Song of the Day 09/09/2026
"Woman" - Free
Welcome back to the website! We got something hot and rockin' for you today. We all know the classic rock mainstay, "All Right Now". If you ever turned on a radio from 1970 onward, then you have likely heard the track. It is a rock essential. Though, I swear the rest of the bands' material gets underappreciated here in the United States outside of "All Right Now", "Fire and Water", and "Wishing Well". There is a ton of great, and I mean great, material out there from the band. Have you ever listened to "Fire and Water" and swear the group sounds like another one? It is a pretty common situation, and that is due to the band's vocalist, Paul Rodgers. This man was part of some of rock's biggest names spanning multiple decades! One of those icons that are the heart and soul of the rock genre. Paul Rodgers started out his career in Free, the band we will be talking about today, but those vocals also saw Bad Company shooting up the charts with a fever in the 1970s. Those two alone are something you want on your rock n roll resume, but he took it even further with his place in The Firm, a hard rock group that had moderate success in the 1980s and I view to be highly underappreciated. Rodgers was also a piece of The Law, which was a band put together by Rodgers and past Faces drummer, Kenney Jones. Minor success this time, but it was the last piece to having Paul Rodgers get a high-charting single and album in 3 different decades, and the time he was active was much more than that. Charting doesn't mean shit sometimes. He also had a fairly strong solo career, a place I stop off if I want that personal touch from Paul Rodgers or something more bluesy like you can hear on his most popular solo album, Muddy Water Blues: A Tribute to Muddy Waters. That album is a guest star paradise! Go check it out if you want some blues in your life, but the good kind of blues, not the blues we get every time we hear the morning alarm start squaking. His last thing to note is his famous resurgence in the light with touring around with Queen before they got Adam Lambert on vocals. Paul Rodgers alongside Queen only released one studio album in 2008 titled The Cosmos Rocks. Being a massive fan of both Paul Rodgers and Queen, I can confidently say that album is... Alright. Not bad. It lacked soul, but it was fun to hear the two vastly different styles that Rodgers and Queen bring to the table. Though, I will admit it isn't an album you need to listen to right here, right now. Free isn't just Paul Rodgers; we got another Paul named Paul Kossoff who knows how to play those six strings! His blues-laced hard rock style is what helped thrust Free into the charts when a different form of hard rock had a chokehold on the charts. An underrated guitarist, to say the least. On bass guitar we have Andy Fraser, a solid bassist that adds the back wall to that Free sound and helped write the majority of the Free songs. He was only 15 when he first helped start Free. He was still practically a kid when the band broke into the mainstream with their third album, Fire and Water, in 1970. He was playing with John Mayall on bass guitar when he was just 15. Man, I was still chasing girls and finding some money for getting stoned at that age. Moved away from petty theft to more steady and respectable ways of getting money. Here this dude was making some scratch off playing bass guitar for a blue rock icon. Pfft. The last key member we have is Simon Kirke, the man behind the drums! You know that little buzz you get from Free? Not the floating, feeling-good kind of buzz, but more of an energy boost? That is from Simon Kirke. The same is to be said when he moved into Bad Company, whom he is the longest-running member of. In Bad Company he gets even stronger behind that set. Those four got together and released some of rocks best albums in the early 1970s and some of the best hidden gems from the late 1960s. Free only released 6 studio albums and 1 mainline live album, but within each of those is something fully moving. They are the kind of albums you let run in the background, but every other track has you transfixed into the bband'ssound. I love albums that can both be in the forefront and the background, and that is the beauty of Free. When the band gets all together, they can smack you around and then borrow some money, but there are moments they let you listen for free, slow and easy. Our song of the day, "Woman", comes off the band's second studio album, Free, which was released in 1969. This album is a prime example of what I just said.
Kind of strange to have your self-titled be your second album, right? I mean, most artists tend to have their debut be it or have it randomly appear in the gut of their discography, but Free chose it for their second. 1969 was a busy year for the band. They had to learn this whole professional band thing pretty quick. Free released two studio albums within the same year, both of which are top-tier blues rock with a harder edge than most of the ones out there. Their debut, Tons of Sobs, released in March of 1969, and that one is the exact image of a hidden gem. If you know Free for their hits, I beg of thee to go back and check out their debut. So many good tracks on that sucker! Strongly recommend "The Hunter", "I'm a Mover", "Goin' Down Slow", and "Wild Indian Woman". Man, even thinking about "I'm a Mover" makes me want to dedicate the whole night just listening to the album a couple of times. The same energy is brought over into their second album, Free, which was released in October of 1969. The key tracks on this one are "I'll Be Creepin'", "Woman", and "Trouble On Double Time". The last one is highly Bad Company, sort of a taster for what half the band was going to be doing in the next phase of their career. We want to zone in on "Woman" for the day. You know, I actually heard and loved the cover of "Woman" before I even heard the original. Three Dog Night covered that song on their third studio album, It Ain't Easy, which released less than a year after Free featured it on their self-titled album. Who does it better? I mean, that is up for you to decide. For me, I gotta go with Free even though the Three Dog Night version was the first to bite me. I love both. Three Dog Night later also recorded "I'll Be Creepin'" which also comes off of Free's self-titled album. Guess they liked the band, but I do too, so I cannot blame them. I am shocked we haven't talked about Three Dog Night here yet! We will get there; this is Free's debut as well after all. More to look forward to! "Woman" is a smooth and easy rider kind of track. You can almost see the smoke-filled room where they recorded the song. "Woman" is the opening track on the band's second side of the record. Serving as the 6th track for CD and digital listeners. After all the smooth movements they made on the previous track, "Mouthful of Glass", "Woman" comes in as a breather. The track was written by Paul Rodgers and bassist Andy Fraser. Those two wrote a good chunk of Free tracks, and while they aren't the deepest sets of lyrics, they are easy to get behind and understand. For "Woman" the character is willing to give everything for his sweet gal, everything but his guitar and his car. They make it very clear that the car is off-limits. Priorities. Bassist Andy Frasser was only 16 when he was writing these tracks alongside Paul Rodgers, talk about a different youth. In the end, those two's relationship was the foundation of Free, but it was also its downfall since the band broke up due to differences in direction and members of the band fighting drug addiction. That is a classic rock n roll tale if I ever heard one. Not downplaying the seriousness of it, but some things were just written in the rock n roll bible, with "Drugs and When to Quit 'Em" being chapter 3. Anyway, Free's second studio album was mostly a bust. Still a massive step up in sales in comparison to their debut earlier that year, but still an overall commercial failure. What it did do was spread the band's name far and wide for both the rockers and blues fans, two sides of the same coin during this time in rock history. Australia was the band's biggest backer at the start, and that stayed true throughout most of the band's career. The United States always dug these boys, but aside from Fire and Water, they never made it all too big here. Man, I would have loved to see the band live in their prime. Each member is a flaming joy to listen to, and I bet that transferred over well into their live performance. You can also tell that to be true if you listen to their main live album, Free Live!, a fuckin' great live album with boatloads of energy and drive. I really need that one on vinyl.... I am slowly gathering up everything Paul Rodgers but I have a long way to go down that road. So, even with Free charting low, it was an album that signified they were on to something. People raved about their sound, but they simply weren't made for the masses, a common issue with top-tier groups from the early 1970s and late 1960s since the decade swaps are always a confusing time throughout music history. I highly recommend this album! Sure, I like their first and third ones more, but you will never have to twist my arm to play this album. Always a good time. One of the only albums I listened to in completion while on a motorcycle ride. Typically I like a shuffled playlist for that to keep different moods peaking. Anyway, enough talking about me. It is that golden hour when you are called upon by the gods of rock to listen to a killer track. If you plan to listen to it while driving, then be sure to roll those windows down halfway, find a mellow long stretch of road, kick back, turn that volume knob up, and press the play button. You won't regret it! Enjoy!
