10 Musical Testaments of Brian Jones

The Darford railway station is a crossroads. On the eastern edge of London, in the town whose name it bears, it's where three different lines from London intersect, and riders jostle as they rush to switch from one to another. If you're headed to or from London, and you're from Darford, this is where you're most likely to cross paths. It was at this station, in 1960, that Mick Jagger and Keith Richards reacquainted themselves on the platform, and Keith spied two records in Mick's arms - one by Chuck Berry, the other from Muddy Waters.

There is now a plaque at the station commemorating the meeting, and the two men who founded the Rolling Stones. Only they didn't.

Brian Jones' short life is one filled with controversy, contradictions, and musical and sartorial genius. And more then its fair share of drugs and women. And it was he who founded, and named the band, as well as being its first leader. But just as drugs and insecurities helped erase his leadership in the band, so too have the Gilmmer Twins (Keith and Mick) worked to erase his importance to the band. Neither ever called the city of London to correct their historical error, and so it stands.

“Brian Jones chose the name the Rolling Stones, Brian Jones decided what music we would play, and Brian Jones enlisted every member into his band in 1962 and ’63. - Bill Wyman”

A blues obsessed kid from Cheltenham, Brian's first influences were country - "Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford, and  all of Johnny Cash. But by the time he moved to London it was Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, and  Robert Johnson. 

He formed the band at age 20 in 1962, naming it after a song by his hero Muddy Waters. A very bright kid, Brian had been a lazy student. But music came naturally to him, and he brought an equal sense of laziness to it - he didn't have to work hard at it, so he didn't. A golden god, with perfect blonde hair, a look that simultaneously screamed innocence and sex, he quickly became the visual focus of the Stones. His clothing style was impeccable, and its hard to argue that he wasn't, at least from the perspective of "the look", the most perfect male specimen of the 60s.

He was the first pop star, and nearly 50 years after his death he's still the template. Ron Ashton of the Stooges said: ""Brian Jones was my real rock hero. I tried to emulate his haircut and dress." 

““By the time we made it through customs and got to our hotel, Brian and I were about 10 feet off the ground. After checking in we managed to make it to the elevator - but neither of us made it. We rode up and down for hours, laughing hysterically at each passenger who was unlucky enough to come through the doors and ride with us. It was Chas who finally rescued us…” - Eric Burdon”

His circle of friends included underground filmmaker Kenneth Anger, and science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke. Bob Dylan was a close friend, and the two spent hours on the phone. Brian was also friends with Jimi Hendrix. He introduced  the then unknown Hendrix at the Monterrey Pop festival in 1967.

His sartorial sense was impeccable. He looked as good as any of the girls during the era, and inspired both his peers and those that came after.. He was flamboyant and colorful, a gypsy. Linda Keith was seeing both Brian and Hendrix. She's noted that Jimi was a great player in the early years, but he had absolutely no sense of style when it came to clothes. Seeing Jimi as his career took off it's hard to imagine that Brian wasn't giving him some advice.

But drugs and women got the best of Brian. The ambitious Jagger and Richards worked harder, plotted keenly, and quickly supplanted Brian as the leaders of the band. The simple argument is that he didn't write, or didn't sing. But he dd sing - mostly backing vocals with the Stones - and he did write, though he was too shy, or lazy to show what he'd written to the band. And once he wasn't the leader, Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham noted, he was a liability. 

There are two tales of his demise. In one he was a problem - unreliable, permanently drugged, bored and unfocused. The other story has Jagger and Richards cold bloodily eliminating him from the band's creative process, before excising him from the band altogether. Both are likely true. When he died, buried in an elaborate silver and bronze casket purchased, and shipped from America, by Bob Dylan,  the only band members to show up at his funeral were drummer Charlie Watts and bassist Bill Wyman. There was no Mick or Keith. Wyman claims it was a sign of guilt on their part.

Like many people in possession of a genius, Brian was easily bored. And the guitar soon bored him. On top of that he found he could pick up virtually any instrument and create something from it. That gift transformed many Stones songs from good to greatness in their early, and most creative, period. Dead now, but not forgotten, Brian has left many testaments to his musical genius with the Rolling Stones. Here are ten.

10. SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ME - BETWEEN THE BUTTONS - 1967

Brian contributed many exotic instruments that colored nearly all the Stones records he appeared on (dulcimer, recorder, sitar, tanpura, theremin, mellotron, etc), but his contributions to this eclectic track from my favorite Stones record, Between the Buttons, are unique in their own way. Saxophone was the first instrument he learned, and towards his end he played it on the Beatles' track "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)". He also played it here - as well as all the horns, including trumpet, trombone, and tuba. The arrangement is clearly influenced by the Kinks forays into vaudeville. All by himself Brian gives the song a New Orleans Dixieland feel. Jazz was an early love of his. And that whistling? Brian.

9. 19TH NERVOUS BREAKDOWN - SINGLE - 1967

This single screams a great groove riff, ala Bo Diddley, that is  brought by Brian. Keith generally gets the nod for the Stones riffs, but in these early years Brian got his fair share. Another classic riff he delivered was on "Mother's Little Helper", which he played on a 12-string with a slide. Simple and perfect, like many of the parts he played, it gives the song its identity, and motion. He also gave the song its drone by playing the Indian tambura.  My all time favorite Stones cover is of this song, but the legendary Jason and the Scorchers. It captures the wild abandon of the original, while adding the throttling drive that's all their own. It even got the Andrew Loog Oldham seal of approval.

8. I WANNA BE YOUR MAN - SINGLE - 1963

The Stones owned this Lennon-McCartney song on their version. Dirty and  relentless, with a driving bass from Bill Wyman, "I Wanna Be Your Man" was the perfect vehicle for the band, and the commercial single they were looking for. And it marked the beginning of the end for Brian. Seeing John and Paul knock off this partially written song in a corner of the Stones recording space, the very impressed Glimmer Twin realized their future as songwriters. That power shift in the band did not work out well for Brian. But there was still plenty to come, not least the blistering, Elmore James style slide guitar Brian  plays to the song. Many call "Little Red Rooster" his best slide solo, but I'd offer this as my choice.

7.  WE LOVE YOU - THEIR SATANIC MAJESTIES - 1967

Their Satanic Majesties suffered a lot of bad press, and much of it was deserved. It did seem the Stones were trying to follow on the heels of the Beatles'  Sgt. Peppers, into terrain that was, to put it mildly, not their strong suit. But there is some powerfully great stuff on the record, and Brian is at the center of most of it. His mellotron on the wonderful "She's A Rainbow", brings the sweet sound of horns, coloring the piano figure it surrounds.  His imprint is even more powerful on "2000 Light Years From Home", Jaggers dark trip through inner space. Brian's prominent string arrangement, played on mellotron, gives the song its ethereal space quality, furthered by sharp rising tones of the theremin he plays. He also added numerous sound effects, including those that open the song. But its appropriate that the biggest impact of the Stones chief sonic explorer would be on their most ambitious track - "We Love". Brian contributes two key elements - the sharp stabs of horns, and the mellotron which gives the song much of its atmosphere. More importantly it was his arrangement on this song, which is well crafted and thought out, pushing the song with an edgy vibe that matches the prison implications rampant through out. Hard to imagine his critical role when watching his stoned out of his mind face in the promo video. This track deserves more love then it gets.

6. YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT - LET IT BLEED - 1967

Let It Bleed is the last Stones album to feature Brian Jones, though his contributions are limited at best. He appears on two songs, and its hard to hear him there.  Still, Brian had one contribution that was huge. Fresh off producing/recording four records, the great Al Kooper decided to decompress by visiting London with his wife. The Stones asked him to play on the album but he was just too burned out to think of going into a studio again. Fortunately he ran into Brian Jones the day after arriving, on Kings Road. Brian quickly gushed enthusiastically about how excited he was that  Kooper would be playing on the record, insisting that the band would have him picked up at his hotel for the session that evening. "Oh, he's embarrassing me into it", thought Kooper. And sure enough, that night he was playing organ on this classic track. There is no denying his organ is quintessential to the recording, establishing both the mood and atmosphere. And its all because of Brian Jones.

5. LAST TIME - OUT F THEIR HEADS - 1965

For me one of the most iconic, and effective, lead riffs in the Stones catalogue, and all of rock for that matter, is the one on this fantastic song, the first single by the band to be written by Jagger and Richards. It keeps coming at you throughout the verses, stabbing into your head, so simple, and cunningly effective. As a learning guitarist, its a little tricky getting the last bit exactly right, as it slides around the 7th fret, hitting open strings along the way. Its full of attitude, much like the song. "Get Off Of My Cloud" also got the Jones effect, with Brian providing the lead riff that tracks the verses. 

4. RUBY TUESDAY - BETWEEN THE BUTTONS - 1967

Keith Richards' lyrics to this Stones classic were reportedly about Linda Keith, who as mentioned had a dalliance with Brian, and was Keith's sometime girlfriend. But the melody, according to Bill Wyman and Marianne Faithful, was written by Keith with Brian. That engenders some controversy, because Keith claims it all, and because Brian supposedly didn't write songs. That however overlooks him writing "Eight Miles High" in a Pittsburgh hotel room with Byrd Gene Clark. Regardless this is arguably the most beautiful melody in the Stones catalogue, and it also comes from the Stones most pop, or Beatlesque album - Between the Buttons. Brian's piano line, and the recorder he plays, are the central, and most recognizable, melodic elements in the song. They give the song its color, and depth, bringing a timeless fragility to the song. He was also the only Stone on backing vocals.

3. UNDER MY THUMB - AFTERMATH -1966

The band's fourth album, Aftermath, marked a major shift in maturity, and a great stretching of styles. Arguably the Stones' most musically adventurous record, that expanding of sonic frontiers was almost single-handedly the handiwork of Brian. One of the biggest slurs against Brian is that he was easily bored, which led to lack of focus. But it was this musical restlessness that led his genius to transform the blues based Stones. Leaving the guitar to Keith, he took up a myriad of instrument not normally associated with rock at that time, pioneering the way for nearly all artists that followed.  He played the dulcimer, known primarily for Appalachian folk music, to tracks "Lady Jane" (see him looking full on mod, rocking the dulcimer, this clip from Ed Sullivan Show),and "Doncha Bother Me", bells and koto (a stringed Japanese instrument) to "Take It Or Leave It". He played marimba on this song, the color most memorable from "Under My Thumb". One of the stickiest Stones riffs also happens to be maybe the only riff in rock played on marimba. Brian uses arpeggios of the chords to outline them, but by adding the perfect 4th interval, he makes it much more memorable. 

2. NO EXPECTATIONS - BEGGARS BANQUET - 1968

Beggars Banquet was the last Stones record released while Brian was alive. His contributions are hard to decipher in their entirety. Stoned, and unpredictable most of the time, he was generally less of an asset then a hindrance. But he provided the essential atmospheric sitar that gives "Street Fighting Man" its slow motion fuzz. His last great contribution to the Stones, "No Expectations", is a perfect close to his career with the band he started. A slow blues, the genre that inspired him to start the band, with lyrics that refer to loss and departure which could easily be seen as referring to Brian, who was already half gone - "Once I was a rich man and, now I am so poor:", "I've got no expectations, to pass through here again". Returning to his blues slide guitar, he provides a mournful sound that could have sounded good on a record by his hero Robert Johnson, but carries a hint of melodic pop within it. The song was first performed live on the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, a clip of which is available online here. Its second performance was at the Stones Hyde Park show, two days after Brian died, with no expectation of passing this way again.

1. PAINT IT BLACK - AFTERMATH - 1966

Is there a better use of sitar in all of rock and roll then this iconic beauty? Yes, George Harrison did it first, but this riff is the essential hook of the song, which is unimaginable without it. Playing it on a sitar, with its otherworldly sound, underpins the song's dark menace, implying an extra dimension to the nature of blackness. The video provides some classic Brian style, owning his own circular pad, dressed in eye catching white, seated cross legged with his sitar, and rocking rhythmically to the songs driving beat, while Bill Wyman smiles and looks on.

Was he pushed or did he jump? That's the question that haunts Brian's end. When he was found in the pool of his house, formerly owned by Winnie the Pooh writer A.A. Milne, it seemed to some like an end that was anti-climactic. His drug problems had certainly made him a liability to the band he founded, and who would in turn throw him out. That didn't excuse Jagger and Richards for regularly diminishing his importance to the band. His friend Alexis Korner who had seen him before his death said he was in high spirits, and he'd been in touch with other rock legends about forming a supergroup, or recording a solo record. Instead he was found in his pool, face down, dead. His family had him embalmed, his hair bleached white, and buried him ten feet down into the ground, beyond the grasp of souvenir seekers. But he was already untouchable as the Stones sonic pioneer, and a musical avatar for the many bands who would follow him.

Songwriting 101 Part 1: 10 Lessons With Smokey Robinson

Once disembarking a flight from LA to D.C. I almost had an encounter with Smokey Robinson. But I guess it was too close a brush with greatness, and that's another story.

When you look to where the modern pop song was invented, you don't have to go much further then Chuck Berry, Lennon and McCartney, and Smokey Robinson. I'm fond of saying that, and I happen to think its true. Today I'm, going to take a look at Smokey.

William "Smokey" Robinson doesn't have a patented riff he's identified by, and he didn't help alter our social fabric with a revolutionary sound. And unlike Marvin Gaye, he doesn't have a vast army of devotees. But what he does have is an incredible catalogue of over 1000 songs, written during a 62 year (and counting) career - songs of perfect structure, undeniable emotion, and phrases of beauty and simplicity that are the envy of anyone who has put pen to paper. He may well be the greatest American songwriter.

It must have been quite a neighborhood in Detroit, with Smokey, and childhood friends Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross growing up on the same block. The Temptations and the Four Tops were also in the same neighborhood. Must have been more the fluoride in the water. 

Young Smokey's unsigned  band, the Miracles,  included Ronald White, Pete Moore, Bobby Rogers, his future wife Claudette Rogers, and most importantly guitarist Marv Tarplin. In 1957, at a failed audition for a recording contract, they met the enterprising Berry Gordy, who was writing hits for Jackie Wilson and Etta James. Smokey had with him a notebook filled with songs he'd written, well over a hundred. By his own admission they were unfocused. each verse taking a different subject.

Gordy immediately saw  the promise, and advised Smokey that each song is a like a short story, or short film, with a beginning, middle, and an end, that all tie together. From that simple lesson a well of genius erupted.

Gordy gave Smokey his first recording contract with the Miracles, eventually making him a VP at Motown. Together and separately they wrote and produced many hits, creating a template for not only black music, but for all pop music. The Beatles were listening.

Many artists went in as ingredients for the stew that became known as the Beatles' sound. But maybe chief among these, especially in the early years, was Smokey Robinson. George Harrison wrote several songs in tribute to him, Lennon tried to imitate him.

Both "When I Get Home", and especially "You Can't Do That" and "All I've Gotta Do", have a distinct resemblance to the Smokey sound. "Sexy Sadie" and ":This Boy" owe a debt to Smokey's "Ive Been Good To You". Of the latter George Harrison said it was “John trying to do Smokey.”. The "I'm crying" refrain of "I Am the Walrus" is borrowed from the same phrase in Smokey's shimmering, romantic  "Ooh Ooh Baby" - repurposed by Lennon for non-romantic angst.

Years later, while recording "Woman" for his last record, Yoko commented to John that he sounded like a Beatle. He replied, “Actually I’m supposed to be Smokey Robinson at the moment, my dear, because The Beatles were always supposing that they were Smokey Robinson.”

Paul McCartney wrote many songs that could have come from Smokey's pen, particularly in his solo years. Smokey's cover of "So Bad" from the McCartney tribute record proves it could easily have been his own. His patented falsetto, and the deep emotion it regular brings to lyrics, gives this song more meaning then it carries on paper.

The subject of a Smokey Robinson song is invariably love - deep yearning for devoted love. He's found more ways to string words together in the employ of love then any other songwriter. And he positions those word within the pocket of the melody, while harnessing a harmony that supports and expands on the emotion. His songs are so solidly built you could rest a Ford truck on top of them.

And they all came with a  catchy chorus and a danceable beat - the Motown template.

10. SHOP AROUND - THE MIRACLES 1961

Less then three years after meeting Gordy, the Miracles recorded this song, which was written by Smokey and Gordy. It became a huge hit, their first. Recounting a mother's advice to her son to check all the aisles before settling for a bride, it's surprisingly wordy, as are many of his lyrics. But right from the start of his career he showcases a talent for creating a rhythm with the words, here circling around on themselves, winding downward with the melody, before releasing with the song title. It's also an example of a genre of songs that Smokey is master of - the List Song, which lists things, places, emotions, etc.  Captain and Tennille later covered it and had a hit of their own.

9. GOING TO A GO GO - THE MIRACLES -1965

Built on top on a tribal drum rhythm that makes it impossible to stay still, and featuring a repeating title lyric refrain, this instantly perfect dance club track is hard to resist. Under that infectious  groove is a lyric celebrating music as a meeting ground for all people,  the inclusiveness of a dance floor, where everyone is welcome. The Rolling Stones, in their version, added "It doesn't matter if you're black or white", which seems so perfect its hard to imagine Smokey overlooking it. Smokey visitied the king of White Soul, Daryl Hall, on his excellent show, and they did a nice cover of this track.

8. CRUISIN - SMOKEY ROBINSON 1974

The songs he wrote with others were often inspired  by a guitar riff, or bit of music, that Smokey then took and crafted into gold. "Cruising'", a later Top 10 hit for Smokey, was such a song. Written with often collaboration Marv Tarplin, the Miracles guitarist, is one example. He and Tarplin combined on a number of Smokey greatest songs, and biggest hits. The lyric's topic is of course love - not just love, but ecstatic love. The melody and lyric glide on his smooth vocal. Modern day soul/R&B great D'Angelo did a great version as well.

7. THE WAY YOU DO THE THINGS YOU DO - ThE TEMPTATIONS 1965

Crafting hits, and sounds, for the Motown stable of stars was a labor of love for Smokey. The artists, producers, writers, and owner Berry Gordy, were on a communal mission - introducing black music to wider America, and making as many hits as possible. Smokey has stated many times that he loved creating hits for other artists on the roster as much as he did for himself. His history with the Temptations was deep and long, and it started here, with their first hit. The song started life as a humorous game between Smokey and Miracles' bandmate Buddy Rogers on one of the Motown cavalcade of stars bus tour. And it sounds like it when listening to the lyric. But Smokey recognized something in this list song, eyeing it for the Temps, and polished it imto its classic form. Fellow falstetto-ist, and one of the main lead singers  for the Temptations, Eddie Kendricks, delivered on the vocals.

