Song #30 On My MP3 Player - Back Of A Car by Big Star

Tweet

Song #30 on my MP3 player is 'Back Of A Car' by Big Star, which is the seventh track on the band's 1974 album Radio City.

Big Star was a band that formed circa 1971 with a lineup that featured Alex Chilton, Chris Bell, Jody Stephens, and Andy Hummel. Alex Chilton was the lead singer of The Box Tops, a band that had hits during the 1960's with 'The Letter' and 'Cry Like A Baby'. Big Star released three albums from 1971 to 1974: #1 Record, Radio City, and Third/Sister Lovers. The music was good, but their record labels were either poorly managed or just not interested in distributing their albums. The history of Big Star is very interesting, and take some time to read Need A Big Star Primer? by Mark Hinson for a more complete history.

The first time I heard Big Star was during the summer of '95 or '96 when my good friend Ryan Dellwood played 'September Gurls' when he was a guest DJ with me at a college radio station in Ohio. I really liked the song, but Dellwood informed me that their music was hard to find. A few weeks later I found #1 Record and Radio City on the same CD at a local music store. Dellwood was thrilled I found their music.

Big Star is loved by the hipsters, indie rockers, and this Lost Soul of Rock & Roll. They have some damn good songs, but they also have some songs that have me hitting the fast forward button on my cd player. When they're good, they are on fire. Big Star is classified as power pop, which means they are inspired by bands like The Beatles and The Kinks, but they also have a nice touch of early 70's rock. What's nice about Big Star is that they can produce and absolute rocker or make a beautiful ballad.

'Back Of A Car' is one of my favorite Big Star songs because there are great harmonies, cool lyrics, and a wonderful guitar sound. Big Star has some songs that really connect with young people, and the story of 'Back of A Car' is pure teen angst. This is one of those songs that should have been a hit, but wasn't. It did inspire a bunch of musicians to form their own bands and maybe that's better than having a hit. Enjoy.  



TonyDoug Wright is the Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. 

Song #29 On My MP3 Player - Babe I'm Gonna Leave You by Led Zeppelin

Tweet

'Babe I'm Gonna Leave You' is song #29 on my MP3 player and it is the second track on Led Zeppelin's 1969 eponymous debut album. This song is a cover and it was originally recorded by Anne Bredon. Joan Baez covered the song before Zeppelin, which may have inspired the version developed by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. Zeppelin did initially not give Bredon credit for 'Babe I'm Gonna Leave You' and the issue was not discovered by Bredon until the 1980's. Bredon is now credited on the song plus she received royalties.

I'm not a big fan of the Led Zeppelin album, but 'Babe I'm Gonna Leave You' is one of Zeppelin's finest moments. Zeppelin is a band that I've liked since '86 or '87, but it took me about four or five years to truly appreciate this song. I was taking guitar lessons during the early 90's and my guitar instructor asked if I wanted to learn this song. At first I wasn't thrilled, but it's a fun song to learn for the guitar. You get to do some pretty stuff and then you get to kick out the jams. Enjoy.



TonyDoug Wright is the Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. He's never gonna leave you.

Song #28 On My MP3 Player - Baba O'Riley by The Who

Tweet

'Baba O'Riley' is song #28 on my MP3 player. This is the opening track to The Who's 1971 album Who's Next.  Not only is 'Baba O'Riley' a candidate for the best song in rock and roll history, but Who's Next is also a contender for the greatest rock and roll album of all time.

I discovered The Who during the fall of 1988, which was my freshman year of high school. A fellow student brought a "best of" tape of The Who to study hall and he asked if I liked their music. I told him that I didn't know any of their songs and he was absolutely flabbergasted.  He said they were one of the best rock bands of all time, so I went out and bought my own "best of" tape by The Who to see if he was right.

It didn't take long for me to be a fan and I am still a fan today. The Who is fantastic and it should be a criminal act to hate this band. 'Baba O'Riley' is pure rock and roll gold. I've added a live version so you can see these guys rock the house. Enjoy.

TonyDoug Wright is the Lost Soul of Rock and Roll.

Song #27 On My MP3 Player - Awkward Age by Joe Jackson

Tweet

'Awkward Age' is song #27 on my MP3 player and I have the live version from the 2004 album AfterLife. The studio version of 'Awkward Age' is on the 2003 album, Volume 4 by the Joe Jackson Band.

