Wednesday, December 31, 2008

THE GREATIST RECORDINGS OF ALL TIME

24."IT DON'T COME EASY"-RINGO STARR

WITH A CHORD PROGRESSION AND ELECTRIC GUITAR FLAT-PICKING
RIFF MUCH LIKE THE ONE FOUND IN ERIC CLAPTON'S "LET IT RAIN" THIS
VERY CATCHY SONG ALSO CONTAINS A MESSAGE WHICH NEARLY EVERY
MUSICIAN CAN RELATE TOO.EVEN FOR THE BEATLES-IT DIDN'T COME EASY.
IT'S EASY TO FORGET NOW THAT THE BEATLES WERE TURNED DOWN BY
EVERY LABEL IN LONDON IN 1963 AND THAT IT WAS ONLY THE PERSISTANCE
OF THIER VERY LOYAL MANAGER:BRIAN EPSTIEN AND AN EXTRODINARILY
LUCKY REFERAL TO PRODUCER GEORGE MARTIN,WHO OVERRODE E.M.I.'S
REJECTION OF THE BEATLES AND MADE THE DEAL HAPPEN.
PROBABLY THE BEST SONG TO EVER COME RINGO'S WAY AND
ONE OF THE BEST SINGLE'S RELEASED BY A SOLO BEATLE-"IT DON'T COME
EASY" IS A CLASSIC ROCK SONG WITH A BIG PRODUCTION THAT STILL
PUT'S RINGO'S OPTIMISM AND MUSICAL TALENT CENTER STAGE-
WHERE IT BELONG'S.

WRITTEN BY PETE HOLLY-COPYRIGHT-2009-ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Monday, December 29, 2008

THE GREATIST RECORDINGS OF ALL TIME

23."THE TEARS OF A CLOWN"-SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES

"TEARS" WAS ONE OF THE LAST BIG HITS SMOKEY ROBINSON HAD WITH THE
MIRACLES BEFORE HE LEFT TO PURSUE A SOLO CAREER.A BIG INFLUENCE
ON THE BEATLES-IT'S EASY TO SEE WHY IN THIS SONG IN WHICH THE LYRICS
DOWN MESSAGE IS COMPLETLY CONCEALED BY THE EXTRODINARYLY UP-
BEAT MUSIC.RECORDED IN 1965 BUT NOT RELEASED UNTIL 1969,THE PICCALO
RIFF IN "TEARS" PRE-DATES A SIMALAR USE OF CLASSICAL INSTRUMENTATION
IN THE BEATLES "PENNY LANE" BY TWO YEARS.
OF ALL THE GREAT ARTISTS AT MOTOWN SMOKEY MAY HAVE BEEN THE BUSIESTAND MOST INFLUENTIAL.AS A PRODUCER,COMPOSER AND SINGER HE WAS
PROBABLY INVOLVED IN MORE OF MOTOWNS HIT-MAKING PROJECTS THAN
ANY OTHER MOTOWN ARTIST.TO SAY HE WAS A VISIONARY WOULD BE
UNDERSTATMENT.TO SAY THAT HE WAS A MASTER OF PRODUCTION,
COMPOSITION,AND PERFORMANCE WOULD BE A STATEMENT OF FACT.

WRITTEN BY PETE HOLLY-COPYRIGHT-2008-ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Saturday, December 27, 2008

