3 Strikes Turns 2 Edition

1. Penitentiary- Citizen Cope

• "Well I'm waiting on the day, when the people walk free to see, when the penitentiary is on fire." Clarence Greenwood (aka Citizen Cope) is an alternative singer songwriter with a hip hop sensibility."Penitentiary" comes from the 2004 album "The Clarence Greenwood Recordings". It's not one of my favorite songs from the album, but "The Clarence Greenwood Recordings" is pretty solid throughout. I'm not sure if "Penitentiary" is meant to be a political statement, but why not take an opportunity to hijack this music blog with political commentary. The American privatized for-profit prison industry is the best example of modern slavery in the US. Conviction rates and sentence lengths go up (even as crime goes down) to fuel the supply of free labor that makes products for everyday people like you and me. This is big business. I feel better now so let's get back to the music. My favorite Citizen Cope moment is his reggae cover of Radiohead's "Karma Police" with the Easy Star All Stars. Speaking of Citizen Cope and reggae; the Wailers (as in Bob Marley & The Wailers) will be at the World Cafe in Wilmington this Wednesday night and Citizen Cope will make an appearance next month. If you're from the area and haven't been to the World Cafe at the Queen theatre in Wilmington you should check it out- you just might see me there.

2. Breathe And Stop- Q-Tip

• "Breathe and stop, for real and give it what you got, and just uhh, breathe and stop, for real and give it what you got." On his 1999 solo debut "Amplified", ex- A Tribe Called Quest emcee Q-Tip scored a pair of hits with "Vivrant Thing" and "Breathe And Stop". It's good stuff but wouldn't it sound even better if Q-Tip was trading versus with Phife Dawg on these tracks? Looking back at the "Vivrant Thing" and "Breathe And Stop" videos I'm reminded just how hot the girls are in them, but also how the objectification of these hip hop video girls is so un-tribe like. A Tribe Called Quest epitomized the afro-centric/conscious/positive vibe synonymous with the Native Tongues collective. These could be P-Diddy or Jay-Z videos. In any event the songs are tight. Given the success of "Amplified" I'm surprised that Q-Tip has only released two other major label albums. I'm also not sure why A Tribe Called Quest fell apart but I should have my answers soon. A documentary on the legendary group called "Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest" will hit the theatres on July 8th. Q-Tip has already distanced himself from the film but I'm anxious to check it out.

3. Tomorrow- Ryan Adams

• "Pulled into the station, and they're playing Waylon Jennings, when you're driving through so late at night, you'll see the lights are blinding." Ryan Adams released "Demolition" in 2002 as a follow up to his 2001 ode to classic rock "Gold". "Demolition" collects songs recorded for a handful of unreleased albums- "The Suicide Handbook Sessions", "48 Hours" and "The Pinkheart Sessions". "Demolition" was critically reviewed as a mixed bag, and while that may be fair, there are a number of great songs in the collection. "Tomorrow" is an acoustic duet with Gillian Welch that couldn't be much slower or more gorgeous. The song was co-written by Adam's girlfriend Carrie Hamilton (daughter of Carol Burnett) who died of cancer in 2002. If you love a heartfelt folk/country duet in the tradition of Gram Parsons & Emmylou Harris or what The Civil Wars are doing these days then "Tomorrow" is for you. It's a shame that so much of the source material that "Demolition" draws from remains unreleased. "The Suicide Handbook Sessions" in particular is as good (if not better) than anything Adams has released.

1. The Grand Finale- The D.O.C.

• "(Ice Cube) Picture a n*gga that's raw, amplify his ass and what you see is what's on, motherf*ckers I slaughter, blow em out the water. (The D.O.C.) The D.O. to the C knowing the formula, it's rough, I mean it's funky enough. I got raw when I came to Cali, now I'm with N.W.A on the motherf*cking grand finale." With N.W.A. in tow, The D.O.C. ends his masterful 1989 solo debut album "No One Can Do It Better" with "The Grand Finale". The posse cut features verses from Ice Cube, MC Ren, Eazy-E, The D.O.C. and vocals from Dr. Dre, who produced the album. The D.O.C. helped bring lyricism to the West Coast. While he was very much a part of the N.W.A. crew he never relied on profanity in his vocals. The D.O.C. had a very promising career that was tragically cut short-after "No One Can Do It Better" was released, The D.O.C. was in a car accident that crushed his larynx (vocal chords). His voice was permanently altered into a gravely monotone. Though featured on Dr. Dre's "The Chronic" and used as a song writer for Dre and Snoop his solo career was effectively over after the car crash. "The Grand Finale" serves as a "lost" N.W.A. song, as good as anything they ever recorded. Hearing Dr. Dre giving a shout out to "the super-dope manager" Jerry Heller is particularly hilarious as he became a central figure in the demise of N.W.A.

2. The Seeker (live)- Pete Townshend

• "I asked Bobby Dylan, I asked The Beatles, I asked Timothy Leary, but he didn't help me either, they call me the seeker, I've been searching low and high, I won't get to get what I'm after, till the day I die." Recorded as a single (post "Tommy" and pre "Who's Next") "The Seeker" wound up on the 1971 compilation "Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy". It was included in the 1994 four disc "Maximum R&B" box set but doesn't appear on any current single-disc The Who greatest hits collections, making it a bit of a "lost gem". The height of the song's exposure (aside from it's brief time on the charts in 1970) was it's inclusion in the 1999 film "American Beauty". "The Seeker" is The Who at their best and the song's title alone embodies so much of what Townshend wrote about for years- the quest for things like identity and spiritual salvation. Of course this is the same guy that wrote "Long Live Rock", but who doesn't love mindless rock from time to time? This particular version of "The Seeker" is from "The Oceanic Concerts" album featuring Pete Townshend and harpist Raphael Rudd. Here we find Townshend alone on acoustic guitar and the results are outstanding. If the Timothy Leary reference is lost on you, I'd recommend that you tune in, turn on, and drop out.

3. You & Me- Dave Matthews Band

• "...and then when we get to the ocean, we gonna take a boat to the end of the world, all the way to the end of the world, oh and when the kids are old enough, we're gonna teach them to fly." Soooo good. In the Dave Matthews catalogue, I'd put "You & Me" alongside "Crash Into Me" in the "this song just gave me goosebumps" category. Who knew that taking a boat to the end of the world could sound so romantic? In reality the journey would be anything but a picnic and I doubt there's much in the way of amenities when you get there. Jokes aside, "You & Me" is gorgeous and does a great job of closing out the "Big Whiskey And The GrooGrux King" album. I tried to learn how to play this song- I found the guitar part fairly simple and singing the lyrics while playing it fairly impossible. I guess that's why I have a day job. The Dave Matthews Band announced that they would take a break from touring in 2011 only to later announce a series of 3 day "Caravan" shows this summer. I'll be in Atlantic City this June for what should be 3 amazing days of music. This will take my modest DMB show count from 8 to 11. I guess I'm a fan.

1. Friends- Whodini

• "Friends...how many of us have them, friends...ones we can depend on, friends...how many of us have them, friends...before we go any further, let's be friends." There is no mistaking Whodini's "Friends" as mid 80's hip hop. The production dates it fairly instantly- the simple beat and the synth bass are telling you the year is 1984. If that doesn't do the trick the lyrical flow will cement the fact. All that being said there is a keyboard part so good that sounds like it could have come out of Wu Tang Clan's "C.R.E.A.M". It has been sampled in a number of hip hop songs including the 1996 NaS hit "If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)". Whodini was on top of their game in 1984 with the release of "Escape"- the album that gave us "Friends", "Big Mouth" and "The Freaks Come Out At Night". I can remember being on the playground in elementary school and hearing someone rap all the words to "Big Mouth". I'm not sure I ever heard the song on the radio and I didn't have the tape, yet I knew the song. This past weekend I was acting as a tour guide in Philadelphia for an out-of-town friend . Upon passing the Gallery Mall I asked my friend is she remembered the song "Parent's Just Don't Understand". Not only did she remember it, but she broke out an entire verse on demand. Kinda makes you nostalgic for the old school lyrical era of hip hop.

