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Zharth's Music Log (Revisited)

Week 114: Cardinal Directions


(Originally finalized on December 18, 2024)

Preface: For our next theme, we're going to explore songs that feature one of the four cardinal directions (north, east, south, and west) - a.k.a. compass points - in their titles. Ideally, we'd have an even balance between them, but it appears that "south" is, by far, the most popular direction. Maybe it's because the majority of Earth's land mass (including the U.S. and the U.K., where much of this genre of music originates) sits in the northern hemisphere? Regardless, I'll do my best to mix it up, but know that I won't be able to feature every good song that was ever written with a reference to the south.


Monday: The Allman Brothers Band - Southbound [Brothers And Sisters, 1973]
Comments: It's a testament to the talents of the members of this band that they could produce such great music in the midst of tragedy. Brothers And Sisters was the band's first album not to feature any contributions from founding member Duane Allman, and the last to feature original bass player Berry Oakley, both of whom died tragically - and eerily - in separate motorcycle accidents under similar circumstances, only three blocks but a year apart. This album was second guitarist Dickey Betts' opportunity to step into a lead role, and nobody could say he wasn't ready for it.

Tuesday: Bob Dylan - Girl From The North Country [The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, 1963]
Comments: I'll freely admit that I'm just a casual fan of Bob Dylan - but a fan nonetheless. Although he could write some biting takedowns, the folk aesthetic is frequently too soft for my listening tastes. Usually. But while I tend to prefer the banshee wailing of his debut album, he really came into his own sound on his sophomore effort, which offers this bittersweet country ballad that looks back wistfully on a love that's come and gone.

Wednesday: Neil Young - Southern Man [After The Gold Rush, 1970]
Comments: When Neil Young struck out as a solo artist in 1969, he was still perfecting his sound. His second album debuted backing band Crazy Horse, which solidifies its place in music history. Although it wouldn't be until his fourth album Harvest, from 1972, that he would rocket into the stratosphere with hits like Heart of Gold and Old Man, you could hear him coming into his own on his third album After The Gold Rush, which features this scathing observation on the American South - one of the best of his early hits that features a harder rocking sound.

Thursday: Mountain - Theme For An Imaginary Western [Climbing!, 1970]
Comments: Featuring the talent of guitarist Leslie West, Mountain is a band that I feel like many people - myself included - haven't given their due. It's a wonder they didn't have any bigger radio hits than Mississippi Queen - just listen to that deliciously crunchy fuzz tone! Anyway, this is a song written by Jack Bruce (of Cream fame) and Pete Brown, which was brought to this band by way of their bass player Felix Pappalardi, who (like Bruce) also sings.

Friday: The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Driving South [BBC Sessions, this track recorded 1967]
Comments: As a guitarist myself and, above all, a guitar fan, guitar instrumentals are my bread and butter, and this is one of my favorites of all time - and one of the finest demonstrations of the stratospheric talent of one of the most celebrated guitarists in history. Recorded for the BBC, there are actually three different versions available on the Experience's BBC Sessions album (you can mainly tell them apart by their length) - and this is the best one.

Saturday: The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - East-West [East-West, 1966]
Comments: On the cusp of a musical revolution, here's The Paul Butterfield Blues Band's magnum opus. It merges psychedelia, blues rock, and jazz fusion, with inspiration from Indian raga music (hence the song title) - which even such high profile bands as The Beatles were imitating in the mid-'60s. For a 13 minute long instrumental jam, it's (perhaps surprisingly) quite listenable.

Sunday: Yes - South Side of the Sky [Fragile, 1971]
Comments: The fourth album by progressive rock band Yes was hugely influential, due to the success of the opening track Roundabout, as well as the radio friendly Long Distance Runaround, and the epic (if less radio friendly) closing track, Heart of the Sunrise. With one exception, the rest of the album consists of instrument-focused experiments by each of the band's members. What's left is the oft-and-inexplicably-overlooked South Side of the Sky, which I'm excited to feature here.