Ted Nugent: Stranglehold

Number 17.

Ted Nugent - Stranglehold.

Current Knowledge: I don't know much about Ted Nugent's music. I do know that the first time I was on the radio, I played my segment and then the host interviewed Ted Nugent over the phone afterwards, so I basically opened for him. Also, a friend of mine plays bass with Derek St. Holmes all the time (he gets theses all expenses paid trips to Vegas and LA and Denver.... I hate him). I have a sneaking suspicion I know this song.... But I'm not 100% sure, and I know I've never heard the original, so here goes.


First Thoughts: Yep. I know this song. Dylan, the bass player referenced above, does this song all the time at bars. I had no idea this was a Ted Nugent song! And though Dylan is one of the best bassists I've ever met EVER, Nugent sings this waaaay better. He's actually got a cool voice. And I don't know who's playing guitar here (Nugent maybe?) but it's really, REALLY good. This is basically straight up rock 'n roll. Not surprisingly, the original version is far better than anything that's been done in any bar I've ever been to. The solos are way longer, more drawn out, and all around better. Yeah, this is awesome.


Verdict: I was pretty sure I knew this song, and I'm not surprised I liked this better than the bar covers I've grown used to. It's a badass rock and roll song with a ripping guitar solo that I will forever appreciate and never duplicate. I'm really diggin' it.


(And by the way, these headphones are making ALL the difference; best $25 I ever spent.)

Johnny Cash: Hurt

Number 16!

Johnny Cash - Hurt.

Current Knowledge: I know a few Johnny Cash songs; my grandpa is quite the fan (and, in fact, the only person in my extended family who plays guitar). Ring of Fire is probably his favorite, and I know that one like the back of my hand. However, I was at a party over the weekend, and on the TV/radio station that was playing, the Nine Inch Nails song Hurt came on. I genuinely didn't believe the person who told me that Johnny Cash had covered this, or how it possibly could have sounded. So, here I am, about to find out.


First Thoughts: Maybe it's my headphone upgrade, but the guitar in this sounds really awesome. It's really clear and bright and right on the top of the mix....yeah, this is probably thanks to the headphones, actually. In regards to the song itself: it's actually a really weird version of this, honestly. This song seems to be written with a really strong vocal melody, and Johnny Cash was by no means young when he recorded this; his voice is distinct but not particularly striking in this. I think it's actually the lack of emotion in his voice that is the issue for me. The lyrics say that the speaker is more or less dying, and Cash's vocal seems a bit apathetic. Though I think I can see why he chose to cover it, there's a good story and a nice acoustic guitar part, which are Johnny Cash staples.


Verdict: I'm not really sure what to make of this. It's a really weird convergence between two distinctly different types of music. I wouldn't say I'd put this on again, but I can certainly commend Johnny Cash for picking a song that is so far outside of his usual genre and making it his own. That's something I try to do a lot of the time, so I can definitely relate, at least.

A Reverse Lookup - Rod Stewart: Stay With Me

Number 15:

So, this is a little backwards. A friend of mine and an incredible musician used to cover this one song every time I saw him play, and I loved it. But I never got around to asking him what it was, and he's moved away recently. It's long past time for me to look up what the heck this song is. The internet is so cool.


After a tedious Google search, and about an hour of trying to remember any of the lyrics in the right order, I found it! It's Stay With Me, by Rod Stewart.

First Thoughts: I mean, I've known this song for years without knowing ever hearing the original, so that in itself is satisfying. It's sung so high! My friend always sang it an octave down, apparently. And he always did it just with an acoustic guitar, so to hear it with a full band, and all the harmony and everything is so awesome. And the slide guitar! That's awesome too. I've always wanted to learn to play like that. And this breakdown at the end with the guitar and bass solos is just so good.


Verdict: The original is great. I finally know who sings this awesome piece of music. I have about seven hundred memories associated with this song, so I'm excited to have a name for it. Maybe I'm a little biased, but I love it!

Jimi Hendrix: All Along the Watchtower

Number 14!