Joe Jackson is a great singer, songwriter, musician, and author. Look Sharp! was his 1979 debut and since then he has released sixteen studio albums, two soundtrack albums, and nine live albums. His songs vary in style from pop to rock to punk to new wave to jazz. Joe is the man and my MP3 player has some of my personal favorites from Mr. Jackson.

'Awkward Age' is on my MP3 player because no matter your age there are parties you are not invited to and cliques you really want to avoid. As an adult I believe I am wiser than I was when I was a teen, but I find myself making the same mistakes I did when I was younger. 'Awkward Age' is one of those songs I play when I am having one of those days and it is fitting that this is my song of the day.

Earlier today I read a post on Facebook about the death of Neil Armstrong, and I was surprised to learn of his death. Why wasn't it on the news? Only one person was upset over Armstrong's death? I posted something on Facebook about his death only to find out that Armstrong died last year. It was embarrassing because I thought he recently died and my wife was one of the first people to inform me of my gaffe. 'Awkward Age' indeed.

However, this article proves that I am not the only one confused about Armstrong's death.

I do not have the AfterLife version of 'Awkward Age' available for today's post, but I found a live version that is very good. Enjoy.



TonyDoug Wright is The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. He is a little bit wiser about dead astronauts.

Song #26 On My MP3 Player - At The Hundredth Meridian by The Tragically Hip

Tweet

'At The Hundredth Meridian' is song by The Tragically Hip and it's song #26 on my MP3 player. This song is the third track on the band's 1992 album Fully Completely. 'At The Hundredth Meridian' is about the 100th meridian west, which is the line of longitude where the great plains begin.

I went to college in the Dayton, Ohio area and I would stop by a local CD store on weekends to see if I could find some cool new music. The store had a nice selection of free music publications and I would always grab a few for some weekend reading. The Dayton Voice, an alternative newspaper, was a must read, and from time to time they would have a page dedicated to concerts that were in cities like Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Detroit. The Tragically Hip were regulars in the Detroit area for shows and I wondered if they were some local band that was big in Michigan because I had never heard anything from them on the radio or on 120 Minutes.

I later discovered that The Tragically Hip were a Canadian rock band. I first heard their music in the movie The Sweet Hereafter and was hooked. Fully Completely is the only album I own by The Tragically Hip, which is a very good alternative rock album, plus I have a few songs from it on my MP3 player. A few people have referred to them as an REM wannabe band, but I disagree. The Tragically Hip has at times a folk rock sound blended with college rock, so I understand why people would compare the two bands, but there are plenty of bands that followed that formula. The Tragically Hip have a catalog that is fairly solid.

'At The Hundredth Meridian' is the song of the day at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. Enjoy.




TonyDoug Wright is The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll.

Song #25 On My MP3 Player - Answering Machine by The Replacements

Tweet

Song #25 on my MP3 player is 'Answering Machine', which is the final track on The Replacements' 1984 release Let it Be. The Replacements were an American rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and I consider them to be one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Their songs are magnificent and their history is filled with numerous tales which might be nothing more than rock and roll mythology.

Ryan Dellwood was a friend from high school that was totally annoyed by the fact that I was in love with classic rock. He tried to get me to like The Smiths and The Cure, but I refused to give those bands a chance. It was the summer of 1992 and I had just graduated from high school. I was getting ready for college. Dellwood showed up at my house one evening unannounced with a box full of cassette tapes. He was staging a rock and roll intervention.

I was pissed that Dellwood thought I listened to musical garbage. Who was he to stage an intervention? What was wrong with liking Led Zeppelin, The Who, Aerosmith, and Lynyrd Skynyrd? My evening was going to be ruined by Dellwood playing some god awful garbage by some British band with a moody lead singer accompanied by a bunch of buffoons playing synthesizers.

Dellwood didn't even try with The Smiths or The Cure. He was loaded for bear. Instead of trying to win me over with British bands, he tried to win me over with rock and roll from the US of A. One of the tapes he brought over was Let it Be by The Replacements.

At the time I was reading Musician magazine and they were big fans of The Replacements. They praised the band, especially lead singer and songwriter Paul Westerberg. It was one of those instances where I knew the name of the band, but none of their material.

Dellwood started playing some selections from Let it Be and the one that caught my attention was 'Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out'. There must have been some joy Dellwoodville that day. I had a great time listening to new music and that night put me on the right path to discovering some fantastic artists. Dellwood decided to make a mix tape that night for me and I was really impressed by The Replacements.

A few weeks later I decided to buy Let it Be. I was impressed. It's still one of my favorite albums of all time, and it's tied with Tim as the best album by The Replacements.

'Answering Machine' is on my MP3 player because it is a song that's brilliant in my opinion. Paul Westerberg created an angst driven song about the frustrations we face when it comes to relationships. Some of us have had the experience of being in a relationship and it somehow ends without anyone telling you that it's over. I had experienced that a few months before I listened to 'Answering Machine'.

When I heard 'Answering Machine' for the first time, I was hooked, plus I was blown away by how the song incorporated the loop of the operators voice saying "If you need help...If you need help". There is this slow progression where the operators voice becomes more distorted. Damn, that's good. Also, the musical minimalism of this song adds to the greatness. I hope you enjoy this song of the day and have a great weekend.




TonyDoug Wright is The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. He will not hang up and dial the operator.

Song #24 On My MP3 Player - Annie Get Your Gun by Squeeze

Tweet

Don't shoot that singer! 'Annie Get Your Gun' is song #24 on my MP3 player and it is the song of the day at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. This song was released in 1982 as a single and is featured on Singles - 45's and Under, a compilation album released that same year.

Squeeze is a band that has an impressive catalog that in my opinion has been overlooked here in the USA. They fall into that late 70's and early 80's category of new wave and power pop, but Squeeze has released some brilliant pop driven music. Singles - 45's and Under is worth checking out because it is loaded with pop goodness. I've been a fan of this British band for ages, and one day I'll be able to remember all of  their various personnel changes.

I'm pretty certain I first heard Squeeze on MTV back in the early 80's when they had a hit with 'Black Coffee in Bed'. My appreciation of Squeeze didn't occur until 1994 or 1995 when I borrowed a copy of Singles - 45's and Under. I was absolutely impressed and purchased my own copy on CD. Squeeze has a place in my pop loving heart, and shame on you for not appreciating their music.

'Annie Get Your Gun' is on my MP3 player because it's a fun acoustic driven pop song. Glenn Tilbrook is a great vocalist and I really enjoyed his work with Squeeze. I hope you enjoy 'Annie Get Your Gun' and have a great day!




TonyDoug Wright is The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll

Song #23 On My MP3 Player - And She Was by the Talking Heads

Tweet

'And She Was' by the Talking Heads is song #23 on my MP3 player and it is the song of the day at the Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. This song was released in 1985 and is the opening track on Little Creatures.

I'm a "greatest hits" fan when it comes to the Talking Heads. I've listened to some of their albums, but a greatest hits albums will suffice for my collection. This is a relationship I have with many artists.

My freshman year of college was perhaps my biggest year of music appreciation. It's hard to explain what happened, but I discovered a bunch of new bands, plus I gained a greater respect for artists that I didn't fully appreciate in high school. 'And She Was' is one of those songs that caught my attention my freshman year in college. The video was playing on MTV or VH1 and I was hooked. It's a bouncy little pop song that will make you feel great.

For the longest time I did not know this song was about a girl on an acid trip. Apparently, David Byrne, the lead singer and songwriter for the Talking Heads, knew a girl that used to drop acid near a Yoo-Hoo factory in Baltimore. Knowing is half the battle, boys and girls. Enjoy.



TonyDoug Wright is The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. He has never tried Yoo-Hoo.

Song #22 On My MP3 Player - Anarchy In The U.K. by the Sex Pistols

Tweet

The twenty-second song on my MP3 player is a punk rock anthem. 'Anarchy in the U.K.' was released as a debut single in 1976 and was also featured on their 1977 album Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols.

Danger is a key ingredient for rock and roll. Sadly, some artists have forgotten that rock and roll needs to do its duty from time to time and flip authority the middle finger. When the industry becomes complacent then someone emerges to raise some hell. Do we have any hell raisers in rock and roll today? I know there are people who view themselves as edgy, but I really can not think of anyone who is holding that torch.

People either love or hate 'Anarchy in the U.K.'. I love the song because it's the kind of danger that's needed in the world of rock and roll. When I was a teenager I worked at a restaurant and I recall a lady complaining about rock music and she went off on the Sex Pistols. She said they were "disgusting" and "garbage".  That lady was always bitching about something.

I liked the Sex Pistols at the time - and I still do- because they are one of a few bands that were truly dangerous. Some bands put on a costume or makeup and pretend to be dangerous. Some bands label themselves as a dangerous band but are nothing more than paper tigers. The Sex Pistols were dangerous in my opinion because they put a mirror in front of the face of the people and forced them to look hard at what was going on at the time. People hate it when they have to look in the mirror and see all the ugliness.

'Anarchy in the U.K.' is on my MP3 player. It's not "disgusting" and it's not "garbage". Enjoy.



TonyDoug Wright is the Lost Soul of Rock and Roll

Song #21 On My MP3 Player - American Music by the Violent Femmes

Tweet

I like American music. The twenty first song on my MP3 player is 'American Music' by the Violent Femmes. This song was released in 1991 and is the opening track for the album Why Do Birds Sing?. 

My appreciation of the Violent Femmes was a slow process. Their eponymous debut album was praised endlessly during my high school years by some of the most obnoxious cliques. Sadly the Violent Femmes were one of many bands to suffer that fate. My appreciation for many bands changed after I graduated from high school.

When I was in college, I would make mix tapes for friends and for my own listening pleasure. One Saturday I was really bored and wanted to make a mix tape to listen to while doing homework. All of my roommates were gone, so I raided their collections for good tunes. Sebastian Daniels was a roommate and he had a collection of techno, punk, alt rock, and industrial music. Why Do Birds Sing? caught my attention, so I sampled the CD for something mix tape worthy. 'American Music' was the opening track and I was hooked. It went on to the mix tape. The rest of the album was forgettable.

What I like about 'American Music' is that it has a Jonathan Richman quality. Richman was the lead singer and founder of The Modern Lovers, an early 1970's Boston band that inspired many punk acts of the 1970's. Richman's music has a quirky quality and that can be heard on 'American Music'. The Violent Femmes have a great catalog and I'm glad that I took the time to appreciate their music.




TonyDoug Wright is the Lost Soul of Rock and Roll.
  

Song #20 On My MP3 Player - All Right Now by Free

Tweet

It's classic rock time, boys and girls. 'All Right Now' was a 1970 hit for Free, a UK band featuring Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke who would later go on a form Bad Company. This is the twentieth song on my MP3 player and it is the song of the day at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll.

Ryan Dellwood was a friend of mine in high school and he was annoyed that I was a major fan of classic rock. Dellwood truly hated the album oriented rock sounds of the 1970s', so it must have boiled his blood when I jotted down some of the lyrics to Free's 'All Right Now' on his folder. Little did I know at the time that I had started Dellwood's musical crusade to save my soul from 1970's album oriented rock.

I had the same homeroom with Dellwood during my senior year of high school. A few days after the Free notebook incident he asked me to borrow his copy of Rank by The Smiths. Rank was a live album released in 1988 and it was one of Dellwoods favorite albums at the time. This casual request was nothing more than Dellwood's way of introducing me to music he viewed as superior to classic rock. I was annoyed that Dellwood was giving me a tape of crummy college music. Dellwood liked The Smiths, The Cure, and The Cocteau Twins. I liked bands that rocked like Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Sabbath, and Floyd. I politely took the tape and placed it in my backpack where it stayed for a week or two.

As the week or two passed, Dellwood asked for his tape. I returned it during homeroom and he asked me what songs I liked on Rank. I didn't listen to the damn tape. I didn't want to hear some music I viewed as whiny and pretentious. For some reason I told Dellwood that the tape was "OK", but he really wanted to know what songs I liked. Dellwood wouldn't shut up about that damn album, so I fed him some bullshit answers.

There are times when I play 'All Right Now' and think of Dellwood. We're still friends and from time to time he'll give me grief for liking classic rock. How can you not like 'All Right Now'? It's a little funk, a little bluesy, and it totally rocks.



TonyDoug Wright is the Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. He is currently a fan of The Smiths.

Song #19 On My MP3 Player - All I Want by Toad The Wet Sprocket

Tweet

'All I Want' was one of two Billboard top 100 hits from Toad The Wet Sprocket's 1991 album titled Fear. Dismissing Fear as a forgettable two-hit wonder album is a total mistake. Fear is one of my favorite's from the 1990's because it is a great pop record with equally great songwriting. 'All I Want' is the nineteenth song on my MP3 player and it is the song of the day at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll.

The dude with the curly hair and the John Lennon shades titled his head down, looked at me, and said, "Are you the dude with the Toad The Wet Sprocket tape?" I had no idea what he was talking about, plus I had no idea who he was either. It was a nice June day in 1992 and I was at a lake with some of my classmates to celebrate our graduation from high school.

The lake was a small resort of sorts that was owned or managed by the parents of a girl in my class. She invited everyone to the lake for a party and said it would start at 1:00 PM. I went with two friends from school and we showed up at 1:00 PM. When we arrived, the girl was surprised to see us and said something like, "What are you doing here?" It's nice to get that kind of greeting from your host.

A few more people showed up, but the majority of the class showed up three to four hours later.

It was a decent party. I had fun, but the guy that drove us to the lake didn't want to stay much longer because he had somewhere else to be that evening. For some reason, I had to get something out of that guy's car and that's when I encountered the curly haired dude with the John Lennon sunglasses. He was not in our class, and he seemed kinda drunk and sorta high. He was desperately looking for a tape from a band called Toad The Wet Sprocket.

For a split second I thought that I should play along and be the guy with the tape. It was tempting, but I told him no and he seemed disappointed. At the time I thought Toad The Wet Sprocket sounded like some crappy hippie jam band. I was wrong.

A few weeks after the party I saw the video for 'All I Want' by Toad The Wet Sprocket. It was a good song, and I later found out a friend a copy of Fear on tape. They made a copy for me and I immediately fell in love with the album. I went out and got the album on CD and it is still an album I listen to frequently.

'All I Want' is one of the better 90's mainstream alternative rock hits. It's not the only song from Fear on my MP3 player. Oh yes, there is more. I'm not a fan of the video because it looks like someone watched REM's 'Losing My Religion' video and thought, "I'll just copy the shit out of this video for that Toad The Wet Sprocket band." You can't tell me this video has an REM vibe. Come on.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this video and I can not believe it has been 22 years since this album was released.




TonyDoug Wright is The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll.

Song #18 On My MP3 Player - Ain't That A Lot Of Love by Taj Mahal

Tweet

The eighteenth song on my MP3 player is a track from The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, which was a 1968 concert that featured acts such as The Rolling Stones, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, The Who, Taj Mahal, and Jethro Tull. Mick Jagger wanted this project to be filmed for the BBC, but Mick wasn't happy with the Stones' performance, so the concert was shelved for decades. The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus was released in 1996 as an album and as a video.

I was subscribed to a Guided by Voices (GBV) mailing list during the 90's and I met many wonderful people via that group. We had some get-togethers before shows and many of those events were memorable. GBV was scheduled to play a show in Newport, Kentucky in '96 or '97, but the show was cancelled. Unfortunately, some people from out of town purchased tickets, hotel rooms, and flights to get to the show. Bob Pollard, the lead singer of GBV, agreed to have a get-together with the out of town fans.

Toledo Tuxedo was one of the out-of-towners and he asked me if I was going to the event. I was living in the Dayton, Ohio area, which was the hometown of GBV, so I was under the impression I would not be invited. I had purchased a ticket for the Kentucky show, but I didn't lose a ton of money. Toledo Tuxedo was able to talk to some people who organized the event and I was invited because I agreed to to have some of the out-of-towners stay at my apartment for free.

The fans were to meet Bob on a Saturday afternoon at a bar in Dayton, so Toledo Tuxedo showed up at my apartment that morning. He got up early that day to drive to my place was ready to rock. Toledo asked for a beer, it was 10:30 AM, and being the young college student I was, I thought 10:30 AM was a legit time for a beer.

After a solid hour of drinking beer and listening to music, Toledo Tuxedo wanted to stop by a record store, so I took him to Trader Vic's. Trader Vic was a friend of Bob's and his store had an impressive collection of GBV material. Some of Vic's employees hated GBV, and I recall one Oasis looking douche bag who worked there tried to explain to me how all of GBV's songs were written in the same musical pattern.

Fortunately, Oasis had the day off and Vic was working. He had The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus playing and it caught my attention. 'A Quick One' by The Who was the song and Vic had it blasting in the store. I was hooked. I had to buy the album, but Toledo Tuxedo wanted to do the same and purchased the last copy Vic had in the store.

I didn't purchase The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus that day, but five years later I finally picked up a copy at a store. Overall it's a good album that has some incredible performances like 'A Quick One, While He's Away' by The Who and 'Ain't That A Lot Of Love' by Taj Mahal. As I type this post I am uncertain why I don't have 'A Quick One, While He's Away' on my MP3 player. I'm going to get it uploaded this week.

'Ain't That A Lot Of Love' is a great blues number by Taj Mahal. It's guaranteed to get you in a good mood. Enjoy!



TonyDoug Wright is the Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. Follow him on Twitter @TonyDougWright

Song #17 On My MP3 Player - Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love by Van Halen

Tweet

Van Halen's 1978 eponymous debut is required listening for anyone who claims to be a fan of hard rock and heavy metal. The album is solid from start to finish, and you really can't go wrong with the Diamond Dave era of Van Halen. 'Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love' is the seventeenth song on my MP3 player and it is my favorite Van Halen song of all time.

I moved to Southwest Michigan in 2000 and did not know a single person in my community. A few months before moving to Michigan, I quit the band I was playing in, and decided to get together with some local musicians to see if I could get another band together. Flyers were placed in music stores and I received a few phone calls from interested musicians. The first to call was a guy named Ron, and he played guitar. Stu called and he was a bass player, plus he even offered for us to jam in his basement. Harry was a drummer and it seemed that I had a band in the making.

We were to meet at Stu's house on a Saturday night. I arrived first and then Ron arrived. Stu was very laid back while Ron was a tornado of energy. We set up our equipment to jam, and then Harry arrived. I was ready to rock.

When I played in my previous band, the drummer did not need that much time to take down his kit and take it to a gig. I expected the same from Harry, but that was not the case because Harry had every piece of his drum set in individual cases. I'm talking about the bass, toms, snare, and cymbals. Even the hardware needed to put the set together was in cases. The sticks were in a carrying case. It took Harry forever and a day to set up that damn drum kit. I was pissed. This did not go over well with Ron because Ron had been ready to rock since he woke up that morning. Ron was on the edge of a nervous breakdown.

We finally were ready to jam and we needed a song. Ron suggested 'Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love'. Harry knew the song but Stu and me were not familiar. Ron wanted to play lead guitar, so he showed me the rhythm, which was easy. Stu felt confident with improvising the bass lines. We kicked out the song and it rocked.

The night went well, and we played 'Waiting For The Man' by The Velvet Underground. A couple of blues jams were played and cheap beer was enjoyed by all.

That was the only time we got together as a band. Stu told me after we jammed that he didn't want us to use his house as our practice studio. He also decided he didn't want to jam with us anymore. I don't know what happened, but Stu's initial laid-back attitude was replaced by Captain Jackass. Harry seemed interested in jamming again, but Ron told me we'd have to call Harry a week in advance so he'd have plenty of time to set up his drum kit.

I spent a few months jamming with Ron. We'd always play 'Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love' and we'd shout out the "HEY HEY HEY!" part of the song, which was very cool. Ron got himself a woman, and then he disappeared. I have no idea what happened to Ron, but we'll always have Van Halen.





TonyDoug Wright is The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll.

Song #16 On My MP3 Player - Ah! Leah! by Donnie Iris

Tweet

'Ah! Leah!' was a top 40 hit in 1980 for Donnie Iris. Prior to his success with 'Ah! Leah!', Iris was a member of The Jaggerz, a band he had a top 10 hit with 'The Rapper'. Iris also spent time with Wild Cherry during their post 'Play That Funky Music' days. Iris is still in the music business and usually performs shows in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

I'm an unapologetic fan of classic rock. My MP3 player is loaded for bear with classic rock, so let this serve as a warning or as an awesome announcement. Haters can hate all they want, but 'Ah! Leah!' is a jam. You can't go wrong with Iris' amazing vocals mixed with that sweet power chord driven sound. When I first heard this song, I could not make out the 'Ah! Leah!' chorus. I thought the name of the song was something like 'Allyah', which sounded like an odd name. I had to embed the cheesy 80's video for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy.





TonyDoug Wright is the Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. He does not like Mondays.

Song #15 On My MP3 Player - A Salty Salute by Guided by Voices

Tweet

The club is open, boys and girls. 'A Salty Salute' is the fifteenth song on my MP3 player. This song is the opening track on Guided by Voices' 1995 lo-fi rock album Alien Lanes.

