Rock-tober 31, 2014

Thirty days and thirty songs. The month's playlist covered a swath of emotions including bold and brassy, lighthearted, pensive, and even slightly romantic.

And it all gets topped off by Lynyrd Skynryd.

Surprised? You shouldn't be. With AC/DC doing opening honors back on the 1st, Skynyrd closing out the great month of Rock-tober has a certain symmetry to it and the makings of a nice tradition. Now all we need is the song.

During this month I've done a lot of looking back, and these past 30 posts have brought to mind memories I hadn't thought about in years. These memories were of simpler, happy times growing up, going to school, and just hanging with friends. The fact that these days are gone just fills me with nostalgia, and for the past week or so I've not been able to get this song out of my head.

"Tuesday's Gone" is the 2nd track on Skynyrd's 1st album, Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd. The studio version intros with a Mellotron, an electronic keyboard with an unmistakable sound, before Gary Rossington's lone, mournful guitar takes over. Johnny Van Zant then picks it up and his vocals meld superbly with the instrumentation. Perfection. This is one of Skynyrd's most underrated songs.

There's a lot of consensus in the blogosphere that the song is about a guy who leaves his girlfriend named Tuesday. One commentator even mentions her father named her Tuesday "after the  girl in the song."

I think there's a deeper meaning. Ronnie van Zant wrote "Tuesday" when realized his life had reached an inflection point. The band just signed a new record deal with MCA, and the simple routineness of the life he'd known was over. It was a watershed moment. The life that he had on Tuesday was irrevocably changed and was now "gone with the wind", like tearing a page from a calendar.

Rock-tober 2014 is now "gone with the wind." As it fades into yesterday, I thank you for giving these past 31 missives a portion of your busy day. While not always easy, cranking out each post was always fun. Do me a couple of personal favors. Don't be so busy. Take stock of your life in the here and now and fully appreciate it, because the ordinariness of today becomes tomorrow's wistful nostalgia. Then grab hold of your main squeeze and tell them they rock your world.

 And hold them like there's no tomorrow.

Rock-tober 30, 2014

We used to live in Columbia, MD. It's a nice enough place with several man made ponds, lots of green space, and tree lined trails. But that prettiness came with a price. Columbia was a planned community with every physical aspect of its appearance spelled out in great detail in some monstrous tome. As a result, the town was chock full of covenants, restrictions, and HOA's some would classify as militant. We were once dinged because our window trim was the wrong shade of "off white".

Another annoyance that reared its head from time to time was big restrictions on road signage. If you were looking for a place of business, you'd better know exactly how to get there, because you wouldn't see any signs from the road. We were there for almost 3 years before we realized there was a great kabob place less than a mile away from us.

Les Emmerson, lead singer for Five Man Electrical Band, had a different point of view when he was cruising Route 66 in California. On his road trip he saw the opposite extreme of gaudy billboards hawking the next roadside attraction. The beautiful landscape obscured by the unnatural advertising sprawl affected him greatly.

This gave rise to the single, "Signs", that was released off the group's second album, Good-byes and Butterflies. It turned out to be the band's biggest hit, eventually climbing to #4 in the group's native Canada and to #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Like a lot of other songs of this era, it was a song of protest that gave voice to the disenfranchised. The song narrated the actions of a lone champion who won encounter after encounter with rule makers and symbols of authority. It also has what I think is the simplest, most profound prayer of thankfulness in all of classic rockdom, "Thank you, Lord, for thinking about me; I'm alive and doing fine."

Rock-tober 29, 2014

The late 70's wasn't all disco balls and free love communes; there was some serious kimchi hitting the fan. We were on the backside of the Watergate scandal and the Vietnam War. The Middle East Oil Crisis kicked off gas shortages and ended the golden age of muscle cars. Double digit inflation, soaring interest rates, and joblessness was hitting everybody hard. And then, like an exclamation point at the end of a listless decade, came news from overseas.

On November 4, 1979, Iranian students seized control of the US Embassy in Tehran. Fifty-two Americans were captured and held hostage for 444 days.

Once again, the slumbering giant was awakened. America closed ranks, stood shoulder to shoulder, and flat out double dog dared the world to take another step. It was in this atmosphere that the Charlie Daniels Band released "In America".

The entire spectrum of our society was reinvigorated, and sectarian labels we'd previously worn (the cowboys and the hippies and the rebels and the yanks) were replaced by another. We were simply "American". It was suddenly cool to be American again.

What about Pittsburgh? What's so special about the Steelers? Daniels eloquently explained the call out himself:

"The strength of America is not in Washington, D.C., It's in our people, it's on the farms, in the factories. It's the people out here that make this country work. The truck drivers, the farmers. And these people, that's what they were, and I just felt like if you want to go to war, let me take some of these guys with me. Go lay your hand on a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, and you're gonna find out what American anger is, because it's the kind of people they are."

Let me be clear: unrestrained patriotism leads to hyper-nationalism, and this irrational sense of nationalism is how you wound up with that blemish on humanity that was Nazi Germany. This was, of course, so not the band's intent. When the song was released, there was a resurgence of pride and patriotism that had not been seen for over a decade. Class and racial infighting was set aside to focus on greater issues. Self reliance and the firm belief that America could pull herself up by her bootstraps became common place. All this was topped off with a healthy dose of flag waving, "USA!" chanting American bravado. Ain't nothin' wrong with that.

God bless America.

Rock-tober 28, 2014

America is huge. We span North America from sea to shining sea and then toss in Alaska and Hawaii for good measure. The concept of scale that we have is something folks overseas can't really appreciate. Take the state of Texas. On one of our family drives to the west coast, we came across a popular bumper sticker, "The sun has riz, the sun has set, and here we iz in Texas yet." Apart from profaning the English language, the sentiment was spot on. Overlay a map Texas onto Europe and you'll find the Lone Star State dwarfs most of their countries.