2. On and On- Girl Talk

• "(Notorious B.I.G.) Uhh, I go on and on and then take her to the crib and let your bone in, easy, call em on the phone and, platinum Chanel cologne and, I stay dressed to impress, spark these b*tches interest." Have you ever wondered what it would sound like to have Eric Clapton/Cream collaborate with Biggie Smalls? Well, Gregg Gillis (the DJ known as Girl Talk) must have and I'm glad he did. The results are quite good. The Girl Talk formula is to mash up songs from a wide range of disparate genres into something surprisingly cohesive. In 2008's "Feed The Animals" the samples were coming fast and furious from all directions. In his latest work, 2010's "All Day" (where "On and On" is found) things are less dense and the samples are allowed a bit more time to stretch out and breathe. There are a number of brilliant moments on "All Day"- Ludacris paired with Black Sabbath, Joe Jackson teamed with Lil Wayne (the Joe Jackson "Steppin' Out" sample is so good it manages to make Lil Wayne sound good) and the aforementioned combination of Cream and B.I.G , but on the whole I don't think "All Day" matches "Feed The Animals".

3. Black Country Woman- Led Zeppelin

• "You didn't have to make me a total disgrace, you didn't have to leave me with that beer in my face, hey hey mama, what's the matter here, that's alright, it's awful dog-gone clear." If Led Zeppelin only played amped up blues rock I may be inclined to agree with Homer Simpson's assessment that Jimmy Page is "the greatest thief of American black music who ever walked the Earth." A number of early Zeppelin tunes "borrowed" from blues without any citation. However, it turns out that Page and company also explored English folk music and it was the fusing of these two dominant influences that made their music original and interesting. "Black Country Woman" is a great example of this duality...it's acoustic and folky but with a blues sensibility. It comes courtesy of the band's 1975 double album "Physical Graffiti". The album is best known for the song "Kashmir". I don't recommend sleep deprivation or casual drug use but if you're into that sort of thing "Kashmir" is a good companion song to help you lose track of the space/time continuum. This past weekend I found myself in my car listening to the radio (I only do this on short drives) and both 93.3 WMMR and 94.1 WYSP were playing "Kashmir" at the same time. Thank you Philadelphia rock radio for running this band into the ground.

1. Bargain (live)- The Who

• "I'd gladly lose me to find you, I'd gladly give up all I had, to find you I'd suffer anything and be glad. But like, one and one don't make two, one and one make one." This song is either about a willingness to sacrifice/suffer anything for spiritual salvation or a notice to get on down to your local Nissan dealer to find great sales on the latest Xterra. Perhaps it's about both at the same time. As a music fan I'm supposed to be bothered when artists "sell out" and license their music for commercials and TV shows, but I could care less. "Bargain" is brilliant and the song's meaning doesn't change no matter how it is re-purposed. If you need a reminder we are talking about a band who embraced commercialism to the point that their third album was filled with advertisements and titled "The Who Sell Out". A framed original vinyl copy of "The Who Sell Out" is a recent addition my music collection. This particular live version of "Bargain" comes from the Deluxe Edition of "Who's Next". It's good, but my favorite version of the song is a live Pete Townsehnd solo acoustic performance from "The Oceanic Concerts" album featuring Townshend and harpist Raphael Rudd. The "Oceanic" version of "Bargain" lacks the familiar synthesizer part and The Who's thundering heard rhythm section of Moon and Entwistle but in turn we get the purest presentation of song possible.

2. Misery- Brendan Benson

• "When every time I open my mouth, another page of the book torn out, put me out of my misery, 'cause I can't help myself anymore, I've become my own worst enemy (put me out of my misery)." When I tell folks I like Brendan Benson the most common reply is "who?", followed by "you must be a Jack White fan". Brendan does partner with former White Stripes front man Jack White in the Raconteurs but it has nothing to do with my love for Brendan....plus I'm yet to understand the hype around Jack White. "Misery" comes from Benson's 4th full length studio album "My Old, Familiar Friend" (2009). If you grew up on The Cars and enjoy Electric Light Orchestra you can't go wrong with this record. Power pop is alive and well if you want it to be. The last time I saw Brendan Benson he was playing a show at the Trocadero theatre in Philadelphia with The Posies. It turned out to be Brendan's birthday that night and his tour mates surprised him on stage with a number of birthday cakes which were passed through the crowd. Initially unable to find anything to cut the cakes, someone on stage asked if anyone in the crowd had a knife. It struck me as a funny question since anytime I'm out in Philly I assume I'm the only one not carrying a knife.

3. Bigger Than My Body (live)- John Mayer

• "Maybe I'll tangle in the power lines, and it might be over in a second's time, but I'd gladly go down in a flame, if a flame's what it takes to remember my name, to remember my name." "Bigger Than My Body" was the lead single from John Mayer's sophomore album "Heavier Things". I won't say this is a paint by numbers song but it fits the mold of "we need an up tempo pop/rock single to launch this album" so well...like it was born to play that part. "Bigger Than My Body" with it's electric guitars did represent a bit of a new sound for Mayer who's previous album "Room For Squares" was almost exclusively an acoustic affair. "Heavier Things" turned the acoustic/electric ratio upside down. While dominated by electric songs it is best remembered for the acoustic hit "Daughters". I first heard "Daughters" live at the intimate Knitting Factory in NYC in 2003 prior to the release of "Heavier Things" and like probably everyone else in the room realized I was listening to a hit song. Looking back, the song on "Heavier Things" that best predicted the sound to come for Mayer is "Wheel". If you placed "Wheel" on Mayer's next release "Continuum" it would be right at home. In that regard I suppose it's fitting that "Wheel" closes "Heavier Things".

Back Up In Your A** With The Resurrection Edition

1. Too Late for Goodbyes- Julian Lennon

• "Ever since you've been leaving me, I've been wanting to cry, now I know how it feels for you, I've been wanting to die, but it's much too late for goodbyes." This is the song you hear at the Wawa and think to yourself, the 80's weren't that bad. If you don't find yourself at a Wawa from time to time you are missing out. "Too Late for Goodbyes" comes from Julian's 1984 debut album "Valotte". In the parlance of 1984 I'd say this song is doubleplusgood. The production is text book mid 80's but "Too Late for Goodbyes" is good/catchy enough that the dated production can't stop my enjoyment. I'm not sure what's creepier- Julian Lennon's vocal resemblance to his father John or Dhani Harrison's visual resemblance to his father George. I'm a pretty good judge on being creepy but I'd say it's too close to call. Julian wasn't able to sustain a career in music but I can't imagine the life of Beatle spawn being too rough. As a footnote, when Julian's parent's divorced Paul McCartney wrote "Hey Jude" to comfort him (Paul felt it would be easier to sing Jude than Jules). It turns out the movement we need is on Julian Lennon's shoulders.

2. Shut Em Down- Public Enemy

• "I like Nike but wait a minute, the neighborhood supports so put some money in it, corporations owe, they gotta give up the dough, to my town or else we gotta shut em down." "Apocalypse 91- The Enemy Strikes Black" represents the last album from Public Enemy's golden age. Arguably the most important group to come out of the 1980's, P.E. would lose steam after "Apocalypse 91" until they found their footing again with 1998's "He Got Game". Chuck D put corporate America on notice with "Shut Em Down". Why should the "hood" support Nike when the corporation doesn't invest in the community? Ice Cube hit the same note in 1991 with his song "The Wrong N**** to F*** With" when he spoke out against buying Raiders gear-"stop giving juice to the Raiders, cause Al Davis never paid us." Since 91 there are countless examples of clothing/apparel companies that have watched profits soar from hip hop community support without giving back to the inner city. If you dig "Shut Em Down" be sure to check out the Pete Rock remix version available on "Def Jam recordings Greatest Hits". Bonus footnote: the Public Enemy logo- a silhouetted b-boy in cross hairs was designed from a sketch of Cut Creator, LL Cool J's original DJ.

3. Kicking Television (studio version)- Wilco

• "I'm serious, you'll see, I'm working on my abs, I'm working on me, oh I'm kicking, yeah I'm calm, oh I'm kicking, television, television." In 2005 Wilco released the "A Ghost Is Born Tour EP" to compliment the release of 2004's "A Ghost Is Born" album. The EP features a few live songs and two studio recordings not found on "A Ghost Is Born"- "Panthers" and "Kicking Television". The later finds the band in punk/garage rock mode, a departure of sorts from their typical sound. "Kicking Television" would go on to become the name of Wilco's 2005 live double album. Last year the band released "Kicking Television: Live in Chicago" on vinyl (with bonus tracks) for the first time in conjunction with National Record Store Day. I ordered it online and haven't taken it out of the box, preserving it's mint condition status. This past weekend I celebrated National Record Store Day 2011 by picking up Kanye West's "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" (fantastic) and Neutral Milk Hotel's "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" (insane) on vinyl. Perhaps caught up in the celebration I opened both albums. I may live to regret that but my turntable seems pretty happy about all the attention it's getting.

