"ROCKET MAN" ELTON JOHN (1972)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

The power of one creative form inspiring another cannot be denied. And music is often a critical player in that exchange. It’s well known that Aimee Mann’s music inspired the P.T. Anderson classic, Magnolia, not the other way around. Often times though, soundtrack music is inspired by the movie. There are also instances of novels and other fiction forms inspiring lyricists. Two examples that come to mind are Rush’s “Red Barchetta” inspired by Richard Foster’s “A Nice Morning Drive” and Elton John’s “Rocket Man” inspired by Ray Bradbury’s short story with the same name.

While I’m not big fan of Elton John’s music in particular, I love the melody and lyrics of “Rocket Man”. Elton John and co-writer Bernie Taupin brought the astronaut character back down to earth. Just a normal guy whose wife packs his lunch and who realizes his job takes him away from his family too much – months even. Elton and Bernie stepped into the astronaut’s shoes and told a story that’s relatable to anybody. That’s the magic of the song.

“And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
'Til touchdown brings me 'round again to find I'm not the man they think I am at home. Oh, no, no, no, I'm a rocket man.”

"ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL, PT. 2" PINK FLOYD (1979)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

The Wall was my introduction to Pink Floyd. While I never gravitated toward the band’s earlier prog-driven catalog – save Dark Side Of The Moon and a handful of anthems, of course – The Wall played a pivotal role for me as a music fan. It’s when I truly recognized the power and breadth of albums, not one-off singles and tracks. As a concept album, The Wall is one of the most complete efforts of its era and seems to live under the shadow of Dark Side. It’s a shame because even a mainstream hit like “Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2” is a fantastic song in spite of its accessible sound.

The second track in the “Another Brick” series, this is the one that rails against abuse in the school system. It’s yet another brick in Pink’s wall. And musically, it pulls out all the stops to place the brick just right – Gilmour’s guitar solo, just the right bit of disco, the samples (“If you don’t eat your meat, how can you have any pudding”) and the kicker: the epic children’s chorus. “Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2” is that rare combination of chart topper, social commentary platform and music melting pot.

“We don't need no education. We don't need no thought control. No dark sarcasm in the classroom. Teacher, leave them kids alone.”

"THE BOXER" SIMON & GARFUNKEL (1970)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

Bridge Over Troubled Water is the final studio album from Simon & Garfunkel, an album so good it prompts the listener to greedily beg for more. Simon carried the songwriting duties, but the harmonies are just as much a part of those songs as the melodies. The album spawned iconic songs that have made an indelible impact on the musical landscape: “Bridge Over Troubled Water” which features Art Garfunkel on lead vocals, “Cecilia” which has a persona driven mostly by its memorable percussion elements, and then there’s my favorite of the bunch: “The Boxer”.

The song is autobiographical, a rare treat inside the mind of the songwriter. The theme of being misunderstood and only remembered for what people want to remember are prevalent in the song. “The Boxer” is a masterpiece from a lyrical perspective. It bends words like poetry (“Such are promises. All lies and jest. Still, a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest”). It paints images like prose (“Asking only workman's wages I come looking for a job. But I get no offers. Just a come-on from the whores on Seventh Avenue.”). And it goes beyond coherent words using syllables as expressions with the iconic refrain “Lie-la-lie”. There are simply few songwriters as gifted as Paul Simon.

“Asking only workman's wages I come looking for a job. But I get no offers. Just a come-on from the whores on Seventh Avenue.”

"WATCHING THE DETECTIVES" ELVIS COSTELLO (1977)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

When Costello’s debut album My Aim Is True was released, there was nothing else like it. His biggest strength has always been his songwriting, the way he strung clever lyrics through captivating melodies. But his musical ingenuity is also a huge strength. While you can hear several types of genres in his music – new wave, blues, pub rock, power pop – it’s his own amalgamation of those sounds that is so unique. The US release of My Aim Is True includes the snapping single, “Watching The Detectives”.

It kicks off with that trash can-sounding drum roll and chunky bass line. A cynical disposition and a reggae touch make “Watching The Detectives” an enthralling listen for me every time. Costello means every word he sings, highlighting his obsession for a girlfriend whose obsession is with a fictitious character on tv. I can picture her lying on the bed, doing her nails, watching the detectives with the lights off. And the boyfriend, sadly watching her watching them.

