"SUGAR MAGNOLIA" GRATEFUL DEAD (1970)

This month on Twitter, @sotachetan hosts #BrandedInSongs – which is a head-on collision of my personal world of music and my professional world of branding and advertising. The challenge is to simply pick a song with a brand name in its lyrics or title. I added one more criteria to my picks, which is this: the songs themselves must be as iconic as the brands they mention. No filler here.

American Beauty holds a special place in my album of music memories. It marks one of my “a ha” moments. What I mean by that is that I didn’t understand the Dead for quite a few years, but then one day it just clicked. I can’t really explain the shift. I’ve never seen them live. And for a band whose identity is so closely tied to the live performance and touring, that probably presents quite a gap in understanding and appreciation for their music. In eighth grade, Jimmy Karger tried to turn me on to the Dead and played me some of their songs. I just didn’t get into it, and preferred “heavier” rock like Rush, Zeppelin and Rush. But at some point, the gateway album American Beauty climbed its way into my consciousness and one of the standouts was “Sugar Magnolia”.

I first heard “Sugar Magnolia” on the compilation album, Skeletons From The Closet. Jerry Garcia plays a pedal steel guitar on this one, which gave the song an ethereal quality that balanced well with the more grounded Dead qualities anchored by the vocal harmonies and rhythm guitar. The song helped me to see what all the fuss is about. This is a band whose identity cannot be pinned down to one style or approach. They are an amalgamation of folk, country, blues, bluegrass, rock, and psychedlia.

“She can dance a Cajun rhythm. Jump like a Willys in four wheel drive.”

"TRUCKIN'" GRATEFUL DEAD (1970)

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 18: New Orleans, LA

One of the most iconic of Dead songs, it’s easy to dismiss this song because it’s perhaps a little too on the nose. But I’m fascinated by the facts. “Truckin’” was recognized by the United States Library of Congress as a national treasure. At least that’s what Wikipedia says. It’s also the 8th most-performed Dead song. The band played it 520 times, which is mind boggling on a few levels. First, that’s a lot of performances. Second, it’s even more when you consider how often the Dead changed up their set lists.

These facts say something undeniably true about “Truckin’”: you can’t ignore its ubiquity. And that’s saying something for a band that has more cult status than mainstream appeal. “What a long, strange trip it’s been” is one of the most recognized song lyrics from any genre. And then there’s the story line. The song focuses on a a drug raid on the band’s hotel room in New Orleans, but name-checks a variety of cities, alluding to the band’s non-stop touring schedule. One of the quintessential American road trip songs.

“Busted - Down On Bourbon Street. Set Up - Like A Bowling Pin Knocked.”

"THE MAN IN ME" BOB DYLAN (1970)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: The Big Lebowski

One of my all-time favorite movies, The Big Lebowski features a strong, diverse set of songs on its soundtrack — from a Gypsy Kings cover to a CCR staple. But no other song on the soundtrack embodies the film and The Dude more than “The Man in Me”. The song a director picks for an opening scene can sometimes make or break a film. It’s the mood setter. And the Coen brothers nailed it. There was no better song to kick off The Big Lebowski and top it off with the dream scene than with Bob Dylan’s “The Man in Me”.

Not your typical Dylan anthem, it felt like it was written and performed specifically for The Dude — a melodious homage to the main character. Beyond the opening scene inside Ralph’s Supermarket, it’s used again in the famed hallucination scene — and apparently Jeff Bridges has sung it and led audience participation at Lebowski Fest. It’s not just widely loved, it’s beloved. “The Man In Me” is The Dude put to music – with its “la la las” and stoner organ hook, endearing us to the main character from the very opening scene.

“STORM CLOUDS ARE RAGING ALL AROUND MY DOOR. I THINK TO MYSELF I MIGHT NOT TAKE IT ANYMORE. TAKE A WOMAN LIKE YOUR KIND TO FIND THE MAN IN ME.”

"STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU" STEALERS WHEEL (1973)

This month, the Mental Jukebox revisits the movie soundtracks of the nineties. The music I’m highlighting are some of my personal favorites. In many cases, the movies themselves were huge for me as well. But the focus will still be on the music – as always. Let’s bring on the throwback classics, the grunge, the gangsta rap, and the indie gems. #31DaysOf90sMovieSongs

Movie: Reservoir Dogs

The torture scene in Reservoir Dogs wouldn’t be the same without this song. Torture scenes don’t often start with the question “Ever listen to K-Billy’s Super Sounds of the 70s?” and end with a policeman’s right ear cut off. But in the world of Tarantino, that’s just how it has to be. The director has a knack for finding the right track to enhance his scenes, and “Stuck in the Middle With You” was one his finest selections. The scene might make you cringe, but the music brings you into the fold.