Lost In My Mind Edition

1. Second Last- Lucky Day

• "So I'm gonna spend the cash I've got, so I can be a cosmonaut, save you a seat in my earthling spot, I wish you could go with me, and show you what you never see." It seems like just yesterday that I was at the New York City CD release show for Lucky Day's sophomore release "Rise & Fall". Arelene's Grocery was the backdrop for a great evening of music. If you've seen the film "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist" then you've seen a glimpse of Arlene's Grocery. The film also takes you into Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady studios. Visiting Electric Lady has become a growing obsession for me but that's a story for another time. After Lucky Day's CD release show my friends and I somehow wound up next door at the Golden Slipper, a house of burlesque where our MC for the evening was a tall gay gentleman dressed in a tight shinny bunny costume. That's definitely a story for another time. "Second Last" is trademark Lucky Day with tight pop melodies, a hook that brings you back, and vocals that are silky smooth. Washington DC-area Lucky Day is in a bit of a hiatus at the moment but there are rumors that the lead singer has another project in the works- Lionel Jones. Details are scare but Lionel Jones will purportedly seek to revolutionize everything we know about music. If you have a red, green, and black liberation jump suit it may be time to dust it off.

2. Remix For P Is Free- Boogie Down Productions

• "I said to myself this tape sound funky, riding past the 116th street junkie. Because the girlies is free, 'cause the crack costs money, oh yeah, I said the girlies is free, 'cause the crack cost money, oh yeah!" I'm not sure where I was when I first heard "Criminal Minded" (1987) the game changing debut from Boogie Down Productions but if I had to guess it was sometime in 1990. I found the then essentially out of print album on cassette at the Granite Run mall. Score. Without being graphic, "Remix For P Is Free" tells the story of a Strawberry or two. What is a "Strawberry" you ask? N.W.A. provided the most succinct definition in the song "Dopeman"- "Strawberry is a girl selling p#ssy for crack to the dopeman." If you want a fascinating account of the crack-cocaine explosion of the 1980's with a heavy dose of government conspiracy theory, "Dark Alliance" by Gary Webb is a must read. The main focus of the book is the alleged direct CIA involvement in the spread of the drug. Even if the conspiracy theory stuff doesn't float your boat you'll get amazing insight into the story of Freeway Ricky Ross (the real Rick Ross). Freeway Ricky built an unparalleled crack-cocaine empire that at it's zenith in the 1980s brought him millions a week. Millions a week is a lot of rocks. Fans of newer hip-hop should recognize the beat for "Remix For P Is Free" as it serves as the musical basis for the phenomenal song "Definition" (2002) by Black Star- the duo of Mos Def & Talib Kweli.

3. Rock 'n' Roll McDonald's- Wesley Willis

• "McDonalds will make you fat, they serve Big Macs, they serve quarter pounders, they will put pounds on you, rock and roll McDonalds! rock and roll McDonalds! Rock over London, rock on Chicago, Wheaties- breakfast of champions." Where do I being with this musical masterpiece? The first time I heard this (in the early 2000's) on the radio I pretty much lost my mind. When I saw the film "Supersize Me" in the theatre and "Rock 'n' Roll McDonald's" came on I was unbelievably amused. The only musical moment that surpassed this in the film was the use of Curtis Mayfield's "Pusherman" with the direct implication that Ronald McDonald is the fast food equivalent of a crack dealer who preys on children. "Rock 'n' Roll McDonald's" is brilliant on so many levels. Lyrically it's on par with anything folks like Dylan and Lennon/McCartney ever conjured up. The music is outstanding as well. If the music is not a pre-recorded Casio keyboard backing track, I don't know what is. My favorite thing about "Rock 'n' Roll McDonald's" musically by far is the breakdown. Who doesn't love a good breakdown? Where would hip-hop be if not for the breakdown? (the answer is nowhere). We get a 50 second breakdown (in a song that clocks in at 2:25) where nothing happens....other than the glorious Casio backing track doing it's thing. Genius.

100th Post Edition

1. Who Needs Shelter- Jason Mraz

• "Good day sunlight, I'd like to say how truly bright you are, you don't know me, but I know you see you're my favorite star, fa-la-la-ollow you I will so let's get moving." With a trip to San Diego coming up it's pretty fitting that I get a Mraz song to talk about. "Who Needs Shelter" is a slow mellow acoustic number from Jason's major label debut "Waiting For My Rocket To Come". I especially dig the syncopated interplay between the acoustic guitar and mandolin featured in the intro and found throughout the song. Perhaps inspired by the torrential rains that preceded and threatened to cancel his last concert in Philadelphia (an outdoor show at Penn's Landing in the summer of 2009) "Who Needs Shelter" was a late addition to the shows set list. Hearing this older gem that night was only eclipsed by the "Curbside Prophet"/"Gypsy MC" mash up that featured verses from G. Love and K'nnan. Speaking of Philadelphia native G.Love, he'll be at the House of Blues in San Diego this Friday night. Maybe I'll need to drop by. If you check out "Who Needs Shelter", dig it as much as I do and want to play it on guitar, be sure to use drop D tuning and capo your 2nd fret...otherwise you'll just make a fool of yourself.

2. Let's Not Get Carried Away- Wilco

• "I got a million things that I'd rather do, than to play rock 'n' roll for you, oh honey if I blow your fuse, can I please be excused?" With a trip to Chicago coming up it's pretty fitting that I get a Wilco song to talk about. If you pick up Wilco's "Sky Blue Sky" album on iTunes you'll get "Let's Not Get Carried Away" as a bonus track. If not you'll want to track down a copy of the "Sky Blue Sky" Bonus EP (where you'll find this song and other goodies as well). If you've done all that and you still don't have enough of 2007 era "Sky Blue Sky" sessions material then you should hunt down a copy of the "Unlikely Japan" single; an early demo version of "Impossible Germany". If that won't quench your thirst I'm not sure what else to prescribe. "Let's Not Get Carried Away" has a lot to like- Jeff Tweedy's rock 'n' roll scream, Nels Cline's ridiculous guitar runs and drummer Glen Kotche even morphs into John Bonham ala "Moby Dick" if only for a brief stretch. Of course as a Who fan I like drum solos to end with an exploding drum kit but we can't always get everything we want. "Sky Blue Sky" is Wilco's sixth studio album and it's as exciting and vibrant as anything they've recorded. Most bands have long since run out of big ideas and sounds by their sixth record, if they even make it that far.

3. Loving Wings- Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds

• "You lightly lifted me away, out of a darkness cold and gray, and I work beneath the midday sun, my cool blue water you have come." Maybe I'm supposed to plan a trip to Charlottesville sometime soon. I really don't see myself there until the fall of 2012 when the Nittany Lions visit the University of Virginia "Wahoos" for a football contest. I do love the pageantry of intercollegiate athletics. More immediately I plan to catch up with Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds this summer in Atlantic City NJ for the Dave Matthews Band "Caravan" three day mega concert. "Loving Wings" has been released on half a dozen live albums. Yours truly only has it in my collection thanks to it's inclusion on the Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds "Live in Las Vegas" album. Apparently there is no studio version of the song to date. "Loving Wings' is sad and sweet and is lyrically built around the idea of redemptive love. "Angels have all gathered 'round, to hear me sing my love out loud." As I've stated before Dave is a very spiritual dude despite claims to the contrary.

1. The Thrill Is Gone (1969 Single Version)- B.B. King

• "The thrill is gone baby, the thrill is gone away, you know you done me wrong baby, and you'll be sorry someday." I'm not sure I can explain why, but there is something so cinematic about "The Thrill Is Gone". Maybe it's all the strings juxtaposed against B.B. King's guitar licks and howling vocals. In any case this is one of the crown jewels in B.B.'s catalogue and the blues genre in general. Like other King staples ("Sweet Little Angel, "How Blue Can You Get?", "Every Day I Have The Blues") we aren't talking about an original but by the time he's done with it the song is unmistakeably his. I won't try to measure King's importance to blues/American music other than to say it's monumental. His recording career started in 1949 and made such an impact that he received a Grammy lifetime achievement award 24 years ago. Remarkably King is still recording and touring as we speak. To help put that in perspective for me, the guy is older than Joe Paterno, which is to say he may have known Methuselah.

