Love to love you, Baby….

Okay, it’s February and that includes Valentine’s day, a time when most people’s thoughts turn to romance, blah blah blah….

There are many opinions on what songs are the greatest love songs of all time. Some love songs undeniably belong on such a “greatest” list, while others, maybe not so much.

But with that in mind, here are some of the greatest love songs:

 

“Your Song” – Elton John, 1970

Sir Elton’s first hit, “Your Song” reached #8 on the United States Billboard Hot 100 charts and hit #4 in the United Kingdom. Interestingly, “Your Song” was originally released as a B-side to “Take Me To The Pilot,” but the two songs’ sides were quickly reversed when DJs preferred the ballad.

 

“Can’t Help Falling In Love” – Elvis Presley, 1961

 You can’t have a list of the greatest love songs without including a ballad by the “King” of ballads.

The song was a popular among his fans, and he used to perform it as the finale to his live concerts.

“In Your Eyes” – Peter Gabriel, 1986

 Although never released as a single in his native United Kingdom, “In Your Eyes” became Gabriel’s first gold single in the United States. Its African influences combined with the beautiful lyrics make it one of the most romantic love songs of all time.

 

“When A Man Loves A Woman” – Percy Sledge, 1966

 Only the original recording by Percy Sledge in 1966 of “When A Man Loves a Woman” belongs on this list of the 10 greatest love songs of all time. None of the imitations and re-recordings (I’m talking to you, Michael Bolton) that came after can hold a candle to Sledge’s original, beautiful ballad.

 

Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton, 1977

 Written by Eric Clapton about his then-love, Pattie Boyd.  The song tells a story, dealing with a party the pair attended. Each of the three verses is a scene from a part of the night: preparing for the party, going to the party and coming home from the party. In each scene, he mentions how wonderful she is, how beautiful she looks while preparing for the party, how happy he is to be at the party with her and how grateful he is that she puts up with him after he drinks too much.

 

“Something”- The Beatles- 1969

 Also written about Pattie Boyd (he had her first), George Harrison’s finest moment on the Abbey Road album was one of the record’s undisputed highlights, and showed him finally leaving the songwriting shadow of Lennon and McCartney.  ‘Something’ was written during the 1968 sessions for The White Album, though it wasn’t finished until the following year.

Frank Sinatra called it “the greatest love song ever written,” although he mistakenly gave credit to Lennon/ McCartney.

  

“Maybe I’m Amazed”- Paul McCartney-1970

 Written and recorded at home, the original version of this song had McCartney playing all the instruments. 

He meant this one.

He was going through a horrible break up of the only band he had ever known (The Beatles) and had just married Linda Eastman.

He loved her, and he needed her, and he expressed it better than just about anything he had written before.  And you could HEAR it in his vocals.

 

 “God only Knows”- The Beach Boys 1966

Paul McCartney himself says this is the greatest song ever written. 

Brian Wilson wrote and produced while little brother Carl sings beautifully. 

It’s perfect.

Any other “greatest love songs” to add to the list?

Moving Pictures: Music in Movies

Sometimes it just really works.  The perfect song for the perfect scene of a movie.  Not songs written FOR a movie mind you, but a song that the filmmakers searched out and found.

It can make an otherwise average scene in to one that transcends.

Here is a list of some of the best use of pop/ rock songs in movies.

“Sweet Emotion,” Aerosmith – ‘Dazed and Confused’

What better way to open a story about teenagers in the ‘70s than with the greatest bass line of all time? As the harmonies start, we are treated with a  shot of a muscle car as it cruises a high school parking lot. The opening montage is perfect because it introduces many of the main characters at once – the potheads behind the school smoking, the senior girls readying their hazing supplies, the geeks playing cards in study hall, and a football player in shop class, drilling holes in a wooden paddle for incoming freshmen.  The nostalgic two-minute intro is able to set the story beautifully without a single character saying a word; wisely, he gave that job to Steven Tyler and the band.

“Louie, Louie,” The Kingsmen – ‘Animal House’

Legend has it that director John Landis added this performance to the script after hearing Belushi’s drunken and obscene version at an after-rehearsal party. Is it true? Who cares? It’s an inspired choice of music in a scene that’s easily believable as the capper to a long day and night of drinking, fraternity, and brotherhood for all.

