Great musicians of the 20th century

[ajay124]

Classic Rock
Low Sparks Of The High Heeled Boys
Traffic
Steve Winwood and Jim Capaldi in full flow on this 'hip' album with multiple meanings.Take your pick from the many interpretations available on the net.For me this album was simply about great rock music with a progressive twist.The sound and the lyrics convey an undercurrent of 'protest' against the 'business as usual' banality of life in the West.
http://www.covershut.com/covers/Traffic---The-Low-Spark-Of-High-Heeled-Boys-Front-Cover-10550.jpg
Best track was the title track.Would rate it as one of the best 10 rock songs of all times!
YouTube - TRAFFIC The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys 02 The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys PART 1

 

[ssf]

Ajay,

The Crosby,Stils,Nash&Young song, I started singing 'Knocking on heaven's Door'. Ok, you can kill me now :lol:

Regards,

Sunil

 

[ajay124]

Classic Rock
In The Court Of The Crimson King
King Crimson
Back in the early 80's,when we were graduating,there were so many things to worry over.Perpetually broke,frowning teachers,frowning parents and relatives,falling grades,no girl friends,hung over,smoked out,,,,we were all so terribly confused.Having nothing else to celebrate,we celebrated confusion.
Confusion will be my epitaph
Epitaph has an anthemic feel,and from the moment it begins,it just carries you along on a rising tide of words and music.One of those great,big,unforgettable tracks like Stairway To Heaven,Riders On The Storm or Whiter Shades Of Pale.For me this one album is worth more than best of Pink Floyd.Will no one lay the laurel wreath,when silence drowns the screams...

King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King
YouTube - Epitaph - King Crimson
"Said the straightman to the lateman where have you been?
I've here and I've been there and I've been in between."
A song which perfectly described the way our generation was drifting.
YouTube - I talk to the wind - King Crimson

 

[ajay124]

Rock Classics
Blood On The Tracks
Bob Dylan
In the years following his motorcycle accident in 1966,Dylan released several albums like John Wesley Harding,Nashville Skyline,Self Portrait,Before The Flood.None of them wowed the critics like his earlier albums had,inspite of some quintessential tracks like Knocking On Heaven's Door,Lay Lady Lay and All Along The Watchtower.
In 1974,after his marriage broke up,Dylan released a 'quickie',which is now considered one of his best albums.Blood On The Tracks may have been largely autobiographical,but for a nation still recovering from Vietnam,these songs of loss and despair,were also about a new landscape,with many of the old certainties and beliefs missing or dead.
Best tracks Tangled Up In Blues,Simple Twist Of Fate,You're A Big Girl.
And a bitter Idiot Wind,following a nasty break up with his wife Sara.
"Idiot wind,blowing every time you move your mouth
Blowing down the backroads headin south
Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth
Youre an idiot, babe
Its a wonder that you still know how to breathe"
http://thehelplessdancer.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/blood-on-the-tracks.jpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8y3aUgDY6c&ob=av3e

 

[suri]

aaah! -

how i wish that god (that unfeeling entity) had gifted me 'a voice' - and the ability to 'sing' - AND

that god had willed these words to be mine (and mine alone) -

"Idiot wind,blowing every time you move your mouth
Blowing down the backroads headin south
Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth
Youre an idiot, babe
Its a wonder that you still know how to breathe"

and no, i am not heading for a messy divorce!

 

[ajay124]

Rock Classics
Woodstock
Various Artistes
Max Yasgur's farm.1969.3 days of peace and music.In the shadow of the Vietnam war.
The late 60's were the years of protest.The years which spawned a short lived 'youth' inspired counter culture.A counter culture built on ideals,which looked achievable....through a smoky haze
America was a nation divided by the Vietnam war,especially after the Tet offensive in '68.France was still recovering from 'the merry month of may'',when students had taken control of the Sorbonne university,leading to a tidal wave of strikes across the nation.
"It's always the old who lead us to the war
always the young to fall
Now look at all we've won
with the saber and the gun
tell me is it worth it at all"
Phil Ochs
"Come you masters of war
You that build the big guns
You that build the death planes
You that build all the bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks"
Bob Dylan
Ironically the best two 'spokesmen' of that generation were both missing from Woodstock.Along with Joni Mitchell.Led Zep,Doors and the Beatles.But still there was plenty of firepower,the most remarkable being a gentleman by the name of James Marshall Hendrix.Also Joan Baez,Richie Havens,CSN,The Who,Santana,Ten Years After,Arlo Guthrie,Canned Heat,Janis Joplin,Joe Cocker....and Ravi Shankar!
Rain,mud,5,00,000 'hippies'.Three days of LIVE MUSIC in a world that is now more 'memorabilia' than real.
Best track.Take your pick.My favorites,Jimi Hendrix and Richie Havens
YouTube - Richie Havens, Freedom, (Woodstock)
YouTube - Jimi Hendrix woodstock 1969
YouTube - The Who - My generation (live at woodstock 1969)
YouTube - Evil Ways - Santana [Live at Woodstock 1969]
YouTube - Pt Ravi Shankar at Woodstock

