntable. I awake with a start and begin trashing the furniture and playing air guitar like a friggin' nutjob! That sums up how I feel about this rave-up, rocking gem of a tune! The Faces are so sloppy and noisy and dirty! The keyboards in this song rank right up near the top in anything I've ever heard. Rod is at his rooster-strutting best here, belting out the misogynistic lyrics in his trademark hoarse-voiced way. Please excuse the awful tone of the lyrics and just listen to this band kick ass and take names! The sound of this record would be what you would play for a Martian if he landed on Earth and wanted to know what rock music was. " Yeah I'll pay your cab fare home, you can even use my best cologne, just don't be here in the morning when I wake up." Attention groupies: This guy won't buy you dinner.
2. The Ballad Of El Goodo - Big Star
I would argue that this is maybe the best melody that a person could ever write. The plucking of the guitar strings alone makes this great! Written and sung by the mad, brilliant, recently-departed Alex Chilton, this sounds nothing like the blue-eyed soul of his previous band The Box tops. These guys are the Godfathers of the Power Pop genre in my books. They influenced, and continue to influence, too many bands to name. Yet, in the 70s, they sold about 10 records, mostly to family and friends, due to bad record deals and no promotion. I never heard of them until about 1986 when I found out about their influence on one of my favourite bands at the time, Let's Active. This is from their awe-inspiring and cheekily-titled debut #1 Record. If you don't already know this album, run to your local shop and grab it. Definitely in my top 20 of all time! "I've been built up and trusted, broke down and busted. They'll get theirs and we'll get ours if you can just hold on." Children by the millions scream for Alex Chilton!
1. Hello It's Me - Todd Rundgren
Right from the first bubbly, perky little bass line, it just grabs you and pulls you in. This is Pop perfection kids! I remember watching an episode of a show that was on ABC on Friday nights in the early 70s called In Concert and Todd walked out on stage with a boom-box, set it down, pushed play and sang this with all the music pre-taped. It blew me away! I'd never seen anybody do that before. He was one of the first studio wizards, a true star! This is from side 4 of his opus Something / Anything, the side on which he uses a band, unlike the other 3 sides of the record where he plays all the instruments himself. Future disco 1 hit wonder Vicki Sue Robinson (Turn The Beat Around) just kills on backing vocals here, along with the stellar band. This was used in the first episode of That 70s Show, where the gang all go to a Todd concert in Milwaukee. I know, what a hokey sentimentalist I am! I'm not sure it's a true love song, but if it is, it's the best one ever written! "Seeing you, or seeing anything as much as I do you. I take for granted that you're always there. I take for granted that you just don't care. Sometimes I can't help seeing all the way through." Oh joy, oh bliss!
Monday, July 19, 2010
Listomania! - 1971
“You know, a long time ago being crazy meant something. Nowadays everybody's crazy.”
Charles Manson
Good old brainwashing, murdering, three-bricks-short-of-a-load Chuckie - now there was a scary dude. He was all over the TV in 1971 as his trial was covered in a way that we had never seen before. I was 10 and glued to Walter Cronkite every evening at 6:30 to get the latest on the goings on that day. But, the biggest event that year was the birth of my baby sister, Shannon, on July 26th. I loved having a new baby sister and quickly took her under my wing. I'd rock her to sleep a lot, and play her the latest tunes. I gave her the nickname Mack because my friend Cliff Cornell came over to see the new baby and proclaimed, "She looks like she's been kissing Mack trucks on the 401." That seemed really funny at the time, so Mack it was. I remember when my parents brought her home. My sister Jondah (nickname Imp-A-Chimp, Imp for short) and I were so excited! Well, all these years later, she is still my baby sister, and has grown up to be wonderful, opinionated (where did that come from?) and one of my best and most trusted friends. Shannon, you heard the great majority of these songs back then, and, much like you, some things really do age well.
Top 10 Of 1971
10. What's Going On? - Marvin Gaye
This was the first record that Marvin made without the Motown production team at the helm. He feuded with label boss Berry Gordy over this song and the album by the same name. Gordy thought it too jazzy and political to sell to the masses, but the public was certainly in the mood for this message and bought it in droves. Self-produced and backed by the fab Funk Brothers, this rebuke of the Vietnam War, ghetto life, the drug epidemic, and poverty gave me chills the first time I heard it. I've heard lots of white boys, myself included, try to do the "right on" backing vocals and sounding ridiculous, but it sounds like Gaye and his pals, among them Lem Barney and Mel Farr of the Detroit Lions, are really laying it down and having a blast doing so. Legend has it that the great Motown bassist James Jamerson was pulled quite inebriated from a bar by Marvin and taken to the studio to record the bass part. Being quite plastered, Jamerson kept falling off his stool in the studio, so he finally just lied down on the floor and played his part - probably with his hands tied behind his back! "Picket lines and picket signs, don't punish me with brutality. Talk to me, so you can see, what's going on?" Right on brother!
9. Misty Mountain Hop - Led Zeppelin
Apparently, Robert Plant was a big Tolkien guy, so his lyrics in some songs, like this and Ramble On, were filled with references to The Hobbit and all that hokum. Personally, in songs like this, he could have been singing about that morning's bowel movement for all I care. Not that the vocals aren't fantastic, for they surely are, but this is Bonzo's tune. His roll at the 3:56 mark is about as good as drumming ever gets folks. The sound of his sledge hammer foot pedal has never been replicated. Jimmy Page is his usual ace guitar -hero self and John Paul Jones' bass blasts out that familiar riff, but it is JPJ's stellar work on the electric piano that is the real glue in this song. This still makes me stomp around the house like a caveman, so be careful not to play it in my company unless you like the sight of a fat, middle-aged dude stomping around your living room. "If you go down in the streets today, baby, you better, you better open your eyes." Crash, boom, bang!
8. I've Seen All Good People: Your Move / All Good People - Yes
Believe it or not, a severely edited version of this song was an AM radio hit! Yes, that is true. I remember my Dad turning it off anytime it came on the car radio, with his usual line about it being a "bunch of noise." It sure was different! Steve Howe sublimely playing a 12-string acoustic through the Your Move section, the amazing vocal harmonies of Jon Anderson, the church organ turn by Tony Kaye, the brilliant bass playing of Chris Squire: this song has it all. I love the allusion to Lennon's Give Peace A Chance and Instant Karma in the lyrics too. The chess references are quite clever as well. " Make the white queen run so fast, she hasn't got time to make you a wife." I wonder if Bobby Fischer listened to this song?
7. Walk Away - The James Gang
Ah, that funky, dirty guitar! I have a confession to make: I really like Joe Walsh. I know, maybe a guilty pleasure, but I would argue that his guitar playing and song writing are first rate. Look. diss me if you will, but he wrote some great tunes and this is one of them. The James Gang were from Cleveland, Ohio, another in a long line of great acts to hail from there. This was the first song by Mr. Walsh that I ever heard and I was hooked by it on the first listen. These guys were a power trio, so the bass and drums do the work that is required of them in that setup. This was Walsh's last album with the Gang. He moved on to a very successful solo career, then decided he needed to make some big money and joined The Eagles. I love that air-raid Luftwaffe guitar part at the end too! " Seems to me, you just turn your pretty head and walk away." # 4,785 in a long line of "girl why you treat me so bad" songs.
6. If You Really Love Me - Stevie Wonder
This was written by Stevie and his then-wife, Syreeta Wright. They wrote a few great tunes together like this and Signed, Sealed, Delivered and their songwriting partnership was much more successful than their life one. She gives a great performance on the backing vocals on this one too. I love the way it moves from poppy groove to piano bar and back. This is a song that will make you sing and shake it every time. This was also the last song that Stevie would use the Motown backing band on, as he would move to New York and get together a band of his own on subsequent records, but they are smokin' hot on this tune, especially the horns. " And if you really love me won't you tell me, then I won't have to be playing around." Succinct and to the point!
5. I'd Love To Change The World - Ten Years After
I loved this song as a kid in '71, but I think of my friend Scott Coupland when I hear this now. Couper and I worked together at the Loeb grocery warehouse in London from 1990 to 1997 and he was a fantastic guitar player. One night, we took our lunch break in the truck driver's lunch room as it was empty. We may have partaken in some herbal sacrament first, he said knowingly. He brought his guitar and another buddy, Niall Corey, brought his bongos. We played this with me singing (cue the insults!) and got so into it that we didn't notice a very surprised and appreciative group of our co-workers standing outside the door listening. Ahh, such a great memory! This was the only hit single for Alvin Lee's band. He was so anti-single that he refused to play it live, other than a few rare instances. Hey Alvin, I know you're a guitar wizard and all, but if I came to see you and you didn't play this, I would be very disappointed. The acoustic playing on this song might well be my favourite of them all. "Tax the rich, feed the poor, till there are no rich no more." Stick it to the man, man!
4. Life On Mars - David Bowie
Rick Wakeman, later of Yes, plays the gorgeous piano on this. Absolutely stunning! Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson arranged the swirling, beautiful strings. Brilliant! Some say that this is Bowie's Frank Sinatra tune, but I always though it was much more a Liza Minnelli-cabaret kind of thing. I mean, Barbra Streisand covered it ferchissakes! This is the young Bowie voice, kind of quavering and British, before he got all suave and debonair in the '80s. It also continued a musical fascination with the subject of outer space that would culminate on the Ziggy Stardust record. What a great song this is, from the superb Hunky Dory album. I am a huge Bowie fan, so this will likely be the first of several appearances by him on these lists. "But the film is a saddening bore, 'cause she's lived it ten times or more." Was she watching 2001?