“Layla,” Derek and the Dominoes – ‘GoodFellas’

The closing instrumental to Derek and the Dominoes’ “Layla” is apparently the perfect length to whack a handful of mobsters and tie up some loose ends. Jimmy Conway (Robert DeNiiro) has just pulled off a major heist and, to keep details of the job under wraps, he kills just about everyone involved in the robbery, only we don’t see the murders; we just see bodies tumbling from dumpsters and hanging in meat lockers. We’re not entirely sure why it works, but Jim Gordon’s piano coda serves as the perfect backdrop for this brilliant scene, which culminates with the unexpected hit on Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci).

“The End,” The Doors – ‘Apocalypse Now’

The entire movie, all three hours, leads up to the scene of Willard rising from the river, methodically making his way to Kurtz, and taking him out. Both Kurtz and the beast being sacrificially slaughtered seem not only to be aware of their fate but to embrace it as part of their destiny. The closing scene and song was a perfect introduction to reflection, duty and…, “the horror.”

“Cant you hear me knocking”  The Rolling Stones- ‘Blow’

This based on a true story directed by Ted Demme and starring Johnny Depp opens with a little jungle noise and gunfire in the background.  Then when the words “BLOW” come on the screen the wicked Keith Richards guitar riff from blow comes crashing in.  It fits, the movie was riveting, but it really could have sucked from then on out and it would be listed here.  Perfect call.

‘Stuck in the Middle With You’ Stealers Wheel- ‘Reservoir Dogs’

I always loved this song.  But after’ ‘Reservoir Dogs’, nobody can listen to the song the same way again, as a psychotic Mr. Blonde slices off the ear of a hostage cop.  Holding the ear, Mr. Blonde asks, “Can you hear me?”

‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ The Rolling Stones –‘The Big Chill’

A college friend’s suicide reunites a group of baby boomers in this coming-of-middle-age film and this spirit-lifting Stones classic sets the tone. Especially starting out on the church organ…

“In Your Eyes” Peter Gabriel-‘Say Anything’

You have to respect a man who’s willing to suffer for love — and given how long he held that boombox over his head John Cusack’s arms must have been killing him. Great scene with a great song.

“God Only Knows” The Beach Boys- ‘Love Actually’

If you haven’t seen this movie, rent it,buy it, download it, DVR it, whatever you have to do.  And if you are with somebody who does not tear up during the final airport scene while this song is playing check them for a long hidden zipper.  They are not human.

  “Bohemian Rhapsody” Queen, -‘Wayne’s World’

By itself, this operatic rocker has nothing to do with “party time,” but when the tape is popped into the deck of Garth’s car it gives rise to music’s most excellent cinematic moment. Let the triumphant head-banging begin!

Have any great uses of songs in movies you want to add?

CH-CH-CH-Changes: Albums That Changed Everything

There have been moments in music that made everything stop in it’s tracks.  Albums released that simply changed the game.

Maybe some more than others, but there is little dispute about certain ones.  So let’s call this part one of “Albums that changed music”.

The Beatles 
Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

There are those of us who rate other Beatle albums higher,  But Sgt Pepper’s made the watertight case for pop music as an art form in itself; until then, it was thought the silly, throwaway stuff of teenagers. At a time when all pop music was manufactured, these melodies and production  proved that untried ground was not only the most fertile stuff, but also the most viable commercially. It defined the Sixties and pop music was absolutely never the same after.

Elvis Presley
 Elvis Presley (1956)

The King’s first album was also the first example of how to cash in on a teenage craze. With Presleymania at full tilt, RCA simultaneously released a single, a four-track EP and an album, all with the same cover of Elvis in full, demented cry. They got their first million dollar album, the fans got a mix of rock-outs like ‘Blue Suede Shoes’, raunchy R&B and syrupy ballads.

The Beach Boys
 Pet Sounds (1966)

Composed by the increasingly reclusive Brian Wilson while the rest of the group were touring, it might well have been a solo album. The beauty resides not just in its compositional genius and instrumental invention, but in the elaborate vocal harmonies that drench these sad songs with an almost heartbreaking glory.  It didn’t sell as well as other Beach Boy records (no surfing songs) but the right people were listening….

