#NewMusicMonday • November, 2021

 November is usually a big album release month to cash in on the holiday season notwithstanding the mega Taylor Swift and Adele albums released this month. (Hey I even included an Adele song in the playlist this week.) 

This month was a good month for me finding new music that lead me back to discover older recorded material by artists and bands. If you are a regular reader of this blog you know that the majority of my writing is inspired by my younger days in the 1960's and 70's, and not as much from the 80's and 90's. Now even though this is a #NewMusicMonday, you'll find that I've found newly recorded songs that were originally recorded in the 80's or 90's, or new songs that have an affinity and influence from those past two decades... or some new/old blues, and if you can believe it, some new Deep Purple from the way way back of my youth.

Acoustic Hymns Vol 1 (Amazon)

I'm going to start with the 90's band, The Verve that took me back to something older. Richard Ashcroft just released Acoustic Hymns Vol 1 this month which is much more than just the former Verve's lead singer and songwriter's greatest hits album. I think every track has been carefully re-crafted to breath fresh life into each one of his songs. I included all of these songs in the playlist this week and think you will enjoy the new arrangements.

Natural History (Amazon)

Acoustic Hymns Vol 1 also reminded me of another great album that was done in the same vein, J.D. Souther's, Natural History, a wonderful album of his reworked greatest hits as a songwriter. 

What makes me bring these two albums together is their acoustic flavor with songs stripped down to enhance the songwriters lyrics with their fantastic singing voices. I highly recommend both.

The next band, The War On Drugs has a mixture of rock 'n' roll influences, but I guess their name says it all being emblematic of the Nancy Reagan 80's and her infamous and ridiculous, "Just say no to drugs" campaign. The band's leader, Adam Granduciel was born in 1979 so he obviously grew up through that 80's D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) period at school and probably even had to wear the t-shirt to a D.A.R.E. program in the school auditorium hosted by a local sports hero. Need I digress more... The band's new album, I Don't Live Here Anymore, is simply fabulous and the songs have grown on me the past several weeks. I have included all the songs from the album in the playlist this week, but Adam had me when he pulls out the Rickenbacker 330 Fireglo for his live version of Change and is the song to lead off this mix.

Rufus Wainwright's new album just came out November 26th and in waiting for that release I actually got listening to his back catalog last week and came across his 2020 release of Unfollow The Rules that totally passed under my radar last year. So, I have included several songs from that album that are at least new to me. 

Here's the new albums I'm featuring in the playlist this week including a few famous names from the 80's
and 90's.

• I Don't Live Here Anymore,
  The War On Drugs
• Acoustic Hymns Vol 1, 
  Richard Ashcroft
• Bright Lights, Susanna Hoffs
• Raise The Roof, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
• The Bridge, Sting
• The Future, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
• Heavy Load of Blues, Gov't Mule
• Queens of the Summer Hotel, Aimee Mann
• Grateful, Elise LeGrow
• Turning To Crime, Deep Purple
• Rufus Wainwright and Amsterdam Sinfonietta Live, Rufus Wainwright and Amsterdam Sinfonietta
• Unfollow The Rules, Rufus Wainwright (2020)

And now a shameless plug. Please tune in next week for my seventh annual Christmas Mix 2021. I've been collecting traditional and non-traditional songs all year that fit into both hot and cold climates zones not to mention rock 'n' roll and Americana music zones as well. 

Happy Festivus... for the Rest of Us!

The Beatles: Get Back

'The Beatles: Get Back' is an upcoming three-part documentary series directed and produced by Peter Jackson. It covers the making of The Beatles' 1970 album 'Let It Be', which had the working title of 'Get Back', and draws from material originally captured for Michael Lindsay-Hogg's 1970 documentary of the album. Conceived originally as a feature film, each episode of 'The Beatles: Get Back' is about two hours in length, making up a total of six hours.