In spite of all this land, why isn't the US population hunkered down on the Eastern seaboard? Because apparently we're wired differently. As soon as new territories opened up to the west, something in the American DNA pushed us to the frontier. According to that old School House Rock hit, "Elbow Room", we like our space. So we set out. First on foot, then on horse, then on train. Then came the automobile. Henry Ford's mass produced brainchild gave us unsurpassed freedom of movement. It allowed us to freely and independently explore every nook and cranny of our immense country. We could all climb in the car and drive six hours to grandma's house for Thanksgiving, or a couple of days to the beach for vacation, or across the country for a better job.

Yup. When tough times came and we found ourselves in dire straits, our automobiles became our refuge of last resort. Pack a few bags, toss them in the trunk, and hit the road. A fresh start beckoned just around the corner and over the next hill.

Bruce Springsteen released "Thunder Road" on his 1975 album, Born to Run. A huge fan favorite and one of Springsteen's most performed songs, it embodies our relationship with our cars. The song's narrative unfolds of someone disillusioned with his life in a dead end town, and he tries desperately to convince his best girl to hop in his car and join him in his search of a new beginning. As the song crescendos near the end, the sense of hope of what's down that stretch of two lane is almost palpable.

Rock-tober 27, 2014

Back when I was at Auburn, I was working out in the gym one day with a buddy of mine. The radio was tuned to a classic rock station, and "Walk on the Wildside" was playing. When the song got to the infamous chorus, "And the colored girls go....," my friend started prancing across my field of vision lip syncing the lyrics. It had the intended effect, and I lost it. Luckily I managed to drop the weights straight down on the rack rather than my neck.

Today marks the one year anniversary of Lou Reed's death in Southhampton, New York at the age of 71. His career in music and film spanned nearly 40 years and saw the release of 26 albums as both a solo artist and as a member of Velvet Underground. While not commercially viable, Velvet Underground has been lauded by critics and artists as one of the most influential bands in history. A common quote regarding Velvet was, "They may have only sold 30,000 records, but everyone who bought one of those records started a band."

As a solo artist, Lou Reed was best known for "Walk On the Wildside", released in 1972. For the uninformed, the song was about several transvestite acquaintances of Reed who were making their way to New York seeking fortune if not fame. When the song was released in the UK, it was unfettered by the normally very conservative BBC censorship board. Frankly, all the innuendo woven into the song went over their heads, and they allowed unrestricted airplay.

Even for the US release, the main modifications were to the chorus. The original, "And all the colored girls go...," was changed to "And the girls all say..." That fact alone interestingly illuminates what American mores and sensibilities were during that period.

The song and subject matter were way ahead of their time. It still surfaces in pop culture references and continues to be covered and sampled by artists ranging from Marky Mark to U2.

Rock-tober 26, 2014

The Rolling Stones have been cruising the airwaves since 1962. They continue to tour even as these words are being penned and thus far have released 24 studio albums totalling just over 200 songs. Their fame and reputation is world wide, yet, they're not one of my favorites.

I don't own a single Stones album. I know, sacrilege, right? Chalk it up to personal taste. They do have certain songs that I like, and today's feature is one.

"Paint it Black" was released in 1966 off their Aftermath album, and it went all the way to #1 both here and in the UK. The original intent was for this song to be slower and more soulful. During a studio session, organist Bill Wyman started experimenting with the tempo. He was joined by Charlie Watts on percussion, and the resulting creation was what was finally used.

Controversy did follow the launch of the single. It was released as "Paint It, Black". Were the Stones making a racial statement? Were they issuing a command to legions of secret followers? Gotta love the '60's. Keith Richards cleared the air stating that Decca, the record label, erroneously added the comma.

This is one of those songs with an unmistakable riff. That instrument you hear just above the din of guitars is a sitar. Richards said, "To get the right sound on 'Paint It Black' we found the sitar fitted perfectly. We tried a guitar but you can't bend it enough." Music critic, Richie Unterberger, declared that this, "qualifies as perhaps the most effective use of the Indian instrument in a rock song."

"Paint It Black" continues to be one of the band's signature songs and fan favorites, and it's still introducing new people to the Stones. One blog commenter stated, "First heard this song on Guitar Hero a few years ago but since then I've bought almost all their albums up to date and I still continue to listen to this song today. It's just awesome!"

*sigh*

Apart from the commentary that your first real introduction to the Stones was through a gaming console, I guess whatever works...

Rock-tober 25, 2014

Coming of age in the 80's bestowed on me certain privileges. I knew a simpler world before 9-11 and AIDS. Although I was still part of the "play outside" generation, I was there at the dawn of the gaming revolution and actually played on PONG and Atari gaming consoles (still have the Atari). I also remember seeing and purchasing gas that was less than $1.00 a gallon.

By living through that era, I've also earned the right to laugh at 80's fashion. Spandex, shoulder pads, and scrunchies. Mullets, muscle shirts, and big hair "jacked to Jesus". You couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting a fashion faux pas.

"Well, Wayne, you can't be totally innocent here. Spill the beans."

OK. I did sport quite a few OP (Ocean Pacific for the young or uninformed) shorts and muscle shirts. Then there's the Members Only jackets (still have a leather one). I'll also cop to Hawaiian shirts and linen sport coats. That last one was inspired by the Miami Vice "look".

Miami Vice aired from '84 - '90 and followed Crockett and Tubbs on their crusade against crime in South Beach. The stories were gritty, the cars were cool, and they always had a great soundtrack playing in the background. Phil Collins's "In the Air Tonight" provided the backdrop for the edgy series pilot. It was also showcased in the now classic "Rock-tober: Day 18" from 2013. His music returned the next year as "Take Me Home" was included in the season two opener.

The droning, rhythmic percussion dovetails with the somber, pensive lyrics. It's an interesting counterpoint to the lighthearted video, where his appearances in major world capitals and cities incites my own wanderlust.