6. AIN"T THAT PECULIAR - MARVIN GAYE 1965

Another long relationship Smokey had at Motown was with Marvin Gaye. The power and beauty of Marvin's "What's Going On" deeply impacted him, and the singer's tragic, and senseless, murder deeply impacted him. This song, is a follow up to "I'll Be Doggone", the singer's first hit, which was also written by Smokey.  The emotional flip side of song #7, this is a song about the torment that love can bring - "I know flowers go through rain, but how can love go through pain". The song was inspired by the guitar riff, which was created by Marv Tepler, and it features a sweet dose of call and response.

MY GIRL - THE TEMPTATIONS 1965

When he wrote the bright, lyrically simple and buoyant, "My Guy", for Mary Wells, he gave her the biggest hit of her career. And when he wrote "My Girl" he created one of the most evocative songs of his career, and made an instant singing star. Lead vocals for the Temptations were generally alternated between Paul Williams and Eddie Kendrick. The group was so creative with their background vocals, Smokey loved writing for them. When he heard backing vocalist David Ruffin take a lead during a Motown revue show, he instantly recognized the potential and wrote a song for that voice. Half a century later, this song, and its distinctive guitar riff, are still one of the greatest  of all time. It became the group, and the label's, first ever #1 hit. When asked if he wished he'd kept for himself, he said: "[The Temptations are] the ones who brought it out of me! ... Were it not for The Temptations, I never would have written ‘My Girl," Two years later he gifted the band and label another classic when his song "Get Ready" became a hit for  both the Temptations, and label mates Rare Earth.

4. I SECOND THAT EMOTION - THE MIRACLES 1965

A personal favorite of mine, this song was birthed from a malapropism by songwriter Al Cleveland (who would later cowrite "What's Going On"). He and Smokey were shopping in Detroit when Smokey saw a beautiful pair of pearls that he thought would look great on his wife, and bandmate, Claudette. "I hope she likes them," he said. "I second that emotion." Al misspoke, and they both collapsed laughing. But they quickly realized it was a great title for song, then went about creating a lyric to lift it to greatness. Another list song, its simple, and clever, couplets ("Maybe you'll wanna give me kisses sweet/But only for one night with no repeat", "Maybe you'll think that love will tie you downAnd you don't have the time to hang around"), riding one of the Miracles best grooves, were instantly memorable. The song later became a hit for  the Supremes.

3. TEARS OF A CLOWN - THE MIRACLES 1970

Top three, and we're entering rarified air here. This song is nothing short of a lyrical and musical masterpiece. After hearing the bit of keyboard that Stevie Wonder gave him - which sounded to Smokey like a circus - he knew immediately he wanted to write a song about a clown, a sad clown. And he thought of Pagliacci the  famous sad clown from the opera, and created a word picture whose image is etched in your mind from first listening. Berry Gordy's first songwriting advice to him was to think of the song as a short story, or short film, and this classic was the definition of that advice in practice. "But don't let my glad expression, Give you the wrong impressionReally I'm sad, oh I'm sadder than sad". The almost giddy musical motif, supports a lyric of pathos, which explains the dichotomy - "Just like Pagliacci did, I try to keep my sadness hid. Smiling in the public eye, but in my lonely room, I cry the tears of a clown ... when there's no one around". Pure Smokey, pure genius.

2. TRACKS OF MY TEARS - THE MIRACLES 1965

"Tracks of My Tears" started life as a riff idea from Marvin Gaye. Smokey worked it for two months before bringing it into the studio, where it was recorded along with three other songs. In the same melancholy mood as "Tears Of A Clown", minus the uplifting music, it covers similar emotional terrain as the last song. The singer puts on a public show that hides the pain he feels inside. Both songs are rooted in feelings universal, which explains in part their resonance. An outsider, who found refuge in R&B and soul music in his room in urban London, became obsessed with the substitute in the song's line "She's just a substitute", and decided to build a song around that word. "Substitute" became one of the Who's biggest hits, and one of Pete Townsend's most enduring songs.

1. YOU REALLY GOT A HOLD ON ME - THE BEATLES - 1963

"I don't like you, but I love you." There aren't many better opening lines to a song then that. Like many white kids in America, I got hip to Motown, and soul music, through the Beatles. And I specifically began my relationship with Smokey's songs with this cover of his Miracles hit. I know its sacrilege in some circles, but I think this version even surpasses the original, with its toughness, Lennon's hard vocal, Paul and George in perfect girl group harmonies, and not to mention the sharp guitar and piano. The band, and particularly Lennon, were obsessed with this song, which they'd been playing in clubs since it was released. In fact, they were playing it when Smokey met them, before their appearance on Ed Sullivan, when they were still playing the Cavern. They held it in such high regard that it was the first song they recorded for their second album. Less know, but also a tough version, is the one by the Small Faces, with the great Steve Marriott bringing it on the vocal. The Beatles "smokey", and distinct version isn't available on YT, so I've attached a live audio. But if you're not familiar with the original - shame on you! Here it is.

Dennis Wilson: Love and Soul

He was the only real beach boy in the band. The songs his brother Brian dreamed in his head, he actually lived. Yet when the band was being formed, his mother had to intercede with his brothers and cousin to get him a place in the group. And when the brothers' violent father Murray dished out the beatings, he was most likely to be on the receiving end. Combative by nature, he challenged and stirred the ire of his father.

Known mostly as the Beach Boys drummer, who didn't play on most of their songs, or his brief notorious fling with the Manson clan, Dennis Wilson was a gifted, soulful singer and songwriter, whose brilliant brother Brian recognized a talent as large as his own.

First off, contrary to myth Dennis did indeed play drums on most of Beach Boys records, nailing the nascent surf sound on tracks like "Fun, Fun, Fun" and "I Get Around", to name just  two.

In his excellent article on Dennis, Bill Bentley quotes Brian as saying "He might have looked out a different window than me and Carl, but he had the biggest view." 

By the time he died in 1983 at the age of 39, worn out and unable to gain control of his spiraling life and substance abuse issues, Dennis Wilson was a near forgotten Beach Boy. But he left behind a rich, and incredibly soulful, body of work, both with the Beach Boys and solo, that has slowly gained recognition for its excellence, and spiritual depth - call it white, California, gospel surf music.

What follows is an overview, in chronological order, of some of the great moments in that body of work. I'm very fortunate to have had input from renowned poet Stephen Kalinich, who was a friend, and frequent collaborator, of Dennis'. Stevie, as he was known to the brothers, continues to work and produce excellent work, most recently in project with Peter Lacey (who's own work has been compared to Brian Wilson) called South Down Ways. Steve's fascinating life and art is also the subject of a new documentary, Shortcuts To Infinity.

So let's get to the songs.

1. BE STILL - FRIENDS - 1968

"Be Still is a way to live", says Kalinich, "to approach life. I received a card that said be still, and know that I am God. I put it on Dennis' piano, and from that I carved the poem out. It was a prayer song." The Beach Boys 14th album, Friends, shows the influence of Transcendental Meditation, which Dennis introduced the band to, and so its somewhat appropriate that his first major contributions as writer and singer make their debut here. The spiritual nature of Steve's lyrics for "Be Still", a rich vein that runs through all his poetry, is a perfect fit for Dennis, and would be a continuing theme in his songs. Sung over a solitary keyboard, it feels like Church of the Beach.

2. LITTLE BIRD - FRIENDS - 1968

The greatest element Dennis' songs brought to the Beach Boys, was deep soul. Here Steve Kalinich's lyrics bring out a clever, shifting melody that Teddy Pendergrass could have covered. Dennis' sprawling estate at 14400 Sunset Blvd. was the location for inspiration. Steve was waiting on his friend one late afternoon, when he saw a bird alight on the tree outside the window. The moment, like a Renoir painting as he describes it, is still vividly alive to him. He sat at Dennis' piano, and wrote the opening line - "Little bird up in a tree/looked down and sang a song to me" - and "the whole lyric poem came gushing out in what seemed like seconds, or was it minutes” Dennis came out of the shower, and liked what he saw. Later that night he excitedly called Steve and said he had a melody. The bridge was an uncredited addition by Brian, who said the song "blew my mind". 

3. A TIME TO LIVE IN DREAMS - HAWTHORNE, CA - 1968 (released on Hawthorne, CA 2001)

To Steve Kalinich the sensitive side of Dennis was readily apparent. He saw the open soul that read to the homeless, and children in hospitals. He saw a side the brothers missed, because this gem of a song completely took Brian by surprise when it was discovered among demos in 2000. The collaboration between Steven and Dennis was unique, more friends then collaborators. “All my songs with Dennis I wrote the words first, and most of the times they inspired these great melodies”. This beautiful lyric of innocence and wonder, renewal, was originally a longer poem, and it inspired one of Dennis' most inventive melodies, and structures, reminiscent of some of Brian's greatest work.

4. FOREVER - SUNFLOWER - 1970

I first took note of Dennis as a songwriter on the Beach Boys excellent, and under appreciated, album Sunflower. He had four great songs on the album, including the funky "Got To Know the Woman", and rocking "Slip On Through", which was awarded the treasured opening slot. But "Forever", is perhaps his first truly great song. Love reigns supreme as the thematic underpinning for the lyrics of most songs by Dennis, and love permeates the grooves here. The circular melody returns back on itself, the backing vocals leaving the impression of a round. That melody sticks like glue, and the acapela version leaves little doubt of the efficacy of the vocals. Brian called "Forever" "the most harmonically beautiful thing I've ever heard. It's a rock and roll prayer." We agree.

5. LADY - DENNIS WILSON & RUMBO - 1970

Dennis was blossoming in 1970. He started working with Beach session keyboardist, Darryl "Rumbo" Dragon, who would go on to form the Captain and Tenille with his wife, on a prospective solo record. Dennis' second wife, Barbara Charren, inspired many of his great songs ("Forever"), and "Lady" is one of them. The drum machine gives it an 80s feel, and the string arrangement is reminiscent of early Left Bank, "Lady" was released as a single, in the UK only, with the positive, rocking "Sound of Free" on the other side. It marked the first solo material released by a Beach Boy. Unfortunately, the single didn't make an impact. Another wonderful song inspired by Barbara is "I've Got a Friend"" which is sadly only available as a live recording. Apparently a version was documented in the studio, though it may be without vocals. We won't know until they release it.

6. (WOULDN"T IT BE NICE) TO LIVE AGAIN - BEACH BOYS - 1971

Dennis insisted that this song be the last track on the Surf's Up album, but brother Carl overrode him. Angry, Dennis pulled all his songs from the record, and the album suffered as a result. I think "Surf's Up" is the perfect closer for that record, but its still hard to believe that this beautiful song, with one of Dennis' best ever vocals, escaped release for 42 year until it appeared on the box set Made In America.

7. BE WITH ME - 20/20 - 1968

This dense ballad, with its Baroque arrangement, marked a sharp rise in Dennis' learning curve as a songwriter. In the wake of Brian's absence, he was on his way to becoming a main songwriting contributor for the band, along with brother Carl, . The big vocal swell in the chorus could have come from the pen the missing Wilson brother.

8. CUDDLE UP - CARL AND THE PASSIONS - 1972

Written, and originally recorded, with Daryl Dragon for his intended solo record, "Cuddle Up" marked the end of that ambition when he submitted the song for the Beach Boys upcoming album, Carl & The Passions - So Tough. With the Beach Boys starved for quality songs, many of the songs Dennis intended for the solo record ended up being contributed to the band, effectively killing this first solo outing. The song's dynamics, and vocal arrangement, show a songwriter willing to explore, grow. But it's the passionate, emotional vocal, a staple of nearly all the Dennis songs, that are the key element in yet another song inspired by Barbara.

9. ONLY WITH YOU - HOLLAND - 1973

Unquestionably my favorite song from Dennis. Mike Love and Dennis had a problematic, and contentious relationship. Once, on a chartered plane, Dennis opened the door to a cabin Mike was using to meditate in, put his head through, and vomited. Mike contributed the perfect lyric here, proving they could still pull together for the greater good. A hushed ballad, in which the singer is overwhelmed by his emotion. The lyric isn't complicated, but Dennis' calling card was open nerve truth, straight from the heart. This vocal is one of my two favorites by Carl, a man who delivered many perfect ones. There is also a version with Dennis singing, and there is no fall off in quality.

10. YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL - 1974

At a party one night, Dennis and Billy Preston were seated at a piano, messing with song ideas. Or was Dennis messing with song ideas, and did Billy (the true keyboard man) sit down and help him out? Before the night was out they had written one of the all-time great monster hits. Dennis never took credit for the song, and few knew he deserved any. But if you listen, it seems so obvious. It's hard to find musical links between this song, and Billy's excellent body of work, but the similarity to Dennis' work is obvious. The melodic hooks are not much different from "Cuddle Me" or "River Song". The lyric, direct and from the heart, with love as its theme, is pure Dennis. Of course, Joe Cocker scored an enormous hit, followed by many others, and the Preston coffers were soon overflowing .Hearing It for the first time on the radio, having forgotten all about it, Dennis recalled, "Oh, yeah, that's my lyrics!" The song became a staple at the end of Beach Boys concerts, Dennis singing the it with full ownership, as he deserved.

11. MORNING CHRISTMAS - ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS - 1977

Dennis idolized his older brother, and was his strongest, most loyal defender. He also internalized a lot of lessons from watching Brian write songs (or was it just DNA?) But as he grew as a writer, he showed a willingness to push into new, virgin territory for the Beach Boys. This beautiful, spiritual, rumination on the holy was written for a proposed 1977 Beach Boys Christmas record (even though it doesn't mention Jesus or Santa). When plans for that record were dropped, he slated it for the follow up to his first solo record. But fate intervened and it didn't see the light of day until 1998's Ultimate Christmas.  Dennis wrote some good rockers, but it was in the ballads that he found his sweet spot.

12. RIVER SONG - PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE - 1977

Dennis began working on a first solo album early, around 1970. But songs invariably found homes on Beach Boys albums, which needed populating, and the solo record was continually delayed. Work on the project became focused in late 1976, when an artistically confident Dennis started recording new songs. Years of hard living had ground his voice to a gravelly coursness, but it still held its abundance of emotion. Carl, his most loyal supporter, not only played guitars, but joined in on co-lead vocals, filling in the places where Dennis' voice could no longer go. He does so here, on the album's opening track, lyrics co-written by the brothers. Dennis began work on this song in 1970, but didn't finish until sessions for Pacific Ocean Blue. Carried on Dennis' circular keyboard riff, that plays like a flowing river, it seems to capture the essence of Dennis, a man of nature, with a nature like a turbulent, unpredictable river. Backing vocals by the Alexander Hamilton's Double Rock Baptist Choir give the funky masterpiece added size and depth. Another excellent song, from an album full of them, is "Farewell My Friend", written for Otto "Pops" Hinsche, father to brother Carl's wife, as well as Beach Boys side man (and former member of teen pop band Dino, Desi and Billy), Billy Hinsche. The easy going Pops became something of father figure for Dennis, replacing the less then desirable one he was born with. His feelings for the man are obvious in the lyric, sentiment boldly worn on his sleeve.

13. LOVE REMEMBER ME - BAMBU - 1978

Dennis never finished the follow up to POB. The Beach Boys studio, Brothers, had been an anchor for him. When he felt something, had an inspiration or was confronted with some wrenching despair, he would go straight to the studio and lay it down on tape, like a therapy session. But the studio closed due to financial reason, and Dennis found himself musically homeless, scurrying about with arms full of master tapes. Money for the sessions also evaporated with his lifestyle, so he was forced to record where he could, with any engineer who would help out. Steven Kalinich's lyrics inspired a particularly beautiful melody here. Steve says: "Creating with Dennis was a wonderful experience. He embraced me like a brother, encouraged me. He really emotionally felt the words and thoughts, and could give them life, like he was waving a wand, and the handwritten words would jump off the page, and into his notes, The rush, the dervish quality, the spirit, entered, and it was like white gospel."

14. BABY BLUE - L.A. (LIGHT ALBUM) - 1979

A beautiful song  which was originally intended for the second solo record, as was "Love Surrounds Me". Both songs were released a few years ago on a compilation reissue that featured both POB, as well as songs intended for Bambu. Dennis' solo version of this excellent, with its fantastic co-vocal from Carl, but I also love the Beach Boys' release, with those glorious harmony vocals, melded over four decades. Hearing it on L.A. left little doubt that Dennis was now the premier songwriter in the band, taking what Brian had been doing and pushing it further, in a different direction. 

15. HOLY MAN - BAMBU - 1978

"Holy Man" sat on tape, in a case, on a shelf, gathering dust, for over 30 years. It's a song that had special meaning to Dennis, but he could never get the lyric as he wanted it. He laid down a vocal, but erased it. It stuck in the head of his engineer, who finally found the missing master tape that held the instrumental version of the song. Fast forward to the reissue. Dennis' great friend, as well as producer and sometimes writing partner, Gregg Jacobsen, knew Foo Fighters' drummer Taylor Hawkins from when Taylor dated his daughter. He'd given Taylor a copy of POB and Taylor, who already felt a great connection with Dennis as a drummer, fell in love with it. By now "Holy Man" had lyrics that had been reworked, and Jacobsen remembered that Taylor had a voice similar to Dennis', soulful and gravelly, and approached him to sing it. The result is stunning. Heard within the context of the record, amid other songs sung by Dennis', you could easily assume its him singing. A beautiful melody, a lovely keyboard motif, and this is without question one of his greatest songs.

There is so much more in Dennis' catalogue, and yet more buried in the vaults, collecting dust while waiting for release. In a family with one certified genius, he was an artist of great craft and talent, which he delivered with unadulterated passion. 

Dennis' life story can't fit into this blog. Luckily Jon Stebbins has written a complete, and thoroughly absorbing, biography on him titled "Dennis Wilson: The Real Beach Boy". I highly recommend it. He quotes Dennis in the book: "Everything that I am or will ever be is in the music. If you want to know me, just listen.”

Take the Spotify playlist below with you, for further listening. Feel free to comment in the section below that. Please stop by and give a listen to the Picnic Tool record, which sounds nothing like Dennis, and take a look at our Jordan Ellis directed video.