“They beat him up until the teardrops start. But he can't be wounded when he's got no heart.”

"SON OF A PREACHER MAN" ARETHA FRANKLIN (1970)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

In the last 10 -20 years, there has been a proliferation of cover songs. Bands that made careers out of writing original material have also turned to this trend. Now, the art of the cover has been around forever, of course. As long as great music has existed, bands have sought to recreate the magic in their own way. But it’s rare when the cover is better than the original. Aretha was a talent that achieved this not once, but multiple times – including her rendition of “Son Of A Preacher Man”.

The queen of soul gave us hundreds of memorable recordings, and her rendition of “Son of a Preacher Man” is one of my favorites. While she didn’t write it, it was written with her in mind. “Preacher Man” played perfectly to Aretha on two key fronts: vocal range and her soulful swagger. Not to take anything away from Dusty Springfield’s version, but Aretha sung it like she lived it. You can hear it in her delivery.

“Being good isn't always easy, no matter how hard I try.”

"QUIET LIFE" JAPAN (1979)

As an eighties kid, synth pop has been pumping in my blood ever since that first day I turned on my MTV. There’s some debate as to who’s considered a synth pop band and who isn’t. For this September Music Twitter challenge – #SynthPopSeptember – I’m focusing more on what’s considered synth pop, not who. The songs I’m featuring on Mental Jukebox this month aren’t solely composed of synthesizers. There may be drums, bass, and dare I say, electric guitars. But each of these songs were picked because the synthesizer is core to its being.

Japan is one of those bands that I missed early on – mainly because I was just 6 years old when Quiet Life was released and the influential band wasn’t big in the U.S. Interestingly, it was one of the bands they helped shape – Duran Duran – that became huge in the States. Having discovered the genius of Japan much, much later in life I can’t help but feel like Duran Duran ripped them off in so many respects. To prove it, I’ll submit the title track “Quiet Life” as Exhibit A.

I hear Duran Duran all over this. Or perhaps I should say, I hear “Quiet Life” all over Duran Duran’s debut album. The funk-inspired bass lines. Shimmery synth lines. Sax interludes. Helicopter effects. Even the vocals sound like Simon Le Bon. “Quiet Life” is proof that commercial success isn’t indicative of the innovation behind the music. Just like The Chameleons who paved the way for Interpol, Japan – and Roxy Music to a lesser extent – made Duran Duran who they are.

“Beware, here comes the quiet life again.”

"LET'S STAY TOGETHER" AL GREEN (1972)

A great title track is par for the course when it comes to great albums. If the title track doesn’t cut it, what does that say about the album itself? This month, the Mental Jukebox will be playing some of my favorite title tracks – inspired by @NicolaB_73’s music Twitter challenge, #TopTitleTracks.

Many of the greatest movies of all time often have great music attached to them. But great music from the opening credits to the end credits, well, that’s a rare commodity. Pulp Fiction carries the noteworthy distinction of being one of the great films as well as one of the great soundtracks of all time. You can’t pick just one song, every single one of them is exceptional. “Let’s Stay Together” is probably one of four marquee tracks on the album, along with “Jungle Boogie”, “Son of a Preacher Man” and “Bustin Surfboards”.

What makes the Al Green song so special? I think it’s this. There are few songs in the history of music that capture the essence of their era so well while also demonstrating a timeless staying power. “Let’s Stay Together” is one of them. It is unapologetically 70’s to the bone. Like a time capsule of the era. But this classic has also aged beautifully. Pulp Fiction proved it. The horn section beckons us in the intro, but from there it’s all Al. It’s a gift to the world. Without exaggeration, one of music’s greatest vocal performances with Green’s natural vocal range and falsetto maneuvers so naturally entwined.

“WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO IS ALRIGHT WITH ME.”

"PINK MOON" NICK DRAKE (1972)

A great title track is par for the course when it comes to great albums. If the title track doesn’t cut it, what does that say about the album itself? This month, the Mental Jukebox will be playing some of my favorite title tracks – inspired by @NicolaB_73’s music Twitter challenge, #TopTitleTracks.