3. Flying - The Faces
I love this band. They were sloppy, bluesy, and oh-so-ballsy. They could rock or they could play a country-tinged ballad. This is a young, vital Rod Stewart on vocals, before he started to believe his own press clippings and went all Hollywood and became a boring old shadow of his former self. It is definitely one of my all time fave vocal performances. But, wait! There's more! Ronnie Wood soloing his ass off, Ian McLagan on keys, the outstanding Ronnie Lane on bass, and Kenny "I never should have sat in for Keith Moon and lost my reputation, even though it wasn't as bad as the critics said it was" Jones on drums. Out of the ashes of the Small Faces, these guys drank and brawled and screwed their way around the world. God. I do love this song! "Can ya’ blame me for feeling homesick, ’cause I’ve been away such a very long long time. I served a while in the county jail, five years for being hungry tired and poor." Rod had the blues kids!
2. Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who
I love the echoing organ that leads this one in. Then, Townshend comes roaring in with his trademark flying power chord, and away we go! Of course, this has Mr. Moon and his spastic drumming, and maybe the most famous scream in music history, but the star of this show for me is John Entwhistle and his unbelievable bass guitar. I have the DVD of the Kids Are Alright movie and one of the special features on it allows you to isolate just the bass part from a live performance of this song. Anybody who has seen this is left with their mouth agape( although this is a family trait that happens quite often, mouth-breathing neanderthals that we are) and sitting stunned afterward. If you don't believe me, I'm sure it's on Youtube somewhere. " Meet the new boss, same as the old boss." Did you work in a factory too Pete?
1. Brown Sugar - The Rolling Stones
I feel that I'm misleading you, fair readers, into thinking I must be some kind of Stones fanatic. Nothing could be more untrue. It's just that when they get it right, they get it sooooo right! Thus, I have another confession to make: This is the song that caused me to sell my soul to the devil and worship at the rock music altar for the rest of my days. I can't really explain why, but once I heard this song, all of 10 years old, my life changed irreversibly. There would just be no going back. From the opening guitar chords on, they just hit that perfect dirty, boogie groove. Jagger is all testosterone swagger here and Charlie Watts, a quite overrated drummer in my opinion, puts in his finest performance. I love the way he pounds the floor tom in the verses and his crispy hi-hat playing in the chorus of the song. Bobby Keys' sax just threatens and hums along and then he's off on the solo- magnifique! I bought the 45 and thought the new lips and tongue logo was so cool! This was the first release to have that distinctive label on the record. Shannon, this was very overplayed when you were just wee, but I think you forgive me. "I bet your mama was a tent show queen, and all her boyfriends were sweet sixteen. I ain't no schoolboy but I know what I like. You should have heard me just around midnight." Mick, you were a very naughty boy!
Charles Manson
Good old brainwashing, murdering, three-bricks-short-of-a-load Chuckie - now there was a scary dude. He was all over the TV in 1971 as his trial was covered in a way that we had never seen before. I was 10 and glued to Walter Cronkite every evening at 6:30 to get the latest on the goings on that day. But, the biggest event that year was the birth of my baby sister, Shannon, on July 26th. I loved having a new baby sister and quickly took her under my wing. I'd rock her to sleep a lot, and play her the latest tunes. I gave her the nickname Mack because my friend Cliff Cornell came over to see the new baby and proclaimed, "She looks like she's been kissing Mack trucks on the 401." That seemed really funny at the time, so Mack it was. I remember when my parents brought her home. My sister Jondah (nickname Imp-A-Chimp, Imp for short) and I were so excited! Well, all these years later, she is still my baby sister, and has grown up to be wonderful, opinionated (where did that come from?) and one of my best and most trusted friends. Shannon, you heard the great majority of these songs back then, and, much like you, some things really do age well.
Top 10 Of 1971
10. What's Going On? - Marvin Gaye
This was the first record that Marvin made without the Motown production team at the helm. He feuded with label boss Berry Gordy over this song and the album by the same name. Gordy thought it too jazzy and political to sell to the masses, but the public was certainly in the mood for this message and bought it in droves. Self-produced and backed by the fab Funk Brothers, this rebuke of the Vietnam War, ghetto life, the drug epidemic, and poverty gave me chills the first time I heard it. I've heard lots of white boys, myself included, try to do the "right on" backing vocals and sounding ridiculous, but it sounds like Gaye and his pals, among them Lem Barney and Mel Farr of the Detroit Lions, are really laying it down and having a blast doing so. Legend has it that the great Motown bassist James Jamerson was pulled quite inebriated from a bar by Marvin and taken to the studio to record the bass part. Being quite plastered, Jamerson kept falling off his stool in the studio, so he finally just lied down on the floor and played his part - probably with his hands tied behind his back! "Picket lines and picket signs, don't punish me with brutality. Talk to me, so you can see, what's going on?" Right on brother!
9. Misty Mountain Hop - Led Zeppelin
Apparently, Robert Plant was a big Tolkien guy, so his lyrics in some songs, like this and Ramble On, were filled with references to The Hobbit and all that hokum. Personally, in songs like this, he could have been singing about that morning's bowel movement for all I care. Not that the vocals aren't fantastic, for they surely are, but this is Bonzo's tune. His roll at the 3:56 mark is about as good as drumming ever gets folks. The sound of his sledge hammer foot pedal has never been replicated. Jimmy Page is his usual ace guitar -hero self and John Paul Jones' bass blasts out that familiar riff, but it is JPJ's stellar work on the electric piano that is the real glue in this song. This still makes me stomp around the house like a caveman, so be careful not to play it in my company unless you like the sight of a fat, middle-aged dude stomping around your living room. "If you go down in the streets today, baby, you better, you better open your eyes." Crash, boom, bang!
8. I've Seen All Good People: Your Move / All Good People - Yes
Believe it or not, a severely edited version of this song was an AM radio hit! Yes, that is true. I remember my Dad turning it off anytime it came on the car radio, with his usual line about it being a "bunch of noise." It sure was different! Steve Howe sublimely playing a 12-string acoustic through the Your Move section, the amazing vocal harmonies of Jon Anderson, the church organ turn by Tony Kaye, the brilliant bass playing of Chris Squire: this song has it all. I love the allusion to Lennon's Give Peace A Chance and Instant Karma in the lyrics too. The chess references are quite clever as well. " Make the white queen run so fast, she hasn't got time to make you a wife." I wonder if Bobby Fischer listened to this song?
7. Walk Away - The James Gang
Ah, that funky, dirty guitar! I have a confession to make: I really like Joe Walsh. I know, maybe a guilty pleasure, but I would argue that his guitar playing and song writing are first rate. Look. diss me if you will, but he wrote some great tunes and this is one of them. The James Gang were from Cleveland, Ohio, another in a long line of great acts to hail from there. This was the first song by Mr. Walsh that I ever heard and I was hooked by it on the first listen. These guys were a power trio, so the bass and drums do the work that is required of them in that setup. This was Walsh's last album with the Gang. He moved on to a very successful solo career, then decided he needed to make some big money and joined The Eagles. I love that air-raid Luftwaffe guitar part at the end too! " Seems to me, you just turn your pretty head and walk away." # 4,785 in a long line of "girl why you treat me so bad" songs.
6. If You Really Love Me - Stevie Wonder
This was written by Stevie and his then-wife, Syreeta Wright. They wrote a few great tunes together like this and Signed, Sealed, Delivered and their songwriting partnership was much more successful than their life one. She gives a great performance on the backing vocals on this one too. I love the way it moves from poppy groove to piano bar and back. This is a song that will make you sing and shake it every time. This was also the last song that Stevie would use the Motown backing band on, as he would move to New York and get together a band of his own on subsequent records, but they are smokin' hot on this tune, especially the horns. " And if you really love me won't you tell me, then I won't have to be playing around." Succinct and to the point!
5. I'd Love To Change The World - Ten Years After
I loved this song as a kid in '71, but I think of my friend Scott Coupland when I hear this now. Couper and I worked together at the Loeb grocery warehouse in London from 1990 to 1997 and he was a fantastic guitar player. One night, we took our lunch break in the truck driver's lunch room as it was empty. We may have partaken in some herbal sacrament first, he said knowingly. He brought his guitar and another buddy, Niall Corey, brought his bongos. We played this with me singing (cue the insults!) and got so into it that we didn't notice a very surprised and appreciative group of our co-workers standing outside the door listening. Ahh, such a great memory! This was the only hit single for Alvin Lee's band. He was so anti-single that he refused to play it live, other than a few rare instances. Hey Alvin, I know you're a guitar wizard and all, but if I came to see you and you didn't play this, I would be very disappointed. The acoustic playing on this song might well be my favourite of them all. "Tax the rich, feed the poor, till there are no rich no more." Stick it to the man, man!
4. Life On Mars - David Bowie
Rick Wakeman, later of Yes, plays the gorgeous piano on this. Absolutely stunning! Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson arranged the swirling, beautiful strings. Brilliant! Some say that this is Bowie's Frank Sinatra tune, but I always though it was much more a Liza Minnelli-cabaret kind of thing. I mean, Barbra Streisand covered it ferchissakes! This is the young Bowie voice, kind of quavering and British, before he got all suave and debonair in the '80s. It also continued a musical fascination with the subject of outer space that would culminate on the Ziggy Stardust record. What a great song this is, from the superb Hunky Dory album. I am a huge Bowie fan, so this will likely be the first of several appearances by him on these lists. "But the film is a saddening bore, 'cause she's lived it ten times or more." Was she watching 2001?
