Top 11 Non-Singles

Like most people I often buy a new album based on a single I've heard on the radio. A ritual I make myself go through with any new album is no going right to that great single but working my way through the album starting with song number one and going to the end. Then, because past experience has taught me this is a good idea, I force myself to listen to the entire album over and over again for the next week. Pretty soon I find some hidden gems. You don't often learn to love the new and undiscovered songs right off. The songs that have a catchy hook are just that catchy and the brain likes them but soon you'll find the hidden gems of an album. Songs that are full of interesting music or some really great lyrics. Just the other day I was listening to Country Roads, by John Denver. I've listened to that song at least 1000 times, if you include the Toots and the Maytals cover. One line really hit me that I've never really paid attention to, "Driving down the road I get the feeling I should have been home yesterday, yesterday." I know exactly what that feels like and I really connected with that song. There are lots of songs like that. It may not be a lyric, which is most common, it may be a really great guitar solo or interesting drum fill, funky baseline, whatever.

So, here are my top 11 Non-Singles, I'll go so far as to say non-talked about since I'm not sure which older songs were singles and which got popular and subsequently received radio airplay later. In no particular order.

Gimme Shelter - Rolling Stones

The song starts out with some some-what haunting vocal sounds, and a mellow guitar then begins it's slow build. All the time the intensity grows until it's just blowing up in my head. I think the backing vocals from Merry Clayton are what really makes the song. There are a few particularly poignant sections where she takes the lead. Now that I think about it, this song may have been a single, but I'm not counting it as such because it doesn't have near the cache' that the most of the other well known Stones songs have.

Blood - Pearl Jam

The Vs. album came out in 1993, but it took me about 10 years to love Blood. Although the songs as a whole is really great. The single element that really makes the song for me is Mike McCready's distorted wah guitar. The section starting at about :36 in the song gives me goose bumps. I think he's using a phazer effect along with the wah to give the guitar an amazing tone and sound.

Surf Wax America - Weezer

I'd go with "My Name is Jonas" on this except that song has been "talked" about a lot, probably because it's a bit different from other Weezer songs and it's the first song on the album. So in the interest of being different and reaching further into the Blue album I'm going with Surf Wax America. Musically I don't have a really great reason for digging this song. It's a great song and always makes me feel really good. Like there's something else in this world beyond working and making a living. The main reason I'm going with this song is because of a really wicked awesome dream I had once. Allow me to indulge myself while I elaborate.

In my dream I was walking through a local amusement park named Lagoon. Bands used to play there and it was even mentioned on the Beach Boys song, "Salt Lake City." I was walking through a large crowd singing the song "Surf Wax America" but no one was really paying attention to me at first. As I began singing the song where the music stops and Rivers Cuomo is singing solo at a fairly high pitch the crowd opened up and quited down while I sang. My voice rang out, slowly, just like in the song, others in the crowd began joining me in the song until it was one big crowd belting out the song. It was a fantastic dream!

Lovely Rita, Blue Jay Way - The Beatles

I just couldn't decide which song I liked better so, since this is my blog, I'm choosing both. Lovely Rita, mainly because of the lyrics, but the rhythm is very interesting as well. The lyrics paint a really vivid image. I've always wished I could see Lovely Rita as John saw here. The drumming on this song is really great as well. Not that it's especially technical but Ringo really chose a good beat and style for this song.

Blue Jay Way has always been very haunting to me. Probably my favorite George Harrison song in The Beatles catalog. This song also tells a great little story that I came close to living as I searched for the actual Blue Jay Way in the hills above Sunset Strip in L.A. It's an incredibly difficult street to find, even with a map. I can totally understand why George's friends had a hard time finding the house. George's plead of "don't be long, please don't you be long." Brings to mind those tiresome late night hours where you just want to go to bed but for whatever reason you have to stay up a little longer.

When The Levee Breaks - Led Zeppelin

On an album with such commercially big songs as Rock and Roll(thank you Cadillac for ruining that song), Black Dog and Stairway to Heaven, When the Levee Breaks has always been my favorite. The opening drum beats really set the tone of the song, then the guitar and wailing harmonica nail it down. The lyrics really paint a picture of despair and hopelessness. I just picture crowds of people down in the muck trying to save themselves and the rains keep falling and the water behind the levee is ever rising, threatening to put them out of their misery at any moment. "Cryin' won't help you, praying won't do you no good." How much worse of a situation can you be in. I'm a sucker for harmonica and the harmonica really fits in well in this song, contributing well to the overall tone.

Mouthful of Cavities - Blind Melon

I've gone on about this song before, but on an album that only really had "Galaxy" played on the radio, I count this as one of the true found gems. I can't think of another song with so many layers that stand out from one another and yet fit together so well. And just like Gimme Shelter from the Stones, this song features a female vocalist that really adds some depth and soul to the song. It builds with incredible intensity and leaves me wanting more when the song ends.

Bold As Love - Jimi Hendrix

This song was probably a single when this album came out, but it doesn't get any airtime and most people that are somewhat familiar with Jimi's songs have never heard this song. This is one of those songs that can mellow me out within 5 seconds of opening strum of the guitar. Jimi sings without regard to time or measure while he plays the guitar as a very loose accompaniment to those vocals. Everything tightens up into a more typical song arrangement soon after. Just as you're getting comfortable with the pace of the song, Hendrix turns up the heat with a guitar solo, then another different guitar solo to go along with the psychedelic panning of the drums. John Mayer does a great cover of this song.