Year Released: 1969
Album: Free (1969)
Genre: Blues Rock
Mood: Smooth
Perfect For: Driving slow and steady, Lonesome highways, Reading, Working, Car work
Where to Next: "Politician" - Cream
Rating: 7 / 10
Song of the Day 09/08/2026
"Live Undead" - Slayer
Ready to shake it up?! How about some SLAYEEEERRR?! Yeah, I thought you would be down. The band is sensational! Even after many years and countless hours of listening to this band, they still give me chills. Now, Slayer isn't the most extreme band out there in the wide and diabolical heavy metal genre, but what they excel most at is melding the extreme with the commercial. I don't think any other band has done that nearly as well as Slayer. They are easily the most entry-level extreme metal band. Like many in the thrash metal world, they moved with the times, which gave us many different sounds to their set style. They started out as a raunchy and raw thrash metal group that served as an early influence and example of what was to be death metal and even black metal. Once Metallica, alongside many others, made heavy metal more mainstream, Slayer moved into their prime material, dishing out many of thrash metals most essential albums out of the 1980s and the 1990s. Shit, I would be so bold to say some of the most essential heavy metal albums of all time. Slayer has this magic to them, and I can promise you it is the kind of magic following the left-hand path. Slayer can be a little bit overkill with their satanic lyrics and imagery, but that shit sells! Once again, for a mainstream band to be putting that kind of stuff was unheard of at the time. Metallica might have been the thrash kings, but Slayer almost did just as much for heavy metal as a whole, especially for the genres and styles that are a little less polished than what Metallica moved into. They are simply powerhouses, ones that I am sure you already know all about. We all know at least one Slayer fan, and you can usually smell them before they even tell you all about the band. They bred one of the most intense fanbases in heavy metal history, a little section of the heavy metal army called the Slayer Nation. There are fans worldwide that view these dudes as gods, and I count myself amongst them. A definitive band of my existence and one that will certainly stay with me until death. Alright, enough fan-girling for a second. Well, maybe. So, we have talked about Slayer here 7 times so far, which puts them up there with some of my most selected artists to be showcased. With that in mind, I honestly cannot remember what I have already shared with you. I am sure the majority of the posts were me praising them, but each must have had something of value. So, where shall we go today in the tale of Slayer? Let us start with our song of the day, "Live Undead". When I was first getting heavily into Slayer, I always found it odd and a little confusing that they released this song almost 4 years after their phenomenal live album Live Undead released. I guess they liked the two words quite a bit. Now, if you want a live album that expresses the heart and soul of the metal community in the 1980s, then I highly suggest Live Undead; it is so damn energetic that you need a day to rest after jamming through it. The album will wear you right out. Personally, I think that is one of their greatest albums, and I find myself gravitating to it more often than their studio work, which I cannot really say about most bands. Most do not share the same love for it, and the same is to be said about their early sound, but I cannot help myself. I adore their early material even though I know that it isn't better. It all comes down to taste. I like to view each stage of Slayer as its own beast since in the end I would never be able to choose just one sound. So, check out that album, especially if you have only been listening through some of the bands' prime studio albums from 1986 to 1990.
"Live Undead" is the third track off the band's cornerstone thrash metal album, South of Heaven. It holds everything that makes that album so damn powerful! The track starts off with something menacing, and before you know it, you are getting hit left, right, and center with noise. The beauty of Slayer is how it feels like it is coming from all around you. Even your body doesn't understand what is going on, and you can feel that in your shoulders. Some anxiety to help you swallow the Slayer pill. The song is tense, but it knows how to let you work it all out of your system. The last time Slayer stopped by our little corner of the internet, we talked about "Spill the Blood", which is off the same album as the final song on its 10-song track listing. So, we might be touching on the same topic. "Live Undead" is one of the best tracks to show off how South of Heaven was the band's first album stepping away from their previous straight aggression sound. You see, up until this album Slayer was well known to be a full frontal attack with no punches being pulled. There was still some strange beauty to it, but overall it was more straightforward fast-as-fuck thrash metal that bordered the same style that early death metal icons like Possessed were doing at the time. Their album before South of Heaven, Reign in Blood, sort of signaled the change was coming, but it was still heavily dipped into the extreme. There were the tracks that were a little more thought out and a little more structured, but those other songs are still heavily in that early Slayer sound but with better recording. Reign in Blood broke them out into the mainstream, especially with "Raining Blood" being one of the bands' most iconic tracks, but it was South of Heaven and the style that came with it that saw Slayer staying around to become icons in the heavy metal world in two different decades and beyond. They showed it wasn't all youthful vigor with a heavy dose of satanic static; they could melt your fuckin' face in many different ways. They slowed it on down for South of Heaven. They kept a lot of what the band was known for: eerie intros, diabolical lyricism, and a dual guitar attack that has you coughing up blood by the end of a song. So, this was still very much Slayer, and it hardly alienated any fans. With them slowing it down to something more mature and heavy, it sort of compliments their previous album as much as Hell Awaits smoothly moves into Reign in Blood. It is a graceful movement between the sounds, something most bands struggle with. Like I mentioned before with Slayer loving their eerie feelings, South of Heaven takes that further by the band not using hardly any distortion effects on the guitars. It is clear. It feels like purgatory or Helheim more than that of fire and brimstone, death and destruction. There is an unsettling stillness in the air before the full band comes in with a wall of sound meant to bludgeon. This album feels like in classic horror and slasher flicks when the poor victims catch a sight of the killer or monster before it vanishes. As the viewer, you know that someone is about to get a machete through their stomach, but the characters feel that chilling stillness. "Live Undead" drops some of the eerie intro for something that builds the tension. Two guitars slowly become more powerful with each passing second. The talented drumming of Dave Lombardo is the thing that sets the stage. Back to the guitars. More tension. Then a minor release as the full band comes along, but the bass still is hiding behind the sound. At the first taste of hellfire at the minute mark, you know you are in the right place. Or in the wrong place depending on your take on Slayer. Before you know it, you are sucked into the sound. "Live Undead" gets stronger and louder as the song moves along. Believe it or not, this song is fairly tame in comparison to some of the other songs on South of Heaven, even with the 2:40 mark, which sees the band going fully into form. I love that part! Always gives me chills. "Live Undead" is a stop-off for those obsessed with random guitar solos from Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman. They take turns playing fast and mean, seemingly combating each other, six strings held high and sharp as hell. It is honestly what has me coming back to the track time and time again. Lyrically the song seems to be about dying and then coming back as a zombie. Cliche, but shit, I came from a time period where zombie stuff sold like hot cakes! From back then to now, some things just don't go out of style. Some bands might have put out a simple zombie track dipped in reused ideas and lyrics, booooring, but Slayer, on the other hand, has some compelling lyrics! Even knowing most Slayer lyrics like the back of my hand, they still shock me on how well written they are, no matter the topic they take on, even zombies. Kick ass. Time for you to jam the song! Turn this sucker up loud! Damn the neighbors. Enjoy!