Phil Collins made yet another return to Miami Vice. Further along in season two he makes an actual appearance. He plays "Phil the Shill", an English TV personality who gets tangled up with a cocaine dealer and necessarily runs afoul of  Crockett and Tubbs.

Rock-tober 24, 2014

There are few personalities in rock and roll as bold and brassy as the flamboyant once and future frontman of Van Halen, David Lee Roth. Considering Roth's peers in the genre, even that statement is bold and brassy.

In the early 70's, the combination of Roth's exuberant style and Eddie Van Halen's solid musicality converged in the rock and roll continuum to create what many people consider the seminal rock and roll band - Van Halen.

During the Roth era of Van Halen between 1974 and 1985, the band released six albums, and every single one went on to be certified platinum multiple times over. After the release of 1984's hit album 1984, citing creative differences, Roth and Van Halen parted ways. While Eddie Van Halen wanted to pursue more serious tenets of his craft, Roth wanted to keep things light and fun (remember "California Girls" and "I Ain't Got Nobody"?).

Roth's first three solo albums all broke into the top 20 of the Billboard 200 album chart with the latter two breaching the top 10.This included his third solo album, Skyscraper, and track #1 was "Just Like Paradise". It eventually became his 2nd highest ranked solo single behind "California Girls".

I was a sophomore at Auburn in the fall of 1988. Sometime during that year, I was gifted one of those new fangled CD players. One of the first CDs I bought was Skyscraper and "Just Like Paradise" was my favorite track. A very cool innovation with these CD players was the ability to skip and repeat tracks (no more fast forwarding and flipping tapes for me). Guess which song got a lot of repetitive play.

Rock-tober 23, 2014

Grab any true believer Southern Rock and Roller and ask them to name their favorite Allman Brothers tune. Brace yourself, you're going to get a lot of different answers.

"Statesboro Blues" was an old blues song first released in 1928, but it was the Allman's 1971 recording highlighting Duane Allman's slide guitar technique that most everyone remembers. He used an old glass pill bottle as a slide to create the unique riffs. That bottle became just as important as his guitars and he carried it around in a briefcase to prevent damaging it.

"Whipping Post", also released in 1972, has a dual personality. The single runs for 5 minutes. However, the Mac Daddy, full-on concert version can run in excess of 22 minutes. The song became such a staple, fans took to yelling "Whipping Post!" during concerts, foreshadowing the tradition of screaming, "Freebird!"

"Melissa", also released in 1972, came off Eat a Peach, a tribute to Duane Allman who died a year earlier in a motorcycle accident. Greg played this song at his brothers funeral calling it "my brother's favorite song that I ever wrote."

"Midnight Rider" came close to being this day's feature. From 1970's Idlewild South it's about a very free spirit who fights hard to avoid any encumberances. It's their most covered song, and some say the best showcase for Greg's vocals.

You'll not likely find today's feature on any of the typical listings for Allman Brothers top songs. Perhaps because its album, Where It All Begins, was released much later (1994) than the established canon of the group's hits. I myself only recently "discovered" this 20 year old release. The song was written by group guitarist Warren Haynes and it took it's title from a nickname his father had for him. It's definitely a blues number, but it's also incredibly uplifting. Ask this true believer Southern Rocker for his favorite Allman Brothers tune, and I'll tell you, "Soulshine".

On October 28th, at New York's Beacon Theater, the Allman Brothers will play their final concert. The band has weathered tragic loss and years of intra member strife, but they've graced us with some of the greatest blues and jazz themed songs to come out of the Southern Rock genre.

Rock-tober 22, 2014

In 1969, man landed on the moon, Hurricane Camille stormed the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and ARPANET, precursor to the modern Internet, first started carrying data. Also, nearly half a million people braved the rain and mud of Woodstock, the touchstone event for the counterculture revolution.

This influence spread to the big screen where Easy Rider told the tale of two bikers headed east from LA to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. The film touched on drug use, commune living, and the backlash against the hippie movement. The seminal characters were very young versions of Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Jack Nicholson. However, uncredited stars include the vintage 50's era Harley Davidson choppers. The star spangled hardtail ridden by Fonda was iconic, and scenes of Hopper and Fonda cruising the southwest highways with "Born to Be Wild" playing in the background were classic Americana.

Steppenwolf formed in LA in 1967 and was in its heyday through 1972. They're credited with eight albums that went gold and twelve Billboard Hot 100 singles. Six of these hit the Top 40, and three broke into the Top 10, including "Born to Be Wild".

"Born to Be Wild" was the band's best single, topping out at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It's been ranked at #129 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" and comes in at #29 on AFI's listing of the top 100 songs in the movies. Steppenwolf frontman, John Kay, said on the enduring nature of the song, 

"Every generation thinks they're born to be wild and they can identify with that song as their anthem."

Incidentally, the star spangled chopper ridden by Captain America (Fonda) just sold for $1.4 million. Even with a swirl of controversy over its provenance, the price tag makes it the most expensive bike ever sold at auction.

Rock-tober 21, 2014

In 1982 I was 12 years old. That same year, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, prompting a stern reply from Britain, seven people died in Chicago from cyanide laced Tylenol capsules, and Israel ceded the Sinai  to Egypt. Epcot Center opened, a new car could be had for $8,000, a loaf of bread for $0.50, and a gallon of gas, $0.91.

That summer, some of the big screen blockbusters were An Officer and a Gentleman, Star Trek II - The Wrath of Khan, and Rocky III.

For this iteration of the Rocky franchise, Sylvester Stallone wanted something different for the soundtrack rather than reusing the Bill Conti orchestral theme, "Gonna Fly Now." Originally producers wanted to use Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust." Score writers were amazed at how well the onscreen action synced with the beat and tempo of the song in a rough cut of the movie. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), they were unable to secure publishing rights. Stallone then reached out to Jim Peterik and Frankie Sullivan of Survivor and asked them to write an original score for the movie. They took on the challenge and started by crafting the leading staccato guitar riffs to emulate punches being thrown. The rest of the melody as well as the lyrics took shape over the next few days.

