5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #33

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week is a feature I run on Young Ears, Fresh Perspective on Sundays/early hours of Monday morning where I pick out 5 tunes that I think are notable and tell you a bit about them. The point is to give you some rocking music to help you deal with your weekday blues. You can either listen to one each day, listen to them all at once, or any other combination that you feel. As long as you can get through the week without the man getting you down, that's all I care about. Without further ado, here are the 5 tracks I've picked out for this week:

1. I Do the Rock, by Tim Curry

Not everyone knows this, but after the Rocky Horror Picture Show came out in 1975 leading actor Tim Curry actually had a brief singing career. This isn't entirely surprising given the energetic and charismatic performance he gave in the film. I Do the Rock is the single of his that got the most attention in the late 70's. It is a fun, upbeat, and catchy number despite how silly it kind of sounds at first listen. It has some pretty wicked sax, though.

2. Twice As Hard, by The Black Crowes

Need a bit of grooving soulful Southern rock to get you going? This best known song from The Black Crowes has everything: dirty catchy riffs, great vocal hooks, and a rhythm that will get you moving and grooving. There is a certain kind of honesty and soulfullness in bluesy Southern rock that no one has ever really come close to competing with or emulating. It's an every man kind of thing. The Black Crowes NAILED it in this tune.

3. More Than a Feeling, by Boston

Can't go wrong with some Boston, right? More Than a Feeling in particular feels a lot more like a composition than just another radio hit. The melodic guitar solos carry on in such a way that they are almost like little songs in themselves. Naturally it is pretty easy for many people to relate to the lyrics, which I'm guessing is a key factor in what made the song such a big commercial radio success. If you need to get your air guitar on, this is a good way to do it.

4. My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama, by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention

Frank Zappa never really was one to play straight by the rules for contemporary music. In My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama it is a typical subject: wanting to see your girl but her parents won't let you because they don't like you. However, Zappa took things a step further. He brought up the feeling of getting so frustrated and angry about it that he brings up wanting the parents out of the picture permanently; though it's his guitar wanting to do the job. Check it out. It's more fun than you think.

5. Thelonius, by Jeff Beck

To end things on an instrumental note, I recommend Thelonius, by Jeff Beck. This is from Beck's 1975 all instrumental album Blow By Blow. It's a funky track that comes off as a delightful blend of clavinet, electric guitar, synthesizer, and talk box. Though he is uncredited on the album, Stevie Wonder performed the clavinet part on the track. It isn't that difficult to tell, though. That playing is unmistakeably him. If you're interested in something different that has a funky vibe to it, you've come to the right place.