The track’s melody is so addictive that it wasn’t completely absurd that Mr. Blonde shuffled his feet to it right before wielding his knife. Gerry Rafferty’s vocals are almost Dylan-esque with his nasal undertone. And that famous guitar slide and cowbell carried us into the song. Twenty years later, we would hear these sounds again mimicked on Sheryl Crow’s debut record. “Stuck in the Middle With You” became a one-hit wonder with two lives—an unforgettable birth in 1973 and then an equally unforgettable rebirth 20 years later.

“Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.”

"THE MAN IN ME" BOB DYLAN (1970)

This month, the Mental Jukebox revisits the movie soundtracks of the nineties. The music I’m highlighting are some of my personal favorites. In many cases, the movies themselves were huge for me as well. But the focus will still be on the music – as always. Let’s bring on the throwback classics, the grunge, the gangsta rap, and the indie gems. #31DaysOf90sMovieSongs

Movie: The Big Lebowski

One of my all-time favorite movies, The Big Lebowski features a strong, diverse set of songs on its soundtrack — from a Gypsy Kings cover to a CCR staple. But no other song on the soundtrack embodies the film and The Dude more than “The Man in Me”. The song a director picks for an opening scene can sometimes make or break a film. It’s the mood setter. And the Coen brothers nailed it. There was no better song to kick off The Big Lebowski than Bob Dylan’s “The Man in Me”.

Not your typical Dylan anthem, it felt like it was written and performed specifically for The Dude — a melodious homage to the main character. Beyond the opening scene inside Ralph’s Supermarket, it’s used again in the famed hallucination scene — and apparently Jeff Bridges has sung it and led audience participation at Lebowski Fest. It’s not just widely loved, it’s beloved. “The Man In Me” is The Dude put to music – with its “la la las” and stoner organ hook, endearing us to the main character from the very opening scene.

“Storm clouds are raging all around my door. I think to myself I might not take it anymore. Take a woman like your kind to find the man in me.”

"HARVEST MOON" NEIL YOUNG (1992)

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.

Twenty years after he released Harvest, Neil Young was back at it again with a similar motif. “Harvest Moon” is my favorite Neil Young track of all time. It’s that rare musical gem that does what it says and says what it does.

Every element of the song captures the ethereal mood so well—from Linda Ronstadt’s beautiful background vocals to the quiet steel guitar to the soft brush strokes on drums. Every element pulls you in and puts into that idyllic moonlit moment on that unspoiled night.

“We could dream this night away.”

"STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU" STEALERS WHEEL (1972)

The torture scene in Reservoir Dogs wouldn’t be the same without this song. Tarantino had a knack for finding the right track to enhance his scenes, and this was one his best selections. “Stuck in the Middle with You” took an addictive melody, Dylan-esque vocals, that famous guitar slide and a cowbell as far as it could. In the process, it became a one-hit wonder with two lives—an unforgettable birth in 1972 and then an equally unforgettable rebirth 20 years later.

“Well I don't know why I came here tonight. I got the feeling that something ain't right.”

"BAD MOON RISING" CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL (1969)

Dark, ominous lyrics. Southern-style rock. Blame it on the Dude. I had absolutely no interest in “Bad Moon Rising” and Creedence Clearwater Revival until I saw The Big Lebowski for the first time. Soaking in this classic on Spotify is one thing. But it must’ve been an entirely different thing hearing it live at Woodstock. Creedence strikes me as being a band that would’ve thrived on the festival circuit. And a song like “Bad Moon Rising” would’ve been a setlist staple.

“Well don't go around tonight. Well it's bound to take your life. There's a bad moon on the rise.”

"CARRY ON" CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG (1970)

With “Carry On”, you get two songs in one. Because it’s the love child of two unfinished tracks that Stephen Stills fused together as CSN&Y searched for the right opening song to Deja Vu. The 2:10 mark comes at you out of nowhere, but has a live, jam band feel. It sounds more like a Part 2 than a transition. Whether you agree with their strategy or not, you can’t deny “Carry On” made for quite a potent entrance on an album known more for slow tempo classics. And the classic CSN&Y harmonies are epic on this one.

“The sky is clearing and the night has gone out. The sun, he come, the world is all full of love. Rejoice, rejoice, we have no choice but to carry on.”