1. Jesus, Etc.- Wilco

• "Jesus don't cry, you can rely on me honey." "Tall buildings shake, voices escape singing sad sad songs, tuned to chords, strung down your cheeks, bitter melodies...turning your orbit around." Quite a number of Jeff Tweedy songs explore spiritually; songs like "Hell is Chrome", "Theologians", "The Ruling Class" and "Jesus, Etc." This is the only one that refers to Jesus as honey. Rolling Stone recently ranked "Yankee Hotel Foxtrox" as the 3rd best album of the 2000's decade. It's an album of great moments and "Jesus, Etc." would have to qualify as a highlight. Fans of the album should watch the documentary "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart", which provides a great inside view of the band during the making of the album. "Our love is all of God's money, every one is burning sun" is my favorite lyric from this gem.

2. Buck Whylin'- Terminator X (featuring Chuck D and Sister Souljah)

• "We are at war! (come on!), black man, where is your army?" "Ain't nothing changed, stood there with Farrakhan, yes some seconds ticked but still a time bomb, blowing up they hope we shut up, what up?" Norm Rodgers (Terminator X) served as the DJ for the rap group Public Enemy from it's inception in the mid 80s through the mid 2000s. In 1991 he released "Terminator X & The Valley of the Jeep Beats" which featured his production and scratching alongside a series of guest artists. "Buck Whylin'" features none other than P.E. front man Chuck D with an assist from the soon to be controversial Sister Souljah. Like any number of great P.E. songs, "Buck Whylin'" is a musical call to arms. Years later the most notable moment from the song is Chuck D's line "...with an attitude" as it was sampled by N.W.A in the song "Real Niggaz Don't Die" from an album released just 3 weeks after Terminator X's debut.

3. Firecraker- Ryan Adams

• "Lady, your kicks of silence soft into your room, kiss me slow and softly, make me dream you you, well everybody wants to go forever, I just wanna burn up hard and bright, I just wanna be your firecreaker, maybe be your baby tonight." I had a friend that used to say "I'm here for a good time, not a long time". "Firecracker" puts that emotion to song fairly well. Chalk this up as another great song from the 2001 album "Gold". With harmonica, acoustic and electric guitar, piano and organ, "Firecracker" sounds like it could have come out of a mid 60's Bob Dylan session....and that may have been the intention. I bought "Gold" on a whim after a positive review in Blender magazine. Adams quickly became one of my favorite singer/songwriters. I can remember listening to this song in my car (driving on Route 1 in Media, PA) shortly after meeting a girl and music never sounded so good. It's a great song but I'll have to credit that emotion to the girl.

1. Burn- Ray LaMontagne

• "Oh mama don't walk away, I'm a goddamn sore loser, I ain't to proud to say, that I'm still thinking 'bout you, now I'm so lonesome without you, and I can't get you out of my mind." "Oh so kiss him again, just to prove to me that you can, and I will stand here and burn in my skin." Ray LaMontagne's voice is so filled with emotion that his songs come across with great conviction. "Burn" is a great example of the singer/songwriter's heartfelt passion; it's like you can feel the heartbreak come through the record. At one point in "Burn" Ray advises, "don't pay no mind to my watering eyes" and blames it on something in the air. It's the serious version of Flight of the Conchord's "I'm not crying, it's just been raining...on my face." My favorite version of "Burn" is from the "Ray LaMontagne: Live from Bonnaroo 2005" EP. If you do catch Ray live, don't get thrown by the fact that he sings from stage right...he's not comfortable being the center of attention, or for that matter making conversation with the crowd between numbers. I caught Ray in Philly in 2008 and "Burn" was one of the highlights of the night.

2. Breakfast in America- Supertramp

• "Take a jumbo 'cross the water, like to see America, see the girls in California, I'm hoping it's going to come true, but there's not a lot I can do." I don't know of too many classic rock hits that have a polka feel, but "Breakfast in America" would have to qualify. The tuba work is superb. On that note, if you want to hear classic rock and pop in a polka style I'd recommend the song "Polka's on 45" from the Weird Al Yankovic "In 3-D" album (my first record purchase). Getting back to "Breakfast in America", this song is best know for the lyric "take a look at my girlfriend, she's the only one I've got, not much of a girlfriend, I never seem to get a lot." The Gym Class Heroes borrowed these lyrics (plus the ba ba da da) for their hit "Cupid's Chokehold" in 2006. I have a few Supertramp songs in my collection (and "Breakfast in America" is a fun song) but for the most part this type of late 70s pop/prog-rock helps me understand why punk emerged to destroy the mainstream rock movement of the time.

