September 30, 2016 - Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band - Night Moves (1976)

I imagine a lonely train rolling through a rural landscape on a summer night, a starry sky, a warm breeze rustling through the tall grassy fields and treetops. It's very peaceful, this setting. A landscape of porch swings and fireflies. OK, here's a specific image: Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the place in Indiana where the little kid Barry lives with his Mom, and he's running off into the woods and the breeze is blowing through the curtains of the farmhouse. And then he makes it to the road and the older guy is sitting there whistling 'She'll be Comin Round the Mountain.' Just like that. Or the movie Hoosiers.

Night Moves tells the story of an adolescent love affair from an older man's perspective. The nostalgia of carefree wonder. It is an American classic, completely full of American imagery. And these last lines are the ones that make it so special:

I awoke last night to the sound of thunder
How far off I sat and wondered
Started humming a song from 1962
Ain't it funny how the night moves
When you just don't seem to have as much to lose
Strange how the night moves
With autumn closing in

So quiet and calm, and the vision it creates: thunder off in the distance, wondering how far away it is, humming an old song, a magical time and place that your mind can go to every now and then.

Great piano from Doug Riley. I also love the backing vocals, especially during the fade out, of Sharon Lee Williams, Rhonda Silver, and Laurel Ward. And Bob Seger's vocals are so rough, man I really thought he was an old guy when I'd hear this song as a kid from the back seat of the station wagon. 

It's a nice way to bring September to a close.

September 29, 2016 - Funkadelic - Friday Night, August 14th (1970)

Oh well, it's Thursday, September 29th...no synchronicity. On Friday Night, August 14th lady luck smiled on the narrator. His income tax return came through, and he won money playing 047...lottery? roulette? In any case, the dude is looking good and he is out on the town, ready to spend money on a lady (and himself, too).

Eddie Hazel and Billy Nelson both take lead vocals on this tune. We also have the good fortune of enjoying Eddie Hazel's guitar many times throughout the song, listen to the solo that starts at 2:18. On fire, dude. Bernie Worrell on the organ, excellent as usual. Cool phased drums from Tiki Fulwood near the end.

September 28, 2016 - Grateful Dead - Box Of Rain (1970)

Box of Rain is a classic among classics from the Grateful Dead's American Beauty album.


Sung by bassist Phil Lesh, words by Robert Hunter, it is a comfort song for Lesh's father as he lay dying in a hospital. It is an action song...the listener is advised to do things - look out of any window, walk out of any doorway, look into any eyes, walk into splintered sunlight. Experience your world, both externally and internally, observe the moments passing through your soul and let it help you on your journey to the other side. I am here if you need help, what do you want me to do? Also, there is a box of rain here in case you need it. Like if you get stuck, you can start by considering the weather as the canvas you use to fill with your visions. Is it rainy? Sunny? Windy? Maybe it will take your mind off the pain if you can visualize yourself somewhere else. Or, maybe it's a box you can crawl into, filled with all the worlds you can imagine.

I sometimes think of a box of kleenex. A box of tears (rain). This way when Phil sings I don't know who put it there, I can tell him it was a hospital employee.

If you ever feel blue, put this song on right away, and I hope you will feel better. And think about these last lyrics:

Such a long long time to be gone
and a short time to be there

 
 

September 27, 2016 - Julian Cope - Kolly Kibber's Birthday (1984)

This is one of those songs, like Out On The Tiles, Tomorrow Never Knows, and Smells Like Teen Spirit, where the title is not mentioned in the lyrics. What is the connection? Even though Kolly Kibber's Birthday is my second favorite Julian Cope song, I've never thought much about it. The pulsating drum/synth tone is so hypnotic, and the melody is so dreamy, I've just allowed the song to BE. But here!...on this blog!...today, ladies and gentlemen...not in front of a studio audience!...I am going to try to answer it! (pause while initial audience shock and amazement subsides).

