A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of being invited (with my wife) to join a few members of Ross's family for dinner. While we ate, his sister mentioned this lyric: "You can plan a pretty picnic, but you can't predict the weather." This profundity is found in Outkast's song called "Ms. Jackson" which I now post for all to hear.
A couple weeks ago, I had dinner with Ross and some of his family, and I mentioned this song. It was an extremely rare occasion, because I had mentioned a song that Ross was unfamiliar with, so I've included it here for the benefit of all (and so Ross and his family know what-in-the-world I was talking about).
Hello, Gentle Listener. I just discovered that the playlists I've posted in the last six weeks or so don't show up on all computers. (I checked the blog at work for the first time in a while, and to my chagrin, there were no playlists with my posts!) I will re-do these playlists again later. Sorry for the mishaps.
Notwithstanding the problems my previous posts may be having, I'm going to share my next 5 artists with you with one caveat: I have included John Fogerty's recent music with an old CCR for the sole reason that John Fogerty essentially WAS Creedence Clearewater Revival (as opposed to the solo careers of Paul McCartney or Robert Plant, which while successful, are not the logical extensions of those bands but rather of just one prominent individual within those bands). I hope you are able to take great pleasure in these tunes.
OK, I gave you a few days to digest the first and second lists of 5 of my Top 25 favorite groups ever. Here's another installment, this one featuring three of the best bass players in the world: Steve Harris of Iron Maiden, Geddy Lee of Rush, and John Entwhistle of The Who - and Ross Valory and Dusty Hill are no slouches, either! Enjoy them, you will, or disappointed with you I will be.
(Paul says:) Here are 2 songs each (following the rules of my previous post) by 5 more of my favorite rock artists of all-time. I hope you enjoy these songs! Watch for 3 more similar posts in the near future.
I would also like to take this opportunity to wish my buddy Ross a happy birthday! I don't get to hang out with him as often as I would like, but he's a great friend. I hope you, Gentle Readers, are even half as fortunate as I am.
Here's something that I've thought about doing for a while: posting two songs by my top 25 favorite rock artists (in no particular order) to give you, gentle listener, a flavor for the music that shapes my tastes the most. Where possible, I chose an older song (usually not one of the more popular songs) and a newer song (but there are exceptions such as The Beatles and Led Zeppelin that no longer record new songs).
I hope you enjoy this and the four other lists that I will post in the future!
(Paul says:) It has been quite a while since I've done anything here, so I wanted to throw together a Halloween treat for you - some Toto songs that you probably have never heard before (but should have). And if you have heard them, it will do you good to hear them again.
Even though I haven't done much on this blog lately, I have been planning some things to put on, but my lack of time and the difficulty in finding a good place to find rare tracks for making play lists have hindered me. However, with the World Series rain delay and the sparseness of trick-or-treaters, I find I have a bit of time.
I chose Toto, one of my favorite bands ever, to throw your way. I hope you enjoy some of these tracks - they're scary good!!! (Insert maniacal Halloween laughter here.)
Hi everybody, Ross here. Today's songs feature guitar solos that have made me cry before. Seriously, mock if you must, but it's true. I can't explain why, other than the fact that I love my music. It moves me. That's why I continue to listen. Surely we can all relate to being moved by a beautiful instrumentation or arrangement. That's what these are all about to me. Enjoy.
Howdy, Ross here. I really dug Paul's post yesterday. Not only did he have cool songs to play, but the idea of making it a theme list related to National Punctuation Day was provocative. Inspired by this, I thought I would try something a little different to generate a playlist. I did some research to find out who in music had a birthday today. In the process, I also found out about some other cool stuff that happened in music history on this date.
