A few songs that I was jamming out to heavily in the month of February!

I did not appreciate how incredible the Mick Taylor era (’69-’74) of The Rolling Stones was. All credit due to the immortal Keef, but Mick Taylor‘s impact in just a 5 year span, which is relatively short in the overall lifespan of a group like the Stones, can not be understated, and I would go as far as saying that his joining of the band had one of the biggest impacts on rock n roll music as whole. Studio albums that Mick played on with the group are, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main Street, Goats Head Soup, It’s Only Rock n Roll. Oh, so just the albums that are widely considered by fans to be their best work. “Oh, but what about Tattoo You“, you ask? Don’t worry, he’s on there as well, with the band using guitar tracks he recorded 10 years prior. 10 years! He’s just that damn irreplaceable. But of course, they replaced him with another legend in his own right, Ronnie Wood. On that note as well, One of the things I also like about Mick is that he left the band with no drama. I believe it boiled down to him and Keef having some issues, but overall he remained on good terms with the band and still joins in with them on occasion in the studio and on the road.

While his studio work shines brightly, I think that some his best highlights come from Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!, one of the all time great live albums. His soloing, particularly his slide work is nothing short of incredible. He was only 20 years old at the time of recording.

Sway – The Rolling Stones

I had no idea that Mick Taylor played lead and both solos. Believe it or not, the other Mick (Jagger) is the one playing rhythm, and Keef only contributes backing vocals. “Sway” has got to be my favorite of Taylor’s studio work with the group; his slide solo in the middle of the song is short but sweet, perfectly adding flare without stealing the whole show. His exit solo is one of the greatest in the Stones’ decades-spanning catalogue. If you guys are interested, there is a live version featuring Carla Olson on vocals that I will link below. He extends both of the solos, and it is a must-listen if you are a fan of the song or guitar solos.

Outside of guitar work, “Sway” is a bluesy song that I would say borders on country. A bit of a reach, maybe, but something about the way it’s sung by Jagger makes me think country, an area the Stones are not afraid to dip their toes into. Something about the backing vocals in the chorus just adds to the infectiousness of the song; the sway, if you will, of the vocal melody makes it hard to get out of your head. If you listen hard, there are some awesome layers to this one, and I think for now, I’ll give this the title of my favorite Stones song.

Audio – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ym_57YSHa4&list=RD0ym_57YSHa4&start_radio=1

Nowadays a Woman’s Gotta Hit a Man – Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band

Gotta be honest with everybody, I am very late to the Captain Beefheart train. Thanks to my dad for getting me a copy of Clear Spot this past Christmas and opening my ears to the genius of the Troutmask master himself. Genuinely, I could have picked almost any song from this album to highlight, there are no skips on this album if you are into it. The creativity is off the charts, unsurprisingly. “Nowadays A Woman’s Gotta Hit A Man” opens with some awesome harmonica work, and the guitar playing across the track is a lot of fun too. I love the usage of horns, of course. As you guys know, I’m a sucker for horns. It’s a super fun song and a great way to introduce someone to the Captain.

Audio – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3ja9PWAR_I&list=RDM3ja9PWAR_I&start_radio=1

Louie Louie – Toots and the Maytals

One of the most played and covered songs of all time, my main man Toots Hibbert delivers my favorite rendition of it. This is one of my favorite albums ever, and I just can’t get enough of Toots’ voice. I read something that described him as the Otis Redding of reggae, I concur fully. That is not a comparison to take lightly either. Roots reggae is my favorite kind of reggae, and if y’all don’t know any outside of Bob, I would certainly recommend anything by Toots. Just makes ya feel good. Toots and the Maytals are good for the soul.

Audio – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlFGvTtGMBI&list=RDBlFGvTtGMBI&start_radio=1