3. Flying - The Faces
I love this band. They were sloppy, bluesy, and oh-so-ballsy. They could rock or they could play a country-tinged ballad. This is a young, vital Rod Stewart on vocals, before he started to believe his own press clippings and went all Hollywood and became a boring old shadow of his former self. It is definitely one of my all time fave vocal performances. But, wait! There's more! Ronnie Wood soloing his ass off, Ian McLagan on keys, the outstanding Ronnie Lane on bass, and Kenny "I never should have sat in for Keith Moon and lost my reputation, even though it wasn't as bad as the critics said it was" Jones on drums. Out of the ashes of the Small Faces, these guys drank and brawled and screwed their way around the world. God. I do love this song! "Can ya’ blame me for feeling homesick, ’cause I’ve been away such a very long long time. I served a while in the county jail, five years for being hungry tired and poor." Rod had the blues kids!
2. Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who
I love the echoing organ that leads this one in. Then, Townshend comes roaring in with his trademark flying power chord, and away we go! Of course, this has Mr. Moon and his spastic drumming, and maybe the most famous scream in music history, but the star of this show for me is John Entwhistle and his unbelievable bass guitar. I have the DVD of the Kids Are Alright movie and one of the special features on it allows you to isolate just the bass part from a live performance of this song. Anybody who has seen this is left with their mouth agape( although this is a family trait that happens quite often, mouth-breathing neanderthals that we are) and sitting stunned afterward. If you don't believe me, I'm sure it's on Youtube somewhere. " Meet the new boss, same as the old boss." Did you work in a factory too Pete?
1. Brown Sugar - The Rolling Stones
I feel that I'm misleading you, fair readers, into thinking I must be some kind of Stones fanatic. Nothing could be more untrue. It's just that when they get it right, they get it sooooo right! Thus, I have another confession to make: This is the song that caused me to sell my soul to the devil and worship at the rock music altar for the rest of my days. I can't really explain why, but once I heard this song, all of 10 years old, my life changed irreversibly. There would just be no going back. From the opening guitar chords on, they just hit that perfect dirty, boogie groove. Jagger is all testosterone swagger here and Charlie Watts, a quite overrated drummer in my opinion, puts in his finest performance. I love the way he pounds the floor tom in the verses and his crispy hi-hat playing in the chorus of the song. Bobby Keys' sax just threatens and hums along and then he's off on the solo- magnifique! I bought the 45 and thought the new lips and tongue logo was so cool! This was the first release to have that distinctive label on the record. Shannon, this was very overplayed when you were just wee, but I think you forgive me. "I bet your mama was a tent show queen, and all her boyfriends were sweet sixteen. I ain't no schoolboy but I know what I like. You should have heard me just around midnight." Mick, you were a very naughty boy!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Dig The New Breed!
"What kind of fool do you think I am, To think I know nothing of the modern world?"
The Modern World by The Jam
Paul Weller wrote the above words in response to critics who were accusing him of being nothing more than a revivalist keen on recycling old Who riffs and old Mod ideas. But he and his band, The Jam, were so much more. The core members, Weller (guitar, vocals), Bruce Foxton (bass, vocals), and Rick Buckler (drums) first formed in high school in about 1972. They worked their way from school dances to small clubs in the early years until being signed by Polydor Records in 1977. While they shared the loud, fast sound, short hair and anti-establishment attitude of the punk bands like the Sex Pistols and the Clash, they did not really belong to the same camp. The Jam wore tailored suits and played their instruments quite proficiently, while many punk bands were just learning to play and wore the uniform of the day with their ripped clothing and sneakers. I happened to like both approaches, but the Mod look always held a special place in my eyes. They were always something of a 'cult' band here in North America, but they were the biggest band in the U.K. between 1980 and 1982. I attribute this to their 'Englishness' in that Weller sang with his accent not smoothed at the edges like the 60s British acts had, and he sang about life in the U.K. using hometown slang and names of places that were not known on this side of the ocean.
Their sound really did evolve in their short time as a recording act, from the fast and loud bratty sneer of In The City and This Is The Modern World, to the Mod masterpieces of All Mod Cons, Setting Sons and Sound Affects, and then finally the more Northern Soul feel of their last album, The Gift. The songwriting, mostly by Weller, especially after the Modern World album, just got better and stronger. Weller played his Rickenbacher with the zeal of an exorcist and sang as though he needed to purge those thoughts from his soul. Foxton was a great bass player and handled all the riffing and fills that a bassist must do in a trio. He sang lead on only a couple of songs, but it was his backing vocals that solidified the band's sound. For me, Foxton was always a bit of a geek live though. Weller was all fire and righteous anger and Foxton would be bopping around making smiley faces like the dorky guy at the sock hop. But, for his great bass playing, I forgive him. Rick Buckler was a steadfast drummer, never fancy, but always laying it down and never twirling his sticks and doing a Neil Peart look-how-great-I-am kind of shtick.
Weller broke up The Jam and formed a new band The Style Council (see previous post) at the height of their popularity in 1982 because he claimed he didn't want to be stuck in a rut playing the same old songs for years like the Stones, or even his heroes The Who. The split did not sit well with the other 2 band members and it is only in the last 3 years or so that he and Foxton have begun to mend fences after not speaking for 25 years or so. Weller has so far resisted any calls for a Jam reunion, telling BBC Radio in 2006 that "Me and my children would have to be destitute and starving in the gutter before I'd even consider that, and I don't think that'll happen anyway ... [the Jam's music] still means something to people and a lot of that's because we stopped at the right time, it didn't go on and become embarrassing."
The Best Of The Jam (in chronological order)
1. In The City
2. The Modern World
3. News Of The World
4. 'A' Bomb In Wardour Street
5. Down In The Tube Station At Midnight
6. To Be Someone (Didn't We Have A Nice Time)
7. In The Crowd
8. When You're Young
9. The Eton Rifles
10. Little Boy Soldiers
11. Wasteland
12. Going Underground
13. Start!
14. That's Entertainment
15. Absolute Beginners
16. Town Called Malice
17. Ghosts
18. Just Who Is The 5 o'clock Hero?
19. Carnation
20. Running On The Spot
21. The Bitterest Pill
22. Pity Poor Alfie / Fever
23. Beat Surrender
24. Move On Up (Curtis Mayfield cover)
The Modern World by The Jam
Paul Weller wrote the above words in response to critics who were accusing him of being nothing more than a revivalist keen on recycling old Who riffs and old Mod ideas. But he and his band, The Jam, were so much more. The core members, Weller (guitar, vocals), Bruce Foxton (bass, vocals), and Rick Buckler (drums) first formed in high school in about 1972. They worked their way from school dances to small clubs in the early years until being signed by Polydor Records in 1977. While they shared the loud, fast sound, short hair and anti-establishment attitude of the punk bands like the Sex Pistols and the Clash, they did not really belong to the same camp. The Jam wore tailored suits and played their instruments quite proficiently, while many punk bands were just learning to play and wore the uniform of the day with their ripped clothing and sneakers. I happened to like both approaches, but the Mod look always held a special place in my eyes. They were always something of a 'cult' band here in North America, but they were the biggest band in the U.K. between 1980 and 1982. I attribute this to their 'Englishness' in that Weller sang with his accent not smoothed at the edges like the 60s British acts had, and he sang about life in the U.K. using hometown slang and names of places that were not known on this side of the ocean.
Their sound really did evolve in their short time as a recording act, from the fast and loud bratty sneer of In The City and This Is The Modern World, to the Mod masterpieces of All Mod Cons, Setting Sons and Sound Affects, and then finally the more Northern Soul feel of their last album, The Gift. The songwriting, mostly by Weller, especially after the Modern World album, just got better and stronger. Weller played his Rickenbacher with the zeal of an exorcist and sang as though he needed to purge those thoughts from his soul. Foxton was a great bass player and handled all the riffing and fills that a bassist must do in a trio. He sang lead on only a couple of songs, but it was his backing vocals that solidified the band's sound. For me, Foxton was always a bit of a geek live though. Weller was all fire and righteous anger and Foxton would be bopping around making smiley faces like the dorky guy at the sock hop. But, for his great bass playing, I forgive him. Rick Buckler was a steadfast drummer, never fancy, but always laying it down and never twirling his sticks and doing a Neil Peart look-how-great-I-am kind of shtick.
Weller broke up The Jam and formed a new band The Style Council (see previous post) at the height of their popularity in 1982 because he claimed he didn't want to be stuck in a rut playing the same old songs for years like the Stones, or even his heroes The Who. The split did not sit well with the other 2 band members and it is only in the last 3 years or so that he and Foxton have begun to mend fences after not speaking for 25 years or so. Weller has so far resisted any calls for a Jam reunion, telling BBC Radio in 2006 that "Me and my children would have to be destitute and starving in the gutter before I'd even consider that, and I don't think that'll happen anyway ... [the Jam's music] still means something to people and a lot of that's because we stopped at the right time, it didn't go on and become embarrassing."