Year Released: 1988
Album: South of Heaven (1988)
Genre: Thrash Metal
Mood: Menacing
Perfect For: Warfare, Halloween, Windy nights, Playing loud, Night drives, Driving fast, Casual listening
Where to Next: "Zombie Attack" - Tankard
Rating: 7 / 10
Song of the Day 09/07/2026
"My Wife Thinks You're Dead" - Junior Brown
We sure have been having a little bit more country and country-affiliated choices this last little while. Hope that is alright. I have mentioned before that sometimes I get worried that I should be doing just rock music, but in the end, this is indeed my website, and secondly, those that come here wanting more of the same came to the wrong joint. AintNoisePollution is all about spreading the good word of many genres. Those that hate country I feel haven't found the right country style. Those that hate metal also follow the same suit. For heavy metal, I have plenty of examples of times I got people to dig certain styles. Music is to taste, but who wants to eat hamburgers every day? Some days you want sushi, and then the next you want pasta. Your musical diet should follow the same trend. So, for today, we got some Southern-cooked country music from Junior Brown. Brown is an oddity, and while his style seems to be based in the old stuff, he actually came out later than many expect. What makes his sound so unique is the instrument you see all over his merch and album covers: his famous "guit-steel" which is an electric guitar and lap steel guitar put together on the same body. It is a damn cool sound that I have been obsessed with since first hearing Junior Brown many years back. I am a sucker for steel guitar, and it is one of the leading reasons that I adore old country music. If there is a fiddle and steel guitar, I am there. Junior Brown uses that guit-steel of his like a goddamn weapon! It can give you chills one second and set your soul at ease in the next. It just so happens his signature style also features some of his known humor. "My Wife Thinks You're Dead" is one of those humorous tracks. This is like country music's alter ego when it comes to the cliche cheatin' songs that have almost always filled the genre. You might see that title and think it is to be one of them. But nope. This one is quite the opposite. I mean, the song's humor comes from the fact that he doesn't want his wife to find out his crazy ex is still alive since that is what he told her. As he explains, he was fully under the idea that she was, but if she pops up now, there is sure going to be trouble with her thinking him a liar. We will come back to the song here in one second. Junior Brown was a relatively late bloomer in his music career. The first album he was part of came out in 1974 with his band, The Last Mile Ramblers. It failed to even chart and faded away into obscurity. Following that, he played guitar and steel guitar for groups like Asleep at the Wheel, Billy Spears, and the unknown group of his to me, Dusty Drapes and the Dusters. His debut solo album came along in 1990 and then was rereleased in 1993, and again, it didn't do all too much on the charts. He is not the type of artist to hit the top of the charts but is more so the type of artist that gathers a core fanbase and is happy with that. His solo debut, 12 Shades of Brown, is the ultimate place to start into Junior Brown, and once people caught wind of his iconic sound, they came back, and it wasn't long before this was one of his most famous albums. Especially in the modern tongue, with tracks like "Broke Down South of Dallas" and "Too Many Nights in a Roadhouse" being some of his most respected and enjoyable tracks. His second solo album was even more of a hidden gem of the time. Guit With It released in 1993 and is such a fuckin' gem! It is the most heavily abused album of his from me, and it holds his two most streamed tracks on Spotify, one of which is our song of the day. It took people a long time to take notice of this raw talent, with his first charting studio album being Semi Crazy, which hit the 32nd spot on the US Country charts and the 19th in the US Heatseekers charts in 1996. Another gem of his! That one also lets a little bit of the rock sound he teases out to play, especially in terms of surf rock. He was 44 when that album hit those charts. Talk about your life changing, but you can just tell that Junior Brown was meant for stardom, even if he came along with a sound massively outdated. Crazy that he somehow managed to meld it in with such grace.
Alright, let's take a step back and get into talking about his second album, Guit With It. This fun and mellow ride was released in 1993. Junior Brown might be heavily rooted in country music, but that doesn't mean a lot of rockers can't get behind his style. It is antiquated by the terms of 1993, but if he came along during the rockabilly and rock n roll days, he would have been a star! He plays similar to Duane Eddy with his guitar case full of twang. There is a smooth style here that goes down like a big pill with an even bigger glass of water. The kind of pill you take a little too many of to get feeling mighty fine. He is like an amber river of whiskey flowing through a cartoon town. Like the old man who gives you solid life advice while you pet his crusty, stinky dog. All of these might sound strange, but then I take it you haven't listened to the song yet. Who knows? Maybe you already know our song of the day and understand all this jive I am talking about. "My Wife Thinks You're Dead" is one of the most likely tracks from Brown that might come across your radar. It has a wide reach. You like rockabilly? Might have ended up here before. The same is to be said about 1950s rock n roll, vintage country styles, country rock, or anything that uses that blissful steel guitar. "My Wife Thinks You're Dead" is a solid joy, both in humor and atmosphere. Yesterday, when the song was picked, my girlfriend and I were doing a little adventure. We went across the Wyoming border to run with those wild horses and find a forgotten little town called Piedmont a couple of miles dirt off I-80. We have chased down some real illusive ghost towns in our day, but each one we have tried in Wyoming is always so well maintained. Those guys know how to respect history. In Utah it is pretty damn common for everything to be covered in poorly done spray-painted penises and all sorts of broken bottles from varying decades. Anyway, after we had fun with that adventure with the mellow singing of Merle Haggard playing across the speakers, we headed back into Evanston to grab some sweet nicotine. We sure chose a day to go since the Evanston rodeo just got out, so we got caught in a fog of lifted trucks and beaters. While playing in traffic, Junior Brown had his turn on the ol' radio and in that moment I understood that there is no better artist to explain the feeling of Evanston, Wyoming, than that of Jimmy Brown. Something old-fashioned but with a modern sheen to it. A reminder of yesterday but a reminder that it is all in the rearview mirror. "My Wife Thinks You're Dead" showcases Brown's honky-tonk sound but still allows room with the kind of guitar pickin' that would have Jerry Reed blushing. You feel the desert plains feeling right from the get-go. The up-and-down hustle that comes from Brown's vocal work sucks you into the story of coming across an ex and not the good kind of meeting you see in Hallmark movies. No, he wishes she would keep blowing down the road to bother a different feller since the cops are after her and his wife might be around the corner listening with a rolling pin in hand. The song is the fifth one on Guit With It, and it is one of Brown's most timeless tracks. The album is full up of great storytelling, but none scratch the same itch as the strangely sinful story of "My Wife Thinks You're Dead". Funnily enough, it's his wife that plays rhythm guitar in his band. You can see her in the music video to "My Wife Thinks You're Dead", which is one great music video. Brown kept the silly feeling of the song in the video as well, treating it like a slapstick comedy silent film. Highly recommended if you want something goofy in your life. Anyway, I guess I will just let you jam the song. It is a solid sender! One that gets stuck in my head for hours after. Hope it can do the same to you! Enjoy!