OK, here is my take on the song. I believe an adult Julian is looking back on an experience he had as an adolescent that involved a bully. The opening music is anxious, like a child running frantically down the street to get somewhere. Voices in his head, 'you're going to be late! run faster!' My life is a delicate balance, the distance between town A and town B...I imagine Julian as a 13 year old having to leave his comfort zone to attend Kolly Kibber's Birthday. Perhaps he has a crush on her, or some other girl who will be there, and he is worried about appearing awkward in her presence. However, going from Town A (Tamworth) to, eh, let's look at the map. OK Town B is Alvecote. It's actually a hamlet. Along this route, there is a big kid who Julian might encounter, and this is the delicate part, getting to the party without getting 'killed.' Uh-oh, suddenly his enemy is standing in the road, and Julian's fear factor kicks in.

And as the fog gets clearer...the kid knocks Julian down, but after shaking himself off Julian gets to his feet and wipes his tears away. A two note electric guitar shatters the mind...

My war is a Pyrrhic victory...Julian is going to have to fight, and the best he can hope for is some sort of moral victory because he thinks the kid is going to pummel him. While his mind struggles with the weight of the moment, the bully has the gall to approach with a look of indifference, like I have to do this, it's my job. I'm not sure about the irrigates half of our hearts line, but I think Julian has grown up with this kid and they are supposed to cling to their roles as bully and bullied. But pride in the name of pride...

And as the fog gets clearer...Julian has upped the ante, the bully has provoked him and Julian's mind says it's time to party like it's 1999. What more does he have to lose?

My arms bear a payment to liberty...Julian fights, he's had enough of this bully. He smashes the chains of the bully's tyranny and flails his fists at the kid. The final lines are Julian reflecting on the incident; he can look back on it from a healthy present time, and he tells himself that he was a god in that battle. It might not be how it actually happened, but being a secure and mature adult softens the lie.

The crazy two note electric guitar is the weak getting strong and nearer...it's the strength and courage coming to Julian in the moment, like a two-sided battle axe. Maybe after this event, Julian makes it to Kolly Kibber's house and celebrates with some cake and ice cream and a cute girl.

September 26, 2016 - Genesis - Carpet Crawlers (1974)

Glittering cascades of keyboards, at 0:01 there is lambswool under my naked feet. Carpet Crawlers is from The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, called the 'Ulysses of concept albums' by critic Jon Michaud. Let's enjoy the flow and esotericism of the lyrics, and the calm romantic delivery by Peter Gabriel.

I like to picture little kittens crawling playfully on the carpet when I listen to this song.More favorite lines (reminding me of):

0:18 A salamander scurries into flame to be destroyed (MC Escher - the salamander part)
1:00 The crawlers cover the floor in the red ochre corridor (Goodnight Moon)
1:11 they're moving in time to a heavy wooden door (a Hobbit door)
2:43 Mild mannered supermen are held in kryptonite (that comic book hero guy, whatshisname)
3:55 And the tickler takes his stickleback (nothing, I just like the unexpected brevity of the line)


Phil Collins plays the drums most impressively, beginning at 1:50 and keeping time while playing all those quick chika shika chika shika hi-hat taps. The chorus is pretty dang catchy too, if I don't say so myself.

September 25, 2016 - J.A. Seazer - Toukyou Junreika - Song of Pilgrimage to Tokyo (1972)

More grateful thanks to my musical guru, Julian Cope, who introduced me (and my co-explorer of music, Dave O) to the great Japanese rock scene of the 60s and 70s via his book, Japrocksampler.

According to Julian, J.A. Seazer, aka Takaaki Terahara, was born in 1948, on the island of Kyushu. After a quasi-mythological childhood, in 1968 he ended up in the wild Shinjuku district of Tokyo, and hung out with like-minded hippies and artists. He met and became influenced by dramatist Shuji Terayama and his cohorts. After experiencing various epiphanies, he began to compose music for Terayama's Tenjo Sajiki theater troupe. An ad for J.A. Seazer's music reads:
             The borderline between reality and illusion will be dissolving.
             Voodoo rock that invokes blood and the memory of blood.