A revisit to All Along The Watchtower- this time, the Jimi Hendrix version.

Current Knowledge: It was suggested that I revisit this one and take a look at the Hendrix version. It's supposedly superior to Dylan's, which wouldn't surprise me, because Jimi Hendrix is kind of the man. I like the song and I know it quite well at this point, so I'm pretty excited to hear this from a totally different artist.


First Thoughts: Oh, there's no contest here. This is WAY better. I can't emphasize that enough though text on the internet. This is the version I've heard covered in bars so many times, but like a thousand times better, cause, ya know, it's Jimi Hendrix. And not that it even needs to be said, because it's totally a given, but the guitar solo is just so damn good. It's like the kind of good that makes you want to stop playing guitar because that kind of skill is practically unachievable.


Verdict: I am so glad I listened to this. I liked the song before, but after hearing this version, I love it. This is one of the best songs that I've written about in quite some time on here. And I'd write more, but I have to go put this on in my car, crank the volume, and drive down the highway at 80 miles an hour.

The Grateful Dead: Casey Jones

Number.... thirteen?


The Grateful Dead: Casey Jones

Current Knowledge: I've covered two Dead songs in my life. Shakedown Street with an old band, and Friend of the Devil. I was under the impression that The Grateful Dead was a band for hippies and crazy stoners before I heard Friend of the Devil, which is twangy and literally the opposite of Shakedown Street. This has left me very confused about the identity of this band, but two songs isn't an ideal sample size. So I figured I'd add a third.


First Thoughts: This is way more like Friend of the Devil than Shakedown Street. If I didn't know better I'd have guessed that The Eagles wrote this or something, save for the weird little key shift in the middle of the verse. That's not to say I don't like it. I actually do, but I'm pretty surprised that this is the sound of one of their greatest hits. And it's super long, but from what I remember that's a thing with this band. They did include the word cocaine in the hook, so maybe there's something to be said for that.


Verdict: What did I just listen to? Because I'm not really sure it was a Grateful Dead song. Knowing Friend of the Devil has kind of prepared me for something out of the range of what I expected, but that's pretty darn far from it. I guess I categorized them closer to Pink Floyd than The Eagles. Wikipedia to the rescue: "The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock." I am floored by this. They have so many styles that it's like they don't have a style at all. The verdict here is that I don't know anything about The Grateful Dead, I guess. On the matter of the aforementioned tune, though: it's good. I think I like Friend of the Devil better, but that's almost certainly my folk preference shining through here.

Fleetwood Mac: The Chain

Number 12!

The Chain, by Fleetwood Mac

Current Knowledge: I think I have heard Fleetwood Mac before. On my Pandora station. But I'm not totally sure, and this song title doesn't sound familiar. Then the other day, a friend of mine was talking about her newfound Fleetwood Mac obsession, so I decided to put it on the list.

First Thoughts: This is cool. It's haunting and twangy in a really cool way. It actually reminds me a little of Helplessly Hoping, which I adore. Maybe I just have a thing for harmonies, because that seems to be a trend with the songs I'm favoring. It starts off pretty withdrawn but it builds up really nicely into a pretty powerful rock ballad. And the bass solo in the middle is a nice divide and break into the instrumental. This honestly sounds like a song I would play with the windows down driving really fast if I wanted to feel like a badass.

Verdict: I really like this. It's carefully straddling the line between twangy country and rock, but it isn't county rock, ya know? I don't know how else to describe it. It's got all the grit you could want and it builds really nicely, but I would love to see it done with just acoustic guitar and vocals, too. I think that would be interesting. Overall, though, this is a cool tune.

Neil Young: Heart of Gold

Number 11:

Neil Young - Heart of Gold

Current Knowledge: I don't know anything about Neil Young. In looking up which song I should listen to, in less than 15 seconds I inadvertently discovered that I know at least three other songs of his, and that he was the "Young" in Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. Some days I feel like I'm making musical progress, and then there are days like today, where I feel as ignorant as I did on day one. Ugh. This song is one I am not familiar with, and I was such a big fan of Helplessly Hoping that this song is nonetheless being held to high expectations.

