My 15 Favorite Doo Wop Groups: In Honor of the 40th Lead East!

Lead East in Parsippany, New Jersey is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. I'm going there this Saturday to enjoy some classic cars and good 'ol doo wop music. So, I thought it would only be fitting for today's blog to be about some of the very best doo wop groups from that 50s/60s era. In no particular order, here are 15 of my very favorite doo wop groups.

The Ink Spots

I think it's fair to say there's no doo wop without The Ink Spots. I know I just said at the beginning that this list would be about groups from the 50s/60s era, but The Ink Spots were the original masters of the craft in the 30s/40s. Bill Kenny's beautiful tenor vocals took them to great heights on songs like "If I Didn't Care" and "I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire". Meanwhile, bassman Hoppy Jones would often sing/talk the bridge, pleading with a certain "honey child". You can argue they don't belong on this list, maybe because they start every song with the exact same guitar riff, or maybe because they're only proto-doo wop. But I argue their place in doo wop history is unquestionable.

Here is the group in 1936. True doo wop OGs.

The Drifters

When I put them on the list, I talk mostly of the Clyde McPhatter-era Drifters. He was with the Drifters for one turbulent year, though the group that formed in 1953 is still technically around today. "Save The Last Dance For Me" and "Under The Boardwalk" are oldies classics, but neither are comparable to "Money Honey". Still, Clyde was with the group for such a short time, that his sound-a-like replacement Johnny Moore doesn't get enough credit. He actually sang songs like "Ruby Baby", "Adorable", and "Fools Fall In Love". I'll be honest, I thought Clyde recorded many of these songs before I did my research. Still, I know he was on the legendary recording of "White Christmas" that featured bassman Bill Pinkney.

The '53 Drifters, with Clyde McPhatter front and center.

The Rivieras

If you look up "The Rivieras" on Google, you get some little known surf rock band that was from South Bend, Indiana of all places. That's not the group that's on this list! Instead, The Rivieras I'm focusing on are an underrated doo wop quartet that featured Homer Dunn on lead vocals. The group had a unique blend of street-corner harmony and classy pop orchestration. This is clearly seen on their rendition of the classic song "Moonlight Cocktails", one of their very best. They also do quite the cover of "Count Every Star". And if you're looking for an unheralded uptempo song, "Refrigerator" is a good bet. Brrrrrr!!!

These guys should not be forgotten.

The Five Satins

When I was about eight years old, I fantasized about marrying my first crush. And I knew the perfect wedding song, which was "To The Aisle" by The Five Satins. It's one of doo wop's most beautiful gems, with Fred Paris singing so tenderly on lead vocals. Almost as great as "To The Aisle" is "Wonderful Girl". But in popular lore, both of these songs get overshadowed by perhaps doo wop's most famous song, "In The Still of the Night". But the truth is, that song is simply not the best this group has to offer. Another song better than that famous classic would be "Shadows".

Respect to the guy in the group wearing the cool glasses.

Little Anthony and the Imperials

Much like The Drifters, this group are bona fide Rock 'N Roll Hall of Famers. They were one of the only doo wop groups that was still successful in the mid 60s, with songs like "Goin' Out of My Head" and "Hurt So Bad". Though, those songs are arguably more soul than doo wop, as the group pivoted to a more popular style. So if you want true doo wop songs from the Imperials, you could go with the 1958 classic "Tears on My Pillow". But for me, their two truly underrated gems are the uptempo "Traveling Stranger", and the beautiful slow jam "Wishful Thinking". Just don't listen to "Shimmy Shimmy Ko Ko Bop".

Also worth checking out is "Those Fires Burn No More", when Little Anthony was with The Chesters.

The Five Discs

Of all the groups on this list, The Five Discs are probably the most unapologetically street corner. And that's why you gotta love 'em! "Never Let You Go" is their most notable record in my opinion, as with its goofy bass and shrieking falsetto to open the song, it's sure to be a song you won't forget. But you know what else is memorable? Probably their song "My Chinese Girl", which is definitely not meant for a 2022 audience. I've heard my share of racist old records, but that one might take the cake for most politically incorrect. And we also can't forget "I Remember", a song that uses "mmm bat" to create its harmony.

"My Chinese Girl" is not for the faint of heart.

The Marcels

In 1961, The Marcels brought doo wop to #1 on the pop charts with their cover of the standard "Blue Moon". Of the overplayed doo wop songs, I gotta say this is still one of my favorites and not one I get sick of. But we can't overlook Blue Moon's B-side, the beautiful "Goodbye To Love". Still, I think uptempo songs were more the Marcels' speciality. "Heartaches", a song that charted at #7 is proof of that. Bass singer Fred Johnson had quite the memorable performance there, needless to say. But my favorite song from this  group will probably always be "Flower Pot", how could it not be?

The white members of the group left after touring in the Deep South, as the group encountered problems given that they were multiracial.

