The First

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The Dude & I

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Not even sure I should admit this because of the effect it might have on my man/hip cred score (which I would guess is somewhere in the low 60s), but up until last week I had never seen 'The Big Lebowski.' I don't know why its taken me over 11 years to see the movie. If you knew me you'd figured I would have seen the movie long ago, maybe even in the theater. It seems like my kind of movie. And it was. I love this movie. Its not a Top 10 movie. Yet. But it could get there with some more viewings. The cast is perfect, the script is divine, the music is amazing. I'm just waiting for the first time I can use "You're out of your element Donnie" at work, and I was humming 'Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)' in the shower this morning. [Which is a Kenny Rogers & First Edition song?!? Really.] Now I have to start working on some of the other movies that some how slipped passed me.
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The Kinks, Muswell Hillbillies

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When you think about best bands of the British Invasion you start with the Beatles. After they opened the door, the next two mentioned are The Rolling Stones and The Who. When you get to the next level, things start getting fuzzy. Who's next? The Yardbirds? No. You can probably name more guitarists than songs from the Yardbirds. The Hollies? No. The Zombies? Nope. Hermans Hermits? Who? How about the Kinks? They always seem to be forgotten. Why? For one, they don't have any lasting A+ rock song. Where's their "Won't Get Fooled Again" or "Sympathy For the Devil" or "A Day in the Life"? They also don't have that classic album. In fact, can you name a Kinks album? While their roots are sunk in American blues (like the Stones & the Who), by the time 60s ended the Kinks were running the other way, towards traditional English folk. While the Stones & the Who were recording classic albums ( Beggars Banquet , Sticky Fingers , Who's N...
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Houses Of The Holy, Led Zeppelin

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If you were to rank the 10 Greatest Led Zeppelin songs, none of them would be on Houses Of The Holy . If you were to extend that list to 25 songs, there's a good chance that 6 or 7 would be on the fifth Led Zeppelin album. The first CD I ever bought and my favorite Zeppelin album for a long time (it's now Physical Graffiti ), Houses Of The Holy might be the most solid of all their work, no real dogs among the eight tracks. Just real good (not great) rock songs. Like most Zeppelin albums, this one opens with a punch in the face. "The Song Remains The Same" kick starts the glorious Zep machine. The driving riff, the stellar drum work, all trademarks of the first song on any Led Zeppelin album. Don't believe me, just check track 1 of every Zeppelin album you own. Then, with "The Rain Song", the album comes to a screeching halt. It's Zeppelin at their most tender, until the five minute mark when the storm breaks. John Paul Jones' string arrangement ...
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