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The Third 100 from 1969. #1: Everyday People (1 Viewer)

24. I'm a Man -- Chicago (from Chicago Transit Authority)

Rare is the cover of a great song that is just as good as the original. Here we have one. Chicago's version retains everything that made the original succeed and adds its own distinctive elements. 

The energy on this is so high and the performance so beloved by fans that it has frequently served as a show closer throughout the band's tenure. 

 
23. August -- Love (from Four Sail)

As mentioned earlier, when Arthur Lee dissolved the Forever Changes version of Love, he had visions of big sounds in his head and needed musicians talented enough to play them. This track is where his vision was most fully realized, and it's the best example of Lee blending his style with that of his friend Jimi Hendrix. The guitars and drums are absolutely majestic.

There's also a personal story that goes with this. When I saw Lee/Love in 2002 in NYC, he stunned the audience by pulling this one out. It was the first time it had been performed live since 1975. 

 
22. Twenty-Five Miles -- Edwin Starr (from 25 Miles)

This is one of those songs that you may not know by title, but you recognize it as soon as you hear it. If I told you it was called "Walkin'," you'd know exactly what I mean. 

Bracie puts a lot of songs like this in his countdowns; I'm kinda surprised it didn't make his list.

This upbeat stomper was Starr's biggest hit to that point, to be topped the following year by War. It was his first hit single for Motown and incorporates some of their standard flourishes; the horns in particular sound like they wandered in from a Four Tops session. 

And yes, the song and the album have the same title but different syntax. 

 
21. King Harvest (Has Surely Come) -- The Band (from The Band)

The final track on the second Band album leaves us in awe. Incorporating elements of soul and even funk into the group's meld of sounds. The music has a certain anguish to it, reflective of the narrator, a down-on-his-luck sharecropper who decides to join a union in hopes of improving his lot. Unusually, the verses are loud and brash and the choruses and hushed and slow; we see the reverse often, but rarely this. Excellent performances by Robbie Robertson on guitar and Garth Hudson on organ. 

 
Pip's Invitation said:
21. King Harvest (Has Surely Come) -- The Band (from The Band)

The final track on the second Band album leaves us in awe. Incorporating elements of soul and even funk into the group's meld of sounds. The music has a certain anguish to it, reflective of the narrator, a down-on-his-luck sharecropper who decides to join a union in hopes of improving his lot. Unusually, the verses are loud and brash and the choruses and hushed and slow; we see the reverse often, but rarely this. Excellent performances by Robbie Robertson on guitar and Garth Hudson on organ. 
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Every time I listen to this album this song grows on me more. 

 
20. Peaches En Regalia -- Frank Zappa (from Hot Rats)

In late 1969, Frank Zappa released his first album after the breakup of the Mothers of Invention. Most of the songs are instrumental and are jazz or something like it; we could consider it one of the first examples of jazz-rock fusion. I dunno how it was received at the time, but today it is revered among Zappaphiles and people in the jamband scene. 

The first track, Peaches En Regalia, is arguably Zappa's signature song and has a highly memorable melody in addition to the strange time signatures he often worked in. Despite Zappa's renown as a guitarist, there is no guitar on this track; Zappa solos on something called an octave bass. The bass guitar was performed by a then-15-year-old Shuggie Otis. Everything else except drums and percussion is played by ex-Mother Ian Underwood. 

The song has been covered numerous times, including by Phish, the Dixie Dregs and Zappa's son Dweezil's Zappa Plays Zappa project. Dweezil's version won a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental in 2009. 

 
Pip's Invitation said:
20. Peaches En Regalia -- Frank Zappa (from Hot Rats)

In late 1969, Frank Zappa released his first album after the breakup of the Mothers of Invention. Most of the songs are instrumental and are jazz or something like it; we could consider it one of the first examples of jazz-rock fusion. I dunno how it was received at the time, but today it is revered among Zappaphiles and people in the jamband scene. 

The first track, Peaches En Regalia, is arguably Zappa's signature song and has a highly memorable melody in addition to the strange time signatures he often worked in. Despite Zappa's renown as a guitarist, there is no guitar on this track; Zappa solos on something called an octave bass. The bass guitar was performed by a then-15-year-old Shuggie Otis. Everything else except drums and percussion is played by ex-Mother Ian Underwood. 

The song has been covered numerous times, including by Phish, the Dixie Dregs and Zappa's son Dweezil's Zappa Plays Zappa project. Dweezil's version won a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental in 2009. 
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There is something about Peaches that is tough to pin down. Zappa has better melodies, better instrumentals, but this one rose to the top. I wonder how much adoration it got prior to when Phish started covering it and they blew up. They played it in the mid-eighties and got really big in the 90s so I attribute some portion of this songs' rise to that. But my suspicion is that Peaches was revered even before it was covered by other artists. Maybe it is just pop enough to appeal to non-FZ fans but also Zappa enough to soothe the diehards. I love it, myself, but do not elevate it in the pantheon of Frank. Instead it sits at the top tier along with dozens of other masterpieces that he wrote and performed. Happy to see it on this list, but does this mean it is #220? That's kinda harsh.

 
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pecorino said:
Happy to see it on this list, but does this mean it is #220? That's kinda harsh.
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There's really no coordination between the list makers. I think they just take songs that the others haven't. And Bracie and timscochet aren't really what you'd think of as Zappa fans, so maybe think of it as one in three concerned individuals had it in their top twenty. That's how I would look at it.

And here's what I think of Pip's Invitation taking the artist that was to have my jam band pick about seven hours before I make my next selection in Genrepalooza.  :rant:

 
rockaction said:
There's really no coordination between the list makers. I think they just take songs that the others haven't. And Bracie and timscochet aren't really what you'd think of as Zappa fans, so maybe think of it as one in three concerned individuals had it in their top twenty. That's how I would look at it.

And here's what I think of Pip's Invitation taking the artist that was to have my jam band pick about seven hours before I make my next selection in Genrepalooza.  :rant:
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Whatever I do here has no bearing in what anyone (including myself) can do in GP. 😆

 
pecorino said:
There is something about Peaches that is tough to pin down. Zappa has better melodies, better instrumentals, but this one rose to the top. I wonder how much adoration it got prior to when Phish started covering it and they blew up. 
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It was released as a single and got FM radio play, so the average rock listener in the '70s and '80s might have heard it on occasion, unlike most other Zappa songs. I had heard Zappa's version before Phish's, but not often. 

 
rockaction said:
There's really no coordination between the list makers. I think they just take songs that the others haven't. And Bracie and timscochet aren't really what you'd think of as Zappa fans, so maybe think of it as one in three concerned individuals had it in their top twenty. That's how I would look at it.
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That's it. Tim makes his list, then Bracie takes what he likes that Tim didn't, then I take what I like that Bracie and Tim didn't. It's not a coordinated objective ranking. 

 
19. A Sailor's Life -- Fairport Convention (from Unhalfbricking)

@zambonicalled it. 

IMO this is the apex of Fairport's brand of folk rock. It's an 11-minute workout of a traditional English folk song that takes all kinds of twists and turns that you're not expecting. Richard Thompson's guitar and Dave Swarbrick's violin make all kinds of haunting noises, and Sanny Denny turns in one of her most captivating vocals. Thompson's solo starting around 7:00 is a must-hear. 

Fairport had up to this point mostly been aping the American folk scene. The success of this track led them to focus on English and Celtic folk/traditional music for the rest of their career. There are a couple of great examples on their late 1969 album, Liege & Lief, but I didn't have room for them here. 

 
Pip's Invitation said:
19. A Sailor's Life -- Fairport Convention (from Unhalfbricking)

@zambonicalled it. 

IMO this is the apex of Fairport's brand of folk rock. It's an 11-minute workout of a traditional English folk song that takes all kinds of twists and turns that you're not expecting. Richard Thompson's guitar and Dave Swarbrick's violin make all kinds of haunting noises, and Sanny Denny turns in one of her most captivating vocals. Thompson's solo starting around 7:00 is a must-hear. 

Fairport had up to this point mostly been aping the American folk scene. The success of this track led them to focus on English and Celtic folk/traditional music for the rest of their career. There are a couple of great examples on their late 1969 album, Liege & Lief, but I didn't have room for them here. 
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reaction

 
pecorino said:
There is something about Peaches that is tough to pin down. Zappa has better melodies, better instrumentals, but this one rose to the top. I wonder how much adoration it got prior to when Phish started covering it and they blew up. They played it in the mid-eighties and got really big in the 90s so I attribute some portion of this songs' rise to that. But my suspicion is that Peaches was revered even before it was covered by other artists. Maybe it is just pop enough to appeal to non-FZ fans but also Zappa enough to soothe the diehards. I love it, myself, but do not elevate it in the pantheon of Frank. Instead it sits at the top tier along with dozens of other masterpieces that he wrote and performed. Happy to see it on this list, but does this mean it is #220? That's kinda harsh.
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the keyword to your ambivalence might be 'resolution' . it's neat, resolved, from someone whose biggest fans look for reach, disrupt, rub that rancid knob. dont jamband fans usually have problems with their singly things?

 
18. Under the Ice -- Nazz (from Nazz Nazz)

The standout track from the second Nazz album showed Todd Rundgren and co. generating powerful noise reminiscent of the best songs of The Who. Thom Mooney's performance here is every bit as breathtaking as the best Keith Moon tracks. Rundgren rips through power chords with a ferocity we'd rarely ever see from him again. 

This should be every bit the cult favorite as Open My Eyes from their first album, but it wasn't released as a single or picked up by FM radio, so only Todd devotees like Binky and myself remember it. 

 
We go from a Who-like song to The Who themselves.

17. The Acid Queen -- The Who (from Tommy)

This boasts one of The Who's most memorable riffs, played live on guitar but mostly played by electric piano on the studio version. The titular character doses Tommy with LSD and sends him on a long hallucinogenic trip. There may be some other shenanigans at play -- the lyrics are full of double meanings. 