The Platters

If the Five Discs went to the extreme with street corner sound, The Platters did just the opposite, blending pop and doo wop together in a more polished sound. Perhaps doo wop fans aren't the biggest fans of this, seeing that only 3 of their songs made UGHA's Top 500 doo wop songs list (despite the group's enormous popularity). But The Platters' sound was doo wop enough in my opinion, with fantastic songs like "The Great Pretender" and "My Prayer". Tony Williams was a virtuoso as a lead vocalist, and his backing vocalists certainly let him be the star of the show. In any case, these guys (and girl) are a worthy group in the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame.

The last note in "My Prayer" is an otherworldly experience.

The Crests

We go from one group with a virtuoso lead singer to another. In fact, he was not just a virtuous, he was a maestro. Yes, Johnny Mastrangelo (later Johnny Maestro) is one of doo wop's greatest singers. He is most well-known beyond the doo wop sphere for "16 Candles". But this interracial group had much more than that, with songs like "My Juanita" and "Six Nights a Week" being major favorites at Lead East (and deservedly so). My favorite Crests song is probably "Step by Step", an uptempo and exciting song about "finding the perfect plan for love". 

The group was composed of two African-Americans, one Puerto Rican, and an Italian (you can probably guess who that is).

Norman Fox and the Rob Roys

We've talked a fair bit about interracial groups so far, but this Bronx group that formed in 1956 was one of the earliest. With three white and two black singers, this group wasn't just progressive, they were really good. "Tell Me Why" is a fantastic uptempo song. A decent cover was made by The Belmonts later on and it was more successful on the charts, but don't kid yourselves... the original is better. "Pizza Pie" is a nostalgic classic for me, it reminds me of getting pizza from Sicily's as a kid. But perhaps the Rob Roys' best song is their slow jam "Dream Girl", one of the most underrated doo wop songs in my opinion.

I have seen Norman Fox (here at the bottom) at Lead East before.

The Coasters

These guys were the true goofballs of the doo wop world, and as a result, they haven't earned much respect in doo wop circles. If The Platters were too polished, The Coasters weren't serious enough, as they got zero songs on UGHA's Top 500 list. Despite this, I will stick by many of their fun novelty songs, including "Down in Mexico" and "Along Came Jones". Back when the Coasters were The Robins, they recorded "Smokey Joe's Cafe", which is absolutely one of my favorites. And "Zing! Went The Strings of My Heart" disproves the notion that The Coasters were just clowns, as bassman Dub Jones sings a beautiful slow jam on that record.

They were inducted in the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame before The Beatles. Look it up.

Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers

Here's another Rock HOF group, with their greatest hit undoubtedly being "Why Do Fools Fall In Love". It's absolutely iconic, and no, I don't get tired of it. But my favorite song from this group is "I Want You To Be My Girl"... in any case, both songs are also notable for their killer sax solos. And of course, they are notable for the youthful energy that Frankie Lymon carried. Lymon was unfortunately quite the troubled rock 'n roll star, and later died at the young age of 25. But while they were still around, this group made an undeniable impact on the doo wop and rock 'n roll world (they were a favorite of Alan Freed).

"The ABCs of Love" is also great.

The Paragons

This street corner group was blessed with quite the lead singer in Julius McMichael. His distinctive falsetto can be found on a trio of classics that are quite popular in doo wop circles, "Florence", "Let's Start All Over Again", and "Twilight". All three of these songs are fantastic, and part of why I will be playing The Paragons Meet The Jesters album on my upcoming Awesome Albums show. But McMichael wasn't the group's lead singer for very long, and they have solid songs without him. The most notable of those is "So You Will Know", an unheralded gem that is beloved by true doo wop aficionados.

If you search up The Paragons, you get a group from Kingston, Jamaica. Not these guys!

The Moonglows

Harvey Fuqua was absolutely smooth on lead vocals. And Prentiss Barnes was an awesome bass, notable for his call and response in "The Ten Commandments of Love". The Moonglows are in the Rock and Roll HOF, and for good reason. "Sincerely" is their greatest hit commercially, later famously covered by The McGuire Sisters. "When I'm With You" is another beautiful slow jam, but their best song is "Most Of All". "Most Of All" is a Top-10 all time doo wop song, a true masterpiece. They dabbled in uptempto stuff with "See Saw" and "Hey Santa Claus", but slower songs were their speciality.

I assumed Harvey was front and center, but it's actually Billy Johnson rocking the guitar and epic glasses... Harvey is on the far right.

 

The Harptones

I've raved about them plenty on this blog, but that's because they were truly the best. They had all the ingredients of a great doo wop group. They had a virtuoso lead in Willie Winfield, a tremendous bass in Billy Brown, and super tight backing vocalists. But perhaps the greatest key to their great sound was Raoul Cita, piano player, songwriter, and arranger. It was he who penned songs like "Life Is But a Dream" and "My Memories Of You", songs that are indeed quite memorable! I still contend "A Sunday Kind of Love", their original recording, is their greatest. In any case, Cita may have been one of the first doo wop arrangers, and knew how to make Winfield shine. 

The GOATs.