Whoa...scary.

Toukyou Junreika does not sound so frightening as it begins. It is very quiet and solemn, as if we are in a temple. A bass and guitar emerge from a slight thunder cloud, piano joins in, and the chorus begins to sing. But pay attention, the voices are building in numbers, gaining power.

Then...at 2:06, there is a cymbal crash, and the voices get louder. At 2:21, heavy electric guitar chords swoops in and things spiral out of control at 2:30. I have no idea what the words are, but these people are pissed off about something...well, I suppose it could be 'how frickin long until we get to Tokyo?! My feet hurt!'

At 3:08 we get a break for dinner...maybe everyone will feel better after a rest? Nope, it all starts up again at 3:41, but at least now the people sound more driven to make it to Tokyo in spite of the hardships. Guitars cattle prod them along the road. Faster! Get going!

September 24, 2016 - Krzysztof Klenczon/Trzy Korony - Nie przejdziemy do historii (1971)

According to Google, Nie przejdziemy do historii translates as We do not go down in history. The link has the english translation of the lyrics. The album it's from, Trzy Korony, is Poland's excellent contribution to the pantheon of classic albums released in 1971, like Led Zeppelin IV and Who's Next.

The song is like two different songs intertwined. It starts out like some kind of phantom howling on a dark windy night, Krzysztof Klenczon's voice all reverbed, guitars raw and heavy. Vocals wail across the first verse as layers of intense guitars blast in from all around, bass and drums adding strength to the mix.
Then everything calms down and it feels like we are entering a little village during a festival, raising our beer glasses and singing along with an old folk song.
And then we return to the crazy rock explosion we first encountered. This goes on, back and forth, until the end.

I only know a little bit about Krzysztof Klenczon, but I have heard a lot of his music and most of it is great. He was a part of the classic group Czerwone Gitary (Red Guitars), Poland's Beatles. He died in Chicago in 1981, from injuries resulting from being hit by a drunk driver. What a stupid way for this amazing artist to die.

September 23, 2016 - The Velvet Underground - Venus In Furs (1967)

Shiny, shiny, shiny boots of leather...Maureen Tucker on drums - boom boom, boom boom. John Cale on electric viola - drone drone, screetch scratch. Lou Reed on ostrich guitar, strum strum, strum strum. Sounds like we are in a Moroccan opium den, not that I have any firsthand experience with that.

Venus in Furs was recorded in 1966 but released in 1967 on the VU and Nico album. Lou Reed sings a tale of sadomasochism involving a whiplash girl-child mistress who will strike Severin and cure his heart. Severin is ordered to taste the whip. I love the part that goes I am tired, I am weary, I could sleep for a thousand years. The music changes during this part, also sounding tired and weary. The guitar is cranky. Someone needs a nap!

The ritual continues, then picks up steam over the final 34 seconds as the whip flashes and dances before our eyes until we find ourselves alone, blinking in the middle of the desert somewhere.

September 22, 2016 - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child (Slight Return) (1968)

The opening scrapes and wah guitar on Voodoo Child (Slight Return) are nice, but my favorite moments are after the song kicks into gear and Jimi plays these amazing fills from 0:38-0:40 and 0:49-0:53. These are the times when Jimi Hendrix crushes you with his brilliance and leaves your jaw hanging open.

Jimi sings about standing next to a mountain and chopping it down with the edge of his hand. Then he uses the pieces to make and island. That's some amazing power! At 1:55 he grabs his axe and flies off into the stratosphere on a bolt of lightning. He calls out one last time to apologize for taking up all our sweet time. Hey, Jimi, I think you need to apologize for chopping down the mountain, but you're the boss! Then he cranks out the solo to end all solos beginning at 3:39. He will meet us on the next world, so don't be late. Next world? Why, so we can watch you chop down another mountain? Well, if you will also be playing your guitar in the next world, I will definitely be on time!

