Sunday, January 15, 2012

SONGS THAT DON'T SUCK SHOWCASE


Here's a couple songs that you've heard a zillion times, but really deserve a good listen. You, like me, may have been desensitized due to hearing them played to death on oldies stations. It's only been in recent years that I started listening to all of the stuff going on. Really, isolate any instrument in either song. The Isley's 1969 "It's Your Thing," in particular, really gets me; the way it starts out with just guitar and bass, followed by the piano and cymbals, then drums and vocals. By the time the horns show up after a few measures, you're in it deep.

Rare Earth's "I Just Want To Celebrate," from 1971, is somewhere between the Norman Whitfield produced Temptations era (ala "Ball of Confusion" and "Psychedelic Shack") and Hendrix. They were the first all white band on Motown to crack the top 40, and it was about the same time, so the Temptaions aren't really a stretch, and the lead vocals sound like the guy locked himself in a room with the Smash Hits LP for a while. The guitar playing, what with the wah-wah and distortion, is pretty badass (more Whitfield than Hendrix, if that makes any sense). Just a couple reminders that hits sometime deserved to be.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
The Isley Brothers - It's Your Thing mp3 at Parasoul
Rare Earth - I Just Want To Celebrate mp3 at LZ Center.com
Video:
The Isley Brothers - It's Your Thing (TV appearance) at YouTube
Rare Earth - I Just Want To Celebrate (Live) at YouTube

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