We’re going with two versions of “Run Rudolph Run” at the #15 spot. Brian Setzer’s take on the tune (a song that has been covered by many others, notably Dave Edmunds and a bit more sloppily by Keith Richards) is pretty true to the orginal, adding Setzers growl – both with guitar and vocals – to modernize the classic.
And Chuck Berry is the father of the sound. So we have both here. Just a freakin’ great blast of rock and roll everytime I hear it. Ain’t nothing polished about it – or at least there needn’t be. Just turn it up.
You will notice, if you are a longtime reader, I throw in a fair amount of unsubstantiated opinion on my way to passing along facts. In reality, if you have read the blog posts over the past year, you already know – via these little nuggets of insight that roll out of my brain, into my fingers and onto the computer – what I like. And trust me, this has everything to do with the song at #16.
If you listed the six (I needed six – five wasn’t enough) musical sounds/songs/albums/artists that are the influences behind this here Rockforward site, it would read like this:
1. The trio of Mellencamp albums in the mid 80’s – “Uh-Huh”, “Scarecrow” and “The Lonseome Jubilee”. Anyone who is 35+ that likes the music we do should recognize how much these albums – especially “Scarecrow” – influenced tons of Americana and roots-rock bands and fans.
2. Tom Petty. Anything Tom Petty.
3. Those late 80’s bands that came on the heels of Petty and Mellencamp (including Gear Daddies, Uncle Tupelo, BoDeans, Del Fuegos, Georgia Satellites, Jason & The Scorchers, Lone Justice, and regional/Indiana artists like Larry Crane, Duke Tomatoe, The Hammerheads, and Henry Lee Summer. That is some and there are more ) Alt-country before they called it that. Heartland rock at the time.
4. Springsteen – for the majesty of the rock and roll, the brilliance of the lyrics, and the passion of the live show. And for the lineage to bar band rock and R&B (like the outstanding J. Geils Band)
5. Power Pop. I think Cheap Trick is woefully underappreciated. Rick Springfield’s “Working Class Dog ” album should be considered great power pop/rock. The Cars debut album is one of the best records in the rock music era. Matthew Sweet’s “Girlfriend ” record was killer. I saw the Romantics live at a bar in 1989 and they were loud, into the performance, and rocked hard, fast and righteously.
6. The current crop of bands that carry on the sounds: Bottle Rockets, Todd Snider, James McMurtry, Cross Canadian Ragweed, and Will Hoge among many more…
So that’s where I come from. And it leads to #16 on our countdown of 20 Christmas roots-rock songs. Indiana’s Rusty Bladen has been working for the past 20 years in the bars, clubs and parties throughout the state. I’ve known him that long, first meeting him when I was a radio jock down at WORX in Madison, Indiana – I was just out of college and had a Sunday night radio show and eventually did mornings for a couple years. He was just starting his solo career after a few years in cover bands. He now plays mainly solo live shows that are always high energy. His sound hits all of the influences I already cited. His writing is blue collar.
About a year ago, he released “Feels Like Christmas”, a holiday album of 11 classic Christmas songs and one original – the title cut. That’s the one we have here. Mellencamp drummer Dane Clark produced the effort, and made it all sound really good. A great country rock/heartland/Americana record. The record is simply my favorite Christmas album of all time. Overstatement? Nah. Listen to the album.
Here’s the song, with it’s fun, quaint, and homegrown video.
From the uber-successful “Very Special Christmas” album (the first one), our earnest boys of U2 take the Darlene Love/Phil Spector classic “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” and give it the echo-and-Edge treatement.
(Did You Know? – Love provided backing vocals for the cut).
Recorded during the height of their initial powers, just after “The Joshua Tree” release, the group adds enough drama and bombast to keep up with the exquisite original. Gotta admire U2 for their ability to take on anything (song, idea, sound) and end up giving it their own stamp. Not as much a staple of rock radio at Christmastime as it should be. Recorded July 1987 during a sound check at a stop during their Joshua Tree Tour in Glasgow, Scotland. The video was filmed in Baton Rouge, LA. Though just 2:18 in length, enough time for Bono to fully rock the hat.
One from basketball that is just plain weird: This reeks of ego and acting like a poor man’s Bob Knight. Saturday, North Carolina coach Roy Williams (in the midst of watching his Tar Heels romp past Presbyterian 103-64) decided he didn’t like a fan from the visiting team telling one of UNC’s players to miss a free throw – the quote I am hearing is the fan yelled “Don’t miss it Deon” – and Roy had the guy forcibly removed from the game.
Watch the cops get a little aggressive with the offender, who doesn’t look like he’s a steroid-takin’, whiskey-soaked fan. More like a, uh, team supporter and hoops fan. Even has his school’s golf shirt on. Just more than a little odd. Maybe more will come out about the event, but the early forecast is for Williams to take a little shit for this one. His postgame press conference seems to hint that he may have been uncomfortable, knowing he might have stepped into the moment a but too aggressively.
CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO(It wasn’t on YouTube as of Sunday night – might be now. Until then, use the link.)
#18 of 20 great rock and roll Christmas tunes Cheech and Chong “Santa Claus and his Old Lady” – The story about how Santa lived up north and ate brownies in the commune. Classic stoner riffs about the jolly guy, filtered through the bonged-out minds of Tommy and Cheech. God bless any radio station that still plays it during the holidays. Favorite part: Tommy thinks he used to play in a band with Santa, and thought he was on Buddha Records.
Take a listen to the background music and effects layered and panned behind Cheech and Chong as they do their business; as a comedy duo and recording artists, Cheech and Chong are woefully underappreciated by many. And I’m cool with that, cause I know the truth.
We’re going with two versions of “Run Rudolph Run” at the #15 spot. Brian Setzer’s take on the tune (a song that has been covered by many others, notably Dave Edmunds and a bit more sloppily by Keith Richards) is pretty true to the orginal, adding Setzers growl – both with guitar and vocals – to modernize the classic.
And Chuck Berry is the father of the sound. So we have both here. Just a freakin’ great blast of rock and roll everytime I hear it. Ain’t nothing polished about it – or at least there needn’t be. Just turn it up.
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