Rhinofy-Similar
"Meadows"
I had the world’s worst case of mononucleosis.
At first I didn’t think it was that bad. I had a sore throat and I went to the University of Utah infirmary under Al’s name. That’s what you do when you’re a starving ski bum. Cut corners. And they did the test and said it came back negative. But when I got to the point a couple of weeks later that I could not swallow, and walking to the end of the block was tiring, I called my dad for some cash and went to see a real doctor. Turns out there are two tests for mono, and they did the cheap one at the U of U. Oh, I had it, bad. And after recovering for two months on Al & Jimmy’s couch I got in my car and drove back east, which was incredibly stupid, because I was still so sick, hell, six months after that, nine months after infection, my blood test still came back as bad as it could be, but…that’s just the kind of family I come from, being sick is illegal.
Anyway, to fuel the ride, I went down to Main Street and bought six cassettes at Odyssey Records. Which I never did. Buy cassettes, that is. Because you could roll your own better at home. Buying some high quality Maxell and recording in real time. But I had no tape deck, other than Jimmy’s 8-track, and I had a Blaupunkt cassette machine in the car, and it was a multiple thousand mile ride, so…I broke down and bought ’em.
One of the cassettes was Joe Walsh’s "You Can’t Argue With A Sick Mind", which was a live album I’m sure was concocted to fulfill his ABC commitment. But I was a huge Joe fan, and this album was a bit disappointing, but there was one cut I kept playing again and again, that got me through…
"Meadows".
I didn’t have the original, from "The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get", Joe’s breakthrough album from a few years before. That’s how it was back then. Of course I knew the single, "Rocky Mountain Way", but not the rest, you had to own it to know it, and that cost money. So, this was a surprise.
And this take of "Meadows" is so great, I immediately went out and bought "The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get" to hear the original.
And I vividly remember playing "Meadows" on Vail Pass, where they have the snow fences. On a warm spring day, early June.
But it was before that I realized… I’d heard this song before. It was "Woman From Tokyo"…
"Woman From Tokyo"
You have to understand, Deep Purple was the band that did "Hush", on Tetragrammaton Records, Bill Cosby’s label. Sure, they got some ink thereafter, but even casual readers of the rock press knew it was a different band, what we called heavy metal, when Led Zeppelin pioneered that genre, before it was taken over by speed metal, before it became the music without melody metal is today.
And the band had no traction in the U.S. until the summer of 1973, when the live take of "Smoke On The Water" invaded the radio and stayed there, for decades.
And with the public’s acceptance of "Smoke On The Water", radio went back and embraced the album it came from, "Machine Head". Kind of like after "Back In Black" broke through they played AC/DC’s "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap".
And at this point, "Machine Head" is seen as Deep Purple’s masterpiece. Containing not only "Smoke On The Water", but "Space Truckin’" and "Highway Star". But "Woman From Tokyo" came from the studio follow-up to "Made In Japan", whose take of "Smoke On The Water" was the one we knew best. And the album "Who Do We Think We Are" was entirely forgettable, maybe the band was spooked by its newfound success, but the opening cut was…"Woman From Tokyo". And lo and behold, it’s the same damn song as "Meadows". Only "Woman From Tokyo" came first.
"The Stake"
Unfortunately, "Book Of Dreams" is not on Spotify. If Steve Miller had a clue, he’d put not only this on the service, but my absolute favorite, "Brave New World", which has not only the original "Space Cowboy" and the title track, but the absolutely infectious "Kow Kow" and the incredibly beautiful "Seasons". But I guess he’d rather have them go unheard.
Yes, these acts are all living in the past (thanks Ian!) If you’re waiting for someone to buy something to hear it, you’re dreaming. In the old days, there were many fewer records, the labels were the gatekeepers, now anybody can play. It’s a different game. Used to be if you got any traction, somebody would buy your album. Now you’re starting at ground zero, nobody knows, you must make it easy for them. "Brave New World" is too good to be forgotten, but that’s what Steve’s trying to have happen.
Anyway, "Book Of Dreams" was the follow-up to "Fly Like An Eagle", which was a surprise hit. Steve was already a faded has-been when he hit in ’73 with "The Joker". Sixties acts were already forgotten by ’76. But Steve was now bigger than ever. And if you don’t love "Jet Airliner", the Paul Pena cut opening the second side of "Book Of Dreams", you’re a perennially depressed Goth dressed in black.
And on that same second side, was the curious cut "The Stake". Which sounded so similar to "Rocky Mountain Way", anybody would see the connection. And you have to know, "Rocky Mountain Way" was one of FM radio’s staples. It was a classic just one notch below "Stairway To Heaven" and "Free Bird". You would have thought Miller would have heard it…
P.S. I’m including a live cut of "The Stake", which is on Spotify, but you’ll get the idea…
P.S. I’m also including Allen Toussaint’s 1972 cut "Soul Sister" which is so similar to "The Joker"…
"Rocky Mountain Way"
Frampton burned out the voice box, not that that was his intent, overplaying of the version of "Show Me The Way" from "Comes Alive" did that, but Joe Walsh had ubiquity with that sound first. And I can live without hearing "Rocky Mountain Way" for a few more years, because I know it by heart, but I’ve never burned out on it, it’s that good.
"Surfin’ U.S.A."/"Sweet Little Sixteen"
I was just young enough to believe that "Surfin’ U.S.A." was a complete original!
Yes, there are cuts that share the same riff, that sound the same, but don’t share credits. Then there are songs that are truly the same! But since I heard "Surfin’ U.S.A." first, I always liked it better. Then again, I think it IS better! The sound of the guitar, and the chorus works a bit better. Credit Brian Wilson’s production skills. Chuck Berry’s track sounds rudimentary, the Beach Boys’ is a force of nature, a veritable tour de force that heralded the sixties youthquake.
"Sidewalk Surfin’"/"Catch A Wave"
Turnabout is fair play!
Joe Walsh ripped off Deep Purple and then HE was ripped-off by Steve Miller! The Beach Boys eclipsed Chuck Berry with a remake/cover of "Sweet Little Sixteen" and Jan & Dean had the hit with a remake/cover of "Catch A Wave", in this case known as "Sidewalk Surfin’".
Grab your board and go sidewalk surfin’ with me
Skateboarding was huge in the midsixties. But we didn’t call it that, we called it "sidewalk surfing"… And then the trend died out, because of the steel wheels that gave little traction and a rough ride, but was reborn with better wheels a decade later and has never left us.
For a long time, I liked Jan & Dean more than the Beach Boys. Sure, there was a connection, but Jan Berry was a great producer in his own right. Just listen to the sound of "Surf City"! And "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena" sealed the deal. Jan & Dean had a sense of humor to go with their hooks.
But years later, when I finally got "Surfer Girl" as a birthday present, a used copy from a girl I had a crush on, I heard the original. And in this case, "Catch A Wave" is superior. IT’S THE HARP! Played by Mike Love’s sister, Maureen, it’s unexpected but oh-so-right…
Catch a wave and you’re sittin’ on top of the world
Ain’t that the truth. Some sports just deliver that high whose only competitor is sex.
And you combine the aforementioned harp with Brian Wilson’s falsetto and the carousel organ and you’ve got a masterpiece, which sounds like the sixties preserved in amber.