First Thoughts: Oh god, the harmonica. I have a secret love affair with harmonicas, so already this song has like three extra points starting out. But I don't really care for his voice... what? I'm surprised with myself. I didn't think that going to be my beef with this. The lyrics are really poetic, though, and the harmonica has won me over. It's sad and soulful and suddenly I have the urge to cover this very badly.

Verdict: I'm still reeling over the fact that I wasn't totally wowed by his voice. But I guess that holds true with tons of artists from that day and age; it was more about the songs back then, I think. (ie, my entire sentiment towards All Along the Watchtower). Pushing those thoughts aside - the song itself is great. This is exactly like something I would cover (I actually got compared to Neil Young once and had no idea how to respond. Now I understand) so that will very likely be in the works. But hey, here's to learning some stuff today.

Bob Dylan: All Along the Watchtower

Number 10:

Bob Dylan: All Along the Watchtower (for whatever reason, this person has left us a picture-less video for this track, but this is the best recording, I promise.)

Current Knowledge: I cover Don't Think Twice It's Alright almost every time I play a gig, but embarrassingly enough that's pretty much the only Dylan song I know. However this particular song is covered by my musician friends very, very often. So I've heard it, and I know how it goes, but I've never heard the original version, and I'm extremely curious.

First Thoughts: Oh, how this riff reminds me of Wednesday nights and bad decisions. Regret and nostalgia all rolled into one. I've heard enough of Dylan to know that I would not be a fan of how he sang this, but part of me thinks I have heard drunk guys at various bars do it better, which is kind of messing with me. That sentiment is wrong on a lot of levels, but that's how it goes with Dylan songs. The lyrics are what's important. I would, however, like to see this guy try and audition for any vocal based show from this century, cause he'd be laughed right out of the audition line.

Verdict: Folky-er and lighter and less in tune vocally than what I've heard so many times before. I'm very curious into what the Hendrix version is like, now, because I think that might be closer to what I'm used to hearing. I think I'll have to review that one separately though, as it's practically a totally different song.

Otis Redding: Try a Little Tenderness

Number Seven:


Try a Little Tenderness, by Otis Redding

Current Knowledge: I was supposed to learn this song for a band I unwittingly agreed to be in about a year ago, but the band was absolutely terrible and I quit after the fifth rehearsal, long before I got a chance to listen to this song. I did and still do cover The Dock of the Bay, but that's as far as I ever got into Otis Redding Territory.


First Thoughts: Oh man. So. Much. Soul. This is the kind of song that people fall in love in movies to. I love the organ parts they've snuck in there; I think the organ is underappreciated in music on the whole. And not that I would ever contest the fact that Otis Redding can sing, but dang. Dude's got some pipes. This part where it picks up is so awesome. It's funky and soulful and everything that is good about music.. and over with way too soon. I wish this was way longer.


Verdict: I like Dock of the Bay so much that I expected to like this. It's great. To me, this is what a classic piece of music embodies. Everything about it is good. It's like the turkey at the Thanksgiving dinner of good music: everything on the table is delicious, and not everyone will like the same things, but some dishes nobody can pass up. (I really like this song, if you haven't noticed).


For your amusement (and because I had a brilliant moment of clarity as to why it sounded so vaguely familiar), a pop culture reference to this awesome song:

Crosby, Stills, and Nash: Helplessly Hoping

Number 6!

Helplessly Hoping, by Crosby, Stills, and Nash.

Current Knowledge: I know my dad likes this group. He never really played any of their stuff for me, and it always seemed a little bit out of my wheelhouse to investigate on my own. This particular song, however, came on my Pandora station the other day, and I purposely skipped it so I could sit down and write about it the first time I hear it. Pandora is usually pretty good about catering to my tastes, so I have high hopes for this song!

