Skydog
What songs do you hear on the radio or on your iPod that take you right back to your high school cafeteria? Answering that question may tell us just how intergenerational this blog community is!
For me, 3 Dog Night, CCR, Jim Croce, the Eagles, Steppenwolf, America, the Doobie Brothers, Guess Who, Grand Funk Railroad, The Rolling Stones, Neil Young — well, you get the idea.
But the sound of southern rock takes me back there, too. Starting with The Allman Brothers Band.
A couple weeks ago I finally got around to reading Skydog – The Duane Allman Story
Even if you didn’t grow up with ABB, you’ve heard their sounds. Rolling Stone named Duane Allman the second best guitarist in history (behind Jimi Hendrix and ahead of B. B. King and Eric Clapton). And one of their concerts at Fillmore East has been recognized as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, live recording ever.
Still not ringing a bell for those of you who are younger? Go to iTunes and check out “Midnight Rider,” “Melissa,” “Ramblin’ Man,” “Jessica,” and “Blue Sky” — and then listen to snippets of the Live at Fillmore East concert.
In SKYDOG, Randy Poe tells the story of this great musician: the good and the tragic. The tragic, of course, included the obligatory experiments with drugs and the 1971 motorcycle wreck that took Duane Allman’s life in Macon. (Ironically, almost exactly one year later, another member of the original ABB died in a similar motorcycle accident just four blocks away.)
A couple anecdotes give a feel for the scope of the book.
First, there’s a chapter on how Allman intersected Clapton’s life at an important time.
“‘Layla’ was, without question, the most lyrical song on [Clapton's] album. But melodically it was pretty simple — three great verses in search of a hook. Clapton was desperately in need of a guitar line that would bring more life to the song. He had created some of the greatest guitar riffs in rock, but he was stuck when it came to ‘Layla.’ When Clapton told Allman of his dilemma, Duane went to work, soon coming up with the seven-note phrase that is now one of the best-known guitar licks in the history of rock: 16th-notes ascending from A to C to D to F, and then descending back down to D and C before returning to a long, vibrating D. It was exactly what ‘Layla’ needed.”
I also loved Poe’s insights about the Fillmore East concert, like . . .
“When Betts hits his last long sustained note [of 'You Don't Love Me'], the whole band, including Doucette, jumps back in. Soon the two lead guitarists are playing together in harmony, and it sounds for all the world as if the band is about to bring the song to its logical conclusion. But once again Duane is suddenly alone in the spotlight. He drops the tempo as he plays a series of slow, bluesy licks. And then IT happens: exactly 16 minutes and 16 seconds into ‘You Don’t Love Me’ — in the middle of a natural pause between two notes during Duane’s freeform solo — a voice from the audience cries out, ‘Play all night!’ It is one of the defining moments in rock: a single jubilant fan caught up in the excitement of the greatest live rock concert ever captured on tape, expressing the feelings of an entire audience — an audience that would grow from fewer than 2,000 in attendance that night to millions of listeners around the world in the decades to follow.”
All right — back to the beginning. What songs take you back to your high school days?
Dust in the Wind, Carry On My Wayward Son, America, Hotel California, New Kid in Town, The Stranger, Piano Man
Jamie B, I started humming “Carry On My Wayward Son” after reading your comment. Then noticed my 12 year old daughter was also singing it, with the correct words. I looked at her and asked how in the world she knows that song. She said, “It’s on Guitar Hero. A bunch of old songs are on there”, and proceeded to name several from my decade!
I’m the same age as Mike, so I vividly remember all of the songs & artists that he and the others of our era have mentioned. And I agree with whoever said that the quality of most pop music these days doesn’t touch what it has been in the past. But there are some exceptions. I’ve discovered a number of female singer/songwriters (many of them Canadian, for some reason) who still understand the concept of a good melody coupled with thoughtful lyrics. Anybody else familiar with some of these names?
Dar Williams
Chantal Kreviazuk
KT Tunstall
Suzanne Vega (she actually done a lot more than “Luka”)
Vanessa Carlton
Kathleen Edwards
Mary Chapin Carpenter (no longer Country, if she ever was)
Heather Nova
Jenny Lewis (and her band Rilo Kiley)
Shawn Colvin
Jann Arden
Jim…Just wondering because my Dad is from Canada. My relatives mostly went to Western Christian. I lived in Ontario for a couple of years as a child but we moved to Texas when I was 5.