Year Released: 1993
Album: Guit with It (1993)
Genre: Country
Mood: Playful
Perfect For: Cruising, Casual listening, Drinking, Hanging around the house, Crazy exes
Where to Next: "Mad" - Dave Dudley
Rating: 9 / 10
Song of the Day 09/06/2026
"The Cure" - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Welcome! Today we have some prime country rock for you fine folks across the globe—well, more those that live around Salt Lake metro since I haven't really advertised elsewhere. Oh! And my mom. Hi mom! Anyway, welcome back! For today we will be talking about Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, a group that has been nothing but a joy to burn through their discography for my studies. They are one of the only country rock groups, if not the only one, that has been in each decade of my studies since the 1960s. For many of the bands that stick around, I tend to cherry-pick some tracks unless the band means a lot to me, then they get the full discography treatment. I really dig the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, but their inclusion of having every album of theirs show up comes down to them being a solid joy to listen to, no matter which album you jump into. Some of their albums are based solely in country, then there are the ones close to bluegrass, but I find their best sound to be when they reach into country rock, much like we will be hearing today with "The Cure". The band has had 25 studio albums so far, and each one I have sunk my teeth into has been a joy. When their first live album came along in the 1969 portion of my studies, I had confidence that it would be highly enjoyable and I wasn't wrong. Though all their releases fall short in comparison to the collaborative album, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, which was released in 1972. That one is the band's 7th studio album, but it just isn't them on that album. They brought in so many of the early country, bluegrass, and western top stars. I adore that album; it is a solid joy! To hear legends like Roy Acuff, Mother Maybelle, Earl and Randy Scruggs, Jimmy Martin, Merle Travis, Doc Watson, and so many more top-tier artists coming together with the power of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band behind them is a treat. It was damn bold for the band to release the album, especially during the peak of their fame. Nobody had done that before, and the band practically bridged the gap between what was in the western world and what is currently in. Many of those artists were exposed to a whole new generation, many of which really liked what htey heard. It is one of those albums that you will remember what you were doing at that moment when you first listen to it. I had already moved through my 1920s-1960s section of my studies into music at that point, so I was already well familiar and a fan of each artist that walked into that album, but to have them brought into the light once more was truly moving. I strongly suggest the album if you are someone who likes very early country music, bluegrass, or hearing the changing of the tides in music. I sort of wish we were talking about that album today since it would be a grand excuse to listen through the album again even though I am enjoying the Superjoint album I am listening to right now. I am typically pretty hit and miss with Superjoint (Ritual), but their second studio album, A Lethal Dose of American Hatred, has always been an enjoyable stop-off. Getting off topic. Yes, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band released some of the most iconic albums in country rock history, and while we don't get to talk about the outstanding Will the Circle Be Unbroken, we still get to talk about one of their other powerhouse albums, Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy.
This was the band's breakout album, and it holds their most famous song from their 1970s discography, "Mr. Bojangles". "Mr. Bojangles" is a song most of us in the room... Cyber room?.... Whatever. Most of the people here will recognize. If you recall, just last month we actually talked a bit about the track when we covered the artist that wrote and originally released it in 1968, Jerry Jeff Walker. The song was sort of a hidden gem in the folk world when it released, but the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's version was anything but a hidden gem. The single for "Mr. Bojangles" hit the 9th spot on the US charts in 1970 and was a leading force in what made Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy hit the 66th spot on the mainstream charts. That might seem fairly low, but not many country-based artists made it that far into the mainstream charts, especially with a style that was still stuck in something from yesteryear. Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and so many other hard rockers were shaking the charts to their foundations, yet here was the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band releasing a hit single of a folk song. I do like that version from Jerry Jeff Walker; it has that peaceful, rootsy feeling to it, but it simply cannot hold up to the version put out by today's band. 1970 was one stellar year for all walks of music, and they just so happened to release a solid sender that went on to be one of their greatest albums. What makes this one stand strong against so many of their other powerhouses is how well it brought rock into the fold of other varying styles, including bluegrass, country, western, and folk. Many come to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band for their more country material, a time where they left some of the rock n roll behind, but I tend to come crawling to their rockin' stuff. Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy has something for most rock and country fans out there, especially if you are someone who got bitten by that ramblin' bug since the album is certainly great for going for a long drive. There are plenty of songs on the album; it comes in at 45 minutes and comprises 21 tracks. This is the kind of album that isn't meant to be cherry-picked. To fully appreciate it, you gotta cozy up next to it and take it all in. Sure, you can stop in and grab some solid tracks, but you still won't fully get the picture of the track unless you listen to the ones that surround it. "Mr. Bojangles" is a perfect example of that since it follows the song "Jesse James" and a small interview with the man who sang it, Uncle Charlie, called "Uncle Charlie Interview" before "Mr. Bojangles" comes in. It adds a certain personal feeling to the song. For our song of the day, "The Cure", you get "Prodigal's Return" to kick the song off. "Prodigal's Return" is a funky, almost psychedelic little ditty and sets the stage wonderfully for the highly energetic "The Cure" to come in next. Following "The Cure" you get moved into "Travelin' Mood", a mellow one that I adore driving to, especially if there is some dusty dirt road to toot down at a mellow pace. Still... Even with those great songs surrounding it, I don't know if there is a song on this album that beats "The Cure", even the legendary "Mr. Bojangles". Yeah, this is just in my opinion, naturally, but I stand by it, "The Cure" is fuckin' great. This was the song that fully had me saying, "Yep, this band is for me", and becoming a lifetime fan. Even with all the highly enjoyable tracks on Will the Circle Be Unbroken and on many of the bands' other albums, "The Cure" holds the status as my favorite song from the group.
"The Cure" is the third track on the album. It is one of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band songs that mixes bluegrass with country rock, creating a full ride from the Appalachian mountains to the sunny shores of California. The track is just over 2 minutes, but each second of its playing time is full of great pickin' and some vocal harmonies that get your ears experiencing a piece of hillbilly heaven. Strangely enough, the band formed in Long Island, California, something that shocks me each time for some reason. Their early sound makes sense. The group has had a wide plethora of musicians in their ranks, all of whom come from many different ports and bring in their own regional touch to the thrilling sound of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Why they chose "House at Pooh Corner" as a single and not "The Cure" has always confused me. Nothing wrong with "House at Pooh Corner", but having a song based around Winnie the Pooh is sure a choice, especially when a song like "The Cure" is just waiting to blow people's minds. I do dig that track too, but I just gotta hope my lady doesn't hear the lyrical content and wonder if I am jamming to some Winne the Pooh soundtrack material when I am playing it around her. She still hasn't caught on. "The Cure" is one of the fast-paced moments on the album. The group whipped out some banjos and got to laying down a moving track, both in emotion and locomotion. The intro sets the pace, but when the chorus hits, it is practically a completely different song. The Eagles did the same thing often during their country rock days, but unlike the Eagles, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band didn't make their song a couple minutes longer. I really wish they did since I gotta replay this one three times in a row to scratch that itch when I am dying for this song. Truth be told, it is the kind of song I would have done that with anyway no matter the playing time. Since they had so many tracks to fit into one album, I will forgive them for making it short and sweet. The band is still based in country and bluegrass, both of which have quick as hell songs. "The Cure" is the only song on the album penned by Jeff Hanna, the band's main singer, and honestly, the backbone to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. He has been the longest-running member and also has had his hands all over everything Nitty Gritty. I am talking drums when they need it, guitars here, organ there, lyrics when it is needed, and a ton of song compositions. He is a beast when it comes down to the country world, and I am glad the band's debut here on AintNoisePollution is one that he wrote and sang on. Alright, that is enough out of me. Try the song out for size and see what you think. Enjoy!
Year Released: 1970
Album: Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy (1970)
Genre: Country Rock, Bluegrass
Mood: Lighthearted
Perfect For: Rambling, Having 2... Wait... 4 beers, Off-roading, Casual listening
Where to Next: "Midnight Flyer" - Eagles
Rating: 9 / 10
Song of the Day 09/05/2026
"Thunderbird" - ZZ Top
Well, I hear it's fine if you've got the time. But I think you always got some time for ZZ Top. You ended up here on the website, so there is a solid chance you and I are alike in that way. I always got time for ZZ Top; they are the kind of group that can rest in any playlist or rock my record player whenever they see fit. An early love. For many, ZZ Top served as their first taste of classic rock, and they were one of mine. They have a reach that has them showing up in most essential rock songs of the 1970s and 1980s lists, playlists, and compilations. Something southern for the southern boys, something Californified for the westerners, some slow stuff for our friends up north, and something boogie-based for those in the east. They are a one-stop shop for most rock n roll sounds. For today, we talk about one of their boogie-based songs from the half-live, half-studio album, Fandango!, which I have viewed as one of their finest albums for a long time. For some odd reason, I rarely see much praise for this one aside from it being home to the marvelous "Tush". I mean, that is one song that is certainly the kind of song that gets your whole album sold, but the rest of the album for the most part is highly enjoyable. The first half of the album is a collection of live recordings that the band recorded in 1975, and for me, that is where the magic is at. In the second half we have the studio work like the boogie-based "Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings", which is a great song name; the silly "Blue Jean Blues", the southern rockin' "Balinese", "Mexican Blackbird" which is one of those comical ZZ Top songs that still are damn good, "Heard It On the X" which is one of my favorite ZZ Top tracks, and then the final song, the crown jewel, and one of their greatest songs of all time, "Tush". "Tush" is as definitive of a rock song as any other legendary 1970s rock track. Once again, that one song could have sold this whole album, and for many, it did. We will be zoning in on the first side of the album and its first song, "Thunderbird", here in just a second. Before we get into that, how about we take a second to pay respects to Frank Beard, who passed away just a little less than a month ago?
Frank Beard was the band's longtime drummer, technically being their second drummer, but the first drummer was severely short-lived, and there is no doubting that Beard was the band's prime drummer. It will be hard to fill his boots. He was the point of the ZZ Top triangle, even if he hardly got the same coverage and notoriety as guitarist and vocalist Billy Gibbons and bassist and vocalist Dusty Hill. Frank Beard is an underrated drummer in the rock world. Through those whiskey-dipped sticks, he helped ZZ Top perfect melding boogie rock, blues rock, and traditional rock music. Even when the band moved into the synthesizer-backed rock stage in the 1980s, he was there to keep things smacking along. ZZ Top is known for their stage show and stage attire. Cheesy pimp outfits, hats that came right out of a western pup comic, fuzzy instruments, and most importantly, big ol' wonderful beards. Though, the only person in the band to not have a big ol' beard was strangely Frank Beard. I guess the name was enough for the pass. Well, it was a massive shame to hear of his passing last month. That means we only have Billy Gibbons left to represent ZZ Top, even if the band still continues to tour. Frank Beard was born in Frankston, Texas, in 1949 but did most of his growin' up in Irving, Texas. He met future ZZ Top bassist, Dusty Hill, when he was just a teenager when Hill tried getting him to join in the band he was rockin' in called the Warlocks. Frank Beard played in many small time bands before having his shot in ZZ Top; half of the groups were alongside his good ol' pal Dusty Hill. ZZ Top lost their first drummer, which left a slot open for Beard to join on in, and as any friend might do, he introduced ZZ Top founding member Billy Gibbons to Dusty Hill. The three got to work perfecting their signature sound, something they called "Texas boogie-blues-rock", which led to them putting out their first studio album. You know.... The first album is one you have to take seriously, and one of the biggest choices is what to call that first album. ZZ Top wanted something truly unique, so they went with the bold title of ZZ Top's First Album. Pretty inventive. All jokes. Honestly, that isn't a bad name. It is one of those that practically shouts, "This is just the beginning". While that album failed to make many waves on the charts—well, more like not making any waves at all since it didn't even chart—it still serves as the band's beginning. It is also their most bluesy album they ever put out. I have a special place for that album, and songs like "(Somebody Else Been) Shaking Your Tree" and "Backdoor Love Affair" are worth listening to this album a couple of times over for just those two songs. It is a rough album, but not in a bad way; it just seems to have come from some local band showing what they could do if they got a proper backing. This was just the start for Frank Beard and ZZ Top.
If you are someone who loves rock music, you likely already know where the band went after that. Frank Beard gave some serious energy to ZZ Top's signature sound. His drumming is fairly laxed, but man, it is in your face! I attribute his drumming to what made ZZ Top always borderlining with hard rock, especially in their earlier sound. Like many in the rock world, Beard struggled with substance abuse, which was an on-and-off problem throughout all of ZZ Top's career, but he kicked it for good by 2020. By the time they hit the major leagues with their 1983 legendary release, Eliminator, his using turned into such an issue that he was often dismissed from the recording room. Luckily for him, his buddies stood by him, and also the band was taking a poke at the more pop-laced sound of mainstream rock at the time, which meant drum machines. Don't go thinking that Beard wasn't there for those albums; he certainly was both in the studio and on tour, but it fell on engineer Terry Manning to get some of the programming done to fill the gaps while Beard filled his veins. I am glad he kicked it. That is one hard battle, but he got it done. At the start of August of this year they had to start canceling shows due to Frank Beard having health issues, and by the middle of the month Beard passed away at his ranch in Richmond, Texas. One of his last wishes was that Billy Gibbons continue on in the band, but there will certainly be a ghost on stage. His seat was filled by Michael Monahan for the remainder of the tour. Young blood. Though, if there is a place to start your career on stage, being part of ZZ Top is one of those you want on your resume. Rest in peace, Frank Beard. Your drumming really gave ZZ Top a kick in the ass and helped create a whole new take on rock and blues music. Alright, let's take a look at one that showcases some of his drummer's prowess with the band's fourth album, Fandango!. This album excels at showing off the band's well-respected live energy but also balances it out with a varying set of sounds out of their studio work. I adore this album. I can still remember the first time I listened to it in full. Many, many years back I started into the discographies of some of the most notable names in hard rock that left an imprint on heavy metal in one way or another. My studies started in heavy metal and expanded into rock as a whole when I got a little older. ZZ Top isn't heavy metal by any means, but their hard rock edge had many in the early metal community considering themselves a fan, so I naturally had to listen through all I could. I already knew the group mighty well, but I had yet to go back and listen to their less celebrated albums in full. Fandango! was the album that set me up for being a ZZ Top fan for life! I loved each part of it, even if the medley "Backdoor Medley" is admittedly a little silly. ZZ Top solidified their spot as one of the fastest rising bands in rock music with their third album, Tres Hombres, which featured their breakout song, "La Grange". The world was naturally wanting more, and Fandango! gave it to them. It still wasn't a crazy high seller but still hit high up on the charts in the United States and Canada (hitting the top spot on the Canadian charts), and it faired well in a couple of countries across the ocean. One of my favorite songs on the album is the intro track, "Thunderbird". This is part of the live section of the album and is, in my opinion, the best song on the first side of the album.
"Thunderbird" has a strange history, one that sort of paints ZZ Top in bad lighting. The song was written and performed originally by the Dallas-based band The Nightcaps. ZZ Top had already been playing it live for a solid chunk of time before they put it on the album. On the album's notes, the song is credited to ZZ Top, even though it was already being performed by another band that had a single for it that was released in 1960. You see, The Nightcaps didn't copywrite their song, and ZZ Top came along and sort of stole it. The Nightcaps tried suing ZZ Top, but unlike the Nightcaps, ZZ Top had already copyrighted it. The songs are identical, and if you want to hear the original, you are gonna have to find it somewhere on the internet. Sort of skeevy, I won't lie, but as someone who has listened to both, I gotta give it to ZZ Top! Naturally, I would say that since I am a big fan, but still. I won't lie, it kind of hurts the song's image, but that is business. The song starts off with the crowd getting amped as ZZ Top enters the stage after a send-off asking if the crowd "is ready for ZZ Top?!", in which they reply with cheering, and that is all the band needs as they enter with "Thunderbird". This is the kind of track that gets you amped up. On the version we are hearing here, there is a heavy focus on the gritty dance between the bass and guitar. The drums sort of take a back step. I always heard that the original recording of this album was much better. When they ported it over to CD, they kind of messed up with some of the digital remixing, something that the fans were pissed about. They never went back and fixed it. Being someone who came much too late for vinyl records, this is the version that I know and love, but I got my hands on an original version of the album on vinyl and finally got to hear it in its original form when I chose this as my song of the day. I can see why the fans were pissed since the vinyl version does honestly sound a lot better. More energy and more space for Frank Beard to stand out instead of being drowned out by the bass guitar. "Thunderbird" sets the stage for the full album. It is the kind of intro track that gets the blood pumping and gets you excited for this new and exciting album from the most essential rock band that came out of Texas. It is hardly anything more than a hype track, and even though the song comes in at just over 4 minutes, it feels much shorter since it is so damn thrilling. One hell of a way to kick the album off, and I only wish I had the chance to see ZZ Top live back in the 1970s. Now, I love the 1980s ZZ Top sound. That shit is iconic as hell, but I would be lying if I said I liked it more than their 1970s material. I would say they are tied. Do I want some boogie rock that makes me wanna party? Well, time to head to their 1970s material. How about if I want something smooth and easy to get into? Time to move into their 1980s material that pleased a whole generation with their take on the 1980s rock sound. There is a ton to love from ZZ Top, even their less critically praised later material like the 1996 album Rhythmeen and their stellar comeback album in 2012, La Futura. I have listened through their discography a ton of times, and they are the kind of band that will forever be one of my favorites. I am happy to have shared them here once again on AintNoisePollution; this is their second time here. There will be plenty more songs of theirs as the website trudges along. For now, enjoy this nice deeper cut into their discography. Enjoy!
Year Released: 1975
Album: Fandango! (1975)
Genre: Boogie Rock, Blues Rock
Mood: Energizing
Perfect For: Getting ready in the morning, Heading to the bar, Chores, Working, Getting drunk
Where to Next: "Night Time" (Live/1986) - George Thorogood
Rating: 8 / 10
Song of the Day 09/04/2026
"Hempispheres" - Sleep
Even before I started covering songs daily here on the website, the fourth spot on the monthly playlists was always a holy one. It is the last piece of the playlist's cover art (if you can call it that). I was stoked when Spotify introduced the feature to create your own, but they sort of dropped the ball if you ask me. Now, if you are doing some "feel good summer vibes" playlists, then you are in luck, but if you have an edgy playlist name backed by songs that don't reflect the images they offer, then you are out of luck. For those that check and/or save my monthly playlist of Spotify, you might notice that I add a picture at the end of the month to remind me what was going on during that time in my life. I have used these Song of the Day playlists as a memory well, a calendar, for years now. I think I started my first one in February of 2018, and I have kept on top of it daily ever since. It is crazy it took me this long to realize that I could start a blog surrounding them. Well, here we are. Ever since the start of those playlists and before, the first four songs you add to the playlist have their album art displayed for all to see. So, for this month before I add a picture, it will be a strangely colorful one that has all four choices not really being all too similar to each other. Sleep is the fourth choice this month. Oh yes, those boys with the long-ass songs and a hypnotic stoner metal atmosphere. They are the most entry-level stoner metal band out there and, depending on who you ask, the ultimate name in the genre. I have met few who haven't dug what they bring to the table, and trust me, I share this band with just about anyone who draws breath. Shit, sometimes I go to cemeteries just to talk to the dead people about the band too since they probably would like it as well. It might scare the fuck out of those that died over a hundred years ago, but fans are born every second for all sorts of bands; why should some dead dude not be graced by Sleep? Anyway, Sleep is fuckin' iconic, and for a genre like stoner metal, they manage to still have their own set style that evolves with each new album they put out, "Hempispheres" being from their most recent studio album of the same name. Yeah, that is the album title. No, I didn't spell hemispheres wrong. My autocorrect is having a meltdown right now. Sleep is the type of band to have an album named after ganja, songs on it about ganja, and an album cover that matches the overall smoker-friendly theme about space... stoners? Hashtronauts. Come on! That is a good one. I mean, the genre is called stoner metal, so I don't know what you expected. Not a girl scout in sight, except for girl scout cookies. Man! That strain pretty well defined my teenage years. Loved that stuff. Wonder if you can still get it somewhere. Annnyway! Sleep had yet to show up here on AintNoisePollution, but we are happy to have them here! We have had no shortage of bands similar to Sleep, but you simply cannot beat this band when it comes to the stoner side of doom metal and hard rock music. They were one of the groups I said that I simply HAD to go to one of their shows if they came to my neck of the woods. Well... Good news! They finally are coming to Utah! But.... Bad news! They chose one of the years that I am completely broke! Isn't fate a bitch? Sleep and bands like them typically don't do shows outside of legal states, which is fair, so I sort of always assumed I wouldn't have a chance to see them live, especially with them not releasing something new for so long. I just hope they come again since this has been a goal of mine for a minute, even thought about taking a vacation back in the day to travel a couple of states over just to see them. It is what it is. It would have been more hurtful to my soul if they didn't just release a new studio album just this week. I have been keeping my eye on them since they released a new single in June, the first new thing they have put out in digital form since 2021's remixed version of "The Clarity". After they put out the single for "Have Spacesuit Will Travel" with a new polished-up sound, I figured they were ramping up to release an album. Then the tour announcement came, followed by another single, "The Morrisist", and I knew it was about to be a good-ass time here soon. So, I waited, and then finally their newest album, Hempispheres, arrived and I listened to it the next day for my new music Fridays.