First Thoughts: Three notes in and I'm sold. I love this. These might be the best lyrics I've ever heard, in all honesty. And the harmony is absolutely perfect. I can't explain it to you without telling you to listen to it. The only other thing in the song is acoustic guitar, and it's very understated, but the finger picking gives it a nice rhythm to fill in for the lack of percussion and/or bass or anything else. But seriously, the lyrics. They're incredible. It's one of those songs where you know it's telling you a story but it could mean like a dozen different things, very Hotel California-esque. I love it. I don't have enough good things to say right now.

Verdict: I think I've already said everything I needed to. This song is flawless, and Pandora was right on the money.

10 Artists You Will Not Find In This Blog

This where I can give a little bit of credit to my musical tastes. I've spent so much time being negative about all that I haven't heard that I think it's really important to point this out. I haven't been living under a rock my entire life, and there's a bunch of artists that I do in fact listen to regularly that fall under the you-have-to-hear-this category. In fact, if YOU haven't listened to any of these artists, get thee to a radio/YouTube/Spotify/whatever, right away.
Anyways, here are ten of my favorite artists that would otherwise be on this blog, ordered from "I like this" to my favorite artist ever.

10. Elton John 
Bizarrely enough, "Rocket Man" is one of the first songs I ever learned on guitar. My dad actually played his stuff over the years, albeit infrequently, and I never forgot it.
Favorite Song: Your Song

9. Queen
When I was in 8th grade I played the violin, and the middle school orchestra took us all to Toronto to see We Will Rock You, which is basically Queen, the musical. I loved it. From there on out, Queen has always been one of my favorite bands.
Favorite Song: Somebody To Love

8. The Band
I didn't listen to The Band until I started dating my current boyfriend of a year and a half. They are his absolute favorite, and he covers their stuff all the time. I always liked their songs when he covered them, so I started listening to the original stuff. It's awesome.
Favorite Song: The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

7. Led Zeppelin
In a very similar vein with The Band, I didn't listen to much Zeppelin either until my current boyfriend. However he rarely covers them, but the local bands we have gotten to know always do. I took on a mini-version of this project and listened to a lot of Zeppelin two summers ago to avoid the embarrassment of not knowing something by everyone's favorite rock band.
Favorite Song: The Ocean

6. Billy Joel
I don't know how I know so much Billy Joel. I think I've picked up a different song or two by him every couple of years, resulting in really knowing a large portion of his discography. I cover a bunch of his stuff too.
Favorite Song: Only The Good Die Young

5. Bonnie Raitt
This woman is basically my idol right now. If I could be anyone, I'd want to be her. I love pretty much everything she does, but her guitar skills are so good that she's really tough to cover flawlessly.
Favorite Song: Papa Come Quick (for now.. this will be different in a week, I'm sure.)

4. The Eagles
As I mentioned a while ago, my dad used to play The Eagles at the dinner table. As a result, I am thoroughly versed in their material and equally as nostalgic whenever it gets played.
Favorite Song: Hotel California

3. Nirvana
This might seem a bit out of place in this list, but I am a HUGE Nirvana fan. The alt rock band I was in during high school always wanted to cover them, so I learned a ton of their stuff and got really into it for a while, and I never really stopped listening to them. And it's really fun to catch people off guard when I, a small, unassuming white girl, play any of their songs.
Favorite Song: Lithium

2. The Beatles
Fortunately, one band I got into early on and always enjoyed happened to be one of the most iconic bands of all time. I've always loved The Beatles and I always will. Blackbird was actually the first song I ever learned on guitar in one sitting, and now I cover like a half dozen Beatles tunes.
Favorite Song: Let it Be

1. Jim Croce
I could write a dissertation on this man. He's not as well known as many of the artists on this list, but he's my absolute favorite. My dad loves him as much as I do, and it took me years to figure out who this guy was, the man who could take credit for being the main soundtrack to my childhood. For those of you that may be unfamiliar with him, he died in a plane crash when he was 30 right as he was breaking into the mainstream. I know every single song he released and I'm a little bitter about the fact that there will never be any more. He would have been as big as Dylan had he survived, in my opinion. If you've never heard of him, do yourself a favor and google search him, and listen to his hits. You won't be disappointed.
Favorite Song: A Long Time Ago

Robert Palmer: Addicted to Love

Number five!