Well, that's my opinion, which doo wop groups would make your all time favorite list? Just because I love so many, there has to be a few honorable mentions to conclude this post:

-Dion and the Belmonts

-The Ravens

-The Jesters

-Lee Andrews and the Hearts

-The Court Jesters

Album Review: Buddy Holly's "Chirping" Crickets

As I've had some time to settle down the last week and a half, I've listened to more LPs in contention for my upcoming "Awesome Albums" show. Some had great harmonies, like 1960's "It's Everly Time" or 1970s's "Close to You". Willie Nelson's 1978 album of pop standards, "Stardust", truly makes you feel at ease. You can tell Willie was stoned the whole time he was recording it. And The Temptations' "Cloud Nine" had some powerful and timely psychedelic soul music in 1969. But, for the album that has impressed me the most as of late... you'd have to go back to 1957, when the LP format was in its infancy. You'd have to go to Buddy Holly, a true rock 'n roll legend. Because in my opinion, The "Chirping" Crickets deserves its status as one of the first truly great albums. So let's talk about it.

Already starts with an awesome album cover.

The album opens with arguably its strongest track, "Oh Boy!". Buddy grabs you right away with "All of my love, all of my kissing, you don't know what you've been missing!". His vocals are pure balls for the entire two minutes. The charisma he has is reminiscent of The Beatles, and I don't say that lightly. But, The Beatles were truly influenced by The Crickets. In fact, every band that came after The Crickets was influenced by the two guitars, one bass, and one drummer format. "Oh Boy!" and the following track "Not Fade Away" feature the Crickets backing Buddy up with some vocal harmonies. On "Not Fade Away", we hear them chirp in with "bop, bop, bop, bop". It's ridiculously simple, yet very effective and catchy.

With his fabulous curls, this is probably Buddy's most famous picture.

Then we get into the Buddy tracks I hadn't heard of before, and I was honestly surprised by the lack of filler. The tracks that come after the famous ones... they're still good! "You've Got Love" again shows the swag that Buddy had as a lead singer, for lack of a better word. He sings the line, "You've got me in a spin, I like the spin I'm in". And he delivers it with a cheekiness that honestly reminds me of Bon Scott. The guitar sound on the song, again, is reminiscent of those early British invasion bands. Then we get to another earworm song in "Maybe Baby". This one is a little more famous because it was in "The Buddy Holly Story". In any case, the album opens up with four short but very strong songs.

Buddy looks like a certain someone in this picture.

Then we have a weaker track in "It's Too Late". It's a slower ballad type that uses the doo wop progression, but this wasn't Buddy's wheelhouse. He mentions in the song how hurt he is by his woman, but how "it's a weak man that cries". Needless to say, this 50s view of masculinity hasn't aged well in my opinion. Our first filler song, but it's not terrible. Buddy gets back to his wheelhouse with track #6 in "Tell Me How". The whole pleading and begging with a woman reminds me of Beatles' songs like "Ask Me Why" or "Tell Me Why". It's a strong track for the Crickets' backing band, as Jerry Allison has a neat drum break in the middle of the song. By the way, Allison is the only surviving original Cricket, and is now 82 years old.

Here is Jerry Allison, The Crickets' drummer.

Then we flip the album over to side two, and it's another Buddy classic in "That'll Be The Day". There's actually two versions of this record that get played a lot. The first comes from Buddy's time at Decca, where he recorded a high-pitched version of the song, as he truly pushed his upper register. That was the first version of the song I heard, until I listened to Andrew Hickey's podcast "A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs". He played me the other version of "That'll Be The Day", wherein Buddy's voice is much lower. I didn't like it as much at first, but now I recognize that it sounds better without him straining his voice. In any case, both versions of the song are great, as "That'll Be The Day" is a true rock 'n roll classic. I mean, it has to be when it's the very first song The Beatles recorded! Next up is "I'm Looking For Someone To Love", an upbeat little ditty, but nothing too memorable there.

The Crickets look particularly dapper here.

Okay, so I stand by upbeat songs being more Buddy's strength. But that being said, "An Empty Cup (And A Broken Date)" is a pretty memorable track. The name alone captures your attention. Buddy talks of having his heart broke at a drive-in, and all he has to show for it is an empty coke bottle. "Just like this coke, my love is gone", he says. And The Crickets chirp in, following most lines in the song with perfect call and response precision. And they sound exactly like you'd imagine the backing singers in a sad 50s song to sound like. Next up is "Send Me Some Lovin", another slowish song with some doo wop vibes. It's a song that builds up in intensity, as Buddy really hammers home the feel in "Send me your kisses, I can feel their touch". Consequently, John Lennon did the exact same thing when he covered the song for his 1975 Rock 'N Roll album.

Buddy has underrated songs as well as famous hits on this album.

"Last Night" is yet another slow jam, as this album tended to follow the traditional format of more slow songs being on the flip side. There was 3 slow songs on side 2, compared to just 1 on side 1. In any case, "Last Night" is just okay. But the finale, "Rock Me My Baby", is quite exciting. It's a short and rollicking song that features such genius lyrics as "rock-a-like-a-hickory-dickory-dock, rock-a-bye my baby". And if you think me calling that "genius" is tongue-in-cheek, just listen to the song and tell me you don't enjoy it. You can't. So concludes the fantastic debut album from Buddy Holly, and the only album ever credited to just "The Crickets" during Buddy's lifetime.

