Paul Carrack’s iconic song “How Long,” released in 1974, tackles themes of betrayal and heartbreak through its haunting lyrics and compelling melody. Listeners have found solace in this timeless classic song for decades.
Thick as a Brick by Jethro Tull is another classic rock tune, released as a single track on CD.
The Doors
Jim Morrison led one of rock music‘s most groundbreaking bands – the Doors. Their innovative sound combined jazz, classical, and hard rock genres into one brilliant band performance; from Ray Manzarek’s keyboard virtuosity at the forefront, guitarist Jim Krieger’s unique guitar techniques, and drummer John Densmore’s jazzy drumming; these innovative musicians created an amazing style which both delighted their audiences while upsetting some in their audience.
Morrison’s literary background saw his lyrics imbued with Blakean apocalyptic symbolism, Poean macabre decadence and Hawthornean anti-puritan pessimism; on stage, Morrison personified rebellious spirit of shaman while defying social norms with leather pants and poetic ranting to outrage censorship and outrage social norms; his mystique was amplified further by band’s music which combined psychedelic sounds and punk sensibility.
Beginning as a four-piece band in Los Angeles in 1965, The Doors first started performing at venues such as London Fog and Whiskey-a-Go-Go on Sunset Strip. By 1966 they added keyboardist Manzarek and were offered their first contract after performing at these two clubs – taking their name from William Blake’s poetry book “The Doors of Perception” and Aldous Huxley’s psychotropic monograph respectively, taking its influence into late 60’s rock music development with great effect.
Though their musical legacy may have been short lived (Morrison passed away in 1971), its influence can still be felt today. Their classic albums and memorable live shows left an indelible mark on rock music history; their most renowned song “Light My Fire,” captured perfectly the spirit of rebellion during the turbulent Summer of Love; from its startling drum smack to its closing shot seven minutes later, this track showcases perfectly their unique sound and style.
The Velvet Underground
Rock music’s general rule dictates that songs should be short. No one wants to waste their audience’s time with slow, boring tracks that stretch out for too long; but some of the greatest bands have managed to defy this tendency and create truly epic tracks which often top ten minutes in duration.
The Velvet Underground was an influential New York-based band in the late 1960s that redefined rock music with their groundbreaking guitar sound and honest, often shocking lyrics. Their influence can be found throughout punk rock and alternative rock movements of later decades; original members included Lou Reed (singer-guitarist), violist/pianist John Cale (violin, piano and organ), bassist Sterling Morrison and drummer Angus MacLise (replaced later by Moe Tucker in 1965).
The Velvet Underground were an experimental avant-garde music group who blended noise and free jazz into their sound while exploring themes such as drugs, sadomasochism, and despairing feelings through songs. Their relentless pursuit of their artistic vision resulted in limited mainstream success which caused friction among members.
The Velvet Underground’s debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico, was released in 1966 and became instantly iconic due to its Warhol-designed cover art. Three tracks featured Nico on vocals; she became a pioneering figure for neo-psychedelia rock music development. A deluxe edition has since been made available which contains both CD versions: one for original stereo albums remastered as well as separate discs of Factory rehearsal sessions and Scepter Studios recordings.
David Bowie
Bowie was an early proponent of multi-song epics in an age dominated by jam bands; The Doors pioneered 17 minute operatic epics such as ‘The End’ while Velvet Underground experimented with discordant noise; Bowie favored an elaborately composed and sophisticated sound that combined musical complexity and lyrics sophistication; his 1973 album Aladdin Sane featured The Jean Genie, Panic in Detroit Cracked Actor as well as Mike Garson’s frenetic piano solo performance on its namesake track – it would mark only the start of numerous multilayered efforts throughout his long and varied career.
From his early glam rock days with The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars to his ornate pop of Young Americans, David Bowie continually reinvented himself while rejecting commercialism. His unnerved pastiches that offered utopia via alternative inferno were perfect for the turbulent decade that was the 1970s.
He dabbled in acting, appearing in both off-Broadway drama ‘Lazarus’ and sci-fi film ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’. Since the late 1990s and into the new millennium, Syd has maintained a low profile, only occasionally returning to perform (including a stunning concert with Arcade Fire at Central Park’s Summerstage and at an AIDS benefit featuring Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd legend Dave Gilmour).
After taking a brief hiatus in 2005, David Bowie returned with a flourish, performing ‘Heroes’ alongside Alicia Keys at Radio City Music Hall and joining former band mate David Gilmour on stage for an unforgettable rendition of Comfortably Numb at Royal Albert Hall. As his final years passed by he kept a low profile but appeared at meaningful performances including selling out Nitehawk Cinema for a short film revisiting his character from The Man Who Fell to Earth as part of its sold out release; finally on January 8, 2016 released Blackstar; his 29th album and last record release of Blackstar would serve to signal its final chapter before departing this world stage.
New Order
Beginning life from Joy Division’s remains, New Order rose quickly during the 1980s to become one of the most critically acclaimed and important bands of their era. Starting off as an aggressive form of synth pop, New Order ultimately fused new wave aesthetics with underground club culture for music that appealed to both mind and body – inflicting its revolutionary blend of post-punk gothic with electronic dance music on acts such as Moby, Chemical Brothers, Echo and the Bunnymen and others.
New Order was known for creating catchy songs like Blue Monday and Perfect Kiss that were short in duration; however, they also excelled at crafting longer tracks on 12″ singles such as Fine Time. Their 1981 album Technique opens with this experimentation-laden track featuring clattering drum programming, acid house squelches and sampled voices all mixed into layers that resulted in something unbelievably exciting and danceable – an example being Technique’s opening track featuring layers upon layers of these sounds and samples of voices that resulted in this song!
Blue Monday may not have the anthemic appeal of another song by New Order, but this tune remains a cornerstone of their legacy. From its thumping drum programming and eccentric vocal stylings of Bernard Sumner to its nine minute long version that covers everything from slap bass to croaking frogs, this track remains unforgettable.
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones may not be known for chasing trends and exploring psychedelia as much as their fellow musical icons The Beatles did, but they remain legendary band. Together for over 55 years now and continuously producing music, their catalog contains both timeless classics as well as lesser known tracks that remain underappreciated gems despite all that time passed between releases from them. One great aspect about them over their long tenure is that they haven’t really changed over the decades despite staying relevant over the decades!
The Stones began as an unruly collective of students and bohemians playing obscure Chicago blues-influenced music at pubs and clubs in England during the late 1960s. By the end of this era, however, they had outshone even The Beatles among British teenagers–though unlike them with their perfectly coordinated suits and spot-on callback harmony, The Stones donned mismatched regular clothes when performing promo shots or shows, appearing much more rebellious and dangerous compared to them.
Following the commercial success of 1989’s Steel Wheels, The Rolling Stones gravitated away from their earlier attempts at modern soundscapes for more traditional, Stones-y sonics – though not completely, as evidenced by this clunky blues riff about an unsavory high society girl.
Mick Jagger’s affected blues vocal affectations may not be ironic or green; nevertheless, they seem overrated in this song that goes on for nearly one minute longer than it should. Still, The Stones’ funky cover of Willie Dixon standard “Bleak Growl,” originally recorded by Muddy Waters as a bleak growl, hops merrily along, driven forward by clickety-clack percussion and an uptempo guitar lead; all while its lyrics seem obscured by production co-credit to early Stones Svengali Andrew Loog Oldham; however, song savers include some impressive bass playing from Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman respectively.