Word has been out for several decades now, but for a time Nick Drake was one of music’s best kept secrets. Artists like Robert Smith drew upon Drake’s inspiration early on, but many fans didn’t even know who Nick Drake was or heard anything from his relatively short, but profound catalog until years after his death. With a return to cleaner acoustic-driven, folk-inspired, singer-songwriter records after the grunge era, Nick’s music resonated with fans, including the title track to the last album before his death: “Pink Moon”.

In between verses, Nick sings “Pink, pink, pink, pink”, going lower with each repetition, demonstrating the deep richness of his oak-barreled baritone voice. It’s a marvel to behold that a voice so deep can be so delicate and even serene – a stark contrast to the raw edge found in singers like Johnny Cash, Ian Curtis and Tom Waits. Nick’s voice – not just his vocals, but his message – has no peers. Even still today.

“I SAW IT WRITTEN AND I SAW IT SAY, A PINK MOON IS ON ITS WAY.”

"2112" RUSH (1976)

A great title track is par for the course when it comes to great albums. If the title track doesn’t cut it, what does that say about the album itself? This month, the Mental Jukebox will be playing some of my favorite title tracks – inspired by @NicolaB_73’s music Twitter challenge, #TopTitleTracks.

Borrowing Rush cassettes from the town library as a kid was a sort of rite of passage for me as a music fan. Friends from school who had older brothers would tell me how great the band was. At the library, I would flip through the album offerings and those album covers – 2112, Signals, Permanent Waves, A Farewell To Kings – caught my attention. Expressive album art with strange beige plastic backs, these albums stood out like sore thumbs. Then I would play the music in my basement and get lost in the music of Rush, including the epic title track “2112”, featuring seven movements.

“2112” takes up the entire Side A. A concept that was mind blowing to me as a kid who thought songs were supposed to max out at four minutes. The first two parts – “Overture” and “The Temples of Syrinx” have always been my favorite. This magnum opus kicks off with a celestial soundscape. Then Alex’s guitar asserts itself like Neil Armstrong planting the American flag on the moon – only here it’s the Canadian flag that gets flaunted. Then Neil’s thunderous drum rolls unleash and it’s on like Donkey Kong. There’s still a sense of wonder in me every time I hear it.

“All the gifts of life are held within our walls.”

"JOLENE" DOLLY PARTON (1974)

A great title track is par for the course when it comes to great albums. If the title track doesn’t cut it, what does that say about the album itself? This month, the Mental Jukebox will be playing some of my favorite title tracks – inspired by @NicolaB_73’s music Twitter challenge, #TopTitleTracks.

You couldn’t grow up in the 80s without hearing the Dolly Parton jokes outside at recess and in the backs of school buses. What a shame though, because it colored the way I saw her musically. I wrote off the music even before I heard a single note. It’s why it took me so damn long to see that she made a masterpiece back in 1974. There are many great songs on this album. Songs that others have made their own. But “Jolene” will always be hers.

There’s an attitude here that we don’t often associate with country music. The desperate plea to Jolene is held together tightly by a killer guitar riff, a gorgeous string arrangement and an emotionally charged performance from Dolly. The vocals are absolutely superb. I recently saw a live performance Dolly gave at Glastonbury in 2013 where she sounds just as sharp and brilliant as her original studio recording. The youngish crowd is singing along. The security guards are dancing along. The band is having the time of their lives. And absolutely everyone at the venue is wrapped up in the moment. That’s a power most songs just don’t possess.

“Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, please don't take him just because you can.”

"ZIGGY STARDUST" DAVID BOWIE (1972)

A great title track is par for the course when it comes to great albums. If the title track doesn’t cut it, what does that say about the album itself? This month, the Mental Jukebox will be playing some of my favorite title tracks – inspired by @NicolaB_73’s music Twitter challenge, #TopTitleTracks.

I don’t think I could ever summarize the impact that “Ziggy Stardust” has had on rock & roll in just a couple of paragraphs. But I’ll say this. When I was in high school, a half-decent set of musicians played it at Battle of the Bands and the thing was powerful. They weren’t exceptional. They weren’t in sync. But they unlocked Bowie’s emotion, ingenuity and attitude. That’s the power of Ziggy. In many ways, the song, like the main character, helped save rock & roll.

