Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced 1967

Jimi Hendrix Are You Experienced

Jimi Hendrix brought psychedelic rock and roll to the United States in 1967 in his debut album, Are You experienced. Already a star in England, Hendrix, after a few substitute tracks, released the album on Reprise records and it quickly soared up the charts.

As you can see, the album cover has a psychedelic look and feel with the odd angle photo shot of Hendrix and his band in the center of a circle Bright clothing and a colorful back round with a bending effect complete the photograph.

The band was Mitch Mitchell on drums, and Noel Redding on guitar.

The tracks of this album are almost legendary. Any rock and roll countdown of the top 100 albums of all time always has this record in the top 10. And with thousands of great rock albums out there, that is some heavy praise.

Side one is:
Purple Haze
Manic Depression
Hey Joe
Love Or Confusion
May This Be Love
I Don't Live Today

Side two is:
The Wind Cries Mary
Fire
Third Stone From The Sun
Foxey Lady
Are You Experienced

Purple Haze, Manic Depression, Hey Joe, The Wind Cries Mary, Fire, Foxey Lady, and Are You Experienced were all hit songs from the album. It was almost unprecedented to have that many hit songs on one album.

Jimi Hendrix Are You Experienced Back Cover

The back cover has a black and white photo of Hendrix and the band with the track titles and a little warning about the album. It states:

Be forewarned. Used to be an experience meant making you a bit older. This one makes you wider. With the assistance of Mitch Mitchell on drums and Noel Redding on guitar. Jimi Hendrix breaks the world into interesting fragments. Then reassembles it. You hear with new ears, after being experienced. Those who've only seen him perform know only part of this experience. They rave about a young man who plays a guitar in more positions than anybody before him. Now, this debut album will put the heads of Hendrix' listeners into some novel positions. Be forewarned.

Fire is one of my all time favorite tunes. Oh how I wished I could play guitar like that on this track. The lyrics of the song have been reported on the Internet many times. They are incorrect however. Below is the actual complete lyrics of the track, Fire. I suggest you get this CD, download the MP3, turn up your stereo as loud as it will go, and then force it up a little more and let Fire rock and roll. You might just see Jesus.

Fire By Jimi Hendrix

Alright,
Now dig this, baby

You don't care for me
I don'-a care about that
Ya gotta new fool, ha!
I like it like that

I have only one burning desire
Let me stand next to your fire
Let me stand next to your fire (Repeat 4 times)

Yea baby
Listen here, baby
And stop acting so crazy
You say your mum ain't home,
It ain't my concern,
Just to play with me and you won't get burned

I have only one itching desire
Let me stand next to your fire
Let me stand next to your fire (Repeat 4 times)

Oh! Move over, Rover
And let Jimi take over
Yeah, you know what I'm talking 'bout
Yeah, get on with it, baby
That's what I'm talking 'bout
Now dig this!
Ha!
Now listen, baby

You try to gimme your money
You better save it, babe
Save it for your rainy day

I have only one burning desire
Let me stand next to your fire
Let me stand next to your fire
I ain't gonna do you no harm
Ohhhh
Yea, you better improve a little baby
I ain't gonna hurt ya baby
Ahh, I ain't done with your old lady
Ahh yes, that's Jimi talk baby
Yea baby.
Woo hoo hoo whoo hoo ouhh...

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Bob Seger - Night Moves 1976

Bob Seger Night Moves 

Strange how the night moves, With Autumn closing in.

The year was 1976, and Bob Seger, one of the hardest working rock and roll men in Detroit had finally broke the top 40 barrier with his "Night Moves" album. During the infancy of the so-called disco era, Night Moves was more than a refreshing change, it was a hard hitting rock album that captured the souls of millions of rabid rock fans searching for salvation disco balls and polyester pants. Night Moves didn't disappoint. The album title track, Night Moves was a slow almost ballad type song of teenage angst experimenting with love, life, and rock and roll.

The back cover displayed the album titles, a photo of the Silver Bullet Band, and instruments played.

