YOU ARE HERE: zharth.net / Zharth's Music Log / Week 118 (Long Live Rock 'n' Roll)
(Originally finalized on January 11, 2025)
Preface: Alright, we're gonna do one more week of "rock 'n' roll" songs. But I intend for this to be the last. No matter how much I look, I never stop finding more - but honestly, not all of them are memorable. And if I give it much more thought, I'm afraid I'll convince myself I have to make a comprehensive list - and I don't even think that's possible. As I mentioned before, we're already getting into diminishing returns - even the theme's title is becoming derivative! But I thought it could be interesting to explore some of the less prominent selections on offer. The B-sides, if you will. Only one way to find out!
Monday: Rainbow - Long Live Rock 'n' Roll [Long Live Rock 'n' Roll, 1978]
Comments: Having said that about B-sides, we're actually gonna start with a title track (and if it was good enough to title an album, then it's good enough to title this theme), from Rainbow's third album (and their last with Dio). It's not the band's first song about rock 'n' roll - a subject that Dio previously explored in his band Elf, and that he would revisit (more than once) during his metal years. At first, I thought this song was too simple and repetitive, but its infectious energy has grown on me over time. "Like a sound that's everywhere, I can hear it screaming through the air."
Tuesday: Johnny Winter - Rock & Roll People [John Dawson Winter III, 1974]
Comments: Here's another artist that recorded a lot of songs about rock 'n' roll (and was featured in our last iteration of this theme), from another album (like Dio's Sacred Heart) that isn't content to limit its tracklist to just one song about rock 'n' roll. What's interesting about this song is that it was written by John Lennon, discarded, and then offered to Johnny Winter (who has never been shy about interpreting other people's music). I think it's a good fit. "Yes, we're rock & roll people. Just couldn't change it if I choose."
Wednesday: REO Speedwagon - Rock & Roll Music [Nine Lives, 1979]
Comments: REO Speedwagon lets loose on this Chuck Berry song more popularly covered by The Beatles (it shouldn't surprise you which version I prefer), from the album that stands on the precipice before the band achieved mainstream success - at the cost of their harder rocking sound. It's a wonder we've been doing this theme so many times and haven't encountered a Chuck Berry song yet - the true king of rock 'n' roll has a few that I could have pulled out if I were digging just a little bit further back in time. "It's got to be rock & roll music if you wanna dance with me."
Thursday: Grand Funk Railroad - Rock & Roll Soul [Phoenix, 1972]
Comments: Grand Funk Railroad is one of those bands that's mainstream, yet still kind of underrated. As is so often the case, their popular hits - We're An American Band, The Loco-Motion, Some Kind of Wonderful - while being good tunes in their own right, don't fully demonstrate the bandmembers' instrumental prowess. And they put on one hell of a live show. I haven't delved into their discography as much as I'd like to, but I'm frequently impressed by what I hear. They're like a somewhat heavier, more musically cohesive Humble Pie. "Tell everybody you know - you got some rock & roll soul."
Friday: Buffalo Springfield - Rock & Roll Woman [Buffalo Springfield Again, 1967]
Comments: The last time I was going to share a song by Buffalo Springfield (the early band that featured Stephen Stills and Neil Young together), it got preempted by a cover. But there's nothing stopping me this time! Although more of a folk rock band, Buffalo Springfield melded various influences, including some psychedelia. They only put out three albums in the mid-to-late '60s, but they have a certain charm I always find myself coming back to. "And she's coming, singing soft and low. Singing rock and roll, she's a joy to know."
Saturday: Lynyrd Skynyrd - Whiskey Rock-a-Roller [Nuthin' Fancy, 1975]
Comments: As could be inferred from the album's title, this song hails from a middle period slump in Lynyrd Skynyrd's initial run in the '70s. The band was suffering from the weight of their early success, with heavy touring, drug problems, and personal issues taking their toll. Rushed through production, this album failed to score as many standout hits as its predecessor, Second Helping. That said, even going through the motions, a band of this caliber could still generate a solid tune. "Lord, don't take my whiskey, and rock and roll."
Sunday: Twisted Sister - You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll [You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll, 1983]
Comments: We started this week with a title track, and we're going to finish it with a title track - one that synergizes well with the other one. This song was a recent discovery for me, as I don't listen to a lot of Twisted Sister (another band that has multiple songs about rock 'n' roll), but I appreciate its message. Although hair metal doesn't exactly reflect my idea of good taste, I respect anyone who has the confidence to engage in radical self-expression. Do what makes you happy, regardless of what anyone else thinks - that's the true spirit of rock 'n' roll. "While others cower, rock ain't gonna die."
Honorable Mention: Ten Years After - Baby Won't You Let Me Rock & Roll You [A Space In Time, 1971]
Comments: On the subject of title tracks, I regret not having been able to include Rock & Roll Music To The World by Ten Years After on one of these themes, but I already used it during my week dedicated to Songs About Music. So here's an alternative. Also, for the record, I want to mention that I considered two tracks by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers for this theme - Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll from The Heartbreakers' 1976 debut, and Baby's a Rock 'n' Roller from their followup album, You're Gonna Get It - but neither is among the band's best tracks. And now we're all outta slots! "I tell you, honey - gonna be alright. Gonna rock 'n' roll you all through the night."