2. Avenues (Acoustic Version)- Whiskeytown

• "All the sweethearts of the world, are out dancing in the places, where me and all my friends go to hide our faces, yea avenues run one way, yea and streets they run the same." Before he became a solo artist Ryan Adams fronted the alt-country outfit Whiskeytown. 1997's "Strangers Almanac" is the album that probably best represents the band. If you have "A.M." or "Being There" by Wilco you have a good sense for the general sound on "Strangers Almanac". Whiskeytown's "Pneumonia" album may be their best, but it's more of an Adams solo project much like "All Shook Down" was more Paul Westerberg than Replacements. A few years back the fine people at Geffen Records released a Deluxe Edition of "Strangers Almanac" with a lot of extra goodies. The "acoustic" version of "Avenues" sounds like a slightly paired down demo of the original studio version (which is also acoustic). It's not Adams' best stuff but it's not bad either. One of the more intriguing inclusions on the Deluxe Edition of "Strangers Almanac" is a rather rough (but enjoyable) cover of Fleetwood Mac's classic "Dreams". Listening to Adams struggle with the vocal makes me feel better for not being able to sing it myself.

3. The Love You Save- The Jackson 5

• (J5) "S is for save it, T is for take is slow, O for is Oh no!, P is for please, please don't go!" (Jermaine) "The love you save may be your own" (Michael) "Some day you may be all alone" (Jermaine) "Stop it!" (Michael) "Save it girl!" (Jermaine) "Baby...ooooh." Last week I spun a yarn about how I acquired Better Than Ezra's "Deluxe" album while working as a painter. It's time I unfurl another tale from my painting days. Each day our painting crew listened to a pretty standard set of songs on our commute to and from our sites. We listened to these songs on cassettes (look it up). Those songs included "ABC", "I Want You Back", "The Love You Save" by the Jackson 5, "Copacabana" by Barry Manilow and last but certainly not least "If I Only Knew" by Tom Jones. Though I sadly can't remember the specific steps there was even a choreographed dance for "The Love You Save". What I do remember more vividly was that our undisputed theme song that summer was Eric Clapton's "Let it Rain". If if rained enough we all got a day off which was much better than the money we were making for work. I can remember my friend John doing a tribal rain dance on more than one occasion (in the yards of our customers) to help the skies open up in our favor.

1. Next Time- BareNaked Ladies

• "It's a shame I have to wait until the ending, everything I've yet to break is surely bending, every vow I ever take is just pretending, that this mess I make is worth defending." The studio version of "Next Time" is a solid song from the under appreciated "Everything To Everyone" album. "Everything To Everyone" is the album that had that song about chimps. In conjunction with the release of the album, the Ladies recorded a live in studio DVD featuring acoustic performances of eleven of the album's fourteen songs. Six of those live recordings were released as the "Everything Acoustic- EP". The live acoustic version of "Next Time" is amazing. Save the "Rock Spectacle" (pronounced "Spec-tak") live version of "Break Your Heart" this is the best live recording I've ever heard from the band (and I've heard more than my fair share). Steven Page's vocals are spectacular and balanced perfectly with Kevin Hearn's piano. The backing vocals/harmonies, particularly those of bassist Andy Creeggan, are gorgeous. "Next Time" never speeds up in tempo, in fact it slows down for the bridge, yet the intensity of the song consistently swells throughout. The live version of "Next Time" is worth seeking out.

2. This Time Of Year- Better Than Ezra

• "Well there's a football in the air, across a leaf blown field, yeah and there's your first car on the road, and the girl you'd steal." "This Time Of Year" is a nice acoustic song from Better Than Ezra's debut album"Deluxe". It's the album that put the band on the map with the mega-smash "Good" (dat's right!). I can vividly remember how I acquired "Deluxe". It was the summer of '95 and I was the foreman of a painting crew...not that I had ever picked up a paint brush prior to that summer. Working in Delaware, Wilmington's WSTW 93.7 FM offered the best variety of modern hits (though I was never quite comfortable that they played a version of TLC's "Waterfalls" that edited out Left Eye's rap verse). Listening to WSTW one morning we heard the announcement that they were giving away free tickets at a promotional spot nearby to see Firehouse at the Big Kahuna (a.k.a Kahunaville). For those that don't remember, Firehouse was the hair-metal band that sang "Love of a Lifetime". You can only imagine our excitement. I immediately called for a lunch break even though it couldn't have been past 10:30 in the morning. When we met up with the "prize patrol" (no idea if they called themselves that) they had to inform us that we couldn't have tickets because we were under 21. My one friend/painting colleague Ryan told them that we "just bolted from our jobs!" (true), "could be fired!" (doubtful) and "we don't care because we want to see Firehouse!" (flat out lie). They felt bad enough to let us each have a CD, and "Deluxe" has been mine ever since.

3. Only Happy When It Rains- Garbage

• "You want to hear about my new obsession, I'm riding high upon a deep depression, I'm only happy when it rains. Pour some misery down on me." I remember "Only Happy When It Rains" for being a popular radio song in the late 90s but I mostly remember it for being used in an episode of the X-files. The episode had nothing to do with the song so maybe what I really remember is the episode. That episode, "Terms of Endearment" from season six concerns demon fetal harvesting. Yes, demon fetal harvesting. This demon guy, who Mulder suspects could be the devil himself, keeps spawning demon babies- complete with horns and a tail. He keeps knocking up different women but the poor guy just wants a normal baby. At the end of the day the joke is on him when a demon woman ("demon woman, woman demon") uses him so she can have a demon baby. A few years ago one of my best friends had a daughter- I asked if she was born with a vestigial tail and got no response. I found that kind of suspicious. In any event I read on the Interweb that Garbage is working on a new album. Good to know.

1. Half a Heart- BareNaked Ladies

• "Standing on a crumbling wall, tethered to a cannonball, anyone with half a heart would help me out, before they ever let the other half find out." Not to be confused with "Half of My Heart" (a song John Mayer recorded as a vehicle to knock Taylor Swift's country boots from here to Czechoslovakia) this is BNL song that does not feature any teen tarts. "Half of My Heart" comes courtesy of the "BareNaked Ladies Are Men" album; a rapid fire follow up to "BareNaked Ladies Are Me". I like the idea that the title of their 8th studio album could be used to clear up any ambiguity with the band's name....15 years into their recording career. On "BareNaked Ladies Are Men", "Half a Heart" serves a much welcomed mid-tempo acoustic number. It is surrounded by a number of upbeat/up-tempo electric guitar rock songs that are a bit too peppy, collectively speaking. "Half A Heart" is a cardio cool down on the treadmill of life. With no more insight into this song and space to fill, I feel the urge to share a story from the day I met the BareNaked Ladies. I remember being struck by seeing Kevin Hearn (piano, accordion, guitar, et al) relaxing with a copy of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's "The Brothers Karamazov", presumably reading it for pleasure. Having read the book for an AP English class in high school I couldn't imagine it as light reading for anyone but there we were. I told Kevin when he was done with the book to check out the film as it features William Shatner. He seemed both surprised and amused. Books are always better than the movie but when Shatner is involved all bets are off.

2. Nightingale Song- Toad The Wet Sprocket

• "And little ever changes when you view it from the sky, and the damage we encounter, the earth just passes by, and little ever changes if anything at all, just reminds ourselves how small we are." What is it about a sweet acoustic guitar riff, great lyrics/vocals/harmonies, and hand claps that I like so much? Oh yea, all of it. A tambourine is a nice touch as well. "Nightingale Song" gives me all that in 2:03. Toad The Wet Sprocket, who are touring as we speak, really hit their stride in 1991 with the album "Fear". The album is most remembered for songs like "Walk On The Ocean" and "All I Want" but it's superb from top to bottom. "Fear" found an audience when alternative rock was alternative; a pre-grunge era when the college charts bore no resemblance whatsoever to the pop charts. In the interest of full disclosure I didn't find out about this album until I was in college. In 1991 I was far too immersed in Public Enemy in particular and overthrowing the establishment in general to appreciate songs like "Butterflies" and "I Will Not Take These Things For Granted." These days I enjoy my Glen Phillips autographed guitar and long walks on the beach.

