Author: mystro2b

Hound Dog by Big Momma Thornton.

The first version of “Hound Dog” was released in March 1953 by Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, an African-American Rhythm and Blues singer from Alabama. With her larger-than-life personality and earthy vocal delivery, Thornton was one of the Rhythm and Blues performers who helped usher in the Rock and Roll era. The recording became the biggest hit of Thornton’s career, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and staying there for seven weeks… In July 1956, Elvis Presley, a white singer from Memphis who as a teenager had developed a fascination with black music, recorded his own version of “Hound Dog” for RCA Records. As a white artist, Elvis released a version of “Hound Dog” that quickly overshadowed Thornton’s original, reaching the top of the R&B, Country, and Pop charts. The record became a massive crossover success that appealed to millions of young people, both black and white—a significant achievement of racial mixing in pre-Civil Rights America.

https://teachrock.org/lesson/interdisciplinary-lesson-hound-dog/

https://youtu.be/frsBq9MCNVg

Fly Away by Lenny Kravitz.

With a catchy guitar riff that maintains a perfect tempo of 80 beats per minute, and a chorus with the words “Yeah, yeah, yeah” it’s a guaranteed sing along. And the rhyme scheme, while less than inspired poetry, means you can sing it when your drunk and still remember the lyrics.

Blackbird by The Beatles.

If I could pass some musical edict that applied to all acoustic guitar players, I would require this song to be learned by rote. My second edit would then ban “Stairway” from being played in guitar shops across the land. You’re welcome Guitar Center!

Carry On My Wayward Son by Kansas.

Another album I was introduced to by a friend in high school. Again played in his bedroom on the stereo at high volume until a “turn it down!” was yelled from another part of the house. Then we would switch to headphones and take turns singing and playing air drums and guitar like fools. At around 1:26, it seems to me that the tempo rushes ahead slightly when the drums enter after the piano solo. Maybe just a push from drummer Phil Ehart to get everyone back on track. Check out this fun blog post to get some good ideas for teaching and witty banter to share at your next 80s themed party.

Add it Up by The Violent Femmes.

Explicit lyrics and explicit acoustic playing.

One of the only stable aspects of the band is their aversion to rehearsal. Due to this they would take the music to the streets in an attempt to hone it and earn some spare change. It was on one of these occasions that they were spotted by the Pretenders. Chrissie Hynde and the gang were so amused by the Violent Femmes antics that they invited the band to open the show for them. The hometown Milwaukee audience received the Femmes with unanimous booing. However by the end of the set the Femmes had converted approximately 50% of the audience to their cause. Many years later Brian Ritchie encountered Hynde when the Femmes and Pretenders shared the bill at a radio concert. She said, “Oh, you’re still around.”

https://www.discogs.com/artist/87643-Violent-Femmes

Blackberry Blossom by Mark O’Connor.

If it has strings on it, Mark O’Connor can play the hell out of it. This is a track from the early days when he was killing it with his flat-picking guitar chops. But he is just as amazing on fiddle and mandolin and has the awards and sold-out concerts to prove it. Blackberry Blossom is a classic fiddle tune- part two of your Bluegrass education.

Abraxas by DeepChord.

PLEASE listen to this track with a device optimized for bass frequencies. I would tell you to come listen to this in my 2009 Prius with the JBL premium sound system, but you would probably be embarrassed. So enjoy this one on a good set of headphones or your neighbors dodecaphonic sound system.

Moanin’ by Lambert/Hendricks/Ross.

When I found this album at a 2nd hand record store, I was on a quest to fill in the gaps of my music education. With a sub-title of 25 All-Time Giants Of Jazz this fit the bill for my jazz schooling. I always wanted to arrange this for a men’s choir, with a beat-box style rhythm section and guys stepping to the mic to scat the instrumental solos. Probably best to leave the original as it is- perfect.

And She Was by The Talking Heads.

This song is about an acid trip. According to David Byrne, it was written about a girl he knew who used to take LSD in a field next to the Yoo-Hoo drink factory.

https://www.songfacts.com/facts/talking-heads/and-she-was

That explains the video below, which was an MTV hit in the early days when MTV just played music videos (he said, shaking his fist like an old man). To be clear, I just like the vibe of this song- no personal LSD experiences to reveal. Sorry.

Chitlins Con Carne by Kenny Burrell.

When you talk about that clean, delicious, juicy jazz guitar tone, it’s Kenny Burrell and his classic rig (and amazing technique):

Guitar-wise, Burrell has used Gibsons for the majority of his career. Early on it was the ES-175 (with the Charlie Christian bar pickup) as well as the L-7 and L-5 models. But the guitar he is most associated with is the Gibson Super 400. Most of his 1950s recordings were done with his Fender Deluxe amp. (Also known as the Tweed Deluxe or 5E3.) This amp has distinctly musical overdrive and compression characteristics and emphasizes mid range frequencies.

He would later favour the Fender Twin Reverb. The scooped mids of the blackface Fenders contrast with the Tweed amps, and Burrell states his tone preferences in this quote: “I like a fat warm sound, so I set the treble lower, the bass medium, and I pump up the middle.”

https://www.jazzguitarlessons.net/blog/kenny-burrell

Put this on and you’ll feel your blood pressure drop.