21 Recordings That Billy Preston Made Better

Billy Preston played with almost every major pop artist of his era. He was a key contributor for both the Beatles and the RollingStones. He supported great gospel artists like Mahalia Jackson, and Soul queen Aretha Franklin; rock 'n roll founder Little Richard, and early crossover artists the Everly Brothers; pre-rock icon Nat King Cole was a mentor, as was Ray Charles. In later years he brought his unique style to the Red Hot Chili Peppers not once, but twice.

Born in Texas, and grown in Los Angeles, Billy backed gospel legend Mahalia Jackson at the age of 10, A year later he made his screen debut, the result of a lucky sighting by a Hollywood talent scout, and the man playing his father happened to be Nat King Cole. Nat then had the young phenomena on his TV show, from there things rolled for Billy..

The ebullient Preston brought a healing touch to some troubled musical relationships, but it didn't necessarily heal the deep scars inside himself. He later claimed to have been regularly sexually abused when he was young by several men, including a pastor, in his life. He struggled with his homosexuality his entire life, and while close friends and musical collaborators knew he was gay, Billy remained in the "closet" until just before his death.

Like his friend, and occasional collaborator, Sylvester Stone, he was a keyboard pioneer, who created sounds that were then imitated by others. His peers appreciated, and respected him, and came to him again and again to lift up their songs. The fact that he was such a great spirit, made him a pleasure to be around, a great blessing in the studio or on the road.

Herein is a look at 21 songs that Billy elevated with his playing. His own songs and recording, would add considerably to the list.

1. YOU GOTTA MOVE - SAM COOKE - 1963

In February of 1963 Sam Cooke entered the studio for some night sessions, which were markedly different from his other solo work. Sans the usual over abundant strings, and backed by a quartet of his favorite musicians, which included legendary Wrecking Crew session drummer Hal Blaine, the sparer production allowed Cooke's glorious voice to take center stage. The resulting record, appropriately titled Night Beat, is considered one of his best. That at the tender age of 16 Billy was a strong enough musician to be considered by Cooke, a veteran recording artist, one of his "favorites", is testament to his talent. His organ playing on the record is the aural proof. "You Got To Move" is a great example, Billy's organ punctuating and coloring, rather then overwhelming the track. "Little Red Rooster" is another, especially in the organ break towards the middle. When Sam says, "I like that!", You can bet he did.

2. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU"VE GOT BUT IT'S GOT ME - LITTLE RICHARD - 1965

In 1962, the young Billy Preston joined rock pioneer Little Richard's touring band, for a European tour. Sam Cooke was the intended headliner, and that may explain how Billy was hired. Brian Epstein, the Beatles' manager, arranged for his charges to open a few shows, and the first one was in Brighton. Later they also opened for Richard at their old homestead, the Star Club in Hamburg. By all accounts the 15-year old Preston, and the also young Beatles, got on famously. That story continues later. The tour also marked the beginning of the professional and personal relationship between Richard and Billy, which would endure over the decades. One of the recorded highlights of that friendship is on this song, written by the great Don Covay, which also features a pre-fame Jimi Hendrix on tremolo guitar. Billy's organ starts subtle, and builds during the middle and end.  

3. LONELY TEARDROPS - JACKIE WILSON - 1965

Shindig was on the air only months more then a year, but its impact on rock (and its young audience) was much bigger then that. The house band (Shindiggers, and later the Shindogs) featured some soon to be legendary performers including: Glen Campbell, James Burton, Delaney Bramlett, and Leon Russell. Oh, and a 19-year old Billy Preston. He got to play with some amazing talent on the show, and not least of them was the electric Jackie Wilson. In this clip from the show, you can see Billy, front though not quite center, rocking over his keyboard, making a beautiful sound. Jackie takes notice.

4. GOIN' DOWN SLOW - RAY CHARLES - 1968

Billy joined Ray Charles' band in 1967, and he made an immediate impression on the legendary musician. Ray went so far as to call Billy his future successor. It was after this gig that other musicians really began to take notice, and offers started pouring in. Later Ray had Billy front the band, resplendent in lime green suit, doing his best James Brown, covering Edwin Starr's "Agent Double O Soul". The two would reunite in 2002 for "God Bless America Again", which also featured Slash on guitar. "Going' Down Slow", from the famous Paris show in 1968, gives a glimpse of the tasteful keyboards Billy brought, that Ray so appreciated, enhancing a song without dominating it.

5. GET BACK - THE BEATLES - 1970

Of all the Beatles, Billy bonded most tightly (and for the longest time) with the also young George Harrison. During the Get Back Sessions, which were originally intended as a TV show, but would eventually be "culled" and become the Let It Be album, tension within the band were high. They'd flared during the acrimonious White Album recordings. Paul was bossy, Lennon often disinterested, and they were all (except John) angry about what they saw as Yoko Ono's encroachment on their turf. During one particularly bitter fight between Lennon and McCartney, Harrison stormed out. He went to a Ray Charles show in London, and re-connected with Billy. When he came back, he told the band he would only re-join if they dropped the TV idea, and he could bring a friend. Like he had with Eric Clapton for "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", he brought in Billy, hoping an outsider would inspire the others to be on their best behavior. It worked. Billy's happy go lucky personality, and serious chops, not only settled the Beatles' troubled waters for a spell, they also brought a new vibe to the music. It's most obvious in the rooftop concert that ends the film Let It Be. The soulful  organ on "Don't Let Me Down" is one example. and more famously on the song "Get Back". Billy's funky keyboard elevates the song, and alters the band's chemistry ever so slightly, but significantly. Lennon, already disenchanted with group, wanted to add Billy to the band, but McCartney resisted. Either way, this was the only time anyone (other then Tony Sheridan in 1962) was credited with the Beatles on record, giving Billy the best claim of any musician to the title 'Fifth Beatle'.

6. I WANT YOU (SHE'S SO HEAVY) - BEATLES - 1969

The Let It Be album was shelved, because no one could figure out how to untangle the mess of tapes to the consent of all the principles. Sensing the end, the Beatles came to George Martin to produce one last record. He agreed, as long as they did it the way they'd usually done it - with him genuinely producing. They agreed, and it resulted in one of the Beatles' many masterpieces. Billy contributed two critical keyboard parts. One was uncredited, on George's song "Something". The other was on a whirlwind of a John Lennon song, "I Want You (She's So Heavy)", to which Billy brought a maelstrom with his swirling organ. That part is elemental to the sonic vibe, and emotional connection, of the song. It was recorded with all five musicians playing live together, made up on the spot, according to Billy. Since Beatles' songs are not readily found on YouTube, I've linked an early take with Paul singing. But to get an idea of what Billy brought to this party, have a listen to the isolated organ track from the song (here) - its fantastic!

7. EVERYDAY PEOPLE - SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE - 1969

Sly Stone and Billy first met on the sessions for the Great Society single, which included the first recorded version of what would become a monster hit for Jefferson Airplane - "Somebody to Love". Sly was producing, and he brought Billy in for some drum overdubs. They became close friends (Billy had played with Sly's brother Freddy). The two keyboard innovators seemed destined to collaborate. They would record some tracks of Billy's together, with Sly arranging  and co-writing. But Billy also made two contributions to the Family Stone's epic album There's a Riot Going On. Billy played an understated, but critical, piano on "Family Affair". He also contributed to one of the biggest hits of the era, playing organ on "Everyday People".

8. ISN'T IT A PITY - GEORGE HARRISON 1970

Billy's relationship with George carried on well after the Beatles. When George began recorded his solo record, All Things Must Pass, he brought Billy in to contribute to two key songs. One was "My Sweet Lord", his big hit, on which Billy played piano. The other was an older song that George had written for the White Album, only to have it rejected by Len-Mac. Arguably the emotional center of the record, its a glorious track. The original mix of the Spector production left many things lost in the pile up. But Billy's organ is clearer, and its importance in holding together the center more obvious, in the remastered version George oversaw before his death.

9. GOD - JOHN LENNON - 1970

Coming at #9 on this list, quite coincidentally but appropriately, is this Lennon song from his first solo record, Plastic Ono Band. Billy's impact, on grand piano, is obvious from the beginning The sparse instrumentation leaves the piano in front, carrying the song. The little frills, and colors he throws in would have been beyond Lennon's ability, and are so important to giving gravity, as well as a certain lightness, to a heavy song.

10. THAT'S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT - CONCERT FOR BANGLADESH - 1971

Billy began playing gospel music with, among others, the legendary Mahalia Jackson. Faith would be at the center of his whole life, and he recorded many gospel songs, including a live "Walk With Me" with Chaka Kahn, on the TV show Good News. So its no surprise that his most electric recorded moment would be on the song "That's the Way God Planned It", which he wrote, at the Concert For Bangladesh. Backed by a band that included friends George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Ringo, and others like former Shindig bandmate Leon Russell, Billy provided the single most transformative moment in the concert with a full spirited version of his classic. Overwhelmed with energy, he leaps out of his seat behind the organ during the outro breakdown for a whirling dance at stage front. 

11. MEMPHIS STEW - KING CURTIS - 1971

King Curtis is arguably the greatest saxophonist of the rock genre. Prolific, and ever present on seminal songs of the founding era, his horn has defined so many tracks, or provided them with an essential color, like the Coasters' "Yaketty Yak". I'm not aware of studio work Billy did with King Curtis, but the Fillmore West show he did with him (recorded and released on record) is legendary, and many think it's Billy's best work. Here, in a band which included not only Curtis, but drummer Bernard Purdy, he's in his element, with top of the game players, skating effortlessly across several genres - soul, R&B, jazz - and making a hell of a stew, as he does on the featured track. But the version of "Whiter Shade of Pale" likely showcases Billy's playing better, and it has the added attraction of entering pop cult permanency when it was used as theme song for the classic British film Withnail and I.

11. DOO DOO DOO HEARTBREAKER - ROLLING STONES - 1973

Billy began working with the Stones right after the Beatles. He first appeared on Sticky Fingers, bringing the organ to "Can;t You Hear Me Knocking".  His impact on "Shine A Light", which first appeared on the Stones epic Exile On Main Street, is even bigger. The song's history dates back to when Brian Jones was still in the band, and writer Mick Jagger was reflecting on Brian's spiraling problems with drugs. The song's soulful vibe owes a lot to Billy, who played piano and organ. While they were mixing the record in Los Angeles, Jagger visited Billy's local church with him, which helped influence the gospel vibe of the song. On "Heartbreaker" he played electric piano, and a clavinet which was fed through a wah-wah pedal. The latter created a distinctive sound that became an iconic element of the recording.

12. NOTHING FOR NOTHING - BILLY PRESTON - 1974

Billy released his first solo record in 1963 at the age of 16. He released nearly a record a year over the next decade, including two records for the Beatles label Apple. But it wasn't until 1971's Sing A Simple Song that he had a hit, with "Outta Space". The instrumental featured his clarinet fed through wah-wah pedal, a trick he'd use with the Stones. "Will It Go Round In Circles" would give him his first #1 in 1972. The Kids & Me, his album released in 1974, provided probably his most famous song, "You Are So Beautiful", which he co-wrote on the spot with an uncredited Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boy. The song was inspired by his mother. It was Joe Cocker's version though that made it a monster hit. That album also had Billy's only other #1, "Nothing From Nothing", which when he played it on Saturday Night Live would be the first musical performance on that show, ever.

13. AIN'T TOO PROUD TO BEG - STONES 1974

Billy toured with the Stones for many years, playing organ, piano, and other keys. He even did the opening slot of their shows many times. The funk/soul/R&B ruled Stones of the 70s owed a lot to his energy, and musical input. "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" shows off that sensibility, with Billy playing clavinet and piano. The piano is out in front, a key element, and the funky driver, of the track.

14. AULD LANG SINE - WITH ARETHA FRANKLIN - 1987

There are so many versions of this song that its become background music, even when you're singing it on New Year's Eve. But from the first time I saw this clip, from David Sanborn's short lived show Nightflyte TV show, it became my favorite. Billy and Aretha, at her home, loose and limber, bring such a soul vibe to this standard that its impossible to resist. Billy bangs it out on the piano, and on vocals he more then holds his own with the Queen of Soul. The harmonies kill.

15. HALLALULJA HERE SHE COMES - U2 - 1988

U2's Rattle and Hum record saw them exploring American roots music in depth, on a grand field trip across the US. There's no such exploration that doesn't delve deep into gospel music, descendant of African American spiritual music, which is at the root of much popular music. This track didn't make the record, but saw light as the B-side of hit single "Desire". Billy brings a swelling organ to this gospel influenced track, immediately giving it creditability.

16. FUNNY HOW TIME SLIPS AWAY - AL GREEN & LYLE LOVETT - 1994

Billy's mentor, Ray Charles, was an early pioneer in exploring the links between country and R&B. The Rhythm, Country, and Blues project highlighted the links between the two genre by pairing one R&B singer, and one country singer, for duet on each of its tracks. Al Green and Lyle Lovett realized the the soulfulness in this great Willie Nelson composition. Billy brought the great Hammond organ, and electric piano, that is somehow both country and soul. Ray would have approved.

17. YOU'RE AN OCEAN - FASTBALL - 2000

It's easy to forget what a run of success Fastball had in the late 90s with their song driven records. By the third album though, their mojo wasn't working. Which is a shame as the single from it was a worthy hit. And it features a New Orleans styled pumping piano from Billy, at the sonic center of the recording. It's a perfect song for his talents, which elevate it to a higher plateau.

18. I WANT LOVE - ELTON JOHN - 2001

Probably the best song Elton's done in a very, very long time, the album it came from, Songs From the West Coast, was considered a return to form when it was released. He's re-united with lyricist Bernie Taupin, and drummer Nigel Olsson, and it definitely has the magic of earlier recordings. But there's also something very Beatles-y about it - the drums sound Ringo, the guitar (and overall vibe) reminds a bit of "Free As A Bird" (if that's technically a Beatle song, which is open to question). And then there's the very tasty organ from Billy that gives the sound color and feel.

19. PERSONAL JESUS - JOHNNY CASH - 2002

Johnny Cash's rich career had a glorious golden parachute in his work with producer Rick Rubin at the end. His cover of "Hurt" is probably the best of the period, and a highlight of his career. But the deeply felt cover of Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus" is a close second for the Rubin years. It arrived on Johnny's very last record, and the addition of Billy, an equally ardent believer, likely made for a very interesting recording studio. It certainly gave the track a completely different feel. The recording is spare, with just Johnny's voice, Red Hot Chili Peppers' John Frusciante on acoustic guitar, and Billy on piano. The busy piano part contrasts with Johnny's voice, and the steady acoustic, helping to create haunting sound.

20 . WHEN YOU GOT A GOOD FRIEND - ERIC CLAPTON - 2004

When Eric Clapton recorded his full album of Robert Johnson songs, it felt right and overdue. To anyone knowledgable with his career, Robert Johnson is the clear talisman that guides him. But this album was an accident, as he was preparing to record an album of originals, but didn't have enough songs to finish it. The band here is fantastic - Andy Fairweather Low, Steve Gadd, Nathan East, Daryl Bramwell, and of course Billy. George introduced the two, and Clapton called on Billy regularly for records and tour, offering Billy work when controversy or legal problems made him less desirable for employment. The record showcases a relaxed Clapton doing what he does best. And Billy brings blues A-game to the proceedings, swamping sometimes, highlighting others, tasteful always. The accompanying video, Sessions for Mr. Johnson was a real treat. If you haven't spent time with the record, or video, you should. It's loaded with highlights like the featured video, and a take on "Kind Hearted Woman".

21. WARLOCKS - RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS - 2006

Red Hot Chili Peppers seem a a good fit for Billy. He first recorded with them in 1990, on "Show Me Your Soul". His piano on the track opens up the RHCP sound, and fits the song perfectly. He recorded with them again in 2006. Very ill at the time, he was largely confined to bed. After hearing the song he immediately committed to recording it. His clavinet evens out the recording, and smooths some RHCP's usual edges. After the session Billy came home, and went back to bed. It proved to be his last recording.

I've added a Spotify playlist so you can take the songs with you, and explore them some more. Below that is the comments section - love to hear what you thought.

A Baker's Dozen of Hoagy Carmichael

He wrote his most famous song, one of the greatest songs in the American songbook, on the pages of his law textbooks, He'd escaped to law school because it didn't seem music was going to make him any money. After graduating, he moved to Palm Beach because he assumed there would be work for "a good lawyer there, because of all that selling and reselling going on." And there was, but by his own assessment, he wasn't a very good lawyer. "A note to me was something that belonged on a musical staff".

Hoagy Carmichael knew his musical staff. Without any formal training, but with an intuitive sense of melody, a compunction to experiment, and an incredible passion for jazz, Hoagy went on to become the most inventive, and arguably greatest songwriter in the history of American popular music.  

He composed hundreds of songs, of which over 50 were hits. One of his earliest songs, "Washboard Blues", is indicative of his genius. The long melody seems continuous, even though the structure of verse, chorus and bridge, are all present. Sharp and dramatic tempo shifting gives it texture, and the music perfectly illustrates the hard, repetitious work described in the lyric.

His most famous collaborator, and one of the greatest lyricists in popular music, Johnny Mercer, was relatively unknown until Hoagy took a liking to his work. Louis Armstrong, whom he met through friend and mentor Bix Beiderbecke, the legendary cornetist, would record many of his songs during a lifelong friendship and association.

And because of his laconic style, he found success as a role player in many films, which helped cement his personality into the public mind. But it was the music that was always at the core of Hoagy Carmichael.

His music was always around for me, and I knew him (though I didn't know him) from those film appearances, where like most everyone I was taken by his personality.

But it wasn't until I kept reading my musical heroes regularly name him as one of their favorite songwriters, that I really stopped and took note. Dylan, Davies, Richards, and the mighty triumvirate of Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison, all tipped him as top of the heap. Richards and and Harrison even covered his songs.

With hundreds of songs to his credit, there is plenty of Hoagy to explore. But here is a baker's dozen to give you a starter. A deeper look will pay rich dividends. I've added a Spotify playlist, which includes a couple of extra songs, for you to take away with you. Comments are welcome at the end.

Once again, I'm very honored to have the talented Johnnie Scoutten adding her fantastic sketches, inspired by the songs of Hoagy Carmichael. Click on the image for an enlarged view. You can find Johnny, and her work, at her website, and on Instagram.

