There’s No Need For Argument

 

Van Morrison deserves respect as a songwriter, but I wish his songs had been recorded by Springsteen.  Take, for example, Domino.

The Rover

Wow.  I always knew Jimmy Page was a session player before he signed on with The Yardbirds and then founded Led Zeppelin, but wow.  Gibson’s Jimmy Page In The 60’s article shows you just how much this guy got around.

You’ve got your big names: Tom Jones, Van Morrison, The Kinks, The Who,  Donovan, Cocker … wow.

You’ve got your forgot-about-thems: The Southerners, The Nashville Teens, The Sneekers … who?

You’ve got your really?: Burt Bacharach, Petula Clark, Lulu, Herman’s Hermits … are you kidding me?

You’ve got your that-was-him?:  Gloria?  Here Comes the Night?  Can’t Explain?  As Tears Go By?  With a Little Help From My Friends? (Cocker, not Beatles) Hurdy Gurdy Man?  Did I say wow yet?

This guy was everywhere.  But the song did not remain the same.  He rambled on, met a few friends, went out on the tiles, slapped us upside the head with Good Times Bad Times, and carried us over the hills and far away.

ps – Leave My Kitten Alone?

Dude, What’s That Chord?

Gibson’s Top 10 Songs For Six-String Beginners brings back some memories.

It’s the list of songs all beginners start with, the ones that drive the music store employees and patrons nuts, they say.

Here’s the list:

Sweet Child O’ Mine – GNR

Eruption – Van Halen

Wild Thing – The Troggs

Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door – Dylan

Rockin’ In The Free World – Neil Young

Smoke On The Water – Deep Purple

Iron Man – Sabbath

Seventh Nation Army – White Stripes

Working Class Hero – John Lennon

No Rain – Blind Melon

Eruption?  Really?  For beginners?

Wild Thing would have been on the list when I started out.  As would House Of The Rising Sun, Satisfaction, Gloria, Twist And Shout, Blowing In The Wind, Spoonful, Whole Lotta Love and Purple Haze.

And, like Smoke On The Water, who ever learned all of Purple Haze?

Interesting that Lennon replaced The Beatles and Dylan replaced himself.

At my school, guitar players were a community, and we all taught stuff to each other – even if it was wrong.  There was no internet, there were no tabs, no YouTube lessons, and if you picked up the needle and dropped it too many times, you would toast the record.  If you could afford it you could buy sheet music and songbooks, but the riffs were always missing and the chords were usually wrong.

Still not sure about Eruption, but what I hear kids playing in music stores definitely reflects a higher level of skill than it was in my day.  Chalk one up for the internet. 

I hope the community thing is still going on, though.  That was the best part of learning.

Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums

Another of Rolling Stones lists: 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.  This one is more like it.

Here's the Top 25:

 1. Beatles, Sgt Pepper's.  Of course.
 2. Beach Boys, Pet Sounds.  Sheesh!  Maybe I spoke to soon.  What is all the fuss about?
 3. Beatles, Revolver.  That's more like it.
 4. Dylan, Highway 61 Revisited.  Nice.
 5. Beatles, Rubber Soul.  OK, 3 out of 5.  Maybe the universe is in harmony after all.
 6. Marvin Gaye, What's Going On.   Damn!  I keep speaking too soon.
 7. Stones, Exile On Main Street.  Well, one of them should have been Top 10.
 8. The Clash, London Calling.  Good call.
 9. Dylan, Blonde On Blonde.  No one else deserves a second Top 10.
10. Beatles, White.  40%.  Not bad.
11. Elvis, The Sun Session.  Hmmm.  Couldn't we swap with Marvin, please?
12. Miles David, Kind of Blue.  OK, sure.
13. The Velvet Underground, and Nico.  Whatever.
14. Beatles, Abbey Road.  Fine.  Look: I'm not greedy or anything.
15. Hendrix, Are You Experienced?  About right.
16. Dylan, Blood On The Tracks.  Yep.  Maybe swap with Blonde On Blonde?
17. Nirvanna, Nevermind.  No problem.
18. Springsteen, Born To Run.  Can't see how to place it any higher, but it should be.
19. Van Morrison, Astral Weeks.  Cool.
20. Michael Jackson, Thriller.  Fine, fine.
21. Chuck Berry, The Great 28.  Damn right.
22. John Lennon, Plastic Ono Band.  A pleasant surprise.
23. Stevie Wonder, Innervisions.  OK.
24. James Brown, Live At The Apollo.  Coulda been worse.
25. Feetwood Mac, Rumours.  Ya, it was kinda big wasn't it?

All in all, not much to argue with; just a couple of my usual mysteries that would have shocked had they been absent.

But ...
* The Stones Let It Bleed at #32 and Beggar's Banquet at #57 is not right.
* The Band's Music From Big Pink deserves to be higher than #33.
* AC/DC's Back In Black is way better than #73.
* John Lennon's Imagine is way too low at #76
* Ditto CSNY's Deja Vu at #148
* Double ditto Bonnie Raitt's Nick Of Time at #229

But ...
* At least Billy Joel's The Stranger came no higher than #67
* Abba's Greatest Hits didn't slap my face until #180

Curious Queen's A Night At The Opera only made #230.  Maybe the list makers are all tired of hearing Bohemain Rhapsody on the radio too?