(cow wanders in)
That too. Anyway, be prepared as well for Wilson Pickett's soulful take on bubblegum, a super-falsetto voice and...some weird Canadians.
Sugar, Sugar - Wilson Pickett
- Album: Released as a single
- Information: Although this Andy Kim-penned song was notable for it's performance and it's chart success the previous year by cartoon sensation "The Archies", Pickett recorded his own version in '69 at the Criteria Studios in Miami alongside a cover to the Supremes "You Keep Me Hangin' On".
- Personal Thoughts: I knew of the original version...heck, who doesn't know of the Archies version. But this version was sort of more unknown to me...and turned out to be really soulful, more like caramel than the bubblegum version, slow and soulful just as Pickett would have intended it. The change of the tempo really did this song extremely well as did the usage of the guitars and the horns to give it his own flair and feel of the song. This is how a good cover should be: your own song while respecting the original. Heck, Pickett should have done it first!
Teach Your Children - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
- Album: Deja Vu
- Information: Originally written by Graham Nash while he was part of the Hollies, but never recorded by them, he used it alongside CSNY for their landmark album. The song was inspired by a photo of a child with a hand grenade, forcing Nash to write a song about the implications of war and how the youth should be taught by their elders peace over war. They are joined on the song by Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia, who is playing the pedal steel guitar on the song.
- Personal Thoughts: This song is rather well known by may considering it's lesson is strong regarldess of who listens to it. The lyrics give off the powerful message of making sure people learn from each other in order to understand and make sure that they understand that anything they learn, whether young or old, is for benefit. The harmonies are probably as perfect as you get from CSNY, with not one member really standing out and all getting equal billing, while Garcia's guitar playing gives the perfect exclamation point towards the song. Then again...you're not the one whose dad tried to play it on a recorder.
Which Way You Goin' Billy - The Poppy Family
- Album: Which Way You Goin' Billy?
- Information: It was a match made in heaven between Vancouver musician Terry Jacks and the young Canadian TV singer Susan Pesklivets when they joined together to become a duet. After gathering other musicians such as guitarist Craig McCaw and going through names such as "Powerline" and "Winkin, Blinkin and Nod", the group became the Poppy Family and released this album with this as their most successful single. Though it only hit #9 in it's base country of Canada compared to the US, the song did win several Juno awards for 1970 as the best and most popular song of the year.
- Personal Thoughts: Boy, is this song one of those silly but charming songs that feels weird but you can't turn away from it...but then again I can say that about another Terry Jacks song (we'll get to in the future) I really like Susan Jacks performance of the song and the longing she has from her voice, but the chorus of the song always makes me crack up considering how "massive" they try to make it with her voice and the guitar and the backing organ. You almost think it's over-produced but somehow as weird and silly as the song is, you just can't turn away from it...though it's hard to say why...maybe it's actually better than it lets on.
Love on a Two Way Street - Moments
- Album: Not On The Outside...But On The Inside, Strong!
- Information: Though a band that had been together since 1963, The Moments didn't find true success until the lineup of John Morgan, Al Goodman and William "Billy" Brown, joining the Stang record label set up by Joe and Sylvia Robinson and rerecording this single originally and unsuccessfully recorded by fellow label artist Lezlie Valentine. The song exploded with them, hitting the top of the R&B chart and #3 on the pop charts.
- Personal Thoughts: This song is notable and popular with so many...but I just can't groove to it for some reason. Probably the main reason is simple: the falsetto voice. Sure it's a very heart-breaking song with a slow beat and accompaniment and a memorable opening, but somehow the falsetto voice and some of the presentation just can never get past me. Some songs are made with a bizarre falsetto voice, but here it just seems to seem strange to me. Though the lyrics do show off quite heartbreak, which is what the song intended.
Mississippi Queen - Mountain
- Album: Climbing!
- Information: Among one of many bands who ended up getting a boost from their appearance at the Woodstock festival in 1969 (though amazingly did not even make the film version by Michael Wadleigh), the combo of Leslie West, Felix Pappalardi and Corky Lang released this album and this definitive song a year later, which would begin to pave the way for modern heavy metal, notable for it's usage of it's guitar riff and cowbell. The sng was inspired by an incident in Nantucket where the island's power went out after the appearance of a girl from Mississippi with a see-through dress.
- Personal Thoughts: From the opening cowbell and guitar riff, you know what this song is instantly: pure R&B rock, akin to the likes of Cream. (which makes sense considering one member worked with Cream at a point) The contrast of the bass and the lead guitar amidst the powerful vocals just make this song, making me say little else except seeing myself bop my head to the rock...because when you know how to rock the blues, you know how to rock it! And the best part: it's in, it's done, and that's that. Now lets see John Phillips do that! (never mind)
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