The 500 - #116 - Out Of Our Heads - The Rolling Stones

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by New York-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

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Album #:116
Album Title: Out Of Our Heads
Artist: The Rolling Stones
Genre: Blues Rock, British R&B, Blue Eyed Soul, Rock and Roll
Recorded: Multiple Studios in London, Chicago, Los Angeles

Released: U.S. Version released July, 1965
My age at release: 19 days
How familiar was I with it before this week: Somewhat
Is it on the 2020 list? No

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: I Can't Get No (Satisfaction)

Many years ago, I received a birthday card styled as the front page of a newspaper. It featured the major events of 1965, my birth year,  along with pop‑culture trivia and a roster of celebrities born on the same day. It looked something like this version I found on the internet:

The #1 hit on U.S. radio charts on the day I was born was (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones, which was released as a single a month before their third studio record, Out Of Our Heads, hit shelves. It was the first of eight #1 singles for the English rockers and one of 23 to hit the Top 10. Initially, it was only played on underground, pirate radio stations because the lyrics, which reference sexual frustration and commercialism, were deemed too provocative for public airways.

Album jacked for the single release of (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction.

The song begins with one of the most recognizable guitar riffs in modern music and it was one that would influence rock and roll bands for years. Before 1965, riffs were cleanly toned, blues-based and served the vocal melody.

Guitarist Keith Richard's fuzz-soaked repetitive hook flipped that script. The riff became the focus of the song, and everything else hung off it. That approach to song writing became the blueprint for future superstar bands, including Led Zeppelin, The Who, Aerosmith, AC/DC and every hopeful garage band rocker since.

Richard's legendary riff as a music score and guitar tab.

Legend has it the riff came to Richards in his sleep. He later said he didn’t even realize he’d written it until the next morning when he found his Phillips cassette recorder beside his acoustic guitar. On the tape were about two minutes of guitar playing, including the now‑famous riff, followed by the sound of his pick dropping to the floor and roughly 40 minutes of snoring.

Keith Richards in 1965.

A popular ice‑breaker I've encountered at staff meetings and education conferences borrows from the world of boxing and pro wrestling, where fighters enter the arena to loud, high‑energy “entrance music.”

Whenever the question about my “entrance music” comes up, I usually default to something heavy and brash from Rage Against the Machine or Soundgarden. However, I think that needs to change. Satisfaction was literally the song filling the air on the day I entered the world, so it feels right to honour that coincidence and make it my choice the next time I’m asked. The riff certainly works, even if the lyrics cast me as a bit of a pessimist.

Granted, there are some other, ironic and funny Top 10 choices for entrance music that also turned 60 last summer.

I Can't Help Myself - The Four Tops
What The World Needs Now Is Love - Del Shannon

What's New Pussycat? - Tom Jones

Yes I'm Ready - Barbara Mason

Mr. Tambourine Man - The Byrds

How about you? What songs were in the Top 10 the month you were born?

Would any make a powerful, or comedic, impact as your "entrance music"?

The 500 - #141 - Live At The Regal - B.B. King

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by New York-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

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Album: #141
Album Title: Live At The Regal
Artist: B.B. King
Genre: Blues
Recorded: November 21, 1964
Released: 1965
My age at release: Not Born
How familiar was I with it before this week: A couple songs
Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #299, dropping 147 spots
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Worry, Worry

In the summer of 2004 my soon-to-be-wife and I made our first of many pilgrimages to New York City, a place that had loomed large in our imaginations thanks to decades of movies, sitcoms, and late-night talk shows. It was a city we felt we already knew, even though we’d never set foot in it. Thankfully, it did not disappoint.

Our week-long visit was a whirlwind of adventure, exploration, and sore feet. We packed our days with iconic experiences: nearly getting sunstroke in the bleachers of Old Yankee Stadium, wandering for hours through the lush pathways of Central Park, crossing the Brooklyn Bridge on foot, attending a taping of Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn and attending several comedy clubs. We were determined to see it all.

But we were rookies…classic tourists making every rookie mistake. We stopped in the middle of busy sidewalks to look up at skyscrapers, snap photos, or consult our trusty paper maps (yes, 2004 was before cell phones for us). In the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, blocking pedestrian traffic is practically a cardinal sin.

New Yorkers, we quickly learned, are a paradox: brusque on the surface, but surprisingly kind when it counts. They’ll happily help you find your way if you look baffled in a subway station, but don’t expect them to slow down too much while doing it. They have places to be. Now, after nearly ten visits to the city, we move through the streets like locals. We know which subway lines to take, where to grab a decent slice, and how to cross a street safely. And yes, we now find ourselves getting quietly frustrated by the wide-eyed newbies impeding the flow of pedestrians.

During that same trip, we experienced another first: a Broadway play. With so many dazzling options to choose from, we decided to go off the beaten path and see After The Fall, one of Arthur Miller’s lesser-known works which was playing at the American Airlines Theatre. Our choice was driven by the casting because Peter Krause, whom we adored from our favourite television series at the time, Six Feet Under, was playing the lead. Seeing him live on stage was surreal and unforgettable.

Before the show we made another classic rookie mistake – we grabbed drinks at a restaurant in Times Square. Don’t get me wrong, Times Square is a must-see. The light show alone is a sensory overload, and the energy of the crowds can electrify even the most cynical, jet-lagged traveller. But it’s also a tourist trap in the truest sense. Food, drinks and souvenirs are often double the price compared with spots just a few blocks away.

Before the curtain rose, we decided to grab a couple of beers at the venue next door to the theatre—Lucille’s Grille, part of B.B. King’s Blues Club. For me, it was more than just a convenient spot for a pre-show drink. In my early twenties, I went through a full-blown blues phase, diving deep into the genre’s raw-emotional storytelling. Naturally, I became a fan of B.B. King, often dubbed “The Undisputed King of the Blues”.

I also knew the story behind his beloved Gibson guitar, famously named Lucille. It wasn’t just an instrument, it was a symbol. After rescuing his guitar from a burning dance hall during a fight over a woman named Lucille, he gave his hollow bodied ES-355 axe the same name. It was supposed to serve as a reminder never to risk his life for something so reckless again.

As we settled into a “standing room space” in the packed Lucille’s Grille, I couldn’t resist sharing this bit of trivia with my ever-patient lady. She humoured me, as always. After 20 years together, she had learned that being a storyteller and factoid fanatic are part of my molecular structure and we quickly made our drink order to toast our first Broadway adventure.

Back home in Ontario, a pint of good lager would run about $4.00, so I confidently handed our waitress a crisp $20 U. S. bill, expecting change and maybe a smile. Instead, she leaned in close and said, with the kind of gentle pity reserved for wide-eyed tourists, “That’s $21.” I blinked. “Of course,” trying to mask my surprise with a casual shrug. I fished out another five and added, “Keep the change,” hoping the tip would smooth over my embarrassment and restore a shred of dignity.

Live at the Regal is King’s landmark live album, recorded on November 21, 1964, at the Regal Theater in Chicago and released in 1965. Often cited as one of the greatest live blues recordings of all time, the album captures King at the height of his powers, blending soulful vocals with his signature guitar style on his beloved Lucille.

The songs are terrific, but it is the audience’s interaction with King's charismatic stage presence that make the recording feel intimate and electric. The album has influenced countless guitarists, including Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana.

Clapton and King.

Despite its raw sound, the album was meticulously arranged. King often rehearsed his band to perfection before live shows. Live at the Regal is the second of two King records on this list. The first, Live at Cook County Jail, appears at #499 on The 500 and I wrote about it back in January, 2019. It, like this week’s album, was recorded near Chicago, Illinois. The Regal was one of the premier locations for black artists to perform on the Chitlin' Circuit. The others included The Howard Club in Washington and The Apollo in Harlem, New York.

B.B. King remains one of the greats in blues music. He can convey heartbreak, joy, longing and resilience in just a few notes on Lucille. His voice is equal parts velvet and gravel, capturing the ache and the soul of surviving hard times.

However, given the price of cocktails and food at his New York establishment, which remained open until 2020, five years after his death, I am not sure how he justified singing the blues. Unless he wanted to complain about having trouble spending all his money. 

The 500 - #180 - The Rolling Stones, Now - The Rolling Stones

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #180
Album Title: The Rolling Stones, Now
Artist: The Rolling Stones

Genre: Rock, R&B, Blues Rock

Recorded: Chess Record Studios (Chicago); RCA Studios (Hollywood)

Released: March, 1965

My age at release: Not Born
How familiar was I with it before this week: A few songs

Is it on the 2020 list? No
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Everybody Needs Somebody To Love

This past Sunday, my wife insisted we go for a walk along the beach near our cottage.

"But it's raining," I protested, pointing out the nearby window at the foggy, drizzly December skyline.

"So," she countered, "we can dress for the weather, and you know you'll thank yourself later."

Our foggy view of Lake Erie (December 29, 2024). 

I conceded and now, as I warm myself by the glow of my laptop screen with a hot cup of green tea, I'm glad I did. I needed to get out and move my body. With a hip replacement surgery coming in the summer, I need to lose weight and strengthen my core in preparation for an easier recovery. It is a little painful to walk; but, as the mantra we use for motivation goes -- "Motion is lotion"

I used to exercise for vanity and fun, lifting weights and playing hockey three times a week in order to look good. These days, I am trying to ward off Father Time and remain more flexible and mobile as my senior years loom large. I haven't been able to play hockey for more than 18 months now (because of my right hip -- which is pretty much bone on bone now). However, I hope to return to the ice next season. Several of my beer league teammates are in their late sixties and even early seventies. They are an inspiration and have motivated me to keep "lacing them up" each season. 

The River City Rink Rats in 2019, a group I've played with for
more than 20 years.

Another inspiring figure is Mick Jagger who, at 81 years of age, continues to perform energetically with his band of 63 years, The Rolling Stones. In 2024, Mick and The Stones performed 20 concerts on their Hackney Diamonds World Tour. Each night, Jagger danced, jumped and ran around the massive stage singing hits from the Stones' extensive catalogue with the energy and enthusiasm of a teenager. He credits a daily workout routine that includes running, cycling, kickboxing, ballet, weight training, Pilates and yoga. In fact, prior to each tour, he prepares weeks in advance by running at least eight miles a day.

Jagger on stage with The Stones in 2024.

The Rolling Stones are also an inspirational phenomenon. Formed in  London, England, in 1962, they have continued to write and perform music for more than 60 years. The Rolling Stones Now is their third studio album released in America. However, it mostly contains songs that were already available in the U.K. on other labels. Only four of the album's 12 tracks were written by the band as many were remakes of some blues standards, including my favourite, Everybody Needs Somebody To Love. Written and performed in 1964 by rhythm and blues legend Solomon Burke, it came to my attention when The Blues Brothers (Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi) included it in their music/comedy film of the same name,  which I saw in theatres at least three times in 1980.

Movie Poster for The Blues Brothers.

The Rolling Stones Now was a hit record, reaching number five on the Billboard 200 album chart and was quickly certified "gold" with more than 500,000 copies sold in 1964. My favourite bit of trivia about the record involves the liner notes that were included on the initial pressings. Penned by producer Andrew Loog Oldham, they humourously read:

"This is THE STONES new disc within. Cast deep in your pockets for the loot to buy this disc of groovies and fancy words. If you don't have the bread, see that blind man knock him on the head, steal his wallet and low (sic) and behold you have the loot, if you put in the boot, TRUNK? good, another one sold!"

It is fun to listen to and got me through one more workout as I persist in my efforts to approximate Jagger's physical prowess when I am in my 80s.

The 500 - #233 - Mr. Tambourine Man - The Byrds

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #233
Album Title: Mr. Tambourine Man
Artist: The Byrds
Genre: Folk Rock
Recorded: Columbia Studios - Hollywood, California

Released: June, 1965
My age at release: 20 days before my birth
How familiar was I with it before this week: A few songs

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #287, down 54 spots since 2012
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better

To say "I like lists" seems a bit self-evident. After all, this is the  377th entry of a blog series working through Rolling Stone Magazine's compendium  of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. However, an  inventory of ranked items isn't the only list I like. Whether I am grocery shopping, planning a trip, or preparing school lessons for the week, I delight in the order that a catalogue brings. I've long struggled with sustained focus and attention. A list keeps me from burdensome multi-tasking, particularly when facing deadlines. In fact, the students and I use an inventory practically every day to plan our shared work periods. As well, I sequence priority  tasks we are working on. Below is an example from the week of December 18-22.

Psychologists agree that "our tendency to detect patterns is built into our cognitive process". Consequently, we like to bring order to information and tasks. Additionally, completing tasks on a list provides a dopamine release. Writing this blog post is on my "To Do List" today. I know I will feel a sense of  accomplishment when I set it aside for editing. Plus, I’ll get a dopamine hit for completing the blog and another for ticking off one more album from an ever -shrinking-list of records. Only 232 to go.

Last week, my mother gave me my Christmas gifts a few days early. Among the sugary treats, such as British wine gums and a Terry's Chocolate Orange, was the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, edited by Robert Dimery.

Unlike the graded 500 Greatest Albums, this book is an unranked compendium of 1001 albums, listed chronologically spanning 50 years (1955 - 2005). I prefer that tabulation method. Ranked lists are far more likely to rankle. My friends and I have had many debates about albums that "should" be on the list and we've wondered why each specific album falls where it does. For example, Mr. Tambourine Man by The Byrds is one rank higher than Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel. That just seems arbitrary. One isn't quantifiably better than the other. After all, we are talking about the sonic and cultural impact of an artistic endeavor, not an empirical measurement. But, as The 500 Podcast host, Josh Adam Meyers, often says, "The list is butt cheeks, but we abide by the list".

Mr. Tambourine Man is the debut release from Los Angeles-based folk rock band The Byrds. It is the first of four records from The Byrds to appear on the list, and it is one of five records by the band to appear in the 1001 Albums book. In 1965, The Byrds featured David Crosby, Gene Clark, Michael Clarke, Chris Hillman and Roger "Jim" McGuinn. Clark was the drummer and the other four members were multi-instrumentalists who all sang. The album contains original material, but is mainly cover-versions of existing folk songs from Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger and Jackie DeShannon.

The Byrds (l-r) Crosby, Clark, Clarke, Hillman & McGuinn (1965).

The Byrds pioneered the folk-rock genre by melding the contemporary sound of folk music (Dylan, Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary and The Kingston Trio) with the bands of The British Invasion, specifically The Beatles. Indeed, their decision to spell Birds with a “y” was a collegial nod to the Beatles’ decision to swap in an “a” for an “e” – as in Beetles.

The Byrds’ sound was characterized by a blend of "crystal clear harmony singing and McGuinn's signature jangly guitar". The sound was achieved with a 12-string, Rickenbacker guitar. McGuinn had become enamoured with the Rickenbacker after seeing Beatle George Harrison playing one in the film A Hard Day's Night. Harrison's model was a Fireglo, with a pointy end and cut-aways on the body. McGuinn could not find that style, but settled on a Golden Rickenbacker Mapleglo 360 version because he said the colour reminded him of a Palomino horse.

A replica of the 12-string Rickenbacker guitar played by McGuinn

McGuinn was already a talented banjo player, so he transferred that picking style to the Rickenbacker. The result was the gorgeous arpeggio (broken chord) sound that appears on some of The Byrds' biggest hits, including Mr. Tambourine Man and Turn Turn Turn. The instrument can also be strummed to create the pleasing "jangle-pop" sound. Jangle-pop is a term that emerged in 1965 and is attributed specifically to the sound of The Byrds and their version of Bob Dylan’s Mr. Tambourine Man on this debut album of the same name. Remarkably, Dylan had only recorded the original, acoustic version of the song in March, 1965. The Byrds made it a number one hit the same year. Reportedly, this series of events partially inspired Dylan to "go electric" at the Newport Folk Festival on July 25, 1965 -- a controversial decision that was met with a chorus of boos from many of the folk purists in attendance. It is a story we will get to when we reach album #31, Bringing It All Back Home, in about four years.

Without a doubt, my favourite song on The Byrds' Mr. Tambourine Man is the second track, I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better. It is one of only five original songs from Clark and McGuinn that appear on the record. Tom Petty recorded a version of the song on his 1989 album, Full Moon Fever. Disappointingly, Petty's record is not on The 500 list, despite being a commercial and critical juggernaut in the late‘80s and early ‘90s. Fortunately, Rolling Stone corrected the mistake on the 2020 version of the list where it appears at position #298.

So much for lists.

Except my current To Do list. As I write, – Christmas 2023 is two days away and I have so much to do. However, I can now strike this blog post off my task roster – and the first of four Byrds' records on The 500, Mr. Tambourine Man, is in my rearview mirror. The dopamine rush feels…ahhh!

The 500 - #237 - My Generation - The Who

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #237
Album Title: (The Who Sings) My Generation
Artist: The Who
Genre: Garage Rock, Power Rock, R&B, 
Recorded: April - November, 1962

Released: December 1962
My age at release: 5 months
How familiar was I with it before this week: Very

Is it on the 2020 list? No
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: My Generation

In 1980, my mom was working for Toshiba Canada selling their latest product, microwave ovens. She was stationed in department stores where she demonstrated this revolutionary technology to customers.

An advertisement for a '80s Toshiba Mircrowave.

It was during her December stint at a store that she decided to buy me a few records for Christmas. The records were Pink Floyd's The Wall; The Police's Zenyatta Mondatta; Eagles Live from Eagles; and The Who's Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy. I was delighted by her selections although she later confessed she had solicited assistance from a few of the young salesmen in the record department.

Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy was the first record by The Who that I owned. It was a compilation, containing songs from their previous five studio releases. and provided an excellent introduction to the English rock band which, by 1980 was legendary.

Back cover with track listing on Meaty, Beaty, Big And Bouncy.

The Who had fascinated me for several years and stories about the group (some perhaps exaggerated) were traded among my friends. They were listed in the Guinness Book Of Records as the loudest band in the world, with concert volumes exceeding 120 decibels, enough to immediately damage hearing. Their drummer had died in 1978 at the age of 32. His antics were legendary and included trashing hotel rooms, blowing up toilets with cherry bombs and even driving a Lincoln Continental automobile into a swimming pool.

The late Keith Moon of The Who

On December 3, 1979, The Who performed at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. Fans had lined-up hours before the doors opened because there was no reserved seating -- a policy typical in the ‘70s called "Festival Seating". All the doors were supposed to be opened simultaneously; however , mistakenly, only two doors were unlocked. To make matters worse, the band were performing a late soundcheck which made the fans think they were missing the start of the show and a crowd surge began. Eleven fans, some as young as 15, were crushed to death, with many more badly injured.

A body is removed from Riverfront Stadium.

I was reaching concert going age in 1979, and the tragedy in Cincinnati made me apprehensive about attending my first show the next summer. It also added to the mystery and mystique of The Who. They seemed to be larger than life and weaving a story that seemed stranger than fiction. No wonder I became a massive fan during my teenage years, acquiring many of their records for my collection.

The Who performing in 1971.

My Generation was the debut record by The Who, established  in London, England, in 1962, initially under the name The Detours. They comprised singer Roger Daltry, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle, and drummer Moon. My Generation also featured session musician Nicky Hopkins, a pianist who also played with The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Beatles and the Steve Miller Band. As an aside, Hopkins might be the musician who appears most often on The 500 because he worked with so many legendary artists on their biggest records.

Nicky Hopkins.

The title track on My Generation  became one of The Who's most recognizable songs. The melody is considered by many critics to be the forerunner to the punk rock sound that exploded on the music scene a decade later in the 1970s. The anthemic lyrics celebrated youth rebellion and that resonated with me as a teen as much as they did with the youth in the ‘Sixties. The record features one of the most famous lyrics in rock history -- "I hope I die before I get old".

At 15, listening tof Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy, I reveled in Daltry's angry, frustrated, stuttering vocal performance of Townsend's lyrics to My Generation. It was one of those songs, like Rush's Subdivisions, or Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb, that I liked to imagine had been written specifically for me. Thanks mom ...and Toshiba microwaves...and those sales clerks in the record department for Christmas 1980.