A few selections from my collection of random thoughts...
When presented the question of "Who is the most influential guitarist that emerged from the Sixties?” one may receive a plethora of answers. Jimi Hendrix being the most popular I'm sure, sometimes Eric Clapton, or Pete Townshend. Then, sometimes you may meet such a phenomenal person who says Jeffrey Arnold Beck. The biggest singles the Yardbirds ever released were the ones flooded with loud, rude, unknown guitar sounds crafted by none other than Jeff Beck. While this was the peak of Beck's mainstream success, it was only the beginning of his still-strong career, spanning numerous decades and countless genres. The name Jeff Beck may not be as recognizable as Hendrix or Clapton, but his exquisite workings of the guitar make him far superior to any of his contemporaries. Roger the Engineer (aka Over Under Sideways Down, aka Yardbirds), the first record that truly provided the rumblings of a future guitar legend, was released on July 5, 1966 in the UK. (August 8, 1966 in America.) Roger the Engineer is, to me, one of the most influential electric guitar records of not only the Sixties, but of all time. It was released nearly a full calendar year before Are You Experienced? and was, no doubt, an influence on the man now deemed the greatest guitarist of all time.
Upon my first listening of Electric Warrior, I could hardly say it was a great record. Though, I could very well classify it as a good record. And yet, with every listen, it seems to sound more like a great record. Electric Warrior is what made T.Rex a glam rock staple, and Marc Bolan a reigning king of the genre. In fact, Electric Warrior was T.Rex's only hugely successful record, with the help of their massive hit "Bang a Gong (Get It On)"; the title varies depending on which side of the Atlantic you lay. While some songs are rather boring, "Girl" and "The Motivator" among them, Electric Warrior also includes quite a few remarkable pop songs. The album opens with "Mambo Sun", an incredibly catchy tune; one of my absolute favorites off the record. "Jeepster" is an obvious choice as one of the highlights of the record. A minor hit for T.Rex in late 1971, "Jeepster" is also a delightful showcase of Marc Bolan's interesting use of words. "You've got the universe reclining in your hair." At present, my favorite song is "Lean Woman Blues", a brilliant blend of T.Rex's trademark glam rock sound and standard bluesy goodness. "Planet Queen" is the last of the truly incredible songs on Electric Warrior, with its enticing chorus, backed magnificently by perfectly placed vocals. To have a truly divine record, every single song must be a thrill. While this may not be the case with Electric Warrior, it is a great record, and helped turn Marc Bolan into the majestic character he is remembered as today.
In comparison to "Round and Round", every other song on Toys in the Attic is just kind of precious and "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" is simply laughable. "Round and Round" captures the perfect stony essence that you find all over Aerosmith's next record Rocks, their heaviest ever. During Aerosmith's reigning prime in the 70's, they were such a groove orientated band. They thrived on their perfect musical chemistry. Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer, together, created that heavy, angsty feeling that is so essential to Aerosmith's early records. Joe Perry was without a doubt, a bonafide guitar god of the 70's (just listen to the way he ends Live! Bootleg with "Strangers in the Night"), but Brad Whitford's terribly large importance in the band is often forgotten. "Nobody's Fault", the coolest fucking song on Rocks, is pure Brad Whitford. Joe Perry himself said that one of the main reasons why he was interested in getting back with Aerosmith (besides being a broke loser, as they all were in the early 80's), was so that he could once again experience the sublime guitar kinship that worked so well with Brad Whitford. Then, of course, you have Steven Tyler. One of the most talented singers in all of rock n' roll, and the ultimate showman. Together, Aerosmith are one of the greatest bands in the land.
Shockingly, not released until The Last Waltz 4-disc box set, "Don't Do It" is one of the highlights of the concert. Martin Scorsese used it as the opening number of film, even if it was truly the final song of the evening, and I think that was a fitting choice. (Though he chopped it down quite a bit.) The Band had tried for ages to get a usable take on this Marvin Gaye classic, but weren't pleased until releasing it on Rock of Ages. I personally don't think they ever did it as well as they did at The Last Waltz. "Don't Do It" was the last song ever performed by the original lineup of the Band in front of a live audience, and it shows. Levon Helm and Rick Danko never gave such powerful vocal performances. You can feel in their voices that they are giving it all they have, because they never may get to again. Each and every member of the Band is performing with that same fury, literally pounding away on their instruments. Around halfway through the number, Levon and Rick sing "My biggest mistake was loving you too much...” with such intensity; my favorite part of the entire song. It is astonishing to believe that they all stood up there giving such a vigorous performance, after being on stage for hours on end. If there was ever proof that some members of the Band were unhappy with dispersing, it wasn't what they've said in interviews or wrote in books, it was simply the way they performed that Thanksgiving night, and with this song in particular.