To really understand Ziggy’s power, you just have to look at two elements: the guitar and the vocals. The opening line in the first verse sets the tone: “As Ziggy played guitar…”. The song is a force to be reckoned with because of the riffs. Mick Ronson shreds his way through one of the most guitar-driven songs from the Bowie canon – and it is an ode to the electric guitar in many ways. Then there’s Bowie himself who croons and cries his way through the verses and chorus, a lyrical masterpiece that reminds us why we got into rock ‘n roll in the first place.

“Making love with his ego, Ziggy sucked up into his mind.”

"PINK MOON" NICK DRAKE (1972)

The moment a song is born, the world is different. It’s now a part of our lives. We sing it in the shower. We dance to it at our wedding. We get pumped with it. We break up to it. We memorize it. We try to forget it. We rediscover it. This month, I’m joining Arron Wright’s Twitter music challenge: ##Popiversary2. Because why the hell not. Songs deserve their own anniversaries, too.

Year: 1972

Word has been out for several decades now, but for a time Nick Drake was one of music’s best kept secrets. Artists like Robert Smith drew upon Drake’s inspiration early on, but many fans didn’t even know who Nick Drake was or heard anything from his relatively short, but profound catalog until years after his death. With a return to cleaner acoustic-driven, folk-inspired, singer-songwriter records after the grunge era, Nick’s music resonated with fans, including the title track to the last album before his death: “Pink Moon”.

In between verses, Nick sings “Pink, pink, pink, pink”, going lower with each repetition, demonstrating the deep richness of his oak-barreled baritone voice. It’s a marvel to behold that a voice so deep can be so delicate and even serene – a stark contrast to the raw edge found in singers like Johnny Cash, Ian Curtis and Tom Waits. Nick’s voice – not just his vocals, but his message – has no peers. Even still today.

“I saw it written and I saw it say, A pink moon is on its way.”

"THE OCEAN" LED ZEPPELIN (1973)

The moment a song is born, the world is different. It’s now a part of our lives. We sing it in the shower. We dance to it at our wedding. We get pumped with it. We break up to it. We memorize it. We try to forget it. We rediscover it. This month, I’m joining Arron Wright’s Twitter music challenge: ##Popiversary2. Because why the hell not. Songs deserve their own anniversaries, too.

Year: 1973

Start strong. End strong. This simple concept worked wonders for Houses Of The Holy – an album that kicked off with one banger, “The Song Remains The Same”, and then closed out with another in “The Ocean”. A bit of nostalgia, this is one of the Zeppelin anthems that made me a fan for life. It was like a loaded shot of testosterone for me as a teen. I remember hearing it for the first time in my friend Scott’s pickup truck. And, boy, was it a pick-me-up. I’ll go as far as to say I think it’s a bit underrated and underappreciated among the band’s heavy hitters.

“The Ocean” takes the rulebook on time signatures and throws it out the window with its iconic two-bar guitar riff from the riffmaster Jimmy Page. It’s also a track of excess – a strength in this case. The lack of restraint serves the song well with a key turning point in the song: a baptism by doo-wop at the 3:17 mark where everything – the drums, guitar and bass – suddenly goes rollicky and the wheels come off. A powerful statement of a closer if I ever heard one.

“SINGING ABOUT GOOD THINGS AND THE SUN THAT LIGHTS THE DAY. I USED TO SING ON THE MOUNTAINS, HAS THE OCEAN LOST ITS WAY?”

"ALISON" ELVIS COSTELLO (1977)

The moment a song is born, the world is different. It’s now a part of our lives. We sing it in the shower. We dance to it at our wedding. We get pumped with it. We break up to it. We memorize it. We try to forget it. We rediscover it. This month, I’m joining Arron Wright’s Twitter music challenge: ##Popiversary2. Because why the hell not. Songs deserve their own anniversaries, too.

Year: 1977

The rise of an artist’s most celebrated music can be a fascinating thing. Chart success is just part of the story. More airplay = more exposure. But some artists’ most well-known songs are ones that never charted, while lesser celebrated songs had their commercial success. One example of the latter is The Cure’s “Friday I’m In Love”. As a Cure fan, I can attest to the fact that the hit is one of the band’s worst songs. There are at least 40-50 other songs that are better than it, including “Plainsong” a non-single anthem. Elvis Costello has a similar thing going on. While the more successful “Veronica” and “Everyday I Write The Book” aren’t bad songs, his finest song is arguably “Alison”, the non-charting single from his debut album My Aim Is True.

