"STRANGE DAYS" THE DOORS (1967)

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.

Even if it’s not your cup of tea, The Doors demand your respect. Few bands carved out a more compelling crossroads of blues, rock and psychedelia. The music – at times – seemed almost possessed. The instrumentation was truly distinct – as they were one of the first bands to prominently feature keyboards and organs. And their frontman – Jim Morrison – is one of the greatest of all time, inspiring everyone from INXS’ Michael Hutchence to Echo & The Bunnymen’s Ian McCullough. My favorite Doors album is their second release Strange Days, which opens with the title track.

The famed key part on “Strange Days” actually isn’t Ray Manzarek. It’s Morrison himself, playing the moog synthesizer. “Strange Days” was one of the first recordings to feature this mainstay instrument, a case in point to the innovative side of The Doors. The moog synthesizer would become as integral to rock and pop as the electric guitar. Despite being overshadowed by the classic singles “People Are Strange” and “Love Me Two Times”, “Strange Days” is arguably more quintessential Doors in its ability to create a world for you to get lost in.

“Strange days have found us.”

"ALABAMA SONG (WHISKY BAR)" THE DOORS (1967)

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.

I’m running into the whiskey bar and stumbling out w/Jim, Ray, Robby and John. What a trip. What a mindblowing debut album. Such a powerful clash of rock, blues and psychedelia. “Twentieth Century Fox”, “Back Door Man”, “Soul Kitchen”, “Break On Through”, “Back Door Man”, “Crystal Ship”, “The End”, “Light My Fire”, every track is a classic. For obvious reasons, I’m going with their cover of “Alabama Song” today.

Listening to the song, we enter the whiskey bar. But this bar feels different. Spearheaded by Morrison’s vocals and Ray’s spritely keyboard flourishes, it feels like we stepped into a freak circus, lost in a drunken haze with these blues rock legends. “Alabama Song” is a perfect cover selection that seems to fit perfectly in the #5 slot on the record and is resolutely 100% Doors in its stylings. My only complaint of the song is that it ends at around three minutes. It seemed ripe for an epic “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”-length rendition.

“Well, show me the way To the next whiskey bar. Oh don't ask why. Oh don't ask why.”

"THERE SHE GOES, MY BEAUTIFUL WORLD" NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS (2004)

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.

Nick Cave is one of those artists that I somehow missed out on for far too long. If I could turn back the clock, I would’ve devoured his catalog a good twenty years before I finally discovered him for myself. And I would’ve caught him on tour. I can imagine his vocal expressiveness translating beautifully and energetically on the live stage. I do prefer his slower ballads, but I appreciate the occasional Nick Cave banger, like the blues rock masterpiece, “There She Goes, My Beautiful World”.

In the middle of the first verse, the track gets rolling quickly like a freight train right into the rockin’ chorus. In this case, the guitar and piano parts are the engine for the song. But the vocals are everything here. The gospel chorus brings the house down. Soaring. Powerful. Absolutely on fire. Even still, Nick is still the man here. His voice is just perfect for this moment and this song. It ain’t the same if you put another singer behind the mic.

“And Gaugin, he buggered off, man And went all tropical While Philip Larkin stuck it out
In a library in Hull.”

"ALABAMA SONG (WHISKY BAR)" THE DOORS (1967)

For the next 30 days, I’ll be taking the #AprilAcrossAmerica challenge, picking one song a day as I make my way across the country and across genres at the same time.

Day 16: A rompin’ whiskey bar somewhere in Alabama

I’m running into the whiskey bar and stumbling out w/Jim, Ray, Robby and John. What a trip. What a mindblowing debut album. Such a powerful clash of rock, blues and psychedelia. “Twentieth Century Fox”, “Back Door Man”, “Soul Kitchen”, “Break On Through”, “Back Door Man”, “Crystal Ship”, “The End”, “Light My Fire”, every track is a classic. For obvious reasons, I’m going with their cover of “Alabama Song” today.

Listening to the song, we enter the whiskey bar. But this bar feels different. Spearheaded by Morrison’s vocals and Ray’s spritely keyboard flourishes, it feels like we stepped into a freak circus, lost in a drunken haze with these blues rock legends. “Alabama Song” is a perfect cover selection that seems to fit perfectly in the #5 slot on the record and is resolutely 100% Doors in its stylings. My only complaint of the song is that it ends at around three minutes. It seemed ripe for an epic “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”-length rendition.

"BLACK DOG" LED ZEPPELIN (1971)

Great album openers get the listeners to keep on listening. They can do this in any number of ways. Some openers set the tone by easing us in. Others jump right in and blow our minds from the very beginning. A great album opener isn’t an easy thing to create. More than a great song, it’s all about the sequence. Track 1 has to be the perfect starter. This month, I’m highlighting my favorites. #AlbumOpeningSongs

Zeppelin is such a massive part of my journey as a music fan. I remember listening incessantly to the album simply named after the Roman numerals IV in my early high school years. My mind was blown instantly. I couldn’t believe lead guitar could be so vicious and audacious. And I couldn’t believe someone could sing like that – practically howling like an animal at times. “Black Dog”, as most true music fans already know, is Track 1, and Plant, Page, Bonzo and Jonesy opened things up with a giant-sized can of whupass.

Not sure exactly how blues and hard rock can be so easily intertwined to the point where you can’t tell which element is which? Just listen to “Black Dog”. The song uses space and pregnant pauses as good as any other to make the guitar riff explosions that much more explosive. I really like the fact that Page’s guitar almost feels like it’s lagging because the riff is so friggin’ fast. On to Robert Plant. His vocals on this song, in particular, really brought me into the fold. It didn’t just usher me into IV, it brought me into the entire Zeppelin catalog.

“I gotta roll, can't stand still. Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill. Eyes that shine burning red. Dreams of you all through my head.”

"GLORIA" THEM (1965)

One of the most powerful things about music is that it is the soundtrack of our lives. Fellow music fanatic Sharon Hepworth started a music challenge on Twitter for the month of July. Each day, fans around the world will select a song from their life and describe what it means to us. These are my songs. #SoundtrackToYourLife

Day 7

I was never part of a real band, but there were a few afternoons in high school when a few friends of mine and I had a small taste of it. We huddled into our friend’s basement where we had a couple of amps, guitars, a drum set, keyboard and a mic set up. It was our playground. “Gloria” gave us the satisfaction of knowing we could play a song from beginning to end. Only one of us was musically trained. Our drummer could barely keep a beat. But all of us were crazy about music. We had a lot of fun together. We felt like rock stars for a couple of hours. And we played “Gloria”.

Three chords. One hard rocking number from the annals of rock & roll. With Van Morrison on lead vocals and songwriting duties, Them put together a garage rock classic that had that rhythm and blues groove, that distorted, raw edge, and Van Morrison soul. Like many of the great songs from the 60’s, “Gloria” was a b-side. The single “Baby, Please Don’t Go” wasn’t too shabby either. But it wasn’t a Them original. This made “Gloria” more important in many ways. While The Velvet Underground may get credit for getting countless listeners to start their own band, “Gloria” made it possible for many of them to actually play. E - D - A - E - D - A, etc.

“G-L-O-R-I-A, Gloria. I'm gonna shout it all night.”

"JUMPIN' JACK FLASH" THE ROLLING STONES (1968)

After spending an entire month looking back at the 80’s, I realized one thing. I need more. Luckily, a couple of fellow music fans on Twitter came up with the brilliant idea to highlight #30DaysOf80sMovieSongs during the month of April. I couldn’t resist at the opportunity to keep going, to keep listening, and to keep celebrating the decade that has meant more to me than any other from a musical standpoint. Each day I’m playing a different soundtrack favorite on the Mental Jukebox.

Movie: Jumpin’ Jack Flash

The Rolling Stones found their sweet spot somewhere halfway between the blues and rock ‘n roll. Other acts had their own success ushering blues into other genres, including Zeppelin, Cream and The Dead. But The Stones did it in a way that made them the perfect band to hear on a bar stool or on the stadium floor. There was something epic about the way the strung together Jagger’s vocals and moves with the dual guitar attack of Richards and Wood.

I probably can’t count the number of times this song lifted me up. “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” is a song of redemption. It’s the reset button. It’s about getting knocked on your ass and getting back up again. It’s uttered in Jagger’s snarl. And it’s flowing in those sweet guitar riffs from Richards. “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” is a caffeinated jolt to your head. The kind of song that can help you get over a bad week or even a very bad year.

“I was schooled with a strap right across my back. But it's all right now, in fact, it's a gas.”

"WHEN THE LEVEE BREAKS" LED ZEPPELIN (1971)

The decade in which I was born has given me a strange perspective on its music. I discovered pretty much all of the 70’s sounds – from prog rock to punk to disco – well after they came into the world. It wasn’t until the late 80’s that I discovered what I was missing. I would characterize the decade as one where budding genres leaped off their inspiration pads and came to fruition. For the month of February, Mental Jukebox will feature some of these gems with a different 70’s song each day. #28DaysOf70sSongs

My Led Zeppelin IV cassette in 9th grade was a defining album for my budding interest in classic rock. I assumed I was in for just the hard stuff and would be comfortably flanked by Robert Plant’s howl and Jimmy Page’s hard-edged riffs. But IV took me my ears on a bender from the opening verse to “Black Dog” to the final guitar riff in “When The Levee Breaks”. The album fuses folk elements, straight ahead rock, early heavy metal elements and a heavy dose of blues. And it’s the blues that makes “When The Levee Breaks” one of the greatest tracks on the album.

