Tag Archives: song of the week

Song of the Week – The Wheel, Jerry Garcia

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Today marks the 30th anniversary of the passing of Jerry Garcia — singer, songwriter, master guitarist, and founding member of the Grateful Dead.  Garcia was so central to the band’s identity that, after his death on August 9, 1995, the surviving members chose to retire the Grateful Dead name rather than continue without him.

Yet, the Grateful Dead’s popularity endures. Dead & Company — featuring former Dead members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and (until 2023) Bill Kreutzmann, along with John Mayer, Jeff Chimenti, and Jay Lane — draw massive audiences performing a setlist steeped in Grateful Dead classics.

The group played 30 mostly sold-out shows at the Las Vegas Sphere in 2024, followed by another 18 in 2025.  Just last weekend, they drew about 60,000 fans each night for three shows in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park — a testament to the music’s ongoing cultural pull.

Beyond Dead & Company, countless Grateful Dead tribute bands perform in the U.S., filling theaters, clubs, and festival stages with devoted fans eager to keep the music alive.

In tribute to Garcia, today’s SotW is “The Wheel” from his debut solo album Garcia (1972).

Although released on a solo record, “The Wheel” became a Deadhead favorite, performed by the band more than 250 times.  Closing Side Two of Garcia, the track showcases Garcia in his pedal steel guitar period.  On the studio version, he played all instruments except the drums, which were handled by Kreutzmann.

The lyrics — penned by Garcia’s longtime collaborator Robert Hunter (with Kreutzmann also receiving a co-writer credit) — reflect the free-flowing, life-embracing ethos that runs through much of the Dead’s best work:

The wheel is turning and you can’t slow down
You can’t let go and you can’t hold on
You can’t go back and you can’t stand still
If the thunder don’t get you then the lightning will

In a 1981 interview with music journalist Ken Hunt, Garcia explained:

“The Wheel was the least formed of any of them [songs on Garcia]. I really just improvised the changes, and the way it came out is a tribute to Hunter’s tremendous skill because I set up those chord changes, explained it, and he just listened to it, worked out some couplets, a few stanzas here and there, and I fooled around with them and it ended up being that nice little tune. But to start with it was only a set of chord changes. Nothing else.”

Jerry Garcia’s artistry and vision make him one of the most significant figures in rock history — a musician whose influence continues to resonate, three decades after his passing.

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week – Go Go Children, The Richard Kent Style

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The Richard Kent Style was a British Invasion-era beat group that released a string of energetic singles, mostly on the Columbia label, between 1966 and 1969.  Though largely forgotten today, the band carved out a niche with a handful of horn-driven floor-fillers back in the day.

One standout track is “Go Go Children,” the B-side to their 1966 single “No Matter What You Do”.

While the A-side is solid, it’s the flip that truly shines. “Go Go Children” opens with a raw, driving riff that sounds like it could’ve been lifted from The Troggs’ playbook.  The track blends garage grit with brassy R&B swagger — punctuated by sharp horn stabs and a punchy bridge that leads into a pleasantly dirty guitar solo.

The band hailed from Manchester, though, curiously, there was no one named Richard Kent among its members.  The name was likely chosen for style rather than identity — an affectation not uncommon among Mod-era groups who sought to project sophistication or mystery.

While their original recordings have largely slipped out of print, you can still track down their music on various Mod and Northern Soul compilations.  Collectors and DJs in the Mod revival scene have helped keep tracks like “Go Go Children” in circulation, recognizing their undeniable energy and dance-floor appeal.

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week – Peek-A-Boo, Siouxsie + The Banshees

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Back in the ’80s, I was a terrible club DJ — mainly because I didn’t really like dance music.  That’s not to say I didn’t like dancing, or that I couldn’t enjoy a song with a good beat.  I just didn’t have much love for what was then considered “dance music”: Madonna, Michael Jackson, Taylor Dayne, Paula Abdul, and Wham!, along with a steady stream of one-hit wonders like MARRS and Technotronic.

The music I enjoyed spinning leaned more toward New Wave — bands like New Order, The Cure, and The Human League — or Urban Contemporary acts like Salt-N-Pepa, Neneh Cherry, and Keith Sweat.  I also couldn’t resist throwing in some classic rock staples like John Mellencamp and AC/DC.

Then there were the really offbeat tracks — the ones that made no sense for a dance floor, which is probably why I loved them.  One of my favorites was “Peek-A-Boo” by Siouxsie + The Banshees.

