Mixed Tape Tuesday Goes 70's: Part 1

Since I already feel like I'm late to class and haven't handed in my homework assignment, here's my second post of the day. This one is for Jen's Twisted Mix Tape Tuesday. This week we are moving into Part 1 of the 1970's. Great decade for music. It came about after all the rules had been broken, after American blues clashed with the British Invasion and country and southern rock started to roll. I loved every minute of it.

This was the decade when I saw my first, second and probably my 250th live concert. I was old enough to do what I wanted and young enough to not have responsibilities getting in the way. Did I make some wrong decisions... hell yes, didn't we all. But did I have fun... indeed I did. And I have retained some of the memories to prove it. The rest were forgotten when those brain cells that were in such abundance back then, suddenly went pfft. C'est la vie.

My first choice is no big surprise, it is either #1 or #2 on virtually every Top 100 music list of the era. I could listen to it everyday of my life and still enjoy hearing it. The two parts of the song: the vocal and instrumental are each beautiful on their own. Put them together and it's seven minutes that are magical. The opening riff is one of the most recognizable in music.

What else can it be but "Layla"

The band which first comes to mind for me when I think 70's music is the Eagles. Initially I thought I would use "Take It Easy," written by Glenn Frey and Jackson Brown, as it's the first song I remember from them. But no Eagles song fills me with more emotion and takes me to a better place than this Tom Waits song.

"Ol '55."

I loved Loggins & Messina. I must have seen them a dozen times. When I heard Jimmy Messina from Buffalo Springfield was teaming up with this other guy, I was interested. Then I saw Kenny Loggins and wow. Not only was he hot, but he had that voice... yeah. Their first album, "Sittin' In" was brilliant, and their follow up was just as good. Their song that I've picked is the title cut. Loved the lyrics, loved the sound, love the long instrumental in the middle.

"What a shot you would be if you could look at me with those..."
"Angry Eyes"

Next up is the song I actually started this music blog with. It's all about the feeling. It's all about music. It's my definition of what music does to me. "Give me the beat boys and free my soul, I wanna get lost in your Rock & Roll and drift away." Isn't that how music should make you feel? This blog began with a post about the death of Dobie Gray, it lives because of the music.

"And when my mind is free

You know a melody can move me

And when I'm feelin' blue

The guitar's comin' through to soothe me"

"Drift Away"

Then there was Traffic. Oy, such a decision. Do I go with "Dear Mr. Fantasy", "Low Spark" or "Feeling Alright"? In the end, I went with the first song I played on my first CD player. From John Barleycorn Must Die, one piano infused instrumental that just rocked.

"Glad"

So that's five, the number we're supposed to pick. But it's missing someone and as a resident of the "Great State of New Jersey," I feel the need to break the rules. I need to bring in The Boss. Again, the choice is tough. Just choosing which album to take a song from is tough. Greeting from Asbury Park's "Spirit in the Night," or anything from Born to Run would have worked. But I'm going with one song which I wouldn't hear at every concert, which just made it more special when I did. Coming from probably my favorite Bruce album, Darkness on the Edge of Town, it's all Max and Roy at the start, with the tempo building as the song explodes with longing and passion.

"She says, Baby if you wanna be wild,

you got a lot to learn, close your eyes,

Let them melt, let them fire,

let them burn"

The exquisite "Candy's Room"

As a sad side note. It's two years today that we lost The Big Man,Clarence Clemmons. Sure hope he's having a good time playing with the band upstairs.

Thanks Jen for having us over at your place again. Promise next week I'll bring the beer.

Mixing It Up: 60's All The Way

So today I'm doing something new. Jen over at My Skewed View hosts a blog hop every week called Twisted Mixed Tape Tuesday where you think back to the days when those of us of a certain age would create a cassette tape of mixed songs. Sometimes they were random songs, sometimes like when you were hot for someone, you made a theme tape where you desperately tried to get a message across, without making yourself seem too desperate. Or maybe that was just me.

Whatever.

So last week and this week her (non-desperate) theme is the 60's. Lots of great music came from that era, I know, I was there. My influences began with the Beatles, worked through Simon & Garfunkel, throw in some Dylan, Jefferson Airplane, Janis, Joni, Judy, Dusty, Rascals, Supremes and a shit-load of other British groups. I sucked it all in: rock, soul, calypso, and all those folk singers who wrote great lyrics.

Coming up with five songs to create a feel for the 60's is damn near impossible, but them's the rules. So, in no particular order are my five selections.

In 1972, I went to my first live show. It was the Byrds at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, NJ. It was a life-changing experience, so to not have the Byrds as my first choice would be just wrong. Several songs were contenders and one will probably make the cut when the Mixed Tape moves to the 70's next week. But for the 60's I'll take a song written by another influence, Bob Dylan.

"My Back Pages"

Then there were the Jersey Boys. No, not the Four Seasons, although their music was indeed part of the soundtrack of those early years. And even though they all weren't really from Jersey, one of them lived a few blocks away from me and that was about as cool as it got. Talking about the Rascals. sure. Now talk about trying to pick one song, I could pick ten. I'll choose one I've used in a blog a while back because it has everything a hit song should have and... it's freakin' great.

"I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore"

Grace Slick. As I've said before, she was my idol and that explains so much about me. She fronted a band, she had attitude, she was tough, she said "motherfucker" on an album. Yes she did. The first time I heard "Somebody To Love," I was all in. But Jefferson Airplane were much more than "Somebody" and "White Rabbit." Have a listen to Marty Balin's vocal on "Today," it's breathtaking in its simplicity and beauty. For the Mixed Tape entry though, I'll dance with the girl who brought me.

"Somebody To Love"

For me, there is no way any soundtrack from the 60's could not include the Beatles. Ah, but which song? When the Beatles movies came out, we would take the bus into Passaic and spend the day at the movie theater. Back then there were three regular theaters and then the Capitol which was a porno theater at that point. Anyway, they ran the movies non-stop and you could sit there all day and watch it over and over. And that's just what we would do. Probably four times. So those movies were part of my soundtrack and "Help" had the more fun music. My Beatles selection is one where we would trade off who would sing lead and who would sing backup, either way we had a blast.

"Eight Days A Week"

The last song is not rock, pop or soul. Damn I didn't include any Motown. Rather it's one which is a little bittersweet for me this week. My Dad played a little guitar and a little harmonica. When I was really little, I can remember him singing this to me. It has always held a special place in my heart and my soul. This weekend will be my first Father's Day without him and I miss him. So for him, a little taste of calypso with Harry Belafonte..

"Jamaica Farewell"

Thanks Jen, so much fun.