The song was a hit. It held the #1 spot on the Billboard 100 for 6 weeks and finished the year as the #2 single behind Olivia Newton John's "Physical." The following year, it was nominated for, and won, a Grammy for Group Vocal (beating out "Centerfold" by the J. Geils Band). It was eventually certified platinum and, according to online sources, is one of the best selling singles of all time.

That's not hard to believe since just about every old school gym rat, including this one, will likely have this tune somewhere in their workout playlist.

Rock-tober 20, 2014

Glen Campbell - his is not necessarily a name one would associate with Rock-tober. You may be thinking this would be better suited for some other month celebrating a different part of my music collection. Well, don't forget, it's my list.

For the record, Glen Campbell has had hits on all major Billboard charts. Born in 1936 and active in the business since 1958, his entertainment career spans more than 50 years. The awards section of his Wikipedia page includes multiple wins from the ACM, AMA, CMA, and GMA. On top of that, he's scored 9 Grammys including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.

He pinch hit for Brian Wilson in The Beach Boys, hosted multiple variety shows on TV, and spent time on the big screen with one of my all time heroes, John Wayne, in True Grit.

The bottom line is while you may not be a big fan of his preferred genre, you cannot deny the man has chops.

Arguably, his biggest hit was, of course, "Rhinestone Cowboy". I remember hearing it for the first time off a 45 RPM at a friend's house when I was six years old. As soon as the song ended I immediately wanted to hear it again. Apparently, so did a lot of other people. Its theme of personal perseverance and belief in one's dreams became an American anthem. "Rhinestone Cowboy" achieved "gold" status and earned Campbell a few of the awards mentioned earlier. The song's association with him was so great that "Rhinestone Cowboy" and "Glen Campbell" became synonymous.

In June 2011, Campbell announced he was battling Alzheimer's, and, rather than recede quietly from the limelight, went on a farewell tour. In April of this year, he became a long-term patient at an Alzheimer's care facility. Just a few days ago, he released what will likely be the last song he will record. "I'm Not Gonna Miss You" tells of his struggles with his disease and is a personal, poignant farewell to his family, friends, and fans.

Thank you, Cowboy, for my childhood memories and for sharing your life and music with us.

Rock-tober 19, 2014

What was your favorite concert? I actually don't have a long list from which to choose:

• I've had multiple visits to Margaritaville. This is perhaps another post.
• Sat front row for Eric Clapton (Rock-tober 12, 2013)
• Shared a bottle of Southern Comfort while listening to Marshal Tucker (Rock-tober 5, 2013)
• Listened to the *squee* of sorority chicks during The Outfield (Rock-tober 14, 2013)
• Literally fell asleep during Manhattan Transfer (this concert was Andrea's idea along with the same friend you met previously on Rock-tober 1, 2013 and Rock-tober 6, 2014). This will definitely not be another post.

These days, I can't think of many concerts I would really want to attend in person. Could it be I'm getting too old...? Nah. More likely I'd rather be in my own home, in close proximity to my fridge, and with the stereo loaded with my favorite playlist and cranked to 11.

I'm going to be very selective about which groups I see if I'm going to be paying a small fortune for tickets, be on my feet for the entire two hour set, and dealing with insanely long lines for the bathroom, vendors, and the parking lot. So what would override my reticence?

"Heavy Metal" was originally off Sammy Hagar's album Standing Hampton and re released on Unboxed. Its tempo, rhythm, and driving guitar perfectly portray the intense energy of a live performance. That's something that can't be captured even with all the wonders and advancements of home audio technology.

So, never say never. If certain Rock-tober alumni grace a local venue with their presence, you may yet see me in the crowd fist pumping and air guitaring with the best of them.

Rock-tober 18, 2013

Andrea was asking which song was making the list today. When I told her, she furrowed her brow and said, "I don't think I know that one."

"Yes you do." I then played her a short clip of the beginning of the track, and within 3 seconds her eyes lit up, "Oh, yeah, I do know that one."

In August of 1970, the UK band Free played in front of what was then the largest concert crowd of 600,000 people at the Isle of Wight festival. Their 9-song set included "All Right Now" which has one of the most recognized opening guitar riffs in classic rockdom.

Prior to this high point in their career, the group was playing a nightmare gig at a college venue in Durham. Seating capacity was at least 2000, but the crowd consisted of 30 some odd stoners who were oblivious of the band's arrival and departure. Back in the dressing room, there was a consensus that they needed an upbeat  tune to balance out their predominantly bluesy set and energize the crowd.

Andy Fraser, their bassist, recalled what happened next during a 2012 interview:

"I started singing, 'All right now…come on baby, all right now.' As if to say, Hey, tomorrow's another day. Everyone else started tapping along."

"All Right Now" was born out Fraser's impromptu outpouring of creativity that night. After Free disbanded in 1973, their signature song kept on rolling. It broke into the Top 10 in multiple countries including  #2 in the US. In 1990, its use in a UK ad for Wrigley's gum generated enough interest that the song was re released. It made it all the way to #8 on the UK singles chart.

Small screen appearances included Supernatural, Heroes, and The Sopranos. It was also featured on American Beauty and is now immortalized by inclusion in the game, Guitar Hero.

Rock-tober 17, 2014

Why do people hate Nickelback? Put that into a Google search and you'll get page after page from bloggers, pundits, and critics.

"All their music sounds the same." Pfft. Whatever. This same criticism was leveled at Journey back in the day. Guess what? The band is still part of the pantheon of classic rock and they're still touring after 40 years.

"They're sellouts." Dude, what does that even mean? Is it their fault they didn't stay some garage band in the Canadian hinterlands? Go away and take your grunge tie-dye T-shirt and hipster frappuccino mocha latte with you.