3. They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)- Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth

• "I reminisce so you never forget this, the days of way back, so many bear witness to fitness, take the first letter out of each word in this joint, listen close as I prove my point." For our next number we are returning to the classics. "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" is a tribute to "Trouble" T. Roy, a dancer for Heavy D & The Boyz who died in a tragic accident in 1990. Shortly before his death I saw him perform at the old Spectrum when Heavy D helped open for Public Enemy in 1990. "Trouble" T. Roy is also referenced by Q-Tip on A Tribe Called Quest's "Vibes And Stuff". Pete Rock's work on "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" is brilliant. We're not talking about an obvious sample of a hook from an old hit song. The samples-"Today" by Tom Scott (the main sax part) and "When She Made Me Promise" by The Beginning of the End (the intro) are brief moments from rather obscure songs. With a masterful track to work with C.L. Smooth does not disappoint. Instead of the mindless "cash, money, hoes" mantra en vogue in popular hip-hop thanks to rappers like Jay-Z, C.L. Smooth is a lyrical emcee....a storyteller with something to say. This is early 90's hip-hop at it's best before "The Chronic" ushered in an era that pushed positive/conscious/politically aware hip-hop out of the mainstream. Speaking of that 1990 P.E. show, another one of the opening acts was Digital Underground. I did the humpty dance that night along with a then-unknown backup dancer for Digital Underground named Tupac Shukar. Sure, I was at my seat and he was on stage but at that moment Pac and I were together.
  
  

Staff Notes- With a friend in town last night I found myself watching "American Idol" for the first time in years. The most enjoyable part of the show has to be the cutaways to Idol judge Steven Tyler anytime an attractive young girl is performing. You can tell he's enjoying it for all the wrong reasons. This season there is a country rube (don't ask me his name) who can really do the talk-sing-country-twang like it's nobody's business. Last night he sang a song made famous by country great Garth Brooks. At least Randy Jackson (my dog) called Brooks great. Apparently not everyone on the country scene feels that way about Garth. Famous country music artist Waylon Jennings once said "Garth Brooks did for country music what pantyhose did for finger f*cking." I don't know (or care) enough about country music to weigh in but I do know that I can't get enough of Chris Gaines. Anyone know if he's working on any new material?

1. Represent- NaS

• "Straight up sh#t is real and any day could be your last in the jungle, get murdered on the humble, guns'll bust, n*ggas tumble. Could use a gun son, but f*ck being a wanted man, but if I hit rock bottom then I'm'a be the son of Sam." Well then. I suppose to understand NaS one would have to take a look where he came from. Or as rapper B-Real (who could just kill a man) once put it, "how do you know where I'm at when you haven't been where I've been, understand where I'm coming from?" In this case we're talking about Queensbridge, the largest housing project in America. "Tragedy: The Story of Queensbridge" is a documentary that follows lesser known MC (and original Juice Crew member) Tragedy and dives into the Queensbridge culture. People in the film allege that NaS hasn't done a fraction of what we hear in his lyrics. Now that I've cast aspersions on NaS's street cred I want to say that "Illmatic" (the album that gave us "Represent") is a classic. My only issue is that while NaS does indeed represent "Q.B."- where does that get us? As Chuck D said "I never did represent doing dumb sh*t, some gangsta lying- I'd rather diss Presidents." Oh snap.

2. Melissa- Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs

• "Freight train, each car looks the same, all the same, and no one knows the Gypsy's name. In all his deepest dreams the Gypsy flies with sweet Melissa, mmmm." Power pop notable Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs (the woman who lit an eternal flame in my heart) teamed up in 2006 to record an album of 1960s covers. The results were smashing; there are a number of great songs and the cover of Neil Young's "Everybody Knows This is Nowhere" is phenomenal. In 2009 the duo (who affectionately call themselves Sid and Susie) teamed up again to tackle the 1970s. This time the results are mixed. "I've Seen All Good People: Your Move/All Good People" and "Everything I Own" are brilliant while "I Wanna Be Sedated" is cringe-worthy. "Melissa" is somewhere in between. Of course we are talking about the classic Allman Brothers tune from the famed "Eat a Peach" album. This version won't cause Duane Allman to turn over in his grave but it's also not going to make you forget about the original any time soon. This observer is curious if the duo has any plans to tackle the 80s and if that effort would include any Bangles songs.

3. The Flag- BareNaked Ladies

• "The phone rings it's early, it's 7 o'clock, he said I'm sorry I woke you but I just had to talk, you know last night, remember when I tried to choke you? I didn't mean it, I'm sorry, it was only a joke." Have you ever enjoyed an album so much that you decided to listen to it in reverse order (start with the last song and work your way to the first)? Of course not, that would be absurd. If you did, "The Flag" would be the third song you'd hear on "Gordon". Have I mentioned that this album is on my desert island top 5? I enjoy it to the point where I've learned 9 out of it's 15 songs on guitar including "The Flag". On the whole "Gordon" is upbeat, light hearted and comical. However, such is not the case with songs like "Wrap Your Arms Around Me", "What A Good Boy" and "The Flag". Things couldn't be more serious than the tale of domestic abuse heard on "The Flag". The production is intentionally sparse, allowing the song's content to carry it forward. The first recording of "The Flag" appears on an unreleased 1990 demo cassette known as "Barenaked Recess". This demo cassette, sandwiched between the "Pink" and "Yellow" tapes in the release chronology, first surfaced in a digital format last year. Listening to "Barenaked Recess" at a time when former BNL lead singer Steven Page has gone solo and the rest of the band has carried on without him is strange. How do bands (one that started out recording demos in their parent's basement as teenagers in this case) that overcome all the odds to find success not find a way to work it out?

1. Heaven And Hell (studio version)- The Who

• "In the place up above you grow feather wings and you fly round and round, with a harp singing hymns, and down in the ground you grow horns and a tail and you carry a fork, and moan and wail." If you take Peter Frampton out of the equation, how often are you more (or only) familiar with the live version of a song versus the studio version? Not that often. Sure, it happens. Bob Seger's "Turn The Page", Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed", and Billy Joel's "She's Got a Way" to name a few. Oh, and "Heaven And Hell" by The Who... if you're familiar with it at all. The John Entwistle penned "Heaven And Hell" is best known as the first song off the "Live At Leeds" album. It serves the Leeds album well as it hits you over the head with drums, guitar and bass before you can figure out what happened. The studio version was released as a B-side to the 1970 "Summertime Blues" single (taken from the Leeds album) and resurfaced for the 1st time on CD on a no-longer-in-print 1985 compilation "Who's Missing" and subsequently on the 1994 "Thirty Years of Maximum R&B" box set (of course if you are a fan then you know that you already had it). More recently the "Summertime Blues/Heaven and Hell" 7" vinyl single was reissued as a part of the "Live at Leeds 40th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition". "Heaven And Hell" is one of Who bassist John Entwistle's best songwriting contributions to the group. Given Pete Townshend's songwriting prowess not many people would cite a song written by Entwistle as their favorite Who song yet Jimi Hendrix did with "Boris The Spider". While it is possible this was Jimi's favorite it was widely speculated his selection was meant as an insult to Townshend.

2. Satellite (Remember Two Things live version)- Dave Matthews Band

• "Winter's cold, spring erases, and the calm away by the storm is chasing, everything good needs replacing, look up, look down all around, hey satellite." If I've told the following story on the blog before my apologies. The year was 1994. I was contemplating dropping $20 to see Big Head Todd & The Monsters (I was and still am a big fan of the song "Bittersweet") and The Dave Matthews Band play at the intimate Rec Hall in State College. The venue fits 6 to 7 thousand people at best. For whatever reason I didn't go. Shame on me. Fortunately one of my best friends hooked me up with a ticket to see the band a few years later in Philly at Veterans Stadium. At that point the band was playing venues slightly less intimate. None the less it was a great show and the first of 8 or so times that I've seen the band. If I'm not mistaken Boyd Tinsley and I were wearing the same Kangol hat that night at the Vet. "Satellite" is a great song said to have evolved from finger exercises that Dave Matthews would do on guitar. I for one believe it as would anyone who has attempted to play the song. The band would go on to record the song in studio for their major label debut "Under the Table And Dreaming". My two favorite things about "Satellite" are the transition to the bridge (genius) and when sung live Dave's vocal for the lyric "who's the king of your satellite castle" (priceless).

3. Dreamworld- Rilo Kiley

• "She was the girl with a string around her neck, came with the boy who could only give her less. The wedding bells won't ring but she could care less how you exist, when you're living in a dreamworld." In 2007 Rilo Kiley released their major label debut "Under The Blacklight". It's a great piece of work. Rilo Kiley is fronted by vocalist/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist and all around hotsy totsy Jenny Lewis. Jenny is also a former child actor who's credits include bit parts on shows like Golden Girls, Growing Pains and Mr. Belvedere. "Dreamworld" is the only song on "Under The Blacklight" not written, or co-written by Lewis. Maybe that explains why it's my least favorite song on the album. As far as my favorites, you can't go wrong with songs like "Sliver Lining", "The Moneymaker", "Breakin' Up" and "15". There is a great live acoustic video for "The Moneymaker" on YouTube which shows of Lewis's pipes nicely. A lot of the lyrics on "Under The Blacklight" are bawdy. I mean they are downright ribald. I'm not sure if a guy could get away with singing "15", a song about a young girl and her "developing body". In "Dejalo", Jenny sings "she sleeps on your left side, she gets nailed, I get tied, I sleep on your right side, hundred ways to keep love alive." Holla.

