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Ron's Musical Alphabet Soup A to Z W/OJun 16 '05 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line How soon do I change the list?
My unofficial entry into Jaguardog's Musical A to Z Write-off. Well, having received an invitation to the big dance or at least another write-off, I figured I would have to do some research in order to get it right. The premise was an A to Z listing of musical acts that have impacted my life. There were numerous approaches to consider. Many have listed multiple artists for most letters. Many also list a specific song to justify the selection. What I decided was to make quick decisions on each letter. I decided that I would only list one artist for each letter. The list is subject to change as soon as somebody points out the musical genius I forgot. I also decided to refrain from naming one song. If an artist's reputation rests on a single song, they aren't gonna be on my list. Several selections are no brainers for me. Others took a little more thought. But here goes: A. Allman Brothers Band. A few of us have read my reviews. I love jam oriented music. The ABB is a legendary institution among jam bands. Over 35 years of jamming good times. I've seen this band perform around 40 times so yeah, I like them. B Beatles. I had to slight some great ones here but I have to give a nod to a brilliant songwriting duo that wrote more great songs than can be listed. John insisted that nothing was going to change his world but his lyrics changed mine. C John Coltrane. I still remember when I was 17, a week after graduation picking up Blue Train and playing it for the first time. 'Trane produced a few of my favorite things indeed. D Miles Davis. This was both easy and tough. Miles deserves the nod but I really regret not being able to select Zimmerman. I was feeling kind of blue so this became the perfect choice. E Duke Ellington. Joe Walsh may hunt me down but I'm going with the Duke. I'll just take the A train and reflect on this sentimental mood I'm in. One of America's greatest composers here. F Aretha Franklin. Hard to choose between the divas but I selected Aretha Franklin over Ella Fitzgerald but a slight margin. Although I'm not sure if last names are even required when talking about either of these two legends. G Grateful Dead. Duh! H Jimi Hendrix. another no brainer. I Eileen Ivers. tough choice but I went with the fiddle player over the Isley Brothers. Must be that Irish blood stewing. J Jethro Tull. barely beat out the Airplane but some say my head is thick as a brick so I'll skate away on the thin ice of a new day. K Fela Kuti. Nigerian legend. One of the most amazing musicians I've ever encountered in my life. His lengthy jams still find their way onto my CD player. L Los Lobos. Tough choice here. It's no fair that some letters have few good choices and others have so many. The Wolves got it because they are still one of my favorite live bands. M Bob Marley. A few jazz legends are miffed but this is my choice. I'll be jamming for the rest of my life and Marley's songs are likely to be there with me. N Willie Nelson. Not because I'm crazy either. This is a musical icon that continues to produce fine music and put on great shows. I'll be heading on the road again seeking Whiskey River soon enough. O Ozric Tentacles. 3 AM on a mountain in West Virginia. heavy fog rolling through. The green lights struggle through the fog to reveal musicians as silhouettes. Psychedelic music grapples with the fog and my mind is blown away. More later. P Phish. Even though they are quitters, I went to too many shows in the 90s to not select them for this spot. Q Queen. Quicksilver Messenger Service didn't last long enough. We have Queensryche and Queens of the Stone Age. As long as I'm gonna have to go for a queen anyway, I might as well pick Freddie Mercury. R Radiators. Admittedly, Mick and Keith deserve the nod but I went to so many Rads shows over the last two decades that I had to make the nod to New Orleans. S Santana. Carlos is still the man. I think he's the only guitarist whose solos blow out brain cells even when you're not on drugs. T Talking Heads. I know a few people want to take me to the river and drop me in the water but that's an Al Green song anyway. U James Blood Ulmer. Bono has gotten too full of himself lately so I'll take some raunchy, discordant blues guitar to remind me of what's real. V Caetano Veloso. I couldn't decide between the Vaughans: Sarah or Stevie Ray so I copped out and went to Brazil for this musical master. W Widespread Panic. Pete and Roger aren't tough enough anymore and I am obsessed with jam oriented music so I went with WSP. X X. Haven't listened to them in years but I still have a song spot in my heart for Exene. Y Neil Young. A Southern man may not need him around anyhow but I still do. Decades later and I'm still swept away like a hurricane. Z Frank Zappa. Not eating the yellow snow proved to be good advice. I don't need the Peace Corps but I don't wanna be drafted either. This is another of America's true musical icons. Well, I realize that I omitted a lot of greats. This was hard because some letters have a lot of great artists and others have very limited choices. I reserve the right to alter this list at any time so enjoy it while you can.  |
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