Three for the Ride: KISS, The Church, Cream

Some days, I take the train to work. Other days, I drive. Either way, I listen to music on the way. I put the iPhone music player on shuffle, and off I go. Calling my collection eclectic would be an understatement. It's often an interesting mix. There are songs though, that I really wish the world could appreciate as much as I do. Songs that make me say, "Ooh, listen to THIS! Isn't it great?!"

Here's what I heard this morning:

KISS: "Do You Love Me?"
KISS released Destroyer in 1976. Produced by the genius Bob Ezrin (Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Lou Reed, Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, and oh-so-many more), Destroyer was their fourth studio album and is, by far, my favorite KISS album. The album features 10 tracks, including "Detroit Rock City", "God of Thunder", "Shout It Out Loud", "Beth", and the rock-love anthem "Do You Love Me?" I love the huge over-produced refrain at the end. Orchestral bells will get me just about every time.



The Church: "Destination"
The Church's sixth album, Starfish. was released in 1988. It was the first mainstream success the band experienced and they had a major hit with "Under the Milky Way." I was suckered in and bought the record. It's a great record. The songwriting is strong and the style unique. There are great guitar textures, varying moods, and an almost ethereal quality to some of the record. It also definitely has moments where the band's "Aussie" peeks through.



Cream: "Badge"
I watched the Concert for George for the first time the other night. Eric Clapton sort of hosted the event. And whenever I think of Eric and George Harrison together, in addition to "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", I also think of "Badge." They wrote it together and I think it's the best thing Cream ever did. (Well, O.K., it's tied with "White Room.") I got to see Eric play this live the first time I saw him, too, which is a whole other great story. From 1969's Goodbye...



Until next time...

Three for the Ride: Styx, Alice Cooper, Prince

Some days, I take the train to work. Other days, I drive. Either way, I listen to music on the way. I put the iPhone music player on shuffle, and off I go. Calling my collection eclectic would be an understatement. It's often an interesting mix. There are songs though, that I really wish the world could appreciate as much as I do. Songs that make me say, "Ooh, listen to THIS! Isn't it great?!"

Here's what I heard this morning:

Styx: "Pieces of Eight"
I might be one of the only people alive who turn the radio station when "Come, Sail Away" is played. I think the only song I hate more than that is Styx's "Babe." So, I can't tell you how or why I ended up with a copy of Pieces of Eight (1978) except that it must have been through one of those damned record clubs. That said, I love this record and I think it stands out in Styx's catalog. Dennis DeYoung is the band's primary singer, yet oddly, my favorite songs on this record are the ones that Tommy Shaw or James Young sing. That said, this song, sung by Dennis DeYoung may not be my favorite song on the record, but it's close. And I also like "I'm O.K.", another of DeYoung's tracks on the record.



Alice Cooper: "The Awakening"
In 1975, Alice Cooper released Welcome to My Nightmare, a masterpiece produced by Bob Ezrin. This is one of my favorite tracks on it. I have no idea what the song is about. It's so dark and so beautiful at the same time. I love the range it shows in Alice's voice and the sound of the piano and the guitars. It's a short one, but a great one. By the way, ignore the video and listen to the song.



Prince: "When Doves Cry"
Purple Rain was released in 1984 as the soundtrack for the movie of the same name. There were a lot of hits on that record, and Prince had finally broken through into the mainstream. This was the first single from that record and it was #1 on every relevant US chart, including Billboard's Hot 100. Rolling Stone eventually listed the song as #52 of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. I dont' know that I'd go THAT far, but I like it.

Unfortunately, Prince's stuff isn't as readily available. (In other words, it's not on YouTube.) But, here's a link to the video

Until next time...

Three from the Train: Alice Cooper, The James Gang, The Rolling Stones

Every morning that I decide to drag myself to the city, I have a little over an hour to listen to music on the train. I put the iPhone music player on shuffle, and off I go. Calling my collection eclectic would be an understatement. It's often an interesting mix. There are songs though, that I really want the world to appreciate as much as I do. Songs that make me say, "Ooh, listen to THIS! Isn't it great?!"

Some mornings are tough to choose only three songs from, but I will not break my own rule - 3 songs. Period. I'll also try to not repeat the artist, too often. Here's what I heard this morning:

Alice Cooper: "Billion Dollar Babies"
So, I've heard a lot of Alice over the last few weeks, but some of it I am hesitant to share here. The guy can be dark. And weird. And controversial. So, here's a fairly mainstream track that seems "safe." This is the title track from 1973's Billion Dollar Babies. It's a fantastic album. Produced by genius Bob Ezrin, it features my two favorite Alice Cooper songs, "Elected" and "Hello, Hooray." Glen Buxton, Steve Hunter, and the recently-passed Dick Wagner are all on this record. On this track, Alice shared vocals with Donovan.



The James Gang: "Funk #48"
The one everybody knows, because they still play it often on classic rock stations, is "Funk #49," but "Funk #48" was released a year earlier on 1969's Yer' Album. You can hear a similarity between the two tunes and see how the band was evolving the theme. Joe Walsh is one of my favorite guitar players and this is what he was up to before he joined the Eagles in 1975. It's raw and gritty and everything I love about rock and roll.



The Rolling Stones: "I Don't Know Why aka Don't Know Why I Love You"
This track, written in part by Stevie Wonder, is from 1975's Metamorphosis, a collection of outtakes and alternate versions of well-known songs recorded from 1964 to 1970. A lot of studio musicians, i.e. Jimmy Page, play on some of these tracks instead of the Stones (though they are here), and some were intended to be recorded by other artists. I discovered this record in the cutout bin at Woolworth's when I was about 13 or 14. I love it. This is one of my favorite tracks on the record with Mick Taylor killing it on the guitar. Jimmy Miller's production of this song is great. I particularly love the horn arrangements.



Until next time...