Garage Freaks! III

The word “barbarian” comes to us from the ancient Greeks who used it disparagingly to describe foreigners whose languages to Greek ears sounded like gibberish (“bar bar bar bar bar”). While it’s easy to dismiss ‘60s garage rock as America’s primitive response to the British Invasion, there is much more to garage rock than just an aped, barbarian approach to music. There was, for example, a thin line between American garage rock and psychedelic music and in both forms one can hear the roots of hard rock, punk, metal, and hardcore. And while garage rock was mostly an American affair, let us not forget the outstanding contributions of the Troggs (from England) who gave the world “Wild Thing”.

Steppenwolf

What ‘60s garage rockers lacked in musical talent and sophistication they more than made up for with attitude and menace. There is nothing new under the sun. If you played for some bored teenagers in ancient Rome the first seven albums of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and then gave them drums and electric guitars, the music those Latin teens would produce (toga rock?) would sound a lot like garage rock (and their parents would then complain about all the noise and long hair). Here are some of my favorite garage rock pioneers songs including some that straddle the thin, fuzzy line between garage rock and psychedelic music (but don't call these proto-punks hippies!) Enjoy!

The Gants

01. The Electric Prunes – “I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)” (1967)
02. Count Five – “Psychotic Reaction (Rarities Version)” (1966)
03. The Sonics – “Strychnine” (1965)
04. The Troggs – “Give It to Me” (1967)
05. The Balloon Farm – “A Question of Temperature” (1967)
06. The Seeds – “Pushin’ Too Hard” (1965)
07. Bob Seger and the Last Heard – “Heavy Music – Pt. 1” (1967)
08. The Chocolate Watchband – “Are You Gonna Be There (At the Love-In)” (1967)
09. Bob Seger and the Last Heard – “East Side Story” (1966)
10. The Chocolate Watchband – “Baby Blue” (1968)
11. Steppenwolf – “Born to Be Wild” (1968)
12. The Gants – “My Baby Don’t Care” (1965)
13. The Music Explosion – “Little Bit O’ Soul” (1967)
14. The Savage Resurrection – “Thing in E” (1968)
15. The Gants – “I Wonder” (1967)
16. Paul Revere & the Raiders – “Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon” (1969)

17. Los Bravos – “Bring a Little Lovin’” (1968)

18. The 13th Floor Elevators – “You’re Gonna Miss Me” (1966)

19. Love – “7 and 7 Is” (1966)

20. Love – “No Matter What You Do” (1966)

21. The Brogues – “I Ain’t No Miracle Worker” (1965)

22. Blues Magoos – “One by One” (1966)

23. The Chocolate Watchband – “I’m Not Like Everybody Else” (1968)

24. The Castaways - “Liar, Liar” (1965)

25. The Electric Prunes – “Get Me to the World on Time” (1967)

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Bubblegum!

Though I was born during the tail end of the bubblegum music phenomenon, as a child I was well-schooled in bubblegum thanks to TV reruns. Whether it was live action made-for-TV bands like the Monkees, the Partridge Family, and the Brady Bunch, or cartoon bands like the Impossibles, Josie and the Pussycats, and the Groovie Goolies, I ate it all up like sugary breakfast cereal. Like junk food, bubblegum music was aimed at children and had no real value but sure was fun and wasn’t all bad. In fact, bubblegum helped ease preteens like me into so-called adult music and introduced us to grown up themes. The best of bubblegum knew how to grab its kid listeners and even got parents tapping their feet (and trying to get those catchy songs out of their heads). Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy!

The Monkees

01. The Monkees – “Sometime in the Morning” (1967)
02. The Monkees – “Shades of Gray” (1967)
03. The Monkees – “Daydream Believer” (1967)
04. The Royal Guardsmen – “Snoopy vs. the Red Baron” (1966)
05. The Archies – “Sugar, Sugar” (1969)
06. The Partridge Family – “I Woke Up in Love This Morning” (1971)
07. Paul Revere & the Raiders – “Just Like Me” (1965)
08. The Peppermint Rainbow – “And I’ll Be There” (1969)
09. Josie and the Pussycats – “Josie and the Pussycats” (1970)
10. The Jackson 5 – “ABC” (1970)
11. The Partridge Family – “Come on Get Happy” (1971)
12. Blue Swede – “Hooked on a Feeling” (1973)
13. The Monkees – “The Door into Summer (Live)” (2019)
14. Davy Jones – “Girl” (1971)

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Josie and the Pussycats

The Monkees – “Sometime in the Morning”

Let It Rock II

Around the turn of the century, I went through an Elvis Presley phase (many consider Elvis to be the artist of the century) and at that time I was drawn less to Presley’s gritty, countrified ‘50s sound (as exciting as that can be) and more to the smoothness and bombast of his ‘60s and even ‘70s periods. Any number of influential ‘50s rock & roll artists (most if not all of them were from the South) could have claimed the title “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” but Presley grabbed it, owns it, and no one can ever take it away from him. Here are some of my favorite songs by ‘50s rock & roll artists, including the King. Enjoy!