Jackson characterized 'The Beatles: Get Back' as "a documentary about a documentary". Commentators have described it as challenging longtime beliefs that the making of 'Let It Be' was marked entirely by tensions between the Beatles, showing a more upbeat side of the production. It will premiere on Disney+ consecutively on 25, 26 and 27 November 2021. (Wikipedia)

Photo Source - 60 Minutes
Peter Jackson down in the Apple Corp film vault

Sometime in 2018, Peter Jackson met with The Beatles company, Apple Corp in London. They just said, "we've got it all. We've got-- 57 hours of footage. We've got 130 hours of audio." And then they said that they were thinking about making a documentary using the footage. I just put up my hand and said, "Well, if-- if you are looking for somebody to make it-- don't-- please just-- think-- think of me." (60 Minutes)

In the last four years, Peter Jackson and his team went to work using his cutting edge film and audio restoration techniques, not to mention his general magic as a gifted film maker to craft this new documentary. 

Cover of the aborted Get Back album,

mirroring the cover of the band's first album,

Please Please Me

As a huge Beatle fan, Peter Jackson has tapped into every Beatles' fan dream to see their favorite band writing, rehearsing, performing, and most importantly, having fun. The documentary essentially explores the creative process within a collaborative group. It's a bit of the good times and raw emotions all mixed together. Did The Beatles fulfill their vision to create a "live performance" that took them back to their days playing in clubs? As a fan, I'm more grateful for the treasure of songs that came from the Get Back project. Humans are complicated and when combined with art... creativity is messy.

I believe the upcoming movie will capture the true spirit of the band creating a new adventure. Here's the film trailer that came out last month to represent the six hours that awaits us on Disney+.

 

 Okay, You might be saying, "I don't have Disney+." Is Disney+ going to have a free 3 or 5 day trail offer? The answer is no, but here's what you can do. Like most subscription services Disney+ is month to month for $7.99. Think of it as a good ticket price if you were going to a movie theater. You can unsubscribe after 30 days. In any event, Disney+ might be a good solution for some holiday shows with family and friends in the weeks ahead.

Imagine, many of us old Beatle fans actually have some new Beatle material to experience for the first time! And that my friends is truly something to be thankful for.

Now the playlist for this week is my own hodgepodge YouTube Playlist from the new Let It Be: 50th Anniversary (Super-Deluxe Edition (2021) and Let It Be... Naked (2003).  

The Super Deluxe Edition is 57 tracks representing three versions of the Let It Be album from: hired gun-toting Producer Phil Spector, the 1969 Get Back Mix by Glyn Johns, and the 2021 remix by Giles Martin. It includes tracks featuring Beatle banter which I can't get enough of, and rehearsals of several songs that will later appear on Abbey Road. 

The 2003 version of 'Let It Be... Naked' is presented in a form which Paul McCartney considered closer to its original artistic vision: to "get back" to the rock and roll sound of their early years rather than the orchestral overdubs and embellishments which were added by Phil Spector to three of the songs in the production of the final 'Let It Be' album. McCartney in particular was always dissatisfied with the "Wall of Sound" production style of the Phil Spector mixes of these three tracks, especially for his song "The Long and Winding Road", which he believed was ruined by the process. (Wikipedia)

I do want to explain that my playlist is squarely in the Paul McCartney camp of rejecting Phil Spector's extensive remix that completely got away from the live album concept that Paul originally brought to John, George and Ringo for the January, 1969 recordings. For example, The Long and Winding Road has both the Spector and Glyn Johns production versions in the Super Deluxe Edition, and Naked has the final take recorded on January 31, 1969, instead of the original album take from January, 26, 1969. I personally like the Naked final take, and maybe you can get a feel for how I put together the playlist here. 

Although as I write this, I've been listening to all these versions for a couple weeks now and I'm pulled towards the Glyn Johns 1969 mixes that The Beatles ultimately rejected. Glyn Johns' use of vocal echo I thought was brilliant in that he captures a live feel as if the listener were sitting in an auditorium or concert hall, and lends itself to the live performance part of Paul's original vision for the project. In any event, here is what I eventually came to with the goal of not having multiple versions of any of the songs mixed with a selection of banter tracks and jams to capture a bit of that Beatle spirit and joy in their creative process.