1. If I Fell- The Beatles

• "So I hope you see that I, would love to love you, and that she will cry, when she learns we are two, cause I couldn't stand the pain, and I would be sad if our new love was in vain." What a great song. "If I Fell" is 2 minutes and 20 seconds of pop perfection. It comes from 1964's "A Hard Day's Night" album where none of the 13 songs stretch to 3 minutes. When it's this good you only need two minutes because it's so intense. We don't often talk song structure, but let's talk song structure! "If I Fell" is beautifully constructed and in a unique way. It starts with a lengthy 8 measure non-repeating intro section, then the remaining verse sections never give way to a chorus or a bridge. For good measure there is also a key change so subtle you almost have to believe it's there to hear it. Lyrically the song is a male-perspective precursor to Carole King's "Will You Love Me Tomorrow". John Lennon wants to know that if he gives it to this wag she won't run off with some other bloke. Lennon and McCartney deliver a vocal performance that conveys sincere insecurity despite the fact that by 1964 their pimp hands must have been very strong.

2. Hallelujah- Jeff Buckley

• "Well I heard there was a secret chord, that David played and it pleased the Lord, but you don't really care for music, do ya? Well it goes like this, the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift, the baffled king composing Hallelujah." This is one of the greatest recordings of all time. Period. It's gorgeous. Sexy. Spiritual. Other-worldly. I don't want to over-sell it but it's better than 10 Super bowls. "Hallelujah" is many things, but it is not Jeff Buckley's song. Leonard Cohen penned and released the original version in 1984. He is said to have written over 80 verses for the song. His live versions of "Hallelujah" would feature lyrics not in the original recording; lyrics that would go on to form the basis of most cover versions. The Jeff Buckley cover is from his 1994 full length debut "Grace". It has to be the definitive version of the song. As I've said before songs get bonus points for Old Testament references and "Hallelujah" has a few- Sampson and Delilah and my namesake King David. There are more great lyrics here than you can shake a stick at. "Well maybe there's a God above, but all I've ever learned from love, was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya" Amen. If I had to come up with a top 5 all time songs list I'd have to put Jeff Buckley's version of "Hallelujah" on it. I'd put The Band's "The Weight" and The Beatles "Hey Jude" on that list as well. I'm not sure what the other 2 songs would be to round out that list, but they're on my iPod somewhere.

3. The Boomin' System- LL Cool J

• "Cause my system is pumpin' loud, like Rakim said I want to move the crowd, I warm it up with Kane, fight the power with P.E., tell the cops you've gots to chill with EPMD." Back in my college days I was known to tear up a dance floor or two with my partner in crime Mike D. One of our favorite spots was The Den, which in those days had an actual (slightly elevated) dance floor. My all time favorite memory there was approaching the dance floor with Mike D and the people on the floor actually spread out so we had room to do our thing. Picture Moses and the parting of the Red Sea only more epic. My second favorite memory involves "The Boomin' System". I spent my senior year spring break in Los Angeles with might mighty VR. On said trip I purchased a bucket Kangol hat (the kind LL Cool J helped make famous in the 80s) and wore it from time to time the rest of the semester. One night at The Den the DJ went on the mic to acknowledge that LL (me) was in the house and put on "The Boomin' System". My friends formed a circle around me on the middle of the floor for the "C to the O to the O to the L to the I to the N to the F to the R to the O to the N to the T to the I to the N...that means I'm chillin'" breakdown and (for a moment) I was a superstar. My personal glory aside I love "The Boomin' System" for it's notable hip hop references. Not only the songs quoted above but the direct nod ("like Spoonie Gee said my seats are soft like a bed") to rap pioneer Spoonie Gee's 1980 classic "Love Rap" is awesome. The Beastie Boys paid homage to Spoonie Gee two years later with 1992's "So What'cha Want" ("I'm like Spoonie Gee, I'm the metro-politician").

1. Breaking the Girl- Red Hot Chili Peppers

• "She was a girl, soft but estranged, we were the two, our lives rearranged, feeling so good that day, a feeling of love that day." In the fall of 1991 the Red Hot Chili Peppers dropped "Blood Sugar Sex Magik", an album many consider to be their best. The album offers hits galore; "Breaking the Girl", "Suck My Kiss", "Give it Away" and "Under the Bridge". Listening to these songs takes me back to high school. It's not a place I'd ever want to go back to but in this case the memories are pleasant. Looking back the interesting thing is that "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" hit it big during the grunge explosion yet there is nothing all that grunge going on here. The Peppers alt-rock music is more rooted in funk than anything else. Speaking of 1991, that was the year James Cameron gave us Terminator 2, a cautionary tale of artificial intelligence gone awry. 20 years later we celebrate as "Watson" bests our foremost trivia experts on Jeopardy. How long before Watson seeks to enslave mankind? I can't imagine it will take long.

2. Rockin' the Suburbs- Ben Folds

• "Let me tell ya'll what it's like, being male middle class and white, it's a b*tch if you don't believe, listen up to my new CD (sha-mon). It wasn't my idea, it wasn't my idea, never was my idea." What could I possibly say about "Rockin' the Suburbs" that would be more hilarious and amusing than the song itself? Not much. It's a regular party in the USA with this song- "and the Ben Folds song was on". In 2000 Ben Folds parted ways with his band mates (the "5") and went solo. His first official solo album, "Rockin' the Suburbs" was released on September 11th 2001. If that's not creepy enough, how about this- in the song Ben Folds references a number of popular 80's artists; Michael Jackson, Quiet Riot, and Jon Bon Jovi. These days Michael Jackson and Kevin DuBrow (lead singer of Quiet Riot) are dead which can only mean that Bon Jovi's days are numbered.

3. B-Boy Bouillabaisse- Beastie Boys

• "New York New York it's a hell of a town, you know the Bronx is up and I'm Brooklyn down. I'd like to butter your muffin I'm not bluffin', serve you on a platter like Thanksgiving stuffin'." A traditional bouillabaisse features various kinds of fish, vegetables, herbs and spices in a hearty stew. This "B-Boy Bouillabaisse" is fortified with 9 mini songs (strung together in 12 and a half minutes) and closes out the classic "Paul's Boutique" album. If you were to pick up the 20th anniversary remastered version of "Paul's Boutique" you'd see all the ingredients; "59 Chrystie Street", "Get On the Mic", "Stop That Train", "A Year and a Day", "Hello Brooklyn", "Dropping Names", "Lay It On Me", "Mike On the Mic" and "A.W.O.L.". "B-Boy Bouillabaisse" probably isn't for the casual fan but "Paul's Boutique" songs like "Shake Your Rump" and "Hey Ladies" belong in your collection if they aren't already there. Getting back to "B-Boy Bouillabaisse" I can't believe "butter your muffin" never found it's way into the parlance of our times.

1. Come on Eileen- Save Ferris

• "At this moment you mean everything, with you in that dress my thoughts I confess, verge on dirty, ah come on Eileen. Come on, Eileen too-loo rye-aye come on, Eileen too-loo rye-aye, toora toora-too-loora...wooaah Eileen." Poor old Dexy's Midnight Runners. They never were able to muster up another hit single and faded into oblivion. They now qualify as one of the greatest one hit wonders of all time. "Come on Eileen" would have to rank among the ten best singles from the 1980s. Save Ferris gave "Come on Eileen" the royal ska treatment in 1997. More specifically they gave it a 3rd wave ska reworking. You know, 3rd wave ska building on the 1st wave and 2 Tone ska movements. My favorite part of the original (the whole thing is brilliant) is the breakdown. The tempo slows, the instruments take a back seat to the Eileen too-loo rye-aye vocal round, then the tempo swells and climaxes into the chorus. The Save Ferris remake doesn't give us the same tempo build in the breakdown but in general it matches the frenetic energy of the original.