THE GREATIST RECORDINGS OF ALL TIME

22."WOODSTOCK IMPROVASATION"-JIMI HENDRIX{GYPSY.SUN & RAINBOWS}

FOR ALL OF THE IMPRACTICAL IDEALISM THAT EMERGED IN THE 1960'S
IT DID,AT LEAST,PRODUCE A GREAT AMOUNT OF ABOVE AVERAGE MUSIC.
ONE PLAYER EMERGED AS THE MOST TALENTED AND INNOVATIVE
ROCK GUITARIST OF ALL TIME AND IT'S HARD TO PICTURE HIM BEING
ABLE TO REACH SUCH A LARGE AUDIENCE AT ANY OTHER TIME IN
MUSIC HISTORY.
MOST OF THE RECORDINGS THAT HENDRIX LEFT BEHIND ARE ROCK
SONGS THAT ARE EXTRODINARILY CREATIVE AND CONTAIN GUITAR
PLAYING AND SOUND MANIPULATION THAT DEFIES ANY STANDARD
DESCRIPTIVE WORDS TO TRY AND EXPLAIN WHAT THEY DO IN TERMS
OF EXPANDING JUST WHAT WAS POSSIBLE ON THE ELECTRIC GUITAR
AND IN COMPOSITION FOR IT-BOTH IN TERMS OF MUSIC AND LYRICS.
HENDRIX WAS SO AMAZING AS AN ELECTRIC GUITAR PLAYER THAT
HIS AWE INSPIRING COMPOSITIONAL SKILLS TEND TO GET OVERLOOKED.
BECAUSE HE WAS SO GOOD AT COMPOSING WE ONLY GOT ONE
CHANCE TO SEE HENDRIX CUT COMPLETLY LOOSE-AND IMPROVISE
FOR A GOOD FIVE MINUTES OR SO-HERE ON THIS TRACK RECORDED
AT WOODSTOCK.IT'S LIKE NOTHING ELSE IN JIMI'S CATOLOG.IN A
RELATIVLY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME HE NAVAGATES EVERY STYLE
OF MUSIC EVER KNOWN TO MAN AND THREADS IT ALL TOGETHER
WITH THE GRACE AND BRILLIANCE THAT ONLY A TRUE MASTER
COULD REALIZE.JIMI HENDRIX WAS NOT ONLY EXPIERIENCED.
HE WAS THE EXPIERIENCE.

Friday, December 26, 2008

THE GREATIST RECORDINGS OF ALL TIME

21."WILD THING"-THE TROGG'S

COMING OUT AT A TIME WHEN POP/ROCK MUSIC WAS GETTING
A BIT MORE COMPLEX THIS ULTRA-PRIMATIVE APPROACH CAME
AS A JOLT TO THE SENSES.WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT
USING SUCH A PRIMATIVE SONG STRUCTURE COULD GIVE A SONG
MORE POWER?
EVEN THOUGH THE LYRICS WERE AS INNOCENT AS COULD BE
IT WAS THE WAY THEY WERE SUNG THAT MADE THEM APPEAR TO
TO BE RISQUE.A LITERAL READING WOULD PROVE THEM NO MORE THAN
AN INNOCENT NURSERY RHYME BUT THE MUSIC AND THE COOL
SINGING WERE MORE THAN THE SUM OF THIER PARTS.THE WOODEN
FLUTE BREAK ALSO MADE THE SONG VERY UNIQUE.
AS ONE BRITISH MUSICIAN PUT IT AT THE TIME-"THEY ARE SO
FAR BEHIND,THEY'RE AHEAD".

WRITTEN BY PETE HOLLY-COPYRIGHT-2008-ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

THE GREATIST RECORDINGS OF ALL TIME

20. "LIGHT MY FIRE"-THE DOORS



IN THE MID-SIXTIES,WITH ALL IT'S "PEACE AND LOVE" SLOGANERING;

ALONG CAME A BAND OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FILM STUDENTS,

WHOSE VIEW OF LIFE AND LOVE SEEMED MUCH MORE SERIOUS,

DEEPER,AND DARKER.

THEY ALSO SEEMED MORE INTENT ON BREAKING THRU *"THE

DOORS OF PERCEPTION" NO MATTER HOW DANGEROUS ANY ATTEMPTS

AT DOING SO MIGHT BECOME.THAT VERY DANGER WAS VERY MUCH

A PART OF "THE DOORS" ALURE.WHEN JIM MORRISON SANG "THE TIME

TO HESITATE IS THRU" LIKE IT OR NOT THE WORLD WAS LISTENING

AND SEEMED TO AGREE WITH HIM.

