When I started assembling playlists several months ago, I knew I wanted something bold and exciting to kick off each show. However it came to me, I heard the opening strains of Yes' over-the-top rendition of Richie Havens' "No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed" (CLICK for the original). They take Haven's propulsive acoustic song into mad, overdrive territory and mix it with Jerome Moross' theme from the Western, Big Country (which I incorrectly attributed to Elmer Bernstein last Sunday). The wild combination of rock, film score, and prog excess set the perfect tone for the rest of the set and my show overall.
I always envisioned my show having an "educational" component. There's just so much rock and pop music that's slipped away or been forgotten over the years. As meaningful as any song is to a person, as emotionally affecting it is, it's a pretty ephemeral product. Every year there's a thousand (or more) new ones drowning out the older ones. I want people to hear some of the music that's been burned into my heart and soul over my life. I want people who haven't heard Steve Marriott sing "All Or Nothing" feel the same frisson I did the first time I played it.
Each show set (so far!) starts and ends with an eclectic mix of things I dig. Sandwiched in between are collections of songs grouped by genre or something that makes sense to me in the moment. For the first show I put together a batch of Detroit bands and then some Mod classics. Down the road I've got early metal, original punk, and New Wave of British Heavy Metal tracks.
I'm extremely happy with the first installment of Music I Like. Even limiting myself to music from before 1984 (a parameter I've since discarded), I played a great mix of heavy, psychedelic, punk, and even a little prog. I had an absolute blast doing the first show with only a modicum of errors (left a mic open, flubbed a cue, and a touch of feedback), and am itching to get back in the booth this coming Sunday.Music I Like, vol 1, #1 - Righteous Stuff
01. No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed - Yes - Time and a Word - 1970
02. The Girl I Knew Somewhere - The Monkees - single - 1967
03. Softly Softly - The Equals - Supreme -1968
04. Take My Heart - The Romancers - single - 1966
05. Speak Now of Forever Hold Your Peace - Terry Reid - Terry Reid - 1969
06. It's All Too Much - The Beatles - Yellow Submarine - 1969
07. Baby Please Don't Go - Amboy Dukes - Amboy Dukes - 1967
08. 2+2=? - Bob Seger System - Ramblin' Gamblin' Man - 1968
09. Caught in a Dream - Alice Cooper - Love It To Death - 1971
10. House of the Rising Sun - Frijid Pink - Frijid Pink - 1970
11. Skunk (Sonically Speaking) - MC5 - High Time - 1971
12. Fun House - The Stooges - Fun House - 1970
13. So Sad About Us - The Who - A Quick One - 1966
14. Have Some More Tea - The Smoke - single -1967
15. All Or Nothing - Small Faces - From the Beginning - 1966
16. Leaving Here - The Birds - single - 1965
17. Making Time - The Creation - We Are Paintermen - 1967
18. Motorhead - Hawkwind - Warrior on the Edge of Time - 1975
19. One of These Days - Pink Floyd - Meddle - 1971
20. Archangel Thunderbird - Amon Duul - Yeti - 1970
21. Bloodstains - Agent Orange - Living in Darkness - 1981
22. Police Truck - Dead Kennedys - single - 1980
23. Down on the Bay - The Move - single - 1971
24. Stay With Me - The Dictators - Bloodbrothers - 1978
25. Louie Louie - The Sonics - Boom - 1966
26. Rock and Roll Queen - Mott the Hoople - Mott the Hoople - 1969
27. Give It To Me - J. Geils Band - Blooodshot 1973
28. Mirror Star - Fabulous Poodles - Unsuitable - 1978
29. Have You Seen the Stars Tonight? - Paul Kantner & J.A. - Blows Against the Empire - 1970
30. There Isn't Anything Else - Wreckless Eric - Wreckless Eric - 1978
Bonus Tracks - when the next DJ didn't show up on time I had to cannibalize another setlist for some quick backup music.
31. Metal Guru - T.Rex - The Slider - 1972
32. Midsummer's Night Scene - John's Children - single - 1967
33. Skinhead Moonstomp - Symarip - Skinhead Moonstomp - 1970
34. Sweet Lady Genevive - The Kinks - Preservation Act 1 - 1973
35. Wendy - The Beach Boys - All Summer Long - 1964
36. Big Noise from Waimea - The Ebb Tides - Lost Legends of Surf Guitar - 2003
37. Action - The Sweet - single - 1975
No comments:
Post a Comment