500 Greatest Songs

 I'm not sure I know this one.  I have to admit, I never really saw the greatness of Springstreen.  I might have turned his songs up when they came on the radio, but that's about it.  I saw him as good, not great.  But I know he means a lot to a lot of folks, so maybe I haven't really given his stuff a chance. ---- It's a good song. Probably would have made a really cool 3 minute song.  I'm not really keen on the arrangement, there's a lot going on. I don't necessary mind that. I love the Allman Brothers Band and they have keyboard, two guitars and two drummers (later a percussionist, too).  I don't know why I find this overly busy and I don't hear that in the Allmans.  Anyway, it's good, but I would've cut that middle section and made this a shorter song. Like the ending.

 Heck yeah, I know this one. I got turned on to the Beatles when that stupid Sgt. Pepper movie came out in the late 1970s.  My friends Mom was a big Bee Gees fan and took us to see the movie. I didn't really like the move, even as a kid (I was maybe 11).  Soon after, my parents went to flea market and I'm looking through a bunch of used albums trying to find the soundtrack, because I did like the songs.  I couldn't find it, which wasn't surprising because it was new at the time. And thank goodness, because when I told my Mom I couldn't find it, she told to go look for Beatle records.  That's how naive I was, I didn't even realize they were covers.  I didn't find Sgt. Pepper, but I found the 1967-1970 double LP compilation.  It had Sgt Pepper, Little Help From My Friends, Lucy in the Sky, etc. on it, so they bought it for me. Quite possibly changed the direction of my life. I soon after found the counterpart to that album, 1962-1966, another double LP, ...

  Can't say I know this one, but I was a long time Dallas resident so I feel like I should.  True story, I took my then toddler son to the park one day and he sort of parallel played with an older kid named Seven.  When I was talking about it late to my wife, she said that Erykah Badu's child is named Seven.  Could have been.. Anyway, giving it a listen... It's got a nice wobble to it.  I like the groove.  I kind of expected it go someplace but it just kind of moved along. Some interesting variations in the arrangement but didn't build and have big drop. Refreshing, actually.  Like a lot of these songs, I like it, and not something I would have encountered otherwise. Top 500 of all time? Not so sure. But I dig it.

 Preconceptions: I was only eight when this came out, but it was still a staple on classic rock / album oriented radio when I was a teenager.  Of course when I hear it now,  I think of the SNL skit. --- Not sure if this is a remaster or what, but it sounds much better than I remember. Probably because I always heard it on the radio.  I'm really enjoying it more than I expected.  Nice guitar work. Really dug that fill at about 1:30, just before the "Romeo and Juliet" part. Thumbs up!

 Neil Young and Crazy Horse.  Not sure I recall this particular song.  I was only 11 when it came out so I wouldn't remember it new.  Good think I'm listening on Amazon Music, Young's music was taken off Spotify yesterday at his request. ------------ I can't say I've heard this.  Really digging the interplay between the guitars and the tone.    I should listen to more Neil Young.  

  I don't think I know this one. I notice it has six writers. Seems like a lot. It's only five years old. I really think RS should do what they do with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and set some sort of cooling off period.  A song should be 15 years or so before they even consider it for this list.   I just don't think you can call a song among the best of all time until it's sat awhile and shown it can hold up well. Anyway, that's all just general comments, I'll listen to the song now... Eh, I can't relate. Full disclosure: I didn't even finish it. But I'm not the target audience for this.  The recording sounds great.

 Took a pause over the holidays, I need to pick up the pace.  The goal is to get through all 500 by July. I was an 80s kid, so of course I know this one. I've probably heard it a zillion times.  Pretty sure I've even heard it recently in bars or ads or whatever.  I liked it fine, but it wasn't what I would typically listen to back then. I recall that's it's a good song, well performed and recorded. ------- What the heck is this song about?  All these years I thought he said "I miss the rains", but I think it's "bless the rains".  Who is this narrator that he can bless things?  Like some sort of cult leader or something? Anyway, good song.  Even though I was a teenage in the 80s, I don't really love the texture of a lot of the music from the period.  The drum sounds, a lot of synths and heavy chorus on the guitar.  But it's still a good song.  I have a lot of respect for amazing guitarists (or other instrumentalists) who put the song...