Robert Palmer: Addicted to Love

Current Knowledge: I know nothing about Robert Palmer. Nothing. Which is probably because I generally don't like eighties music much. People tell me I should listen to him pretty often (people in bars here LOVE 80's music), but I have yet to do so. Nobody has ever given me a specific song, so I honestly just googled "Robert Palmer best song" and this is what came up. Fingers crossed it's a good one!

First Thoughts: First off, it appears I found the music video for this song. I highly recommend you watch it.. This is literally the most uncomfortable looking piece of cinematography I have ever seen in my entire life. Robert Palmer looks like someone my Dad works with deciding to try out some karaoke for the first time. And none of the girls are even trying to play their instruments, which really adds to the fact that they look terrifying. It's pretty rough. But! I like the song! The vocals are really really great, and it's actually quite catchy. It definitely has the 80's vibe that usually turns me off of this kind of music, but it's actually very well written, lyrically and musically. And the driving rock beat helps a lot in my opinion. I'd definitely listen to this again.

Verdict: If you want to actually appreciate this song, by all means do not watch the music video. It seriously takes away from the music, and the music is great. At this point I've listened to this song like four times and I actually really like it, which is not something I can say about most songs written in this time period. I might have to look into some more stuff from this guy. A brief glance at the sidebar of YouTube tells me this weird ugly-girls-and-a-karaoke-singer thing is a theme with some of Robert Palmer's music videos, so I don't have a lot of great things to say about his cinematic choices. But I can say that, for once, the crazy people from the bars have made a good suggestion here. This is a pretty cool tune.

Chuck Berry: Johnny B. Good

Number 4:

Chuck Berry: Johnny B. Good

Current Knowledge: This one is actually quite new to the list. My boyfriend brought it up at an open mic we were at together while someone was playing it. He was absolutely horrified that I didn't know this song, so I figured I'd take the initiative for once and actually look it up within a week of promising I would. Apparently this was in Back to the Future, but literally every 50's rock song sounds exactly the same to me.


First Thoughts: As predicted, this sounds exactly like every other 50's rock song ever. Not that it's bad, it certainly isn't. (The original is way better than the guy who was singing at the open mic, that's for sure). Maybe because I've heard so many bad covers of these kinds of songs I've been desensitized to them, but I really don't have anything profound to say about this. Except for the fact that one of these lyrics (He could play a guitar just like ringing a bell) was recently in a song released by Ed Sheeran, my most favorite musician of all time. The song is called Nina. I never understood the lyric before, but now that it is most definitely a shout out to Chuck Berry, it makes way more sense.


Verdict: I don't have much to say about this one. It was okay. I'm glad I can cross it off the list, but I definitely don't feel like I accomplished too much here. I think I've just heard too many songs like this to feel like I heard something new. I'm excited about the insight it gave me about Nina, though. That was unexpected. Maybe I just have to re-watch Back to the Future to appreciate this.

Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb

Number three.

Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb

Current Knowledge: I went to a concert for "The Machine" a year ago - they're one of the most famous Pink Floyd cover bands out there, according to the people I went with. I'd love to tell you that they're great, but unfortunately only knowing two songs by Pink Floyd allows me to give absolutely no comparison. I love Wish You Were Here and Another Brick in the Wall, but I only know them because I covered them in the alt-rock band I was in during High School. I've lied probably a dozen times about knowing Comfortably Numb, and fortunately nobody has noticed that I haven't the slightest clue how it goes. Hence, it's on the list.

First Thoughts: I expected something really trippy, and I certainly wasn't wrong about that. To be honest... this is really weird. Oh wait, as soon as they start singing, it's waaaay better. This sounds kind of familiar! I've definitely heard this before! That's a bit of a relief. I actually really like this so long as they're singing. Yeah, I'm sure I kind of know this. (Cue the excited singing) IIIIIIIIIIII have become comfortably numbbbbbb. And of course the guitar solo is absolutely dynamite, but that's to be expected.


Verdict: I'm thrilled that something has finally sounded familiar! I mean, this has probably been in movies or TV or something, so that's likely where I know it from. But I've heard it nonetheless. Plus one for me. Aside from the weirdness that was interspersed (ie, that talking thing they do that seems to constitute the verses), it's great musically. I think you have to expect some weird stuff from a band with a reputation like Pink Floyd, though. Overall, I definitely liked the song, but I liked the fact that I kind of knew the song way more. It's nice to be able to put a name to the melody. (Don't ask me why I never associated the part I recognized above with this song, despite the fact that it says the title... because I don't have an answer for ya.)

Janis Joplin: Mercedes Benz

Song numero dos is probably the one I've been requested to do the most of all time.

Janis Joplin: Mercedes Benz

Current Knowledge: I already cover Bobby McGee, but I only learned it because, like this song, a ton of people asked me to do so. I'm pretty sure I know a lot more Janis Joplin songs than I think I do, but, like with Simon and Garfunkel, if you played them for me I couldn't pick them out. Plus, learning this is going to satisfy everybody and their brother once I can play it.

First Thoughts: Okay I kind of forgot that Janis Joplin has the coolest voice in all of history. That's a kind of tone that can never be taught, and can only be achieved through years worth of illegal substance abuse. Silver linings, I guess. This is originally totally a Capella? That's really odd. I never would have guessed that in a million years, but I actually really like it. I think it fits pretty well with the message she's trying to get across, at least. And you can hear her smoke-and-gravel voice so well this way! This explains why I've never heard it though. Who covers an a Capella song? It's not like they're gonna play that on the radio.

Verdict: I didn't expect pretty much anything I encountered listening to this, but it was a pleasant surprise, I think. My voice isn't anywhere near as gravelly as Janis Joplin's, not by a long shot, but with that aside, based on the range and phrasing and stuff I can see why people have requested it. I think I'd do a decent job. But does this mean I have to write chords for it?! I'm gonna do some looking for a version with a band, because I feel like that had to have been done at some point.... okay, I guess it never was. How odd. It was remixed in 2003?! That's super bizarre, too, although that sound is kind of more along the lines of what I expected. I'm totally perplexed as to how this could have become such an iconic thing. But it's a very cool song nonetheless, that I am now very much looking forward to covering and satisfying a lot of belligerent drunk people with.

Simon and Garfunkel: Bridge Over Troubled Water

First on the list! Simon and Garfunkel: Bridge Over Troubled Water.

Current Knowledge: Yeah, I've never heard this song. I also used to confuse Simon and Garfunkel with Penn and Teller. Not good. 

I've heard maybe one or two other songs by them ever, but if you played one at random for me, I wouldn't be able to tell you who it was. Except for their song Cecelia, it's got sort of a folk feel which I am a big fan of. But this is one here is a real classic. That's actually why I've  put it first, it's a pretty big offender on the list of I-can't-believe-you-haven't-heard-that. 

First Thoughts While Listening: Oh, it's real pretty. Not folk-y at all. I always love just piano and vocals by themselves. The fact that most of the song is like that, and that it doesn't need much else, is wonderful. The lyrics are really great, too, obviously! They'd have to be in a song with this reputation. I almost wish the bridge didn't have as many other instruments added in, I think I like the stripped down feel better. I really wanted this song to have a section that sounded familiar to me, because I honestly can't believe I've lived 20 years and never, ever heard this song until just now. 

Verdict: It definitely holds up to all the praise. It's beautiful, both lyrically and musically, and I'm kind of upset that I haven't been listening to it my whole life because I loved it. This also has me very, very interested in listening to a lot more Simon and Garfunkel. I also feel like this would be really awesome to sing. This is like the most ultimate and beautiful power ballad ever. Yeah, I've been missing out. And now I'm kind of excited, because if every single song on this list is as good as this just was, this is going to be an awesome project. 

One down! Tons and tons and tons more to go, though....