1. STARDUST - 1927

Might as well start at the top, with one of the most famous American songs. While booking him for a series of fraternity dances, Hoagy's became friends with cornetist Bix Beiderbecke, who suggested he try his hand at songwriting. But the Carmichael family had been chased by poverty all of Hoagy's young life, and Hoagy was determined to always have enough money. So he gave up music, and went to law school. However, the music didn't abandon him. The idea of "Stardust" came while he was in law school. He just started whistling the tune one day, which was based on a rehearsal exercise of Beiderbecke's. He first started scribbling it on the pages of his law book. Over months he worked at it on various scraps of paper until it was complete. He took it back to New York, as an instrumental, but it took a couple of years before it was recorded - and it then garnered little attention. But when Mitchell Parish added lyrics, from original ideas of Hoagy's - "a song about a song about love" - that proved the ticket. "Stardust", with its unique melody and unorthodox structure, is one of the most recorded songs in American music history, with many excellent versions : jazz great Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, all took swings at it. Doo wop greats Billy Ward and the Dominos, did a great version that made it into Goodfellas. John Coltrane and Jackie Wilson each gave it their own signature, and of course Hoagy had his own original take. Paul McCartney has named it one of his favorite songs, so it's no wonder he turned in a stellar arrangement for Ringo's version. It's appearance in Woody Allen's Stardust Memories, gives the film its title.  Bob Dylan recently gave it a country feel on his Triplicate, but Willie Nelson got there first.

2. GEORGIA ON MY MIND - 1930

For me, and most people, this song is forever synonymous with Ray Charles, whose version reached #1. And it does sound as if the song was written for the Georgia native - but it wasn't. With sensuous lyrics that could well be about a lover or woman, some thought Hoagy wrote this for his sister Georgia. But he said himself that it was written at the suggestion of bandleader Frank Trumbauer (who had the first hit with it) that he write a song about the state of Georgia. Jazz had some controversy early on because its origins were with African-American musicians, but it was then picked up and popularized by white musicians. Hoagy grew up in poverty, and the family regularly lived in largely black neighborhoods. His first piano teacher was a black bandleader, and personal friend, in Indianapolis named Reginald DuValle. Musicians, black and white, were drawn to his music, and Hoagy understood jazz, and its possibilities in a way few others did. "Georgia" is also one of those most recorded songs in history that were written by Hoagy. His music had a "down home feel" that inspired many versions by country artists - Willie Nelson had a #1 hit with this one. it was a regular with Ronnie Hawkins' band in the 50s, and the Band, Ronnie's backing band, covered it later with a phenomenal vocal by Richard Manuel. So did a stylistically wide array of artists which included - Van Morrison, the Godfather James Brown, Jerry Reed, Ella Fitzgerald, Spencer Davis Group featuring a young Stevie Winwood, and of course Hoagy with Bix on cornet, in his last recording before dying of alcoholism at 28. Ray Charles brings every bit of emotion to the song, and surprisingly he was not thinking of a woman, or even his home state, when he recorded it. “It was just a beautiful, romantic melody,” he said. And many millions have agreed.

3. HONG KONG BLUES - 1939

On a fishing trip with Ernest Hemingway, Howard Hawks bet the writer he could make a successful movie of his worst book.  Hemingway offered up To Have and Have Not. So Hawks called writer William Faulkner, and Humphrey Bogart, and made a classic. He also gave Hoagy Carmichael his second screen appearance as Cricket, the hotel bar pianist. doing this song. Hoagy's laconic style played well in the film, and if you haven't seen it, it's worth taking a look at a couple of clips. He does a short bit with Lauren Bacall playing her a piece of "How Little We Know", a song he is ostensibly writing. In reality the song was one of several that came from a golden partnership between Hoagy and lyricist Johnny Mercer. A favorite of mine is a song Hoagy didn't write, but does a great vocal rendition of with Bacall - Am I Blue. He was such a popular onscreen presence that he would  make many more appearances in film and TV in the years ahead. Hoagy wrote the lyric as well as the music, and the Buddha's gong in the song's lyric refers to opium addiction. There is a great jazz feel, with an unusual mix of instruments in Hoagy's version - banjo, mandolin, the piano, drums and even a violin - that create a unique blend. When he was making his 1981 album Somewhere In England, George Harrison turned back to his past for inspiration, and recorded two Hoagy songs. He remembered "Hong Kong Blues" as the first song he heard on the radio, sitting around the wireless with his family at the age of five. Bob Dylan has covered it live, and Ramblin' Jack Elliot did it on record. Jerry Lee Lewis' version is a perfect piece of Killer magic.

4,  SKYLARK -  1941

There is a lot going on behind the scenes of this song, which has had over 1500 different recordings. Hoagy's friend, and jazz legend, Bix Beiderbecke, was an incredibly gifted musician, his recordings considered sacred text among jazz purists. Along with his friend Louis Amstrong, he is the greatest and most influential soloist of the 20s. He had a gift for improvisation, and classical music arrangement. Hoagy learned from both, making improvisation a cornerstone of his own limber songwriting style. When Bix died, young, Hoagy was hit hard. "Skylark" was a melody he wrote, imitating Bix's improvisational style, as a remembrance of his friend. He then passed the song on to another friend. As Sammy Cahn said, Shakespeare was a poet, but he wasn't Johnny Mercer. Mercer was considered the gold standard for lyrics even through the coming Lennon/McCartney era, revered by no less then the modern day bard, Bob Dylan. The laid back Georgian was sought out by Hoagy (an equally relaxed Indianian), and he gave him this melody. It was such a great melody that Mercer took a year to write the lyric to his satisfaction. It was based on his longing for the much younger Judy Garland, with whom he was involved in an affair (his "One For My Baby, One For the Road" was about the end of that affair). It was a hit within a week of its release. The young Mercer's fortunes turned on its success, and he and Hoagy would collaborate on many more great songs, including one of my favorites (later in the post). One of the best recordings of the song is by Bing Crosby, who was also deeply influenced by Bix Beiderbecke, giving his version an extra degree of connection. But with so many covers, its hard to pick a preference. The underrated, genre jumping Bobby Darin, did a fantastic cover, as did Aretha Franklin. One of the loveliest versions is by Ella FItzgerald  and I'm always a sucker for Hoagy's.

5. OLD MUSIC MASTER - 1942

© Johnnie Scoutten

The Carmichaels were always on the doorstep of poverty. The death of his younger sister at age 3, which Hoagy blamed on the family's inability to afford a doctor, affected him deeply. But, incredibly, there were positive benefits of poverty as well. His mother began playing ragtime piano to make money on the side, and took young Hoagy to her shows. They lived often in predominately black neighborhoods, where the Hoagy went crazy for jazz. He later claimed he listened to the jazz pianists constantly, and spent lots of time in Bucktown, the black neighborhood where all the great jazz stars would play. Reading his words on the topic he sounds like a rock obsessed kid of the 50s and 60s. "Old Music Master" is not one of his most famous songs, but its one of my favorites. The rollicky melody and cadence remind of ragtime, jazz, and all that was new then. It's a generational divide when a little black prophet comes to tell Beethoven to play those chords faster because jazz is coming on the scene, and nothing's going to be the same. The first time I heard it I couldn't help thinking Chuck Berry had given it a few listens before writing "Roll Over Beethoven". Its been said the song isn't "politically correct", which I don't understand - it prophesies, accurately, rock's overwhelming dominance, when a chord was hit "that rocked the spinet, and disappeared into the infinite". Might that be the power chord? Nat King Cole did a great version, but for me Hoagy's is the gold standard. Its bears a great lyric by Johnny Mercer., which is worth reading (here).  Mercer's lyrics are a riot and could have been written as presciently about rock or hip hop, as they were about jazz). 

6. THE NEARNESS OF YOU - 1940

When he was a kid Keith Richards sat on the landing of the steps in his house playing Chuck Berry songs over and over again, until the founder's work settled deep into his bones, and became a part of him. He did the same thing with Hoagy Carmichael. Greatness has a blueprint. One of Hoagy's most popular songs, "The Nearness of You", has been covered numerous times, The first version I heard, and still one of my favorites, is Keith Richards version from a session prior to Tattoo You, It's him, alone at a piano, his fractured voice bringing a fragile emotion to the naked lyric. Those lyrics were written Ned Washington, winner of two Academy Awards, including one for "When You Wish Upon a Star". He wrote quite a few other lyrics, including a favorite of mine which was a hit for Gene Pitney, "Town Without Pity". Ella Fitzgerald sang many Carmichaels songs, and Louis Armstrong was a longtime friend and frequent collaborator, so their version has something extra special besides just two jazz giants. Ricky Nelson brings a unique flavor to the song, a hint of country and early rockabilly, and Frank Sinatra liked it so much, he recorded it three times. More recently, Nora Jones made some waves with a lovely cover. But talk about making a song your own - the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, brings raw soul power to his version. Hoagy somehow heard Keith Richards' version and called the Stone when he was alone at home. He told Keef how much he liked it. A big thrill for Keith, but not much more came of the call as Hoagy was dead 6 months later.

7. LAZYBONES - 1933

Written in 20 minutes after Johnny Mercer came to Hoagy's apartment one afternoon only to find the writer asleep on the couch. He announced his intent to write a song about him called "Lazybones". Hoagy jumped to the piano and Mercer would write a line, then Hoagy play the melody on the piano, until they had it done. The Mills Brothers did one of the earliest versions, and its perfect. Hank Snow brought the inherent southern attitude, with a country twist. And Dr. John brought the New Orleans. There's a clip of Hoagy doing the song, and it features the beautiful Dorothy Dandridge showing off some unusual dance moves.

8. HEART AND SOUL - 1938

Unkown California duo, Jan and Dean, recorded a doo wop version of this song in 1961, and it was intended to be released by Liberty Records. But Liberty didn't see the hit potential and bailed. Singing cowboy Gene Autry's label did, and the song went to #25, On the strength of that, Liberty signed the pair, who changed their sound to a Beach Boys one, and had a slew of hits from "Surf City" to "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena". The Cleftones version, recorded around the same time, is superior, and ended up on the soundtrack for American Graffiti,  A simplified version of the song is covered by millions of young (and old) novice pianists, as a four hand duet. Imagine how many people can play a Hoagy Carmichael song, and have no idea they can.

9. BALTIMORE ORIOLE - 1944.

© Johnnie Scoutten

Hoagy's version of Baltimore Oriole is given the full dramatic effect, with his phrasing pushing the lyric. Interestingly, this song drew a fair bit of attention from rock musicians. Chicago's Cryan Shames did an interesting version in the 60s, less dramatic and more chamber pop, with an arrangement that's spiced with strings and shifting cadence. George Harrison released it on the same album he included "Hong Kong Blues" on, Somewhere in England - he likely heard them at the same time as they were paired together on a single. But John Mellencamp did one of my favorite versions.

10. OLD ROCKIN' CHAIR - 1929

© Johnnie Scoutten

This was a song that Louis Armstrong did right until the end of his life. Hoagy first saw Armstrong while young and still living in Indiana, in 1922, at one of the jazz clubs he frequented. They would go on to work together many times, and Armstrong would cover his songs frequently. A fantastic version of "Old Rockin' Chair" by Armstrong and Carmichael isn't up on YouTube, but its worth looking up. As a teaser there is this very good version with Armstrong and Jack Teagarden. And there's a fascinating clip from a 1939 short film of Hoagy and Jack Teagarden doing this song, and "Washboard Blues".Hoagy originally wrote the song for Native American jazz singer Mildred Bailey, and it became her theme song. Hoagy did a version in 1930 with an all-star jazz band (featuring Bix Beiderbecke, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and Gene Krupa). If you listen you can hear a clear similarity to Randy Newman's Monsters Inc. theme. My favorite version might be this crips take on the song by Eric Clapton.

11. THE MONKEY SONG - 1951

Hoagy Carmichael had a good bit of charisma along with his musical talent. In fact, movies found out early, and he made quite a few film and TV appearances. He was a well known figure, and did a lot to establish the persona of singer/songwriter in the public's mind. The George Raft film featured him playing a character named Celestial, and he does a bit of his then new song Memphis In June.  In the movie Las Vegas Story he plays Happy, who is, among other things, the narrator of the story. As such he delivers this performance of "The Monkey Song", with comic relief perfection, and Jane Russell looking on. It's also a favorite of my daughter.

12. HUGGIN' AND CHALKIN' - 1947

Hoagy's instantly recognizable voice, with its warm, down home Midwestern accent, charmed quite a number of people. As great a success as he was with songwriting, he also had quite a career as a solo recording artist. And many of his vocal hits were covers of songs by other writers. The writers of "Huggin' and Chalkin'", Kermit Goell and Clarence Hayes, may have stolen the idea from a 1906 Hopalong Cassidy novel titled Bar 20. But hugging and chalking is a real thing - the Urban Dictionary says so.

© Johnnie Scoutten - Inspired by "Memphis In June"

13. OLE BUTTERMILK SKY - 1946

This irresistible song was nominated for an Academy Award for its appearance in Canyon Passage, but didn't win. It's a great place to finish. Bubbling along, on lyrics (which Hoagy had a big hand in) that are filled with images that are romantic, and now a bit nostalgic. It showcases two of Hoagy's great strengths - his down home vocals, and his excellent piano playing. You can also clearly hear the elements that made so many of his songs popular with country artists like Willie Nelson., and the great country swing artist Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys. Crystal Gale also covered it, and there is a great clip of an older Hoagy doing a duet with her. But like most Hoagy songs, it was covered by a wide array of artists, including Bing Crosby, to whom it seemed particularly suited. But Hoagy's version is hard to beat.

13 fantastic songs from Hoagy Carmichael, but there are so many more. Below is a Spotify playlist to take with you and delve deeper into the songs in this blog, with a few added songs. Please follow Picnic Tool at Spotify. And below that is the comments section - what Harry songs stand out for you?

Forever Nilsson: An Introduction To Genius

Possessed of a three and a half octave range, with an acute understanding of harmony, and composition, Harry Nilsson should have been a huge star. And he was pretty big for a spell. But he was also an individual, an unique artist possessed of a temperamental relationship with commercial success, and a propensity for self sabotage. And then there's the fact that he never did a live tour. Still, he managed 3 top ten hits, and 16 albums populated by perfect songs of  exquisitely layered vocal pop, hard rock, American standards, and a host of other genres.

When asked in an interview who their favorite American band was, the Beatles quickly offered "Nilsson". They named his version of "Mother Nature's Son" as their favorite Beatles cover. Harry himself had a career long affinity for the music of the Beatles, and both John Lennon and Ringo Starr became close friends, and drinking buddies. He was so devastated by Lennon's murder that he largely left music in order to focus on a crusade for gun control.

As this blog will focus on the songs, I highly recommend the documentary of his life, "Who Is Harry Nilsson And Why Is Everybody Talking About Him" as an enormously entertaining, and informative, place to start to understand the man.

The greatest challenge in putting together a list of great songs by Harry, is that there are so damn many. Nearly every record is chock full of them, and each person will find his or her own favorite. If you're new to Nilsson, take some time after reading the blog to dig a little deeper into the albums - you'll be glad you did.

I'm happy to have talented artist Johnnie Scoutten on board for this blog post - a Nilsson fan, she has contributed several sketches inspired by Harry's songs. You can find more on Johnnie at her page (linked with her hame) or at Instagram. 

The Spotify playlist for this blog is at the end. It is followed by a comment section - love to hear your favorite Nilsson.

20. DON'T FORGET ME - PUSSY CATS - 1974

This seems a good place to start. Though it's considered by some to be a mess of a record, Pussy Cats is a favorite of mine. I played it constantly when I got it. Recorded during John Lennon's Lost Weekend separation from Yoko, the recording sessions found Nillson and Lennon (often with Ringo) drunk. And wearing Tampons on their heads at times. The styles of the two clashed - Harry was best in baroque pop, with layered vocals and clever arrangements. Lennon, fresh off recording oldies with Phil Spector, as well as the Spector influenced Mind Games (to which Pussy Cats bears a sonic resemblance) was going for raw, echo/reverb drenching. The blend doesn't always work, but its often fascinating. This beautiful song, which sounds like it could have come from the 30s, with its sweet melody and repeating piano figure, is a definite highlight. Needless to say, it saw many covers, including a flawless version by Harry's friend Marianne Faithful; Marshall Crenshaw; and a cover by Joe Cocker, which actually preceded Harry's version by a month, and was the first released.

19. YOU CAN'T DO THAT - PANDEMONIUM SHADOW SHOW - 1967

Harry's re-arranged "You Can't Do That" is a clever, and inventive, cover that pays homage to the Beatles, and includes a few laughs for no extra price. Multi-tracked vocals, a Nilsson trademark, are prominent. He manages to get in over 20 lyrical references to Beatles songs, and it's game just keeping up with them. No wonder the Beatles named his their favorite band.

18. ALL I THINK ABOUT IS YOU - KNNILLSSONN - 1977

Over a decade before everyone else started recording albums of American standards covers, while it was still considered very not cool, Nilsson did it with his record A Little Schmilsson In the Night. This isn't from that record, but it could have been. Harry wrote a modern American standard of his own. His voice had fully recovered from the thrashing it took during the Pussy Cats sessions (more on that later), and in fact sounds absolutely beautiful here. It happens that Knnillssonn was one of his favorite albums of his own.

17. MANY RIVERS TO CROSS - PUSSY CATS - 1974

On March 28, 1974, Nilsson, Lennon, and others, moved into the Record Plant recording studio, and there met up with Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder, among others, and a snowstorm of coke. With Yoko temporarily out of the picture, and the gently encouraging May Pang on the scene, Paul and John reconnected in L.A. after their often bitter post-Beatles feud. What could have been a classic, historic jam, was instead (in the words of the title of the bootleg of that night) A Toot and A Snore In '74. It might have been this night that Harry's voice finally crashed - cigarettes, coke and liquor took their toll. Told by doctors not to sing (maybe not talk) for six months, Harry, of course, didn't listen, and pushed through with the rest of the recording sessions. He did permanent damage to one of the greatest voices in pop music. Still. the record somehow manages some fantastic vocal moments. This take on Jimmy Cliff's classic, with Harry pulling every bit of emotion from it, is one of them. 

16. I'D RATHER BE DEAD - SON OF SCHMILSSON - 1972

Humor was a regular feature of Harry's work, usually odd, and often dark humor. It was intrinsic to his personality. Like many great comedians, he had plenty of dark and painful memories in his past to pull from, and he used humor as a balm. "I'd Rather Be Dead" is a song that benefited from that sense of humor, and the video - with elderly retirement home seniors singing the chorus - takes the humor to an almost surreal place. We make humor of what we fear most, and its probably not unrealistic to assume humor was medicating some normal fears for Harry. Since the senior citizens all seem to be singing along in good humor ("I'd rather be dead, then wet my bed"), I like to think they were in on the joke, and approved.

