"SKY PILOT" ERIC BURDON & THE ANIMALS (1968)

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

A friend from high school introduced me to The Animals with an enthusiasm that even exceeded his love for the biggest. classic rock icons like Zeppelin, Cream and the Stones. I think there were many reasons for this, but it was largely the power, swagger and testosterone-fueled vocals of Eric Burdon. Most casual listeners are familiar with their big hits: “House of the Rising Sun”, “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” and “We Gotta Get Out of This Place”. But my friend encouraged me to go a little deeper. The song that I looked forward to playing most on my Animals mixtape was a minor hit toward the end of their years called “Sky Pilot”.

The track was an anti-war song written during the time of the Vietnam War. But it wasn’t about an Air Force pilot, it was an ode to a military chaplain. “How high can you fly. You never, never, never reach the sky”. The track carries intrigue from both an instrumental and production perspective. “Sky Pilot” soars on a bed of reverb and flanging complete with guitar solo, a string arrangement, bagpipe interlude and a host of war-themed audio samples. Then, of course, there’s the underrated, masterful lead vocals from Burdon. The song is a feast for the ears. I loved “Sky Pilot” from the very first listen and that love has never died.

“He mumbles a prayer and it ends with a smile. The order is given, they move down the line.”

"SKY PILOT" ERIC BURDON & THE ANIMALS (1968)

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: 1968

A friend from high school introduced me to The Animals with an enthusiasm that even exceeded his love for the biggest. classic rock icons like Zeppelin, Cream and the Stones. I think there were many reasons for this, but it was largely the power, swagger and testosterone-fueled vocals of Eric Burdon. Most casual listeners are familiar with their big hits: “House of the Rising Sun”, “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” and “We Gotta Get Out of This Place”. But my friend encouraged me to go a little deeper. The song that I looked forward to playing most on my Animals mixtape was a minor hit toward the end of their years called “Sky Pilot”.

The track was an anti-war song written during the time of the Vietnam War. But it wasn’t about an Air Force pilot, it was an ode to a military chaplain. “How high can you fly. You never, never, never reach the sky”. The track carries intrigue from both an instrumental and production perspective. “Sky Pilot” soars on a bed of reverb and flanging complete with guitar solo, a string arrangement, bagpipe interlude and a host of war-themed audio samples. Then, of course, there’s the underrated, masterful lead vocals from Burdon. The song is a feast for the ears. I loved “Sky Pilot” from the very first listen and that love has never died.

“HE MUMBLES A PRAYER AND IT ENDS WITH A SMILE.”

"SKY PILOT" ERIC BURDON & THE ANIMALS (1968)

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

A friend from high school introduced me to The Animals with an enthusiasm that even exceeded his love for the biggest. classic rock icons like Zeppelin, Cream and the Stones. I think there were many reasons for this, but it was largely the power, swagger and testosterone-fueled vocals of Eric Burdon. Most casual listeners are familiar with their big hits: “House of the Rising Sun”, “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” and “We Gotta Get Out of This Place”. But my friend encouraged me to go a little deeper. The song that I looked forward to playing most on my Animals mixtape was a minor hit toward the end of their years called “Sky Pilot”.

The track was an anti-war song written during the time of the Vietnam War. But it wasn’t about an Air Force pilot, it was an ode to a military chaplain. “How high can you fly. You never, never, never reach the sky”. The track carries intrigue from both an instrumental and production perspective. “Sky Pilot” soars on a bed of reverb and flanging complete with guitar solo, a string arrangement, bagpipe interlude and a host of war-themed audio samples. Then, of course, there’s the underrated, masterful lead vocals from Burdon. The song is a feast for the ears. I loved “Sky Pilot” from the very first listen and that love has never died.

“He mumbles a prayer and it ends with a smile. The order is given, they move down the line. But he's still behind and he'll meditate. But it won't stop the bleeding or ease the hate.”