The Beatles: Get Back Playlist

1. The Beatles: Get Back - A Sneak Peek from Peter Jackson (12/20/20- Montage featuring the song, Get Back)
2. Two of Us (2021 Super Deluxe Mix from 1970 album)
3. I Don't Know Why I'm Moaning Discussion (2021 Super Deluxe Mix)
4. I've Got A Feeling (Naked Version / Remastered 2013)
5. Dig A Pony (1969 Glyn Johns Mix)
6. Something (Rehearsal) (2021 Super Deluxe Mix)
7. For You Blue (1969 Glyn Johns Mix)
8. Can You Dig It (2021 Super Deluxe Mix)
9. Let It Be (1969 Glyn Johns Mix)
10. Medley: I’m Ready (aka Rocker) / Save The Last Dance For Me / Don’t Let Me Down (2021 Super Deluxe Mix)
11. Don't Let Me Down (This is not the version of Don’t Let Me Down heard on the single but the version from the Let It Be… Naked album – a composite of both versions that were performed on the roof of Apple in Savile Row)
12. Maggie Mae / Fancy My Chances With You (2021 Super Deluxe Mix)
13. I Me Mine (Naked Version / Remastered 2013)
14. Polythene Pam (Rehearsal) (2021 Super Deluxe Mix)
15. Across The Universe (Naked Version / Remastered 2013)
16. Octopus’s Garden (Rehearsal 2021 Super Deluxe Mix)
17. Without A Song feat. Billy Preston on vocal (2021 Super Deluxe Mix)
18. One After 909 (Take 3) (2021 Super Deluxe Mix)
19. The Walk Jam (2021 Super Deluxe Mix)
20. The Long And Winding Road (Naked Version / Remastered 2013)
21. Get Back (Reprise / 1969 Glyn Johns Mix)
22. Inside the story of the Beatles documentary “Get Back”
    (60 Minutes Overtime 11/14/21)

Happy Thanksgiving... and Happy Beatles weekend my friends! 

References / Resources

• Let It Be (1970 Album), Wikipedia
• Let It Be (1970 film), Wikipedia
• Let It Be... Naked (2003 Album), Wikipedia
• The Beatles: Get Back, (film) Wikipedia
• Ringo Starr: Peter Jackson's Documentary Captures The Fun Of Being In The Beatles (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert 7/16/21)
• Half-Century Old, Unseen Footage Shows Beatles Writing and Recording In New Documentary "Get Back", 60 Minutes
• Paul McCartney says ‘The Beatles: Get Back’ documentary changed his perception of their split, NME
• The Beatles - Get Back- The Glyn Johns Mixes - 1969, BB Chronicles (April 30, 2013)

Under the Influence • Songs of 1952-1955

Songs of 1949-1951 • 1952-1955 • 1956-1959 • 1960-1962

1952 through 1955 is a real transitional period in popular music. Rock 'n' roll is a baby as the dominate pop standard hits of the day come from singers like Patti Page, Frankie Lane, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Eddie Fisher, Perry Como, and Rosemary Clooney. However, the top record producers are guys like Mitch Miller ruling the airwaves with homogenized cheery tunes with little innovation or imagination. Remember, Sing A-Long With Mitch.

        

In the 1950's, emerging star Pat Boone would specialize in taking original R&B hits from black artists and cover them with softer arrangements for the larger white market. Boone was certainly not the first or last to capitalize on this practice, where the music money stream almost never flowed back to the source, the black musicians creating songs in the early to middle 20th century.

Let's take a look at some of the musical events and songs that would influence a generation growing up in the 1950's. Kids who would jump at the chance to get out of the house and into a car with friends listening to some new rock 'n' roll while cruising Broadway... and away from their Father Knows Best world.

1952 in Music

• March 21 – First reported rock and roll riot breaks out at Alan Freed's Moondog Coronation Ball in Cleveland, Ohio. Teenage excitement is blamed for the frenzy.
• September – Bill Haley and His Saddlemen change [their name and] image to become Bill Haley & His Comets. (27 year old Bill Haley's no dummy, he dumps the country swing and jumps on this rock 'n' roll thang!) 
  