3. Message to Love (Live)- Jimi Hendrix

• "Well I travel at a speed of a reborn man, I got a lot of love to give, from the mirrors of my hand, I said a message of love, don't you run away, look at your heart, come along with me today." This version of "Message of Love" comes from the classic "Band of Gypsys" Live album from 1970 featuring Hendrix, Billy Cox and Buddy Miles. Hendrix passed away just 9 months after the album was recorded; the only live Hendrix recording issued while the performer was alive. The material on Band of Gypsys doesn't steer too far from the sound of The Jimi Hendrix Experience but there is more funk/R&B/soul to compliment the guitar wizardry. A studio version of "Message to Love" remained unreleased until the 1997 "South Saturn Delta" compilation. Speaking of posthumous albums, there is a new collection of Hendrix recordings titled "Valleys of Neptune" scheduled for a March 9 release. If nothing else, the release of "Valleys of Neptune" finds Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls resting on their laurels.

1. That's The Way- Led Zeppelin

• "And yesterday I saw you kissing tiny flowers, but all that lives is born to die, and so I say to you that nothing really matters, and all you do is stand and cry." Led Zeppelin's first two albums were largely comprised of songs built on/inspired by/borrowed from American blues music. The originality of some the early material may be up for debate but not the intensity- blues had never really been amped up this much before. "That's The Way" comes from "Led Zeppelin III"; an album that found it's inspiration from English folk music. It turns out the band was just as adept at incorporating this genre into their sound. I suppose the sound of much of "Led Zeppelin III" caught more than a few fans off guard upon it's release. "That's The Way" is built around Page's acoustic guitar work and Plants vocals while slide guitar and mandolin add color. Led Zeppelin's work post-"Led Zeppelin III" would often find the band alternating between the blues/rock and folk sound.

2. Georgia On My Mind- Ray Charles

• "Other arms reach out to me, other eyes smile tenderly, still in peaceful dreams I see, the road leads back to you. I said Georgia, ooh Georgia, no peace I find, just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind." Originally composed in 1930, the most famous version of "Georgia on My Mind" is this 1960 recording by Ray Charles. By the time Ray Charles was done with the song it had become an American standard and went on to become the official state song of Georgia. The 1960 recording features a beautiful blend of jazzy piano and soaring strings, not to mention Ray's famous raspy vocals. Aside from scoring with audiences in the states, the song had an impact across the pond as well; The Beatles would reference "Georgia on My Mind" later in the decade in "Back in the U.S.S.R.". The 2004 bio-pic "Ray" is a must see and provides insight into the recording/arrangement of "Georgia On My Mind".

3. Sea of Love- The Honeydrippers

• "Do you remember when we met, that's the day I knew you were my pet, I want to tell you how much I love you. Come with me, my love, to the sea, the sea of love, I want to tell you how much I love you." Great songs have a way of resurfacing through the years. "Sea of Love" was originally written/recorded in 1959 by Phil Philips and stands as an "oldie/doo-wop" classic. In the early 1980s former Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page teamed up with a number of musicians (including Jeff Beck, Nile Rodgers and Paul Shaffer) to form the R&B group The Honeydrippers. They released just one EP, but it included a version of "Sea of Love" that would become a top 10 hit. The Honeydrippers version is notable for it's lush strings and the somewhat odd concept of hearing classic rock legend Robert Plant croon a 50s ballad. More recently, Cat Power had success with the song which she featured on "The Covers Record".

