The enigmatic Brian Wilson, known to some as America’s pop Mozart, is properly lauded for creating some of the most complex, multi-dimensional, and convention-challenging compositions in the history of pop/rock music. ‘Don’t Worry Baby’ is not one of those songs. It’s enduring genius is no less impressive … More Beach Boys “Don’t Worry Baby” (1964)
The task was simple and the theme was equally self-evident: create a party playlist of precisely four hours, made up of songs culled from the vastly music-rich era of the seventies. I questioned nearly every choice along the way. Well, every choice except for one: the pick for final song.. … More Bruce Springsteen “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” (1973)
Man, I did not love Rush. Until Rush was featured in the movie “I Love You, Man” – and at that, really after just one scene in particular. The 2009 bromance comedy stars Paul Rudd and Jason Segal, whose shared worship of Rush – the Canadian power trio known to them simply as The Holy Trinity.. … More Rush “Limelight” – scene from “I Love You, Man” (2009)
There are just too many great summer songs to mention, but The Lovin’ Spoonful made one of the best, “Summer In The City,” and omitting one letter from a lyric may have made it the greatest ever. … More The Lovin’ Spoonful “Summer In The City” (1966)
Something incredible happens when you tune in Sirius Radio channel 31. Supernatural, even. Tom Petty is still alive. Still there nonchalantly talking about music – his own, and that of multitudes of other artists. Still rambling from topic to topic in an excited but unhurried drawl. Still irreverent, a bit … More Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers “The Last DJ” (2002)
When my son, Max, was in college at Vassar, he had his own radio show, “Band Geeks,” on WVKR, the college radio station beaming out a 3,700 watt signal to campus, to greater Poughkeepsie, NY, and through the magic of the internet, to anyplace else. I was a faithful listener. As with most college radio … More Cat Stevens “Father and Son” (1970)
Not that long ago the rock world lost a great, a guy whose name everyone knows, but I’m not sure whether everyone knows he was that name. Huh? John Warren Geils Jr., better known professionally as J. Geils, was, of course, the namesake for the long-time blues/rock powerhouse, the J. Geils Band, the group he … More J. Geils Band “(Ain’t Nothin’ But A) House Party” (1973)
There’s a lot of talk nowadays about what’s “real” country music. Personally, my views fall pretty much in line with a righteous fellow named Kyle “Trigger” Coroneos, whose website “Saving Country Music” has been around for over 10 years, and whose mission seems pretty self-explanatory (clue: It starts with something like Waylon & Willie, not … More Rolling Stones “Dead Flowers” (1971)
It seems to me the turning of the annual calendar means not only a new year but the inherent wish, whether recent times have been good or bad, for things to get better. And on that theme there are many good songs from which to choose, but some are just, well, better than others. A … More The Kinks “Better Things” (1981)
This marks my 100th post for SoMuchGreatMusic.com and in the months since I started it I’ve consistently put off, over and over, writing on one of the favorite and most important artists in my life, Bruce Springsteen. Really, more than just put it off, I’ve been wholly intimidated to try to cover him. I mean, … More Bruce Springsteen “Land Of Hope And Dreams” (2000)
