DESDINOVA'S 25 GREATEST GUITAR INTROS OF THE 70s

One of the earmarks of 70s rock was the guitar intro. Some have called it a trend, but in reality, they were perfected in the 70s. Lets face it, the first one in rock & roll was Chuck Berry's open to "Johnny B. Good," followed by Buddy Holly's noodling at the beginning of "That Will Be the Day" and we should mention Dave Appell's riff at the beginning of  John Zacherely"s"Dinner With Drac."

The 60s brought the British Invasion, garage bands and psychedelic rock, all of which paved the way for heavy metal and prog rock of the 70s. I could do a whole post on 60s guitar intros too. Everything from "Day Tripper," "Satisfaction," "You Really Got Me," "I Can See For Miles," "Eight Miles High," "Pleasant Valley Sunday," "Sunshine of Your Love," "Who's Gonna Mow Your Grass"...like I said enough for another post.

The 80s & 90s had some great ones too, by Guns N Roses, R.E.M, Van Halen, Loverboy, Nirvana, just to name a few. That also could be another post.

In researching this subject, I realize that not every song began with a rocking guitar intro. Some of the biggest hard rock songs of the 70s began with a slow acoustic guitar build up before the hard rocking guitars began. The obvious example is Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven." Also in this group would be Boston's "More Than a Feeling," Kiss's "Black Diamond," Heart's "Crazy On You" and Chilliwack's "Fly By Night."

Also some of the great guitar riffs are preceded by keyboard parts. I ruled those songs out, because I wanted to list those that kick off the song in a big way or at least start song of within a short time. 

I'm going to rank these. I usually don't do that but with this list it would be impossible not to do so. I'm sure some will want to argue, I guess I will accept it.

1.  "Layla" - Derek & the Dominoes: If I hadn't listed this as the number one guitar riff of the 70s, there would have been an outcry all over the Internet. This is one of the songs, if not the song, that set the standard for 70s guitar intros.

2.  "All Right Now" - Free: Like "Layla," it is one of the Class of 1970. This one is simple, but punches you right between the eyes.  Steve Miller wrote "Rock N Me" as a tribute to Free guitarist Paul Kossoff.

3.  "China Grove" - Doobie Brothers: This one was the guitar intro for mainstream pop-rock. This 1973 hit was the great guitar intro for AM radio. Granted, the top two were big AM radio hits too, but this one cemented the idea that a big hit needed a big guitar into, no matter what style of music you did.

4.  "Smoke On the Water" - Deep Purple: Anyone who doesn't try to play this the first time they pick up a guitar, has no business even holding a guitar. The great thing about it is that even if you are lousy and never held a guitar, people can tell that you are attempting to play this song. Like "China Grove" this was 1973.

5.  "Whole Lotta Love" - Led Zeppelin: I had to put Led Zep in the Top 5. Another one from 1970.

6.  "Life In the Fast Lane" - The Eagles: If you were cruising the main drag of your town on a Friday night, there wasn't a better song to have on the radio than this one. Hard to believe there are some people who don't like this song. In a good country, they would be executed for not liking that song.

7.  "Sweet Jane" - Lou Reed: This is an anomaly. Many people consider it one of the greatest guitar intros of the 70s, but it wasn't until the fourth version of the song that it people probably noticed it. The Velvet Underground's 1970 version actually opens with a psychedelic flourish before Lou Reed starts singing. The original version, not released until 1974 on the Live 1969 LP,  was a slow ballad, but still using that familiar riff. The version on the 1972 Live at Max's Kansas City LP actually has a longer intro with the riff. However, the version that more than likely made this one of the great 70s guitar intros was the version from the 1973 Lou Reed live LP Rock & Roll Animal. Guitarist Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner gave this a metal crunch that hits you like a sledge hammer to the head.

8.  "Iron Man" - Black Sabbath: Speaking of metal crunch that hits you like a sledge hammer to the head. Ozzy Osbourne said it best, when you hear this you actually imagine "a big metal bloke walking about." Beavis & Butthead would probably agree.

9.   "Jet Airliner" - Steve Miller Band: This is one of those that sounded better on AM radio than FM. I also think the single edit is better because it goes from the intro into the lyrics, whereas the LP cut goes into a rather redundant guitar bridge before the lyrics. Either way, it is a 70s classic.