Bob Dylan 
Bringing it All Back Home (1965)

The first folk-rock album? Maybe. Certainly the first hint of what was to come with the momentous ‘Highway 61 Revisited’. Released later in the year, Bringing it All Back Home fused hallucinatory lyricism and, on half of its tracks, a raw, ragged rock’n'roll surprise. On the opening song, ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’, Dylan manages to pay homage to the Beats AND Chuck Berry, while anticipating the surreal wordplay of rap.  ‘Highway 61 was THE album, but this was the first one to point the way and change the game

Pink Floyd 
The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)

The ultimate progressive rock concept album.  It only stops making noise when you had to reverse sides on the turntable.  Beautifully made from beginning to end, it might have started a bit of a “self-indulgent” period after from prog rock bands, but it was worth it.

Jimi Hendrix 
Are You Experienced (1967)

Looking and playing like somebody from another planet, Hendrix delivered one of the most dramatic debuts in pop history. Marrying blues and psychedelia, dexterity and feedback trickery, it redefined the guitar’s sonic possibilities, paving the way for every rock guitarist since.

Black Sabbath 
Black Sabbath (1970)

A mere 30 minutes long, this was the album where heavy metal was first forged. Its ponderous tempos, satanic imagery, bassist Geezer Butler’s thundering bass, Tony Iommi’s sledgehammer guitar riffs and Ozzy Osbourne’s shrieking vocals all went on to define the genre and shaped most arena rock of the Seventies and Eighties.

The Clash 
London Calling (1979)

Punk killed disco, and it could be argued that ‘Never Mind The Bullocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols” would be the pick, but this was the best record to come out of punk.  On this double album, The Clash legitimized punk –before a nasty fad – into a real rock canon. Its iconic cover, and songs about the Spanish Civil War brought left-wing politics firmly into musical fashion.

Michael Jackson 
Thriller (1982)

Pure, startling pop genius from beginning to end, Michael Jackson and producer Quincy Jones seemed hellbent on creating the biggest, most universally appealing pop album ever made. Jones introduced elements of rock into soul and vice versa in such a way that it’s now no surprise to hear a pop record that mashes up more genres into a form that seems normal.

Nirvana
 Nevermind (1991)

You might argue about the merits of this record, but this album KILLED hair bands in their spandexed tracks.  And Nevermind does rock mightily, capturing a moment when the US underground imposed its agenda on the staid mainstream.

Have any other albums that literally changed music on its release?

“Kid Rock”: Songs about kids

Even the wildest rock ‘n’ rollers settle down at some point. This new maturity is often signaled by the birth of a child, which inevitably leads to a song about the birth of a child, which leads to music videos with kids, which leads to an appearance on ‘Yo Gabba Gabba’.

Sometimes not.  Sometimes they just write songs about kids….and here are some:

 

-“Memphis, Tennesee”  Chuck Berry

The most deceptively heartbreaking song on this list.  He’s calling the operator to try to get in touch with “his Marie”.  You automatically think it’s a love interest, although he mentions an “uncle” which is odd.

Then in the next verse he tells how her mother pulled them apart, which still sounds like it was a lover.  But he does mention Marie had “hurry home drops on her cheek that trickled from her eye.”  Hmmm.

Then he nails you.  Marie is only 6 years old, and obviously his daughter, and the mother, in fact was his own wife.  Or ex-wife.

 

-”A Boy Named Sue”  Johnny Cash. 

This song made famous by Johnny Cash tells the funny story of what might happen if a father named his kid Sue.  Just a funny song on how you can screw up your kid in one easy stroke.

 

“Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)”  John Lennon. 

Feeling guilty about neglecting his first son, the ex-Beatle deliberately took time off to be with his second. An older, more mature Lennon wrote this touching 1980 tune, which starts out with comforting words to a sleeping Sean. Given that Lennon was murdered less than a month after the song’s release, the line “I can hardly wait to see you come of age” is especially heartbreaking.

-”Father Of Mine”  Everclear. 

Everclear sounds so angry on this one, you’d almost thought the guy had been named Sue. It’s tough growing up with a bad dad

               

-“Cat’s In The Cradle”  Harry Chapin. 

Most people with busy lives can relate to this one. The dad’s too busy for the son. But when the son grows up, he’s too busy for the dad.  Karma, anyone?

 

‘Isn’t She Lovely,’  Stevie Wonder

On tour in 2007, the soul legend introduced his now-grown daughter Aisha to crowds as the infant he wrote about in this 1976 classic. The recording kicks off with baby Aisha crying. Later, she can be heard playing in the bathtub as Stevie says, “Come on — get out of the water.” Today, that lovely baby is one of her father’s backup singers.