September 21, 2016 - The Band - Chest Fever (1968)

Wow, the first time I heard the organ that opens Chest Fever I was freaked out. I am not sure when it happened, but I know I was in high school. It was either on the "nine at nine" radio show or at the Garcia's house. But man, that tone is like a musical foghorn blowing a storm towards you from a mile out at sea. Garth Hudson, wow.

The organ opening lasts until about 0:30, then the drums and the rest of the instruments come in. Robbie Robertson wrote the principle four note motif, something like E-F#-A-G#.  Richard Manuel and Levon Helm supposedly improvised the lyrics, vaguely telling a story about a man who gets sick after he is rejected by a woman he loves.

Whatever, for me this song is basically all about the organ. Garth plays a great solo after the three minute mark, just twisting it all over the place. Fantastic.

September 20, 2016 - Bob Marley & the Wailers - Lively Up Yourself (1974)

Lively up yourself and don't be no drag...OK, Bob, if you insist. This is the first track on the Natty Dread album, but I have it on the Songs of Freedom box set, which I bought at Rose Records in Evanston, Illinois, in the cold winter of early 1993. Putting on this music is like throwing another log on the fire. Like a reviewer wrote on amazon, 'it's probably the best box set I will ever own.' I especially love the booklet, with that great photo of Bob and Rita Marley with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer.

The song itself is a funky reggae get up and get with it party tune. Awesome bass from Aston Barrett and guitar from Al Anderson. I love Bob's vocals throughout, delivered perfectly, especially the many parts that sound improvised, like at 1:54: "...am I tryin to wonder, wonder, wonder why you, wonder, wonder why you act so........yeah." Beautiful.

Hey, you hear what the man say?

September 19, 2016 - Blue Öyster Cult - (Don't Fear) The Reaper (1976)

Is there a more romantic death song than Don't Fear the Reaper? Buck Dharma sings it like a lullaby, calm and easy. Death is a natural occurrence, and belief in an afterlife can make a person less afraid of it. They may even run to it.

Classic guitar riff, anyone who plays rock guitar has probably practiced it at some point in their lives. And of course there is the COWBELL! That SNL sketch was so brilliant, Christopher Walken 'The Bruce Dickinson.' Yeah, the cowbell is fairly non-stop but it's low in the mix and often falls into a sonic blind spot so it tunes in and out of my consciousness. I think I almost typed couscousness there, ha ha that's what I was thinking...weird.

The guitar solo is pretty classic as well. Sometimes I wish they hadn't let the last note sustain so far into the verse, but not a deal breaker, Blue Öyster Cult. What a great name for a band. When I was younger, I thought they were scary, based on the cover of the 45 I had of Burnin for You. Ha ha, these guys are goofy. Where does one find blue oysters anyhow? Or is it a blue cult that worships oysters? Or does an umlaut over the 'o' mean something entirely different? Talk amongst yourselves.

September 18, 2016 - Mountain - Theme For An Imaginary Western (1970)

The beginning of Theme For An Imaginary Western makes me think of someone trying desperately to pry the lid off a tight jar of spaghetti sauce. The brow is furrowed, the hands are twisted. Garrr...why won't this thing open?! The music is a brick wall of organ, bass and drums you are smashing your head against.

Then the sweet voice of Felix Pappalardi rescues us just in time. Put that jar down, young fella, and listen to my story about the covered wagons in the olden days. That kind of journey was long and difficult, and the sun was in their eyes. There was occasional singing and dancing, but there was also violence and death. Meanwhile, Leslie West rips off two excellent guitar solos on his Les Paul. Excellent tone, heavy and distorted.

I first heard this song on the Psychedelic Supper program on the radio...which I recorded onto cassette. When the DJ got to talking about what he'd played, he said 'Mountain, featuring Leslie West. The rather rotund Leslie West.' Sure enough, Leslie West is a mountain of a man. He still plays his guitar and he looks and sounds great.

I have this old book of Mountain sheet music. It does not have the music for TFAIW; it has other songs like Blood of the Sun and Sittin' on a Rainbow. Groovy.