I gravitated to “Peek-A-Boo” because it didn’t sound like anything else at the time.  A review on postpunkmonk.com perfectly captures its essence:

“… a succinct 3:10 mix of reversed percussion loops, accordion, sampled piccolos, and almost binaural hard-gated panning of sound in the stereo field. The embittered look at a stripper’s lot became a psychedelic hip-hop freakout in the band’s hands. Even today, I marvel that something this left-field became The Banshees calling card in America…”

That kind of kooky, off-the-wall cut was exactly what could pull me onto the dance floor back in my twenties.

Siouxsie Sioux was married to her bandmate Budgie for about 15 years — a famously tumultuous relationship.  Budgie recently wrote a memoir titled The Absence: Memoirs of a Banshee Drummer, set for release this October.  I recently read an excerpt, and now I can’t wait to devour the entire book when it’s out.

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week – Don’t Care, Klark Kent

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Back in 1980, an EP was released in the U.S. on clear green 10-inch vinyl by a band called Klark Kent. As it turned out, Klark Kent was a pseudonym for a solo project by Stewart Copeland, the powerhouse drummer of The Police.

At the time, The Police were riding high on the success of their third album, Zenyatta Mondatta. Copeland, wary of competing with his own band, initially denied any connection to the mysterious Klark Kent.

When the “band” performed the EP’s lead single, “Don’t Care,” on the British music program Top of the Pops, the lineup included Copeland, Sting, Andy Summers, Kim Turner, Florian Pilkington-Miksa, and Miles Copeland—all wearing masks to conceal their identities. The performance, delightfully bizarre and unmistakably tongue-in-cheek, is still available on YouTube.

“Don’t Care” is a classic Stewart Copeland track: fast-paced, punchy, and bursting with energy. It climbed to #48 on the UK Singles Chart. Remarkably, Copeland played all the instruments on the Klark Kent disc himself.

The name Klark Kent was a clever nod to Superman’s mild-mannered alter ego, a fitting disguise for a rock star moonlighting as his own one-man band.

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week – Waiting on a Friend, Rolling Stones; Shipbuilding, Elvis Costello; Aja, Steely Dan; Just the Way You Are, Billy Joel

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On October 3, 2015, I published a post to pay tribute to jazz greats Wilton Felder and Phil Woods, both of whom had passed away the previous month.  I noted a curious coincidence: both had contributed to Steely Dan’s album Katy Lied.  Felder played bass on “Chain Lightning,” while Woods delivered a memorable sax solo on “Doctor Wu.”

Over the years, many rock musicians have turned to jazz legends to infuse their recordings with sophistication, soul, and swing.  Today, let’s spotlight a few of those memorable collaborations.  But first, a simple ground rule: the featured jazz artists must have been born before 1940.

This eliminates many exceptional, yet more “contemporary,” jazz-fusion and smooth jazz icons such as Randy Brecker (Bruce Springsteen), Michael Brecker (Paul Simon), David Sanborn (David Bowie), Jaco Pastorius (Joni Mitchell), Branford Marsalis (Sting and the Grateful Dead), Tom Scott (Paul McCartney), and Larry Carlton (Steely Dan).

Interestingly, some of them had early career breaks in rock bands.  The Brecker Brothers, for instance, played in the original Al Kooper-led version of Blood, Sweat & Tears (Child Is Father to the Man, 1968), while Sanborn spent five years (1967–1971) with The Butterfield Blues Band.

So, who’s left under our ground rule? Quite a few, as it turns out.

Perhaps the most iconic jazz cameo in rock history is the sax solo Sonny Rollins played on the Rolling Stones’ “Waiting on a Friend.”  In fact, Rollins contributed to three tracks on Tattoo You (1981), though he was uncredited in the liner notes.  At the time, many saw this omission as a slight, but Rollins later explained that he had requested anonymity — fearing association with a rock record might damage his credibility in the jazz world.  Rollins, often hailed as one of the greatest tenor saxophonists in jazz history, rose to prominence in the 1950s alongside legends like Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, and Max Roach.  His landmark albums — Saxophone Colossus, Tenor Madness, and Way Out West — cemented his status as a titan of modern jazz.

Another poignant fusion came on Elvis Costello’s “Shipbuilding.”  Written by Clive Langer with lyrics by Costello, the song reflects on the bitter irony of war bringing economic revival to Britain’s shipyards during the 1982 Falklands War.  Originally recorded by Robert Wyatt, Costello later included his own version on Punch the Clock (1983), enlisting the great Chet Baker to deliver a haunting, elegiac trumpet solo.  Baker, a central figure in the West Coast “cool jazz” scene of the 1950s, became famous for his lyrical, introspective style.  Known equally for his trumpet playing and intimate vocals, Baker first gained national attention with Gerry Mulligan’s pianoless quartet, and went on to lead a storied — and often tumultuous — career that spanned decades.