 

[ajay124]

Classic Rock
At Filmore East
Allman Brothers
One of the best live concerts in the annals of rock music.
Performed September1970.Album released July 1971.
Duanne Allman,comes quite close to being an equal of Jimi Hendrix on this recording.
October 1971,Duanne Allman died when his Harley Davidson crashed into a truck.He was 25 years old.
http://theselvedgeyard.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/allmanbrothersbandatfilxa411.jpg
Best tracks,In memory of Elizabeth Reed(best guitar instrumental ever?),Whipping Post.
YouTube - The Allman Brothers Band with Duane - In Memory of Elizabeth Reed - Fillmore East - 09/23/1970
Audio/Video was not very good
So here's Allman's Brothers with another great song.Rambling Man
YouTube - Ramblin Man Lyrics

 

[iaudio]

Liked Richie Heavens "Freedom" one helluva live performance.

 

[longshanks]

Hugh Masekela is a great musician.


Here is an example:

YouTube - Hugh Masekela - Stimela

 

[ajay124]

Rock Classics
Four Way Street
Crosby,Stills,Nash&Young
Another great Live album from 1971.My favorite sing-along albumWith songs written by all the band members.The first album is acoustic and the second electric with a vengeance.The extended riffs on Southern Man and Ohio are a high point.Also Chicago,Cowgirl In The Sand,Don't Let It Bring You Down,Right Between The Eyes from Album 1.
My favorite tracks are Chicago...."We can change the world,rearrange the world,it's dying"....youthful idealism...first casualty of growing old:sad:
Is a 40+ man/woman capable of 'idealism'?Or would they,on being told that the world is dying,sing ''Well so am I,and I couldn't care less"!
Seems to be the attitude of young and old alike these days.
YouTube - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Chicago (Live)
and Cowgirl In The Sand...I wish I could sing and play the guitar like Neil.Everytime I hear this song,I want to shout N-E-I-L-Y-O-U-N-G is the greatest!
YouTube - Neil Young CS&N - Cowgirl In The Sand

 

[arj]

What a fantastic collection of Rock Balllads,

Have been listening to a lot of these the last few days whenever i could grab some time. Discovered them very late but have grown to love their voice and their attitude in singing
-Ray Charles

-Ray Brown

.. and Ella with Duke

 

[ajay124]

Classic Rock
Just One Night
Eric Clapton
This is one of the rare bit of rock music that I have heard extensively,on what we used to refer to as LP's.A friend had this double album,and quite often I used to cycle down to his room from my college hostel,and over a shared half of Sea Pirate,we used to pay homage to 'God' and his Guitar,with albums like No Reason To Cry,Timepieces and Just One Night.
Just One Night was a 2 album set based on a 1979 live concert at Budokan Theatre in Tokyo.Excellent recording quality.My favorite versions of Double Trouble,All Our Past Times,Cocaine,Wonderful Tonight,Tulsa Time.
Rajiv,Stevieboy,Doors666,Manav,others?Do you have this album on Vinyl and what do you think about it?
YouTube - Eric Clapton-Cocaine (Live 1981)
and also on the same night,another song I have always liked,although Blues fan-atics smirk when they hear this version of Double Trouble.
YouTube - Eric Clapton- Double Trouble

 

[ajay124]

Rock Classics
Blues Breakers
John Mayall and Eric Clapton
More whiteman's blues.This is the album on which 'young' Eric Clapton built his reputation,before moving on to even better work with the supergroup Cream.From my earliest days with rock music,I have always loved the sound of Mayall's voice,organ and harmonica.It is a mystery why great music like Mayall and Procol Harum,happening at the same time as the Beatles and the Stones,gained less critical and commercial appreciation.
Best tracks All Your Love,Hideaway
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AvIng__bH4E/THgsRc444zI/AAAAAAAAAHo/uC51jjGVYjM/s1600/BBE.jpg
YouTube - All Your Love --- John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
YouTube - John Mayall Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton - Hideaway

 

[iaudio]

Ajay, How did you come across Blues breakers?