  
• Jambalaya (On the Bayou) – Hank Williams
• Juke – Little Walter
• Wimoweh – The Weavers
• I'm Confessin' - Les Paul & Mary Ford 
• I Only Have Eyes For You - Billy Holiday
• Tis' Sweet To Be Remembered - Flatt and Scruggs
• Bloomdido - Charlie Parker / Dizzy Gillespie

1953 in Music

• January 1 — Hank Williams, due to play a New Year's Day show in Canton, Ohio, dies sometime after midnight in the rear seat of his Cadillac, somewhere between Knoxville, Tennessee and Oak Hill, West Virginia. He was 29. Stories conflict on what happened in the final hours of his life, but what is not disputed is that his death gave rise to the legend. In the 60-plus years following his death, Williams' songs would be covered countless times, singers and songwriters would directly cite him as an influence. The last song released in his lifetime was 'I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive.'
• July 18 – Elvis Presley makes his first recordings at Sun Records.
• Hound Dog– Big Mama Thornton. Her #1 R&B hit would be recorded three years later by Elvis Presley making it a #1 smash hit selling 10 million copies.
• Crazy Man, Crazy, recorded by Bill Haley & His Comets, becomes the first rock and roll single to make the Billboard national American musical charts.
  
  
• I'll Go On Alone, Marty Robbins
• Mess Around – Ray Charles
• Please Don't Leave Me – Fats Domino
• Your Cheatin' Heart – Hank Williams
• I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive, Hank Williams

1954 in Music

• February 1 – Johnny "Guitar" Watson records 'Space Guitar' pioneering reverb and feedback techniques on guitar.
• April – Fender Stratocaster electric guitar first produced in California.
• April 12 – Bill Haley and His Comets record 'Rock Around the Clock' in New York City for Decca Records.
July 6 — Elvis Presley releases his first single, 'That's All Right' [and the B side 'Blue Moon of Kentucky']. A month later, Billboard gives the song a positive review, with the reviewer calling Presley a "strong new talent," and by September is a No. 1 hit in Memphis.
• Les Paul commissions Ampex to build the first eight track tape recorder, at his own expense.
• The Drifters form.
• The Isley Brothers make their first recordings, featuring only the three eldest brothers, O'Kelly Jr., Rudolph and Ronald.^[8]
• The Newport Jazz Festival is established by George Wein.
  
  
• I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man – Muddy Waters
• Shake Rattle And Roll – Big Joe Turner

1955 in Music

• January 14 – In New York City, Alan Freed produces the first rock and roll concert.
• March 15 – Colonel Tom Parker becomes Elvis Presley's de facto manager.
• March 26 - My first day on this earth and rock 'n' roll is off the launch pad in my birth year of 1955, not to mention Disneyland opens that summer. 
  Bill Hayes tops the US charts for five weeks with The Ballad of Davy Crockett and starts a (fake) coonskin cap craze. In the playlist this week, I'm going to include the 1955 Walt Disney TV intro to Davy Crockett sung by its star, Fess Parker.
• April 14 – Imperial Records in the United States release 'Ain't That a Shame' by Fats Domino. It reaches #1 in the R&B chart and becomes over time a million seller, bringing Domino to prominence and quickly covered by Pat Boone making this song a Billboard #1 hit . 
• May 13 – First riot at an Elvis Presley concert takes place in Jacksonville, Florida.
• May 21 – Chuck Berry records his first single, 'Maybellene', for Chess Records in Chicago.
• May 22 – Bridgeport, Connecticut, authorities cancel a rock concert to be headlined by Fats Domino for fear of a riot breaking out.
• July 9 – Rock Around the Clock becomes the first rock 'n' roll single to reach #1on the Billboard charts.
• July 17 - Disneyland opens in Anaheim, California. My wife Mary Kit will be born six months later and it will be her "happiest place on earth."
• October - 'Tutti Frutti' is a song written by Little Richard and Dorothy LaBostrie that was first recorded in 1955, becoming Little Richard's first major hit record. With its energetic refrain, often transcribed as "A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-lop-bam-boom!" (a verbal rendition of a drum pattern that Little Richard had imagined), and its hard-driving sound and wild lyrics, it became not only a model for many future Little Richard songs, but also a model for rock and roll itself. The song introduced several of rock music's most characteristic musical features, including its loud volume, powerful vocal style, and distinctive beat and rhythm.
• October 15 – Elvis Presley plays a concert in Lubbock, Texas. Opening act is local duo Buddy and Bob, Buddy being future rock star Buddy Holly.
• November 20 – Bo Diddley makes his debut TV appearance on The Ed Sullivan show.
• November 22 – Colonel Tom Parker signs Elvis Presley to RCA Records.
• December 15 – Sun Records releases 'Folsom Prison Blues' recorded by Johnny Cash on July 30.
• Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel write their first song, The Girl For Me, and begin singing together as a duo while still in high school in New York City.
• In 1955, Lonnie Donegan's fast-tempo version of Lead Belly's Rock Island Line becomes a big hit in the UK where it helped trigger the skiffle craze. It flew up the English charts. Donegan had synthesized American Southern Blues with simple acoustic instruments: acoustic guitar, washtub bass and washboard rhythm. The new style was called 'Skiffle' .... and referred to music from people with little money for instruments. The new style captivated an entire generation of post-war youth in England. In the 1960's, many English bands including The Beatles would site Lonnie Donegan and Skiffle as a huge influence in their music development. 
  