 

‘Father and Daughter,’ Paul Simon

 The man who gave us ‘Mother and Child Reunion’ wrote this gentle song for the 2002 animated feature ‘The Wild Thornberrys Movie’ and later included it on his album ‘Surprise.’ Simon, who has three children with Edie Brickell, sings, “There could never be a father who loved his daughter more than I love you.” Sure, it’s a bit sentimental, but the subdued melody makes it more sincere than purely sappy.

 

‘Father and Son,’ Cat Stevens

In this song, the father doesn’t want his son to leave the nest, but the son badly wants to make it on his own. Singing from the two perspectives in alternating verses, Stevens portrays hope on the father’s part and frustration on the son’s.  

Any other songs about kids to add to the list?

Should NOT have named him "Sue"

Free Songs!

This past long weekend, millions across America celebrated a man whose contributions to the political sphere of our country are innumerable.

One of the greatest “hits” of the 60’s was not perhaps not ‘Satisfaction’ by The Stones or ‘She loves you’ by The Beatles, but rather Rev. Martin Luther King’s 1963 speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.  The “I have a Dream speech” that ended with the words: “Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, we are free at last.”

And isn’t that what it was all about?

In honor, here are some songs about…..

Freedom.

-’People Got to Be Free’ – The Rascals

This 1968 song written by singer/ keyboardist Felix Cavaliere was an immediate response to Dr. King’s murder.  Written and released just three months after the assassination, it was released on July 1^st.  Four days later, Bobby Kennedy was killed, giving the song even more emotional weight.  It spent 5 weeks at number one during the turbulent summer of 1968.

-’I’m Free’  The Who 1969

Written by Pete Townshend as part of the rock opera “Tommy”.  Within the plot of the album, “I’m Free” tells of Tommy’s vision to spiritually enlighten others due to his sudden and immense popularity.

Great Guitar riff. With even a little ‘Pinball Wizard’ riff thrown in at the end, just so you remember you’re listening to a rock opera.

-’Freedom! (90)’  George Michael 1990

Yes he’s embarrassed himself to the point of probably never being able to make any kind of come back at all, but for all you snobby haters out there, this is a great song.  George had a decent three year run with the album “Faith” in 1987, and “Listen without Prejudice from 1990, which this single was pulled from.  He was even too cool to be in his music videos.  Of course, he was smart enough to hire supermodels in his place…

Too bad he killed so many brain cells.

-’Freedom’ Paul McCartney  2001

McCartney was on a sitting plane in New York during the Sept. 11^th attacks.  He wrote the song the next day.

It now seems a little “militaristic” for a guy that came from such a peace and love background (“I will fight, for my right, to live in freedom”), but everybody wanted to kick someone’s ass on Sept. 12.

It was one of the centerpieces for The Concert For New York City that he put together on October 20^th.

-’Chimes of Freedom’  Bob Dylan 1964

Written by Mr. Zimmerman and first released on his album ‘Another side of Bob Dylan’ in 1964.

But as the case with many Dylan songs, the best version was released by The Byrds on their debut album ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’  (also obviously written by the same author.)

A side note to The Byrds recording, it was the last song to be taped for the album  After the backing track was recorded, David Crosby inexplicably announced he was going home.  An argument ensued, ending with the band’s manager, Jim Dickson, sitting on Crosby’s chest until he sobbingly agreed to sing the vocal harmony.

-’Freedom’  Richie Havens  1969

Havens was the opening act at Woodstock.  He was only supposed to play four songs, but the bands slated to follow him were stuck in traffic.

Richie had to play for three hours.  He ran out of material, and improvised this song on the spot.  It ended up as possibly the highlight of his career.

Have any more “Freedom” songs?

You’re A Mean One….

Mean Songs.

I mean, some songs are just plain mean.  Nasty.  Rude.

It must be a good way to get some things off your chest when you are cheesed off.  Mad.  Pissed.  Angry.  Furious. Fumi….well you get what I’m saying.

Here are some really mean songs:

-“Positively 4th Street” Bob Dylan-1965

Bob may be the king of mean songs.  “Like a rolling Stone” is pretty damn rude, but his absolute meanest is “Positively 4^th Street”.  Now, nobody knows what the title refers to or who the song is about.  The tight lipped Dylan won’t say.