Fans of Guided by Voices (GBV) have debated and will debate what's the best opening track on a GBV album. 'A Salty Salute' is a strong contender for the #1 spot because it is a drinking anthem from a hard-drinking band that has a large following of big-time drinkers. It's a marriage made in heaven. It's also catchy as hell and it is hard not to yell "The club is open!" while listening to this song.

'A Salty Salute' is not only a great opening track, but it is something that you have to experience at a GBV show. The band has a neon sign that says THE CLUB IS OPEN and when you hear that bass line at a show, then you know it's rock and roll time. I've experienced 30 to 35 GBV shows from 1995 to 2012, and I don't think I've ever attended a show where they didn't play this song. The crowd goes wild when the bass starts off the song, and the band kicks out the song in amazing fashion.

'A Salty Salute' is on my MP3 player because it's a killer song from my favorite band. This song was played at my wedding as the introduction song for my best man. He's a GBV fan as well and was thrilled to hear the song as his introduction. We all need drinking anthems and I hope you dig 'A Salty Salute'





TonyDoug Wright is the Lost Soul of Rock & Roll. He's going to eat meatloaf for lunch.

Song #14 On My MP3 Player - A Life of Possibilities by The Dismemberment Plan

Tweet

The Dismemberment Plan is a band from Washington, D.C. that formed in 1993 and gained critical acclaim for their 1999 album Emergency & I. This album was well received by critics and is considered one of the best indie rock albums of the past twenty years. 'A Life of Possibilities' is the opening track to Emergency & I and it is the fourteenth song on my MP3 player.

I moved to Southwest Michigan in 2000 and a few months later I discovered the awesome college rock radio station WIDR. One day they played a track from Emergency & I and I had to call the station to find out the name of the band. The disc jockey said they were called The Dismemberment Plan, so I went to Flipside Records in Kalamazoo, MI (RIP) and purchased a copy of Emergency & I.

'A Life of Possibilities' is one of many great tracks on Emergency & I . The album is a wonderful blend of punk, hip-hop, dance music, and R&B. 'A Life of Possibilities' starts off with a bouncy beat and then someone finds the distortion pedal and then everything accelerates into an all out rocker. I highly recommend this album and I hope you enjoy the song of the day.





TonyDoug Wright is the Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. He made some awesome no-bake cookies last night.

Song #13 On My MP3 Player - A Good Idea by Sugar

Tweet

The thirteenth song on my MP3 player is 'A Good Idea' which is featured on Sugar's 1992 debut album Copper Blue. Sugar was a Bob Mould project that featured Mould on guitar, David Barbe on bass, and Malcolm Travis on drums. The band was together from 1992 to 1995 and they released four albums and one EP.

We have back-to-back songs that are interesting stories. 'A Boy Named Sue' by Johnny Cash is a tale of a boy with a feminine name seeking revenge on his father while 'A Good Idea' is a tale of two lovers who go down to the river and nothing goes as planned. I hope you are not in the mood for a light and lovely tale.

Copper Blue is one of my top five albums of all time. I purchased this album in 1992 and Copper Blue is a timeless album. Husker Du fans can whine all they want about Mould not sounding as punk as he once did, but in my opinion this is one of Mould's best albums. From start to finish Copper Blue is an alternative rock masterpiece. 'A Good Idea' is the second track on the album which features a bass line and lyrics that are unmistakably inspired by the Pixies. Enjoy.




TonyDoug Wright is the Lost Soul of Rock and Roll.

Song #12 On My MP3 Player - A Boy Named Sue by Johnny Cash

Tweet

At San Quentin and At Folsom Prison are two great live albums by Johnny Cash and I highly recommend you listen to both albums at least one time in your lifetime. 'A Boy Named Sue' is the twelfth song my on MP3 player and it was recorded in 1969 at the San Quentin State Prison in California. This is a popular Cash song and it was originally a poem by Shel Silverstein.

'A Boy Named Sue' might be one of the best stories told in a song. Some poor kid gets named 'Sue' by a deadbeat dad and spends most of his life getting into fights with guys that make fun of his name. Sue reaches a breaking point and goes on a mission to kill his dad. Sue finds his father in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and the two have an epic battle.

