Brotherly Love

If you have ever enjoyed singing or listening to harmony in a rock song then you can thank the Everly Brothers who not only directly influenced the Beatles’ sound but also helped bring rock, R&B, and country music together. Born in the Midwest and raised in a country music singing family group, Phil and Don Everly could do it all musically, yet after their late ‘50s and early ‘60s peak the brothers just never seemed to be able to adapt and find a place in the modern musical landscape they helped create. After the passing of Phil Everly in 2014, Paul Simon said: “Phil and Don were the most beautiful sounding duo I ever heard. Both voices pristine and soulful. The Everlys were there at the crossroads of country and R&B. They witnessed and were part of the birth of rock and roll.”

In the early ‘90s I was traveling through the South of France listening to Sebadoh and Dinosaur Jr. on my Walkman when one day I wandered into a little shop and purchased an Everly Brothers cassette tape (since I had read in a fanzine somewhere that the Everly Brothers had influenced Sebadoh who at the time were my favorite band). To this day, I’m an Everly Brothers fan although when it comes to their vast catalogue of music I’m more interested in their darker, sadder stuff than the more popular songs like “Bye Bye Love” or “Wake Up Little Susie”. To me, “Gone, Gone, Gone” sounds like proto-pop punk and rocks harder than any Green Day song; while the Everlys’ cover of Bob Dylan’s “Abandoned Love” is just so beautifully weird and touching. Here are some of my favorite Everly Brothers songs. Enjoy!

01. The Everly Brothers – “Gone, Gone, Gone” (1964)

02. The Everly Brothers – “Bowling Green” (1967)

03. The Everly Brothers – “When Will I Be Loved” (1960)

04. The Everly Brothers – “Mama Tried” (1968)

05. The Everly Brothers – “Let It Be Me” (1960)

06. The Everly Brothers – “Down in the Willow Garden” (1958)

07. The Everly Brothers – “Problems” (1958)

08. The Everly Brothers – “(Till) I Kissed You” (1959) 

09. The Everly Brothers – “All I Have to Do Is Dream” (1958)

10. The Everly Brothers – “Abandoned Love” (1985)

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Rock Grab Bag VII

There were several long-standing musical traditions in the early twentieth century American South including jazz, blues, and folk which by the mid-century had morphed into rock & roll. Early Southern giants like Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Buddy Holly championed rock’s early sound and simple formula while U.S. military personnel brought this exciting music- along with blues, country, and Motown- to the United Kingdom. Before long there were young British imitators like the Beatles, the Animals, and the Rolling Stones conquering America with the British Invasion and inspiring a post-war generation of American beatniks and hippies including the Mamas and the Papas, the Monkees, and the Byrds.

The Beatles

All these ‘60s groups- British and American- fell under the influence of Bob Dylan and went through folk-rock and psychedelic phases before coming out the other side as singer-songwriter, hard rock, jam rock, or country rock- and amazingly all this happened in a span of less than 15 years (before punk and my generation came along to tear it all down and drag rock back to its primitive roots). With its dope, long hair, and blue jeans mystique, rock marched on through the end of the century and some of its icons are still making music today. But, as an art form, rock has not really evolved or broken any new ground since the ‘70s; and like jazz, blues, and folk it is now just a word. Yet in its prime- and at its best- rock music represented freedom, love, revolution, and communion for millions around the world- including me.

Stephen Stills

The romantic in me believes rock has its own mythology; a world of dreams, memories, and lost loves. Rock represents a shared journey, a search for freedom, and its ideals helped defeat Communism in Eastern Europe. For decades rock seemed invincible but viewed through the lens of Marxist history rock exists and is essential only as long as it is profitable. One cannot help but see a correlation between the Internet’s rise and rock’s steady decline as both artists and listeners continue to die- and it just doesn’t pay to discover the next Beatles or make rock albums anymore. Like grunge or macramé, rock as an art form will never die. But, as a force for social change, rock’s impact will continue to diminish until a new, restless generation rediscovers its powers. Here are some more of my favorite rock songs. Enjoy!

Richie Havens at Woodstock, 1969

01, Led Zeppelin – “Tangerine” (1970)
02. Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová – “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” (2007)
03. David Gray – “Money (That’s What I Want) (Live)” (2012)
04. Paul McCartney – “Fuh You” (2018)
05. Del Amitri – “Be My Downfall” (1992)
06. David Childers – “The Prettiest Thing” (2011)
07. Ringo Starr – “Hey Baby” (1976)
08. Van Morrison – “Dark Night of the Soul” (2019)
09. Crosby, Stills & Nash – “In My Life” (1994)
10. Warren Zevon – “Steady Rain” (Unknown)
11. The Beatles – “If I Needed Someone” (1965)
12. Stephen Stills – “Love the One You’re With” (1970)
13. Electric Light Orchestra – “From Out of Nowhere” (2019)
14. Richie Havens – “Fire and Rain (Live)” (1972)
15. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – “Teach Your Children” (1970)
16. Van Morrison – “If We Wait for Mountains” (2019)
17. Yusuf / Cat Stevens – “All Kinds of Roses” (2009)
18. Yusuf / Cat Stevens– “Roadsinger” (2009)

19. The Animals – “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” (1977)

20. Richie Havens – “Here Comes the Sun (Live)” (1970)

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Soul by the Dozen VII

Oldies radio used to be so easy to find on American radio dials but appears to be headed for extinction as the majority of its fans dies and online music and music streaming services continue to supplant traditional radio formats. So when I was back home in New York this past summer and driving around one afternoon, I was happy to stumble across some scratchy oldies radio show which made the drive much more enjoyable for me as it included lots of great classic soul music.

Etta James

There is a fine line between oldies music and classic soul especially when it comes to Motown. The ‘60s and ‘70s produced the majority of oldies hits and these decades are also the zenith of soul music and so it makes sense that the two genres often sound great all blended together without color lines on the same radio program. Here are some more of my favorite soul songs including some doo wop which is a cornerstone of oldies, soul, and even rock music. Enjoy- and Happy New Year!

Wilson Pickett

01. Wilson Pickett – “In the Midnight Hour” (1965)

02. The Moonglows – “See Saw” (1956)

03. Stevie Wonder – “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1966)

04. The Marvelettes – “Don’t Mess with Bill”  (1965)

05. Doris Troy – “Just One Look” (1963)

06. Lou Rawls – “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine” (1976)

07. The Spinners – “The Rubberband Man” (1976)

08. The Olympics – “Big Boy Pete” (1960)

09. Etta James – “Tell Mama” (1968)

10. Diana Ross & The Supremes – “Love Child” (1968)

11. Barbara Lewis – “Hello Stranger” (1963)
12. Jerry Butler – “Hey, Western Union Man” (1968)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...