It wasn't just Buddy... the Crickets were quite the influential band.

As you know, Buddy Holly died tragically young. He was 22 years old, 2 years older than me, just married, and had his whole life ahead of him. He could easily still be alive today, but died one fateful day in 1959. Rock 'n roll music is full of tragic tales, but maybe none as tragic as Holly's. Imagine what he could've contributed as rock 'n roll shifted to rock music. And yet, despite his short life, he still contributed so much. He recorded around 90 songs. His backing band, The Crickets, went on to influence all the rock artists that came after them. While Buddy is obviously the star of the show, I shouldn't ignore bassist Joe B. Maudin, rhythm guitarist Niki Sullivan, and the aforementioned drummer Jerry Allison. Together, they created something special in 1957. They created what will probably be the earliest album I play on "Graeme's Awesome Albums".

10 Most Overplayed Songs on Classic Rock Radio

Ah yes, a somewhat controversial topic for this week's blog... what songs on the radio are overplayed? Well, I'm attempting to answer this question from the perspective of a 99.9 The Hawk listener. They have roughly 100 songs that are in constant rotation. As you know with my radio show, I try to add a little more variety than that. Most of the songs they overplay are indeed good, so this article isn't about me hating on these songs. Rather, it's me hating on hearing them all the damn time. So, it isn't about overrated classic rock music, it's about overplayed classic rock (though the two can overlap). Also, though I mostly am gathering this list from listening to one station, I'm sure you may have similar experiences. So without further ado, here are the 10 most overplayed songs on classic rock radio.

Sweet Child O Mine by Guns N Roses

With its iconic opening guitar riff, this 1988 hard rock song has now become synonymous with classic rock stations. The stations like "Welcome to the Jungle", sure, but this is certainly their favorite hit from Appetite for Destruction. I personally prefer "Welcome to the Jungle", as Slash's riffs can kinda get repetitive with this song. Like most other songs on the list, I must clarify that I do indeed like this song. But hearing that opening riff a million times has conditioned me to like it a little less.

99.9 The Hawk has an appetite for overplayed songs.

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen

Again, this is no act of blasphemy, I do indeed like this song! It's a fantastic song. But especially after the movie, wasn't this song maybe just a little... overplayed? It's a fair question to ask. When I was younger, they used to play one of my favorite Queen songs, "Fat Bottomed Girls" a lot. Now, I hardly ever hear it... because they're playing Bohemian Rhapsody! I've discussed the genius of this song before on this blog, a true multi-sectional masterpiece. But there are simply other Queen songs I enjoy more than this one.

It's become iconic... maybe too iconic?

Piano Man by Billy Joel

If you're a classic rock station, you either overplay "Piano Man", or the cheesy 80s Billy Joel stuff. I already covered why mid-late 70s Billy Joel is his peak, as they don't play that material nearly enough! "Piano Man" is a lovely tune, and it surely has me singing along every time. It's probably one of the songs on this list that I least mind being overplayed, especially being the 70s Billy Joel fan that I am. But c'mon, can't they mix in "The Stranger" or "New York State of Mind" every now and then?

It's '9 o clock on a Saturday...

You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC

Now this one I certainly don't like being overplayed on classic rock stations. In a previous article, I expressed disgust at how this was chosen as the only AC/DC song for RS's Top 500 songs list. It's not even the best song on that album! Play "Shoot to Thrill" or "Hells Bells" more often, how about that? And while we're at it, let's address the lack of Bon Scott AC/DC (you know, when they had their best lead singer). Sure, they'll play "T.N.T." or "Highway to Hell". But they never have the balls to play "Big Balls".

They need to play more pure Bon Scott AC/DC.

Come Together by The Beatles

Of course as a Beatles fan I like this song. But the reason I'm upset at my local classic rock station is, well... this seems to be the only Beatles song they play! Sure, it's a classic that starts off the amazing Abbey Road album. And it's also Ringo's favorite Beatles song, for what that's worth. But this is the only Beatles song you play? Look, I know 99.9 the Hawk fashions itself as a 70s and 80s station, but don't be afraid to go back to "Twist and Shout" if you need to. There's so many great Beatles songs, and this is literally the only one they play. Oh, and if they're not playing The Beatles' version... they're playing the Aerosmith version, which is worse.

And let's be real, there's plenty of better songs on this album.

Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison

This song isn't as drastically overplayed as it was when I was younger, and I think I have an explanation. As classic rock pivots more towards 70s and 80s music, this 1967 soft rock classic loses favor. But, that certainly doesn't mean you don't hear it anymore. Van Morrison made one hell of a career out of this song, as I can't exactly tell you another song by him. It's certainly a sweet song that evokes youthful nostalgia. But it's also a song I'm glad to hear be less overplayed, however slow that process may be.

Van Morrison is part of the Del Shannon club in the Rock HOF (got in on one song).

Under Pressure by Queen & David Bowie

This collaboration of rock 'n roll legends is amazing... -ly over played. Look, I get the love for this song, but it's in peak overplay mode right now. With the somewhat recent Queen movie and somewhat recent death of David Bowie, the love for these artists has never been stronger. As a result, I heard "Under Pressure" on 99.9 the Hawk twice in one day last week. There's no way that should be happening...that little variety in one day? Again, plenty of other Queen or David Bowie songs you could play instead.

