Friday, February 22, 2008

My Rock 'N' Roll Favorites - the 'T's through the 'Z's


Talking Heads: “Making Flippy Floppy” – I look back on the popularity of Talking Heads and ask myself, “What were people thinking?” However, I can still listen to “Making Flippy Floppy,” which by itself makes it my favorite TH song.
Thin Lizzy: “Angel from the Coast” – I once owned Thin Lizzy’s Jailbreak album on 8-track, and despite the popularity of “The Boys Are Back in Town” and “Jailbreak,” I’ve always regarded “Angel from the Coast” as the group’s best song.
Three Dog Night: “Nobody” – Three Dog Night was originally a great, mostly white R&B outfit before they gave into some inexplicable urge to record bubble-gum pop. “Nobody,” from their first album (now given the title One) exemplifies the harder sound they had at first.
Toto: “Georgy Porgy” – I can’t listen to most of Toto’s stuff these days, so “Georgy Porgy” is my “favorite” by default.
Trower, Robin: “Day of the Eagle” – Robin Trower, as others have noted, served as an important link between Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen (and progeny), keeping the guitar-hero phenomenon alive in the mid-1970s. James Dewar, Trower’s singer/bassist, had a very fine baritone voice as well.
U2: “Mysterious Ways” – U2 is another group that has successfully reinvented itself several times, demonstrating a profound level of creativity. While I like tunes from several stages of their career – I regard “Pride (In the Name of Love)” as perhaps the finest musical tribute ever paid anyone (viz., MLK) -- “Mysterious Ways” stands out for me.
Uriah Heep: “Poet’s Justice” – One of my brothers once had the Demons and Wizards album, and this was the best cut on it.
Van Halen: “Feel Your Love Tonight” – I didn't care for much of Van Halen’s later work. “Feel Your Love Tonight” was the highlight of their first album, which came out at a time when I could appreciate Eddie Van Halen’s guitar virtuosity (i.e., before he had thousands of imitators).
Ventures, The: “Walk Don’t Run” – The Ventures were a perfect fit for the rock instrumental (RI) period of the early 1960s; they weren’t the greatest musicians around, but they did great arrangements of various popular numbers. Their first hit, “Walk Don’t Run,” is my favorite.
Walsh, Joe: “Rocky Mountain Way” – I’ve already mentioned Walsh as a member of the Eagles and the James Gang, but some of his solo work was nice, too.
Who, The: “Bargain” – The broad dynamic range of this song, combined with the near-sociopathic, obsessive lyrics, make it a great rock song. Pete Townshend was once quoted as saying that one of the things that most fascinated him about rock music was its ability to produce spiritual uplift even in its most nihilistic forms. This song perfectly illustrates that notion.
Winwood, Steve: “Spanish Dancer” – Steve Winwood was a teenage prodigy of the first order, with both great instrumental talent and a voice to die for. “Spanish Dancer,” from his (much later) solo album Arc of a Diver, is a great example of his ability to interweave various keyboard parts into a terrific whole.
Wishbone Ash: “Blowin’ Free” – I loved Wishbone Ash’s Argus album, with all its images of medieval kings and knights and epic struggles; however, I am most fond of the cut “Blowin’ Free.”
Yes: “Long Distance Runaround” – I thought Yes kind of went off the deep end of jazz-rock for a period, but the Fragile album had some cool music. The level of musicianship in the group was fairly unprecedented for the era in which it was released, which makes the album still very interesting today.
Young, Neil: “When You Dance I Can Really Love” – I remember reading where a journalist asked Neil Young the secret to his sound, and he replied that he and his group simply get drunk and play really slow. This tune, which appears on his memorable After the Gold Rush album, has a certain simplicity but, paradoxically, a touch of compositional complexity as well; it all adds up to a wonderful tune.
Zappa, Frank: “Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow” – Zappa, of course, was a prodigious talent in several ways, but his sense of humor was impeccable, as evidenced by this song.
ZZ Top: “Backdoor Love Affair” – ZZ Top was a great band in the early days, and I still like their first three albums the most. “Backdoor Love Affair” will always remind me of my time in the LDS Church’s Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah in early 1979; I can remember having the power chords from the end of this song playing endlessly in my head as I tried to memorize the missionary discussions.

