Rock ‘n Roll

Old School Friday, er…Sunday: G.O.A.T.

By Kevin ⋅ May 17, 2009 ⋅ 5 comments

So, I put in twelve hours at work the last two days, and getting in my OSF post done in time just wasn’t going to happen. The theme, The Greatest of All Time, however, is the type of theme that gets my music-infatuated (possibly…oh ok, definitely snobish) self in all kinds of tizzies. This is the type of question that I have literally spent months upon months talking about with other music ~~snobs~~ fanatics. I will go to my grave ~~fighting~~ discussing with someone about the greatness of some music or some book.

I still don’t know the answer. It changes, for me at least, almost daily.

Then, we have to start talking genre. The greatest R&B act? The Greatest rapper? The greatest Rock ‘n Roll Guitarist? The greatest Punk band? You can’t compare Biggie to Robert Johnson to John Coltrane to Nick Cave and then declare one of them The Greatest (although at one time or another I have declared all of them The Greatest). I guess that’s what I love about these types of questions. There is no answer.

So, here’s my shot at The Greatest, right now, which may very well change 20 minutes after I publish this post. So, don’t quote me on any of this.

The first one is obvious. Few people will argue with me on this one. Jimmy simply owned the guitar and everyone recognizes this.

I will fight anyone who tries to dispute this one. I’m not hearing anything about Miles, either. Although, I will concede that just about everything Davis did with Coltrane was pretty good (hint, hint).

I’ll let everyone else argue over 2Pac and Biggie (or Nas and Jay Z, or Eminem…). Right now, I’m feeling Rakim.

R&B singer? I’m going with The Queen. How I missed this after searching for last weeks picks is beyond me.

Happy OSF, er…OSS Y’all! Thanks for playing, and as always, much love to all the other OSF participants.

Old School Friday – I Had a Bad Day at Work

By Kevin ⋅ March 28, 2009 ⋅ 7 comments

So technically it’s no longer Friday, at least out here on the East Coast. In my world, however, the day doesn’t end until I’ve gone to bed and awakened. So, here’s my OSF picks for the week. The theme this week is I Had a Bad Day at Work. These days I’m not sure who isn’t having bad days at work or bad days looking for work. So let’s lighten the mood for a moment and revel in having fun at work.

I give you, Rose Royce’s “Car Wash.” Oh yeah…

Bet you can’t guess what’s now next up on my NetFlix queue.

Being one of those people that worships at the alter of Dylan (when I’m not worshiping at the altar of John Coltrane, of course), I just have to throw a little “Maggie’s Farm” at you. This was also one of the first songs Dylan played with an electric guitar.

Now this is where it gets tough. I’ve still got almost the entire Blues and Country oeuvres to chose from. Then there are all those obvious, yet still classic choices: Billy Bragg, The Boss, Dolly Parton, Lee Dorsey, Johnny Paycheck, Sam Cooke. What to chose?

How about some Superchunk, “Slack Motherfuckers.” I’m workin’, but I’m not workin’ for you!

And last but not least, and even though this isn’t really about work (at least the day to day, pay the rent kind), but just because I have to read every damn day about executives at AIG or some other bunch of greedy asswipes getting rich at folks expense, while at the same time trying to blame those same folks for the messed up state they’ve found themselves in, I just have to drop the P.E., “Fight the Power.”

Happy OSF Y’all! Thanks for playing, and as always, much love to all the other OSF participants.

Old School Friday – Child Singers

By Kevin ⋅ March 13, 2009 ⋅ 7 comments

Here we are and it’s Friday once again. Where does the time go? This weeks theme is Child Singers. So, let’s start this off with a little Miley Cyrus…just kidding. I love y’all too much for that. Here we have Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers performing “Why Do Fools Fall In Love.”

Aren’t those little boys cute as all get out? I’m feelin’ those sweaters with the “Ts”. Hahaha!

I can’t do this without some Lil’ Stevie. Here’s his first hit, also done at 13, “Fingertips.”

I can’t resist this one. New Edition’s first hit, “Candy Girl.”

Happy OSF Y’all! Thanks for playing, and as always, much love to all the other OSF participants.

Old School Friday – Songs with Heart

By Kevin ⋅ March 6, 2009 ⋅ 5 comments

Well, once again it’s Friday and time for some old school. My apologies for the hiatus, but I needed to step away from the tubes for a minute and take care of some of that IRL stuff. Happens. T

This week’s theme is Songs with Heart. I’m kinda mad at Shae for being quick on the draw and beating me to Blondie’s “Heart of Glass.” That was the first song I thought of. Oh well. I guess that means I’ll just have to go and once again drop that dancedy goodness that is Dee-Lite’s “Groove is in the Heart.” I’ll never be able to hear this song again without thinking of Portly Dyke getting her birthday dance on, and that’s a good thing, because either you love PD or you are dumb. I’m just saying. Also, I hereby declare anything that contains Bootsy Collins and Q-Tip as made of win. They could drop a silent joint like Pootie Tang and I’d be dancing my ass off.

Groove is in the Heart – Dee-Lite
by MovieFanQS

It took me quite some time to realize that The Beatles were the shit. I spent many a year being too punk/indie or something to realize that 80% of the bands I loved were ripping them off. Only in the deluded mind of the too hip can Big Star rule and The Beatles suck. Thankfully, one day I found myself grown up.

“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”

And last, but not least, here’s a little Neil Young performing “Heart of Gold” live.

Happy OSF Y’all! Thanks for playing, and as always, much love to all the other OSF participants.

Old School Friday – Something Old, Something New

By Kevin ⋅ January 30, 2009 ⋅ 13 comments

Happy Old School Friday, folks. This weeks theme is Something Old, Something New. It’s funny that this is the theme for this week, because I was just complaining yesterday with BlackAmazon over on Facebook about Scarlet Johannson’s gawd awful cover of Jeff Buckley’s “Last Goodbye.” Really, unless you are as brilliant, if not more brilliant, than the artist whose work you seek to cover (or you’re covering something that was mediocre to crap to begin with), you need to just leave it alone. Some things are sacred.

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R.I.P. Bo Diddley

By Kevin ⋅ June 2, 2008 ⋅ Post a comment

From the Associated Press:

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Bo Diddley, a founding father of rock â€™nâ€™ roll whose distinctive â€œshave and a haircut, two bitsâ€ rhythm and innovative guitar effects inspired legions of other musicians, died Monday after months of ill health. He was 79.

Diddley died of heart failure at his home in Archer, Fla., spokeswoman Susan Clary said. He had suffered a heart attack in August, three months after suffering a stroke while touring in Iowa. Doctors said the stroke affected his ability to speak, and he had returned to Florida to continue rehabilitation.

Bo Diddley was rock and roll. No doubt. Unprecedented. Unmatched. All of you indie rockers that fawn over Jon Spencer, take a listen to The Black Gladiator and you’ll know where Spencer learned everything he knows.

Witness genius: