Jonny Greenwood’s Hip-Hop Playlist
Over on Dead Air Space, Jonny Greenwood posted a list of some of his favorite hip hop tracks. I haven’t gotten into much hip-hop in my life, perhaps a list by Jonny Greenwood could convert me? Well, I am off to listen to some of these tracks and see if I like. If Jonny Greenwood likes them, they have got to be semi-good right? We will see.
The Tracklist:
Follow the Leader - Eric B & Rakim
Strange Eyes - RZA/Ghost Dog soundtrack
Air Hoodlum - Public Enemy (he’s a basketball fan….)
Take Notice - J Dilla
Deez Nuuuts - Dr Dre/Snoop Dogg
Zip Code - RZA/Black Knights
I Left My Wallet… - A Tribe Called Quest
Testin’ Me - Dudley Perkins
Bring The Noise - Public Enemy
Reunited - Wu Tang Clan
Wild - J Dilla
Don’t Believe the Hype - Public Enemy
Microphone Fiend - Eric B. and Rakim
Electric Relaxation - A Tribe Called Quest
Radiohead: The Tourist
The final song on Ok Computer. Perhaps the most perfect ending to an album and absolutely memorizing live.
No Age and Matt & Kim Live in Buenos Aires, Argentina 6/7/09
On a pleasant Sunday evening in Buenos Aires, Argentina, No Age and Matt & Kim played a fun and energetic set to a venue only half full. But the people that were actually there had the time of their lives.
Nicky Hopkins: The Forest Gump of the 1960’s Music Scene
In the movie Forest Gump, Forest finds himself a significant part of many major historical moments from the 1950’s onward. From meeting a young Elvis, to investing in Apple, Gump was everywhere. Perhaps the same could be said about the late keyboardist Nicky Hopkins, who played a significant role in recording some of the most important albums of the 60’s and 70’s, who helped shape the sound of1960’s Rock N Roll and who went on tour with some of the biggest acts of that time.
Hopkins begin his career in the early 60’s playing keyboards for a band called “Screaming Lord Sutch’s Savages” which included Richie Blackmore, the founder of Deep Purple. He also played keyboards on records by The Kinks, and several albums by the Rolling Stones including Between the Buttons, Their Satanic Majesties Request, Beggars Banquet and Let It Bleed.
In 1965, Hopkins played keyboards on The Who’s first album, My Generation. In 1967 he joined the Jeff Beck Group, which featured legendary performers such as Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood. Hopkins also performed on The Beatles song “Revolution” and contributed to solo recordings from John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison.
Nicky Hopkins also made his way across the Atlantic to the West Coast, playing with bands such as The Jefferson Airplane, The Steve Miller Band and New Riders of the Purple Sage where he helped define the “San Francisco Sound.”
Along with performing on many of the Rolling Stones albums from the 60’s, Hopkins joined the Stones on several tours in the early 1970’s and contributed heavily to The Rolling Stones classic album Exile on Main Street. In 1975 he found himself on tour with the Jerry Garcia Band.
Other famous rock music moments Nicky Hopkins can be found on:
Joe Cocker: “You Are So Beautiful” (1974)
Cat Stevens: “Matthew and Son” (1967)
David Bowie: “Early On” (1966 sessions with the Lower Third)
Led Zeppelin: “Rock and Roll” (1969)
A Look At the Early Work of The Who
Back when I was a young lad, in my “obsessed with every typical classic rock artist phase”, I was a big fan of The Who. I regarded Tommy as one of the greatest albums of all time and Who’s Next came in a close second. Now when I listen to these albums they come across as overblown and semi cheeseball. One thing I didn’t do was give early Who the listen it deserves. After hearing “I Can’t Explain” on the radio recently, I finally realized how bad ass early Who is and how underrated it tends to be.