The Best Of The Jam (in chronological order)
1. In The City
2. The Modern World
3. News Of The World
4. 'A' Bomb In Wardour Street
5. Down In The Tube Station At Midnight
6. To Be Someone (Didn't We Have A Nice Time)
7. In The Crowd
8. When You're Young
9. The Eton Rifles
10. Little Boy Soldiers
11. Wasteland
12. Going Underground
13. Start!
14. That's Entertainment
15. Absolute Beginners
16. Town Called Malice
17. Ghosts
18. Just Who Is The 5 o'clock Hero?
19. Carnation
20. Running On The Spot
21. The Bitterest Pill
22. Pity Poor Alfie / Fever
23. Beat Surrender
24. Move On Up (Curtis Mayfield cover)
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Listomania! - 1970
When I think of 1970, 2 memories come to mind. The first was being in Mrs. Slater's Grade 5 class at Huron Heights P.S. She was a white-haired old Granny who was a great teacher. I remember we had to do projects on what we thought the 1970s would be like. Despite being old school, she used to let us bring in our new records on the last Friday of every month and we'd get to play them for the last hour or so of the day. I remember taking The Long And Winding Road in and playing it on a really humid day near the end of the school year. The other incident was much more important and eye-opening for me. It was the kidnappings and general mayhem caused by the FLQ in Quebec. My Nan didn't visit her Mom and sister that year in Montreal because of all the violence and fear that gripped the country. I was glued to the TV and papers every day and couldn't believe this was happening in Canada. It was my first introduction to the friction between French and English in this country and it was quite scary for this 9 year old. Another fab year in music though, so here's the list:
Top 10 of 1970
10. Teacher - Jethro Tull
What a hook-fest this song is! The classic guitar riff, the rocking bass and Ian Anderson's smooth as silk vocals are all outstanding, but it is his flute that makes it special. I had never heard the flute used like that in a rock record and I still think it's a brilliant track. Apparently, Anderson thought it a throwaway track and intended it to be just a b-side, but here in North America it became a real fan favourite. I was never a big Tull fan. I mean, the guy wore Peter Pan getaway boots, but this song is one of the few exceptions. Martina really digs this one too! " Jump up, look around, find yourself some fun. No sense in sitting there hating everyone." Another deck music classic!
9. After The Gold Rush - Neil Young
To some, his voice is like fingernails on a blackboard, but to me, this is one of the purest and most childlike vocals ever put to acetate. Just Neil on piano and some dude that plays a mean French horn solo. That's right, a French horn solo! From the album of the same name and probably my favourite album of his, I'm not sure what all the lyrics mean, but I sure do love them. I used to put my transistor radio under my pillow and listen to CHLO from St. Thomas late at night (10 o'clock or so) when I was supposed to be sleeping and this was often played at that late hour. "There was a band playing in my head and I felt like getting high." I have taken that line to heart many times over the years!
8. Layla - Derek & The Dominos
I know, it's overplayed by the classic rock stations, but it is a true gem in my books. No, I don't mean the sleepy MTV Unplugged version. I'm talking about the original glorious 7 minute rock-out from Clapton and Duane Allman. Duane's slide guitar just cries all the way through this paean to Patti Boyd (see 1969 post about Cream's Badge). Originally released in 1970, it failed on the charts, but it was re-released in 1971 after Duane Allman's death in a motorcycle accident and made it to #10 in the U.S. charts. To me, it is one of the most beautiful songs ever written and what solidifies that feeling is the amazing piano coda that takes up the last 4 minutes of the song. It was written and played by the Dominos drummer Jim Gordon and makes me stop and listen every time. " What'll you do when you get lonely? And nobody's waiting by your side." I don't think anyone who's ever seen a photo of Ms. Boyd would think she would ever be alone for long.
7. Make Me Smile - Chicago
The blast of the horns and then those fantastic drums just take off! Some of the best drumming I have ever heard on a pop song! Danny Seraphine, take several bows for this one! This is from their 2nd album and is part of a suite called "Ballet For A Girl From Buchannon" and it is sung by the great guitarist of the band, Terry Kath. This song is so joyous and infectious and happy, which belies the awful truth that came in 1976, when a severely depressed Mr. Kath put a gun to his head and blew his brains out. This caused one of my Dad's classic comments: " I didn't think that Chicago were a bunch of dopeheads." Damn, my old man was so cool! Haha. "Now I need you, more than ever, no more crying, we're together. Tell me you will stay, make me smile." Great stuff!
6. Peace Frog / Blue Sunday - The Doors
Those of you who read this blog already know how I feel about the deification of Jim Morrison. In my books, this is the one time where he comes close to deserving it. A great funky guitar part by Robbie Krieger drives the tune along and Morrison's baritone really suits the mood well. It was written after the 1968 Democratic Party convention in Chicago which was bloody and riotous and also mentioned in the lyric is New Haven where he was arrested for basically hanging his dick out and daring the cops to bust him. The song morphs into the dreamy ballad Blue Sunday and some say that it ruins the feel of Peace Frog, but I think it is a great segue. Blue Sunday is languid and relaxed after the speed rush of Peace Frog and it works perfectly for me. There is some bad high school poetry in here, but for the most part the lyrics are among Jim's best." Blood in my love in the terrible summer, bloody red sun of fantastic LA." Paint the town red!
5. No Matter What - Badfinger
This is one of the early Power Pop anthems. This was the band's first UK top 10 single and began a long string of hits. They were discovered by Paul McCartney and he signed them to Apple records right away. It's all jangly guitars and gorgeous melody sung by another unfortunate soul, Pete Ham. He ended up literally at the end of his rope in 1975 after being cheated out of his money by a crooked manager and left penniless and hopeless. I listen to this song lots still as it never gets old for me. "Knock down the old brick wall and be a part of it all." Joyous pop music!
4. The Long And Winding Road - The Beatles
This song is quite sad and brings back sad/happy memories for me. My Nan played the piano and I bugged the shit out of her to get the sheet music for this. Well, she gave in and learned the song, and I spent countless hours sitting on the piano bench by her side and belting this out while she played beautifully. When I hear this now, I always think of her and how badly I miss her. From the Let It Be album, it was the last single ever released by the Beatles and their last #1. When Paul wrote it, the other Beatles didn't care for it, so he offered it to Tom Jones, but he turned it down, something I'm sure he later regretted. I love the Phil Spector orchestration on this, unlike McCartney, who hated it so much he put out the "naked" Let It Be a few years ago. To me, this is up there with his best vocal performances ever. There is no "auto tune" on these vocals kids! " You left me standing here a long, long time ago. Don't keep me waiting here, lead me to your door." Sob.......
3. Hey, Hey What Can I Do? - Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin III is a great record, but they should have put this little beauty on there. It was only released as the b-side to the Immigrant Song single in North America, until it was put on the box set in the '90s. This was the only non-album track that Zep ever put out. Definitely, this is one of my fave Robert Plant vocals and Page is great on acoustic guitar and mandolin. It's such a fun tune to sing along to with the old bluesy, folky arrangement they give it. Apparently, they didn't think much of it as it was never played live. It is top 5 by them in my opinion, but, hey, what do I know? " I got a woman wanna ball all day, I got a woman she won't be true no no, Said I got a woman stay drunk all the time." Sounds like my kind of girl!
2. Ohio - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Neil Young wrote this about a week after the shootings at Kent State University, when he saw the photo in Life magazine of the girl covered in blood bending over her fallen friend's body. I remember Kent State vividly and I watched all the news reports about it. It horrified me to think that the government would turn its guns on its own citizens, and Neil's lyrics really convey this horror. This was recorded live off the floor and Neil said that David Crosby broke down and cried when they finished this take. The song was banned on many American radio stations when it came out and to this day this song still upsets many right-wingers in the States. "Tin soldiers and Nixon's coming, we're finally on our own. This summer I hear the drumming, 4 dead in Ohio." Shame!
1. Box Of Rain - The Grateful Dead
This is the best thing the Dead ever produced in my books. It is so poignant, so beautiful, so fraught with raw emotion. The music was penned by bassist Phil Lesh while his Dad was dying of cancer and he asked the Dead's lyricist Robert Hunter to write the words, which he did in a matter of a couple of hours. Apparently, the "box of rain" refers to the planet Earth itself, but "ball of rain" didn't sound as good to him. Lesh sang it, which was very rare for him, and he used to practise it while driving out to visit his Dad in the hospital. I will usually have tears in my eyes after listening to this song, but that's OK because it's a happy feeling over all. From their masterpiece American Beauty, this is the high point for the Dead as far as I'm concerned. "Walk into splintered sunlight, inch your way through dead dreams to another land. Maybe you're tired and broken, your tongue is twisted with words half-spoken and thoughts unclear. What do you want me to do, To do for you to see you through? A box of rain will ease the pain and love will see you through." Oh so gorgeous!
Top 10 of 1970
10. Teacher - Jethro Tull
What a hook-fest this song is! The classic guitar riff, the rocking bass and Ian Anderson's smooth as silk vocals are all outstanding, but it is his flute that makes it special. I had never heard the flute used like that in a rock record and I still think it's a brilliant track. Apparently, Anderson thought it a throwaway track and intended it to be just a b-side, but here in North America it became a real fan favourite. I was never a big Tull fan. I mean, the guy wore Peter Pan getaway boots, but this song is one of the few exceptions. Martina really digs this one too! " Jump up, look around, find yourself some fun. No sense in sitting there hating everyone." Another deck music classic!