15. GOOD OLD DESK - AERIAL BALLET - 1968

Here we have some classic baroque pop, piano with light horn backing, and the many voices of Harry Nilsson. It's a winning combination. Seems like a simple song about office furniture, but Harry said it was actually an anagram - G.O.D. - exploring modern man's relationship with the higher power. Its likely an exploration by Harry of his own views on God, but then he later denied the anagram. So maybe the desk is just a desk? Only Jung knows. Either way, an absolutely lovely song.

14. JOY - SON OF SCHMILSSON - 1972

Son of Schmilsson was meant to deliver on the record company's desire for an equally commercial follow up to its very successful predecessor, Nilsson Schmilsson. What the suits got was a much more eclectic product, full of wonderful songs with lots of unexpected edges. "Joy" sounds like a country tribute, until the lyric slowly starts unravelling, finally descending into Harry repeating "Good, bad" at accelerating pace. The lyrics are hysterical, a great send up of country songs, without disrespecting. The chorus' play on the name/word Joy may be simple, but it's simple genius.

13. JESUS CHRIST YOU'RE TALL - SANDMAN - 1976

From the title you can safely assume this is no meditation on deity or higher power. On its surface it seens like humor worthy of a schoolboy, but upon listening to it - it is humor worthy of schoolboy. And that's a big part of its charm. Another part is the shuffling groove, reminiscent of the 50s music Harry grew up on, and loved. The demo version, which came out on the preceding record - Düit on Mon Dei (do it on Monday) - had already made that clear, with its rolling Fats Domino vibe. Harry, by the way, was over 6'2".

12. REMEMBER (CHRISTMAS) - HARRY - 1969

A beautiful song about the ephemeral and fleeting nature of life, and the soft,  narcotic gauze of memories. Perhaps the increasingly complicated nature of his life made Harry nostalgic for a time when things were clearer (and cleaner), But  his father abandoned the family when Harry was three, so how far back did he have to go for "clear"? The Christmas in the title isn't in the lyric, but it's implied in the nostalgia of emotion in the lyrics.

11. MOURNIN' GLORY STORY - HARRY - 1969

Lushly set inside a chamber pop arrangement, is the story of a homeless woman who wakes in a doorway to her unpleasant reality, struggling to understand how her life led her to this point. There's a Shakespearean intimation of the contemplation of suicide, but though the story is poignant, it isn't bathed in heavy pathos. It reminds me on several levels of the Beatles' "For No One". The light arrangement of strings doesn't overwhelm, but rather enhances the story. The lyric, like "For No One", is sympathetic, but told almost like reporting. Even the opening line, "She wakes up", matches McCartney's classic, and its hard to imagine it wasn't at least partly intentional. The indomitable Al Kooper did a faithful rendition, which naturally lacked Harry's sublime voice.

10. YOU'RE BREAKING MY HEART - SON OF SCHMILSSON -1972

Well, there's certainly no pathos, or subtlety, to be found in this song about the break-up of Harry's marriage. Producer Richard Perry, like the label, was trying to steer Harry toward a more commercial record, but Harry pretty much did what he wanted to. And here that meant taking a song with great hit potential, and making it hit unfriendly by adding the radio killing lyrical tag: "So f**k you!" But there was intuitive genius here as well, because its in part what made the song notorious, and well loved. The anger he feels is palpable, and honest, expressed not only in the lyric, but also in the horns, drums, and vocals, as well. George Harrison adds a sweet slide guitar break to the song. Peter Wolf of the JGeils Band did a great cover (of course, he would) for the Harry tribute record.

9. GOTTA GET UP - NILSSON SCHMILSSON - 1971

Nilsson Schmilsson was Harry's breakthrough album. Coupled with its follow-up, the wryly titled Son of Schmilsson, its a one-two shot of world class songs, arrangements, vocals, and players. Both records were produced by Richard Perry and recorded in England, and it's no surprise that most of Harry's best known songs can be found on these two chunks of aural gold. As noted already, Harry's link to the Beatles, personally and artistically, bubbled up frequently. He alluded to the connection many times, both in lyric and arrangement. The chunky, bouncing chords that open this song, and the album, are easily reminiscent of McCartney's section of "A Day In the Life", and the lyric furthers the association. Nilsson was already famous when this record was recorded due to two songs which are further down (or higher up) in this list. The cover in part pranks that fame, Harry appearing in a worn bathrobe, shaggy and disheveled. There is a running thread of unease with commercial success throughout Harry's career - he seeks it, and he sabotages it at the same time. I see that in the cover as well. But with Nilsson Schmilsson there was no avoiding it - commercial success came in a big way. Harry's daughter Annie did a lovely version of this song to start the tribute record, Gotta Get Up! The Songs of Harry Nilsson. Garage rock revivalist, Ty Segall (who is currently all that, and knows a thing or two about great pop music) did a modernized version.

8. SPACEMAN - SON OF SCHMILSSON - 1972

Art by Johnnie Scoutten ©2018

With two lines - "Bang bang shoot em up, destiny/Bang bang shoot em up, to the moon" - "Spaceman" links America's exploration and expansion into the Wild West, with the then very current, and vital, space exploration program. Sadly, Harry's spaceman is left in space, in circular orbit, forgotten by those below, and now he just wants to come back. Kind of like the real space program in its current state. It was a modest hit at the time of release, but seems to have grown over time. Rightly so, its a great song. The vocal is pop rock perfect, and its melody and lyric as sticky as taffy. It's a personal favorite at my house. "Around and around is just a lot of lunacy", indeed.

7. ONE - AERIEL BALLET - 1968

Harry grandparents were circus performer doing what was called "aerial ballet, which is the genesis of this album's title.  Three Dog Night took a track from the record, gave it  a big bam boom production treatment (bad for the song, good for sales) and had their first of many big hits. Harry's version, with stark, chamber pop arrangement, and hushed vocal, suits the topic of loneliness and isolation much more appropriately. The mournful cello in particular captures the mood. The story is that Harry had called someone on the phone, and got a busy signal. He sat on the line, listening to the monotonous beep-beep, and wrote the entire song. You can hear that busy tone replicated in the arrangement.  It's an absolute classic song that has seen many covers: Al Kooper again did a faithful version on his debut record, as did Aimee Mann; while rock band Filter took some liberties. And you might think how in the heck could heavy metal band Dokken cover it, and yet there it is!

6. JUMP INTO THE FIRE - NILSSON SCHMILSSON - 1971

Hard rock and funk are not what you think of when you think of Harry Nilsson. But hard rock is exactly what you got on this, the funky second single from the album. It was a sizable hit during the 70s, but got considerable airplay after as well, in part because it was featured in Martin Scorsese's film Goodfellas in one of the best uses of music in a film ever. Don't believe me? Have a look here, and try and imagine the movie without it afterwards. It also appeared in Son of Dracula, the "first rock and roll vampire film" - which starred Harry and Ringo. There is a great performance video of the song in the movie (here) with a video band that features Keith Moon and John Bonham alternating on drums, Peter Frampton on guitar, Klaus Voorman on bass, and Leon Russell on keyboards. Quite the super group, though that's not them all on the record. It's a wild ride of a song at over 7 minutes, with Herbie Flowers detuning his bass, on a lark, after the drum solo. You would expect such a fantastic, rocking song to have plenty of covers, and oh, you would be right! LCD Soundsystem kicked it up in their imitable style; Alice Cooper, who was an old drinking buddy of Harry's, and a founding member of the Hollywood Vampires, did a version with his supergroup, featuring Dave Grohl on drums. And Temple of the Dog, with the late Chris Cornell,, did it live.

5. GUESS THE LORD MUST BE IN NEW YORK CITY - HARRY - 1969

Art by Johnnie Scoutten 2018

Harry offered the director of Midnight Cowboy, this song as a theme for the film. It bears a strong resemblance to Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talking'", which ended up being the choice for the movie. But it stands very well on its own, even if it didn't make the cut for the film. It seems it would have been a great fit for the tone movie, with a lyric about following a dream to the big city. Sinead O'Connor did a very nice cover of it.

4. COCONUT - NILSSON SCHMILSSON - 1971

Art by Johnnie Scoutten  ©2018

Nilsson transcends what could have been a pure novelty song, with this playful tune that sticks to one chord. It's a comical, and simple, tale about four characters, and Harry sings three of them in different voices. It's hard to have been around the last 40 years and not heard this song. It's found its way into commercials, and cultural touchstones like The Muppet Show. A more rocked up version was offered by the B-52's Fred Schneider. Riding a tickling acoustic guitar, the repeating lyric worms its way into your head. Sadly, this would be Harry's last top 10 hit.

3. ME AND MY ARROW - THE POINT - 1971

Only Harry Nilsson could take a pun, and turn it into not only an album, but a TV movie as well, Tripping on acid one day, he looked out his window at the world and saw everything led to a point - houses, trees, branches. And anything that didn't lead to a point - had no point. On The Point, the album, Harry narrates the story of the only round headed boy, in a town of pointy heads, and his faithful dog, Arrow. Certainly Harry could relate to the most unusual boy in town, as he was no tower of conformity himself.  It's a fairly straight forward song that rolls along on a metronomic beat, a pumping piano, and Nilsson's gentle vocal. In short order the listener is humming along, or singing the easy to follow lyric. It was a modest hit, which was caught chronologically between two monster hits for Harry.

2. WITHOUT YOU - NILSSON SCHMILSSON - 1971

There's a lot of story behind "Without You". The song originally appeared on the second album by Beatles' proteges, Badfinger. That band's tragic story is for another post. It was written by two of the four writers in the band - Tom Evans and Pete Ham. In Lennon-McCartney fashion it came together from two songs, one written by each. Ham had written the gentle verse, but didn't like his chorus. Evans had written a song with a great, emotionally pitched chorus, but a weak verse. So they put the two together. The song was album filler in their eyes, and went largely unnoticed on Badfinger's second album, No Dice. Harry heard the song at a party, mistook it for a Beatles' song, and decided to cover it. His cover - almost an early version of the soft/loud verse/chorus dynamic - far surpassed the original. His chorus vocals soared on his multi-octave range, thrilling listeners as the song shot to #1 in the charts. Former Beatles' press officer, and friend of Harry, Derek Taylor, jokingly said he thought of hemorrhoids whenever he heard the high notes in the outro chorus. The record stayed at #1 for four weeks, and has remained as a musical staple ever since. It was  arguably the first power ballad. Paul McCartney called it "the killer song of all time". It set the standard for an onslaught of similar ballads in the years that followed. Tragically, things did not end well for the song's writers, nor did they profit from the song's enormous success with Harry. Pete Ham, depressed over learning the extent of his financial ruin due to an unscrupulous manager, hanged himself in 1975. Tom Evans hanged himself in 1993 after a bitter argument with another bandmate over the song's royalties. There have been nearly 200 covers of "Without You", but none of them come close to Harry's.

1. EVERYBODY'S TALKING - AERIAL BALLET - 1968

There is more then a little irony in the fact that the two biggest hits for this world class songwriter, were written by others. "Everybody's Talking" was written by Fred Neil, an important, pioneering figure in the early New York folk movement. Neil took both Bob Dylan and David Crosby under his wing when they first arrived in New York. Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison recorded his songs, and luminaries such as John Sebastian, Tim Hardin, and Gram Parsons, were influenced by him. And he didn't sell any records. This song was released on his second album, written and recorded quickly after he was told he needed one more song to finish that record. Nilsson was looking for a hit, which had so far eluded him. After hearing the song, he recorded it for his album Aerial Ballet. It was released as a single and skyrocketed to the lowly #113 on the Billboard charts. Former Beatles' press secretary Derek Taylor recommended Nilsson to John Schlesinger, director of Midnight Cowboy, to do the music. Nilsson offered "The Lord Must Be In New York City" as the film's main song, but Schlesinger chose "Everybody's Talking'" instead. Re-released, and riding its enormous popularity in the hit film, the single broke into the Top 10 on Billboard, and it remains Nilsson's most recognizable song. Befitting a song about loneliness, and alienation, Neil's version is sparse and restrained. Nilsson's however, propelled by the arpeggio guitar and his graceful vocal, is the essence of pop perfection. And because of the contrast, it likely gives Neil's lyrics greater punch.

16 albums of fantastic songs await you in exploring more of Harry Nilsson. Below is a Spotify playlist to take with you and delve deeper into the songs in this blog. Please follow Picnic Tool at Spotify. And below that is the comments section - what Harry songs stand out for you?

Mixtape #1: The 2000s - No Zeros In Sight

I love mixtapes. And I miss them. I used to make lots of them - for friends, family, anyone that wanted/needed a dose of new music. I liked championing unknown, or lesser known,, bands that I believed, usually passionately, deserved a wider audience. And I'm happy to say the recipients of my tapes were just as passionate about them. My good friend Allen had nearly 40 of them, and when his car was stolen, with the tapes inside, he reserved the coldest place in hell for the bastards who'd stolen his mixtapes!

The concept didn't really translate to CD disks. I still made some, at a much slower factory rate, but there's something about the cassette tape. Maybe its the truly handmade part of it - you had to sit and listen to the songs as you recorded them, which helped create the flow, made it an active, in-the-moment creation. They were an art form in themselves. My friend Andy, a king of the mixtapes, even wove stories into his mixtape collections. I just loaded them with great songs, at an unrelenting pace.

Of course, music doesn't mean what it did at that time, a few short decades ago. But that doesn't mean there's not good music to be found. Recently I was thinking about the turn of the century decade after pulling up a couple of songs from that period. Dinner with a friend whom I'd turned on to a lot of songs during that period, reminded me of how many great songs came out, most of which were released into some form of obscurity, only to disappear completely in the years since.

This is the first in a series of mixtapes I hope to do, with this one covering 2000-2009. I saw a blog that called it the worst decade for music ever. What rock was he living under? 

1. EVERYTHING IN IT'S RIGHT PLACE - RADIOHEAD 2000

The first song off what many thoughtwas one of the most influential records of the decade, "Everything In It's Right Place" is hard to shake. It's shifting cadence, haunting, tonic-less melody, kicked off the decade with an electronic pulse. Battling writer's block after the long tour behind Radiohead;s OK Computer, Thom York went back to the drawing board, reminding himself that mental clarity began with an orderly house. I'm not a big electronica fan, but this song, album, and its followup, Amnesiac, really captured my imagination.

2. GOOD TIME - LEROY 2002

I spent a good bit of time in a building at the corner of Hollywood and Gower early in the decade, working with an editor on a film I'd made (here)for the curious). Every day when I went downstairs to get lunch I'd see this tall guy, with a mop of unruly hair, and lazy eyes hiding under some big sunglasses, I immediately pegged him for a musician. He was. Leroy had a little office in the building where he would demo songs he was writing, and after lunches I got to hear a bunch of them. The first one he played was one of the catchiest, funkiest things I'd heard in years. It went on to find a place in movies and TV shows, and its just as good today as it was 15 years ago. Good job, Leroy!

3. CHICKEN PAYBACK - THE BEES 2002

How was this not a hit? Hailing from the somewhat isolated Isle of Wright in the UK, the Bees (or The Band of Bees, as they're known in the US, due to another band taking the name) have a wide assortment of influences, and they're all audible on their first album. While there are plenty of other great songs their second record, Free the Bees ("Wash the Rain", "I Love You",this is my absolute favorite track,, a bright, funky, slice of pop pie, served with a milkshake. It's irresistible.

4. DADDY'S GONE - GLASVEGAS 2007

Drenched in echo and reverb, Glasvegas created a 21st century Phil Spector classic with their self-titled debut record late in the decade. Scottish singer/writer/guitarist James Allen wrote this song about his own father, worrying before release how his Da would take it. But the theme of paternal abandonment is sadly universal these days. The entire first Glasvegas follows the sonic palette set here ("Geraldine" is another great example), and its a completely absorbing debut. Allen also produced the song, and he wore his influences on his sleeve when the band covered the Ronettes "Be My Baby".

4. SOFT MACHINE - BY DIVINE RIGHT 2004

I discovered By Divine Right when I randomly picked up their album Sweet Confusion in 2004. It's the best purchase I've made in years. The record is loaded with catchy, melodic songs; great lyrics, and the best part? I realized there were three previous records to dive into. BDR is a Canadian band from Toronto, formed in 1991 by singer/writer/guitarist Jose Contreras. The line-up has changed multiple times (including a version with Leslie First, and Brandon Canning, of Broken Social Scene, for the album Bless This Mess) with Contreras, his songs and voice, as the constant. There is a seemingly endless parade great songs in their catalogue ("I Will Hook You Up", "I Love A Girl", "Soul Explosion", "Past the Stars")  but this is a big favorite. Canada has kept this secret for far too long.

6. CHICAGO - SUFJAN STEVENS 2005

Certainly not a little known song, since you couldn't escape it if you listened to any independent (or not so independent) radio. The 00s were a very productive decade for the ambitious Sufjan Stevens, and this was probably the pinnacle for him, incorporating so many key elements of his style.. The semi-autobiographical lyric provides enough clarity and ambiguity to touch and confuse.

7. FIFTEEN FEET OF PURE WHITE SNOW - NICK CAVE 2001

My friend Jordan turned me on to this fantastic track, and as importantly its equally brilliant video. I still can't believe it slipped by me on initial release. It's a murky Nick Cave tale that's hard to decipher - the singer calls out for help to God (and several other Biblical names), before finally recognizing he must help himself. Built on simple chords, with an eloquent piano line, its simple, and powerful. The video is one of my favorites. Shot in the Khazakstan Communist Committee Center, it features a house band of Cave and the Bad Seeds, plus several celebrity dancers, most importantly (in my world) Jarvis Cocker of Pulp. The stale, dead party at the dreary communist hall turns up the heat with a Bad Seed line dance featuring the dapper Mr. Jarivis, and guitarist Blixa Bargeld. Communism never felt so good.

8. HEY GIRL - DELAYS 2003

The only way out of the spare, dark density of Nick Cave is through pure pop. Delays lead singer Greg Gilbert's distinct falsetto glides over a shimmering guitar arpeggio, and the whole track owes a clear debt to Liverpool's The La's (and maybe nearby Manchester's the Hollies).

9.  B-B-BICYLE - BICYCLE 2006

Chamber pop with riff. From Canadian  pop quartet The Bicycles' debut album this is twee pop in the best way, with catchy songs and unique sound. The debut record was mixed by By Divine Right's Jose Contreras (who also produced the band's record Oh No, It's Love). Another great song off this record is Paris Be Mine.