I can't deny this song is great... I also can't deny that there's other songs besides it.

Dream On by Aerosmith

Of all the overplayed songs on my list, this one may be my favorite. I love the insane high notes that Steven Tyler hits at the end of it. It's a solid classic rock anthem, no doubt about it. But much like with other songs on this list, it makes me wonder if hearing it played all the time makes me like it less. Sure, the station likes "Janie's Got a Gun" and "Walk this Way" just fine. But if it were up to them, they'd just rotate between "Dream On" and "Under Pressure" constantly and call it a day.

Steven Tyler proved that unlike today, talent mattered more than looks back then.

Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin

I saved the last two for the truly overplayed and overrated territory. How this 8-minute song that mostly rambles on became Led Zeppelin's signature tune, I'll never know. Yes, the hard rock section at the end is awesome, but it takes forever to build up to that. They could've spared me the many minutes of sleepy boredom. So I've made it clear with this opinion that I'm not the hugest Led Zeppelin fan, but I do really like "Black Dog", "Rock and Roll", and "When the Levee Breaks" from this album. I'd say to play those songs the next time you want to play "Stairway to Heaven".

Seriously, "When the Levee Breaks" should be played, I never hear it on the radio.

Free Fallin' by Tom Petty

Tom Petty is another one of those artists that I think has seen a boost in his airplay since his passing. And now, the classic rock stations just won't back down. But anyway, "Free Fallin" seems to be the one they like the most. One simply hears it all the time. Listen, I just don't think Tom Petty was that talented of a singer. He comes in on the Traveling Wilburys' song "Handle With Care", and you can just hear how he isn't George Harrison or Roy Orbison. I hate to break the heart of any Tom Petty fans with this take.

Tom Petty (left) is a Traveling Wilbury in this picture.

So, as a conclusion to this article, I offer you the 10 most underplayed songs on classic rock radio. Y'know, songs we should be hearing more often, but don't!

-The Weight by The Band

-Revolution by The Beatles

-Me and Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin

-All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix

-Turn Turn Turn by The Byrds (there's no 60s love anymore)

-Just The Way You Are by Billy Joel

-Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey by Paul McCartney

-Princes of the Universe by Queen

-Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon

-And... Anything by The Beach Boys

7 Great YouTube Channels For Beatles Fans

We're well into the 21st century, and Beatlemania lives on. And no, it doesn't just live on because of my cultish devotion. Rather, it's the devotion of millions of fans around the world, many of whom have started fantastic YouTube channels. Of the 7 channels I'm about to show you, all 7 have content that focuses a good deal, or almost exclusively on The Beatles. And for various reasons, all 7 of them have made an impact on me, The Beatles fan and viewer. So if you want some good channels to bolster your Beatles fandom, you've come to the right place. Without further ado, let's get started!

David Bennett Piano

As his YouTube name suggests, David Bennett is a full-fledged musician and piano player. His music theory knowledge far exceeds mine, as he gives detailed explanations of exactly why we like the music that we do. He has videos detailing famous chord progressions that are often repeated in Western pop music, including the famous 50s doo wop progression. But as for his Beatles content, how about recreating "I am the Walrus" entirely from scratch? If you know anything about the Shakespeare section in that song, you will really appreciate what Bennett did with his recreation. He has some Beatles videos that aren't easily accessible to people who don't know music theory, such as his complex "7 levels of reharmonizing Eleanor Rigby". But, he can appeal to a more popular audience as well, as he recently answered Beatles questions while touring Liverpool. 

If you want to know the "science" behind The Beatles, this Brit knows his stuff.

The Beatles Vocal Harmony

This Italian YouTuber is named Galeazzo Frudua, and he has a special talent for recreating Beatles songs. In particular, he recreates the mysteries behind their beautiful harmonies. If you've ever wanted to hear the individual harmony parts of a Beatles song, this is the right place. You can hear exactly what those Paul high notes were on a song, or the mysterious harmonies George sang that added depth to so many of their songs. A prime example of a song he does this on is "Anna (Go to Him)", an underrated gem from the Beatles' debut album. Frudua emphasizes vocal technique, and teaches how to sing the songs in his videos as well. Despite being somewhat of a singer myself, I don't try to recreate Frudua's tracks in the way he does, as hearing him sing these songs almost perfectly is quite humbling. And if you're more into the instrumental side of things, Frudua has you covered, too. He uploaded a video on how the seemingly simple strumming pattern in "Mull of Kintyre" is more complicated than you think.

Frudua is the most talented Beatles cover artist I've heard on YouTube

Canadian Studmuffin

Let's be honest, we're all into Top 10 lists. Well, our man Larry Graves has us covered there. As his YouTube name suggests, Graves is Canadian. And he's not afraid to tell us all aboot his Beatles opinions, going as far as ranking every Beatles song from worst to best in one of his videos. He has also talked about each individual album, ranking each song from worst to best there. Here's an example of that for "Revolver". He also now collaborates with his girlfriend Molly, and the couple is quite cute together. The 64-year old is a true classic rocker, and reviews plenty of other artists on his channel besides The Beatles. One other interesting thing about Graves is his almost-whispery voice that he does each video in, it's almost soothing in a Bob Ross way. So I guess it only makes sense that he has an ASMR channel.

He is also quite a goofball.

Call Me Caroline

Much like David Bennett, Caroline is also a piano player and musician. She goes by the stage name Cazza, and has a beautiful voice. But it's the Aussie's upbeat personality that truly shines on her Beatles videos. The great thing about Caroline's Beatles videos is, we get to see someone give a genuine reaction to the magic of the group. That's because she went on a journey of listening and reacting to every Beatles album for the first time. She had heard of some of the famous tracks before, but hadn't dived deep into the discography. Well, despite hearing many of the songs for only the first time, she actually enlightened me with some of the things she noticed! Her background musical knowledge, combined with her excitement for each song, made her reactions much more interesting than the typical YouTube reaction video. Check out her reaction to Abbey Road. You can also see her trying to learn the guitar to Norwegian Wood... needless to say, she has more of a natural gift for singing. 

I've been told she looks like a female version of me.

posturex1

We're going from a young, recently converted Beatles fan, back to another old guy. Posturex1 (real name unknown) is another expert at Beatles covers, much like Frudua. He plays all the instruments and does all the vocals. With a beer gut proudly hanging out, this man sings with the attitude of John Lennon. Seriously, listen to his cover of "I Call Your Name". In all his covers, you can see him playing the different instruments in separate video windows. While he's not quite the vocal talent Frudua is, he is a true one-man band, doing a great job of covering many different Beatles songs. And that's not all there is on his channel, as he's covered plenty of other artists, including 43 different Beach Boys songs.

Here's what one of his videos typically looks like.

Kristine Summer

Kristine is a young woman with quite the impressive Beatles memorabilia collection. She puts all the posters and merch in my bedroom to shame! The Kentuckian felt like a bit of an outcast listening to The Beatles growing up, but she's more than learned to embrace her love for the group. Unfortunately, it seems most of the videos from her channel have disappeared for some reason. However, there is still a video on The Beatles' official channel that shows off her fantastic collection. And that gets me to the last and most important channel on this list.

Here is Kristine showing off her epic collection.

The Beatles

The Beatles' official YouTube channel is simply called "The Beatles", and has a music note next to it to signify its "official" status. All of the important albums and singles are on this channel, and practically nowhere else on YouTube because of copyright ninjas. So if you want to listen to The Beatles without ponying up for Spotify, there's no better place than The Beatles' official page. You can also see how The Beatles were music video pioneers on this channel, with such epic videos as "Revolution", "Paperback Writer", and "Rain". You can even see the music video for "I Feel Fine", where poor Ringo is reduced to riding an exercise bike! But again, music videos as early as 1964 shows just how revolutionary The Beatles' were. And if you want to stay up to date on Beatles' news, like when it's Paul or Ringo's birthday, this channel has you covered. 

There's no better Beatles channel than... The Beatles.

Well, I hope I've proved that The Beatles still have quite the passionate fanbase to this day. And it's not just old people, either! In my opinion, people young and old will appreciate The Beatles for decades, even centuries to come. These YouTube channels show that the passion for the group is still strong, and I highly recommend you check them all out.

Album Review: CCR's "Willy and The Poor Boys"

The year is 1969, and it was a defining year for one roots rock band in particular. Creedence Clearwater Revival released three albums that year, all well-regarded by critics. So, I figured I had to check some out for my upcoming radio show. I listened to "Green River", and while it had a few songs I liked on there, it wasn't quite good enough to play on my show. But, I knew I might like "Willy and the Poor Boys". With its upbeat rock style and effective political messaging, this album lives on over 50 years later as a staple of the classic rock era. So, what does this album do well, and why am I likely to play it on my upcoming show? Well, let's dive into the album!

CCR pulls off a Sgt. Pepper as they pretend to be "Willy and the Poor Boys".

The opening track is an attention-grabber, with an iconic guitar riff that plays throughout the song. That song is "Down on the Corner", where CCR takes on the persona of "Willy and the Poor Boys". As I mentioned, it is quite reminiscent of The Beatles pretending to be "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". With CCR, you can believe them to be Willy and the Poor Boys. Despite being from California, they take on the redneck persona quite well. You can just imagine John Fogerty, AKA "Willy", taking nickels on the street for playing his kazoo. Meanwhile, his hick buddy is playing the "gut bass", an instrument I didn't exactly know existed. In any case, "Down on the Corner" is a fantastic opener.

You know your band doesn't have a great budget when the kazoo is an instrument.

The next track, "It Came Out of The Sky", shows CCR's first serious political foray. The satirical song describes some mysterious object landing on a farmer's property. All the contemporary politicians and leaders try to use the incident to their advantage. The best lyric is probably how "Populist Ronnie says it was a communist plot". Populist Ronnie of course refers to the then-governor of California, Ronald Reagan. The song also pokes fun at religion, with the Vatican using the mysterious object as evidence that "the Lord has come". Not only is the song brilliant lyrically, it is also an upbeat rocker that's worthy of following up the excellent opening track. "Cotton Fields" follows it, and is a traditional folk song written by Huddie Ledbetter (most songs on the album were written by Fogerty). "Cotton Fields" features some sweet harmonies, reminiscing about life in Louisiana.