"Chad's voice is way too raspy." This has more validity. However, from the nanny goat bleating of Stevie Nicks to the nasal loopiness of Bob Dylan, rock and roll is full of unusual vocals that have become iconic by their sheer uniqueness.

"They're from Canada." Yeah. OK. I've got nothing. Our northern neighbor graced us with Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Rush, and Rock-tober alumni, The Guess Who and Bryan Adams. However, America's Hat is also the same nation that foisted on us the likes of Celine Dion and Justin Bieber. Canada's street cred balance with me is still undecided.

Look, I'm not their biggest fan, but I've got to tell you, I own several of their albums and several of their singles are permanently on my portable players.

"Photograph" is one of those songs with a nostalgic bent that always pepper my playlists. "Figured You Out" with its innuendo is just barely on this side of the raunch scale and something you have to be in the mood for - if you know what I mean. "Rockstar", today's feature, is a satirical look at the rock and roll lifestyle with guest vocals done by awesome Rock-tober alumnus, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top.

In the end, "haters are gonna hate," but Nickelback worldwide has multiple gold and platinum albums. It's kind of hard to argue with success.

Rock-tober 16, 2014

Kansas, the state, seems pretty, well, boring. Within the confines of the 34th state to enter the union, cornfields stretch to the visible horizon, cattle outnumber people, and it was once illegal to serve ice cream on cherry pie. Seriously.

In her defense, this state that looks like a graham cracker with the corner bitten off has birthed some famous native sons. Walter Chrysler founded Chrysler Corporation. Dwight D. Eisenhower, after smacking Hitler with the greatest armada in the history of history, eventually moved into the White House. And, most importantly to us, in 1969, Lynn Meredith, Don Montre, Dan Wright, and Kerry Livgren played as a group in their hometown of Topeka. They became the nucleus of the band known as Kansas.

Kansas, the band, is surely more happenin' than their home state, right? I mean they're rock and rollers for crying out loud. Not so fast there, sport. VH1 attempted to do an episode of Behind the Music on Kansas, but the episode never aired. It was deemed that band members lives off stage were too, well, boring. Seriously.

In spite of this, Kansas churned out enough hits to make them a perennial fixture on pretty much every greatest rock countdown/compilation out there.

"Carry On Wayward Son" is a trove of symbolism waiting to be unpacked and shoehorned into your particular frame of reference. Usually it's taken to be of a spiritual nature and the search for truth and meaning. To this end, it was even covered by an all female Christian rock band, Rachel Rachel. Check it out for yourself to see if they hold their own.

Some associate it with the story of Daedalus and Icarus, Hamlet, or even the Vietnam War.

And then you've got the fandoms. "Carry On Wayward Son" is the unofficial theme song for Sam and Dean Winchester in Supernatural. It's also been referenced as a biography for Anakin Skywalker. Seriously.

Rock-tober 15 2014

So...this is going to take some explaining. Today's song is well outside the usual rotation of music I carry with me. But today was different. It started at 4AM when my brain wakes up and will not go back to sleep. Fine. I trudge in to work a few hours early only to be slammed by meeting after meeting and competing deadlines.

Next, a massive storm front moves through the area just before my commute home. Of course everyone now in close proximity to me has forgotten how to drive. Wonderful

I get back to Laurel with just enough time to prep for a 7PM meeting that surprisingly doesn't go past its scheduled end at 8:30. Hmph. Things are looking up. There's even talk of going to a local restaurant for a quick bite. By this time Andrea has joined me and we head to the restaurant together. We step out of the car, close the doors, and I hear the lock click. In a wonderfully synchronized look of horror we instinctively realize we've locked both sets of keys in the car.

Now comes the scramble to find insurance cards and phone numbers to roadside assistance. "We'll be there in 45 minutes or less," we're told by the anonymous voice on the other end of the line. Forty-five minutes becomes 2 hours. The restaurant kicked us out an hour ago, and did I mention the temperature dropped by a jillion degrees?

Well, dude finally shows up, takes a look at our car, grabs some gear from his trunk, and opens the door in under 15 seconds. All I could do was shake my head.

I know, I know. First world problems, right? Well, we all need reminders every now and then to take a step back, chill, and at least attempt to find the bright spot in the situation. In this case, I got to have dinner out with my wife and still made it home in time to crank out today's entry just before the midnight deadline.

Rock-tober 14. 2014

Don McLean's 1971 song, "American Pie" was from the album of the same name. It was a huge commercial success for McLean as it climbed all the way to #1 and stayed there for 4 weeks. The song wasn't done, however. It was rereleased in 1991 and still managed to climb to the #12 spot.

It holds the record for being the longest song to crack the Billboard Hot 100. With a running time of 8 minutes and 36 seconds, it was released as a 2-parter on a 45rpm with DJ's having to flip the record halfway through the song. However, it was a common occurrence for DJ's to play the album version in its entirety to facilitate more leisurely cigarette or bathroom breaks.

On the surface, this song is an autobiographical recounting of the 1959 plane crash that took the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper. McLean has stated he, indeed, was the paperboy from the song. But then you go deeper and find it's chock full of historical and pop culture references that spawned countless web sites that attempt to dissect every verse.

The song has been covered by a hugely disparate group of artists from the Brady Bunch (LOL) to Madonna (*gag*), and, as proof of its entrenchment in the American psyche, was parodied by Weird Al Yankovic.

Chevy used the song for a 2002 campaign. It was an obvious no brainer with the line, "Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry." However, I don't remember the following line, "...this'll be the day that I die" making it into the ad. Back in the day, my buddy, Mike, a staunch Chevy fan, didn't want me to feel left out so he told me I could "Drive my Ford to the fjord..." Not the same, but thanks for thinking of me, bro.

A common question posed to Don McLean during interviews is "Do you get royalties from the American Pie movie franchise?" Amusingly. the answer is "yes", thanks to his ownership of "American Pie" as a registered trademark. He's also usually asked, "What does the song 'American Pie' mean to you?" On one occasion, his answer was pure genius, "It means never having to work another day in my life."

