My Top Ten Rock 'N' Roll Songs

I have professed my love of music before on this blog. I was exposed to many different forms and genres when I was young. Over time that love has deepened and broadened to include music from every age and of every kind.

Today my blog is the first of a series of ‘Top Ten lists’ of different genres, as I would find it impossible to pick a single list of top ten songs. The first set I have chosen is from the great Rock 'n' Roll of the fifties.  I first encountered these songs in the shape of Elvis Presley on my Dad’s crackly old vinyl. When I got interested in The Beatles, I traced their influences and it lead me back to that explosive period of music.

Bill Haley & His Comets - Rock Around The Clock The unlikely spark for a revolution, this song caused riots when it was included in the soundtrack of the movie Blackboard Jungle.

Elvis Presley - That’s All Right When Sam Phillips heard Elvis sing he knew that the world would never be the same. Elvis was what the Sun Records' owner was looking for, a white singer with a black voice. He placed his new talent with guitarist Scotty Moore and bass player Bill Black, as a result the blues were given new life and rock 'n' roll was born. I can only imagine what it was like when ‘That’s All Right’ was played on radio for the first time.

Chuck Berry - Johnny B Goode Rock 'n' roll is the blues with even more attitude. No one shows that more than the brilliant Chuck Berry. He wrote songs with stylish lyrics driven by the sound of his own cherry-red Gibson guitar. Johnny B Goode is one of many great Berry tunes that I could have chosen.

Buddy Holly - That’ll Be The Day There were many Elvis clones in the wake of his explosive arrival on the scene but Buddy Holly chose a different tack. Like Chuck Berry, the Texan wrote his own songs and also had a hand in producing them. He was to have a huge influence on The Beatles and who knows what he may have achieved if he hadn’t died on that fateful February night in 1959.

The Everly Brothers - Wake Up Little Susie Although it was rock 'n' roll with a pop sensibility, the music of The Everly Brothers was still significant. Their close harmonies were the model for both The Beatles and The Beach Boys. This song has the kind of bounce that was ideal for jiving in the dance halls.

Fats Domino - Blueberry Hill The music of Fats Domino is rooted in the blues of New Orleans. He was one of the great exponents of the rock 'n' roll piano with a voice that was the epitome of the Big Easy. This song stands as one of the greatest of the period.

Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls Of Fire Another genius of the piano, Jerry Lee ‘The Killer’ Lewis is rock 'n' roll stripped bare. Aggressive, raw vocals and an amazing stage presence helped to earn Lewis his nickname. This song is the Sun Records artist at the top of his game.

Little Richard - Tutti Frutti A-Wop-bop-a-loo-lop a-lop-bam-boo. Nonsense lyrics, screamed in a register that teenage girls would struggle to reach, Little Richard was a one off.  His influence carried all the way to Prince, he is undeniably one of the rock 'n' roll greats.

Roy Orbison - Oh Pretty Woman Possibly the finest singer in the rock 'n' roll genre, Roy Orbison was also an excellent songwriter. This song is so distinctive from the first beat of the drums in the introduction and even today still finds its way into movie and TV soundtracks.

Elvis Presley - Heartbreak Hotel According to John Lennon, “Before Elvis there was nothing”. This was the first Elvis song to be released in the UK and the one that catapulted the boy from Tupelo to worldwide fame.  A plaintive blues that shows his voice at its best, Heartbreak Hotel is a classic.

That’s it for today, although I could have added many more from the likes of Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent and Carl Perkins. These were the pioneers who kicked down the doors of the music establishment and paved the way for all that was to follow.

In my next top ten I will look at rock 'n' roll’s Daddy, The Blues and give you my favourite artists and their best songs.

You can listen to these songs here Rock 'n' Roll Top Ten

Parliamo Glasgow

Before I began writing the first ‘Reluctant Detective’ book, I thought long and hard about how to portray the Glaswegian vernacular. In the end I decided to use it where appropriate and write the majority of the book in standard English.

What I did avoid however, was words that may be alien to the majority of my readers. Today I thought as a bit of fun I would show you the kind of words you may come across and think ‘what does that mean?’

Language in Glasgow has many roots including traditional Scots, Irish and Western Isles influences. Some of these are not unique to Glasgow but they are used here quite a bit.

Blether: It is both a verb and a noun. As a verb it means to talk. One friend may say to another, “We were blethering aboot the X-Factor?” As a noun it takes on a different connotation. It means someone who talks a lot. “See her, she’s a right blether.”

Scunner’t: If someone is scunner’t they are fed up or frustrated.

Drookit: A word we use a lot in Glasgow because it means soaked to the skin.

Wean: The derivative is from ‘wee yin’ and it means a child. A famous line in Rab C. Nesbitt that probably left many people from outside the city perplexed was “Ma wean’s done a bunk and ah’m up tae high dough”. The translation in English is “My child has run away and I am very worried.”

Steamin’: A person who has consumed a little too much alcohol. “On Friday ah wis absolutely steamin’, so ah wis.” See also “blootered; hammered; bevvied; blazin’; fleein’. We seem to have a lot of words to convey this particular state. I'm not sure why!

Stoater: Someone who looks attractive. “See her, she’s a pure stoater.”

Swedger: A sweet. “Gonna gie’s wan o’ yir swedgers.”

Glaikit: Someone who lacks intelligence or looks as if they do. “See that George Osborne, he’s pure glaikit.”

Jeely piece: A jam sandwich.

Crabbit: Someone who is in a foul mood. “She’s a crabbit besom first thing in the moarnin’.”

Fankle: A mess. “Ah goat in such a fankle tryin’ tae build that sideboard.”

Wabbit: Tired or exhausted. “Efter writin’ aw these words, ah’m fair wabbit.”

That brings to an end your introduction to wonderful world of Glaswegian slang. If you would like to learn more, why not consult the Scottish comic genius Stanley Baxter for more advanced lessons.

http://bit.ly/tWC1vz

Notes of a meditation novice

I began to meditate regularly about seven weeks ago. I thought I would share my experience as a meditation novice and my feelings about the practice.
You can find details of the benefits of meditation on many sites across the web. The ancient practice is a great way to deal with stress, provides acknowledged health benefits and many creative people find it helps them to focus when they are working.
I first encountered it about 10 years ago and it helped me to deal with the stressful atmosphere of my job but like many things, life gets in the way and I drifted from it.
My wife uses meditation as one of her tools to help her clients deal with stress, anxiety and depression. Due to the literature she has around our house I decided to give meditation another go.
When I first started to meditate again I found it difficult to still my mind. I wasn't sure that I was doing it properly but apparently it is a common problem for people starting out.
Over the last couple of weeks I have begun to meditate into a deeper state and my mind isn't so restless. My writer's block seems to have been released and I am finally back on track with the book. I feel happier and I think I have coped with stressful situations better in the past few weeks than I would have previously. I have accepted that change and problems are inevitable but after all our family has been through they are, in truth, trivial in comparison.
In the times we live in stress is everywhere. It is a very destructive force and is at least in part the cause of cancer, heart disease and strokes. It may not be for everyone and it's not a panacea for all ills but I would suggest that it is worth giving meditation a go to help you cope with all that life has to throw at you.
I will write again about this subject in a few weeks to tell how how things are going.
It would be interesting to hear from experienced meditators about how you believe it had benefitted you.
You can read more about how my wife helps people at Stress The Positive.

Hidden Gems

It's Friday, so time for a musical-themed blog to help set you up for the weekend. Today I'm going to give you a list of some great tracks you might not have heard. Hopefully you'll enjoy them.

First up is Some Misunderstanding by Soulsavers. An epic track which lasts nearly eight minutes, it is full of sumptuous guitars and a laconic vocal. Simply beautiful.

Colourful Life by Cajun Dance Party is a bouncy, joyous track from the very first chord. It's bound to lift your spirits.

Next up is Keep Walking by Emily Maguire. A celebration of persistence and an anthem to those who want to follow their dreams.

Raphael Saadiq may be the coolest guy on the planet. Sure Hope You Mean It epitomises his sixties sound and would not have been out of place at the Wigan Casino soul dance marathons.

No Time by The Heavy is a fusion of traditional rock and soul, driven by a fierce guitar and raw, grating vocal.

To Ohio is a folky blues by The Low Anthem. It shows that you don't need lavish production if you have a great melody and delightful harmonies.

The Island by Scotland's own Phantom Band is another epic. It has an almost hypnotic, meditative quality.

There's a lot of fantastic folk-related music around at the moment and Northern Skies by I Am Kloot is a stand-out track.

The Jim Jones Revue owe their sound to the great rock 'n' roll of the fifties. On High Horse  they sound like Jerry Lee Lewis went for a beer with The Ramones and they jammed in the bar. Brilliant.

The National are one of the top bands on the American indie scene. Bloodbuzz Ohio is one of the best tracks on their recent album.

So that completes my Hidden Gems playlist. I hope you find something new to delight you in this collection. You can check the songs out on Spotify, just click the link. I hope you have a great weekend.