10. DOWN IN THE VALLEY - BROKEN WEST 2006

The dense sound, great guitar tones, and nice dose of echo,  caught my attention, but it was the melody held it.  The first Broken West album had a lot of great songs, but this was my favorite. Other songs by the band - So It Goes,  On the Bubble, You Can Build An Island - show their expressed influences (Beatles, Big Star, Teenage Fanclub) more clearly, but this song rumbles to greatness on its own merit.

11. BE LESS RUDE - FRIGHTENED RABBIT 2006

Bursting out in a rush of arpeggioed guitars, driven drums, and anguished vocals, Frightened Rabbit's first single washes over you like the sea. Led by singer/songwriter Glenn Hutchinson, the Glasgow, Scotland band's single was a double-A, matched with the propulsive track "The Greys". They went on to create other great music, but this starter is hard to beat.

11. VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY - KATE RUSBY 2007

I'm a sucker for a Kinks' cover, especially when its "Village Green Preservation Society", so I was quick to check this one out when I read about it in the UK's Mojo. It quickly became one of my favorite Kinks covers. Kate Rusby is a folk artist from northern England, whose soft, fragile voice, with its northern England accent, brings a different emotion to the lyric. Happily it lead me to other great songs from her, including her cover of Richard Thompson's "Withered and Died" (I prefer it to the original), and some great, old Christmas songs she's done: Sweet Bells, Here We Come A Wassailing.

12. DREAMING OF YOU - THE CORAL - 2002

Coming from Liverpool (Hoylake) must come with some pressure, what with that other band as comparison. The Coral skipped off that comparison to create their blend of styles - parts pop, reggae, R&B, folk, even cowboy songs - while staying firmly rooted in guitar-band land. "Dreaming Of You" was the third single from the self titled debut, and they haven't let up. Second record produced the excellent "Don't Think You're the First" Guitarist Bill Ryder-Jones left the band for good in 2008, and has recorded some great stuff solo, including this.

13.  (DRAWING) RINGS AROUND THE WORLD - SUPER FURRY ANIMALS 2001

"You expose the film in me" is a great line to open a song with. Somehow Super Furry Animals have managed to escape widespread acclaim in the US, which is surprising considering the catalogue of great songs they have. Maybe it was the album in their native Welsh that threw the Americans off, or any one of the an endless stream of eccentricities they happily possess. Yes, "The Man Don't Give a F**K", with it's chorus lifted in part from Steely Dan, might have issues on terrestrial radio, but what about man's best friend - the "Golden Retriever"? Or their debut single, "Hometown Hero", with its monster pop hook chorus? Because certainly "Rings Around the World", with its Beach Boy buzz, electronic fuzz, and the hook of a repeating title line, should have been some kind of hit.

14. COUNTRY GIRL - PRIMAL SCREAM 2006

Bobby Gillespie formed Primal Scream while he was still the drummer for game changers Jesus and Mary Chain. He's a passionate music lover, and over the course of 11 records the band has incorporated many styles into their music: jangled pop, psychedelic, dance, garage. My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields was a regular contributor, and semi-permanent touring member of the band, from 1998-2006. The end of that period coincided with the recording of the album Riot City, which features this delicious slice of country-tinged Stones, Gillespie's a great interview, and for his take on modern music you can read this.

15. CRAZY BEAUTIFUL - HANSON 2004

I used to love to put this song on a mixtape CD, then intentionally forget to give the receiver the track list. They would invariably call the next day and ask who sang that 'crazy beautiful' song. When I told them, the line would go silent.  Raised on classic 60s rock and Motown, the Hanson brothers had a huge hit with their self-written "MMMBop" while one of them was still a preteen. Hipsters didn't forgive them the infectious groove, killer chorus hook, and sweet harmonies only brothers could sing. Unfortunate, as they've recorded some great classic-rock inspired songs ("Penny and Me", "Get Up and Go", as well as a great cover of Radiohead's "Optimistic")  since then, and maintained a hard core following. This piano driven song is nearly perfect, from its rolling flow to the soulful vocal.

16 TKO - LE TIGRE 2004

Some time after shutting down shop on her feminist punk rock band, Bikini Kill, Kathleen Hanna started this trio. The political motivation of the lyrics is either promoted by the seductive catchiness of the songs, or is completely obscured by the drum and synth's rhythmic groove, depending on your level of interest in politics. I don't even know what the lyrics are, so what does that say about me? What I do know is once I heard it, I couldn't get this song out of my head.

17. YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE - THE STROKES  2006

When the Strokes burst onto the sonic waves with their debut album, This Is It, and its early single "Last Night", they were immediately labelled Velvet Underground-like. That appellation proved to not be so accurate - there was a lot more pop at the heart of this band then immediately obvious. Over their first three records there were a string of "should be" hits: "Someday". "12:51", the hard rocking "Juicebox". But this song stood out for me. The incessant shuffling groove, bright guitar riff, even the vocal, are rhythmic elements. It's hard to keep from moving, and when it comes to rock - that's always a good thing.

18. LIVIN' WAS EASY - THE GLANDS 2000

I saw the Glands second album listed in Spin magazine as one to check out in 2000. I did, and I'm very glad because I fell passionately in love with this self-titled record. I then went back and discovered the first. The Glands are one of those bands that everyone who loves rock should know. Singer/writer Ross Shapiro wrote songs that quickly embedded themselves in you, all of them hits. His nasaly voice often gave the lyrics a sarcastic bite, and the band arranged and played the songs perfectly. They came from Athens, GA, a town that has produced much more then its share of very good bands, and the Glands are near the top of that list. I could have picked any number of classic Glands songs: "Straight Down". "Swim", "When I Laugh". I chose this one because it leads their second record, was the first Glands song I heard, and it embodies a certain droll laziness that seems to speak for its genre. Nearly 16 years after the release of The Glands, the band was prepping new music for release, when Ross Shapiro passed away at age 52, much lamented by those who knew him. But gratefully you can still hear his music.

19. CLICK CLICK CLICK - BISHOP ALLEN 2007

Bishop Allen was formed by two friends, and college roommates, while attending Harvard. But don't get the idea its some brainy math rock - it's twee pop rock at its best. The first two songs by the band that I encountered, "Little Black Ache" and "Things Are What You Make of Them", were from their first album Charm School. Their next record,  the excellent Broken String, had another batch of instantly remembered songs, including "Rain", and this great track. It's musically effervescent, with an arpeggioed ukulele and a swift beat, that rolls into a great drop minor bridge. The lyric is elliptical, a little short story that alludes to coincidental moments, finding meaning in your life. These guys write great songs, and recently released another great record after a long absence. This is a great place to start with them.

20. MERCY - DUFFY 2007

After I first heard Amy Winehouse I was excited that I set out to find other big voiced, retro styled female singers. Duffy was a young Welsh singer, with a voice to cut through the fog. Fortune, and Rough Trade Records, put her together with guitar great Bernard Butler, formerly of Suede, who gave her an intense schooling in soul music. Butler also co-wrote (and produced) her single "Rockferry". But "Mercy" was her big hit, and its no wonder as its a very tasty, plump chunk of candy. with a neo-soul vibe, Farfisa touch, and that voice. The follow up album didn't take off - Duffy strayed from what was a very successful formula. But this first album produced a couple of very nice hits - "Warwick Avenue", and the aforementioned "Rockferry".

21. DR. NO - FUTURE CLOUDS AND RADAR - 2008

After the break up of his excellent Austin, TX band, Cotton Mather, Robert Harrison formed this outfit with a mouthful of a name. And the sprawling 2 disk debut record lived up to the excess of the band name -  in a very good way. Beatles influences abound, and psychedelia forms part of the crayon set that colors the sound. There is a lot on this album, and songs like "Hurricane Judy" keep things moving. "Dr. No" really amps the Beatlesesque quotient, with a busy rhythm (some very nice drums), tempo changes, a great melody, and a finger made of gold.

22, BOHEMIAN LIKE YOU - DANDY WARHOLS 2000

The Dandy Warhols don't always hit the mark, but when they do the result is usually a chunk of rock bliss, "Bohemian Like You" has a vaguely 60s (read Stones) vibe, while still sounding completely of its decade. It's rock music you can dance to. It was never a "hit" but its commercial implications were recognized by advertisers who used it extensively, and it was featured in a number of films, While "Boys Better" remains my favorite track by the band, this is a very close second.

23. TEENAGERS - MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE - 2006

When my friend Jim told me he'd gone to see MCR in Chicago I gave him a hard time - figuring in a snobby way that it was some teen thing. But when I saw "I'm Not Okay" (my favorite by the band) on another friend's Facebook timeline, I realized I how wrong I was - this was a very interesting band, The Black Parade is a great record from beginning to end, starting with the title track. Thematically it follows a young cancer patient who dies, and goes to the afterlife. For the video and a subsequent tour, the band wore costumes, similar to the Beatles' Sgt. Peppers outfits. "Teenagers" does not really fit thematically, or sonically, with the rest of the record. But from its lyrics, to a vibe that reminds of an older style, its pure rock and roll.

24. FOR REAL - OKKERVIL RIVER - 2005

The 00s seemed to usher in, on a greater scale, society's numbness to all things genuinely real, while maintaining an obsession with "real" (reality TV), What is real when your reality is fed through an all encompassing media? Singer/writer Will Sheff, of this ambitious Austin band, tackles the subject head-on here. The music supports the theme: The spare sound of verses, with ticking heartbeat of staccato guitar, is violently interrupted with savage guitar and drum slashes, mirroring the calls for real violence so the singer can feel. The whole album is great, and seems to touch on this theme throughout. It produced a number great songs like "Black" and "The Latest Toughs".

25. HESITATION EYES - FOXYMORONS - 2005

To this day very time I hear the feedback, stabbing guitar, and driving drums, that open this song, and I expect to hear Bob Mould's voice follow, while I remember this is a great missing Husker Du track. No, its not lyrically on par with Mould's work, but sonically its a driving, incessant shot of adrenaline worthy of his old band. I don't think another song in their catalogue sounds like this one, but then how could it?

26.HOLLYWOOD ENDING - HAYDEN - 2004

On a trip to Serbia a number of years ago, I was returning to Belgrade from a long day to the south of the country. It was evening, there was a misty rain, and driving down the hill on the outskirts of town, I could not figure out how to get to the place we were staying. I kept going in a circle, returning to the same park, which I knew was within blocks of our place - but I couldn't figure out where. I saw a police car sitting in the park,, so I pulled up, rolled down my window, and asked the cop in the passenger seat where I could find such and such address. He looked me, then his partner, before turning back to me. He shrugged and said, "I have no idea. I'm not from here - we're actors in a movie". I'd stumbled onto a film set. Hayden first hit the scene with a sparse record featuring the song "Bad Seems". My favorite song of his was the title track for the Steve Bushemi directed film "Trees Lounge".  Life doesn't always provide a Hollywood ending, but this MixTape does.

And so ends MixTape #1. Below is its Spotify playlist so you can take it with you and listen. Unfortunately, several songs are not available on Spotify (Village Green, Country Girl, Crazy Beautiful, Dr. No). Please feel free to comment on songs you liked, or didn't like, in the comments section below the playlist. And please do check out the other blog posts.

25 Sides Of the Buffalo Springfield

The Buffalo Springfield story begins on one of the greatest examples of synchronicity in the annals of rock.

Richie Furay, had come to Los Angeles at the request of friend, and former bandmate, Stephen Stills, to put a band together. Nothing was gelling for them, but they did spend a lot of time perfecting their vocal harmonies. Canadian Neil Young, with fellow Canuck, and bassist, Bruce Palmer, had already been in L.A. three weeks, specifically looking for Stills, when they decided to give it up, and leave town. 

Stuck in the westbound lane of Sunset Boulevard, in one of L.A.’s legendary traffic jams, in April of 1966, Stills saw an old, beat up, black Pontiac hearse, with Ontario plates, stuck in traffic headed east. He immediately recognized it as Young's. He flagged down the hearse, and the two cars pulled into the parking lot of Ben Franks.

One of the songs Stills and Furay had been working on, to perfect their blend of voices, was Young's "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing", so they insisted he come to their apartment and hear his song. After they played it for him, Young announced he was sticking around.

Either Chris Hillman or David Crosby, of the Byrds, suggested Dewey Martin for the drums, and after taking the brand of a steamroller company for a name, Buffalo Springfield was born.

A six week residency at the Whiskey A Go Go, on the Sunset Strip, started with few attendees, and quickly became mob scene. It established the BS reputation as the best live band around. Unfortunately there is little left to illustrate what those live shows were like. Possibly the best is audio from a show in Whittier, CA, with the original line up. Someone has kindly posted an improved version here.

The band’s turbulent tenure was short-lived, but the superstars and great bands that formed from its wake, and the deep influence it had on the music of its time, resonates to this day.

Our friends at the great Wild Honey have chosen a tribute to the Buffalo Springfield as their 2018 annual autism benefit show Feb. 17, in Glendale, CA. The show will feature BS founding member Richie Furay, who I think will not only do BS songs, but classics from his tenure with Poco. Keyboard legend Don Randi (The Wrecking Crew) will reprise his parts from the records as well.

Added to that is Wild Honey's typically wide and rich collection of great artists including: show music director Rob Laufer; Micky Dolenz (The Monkees), Susan Cowsill (The Cowsills, the Continental Drifters); Carlene Carter; The Dream Syndicate, Elliot Eaton (The Cars); Martha Davis (The Motels); The Three O’Clock; Cindy Lee Berryhill; Iain Matthews (Fairport Convention); and many more. Plus the Wild Honey Orchestra, one the greatest backing bands around.

So this seemed a great opportunity to revisit the Buffalo Springfield, and take another look at 25 of their greatest songs, as well as the young men who made them so. 

Info on the Wild Honey show can be found here.

25. IN THE HOUR OF NOT QUITE RAIN - LAST TIME AROUND

So let's begin at the end. An L.A. radio station ran a "write a poem" promo in August of 1967, and the first prize was having the winner's poem set to music by the Buffalo Springfield. It's a crazy idea, and coupled with the fact the band was already falling apart, its no surprise that the two chief songwriters refused to comply. So the task fell to third writer, Richie Furay, who turned in his most unusual song. With its groaning strings, psychedelic and wandering melody, it could fit comfortably on one of Scott Walkers idiosyncratic records. Instead, its appears on the last original record by the Buffalo Springfield.

24, CAREFREE COUNTRY DAY - LAST TIME AROUND

By the time of their third record, Last Time Around, Buffalo Springfield was no Longer a band. Producer/engineer Jim Messina, pulled the record together, with Furay, from leftover tracks after the other band members had flown the coup. Messina would go on to form Poco with Furay, and then Loggins and Messina with Kenny Loggins. But on this record, on which he produced and played bass, he provided the laid back vocal.

23. SPECIAL CARE - LAST TIME AROUND

When the Hammond B3 organ kicks in it ignites this soulful track. Stills' versatility as a songwriter was evident everywhere across the BS records. In fact, some will argue he wrote the band's best songs. I love the songwriters equally. American all-girl band Fanny did a great cover, here, that followed the original template. Mama Soul, Doris Troy (Just One Look) also covered it for her first album on Apple Records, here. But the BS version is still my favorite.

22, EVERYDAYS - BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD AGAIN

Considering bassist Bruce Palmer was deported during its recording (after a drug bust), and that Neil Young was in and out of the band like a turnstile, it's a wonder that the second record, Buffalo Springfield Again, is the band's best. Another example of Stills' range as a writer, this sarcasm filled, jazz-influenced number found itself covered by both the rock band Yes (here), and jazz artist Kenny Burrell (here), and flourished in both genre. But again - its best by BS.

21. IT'S SO HARD TO WAIT - LAST TIME AROUND

Last Time Around divides people. Some think it's the band's weakest, other find their artistic peak here. The number of slower tracks puts off the more rock inclined listeners. But this beautiful song from Richie Furay, written with help from Young, is top caliber. Its loose smokey vibe, and the smooth, emotional vocal from Furay, which pours out like molasses on a hot day, are hard to resist. The arrangement, which has some late night, old school, jazz vibe doesn't hurt either.

20. BURNED - BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD

Neil Young wrote five of the 12 songs on the band's debut record, but sang only two. This great track, that indicates where Young was headed on his early solo records, is one of them. It's subject matter, coupled with its straight forward structure, made it ripe for covers. Two of the best were by Wilco (here), and my favorite, this great version from Teenage Fanclub (here). Of course, Neil has come back to it on his own several times, recently with Promise Of the Real (here).

19. PRETTY GIRL WHY - LAST TIME AROUND

Young's contributions to Last Time Around were limited, which leaves the bulk of the songs coming from Stills. And they're a great set, including this beautiful Latin-flavored question to former love Judy Collins. It also showcases Stills' vocals, smooth as silk here, and as versatile as his songwriting chops.

18. QUESTIONS - LAST TIME AROUND

Salvaged from the wreckage of BS, "Questions" would later be married by Stills to a new song of his, "Carry On" (here), and appear on the first Crosby, Stills, and Nash record. This version is a wholly different animal. Stills and Furay's vocal harmony, honed in their Fountain Avenue apartment in Hollywood before Springfield was born, are part of the reason.

17. DOWN TO THE WIRE - BOX SET

A version of this great Neil Young track, with Young singing, appeared on his 1977 "retrospective" Decades. But for my ears, this previously unreleased version, which first appeared on the BS box set is superior because of Stills' lead vocal. Evident as well is the Springfield's experimentation with rhythms and arrangements to spice things up.

16. MERRY-GO-ROUND - LAST TIME AROUND

Furay displays some great pop song draft on this track The production, with calliope sweetener, gives it a sheen that could have spelled single. In a sign of the state of things at this stage in BS, Furay is the only member of the band to appear on the track.

15. CHILD/S CLAIM TO FAME - BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD AGAIN

Neil Young's mercurial spirit has ruffled many a musical collaborator wrong, and Richie Furay was one such feather during the recording the band's second album. Young quitting the group several times during the recording of Buffalo Springfield Again didn't hamper the quality of the record, but it certainly strained the relationships within. BS was Stills' band, and Young originally his friend, so he had the say on whether Young could come back into the fold each time. Must have been frustrating for Furay, who spoke to, and about, his bandmate Young, in this heavily country tinged song. A superior effort that not only pointed the way to Furay's work in Poco, but shows puts BS at the forefront of the country rock movement.