10.  "Takin Care of Business" - Bachman-Turner Overdrive: This one builds up on a scale into a upbeat, fun,  heavy metal, boogie woogie jam.

11.  "Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)" - The Hollies:  This one can send chills up my spine when I hear it. Not sure why. The fact that the light and innocent Hollies gave us this may have something to do with it. It's as sexy as...well, a long cool woman in a black dress.

12. "Treat Her Like a Lady" - Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose: Usually, soul & funk doesn't get mentioned in the pantheon of great guitar songs of the 70s, but they had some great guitar riffs and intros too. This is one of them. Much like "Takin Care of Business" builds up the scale into a great driving riff. It's so cool, it was used to introduce Ron Burgundy in Anchorman.

13. "Don't Fear The Reaper" - Blue Oyster Cult: Forget the cowbell, the guitar is what makes this song a classic. It is like a Byrds guitar riff on steroids. Not sure if it was on a 12 string guitar or it just sounded like one, but it certainly has a beauty to it that the others guitar intros don't.

14.  "Aqualung" - Jethro Tull: What better way to introduce a song about a homeless, drunken, pedophile with a runny nose than with a sinister guitar riff like this. One of the brilliant moves, on the part of the band, to make this guitar intro so memorable was to not just play it twice, but to isolate it with pauses between each of the two times it is played before the third time when the drums and Ian Anderson's vocal starts. They do almost the same thing at the end of the song, to further get it stuck in your head.

15. "Funk 49#" - The James Gang: The previous years "Funk 48#" was good, but "Funk 49#" was better. It has went on to become a favorite. One of Joe Walsh's early masterpiece guitar riffs.

16. "Stay With Me" - The Faces: During the early 70s, Ron Wood created some great guitar intros for The Faces, but this is the one that has stood the test of time. A bluesy riff that the kicks into high gear, then slows into a rollicking bluesy stroll. No wonder the Rolling Stones ask him to join.

17. "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" - The Rolling Stones: Speaking of the Rolling Stones, you have to include them on a list of great guitar intros, however, they didn't seem to create elaborate, signature guitar intros in the 70s. They had already set the standard in the 60s with "Satisfaction," "Jumping Jack Flash," and the "The Last Time." They gave us one of the great guitar intros of the 80s with "Start Me Up." This one is not just a great guitar intro but a great guitar finish. Keith Richards starts it off with nasty blues riff in an odd key that turns into a jam when joined by Charlie Watts drums. It ends with a psychedelic smooth jazz jam with guitarist Mick Taylor and saxophonist Bobbie Keys.

18. "Do Yo Feel Like We Do" - Peter Frampton: This intro is perfect for a song about waking up confused. It has a slow, groggy, fuzztone scale, that is then matched note for note by a electric piano. I know it is considered blasphemous to some people, but I prefer the original version from the Framptom's Camel LP to the version on Framptom Comes Alive, because the sound is crisper, it is shorter and he doesn't do that annoying talk box thing in it.

19. "Beautiful Girls" - Van Halen: Eddie Van Halen packed a wild party filled with bikini clad girls into this guitar intro.

20. "Panic In Detroit" - David Bowie: There are several of great guitar intros from Mick Ronson on David Bowie's hits. This one is not only is it underrated, but it is so tight and and so forceful, it punctuates Bowie's William Burroughs inspired, dystopian lyrics.

21. "Reelin In the Years" - Steely Dan: They were more of a keyboard band, but this guitar intro is a classic.

22. "Woodstock" - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: Stephen Stills guitar intro made this one the most successful version of this rock anthem.

23. "Do Ya" - The Move/Electric Light Orchestra: This is kind of a tie, but then again The Move morphed into ELO.

24. "Jane" - Jefferson Starship: This one was one of two great guitar intros to close out the 70s. Craig Chaquico starts off with a light, spacey sound before turning out a chainsaw like riff that builds up to a sudden stop in the middle of the song, followed by one of the great guitar solos of the 70s.