 

[moktan]

Rock Classics
Blues Breakers
John Mayall and Eric Clapton
More whiteman's blues.This is the album on which 'young' Eric Clapton built his reputation,before moving on to even better work with the supergroup Cream.From my earliest days with rock music,I have always loved the sound of Mayall's voice,organ and harmonica.It is a mystery why great music like Mayall and Procol Harum,happening at the same time as the Beatles and the Stones,gained less critical and commercial appreciation.
Best tracks All Your Love,Hideaway
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AvIng__bH4E/THgsRc444zI/AAAAAAAAAHo/uC51jjGVYjM/s1600/BBE.jpg
YouTube - All Your Love --- John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
YouTube - John Mayall Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton - Hideaway

speaking of whiteman blues...Paul Butterfield Blues Band comes to mind..and yes Robin Trower (Procul Harum) was one of my favorite vocalists for some time...anyway have any forum members heard of the jammin band Gov't Mule...really good Southern Rock...

 

[ajay124]

Ajay, How did you come across Blues breakers?

In the bad old 80's,'86 to be precise,I met a 'tourist' called Rax from Bangalore,strolling on the Mall,in Simla.Early 20's,long hair,guitar,slurred speach,'distant' look in the eyes.I invited him to my 'mountain retreat',a rented room near the Jakhoo temple.We spent the evening boozing,smoking,he played us some Bob Dylan's on his guitar,and when he left late night,he left behind a C 90 tape as a gift.Blues Breakers on Side 1 and Blues From Laurel Canyon on side 2.
More Mayall.Love these two
Somebody broke your wings,little bird you can't fly....
YouTube - John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers - Broken Wings
Maybe my Jenny's got another guy,
I live through all my lonely confusions,if I never see her again....
YouTube - John Mayall - Jenny

 

[square_wave]

I feel ya....

Same here

 

[ajay124]

Rock Classics
Procol Harum
Procol Harum
Released in 1967,this is one of the great albums of rock music.The U.K. release did not have"Whiter Shade Of Pale",because it had already been released as a single.But since it was hitting the top of the charts everywhere,it was included in later releases as part of their first album.
Whiter Shade Of Pale (inspired by several compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach) is arguably the best rock song of all times.I had taped it over and over again,roughly 10 times,on one side of a C90 tape.With this track once was never enough!Luckily,now we have the repeat function.Certainly,it has a place among the legends,along with Like A Rolling Stone,Eleanor Rigby,Satisfaction,Stairway To Heaven,Sunshine Of Your Love,Purple Haze....
Another great track on this album was Conquistador.


Whiter Shade Of Pale/Procol Harum
We skipped a light fandango,
Turned cartwheels 'cross the floor.
I was feeling kind of seasick,
But the crowd called out for more.
The room was humming harder,
As the ceiling flew away.
When we called out for another drink,
The waiter brought a tray.

And so it was that later,
As the miller told his tale,
That her face at first just ghostly,
Turned a whiter shade of pale.

She said there is no reason
And the truth is plain to see
That I wandered through my playing cards,
And would not let her be
One of sixteen vestal virgins
Who were leaving for the coast.
And although my eyes were open,
They might just as well have been closed.

And so it was later,
As the miller told his tale,
That her face at first just ghostly,
Turned a whiter shade of pale.


YouTube - Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade Of Pale - 1967 (HD Stereo)
YouTube - Procol Harum - Conquistador
A Procol Harum anthology is essential listening for any rock music aficionado.

 

[moktan]

am listening to Professor Longhair Crawfish Fiesta and the Taj Mahal The Real Thing...the Prof is really infectious with the exuberance of his joyous piano....

 

[ajay124]

am listening to Professor Longhair Crawfish Fiesta and the Taj Mahal The Real Thing...the Prof is really infectious with the exuberance of his joyous piano....

@Moktan
Where do you dig up and obtain music like Govt Mule and Prof Longhair?
First time I'm hearing their names,but they sound interesting!