Good Morning Captain by The Ventures (1971)

What American band sold more records in Japan than any other? If you said the Ventures, you'd be right. In fact, they even outsold the Beatles. Of course, they've released over 150 albums since 1958. Still, there is something enduring about the surf rock sound that they helped to create.

Nearly all of the Ventures' music is instrumental. Perhaps this partly explains their popularity in the Far East. By the early 70's, though, the Ventures were mixing it up a bit. 1971's New Testament finds the band getting a bit "psych" in their sound and they also incorporated some vocals. Check out Good Morning Captain. This is solid stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rGmgZWOpUs

Where is My Mind by Camel (1969)

Not to be confused with the other English "Camel" band that would come out a couple of years later with a very "proggy" sound, this Camel has a very "psych" sound. Not much is known(by me, anyway) of this band except that it was recorded in Rome in 1969. It is very 1969.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uhxNJ_BgW0

Mr. Cab Driver by Lenny Kravitz (1989)

Wow, was it really 1989 that Lenny Kravitz released his first LP? I guess so. I would have thought mid-90's. In any case, this son of Roxie Roker from the Jeffersons, cousin of Al Roker, and high school classmate of Nicholas Cage and Slash seemed destined for some sort of fame.

My son, and the youth of today, primarily know Lenny from his role as Cinna in the Hunger Games movie franchise. Check out Lenny as a young man here in an early video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq6rEPBN7aA

Do What You Like by AKA (1970)

In the mood for some early 70's Indonesian psychedelic garage rock? Okay, but give it a listen anyway. This is some interesting stuff. Today's selection is one of three English lyric songs on their debut album.

Of course, it is doubtful that I would have ever heard this music if Light In The Attic Records didn't release a compilation of psych rock from Southeast Asia (Those Shocking Shaking Days). I'm thankful that this music was rescued. Check it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO3osux7NEE

Shiverin' in the Corner by The Amazing Royal Crowns (1997)

The late-nineties Swing/Ska/Rockabilly revival largely evaded my interest. I didn't think anything was wrong with it, per se, I just was probably seeking something else at the time.

There was one exception to my disinterest, though. That was the Amazing Royal Crowns. I saw these guys live a couple of times at the Middle East in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They put on a hell of a show. I bought their first album and played it over and over and over again. This stuff is authentic.

Check out the first song off of their debut album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHrbjCDAsd0

Love Like Anthrax by Gang of Four ((1978)

Gang of Four must have been a pretty good band to have Michael Stipe, Flea, Kurt Cobain, and Tom Morello all state that they were major influences to their own music and style. Yet, I knew almost nothing of them at the time and didn't discover their music until the 2000s.

Maybe they didn't get airplay or that much publicity to the masses because their music didn't quite fit into a distinct box. Were they punk, post-punk, punk with some funk? Maybe they were just a band with talented musicians who played in a punkish style? I don't know.

I do know that just about all of their early stuff is phenomenal. Check out the album version of Love Like Anthrax.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXoGa2stcOE

Pill by Bokaj Retsiem (1968)

How about some pre-Krautrock psychedelia for your Saturday? This stuff is certainly weird, but entertaining. Bokaj Retsiem got their name from a popular French German children's song spelled backwards "Meister Jakob" aka "Frere Jacque". This Rainer Degner project released one album "Psychedelic Underground" with glorious album art.

Check out "Pill" off of that album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GATOMiWw3Kg

Avon by The Desert Sessions (1998)

It's hard to refer the The Desert Sessions as a "group", as they were truly sessions arranged and inspired by Josh Homme. These sessions over the course of the late 90's into the early 2000's involved dozens of musicians with Josh Homme being the constant.

But, of course, Josh Homme likes it that way. He's been the only constant of his main band, Queens of the Stone Age for nearly 20 years. In addition to these groups/projects, Josh was also the founder of Kyuss and was part of the modern day "supergroup", Them Crooked Vultures with Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones.

Getting back to the selection at hand, this song feels a lot like a Queens song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3zKbkhH9d8

Powder Blue Mercedes Queen by The Raiders (1972)

At the end of the 60's, Mark Lindsay and Paul Revere saw that the music industry was changing and that "Paul Revere & the Raiders" was fast becoming an outdated band name. So, along with some personnel changes, they shortened the band name to The Raiders as of 1970 and modified their distinctly 60's sound. At the time, while it must have seemed like a big musical jump, they certainly weren't the only band whose sound was rapidly changing.

While The Raiders didn't have the same level of success that they did under the Paul Revere and the Raiders moniker, they made some decent pop rock in the early 70's.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BSrFMBBNLA

Dancin' by Hellanbach (1983)

SEE LINK BELOW

If you went ahead and just listened to the link, you might already think that I've stumbled upon a Van Halen outtake. Alas no, this is the British band, Hellanbach, from their first full length album. But they sure do sound like Van Halen. At the time, they were given the nickname "Halenbach".

