Sister Rosetta Tharp is badass.
A bucket list entry was crossed off my list when I saw the Temptations in concert January of 2017. One of the most powerful things I have ever witnessed was the anger of this group singing Ball of Confusion the same week the orange menace took office. That elevated the song to iconic status for me. I would also add Can't Get Next to You to the list. Yet you cannot argue against My Girl and Papa.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe, This Train
Sister Rosetta Tharpe, This Train
She has been on a postage stamp, is in the R&RHOF, Blues HOF, has historical markers all over Philadelphia, and plays a mean guitar. Watching this performance on YouTube, she is an enthralling performer. She was Johnny Cash's favorite performer according to daughter Roseanne; Little Richard loved her too. Other songs that should be on this list include Strange Things Happen Every Day and Rock Me.
Big Mama Thorton, Ball n' Chain, Hound Dog
Her voice is so unique, colored with honey, smoke, weariness, pain, and desire. You feel like you are being let in on a secret. She is a standard of beauty that is unconventional, but commands you lean in and pay attention. Her voice communicates what words can't. And what octave did she JUST hit? Damn.
Toots & the Mayalls, Pressure Drop
Big Mama Thorton, Ball n' Chain, Hound Dog
Her voice is so unique, colored with honey, smoke, weariness, pain, and desire. You feel like you are being let in on a secret. She is a standard of beauty that is unconventional, but commands you lean in and pay attention. Her voice communicates what words can't. And what octave did she JUST hit? Damn.
Toots & the Mayalls, Pressure Drop
First time listening. Early reggae? Well, crap: a YouTube poster wishing Toots godspeed as he passed away earlier this month from COVID. The version of this I'm listening to is a loose jam that is sunny while somewhat depressing. Maybe it's just the day.
Peter Tosh, Legalize It
I know I've heard it before, I went to college for God's sake. Meh.
Traffic, Dear Mr. Fantasy
Steve Winwood is just one of those artists I just don't like. Next.
The Trammps, Disco Inferno
The Trammps, Disco Inferno
You have to understand, while I was old enough to remember disco as a first generation consumer of the music, I was 7 years old. Why is it essential? What did it bring to the scene?
Fun facts: the lyrics were inspired by the movie The Towering Inferno. It was mixed incorrectly, and as a result, the mix had a much wider range and practically jumps out of the speakers. The song had a long shelf life, released in late 1976, getting considerable playing time through 1977, and experienced a resurgence in 1978 based on its inclusion on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. It was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame in 2005.
Burn baby, burn.
The Troggs, Wild Thing
The Troggs, Wild Thing
This is the second generation thing kicking in. This song experienced a resurgence in the 90s based on its inclusion in the movie Major League, as Ricky Vaughn's intro music. Redone by Joan Jett, and played ad nauseam by classic rock stations.
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