9. After The Gold Rush - Neil Young
To some, his voice is like fingernails on a blackboard, but to me, this is one of the purest and most childlike vocals ever put to acetate. Just Neil on piano and some dude that plays a mean French horn solo. That's right, a French horn solo! From the album of the same name and probably my favourite album of his, I'm not sure what all the lyrics mean, but I sure do love them. I used to put my transistor radio under my pillow and listen to CHLO from St. Thomas late at night (10 o'clock or so) when I was supposed to be sleeping and this was often played at that late hour. "There was a band playing in my head and I felt like getting high." I have taken that line to heart many times over the years!
8. Layla - Derek & The Dominos
I know, it's overplayed by the classic rock stations, but it is a true gem in my books. No, I don't mean the sleepy MTV Unplugged version. I'm talking about the original glorious 7 minute rock-out from Clapton and Duane Allman. Duane's slide guitar just cries all the way through this paean to Patti Boyd (see 1969 post about Cream's Badge). Originally released in 1970, it failed on the charts, but it was re-released in 1971 after Duane Allman's death in a motorcycle accident and made it to #10 in the U.S. charts. To me, it is one of the most beautiful songs ever written and what solidifies that feeling is the amazing piano coda that takes up the last 4 minutes of the song. It was written and played by the Dominos drummer Jim Gordon and makes me stop and listen every time. " What'll you do when you get lonely? And nobody's waiting by your side." I don't think anyone who's ever seen a photo of Ms. Boyd would think she would ever be alone for long.
7. Make Me Smile - Chicago
The blast of the horns and then those fantastic drums just take off! Some of the best drumming I have ever heard on a pop song! Danny Seraphine, take several bows for this one! This is from their 2nd album and is part of a suite called "Ballet For A Girl From Buchannon" and it is sung by the great guitarist of the band, Terry Kath. This song is so joyous and infectious and happy, which belies the awful truth that came in 1976, when a severely depressed Mr. Kath put a gun to his head and blew his brains out. This caused one of my Dad's classic comments: " I didn't think that Chicago were a bunch of dopeheads." Damn, my old man was so cool! Haha. "Now I need you, more than ever, no more crying, we're together. Tell me you will stay, make me smile." Great stuff!
6. Peace Frog / Blue Sunday - The Doors
Those of you who read this blog already know how I feel about the deification of Jim Morrison. In my books, this is the one time where he comes close to deserving it. A great funky guitar part by Robbie Krieger drives the tune along and Morrison's baritone really suits the mood well. It was written after the 1968 Democratic Party convention in Chicago which was bloody and riotous and also mentioned in the lyric is New Haven where he was arrested for basically hanging his dick out and daring the cops to bust him. The song morphs into the dreamy ballad Blue Sunday and some say that it ruins the feel of Peace Frog, but I think it is a great segue. Blue Sunday is languid and relaxed after the speed rush of Peace Frog and it works perfectly for me. There is some bad high school poetry in here, but for the most part the lyrics are among Jim's best." Blood in my love in the terrible summer, bloody red sun of fantastic LA." Paint the town red!
5. No Matter What - Badfinger
This is one of the early Power Pop anthems. This was the band's first UK top 10 single and began a long string of hits. They were discovered by Paul McCartney and he signed them to Apple records right away. It's all jangly guitars and gorgeous melody sung by another unfortunate soul, Pete Ham. He ended up literally at the end of his rope in 1975 after being cheated out of his money by a crooked manager and left penniless and hopeless. I listen to this song lots still as it never gets old for me. "Knock down the old brick wall and be a part of it all." Joyous pop music!
4. The Long And Winding Road - The Beatles
This song is quite sad and brings back sad/happy memories for me. My Nan played the piano and I bugged the shit out of her to get the sheet music for this. Well, she gave in and learned the song, and I spent countless hours sitting on the piano bench by her side and belting this out while she played beautifully. When I hear this now, I always think of her and how badly I miss her. From the Let It Be album, it was the last single ever released by the Beatles and their last #1. When Paul wrote it, the other Beatles didn't care for it, so he offered it to Tom Jones, but he turned it down, something I'm sure he later regretted. I love the Phil Spector orchestration on this, unlike McCartney, who hated it so much he put out the "naked" Let It Be a few years ago. To me, this is up there with his best vocal performances ever. There is no "auto tune" on these vocals kids! " You left me standing here a long, long time ago. Don't keep me waiting here, lead me to your door." Sob.......
3. Hey, Hey What Can I Do? - Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin III is a great record, but they should have put this little beauty on there. It was only released as the b-side to the Immigrant Song single in North America, until it was put on the box set in the '90s. This was the only non-album track that Zep ever put out. Definitely, this is one of my fave Robert Plant vocals and Page is great on acoustic guitar and mandolin. It's such a fun tune to sing along to with the old bluesy, folky arrangement they give it. Apparently, they didn't think much of it as it was never played live. It is top 5 by them in my opinion, but, hey, what do I know? " I got a woman wanna ball all day, I got a woman she won't be true no no, Said I got a woman stay drunk all the time." Sounds like my kind of girl!
2. Ohio - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Neil Young wrote this about a week after the shootings at Kent State University, when he saw the photo in Life magazine of the girl covered in blood bending over her fallen friend's body. I remember Kent State vividly and I watched all the news reports about it. It horrified me to think that the government would turn its guns on its own citizens, and Neil's lyrics really convey this horror. This was recorded live off the floor and Neil said that David Crosby broke down and cried when they finished this take. The song was banned on many American radio stations when it came out and to this day this song still upsets many right-wingers in the States. "Tin soldiers and Nixon's coming, we're finally on our own. This summer I hear the drumming, 4 dead in Ohio." Shame!
1. Box Of Rain - The Grateful Dead
This is the best thing the Dead ever produced in my books. It is so poignant, so beautiful, so fraught with raw emotion. The music was penned by bassist Phil Lesh while his Dad was dying of cancer and he asked the Dead's lyricist Robert Hunter to write the words, which he did in a matter of a couple of hours. Apparently, the "box of rain" refers to the planet Earth itself, but "ball of rain" didn't sound as good to him. Lesh sang it, which was very rare for him, and he used to practise it while driving out to visit his Dad in the hospital. I will usually have tears in my eyes after listening to this song, but that's OK because it's a happy feeling over all. From their masterpiece American Beauty, this is the high point for the Dead as far as I'm concerned. "Walk into splintered sunlight, inch your way through dead dreams to another land. Maybe you're tired and broken, your tongue is twisted with words half-spoken and thoughts unclear. What do you want me to do, To do for you to see you through? A box of rain will ease the pain and love will see you through." Oh so gorgeous!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Listomania! - 1969
"Well it's 1969 OK, all across the U.S.A.
Another year for me and you, another year with nothing to do."
1969 by Iggy & the Stooges
I didn't know the Stooges in 1969, but the above lyric kinda sums it up succinctly. I have virtually no outstanding memories of that year. I mean, shit happened, like a man walking on the moon, and Woodstock and I started playing AAA hockey and such, but I have nary a funny anecdote to tell. The only thing that comes to mind is my Dad and Uncle Art sitting in the living room and watching news reports from Woodstock and commenting on how it was the end of the world, with all the dopers and hippies screwing in the mud. I dunno, sounded like fun to me! Musically though, it was a different kettle of fish. I got a new record player that spring and spent countless hours listening to my 45s, some of which will be represented in this list. It was another great year in music and the mood started changing from flower-power and peace and love to a more realistic and darker worldview.
Top 10 of 1969
10. The Boxer - Simon & Garfunkel
I had a second cousin named Steven from Montreal who loved Simon & Garfunkel. He had a little band that played nothing but the duo's songs. My Nan (his aunt) travelled to Montreal every year and would regale me with stories and photos of him and his group and the songs they played. I often think of him when I hear this song as he was a troubled soul who eventually ended his own life in the late 70s. But, this song now makes me think mostly of Martina and her Dad, Big Joe. I only heard him play it once on the guitar, but I was struck by the poignancy and feeling he put into it. He likes to hear Martina and Taylor and me sing along to it too. I've never asked him this, but I believe that the lyrics resound in him because of his immigration to Canada. I jokingly like to call it one of the 3 Blaskovic National Anthems, along with House Of The Rising Sun by The Animals and Diamonds And Rust by Joan Baez. This verse, I have noticed, seems to hit home with him the most: "When I left my home and my family I was no more than a boy, In the company of strangers, In the quiet of the railway station running scared. Laying low, seeking out the poorer quarters Where the ragged people go, Looking for the places only they would know." Rock on Big Joe!
9. Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight / The End - The Beatles
Abbey Road is a great album, but when I was looking at it, I decided to select this medley of sorts as my fave song rather than just 1 song because I just love the way they flow together and create a mood. Golden Slumbers is one of McCartney's greatest achievements in my books. His vocals are spot on great. I love the little orchestral interlude of You Never Give Me Your Money in Carry That Weight as well. Ringo does a yeoman's job of drumming and the guitar solo is a classic. Then, in The End, the electric guitars are fantastic and I remember Hockey Night In Canada putting together a highlight package of great plays to this tune. And then the classic line " And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make." Oh joy, oh bliss!