Enjoy my friends!

References - All Wikipedia

1. 1952 in Music
2. 1953 in Music
3. 1954 in Music
4. 1954 in Country Music
5. 1955 in Music
6. Hank Williams
7. Hank Williams discography
8. Chuck Berry
9. Little Richard
10. Bill Haley & His Comets
11. Lonnie Donegan
12. Pat Boone
13. Mitch Miller
14. Maybelene, Chuck Berry
15. Tutti Fruitti, Little Richard
16. Rock Around The Clock, Bill Haley & His Comets

Fifty Years of Music • November, 1971

1971 has been often critiqued as the best year in rock 'n' roll. If you've been following my Fifty Years of Music series this year, it's hard to argue with that statement, and this month is one of those monster months in music history that delivered iconic albums and songs. 

I spent more time listening than writing this past week which made me think that for rock 'n' roll fans in 2021, we probably would have died and gone to heaven with these caliber of songs spread over a current year must less 30 days.

So let's get right to it with this impressive group of albums released in November, 1971 just in time for the holiday shopping season with our boys still fighting in Vietnam. 

Playlist of 129 Songs from Albums Released 11/71

1. Nilsson Schmilsson, Harry Nilsson (Entire Album)
2. Madman Across The Water, Elton John (Entire Album)
3. Led Zeppelin IV, Led Zeppelin (Entire Album)
4. Year of Sunday, Seals and Crofts (Entire Album)
5. Gonna Take A Miracle, Laura Nyro (Entire Album)
6. The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys, Traffic (Entire Album)
7. Fragile, Yes
8. Anticipation, Carly Simon
9. Nursery Cryme, Genesis
10. Quiet Fire, Roberta Flack
11. A Nod Is Good As A Wink... To A Blind Horse, Faces
12. Sunfighter, Paul Kanter and Grace Slick
13. I Wrote A Simple Song, Billy Preston
14. Aerie, John Denver
15. Bonnie Raitt, Bonnie Raitt
16. Farther Along, The Byrds
17. Asylum Choir II, Leon Russell and Marc Benno
18. 'Nuff Said, Ike and Tina Turner
19. Deuce, Rory Gallagher
20. Pictures At An Exhibition, Emerson, Lake and Palmer
21. There's A Riot Goin' On, Sly and the Family Stone
22. Liv, Livingston Taylor
23. The Inner Mounting Flame, Mahavishnu Orchestra
24. Good and Dusty, The Youngbloods
25. Flowers of Evil, Mountain

My FIFTH 100 Songs

My 100 Songs | My SECOND 100 Songs | My THIRD 100 Songs

My FOURTH 100 Songs | My FIFTH 100 Songs

Okay I did it, 500 of my favorite songs of all time divided into five 100 songs playlists!

To finish this last group of 100, I actually had to go back to the other four playlists and ended up reshuffling and organizing all 500 songs. I also went back to the four blogs and included a written song list to track my selections as YouTube songs get routinely deleted (damn you Don Henley), and I forget what was actually missing from the previous playlist. So be my guest and revisit the other four blogs in this series at you leisure as everything is updated.