September 17, 2016 - Rush - The Spirit of Radio (1980)

There are exhilarating rock intros out there, like The Faces' Stay With Me, Iggy Pop's Lust For Life, and Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run. But I think Rush's The Spirit of Radio is the best of the bunch. The guitar riff is like my dog suddenly jumping on me in the morning, wake up and play and be happy! A big slobbery kiss at 0:04, I try to roll over but she just jumps over to that side as well, bounding all about. Finally at 0:17 I have surrendered to her will and I am up. Look out the window, turn on the coffee, eat some breakfast, get dressed, grab the leash and treats and baggies, and then at 0:42 we hit the open road for a walkie.

Begin the day with a friendly voice, a companion unobtrusive...well, I can't continue with the dog analogy because at 5 in the morning her voice is loud and obnoxious, and when we are out walking in the neighborhood she can occasionally be quite obtrusive. However, she is a very friendly companion.

The Spirit of Radio is about...drum roll...radio! The joy and beauty of music coming through the speakers, dancing around you on the airwaves, undemanding contact in your happy solitude. At 1:24, bass drum pounds and the first guitar riff returns, and another lyrical section about...the radio! Isn't it amazing! A gift beyond price. We can't see the airwaves, but we pick up on the sounds entering our ears, our bright antennae bristle with the energy, and the translation through our minds produces emotional feedback.

Of course, although one likes to believe in the freedom of music, radio is a business, and there are glittering prizes and endless compromises going on behind the scenes that shatter the illusion of integrity, yeah.

Check out that tumbling down moment at 3:36, it's the exasperation of dealing with the radio executive, the schmoozing DJ, the Biz. But Rush pick themselves up for an introspective moment: For the words of the profits were written on the studio wall. They record the music and radio helps sell their albums, and the band members makes their livings this way, so buck up and deal with it. Did they think adding a reggae groove would help? Well, it didn't. This whole discussion of radio has made them bitter and reflective, so they decide to release their emotions with a sizzling guitar solo that extends out into their listeners' brains and by the end everyone is happy. And now, a thousand words from our sponsors, followed by a 90 minute classic rock music marathon, and we will only play songs you've already heard a zillion times because if you hear anything unfamiliar it might be considered obtrusive and we'd get in trouble with the FCC.

September 16, 2016 - The Rolling Stones - Slave (1975/1981)

Slave is my favorite song from Tattoo You, an album filled with songs inspired by the character from Fantasy Island. Mick has that laid back Miss You quality to his vocals, dig that spoken word section about stealing something off the shelves, pass by the liquor store and be back by quarter to twelve. Amazing. Then at 1:56 he does that duh I'm Mick Jagger yeah baby yeah baby. Hilariously goofus. Boss! Boss! What is Meek Jahgairz fantasy? Well, Tattoo, he is tired of being a slave to the entertainment world and making lots of money. He wants to experience how his life would have turned out if he'd decided to become a physical education teacher like his father.

The music is a sweet funky groove that rolls along all slow and relaxed. The music is totally Tattoo You-ish, I swear the album sounds radically different from all their others, although there is definitely some Emotional Rescue in it (She's So Cold), and Some Girls (Lies). The drums are so cracking loud and out in front and everything is kind of in your face. The album is made up of songs they had recorded already, so maybe the additional overdubs gave it this sound. I haven't read up on it.

Slave features the excellent Billy Preston on keyboards and the mighty saxophone of Sonny Rollins, a spectacular treat. There are so many fantastic ensemble moments, it's hard to pick one. But if I had to choose, I would say Sonny's sax screech at 4:05 is the peak moment. That's the whoa! moment. The moment when Tattoo yells, ze plane! ze plane! Unlike Mick, Tattoo loved being a slave...to Mr. Rourke.


Mick: "Hey Keith, look how uncool Bill and Charlie are compared to us. Wouldn't it be funny if we made Ronnie go hang out with them?"
Keith: "Nice jacket, Mick. Maybe you should go hang out with those guys."
Mick: "Oh Keith, you're so funny."