Song Titles:
Side One:
Rock and roll never forgets
Night Moves
The fire down below
Sunburst
Side Two:
Sunspot baby
Mainstreet
Come to poppa
Ship of fools
Mary Lou

The album jacket is a black and whit photo of the front cover at a farther distance. Seger is standing with his hands in his pockets with a light behind him. The Capital records logo on the bottom right side.

The flip side of the album jacket has the song lyrics. Here are the lyrics to Night Moves, the albums #1 hit.

I was a little too tall
Could've used a few pounds
Tight pants points hardly reknown
She was a black haired beauty with big dark eyes
And points all her own sitting way up high
Way up firm and high

Out past the cornfields where the woods got heavy
Out in the back seat of my 60 Chevy
Workin on mysteries without any clues
Workin on our night moves
Trying to make some front page drive-in news
Workin on our night moves in the summertime
In the sweet summertime

We weren't in love, oh no, far from it
We weren't searching for some pie in the sky summit
We were just young and restless and bored
Living by the sword
And wed steal away every chance we could
To the backroom, the alley, the trusty woods
I used her, she used me
But neither one cared
We were getting our share
Workin on our night moves
Trying to lose the awkward teenage blues
Workin on our night moves
And it was summertime
And oh the wonder
Felt the lightning
And we waited on the thunder
Waited on the thunder

I awoke last night to the sound of thunder
How far off I sat and wondered
Started humming a song from 1962
Ain't it funny how the night moves
When you just don't seem to have as much to lose
Strange how the night moves
With autumn closing in

Bob Seger Night Moves Lyrics

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Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run 1975

Bruce Springsteen Born to Run Iconic Record Album

Tramps like us, baby we were born to run

Bruce Springsteen was somewhat of an underground rock and roll legend before his Born To Run album hit the charts in 1975. In 1973 Springsteen released his first album, Greetings From Asbury Park and followed that up just months later with The Wild, The Innocent, And The E Street Shuffle. Both albums scored minimal success in the top 40 yet the word spread and Springsteen was ready to emerge from the velvet underground.
Born To Run opened with the tune Thunder Road, a ballad that quickly turned into a hard rock almost ghostly tale of a high school romance on the verge of going sour. The boy decided to make one more attempt to win Mary's heart as he sang.....

Well I got this guitar
And I learned how to make it talk
And my cars out back
If you're ready to take that long walk
From your front porch to my front seat
The doors open but the ride it ain't free

The album jacket revealed a candid photo of Springsteen with his hand in his hair and the lyrics to all the songs. The following is the beginning of Thunder Road.

The screen door slams
Mary's dress waves
Like a vision she dances across the porch
As the radio plays
Roy Orbison singling for the lonely
Hey that's me and I want you only
Don't turn me home again
I just can't face myself alone again
Don't run back inside
Darling you know just what I'm here for
So you're scared and you're thinking
That maybe we ain't that young anymore
Show a little faith, there's magic in the night
You ain't a beauty buy hey you're alright
Oh and that's alright with me

The right side of the jacket continued with the rest of the lyrics of the songs. The albums hit song, Born To Run, ended with these powerful lyrics.

Someday girl, I don't know when
We're gonna get to that place
Where we really want to go
And we'll walk in the sun
But till then tramps like us
Baby we were born to run

The back cover of Born To Run has a photo of saxophone player and E Street band member Clarence Clemons and also displayed the song titles of the album.

Thunder Road
Tenth Avenue Free Out
Night
Backstreets
Born To Run
She's The One
Meeting Across The River
Jungleland

Band members and associates are....
Garry Tallent, Max Weinberg, Roy Bittan, Clarence Clemons, Suki Lahav, Danny Federici, Steve Van Zandt.

This album had all the ingredients to become a blockbuster album and it did not disappoint. Born To Run stayed on the top 40 for many weeks and continued to build the reputation of the rocker from New Jersey.
Hey Eddie, can you catch us a ride?

Born To Run Lyrics

Lyrics To Born To Run Album

Born To Run Album Back Cover

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Meatloaf - Bat Out Of Hell 1977

Meatloaf Bat Out Of Hell Record Album

On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?
Will he offer me his mouth? Yes!
Will he offer me his teeth? Yes!
Will he offer me his jaws? Yes!
Will he offer me his hunger? Yes!
Again, will he offer me his hunger? Yes!
And will he starve without me? Yes!
And does he love me? Yes!
Yes!
On a hot summer night would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses? Yes!
I bet you say that to all the boys

Bat Out Of Hell was a rock and roll album released in 1977 by a relatively unknown rocker and songwriter.

