Begin the day with a friendly voice, a companion unobtrusive...

I had an idea this morning for a regularly irregular Blog post.  I want to talk about the the first song that I hear on the radio when I get in the car for my daily commute. 

If you want to be something, you have to do it, right?  This will give me a recurring writing assignment.  It's basically going to be an exercise in self discipline.  You in?  Good.

Tuesday, August 14th.  First, Happy Birthdays to LeAnn, Anne, Michelle and Heidi.

Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit (SLTS) literally started right with the engine this morning.  I usually only get a partial song for my first of the day, but today the radio gods smiled on me.

SLTS came out in 1991.  Even thought that's over 20 years ago, it still sounds fresh to me while feeling like it's always been part of my soundscape.  Call it timeless, if you like.

Early on Nirvana was credited with bringing punk to the masses.  This is the song that does that most effectively.  Punk rock is now part of the mainstream. 

I know the purists will harp on about other bands originating the soft/loud dynamic, but so what.  Those bands didn't have Dave Grohl.  I don't think anyone did it as effectively as Nirvana does here.  Producer Butch Vig really captures the bands explosive energy. 

Unfortunately, it was raining, so the song didn't get it's proper listening environment - windows down, sunroof open, volume up!

Oh well, whatever, never mind...

Second Hand News

You know how there are some bands you kind of forget about?  Sure you do, we all do it.  Don't lie to me.

Anyway, today I was inspired to dig into Fleetwood Mac by the review and streaming of a new Fleetwood Mac tribute album.  I like it, a lot.  You can check it out here.

As any good tribute album should, it got me thinking about its subject.

What a great, great band they are.

They started out as part of the British blues explosion.  Bands from the UK were taking American blues and electrifying it.  With guitarist Peter Green and later Bob Welch the Mac were a huge part of this scene.

At some point during the 70's it was decided that it was time to introduce some fresh blood.  In came Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks.

Pop music, specifically that sub-genre of Southern California country rock would never be the same.

Their impact was felt immediately.  The first album with the new line up includes such classics as Monday Morning, Rhiannan and Say You Love Me.

And then came Rumours.

I mean, really?  Come on.  Is there any other album's sound that so completely defines that decade?  Nope, you're wrong. Wrong.

If Dreams doesn't completely transport you, you have no soul.  Stevie is a goddess.  You know it, she knows it, Tom Petty knows it.

The Chain is my, hands down, favorite Mac song and Lindsey's solo is one of the greats in the "Classic Rock" pantheon.  Like that?  Fancy word, huh?  I know.

Tusk is one of the craziest things a band had ever done at that point in Pop Music history.  A marching band doesn't seem so strange now, but this was 30 plus years ago.  The video was an early big hit on MTV.

For me as a fan, things kind of tale off after Tusk.  The band continued and continues to record and tour.  Even if they stopped 20 years ago, their legacy would be safe with me.

That, and I'd listen to Stevie sing the phone book.