2. A Beautiful Mess- Jason Mraz

• "Although you are biased, I love your advice, your comebacks they're quick and probably have to do with your insecurities, there's no shame in being crazy, depending how you take these, words I'm paraphrasing this relationship we're staging." Sometimes it takes hearing a song live to realize that it's good or to realize just how good it is. I never realized how sweet BNL's "Jane" was until I heard it live and everything clicked. Another case in point is Jason Mraz's "A Beautiful Mess". The 1st time I heard it live would have been in 2008 at the historic Tower Theatre in lovely Upper Darby, PA. I can remember after that show hearing a fellow concert goer on a cell phone say "I just saw Mraz...that sh#t was bangin' yo". Indeed that sh#t was bangin'. "A Beautiful Mess" was the emotional high point of that show and plays the same role on the "We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things" album. This song is easy to play on guitar but the vocal is pretty impossible to pull off well. Any attempts I've made at performing "A Beautiful Mess" have been a hot mess.

3. Elizabethtown- Ryan Adams

• "Well I was born (in) Elizabethtown and I moved on a west bound freight train, with everything to prove, everything to prove, and nothing to lose but the sound of the thunderstorms breaking, breaking all over Elizabethtown." Ryan Adams released 3 albums in 2005; "Cold Roses", "Jacksonville City Nights" and "29". In his spare time he recorded another album's worth of material so he could lend a song or two for the soundtrack to the motion picture "Elizabethtown". The unreleased "Darkbreaker (Elizabethtown Sessions)" collect these recordings. The collection features a number of songs that were re-recorded for "Easy Tiger" ("Two", "Everyone Knows") and for the recently released "III/IV" ("The Sewers At The Bottom of Wishing Wells", "Cemetery Hill"). I adore the version of "Everyone Knows" (later known as "Everybody Knows" on "Easy Tiger") found here. The one song from these sessions that did make it's way onto the movie soundtrack is "Words"; the rest remains unreleased. I don't own the soundtrack and despite rumors to the contrary I have never seen the film.

Then There Was A Ever-Present Football Player Rapist Edition

Staff Notes- This week's edition, a nod to the Superbowl, comes with a dash of Pepper. On an unrelated matter, I recently used part of a work-from-home snow day to listen to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" LP on vinyl. I must say that it scared the hell out of me, and that was just "The Girl Is Mine" featuring Paul McCartney.

1. Flashdance...What a Feeling- Irene Cara

• "Now I hear the music, close my eyes, I am rhythm, in a flash it takes hold of my heart, what a feeling, bein's believing, I can have it all, now I'm dancing for my life, take your passion and make it happen, pictures come alive you can dance right through your life." Does anyone want to drop a bucket of water on me? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? This song is brilliant. Sheer genius. There are no shortage of 80's pop songs with synthesizers but did any of them use the instrument this well to create a mood? The song structure is also brilliant; the verse, middle eight/bridge, and chorus all build on one another gorgeously. Irene Cara (who co-wrote the song) delivers a great vocal performance. Of course "Flashdance...What a Feeling" was written for the film "Flashdance"; the tale of a young steel worker who tries to dance away the pain associated with living in Pittsburgh. For hip-hop heads, the film "Flashdance" is noteworthy for bringing breakdancing to the masses. The film featured the legendary Rocksteady Crew, including Crazy Legs and the late Frosty Freeze. Breakingdancing (or b-boying) was an underground NYC phenomenon until "Flashdance". Overnight the dance style hit the west coast and every suburb in between (remember seeing cardboard on the streets?) with a fury. "Flashdance...What a Feeling" won an Oscar, a Grammy, and it makes me wish my life was more like 1983.

2. Return of the Mack- Mark Morrison

• "Return of the mack (it is), return of the mack (come on), return of the mack (oh my God), return of the mack (here I am), return of the mack (once again), return of the mack (pump up the world), return of the mack (watch my flow), return of the mack (here I go)." I'm not saying this song should come on every time I walk into a club, but I wouldn't complain if it did....every superhero needs his theme song. The main sample here is taken from "Genius of Love" by the Talking Heads side project band Tom Tom Club. "Return of the Mack" is far from the first song to sample "Genius of Love". Hip-hop pioneer Grandmaster Flash jacked the beat in the early 80's in the song "It's Nasty" and Mariah Carey's "Fantasy" did the same in 1995, a year before Mark Morrison took his turn. For some reason iTunes doesn't have Mark Morrison's "Return of the Mack". However for years they have offered a cover version by Mo Reese Marks which has to be heard to appreciate how bad it is. Until a year or so ago the only version of "Electric Avenue" available in the iTunes library was a cover by To Kool Chris. Once Mark Morrison's "Return of the Mack" is added to iTunes I imagine Mo Reese Marks and To Kool Chris will form a murder-suicide pact.

3. Who Did You Think I Was (live)- John Mayer Trio

• "I got half a smile and zero shame, I got a reflection with a different name, got a brand new blues that I can explain, who did you think I was. You got my number but I always new the score, who did you think I was." The debut of the John Mayer Trio in 2005 was a serious left turn for casual John Mayer fans only familiar with his pop material. The blues-rock trio features Mayer on guitar and vocals with heavyweight session musicians Pino Palladino on bass and Steve Jordan on drums. Palladino also holds the distinction of being The Who's bass player since the death of the band's original bassist John Entwistle. "Who Did You Think I Was" is a perfect introduction to the JM3 lyrically and sonically. In 2005 Rolling Stone magazine labeled the "Who Did You Think I Was" single as a "vanity project". If that's the case I would like more artists to embark on vanity projects. My favorite lyric in this number is "I am a shifter of the shape I'm in" simply because it reminds me of the shape shifters you'd see on the X-files back in the day or on Fringe nowadays. On the "Where The Light Is Live in Los Angeles" album the trio performs 8 songs including "Who Did You Think I Was". Here it features a fake ending followed by the band jamming on the Jimi Hendrix Band of Gypsy's tune "Power To Love". That song taught us that with the power of soul anything is possible....sounds like the trio to me.

1. The Field- Mason Jennings

• "Sometimes late at night I go to the field, is that where you are? are you a shooting star? Can you say my name? Darling, can you hear me? tell me where's your heart now that it's stopped beating? It's right here." Things get pretty heavy on 2009's "Blood of Man" and "The Field" is no exception. What's it all about? I'll give it to you from the horses mouth- "This is a song that was inspired by a friend of mine, he had a brother who died in the war over in Iraq, I'd been thinking a lot about the war for the last 5 years and just couldn't figure out how to really put all of the crazy different feelings I had about it into a song...when his brother died he sent a few of his brother's poems to me that he had been writing out in the desert." Not everyone is a fan of music that makes a political statement but "The Field" does a nice job of humanizing the war. In the song's emotional climax Jennings sings "I don't want no victory, I just want you back." "The Field" isn't one of my favorites from "Blood of Man" but I like the inspiration.

2. Queen Jane Approximately- Bob Dylan

• "Now when all of the clowns that you have commissioned, have died in battle or in vain, and you're sick of all this repetition, won't you come see me Queen Jane, won't you come see me Queen Jane." Every now and again you have to ask yourself- "what would Bob do?". Well in 1965 he fully embraced rock and roll and released the masterpiece "Highway 61 Revisited". It contains classics like "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues", "Like a Rolling Stone" and "Queen Jane Approximately". The album's title track offers perhaps the best (and most amusing) rock and roll interpretation of a story from the Old Testament with it's take on God's test of Abraham's faith....but that's another chapter for another book. The album's only nod to folk music is the epic "Desolation Row", a song that features unparalleled poetic imagery. "Queen Jane Approximately" with it's barrel house piano and organ has the same feel as "Like a Rolling Stone" but it's less frenetic. Here things are a bit more smooth and laid back. It's well known that you shouldn't let anyone know if you don't own "Blonde On Blonde" and the same could be said for "Highway 61 Revisited".

3. Cousin Kevin- The Who

• "I'm the school bully, the classroom cheat, the nastiest play friend, you ever could meet. You won't be much fun being blind deaf and dumb, but I've no one to play with today." The Who's "Tommy" was a Hail Mary pass that saved the band from growing debt and cult status. It's the brainchild of songwriter/guitarist Pete Townshend from start to finish, with the exception of 3 songs. "Eyesight To The Blind (The Hawker)" was an old blues song penned by Sonny Boy Williamson. It fits the "Tommy" narrative so well it's inclusion is nothing short of brilliant. (The song is also referenced splendidly by Stevie Ray Vaughan in the opening lyrics of the hit song "Pride and Joy"). The other non-Townshend songs-"Cousin Kevin" and "Fiddle About"were written by The Who's bassist John Entwistle. Townshend commissioned Entwistle to write the album's darkest material. "Cousin Kevin" tells the tale of sadistic abuse (Tommy is burnt with cigarettes, pushed down stairs, and made to eat glass). "Fiddle About" deals with the cheery subject of sexual molestation. A lost gem that was meant to tie these songs together (but did not make it onto "Tommy") is "Cousin Kevin Model Child" which boasts drummer Keith Moon on lead vocals. The 1998 CD release of "Odds and Sods" and the 2003 Deluxe Edition of "Tommy" both feature this lost treasure.

1. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds- The Beatles

• "Picture yourself in a boat on a river, with tangerine trees and marmalade skies, somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly, a girl with kaleidoscope eyes." Diamonds are forever. Throw ya diamonds in the sky. Oh wait, wrong song. This song is either inspired by a drawing John Lennon's son Julian made of a classmate or about LSD. Given that The Beatles were into "smoking drugs" it is hard to say. What we can say is that "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" is perhaps the height of psychedelia. While The Beatles music is timeless this song (and it's ludicrous imagery) are very much tied to the late 60s. In 1974 Elton John covered the song with a little help from his friend John Lennon who recorded the song under the name "Dr. Winston O'Boogie". As far as pseudonyms go it doesn't get much better.

2. Beginnings- Jimi Hendrix

• (instrumental) Prior to his death in 1970 Jimi Hendrix had been working on new material for his next album while his Electric Lady recording studio was being built. (The Electric Lady studio has hosted a "who's who" of musicians over the years including favorites of mine like The Dave Matthews Band, Kanye West and Ryan Adams) "First Rays of the New Rising Sun" collects 17 of these recordings an attempts to construct what would have been Hendrix's 4th studio album. The sound that dominates "First Rays of the New Rising Sun" is a bit funkier than the music on Jimi's first 3 studio albums. The standout song in the collection is "Angel", a song so gorgeous that Rod Stewart felt compelled to cover it and include it on his box set. "Beginnings" is made up of a handful of riffs the Hendrix crew would jam on from time to time. There is nothing life changing about "Beginnings" but I'm not going to complain about getting to hear Hendrix jam out for 4 minutes. I must not be alone as last year the "Valleys of Neptune" collection of unreleased Hendrix recordings (many of them in raw form) hit #4 on the album charts.

3. Sitting, Waiting, Wishing- Jack Johnson

• "Aww maybe you've been through this before, but it's my first time so please ignore, the next few lines cause they're directed at you, I can't always be waiting waiting on you, I can't always be playing playing your fool." I'll tell anyone who will listen that "In Between Dreams" is Jack Johnson's best work. "Better Together", "Breakdown", "Good People", "Banana Pancakes". They're all here- what else do you want? "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing" starts with Jack strumming the song's basic chord progression on acoustic guitar. What's amazing is that 8 seconds into the song (before the vocal kicks in) it's already obvious that this is Jack Johnson. I can't think of too many guitarists who's strumming style is this recognizable. "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing" is a diss record, at least the acoustic singer/songwriter version of one. Jack is none to pleased with a special lady friend but the results are quite pleasing to this listener's ears.

1. Box Full Of Letters- Wilco

• "Wish I had a lotta answers, 'cause that's the way it should be, for all these questions, being directed at me, I just can't find the time, to write my mind the way I want it to read." I didn't start listening to Wilco until 2005 or so and "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" was my introduction to the band. "Box Full of Letters" comes from their 1995 debut "A.M." and like anything on that album it doesn't have the sound I associate with the band. I'm sure long time followers of the band see "A.M." as a landmark and probably think this is how Wilco is supposed to sound. To me "A.M." doesn't sound that unlike Uncle Tupelo- the band lead singer/songwriter Jeff Tweedy was a member of prior to forming Wilco. The alt-country sound is great but I feel like the band didn't hit their stride until their sophomore release "Being There".

2. Pittsburgh- Mason Jennings

• "Grocery stores in the middle of the night shine their own kinda light, high school halls and shopping malls never fit me right, but my heart would swing free like a lasso from my hand, when I'd hear that sound and put the pedal down." Mason Jenning's last studio album, 2009's "Blood of Man" through me for a loop. Gone were the mostly upbeat acoustic songs I had come to expect and in their place I found loud electric guitars and dark lyrics. It turns out the material is brilliant and "Pittsburgh" is a primary example. The lyrics reference abandonment, drug overdose, a cemetery, and a suicide wing for good measure. I don't know if this is autobiographical in any way but "Pittsburgh" is sung with enough conviction that I'm inclined to think this is based on some personal experience. Despite the dark tone, when the song gets to the chorus (quoted above) there is something so uplifting about it....as if the protagonist is going to overcome all the negativity around him. There are a few live version of "Pittsburgh" available that give the song even more energy than on the studio recording. My favorite is the version from the "Live at Fingerprints" limited edition CD.

3. No Stopping Us- Jason Mraz

• "Would it take a baker's dozen to get my point to you, would it take a half a pound to roll a joint for you, would it take some hailing Marys so full of grace to get my sound to you, will you help me break it down and get on through." My favorite album from 2002 would have to be Jason Mraz's "Waiting For My Rocket To Come". It's jam packed with goodies. "No Stopping Us" finds Jason in funk mode. It also leads us to believe that he had a few Earth Wind & Fire records in his collection as a child. In the early stages of his career as an independent artist Jason Mraz was a classic coffee shop singer songwriter- his acoustic guitar and vocals were typically augmented by nothing more than bongos courtesy of long time partner Toca Rivera. As he found more success, more and more instruments found their way into the equation, especially in concert. It all comes together nicely but I prefer his stripped down acoustic sound. The most captivating performance from his last live album "Jason Mraz's Beautiful Mess- Live on Earth" is a solo acoustic version of another song from "Waiting For My Rocket to Come"-"The Boy's Gone".

The first three sides of Sandinista Edition

1. My Generation- The Who

• "People try to put us d-down (talkin' 'bout my generation), just because we get around (talkin' 'bout my generation), things they do look awful c-c-cold, (talkin' 'bout my generation), I hope I die before I get old." In the history of rock lyrics, "I hope I die before I get old" has to sit towards the very top. Pete Townshend would latter regret writing the lyric but it captures the spirit of rock n roll as well as anything anyone ever wrote. In addition to the lyrics, the stuttering vocal also adds to the song's lore. The stutter may have been meant to mimic someone high on pills (this was widely assumed at the time) or as Townshend once suggested it represented someone who "wanted to express himself but c-c-c-cant". If all that isn't enough the music is phenomenal. We get a bass solo, a couple of key changes, an insane Keith Moon drum solo, guitar feedback and a harder sound than anything happening at the time. In 1965 when "My Generation" was released, the Stones were singing "Time Is On My Side" and the Beatles were crooning "In My Life". Tracing hard rock back to this song might not be an overstatement.

2. Tomorrow's Gonna Be A Bright New Day- Jim Croce

• "Well there's something that I've gotta tell you, yes I've got something on my mind, but words come hard when you're lying in my arms and when I'm looking deep into your eyes." Back in the day my parents used to see Jim Croce play a local bars (The Riddle Paddock in Lima, PA probably among them) and I believe he once played the year end party for their bowling league. Yea, my parents are cool. "Tomorrow's Gonna Be A Bright New Day" comes from Jim's first solo album "You Don't Mess Around With Jim". Released in 1972 it includes a number of classic songs including the title track, "Time in a Bottle" and "Operator (That's Not the Way it Feels"). While "Tomorrow's Gonna Be A Bright New Day" is pure folk singer songwriter for some reason it's always reminded me of Jimi Hendrix. The funky rhythm and lyrical imagery make it easy for me to hear Jimi performing it. Tragically like Hendrix, Jim Croce died very early in life. Jim was only 30 years old when his life was cut short.

3. Now My Feet Won't Touch The Ground- Coldplay

• "Now my feet won't touch the ground, now my head won't stop, you wait a lifetime to be found, now my feet won't touch the ground." In 2008 "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends" was so popular (at the time it was the most downloaded album of all time) that Coldplay had no choice but to follow it up with an EP of leftover material. That would be "Prospekt's March". How good is it? There is a gem or two but nothing earth shattering. The highlight for me is "Life in Technicolor II" which adds lyrics to the instrumental track "Life in Technicolor" that opens "Viva La Vida". We also get a version of "Lost" with the omnipresent Jay-Z but I could live without that. "Now My Feet Won't Touch The Ground" isn't bad. In fact it's quite good. The combination of acoustic guitar and Indian/Eastern percussion reminds me of "Black Mountain Side" from Led Zeppelin's debut. The problem with "Now My Feet Won't Touch The Ground" is that it reminds one so much of the brilliant "Til Kingdom Come" that concludes the album "X&Y". It sounds just like it but doesn't come close.