Comparisons aside, the lead guitarist, Dave Patton, was very competent. Enjoy his skills on this track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f23nb8VrH0   (first track)

I'm Ready by Humble Pie (1970)

Long before Peter Frampton recorded the wildly successful, yet critically panned "Frampton Comes Alive", he was making bluesy rock with the former Small Faces frontman, Steve Marriott in Humble Pie.

Here is where I like Frampton's work the best. He could focus on his guitar work and make some good music. He hung in there with Humble Pie for four records, before leaving to embark on his solo career. Here is a track from their third album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9dGrk1NyS0

Without You by The Doobie Brothers (1973)

Recently, I blogged about going on a mission to find a song that I actually like by the Moody Blues. Well after some conscious effort I found one.  Recently, I had another one of those experiences, except that it was quite by accident.

I have never been a fan of the Doobie Brothers. I hated Black Water from the get-go and I always found China Grove to be cheesy. So, when I flipped on the radio the other day and discovered a song that rocked with the name "Doobie Brothers" scrolling across my car radio's display, I was naturally quite confused.

Upon further investigation, I found that this was a pre-Michael McDonald band recording, so it started to make a bit more sense. Anyway, give it a listen and come to your own conclusion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bn_to1uNVg

R.C.8 by Dark (1972)

I was recently reading an article on the 20 most valuable records of all time. Of course, this is a highly subjective, fluctuating list in reality, but NME made a valiant attempt to nail it down at a point in time. In any case, I was drawn to #17 on their list. It is an album called Round the Edges by a band called Dark. Never mind the Carole King-esque album cover, this album is some fuzzy psych madness.

The reason that the album is so valuable is that the British band only made 50 copies. It has since been reissued on CD. That is helpful as I would not want to shell out over $2000 for one of those hard-to-find albums.

Check out the oddly named "R.C.8".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Vc9ew-MVEs

Just a Thought by Modern English (1981)

If the title of this blog post didn't give it away, I would imagine that most people would be hard pressed to guess who recorded this song. This is pretty f***ing far from Melt With You. Modern English' first album was much moodier and edgier than later work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2cpsLUJqc4

Out of This Place by Rose Tattoo (1981)

Imagine if AC/DC never achieved worldwide fame, but remained a workingman's band in Australia. Then you'd have Rose Tattoo, or something pretty close. It shouldn't be too surprising that Rose Tattoo sounds like AC/DC. There first four albums were produced by Harry Vanda and George Young, the same team behind George's younger brothers' band.

Regardless of similarities, Rose Tattoo is a great rock band. Check out the first track on their second album, Assault & Battery.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66h7hgyKfcw

Louie Louie by the Flamin' Groovies (1971)

The Flamin' Groovies were a quintessential garage band out of San Francisco that survived for nearly three decades. Their best stuff, like most bands that started in the mid 60's, came out in the late 60's/early 70's, though.

There were a bunch of Groovies' tunes that I was considering for this blog post. However, I settled on the cover of the all time classic, Louie Louie, because they manage to stretch out that laid back, super cool vibe for nearly seven minutes. While I loved the Kingsmen version, I always felt that it was over too soon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAJdP7IAHzA

I Am Not Willing by Moby Grape (1969)

Moby Grape was an under appreciated psych/rock/folk band from the late 60's. Formed in 1966 by Skip Spence, the original drummer with the Jefferson Airplane, this band had a great sound but some questionable management.

Here is a track off of their third studio album, Moby Grape '69. I Am Not Willing is a wonderfully soulful, bluesy track. The link is from a live version recorded for radio in Amsterdam.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veAZYax5TNE

Paradise by Colour Haze (2014)

Veteran German heavy psych rockers, Colour Haze, have received some criticism for softening their sound over the years. I don't know, the heavier stuff is good, but this latest stripped down effort feels authentic to me. Check out their fancy new video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZgun2ez4nQ

Wheels of Steel by Saxon (1982)

Back in the 80's, as a teenager, I was surprisingly not into Metal. I was in the process of discovering the Beatles, the Stones, etc... and didn't get into the heavier stuff. I was not completely to blame, though. There were a lot of awful hair metal bands during my high school days(Yeah, I'm looking at you, Warrant). My mistake was to lump them all together by appearance.

Therefore, it wasn't until years later that I started to appreciate quality metal bands. Here is a British heavy metal band cut from the Judas Priest cloth. Check out a live version of one of their biggest tunes, Wheels of Steel. For the first five seconds or so, it sounds like they're getting ready to go into Baba O'Riley. Fear not, though, they don't...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74HVHNdYxuw

Magic Potion by The Open Mind (1969)

The Open Mind were another one of those short-lived late 60s/early 70's bands that, while not wildly successful, managed to put together at least one album of great psychedelic rock. At the beginning of their most well known track, featured here, it almost sounds like the Stooges. However, once the song kicks into full gear, it is pure psychedelia.

Check it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RQM4r9mo6o

Big Kick, Plain Scrap! by Nick Lowe (1979)

SEE LINK BELOW

After leaving pub rockers Brinsely Schwartz and taking a break from Rockpile, Nick Lowe started chugging out a series of solo albums of snarky, guitar driven pop with a hook.