Rumor has it though that it was written about the “folkies” who were upset with him for “going electric”.  The last line is just…..well, mean:

“Yes, I wish that for just one time

You could stand inside my shoes

You’d know what a drag it is

To see you”

-“Go your own Way” Fleetwood Mac-1977

By now you should know that the entire “Rumours” album was about the band members all breaking up their romantic relationships.  Lindsey Buckingham won for the meanest of the bucnch.

“Packing up, shackin’ up’s all you want to do”

Stevie Nicks supposedly insisted that her then-boyfriend, bandmate Lindsey Buckingham, remove the line from this enthusiastic kiss off, which gave the Mac arguably their most enduring hit. Buckingham refused, and he had the added satisfaction of getting his soon-to-be-ex to sing backup on her own “screw you”.

-“Under My Thumb” The Rolling Stones-1966

“It’s down to me/The way she does just what she’s told, down to me”

Seriously: Did any girl ever push poor Mick Jagger around?  Hard to think, but if there’s truth in these lyrics, at least one did – until Jagger turned the tables. Now she’s either a contradictory “squirmin’ dog” or a “Siamese cat of a girl.” Either way, safe to assume this is not a big chart-topper on any feminist’s iPod.

-“Stay With Me”-The Faces (With Rod Stewart) 1971

A song about a one night stand.  And he might as well have asked her not to let the door hit her ass as she was leaving:

“In the morning don’t say you love me, cause I’ll only kick you out of the door”

“won’t need to much persuading I don’t mean to sound degrading, but with a face like that you got nothing to laugh about”

Wow.

-“Short people”- Randy Newman 1977

You know this one.  And it’s a joke about prejudice in general, but it’s still mean.  Glenn Frey of The Eagles sings the bridge (“Short people are just the same as you and I”) and he can supposedly be a pretty mean person according to ex Eagle Don Felder.

‘They got little baby legs, That stand so low

You got to pick em up, Just to say hello

They got little cars, That go beep, beep, beep

They got little voices, Goin’ peep, peep, peep

They got grubby little fingers, And dirty little minds

They’re gonna get you every time”

Some short guy must have cut him off in traffic or something.  In his Mini Cooper.

-“Hound Dog”-“Big Mama” Thorton 1952, Elvis “The King” Presley 1956

The songs such a cliché now that it transcends the lyrics.  But think about it:

“You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog, crying all the time”

and, “They said you was high class, well that was just a lie”.

That’s brutal.

And she’s never even caught a rabbit.

-“How do you sleep”- john lennon 1971

The meanest song on the list because it was personal.

The Beatles were going through a nasty divorce through the courts.  Paul McCartney had come out with his second solo album “Ram” and it had a few little digs within a few songs toward his former partner John Lennon.  If you didn’t know what was going on, you would have never known.  And even then, it could have been taken different ways.  Lines like “You took your lucky break and broke it in two” could have been written to Linda McCartney’s first husband just as much as Lennon.  But John took it personally and wrote a song to his ex partner.

And Mr. Lennon doesn’t do “subtle”:

“A pretty face may last a year or two

But pretty soon they’ll see what you can do

The sound you make is muzak to my ears

You must have learned something in all those years

Ah, how do you sleep?”

McCartney admitted that it hurt.  But he never countered.  They ended up on very friendly (if guarded) terms.

-“Folsom Prison Blues” – Johnny Cash 1955

“I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die”

Can you get any meaner than that?

Well can you?  Do you have any mean songs?

Very Subtle....

Pleased To Meet Me

Separated at birth.

In Folklore and fiction, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, usually representing evil, mischief, or misfortune.  In modern times it’s used to refer to any double or look-alike of any person.

They are out there, and you may have one yourself.

Same in the world of rock and roll.  There are several.

Now this is not meant to be mean-spirited, just eerie and kind of funny.  But this whole subject came to me when I realized that several rock stars looked a whole lot like people who couldn’t be rock stars if they tried.  Or could they?

If they look so much alike, then it’s all about attitude and how you carry yourself.  There may be a lesson there….

Let’s take a look a few:

Yeah, Don Knotts and Mick Jagger.  They look alike.  But I just cannot for the life of me see Barney fronting the world’s greatest rock and roll band.  Although rumour has it Don WAS a ladies man, which is also hard to believe…

Okay, I mentioned this one to somebody and he looked at me like I was crazy.  So I’ll put a few up to prove my point:

Bono and Robin Williams could be brothers, am I right?

Okay, his is kind of mean, but I have said before Robert Plant should get a haircut….

Paul McCartney has a couple.