September 15, 2016 - Led Zeppelin - Black Dog (1971)

Imagine Black Dog without those opening five seconds, or the whole Led Zeppelin IV album for that matter. Jimmy Page called it "waking up the army of guitars." It also prevents Robert Plant from sneaking up on us - we are ready when his voice bursts out of the speakers. The song is about a lustful old black Labrador Retriever that lived near Headley Grange during the recording sessions.

The precision of the music is indeed reminiscent of a military close-order drill. The main riff, written by John Paul Jones, represents the guitar army, layers of them, marching together, inspiring awe and respect. They even create a brass timbre somehow, at least to my ears. The call and response pattern lasts until 0:42, when the riff gets twisted up and discombobulated before righting itself at 0:52 as we head into the oh yeah break. Jimmy plays some nifty descending runs and we head into the second verse: I gotta roll can't stand still got a flamin heart can't get my fill.

At 1:27 we get a calming set of ah ah ah etc from Robert, but then at 1:38 John Bonham's drums explode with awesome power. This is a tremendously exciting moment, one of my favorites of any song. The levels are perfect: attack, loudness, reverb, emotional effect. Whoa. It takes us into another new part, the hey baby whoa baby I-don't-wear-pants-and-I'm-a-lecherous-black-dog part. This goes on until 2:04.

The song cycles back through the basic layout once more, adding a sweet guitar double helix at 3:07. Finally, at 3:37, the general of the guitar army proudly shows off the skills of improvised battle strategy, as the troops continue their parade with no signs of tiring.

September 14, 2016 - Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)

Composed by Paul Simon, who said it came to him all of a sudden, Bridge Over Troubled Water is beautifully sung by Art Garfunkel. Larry Knechtel, a member of the Wrecking Crew, plays piano. It was inspired by a song from the gospel group the Swan Silvertones. It has been covered by such artists as Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley. Simon began working on it in the same house George Harrison sang about on the Beatles' Blue Jay Way.

It is a song of comfort and solidarity, it has a light in the darkness quality, no matter how low you feel I'm on your side. The piano gives it the feel of some sort of old hymn that has been around forever. Towards the end, the duo sing in harmony on the Sail on silver girl part, and the drums gain strength on see how they shine.  Angelic strings carry it away to the horizon. Supremely moving.

September 13, 2016 - Amon Duul II - Jail-House-Frog (1972)

This is a story about the Jail-House-Frog. It starts off with a man being thrown in jail for speaking out against the evil ruler of his land. At 1:20, there is some sort of chaos in the jail and the man is able to slip out undetected. He runs blindly into the dark woods where he unfortunately trips over a log and falls into a deep swamp. He passes below the surface, where he is rescued by the wise and clever frog lords.

A transformation begins....

During the gorgeous middle section of the song, 1:39 - 4:04, the man passes into foggy froggy bliss. He enters a dream state, passing further and further into the depths of the swamp. He dreams about lazing on lily pads, all cozy and warm. Hey, this isn't so bad, lots of delicious flies to eat, I can go for a swim, my tongue is amazing...down further he descends until he is fully immersed in his new existence. Meanwhile, at 4:05....uh oh! The guards are aware that there has been a jailbreak and the man has fled! They search in vain for him, even in the woods, but all they can hear are the usual sounds of swamp life. The man is never found. The End.

Well, that's my take on it. That middle piano and effects passage is so beautiful, I hope you like it! Ribbit!

September 12, 2016 - Paul McCartney & Wings - Let Me Roll It (1973)

OK, after yesterday, we need to mellow out, so Let Me Roll It to ya. Great for late in the evening transitions, it's kind of a more languid, yet beefier cousin of Come and Get It. Very tranquil opening 30 seconds with lazy sun-drenched Dream Weaver keyboards. Then a bully guitar riff shoves in and the bass and drums do a quick dodge, as it to say 'well excuse me' ya bastard. We will hear this guitar riff in our sleep, it's played over and over, especially in the middle 2:25 - 2:55, that's 30 seconds of the sucker. But I love Paul's voice, the glossy shine of it. Listen to him at 3:17 (yeahhh).The guitar is pretty quiet, but if you tune into it there is a sweet little riff at 1:14, plus little spiky chops at the bully riff when it comes around.