Then there’s Wayne Shorter — legendary saxophonist with Miles Davis and Weather Report — who graced the title track of Steely Dan’s Aja (1977) with a transcendent solo.  Recording at the Village Recorder studio in Los Angeles, Steely Dan’s jazz-obsessed duo, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, were determined to bring Shorter on board.  Through a connection with studio owner Dick LaPalm, a friend of Shorter’s, they got their wish. Reportedly, Shorter laid down six takes over roughly 35 minutes, and was gone!  What he left behind remains timeless.

And we circle back to Phil Woods — who earns a second mention for his gorgeous solo on Billy Joel’s “Just the Way You Are.”  Often referred to as the “New Bird” for his stylistic ties to Charlie Parker, Woods had played with jazz titans like Sonny Stitt, Cannonball Adderley, and Dizzy Gillespie.  His lyrical, yearning alto sax solo helped elevate Joel’s ballad to Grammy-winning heights in 1979, claiming both Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

These examples showcase how traditional jazz artists have not only crossed over into rock — they’ve enriched it. Their contributions remain some of the most expressive moments in rock music history.

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week – Her Name Is Love, The Chains

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Back in the early oughts, a Montreal-based band called The Chains released a terrific album – On Top of Things! (2002) – a tight, energetic blend of power pop and garage rock.  At the time, the genre was enjoying a resurgence led by acts like The White Stripes (recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame), The Strokes out of New York, Sweden’s The Hives, and The Vines from Australia.  That whole scene was right up my alley!

Unfortunately, The Chains never achieved the recognition and status of those better known bands.  Following On Top of Things! they only managed one further release – the 2004 single Till You Come Back Home / The Boy Who Took My Place – before fading into obscurity.

Still, On Top of Things! holds up remarkably well. The opening track is “Her Name Is Love”.

It kicks off with a galloping rhythm that recalls the Count Five’s “Psychotic Reaction,” layered with touches of Rockpile-style neo-rockabilly. It’s a confident, hook-laden gem that sets the tone for the rest of the album.

It’s a shame this group didn’t receive more attention “back in the day” but their music hasn’t disappeared entirely. You can still catch a track or two on Little Steven’s Underground Garage — a fitting home for a band that deserved more love.

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week – Song to the Siren, Tim Buckley

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In the late ’60s and early ’70s, Tim Buckley emerged as the avatar of daring, adventurous folk music.

His beautifully aching song “Morning Glory,” co-written with Larry Beckett, appeared on his second album Goodbye and Hello (1967) and was later covered by several artists, including Blood, Sweat & Tears.  However, the song was ultimately too conventional for Buckley, who felt compelled to keep pushing his music into new, uncharted territory.

By 1969, Buckley was embracing jazz influences, collaborating with vibraphonist David Friedman and conga player C.C. Collins on Happy Sad (1969).  His exploration of improvisational structures culminated in what many of his most devoted fans consider his masterpiece: Starsailor (1970).

Buckley understood that this shift in musical direction would likely alienate his core fanbase, but he was determined to follow his artistic instincts.  He toured the album in small jazz clubs, often to indifferent or confused audiences.

The standout track from Starsailor is “Song to the Siren,” also co-written with Beckett.

The song draws on Greek mythology, referencing the sirens who lured sailors to their doom.  Its poetic lyrics reflect Beckett’s literary sensibilities, offering a stark contrast to Buckley’s more emotionally direct songwriting style.

The arrangement is minimal — anchored by a reverb-drenched guitar that perfectly frames Buckley’s extraordinary five-octave vocal range.

“Song to the Siren” found new life in 1983 through a haunting cover by This Mortal Coil, which has since been featured in numerous film and television soundtracks.

Buckley died 50 years ago of an accidental drug overdose. He was 28. His friend and drug dealer, Richard Keeling, had given him heroin the night he died. On the advice of Keeling’s lawyer, he pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, and served four months in jail. Today, he says he regrets that decision and wishes he had fought the charge.

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week Revisited – Runnin’ Away & If You Want Me To Stay, Sly and the Family Stone

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Sly Stone has died.  That makes me very sad because he has always been one of my favorite artists.  The post below was only the second SotW I wrote, back on February 16, 2008.  I’m reposting it to honor Sly’s passing.