8. Cowgirl In The Sand - Neil Young
From Neil's first record with the shambling, sloppy Crazy Horse, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, this 10 minute plus epic is among my top 5 Neil tunes. I once read in the liner notes to his career-spanning (at the time) album Decade that he wrote this song at home in bed with a 103 degree fever. Well, greatness comes from strange places and this is true greatness! His guitar playing is just amazing and I will sing these lyrics out loud with little encouragement. "Old enough now to change your name, when so many love you is it the same? It's the woman in you that makes you want to play this game." Maybe he had Cowgirl fever!
7. Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? - Chicago
From their fantastic debut, Chicago Transit Authority, you must only listen to the album version of this song with the brilliant piano intro by Robert Lamm. Yes, believe it or not all you youngsters out there, Chicago was once a great and vital band, before Peter Cetera needed more money and started writing schmaltzy Lite Rock bullcrap. Check out this horn section - outstanding. The playing on this record is magnificent and Lamm's vocal just fits like a glove. You can hear Cetera and his high harmony on the backing vocal and I wish he would have just stuck to that role. This is one of the songs on this list that illustrates my earlier point about a darker worldview creeping into music in '69. "Does anybody really know what time it is, does anybody really care. If so, I can't imagine why, we've all got time enough to die." Peace out man.
6. Volunteers - Jefferson Airplane
If this doesn't get the old hips shaking, then there is no hope for you. Marty Balin and Grace Slick lead us in a call to arms backed by Jorma Kaukonen's smoking lead runs and studio vet Nicky Hopkins tickling the ivories as only he can. Clocking in at a mere 2:05, this is my number 1 by the Airplane. What a blinding little rave-up this is! "One generation got old, one generation got soul, this generation got no destination to hold. Pick up the cry!" Where do I sign up?
5. Suite: Judy Blue Eyes - Crosby, Stills & Nash
Written for Stephen Stills' then girlfriend, singer Judy Collins, this is from the supergroup's first record. They sang it at Woodstock and I remember sneaking out of bed to watch them sing it on the Dick Cavett show too. Gorgeous harmonies, as only they could sing, and great acoustic guitar and bass as well make this a big fave of mine. It is truly a suite too, as it has 4 distinct parts in the traditional sense of a suite. I love the coda at the end with Stills singing in Spanish and the "doo-doo-doo-doo-doo" backing vocals. " Lacy. lilting, leery, losing love, lamenting." Holy alliteration Batman!
4. Hot Fun In The Summertime - Sly & The Family Stone
One of the feel-good songs of all time! The high-hat sound, the horns, the Larry Graham bass part, the rollicking keyboard, the great changes in the vocals- a perfect pop song! This was released right after they played at Woodstock and I rode my bike up to the Disc Shop at Northland Mall and bought it. It never appeared on an album, other than the Greatest Hits, but it is hands down my fave Sly track. This has the typical huge production job that his records had and it still sounds great every time I play it. "End of the spring and here she comes back, hi hi hi hi there, them summer days, those summer days." I feel the need to hit the diving well at Stronach Pool!
3. Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival
The working class song of 1969. John Fogarty just nails it in just over 2 minutes with the lyrics, all southern boy anger and indignation. The guitars just rock all the way through and the drummer sets a breakneck pace. My first memory of hearing this song is from my cousin Terry. He used to babysit my sister Jondah and me once in a while and I remember him bringing the Willy and the Poor Boys album with him. I made him play Fortunate Son over and over again. I also remember him going out on the balcony of our apartment and smelling really funny and stinky when he came back in. I liked when he came back from the balcony though, as his mood was much happier every time. " It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no millionaire's son no no." Fight the power!
2. Badge - Cream
I love the way Jack Bruce plays the bass on this one. The beginning is superb, and his runs throughout are intoxicating! This was one of only 3 studio recordings on their breakup album Goodbye and it's by far the best. It was written by Eric Clapton and George Harrison, at around the same time Clapton was screwing George's wife. Good ol' George plays rhythm guitar on it, but it is Clapton's leads, especially the most beautiful guitar break ever after the second verse. I love that part so much, I always think it should be longer. Well, ask and ye shall receive! I have the DVD of Cream's reunion concert from a couple of years ago and he plays that break about 4 or 5 times in that version. This is also a rare lead vocal by Clapton from those days, as Bruce sang lead on most of the songs. Legend has it that the lyrics were taken from Harrison's conversations with a drunken Ringo Starr, which I believe since the lyrics don't make a whole lot of sense. " I told you 'bout the swans that they live in the park." Uhhh, OK Ringo, have another one!
1. Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones
From the opening notes, I get chills up my spine. There is no doubt that this is one of the greatest rock 'n' roll songs ever recorded. I love everything about it. Keith's guitar growls and cries, Jagger is at his slurry best and the backing vocal of Merry Clayton just blows me away to this day! She sang it when she was 8 months pregnant and it apparently caused her to have a miscarriage. This song is so menacing already (just check out the lyrics) and then you add to it the fact that when the Stones played Altamont Raceway in '69, they hired the Hells Angels as security guards and payed them in free beer and things got completely out of hand, ending in the death of 1 person. This song, to many, signifies the end of the peace and love era better than any other and that is hard to argue with. Just a total desert island classic! "Rape, murder, it's just a shot away." Bring on the 70s!
Another year for me and you, another year with nothing to do."
1969 by Iggy & the Stooges
I didn't know the Stooges in 1969, but the above lyric kinda sums it up succinctly. I have virtually no outstanding memories of that year. I mean, shit happened, like a man walking on the moon, and Woodstock and I started playing AAA hockey and such, but I have nary a funny anecdote to tell. The only thing that comes to mind is my Dad and Uncle Art sitting in the living room and watching news reports from Woodstock and commenting on how it was the end of the world, with all the dopers and hippies screwing in the mud. I dunno, sounded like fun to me! Musically though, it was a different kettle of fish. I got a new record player that spring and spent countless hours listening to my 45s, some of which will be represented in this list. It was another great year in music and the mood started changing from flower-power and peace and love to a more realistic and darker worldview.
Top 10 of 1969
10. The Boxer - Simon & Garfunkel
I had a second cousin named Steven from Montreal who loved Simon & Garfunkel. He had a little band that played nothing but the duo's songs. My Nan (his aunt) travelled to Montreal every year and would regale me with stories and photos of him and his group and the songs they played. I often think of him when I hear this song as he was a troubled soul who eventually ended his own life in the late 70s. But, this song now makes me think mostly of Martina and her Dad, Big Joe. I only heard him play it once on the guitar, but I was struck by the poignancy and feeling he put into it. He likes to hear Martina and Taylor and me sing along to it too. I've never asked him this, but I believe that the lyrics resound in him because of his immigration to Canada. I jokingly like to call it one of the 3 Blaskovic National Anthems, along with House Of The Rising Sun by The Animals and Diamonds And Rust by Joan Baez. This verse, I have noticed, seems to hit home with him the most: "When I left my home and my family I was no more than a boy, In the company of strangers, In the quiet of the railway station running scared. Laying low, seeking out the poorer quarters Where the ragged people go, Looking for the places only they would know." Rock on Big Joe!
9. Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight / The End - The Beatles
Abbey Road is a great album, but when I was looking at it, I decided to select this medley of sorts as my fave song rather than just 1 song because I just love the way they flow together and create a mood. Golden Slumbers is one of McCartney's greatest achievements in my books. His vocals are spot on great. I love the little orchestral interlude of You Never Give Me Your Money in Carry That Weight as well. Ringo does a yeoman's job of drumming and the guitar solo is a classic. Then, in The End, the electric guitars are fantastic and I remember Hockey Night In Canada putting together a highlight package of great plays to this tune. And then the classic line " And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make." Oh joy, oh bliss!
8. Cowgirl In The Sand - Neil Young
From Neil's first record with the shambling, sloppy Crazy Horse, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, this 10 minute plus epic is among my top 5 Neil tunes. I once read in the liner notes to his career-spanning (at the time) album Decade that he wrote this song at home in bed with a 103 degree fever. Well, greatness comes from strange places and this is true greatness! His guitar playing is just amazing and I will sing these lyrics out loud with little encouragement. "Old enough now to change your name, when so many love you is it the same? It's the woman in you that makes you want to play this game." Maybe he had Cowgirl fever!
7. Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? - Chicago
From their fantastic debut, Chicago Transit Authority, you must only listen to the album version of this song with the brilliant piano intro by Robert Lamm. Yes, believe it or not all you youngsters out there, Chicago was once a great and vital band, before Peter Cetera needed more money and started writing schmaltzy Lite Rock bullcrap. Check out this horn section - outstanding. The playing on this record is magnificent and Lamm's vocal just fits like a glove. You can hear Cetera and his high harmony on the backing vocal and I wish he would have just stuck to that role. This is one of the songs on this list that illustrates my earlier point about a darker worldview creeping into music in '69. "Does anybody really know what time it is, does anybody really care. If so, I can't imagine why, we've all got time enough to die." Peace out man.
6. Volunteers - Jefferson Airplane
If this doesn't get the old hips shaking, then there is no hope for you. Marty Balin and Grace Slick lead us in a call to arms backed by Jorma Kaukonen's smoking lead runs and studio vet Nicky Hopkins tickling the ivories as only he can. Clocking in at a mere 2:05, this is my number 1 by the Airplane. What a blinding little rave-up this is! "One generation got old, one generation got soul, this generation got no destination to hold. Pick up the cry!" Where do I sign up?