This FIFTH 100 SONGS was an exercise in trying to find all the other songs I didn't put in the other four playlists. I found myself deleting songs like Elvis' Jailhouse Rock because there's that Tom Petty song I just could not exclude. Over time with a 500 cap, some songs are going to bite the dust to another new or rediscovered song. In any event, if the song has a personal connection to my past or present, it's probably going to even replace a classic.

Now before I get into this playlist I thought I'd revisit a few other lists of my music favorites.

My Top Ten Favorite Bands 
Notice if a band started their name with "The" they were making a statement, at least with me. Note- Glenn Fry refused the 'The' in front of the Eagles.

I also flunk the 'critic' test by choosing the Eagles as most hip critics go out of their way to make sure they are on their most hated band list. Same for the Buckingham/Nicks Fleetwood Mac, but I've always embraced all the iterations of their band.

1. The Beatles
2. The Rolling Stones
3. The Who
4. Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
5. The Byrds
6. Eagles 
7. Fleetwood Mac
8. The Jayhawks
9. The Kinks
10. The Bangles

My Top Ten Favorite Solo Artists

1. Bob Dylan
2. Neil Young
3. James Taylor
4. Jackson Browne
5. Paul Simon
6. Joni Mitchell
7. Paul McCartney
8. Linda Ronstadt
9. John Prine
10. Mark Knopfler

My Favorite Duo's and a Special Trio

1. Simon and Garfunkel
2. Crosby, Stills & Nash
3. The Everly Brothers
4. The Milk Carton Kids
5. Mandolin Orange (now called Watchhouse)
6. The Cactus Blossoms
7. The Weepies

My Favorite Concert

1. Elton John at The Troubadour, August 27, 1975
   My girlfriend Mary Kit Smith had entered a raffle contest to fill several audiences for celebrating Elton's fifth anniversary of his triumphant debut in America at The Troubadour club in Los Angeles CA, in 1970. She won two tickets and we drove up and back from San Diego with a barely working clutch in my car. We were 15 feet from Elton, loved the show, and Mary Kit was even kissed by Bernie Taupin expressing her admiration for Bernie and Elton in the wings. I didn't mind.

My Favorite Album

1. After The Gold Rush, Neil Young
   I would say if I had to pick one album it would be The White Album, but this week in the cold and rainy weather, it's After The Gold Rush.

My Favorite Song

1. Penny Lane, The Beatles
   In 1980, I started my teaching career with a group of students with multiple physical and mental challenges. One student Kenny Lane, responded to me playing and singing along to a mix tape I had made for the class. When Penny Lane came on, all the adults in the room would get around Kenny and sing the chorus, inserting "Kenny" for Penny. Kenny would rock back and forth in his wheelchair, laugh and had the biggest smile when we did that.
   
   Kenny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes.