 

"Populist Ronnie" would've found a way to use the "sky" incident to his advantage.

What follows is probably the most filler-centric section of the album. "Poorboy Shuffle" is a simple harmonica instrumental, as the band truly takes on the redneck image in that ditty. It's a fine little tune, but certainly nothing notable. Then the shuffle leads directly into "Feelin' Blue", a forgettable five-minute track wherein Fogerty says he's "Feelin' Blue" about a million times. If you want to skip it, I can't say I blame you. But you certainly can't skip the beginning of Side Two, "Fortunate Son". Some people claim this short political burst of a song is overplayed in Vietnam War movies. Well, I don't watch many movies, and it's not played in the most important Vietnam War movie, anyway. So frankly, I don't care. "Fortunate Son" perfectly sums up the righteous anger at scummy politicians, sending kids younger than me off to fight in Vietnam. But some people were born with "Star Spangled eyes". Some people were born with a silver spoon in their mouth. 

CCR makes it clear that "this ain't them".

After a decent track in "Don't Look Now (It Ain't Your Or Me)", the next song is another one of CCR's most famous. "The Midnight Special" is a traditional folk song that apparently originated with prisoners from the South. As is the case with oral tradition, the lyrics have been changed plenty of times, and this arrangement certainly has the John Fogerty touch. As is the case with plenty of Southern songs, it's about a train (The Midnight Special), and a prisoner who wants to take that train to get out of jail. Yes, Willie and the Poor Boys are really Californians, but they sound like true Southern rockers here, singing of trains and prison. The song is followed up by the better of the album's two instrumental tracks, "Side 'o the Road". With an infectious rhythm and lead guitar, this instrumental manages to actually be worth a listen. Then the album ends with one last interesting political song, "Effigy". It's a six-and a half minute tune, so strap in for it. But the solid guitar keeps it chugging along, and its lyrics truly are interesting. CCR drummer Doug Clifford says the song was about "pointing the finger at the Nixon administration". Fogerty called the president a "schmuck", as Nixon completely dismissed the anti-Vietnam War protests from millions around the world. The message may be more interesting than the song itself, but the six-minute finale is still worth your time.

An overall great performance from CCR on this album.

Creedence Clearwater Revival truly establish themselves as rock legends with this album. Call it roots rock, Southern rock, country rock, whatever you want to call it. To me, CCR's mostly upbeat album could best be described as just good old rock 'n roll. It has clear misses and filler, and the longer tracks might not capture your attention for the full time. But the album's three main hits in "Down on the Corner", "Fortunate Son", and "The Midnight Special" help carry it to its status as one of the great rock albums of the era. As does "It Came Out of The Sky", a rock 'n roll song that builds off of Chuck Berry rhythms. Message-wise, the album talks of a time when the political left in this country was more gutsy and wrote great protest songs. It's still unbelievable to me that a band playing Southern rock could criticize the governor of California for being conservative. Think about that... the times have changed. The left has lost touch with rural America, it's a shame. We wouldn't see an album like "Willy and the Poor Boys" today. Overall, I am very pleased with this album, and I would rate it at 8/10. Expect to hear it sometime during the school year on my radio show!

Making Musical Mount Rushmores!

We've all heard of Mount Rushmore, right? The only notable tourist attraction in the Dakotas, Mount Rushmore honors four legendary presidents. Those being George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. As a history nerd, those are quality selections. Mount Rushmore has now become synonymous with compiling four of the greatest at, well... just about anything. For example, someone might say the Mount Rushmore of NFL quarterbacks is Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Joe Montana, and Johnny Unitas. So, I'm now going to create a few musical Mount Rushmores to honor different genres. Some of these were quite easy for me, some of them... I really had to deliberate on which heads to put on the mountain. Let's start with one of the easy ones.

Country Mount Rushmore: Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash

The father of country music, Jimmie Rodgers, gets a worthy shoutout. Without his T.B. Blues and Blue Yodels, there is no country music. That's why he's where Washington is on the mountain. I have already covered Hank Williams and Johnny Cash extensively on the blog, but they are the two truest country legends in my opinion. Cash is the all-time GOAT in my opinion, which is why he's in Lincoln's position. But we of course have to give a spot to the queen of country, Dolly Parton, as well. With iconic songs like "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You", she has cemented herself as a legend. And through recent activities, we know she has a great heart as well. Marty Robbins would be the fifth head on the mountain, and with songs like "El Paso", may have even better high points than Dolly. But Dolly is a living legend, and Marty... we'll just say wasn't quite the good soul that Dolly is.

