Great moments in obscure rock ‘n’ roll
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Great moments in obscure rock ‘n’ roll: Hotlegs, “Neanderthal Man,” 1970
A hit in Britain (but not the U.S.), “Hotlegs” subsequently rebranded (and enjoyed considerable success) as the band 10cc.
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“Great” moments in (extremely) obscure rock ‘n’ roll: Holy Rockin’ Band, “Uncle Karl,” 1981 or 1982
As we’re winding down my trip down memory lane with the Leiter & Williams “basement tapes,” here’s a song that reflects the musical fashions of “pop” music in the early 1980s, complete with synthesizer (and drum machine).
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“Great” moment in (definitely) obscure rock ‘n’ roll: Holy Rockin’ Band, “Clouds,” 1980 or 1981
The saga of the Leiter-Williams “basement tapes” continues with this gentler number, “Clouds.” As usual, Tommy did a great job with the arrangement (and the vocals), including additional guitars and keyboards.
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“Great” moments in (definitely) obscure rock ‘n’ roll: Holy Rockin’ Band, “Bourgeois Goodies,” 1979 or 1980
Another track from the Leiter-Williams “basement tapes” recorded on just 4 tracks back in 1979 or 1980. Another apt song for the latest “affordability crisis” afflicting the ordinary citizens of capitalist America, this was always my personal favorite. (Have no fear, there are only a few more songs I will share on the blog!)
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“Great” moments in (definitely) obscure rock ‘n’ roll: Holy Rockin’ Band, “World on Fire,” 1980 or 1981
Like last week’s trip back to the “basement tapes” by Leiter and Williams, this is another song whose lyric is still very timely (“Liars, liars, you’ll set this world on fire”). My favorite bit is the slide guitar that Tommy added in the arrangement.
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“Great” moments in (what is definitely extremely) obscure rock ‘n’ roll: Holy Rockin’ Band, “Guns,” 1981
Continuing last week’s journey down (my) memory lane, I wrote this song after the murder of John Lennon and the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan. It’s lyrical content is still relevant, given America, alas. (I still haven’t heard anyone say: “ban all guns.”) (As noted in the earlier post, this is a 4-track recording, literally…
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(Maybe) Great Moments in (what is definitely extremely) obscure rock ‘n’ roll: Holy Rockin’ Band, “Feel All Right” and “Who Am I?” (circa 1979-1980)
I mentioned a few years back that as a teenager, I used to write songs, and with my friend Tommy Williams, a real musician, we recorded them on a 4-track tape recorder owned by a friend, the late Richard Hegeman (who was our engineer, as it were–we recorded them in the basement of his house).…
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My top 50 songs of 2025 according to Spotify, #6: Joe Cocker, “Something’s Coming On,” 1968
Originally the b-side to Cocker’s first hit single, his cover of the Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends,” it was added to later editions of his 1969 debut album. I discovered this by chance last year, having never heard it before: Feel free to add links to your Joe Cocker favorites, live or…
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My top songs of 2025 according to Spotify, #5: REO Speedwagon, “Roll with the Changes,” 1978
These midwestern boys from Champaign, Illinois started as a blues rock band in the early 1970s, but only made it big in the late 1970s. This song was arguably the turning point for them (in terms of fame and fortune), although they soon adopted a more saccharine pop sound I did not care for. But…
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My top 50 songs of 2025 according to Spotify, #4: Terry Reid, “Tinker Tailor,” 1968
Now this is definitely an obscure one, by the British rock singer who turned down the opportunity to front both Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, but never had a particularly successful solo career. This is from his first album, and is probably the best number: Feel free to add links to other Terry Reid favorites.
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My top 50 songs of 2025 according to Spotify, #3: Foghat, “She’s Gone,” 1973
Foghat, which came out of the British blues rock band Savoy Brown, is best-remembered for mid-70s “classic” rock standards like “Fool for the City” and “Slow Ride,” but this song from their second album was always my favorite. Here’s the studio version: And here’s a live version, where “Lonesome” Dave Peverett is having some trouble…
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My top 50 of 2025 according to Spotify, #2: Santana, “Everybody’s Everything,” 1971
Early in the year, I started listening to some Santana, which I had not done in a number of years. Those first three Santana albums are gems, a fusion of blues rock and Latin musical styles. This song, which I apparently listened to more than any other, comes from Santana III in 1971: Feel free…
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My top 50 of 2025 according to Spotify, #1: Rumplestiltskin, “Make You Make Me,” 1970
I think I’ve finally exhausted the “great moments in obscure rock ‘n’ roll” that do not deserve their obscurity (arguably some I’ve posted also deserved it!). So for 2026, each Saturday, I’ll post the tunes Spotify tells me I listened to most in 2025; those who enjoyed the “obscure moments” postings will probably like many…
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Great moments in obscure rock ‘n’ roll: Mick Abrahams (1943-2025) memorial edition
Mick Abrahams was the original guitarist for Jethro Tull, but left after their first album, This Was, in 1968 because Abrahams wanted to push the band in a more blues rock direction, and Ian Anderson did not. On that first album, Abrahams did the arrangements for the instrumental “Cat’s Squirrel,” perhaps his most memorable contribution…
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Great moments in obscure “classic” rock ‘n’ roll albums: Leaf Hound, “Growers of Mushroom,” 1971
For heavy blues rock, it doesn’t get much heavier than the debut album by Leaf Hound, which went largely unnoticed at the time, but enjoyed a revival of interest with the “stoner rock” crowd in the 1990s, leading Peter French, the original lead singer, to reform the band in the 2000s. There are so many…
I respond to this report here https://jasonstanleyantifascist.substack.com/p/on-the-philosophical-muddle-that