His second solo release, Labour of Lust, released in 1979 would feature the biggest hit of his career. Cruel to Be Kind was a pop masterpiece. And despite how overplayed the song became, I still enjoy it to this day. Here is another track of that album, Big Kick, Plain Scrap!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og60K7qyXk0

Something You Got by The Moody Blues (1965)

Despite their awesome album covers and psych/proggy themes, for some reason I've never been able to find a song that I really like by the Moody Blues. Maybe the music is too tame or didn't have the right beat for me. In any case, I know that a lot of people love this band, so I spent more time that was warranted to find at least one song that I really could get into.

I had to dig back into their really early stuff, but finally found this track. I think that the key reason I like this track is that it doesn't really sound like later stuff released by the band. Here, back in 1965, the band is still searching for their signature sound. On "Something You Got", the band experiments with a soulful sound and it works. Check it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrMQUDx3NmI

Sky Drive by Arktis (1974)

Wow, my 200th post. Seems like only last December I started this song of the day blog. I guess that makes sense. In any case, today's entry is definitely a lost classic.

Krautrockers Arktis had a great psych/prog sound that also rocked. Check out this track that wasn't uncovered and released until 1993.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ihn0HoYI7s

The Return of the Sacred Crab by The Soft Boys (1979)

A lot of successful solo musicians usually started in a band. Oftentimes, that band was more exciting than the solo career that followed. To me, that is the case here with Robyn Hitchcock's first band, The Soft Boys.

The boys' first album, A Can of Bees, is a perfect example of post-punk snarkiness. I say post-punk because the band is a bit tighter than most "punk" bands of the era.

Check out this complexly titled track from their debut release.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdK8Hq7RmJ0

Mesmerization Eclipse by Captain Beyond (1972)

Okay, okay, this is like the third day in a row from 1972. Well, what can I say? It was a very good year. Today's post focuses on mini super group comprised of former members of Deep Purple, Iron Butterfly, and Johnny Winter's band.

This is hard rock with some prog themes. They managed to put out a couple of albums in their initial incarnation and then some more when they reformed in the late 70's with an altered lineup.

Here they are from their first album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV3kb-c8XV8

Questions and Conclusions by Sweathog (1972)

Sweathog was not your typical San Francisco band out of the late 60's/early 70's. Their music was not the least bit psychedelic. I've heard their music compared to a Southern rock band, but to me it just sounds soulful rock with a big sound.

They managed to release a couple of albums before calling it quits in 1973. Here is one of the tracks off of their second album, Hallelujah.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa3Vv1v2voU

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U.S. Blues by the Grateful Dead (1980)

Full Disclosure; I am a Deadhead. The Grateful Dead are, by a large margin, my favorite band. There have been a few full years where I have listened to nothing else. I have stayed away from featuring the band in this space as I am trying not to repeat bands; and picking the one favorite Dead tune that I would want to share is challenging for me personally.

So, I'm going to punt on that responsibility and merely showcase a song that fits just exactly perfectly into the 4th of July. Add to that the fact the the surviving members of the band are getting together one last time this weekend in Chicago, and today had to be the day.

There are better versions of U.S. Blues than the 1980 version from Radio City Music Hall that I am linking here, but the video of Jerry is pretty good. And it's all about Jerry.

"Wave that flag, wave it wide and high"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uB_25Boz7o

Guaranteed by The Godz (1978)

Columbus, Ohio's The Godz(not to be confused with the New York pysch band The Godz from a decade earlier) were another straightforward rock n' roll band in the age of punk and disco. As if garnering success in that environment wasn't hard enough, their album cover looks very proggy. Any prog fan buying this album on a whim would have been highly disappointed. There is nothing fancy here.

Don Brewer, of Grand Funk Railroad fame, produced the album and you can certainly hear his influence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL722Vb1MqQ

You Had It Coming to You by Hustler (1975)

Sandwiched between Britain's proclivity for progressive rock and the subsequent punk rock movement, straight up and coming rock n' roll bands did not have much of a scene to flourish in. As a result, their music didn't take off with the masses.

Looking back, however, Hustler made some fine no frills rock n' roll. Here is a track off of their second album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OthngQXYZD0

Trudy by the Charlie Daniels Band (1978)

On the surface, the Charlie Daniels Band looked like any other country band of the 1970's. I mean, the bandleader played the fiddle. But something was different about the sound. I mean, with the rise of classic rock radio in the early 80's, the Charlie Daniels Band was getting as much airplay as Grand Funk Railroad or Foghat.

Aside from their biggest hit, The Devil Went Down to Georgia, other classic rock staples included Uneasy Rider and Long Haired Country Boy. There was something that I admired about the message of these songs. They were taking the cultural revolution of the 60's and pushing it a bit into the Deep South.

The other thing about Charlie Daniels' songs is that they tell a story. I am not much of a lyrics guy myself, but I always knew the lyrics to Charlie's tunes because they told such interesting stories.

Here is another such story from 1978, one of my favorites,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUESvITrvsI