YOU ARE HERE: zharth.net / Zharth's Music Log / Week 125 (The Stone)
(Originally finalized on February 22, 2025)
Preface: We did rocks. We did gems. This week, we're going to do stones. (And I don't mean The Rolling Stones :-p). A long time ago, after catching a number of cryptic references to "the stone" in different Pink Floyd songs (and I wasn't the only one), I became obsessed with the idea that it had some esoteric symbolism. In hindsight, it's probably just a casual metaphor, or a callback to the Myth of Sisyphus (who is fated, in Greek mythology, to forever roll a stone uphill - thus lending his name to any endeavor in futility). Regardless, there are enough songs of interest in the genre of classic rock that directly reference a stone in their titles to make what I think will be a pretty interesting theme.
Monday: Bob Dylan - Like A Rolling Stone [Highway 61 Revisited, 1965]
Comments: I considered using the cover version of this song that Jimi Hendrix performed at the Monterey International Pop Festival in 1967, but in the end, I had to go with the original. One of Bob Dylan's most recognizable and influential songs, it was written and recorded for his seminal album Highway 61 Revisited - an early highlight from a very storied musical career. Supporting musicians notably include the duo of Mike Bloomfield on guitar and Al Kooper on organ, who would later pair up for the phenomenal Super Session album in 1968.
Tuesday: Humble Pie - Rollin' Stone [Rock On, 1971]
Comments: I imagine the term "rolling stone" derives from the proverb, "a rolling stone gathers no moss", used in the context of a person who lives a transient lifestyle, moving from place to place (or, possibly, from relationship to relationship), without setting down roots. In 1950, Muddy Waters recorded the song Rollin' Stone (sometimes alternately titled Catfish Blues), which is credited for giving The Rolling Stones their band name (also, the magazine), and being the basis for one of Jimi Hendrix's greatest hits - Voodoo Child (as I explained in the theme Reinterpreting The Blues). In this interpretation, Humble Pie - featuring Steve Marriott and Peter Frampton - make it their own. And while the extended live version released later the same year is remarkable, I like how tight and polished the studio version from Rock On is.
Wednesday: Joe Walsh - Turn To Stone [So What, 1974]
Comments: Featuring backing vocals by several Eagles - a band that Joe Walsh would join not long after the release of this album - this song about petrifaction (actually, it's supposed to be a protest song aimed at Vietnam and Kent State, but who could tell?) was initially recorded for the debut album of Barnstorm, the band that Joe Walsh formed after leaving James Gang (and turning down an offer to replace Peter Frampton in Humble Pie). Also of note is that Roy Buchanan recorded an instrumental version of this song on his album You're Not Alone from 1978. I'm giving the nod to the original artist, but the cover is definitely worth hearing.
Thursday: Aerosmith - Chip Away The Stone [Gems, 1988 (this track recorded 1978)]
Comments: For the level of popularity and success that Aerosmith has (despite debuting in 1973, they have considerable cross-era appeal), they've never become one of my favorites. That said, I do enjoy listening to a good Aerosmith rocker every now and then, and this is one of them. Recorded in 1978, a live version was released instead, until it was finally collected on the compilation Gems a decade later. Often said to sound reminiscent of The Rolling Stones (I could hear it), this song was also covered in 1981 by a late version of Humble Pie on their last album before the band folded.
Friday: Mott The Hoople - Roll Away The Stone [The Hoople, 1974]
Comments: Apparently, there are two different rock songs from the '70s titled Roll Away The Stone. The first is by Leon Russell, from his self-titled debut album from 1970. The second appears on Mott The Hoople's first album without founding guitarist Mick Ralphs (who left to form Bad Company with Paul Rodgers), and their last before lead singer and songwriter Ian Hunter left and the band underwent significant changes. I had assumed the later song was a cover of the earlier one (both acts feature pianists, and have a rather theatrical presence, so it seemed plausible), but that turns out not to be the case. It's a suspicious coincidence, however, that both songs are album closers...
Saturday: Foghat - Stone Blue [Stone Blue, 1978]
Comments: Already well-established as a hard rock act heavily inspired by the blues, in 1978 Foghat released what I think was supposed to be their high intensity version of a "blues album", which includes covers of a Robert Johnson and an Elmore James tune. Written by vocalist Dave Peverett, the album opener and title track Stone Blue is a solid example of the kind of "heavy blues" music this band made their signature.
Sunday: Journey - Stone In Love [Escape, 1981]
Comments: With songs like the astronomically popular Don't Stop Believin', and the sentimental ballad Open Arms, Escape (stylized E5C4P3) was an album by a band that had surely hit the mainstream - and worlds apart from their genesis as a jazz rock fusion band. But while they're easy to make fun of, and I don't love everything they've done, this song demonstrates what makes them masters of the pop/rock format - an accessible vocalist paired with a talented guitarist.
Honorable Mention: The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Stone Free [Are You Experienced, 1967]
Comments: I deliberated a great deal about this decision - hence the unusually long span of more than a week between the posting of this and the previous theme. I even considered preempting Bob Dylan for Jimi Hendrix's cover of Like A Rolling Stone, to make up for not including this song. Because, although I've made great use of the Honorable Mention feature on this music log (something that was almost nonexistent during the original run) - and I don't regret doing so - I'm wary of leaning on it too heavily, to the point that it just becomes an eighth day of the week. Nevertheless, in the end, I couldn't bear to leave this song off, so here it is - from The Experience's debut album.