Jimmy McCulloch died on this date in 1979. I can hear you now, saying, "Who the hell is Jimmy McCulloch?" Well, friends, he is a guitarist of note, best known for his stint with Paul McCartney and Wings. Jimmy recorded a few albums with that great band right before his death from a drug related heart attack, aka overdose. I have a couple of my favorite Wings songs here. Also, remember that great band Thunderclap Newman? No? Well how about that great song by that band "Something in the Air"? Jimmy McCulloch was a founding member of Thunderclap Newman, and I love that song, so I included it, too. Here's to you Jimmy. Rest in Peace.
Speaking of accomplishments of Sir McCartney, on this date in 1968, "Hey Jude" by the Beatles went #1 on the charts and stayed at #1 for 9 straight weeks.
Happy birthday on September 28 to George Lynch of Dokken fame. I am a big Dokken fan, but I opted to play something from Lynch Mob, his other band, which kicks just as much donkey. Also born on this date, the queen of the blues herself, Koko Taylor, whom we lost recently to the grim reaper (the angel of death, not the metal band). Bass player for Steppenwolf, Nick St. Nicholas, celebrates his birthday today as well, hence the appearance of "The Pusher" and "It's Never too Late". Last, and certainly least on this particular list, is Alannah Currie of Thompson Twins. Not that I don't like Thompson Twins, (hell, I included "Doctor! Doctor!") but compared to the others with birthdays today... well, there is no comparison.
(Paul says:) I've just learned that it is National Punctuation Day from Lee & Low Books (one of my Facebook friends). Although there are many posts that are percolating in my fertile imagination, this is all I have time for this morning, but I haven't posted anything for a long time, and I wanted everyone out there in Cyberland to know I'm still alive. See you again soon!
P
(Update from Paul) The Dan Baird song was shortened by Imeem, so I just put a widget on the site. That'll teach 'em. Also, I was asked, "Why "Handyman"? Simple. He says, "comma, comma, comma... etc."
(Update from Ross) I can't stand shortened songs and unwanted remixes. So, I took the liberty of putting the full versions of the songs on a mixpod playlist. Hope I didn't step on your toes, Paul. Just trying to help out. Enjoy!
Hey people, Ross here. It's pretty cool when your daughter likes some of the same bands that you like. It's even cooler when she starts checking out new music on her own. That is what is happening with my daughter Abby now. She started liking this band called Owl City, and I mean liking them a lot. Intrigued, I had to check them out.
So, there's this dude named Adam Young. He was living in Minnesota at his parents' house and having trouble sleeping. Apparently there were several instruments and a computer in the basement, and he began to spend his sleepless nights down there messing around, writing and recording songs. He started to post the songs on the ever popular MySpace.com, and the response was so big, he was soon offered a contract with Universal Republic. Now, Owl City has released their first album on that label, "Ocean Eyes", and is on tour to support it. All the songs I have played here are on that album. This one's for you, Abby. Love you tons! (good taste in music must be genetic)
Ross here. I was having a hankerin' to hear some Zebra. 'Nuff said. If you aren't familiar with this great band, here's your golden opportunity. You're welcome.
Howdy, Ross here. Now I let my waver freak flag fly high, and here is a little playlist to prove it. The version of "It's a Mistake" here is a newer recording done by Colin Hay (lead singer for the band Men at Work) on one of his solo albums. The album is called "Man at Work" and I think all the songs are new versions of old Men at Work songs. You may recall hearing the acoustic version of the song "Overkill" if you are a fan of the TV show Scrubs. Good stuff, Maynard.
My teenage daughter, Abby, is now a fan of Squeeze and The Cars, among others that are played on classic rock radio. It's hard for me to think of these bands as "classic rock", but what are ya gonna do? I'm just glad she has good taste.
Ross here. I have wanted to post this song since the beginning of this blog. It is my own personal theme song for this blog. The reason why is obvious, right?
Hey everyone, Ross here. Here's some songs that will rock you hard. I used a random song list generation method that produced both classics along with some newer stuff, songs I know and love and songs I have not heard before. Sometimes I just get this uncontrollable urge to rock out like the old days, before the great reprogramming. I just happened upon "The Real Truth" by Steve Lukather, but it's so appropriate here. Every time I hear him I think of you, Paul. I know he is one of your longtime favorites. It's easy to hear why.