The part was sung by Pete Townshend on record but has always been performed by a woman in movies, theatrical productions and Who performances where they bring in guests. Among those who have played her are Bette Midler, Merry Clayton, Tina Turner and Patti LaBelle. 

 
16. Darkness, Darkness -- The Youngbloods (from Elephant Mountain)

In 1969, the rock scene was evolving, adding more country and folk elements to the psychedelic sounds developed a few years earlier. The Youngbloods' album of that year is a good time capsule of that. And the best example on it is its opening track and first single, which starts out sounding like a traditional song and ends up going out in a blaze of fuzzed-out glory, remaining haunting the whole time. The emotion seethes in every second. Why this doesn't get more attention in the rock canon, I have no idea. 

I also enjoy the covers by Screaming Trees https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg7EVvgXxJM and Robert Plant https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qd_rEYSyWY.

Now we head into the top 15. With one exception (two if you're not too familiar with jazz), these are all songs you know well. 

 
Pip's Invitation said:
16. Darkness, Darkness -- The Youngbloods (from Elephant Mountain)

In 1969, the rock scene was evolving, adding more country and folk elements to the psychedelic sounds developed a few years earlier. The Youngbloods' album of that year is a good time capsule of that. And the best example on it is its opening track and first single, which starts out sounding like a traditional song and ends up going out in a blaze of fuzzed-out glory, remaining haunting the whole time. The emotion seethes in every second. Why this doesn't get more attention in the rock canon, I have no idea. 

I also enjoy the covers by Screaming Trees https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg7EVvgXxJM and Robert Plant https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qd_rEYSyWY.

Now we head into the top 15. With one exception (two if you're not too familiar with jazz), these are all songs you know well. 
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Hell yeah - this is an intense song. Jesse Colin Young is one of the more underrated singers of his day.

 
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15. Space Cowboy -- The Steve Miller Band (from Brave New World)

One of the best examples of how the blues became psychedelicized, this merges a thunderous rhythm that wouldn't sound out of place on a Muddy Waters record with freaky guitar pyrotechnics and far-out lyrics. 

It's also the first example of Miller including references to his older songs in a new song (here, Living in the USA and Gangster of Love), a trend which peaked with The Joker. 

 
Pip's Invitation said:
15. Space Cowboy -- The Steve Miller Band (from Brave New World)

One of the best examples of how the blues became psychedelicized, this merges a thunderous rhythm that wouldn't sound out of place on a Muddy Waters record with freaky guitar pyrotechnics and far-out lyrics. 

It's also the first example of Miller including references to his older songs in a new song (here, Living in the USA and Gangster of Love), a trend which peaked with The Joker. 
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Surprised this one wasn't selected previously.

 
Pip's Invitation said:
15. Space Cowboy -- The Steve Miller Band (from Brave New World)

One of the best examples of how the blues became psychedelicized, this merges a thunderous rhythm that wouldn't sound out of place on a Muddy Waters record with freaky guitar pyrotechnics and far-out lyrics. 

It's also the first example of Miller including references to his older songs in a new song (here, Living in the USA and Gangster of Love), a trend which peaked with The Joker. 
Click to expand...
reaction

 
14. Live with Me -- The Rolling Stones (from Let It Bleed)

This is it from the Stones; Tim and Bracie plundered the rest of their 1969 work worth plundering. 

This is a textbook late-60s Stones rocker with exciting work being done on the bass (Bill Wyman) and piano (Nicky Hopkins and Leon Russell) while Keef and Charlie bash away like they do; it's also the first Stones track Bobby Keys ever played sax on and Mick Taylor ever played guitar on (though in the latter case, his first released track was the "electric" Honky Tonk Women). But what really stands out about it is the lyrics. They are decadent as hell and downright scandalous for 1969, and Mick Jagger really sells them as such. And I love how the first sin depicted is "I take tea at 3." 

 
13. In the Court of the Crimson King -- King Crimson (from In the Court of the Crimson King)

One of two iconic songs from Crimson's debut (Tim took the other), this took the Moody Blues approach and jacked it up in sweep and ambition, paving the way for all kinds of prog workouts in the '70s. On top of the majestic mellotron passages and sonorous Greg Lake vocals, you have an extended flute solo, a passage that could fit in Stonehenge (you know, that one) and a coda where the drums basically serve as the lead instrument. I can't imagine putting this on in 1969 and not being prepared for what's coming.  

 You know it's prog because the instrumental passages inside the song have their own names. 😆

 
12. Stand! -- Sly and the Family Stone (from Stand!)

This is one of the most uplifting songs ever written. Its message resonated not only with Black people who had dealt with oppression all their lives, but with people who were trying to make any kind of change, whether personal, political or whatever. 

Stand, they will try to make you crawl
And they know what you're sayin' makes sense at all
Stand, don't you know that you are free
Well, at least in your mind if you want to be
&

The bright melody and bouncy rhythm parallel the message perfectly and ensured it would be heard far and wide. The funky coda -- added at the last minute when Sly wasn't satisfied with the original arrangement -- is one of the most exhilarating musical passages you'll ever come across. 

 
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