Rock-tober 13, 2014

I love Scotland. The land of highland heather, Robert Burns, and world class single malt whiskey. I spent a week there as a kid and ever since I've been captivated by the Highlands, bagpipes, and what is arguably one of the coolest accents in the world. From their men, it runs the range from the disarming brogue of Sean Connery to the disintegrating wail of AC/DC's original frontman, Bon Scott. On the tongues of their women, it's a lilting melody.

Case in point: Sheena Easton.

I can think of only 2 performers I was infatuated with as a kid and Easton is one of them (Olivia Newton John was the other, but that's another post).

The Glasgow native came on the scene in 1980 and out of the gate won a Best New Artist Grammy. She's collaborated with everyone from Kenny Rogers to Prince, and was the first artist to have songs reach the Top Ten on all major singles charts. She even did a stint on Miami Vice as Don Johnson's love interest.

Her biggest hit also did double duty as the theme song for the 12th 007 flick, For Your Eyes Only. Folks scoring the soundtrack were originally looking at Blondie and even Donna Summer. However, Easton had just hit #1 with "Morning Train" and they decided to bring her in for a face to face. She won them over and even became the only artist to be seen on screen performing the opening Bond theme because "they liked her appearance" - pffft - no kidding.

So...with that I present this day's feature and a teenage boy's crush:

Rock-tober 12, 2014

Mention John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, and you'll probably get a lot of people ask, "Who?" Fair question.

Started in 1972, this group comes from the rocking state of....Rhode Island?...and has a similar sound to Bruce Springsteen and his boys. What most people don't know is that John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band gave voice to the fictional group Eddie and the Cruisers.

"Eddie and the Cruisers" was a movie released in 1983. It recounted the present day search for the missing second album of the 1960's group of the same name. Its widescreen performance was not good, losing money on a slim $5 million dollar budget. But along comes HBO....

In the summer of 1984, my buddy Mike calls me over to watch this movie about this 60's rock group. I don't remember many of the movie's plot details, but I do remember really digging the soundtrack. This exact scenario was repeated countless times around the country. Thanks to the HBO rotation, "Eddie and the Cruisers" aired several times a day, the soundtrack got a lot of airtime, and 2 songs in particular started climbing the charts. "Tender Years" rose to number 10, and "On the Darkside", today's selection, went all the way to number 1.

Rock-tober 11, 2014

There are a lot of classic rock groups with whom I'd love to sit down and share a pitcher or two, but I think the most fun would be had with ZZ Top. These guys just exude "cool".

I'd imagine them pulling up to my favorite watering hole in the '33 Ford Eliminator and stepping out wearing cowboy hats, shades, and with Gibbons and Hill sporting those epic beards. Here's some rock and roll trivia: Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill have been growing those beards since 1979. And the one band member without a beard? LOL. Frank Beard.

We'd of course talk about the group's career that goes all the way back to 1969. That's 45 years. They're likely record holders for being the only group to have the same lineup for well over 4 decades. That speaks volumes for the camaraderie of this trio and yet another reason I'd love to hang with them.

We'd definitely get around to the Eliminator. Gibbons's hot rod was immortalized by being an integral character in several of ZZ Top's videos. That chop top coupe would swoop in like a fairy godmother to save the day and introduced countless, impressionable MTV youths to the world of hot-rodding. I'd ask if I could take her for a spin, and they'd toss me the keys exactly like they do in their videos. Like I said, they're cool.

They'd eventually ask me about my favorite ZZ Top song. I'd send them a link to last years legendary write up in Rock-tober Day 17, because of course by now we'd friended each other on facebook. But I'd also tell them lately I've been getting into the more bluesy songs in their repertoire.

"Oh yeah, like which ones, li'l bro?" Yeah, that's right, they call me "li'l bro".

"Well, probably 'Jesus Just Left Chicago' and 'My Head's in Mississippi' because they mention Mississippi, and you know, I grew up in Mississippi."

"'The Magnolia State'? That's awesome, l'il bro. You know we rocked Biloxi back in the day."

"Yeah, man, I was only 10 at the time and didn't get to see the show."

"Hey, no problem, l'il bro. We've got our kit in the coupe. What say we throw down in this joint?"

That's exactly how it would happen at my favorite watering hole, with ZZ Top playing a blues set for me...

And in a rare Rock-tober "2-fer", I present 2 bluesy ZZ Top offerings because, hey, I'm cool, too...

Rock-tober 10, 2014

The grand state of Alabama claims to be the Heart of Dixie, and Montgomery is the heart of Alabama. South of the historical city there was a road that continued to take you further south out of town. It was an idyllic drive past old wooden fences, farmsteads, and little country churches with their graveyards. With Montgomery falling away in your rear view mirror, the pavement changed to dirt, and the city ceded control to flowing streams and groves of trees draped in Spanish moss. The official name of this rural route is Woodley Road, but for over a hundred years locals have know it by another name taken from its defining landmarks - Seven Bridges Road.

"Seven Bridges Road" was penned by Steve Young in the 60's when he lived in Montgomery. The song is a retelling of his own first drive down the storied thoroughfare with friends. He was captivated, likening the drive to a "Disney fantasy". He continued to polish the song over several years, but wound up shelving it. Then in 1969, he was recording his first album, Rock Salt and Nails, when he ran out of songs with room still on the record. Young dusted off "Bridges", recorded it, and the rest is history.

The song has been covered by countless artists in both rock and country genres. But the most famous rendition was the 5-part harmony recorded by the Eagles on their 1980 album, Eagles Live. The Eagles would use this song as a warm up in the locker room before concerts and it became a great bonding moment. They eventually did this routine in front of stadium crowds, all voices blending into a single microphone, and according to Don Felder, "It blew the audience away." It still does.