Elvis Presley

01. Elvis Presley – “Long Legged Girl (With the Short Dress On)” (1967)

02. The Crickets – “It’s So Easy” (1958)

03. Elvis Presley – “Do the Clam” (1965)

04. Ben E. King and the Drifters – “This Magic Moment” (1960)

05. Chuck Berry – “Roll Over Beethoven” (1956)

06. The Drifters – “Let the Music Play” (1964)

07. Roy Orbison – “You Got It” (1989)

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

09. The Drifters – “Under the Boardwalk” (1964)

10. Elvis Presley – “Good Rockin’ Tonight” (1959)

11. Carl Perkins – “Blue Suede Shoes” (1956)

12. Chuck Berry – “Sweet Little Sixteen” (1958)

13. Elvis Presley – “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (1961)

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Elvis Presley – “Always on My Mind” 

What HBO's Vinyl Got Wrong About Elvis 

Blue Jean Rock Poets V – Part 2

While no longer as popular as it was during its golden age in the ‘70s, singer-songwriter music carries on. Big name artists like Sting, Sheryl Crow, and Sarah McLachlan have done what they could over the years to keep singer-songwriter music relevant, and Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, and Gordon Lightfoot are still alive and kicking. But how can a new generation with a limited attention span ever begin to discover the magic of singer-songwriters? One result of the current global pandemic has been people forced to stay home. Maybe now is the time when people are rediscovering the great singer-songwriter music and this will lead to a musical renaissance. I can dream. Here are more of my favorites. Enjoy!

Gordon Lightfoot

01. Gordon Lightfoot – “Miguel” (1971)
02. John Phillips – “Mississippi” (1970)
03. Bob Dylan – “Shooting Star (Live)” (1994)
04. Yusuf / Cat Stevens – “All Kinds of Roses” (2009)
05. Dar Williams – “Fm Radio” (2015)
06. Gordon Lightfoot – “Same Old Loverman” (1971)
07. Al Stewart – “A Small Fruit Song” (1970)
08. Al Stewart – “Bedsitter Images” (1967)
09. Randy Newman – “Birmingham” (1974)
10. Gordon Lightfoot – “Ring Them Bells” (1993)
11. Judy Collins – “Since You Asked” (1967)
12. Bob Dylan – “Murder Most Foul” (2020)
13. Paul Simon feat. Phoebe Snow & The Jessy Dixon Singers – “Gone at Last” (1975)
14. Gordon Lightfoot – “Talking in Your Sleep” (1971)
15. Sarah McLachlan – “Answer (Live)” (2003)
16. Eva Cassidy – “Fields of Gold” (1998)

Sarah McLachlan

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Jimmy Breslin on JFK’s Assassination: Two Classic Columns

Blue Jean Rock Poets V – Part 1

One of the best things about singer-songwriter music is its timelessness which usually makes it good for all seasons and occasions. Few artists besides Paul Simon have songs at the ready to be played following a national tragedy (9/11, Sandy Hook) and whenever I feel hurt, lost, or just sick and tired of music, I turn to the big names in singer-songwriter. Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy!

Paul Simon

01. Randy Newman – “Mr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man)” (1974)
02. Judy Collins – “Send in the Clowns” (1975)
03. Paul Simon – “The Sound of Silence (Live)” (2011)
04. Paul Simon – “Love and Hard Times” (2011)
05. Bob Dylan – “Most of the Time (Alternate)” (1989)
06. Gordon Lightfoot – “On Susan’s Floor” (1972)
07. John Prine – “Grandpa Was a Carpenter” (1973)
08. Loudon Wainwright III – “The Swimming Song” (1973)
09. Arlo Guthrie – “Victor Jara” (1976)
10. Cat Stevens – “Oh Very Young” (1974)
11. Ralph McTell – “Nanna’s Song” (1968)
12. Tom Waits – “On the Nickel” (1980)
13. Loudon Wainwright III – “Dead Skunk” (1972)
14. Gordon Lightfoot – “Christian Island (Georgian Bay)” (1972)
15. Judy Collins – “The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress” (1975)
16. Sheryl Crow feat. Sting – “Always on Your Side” (2005)

Judy Collins

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Bob Dylan on Paul McCartney [McCartney (2020) | Trailer #2]

Country Grab Bag V

“There’s only two kinds of music: the blues and zippety doo-dah.” 