Paul and Angela Landsbury.  People say they look alike….Maybe a sister?

And Barack Obama’s mom looked a good bit like a young Paul:

David Crosby and Belle’s father from Beauty and the Beast.  They had to get inspiration for the cartoons from somewhere….

Jim Morrison and a young Chevy Chase.  If Jim had lived we now know what he would look like.  Sometime it’s good to go young and beautiful:

Okay, most people who had perms in the 80’s had a poodle-do going but Stevie Nicks really pushed it:

John Lennon and Harry Potter?  The older Harry gets….

Keith Richards and a Sphynx cat.  Sorry.

Know any other rock and roll doppelgängers?

U2? Me Too!

U2.

One of the last “real” bands to make albums.  There have been some since, but as far as some teenagers getting together with a specific purpose, then growing together with that same purpose still in mind….well they are one of the last.

In the 80’s they had the luxury of being one of the only bands that were actually playing guitars and singing about stuff that mattered at all.  There were only a handful at the time.  They stayed the course, didn’t go the “hair band” way or “flock of seagulls” way and found real importance because of it.

People occasionally like to say Bono has an “inflated ego”.  Well, number one he’s a real rock star, so he should.  And number two, hell…he’s one of the greatest frontmen in rock history.  He’s gotta be cocky.

Then there is The Edge.  His guitar playing has never been predictable.  He’s always experimented and pushed his limits.  Add that to a pretty damn good rhythm section and it makes sense.

They are also a band that the sum of the parts is much bigger than the whole.

Probably why Bono has never really even considered a solo Bono album.  He knows he’s in a band.

Here are their best albums:

- ”The Joshua Tree” (1987) – “The Joshua Tree” is U2′s masterpiece that dared you not to pay attention. All wide-open spaces and arena-ready choruses, it crossed Bono’s youthful quest for spiritual enlightenment through a newfound obsession with all things American.  And it’s backed it up with great songs. It starts out huge:  ”Where the Streets Have No Name” into “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”, then “With or Without You.” Sure, the sense of gravity is almost overwhelming, but between the Edge’s atmospheric love affair with his guitar and Bono’s soaring choruses, it never feels too heavy for its own good.

It made them into Superstars, and it’s the no brainer for The Black Jacket Symphony to perform.

-”War” (1983) – “War” is where they really came into their own, the first suggestion that you could be looking at one of the most important rock band on the planet. There’s a sense of urgency, from the opening shot of “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” its militaristic drum beat underscoring Bono’s vivid images of “broken bottles under children’s feet” and “bodies strewn across the dead-end street.” It’s almost flawless, packed with any number of the greatest songs they’d ever write, from an impassioned “New Year’s Day” to “Two Hearts Beat as One”.

- ”Achtung Baby” (1991) – This reinvention of U2 is one of my personal favorites, and was sparked, in part, by their going to Berlin to work where David Bowie had recorded “Heroes”.  This is also where they started dabbling more rhythmic beats and electronic textures. But the biggest – or most notable – departure was Bono’s turning his back on being achingly sincere. It’s as if this is when he decided to ‘lighten up’.  Not too much too quick though.  From the operatic grandeur of “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses” to the devastated “One,” there no shortage of heart on “Achtung Baby.” It’s just a little sexier.

-”The Unforgettable Fire” (1984) – This is the first they’d worked with collaborator Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois.  An atmospheric stepping stone between “War” and “The Joshua Tree,” this album features several of their greatest tracks, including “Bad,” a song inspired by a friend who’d overdosed on heroin, and “Pride (In the Name of Love),” a stirring tribute to the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Other highlights of this album range from the skittering funk of “Wire” to the moody soundscape of the title track.

-”Boy” (1980) –U2’s debut album is one of those records that completely pulls you in.  It kicks off almost literally with “I will Follow”.

You feel the youthful optimism.  You feel that THEY feel this stuff.

Yes, it has a bit of a “dated” 80’s sound bathed in echo and all the effects of the day, but it’s still one of the greatest debuts in all of rock and roll and should be owned by any serious music fan.

What do you think are the “quintessential” U2 albums?

So This Is Christmas….

‘Tis the season…

Most rock fans assume that all Christmas music is terrible. They’re mostly right, but every once in a while a Christmas miracle happens — and a great holiday song gets produced.

Here’s a look at some of the best and most memorable “rock” Christmas songs of all time.