5. Suite: Judy Blue Eyes - Crosby, Stills & Nash
Written for Stephen Stills' then girlfriend, singer Judy Collins, this is from the supergroup's first record. They sang it at Woodstock and I remember sneaking out of bed to watch them sing it on the Dick Cavett show too. Gorgeous harmonies, as only they could sing, and great acoustic guitar and bass as well make this a big fave of mine. It is truly a suite too, as it has 4 distinct parts in the traditional sense of a suite. I love the coda at the end with Stills singing in Spanish and the "doo-doo-doo-doo-doo" backing vocals. " Lacy. lilting, leery, losing love, lamenting." Holy alliteration Batman!
4. Hot Fun In The Summertime - Sly & The Family Stone
One of the feel-good songs of all time! The high-hat sound, the horns, the Larry Graham bass part, the rollicking keyboard, the great changes in the vocals- a perfect pop song! This was released right after they played at Woodstock and I rode my bike up to the Disc Shop at Northland Mall and bought it. It never appeared on an album, other than the Greatest Hits, but it is hands down my fave Sly track. This has the typical huge production job that his records had and it still sounds great every time I play it. "End of the spring and here she comes back, hi hi hi hi there, them summer days, those summer days." I feel the need to hit the diving well at Stronach Pool!
3. Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival
The working class song of 1969. John Fogarty just nails it in just over 2 minutes with the lyrics, all southern boy anger and indignation. The guitars just rock all the way through and the drummer sets a breakneck pace. My first memory of hearing this song is from my cousin Terry. He used to babysit my sister Jondah and me once in a while and I remember him bringing the Willy and the Poor Boys album with him. I made him play Fortunate Son over and over again. I also remember him going out on the balcony of our apartment and smelling really funny and stinky when he came back in. I liked when he came back from the balcony though, as his mood was much happier every time. " It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no millionaire's son no no." Fight the power!
2. Badge - Cream
I love the way Jack Bruce plays the bass on this one. The beginning is superb, and his runs throughout are intoxicating! This was one of only 3 studio recordings on their breakup album Goodbye and it's by far the best. It was written by Eric Clapton and George Harrison, at around the same time Clapton was screwing George's wife. Good ol' George plays rhythm guitar on it, but it is Clapton's leads, especially the most beautiful guitar break ever after the second verse. I love that part so much, I always think it should be longer. Well, ask and ye shall receive! I have the DVD of Cream's reunion concert from a couple of years ago and he plays that break about 4 or 5 times in that version. This is also a rare lead vocal by Clapton from those days, as Bruce sang lead on most of the songs. Legend has it that the lyrics were taken from Harrison's conversations with a drunken Ringo Starr, which I believe since the lyrics don't make a whole lot of sense. " I told you 'bout the swans that they live in the park." Uhhh, OK Ringo, have another one!
1. Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones
From the opening notes, I get chills up my spine. There is no doubt that this is one of the greatest rock 'n' roll songs ever recorded. I love everything about it. Keith's guitar growls and cries, Jagger is at his slurry best and the backing vocal of Merry Clayton just blows me away to this day! She sang it when she was 8 months pregnant and it apparently caused her to have a miscarriage. This song is so menacing already (just check out the lyrics) and then you add to it the fact that when the Stones played Altamont Raceway in '69, they hired the Hells Angels as security guards and payed them in free beer and things got completely out of hand, ending in the death of 1 person. This song, to many, signifies the end of the peace and love era better than any other and that is hard to argue with. Just a total desert island classic! "Rape, murder, it's just a shot away." Bring on the 70s!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
The Ever-Popular Tortured Artist
"A million old soldiers will fade away, but a dream goes on forever."
A Dream Goes On Forever by Todd Rundgren
OK. Todd Rundgren. From Philly. Influenced by Philly soul, R'n'B, Beatles. Records some albums all alone, playing all the instruments himself. Melodic. Twisted. Funny. Steve won Something/Anything from the radio station. Power Pop pioneer. Sheer genius. Everybody loves him. Except Martina. She is wrong. 70s were his pinnacle. Excuse him for Bang On The Drum All Day. Put that out of your mind. Buy his CDs. Or burn this 80 minutes onto one. He raised Liv Tyler!!!! That's all.
The Best Of Todd Rundgren
1. Hello It's Me ( make sure it's the version from Something/Anything)
2. All The Children Sing
3. Don't You Ever Learn?
4. Love Of The Common Man
5. A Dream Goes On Forever
6. Black And White
7. Sometimes I Don't Know What To Feel
8. Couldn't I Just Tell You
9. Cliche
10. The Last Ride
11. Can We Still Be Friends?
12. Real Man
13. Hurting For You
14. Courage
15. Be Nice To Me
16. It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference
17. Just One Victory
18. We Gotta Get You A Woman
19. I Saw The Light
20. Fade Away
A Dream Goes On Forever by Todd Rundgren
OK. Todd Rundgren. From Philly. Influenced by Philly soul, R'n'B, Beatles. Records some albums all alone, playing all the instruments himself. Melodic. Twisted. Funny. Steve won Something/Anything from the radio station. Power Pop pioneer. Sheer genius. Everybody loves him. Except Martina. She is wrong. 70s were his pinnacle. Excuse him for Bang On The Drum All Day. Put that out of your mind. Buy his CDs. Or burn this 80 minutes onto one. He raised Liv Tyler!!!! That's all.
The Best Of Todd Rundgren
1. Hello It's Me ( make sure it's the version from Something/Anything)
2. All The Children Sing
3. Don't You Ever Learn?
4. Love Of The Common Man
5. A Dream Goes On Forever
6. Black And White
7. Sometimes I Don't Know What To Feel
8. Couldn't I Just Tell You
9. Cliche
10. The Last Ride
11. Can We Still Be Friends?
12. Real Man
13. Hurting For You
14. Courage
15. Be Nice To Me
16. It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference
17. Just One Victory
18. We Gotta Get You A Woman
19. I Saw The Light
20. Fade Away
Monday, July 5, 2010
Listomania! - 1968
I'm starting to think that maybe a top 20 would have been better after having to eliminate classic song after classic song. 1968 was another banner year for music and the choices are difficult, so I've tried to balance the list between songs I loved back then, and still do, with songs I didn't know back then that I've come to adore. Personally, it was the year that I started down the road to doing things too early in my life, aided by the fact that I skipped Grade 3 and went into Grade 4. Not only Grade 4, but a split 4-5 class! From then on, I was 2 or 3 years younger than most of my classmates. They stopped doing that in schools, which is a very smart thing, because, although I was academically ready for the jump, I was not emotionally ready at all. Enough of that, let's get to the music!
Top 10 of 1968
10. Crimson And Clover - Tommy James & The Shondells
This was a new and exciting sound back then. My Nan and I went to the K-mart and she bought me this 45. Then, we went home and I did what I usually did in those days. I made her come into my room and listen to my new record. Not only listen, but hold my stuffed Snoopy and pretend it was playing the guitar. She did all this with her usual good humour of course. Tommy James obviously loved the tremolo switch as the guitar and vocals are all shimmery and delightful. He apparently plugged his vocal mike into his guitar amp and turned the tremolo up high to record the end part. He had earlier, more "teeny-bopper" kind of hits, but this one hooked me in."My mind's such a sweet thing, I wanna do everything." A very real tie to childhood!
9. Picture Book - The Kinks
The lyrical genius of Mr. Ray Davies again! From the Village Green Preservation Society record, which was the first concept album the Kinks ever did, and a greatly under-appreciated one at that. This has the typical whimsical English Kinks sound, but the lyrics are full of wry observances on the practice of putting photo albums together. " Picture book, when you were just a baby, those days when you were happy, a long time ago." Are you into pho-tos, nudge nudge, wink wink, know wot I mean?
8. White Room - Cream
Clapton and his wah-wah pedal certainly play a huge part in this song, but I am always drawn to the voice of Jack Bruce and the pounding, triplet-infused drumming of Ginger Baker. His tom-tom and bass drum work here is among the greatest drumming ever in my opinion. The lyrics are pretty non-sensical and meaningless I think, but they fit the mood of this tune so well. This song always sounded kind of foreboding to me, like something dangerous is hanging out just around the bend. " I'll wait in this place, where the sun never shines, wait in this place where the shadows run from themselves." Yikes!
7. Revolution - The Beatles
This song, in my family, marked a line in the sand for the Beatles. My Dad, and even my Mom, thought it a bunch of long-haired hippie noise, while I thought it was the most fantastic thing I'd ever heard. It was on the B-side of the Hey Jude single, so that got more time on the record player when the family was around, but when I was alone, it was all about Revolution. I couldn't get enough of that blazing guitar in the opening, and the scream and off we go! This was so very heavy and the guitars buzzed and the drums smacked and the lyrics were amazing! Around this time, Vietnam was raging and I used to watch Walter Cronkite and I was very into world events. I know, I was a strange kid. But this song really hit home with me, especially the lines " But if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao, you ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow." Please try and forget that it was a bloody Nike ad, OK!
6. Itchycoo Park - The Small Faces
This is just so catchy and English and childlike! I mean, "be nice and have fun in the sun." It is Steve Marriott's and Ronnie Lane's attempt at psychedelia, and it succeeds despite the bouncy happiness of the melody. They use that swirly phasing technique here too, which was used a ton in the 60s. This is another instance where you will find yourself singing along before you realize what you're doing. One of my favourite summer tunes to this day- in fact, I'm playing it right now! " You can miss some school, why go to learn the words of fools" The original Young Soul Rebels!
