Bold self-reliance. That's what Alex Chilton was channeling when he penned The Ballad of El Goodo. It's one of those tunes that I try to include on any mixtape or CD that I ever make. Tonight, the melody emerged from the back of my mind as I was strumming my guitar. It moved me to find the chords and learn to play it. Striking the chords and whispering Alex Chilton's lyrics unleashed a powerful feeling inside -- like uttering some magical incantation. My spirits were immediately lifted. That's the power of rock & roll. True and simple.
Big Star was a huge influence on many of my favorite groups: The Replacements, Wilco, The Posies and R.E.M. The Ballad of El Goodo has been covered by countless artists. Here are two of my favorite covers;
Evan Dando's sublime version from the Empire Records Soundtrack (1995):
Matthew Sweet's version from Big Star Small World (Tribute to Big Star).
I would contend that "Love, Reign O'er Me" is one of the most climactic and rewarding endings to an album in the history of rock & roll. It comes at the conclusion of a four-sided rock opera, begins with the sound of rain and ultimately ends with Keith Moon beating the shit out of his drums right after Roger Daltrey bellows "Looooooooooooove!" as if he is literally in the process of casting his life into the storming Atlantic Ocean while simultaneously absorbing every hardship, letdown and impossibility that he has ever faced. This is The Who at the peak of their powers. "Love, Reign O'er Me" was released in1973 as the second single from the band's sixth album and second rock opera, Quadrophenia . However, the deeper context of the song can only be truly experienced through listening to the entirety of Side 4 (Dr. Jimmy > The Rock > Love, Reign O'er Me). "The Rock," and six-minute instrumental, has a proggy, Celtic ...
Suzi Quatro was the first female bass player/vocalist to experience major success as a rocker. Originally from Detroit, she moved to Britain in 1971 at the urging of producer, Mickie Most. She put together a band of motley rockers, resembling the Stooges or MC5. On the road with Slade and Thin Lizzy, Quatro's group developed a rough and tumble, adrenalized rock and roll style that laid the groundwork for later female, rebel-rocker acts. The Runaways, Girlschool and eventually The Donnas were all touched by Quatro's persona and sound. Throughout the early 70s, Quatro was huge in the U.K. and Australia. Unfortunately, fame eluded her in the States. It wasn't until she landed a repeated cameo as the tough-talking Leather Tuscadero on Happy Days in 1977 that she became a household name. "Can The Can" is the second single, from her 1973 debut, Suzi Quatro . This song is so rock & roll, it's ridiculous. The Brady Bunch clones around the stage are like, We b...
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