-’Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’  U2

Originally sung by Darlene Love in the 1963 . The song was written by Phil Spector, along with Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, with the intentions of being sung by Ronnie Spector.  According to Darlene Love, Ronnie was not able to put as much emotion into the song as needed. So instead  Love was brought into the studio to record the song.

To me though the best version was recorded by U2 in July 1987 during a sound check at a stop during their Joshua Tree Tour in Glasgow, Scotland. Talk about emotion.  That’s Bono’s whole thing.

-’Happy Xmas (War Is Over)’  John Lennon and Yoko Ono

Also produced by Phil Spector.   This 1971 tune is as much an anti-Vietnam War song than a Christmas song. John Lennon  and Yoko Ono took out billboards across America declaring “WAR IS OVER! (If You Want It).” In the past 40 years it’s become a holiday classic, even if the original message sometimes gets lost.

-’Santa Claus Is Coming To Town’  Bruce Springsteen

Recorded at a Long Island gig in December 1975, Bruce Springsteen released the song as the B-Side to “My Hometown” in 1985 and it quickly became a holiday staple. Springsteen will usually break out the song if he’s doing a show around Christmas, though occasionally he’ll do it other times of the year — most famously at Bonnaroo in June of 2009.

-’Little Saint Nick’  The Beach Boys

Unfortunately released the Christmas right after JFK was killed, this song reappeared on a Beach Boy’s Christmas album in 1964 and flourished.  Yes, it sounds just like “Little Duece Coupe”, but Brian Wilson wrote that one as well….

-’Here Comes Santa Claus’   Elvis Presley

I know, “Blue Christmas” was the big single from his 1957 Christmas album, but this is his best delivery.  It just makes me smile to hear him slur the name “Santa Claus” over and over.

Later during his ‘jumpsuit period’ he sings the quintessential version of “Merry Christmas, Baby”.  Loose and bluesy.  Probably quaalude induced, but still….he was the greatest.

-’Run Rudolph Run’  Chuck Berry

Cut at the peak of Chuck Berry’s popularity in 1958, this virtual rewrite of “Little Queenie” stands on its own as a Berry classic. It’s been covered by Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hanson, Billy Idol and The Grateful Dead.  If you can go from Hanson to the Dead, you’ve written a timeless song.

-’Do They Know It’s Christmas?’  Band Aid

In 1984 Bob Geldof and Midge Ure had much of British rock elite come together to record a Christmas song to aid famine relief in Ethiopia. The one-time-only supergroup consisted of Bono, Phil Collins, Boy George, Sting, George Michael and many others. The song was a massive hit and gave birth to Live Aid the next year, though 20 years later people are still puzzling over Bono’s line, “Tonight thank God it’s them instead of you.”

-’Wonderful Christmastime’  Paul McCartney

I know, I know.  It’s pretty mediocre. McCartney himself has said he’s embarrassed by it.   But Christmas wouldn’t be the same if you didn’t hear it on the radio.

Wings were on their last legs when this came out in 1979, and I always thought that it was a Wings song. Nope.

McCartney recorded the song by himself at home while recording his “McCartney II” album.  He plays all the instruments and does all the vocals except his kids sing a little bit.

But since he wrote, preformed, produced the song himself he gets around $400,000 a year from the one song.  THE ONE SONG.

He’s written other songs, by the way.

And it IS catchy…..

-’Father Christmas’   The Kinks

The beginning of “Father Christmas” sounds like it could be another Bruce Springsteen production.

Then this 1977 song breaks into the classic Kinks sound. Here’s a band that never quite could keep up with the Stones or the Who but were more personal in their writing and built a sound that was unmistakable when it came on the radio.

Intelligently crunching rock, with Ray Davies hitting it out of the rock park.

Have any other all time pop/ rock Christmas songs to add?

Just A Twist of Lennon, Please.

December 8^th, 1980.  A dark day for not just music fans, but the world in general.

John Lennon was shot and killed outside of his New York apartment.

That’s enough about that….

Let’s talk about his life AFTER The Beatles.

Yes, he was a Beatle. But he did have a short-lived solo career.

With his retiring for 5 years to “househusbandry”, and then that senseless and untimely murder while he was making a comeback, gave us too little of what this brilliant artist could have given us.

But even then John Lennon is often viewed as the most meaningful of the solo Fab Four, whether true or not. What IS true is that he was certainly the most unpredictable.