Plant’s harmonica and Page’s guitar riff seemed attached at the hip, playing along the same octave. “When The Levee Breaks”, by name, was overshadowed by monster Zeppelin hits like “Stairway to Heaven”, “Black Dog”, “Rock and Roll” and “Going to California”. But I think it surpassed all the aforementioned classics. Those songs mastered epic riffs. They really relied on Page and Plant mostly. But “When The Levee Breaks” mastered hard rock blues more than any other Zeppelin song I can think of. It took the whole band to give it their all – and I count the song as one of Bonzo’s best and biggest barrages on the drum set.

“Mean old levee taught me to weep and moan.”

"GLORIA" THEM (1965)

For the month of January, I’m selecting some of the most memorable and influential songs of the 60’s. While they all hail from the same decade, these are some of my favorite songs of any era. They remind me that the 60’s were so much more than just Woodstock and psychedelic rock. It was a flourishing period for blues, folk, progressive and straight-ahead rock. #31DaysOf60sSongs

I was never part of a real band, but there were a few afternoons in high school when a few friends of mine and I had a small taste of it. We huddled into our friend’s basement where we had a couple of amps, guitars, a drum set, keyboard and a mic set up. It was our playground. “Gloria” gave us the satisfaction of knowing we could play a song from beginning to end. Only one of us was musically trained. Our drummer could barely keep a beat. But all of us were crazy about music. We had a lot of fun together. We felt like rock stars for a couple of hours. And we played “Gloria”.

Three chords. One hard rocking number from the annals of rock & roll. With Van Morrison on lead vocals and songwriting duties, Them put together a garage rock classic that had that rhythm and blues groove, that distorted, raw edge, and Van Morrison soul. Like many of the great songs from the 60’s, “Gloria” was a b-side. The single “Baby, Please Don’t Go” wasn’t too shabby either. But it wasn’t a Them original. This made “Gloria” more important in many ways. While The Velvet Underground may get credit for getting countless listeners to start their own band, “Gloria” made it possible for many of them to actually play. E - D - A - E - D - A, etc.

“G-L-O-R-I-A, Gloria. I'm gonna shout it all night.”

"PAINT IT BLACK" THE ROLLING STONES (1966)

For the month of January, I’m selecting some of the most memorable and influential songs of the 60’s. While they all hail from the same decade, these are some of my favorite songs of any era. They remind me that the 60’s were so much more than just Woodstock and psychedelic rock. It was a flourishing period for blues, folk, progressive and straight-ahead rock. #31DaysOf60sSongs

There are music fans that swear by the Rolling Stones, calling them the greatest band of all time. For reasons I don’t fully understand, there was always something preventing me from fully exploring their music. One thing that has certainly brought on this indifference is the prevalence of too much straight-ahead rock on their biggest hits. The songs were catchy, but too expected, and I quickly became too bored of them with no interest in going deeper into the band’s catalog. But there’s one song that was always an anomaly for me: “Paint It Black”.

It didn’t sound like anything else that I’ve heard before. It almost didn’t sound like rock were it not for Jagger’s vocals in the chorus. “Paint It Black” is a song with various influences, including Indian, Middle Eastern and Eastern European dispositions. Jagger and Richards wrote the song, but Brian Jones has the most significant impact on the track with his sitar riff. The song pulled the curtain wide open to musical expressions that were new to me. It left an impression that has stayed with me since the very first day I heard it, which was likely as part of some movie soundtrack.

“I have to turn my head until my darkness goes.”

"RAMBLE ON" LED ZEPPELIN (1969)

For the month of January, I’m selecting some of the most memorable and influential songs of the 60’s. While they all hail from the same decade, these are some of my favorite songs of any era. They remind me that the 60’s were so much more than just Woodstock and psychedelic rock. It was a flourishing period for blues, folk, progressive and straight-ahead rock. #31DaysOf60sSongs

By the time I reached the exciting, yet incredibly awkward ninth grade, I was knee deep into Zeppelin. Physical Graffiti, Led Zeppelin IV and Houses of the Holy were on heavy rotation on my Sony cassette player. In my mind, no other band had figured out such a natural and powerful way of bringing together hard rock and blues as well as Zeppelin. Killer vocals. Killer riffs. Killer lyrics. It wasn’t unusual to be a Zeppelin fan in my high school. In fact, “Ramble On” went on to become our graduation song.

