Years ago my heart was set to live...

1. Christmas Song (Luther College version)- Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds

• "When Jesus Christ was nailed to his tree, said "oh, Daddy-o, I can see how it all soon will be, I came to shed a little light on this darkening scene, instead I fear I've spilled the blood of my children all around." There is a line in the DJ documentary "Scratch" where DJ Qbert says if you want to see how good a guitarist is just give them a plain old acoustic guitar and see what they can do with it. On the "Live at Luther College" album, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds show that they know a thing or two about the acoustic guitar. "Christmas Song" is a gorgeous song about the life and times of a guy named Jesus. I love the "love, love, love" parts and the Beatles homage is priceless. The Luther College version is known to give me the chills from time to time...it's that good.

2. Stone Free (Valleys of Neptune version)- Jimi Hendrix

• "Everyday of the week I'm in a different city, if I stay too long the people try to pull me down, they talk about me like a dog, talk about the clothes I wear, but they don't realize they're the ones who's square." Jimi Hendrix recorded this version of Stone Free in 1969 with Mitch Mitchell (Jimi Hendrix Experience) and Billy Cox (Band of Gypsys) , three years after the original version. The arrangement on this version is a bit different...a bit more funk/R&B than the original. I've had a lot of Hendrix in my collection for years but lately I've been picking up more and realizing the great depth of his catalogue. Jimi Hendrix made history this week when "Valleys of Neptune" debuted at #4 on the billboard album charts, nearly 40 years after his death. No artist has had an album chart that high that many years after their death. It's an amazing feat. The album format has been declared dead, Hendrix has been gone for decades but the fans still want more.

3. One Thing- Finger Eleven

• "If I traded it all, If I gave it all away for one thing, just for one thing, If I sorted it out, If I knew all about this one thing, wouldn't that be something." I'm a sucker for a song with a good acoustic guitar riff. "One Thing" by Finger Eleven gives me that and then some. The acoustic guitar and the steady bass drum beat is very reminiscent of "The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac. "One Thing" was a radio hit back in 2003. More recently, the band had hit with the song "Paralyzer" which sounds like "Youth Gone Wild" by Skid Row meets "Night Fever" by the Bee Gees. In other words it sounds terrible. Briefly sampling their top songs on iTunes leads me to believe that "Paralyzer" is much more indicative of their sound than "One Thing". At least one listener is glad they made a wuss rock song.

Don't Dream It's Over

1. I'm Gonna Find Another You (Village Sessions version)- John Mayer

• "You take your sweaters, you take your time, you might have your reasons, but you will never have my rhyme, I'm gonna sing my way away from blue, baby I'm gonna find another you." With "I'm Gonna Find Another You" John Mayer wrote a song that ought to become a blues/soul standard. It doesn't require a lot of imagination to hear greats like Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Al Green and B.B. King performing this song. "The Village Sessions" EP presents a number of "Continuum" songs in an acoustic setting. "I'm Gonna Find Another You" sounds just fine acoustic but I prefer it on electric guitar with some horns for added flavor. The best version may be on the "Where The Light Is Live in Los Angeles" album where Mayer and both touring guitarists extend the tune by all taking turns with their own solos.

2. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down- The Band

• "In the winter of '65, we were hungry, just barely alive, by May the 10th, Richmond had fell, it's a time I remember oh so well, the night they drove old Dixie down, and the bells were ringing." If you know any other classic rock songs about the Civil War, please let me know....until such time I'm going to consider this one the best. "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" humanizes and romanticizes the Old South fairly well. Perhaps it's the musical equivalent of "Gone With The Wind". The live version of "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" from "The Last Waltz" is one of the real highlights of the show. Levon Helm's vocals are powerful, The Band's harmonies are gorgeous and the the song takes on a great dramatic feel. I don't think anyone disputes the fact that the South lost the Civil War. The wisdom of allowing the South to return to the Union? We could probably argue that.

3. Move On Song- Jamie Cullum

• "Even though your heart has gotten dry, you won't deny me my dreams, at least that's what it seems, now that you're gone, I had to write this move on song...just for me." Earlier this month Jamie Cullum released "The Pursuit", his first studio album in almost 5 years. "Move On Song" comes from the "Deluxe Edition" of the album which features a handful of bonus songs. The highlight of the bonus material is a great live version of "Love Ain't Gonna Let you Down". "Move On Song" finds Cullum turning his anguish over a failed relationship into a mellow tune. I guess a simple rebound wouldn't do. In real life things aren't so bad-Cullum is shagging Sophie Dahl, the fairly sultry 6 foot former model and granddaughter of famed author Roald Dahl. Maybe I should have done more with my childhood piano lessons.