“Did he leave your pretty fingers lying in the wedding cake?” The lyrics were absolutely genius. We don’t know the full story, but we are absolutely intrigued about this Alison from the very first verse. Costello has said it’s a song about a woman in a supermarket. Could it be that Alison is a figurative example of that stranger in the supermarket? Not just a stranger, but a person with all these complex things going on in her life. Searching for love in all the wrong places. Involved with the wrong person. Admired by someone who’s head over heels for her. The instrumentation is simple. The story is complicated. The melody is beautiful. My favorite Elvis Costello song didn’t climb charts, but it has climbed inside the hearts of many fans and found a safe place there.

“I'M NOT GONNA GET TOO SENTIMENTAL LIKE THOSE OTHER STICKY VALENTINES. 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ARE LOVING SOMEBODY. I ONLY KNOW IT ISN'T MINE.”

"EVER FALLEN IN LOVE" BUZZCOCKS (1978)

The moment a song is born, the world is different. It’s now a part of our lives. We sing it in the shower. We dance to it at our wedding. We get pumped with it. We break up to it. We memorize it. We try to forget it. We rediscover it. This month, I’m joining Arron Wright’s Twitter music challenge: ##Popiversary2. Because why the hell not. Songs deserve their own anniversaries, too.

Year: 1978

The definitions of punk rock haven’t always done the genre much justice. These descriptions usually start with the simplistic structures. Three chords typically. Lots of repetition. Often you’re in and out within two minutes. Punk rock also gets pigeonholed when it comes to lyrical themes. It’s a genre that’s anti-establishment with a rebellion declared against anybody and anything – from the government to your parents. Well, the Buzzcocks are a part of the genre, but they don’t fit any of these descriptions. They took the veneer of punk rock – and made it their own with the classic anthem “Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)”.

Here’s the thing about punk rock. The assumption is that the message pushes some people away and, in doing so, the music draws others in. But that’s not the case with “Ever Fallen In Love”. The song is about as real and empathetic as it gets. Pete Shelley wrote something that struck a chord with almost anybody. An awful realization that most of us have encountered at some point in our lives - whether as teenagers or as full-fledged adults. The verses are as iconic as the chorus. The narrative is as simple as love. Which, turns out, is quite a complicated thing.

“AND IF I START A COMMOTION, I'LL ONLY END UP LOSING YOU AND THAT'S WORSE.”

"WAITING FOR THE WORMS" PINK FLOYD (1979)

This month, I’m jumping into the #APlaceInTheSong challenge from @JukeboxJohnny2. Great songs have that special ability to describe places in a way that makes us feel like we’re right there. Each day, I’ll pick a track that I think accomplishes that feat.

Few rock & roll moments can rival the experience of hearing The Wall for the first time as a teenager. I was obsessed with this album for quite a while – and the movie, too. The Wall is an extraordinary soundtrack because, first of all, it’s a true soundtrack filled with songs intimately woven into the scenes of the movie. These tracks aren’t just background noise. Beyond simple ear candy, this was music that indulged the head and the heart fully. There was no filler on here. “Waiting For The Worms”, as a deep cut, is all the proof you need.

“Waiting For The Worms” is a perfect example of the ingenuity and ambition of Pink Floyd. They gave their minds and hearts fully to the music. This track won me over from the first listen. It flaunts like Queen one moment, and trudges like Sabbath another. To call it a rock song is to overlook its complexity – this is more like a composition with four interconnected movements. The megaphone alone crawls under your skin and stays buried there for days.

“The Worms will reconvene outside Brixton bus station.”

"KODACHROME" PAUL SIMON (1972)

This month, I’m jumping into the #APlaceInTheSong challenge from @JukeboxJohnny2. Great songs have that special ability to describe places in a way that makes us feel like we’re right there. Each day, I’ll pick a track that I think accomplishes that feat.

