A new year, where the hell did 2024 go? Well in between all of the Christmas songs that permeated our ears last month, our writers found time to listen to “better?” tunes. Here is what we were listening too and from all of us we hope you have a great 2025.
Night Train – James Brown
A good part of the rock and roll aura is the behavior of the folks who make it. As I was sifting through my music collection, I realized just how much of it was produced by those who “fought the law and the law won”. So this month I’ll give you some those examples. Let’s start with the man himself, You didn’t mess with the “Godfather of Soul” on or off the stage! Brown had a certain “intensity” to him, and he could bring it on as needed. He did time for a number of serious offenses, and that followed him through his career. Brown didn’t like to be challenged either. – Mike Olszewski
Its Alright/Bittersweet – Big Head Todd And The Monters
Since Big Head Todd and The Monsters are headed our way thought it made sense to listen to a few of their tunes! Formed in Colorado back in 1986 they’ve produced some great music, Alternative Blues Rock with a hint of country. Here are a couple of them that they’ll be playing at The Goodyear Theater in Akron on January 21st. – Dom
Love And Affection – Joan Armatrading
This 1976 ballad was her first hit (mostly UK) and boasts a cool background vocal that accents her voice. The song traverses the difference of friends vs. lovers and her need for love/affection with dedication. – Pritch
Gonna Change My Way of Thinking – Bob Dylan & Mavis Staples
In 2003, Staples teamed up with Dylan to record a duet version of his tune “Gonna Change My Way of Thinking” for a tribute album called “GOTTA SERVE SOMEBODY: THE GOSPEL SONGS OF BOB DYLAN”.
Staples and Dylan’s duet was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals category, but unfortunately didn’t win the award. – Cornel
Let It Rain – Eric Clapton
Loved this song since the day I first heard it. Co-written by Clapton and Bonnie Bramlet of Delaney & Bonnie fame. Danny Sheridan who was married to Bonnie once told me that Clapton got the idea one day while staying at Bramlet’s home. He heard her singing “let it rain” to her plants as she always did as she was watering them. – Bear
We Love You – The Rolling Stones
Released during the height of the Flower Power era in mid-1967, this tune was a message to fans who supported the band after Keith Richards and Mick Jagger were arrested and convicted following a drug bust by the notorious British drug cop Norman Pilcher. There was talk that Pilcher wanted to make a name for himself by busting celebrities, and he took down a number of high-profile names. Richards and Jagger were released from prison after a short time, thanks in part to public outrage and an unusually supportive press including the conservative Times of London. This track starts with the sound of a jail cell being shut and features backing vocals by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, who would also immortalize the cop in question in “I am the Walrus” referring to him as “semolina pilchard”. Lennon was also targeted by Pilcher which led to years of legal headaches. The Who pledged to keep the Stones music alive during the incarceration by releasing covers of the band’s music, with “The Last Time” and “Under My Thumb” now highly coveted collectors’ items. The b-side of the Stones’ release, “Dandelion”, charted in the US. Oh, and Pilcher. He ended up with a four-year prison sentence in 1973 for perjury. – Mike Olszewski
Tangled Up In Blue – Bob Dylan
Now that Bob’s story has been told, thought we should listen to one of the tunes that got him there. This might be one of his top ten when his voice was young. – Dom
Deep In The Motherlode – Genesis
This is from the first album with the 3 final members of Genesis. Although the band continued to change, I always liked this album and this fictional song about a man who goes west to find gold. – Pritch
Groupie (Superstar) – Delaney & Bonnie
You might know the version by The Carpenters or Luther Vandross simply known as “Superstar” but this is the original. From an idea of Rita Coolidge and Bonnie Bramlet when they would see the groupies hanging around the guys in the band. Written by Bramlet and Leon Russell this version is bluesy, deep and so much better than the copies from other artists but how could it not be with the people who played on it. Besides Delaney & Bonnie also on the track was Eric Clapton, Dave Mason, Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle, Jim Gordon, Bobby Keys, & Rita Coolidge. A year later Clapton, Whitlock, Radle and Gordon would go on to form Derek & The Dominos – Bear
Code Of Silence – Bruce Springsteen & Joe Grushecky
“Code of Silence” is a rare instance of Bruce co-writing a song with another artist. Bruce and Joe Grushecky wrote this song together in 1997, although neither of them chose to record or perform it at the time. The ‘studio version’ found its eventual release for the first time in 2006 on Joe’s album, “A GOOD LIFE”. – Cornel
River Deep, Mountain High – Ike Turner
By most accounts, Ike Turner was a visionary and one nasty guy. When Ike and Tina Turner were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a video of Ike accepting the award from behind bars was played at the ceremony. That was followed by a video of Tina, supposedly produced in the unlikely chance that Ike would be released! Ike had plenty of run ins with people, but it was drug charges that landed him in the slammer. Oddly enough, this track with Tina was co-produced by fellow whack job / genius / jailbird Phil Spector, and despite being a hit in the UK failed to live up to its potential in the US market. – Mike Olszewski
Hurricane – Bob Dylan
This is one of my favorite Dylan songs. This “protest song” tells the story of Hurricane Carter, a promising boxer who was unjustly convicted. With this song and the help of Dylan and others, he was released from prison. – Dom
I Feel Fine – Beatles
John’s acoustic guitar is leaning against Paul’s bass amp and Paul struck the A chord which provided the first feedback on an album. Ringo’s drumming in this song is exceptional and is just another example of how the Beatles were always at the forefront of musical change! – Pritch
Jailhouse Tears – Lucinda Williams & Elvis Costello
This cool duet with Elvis Costello—who plays the part of a drunken degenerate felon, while Williams is his long-suffering mistress—can be found on Lu’s 2008 album, “LITTLE HONEY”.
I swear I will tell all
Look in my dresser drawers
Now I’m behind the eight ball
And you’re behind bars – Cornel
Break On Through – The Doors
Jim Morrison, where do you start with this guy? He was arrested for indecency, starting a riot, lewd behavior, disturbing the peace…you get the picture. This song from the Doors’ first album might have been interpreted as advice Morrison gave himself when he was looking at the gray bars from the wrong side. – Mike Olszewski
We Gotta Live Together – Jimi Hendrix and the Band of Gypsy’s
This song has a message for us all! The year was 1969, New Years Eve at the Filmore East with Buddy Miles, Billy Preston and Billy Cox. My friends and I drove my VW van to the City that year to see the ball drop and party in the East Village. We didn’t realize he was there until we saw all the posters around the city. – Dom
Five Long Years – John Lee Hooker & Joe Cocker
From the 1974 John Lee Hooker album, “FREE BEAR AND CHICKEN”. Joe Cocker sings and plays tambourine on a total of three tracks — just before he worked towards a comeback from drug addiction. It was around this same time Joe recorded a cover of Billy Preston’s You Are So Beautiful which would be released a few months after this Hooker album was recorded. Joe credits John Lee for helping him through a terrifying time in his life. – Cornel
Rock In Roll Stew – Traffic
This is one of the few songs by Traffic that Steve Winwood did not sing, this is Jim Capaldi His voice is smooth, bluesy and right for the time and right for the song. This is one of those songs when it comes on, the volume goes up. – Bear
Ball And Chain – Janis Joplin
Seriously. You don’t mess with cops in Florida, and plenty of artists found that out the hard way. Janis Joplin was one of them. It was November 1969 at a show in Tampa when she started targeting police holding back crowds, and they put her in cuffs backstage for using vulgar language. Janis spent a night in jail, but considering the times she was lucky she wasn’t singing this song on a chain gang. – Mike Olszewski