John Paul Jones has always been the least talked about and the least celebrated member of the band. He was an exceptional bass player surrounded by rock giants: Plant, Page and Bonzo. But his bass line on “Ramble On” is truly iconic. Some call it the best bass line ever written. It’s both highly melodic and rhythmic — and in a rare moment Jonesy steals the spotlight from Jimmy Page. But the most irresistible thing about “Ramble On” is Plant’s soulful cry. It quite possibly doesn’t get any more rock ‘n roll than his monster vocals in the chorus.

“I ain't tellin' no lie. Mine's a tale that can't be told.”

"BIG LOG" ROBERT PLANT (1983)

Inspired by Albumism, I’m doing my own version of Flying Solo with individual tracks. Band breakups and hiatuses are never fun, but these solo jams were defining moments in my life’s soundtrack.

“Big log” was a shock to the system. An entirely different side to Robert Plant’s continued musical odyssey. It brought out a fascinating side to the former Zeppelin frontman that simply wasn’t possible when Jimmy Page, Bonzo and Jonesy were in the same room as him.

Listening back to it, the thing that stands out most to me about the song are the bluesy, soulful vocals that aren’t reliant on crooning and belting to find their way and identity. “Big Log” came out about ten years after Houses of the Holy, showing that Plant can sound sacred whether he goes soft or sonic. And co-writer Robbie Blunt’s delicate guitar playing impressed without trying to emulate Jimmy Page.

“Red eyed and fevered with the hum of the miles. Distance and longing, my thoughts do collide.”

"SULTANS OF SWING" DIRE STRAITS (1978)

On the surface, “Sultans of Swing” is just another catchy, well-known pop song. But the genius of it is revealed when you listen more carefully to the combination of great songwriting and great guitar playing. What Knopfler did no one else was doing at the time. He took Dylan-esque vocals and paired it with ambitious, yet understated guitar riffs, melding rock, blues, country and even flamenco so effortlessly together.

“You get a shiver in the dark. It's a raining in the park but meantime-south of the river you stop and you hold everything. A band is blowing Dixie, double four time. You feel alright when you hear the music ring.”

"EX'S AND OH'S" ELLE KING (2015)

This was a song that was impossible not to tap your foot to underneath your office desk. In 2015, “Ex’s and Oh’s” came in fast and furious. New artist. New voice. New sound. Elle King crossed country with alternative, blues with rock, the literal with the figurative. It was a new, clever take on old lovers. It was infectious in its lyrics and its attitude. And it’s a song that flipped gender roles on its head.

“I get high, and I love to get low. So the hearts keep breaking, and the heads just roll. You know that's how the story goes.”

"NEVER TEAR US APART" INXS (1987)

“Never Tear Us Apart” was a bit of an anomaly in the INXS catalog. First off, it’s one of the band’s few recorded ballads. INXS rarely slowed down the RPMs this much. Second, it’s a blues song through and through. Devoid of the INXS rock and new wave pedigree. But it’s probably my favorite INXS song. Those who grew up in the 80’s will remember “Never Tear Us Apart” as one of the best ballads of the era. From beginning to end, it’s strong on instrumentation. But its biggest strength is the power of its dramatic pauses. Few songs use pauses so masterfully.

“We could live for a thousand years. But if I hurt you, I'd make wine from your tears. I told you that we could fly. 'Cause we all have wings, but some of us don't know why.”

"WAITING FOR THE SUN" THE DOORS (1970)

The Doors made music however the hell they wanted to. If it meant making the keyboard a bigger deal than the guitar, then so be it. If it meant taking psychedelic rock and drowning it in the blues, then so be it. There are so many Doors songs that are permanently enshrined in the classic rock canon. But I think the reason “Waiting for the Sun” always comes back to me is because it gave every signature Doors element its rightful moment in the spotlight.

“Waiting for you to come along. Waiting for you to hear my song. Waiting for you to come along. Waiting for you to tell me what went wrong.”

"GLORIA" THEM (1971)

This song gave a group of terrible musicians some hope. The hope that maybe they can play a song from beginning to end, and even call themselves a garage band. Those musicians were me and a few friends back in high school. Only one of us was musically trained. Our drummer couldn’t keep a beat. And we barely ever rehearsed. But we had fun together. And we could play “Gloria”. Three chords. And one hard rocking number from the annals of classic rock.

“Like to tell ya about my baby. You know she comes around. She about five feet four. From her head to the ground.”