Remember long ago when I said I broke my speakers? Well, I have yet to replace them. So I've become very much acquainted with a little ghetto blaster CD player. It's a shame I own about, twenty or so CDs, total? Yeah, it couldn't possibly exceed thirty. I really came into my own musically, so to speak, in the digital age. I download music online, and I buy vinyl records. I only ever purchase a CD if it's a can't-resist bargain, or if I got into it before I had a CD burner. But there's the silver lining! The holy CD burner. While there is the faux pas of having limited blank CDs, my back collection of crafted-by-yours-truly mixed CDs is endless. So when I can't conjure up the perfect mixed CD that fits me right NOW, I dig my huge collection of CDs that describe me then. I've got at least double the amount of legal CDs, in burned CDs. They're like the perfect little musical time capsule. Sometimes it draws me back to the time when I was absolutely obsessed with the selection of tunes. Other times, when the CD is blatantly biased towards my favorite artist at the time, I think, "REALLY? More Eagles?!" The older, the better. The hazier my memory is, the more surprises the disc holds. Here's a few of the selections that left me dazed once more, as they had when I immortalized them on disc...
"I Can't Get Next to You", The Temptations,
Puzzle People, 1969.
While this song hasn't been on heavy rotation, I was immediately hypnotized when it came on. The Temptations are a great fucking group. They've got soul, rhythm, and incredible voices. They can stir your heart, or leave you moving. This one does the latter. Put it on and boogie.
"Rockin' Chair", The Band,
The Band, 1969.
With this song, I just like to lie down with my headphones and feel every little detail. The tender musicianship and the melancholy vocals. Their unconventional voices come together in a beautiful harmony. It's real and you believe it. For me, it's a definitive Band tune. It's not one of their most well known, but the mood, and
especially the overlapping vocals towards the end -- It'll always be a favorite.
"People Get Ready", Jeff Beck (with Rod Stewart),
Flash, 1985.
A small dose of perfection. You could say I was conned into listening this song. Not by someone else, by myself. I read somewhere about this collaboration, and loving the Impressions like I do (it's a cover of the Impressions momentous 1965 classic), I was eager to hear it. So I downloaded it, completely missing the fact that it dates from 1985. I'm admittedly one of those people who doesn't like latter-day albums. I fell madly in love with this tune, and it may have been my first taste of Jeff Beck. I was hooked. Rod Stewart delivers a remarkable vocal performance, and Jeff's guitar has a magnificent warmth. He does delicious things with his guitar. They compliment each other well, and you can sing and hum along all the way through (absolutely including Jeff's contribution).
"Bare Trees", Fleetwood Mac,
Bare Trees, 1972.
So you know about Buckingham/Nicks Fleetwood Mac, and maybe you even know Peter Green, but do you know about the 'tweener years? This is Bob Welch and Danny Kirwan. Who? Exactly! This is an underrated gem, and if there was ever a song that was 'groovy' (I hate that word), it's this one! My technologically illiterate dad made me download this for him. He said, "Look up the title track of Fleetwood Mac's album from '72." He didn't know the name, so I looked it up, and I said, "Bare Trees?" And he probably responded, "Bare Trees! Download that shit." So I did. By the end of the night, I was singing along myself. The guitars are blistering, it's danceable, and it's the perfect blend of the sounds of the Sixties and the sounds of the Seventies. There's a little psychedelia, but it's radio-friendly, as Fleetwood Mac would very much become. You probably won't hear this on the radio, but you should. Play it
really loud, dance around (preferably in your underwear), and sing along even louder.
"She's Leaving Home", The Beatles,
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967.
How can I explain my relationship with the illustrious figure known as
Sgt. Pepper... As I've mentioned, it was the first Beatles album I loved, fully and completely. I absolutely immersed myself in it. I never quite got over that. I listen to
Sgt. Pepper in it's entirely, maybe twice a year? Perhaps less? I consider myself
Pepper-ed out, but when I do crave the brilliance of the 'greatest album of all time', I'm always floored. It never fails. And if I was
Pepper-ed out, "She's Leaving Home" sent me out the door. But lately, as I've been driven to a cordial relationship with
Sgt. Pepper, it's been the highlight of the album for me. I remember going through my initial phase with this song, and just thinking, "How sad..." It hit a nerve, and had significance to my life. Paul's vocals are beautiful and sad, and his voice dancing among John's is a watershed moment. It's a delicate tune, and rediscovering that was special.
"In My Time of Dying", Led Zeppelin,
Physical Graffiti, 1975.