The music that takes me back to my teenage years does not play on the radio – it plays in the grocery store!! I hear Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon and Carole King and Linda Ronstandt playing while I pick out tomatoes. I feel demographed…but I sing along.
thanks for the trip down memory lane, btw: I graduated in 1975
“Stairway to Heaven”
“color my world”
The Eagles
Chicago
“I honestly love you”, Olivia Newton John
Bachman Turner Overdrive
Fleetwood Mac
Amy,
I don’t mind some of my old favorite songs showing up on GH3. I’m just not too fond of hearing them in elevators.
Add a few more:
One of these Nights
Lyin Eyes (Can you tell I’m an Eagles fan?)
FBGYMTRWGR
Band on the Run
Rock the Boat
Rikki Don’t Lose That Number
anything by Captain and Tenille
Bennie and the Jets
Gary, the only Dar Williams song I’m familiar with is “After All.” Gorgeous song. I really like Kathleen Edwards. I saw Chantel Kreviazuk several years ago when she opened for Barenaked Ladies. She has a sensational voice.
As to songs that take me back to high school, here are just a few:
“Sick of Myself” – Matthew Sweet
“Nightswimming” – REM
“Round Here” – Counting Crows
“Runaround” – Blues Traveler
“Hey Jealousy” – Gin Blossoms
“Corduroy” – Pearl Jam
“Interstate Love Song” – Stone Temple Pilots
“Hannah Jane” – Hootie and the Blowfish
“Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth . . .” – Primitive Radio Gods
“Fake Plastic Trees” – Radiohead
“Wonderwall” – Oasis
I listened to a steady dose of ’60s and ’70s music as well–Beatles, CCR, and Led Zeppelin in particular.
I can’t believe that no one has said U2! Come on people, how many 8th grade (this could be flexible depending on age) dances slowed things down to the tune of “With or Without You”?
My High School playlist was heavily influenced by the fact that I was living in Seattle during my High School years:
U2
Pearl Jam
Nirvana
Soundgarden
Stone Temple Pilots
Other Jeff, I think “Woodstock” is great theology and a prophetic voice to the church. For years, much of the church in the USA has been playing catch-up behind the work of God that is awakening all kinds of “non-church” folk to the hope of his kingdom. I’ve thought for a long time that “The Gospel According to CSN&Y” would be a great sermon title!
Jeff W: We have a Christian rock band as part of the “contemporary” service where I attend, but they don’t do “Woodstock”, maybe because of copyright issues…
I’ve heard them crank out a few rifts of it in practice, but they stay away from it during the service. Which is sad, because, as you say, it’s theology is INCREDIBLE. Also, it’s associated with the ’60’s and “sex, drugs, and rock’n'roll”, so the blue-hairs don’t like it much, either… ; – )
To J-Wild: Yes on U2…
I recently heard their music as a whole called “messianic” by a commentator on MTV, and when I heard it, I said to myself, “Yep, that’s right”…
Loved seeing all the oldies but goodies,these were during my children’s years-but I did like their music. Just as I thought I’m older than y’all
My favorite Band from my high school years is finally reuniting!!! http://www.nkotb.com
Clint, this is gina from Abilene. I have a friend who want’s to get in touch with you. Would you shoot me an email with your current contact info. gina@highlandchurch.org
blessings to you and Alana
“Biggest Part of Me” Ambrosia, also, “Holdin’ On To Yesterday,” and a song by Ambrosia I CANNOT find anywhere, not on iTunes or anywhere else: “Outside”, which was on the soundtrack of Inside Moves.
April Love, Love Letters in the Sand, Technique…anything by Pat Boone!
The Honey Song by Nick Todd (aka Nick Boone)…a short career interrupted by Uncle Sam.
Patti Page, Rosemary Clooney, Buddy Holly, Beach Boys, Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Bing Crosby.
All these people could sing…and you could hear the vocals which were not overwhelmed by the instruments in the background.
Think I’ll get out some of my old platters and try to find a real record player!
8 days and counting to see the Boss at AA!
Yes to all those great songs from the early to late 70’s. ANY song on Hotel California or Rumors.
So did anyone ever follow up on the Duane Allman topic? Just this past week I was listening to that nasty duel by Dickey Betts and Duane on “One Way Out” — that slide guitar still gives me chills, buddy. May have to check out that book.
Another interesting read is “Hotel California: The True-Life Adventures of Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young, Mitchell, Taylor, Browne, Ronstadt, Geffen, the Eagles, and Their Many Friends” by Barney Hoskyns. It won’t make you love The Eagles — or David Crosby or Stephen Stills, for that matter — but it’s definitely an eye-opening glimpse into that Southern California rock-country/rock scene from the 70’s.
Celebrate Duane “Skydog” birthday, life and music.
Sunday November 22 in Macon Ga.
see http://www.skydogmacon.com for details