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
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
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
"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.
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
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
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
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
"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
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