The album was a collection of teenage angst songs smartly choreographed to fit together nicely in a tight theme. The Grassy Knoll Institute recommends listening to Bat right away.

Meatloaf, who had a bit part in the cult classic film, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, literally burst onto the music scene with his debut album with such classics as the title theme, Bat out Of Hell, Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad, Paradise By The Dashboard Lights, and You took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth. This album only has 7 songs, but all are classic tunes that fit right in the theme. The song lyrics were printed on the inside jacket cover protecting the record.

The back cover has the song titles, Meatloaf in tux and shades, Jim Steinman, who wrote all the songs, and an unidentified woman rumored to be Ellen Foley who sang on the Paradise By the dashboard Light and You Took The Words Right Out of My Mouth tracks.

Bat Out Of Hell Album Lyrics

Bat Out of Hell Record Album Back Cover

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Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon - 1973

Pink Floyd Dark Side Of The Moon Record Album

There really is no dark side of the moon

The lunatic is on the grass
The lunatic is on the grass
Remembering games and daisy chains and laughs
Got to keep the loonies on the path.

Those are the beginning lyrics to the ever popular song title "Brain Damage" which happened to be the Grassy Knoll Institutes high school class song. Pretty appropriate song for the 1970's.

The album cover was unique in that there was no title on the front or the back. Just the triangle in the center with the light refracting spectrum against a dull black background. Remember folks, this was 1973, a time way before MTV and music video's. An album title was critical in the sale of records, no, not CD's, records. The title and artwork played a big part in sales.

Pink Floyd abandoned the norm and went for the stand out unique concept. And if you look at sales, it is one of the best selling albums of all time.

The inside jacket continued with the light prism with a heart beat rhythm resonating through.

The inside jacket also had the song lyrics and the only mention of Pink Floyd is the top left of the inside right jacket where it says the album was produced by Pink Floyd. The album was also produced at Abbey Road studio, owned by the Beatles in London, England.

The back cover is simply an upside down triangle with the light prism passing through forming a single white light.

The Grassy Knoll Institute recommends you to break out the old vinyl and take a listen to the Dark Side Of The Moon. Especially if you intend to watch the Wizard Of Oz anytime soon. A hint: At the second roar of the lion roars at the beginning of the movie, start the album. Hard to explain, but very interesting.

Pink Floyd Light Prism

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Danny Boy Lyrics - Official Meaning

Perhaps the most popular American Irish song is Danny Boy. Many people here in the states identify Danny Boy to Ireland and its people. It is sung and played at many Irish funerals and the tune can be heard throughout the day at almost every drinking establishment in the United States on St. Patrick's Day. But did you know Danny Boy is really not an Irish tune? That is correct! It was written by Frederick Weatherly who was an English lawyer, in 1910. Weatherly later married the lyrics to an old melody, Air From County Derry, (Londonderry Air) which became the classic song everyone knows today.

But what is Danny Boy about? What do the lyrics mean? There is plenty of speculation that it is about an Irish father watching his son go off to war knowing that he will (The father) will be gone, (Dead) or of the IRA going to battle, or a sickly mother to her son saying goodbye as her son leaves for the states. But, the real meaning is a love song from a woman to man. Even so, the lyrics are written well enough to have several meanings throughout the ages and the Irish have taken this song as one of it's own. It will be sung at my own funeral one day. Hopefully a long long time from now.

What about the revisions of the song the past 100 years. Well, the verses below are what my grandmother Veronica sang to us.

Oh Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side
The summer's gone, and all the roses falling
'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow
'Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow
Oh Danny Boy, oh Danny Boy, I love you so
And when ye come, and all the flowers are dying
And I am dead, as dead I well may be
Ye'll come and find the place where I am lying
And kneel and say an Ave' there for me
And I shall hear, though soft you tread above me
And all my grave shall warmer, sweeter be
For you shall bend and tell me that you love me
And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

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