From the primal scream of early single “Cold Turkey” to the doomed optimism of Double Fantasy, it was as if everything he did was given more layers and psychological important than merely being a wise world musician or a member of a band on the run.

Here is a list of some of his greatest post Beatle songs.

-“Whatever Gets You Through The Night” from ‘Walls and Bridges’ 1974

It seems hard to believe that this was John Lennon’s only #1 solo single… in his lifetime. While fellow band mates Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr all racked up such hits early on, it was working with Elton John (who was recording a version of the Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”) that brought out the artist’s considered commerciality. He made a bet with Elton that it would not go number one.

He lost.

He had to make an appearance which would be  his last public concert with Reg at Madison Square Garden as payment.

-“Working Class Hero” from ‘Plastic Ono Band’ 1970

Lennon always had an issue with his fame. He felt burdened by the expectations of his fans and the critical eye of the media.

This is a bitter, but justified condemnation of the class system.

“Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV, And you think you’re so clever and classless and free, But you’re still f’ing peasants as far as I can see”

The lyrics don’t just bite.  They leave teeth marks.

-“Imagine”  from ‘Imagine’  1971

His anthem.  Now of course overplayed to the point of being the “amazing grace” of the new generation. But leave no doubt, it’s a masterpiece.

It’s funny to see how the message of the song has been distorted through the years.  He might be quite upset with some of its usage.

People get upset or just ignore the “Imagine there’s no heaven” line.

That’s where the “distortion” comes from.  Contrary to popular belief, Lennon DID believe in an afterlife, he just believed if we lived and behaved for today instead of what might be waiting we would find much more of a heaven while we were here.

-“Jealous Guy” from ‘Imagine 1971

Though the melody dated back to his days as a Beatle (composed during the infamous trip to India, specifically), the lyrics came together during the Imagine sessions.  One of the most unique love songs ever written, the unusually paranoid perspective (he sings of “shivering inside” and losing “control” throughout) offers an unwavering emotionally honest song.  Instead of a solo, Lennon whistles.  Brilliant.

-“God” from ‘Plastic Ono Band’ 1970

Anyone needing the postscript to the Beatles era need look no further than this stunning gospel tinged track. As with most of the album Plastic Ono Band, the starkness adds to the song’s power, a stinging denouncement to everything the previous decade stood for.

“God is a concept in which we measure our pain”.

Lennon was looking inward instead of skyward, with the only real heaven a clarity of self, not some pearly gated community.

It also contains possibly one of his greatest vocal performances.

-“Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) from Double Fantasy 1980

The song was written for Lennon’s son Sean, his only child with Yoko Ono.

Lennon admitted to not being a great father to his first son, Julian.  So this time around, he stayed home to raise his son for the first five years of his life.

Some of his greatest lines are in this song, “Life is what happens to you while your busy making other plans” and if the line “I can hardly wait, to see you come of age” doesn’t make you sob then you have no tear ducts.

Because obviously the events that happened soon after made that impossible.

-“Woman” from ‘Double Fantasy 1980

Yes, it’s a bit of pure pop bliss.  But it’s a confessional, as a way for Lennon to explain his ongoing fascination with Yoko and the lingering power of the female.

Thematically he had gone down this road before, but not as beautifully produced and presented.

-“#9 Dream” from ‘Walls and Bridges’ 1974

Supposedly it really did come to him in a dream, and only John Lennon could get away with a song like this. With a nonsense chorus and an unusual time signature and structure, it shouldn’t work. But Lennon finds a way to make it come together, resulting in one of his best, more beautiful songs.

‘Ahhh, Bowakawa pousse pousse” indeed…

-“Instant Karma (We All Shine On)” Single 1970

It was written and recorded in one day.  The famously impatient Lennon wanted it RELEASED that day too, but that took a little more time.

Encompassing everything Lennon stood for—peace, love, understanding, involvement… and just a sneaky bit of vitriol—this masterpiece of pop songwriting is so wonderfully all over the place that you’re never sure if it’s a pointed finger or a communal call to arms. While the song tries to link all mankind together in a sort of shout-along group hug, the verses vent at the undecided, and the uninspired. In something like “Imagine”, Lennon used a more wistful, calming tone to get his point across. From the slap backbeat of the drums to the pounding piano, this sonic sledgehammer is pointed… and powerful.

Those are some of his best post Beatle songs.  If you notice, I picked nine.  John’s “number”.

Have any others that you feel should be on the list?