25. "Driver's Seat" - Sniff N The Tears: This is the other great guitar intro that closed out the 70s. It begins with a rather intense sounding acoustic guitar part that is then joined by a fuzz guitar riff. Together it works into a great underrated open for a British New Wave one-hit wonder.

Honorable Mentions: "20th Century Boy" -T. Rex, "Stone Cold Fever" - Humble Pie, "Thunderbuck Ram" - Mott The Hoople, "Calling Dr. Love" - Kiss, "Man on the Silver Mountain" - Rainbow, "That Smell" - Lynard Skynard, "The Seeker" - The Who, "That Lady" - The Isley Brothers and "Don't Look Back" - Boston.

                   

R. I. P BOB ELLIOT

DESDINOVA'S PODCAST 6

Another podcast from yours truly. Featuring jams from Trooper, Chilliwack, Pousette-Dart Band, Cockney Rebel, Funkadelic, Sad Cafe, & Marshall Hain. Plus Doc Savage, Ultraman, toothpaste as an aphrodisiac, kids talk about pickles, Barbara Eden talks about her pantyhose and other fun stuff.

I'M ASHAMED I WATCHED THE DUKES OF HAZZARD

We've all done it. We watched a TV show we enjoyed as a child or teenager after we became an adult and thought, "Why did I like this as a kid? This is horrible." For me that TV show is The Dukes of Hazzard.


You have to understand that this was the era when most people only received four networks. You also didn't have a VCR or DVD player or PC to stream movies. The Dukes of Hazzard was also THE TV SHOW to watch among the sixth graders in Lebanon, Missouri. If you weren't watching The Dukes of Hazzard, you would be considered a worthless, piece of human garbage. Many of my former classmates are constantly posting and re-posting a meme on Facebook, which asserts that people who watched The Dukes of Hazzard and Hee Haw as kids are superior to others. I don't think there is any scientific facts to back this belief up.

Watching the show now on DVD or in reruns, it becomes obvious that after the first season, they basically did the same script over and over. As a matter of fact, most of the cast nearly quit between season four and five over this. This was part of the reason Tom Wopat and John Schneider walked off the show. According to a TV Guide article (Dec. 25 -31 1982), everyone else on the show wanted out.

Now, with that aside, the reason I can't stand watching the The Dukes of Hazzard now: The use of the phrase "good ole boys."  Bo and Luke, in the theme song by Waylon Jennings, are referred to as "good ole boys." At the time this show aired, when I was in sixth grade, I took it the "good ole boys" actually meant "a force of good in the universe" (my comic book geekiness showing).

After becoming an adult and getting out in the "real world," I noticed the term "good ole boy" used not for people doing good, but for people like Boss Hogg and Roscoe P. Coltrane. To be honest, Boss Hogg and Roscoe are Presidential Medal of Honor Winners compared to many of the "good ole boys" I've met and had to deal with in my adult life.

The phrase "good ole boy" tends to be a euphemism or secret code word for "my loud-mouthed, sleazy, unethical, racist, sexist, homophobic, smelly, alcoholic, redneck friend, that abuses his wife and kids, but I like better him than you." Every business or work place in this part of the country has, at least, one of these type of individuals under their roof.

This "good ole boy" doesn't have a college degree and just barely has a high school diploma, but somehow has ascended to a cushy management position and receives a huge paycheck. Of course, the reason is this guy kisses the butt of the boss by doing the dirty work he wants done. Usually, he is the cousin, brother-in-law, or high school drinking buddy of the boss. This guy usually bullies everyone, talks dirty to female employees, repeats dumb stuff he heard on talk radio (or sings along with a country radio station), brings Jim Beam in his thermos, reads back issues of Guns & Ammo and spits his tobacco juice in every adjacent waste basket, while everyone else does the hard work.

However, if the boss wants the tires of the employees trying to unionize slashed or a competitor's business burned to the ground or needs someone to stalk the nerdy boy sending flowers to his hot, smoking daughter, the "good ole boy" is ready to earn that paycheck he receives that is bigger than the other employees. He also is quick to run and tattle to the boss on the employees breaking a stupid company policy or talking about how they think he is a crooked tyrant. Of course, if you question this guy's unethical and downright bad behavior, you will get the response, "But he is a good ole boy." That absolves this guy of any wrong doing in the eyes of his small community.

The bad part about these "good ole boys" is that in many small communities they get elected to city council, county commission or the school board, where they usually vote against anything that would be good for the community. They always say they want to keep the community "just like Mayberry," but what they real want is for it to be just like Hazzard County. Sad part some of them go on to the state legislature and then...well, this explains most of the makeup of our current U.S. Congress. Yes folks, Boss Hogg and Roscoe P. Coltrane are running Washington, D.C. As Waylon Jennings would say, in his narration of the show, "Folks, this don't look good."

Maybe this version of the "good ole boy" is only a phenomenon of southwest Missouri, but I some how feel that it isn't the case. Every small community has a group of  "good ole boys" that do horrible things, but people just slaps them on the back and laugh about it.

After reading this, some will say, "So, Desdinova, are you saying that we shouldn't watch reruns of The Dukes of Hazzard. No, I'm just saying I don't enjoy it because of my experience with the "good ole boy" mentality.

However, there is one thing that I like about this show that I wish would become a common practice. I wish more women would wear pantyhose with their shorts like Daisy did. NOW THAT IS A GOOD THING! Of course, these opinions are why I'm considered the SUPER VILLAIN OF THE OZARKS!!! Mwu-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

THE END

Country singer Slim Whitman dies at age 90

Family: Country singer Slim Whitman dies at age 90

I couldn't find the original commercial for "The All My Best" LP, but here is a 1980 follow up LP commercial.

DISCO SHOCK OR I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY MADE A DISCO RECORD

I've been searching for photos of generic disco compilations for these Ipod playlist post, but (pardon the pun) this cover not only is a great cover but (pardon the pun again) has the perfect title for this playlist.

Disco's popularity caused some well established mainstream performers to try their hand at disco. Most of these not only were great records by the artist, but some of the best hits of the disco era. On the other hand, these artist made enemies with some hardcore disco haters (Rod Stewart took the most flak of these artist). Some of these may not have intended to be disco records per say, they just were embraced by the disco crowd and the club DJs.

For the most part, people have forgiven these artist for going disco.

 "I Was Made For Loving You" Kiss
“Heart of Glass” Blondie
“(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman” The Kinks
“Copacabana” Barry Manilow
 “Alive Again” Chicago
“Here Comes the Night” Beach Boys
“Do You Think I’m Sexy” Rod Stewart
“Mama Can't Buy Your Love” Elton John (You could also count "Philadelphia Freedom" as disco too)
"Miss You" Rolling Stones
"Young Americans" David Bowie
"December 1963 (Oh What a Night)" Four Seasons
"Another One Bites the Dust" Queen
"Goodnight Tonight" Paul McCartney
"Shakedown Street" Grateful Dead
"Clones" Alice Cooper
"All Over The World" Electric Light Orchestra (From the movie, Xanadu)
"Volarie" Al Martino
"Don't Stop The Music" Bay City Rollers
"Right Behind The Rain" Brenda Lee (I heard an interview with Brenda Lee where she mentioned making a disco record that she felt was a mistake. This song, from 1980, is the closest thing to disco by Brenda Lee that I could find. If you know of a better example tell me.)

  

DESDINOVA'S 40 FAVORITE DISCO SONGS

Before I hear any snide remarks about me posting a disco Ipod playlist, let me explain something. I realize it is considered "uncool" for a guy my age to like disco. Some idiots will tell you that a man who likes disco is "gay." Truth is, I used to think the same way when I was younger.

What changed my opinion of disco? A few years back, a radio station here in Springfield was bought out by another company. As a stunt, for the first week or two, they ran nothing but disco hits. I would listen and found there were many of these songs brought back pleasant memories of my childhood. The radio station eventually unveiled there format would be "classic rock without the loud heavy metal" (This slogan was part of a bad trend at the time, which someone in the radio industry once said was like "making love without all that unsanitary kissing"). They "vowed never to play disco again." They have have lived up to that, although they tweaked the format a few years back and added Aerosmith, Ozzy, Deep Purple and AC/DC to there playlist.

After that, I became nostalgic for the disco music that filled the airwaves during my elementary school years. Besides I can enjoy disco where as I CANNOT STAND COUNTRY MUSIC!!!

