From Procol Harum’s eternally awesome album “A Salty Dog,” comes this terrific psychedelic blues classic. I love the multi-layered vocals drizzled over the acid-drenched lead guitars. I realize “A Whiter Shade of Pale” (and, on occasion, “Conquistador”) are the Procol Harum songs of choice on classic rock radio, they really are a band that’s worth exploring in greater detail.
There was a time in the late 1960s when people turned to Fleetwood Mac because they thought the Rolling Stones were too pop (yes, this was during the “Beggar’s Banquet” / “Let it Bleed” years). Of course, this is ironic, considering that Fleetwood Mac achieved their biggest success by embracing pop in the mid-late 1970s. While “Rumours” is one of the deservedly massively popular albums of all time, I really dig their early blues-purist roots. This is Fleetwood Mac, pre-Stevie Nicks/Lindsey Buckingham/Christine Mcvie. Great hard-edged British blues.
As much as I believe John Phillips should be roasting in hell right now, this is a beautiful song. And yes, that is Keith Richards playing guitar and singing backup. From Phillips’ posthumously released “Pay, Pack, and Follow,” an album that was intended to be released on the Rolling Stones’ record label in the late 1970s.
I resisted this band for several years solely based on their stupid name. With the exception of Monty Python (in VERY small doses) and Spike Jonze’s “Being John Malkovich,” I’m fairly resistant to whimsy. However, this is easily one of my favorite 100 songs of all time. This is one of the most awesomely majestic melancholy songs of all time. A song reminiscent (and ultimately better) than the Zombie’s “Time of the Season.” A total freakin’ classic!
A haunting and gorgeous original by Nick Lowe. Lowe’s ex-father-in-law Johnny Cash’s cover is probably the most famous version of this song, but there’s something I find a lot more compelling about this one. Was used to great effect on an episode of “The Sopranos.”
The San Francisco punk legends once spraypainted on their tourbus: “Flipper suffered for their music, now it’s your turn.” Well said … except for the fact that I love Flipper. If anyone knows where I can track down their legendary cover of Rick James’s “Super Freak,” you’ll be my new best friend.
Courtney Love has gotten an incredibly bad rap over the years. No matter what her association with Kurt Cobain (personal, professional, or otherwise), she’s a terrific artist in her own right and this song is proof positive of this. A wonderful “f–k you” to everyone who thought she was riding in on the coattails of Cobain. Love, love, love this song!!!!
The version of “Madame George” included on Morrison’s “Astral Weeks” album is beautiful and heartbreaking. The earlier version recorded for Bang Records is a nasty, raunchy, raucous, foot-stomping blast of drunken blues. I’ll let you guess which version I prefer.
“He Needs Me” was originally composed for Robert Altman’s 1980 musical version of “Popeye.” The film is hit or miss, but the scene where Duvall’s Olive Oyl sings this lovely song to Robin Williams’s Popeye is definitely the highlight of the film.
The opening track of Nico’s “Chelsea Girl” album from 1967, written by Jackson Browne. It also underscored the moving finale of Wes Anderson’s “The Royal Tenenbaums,” specifically the final scene between Ben Stiller’s and Gene Hackman’s characters, a scene that always gets me.
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