Rock-tober 09,2014

Back in the fall of 2006, my buddy Tim handed me a CD from a group called Los Lonely Boys. I looked at him with a cocked eyebrow and asked derisively, "What's this?" I was and still am leery of any group that formed after 1990.

He convinced me to give them a listen, and I'm glad I did. This group out of San Angelo, TX had a unique sound they called "Texican Rock and Roll" that had them hobnobbing with the likes of Carlos Santana and Willie Nelson

Now, it's no secret that music can affect your mood. Some tunes kick adrenaline production into overdrive, and that's great for those times you're trying to bench 300 pounds or punch through that wall of pain and pedal your bike up that never ending hill.

There are songs that bring on waves of nostalgia. They invoke memories from happier, simpler times like high school. Maybe they're centered around events like a first date or a place you used to live.

Then there are songs that just make you - happy. Sacred, the group's fourth album, was released in 2006 and went all the way to #1 with "Diamonds" as the lead off single. When I hear this song, I can feel a smile unfurl across my face, replacing what some have called a natural scowl. I also get this overwhelming urge to grab Andrea's hand and just start dancing in our living room. If you listen to the lyrics, it plays out as an awesome, non-sappy love song.

We dance out in the moonlit sky

But it pales beside her light

She puts her arms around me

Yeah I tell her it's alright

Wow.

Because it makes me think of Andrea (or maybe it's the use vintage rides as a backdrop in the video), I like how I feel when I hear this song. That's earned it a place on every music player I own.

Rock-tober 08, 2014

Although reggae isn't usually at center stage in discussions of rock and roll there are times when it demands the spotlight. For example, I would argue that Peter Tosh's rendition of Johnny B. Goode is on par or maybe even better than the original.

Eddie Grant greatly boosted the popularity of reggae when he slipstreamed into pop culture with his two hits, "Electric Avenue" and "Romancing the Stone". The latter got a further boost with its association with the 1984 movie of the same name.

Bob Marley and the Wailers, which included Peter Tosh as a founding member, are probably the most successful reggae group in music history. Their compilation album, Legend, released after Marley's death, is the best selling reggae album ever, being certified 15x platinum in the US. According to online sources, 30 years after the album's release, it still sells 3,000 to 5,000 copies a week.

While on Legend, the track, "No Woman, No Cry", was originally released on the group's 1974 album Natty Dread.  In the Jamaican vernacular, the song line is "No, Woman, Nuh cry" with "Nuh" translating to "Don't". The singer is reassuring a woman who's grown up in the Jamaican slums that things will get better and not to cry.

Here's a cool factoid for you. This song was written by Marley. However, he gave songwriting credits to Vincent Ford, a friend of his who was running a soup kitchen in Kingston. As a result, the royalty checks went to Ford and he was able to keep his kitchen open.

If I were to describe this song in one word, it would be "chill". I've said before that you can't always be rocking out at 120 beats a minute. Do yourself a favor. Grab your main squeeze, a bottle of wine, and watch a sunset while Marley serenades you in the background.

Rock-tober 07, 2014

In 1981, 52 hostages held by Iran since 1979 were released. Reagan was sworn in to his first term, Pope John Paul II was wounded by a gunman, and Anwar Sadat, president of Egypt, was assassinated. Against these heavy headlines of the world stage there was another: MTV began broadcasting in August of that same year.

That fall, I was all of 11 years old and cruising the halls of Long Beach Junior High as a freshly minted 7th grader. There was a lot to take in with new classmates and new classes. Coach Donald taught us there was actually more to math than just multiplication and division (crap), Mrs. Marti had us diagramming sentences (what?!), and Mrs. Hood introduced us to ancient world civilizations. OK. I actually enjoyed that.

There was also that other great educator, TV, or rather MTV. I think I can trace my current fascination with all things Australian to watching the video of "Down Under" on the fledgling network. The vocabulary lesson alone was way more interesting than anything Sesame Street ever put out:

• fried-out combie - overheated van; not to be confused with a ute (that's another post)
• zombie - drugs, specifically marijuana
• chunder - to vomit

"Down Under" was also an envoy of quintessential  Aussie cuisine. It went over my head back then, but I watch the video these days, and for some reason I want a Foster's. Vitos E? Can I get those at the local megamart? Do they come with a prize inside? And don't even get me started on Vegemite sandwiches. The way they're played up you'd think they'd rival any po-boy coming out of Pirate's Cove.

Crikey. Now I'm also in the mood for a Crocodile Dundee marathon.

Rock-tober 06, 2014

A year or so after Andrea and I were married, we were having dinner with a friend (she's actually the same friend you met on Rock-tober 1, 2013), and she asked me what I remembered most about the wedding. Honestly, most of it was a blur. One image did stand out. I was at the end of the aisle waiting for something, anything to happen. Suddenly Pachelbel's "Canon in D" started playing. Everyone stood and turned to face the rear of the church. The doors opened, and there she was. My bride.

I'm not sure how we decided on the Canon as the bridal march. I just know my favorite period of classical music is the baroque, and this is my all time favorite of that era. Listening to it always manages to make my spirit soar.

OK, Wayne, that's really swell. But what the bloody deuce does your wedding day and a really old ditty have to do with today's Rock-tober artist?

Blues Traveler came out of Princeton, NJ in 1987 and slowly built their fanbase by playing college venues. They hit the big time when they played a gig on Letterman and were introduced as Dave's favorite band.

Their fourth album, Four, launched in 1994 and spawned three singles. The second, "Hook", was a genius work of satire poking fun at both the music industry and its audience. The premise was it didn't matter what a song's lyrics said. As long as there was something interesting in the melody, some hook, people would buy it.

But seriously, what does this have to do with my wedding day? "Hook" does indeed contain an aural hook, at least for me. The chord progression and melody are just about identical to Pachelbel's "Canon in D". Boom. Consider yourself hooked.

