Of all the iconic performances that took place at Woodstock during its era-defining “3 Days of Peace & Music,” 32 acts in total, perhaps none was as singularly identifiable with the event, as historically significant for truly capturing the zeitgeist of the counter-culture moment, as Richie Havens’ classic rendition of his song ‘Freedom.’ Guess how … More Richie Havens “Freedom” (1969)
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 … More Rookie “I Can’t Have You But I Want You” (2020)
He’ll always be The Boss, but Bruce Springsteen has also been the assistant more times than you might realize, guest appearing on dozens of songs by an eclectic list of artists over the years. Sidekick supremacy, however, must go to Springsteen’s powerful and yet even more poignant role supporting Warren Zevon … More Warren Zevon “Disorder In The House” (2003)
For starters, fuck Harold Melvin. There actually was a Harold Melvin in the Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes band, the founder and very briefly the lead singer when they were unknowns just starting out. But everyone knows it was the incomparable Teddy Pendergrass who put them on the map after joining (originally as the … More Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes “Wake Up Everybody” (1975)
He’s James Brown with a horn. Really, with two horns – because despite his name, Trombone Shorty is equally adept at blowing both the trombone and the trumpet, and ever since the first time I saw him perform live I was completely blown away. In a city where … More Trombone Shorty “Here Come The Girls” (2017)
Up until recently, I would’ve confidently named Chicago as the band that had the biggest career drop-off from seriously kick-ass rock band to absolutely lame-ass schlock band (and before you say the self-described “rock and roll band with horns” was always lame, do go back and listen to their early stuff, their long-before-Terry-Kath-accidentally-blew-his-own-brains-out stuff; they … More Weezer “Beverly Hills” (2005)
I don’t get out to the movies much. That fact is not merely a matter of my laziness or the presence of Netflix. In truth, there are just very few occasions when a new movie comes out that excites or inspires me much, let alone motivates me to actually get to a theater. The release … More Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real “Find Yourself” (2017)
Who’s buried in Grant’s tomb? Well alright then, how many people were in the band The Dave Clark Five? If you guessed five you would be correct. What I’d bet many people might not know, though, is that Dave Clark wasn’t actually the front man but the drummer, making this the only band I can … More Dave Clark Five “Glad All Over” (1963)
‘Don’t Pull Your Love’ was the first (and second-biggest) hit by this cheesy, early ‘70’s Los Angeles soft rock quartet. Wait, they weren’t actually a quartet? For years my friends Zing, Messiah and I have debated how many members this … More Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds “Don’t Pull Your Love” (1971)
This site is called So Much Great Music because that’s really how I feel; there’s just too much great stuff out there, both past and present, to be pigeon-holed into only one or two music genres, or to just a few artists within a given genre. Now, I’m not saying I like everything: regular readers … More Buckwheat Zydeco “Zydeco Boogaloo” (1984)