In Between The Covers

1. Renegades of Funk- Rage Against The Machine

• "Now renegades are the people with their own philosophies, they change the course of history, everyday people like you and me." "Zulu nation, revelations, destroy all nations." Despite my love of old school hip-hop I wasn't familiar with this classic Afrika Bambaataa song until this cover version by Rage Against The Machine. The Rage Against The Machine cover comes from the 2000 compilation "Renegades" which explores the groups musical/political roots. Great covers often have a way of paying tribute and reinventing songs simultaneously; this is a great example. Rage gives this song an amped up sense of urgency not found in the original recording. Before I give too much praise to the cover I need to give credit where credit is due. Bambaataa (the "master of records") was years ahead of his time with the original "Renegades of Funk". The references to "Chief Sitting Bull, Tom Paine, Dr. Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X" as "renegades of their time and age" is priceless. Tom Paine? Yea. I once had a street person ask me what the best nation was. Of course I told him the Zulu nation. He explained that is was the do-nation. With a line like that I had to oblige.

2. Summertime Blues- Eddie Cochran

• "I'm a gonna raise a fuss, I'm a gonna raise a holler, about a workin' all summer just to try to earn a dollar." "Sometimes I wonder what I'm a gonna do, but there ain't no cure for the summertime blues." We're talking "rockabilly" here. It's probably good that "rock and roll" became the term to describe this music. Eddie Cochran was an early rock pioneer who's career was cut short by a car accident at the age of 21. I'm most familiar with "Summertime Blues" from The Who's classic "Live at Leeds" album. The original is quite enjoyable as well and fans of hand claps will not be disappointed. In an early episode of the Simspsons Bart complains that he's going to miss the whole summer because of a broken leg. Homer comforts him by explaining that it's ok because when he gets older he'll have a job and miss every summer. Summertime blues indeed.

3. Love Song- 311

• "Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am home again, whenever I'm a lone with you, you make me feel like I am whole again." This 311 cover of The Cure's "Love Song" is quite something. I'm most familiar with 311 for songs like "Down" and "All Mixed Up"...enjoyable stuff but are these songs anything beyond faux punk/ska cover band fodder? Their version of "Love Song" is soulful, sensual and on point. It comes from the "50 First Dates" soundtrack which features reggae/island tinged covers of 80's music. The other most notable cover from the collection is Jason Mraz's take on "I Melt With You". I sort of remember the original version of this song being popular but I was way too busy listening to Public Enemy at the time to pay it much attention. Kudos for 311 for bringing it into my consciousness. If a girl puts this song on a mix CD for you, you did something right...perhaps something right under the covers.

1. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot/Every Time I Feel the Spirit- Paul Robeson

• "I looked over Jordan, and what did I see, comin' for to carry me home, a band of angels comin' after me, comin' for to carry me home." "On the mountain my Lord spoke, out his mouth came fire and smoke, in the valley on my knees, asked my Lord have mercy please." All-American athlete, gifted scholar, renown linguist, celebrated actor, civil-rights pioneer-Paul Robeson was all that and the guy had one of the best voices of the 20th century to boot. "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot/Every Time I Feel the Spirit" comes from "The Power And The Glory" compilation of spirituals and folk songs. The highlight here is the gorgeous harmonies between Robeson and pianist Lawrence Brown on the chorus of "Every Time I Feel the Spirit". If this song doesn't make you feel the spirit than nothing will. Instead of wondering why I have "Negro" spirituals on my iPod you may want to ask yourself why you don't.

2. The Seed (2.0)- The Roots

• "She want neo soul cause hip hop is old, she don't want no rock 'n' roll, she want' platinum and gold, she want a whole lot of something' to fold." "I push my seed in her bush for life, it's gonna work because I'm pushin' it right." The Roots feature Cody Chestnutt on "The Seed (2.0)" from the album "Phrenology". It makes sense as the song is a revamped version of his soul song "The Seed". The original track is a soulful/spiritual low-fi acoustic affair, sounding like something you might expect from Ben Harper. "The Seed (2.0)" is much more upbeat; a R&B/funk/rock number with a bit of thump. The remake also features lyrics from The Root's MC Black Thought interwoven between Chestnutt's original choruses. I bought Phrenology on vinyl when it came out, around a period of time where I was scooping up a lot of music. Hearing "The Seed (2.0)" makes me realize I need to give the album a few more rotations on the old turntable.

3. Waterfall- Gavin DeGraw

• "Live by me, stand next to me, you're lovely let nobody else see, and the tide is callin', shadows slowly fallin', waterfall, lovin' me." My iTunes library (and by association the music on my iPod) is a carefully combed distillation of my favorite music. For a handful of artists I'll put on an entire album even if there are a few songs that aren't top notch. I grew up listening to albums and resist the urge to always focus on select songs, versus an entire album. "Waterfall" comes from the lasted DeGraw album "Free". I'm not sure what Gavin was hoping to achieve with this song. There are a handful of very good moments on "Free" but this (for me) isn't one of them. The song structure and production are a little different from the typical Gavin song. I appreciate an artist not wanting every song to sound the same, but in this case Gavin should stick to the rivers and the lakes that he's used to.

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".