- "Has anybody seen my lady, this living alone will drive me crazy, oh you don't know the shape I'm in." "I just spent 60 days in the jailhouse, for the crime of having no dough, now here I am back out on the street, for the crime of having nowhere to go." After spending their early years backing up other artists (including Bob Dylan) The Band came up with the perfect name when they started recording and performing their own material. "The Shape I'm In" comes from the group's 3rd album "Stage Fright" released in 1970 and is featured on various The Band greatest hits compilations. The Band was made up multi-instrumentalists and alternated lead vocal responsibilities while guitarist Robbie Robertson served as the group's principle song writer. "The Shape I'm In" (written by Robertson) has a great rootsty down home rock feel- 4/5ths of The Band were from Canada but if you didn't know better you might think these guys were from the American south. In addition to the lyrics and harmonies, the organ work on "The Shape I'm In" is rather splendid.
2. Rael 1 & 2 (Remake Version)- The Who
- "The Red Chins in their millions, will overspill their borders, and chaos then will reign in our Rael." "Now captain listen to my instructions, return to the spot on Christmas Day, look toward the shore for my signal, and then you'll know if in Rael I'll stay." The Who embraced psychedelia in 1967 with their concept album "The Who Sell Out" which paid tribute to pirate radio, consumerism and pop art. How "Rael" fits into that concept, or what the song is really about is beyond me. "Rael" is considered the Who's second "mini-opera" (the 1st being 1966's "A Quick One While He's Away") and consists of a few musical movements. Perhaps the song is most notable for one of the musical sections that would be used later as the song "Sparks" from the album "Tommy". Pete Townshend was certainly not opposed to reusing and re-purposing his own work. The song "It's a Boy" (also from"Tommy") features a minor lyrical rework to an earlier song called "Glow Girl". Even the great Beatles weren't above recycling. If you pay attention to the bridge to the 1965 single "We Can Work it Out" you'll clearly hear the musical basis for the 1967 song "Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite" from "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band".
- "I'm a dark horse, running on a dark race course, I'm a blue moon, since I stepped out of the womb, I've been a cool jerk, looking for the source, I'm a dark horse." The tensions between Paul McCartney and John Lennon are often credited as the root of The Beatles demise. While that may ultimately be true, George Harrison was the first member to say he had enough. Some of his frustration came from his inability to contribute more than a song here and there to The Beatles later LPs. His 1st proper solo album "All Things Must Pass" from 1970 is a masterpiece. The same probably can't be said for 1974's "Dark Horse" album, but the title track functions as one of Harrison's greatest hits. Acoustic guitars, keyboards and a flute (where have all the rock flautists gone?) build the foundation for this uptempo number. On personal George Harrison note, I am the proud owner of his first solo effort "Wonderwall Music" (1968) which is now out of print on CD (and selling for over $200 on Amazon at the moment). If you couldn't guess, the "Wonderwall Music" soundtrack was the inspiration for the Oasis hit "Wonderwall".
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