| Drums Along the Internet: A Sapmle of the Best Recordings Ever |
| Kashmir(Led Zeppelin)- Led Zeppelin had more range than any other hard rock band . They ran the rock gamut from blues to psychadelic, from reggae to pop. In "Kashmir," from 1975's "Physical Graffiti," Zeppelin added classical stringed intruments to achieve a symphonic sound, a prim contrast to Robert Plant's primal wailing. At over eight minutes long, "Kashmir" qualifies as an epic, and its irresistable chords and rythms never grow old. "Kashir" is among Zeppelin's more impressive and inventive songs, though the list of great Led Zeppelin songs is perhaps longer than any other band. |
| Twistin' the Night Away(Cooke)- Sam Cooke was one of the most unique voices in soul-pop and had recorded many great songs before his untimely murder. "Twistin' the Night Away" is perhaps his best song because of a great vocal performance and the energy created by the big band sound employed in the recording. The song is as catchy as any pop song and has a smoothness not found in dance songs since disco. "Twistin'" still holds up well after time and is as good as songs from the Twist era get. |
| Revolution(The Beatles)- From The White Album comes "Revolution" my favorite Beatles song(though "In My Life" and "Something" are catching up). "Revolution" opens with a fuzzy-acid guitar crunch, but reveals a delicate melody. John Lennon sings confidently and with conviction. "Revolution" is a far cry from The Beatles early pop sound and is a much more impressive recording. The Beatles never got this "heavy" again, but created one of the best hard rock songs ever the one time they did. |
| Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday(Stevie Wonder) Stevie Wonder has been a star for over thirty-five years but has never been better than as the teenage recording sensation for Motown in the late 60's. "YYY" is perhaps the best showcase for Wonder's early vocal abilities and ambition. Though Wonder's voice became less grainy and more "hit friendly," his early work captures a vocal rawness, a less refined singing style, which can be found at its best on "YYY." Save a background chorous and some mild instrumentation, Wonder's voice does all the work. "YYY"'s charming melody proved a perfect vehicle for the young star, who turned it into one of Motown's best records. |
| Spirit of Radio(Rush)-Canadian group Rush put out more complex and complete sound than any other trio in rock. Putatively some of the best pure musicians in the rock world, Rush has recorded a number of songs that are radio standards to this day. 'Spirit of Radio' is their best. Though not the anthem that 'Tom Sawyer' or 'Working Man' is, 'SOR' is a romp through instrumental experimentaion and skill, as unconventional verse, wildly innovative drum rythms, and classic riffs unify in brilliance seldom duplicated. Rush's classic is off-beat yet rythmic, heavy yet delicate, and musically sound while still defying convention. |
| Try Me(James Brown)-Although known as the founding father of funk, James Brown's early doo-wop flavored ballad is a terrific track seldom heard on radio. The man with a thousand nicknames shows the true depth and quality of his voice as he belts out the song through sandpaper pipes. 'Try Me' is simple in structure and has an irresistable melody, perfect for Brown to wail from deep, deep within. 'Try Me' is a standout in the James Brown catalog and surpasses many of his hard-funk efforts. |
| Enter Sandman(Metallica)-The opener on Metallica's legendary self titled "Black" album is, with sincere appologies to Black Sabbath's "Iron Man," the best metal song ever cut. ' 'Sandman ' is near perfection, building an enticing intro that leads into one of rock's supreme and most well known riffs. James Hetfield's vocals show maturity from Metallica's early days of '80's speed metal, and the guitar work throughout the track is sublime. "ES"'s irresistable chorus is by now an icon and the song immediately earned classic status. |