200 Lost Gems & Forgotten Diamonds:-->Pt 10


"On a saxophone you can play sleaze.
On a bass you can play balls.
But on a guitar you can
be truly obscene."
~ Frank Zappa


This personal list of "lost gems & forgotten diamonds" continues.
(A reminder...songs will be from the 70s decade...but not exclusively.)

I strongly encourage everyone to purchase the albums for an even better understanding.

Part 10 - Let's Begin...

110:-->Johnny Winter ------"All Tore Down" (4:31)------- Still Alive And Well (1973)
"You know I went out to buy me a bottle
and try to soothe the pain.
Before I left the cashier
he was hasslin' me about the change."
A raucous highway jam...tough and real. This bad boy whips and cuts with minimal mercy.

109:-->Uriah Heep ------------- "High Priestess" (3:41) -------------Salisbury (1971)
"Then let's get together in the sky...
To leave the lonely world to wonder why."
An upbeat rocker with nailed banshee wail from David Byron that Judas Priest would be proud of. Plus the furious guitar spank of Mick Box is all over this one.


108:-->Bruce Springsteen ---"Adam Raised A Cain" ----Darkness On The E.O.T. (1978)
"He was standin' in the door. I was standin' in the rain...
with the same hot blood burning in our veins."
Perfect speaker food. Perhaps his most under-appreciated song. Soaked in coolness with a nice wood-chip on the shoulder...daring to be knocked off.

107:-->Crack The Sky ---------"Sleep" (6:25) ------------Crack The Sky (1975)
"Oh, I could be a hero.
I could be a lover of a thousand movie queens."
Gorgeous harmonies and delicious time-signatures. Instantly familiar and hooks like a Peter Pan pirate.


106:-->Budgie --------"Crash Course In Brain Surgery" (2:40) -------- In For The Kill (1974)
"Raven black is on my track.
Please show me how to neutralize the knife."
Great heavy-metal churn with awesome vocals. Should have broke large in the states if there was any RnR justice.

105:-->Wings --------"Beware My Love" (6:26) -------At The Speed Of Sound (1976)
"I don't believe that he's the one...
But if you insist,
I must be wrong. I must be wrong."
"Beware..." is a knock-down keeper. And one I wished the Beatles would have recorded. John would have enjoyed getting his licks in on this one. Nevertheless, no 'silly' love song this time.

104:-->Pete Townshend ------ "Sheraton Gibson" (2:40) ----Who Came First (1972)
"I'm sittin' in the Sheraton Gibson playin' my Gibson...
thinkin' 'bout a sunny barbecue."
Beautiful guitar ditty with Pete wistfully longing to be home once again. Super catchy and guaranteed to put a smile on your face.


103:-->Ron Wood ------------"Seven Days" (4:10) ------------Gimme Some Neck (1979)
"I'll be waiting at the station for her to arrive.
Seven more days, all I gotta do is survive."
Backed by familiar band mates, Wood takes this Dylan penned song and fills it with a ballsy energy easily making his own.


102:-->Frank Zappa -----------"Stink-Foot" (6:33) ---------- Apostrophe (1974)
"My python boot is too tight.
I couldn't get it off last night.
A week went by, and now it's July.
I finally got it off and my girlfriend cried"
The song story is nails. And the guitar solo ranks up there with his best. Absolutely no missteps. Smell it!

101:-->Leon Russell -----"Alcatraz" (3:51) ----The Shelter People (1971)
"Here comes Uncle Sam again...
with the same old bag of beads."
Original snarly LR vocals are surrounded by a spirited bunch of good time musicians. Clapton provides his guitar flex on this one.


Good stuff!  ...to be continued.

Casey Chambers
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Comments

Anonymous said…
"Seven Days" snuck onto the radio briefly, then vanished. Great version sung with real yearning and emotion!
January 4, 2009 at 3:16 AM
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