This week I’m listening to Sly Stone. In my last band session, we played “You Can Make It If You Try.” It was a lot of fun to play that funky music. But sometimes I prefer his slow burn funk to the “punch the sky”, “take you higher” rave ups. 

Check out the deep cut “Runnin’ Away” from There’s A Riot Goin’ On and “If You Want Me To Stay” from Fresh. Both have those trademark Family Stone horn accents. “Stay” has one of the coolest Larry Graham bass lines on record. You gotta move (at least a little) when you hear it. 

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week – Evil (Is Going On), Howlin’ Wolf

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Next week, on June 10th, Howlin’ Wolf would have turned 115 years old.  A giant of a man — both in physical stature and musical legacy — he stood 6’3”, weighed nearly 300 pounds, and loomed just as large in the world of blues.

He’s best known for recording many blues standards, including:

  • Smokestack Lightning
  • Spoonful
  • Little Red Rooster
  • Wang-Dang Doodle
  • Back Door Man
  • Killing Floor

A personal favorite of mine is “Evil (Is Going On)”.

What draws me to this track is its dark, menacing tone. It capitalizes on the fearsome image Wolf projected — using his imposing size and the gravelly, raw timbre of his voice.  After just a single, ominous guitar chord, Wolf bursts in, practically shouting the opening lines:

If you’re a long way from home
Can’t sleep at night
Grab your telephone
Somethin’ just ain’t right

He heightens the drama by using a different voice for the chorus, creating a chilling call-and-response effect:

That’s evil
Evil is goin’ on wrong
I am warnin’ you, brother
You better watch your happy home

The band behind him is equally powerful.  Guitarists Hubert Sumlin and Jody Williams deliver a fierce dual-guitar attack.  Otis Spann dances over the keys in the high register. Willie Dixon — who also wrote the song — anchors everything with a deep, steady bassline, while Earl Phillips keeps flawless time on the drums. Wolf himself adds some haunting blues harp work.

The entire track carries the weight of the lyrics: a desperate, urgent warning to men (himself included) to beware of creeping infidelity.

Originally released in 1954, “Evil” didn’t chart until 1969, when a re-recorded version finally reached #43 on the Billboard R&B chart.

Let’s honor Howlin’ Wolf’s birthday this June 10th by keeping his music — and his legacy — alive.

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week – Armageddon It, Def Leppard; This guitar, Def Leppard ft. Alison Krauss

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When Alison Krauss teamed up with Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant to create the Grammy-winning album Raising Sand, the unexpected pairing raised eyebrows in the country/bluegrass community.  But for those who had followed Krauss’s eclectic career, the collaboration was less bewildering than it seemed.  Krauss has long embraced a diverse array of musical influences, consistently demonstrating an adventurous spirit and an open ear.

One particularly surprising influence? Her admiration for British rock titans Def Leppard.

In the June 2025 issue of MOJO, journalist Sylvie Simmons conducted an insightful, revealing interview with Krauss that shed light on this unlikely connection.

You and Def Leppard have something going.  Years ago you interviewed Joe Elliott for Q magazine.

It’s crazy.  I don’t remember how that came together but I do remember when the idea came up.  Union Station were making a record called So  Long So Wrong (1997) and around that same time I was listening to Def Leppard all the time – just the way that they do their harmonies.  Bluegrass people are crazy over Def Leppard.  Because bluegrass is a lot about harmonies.  Among other things, Def Leppard did the best harmony parts.

When asked which Def Leppard songs best resonate with the bluegrass crowd, Krauss didn’t hesitate.

The songs on Hysteria particularly, like Animal and Armageddon It.  All the parts where they do the high lead and they put what we call the baritone underneath the lead.  That’s a very kind of heroic sound for the bluegrass people.  Because when you have a high male lead, and you stack the parts underneath, it’s a real magical harmony stack that bluegrass people love.

Here’s “Armageddon It”.

Krauss took her passion for Def Leppard to a new level in 2022, when she recorded two emotionally rich tracks — “This Guitar” and “Lifeless” — for the band’s album Diamond Star Halos.

“This Guitar” stands out as a tender, wistful ballad. Krauss’s ethereal harmony with Joe Elliott, paired with a gently weeping slide guitar, allows the song to slip seamlessly into contemporary country playlists.

The moral of the story?  Stay curious.  Like Krauss, refuse to confine music into neat little boxes.  True artistry often lies where genres collide.

Enjoy… until next week.