{*"THE DOORS OF PERCEPTION" BY AUTHOR ALDOUS HUXELY}

WRITTEN BY PETE HOLLY-COPYRIGHT-2008-ALL RIGHTS RESERVRED

Monday, December 22, 2008

THE GREATIST RECORDINGS OF ALL TIME

19."SHEENA IS A PUNK ROCKER"-THE RAMONES



THE STORY OF THE RAMONES IS ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE

IN THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF ROCK.FOUR GUYS FROM QUEENS,NEW

YORK STRIP ROCK DOWN TO IT'S BASIC ELEMENTS,CRANK IT UP LOUD,

AND PLAY AT BREAK-NECK TEMPO'S.THEY ALL WEAR THE SAME

CLOTHES,BLACK LEATHER JACKETS,T-SHIRTS,JEANS AND TENNIS

SHOES AND SHARE THE SAME LAST NAME.

THE BASS PLAYER WRITES ALL THE SONGS WHICH HAVE SIMPLE

TITLES LIKE-"I JUST WANNA HAVE SOMETHING TO DO" AND "I DON'T

WANNA WALK AROUND WITH YOU".

THEY TOUR ENGLAND IN 1976-77 AND JUST LIKE BUDDY HOLLY AND THE

CRICKETS DID THEY INSPIRE HUNDREDS OF BRITISH YOUTH TO EMULATE

THIER SOUND.A FEW OF US IN AMERICA ARE SIMULARLY INSPIRED AND DO
THE SAME.THE REST,AS THEY SAY, IS HISTORY.

WRITTEN BY PETE HOLLY-COPYRIGHT-2008-ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Sunday, December 21, 2008

THE GREATIST RECORDINGS OF ALL TIME

18."SHAPES OF THINGS-THE YARDBYRDS



"SHAPES OF THINGS" CAME OUT YEARS AHEAD OF IT'S

TIME.IT SEEMED TO DEFY THE ORDINARY LIMITATIONS

OF POP/ROCK MUSIC IN EVERY CONCIEVABLE WAY.IT

WAS A SONG THAT QUESTIONED EVERYTHING ! WILL

TIME MAKE MAN MORE WISE? WE JUST DIDN'T KNOW.

THE QUESTION CAUGHT US OFF GUARD AND SO GRABBED

OUR ATTENTION.

THAT ATTENTION WAS THEN EXPOSED TO THE MOST

MIND-BLOWING GUITAR SOLO ANYONE HAD EVER HEARD.

FILLED WITH DISTORTION AND FEEDBACK JEFF BECK REELED

OFF A MODAL SCALE OF NOTES SO UNIQUE AND PERFECT

-ALL YOU COULD DO WAS SAY WOW ! AND WAIT FOR THE

NEXT TIME IT GOT PLAYED.



WRITTEN BY PETE HOLLY-COPYRIGHT-2008-ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Friday, December 19, 2008

THE GREATIST RECORDINGS OF ALL TIME

17."LADY STARDUST"-DAVID BOWIE

"IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A GREAT ALBUM YOU'VE GOT TO SIT DOWN
AND REALLY WORK AT WRITING SOME GREAT SONGS"-SO SAID
DAVID BOWIE AFTER RELEASING HIS MAGNUM OPUS "ZIGGY STARDUST"*.
AT TIMES IN THE ALBUM BOWIE SPEAKS FOR THE FICTICOUS CHARACTOR
"ZIGGY" BUT AT OTHERS HE ALSO SPEAKS FOR ZIGGY'S EXTREMLY-
PASSIONATE FANS ".......OHHH HOW I SIGHED,WHEN THEY ASKED IF I KNEW
HIS NAME" BOWIE SINGS AFTER-"THE BOY IN THE BRIGHT BLUE JEANS,
JUMPED UP ON THE STAGE !".HE SEE'S AND DESCRIBES THE ANDROGYNOUS
ROCK SUPERSTAR FROM EVERY ANGLE-WITH COMPOSITIONS SO
BRILLIANT THAT THEY DEFY THE CONVENTIONS OF WHAT IS USUALLY
POSSIBLE IN A THREE MINUTE POP SONG."LADY STARDUST" IS AN
EXSTENSION OF THOSE BOUNDRIES AND IT SHOWED THE WAY TO
POSSIBILITY'S IN ROCK MUSIC THAT NO ONE PREVIOUSLY HAD THOUGHT
OF.