How the FUCK does one put this into words? This song makes me want to mess up my hair, say bad words, and seduce everything in sight. Unlike "The Wanton Song" and other revved-up Zeppelin tunes, this song
isn't about sex. As the title entails, it has a fatalistic theme, but it's quite possibly the raunchiest sounds they ever put to record. John Paul Jones holds down the beat, while John Bonham and Jimmy Page fucking DOMINATE. When the song plays, I find myself foolishly air-drumming, and stamping my feet wildly. JP's rare use of slide guitar (and a Danelectro, rather than the usual Les Paul or Tele) is fucking tantalizing. I can hardly write this, because I can't keep myself from moving vigorously! This song has to be played LOUD. They had the general framework for the song mapped out, but once they began playing, it quickly turned into a jam. Listen to it, and be awed... It's not planned, they're just playing! All of that thunderous sexual energy is also because of Robert Plant. He literally wails, moans, and howls. The entire eleven minutes are absolutely provocative, and it's MAGNIFICENT. My fingers move wildly to the rhythm of JP's guitar, and it's uncontrollable. This is the epitome of raunchy, disgusting rock and roll, and it's so fucking scrumptious. I can see how a naive parent of 1975 thought, "This is the devil's music!" And I'm possessed... Luckily, my father and I are both mad about this number, and he makes me rewind over the guitar solos at least twice. That's bonding.
"Moonlight Mile", The Rolling Stones,
Sticky Fingers, 1971.
I've said to before, I'll say it again, Mick Taylor-era Rolling Stones kicks the asses of Brian Jones-era and the everlasting era of Ronnie Wood. Love the others as I do, Mick Taylor was the best guitarist to ever grace that band's line-up. I don't know how "Moonlight Mile" slipped pass me, but I finally wrangled the bastard. It's now probably one of my favorites off the album. With the savory guitar workings of Mick Taylor, and lush string arrangements (also suggested by Mr. Taylor!), it's a more candid look at the band. I listened to the song while driving home, laying in bed of a truck. It was dark, and I couldn't peak my head up to see where we were, as we were definitely at risk of being pulled over. So I just put on my headphones, and let the moon take me home. Realizing the irony, a dippy grin spread across my face, and I was filled with silent glee. Hats off to you, Mick Taylor. While apparently you're miserable compared to your former cohorts, your musical legacy outlives the lot of them.
"All Things Must Pass", George Harrison,
All Things Must Pass, 1970.
Now... I, like most I'm sure, viewed "All Things Must Pass" as an optimistic diddy. It amplifies the message of "Don't worry, it's not the end of the world, shit changes, life goes on, things get better." But when driving home, windows down, happiness plentiful, headphones in, I read into the lyrics a little more literally... "After all this, my love is up and must be leaving" Is it possible that this is George admitting to being the get-up-and-go type?! Is the message really, "Don't worry, it's not the end of the world, you'll get over the fact that I just left you without saying goodbye after a night of love making"? Is he masking a sexual innuendo with an affirming message? We'll never know... What we do know though, is that it sounds really good. I'm down with GH either way. He's the best Beatle, this is the best solo Beatle album, but this is also the man who wrote "Love You To". Would I put it pass him to slip in a sexy line? No way, Jorge.
"Your Time is Gonna Come", Led Zeppelin,
Led Zeppelin, 1969.
Another choice track that slipped by the first few times around. While Led Zeppelin's self-titled debut will
never be my favorite of theirs, it's a mighty powerful introduction. You can't ignore that record. I'm sure when it first rattled people in early 1969, people thought, "Who
are these guys?" The track opens with JPJ playing a Garth Hudson-esque organ intro. It's random and spellbinding, and it leads into a serene riff. JP comes in with his extraordinary picking, and young and inexperienced Robert Plant shows that he is right up there with the big-wigs. With JPJ's ascending organ flirting with JP's sweeping first-try at steel guitar, they create an entirely three-dimensional aural vista.
Post-script; I say it quite often, and I'm sure I sound like a sap, but I really appreciate you guys reading! Lately, I've been getting a lot of comments complimenting my writing skills, my passion for music, and just overall positive feedback. I just want to say it means so, SO much. I obviously adore this music, and I enjoy writing, and the fact that others can get enjoyment out of that is thrilling. It's a weird thought that people enjoy something I create, all by myself. But it's of course all rooted in our intense passion for the wonderful music. Maybe it's just me, but my blog is a place where I can say things I might not be able to get away with in face-to-face conversation. But once I see that others are on the same page, it inspires me to take it into the real world. Even though I hate the word 'blog', I love the fact that we're all expressing our creativity. There's absolutely nothing bad that can stem from that. So friends -- Keep posting, keep writing, keep doing what you do. It's the best and so are you. And keep reading! You inspire me to push my limits and create new madness. I grow everyday because of you guys, xo.
Post post-script; While on the topic of readers... Since adding that 'live traffic feed' to my sidebar (get one, it's amazing!!!), I realized I have WAY more viewers than I thought! I hope you enjoy what you're reading, and if so, comment! Please! Comments are the fuel to the flame.