14. FLYING ON THE GROUND IS WRONG - BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD

Stills and Young have regularly dismissed the debut Springfield record, but its hard to understand why. They were unhappy with the production, yes, but the songs are great. This Young song is one of the three sung by Furay. One story has it that the label didn't think Young's voice was commercial enough (which would be an epic mistake in hindsight). Furay turns in an absolutely perfect vocal here, complementing the song, and remaining emotionally different from Young's later solo version (here). The song was also covered by the Guess Who (here). That band's Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings have known Young since their teens in Winnepeg's small rock scene. It's easy to imagine the song was written for them to do. Another great version comes from Rainy Day (here), comprised of members of L.A.'s Paisley Underground (and sometime Wild Honey members) - David Roback (Mazzy Star), Kendra Smith (Dream Syndicate) and Suzanna Hoffs (the Bangles).

13. OUTOF MY MIND - BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD

Neil was a man on the edge during Springfield, judging by his lyrics, so mature for a kid of 20. This one finds him losing his sanity, alienated and apart from all around him. It would be easy to assume it is about the prices of celebrity, but Neil was a nobody at this point. They all were, as you can see in this short interview clip from American Bandstand (here). It's a beautiful melody, over a funeral beat that supports the song's solemnity, with characteristically beautiful backing harmonies by Furay and Stills throwing another wrench in the works. The demo version, which appears on the box set, is stunning, in its beauty more, apparent over spare acoustic guitar, with Furay and Stills backing vocals pure as snow (here)

12. I AM A CHILD - LAST TIME AROUND

With its easy country vibe, "I Am a Child" could have found a place on Young's classic Harvest. It's also easy to see it as a response to also country vibe  Furay song, "A Child's Claim To Fame". Embracing the child within ("I am a child, I last a while"), this song has had resonance for Young throughout his career, appearing later on Live Rust. 

11. ON MY WAY HOME - LAST TIME AROUND

Another Neil Young song that Furay sang lead on, this time not because of record company interference, but out of necessity. No one in the band had an interest in finishing this album but for Furay and producer Messina. Since there was no Neil vocal, Richie added his. It's a great uplifting song, horn embellishments give it a taste of soul, and the great backing vocals add the sweetener. But most of all I like Furay's lead vocal on this. Hard to understand why this was not a hit.

10. EXPECTING TO FLY - BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD AGAIN

In May of 1967, Young went into Sunset Sound studios with producer Jack Nitzsche, and the result was this extraordinary track. They brought in an orchestra, which Nitzsche arranged, and spent days playing around with the sounds. The result has a clear Beatles influence. There have been some interesting covers, one by Young's fellow Canadians Of Montreal (here) and another by Wild Honey alums Au Pair, featuring Gary Louris (Jayhawks) and Django Haskings (here). But you can't compete with the original in spirit or execution. While you're here, take a listen to Neil's solo take live (here).

9. ROCK AND ROLL WOMAN - BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD AGAIN

Boasting an all time great riff on acoustic guitar, doubled by some beautiful harmonies, and covering at least three genres, should be enough for most songs. But Rock and Roll Woman is not just any song. It also has a nice key shift from an augmented minor to major (plus singing in minor while playing major - blues trad brought to folk rock). It's simple chord structure was born in a jam session between Stills' and David Crosby (a budding friendship that would find greater commercial fulfillment then BS's fractured friendships) would, and as its subject - the woman - is Grace Slick, of the Jefferson Airplane.

8. SIT DOWN, I THINK I LOVE YOU - BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD

Stills and Furay spent weeks in their little Fountain Boulevard apartment in Hollywood working on their vocal harmonies. "We watched the Beatles, and copied that." says Furay. There were three singers, he adds, but him singing with Still in unison created a fourth voice. Those harmonies are in great evidence on this  song. While singing the song during their storied run at L.A. Whiskey A-Go-Go, Furay couldn't' help staring straight into the eyes of a girl named Nancy, who regularly stood directly in front of him every night at the Whiskey. In March, Nancy and Richie Furay celebrate their 51st wedding anniversary. The Mojo Men had a modest hit with this, which was my first encounter with the song. The arrangement, by Van Dyke Parks, replaced the folk vibe with a very pop harpsichord. (here)

7. HUNG UPSIDE DOWN - BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD

With a great guitar riff hook, and the trademark Springfield guitar interplay between two great guitar players in the band (Stills and Young), this is one of the more underrated tracks in the catalogue. It gives a decent approximation of what their legendary live shows sounded like. Furay again takes lead on a song he didn't write, and really brings something to the verse that the writer would not have. Then that writer, Stills, opens up with some great vocalizing on the chorus.

6. BROKEN ARROW - BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD AGAIN

I read somewhere that "A Day In the Life" could have been a Buffalo Springfield song, and "Broken Arrow" a Beatles song. The two feel related, and with Young's structural experimentation, and time shifts, "Broken Arrow" fits the Beatles forward drive. Probably not coincidentally, the song begins with some crowd noise, not from a Springfield show, but a Beatles one. Then the snippet of "Mr. Soul", and off we go into the band's most complex song. Young wrote this was he was only 21, which shows how far ahead of the curve he was from early on.

5. NOWADAYS CLANCY CAN"T EVEN SING - BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD

It's hard to listen to Neil Young's early songs without wondering - what happened? So tortured (sometimes) and so very young. Furay's vocal softens some of the angst here, but fantastic song that it is, this might not have been best choice for the lead single from the debut record. But it was the song that sealed the BS, when Stills and Furay brought Young back to their apartment and played it for him. They'd used the song to build their vocal harmonies. Two very different artists took a shot at covering the song, Fever Tree (here) and the Carpenters (here) - and it works for both.

4. KIND WOMAN - LAST TIME AROUND

Buffalo Springfield launched the careers of two huge stars, Stills and in the case of Young, also an icon. Because their legacy is so bright, the incredible career of Richie Furay gets overshadowed. It shouldn't. From the ashes of BS, Furay went on to form Poco. The title track of that band's first album, "Pickin' Up the Pieces", referred to the collapse of his old band. During his tenure with Poco, Furay helped create the country rock genre with songs like: "Good Felling To Know", and the excellent Gram Parsons cover, "Brass Buttons". A number BS songs appear on the Poco records, and this is the best of them. "Kind Woman" was written about Furay's wife Nancy shortly after meeting her. With "Kind Woman", Furay arrived as a songwriter. Personally, I prefer the live Poco version (here), but a great song is a great song, and this take ain't no slouch.

3. BLUEBIRD. - BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD AGAIN

There are so many things to love about this great Steve Stills up-temp number from the second classic record. First, there's the great melody, fed by some nice lyrics and a soulful vocal. Then there's the guitar interplay between Stills and Young, on acoustic and electric. The "bridge" after the last verse, riding a repeated guitar riff, glides on a vocal harmony, from falsetto on down, before the tangled guitar solos, and finally a last banjo backed verse, before fading out on Stills' banjo. Bliss. Jam bands were about to begin their ascendancy and Springfield were known for some very long, guitar driven versions of this song.

That's 25, but it could be more. What would you add? Comment below Spotify playlist.

2. MR. SOUL - BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD

"You're strange, but don't change", is a lyric that could describe Neil Young. Ans while no song could describe his career, this driving, tangled, mesmerizing rocker certainly gave the forward thinking listener an idea of where things might go. Along with the lyric, an acidic attack on the music business and its human toll, it's the guitars that define "Mr. Soul". The riff is based on the Stones' "Satisfaction" (a Jagger satire?), but that is just the starting point. From there the distorted, chaotic, clustering guitar lines follow every path, battling each other along the way. A wide range of bands have covered the song (click band name for link): a strange, languid version from the Everly Brothers;  Dream Syndicate; Ozomatli; Rush; and yes, even Cher has been there.

FOR WHAT ITS WORTH - BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD

As the story goes, Ahmet Ertegun, the legendary executive at Atlantic Records (and hence, the Springfield home label, ATCO), had come to the west coast to hear songs from the band for their album. As an afterthought, Stills said, "I have another one, for what it's worth", and played him a song he wrote inspired by some youth riots on L.A.'s Sunset Strip. Ertegun immediately heard a hit single. And it's no wonder. The cannily simple, cunningly effective tremolo guitar tones, quiet heartbeat of the drum, and Stills' conversational vocal, give it a sound unique in rock, then and now. It became a huge hit. The lyric reads like a tight and terse mystery novel, parceling out details sparingly. The use of the word "heat" alone, with its many meanings (the cops, guns, pressure, temperature), opening the second verse, is worthy of a term paper. For What Its Worth remains not only Buffalo Springfield's most iconic song, but one of the most iconic recorded tracks in the history of rock. It's spot at the top of this list is well earned. And even an iconic track such as this has some unique cover versions, interestingly with a preponderance of soul and metal takes. A few examples are: Staples Singers; Ozzy; Lou Rawls; Sergio Mendes; Queensryche; and . Oh yeah, and Cher's been there too.

So there's 25 from the Buffalo Springfield. Below is a Spotify playlist so you can take the songs with you. And below that is the comments section - what do you think I left out?

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PAUL MCCARTNEY'S 40 BEST POST BEATLES SONGS

PAUL MCCARTNEY'S 40 BEST POST BEATLES SONGS

At a Paul McCartney concert over a decade ago which I was a, he did 33 songs in a show divided into two sets. Three were new songs, and the rest were taken from a career that spanned the Beatles, Wings, and his solo work.

Every song was not just a hit, but an all absolute, world beating classic, The audience, mixed from 70 year olds to grammar school kids, grey-haired grandparents to punks with colored Mohawks, all sang along to virtually every song. It was incredible, Not just the cross generational passion, but the fact that here were 30  classics written by one man (some with John Lennon). And then I sarted thinking of all the songs he didn't do. 

For many years I spent so much time defending McCartney to my "Lennon was the Beatles" friends that I planned to write a book on the topic. As my friend, and music expert, Ward Dotson (Gun Club, Pontiac Brothers, Liquor Giants) says: Macca is the all time greatest band member - he plays every instrument better then anyone else, he writes incredible songs, he's enthusiastic, experimental and creative, and when he opens his mouth he naturally sings the most perfect harmony. Every time.

The world has caught up, and few consider the Beatles a one man show anymore. But I still think people won't truly appreciate McCartney's genius until he's gone and they start listening to all the post Beatle records he's released that passed them by,, and realize what an incomparable body of work in pop music he owns.

So here, are my 40 best McCartney Post-Beatles  songs. It's a subjective and fluid, list,  might change tomorrow. Everyone will have their own 40, so please let me know in the comments which ones I missed, which I should have omitted..

40. COMING UP - McCartney II 1980

McCartney II was a purely solo affair, revisiting the template Paul used on his first solo record. The song started with drum tracks recorded at his farm in Scotland, adding other tracks as he built it into the final song. A fairly straight up piece of work on an otherwise experimental record, it was never a great favorite of mine, but over the years its charm revealed itself. It's also been said that it was in part the inspiration for Lennon to record his comeback record, Starting Over. And the video is nothing short of inventive.

39. WHAT IT IS - Run Devil Run 1999

After a year of grieving, Run Devil Run marked the first McCartney solo record after Linda's death in 1998. For this record he assembled arguably the best band he's had post Beatles: David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) on guitar, Ian Paice (Deep Purple) on drums, Pete "Wix" Wingfield (as well as the great Gearing Wilkins) on keys. His main ringer was one of the all time great guitar players, Mick Green (Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas) whom Paul had known since the Cavern days. When he told Elvis Costello, a shrewd assessor of musical talent, who was in the line up, Costello replied: "Not THE Mick Green??" Paul came into the studio each day with a song, the band played through it one or two times, then recorded it. The album consisted of mostly covers, known and obscure, that had meant a lot to McCartney in his formative years, as well as three new originals. One of the originals was this Fats Domino pastiche which pays handsome tribute to one of Paul's biggest influences. Its not hard to imagine who it was he was thinking of when singing.

38. HOT AS SUN/GLASSES - McCartney 1970

This bright instrumental dates back to 1958, and appeared in sets by the Quarrymen, John's band which Paul joined. The Beatles even took a stab at it during the Let It Be sessions. It made its true recorded debut on the first solo record, which was a product of Linda's prodding that he deal with his depression over the Beatles break up by putting his energy into a new project. Tinkering with old songs, and experimenting with new ideas, Paul played all the instruments in his little home studio in Scotland. When it came out people either loved the album, or hated it. Its reputation has gained a lot of ground since then. This track is a perfect McCartney melange of melodies, with a short bit of random glass playing at the end. On the album its followed by a fragment of a song called Suicide, which Paul wrote for Frank Sinatra. Apparently Frank didn't think the topic was his bag.

37. DANCE TONIGHT - Memory Almost Full 2007

Most songwriters will tell you every instrument has different songs in it. Different guitars produce different songs for me, keyboards takes me in a completely different direction. Dance Tonight was the last song recorded for Memory Almost Full, and it was the generous gift of his new mandolin, and his young daughter Beatrice's constant dancing whenever he played it.. Simple and spry, its infectious melody is hard to shake, and its pure spirit is a great tonic. The video happily features Natalie Portman.

36. NEW - NEW 2013

50 years into his recording career, McCartney released his 16th solo record and proved that not only could the old dog learn new tricks, at 71 he can still play the older ones better then anyone else. This track, produced by Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse), and featuring his current, excellent band, is a perfect bit of mid-period Beatles, evoking the jaunty keyboard joy of Penny Lane. It bears the trademark optimism of young love, not surprising since he was out of a bad marriage, and headed into a very good one with new wife Nancy Shevell.

35. EARLY DAYS - NEW 2013

Early Days is one of several songs on New with roots in the past. The day he wrote it Paul said he was thinking of John, specifically vivid images of them listening to records at a record store when they were kids, as well as writing songs together. The lyric is one of his better efforts, defiantly clinging to the truth of the Beatles which he knows best because "I lived through those early days". Fingerpicking on the guitar, his voice showing a bit of the raggedness of age, its emotional resonance packs a punch. It was produced by Ethan Johns, son of legendary producer Glyn Johns, who was the original engineer on Let It Be. The Beatles set the template in most ways for what a band was, which is now a universal theme that's well reflected in the Mississippi Delta located video.

34. WORLD TONIGHT - Flaming Pie 1997

What started as a folky demo, written while vacationing the US, took a heavier tone once McCartney got into the studio with ELO frontman Jeff Lynne, who also worked on the Beatles Anthology and with George Harrison in super group Traveling Wilburys. The two played all the instruments here, with Paul laying down the drums. The song's brooding nature belies the fact that its writer says he had no specific meaning in mind.

33. MY BRAVE FACE - FLOWERS IN THE DIRT 1989

To say 1986's Press To Play was a commercial and artistic disappointment would be an understatement. Many thought McCartney was coasting on his Beatles legend, and it seems the Cute One got the message. Flowers In the Dirt was a great return to form. Knowing he was planning a big tour in support, he put together a tight band featuring Robbie McIntosh (Pretenders) and Hamish Stuart (Average White Band) on guitars, and Paul "Wix" Wickens on keys, who remains with the band to this day. But his biggest adjustment was teaming with Elvis Costello for several songs, a fruitful if not altogether harmonious collaboration. The jaunty, melodic track has a Beatles vibe brought by the only person who can do it right, while Costello's influence on the lyrics has an obvious Lennon quality. The chorus hook is a killer, and we have Costello to thank for getting Paul to bring his Hofner bass out of retirement. You can easily find the album version, but here's Paul and EC's demo.

32. HI HI HI - SINGLE 1972   &  HELEN WHEELS BAND ON THE RUN 1973

Hi Hi Hi has the dubious honor of being the second McCartney single of 1972 to be banned in the UK. The naughty Give Ireland Back to the Irish was first. The BBC misheard the lyric "get ready for my polygon" as "get ready for my body gun" and ditched it for sexual content. Paul likely should have gone with the BBC's more interesting lyric. He likely wasn't appreciating the song's chorus content while in a Japanese jail for bringing a large stash of marijuana into the country in 1980. The tight rocker is pure McCartney who has a penchant, and talent, for little shredders like this. Helen Wheels, ecorded in 1973 for Band On the Run, is the perfect companion piece. It's also minus controversy as the title refers to the Range Rover Paul and Linda had in Scotland.

31. OH WOMAN OH WHY - SINGLE 1971

Oh Woman Oh Why debuted as the B-side of Paul's first single, Another Day, offering quite a contrast to the A-side. A churning blues rocker, it features one of Macca's best vocals, covering a wide swath of territory. Someone once referred to his vocal capabilities as "gymnastic", and you can hear that here. A signature ingredient of the Wings records was Linda's backing vocals, which make a brash debut on this track. While it was an obvious highlight of early Wings' shows, I'm still confused by the gunshots, and who did the shooting.

30. SING THE CHANGES - ELECTRIC ARGUMENTS by FIREMAN 2008

In the 1990s McCartney formed the experimental, and anonymous, band Fireman with producer, and former Killing Joke bassist, Youth. While much of their output was truly experimental, this song off the third record is well inside the Macca wheelhouse. The rising vocal harmonies lift behind the static melody line, sung in Paul's upper register - tension and release at the same time. It's a deceptive song that worms through your ear, and into your brain, where it refuses to give up residence. Childlike wonder, indeed.

29. JENNY WREN - CHAOS AND CREATION 2005

Jack White's excellent PBS series American Epic beautifully captures the meandering river of influence that is music, and it concludes its episode on country music by showing how far the tree based on the roots of the Carter family, originators of country music, stretches. Troubador songwriter Donovan Leitch learned the clawhammer fingerpicking style from none other then Maybelle Carter, matriarch of that legendary family, while in the US. Then during a six week stay in India, studying transcendental mediation from the Maharishi with the Beatles, he passed the gift on. John asked him to show him how to play it, and out of that session came Dear Prudence. Paul was also in the room and his alert ears captured not only the fingerpicking style, but the descending minor chord structure, which together birthed Blackbird. Teaming with Radiohead producer Nigel Goodrich on the album Chaos and Creation in the Backyard at George Martin's suggestion, was a stroke of genius. Goodrich was an active producer who challenged the legend and brought out one of his best records. Jenny Wren, based on a character of the same name from the Dickens book Our Mutual Friend, found Paul returning to that fingerpicking style. In fact, he's referred to the song as Blackbird's sibiling. Though he tells a different story of its origin here, its a beautiful piece with a melody that floats on air, rising and hanging before dropping back down.