The Band on the Run story is pretty strange. It was recorded in Lagos, Nigeria. Paul had had arguments with other band members so it was just him, his wife Linda and Denny Laine recording. Fela Kuti accused Paul of being in Nigeria to exploit African music. Paul had to play him some of the songs...'see Fela? Nothing to worry about, this music is as uncool as it gets.' They hung out a bit with Ginger Baker, that's pretty cool. Paul and Linda were held up at knifepoint, and Paul had a bronchial spasm that really freaked everyone out. I tell ya, those rock stars with their crazy adventures....

September 11, 2016 - Slayer - Angel of Death (1986)

Welcome to Mordor. Slayer are here to provide the background music, and their message is basically, 'WHAT THE F ARE YOU DOING HERE?!!!' This is not easy listening la-z-boy nappy time music. It is loud and intense and it confronts our worst fears and behaviors. For fans, this music is a spiritual release, a bloodletting. For others, even if they might acknowledge the artistic statement, the presentation is unappealing. Sure, it's not for everyone. Even more rail against it because it scares them. They believe that singing about Sauron means you are Sauron.

Angel Of Death is rhythmically complex, filled with jackhammer double bass drumming and high speed guitar. From 1:39 - 3:35 we pass through a slower passage of precision playing. At 3:35 Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman unleash monster Orc solos to send you screaming into Mt Doom.

The song was inspired by the horrible acts of  Josef Mengele. Because of their interest in the subject, Slayer were accused of being Nazi sympathizers. As Hanneman said:

"I know why people misinterpret it – it's because they get this knee–jerk reaction to it. When they read the lyrics, there's nothing I put in the lyrics that says necessarily he was a bad man, because to me – well, isn't that obvious? I shouldn't have to tell you that."




 

September 10, 2016 - The Incredible String Band - Koeeoaddi There (1968)

Ah, yes, the Incredible String Band. From Scotland. A merry band of minstrels passing through the Old Forest on their way to the Shire to entertain the little hobbits and their friends.

Koeeoaddi There is an interesting name for a song...what's that all about? According to Robin Williamson, the word Koeeoaddi was created by rolling some dice that had letters on them. It is the first song on the magical mythical medieval album The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter. Some of the instruments played on this album are gimbri, oud, dulcimer, chahanai, and sitar. Gimbri the dwarf and Dulcimer the elf, no?

This song has a lot of twists and turns. Vocals and acoustic guitar appear right out of the gate. There is a sweet little finger cymbal at 0:09. After only 22 seconds, we slow down to a picked guitar and then some sitar notes. Step up to some strummed guitar at 0:44. Then at 0:58, listen a woman with a bulldozer...hmm, what is she doing here? Get me my jaw harp, I must have a word with her.

At 1:36 we enter the earth water fire and air part, a jaunty folky jig in cosmic two-step. But of course it's over like that, and we are lead away by an mbira at 1:53.

Now at the 2:00 mark for a nice long tale. Born in a house where the doors shut tight, shadowy fingers on the curtains at night...scary! But don't worry, it's just the stained glass memories from childhood, opaque and hazy. Besides, Brigitte and some people lived upstairs. That was a comfort.

At 3:03 we flow into a new story about skating on happy valley pond, and the jaw harp is back along with some clanky friends. The ice was nice.

Now at the 4:00 mark...time for ye olde nursery rhyme - ladybird ladybird what is your wish, your wish is not granted unless it's a fish...OK, I think the elves and dwarves have arrived to throw dishes and glasses around. At 4:25 we get one more round of earth water fire and air and then it's good night and off to bed. Get some sleep, hobbits...tomorrow we enter Mordor.

