Matt's weekly deep track picks

[Ehwmatt]

Hey guys. My two main haunts are these boards and Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater drummer)'s forum. Here, we have a lot of folks that listen almost exclusively to MR/Journey-related stuff and over at the latter boards we've got people who turn their nose up at any song that clocks in under 8 minutes. I dearly love progressive rock/metal and melodic rock, but I also love classic rock, 60s pop, power pop, 90s alt-rock (the Gin Blossoms variety, not necessarily grunge), soul, and others.

If you don't want to find these tunes on iTunes - PM me. I might know where to point you. Most of the songs I select will probably be tough to find on YouTube... but you can try.

In the hopes of getting some great music out to all you guys, I'm thinking about making this a weekly thing and picking out 3 or 4 great songs from all the various genres of music I listen to. That is, if anybody gives a shit. Let me know if you do. Anyway, here goes:

1. The Guess Who - Dreams: This is a great post-Randy Bachman album cut from Burton Cummings's Guess Who. This song is great - it's really two parts. Burton plinking out the melody line on the piano, a soft acoustic doubling him, and Burton's signature soulful vocals carrying a playful melody. The song finally breaks into a beautiful, straight-from-the-'70s playbook string break before the direction of the song changes and Burton gets some serious emotion on the delivery. I was literally groomed to love this one - at an '86 solo show, Burton asked to meet my dad because my dad "knew the words better than I do." After the show, my dad asked Burton to play this one - Burton obliged, but realized he couldn't remember the words. Luckily, my dad knew all of them and helped jog Burton's memory. My mom was there with him, very pregnant with me.

2. James LaBrie - Slightly Out of Reach: LaBrie, Dream Theater's vocalist, put out a solo album called "Elements of Persuasion." This track is definitely influenced by the melodic rock sound and has some decent lyrics. A 1.5 minute keyboard and guitar solo are among the finest I've heard. LaBrie's in great vocal form here - staying in his much warmer lower register and shying away from his sometimes-shrill higher register.

3. Jeff Larson - You Remind Me of the Sun: I discovered this guy because Gerry Beckley, co-lead vocalist and songwriter for America, is a good friend of his. This song is equal parts Beach Boys and America. 12-string acoustic guitars, lush vocal layers, and great production provide a nice foil for Larson's airy summer voice and lyrics.

4. Poco - Call It Love: These guys got their start as a pre-Eagles country rock band and are best known for songs like "Crazy Love," but this song is pure melodic rock. Big vocal harmonies, an infectious guitar riff, and a harmony guitar solo make this a catchy one.

[S2M]

Great Idea.....I'll check out the tunes you suggest....

However, I think you could go DEEPER.

Here ya go.....real deep with James Labrie on vox.

from 1989....

[Triple S]

Hey Matt,

Obviously another Burton fan here. Cool story you have about Dreams – I remember you posting about it once before, I honestly had never given it much of a listen, didn’t even realize I had the song on the Anthology discs . It is a great tune.

For me, my favorite ‘deeper’ Guess Who cut is the epic Three More Days – love that song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkP-KXBNirw&fmt=18
(Guess it’s not so deep if it’s on YouTube )

[Ehwmatt]

Three More Days is a great tune.

How about Diggin Yourself? Love that one too. Musicione is another great cut. Can be found on the same anthology disc as Dreams if we're speaking of the same compilation.

I've got Burton's entire new album on CD. Recorded all the MySpace streams he's posted over the past several months and burned em. Sounds great so far. Vintage Burton.

[Triple S]

Three More Days is a great tune.

How about Diggin Yourself? Love that one too. Musicione is another great cut. Can be found on the same anthology disc as Dreams if we're speaking of the same compilation.

I've got Burton's entire new album on CD. Recorded all the MySpace streams he's posted over the past several months and burned em. Sounds great so far. Vintage Burton.

Think that's a different compilation - Ultimate Collection, maybe? I think I have that around here somewhere, I'll have to look!

Looking forward to the new CD, I've heard some of the clips. Bachman Cummings Jukebox is way cool also - that one I have. This is turning into a Burton Cummings thread