28. FLAMING PIE - FLAMING PIE 1997

McCartney took two years off from recording during the Beatles Anthology production, and when he came back he was loaded with Beatles inspired songs. He wanted to get back to the "simple and complete" nature of the early Lennon-McCartney tunes, setting a limit of four hours recording per song to record. For this title track he used as lyrical inspiration the oft repeated Beatles origin story Lennon created off the top of his head. It's based on a boogie woogie piano roll, inspired in parts by Fats Domino and Humphrey Lyttelton's 1956 jazz record, Bad Penny Blues. It's the same formula that gave life to Lady Madonna and later to What It Is.  Jeff Lynne produced, and with Macca the two played all the instruments. The record also features engineer Geoff Emerick, responsible for so many of the Beatles greatest sounds, and along with George Martin, Paul's most important production partner over the course of his career. The song's power is undeniable, and it remains a live staple for Paul to this day.

27. ANOTHER DAY -  SINGLE 1971

John Lennon was passionate about writing songs with real feelings, personal events, and he regularly dissed Paul's style of often writing about fictional people. Another Day, the first song recorded during the Ram sessions (and the first McCartney single), was such a song, and John famously ridiculed it in his How Do You Sleep. But each songwriter has his style, and McCartney's works as well for him as Lennon's did for him. This perfect bit of Macca confection floats on air, the lyric observationally capturing a regular day in the life of its protagonist. Written and first played during the Let It Be sessions in 1969, the recording is Paul's beginning attempt at creating a unique sound, separate from the Beatles, for his songs, To that end, the Paul and Linda's harmonies, a key ingredient of the Wings era, are prominent, and the song does not sound like a Beatles song.  Another Day is credited to Mr. and Mrs. McCartney, thereby keeping 50% of the songwriting royalties which otherwise would have gone to Lew Grade's ATV who had recently acquired controlling interest in Northern Songs, owner of Paul and John's songs.

26. MY LOVE  - RED ROSE SPEEDWAY 1973

My Love is a wonderful McCartney song, another in a seemingly endless chain of perfect melodies, a decent lyric written for Linda, and it was a big hit. But for me, what puts My Love on this list, is the guitar solo played by Irish guitarist Henry McCullough. Not one of the better known guitarists in non-musician circles, Henry is certainly one of the best to ever play on record. Before and after Wings he had very rich career (Spooky Tooth, Joe Cocker and the Grease Band). When it came time to record the solo for My Love, Paul as usual explained to him what he wanted him to play. At this moment Henry reached a turning point on playing something he thought was subpar, and said so. He wanted to play his own part. When Paul asked what he wanted to play, Henry replied he didn't know. To say there was tension would be an understatement. So playing with a live orchestra on the dime, Paul and George Martin in the control booth, he made up this solo on the spot, and created magic. McCartney respected him for standing up for what he believed, and even more so for lifting a good song to greatness.

25. FINE LINE - CHAOS AND CREATION IN THE BACKYARD 2005

A standout track from the Nigel Goodrich produced Chaos and Creation, this song started with  the duality of the opening stanza - the fine line between recklessness and courage - and the need to choose which approach you will take. But at its core, Fine Line is a classic McCartney pop melody over churning piano, a combination that has created many a classic.

24. JUNIOR'S FARM - SINGLE 1974

Paul and Linda were lovers of bucolic countryside, and they spent a lot of time on the farm in Scotland. While in Nashville with Wings in 1974 they stayed in Lebanon, TN, outside of Nashville, on the farm country songwriter Curly Putman, Jr., who is best know for the George Jones classic He Stopped Loving Her Today as well as Green Green Grass of Home. They rode horses, practiced with the band in a barn Putman had set up as a rehearsal space for them, and relaxed. Written as a tribute to Curly's farm, the single they created here of course reflected the country setting. Well, no. Junior's Farm is a rocker that could have felt quite comfortable on Band On the Run, and whose lyric don't seem to have anything to do with Curly. The great lead guitar was provided by Jimmy McCullough, the Scottish guitar player from Thunderclap Newman (Something In the Air) who was making his Wings debut on this single. 

23. TOO MANY PEOPLE - RAM 1971

Opening with the words "Piss off, cake", Too Many People fires directly on its intended target - former mate John Lennon. The Beatles demise was a vitriolic, operatic mess, leaving plenty of anger and hurt feelings in its wake. This song consists of a series of digs at Paul's former songwriting partner ("Too many people preaching practices", "You took your lucky break and broke it in two"), but it did so in the context of a great rock songs. Ram is without question my favorite McCartney record. Like many of his other early records it was callously dismissed upon release, but now in hindsight can be seen as the template for the indie pop movement. This song features excellent session guitarist Hugh McCracken who not only played on the first Left Banke single, and Laura Nero's Eli and the Thirteenth Confession, among others, but came back around to play on the final John Lennon album, Starting Over. Back to Lennon, this song ignited one of many sniping wars between the former Beatles. Lennon's How Do You Sleep? was a direct response, as was the postcard included in early copies of Imagine which featured Lennon mockingly holding a pig by the head.

22. LET ME ROLL IT - BAND ON THE RUN 1973

It's hard not to think of Lennon's Plastic Ono Band when you hear Let Me Roll it. The tape echo alone is usually more a figure of John's early work then Paul's. It also features a super heavy bass, and piercing guitar riff, which were both evident on Lennon's album, as well as Cold Turkey. But McCartney insists the similarity is coincidental. The title comes by way of another Beatle, George Harrison, who featured the refrain as a line in the song I'd Have You Anytime on his debut record, All Things Must Pass. One of Macca's rawer recordings, the song closed out side one of that bounty of musical pleasure, Band On the Run, and has been a live favorite throughout Paul's solo career. If you haven't heard it, seek out the Tedeschi Trucks Band cover of this song.

21. BEWARE MY LOVE - SPEED OF SOUND 1976

Beginning with a mellotron leading to an acoustic intro, Beware My Love suddenly begins to build into a broiler rocker. The keyboard motif reminds me of a Motown song, and Macca's bass is crisp and out front, much as it is across the entire record. It's the best, and only, real rocker on one of Wings more popular records.

20. THAT WAS ME - MEMORY ALMOST FULL

McCartney has suffered from expectations that don't take into account his intentions. He's not going to make a John Lennon record, and any sane fan wouldn't want him to - that's not his forte. Memory Almost Full, which followed the acclaimed Chaos and Creation, is one of his better solo records, though it didn't get the acclaim on release. The album finds him looking back in style, and lyric, to older days, as the title suggests. That Was Me moves on a solid yet slippery groove, with a killer baseline, and some sweet drums by Abe Loboriel, Jr, from Paul's long time touring band. Lyrically the song looks back at the writer's life in astonishment. More then any other Beatle, Macca seemed to understand from early on what a precious thing they'd created. Reflected in his rear view mirror, I guess its hard to realize you're "that" Paul McCartney. "That was me ... the same me that stands here now. When I think that all this stuff can make a life, that's pretty hard to take it in".

19. NINETEEN HUNDRED AND EIGHT-FIVE - BAND ON THE RUN 1973

In the beginning, as is often his case, McCartney had just an opening line - "No one ever left alive in nineteen hundred and eighty-five". The song's insistent piano pounds out the chords, rhythm accentuated by maracas, while a swirling mellotron creates a sonic storm as counterpoint. Then it releases into a classically sweet Wings vocal with Paul, Linda and Denny Laine breaking up the drive with a short stop for sightseeing. One of McCartney's better solo vocals.

18. SMILE AWAY - RAM 1971

Until Band On the Run Paul found mostly ridicule - from his ex-bandmates, the critics, some ex-friends - and he has acknowledged hitting a depression severe enough that he was heavily self-medicating with alcohol and weed after the Beatles break up. Smile Away is the trademark McCartney positivity, finding an upside through the upside down. Level-headed and grounded, Linda was his main elixir on this journey back to balance. I've always heard the backing vocal refrain (probably wrongly) as "She taught me how to do that", which fits my theory well. Another gem from a record chock full of them, this rocker hearkens back to the 50s in style and simplicity, a reminder that complicated is great, but not necessary.

17. MY VALENTINE - KISSES ON THE BOTTOM 2012

McCartney's entry into recordings of standards is not like the others. There is no reverent hush, nor the sound of someone trying to prove his ability to emote. The record has a relaxed feel that seems to gibe well with the artists personality. For those who take the time to give this record a listen, a very pleasant surprise awaits. But the biggest surprise is how easily, and well, the two McCartney originals fit in. Paul regularly refers to himself as a craftsman, and the truth of that shows on this genre exercise. Written on a rainy day in Morocco where he and wife Nancy were on vacation, the minor key captures the grey day, the lazy melody reflects the mood. He gets some help on the recording from big talent, Diane Krall and Eric Clapton, among them. And Natalie Portman returns (with Johnny Depp) for the video, which was directed by Macca.

16. RIDING TO VANITY FAIR - CHAOS AND CREATION - 2005

This bitter retaliation song started as an aggressive uptempo piece of work. At the time, and in hindsight, the song seems to be about his crumbling relationship with his publicity seeking wife Heather. Though Macca has denied it, it seems hard to believe otherwise. It's an example of the active producing Goodrich did, because he cut some of the lyrics he didn't like and had Paul rewrite. More importantly he slowed the song down quite a lot which altered the mood dramatically. The sighing, groaning strings accentuate the songs riling mood. It's a shame the two didn't make another record together, it was a fruitful partnership.

15. LISTEN TO WHAT THE MAN SAID - VENUS AND MARS 1975

This is about as perfect a piece of infectious pop candy as you can get from McCartney. A lyric that supports his belief in sticking to what mattes in life - love - with some possible advice to heed the words of the big man upstairs. Then again, the "man" may just be George Martin in the control booth. Traffic's Dave Mason contributed some sweet toned guitar overdubs, with jazz great Tom Scott added the saxophone that pulls it all together.

14. A LOVE FOR YOU - IN LAWS SOUNDTRACK 2003

Thank you to Chris Carter and his Breakfast With the Beatles for many things, but most of all for the tracks, alternative takes, that I've discovered in my car on a Sunday morning because of him. This is one such discovery, which I can't believe I'd never heard before. It was originally recorded during the Ram sessions in 1971, and Macca tried various overdubs over the years to get it where he wanted it. And a casual search through YouTube reveals there have been more then a few mixes of it. This is likely the best, as the song rides atop a fast Caribbean beat, Macca singing in a falsetto, with some nice electric guitar, theoretically played by Hugh McCracken. The chorus payoff is sweet and hard to let go of. Further proof that the Ram sessions were very productive.

13. RUN DEVIL RUN - RUN DEVIL RUN

Like Chuck Berry on punk steroids, this McCartney original is even more frenetic and adrenalized in its live incarnation. The band is absolutely on fire, and the various shows with them that are available on YouTube to watch are worth your time. I've never heard David Gilmour rock this hard, and as always Mick Green is a shred machine. Its easy to forget what a great drummer Ian Paice has been over the course of Deep Purple until you see him unload here. As I've said, for me this is the best band Macca has played with since the Fabs (though the current line-up comes close). You can see two live shows of this line up on YT at my favorite show Cavern Club and the Peta show the clip below is taken from  here

12. MULL OF KINTYRE - SINGLE - 1977

Mull of Kintyre was a bit of a commercial phenomena when it was released prior to Christmas in 1977. It quickly surpassed She Loves You as the biggest selling single in British history. The McCartney farm, High Park, where he and Linda hid out after the Beatles broke up, spent their first years with their kids, and where Macca wrote many great songs is the subject. He's described the song as a love song to the Kintyre peninsula, and the song's lovely melody, built for a singalong, burrows into your brain. How could it not be on the list?

11. JUNK - MCCARTNEY 1970

The Beatles sojourn to Rishiikesh, India, to study meditation with the Maharishi was a fertile creative period. The natural beauty of the area, coupled with the isolation from fans, press, and London's club scene, opened up creative pathways that were explored on the acoustic guitars they brought with them (and maybe the suitcases of baked beans Ringo brought). They came back with so many songs, that they easily filled a double album, and had many remaining songs  that would appear n altered forms on their subsequent solo albums. Junk is one of those songs. It was first auditioned for the White Album, then Abbey Road, before finally making it onto Paul's solo debut. In fact, it made it as an instrumental (Singalong Junk) as well as this vocal version on that record. Like many of McCartney's prettiest songs (I Will), this is a simple, short song whose melody perfectly suits the found object memories of the lyric.

10. BACK SEAT OF MY CAR - RAM  1971

Beatles meets Beach Boys. Teenage girls, a car, and some gorgeous harmonies speak to a Beach Boys influence. The modulating structure, from beautiful solo with piano melody, to orchestral bits, through to the rocking outro, it's pure McCartney Beatles. Another song offered to the Beatles. When you think of the many songs Harrison and McCartney offered to the Beatles, only to have them appear on solo records, its quite an embarrassment of riches.

9. MONKBERRY MOON DELIGHT - RAM 1970

I never get tired of this song. It's so completely unhinged, that it's hard to imagine what led to its writing. But there are clues. Apparently the McCartney kids referred to milk as "monk" when they were young, and the song took a further inspiration from the also abstract story of Lieber-Stoller's Love Potion #9. The lyric, in fact, is so surrealistic that it recalls the wordplay of Lennon in his first two books more then any McCartney song. The hard, insistent vocals add to the madness of the sound, and its hard to resist screaming along when you play it loud. Try it. And if you've never seen the Screamin' Jay Hawkins version, you should - hard to imagine it wasn't written for him.

8. UNCLE ALBERT/ADMIRAL HALSEY - SINGLE 1971

One trait that marked several of McCartney's early solo efforts was a structure made up of disparate parts, somehow melded together into a great whole. In the case of Uncle Albert this is because the song itself is made up of snippets of different song the writer had been working on. It all fits seamlessly, and coupled with the sound effects applied to it, makes for a near perfect single, the type only Paul McCartney could make. And, of course, the butter wouldn't melt, so he put it in the pie.

7. JET - BAND ON THE RUN - 1973

McCartney didn't write rockers like this when he was with the Beatles, its part of the new form he developed for Wings. And its part of the reason Band On the Run resonated so well. With Geoff Emerick back in the engineer seat, the song being recorded at Abbey Road after Paul, Linda and Denny Laine, returned from Band On the Run's Nigeria sessions, the sound is fantastic. The subject of the lyric is variously attributed to a black lab puppy of Paul's named Jet, to a pony he owned, and to meeting Linda's dad for the first time (the "Sgt. Major"). But the lyric hardly makes sense, and suffragette fits in no way except as an excellent sounding phonetic choice. Still. its one of the best rockers he's written post Beatles, and just might be the first power pop song, depending how you define that genre.

6. EVER PRESENT PAST - MEMORY ALMOST FULL 2007

This has become one of my favorite post-Beatle McCartney tracks. Part of McCartney's genius is his intuitive understanding of arranging. Here the insistent staccato guitar and piano, driving drum, and solid melody, are neatly arranged around sonic space. The lyric is personal with references to the Beatles, reminders of a past that has been all around the singer - while at the same time it's universal enough to be relatable to anyone. The wistful take on time ("In went by in a flash") finds resonance in his voice. Its a great vocal, his voice aged but still the same. And the melody wanders the scale like the best of McCartney songs. The whole thing feels youthful, and mellowed with age at the same time. And in the video he and his doppelgänger move much too gracefully for men of 65.

5. HERE TODAY - TUG OF WAR 1982

The death of John Lennon obviously impacted McCartney dramatically. It's probably no coincidence that he steeled up two years later and went into the studio to create his best, and most Beatley, record in years, with George Martin producing, and Ringo appearing on drums. This song is part of the continuing conversation between John and Paul. It's a splendid lyric, heartfelt and real, sung beautifully. Paul plays it every night as a tribute to his lost mate.

4. LIVE AND LET DIE - SINGLE/SOUNDTRACK 1973

Well of course Paul McCartney would write one of the best James Bond themes of all time. In hindsight it seems so obvious. The afternoon after reading the Bond book the film is "based" on, he sat down and wrote the song (in an afternoon mind you!) which he called a "job" because he had to write it around a title. Helluva job to get done in an afternoon. It was recorded the next week during the Red Rose Speedway session. Its multiple parts are par for McCartney's 70s style, and with George Martin producing it gets the sheen and attention to arranging detail it deserves. The film's producers initially didn't want Wings to record it for the film, preferring someone like Shirley Bassey. But McCartney wouldn't give it to them under otherwise. It's hard to imagine all these years later that this was even an issue. Its proven to be one of his biggest hits, a showstopper live, and it was famously covered by Guns n Roses, who had a huge hit with it in their own right. It will not die.

3. EVERY NIGHT - MCCARTNEY 1970

The break up of the Beatles was a crushing blow to McCartney, but the year leading up to it was no cakewalk either. When McCartney came out Paul was considered a writer of shallow lyrics, but this song completely defeats that argument. It reflects the pain he was experiencing, the unhealthy way he was dealing with it by drinking himself out of his mind, And there's the depression in not wanting to get out of bed, while time is rushing by him. The saving grace is, as it always seems for McCartney, love, here in the form of Linda, who was his savior during this period. As a love song it avoids the cliches, and delivers the essence in the simple statement "Tonight I just want to stay in and be with you."

2. BAND ON THE RUN - BAND ON THE RUN

Recording in Lagos, Nigeria seemed like a good idea, Until it wasn't. First his band quit on him right before departure, leaving McCartney to record with Linda and Denny Laine. In Nigeria the studio was a cramped cell ("stuck inside these four walls"). Soon after they got there all the song demos were stolen by muggers, and Paul had to recall the lyrics from memory. Then there was the late night, threatening visit from Fela Kuta, the Nigerian music legend, who thought Paul was there to steal and profit from the local music. It's no wonder the theme of freedom and escape run like a thread through the whole thing. And its no small blessing that Macca is such a great drummer. The result is one of the biggest Wings hits, from one of their biggest and best albums. It even got a blessing from John Lennon who called it a great song, and a great album. I agree.

1. MAYBE I'M AMAZED - MCCARTNEY 1970

As on anything subjective, there will be varied opinions. But I'll wager that most people familiar with McCartney's canon, if asked, would pick this great love song, dedicated to Linda, as his best. The Beatle standard is hard to match, but this gem would have fit comfortably on any of the late Beatle records, and still have been a standout track. Written after the Beatle break-up, one of the few on McCartney that was not a leftover from earlier, it is based around the piano, Starting soft and building to a powerful midsection, its a powerful piece from beginning to end. And it must be one of Paul's best vocals, strong, soft, sweet, and hard, all things. Nearly 50 years later it is still the defining song of his solo career.

So there's my 40. What's yours?  Comment below the Spotify playlist.

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