My FIFTH 100 Songs

1. Strawberry Fields, The Beatles
2. Get Off Of My Cloud, The Rolling Stones
3. My Generation, The Who
4. A Higher Place, Tom Petty
5. The Bells of Rhymney, The Byrds
6. I'm Not Like Everybody Else, The Kinks
7. New Kid In Town, The Eagles
8. Everywhere, Fleetwood Mac
9. Save It For A Rainy Day, The Jayhawks
10. Hazy Shade Of Winter, The Bangles
11. Knockin' On Heaven's Door, Bob Dylan
12. My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue), Neil Young
13. For A Dancer, Jackson Browne
14. Mother And Child Reunion, Paul Simon
15. Play With Fire, The Rolling Stones
16. Your Smiling Face, James Taylor
17. Blue Bayou, Linda Ronstadt
18. Brothers in Arms, Mark Knopfler
19. Help Me, Joni Mitchell
20. Some Humans Ain't Human, John Prine
21. Don't Come Around Here No More, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
22. Yellow Submarine, The Beatles
23. What's The Frequency, Kenneth?, REM
24. Leaving On A Jet Plane, Peter, Paul & Mary
25. Rip It Up, Little Richard
26. At The Chime Of A City Clock, Nick Drake
27. He's Got A Secret, The Bangles
28. Go To The Mirror, The Who
29. Loves Me Like A Rock, Paul Simon
30. Watching The Wheels, John Lennon
31. Paper Wings, Gillian Welch
32. Sailing To Philadelphia, James Taylor
33. I Knew I'd Want You, The Byrds
34. Let The Mystery Be, Iris Dement
35. The Last Resort, The Eagles
36. The World Spins Madly On, The Weepies
37. Tiny Dancer, Elton John
38. Mustang Sally, Buddy Guy
39. Radio Free Europe, REM
40. I Can't Make You Love Me, Bonnie Raitt
41. [What's So Funny 'Bout] Peace, Love And Understanding
42. Mannish Boy, Muddy Waters
43. Sympathy For The Devil, The Rolling Stones
44. Caroline, No, The Beach Boys
45. The Only Living Boy In New York, Simon and Garfunkel
46. 96 Tears, ? & The Mysterians
47. The End Of The Innocence, Don Henley 
48. Southern Cross, Crosby, Stills & Nash
49. California, Joni Mitchell
50. Rainy Day Man, James Taylor
51. These Days, Jackson Browne
52. Fast Car, Tracy Chapman
53. New York, The Milk Carton Kids
54. All I Have To Do Is Dream, The Everly Brothers
55. Fortunate Son, Creedence Clearwater Revival
56. Don't Worry Baby, The Beach Boys
57. Papa's Got A Brand New Bag, James Brown
58. Tangled Up In Blue, Bob Dylan
59. Rubylove, Cat Stevens
60. Under African Skys, Paul Simon
61. Down In Liverpool, The Bangles
62. In My Life, The Beatles
63. Golden Embers, Mandolin Orange/Watchhouse
64. The Times Are A-Changin', Bob Dylan
65. Brand New Day, Sting
66. Johnny B. Goode, Chuck Berry
67. Something, The Beatles
68. Lo And Behold, James Taylor
69. Somewhere In Time, John Berry
70. Better Way, Mandolin Orange/Watchhouse
71. If I Cant Win, The Cactus Blossoms
72. Across the Universe, The Beatles
73. I Need to Know, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
74. Everyday Is A Winding Road, Sheryl Crow
75. Everybody Knows, The Jayhawks
76. The Kids Are Alright, The Who
77. 25 Or 6 To 4, Chicago
78. Refuge Of The Road, Joni Mitchell
79. The Road And The Sky, Jackson Browne
80. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles
81. Sunny Day, The Kinks
82. She's A Rainbow, The Rolling Stones
83. All I Want, Toad The Wet Sprocket
84. You Don't Know How It Feels, Tom Petty
85. Gravity, Sarah Bareilles
86. You've Got To Be Carefully Taught, James Taylor
87. Crying In The Rain, The Everly Brothers
88. Bitch, The Rolling Stones
89. I'm Gonna Make You Love Me, The Jayhawks
90. The Wind, Cat Stevens
91. Tumbling Dice, Linda Ronstadt
92. For Everyman, Jackson Browne
93. Duncan, Paul Simon
94. Sentimental Lady, Fleetwood Mac
95. After The Gold Rush, Neil Young
96. Yesterday, The Beatles
97. You Turn Me On, I'm A Radio, Joni Mitchell
98. The Last DJ, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
99. The Song Is Over, The Who
100. Abbey Road Medley, The Beatles
     1: You Never Give Me Your Money
     2: Sun King
     3: Mean Mr. Mustard
     4: Her Majesty
     5: Polythene Pam
     6: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
     7: Golden Slumbers
     8: Carry That Weight
     9: The End 

With all this listed, I could have easily slipped in another song from one of my favorite bands or artists over many of the 500 total songs I have selected to date. I think of these 500 songs as a good representative grouping of music that have influenced me, provided a lifetime of therapy, and essentially opened my mind. It's a great 'stuck on a marooned island' list, if not an 'in my room' list from my teenage years, or even, a good mix of tunes running and walking this past week in Lincoln Park (West Seattle). 

Enjoy all these little gems my friends!

The song is over

The song is over

Excepting one note, pure and easy

Playing so free, like a breath rippling by

–Pete Townshend, The Song Is Over

My FIFTH (and final) 100 Songs