I have broken this into two list, one for standard disco and the other for those artist that we thought would "never stoop so low as to make a disco record" and wound up making some of the best disco songs ever.

A message to guys of my age: Don't worry, I'm planing a "heavy metal/hair band" playlist filled with testosterone, adrenaline and alcohol.

"Staying Alive" Bee Gees
"Hot Stuff" Donna Summer
“Fifth of Beethoven” Walter Murphy
“I Will Survive” Gloria Gaynor
“Dancing Queen” ABBA
“Last Dance” Donna Summer
“I’m On Fire” 5000 Volts
“Making It” David Naughton
“Ladies Night” Kool & the Gang
“Pop Muizk” M
“Voulez Vous” ABBA
“You Sexy Thing” Hot Chocolate
“(Shake Shake Shake) Shake Your Booty” K.C. & the Sunshine Band
"Funkytown" Lipps, Inc.
"TSOP (Sound of Philadelphia)" M.F.S.B
"Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" McFadden & Whitehead
"Upside Down" Diana Ross
“That's The Way (I Like)” K.C. & the Sunshine Band
“Y.M.C.A” Village People
“Kiss In The Dark” Pink Lady
“Cupid/I’ve Loved You For a Long Time” The Spinners
“Disco Inferno” The Trammps
“Love Is In The Air” John Paul Jones
“Heaven Knows" Donna Summer
“Fly Robin Fly” Silver Connection
“La Freak” Chic
"Don't Let Go" Issac Hayes
"Bad Girls" Donna Summer
"Take Your Time (Do It Right)" S.O.S. Band
"You Should Be Dancing" Bee Gees
"All Night Thing" The Invisible Man's Band
“Rock The Boat” Hues Corporation
"I Love The Nightlife" Alicia Bridges
“The Hustle” Van McCoy
"Livin It Up (Friday Night)" Bell & James
"If I Can't Have You" Yvonne Ulliman
"Dancing Machine" The Jackson 5
"Soul Dracula" Hot Blood
"Night Fever" Bee Gees
"Boogie Nights" Heatwave  

SPRINGFIELD MISSOURI LIKED DISCO IN 1979

You may have noticed that at the top of the blog, among the clutter in the masthead, is a Springfield magazine about disco. The issue is from July 1979. The article says there are three discos in Springfield: Wicker Works at the Sheraton Inn, Merlins's at the Hilton Inn and Lucy's at the Holiday Inn. You may not believe it, but I remember the names of these places from my childhood. Of course, they are no longer in existence.

Brenda May - Desdinova's favorite teacher

One thing I noticed in this article was that you could take free lessons on "how to disco dance" on Tuesday nights at Wicker Works from Brenda May. This caught my attention because Brenda May was not only my drama and speech teacher in 10th and 11th grade at Lebanon High School, but she was one of my all time favorite teachers. She gave me confidence when nobody else would by telling me to go to college and follow my dream of a media career. A few years back, I tracked her down via the Internet and sent her an e-mail, thanking her for her encouragement and kindness. She was also the sexiest teacher I ever had.

Another name mentioned in this article is Ruthann Schwenn, who was public relations and marketing for Wicker Works. I have several Springfield magazines from this era and they contain several photos of Ms. Schwenn. She was very attractive. I would be interested in knowing what became of her.

The article was written by Katie Dark, who is now know as Katie Hilton of the Lebanon Daily Record. This article is very informative and well written. Luckily it is not filled with the disgusting Republican propaganda that fills her column in the Sunday edition of  The Lebanon Daily Record (I could eat a can of alphabet soup and barf up a better column than she writes now).

The thing that this article says to me indirectly, some 34 years later, is that at one time Springfield was interested in new things and new trends. In the past few years, local media has given us the impression that Springfield isn't interested in anything modern and contemporary. They present the views of a few fun-hating, anti-entertainment idiots as the majority view point of everyone in the Ozarks. It was nice to know that at least one media outlet in the Ozarks (Sadly, no longer published) didn't view national entertainment trends as a threat to "our quality of life" in the Ozarks.

BTW: You realize that I'm now going to have to post an disco Ipod playlist.