Rock 'n Roll Mount Rushmore: Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly

George Washington is America's foremost founding father, and though he didn't want to be a king, Elvis definitely was one. He is joined by three other rock 'n roll stars of the 1950s on this mountain as the true legends who laid down the pure rock 'n roll sound, influencing generations to come. All four were inaugural members of the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame. I talked about Little Richard on last week's blog, and how Paul McCartney could impersonate, but not duplicate, his sound. Chuck was a true guitar wizard, and his debut song "Maybellene" may be my favorite song that's purely rock 'n roll. Finally, we have to acknowledge the guy from Lubbock, Texas... the one I've been told I kinda look like. Buddy Holly was a huge influence on The Beatles, and the man is a legend despite his tragically short life. My fifth head for the mountain would have to be Roy Orbison.

R&B Mount Rushmore: Sam Cooke, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, The Persuasions

Maybe it's controversial to include groups in spots where there's just supposed to be one head, but I'm going to completely throw that out the window when we get to doo wop groups, anyway. The point is, The Temptations deserve to be there, with classics like "Don't Look Back", "Cloud Nine", and "Runaway Child, Running Wild". But it's the Persuasions who are true GOATs of R&B. They get the Abe spot by being the greatest a capella group ever, with their rich harmonies never being replicated. But Sam Cooke gets the George Washington spot, as he is known as the true king of soul. As such, his foundations very much influenced The Persuasions. The queen of soul, on the other hand, is Aretha Franklin. With "Respect" being listed as the greatest song ever by Rolling Stone, you kinda have to respect that. My fifth head on the mountain would be Stevie Wonder.

Doo Wop Mount Rushmore: The Ink Spots, The Platters, The Five Satins, The Harptones

I certainly deliberated on this one! Only one choice was obvious for me, that being The Harptones. They get the Abe spot as the true greatest doo wop group of all time in my opinion; classics like "A Sunday Kind of Love", "Life Is But a Dream", and "My Memories of You" are hard to top. I didn't consider The Ink Spots at first, but figured they'd be perfect for the George Washington spot as the true "founding fathers" of doo wop. The Platters were polished and refined, and their lack of a street corner sound made me wonder whether they belonged on the mountain. But one simply cannot deny the talent the group has, and their incredible singer Tony Williams was hard to match (he should've been an honorable mention on my vocalists list). And if Teddy Roosevelt is a truly iconic American president, The Five Satins helped make the doo wop sound iconic with "In The Still of The Night". But for me personally, they earned this spot more because of songs like "Shadows", "Wonderful Girl", and "To The Aisle". The fifth head, or rather group of heads, could be a whole lot of options. I could go with Little Anthony and the Imperials, Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers, The Marcels, Dion and The Belmonts, or maybe a true street corner group like The Five Discs. But I think I'd have to go with The Moonglows.

Rock Bands Mount Rushmore: The Beach Boys, Queen, AC/DC, The Beatles

The rock 'n roll of the 50s went on to form the rock music of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. But rock music is a very broad term, isn't it? It's so broad that I can have The Beach Boys and AC/DC on the same mountain, because I happen to enjoy both of their sounds. No one really gets the George Washington spot here, because true founders and influencers of rock were mentioned in the aforementioned rock 'n roll mountain. But The Beach Boys were popular in America before The Beatles were, so I guess I'll throw them a bone. The Beatles are the obvious candidate for the Abe spot, I mean, I'm kinda a big fan of them. AC/DC gets the Teddy renegade spot. Although, Bon Scott didn't exactly follow Teddy's advice of "speak softly and carry a big stick". Well, certainly not the first part, anyway. Then there's Queen, as elegant and polished as Jefferson's Monticello. All of these groups, sans AC/DC, are distinguished for their beautiful vocal harmonies. But AC/DC makes it on for their killer guitar riffs. There are plenty of choices for the fifth band, including The Rolling Stones, Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, and The Doors. But I would go with Creedence Clearwater Revival.

21st Century Mount Rushmore: Eminem, Adele, Amy Winehouse, Meghan Trainor

I can sound like a real curmudgeon with my musical tastes. All the old music used to be so much better, right? Well, it is kinda true. I think new music is generally overly polished and overly produced. There's a gazillion songwriters on many new songs, and as they say, too many cooks spoil the pot. But, here is where I disagree with some of the boomer logic. People say there's no more talented artists anymore, and everyone is a talentless hack. These four artists prove that, well... that's simply not true. And so I honor them as some of my favorite artists of the last 20 years. Eminem gave a legendary Super Bowl halftime performance with his signature song, "Lose Yourself". That alone gets him on the mountain. Amy is dearly missed, given that her incredibly soulful voice influenced another singer on this mountain, Adele. If you're a fan of soulful singers as I am, you will certainly be a fan of these two. Amy's best songs include "Rehab" and "You Know I'm No Good". Adele's best include "Set Fire To The Rain" and "Someone Like You". And then of course, there's the woman in the Abe position... my girl Meghan Trainor. I will always be an MTrain truther, and am very much looking forward to her upcoming, retro album.

Well, those were six musical Mount Rushmores for your viewing pleasure. Where do you agree or disagree with my mountains? Let me know in the comments. Also, I guess I should note my overall musical Mount Rushmore. It would probably be Johnny Cash, The Persuasions, The Beach Boys, and The Beatles.