1. Robots- Flight of the Conchords

• "It is the distant future-the year 2000, we are robots, the world is quite different ever since the robotic uprising of the late nineties, there is no more unhappiness...affirmative." The first time I watched an episode of HBO's Flight of the Conchords I didn't know what to make of it. The more I thought about it the more I realized how hilarious and brilliant it was. For the unaware, Flight of the Conchords is a New Zealand music comedy duo featuring Bret McKenzie (pronounced Britt with a New Zealand accent) and Jermaine Clement. "Robots" comes from the band's self titled full length studio album; an album composed entirely by the duo. After the humans are destroyed "robotic beings rule the world" leaving us with two dances- the robot and the robo-boogie. The "binary" solo in "Robots" is one of a kind. With the Super Bowl around the corner I should mention that I can see a future where football is played solely by robots, with robo-concussions becoming the ethical dilemma of the day.

2. Mercy (live)- John Mayer

• "You got me begging you for mercy, why won't you release me? You got me begging you for mercy, why won't you release me? I said release me, if you know what's good." The first time I heard this song live I didn't realize what it was. I figured it was an old blues cover or a new blues number written by Mayer. It turns out that it's neither. It's an R&B/pop song from singer Duffy (from the 2008 album Rockferry). I wouldn't have realized this the 2nd time I heard the song either had it not been for the acute ear of a lovely female concert companion. The song is so thoroughly rearranged in a traditional blues style that I don't feel like too much of a jackass. Like the song "Gravity", Mayer uses "Mercy" as a vehicle to show off his blues guitar prowess in concert...stretching the number 8 or 9 minutes with solo after solo. I ended up downloading the original version which is quite good in it's own right. If you like the neo-soul Amy Winehouse sound then the original "Mercy" is right up your alley. If you prefer Clapton style blues theatrics then the Mayer cover will not disappoint; however you'll need to dig around online for a live recording as a studio version does not exist.

3. When The Stars Go Blue- Ryan Adams

• "Laughing with your pretty mouth, laughing with your broken eyes, laughing with your lover's tongue, in a lullaby...where do you go when you're lonely, where do you go when you're blue, where do you go when your lonely, I'll follow you- when the stars go blue." Ignorant people, rednecks, and ignorant rednecks think this is a Tim McGraw song. It's really not. "When The Stars Go Blue" was written by Ryan Adams and is featured on his 2001 masterwork "Gold". The "Gold" album is so good from top to bottom that I don't always think of "When The Stars Go Blue" right away when thinking about the album....yet as I listen to the song now it is breathtaking. Some critics dig at "Gold" by claiming Adams pays homage to his 70s influences to the point where the material is derivative. I couldn't disagree more. Adams admittedly set out to make a "classic rock" album and hit it out of the park with songwriting rarely matched by his contemporaries.

1. I'm Blessed- Brendan Benson

• "My mother raised me single-handedly, in a Louisiana hell called Harvey, I never know what I'm supposed to be, turned over every rock for clues, of what it is to be me, and I'll never know what's going on, but I'm blessed..." My iPod certainly has it's own tastes, which is to say that it has favorites out of my collection. Apparently Brendan Benson's "One Mississippi" album is a favorite-that's fine by me as the love is mutual. "I'm Blessed" is power pop meets punk meets garage rock and the results are quite nice. Benson admits to feeling "shattered", "clouded" and "a little scattered" but the "I'm blessed" refrain is somewhat optimistic I suppose. A more loose low-fi version of "I'm Blessed" is featured on the hard to find "Well Fed Boy Demos" EP.

2. Who Stole The Soul?- Public Enemy

• "Jack was nimble, Jack was quick, got a question for Jack ask him, 40 acres and a mule Jack, where is it why'd you try to fool the Black?, it wasn't you, but you pledge allegiance to the red, white, and blue suckers that stole the soul." In 1990 Public Enemy released their groundbreaking "Fear of a Black Planet" album which features songs like "911 is a Joke", "Welcome to the Terrordome" and "Fight The Power". I'm more partial to their previous release; 1988's "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" (an album I include in my desert island top 5) but "Fear of a Black Planet" is a masterpiece in it's own right. "Who Stole The Soul" slams the government for targeting black celebrities like James Brown and Redd Foxx while calling out the general history of oppression/discrimination against black people. Public Enemy sticks it to the man better than anyone before or since. The "40 acres and a mule" Civil War reconstruction reference is brilliant. In hip-hop circles KRS-One is known as "the teacher" but Chuck D has been schooling listeners for years as well.

3. Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)- Journey

• "Someday love will find you, break those chains that bind you, one night will remind you, how we touch and went our separate ways, if he ever hurts you, true love won't desert you, you know I still love you, though we touched and went our separate ways." "Separate Ways" is an 80's classic. To fully appreciate it though you need to check out the video. The band alternates between playing their instruments (or at least pretending to since this is a music video) and being an "air-band". Personally for me the "air keyboard" performance is the video's crown jewel. At some point last year I found myself in the Jiffy Lube waiting room (can anyone beat their signature series oil-change?) listening to my iPod. The iPod shuffle selected "My Melody" by Eric B & Rakim, while the Jiffy Lube waiting room music played Journey's "Separate Ways". The "Separate Ways" keyboard intro blended seamlessly with Rakim's old school flow. If Girl Talk is reading this, feel free to steal that mash up for your next release. Oh, and if you are wondering...I won't stop believing.

Leadoff Edition

Staff Notes: Spotlight on Teddy P. The world of music lost a soul icon earlier this week with the passing of Teddy Pendergrass. Before launching a successful solo career, the Philadelphia native fronted Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes and cut hits like "If You Don't Know Me By Now", "The Love I Lost" and "Wake Up Everybody". Pendergrass helped define the Philadelphia soul sound of the 1970s. About 12 years ago I was fortune enough to spend some time in Sigma Sound Studios where the legendary singer recorded so many classic songs. R.I.P.

1. Excursions- A Tribe Called Quest

• "Back in the days when I was a teenager, before I had status and before I had a pager, you could find the abstract listening to hip hop, my pops used to say it reminded him of be-bop." "What you gotta do is know that the tribe is in the sphere, the abstract poet, prominent like Shakespeare." Most great albums start off with a great song. "Excursions" kicks off things in style for A Tribe Called Quest's "Low End Theory". MC Q-Tip delivers his trade mark laid back flow over a jazzy baseline, drums and horns. The chorus samples vocals from The Last Poets, who along with Gil Scott-Heron stand as undeniable hip hop progenitors. I love the pager reference- it may see dated now but in 1991 it was cutting edge. My first "real job" after college set me up with a pager. Even when cell phones came in vogue it broke my heart to part ways with my pager.

2. Jane- Barenaked Ladies

• "I bring her gold and frankincense an myrrh, she thought that I was making fun of her, she made me feel I was fourteen again, that's why she thinks it's cooler if we just stay friends." "No promises as vague as heaven, no Juliana next to my Evan." "Jane" is the lead song from the 1995 album "Maybe You Should Drive" from the Barenaked Ladies. It went on to become a live favorite and was featured on the band's greatest hits compilation. Built on a gorgeous acoustic guitar riff the song features a number of memorable lyrics. My favorite lyric may be the reference to the then-popular Lemonheads. Sadly, in the liner notes for the greatest hits CD, lead singer and songwriter Steven Page wrote that he regretted that reference as he felt it dated the song. As a vocally challenged guitar player I'm still searching for the "Juliana next to my Evan". If you enjoy trivia- the inspiration for the title character (Jane St. Clair) in the song came from the intersection of two streets (Jane Street and St. Clair Avenue) in Toronto.

3. Burning in the Sun- Blue Merle

• "Well I had a girl, she was the best around, and I was in love, now I'm just hanging out." "And I'm burning in the sun, and losing my mind, hearts break in the summertime, I'm burning in the sun, and losing my mind." In the spring of 2005 I stumbled upon Blue Merle as an opening act at a concert in Baltimore. Later that summer I made a point to see them headline at the famous Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach while on vacation in California. I picked up their debut CD after the show (which sadly would be their only full length CD) and it became the soundtrack to my vacation which included a drive up and down the coast from San Diego to Pasadena and back again. "Burning in the Sun" is the lead song and title track for the album; an album I'd put in my all time top 10. After Blue Merle disbanded, front man Lucas Reynolds went on to form Pictures and Sound. I saw Pictures and Sound in concert in Philadelphia and the band played a new arrangement of "Burning in the Sun" that was one of the show's highlights. I chatted Lucas up after his set at the merch table and was pleased to learn that he's as down to earth as they come.

1. The Shape I'm In- The Band

• "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".
  

3. Dark Horse- George Harrison

• "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".