Turnaround -Nirvana

I'm not a fan of Devo but I am a big fan of this Devo Cover. Most people are unaware of the Nivana Album "Incesticide." I first bought it when I was 18 and in my Nirvana phase. I listened to other stuff but Nirvana was on regular rotation. Incesticide was a great discovery, Sliver is the only song from this album that ever gets played. There is a harder version of Polly but I've never heard it on the radio. Turnaround has a really great rhythm and vocals that include the word poppycock, which just seems funny to me. I mean who actually uses the word poppycock? I used to pick up my little sister Teresa from junior high after I got off work and we'd use the 20 min drive home as music education. At the time, boy bands and Britney Spears were the big thing and there was no way I was going to let a sister of mine think those were the only music options out there. For some reason "Turnaround" scared her. I'm not sure if it's actually a scary song or if it's because the song says several times "it's pretty scary." Either way, it's a great song that should be on everyone's music rotation.

There Goes My Gun - Pixies

This song is short and sweet at 1:40 long and says such lines as "Yo Ho, Yo Ho!" In fact I think there are a total or four lines in the song. I don't have a whole lot to say about the song except I really dig it. That said, the song is a great addition to "Where is My Mind" and "Here Comes Your Man."

Death Letter - White Stripes

I, like most people, was unaware this album existed until I really got into the White Stripes. I was on a business trip in Spokane Washington and had a 4 hour drive to Wenatchee WA so I stopped by a music store and discovered this album. It was incredible! Particularly the song Death Letter, a song originally written by the blues master Son House. The guitar, the sparse drums, and the lyrics just make this song an incredible trip into the land of the blues. Jack White pulls out all the stops for the guitar solo. Play this song at high volume and that solo will actually tear your head off.

Led Zeppelin - II

I am reviewing the Led Zeppelin II album today because it’s an incredible album and music listeners coming up may wish to experience some Led Zeppelin and be unaware, as I was, of which albums to buy. So, here is my review of a classic rock and roll album.

I wish to propose something that may enrage some of you, especially the rock purists and Beatles fans, of which I am one. I believe that Led Zeppelin created the first album that contains the modern and enduring form of rock and roll that we enjoy today, when they recorded their second album. There, I said it. It’s a hard thing for me to admit being the enormous Beatles fan that I am. By stating this I in no way wish to diminish the contribution of The Beatles, Elvis, Buddy Holly, or anyone else that may have been a part of rock and roll up to this time. Certainly Elvis and Buddy Holly helped to form rock and roll and The Beatles are among the best song writers and music creators in all of rockdom. I think Cream came very close but they were still essentially a blues trio with amazing rock aspirations.

Led Zeppelin II comes out and blows your mind wide open with the first powerful riff from Jimmy Page on the song “Whole Lotta Love.” Rock and roll has always had it’s roots in the blues and Led Zeppelin did not try to hide that. In fact they didn’t stray to far all even on this album which included such songs as The Lemon Song, a loose cover of Robert Johnson the famous bluesman and Bring It On Home another nod to traditional blues that includes blues riffs and harmonica before it explodes into some of the sweetest blues rock guitar riffs that the world has ever heard.

There are some songs that have to be played just before or after another song. What that those two or three song series were set up that way by the musicians or by radio DJ’s I’m not sure. Some examples are Queen’s “We Will Rock You” which has to be followed by “We Are the Champions.” Slightly Lesser known is INXS with “Need You Tonight” and “Mediate.” You can’t here the first song without wanting/needing to hear the next song. Led Zeppelin started it all with the three song series of “Heartbreaker”, “Living Loving Maid”, and “Ramble On.” “Heartbreaker” swings the hammer hard with the incredible guitar riffs and the baseline that is so heavy it makes your knees weak. About two-thirds of the way through, the song breaks and Page comes through with a quick guitar solo until it resolves then the rest of the band joins jamming until the song breaks again and they come back with a sound so big it knocks you back in your chair wondering what just hit you. “Living Loving Maid” is Jimmy Page’s least favorite song so it was not played very often in concert. Though not a particularly stellar song it was a fairly well done slightly popish song by Led Zeppelin standards. “Ramble On” has to be one of the best all around rock songs ever recorded. As many times as I have listened to this song I still get my rock on if I hear it come on the car radio. Anyone vaguely familiar with the J.R.R. Tolkien “Lord of The Ring” series will recognize the various references in this song. Robert Plant was a huge fan of the books and as such references sections in “Ramble On” as well as other songs they’ve recorded.

“Moby Dick” is a purely instrumental song that seems to be there to showcase John Bonham’s amazing drumming. It features bass and guitar parts though the song is wrapped around the drum beats including an extended drum solo. John Bonham and Ginger Baker, of Cream, really revolutionized rock and roll drumming with the changeup in beats and time signatures as well as the interesting fills that they are both famous for. Rock drumming exists in it’s current form because of these two drummers.

Every listen is a new experience. The first few listens give you simply enjoyable rock music. On subsequent listens you’ll begin to hear the textures of the various instruments including Plant’s voice. I am amazed every time I listen to this album.

This album gets an easy A grade.

If you like Rock and Roll, you’ll love this album.