September 9, 2016 - The Allman Brothers Band - Ramblin' Man (1973)

An icon of American country rock, Ramblin Man, for me, conjures images of the open road, mountains, rivers, forests, it's all about the freedom of ramblin around the country.

There are only two verses, but they are both about being on the road. They mention Georgia, Nashville, New Orleans, and being born in the backseat of a Greyhound Bus, rollin down highway 41. The chorus is so absurdly catchy it's no reason there are only two verses. Writer Dickey Betts sings and shares lead guitar duties with Les Dudek. Their combined solos go on for the last two minutes plus, as the rest of the band keep the groove heading on down the road, with a big Georgia peach sun sinkin low in the west.

Ramblin Man is from the Brothers and Sisters album, and it's one of the last songs Berry Oakley played on before he died. The song reached #2 on the US charts. It was kept out of the #1 spot by Cher's stupid 'Half-Breed'. Gregg Allman was probably thinking, 'If I can't get a #1, then I am going to get involved with the woman who kept me from it. And piss Dickey off at the same time. Perhaps Cher and I will record an album together as Allman and Woman. Yeah, that's a great idea!'

September 8, 2016 - The Chi-Lites - Have You Seen Her (1971)

Can I have that record? No my brother, you've got to buy your own! The Chi-Lites...anyone remember that commercial for Hey Love? Classic.

Have You Seen Her is an early 70s R&B slow groove story of lost love. Dig that opening distorted guitar - bowwwww...bow wah bow wah bah ba ba baba...One month ago today, I was happy as a lark. The spoken word part lasts until 1:20 before the rest of the guys get to sing. They're like, yeah, you want some cheese with that whine? Man, she's gone and she's not coming back and you've been hanging out in a park with a bunch of kids for a whole month? What is wrong with you? The guy eventually admits that he's been used to havin someone to lean on, and now...well, I guess he has to make his own dinner and do his own laundry. At least he can go to the movies, or 'picture shows' if you will...by himself. Awww, he'll find someone else in another month...then he'll be singing 'I don't care if you've seen her, don't tell me if you've seen her.'

As another day comes to an end, I'm lookin for a letter or somethin'...come on dude, that's just sad.

September 7, 2016 - The Rolling Stones - Miss You (1978)

Miss You features a lush palette of twin guitars on a disco canvas. Just listen to that four on the floor drum beat, the offbeat bass strut. It is the foundation for the guitar exchanges between Keith and Ronnie. It seems like the guitars are playing something cool every second. Notice in particular these moments: 0:17, 0:26, 0:42-0:45, that little squeak at 1:10, and on and on...it's like finding musical pokemons. You just have to listen. Small/Faces Ian McLagan on electric piano and the great Sugar Blue on harmonica. Great riff.

Then there's Mick delivering a classic vocal, in particular on the spoken sections that serve to demonstrate how much Mick really misses, well, You, right? Not even his friends can entice him with Puerto Rican girls and cases of wine. He ends up stumbling around Central Park at night like some kind of crazy Aqualung figure, people think he's craaaazy.

September 6, 2016 - Sly & the Family Stone - Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (1969)

What do Mice Elf look like? This is a stone groove from Sly and the funky basstastic 'thumpin and pluckin' Larry Graham. Did you know that he is the uncle of rapper Drake? I did not know that. Some classic rhythm guitar from Freddie Stone. Horns and drums, also quite funky and cool. And it goes on and on...

The lyrics are sung by four band members simultaneously.They sound awesome on the chorus, and in little extraneous moments: 3:03, chen trench strokes, etc? at 3:08, 4:16.

I think this is the song that finally turned Sly Stone away from songs about racial harmony. He didn't think people were getting the message, plus stardom had gotten out of control. He turned further inward and away from the mainstream, took more drugs, and began to write more about more controversial subjects like racism and violence. He name checks his earlier tunes, as if to say 'what was that all about?' He felt like he had sold out and lost the good vibes.