5. Stray Cat Blues - The Rolling Stones
I first heard this in 1973 when my friend Jim Sidwell and I used to listen to his older brother's Stones albums. Lyrically, it makes me a little queasy now when I hear it as Jagger is growling and menacing his way through a tune about a 15 year old groupie, but it is the guitar sound that I truly love. Keef at his finest, all steely chords and stinging lead runs and one of the dirtiest grooves ever. The sound of drugged out rockers crawling through the sewer on their bellies describes it best. This is from the Beggar's Banquet album and started off my favourite period of the Stones up until Goat's Head Soup in 1973. " It's no hanging matter, it's no capital crime." Oh, but I'm afraid it is, Mick old boy.
4. Chest Fever - The Band
Garth Hudson and that great organ riff makes this one. Just listen to this and you will have that riff as an earworm all day long. This is from their debut album Music From Big Pink, right after they escaped Dylan's clutches. This is a brilliant tune, with even a kind of New Orleans funeral march middle eight thrown in for good measure. Rick Danko lays down a fabulous bubbly bass line all through as well, and this is maybe the best drumming Levon Helm ever did. Martina calls this deck music and gets all sentimental for the summer if she hears it in the cold of February. " And as my mind unweaves, I feel the freeze down in my knees, but just before she leaves, she receives." I have no idea why it's called Chest Fever though.
3. Wichita Lineman - Glen Campbell
The guy who wrote this was Jimmy Webb, who had a string of hits in this time period, including another great song he wrote for Campbell called Galveston. What a gorgeous song this is! Glen Campbell became a huge star for a few years and even had his own variety show on TV for a few years. Beautiful orchestration, lyrics full of longing and love, and a fantastic solo apparently played on something called a baritone guitar, which I assume is a hybrid of a bass and six string electric. This was a fixture on the car radio back then, and my Dad liked it too! "And I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time." Beat that sucka!
2. Time Of The Season - The Zombies
This is from their misspelled masterpiece Odessey & Oracle, another album that may be my favourite of all time, especially if you ask me on a Tuesday. It is all breathy and psychedelic, with a huge Chris White bass line and Rod Argent Hammond solo and great vocals by the hugely underrated Colin Blunstone. I don't know a single person who dislikes this tune, and if I did, I would have to find out who dropped them on their head as a baby. It was #1 here in Canada and barely scraped the charts in their native England. "What's your name? Who's your daddy?" Well, my friends call me Kyle, but you can call me Pete.
1. I Say A Little Prayer - Aretha Franklin
I am not a religous person at all. In fact, I would call myself an atheist. But, this song may just be proof that God does exist. Recorded first by Burt Bacharach fave Dionne Warwick, it was a nice version of a good song. When Aretha got hold of it, it may well be the best vocal ever done by anybody on any song ever! Backed by the mighty Muscle Shoals band and with backing vocals by the Cissy Houston-led Sweet Inspirations ( yes, she is Whitney Houston's momma), the chorus of this tune transports me to another planet every time. When Ms. Franklin kicks it on the final chorus, I get goose bumps all over and family members know not to bug me when this is playing. " My darlin' believe me, for me there is no onnnnnnnnnnne but you." Heavens to mergatroid even!
Top 10 of 1968
10. Crimson And Clover - Tommy James & The Shondells
This was a new and exciting sound back then. My Nan and I went to the K-mart and she bought me this 45. Then, we went home and I did what I usually did in those days. I made her come into my room and listen to my new record. Not only listen, but hold my stuffed Snoopy and pretend it was playing the guitar. She did all this with her usual good humour of course. Tommy James obviously loved the tremolo switch as the guitar and vocals are all shimmery and delightful. He apparently plugged his vocal mike into his guitar amp and turned the tremolo up high to record the end part. He had earlier, more "teeny-bopper" kind of hits, but this one hooked me in."My mind's such a sweet thing, I wanna do everything." A very real tie to childhood!
9. Picture Book - The Kinks
The lyrical genius of Mr. Ray Davies again! From the Village Green Preservation Society record, which was the first concept album the Kinks ever did, and a greatly under-appreciated one at that. This has the typical whimsical English Kinks sound, but the lyrics are full of wry observances on the practice of putting photo albums together. " Picture book, when you were just a baby, those days when you were happy, a long time ago." Are you into pho-tos, nudge nudge, wink wink, know wot I mean?
8. White Room - Cream
Clapton and his wah-wah pedal certainly play a huge part in this song, but I am always drawn to the voice of Jack Bruce and the pounding, triplet-infused drumming of Ginger Baker. His tom-tom and bass drum work here is among the greatest drumming ever in my opinion. The lyrics are pretty non-sensical and meaningless I think, but they fit the mood of this tune so well. This song always sounded kind of foreboding to me, like something dangerous is hanging out just around the bend. " I'll wait in this place, where the sun never shines, wait in this place where the shadows run from themselves." Yikes!
7. Revolution - The Beatles
This song, in my family, marked a line in the sand for the Beatles. My Dad, and even my Mom, thought it a bunch of long-haired hippie noise, while I thought it was the most fantastic thing I'd ever heard. It was on the B-side of the Hey Jude single, so that got more time on the record player when the family was around, but when I was alone, it was all about Revolution. I couldn't get enough of that blazing guitar in the opening, and the scream and off we go! This was so very heavy and the guitars buzzed and the drums smacked and the lyrics were amazing! Around this time, Vietnam was raging and I used to watch Walter Cronkite and I was very into world events. I know, I was a strange kid. But this song really hit home with me, especially the lines " But if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao, you ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow." Please try and forget that it was a bloody Nike ad, OK!
6. Itchycoo Park - The Small Faces
This is just so catchy and English and childlike! I mean, "be nice and have fun in the sun." It is Steve Marriott's and Ronnie Lane's attempt at psychedelia, and it succeeds despite the bouncy happiness of the melody. They use that swirly phasing technique here too, which was used a ton in the 60s. This is another instance where you will find yourself singing along before you realize what you're doing. One of my favourite summer tunes to this day- in fact, I'm playing it right now! " You can miss some school, why go to learn the words of fools" The original Young Soul Rebels!
5. Stray Cat Blues - The Rolling Stones
I first heard this in 1973 when my friend Jim Sidwell and I used to listen to his older brother's Stones albums. Lyrically, it makes me a little queasy now when I hear it as Jagger is growling and menacing his way through a tune about a 15 year old groupie, but it is the guitar sound that I truly love. Keef at his finest, all steely chords and stinging lead runs and one of the dirtiest grooves ever. The sound of drugged out rockers crawling through the sewer on their bellies describes it best. This is from the Beggar's Banquet album and started off my favourite period of the Stones up until Goat's Head Soup in 1973. " It's no hanging matter, it's no capital crime." Oh, but I'm afraid it is, Mick old boy.
4. Chest Fever - The Band
Garth Hudson and that great organ riff makes this one. Just listen to this and you will have that riff as an earworm all day long. This is from their debut album Music From Big Pink, right after they escaped Dylan's clutches. This is a brilliant tune, with even a kind of New Orleans funeral march middle eight thrown in for good measure. Rick Danko lays down a fabulous bubbly bass line all through as well, and this is maybe the best drumming Levon Helm ever did. Martina calls this deck music and gets all sentimental for the summer if she hears it in the cold of February. " And as my mind unweaves, I feel the freeze down in my knees, but just before she leaves, she receives." I have no idea why it's called Chest Fever though.
3. Wichita Lineman - Glen Campbell
The guy who wrote this was Jimmy Webb, who had a string of hits in this time period, including another great song he wrote for Campbell called Galveston. What a gorgeous song this is! Glen Campbell became a huge star for a few years and even had his own variety show on TV for a few years. Beautiful orchestration, lyrics full of longing and love, and a fantastic solo apparently played on something called a baritone guitar, which I assume is a hybrid of a bass and six string electric. This was a fixture on the car radio back then, and my Dad liked it too! "And I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time." Beat that sucka!
2. Time Of The Season - The Zombies
This is from their misspelled masterpiece Odessey & Oracle, another album that may be my favourite of all time, especially if you ask me on a Tuesday. It is all breathy and psychedelic, with a huge Chris White bass line and Rod Argent Hammond solo and great vocals by the hugely underrated Colin Blunstone. I don't know a single person who dislikes this tune, and if I did, I would have to find out who dropped them on their head as a baby. It was #1 here in Canada and barely scraped the charts in their native England. "What's your name? Who's your daddy?" Well, my friends call me Kyle, but you can call me Pete.
1. I Say A Little Prayer - Aretha Franklin
I am not a religous person at all. In fact, I would call myself an atheist. But, this song may just be proof that God does exist. Recorded first by Burt Bacharach fave Dionne Warwick, it was a nice version of a good song. When Aretha got hold of it, it may well be the best vocal ever done by anybody on any song ever! Backed by the mighty Muscle Shoals band and with backing vocals by the Cissy Houston-led Sweet Inspirations ( yes, she is Whitney Houston's momma), the chorus of this tune transports me to another planet every time. When Ms. Franklin kicks it on the final chorus, I get goose bumps all over and family members know not to bug me when this is playing. " My darlin' believe me, for me there is no onnnnnnnnnnne but you." Heavens to mergatroid even!
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