- "(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.
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