i'm doing an informal protest.

I'm not really protesting, there just aren't many songs left I want to vote for.

Although I know I should - it's my civic duty and all.....

Here it is. The matches get harder and the winner is closer to being crowned favorite classic rock song of Soxtalk. Bold your favorite song out of each match. Please note that two songs are back for reasons that are stated below.

 

Section 1.

 

White Room - Cream vs. While My Guitar Gently Weeps - The Beatles

Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan vs. Sympathy for the Devil - The Rolling Stones

All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix vs. When the Levee Breaks- Led Zeppelin

 

Section 2.

 

Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen vs. Baba O'Reilly - The Who

Pinball Wizard - The Who vs. Street Fighting Man - The Rolling Stones

A Day in the Life - The Beatles vs. Dream On - Aerosmith

 

*This red match has two songs that were eliminated from Round 2. They are here because if I don’t have them, there will only be a conclusion of 5 winners, an odd number, so with this additional match, it will be even.

 

So to make things easier, after this round is over there will be 6 on going songs instead of 5.

I dont see how on earth somebody could win "best song" for something they didnt write!

 

I love Hendrix and think his version is better than Dylans.. but COME ON, it isnt Hendrix's song.

I aegree with teh folks who say it doesn't matter if he wrote it or not. Jimi's Watchtower is all Jimi and it is a watershed rock production moment.

 

Aretha Franklin isn't in this competition, but everybody who has ever heard her version of RESPECT rightly considers it her song and a defining song in her career, despite the fact that Otis Redding wrote it.

 

If we were doing early 60s Motown era, I'm sure a lot of songs in the list would be Carole King/Gerry Goffin compositions, even though it would be the Shirelles and Dusty Springfield (Will You Love Me Tomorrow), Bobby Vee (Take Good Care of My Baby), Little Eva (The Loco-Motion), The Monkees (Pleasant Valley Sunday), etc., whose performances were being voted on.

Section 1.

 

White Room - Cream vs. While My Guitar Gently Weeps - The Beatles

Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan vs. Sympathy for the Devil - The Rolling Stones

All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix vs. When the Levee Breaks- Led Zeppelin

 

Section 2.

 

Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen vs. Baba O'Reilly - The Who

Pinball Wizard - The Who vs. Street Fighting Man - The Rolling Stones

A Day in the Life - The Beatles vs. Dream On - Aerosmith

Section 1.

 

White Room - Cream vs. While My Guitar Gently Weeps - The Beatles

Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan vs. Sympathy for the Devil - The Rolling Stones

All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix vs. When the Levee Breaks- Led Zeppelin

 

Section 2.

 

Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen vs. Baba O'Reilly - The Who

Pinball Wizard - The Who vs. Street Fighting Man - The Rolling Stones

A Day in the Life - The Beatles vs. Dream On - Aerosmith

What does it say about the HOME of Rock music when 8 of the 11 (not including the Anglo-american collaberation Cream ) choices are of British groups? Rock on.

Edited February 13, 200620 yr by DePloderer

I aegree with teh folks who say it doesn't matter if he wrote it or not.  Jimi's Watchtower is all Jimi and it is a watershed rock production moment.

 

Aretha Franklin isn't in this competition, but everybody who has ever heard her version of RESPECT rightly considers it her song and a defining song in her career, despite the fact that Otis Redding wrote it.

 

If we were doing early 60s Motown era, I'm sure a lot of songs in the list would be Carole King/Gerry Goffin compositions, even though it would be the Shirelles and Dusty Springfield (Will You Love Me Tomorrow), Bobby Vee (Take Good Care of My Baby), Little Eva (The Loco-Motion), The Monkees (Pleasant Valley Sunday), etc., whose performances were being voted on.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

wow. if you payed any attention to my next post you wouldve recognized that I think Jimi's version is better than Dylan and that its still a great song, just shouldnt be nominated for Bets Song b/c he didnt write it.

wow.  if you payed any attention to my next post you wouldve recognized that I think Jimi's version is better than Dylan and that its still a great song, just shouldnt be nominated for Bets Song b/c he didnt write it.

 

Say man, will you please shut the f*** up already? Thanks.

What does it say about the HOME  of Rock music when 8 of the 11 (not including the Anglo-american collaberation Cream ) choices are of British groups? Rock on.

There have always been tremendous group from England. None except Queen left in THIS competiton, but still....

My favorite band ever, The Wildhearts, are British.

Seeing that you are the official Soxtalk British Ambassador, I thank you for them.

White Room - Cream vs. While My Guitar Gently Weeps - The Beatles

Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan vs. Sympathy for the Devil - The Rolling Stones

All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix vs. When the Levee Breaks- Led Zeppelin

 

Section 2.

 

Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen vs. Baba O'Reilly - The Who

Pinball Wizard - The Who vs. Street Fighting Man - The Rolling Stones

A Day in the Life - The Beatles vs. Dream On - Aerosmith

Section 1.

 

While My Guitar Gently Weeps - The Beatles

Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan

All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix

 

Section 2.

 

Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen

Street Fighting Man - The Rolling Stones

Dream On - Aerosmith

wow.  if you payed any attention to my next post you wouldve recognized that I think Jimi's version is better than Dylan and that its still a great song, just shouldnt be nominated for Bets Song b/c he didnt write it.

I read your next post. Which is why I included the Arethra and Carole King examples as part of a contrary opinion.

 

The poll asked posters to pick their favorite classic rock songs, not their favorite classic rock songs performed by the composer.

 

Sugar Magnolia should have been disqualified before making it into the first round because lyricist Robert Hunter was not a Grateful Dead performing band member? No classic Elton John performances should have been considered because non-performer Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics and not Elton?? Aqualung would have been disqualifird because Ian's wife (ex-wife now) Jeannnie wrote the words??

 

Okee-dokee.

Classic Rock = 1967 to 1977, IMO.

Classic Rock = 1967 to 1977, IMO.

There's most certainly a distinction between "classic rock" and "oldies," but I couldn't make any hard and fast distinction like setting 1967 as the line.

 

I think Taxman is as much a classic rock song as any the Beatles ever recorded, but having been recorded in 1966 it would miss the cut. Likewise, I'd include Pink Floyd stuff from The Wall, but with a realease date in 1979 it's too new to be considered classic rock in your scheme. Nevermind that it took the concept album genre to an entirely new level.

 

Like you say, it's just an opinion so it doesn't much matter. But I put the sound, feel, and impact of the songs ahead of their release date in trying to decide what should be considered "classic rock." And I do notice how a lot of teh stuff that was normal classic rock radio fodder a ferw years ago has actually been shuffled onto the oldies stations.

 

Yet another sign that I'm aging, inevitably, inexorably, to my own mortal demise. . .

 

What does it say about the HOME  of Rock music when 8 of the 11 (not including the Anglo-american collaberation Cream ) choices are of British groups? Rock on.

 

That the English popularized American blues music by going electric and putting white faces behind it.

Section 1.

 

White Room - Cream vs. While My Guitar Gently Weeps - The Beatles

Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan vs. Sympathy for the Devil - The Rolling Stones

All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix vs. When the Levee Breaks- Led Zeppelin

 

Section 2.

 

Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen vs. Baba O'Reilly - The Who

Pinball Wizard - The Who vs. Street Fighting Man - The Rolling Stones

A Day in the Life - The Beatles vs. Dream On - Aerosmith

 

*This red match has two songs that were eliminated from Round 2. They are here because if I don’t have them, there will only be a conclusion of 5 winners, an odd number, so with this additional match, it will be even.

 

That the English popularized American blues music by going electric and putting white faces behind it.

Damn straight, give me Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, or Stevie Ray any day of the week. American Blues is where it is at, that still is my favorite music. For any blues fans out there B.B. King just put out a new album (in the last 6 months) that is all collaborative work, some of the songs seem like he sold out a little, but there are some quality tracks on it. I think it is called 80? I think it was released for his 80th birthday

Damn straight, give me Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, or Stevie Ray any day of the week.  American Blues is where it is at, that still is my favorite music.  For any blues fans out there B.B. King just put out a new album (in the last 6 months) that is all collaborative work, some of the songs seem like he sold out a little, but there are some quality tracks on it.  I think it is called 80?  I think it was released for his 80th birthday

 

BB either played or will be playing the HOB in Chicago very soon.

I had the pleasure of seeing John Lee Hooker, opening for Los Lobos a while back. Talk about a guy totally captivating a room.

I prefer the old Delta stuff. Give me Mississippi Fred McDowell, Blind Willie McTell, Blind Willie Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Son House. That's the stuff man. Guys like McTell and Blind Willie Johnson were lightyears ahead of their times.

Did they all need to be blind?

Can't forget Blind Melon Chitlin.

Don't forget Tits McGee.

Did they all need to be blind?

You don't need to be able to see to play guitar and if you're blind, you probably got the blues.

Did they all need to be blind?

 

Those are their names. That's what they were known as. I guess I could be "PC" and finally drop the names they used for their whole lives, but since none of the "die-hard" Blues fans I know of drop the names...why should I?

 

If you ever get a chance, listen to McTell's "Library Of Congress" recordings. In them a fairly racist John Lomax tries to get Willie to play some "complainin' songs" and seems quite confused on which "Blind Willie" he has with him. Due to those questions, and his looking for "Slave songs", it is obvious he thinks he has Willie Johnson, as McTell never did any of the "Slave songs" Lomax wants to hear. But through out the whole session, McTell comes shining through as a well spoken, articulate, and complete gentleman. IMO, McTell was the best all around of all the old Blues guys.