It's great to discover newer bands that still hold to the old formula of 80's metal. There was a time when Paul and I said that we would only listen to music with screaming guitar solos and screaming lead vocals. I realize that our vision was very narrow back then, but even with my ever expanding musical tastes, I can never let go of my rocker roots. Why would I want to do that?!? So, crank it up and bang your head!
Metal Health (Bang Your Head) by Quiet Riot - Classic rocker anthem. I saw these guys at The Ritz, a bowling alley/billiards hall in Salt Lake City.
Wrath of the Ripper by Grim Reaper - Underrated British metal band.
Call Me by Diamond Head - Been around since the 70's
The Child Within by Silent Force - Great guitar solo in this one.
I Remember You by Skid Row - You know this classic ballad.
Crazy (A Suitable Case for Treatment) by Nazareth - Featured on the soundtrack to the movie "Heavy Metal".
The Real Truth by Steve Lukather - The real truth is that Luke shreds like no other!
Midnight Rider by Saxon - Another underrated band.
Perfect Skin by The 69 Eyes - A blend of old school guitars and new drums and bass.
Children of the Grave by Black Sabbath - Classic war protest anthem.
This one's a little different from my usual fare. It's a local musician (in Salt Lake City) who is known for his "LDS Music" recordings (plus a couple of instrumental albums on the old Airus Records label in the late 1980s). Here he's just kickin' it on his couch and playing live over a pre-recorded backing track that he made using a home studio. I thought it worthy of your attention (no pun intended).
(Ross says:) I have always liked bluegrass music, but I only started to really explore deep into the genre in the last 5 or 6 years. The best way to enjoy bluegrass, in my humble opinion, is at a live show, preferably outdoors, preferably in some kind of mountain setting. My favorite show that I have attended was on the slopes of Deer Valley ski resort in the summer. My friend Kim and I dragged a cooler full of beverages for the two of us up the hillside and enjoyed Sam Bush, David Grisman, Yonder Mountain String Band, and a few others, all in one night! I know not everyone likes bluegrass, but if you like folk, blues, country, and/or jam bands, chances are you will hear something you dig in bluegrass if you give it a chance. If you like anything you hear, and want to go to a really fun show, check out the annual Bluegrass Festival at Grand Targhee ski resort in Alta, Wyoming. (the other side of the Teton mountains from Jackson Hole.) Enjoy!!
Black N Blue (Paul says:) Instead of a "Tuesday two-fer," this has now turned into a Thursday Eve Threesome. (Wow, that sounds like more fun than this actually is...)
Here is a group I liked in junior high called "Black 'N Blue." It's kind of an acquired taste, but I hope you will like it. Not as good as Lyle or Koko, but a little morsel for the hard rockin' crowd out there. Now I feel liked I've disgorged a bit, so I hope you can enjoy these short lists for a few days until I get more time for some serious variety.
Koko Taylor, R.I.P. (Paul says:) Here's a short set by the late, great Koko Taylor, who passed away in June 2009. Unfortunately, her funeral wasn't broadcast on every network like Michael Jackson's was, so we didn't get to hear the blues played by all the artists who she's influenced. Bummer for us! Here's good news, though: I included six songs here that kick (donkey) for you. Also, I recommend going to the jukebox section of Alligator Records website (conveniently linked for you here) and paginate forward (by clicking on the next button 24 times) until you get to the "T" section, then click on the title of the song, "Don't Let Me Catch You With Your Drawers Down," as well. It's worth the trip!
Lyle Lovett block (Paul says:) I have made a block of three Lyle Lovett songs that show how he can be soulful, funny, and rockin' all at the same time. He has a unique brand of a Texas-style jazz with roots in blues and country. I hope you enjoy it.
Ross and Paul have always shared a love for music. Now they want to share that love with you, along with some killer tunes. Please listen and enjoy responsibly.
