Someday He May Get Smart

Every time I listen to Johnny Winter’s Be Careful With A Fool, I smile and think, oh yeah, that’s why I like Stevie Ray Vaughan so much.

Sweet Dreams And Flying Machines

They may not all rock in a kick-ass kinda way, but the songs listed in Guitar Player’s Top 10 Acoustic Riffs of All Time nicely remind us that you don’t need a wall of Marshalls and a dozen stomp boxes to deliver 6-string joy.

The list is ostensibly about riffs, and every song listed has a signature riff indelibly stamped into our collective consciousness.  But the article actually focuses more on the tunes themselves, so you might question whether More Than A Feeling, or Hotel California, or Stairway To Heaven are acoustic or electric tunes – especially as compared to Fire And Rain, Angie or Tears In Heaven.

Then again, what’s to question?  They’re all awesome songs masterfully delivered.

Anything You Want We Got It Right Here …

That driving backbeat.  A relentless series of piano filigrees.  The unmistakable Chuck Berry guitar licks.  Some well placed harmony.  A gifted singer delivering simple lyrics that practically everyone can identify with – even if you’re not American.  Oh, and delivered with attitude.

Linda Ronstadt’s cover of Back in the U.S.A. just might be the perfect rock ‘n’ roll record.