By By Billy Florio
“Everybody Loves You Now (Live)”-Billy JoelThis is not the original version off his solo debut Cold Spring Harbor, but the fuller, live version from Songs In The Attic. Everybody forgets that before Billy Joel made sappy songs like “Lullaby (Good Night My Angel),” and meaningless pseudo-“worldly” songs like “It’s All About Soul,” he could rock. For those who never cared for Joel’s studio production, “Everybody Loves You Now” is Joel and his band at their rawest and best. You can hear the screams of the crowd; you can hear a wrong note being played. The cymbal crashes and drum fills may be a little over the top (thank former Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels session man Liberty DeVito for that), but the song works so well, who cares? Wow…what the hell happened to this guy?
“John, I’m Only Dancing”-David BowieA forgotten Bowie single. It never made its way on to a proper album, probably due to its alleged gay references, but one of Bowie’s best. It easily fits into place on Aladdin Sane or The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust. “Smokey Places”-The CorsairsBy the ’60s, Doo-Wop was starting to combine with other genres of music. The Corsairs’ “Smokey Places” is doo-wop with a heavy influence of rock, and a splash of jazz. Listen to that music in the background: Hear the machine-gun rattle of the drums, and hear that jazzy dissident pounding on the piano, hear the background vocals sound like instruments themselves. Even with that string section thrown in near the end, this is a perfect doo-wop…hell, pop song.
“The KKK Took My Baby Away”-The RamonesWhen people talk about the Ramones, the first songs mentioned are always “I Wanna Be Sedated” or “Blitzkrieg Bop.” Never does 1981’s “The KKK Took My Baby Away” get its respects within the first few minutes of the conversation. Maybe because it came out long after the Ramones were considered irrelevant. Or maybe because it was the only gem on an album of filler (Pleasant Dreams), but for whatever reason, it deserves better. It was the beginning of the end for the Ramones, but at least they went out with one of their best songs. “The Big Three Killed My Baby”-The White StripesThe name is probably a reference to the aforementioned Ramones song, but besides that, there are no similarities. There’s nothing pop or punk about this. This is pure heavy blues-rock-Black Sabbath style.
“Geno”-Dexy’s Midnight RunnersKevin Rowland has penned more notable songs, but his other work is unjustifiably overlooked. “Geno” is an amazing piece of Celtic Soul. The horns that open the song and provide its riff are gorgeously welcoming. They scream: “Here’s a song you’re gonna enjoy, whether you want to or not.” Come On Ei-who?
“Suspect Device”-Stiff Little FingersAccording to High Fidelity, they’re the band Green Day got all their ideas from: Isn’t that reason enough to listen to them? One of the greatest punk bands to come around in the late ’70s, many non-Green Day bands have neglected them since.
“Black Magic Woman”-Fleetwood Mac“What?!” you’re screaming. “Santana didn’t do the original version of ‘Black Magic Woman’?” Nope, he didn’t. Peter Green wrote the original in the late ’60s for his then blues-rock quartet Fleetwood Mac. One of the best songs the band ever released. They take a whole new look at it, without Santana’s Latin feel or screaming guitar.
“Hey Grandma”-Moby GrapeMoby Grape had its 15 minutes of fame with its 1967 debut album, Moby Grape. “Hey Grandma” opens the album, showing off exactly what Moby Grape were capable of. The song is a great mixture of blues, soul and rock, but constantly gets overlooked (as does the whole band) due to the success of their San Francisco Sound cohorts: Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead and even Quicksilver Messenger Service.
“Speedy Gonzalez”-Pat BooneThis song should be known for its sheer awfulness. Just as Warner Brothers has tried to erase all memories of their cartoon character by the same name, Pat Boone has tried to erase all memories of this 1962 song. Boone got fame from being one of many artists who recorded “white versions” of “black music,” a practice that some think promoted segregation. We can’t really hate Boone for doing what his management told him to do, but we can hate him for recording this overly racist song. “Speedy Gonzalez” projects stereotypes of Mexicans, having them eating tortillas and enchiladas, living in mud, oh and-just read this lyric: “Hey, Rosita / Come queek / Down at the cantina they giving green stamps with tequila!” Did I mention that part is sung in a Mexican accent to imitate the Looney Toons character?
Santana didn´t write “Black Magic Woman” (Image courtesy musicdirect.com)