The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit

Just because I’m in the mood for some vintage New Wave, here’s one of my favorite songs by the Cars.  It’s the title track from their 1979 sophomore effort, Candy-O.  While never released as a single, “Candy-O” nonetheless brilliantly showcases the darker and more sinister side of the group.  The main guitar riff is ferocious and I’m always down with Ben Orr’s vocals, but Elliot Easton’s lead work is the star here.

If ’70s prog band Babe Ruth is remembered for one song (and that is about all they’re remembered for), it’s “The Mexican.”  It’s from their 1973 debut album First Base and it’s one of the catchiest, grooviest prog tracks you’ll ever hear.

I found a really cool YouTube video with this song played over some Samurai Jack clips, but they faded the song too early for my liking.  Check it out though, it’s sweet.

OK, so maybe I need to change the title of this series based on the increasing infrequency of posts in it.  But whatever.  I just had to resurrect it when I saw the latest entry at one of my favorite .mp3 blogs, My Jazz World.  It features a great one-two punch of cheesy wordplay in the title and some freaky cover art.  It’s 1973’s Flute of the Loom, by flautist Frank Wess.

As much as the Who staked their claim as rock legends on high-octane numbers like “Won’t Get Fooled Again” and “My Generation”, I find that often it’s the more contemplative songs where they really shine.  Take, for instance, this cut from 1975’s The Who By Numbers.  The lyrics are bleak but the music…the music is startlingly simple and beautiful.  Did Pete Townshend ever write a better ballad?

I’m not sure, but this is certainly a worthy contender.  Here’s “Imagine a Man”:

Imagine a man
Not a child of any revolt
But a plain man tied up in life

Imagine the sand
Running out as he struts
Parading and fading, ignoring his wife

Imagine a road
So long looking backwards
You can’t see where it really began

Imagine a load
So large and so smooth
That against it a man is an ant

Then you will see the end
You will see the end

Imagine events
That occur everyday
Like a shooting or raping or a simple act of deceit

Imagine a fence
Around you as high as prevention
Casting shadows, you can’t see your feet

Imagine a girl
With long, flowing hair
And the body of chalky perfection and truth

Imagine a past
Where you wish you had lived
Full of heroes and villians and fools

And you will see the end
You will see the end
And you will see the end
You will see the end
Oh yeah

Imagine a man
Not a child of any revolt
But a man of today feeling new

Imagine a soul
So old it it is broken
And you know your invention is you

And you will see the end
You will see the end
You will see the end
You will see the end
Oh yeah

More prog goodness, you say?  Sure!  Here’s my favorite KC tune ever, from their 1974 masterpiece Red.

Witness the majestic and face-melting drumming of one Bill Bruford, who absolutely owns on this number.  My favorite moment comes just after the 4:20 mark, when he kicks out this sinister groove that I could listen to on repeat all day.  That weird-sounding cymbal he uses, in a stroke of great luck, was the result of some impromptu dumpster-diving.

Forget just prog rock, kids, music doesn’t get much better than this.

Before today I had never even heard of Craig Powerplay, but would’ve guessed he was a legendary hockey player.  In fact, it’s the name for a line of automotive stereo equipment produced by (you guessed it) Craig.  Back around 1977/78 Craig ran an ad campaign for its Powerplay products featuring a rather diverse group of musicians – Ray Charles, the Beach Boys, and Billy Preston to name a few.  This one calls upon the star power of prog rock giants Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

You probably don’t recognize the group without capes or satin kimonos, but that’s them alright.

I came across a rather interesting combination today on YouTube – the music of legendary Krautrock group Can as the backing track to some random action from the Sims 2 video game.  You can find that here, but I’m not featuring it mainly because they’ve edited down today’s song – “Vitamin C” – and I want to use the whole thing.

So here’s a full version of “Vitamin C” from the brilliant 1972 album Ege Bamyasi.  Enjoy the clever guitar chords and top-notch drumming.  It really is a stunning song.

And don’t forget those lyrics…

Her daddy got a big aeroplane,
Her mommy holds all the family cash,
A beautiful blows, I stay at the corner,
She is living in and out of tune.

Hey you,
You’re losing, you’re losing, you’re losing, you’re losing your vitamin C.
Hey you,
You’re losing, you’re losing, you’re losing, you’re losing your vitamin C,
Your vitamin C.

And at Christmas riding on her pony
Or she is stepping on the pigman’s head,
A beautiful blows, I stay at the corner,
She is living in and out of tune.

Hey you,
You’re losing, you’re losing, you’re losing, you’re losing your vitamin C.
Hey you,
You’re losing, you’re losing, you’re losing, you’re losing your vitamin C,
Your vitamin C.

Hey you,
You’re losing, you’re losing, you’re losing, you’re losing your vitamin C.
Hey you,
You’re losing, you’re losing, you’re losing, you’re losing your vitamin C.