Rock-tober 05, 2014

Creed formed in 1993 out of Tallahassee. A buddy I worked with introduced me to them when he loaned me Weathered, the third album they released before disbanding in 2004. After the airwaves had been inundated with prepubescent boy bands for years, it was good to  hear the mature male voice of someone old enough to shave.

The album debuted at the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 and stayed there for 8 weeks - tying the record set by the Beatles' Anthology. It went on to  become certified 6x platinum.

Today's track was the lead single off that album. The Grammy nominated "My Sacrifice" was near the top of most charts and made it to #1 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream. There are a lot of interpretations out there regarding this song. Some say it's about reconnecting with an old flame. Some say there are heavy religious undertones. My buddy says it makes him think about his son. One of the most intriguing takes is about having a conversation with your past self.

What would I tell that teenager or that 20 something year old full of piss and vinegar? The inclination would be to give him a heads up about all the inflection points coming down the pipe. The intent wouldn't be for him to change course to avoid a crisis, but rather to brace himself for the impact of life's events. I'd sit him down and say about some of the darkest moments in his life, "Look, this is going to hurt. But I promise, you'll come out on the other side. You're stronger than you think, and you're still standing."

However, like Mr. McGuire's advice to Benjamin in The Graduate, I'd probably say, "I just want to say one more word to you....Google."

Rock-tober 04, 2014

Mention Warren Zevon's name and the song "Werewolves of London" will likely come to mind. I never get tired of hearing it, and if I'm tooling around in the 'stang when this song comes up - I'm not gonna to lie - I'll howl right along with Zevon in the chorus. A little trivia for you: the venue our furry friend was looking for, Lee Ho Fook's, was an actual London restaurant, but has since closed. I read somewhere they proudly displayed an autographed picture of of Zevon.

Folks who really knew him said his songs told stories and a lot of them were autobiographical. "Desperados Under the Eaves" recounted a time early on in his career when he was so broke he couldn't afford to pay his hotel bill. A buddy of his pulled up around back, and Warren snuck out the bathroom window. He returned years later to try and square things, but the hotel settled for a an autographed copy of one of his albums.

Zevon wrote the song, "Lawyers, Guns, and Money", on the back of wet cocktail napkins "after a long day of improbable and grotesque mischief," and it brings to mind a gloriously misspent youth. Growing up in Long Beach, MS, I pulled some pretty boneheaded stunts. From the fairly mild shooting bottle rockets at passing cars to the somewhat wilder drag racing on neighborhood streets, there were a gamut of typical teenage shenanigans. On a couple of occasions I was involved in the "unauthorized borrowing" of a sailboat. Oh, don't forget that neighborhood venture where a few dozen trees were chopped down (illegally) to build a log cabin fort.

Fast forward a few years to that episode at the Grand Canyon, or that incident in the back of my buddy's Jeep. And we can't forget when I accidentally found myself in an active minefield - in Cuba.

I can recount several distinct times I could have found myself in very deep kimchee. However, much to my relief - or maybe chagrin - I've never had to call anyone and say, "Send lawyers, guns, and money."

Hunter S. Thompson, a close acquaintance of Zevon, said, “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming 'Wow! What a Ride!'”

Here's to a life well lived and lived to the fullest. Rock on!

Rock-tober 03, 2014

Procul Harum took its name from their former manager's friend's cat who used to sell them drugs. The friend - not the cat. Anyway, the cat's name was a Latin phrase which, very roughly translated, means "beyond those things".

Whatever works. I know a band that named itself after the pastor of a church I once attended, A true story from my time at Auburn, the band Iratowns is still active and you can check out their story here or even their facebook page. Procul Harum, on the other hand, not so much. Their last single was released in 1975.

However, early in the bands history, when it came time to launch a single, the band was undecided and several songs were in contention, including one called "Salad Days Are Here Again". Thank the rock-n-roll gods they gave the nod to today's feature.

"Whiter Shade of Pale" was released in 1967 off the self-titled album Procul Harum. Liner notes and Internet sources say the inspiration for the song came from a party band members were attending. Someone said to a girl present, "You're a whiter shade of pale." I don't know what the girl did with that resounding compliment, but the band members fashioned an entire song from the phrase that went on to be their first and biggest hit.

Although there's a story being told by the lyrics, what draws me in is the melancholy melody droned out by the keyboard. It's haunting and definitely vintage. It's also been pointed out that it shares a few bars with Bach's "Air on a G-String".

As a Rock-tober bonus, I'll toss in one of the best known works from Mr. Johann Sebastian Bach as a comparison. Imagine Mr. B's surprise at making this esteemed playlist...

Rock-tober 02, 2014

It was pointed out to me that CCR was absent from the playlist of Rock-tober 2013. Well, there's a lot of good classic rock out there and a whole lot of month left, but let's take care of this right now. CCR (Creedence Clearwater Revival for the uninitiated - seriously if you didn't know that, you're reading the wrong blog) was the rechristened name for the band formerly known as The Golliwogs. The new name came from 3 different sources: a friend of the band (Credence Newball), a touted ingredient in Olympic Beer (Clear Water), and a hope of finally enjoying some commercial success (Revival).

CCR was only active from 1968 to 1972 - right smack dab in the middle of one of America's most tumultuous periods. The tension of politics and class struggle of the time comes through in the tone and lyrics of a number of their singles.

"Fortunate Son" was released in 1969 and came off their Willy and the Poor Boys album. This is a straight up, war time protest song forged in the political and economic unrest of the Viet Nam era. No one outside the working class bastion escaped its withering judgement. Politically privileged? GTFO! Old money blue blood? A pox upon your house! Militarily connected? Ain't nobody got time for that!

The sentiment was that a blue collar Joe couldn't catch a decent break, and his life was often at the mercy of the privileged class. Most tellingly, John Fogerty once said, "It's the old saying about rich men making war and poor men having to fight them."

Amusingly, Wrangler jeans used this song in one of their spots from 2001. They only lifted the first 2 lines from the song. They probably figured the following lines weren't really tailored to hawk denim.