I've never understood how people can not like the music of Johnny Cash.I understand that people do not like goofy mainstream country music, but Johnny Cash is the man. The guy has a great catalog of music and 'A Boy Named Sue' is a classic. Any artist that can make a room full of prisoners laugh is a damn good performer.




TonyDoug Wright is The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. He is also the writer of two exciting webcomics titled The Red Devil and Day 165.

Song #11 On My MP3 Player - 99 Problems by Jay-Z (Explicit Lyrics)

Tweet

Jay-Z's '99 Problems' is the eleventh song on my MP3 player and was featured on the 2004 release The Black Album. If you know the song then you are familiar with the line, "If you're having girl problems, I feel bad for you son/I've got 99 problems and a bitch ain't one." For years I thought Jay-Z was referring to a woman as a "bitch", but his book titled Decoded states that the "bitch" he's talking about is a female police dog.

If you listen to '99 Problems' then you know that Jay-Z has beef with the industry, some dude who is pissing him off, and the police. Jay-Z mentions an instance in the song where he's pulled over by the cops with a car full of drugs. You might think Jay-Z is giving you some valuable legal advice in the song, but you are wrong. This article from the St. Louis University School of Law breaks down that part of '99 Problems' to show you what Jay-Z got right and wrong in the song.

'99 Problems' is on my MP3 player because it's one of those songs you need to hear to get you through a stressful situation. Also, it helps out when you are having a crummy day. I'm a hip-hop fan and '99 Problems' is one of the best hip-hop tracks of all time. I've got more hip-hop on my MP3 player, but I want you to check out Jay-Z's '99 problems' below. Enjoy.

Song #10 On My MP3 Player - 867-5309/Jenny by Tommy Tutone

Tweet

Tommy Tutone had a top ten hit in 1982 with '867-5309/Jenny', which was one of two Top 40 hits for the California band. Tommy Tutone is the name of the band and not the name of the lead singer. Tommy Heath is the lead singer and the original name of the band was Tommy and The Tu-Tones.

The band and the songwriters have provided some conflicting stories about the history of '867-5309/Jenny'. Tommy Heath said the number belonged to a girl he knew, but Heath did not write the song. Alex Call and Jim Keller were the writers, but both men offer different histories. Call said the song was a number they created, but Keller said it was a number of a girl he knew at the time. There were some legal issues with the band and writers using an actual phone number in the song, so perhaps the band and writers were trying to find ways of avoid legal troubles. Who knows. Heath, Call, and Keller all agree that Jenny is fictional.

Although Jenny was not real, the phone number was real. There are stories of people in various U.S. area codes with the number 867-5309 getting bombarded with calls asking for Jenny. One of those numbers apparently belonged to the daughter of the police chief for Buffalo, New York. My wife grew up in Pennsylvania and said 867 was a number option in State College.

'867-5309/Jenny' is on my MP3 player because I grew up in the 80's and this is one of my favorite Top 40 songs from the decade. I think this is a fun song and '867-5309/Jenny' doesn't get old despite the fact that it gets played to death during 80's lunch time radio programming. This is also a fun song to play on the acoustic guitar when you are with a bunch of friends enjoying some beers. Enjoy.



TonyDoug Wright is the Lost Soul of Rock and Roll and he's ready for the weekend.

Song #9 On My MP3 Player - 30 Gallon Tank by Spoon

Tweet

Spoon is a band from Austin, Texas that formed in 1993 and they have released seven albums. '30 Gallon Tank' is the fifth track on their 1998 album A Series of Sneaks and it was also released as an EP. This is the first of a few tracks on my MP3 player from Spoon.

My first Spoon experience was when I purchased the What's Up Matador CD. It was a compilation CD of various artists from the Matador label. What's Up Matador featured two songs by Spoon, 'Don't Buy The Realistic' and 'Telamon Bridge'. I was hooked by Spoon and had to check out their albums. I've been a fan of Spoon for years and they are one of a handful of bands that have not disappointed me as a listener.

It's hard to describe the sound of Spoon to someone who has never heard their music. They can be a noisy rock band, they can crank out a nice acoustic jam, or they can also deliver a slick pop influenced song. '30 Gallon Tank' is one of Spoon's best and it is one of their noisy rockers. If you like The Pixies, Sonic Youth, or Nirvana then give '30 Gallon Tank' a listen. Enjoy.





TonyDoug Wright is the Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. Follow him on Twitter @TonyDougWright.