My Rock 'N' Roll Favorites - the 'Q's through the 'S's

Queen: “Tie Your Mother Down” – Queen’s best rocker, bar none. I also like the period piece “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.”
Ramones, The: “Pinhead” – Gabba Gabba Hey! I got in on the Ramones late, but, having now acquired a greatest-hits compilation, I like several of their early numbers, like “We’re a Happy Family,” “I’m Against It,” “Rockaway Beach,” and “I Wanna Be Sedated.” However, “Pinhead” is my favorite.
Rascals, The: “Good Lovin’” – The (Young) Rascals were a little too blue-eyed soul for my tastes, but, forced to choose a favorite, I'd say it’s the up-tempo “Good Lovin’.”
REO Speedwagon: “Roll with the Changes” – REO was a very over-rated band. I remember liking this song a lot when it first came out, but when I finally realized that the lame-o lead guitar on it probably represented Gary Richrath’s best effort, it sort of fell off my radar.
REM: “Can’t Get There from Here” – REM was another vastly over-rated group, but I like this tune despite the typically wimpy 80s guitar tonality.
Rolling Stones, The: “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” – Many people will disagree, but everything that was/is good about the Stones is contained in this song. From the insistent beat, the classic guitar riff, the defiant I’m-still-here lyrics, to the seamless blending of bass and organ, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” was everything a rock song should be.
Ronstadt, Linda: “You’re No Good” – This song will always remind me of teenage sleep-overs at my friend Ken Foley’s family’s apartment in the summer of 1974. Ken always kept his radio on all night, whereas I had trouble sleeping with music playing; thus the layered stereo guitar parts on this tune conjure up all sorts of late-night memories for me.
Rush: I know lots of people who like Rush, but I’ve never come to appreciate them much; therefore, I have no favorite song of theirs. I don't think much of Alex Lifeson as a guitarist or Geddy Lee as a singer, but I will admit that Neil Peart is a great drummer.
Santana: “Soul Sacrifice” – I love to watch Santana’s performance of “Soul Sacrifice” at Woodstock in 1969, particularly the drumming of Michael Shrieve, who was only 19 years old at the time. In fact, I regard it as the highlight of the entire Woodstock festival.
Seger, Bob: “Hollywood Nights” – Great syncopated guitar, combined with outstanding drumming, make this tune Seger’s best.
Simon & Garfunkel: “Scarborough Fair/Canticle” – I’m less of a Simon & Garfunkel fan now than I was thirty years ago, but I still very much like “Scarborough Fair.”
Simple Minds: “Stand By Love” – I always thought that Jim Kerr the songwriter had his good days and his bad days, but “Stand By Love” was among his best.
Smithereens, The: “House We Used to Live In” – This song was definitely a high point of the late 80s for me. The Smithereens kept the fire going by playing very straight-up rock ‘n’ roll in an era of drum machines and synthesizers.
Springsteen, Bruce: “Tunnel of Love” – Bad drum machine, but great metaphor: love as a scary amusement-park ride that can easily become one’s worst nightmare.
Standells, The: “Dirty Water” – Possibly the greatest rock ‘n’ roll song ever recorded, it had it all: snotty lyrics, the quintessential guitar lick, great beat, nice supporting organ, etc.
Steely Dan: “Peg” – I like various Steely Dan songs for the guitar solos (e.g., “Kid Charlemagne,” “Reelin’ In the Years,” “Rikki Don’t Lose that Number,” et al.), but “Peg,” apart from having the great Jay Graydon guitar solo, also holds special memories for me.
Steppenwolf: “Magic Carpet Ride” – I could live without the “psychedelic” intro and instrumental break, but the “meat” of the song is great: fantastic rhythm and a cadence in the vocals that any rapper should envy.
Steve Miller Band, The: “Jungle Love” – I hated this song at first, as the next-door neighbors in my dorm at BYU (during my freshman year), played it over and over at high volume; however, I came to appreciate it over time.
Stewart, Rod: “Every Picture Tells a Story” – My brother Kelly had Stewart’s Every Picture Tells a Story album on 8-track, and although I associate it with what was perhaps the worst period of my life (seventh grade), I still like the title song and “(I Know) I’m Losing You.”
Stills, Stephen: “Do For the Others” – A great song about breaking up, and an example of Stephen Stills’ songwriting at its best. I always associate his first solo album with highway travel, as one time my older brothers took me with them to a church volleyball tournament in Thatcher, Arizona, and we listened to it in the car for hours on end.

Sting: “If I Ever Lose My Faith In You” – I’m about the farthest thing from a Sting fan in general, especially his singing and songwriting, but he managed to come up with something special in this tune.
Styx: “Cold War” – The fact that I would pick a song off the otherwise lamentable Kilroy Was Here album should indicate what I think of Styx in general; however, Tommy Shaw was a light in the darkness, and “Cold War” was a pretty decent song.
Supertramp: “Long Way Home” – This is another tune that reminds me of my time as a missionary in La Cisterna, Chile, which in some ways was the darkest period of my mission. My companion had Supertramp’s Breakfast In America album on cassette, and I came to like most of the cuts on it.
Sweet, The: “Fox on the Run” – I could never quite comprehend why a competent rock band would try to make a career out of mostly insufferable bubble-gum pop compositions. “Ballroom Blitz” was probably their best pure rock song, but “Fox on the Run” holds better memories for me.