Thanks to countless yearbook write-ups, one of the most quoted songs of all time belongs to Paul Simon. “Kodachrome” took a friendly, lighthearted approach to rebellion. And musically, Simon was also his same rebellious self on this track. Daring to cross genres. Daring to even defy them. With every percussive beat. With every uplifting note. Sounds a lot like the Simon & Garfunkel canon – like a continuation of those musical and lyrical themes, standing in stark contrast to his world music-influenced solo work that would manifest in the eighties with Graceland.

“When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school, It's a wonder I can think at all. And though my lack of education hasn't hurt me none, I can read the writing on the wall.”

"SO LONELY" THE POLICE (1978)

This month, I’m jumping into the #APlaceInTheSong challenge from @JukeboxJohnny2. Great songs have that special ability to describe places in a way that makes us feel like we’re right there. Each day, I’ll pick a track that I think accomplishes that feat.

One of the most unique sounding bands from my childhood years, the music from The Police always stood out to me. The music traversed a seemingly wide territory shared by rock and reggae like a musical Venn diagram. Unusual, but highly accessible. Sting’s lyrics were exceptionally clever and took seemingly straightforward topics into the stratosphere. He wrote prose and poetry. Case in point: “So Lonely”.

Listening back to “So Lonely”, I’m struck by the rawness of the song. The simplicity of sound from the three-piece certainly contributes to the garage band feel. But this is also a reminder of the band’s roots. It was never about slick production when it came to The Police; it was always about the songs. The melodies. The lyrics. The ever-so-catchy chorus. “So Lonely” is angsty, miserable, cathartic and celebratory all at once. It’s so damn catchy, you can’t help but sing along to it – alone or in a crowd.

“In this theater that I call my soul I always play the starring role.”

"DANCE AWAY" ROXY MUSIC (1979)

This month, I’m jumping into the #APlaceInTheSong challenge from @JukeboxJohnny2. Great songs have that special ability to describe places in a way that makes us feel like we’re right there. Each day, I’ll pick a track that I think accomplishes that feat.

Roxy Music’s evolution as a band wasn’t highly unusual, but it was significant. Going from a more progressive, original sound to a more “commercial” sound seemed a bit abrupt. Country Life and Siren certainly had accessible aspects to them, but Manifesto seemed to open the floodgates to the masses. To be honest, it’s this second era of Roxy Music that I enjoy most. The style and aesthetics are still there, but this is where the production and attention to detail reached a new level – and “Dance Away” was a perfect example of this.

I view “Dance Away” as a foreshadowing of Avalon. All the things that made that legendary album great are happening on this track. The delicate refinement of Bryan Ferry’s vocals and the instrumentation by Mackay, Manzanera and Thompson are not constraining, they’re liberating. The ethereal quality allows the song to soar. It’s easy to dismiss Manzanera’s guitar work because it’s so incredibly subtle, but its the atmospheric agenda of his playing that’s most impressive.

“Now I'm in the dark, off the wall. Let the strobe light up them all. I close my eyes and dance till dawn. Dance away.”

'LOST IN THE SUPERMARKET" THE CLASH (1979)

This month, I’m jumping into the #APlaceInTheSong challenge from @JukeboxJohnny2. Great songs have that special ability to describe places in a way that makes us feel like we’re right there. Each day, I’ll pick a track that I think accomplishes that feat.

Many of the most legendary recordings in music got their legendary status from the strength of their cohesive sound. The ability to make the whole and the individual parts work equally well is no easy feat. Well, that isn’t London Calling. As legendary as it is, the album veers into various rabbit holes, exploring multiple sounds and genres. It’s a true mish-mosh. It’s exceptional, but it’s still a mish-mosh. Eight tracks in, we come up on a song that doesn’t even sound anything like The Clash. It’s the beautifully addictive “Lost in the Supermarket”.

What’s going on here? Is that a disco rhythm we hear? This isn’t the anti-establishment, Brit punk outfit we know and love. Instead, “Lost in the Supermarket” showcases a band that’s going beyond its comfort zone, stretching itself musically. My favorite track off London Calling, Track 8 is a wry commentary on suburban alienation. The lyrics and the way that they are sung are unforgettable. It may not sound anything like a punk rock song, but therein lies its punk rock essence. The refusal to simply follow suit.

“I'm all lost in the supermarket. I can no longer shop happily. I came in here for that special offer. A guaranteed personality.”