– Townes Van Zandt

Johnny Cash

I recently reread Lincoln’s second inaugural (which every American should read- it’s quite brief) and was struck by Lincoln’s wondering aloud whether the still ongoing civil war was divine retribution for the sin of slavery- a wicked institution the Confederacy fought and died to preserve. Don’t let anyone tell you different: the Civil War was fought over slavery. There were no heroes from the Confederacy; they were all racist traitors. But what then about the founders of the United States, traitors to the British Empire, many of whom owned slaves? While an interesting issue for discussion, for me there are only two roads: the road to freedom and the road away from it. Despite its failings, the United States is the story of a nation on the road to freedom. The Confederacy and its supporters were on the road to hell.

Bob Dylan

Long associated with the American South, country music comes from the same birthplace as jazz, blues, and rock & roll (interestingly, Kentucky and West Virginia- key places in the development of country music- both fought for the Union during the Civil War). At some point, cowboy music became associated with country (hence the term country and western, which replaced hillbilly) and while Southerners like Johnny Cash and Townes Van Zandt helped draw non-Southerners to country music, let us not forget Bob Dylan- a Jewish kid from Minnesota- continues to record country influenced music (not to mention folk, jazz, blues, and rock & roll). While Dylan’s music is steeped in country, it also transcends it and invites all listeners to discover and enjoy its charms. Here are some of my favorite country songs. Enjoy!

Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash

01. Michael Nesmith – “Some of Shelly’s Blues” (1973)
02. Shooter Jennings – “Walk of Life” (2007)
03. Johnny Cash – “Highway Patrolman” (1983)
04. John Prine – “Illegal Smile” (1971)
05. Johnny Cash – “You Are My Sunshine” (2000)
06. Johnny Cash – “The Beast in Me” (1994)
07. Johnny Cash – “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” (2002)
08. Johnny Cash – “Streets of Laredo” (2002)
09. Toby Keith and Sting – “I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying” (1997)
10. Townes Van Zandt – “I’ll Be Here in the Morning” (1969)
11. Jonny Fritz – “Fifteen Passenger Van” (2016)
12. Kenny Rogers – “Love the World Away” (1980)
13. Townes Van Zandt – “None but the Rain” (1969)
14. William Clark Green – “She Likes the Beatles” (2013)
15. Turnpike Troubadours – “Every Girl” (2010)
16. Townes Van Zandt – “For the Sake of the Song” (1969)
17. Bob Dylan – “All Along the Watchtower” (1967)
18. Bob Dylan – “Not Dark Yet” (1997)
19. Bob Dylan – “Desolation Row (Alternate)” (1965)
20. Bob Dylan – “Blind Willie McTell” (1983)

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Oldies: Pass the Fritos IX

This may be my last oldies round up for a while as my survey of oldies music has served its purpose and I’ve demonstrated not all oldies should be dismissed or forgotten. Some oldies still sound fresh and exciting and bring pleasure; other oldies are just weird and yet sound more adventurous and compelling than any current music. Here are some of my favorite oldies songs including British Invasion, girl groups, psychedelic, and garage rock pioneers, as well as oldies music from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (watching that groovy movie has been one of the few highlights of my summer). Enjoy!

01. Chad & Jeremy – “Paxton Quigley’s Had the Course” (1968)

02. Roky Erickson & The Explosives – “I Walked with a Zombie (Live)” (1979)

03. The Shangri-Las – “Give Him a Great Big Kiss” (1964)

04. Los Bravos – “Bring a Little Lovin’” (1968)

05. The Third Rail – “Run Run Run” (1967)

06. The Monkees – “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone” (1967)

07. Roy Head and the Traits – “Treat Her Right” (1965)

08. Small Faces – “Afterglow” (1968)

09. The Third Bardo – “Five Years Ahead of My Time” (1967)

10. Françoise Hardy – “La fille avec toi” (1962)

11. The Action – “Brain” (1967)

12. Paul Revere & the Raiders – “Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon” (1969)

13. Buchanan Brothers – “Son of a Lovin’ Man” (1969)

14. The Beach Boys – “Fallin’ in Love (aka Lady)” (1970)

15. Dee Clark – “Hey Little Girl” (1959)

16. Classics IV – “Traces” (1969)

17. The Beach Boys – “In My Room” (1963)

18. The Beach Boys – “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times (Stereo Mix)” (1996)

19. Diana Ross & The Supremes – “Reflections” (1968)

20. The Association – “Rose Petals, Incense, and a Kitten” (1968)

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