*The full title of the album is "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust
and the Spiders from Mars".

WRITTEN BY PETE HOLLY-COPYRIGHT-2008
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

THE GREATIST RECORDINGS OF ALL TIME

16. "KANSAS CITY/HEY,HEY,HEY,HEY-THE BEATLES

THIS IS PROBABLY THE CLOSEST THING IN THE BEATLES SONG CATOLOG
TO WHAT IT WOULD HAVE SOUNDED LIKE TO HEAR THE BEATLES
IN HAMBURG,GERMANY AT THE STAR CLUB OR IN LIVERPOOL AT
"THE CAVERN".SOMEWHERE BACK IN THOSE EARLY DAY'S THE
BEATLE'S CAME UP WITH THIS MEDLEY OF LIEBER/STOLLER'S
"KANSAS CITY" AND LITTLE RICHARDS "HEY,HEY,HEY,HEY".THEY
PLAYED IT OFTEN AND IT WAS A CROWD FAVORITE.IT WAS ALSO
ONE OF THE LAST COVER SONGS THE BEATLES RECORDED APPEARING
ON THIER THIRD ALBUM "BEATLES FOR SALE".WITH McCARTNEY
LEADING THE VOCAL CHARGE AND THE BAND ROCKING HARD
BEHIND HIM-LEADING INTO ONE OF GEORGE'S BEST EARLY GUITAR
SOLO'S AND FINALLY SEGUING INTO THE LITTLE RICHARD SONG
WITH IT'S CALL AND RESPONSE VOCAL ALTERNATIONS IT'S JUST
A LITTLE OVER 2 MINUTES OF SOME OF THE BEST STRAIGHT AHEAD
ROCK N' ROLL OF ALL TIME.

WRITTEN BY PETE HOLLY-COPYRIGHT-2008-ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

THE GREATIST RECORDINGS OF ALL TIME

15. "BANG A GONG"-T-REX

IN MUSIC,LITERATURE,ART OR FILM VERY FEW PEOPLE CREATE A
COMPLETELY NEW GENRE.EDGAR ALLEN POE DID IT WHEN HE BECAME THE
FIRST HORROR WRITER AND MARC BOLAN{AKA-T-REX} DID IT WHEN HE
INVENTED GLAM ROCK.THOU THE GLAM ROCK PERIOD DID NOT LAST
LONG;THE EFFECTS OF IT SEEMED TO PERMANTLY CHANGE ROCK MUSIC.
IT SPAWNED A PLETHORA OF GREAT ARTISTS FROM "DAVID BOWIE" TO
"MOTT THE HOOPLE"-AS WELL AS ESTABLISHED ARTISTS WHO TOOK ON
IT'S PERSONA AND THRIVED SUCH AS LOU REED,ELTON JOHN,IGGY POP
[OF THE STOOGE'S} AND DAVID ESSEX.
ALL OF THE HAIRBANDS OF THE EIGHTIES OWE THIER ORIGINS TO
BOLAN YET NONE HAD THE GENUIS THAT BOLAN,BOWIE AND IAN
HUNTER OF MOTT THE HOOPLE POSSESSED.
IT'S HARD TO CONCIEVE OF HOW THE FORMER FOLKIE BOLAN MADE
THE "WILD MUTATION"* TO GLAM ROCK STAR KING-BUT THERE'S NO DOUBT
ABOUT IT.HE WAS THE ORIGINAL INNOVATER OF GLAM ROCK AND EVERY
ONE ELSE JUST FOLLOWED.

*David Bowie-"Rock n' Roll Star"-Ziggy Stardust

WRITTEN BY PETE HOLLY-2008-COPYRIGHT
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED