Tom’s Record Of The Day / Erma Franklin “Piece Of My Heart” (1967)
Did you know Aretha Franklin had a sister who was also a recording artist? Did you know that Janis Joplin’s iconic recording of ‘Piece Of My Heart’ was not the original version? If you’re like me, the answer to both questions would be ‘no.’ But Tom Clifford knows.... Read More
Lynyrd Skynyrd “Freebird” (1973)
It’s two songs, really. The second part – the seemingly endless rounds of classic chord progressions and never-to-be-matched guitar wailing – made it what it is, arguably the greatest rock song of all time. But would it be remembered that way without the first part, that sweet, melancholic ballad written and sung by perhaps the...... Read More
The Beatles “All Together Now” (1969)
Since the onset of the Coronavirus crisis we’ve been bombarded with the message “We’re all in this together.” Celebrities, newscasters, friends, neighbors, all well-intentioned, no doubt. Well guess what, I’m calling bullshit. Sad to say but we’re not actually all in this together... Read More
Jimmy Reed “Take Out Some Insurance” (1959)
I hate paying for home insurance. Thousands and thousands of dollars, year after year, just out the window. With absolutely nothing to show for it. And for what, just in case my house gets struck by lightning and burns down? Come on, how on earth is that ever going to occur? What a colossal waste....... Read More
Another Covid 19 Playlist
Another weird week, in a string of weird weeks. Another 19 songs. Another Covid 19 Playlist. Unlike my prior effort, no self-imposed, OCD-driven, 1970’s-only restrictions for this one, so I can now give ‘Strange Days’ the opening slot it deserves. Lots of cautions lately to please ‘Don’t Stand So Close To Me,’ ‘Keep Your Hands...... Read More
Bruce Springsteen “Countin’ On A Miracle” (2002)
"Hope is not a strategy" is a well accepted maxim in the world of business, and surely for life in general as well. Plenty has been written, deservedly, about the power of positive thinking, and yet it must also be remembered that irrational optimism is not always benign. Personally, I can be accused... Read More
The Covid 19 Playlist
What can I say, what can any of us say, to describe the surreal times in which we find ourselves. Well, not much, unfortunately. So, I thought I’d take a shot at providing a small benefit to the current manifestly twisted zeitgeist, in about the best way I know: with a Playlist..... Read More
Rookie “I Can’t Have You But I Want You” (2020)
It’s just a moment, lasting but a second or two. The verse has come to a clipped end, the band pauses, as if taking a deep inhale on the precipice of something big, and then…the chorus blasts in! I really love that moment... Read More
Barbecue Bob and The Spareribs “Swamp Thing” (1996)
They came after many months of painstaking planning, a not insubstantial expense, and more than a few sleepless nights sweating out the weather forecast, but hearing the sound of the first few notes of this song was one of the crowning moments of my life..... Read More
Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers “Roadrunner” (1976)
..it’s 4 beats to a measure, and the count goes to 4. Except for one: ‘Roadrunner’ by Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers, which starts with a count-off…to 6. As best as I know, it’s the only song ever to do this, though surely this can’t be verified... Read More