You might be wondering how I don't know when things are coming out. Honestly, it is because I don't have the time to look into each and every band that I actively listen to since that number is well into 500 groups, half of them being true loves. You see, I don't have social media, which would be the easiest way to keep all of this tracked. I could just start one up to make it easier on myself, buuuut meh. Also, I honestly kind of like the surprise of things showing up. Working sucks, ya know, but when I get in the car and a notification pulls up that Saxon just released a new single, it kind of gives a kick in the butt that is much needed to avoid the thoughts of corporate enslavement. It mainly comes down to not having the time to look into each band, especially since that list just keeps growing as I further my studies. Alright! Back into it. Sleep has a pretty small discography. This newest album of theirs serves as their fifth studio album, and it came 8 years after their previous heavy hitter, The Sciences, which released in April of 2018. Talk about a waiting time! That one also came out of nowhere. I remember I was just at home playing on Spotify when I happened to notice there was a mysterious new Sleep album on Spotify. It was quite random; at least Hempispheres gave a little bit of a warning. But, once again, I like those little surprises. Sleep has two of the most legendary stoner metal albums out there, with their second studio album, Sleep's Holy Mountain, being a true treat to listen to, and then their third studio album, Dopesmoker (also known as Jerusalem), being a fucking goliath! I mean that word literally. The Jerusalem version of the album is only one song of the same name, and then the more well-known version of the album under the name Dopesmoker is made up of only two songs, "Dopesmoker" which is 63 minutes long, and "Sonic Titan", which comes in at almost ten minutes long. That third album is a feat, but it is one you certainly have to be in a special mood to sit through. I will admit that I have only done it maybe 10 times throughout my life, mostly since people always say, "Alright, we get it, can we change the song now?" halfway through. What a beast. I typically listen to it for a solid 25 minutes before I skip it so I can actually listen to something else that day. I hope I can share it here some time, but I am certain we will, especially when I actually open my special edition that I got on vinyl. Can't wait. Dopesmoker practically did the band in and is the leading reason that they broke up. Their label at the time, London Records, went after the band for thinking the album would be hardly marketable, which they aren't wrong about; not only is it very drug-laced, duh, it also is pretty well only one song gargantuan from a band that sold good but still low in the mainstream for their breakout album, Sleep's Holy Mountain. I will say that those bastards had no vision! They were more concerned with filling their pockets than filling their ears with earth vibrating, heavily distorted, and iconic heavy fuckin' metal. The bastards. The band still got the album out, but it wasn't until 2003. The breakup was bad news, but there is a silver lining to it all. Through the breakup the members went off and started up some bands, two of which are iconic as sin. We have High on Fire, which was formed by Sleep guitarist Matt Pike. High on Fire is damn good. The heavy-hitting drummer of Sleep, Chris Hakius, went on to form Om, a drone metal group that is well worth your time if that is the style of doom you desire. Anyway, Sleep eventually came back for their next album, The Sciences, which came out of the blue but blew people's little eggshell minds! A heavy album, but this time, it wasn't all about the fuzz that had you feeling so small, it was in a more confident song structure that still held their original vision intact but expanded into a more entry-level hard rock sound. It isn't where I suggest a new fan go start into the band, but it is certainly still worth your time. More of a hard rock album that gets droned out than a droned out metal group who touches into hard rock. That theme stayed true 8 years later when Sleep put out Hempisphere just Thursday of this week. This is our first taste of this version of the band.
Vocalist and bass guitarist Al Cisneros has been the only full-time member of Sleep since they started up in 1990 and thus he is the only original member in the Hempispheres lineup. We have Dale Crover on drums, a man known for his work with the Melvins and many other groups, but his main fame is from the Melvins. You know the dudes, the backbone of the underground rock music world through the 1980s and 1990s. A welcome addition that adds one hell of a punch to that Sleep style. On guitar we have Bubba Dupree, a relatively unknown name in their ranks. He has been alongside Brant Bjork in his desert rock boogie band, The Low Desert Punk Band, so it only fits that he joined in with Sleep. Got some heavy hitters on this album, but my favorite song from my first listen was the title track, "Hempispheres". It isn't just because it has a clever name; this song shows how well Sleep is doing with keeping their core sound intact while getting closer and closer to a cleaned-up early metal sound. The band has never been shy about sharing some of their love for Black Sabbath, but this one might be the closest they got to the godfathers of heavy metal. The song has a decent playing time, not as long as some of their others, but comfy in their style at just shy of 8 minutes. The intro gets you sat and happy, and by the time you get your popcorn, it is time for the band to fully wow you. Sleep has always excelled at the instrumental bits of their songs, and "Hempisheres" is no different. The party really kicks off at the 2:40 mark when the band slows it down and it gets better as the song goes along. Like most of Sleep's material, this song and album follow a loose story. For my first listen, I wasn't able to follow along super well due to being at work, but when I give it another listen down the line, I will be sure to be fully tuned in. With Sleep not being mega famous, and with the album only barely dropping solely in digital form, there isn't anywhere to find the damn lyrics to this song! It is likely the same as their previous album with silly references and outerspace stoner imagery, such as riding a smoke cloud through a cluster of hashteroids. Silly, but so damn cool. The band has my vote for being kickass. Well, the song might feel long when you first start it, but with it being Sleep, they just need to get that hypnotic pocket watch swinging, and then your whole attention will be transfixed into their wall of sound before it puts you back where you were without a scratch, but maybe with a headache. It is worth it, in that I promise. So why don't you try it out? Give the song a play already! Enjoy!
Year Released: 2026
Album: Hempispheres (2026)
Genre: Stoner Metal, Stoner Rock, Hard Rock, Space Rock
Mood: Fuzzy
Perfect For: Casual listening, Working, Getting stone, Space cruising, Stargazing, Playing loud
Where to Next: "420 Horsemen" - Belzebong (Man, this genre has so many comically great names)
Rating: 8 / 10
Song of the Day 09/03/2026
"Pass It Around" - Smokie
Before you go sayin' that I spelled the band's name wrong, just know their debut was released under the name "Smokey", something that stuck around for their following studio album, but they switched to their proper spelling of "Smokie" for later pressings of that second album and for their third, Midnight Cafe, the album most of us that know Smokie are familiar with here in the United States. Why do I say that? Well, I honestly thought Smokie was a one-hit wonder until I looked further into them. They are a United States one-hit wonder, but they did pretty well in Europe and Oceania in the 1970s onward. For the United States, we caught wind of their biggest hit, "Living Next Door to Alice", but they never had much fame here aside from that. Do you know that song? No? Well, go check that sucker out before starting here! That song is so damn good. When I first hear it come along on a playlist, I just know I am gonna spin it a couple of times in a row since that chorus is so damn addictive. That one also has a great live rendition called "Alice! (Who the Fuck Is Alice...?)" that I also adore. Not as much as their studio version, but the strange humor that fills the crowd for the live one is entertaining, and I love the changing of words. Anyway, I am now going to listen to "Living Next Door to Alice" since even talking about it has me dying to hear it. My Morning Jacket will have to wait a second. Oh! I am finally getting to My Morning Jacket's It Still Moves, one of the albums I most looked forward to when starting into my 2003 section. So far it is great! Maybe we will even talk about it tomorrow. Anyway, while I let "Living Next Door to Alice" play, let's get back into talking about the band. Smokie started out in the glam rock craze that hit the UK like a truck in the 1970s. It is there that we will hear "Pass It Around", but the band had more fame in the soft rock sound that was starting to become more of a regular thing in the mid-to-late 1970s worldwide. Hard rock was still fighting back, but with metal gaining power and punk rock taking the energy even higher, there was a massive market for the mellow side of rock. Smokie dropped their glam rock sound after their debut, which made it a hidden gem from their discography, much like Queen and their original sound before moving into something commercial. Truth be told, I am damn glad that Smokie moved out of the glam rock world. It came and went pretty damn fast, and those that didn't jump ship rode that ship into the ground. The soft rock sound of Smokie is where their bread and butter is. The vocals from Chirs Norman are immensely enjoyable. He has one of those voices that make him sound older than he is. When Smokie broke out into the mainstream with their third studio album, Midnight Cafe, he was only 26, but he sang with a mature knack that could satisfy the older generation, but still this schoolboy sneer which had many teenagers digging their sound. The band's charting history is strange. Their debut album, Pass It Around, released in 1975 and only charted weakly in Australia, peaking at the #94 spot. Though that album does hold one of their best early songs, the title track, "Pass It Around". That one song could sell this whole album, and honestly, it is the best song on its 13-song track listing even though there are some other great songs. "Pass It Around" was the first single from the band, but it was a big commercial failure, mostly since people didn't even have a chance to hear it on the radio! Stations avoided playing it due to thinking it had some secret marijuana message, which is admittedly fair, but you can still play that shit. People have always been prudes, ey? Well, I feel bad for everyone who didn't have a chance to hear the song since it is a ton of fun. "Pass It Around" is also our song of the day! So, maybe we will just jump into that early and get it out of the way.
I have always thought title tracks are the most important piece on an album. It is the bold one. Obviously good enough to name the whole album around it. That stands true with our song of the day today. "Pass It Around" is the first song off the band's debut album of the same name, which was released in 1975. "Pass It Around" also serves as the band's debut single, but like I already mentioned, it was a commercial failure. The band tried pretty damn hard to get their name around during this stage, even going on a big tour with Pilot, but even with all that work put in, they hardly gained any attention. That is alright. I will admit, the album itself isn't anything all too crazy. I adore "Pass It Around", "Shy Guy", and "Daydreamin', but aside from those tracks, there aren't all too many grand moments. Still enjoyable as all get out, and those three songs sail the whole thing for me, but still nothing that was going to chart all too high. The grand majority of glam rock bands out of the UK hardly charted. The genre was meant for style and community more than it was meant for music. Only a few walked away legends; the rest had a few charting hits and albums and then got back to life. So, for Smokie at this stage, it was just the wrong style to be whipping out, especially when others had already been doing it and were doing it a little bit better. For those that like to do full discography runs, you cannot even think about skipping the album. Any true Smokie fans won't put it down either, and while I have listened through most of the band's material, especially from the 1970s and the 1980s, I still stand by that it is a fairly weak album. If you are just gonna do a skimming of the album, then be sure to take in the title track in full since it is the shining gem. "Pass It Around" comes in hot with a glam rock sound. Theatrical as all hell. The style is right in stride with what Sweet was doing at the time. Lyrically the song is pretty positive, something we all need to hear. It doesn't matter what others are thinkin' about you. Just remember the greatest thing about yourself is free will. You can do whatever you wanna do. If you wanna sing out, sing out. That vision is meant to be passed around. You are meant to express yourself, the inner you, since that is all you really are. Not the flashy car or fine clothing, not the woman you got on your arm or the gems you got on your rings. The true you. You gotta pass it around. So, yeah, you can hear in the lyrics how people might have thought it was a pot song, especially with their band name and the album art. Still, the song is a powerful one that comes and goes fairly fast. The album slowly loses steam but gets little bumps as it goes. "Pass It Around" is a hidden gem from 1975 that I think you could fully dig! The band found a little better success with their following studio album, Changing All the Time. It was a transitionary album, one that dropped the glam rock sound for something more soft rock with a strange country feeling to it. This is where they started finding their signature sound, and it is also where they switched their band name to "Smokie" to avoid being confused with Smokey Robinson. The early pressings of that album still hold the early spelling of the band's name, and I wonder if that makes them more rare for the record collectors such as myself. I will look into that. The album was much stronger, and you can tell the band knew what they wanted now. It featured two singles, "If You Think You Know How to Love Me" and "Don't Play Your Rock 'n' Roll to Me", both of which hit damn high on the UK charts and high elsewhere. I am talking top ten in the UK, so Smokie finally got that name circulating. They followed that up with their third album, Midnight Cafe, which did mighty well. After its release is when "Living Next Door to Alice" hit the scene as a non-album single. "Living Next Door to Alice" was their biggest hit worldwide and solidified their spot in the temporary spotlight of rock music. It was later included on the 2007 remastered version of Midnight Cafe, and I can hardly fathom the album without it since that is the first album I ever listened to from the band with the expanded tracklisting. The band charted strong in different countries from 1975 to 1981, and then one more smack of that Smokie in 1987 & 1988 for their 10th studio album, All Fired Up. Since then, the band has released albums steadily, most of which chart high in one place or another, but the 1970s were certainly their prime years. I am still working through their discography in leisure. For today, you get a taste of early Smokie. Their signature sound is still there for sure, but I won't lie that that sound of theirs only gets better as it goes. Still, glad to share a hidden gem. Hope we get to talk more about the band at a later point. Enjoy!
Year Released: 1975
Album: Pass It Around (1975)
Genre: Glam Rock
Mood: Positive
Perfect For: Casual listening, Getting stoned, Letting the stresses go
Where to Next: "The Night Chicago Died" - Paper Lace
Rating: 8 / 10
Song of the Day 09/02/2026
"A Little Respect" - Wheatus
Now, for many of us out there, we will see the Wheatus name and sort of not take them seriously. Some out there might know Wheatus as a one-hit wonder, and while that might be true on the charts, it is hardly the truth in the modern way we take in music. Wheatus would have been considered more of a two-hit wonder back then since their cover of Erasure's marvelous "A Little Respect" also charted pretty damn high. The main hit that Wheatus is known for is the iconic "Teenage Dirtbag", a song that truly has no right being as good as it is. Man, is that song good. That is the kind of track that you listen to for the first time and say, "What even is this?" but before you know it you are pulling the song up again within the next hour to give it another taste. Both come off the band's debut self-titled album, easily the best place to start within Wheatus. That is coming from someone who indeed did start there. I was like you; I mainly knew "Teenage Dirtbag" and heard "A Little Respect" a time or two. It was just recently that I got further into the band with my studies. Shit, I just barely finished up their second studio album, Hand Over Your Loved Ones, just a couple of days ago. While it is unfair to lob Wheatus in with being a one-hit wonder, especially since there is plenty of love for the band's other songs, I am not fully sold on the group yet. That debut of theirs, that is one album that fully deserves a chef's kiss, but their second one didn't blow me away. It was good and I fully enjoyed it, but it wasn't the kind of album that had me instantly falling in love with it. Albums like Hand Over Your Loved Ones tend to need a couple of plays from me before I want to add them to my collection of loved albums. It was close, but there was something missing that their debut had. I am sure getting heavily tied into an admittedly silly song kind of hinders your career. Sure, it got your name out there, and everyone knows that one song, but if you want to step away from that theme, you have a seriously long road to travel. It is sort of like the poor actors that get hooked up into fame from a Marvel movie. Yeah, you are the big star, and everyone knows your face, but now everyone is going to say, "Isn't that the Spider-Man dude?" for the rest of your career. Still, I don't think Whatus would have made it as far as they have without "Teenage Dirtbag", which is one of the most intoxicatingly catchy pop rock songs out of the 2000s. The song can hang out with the 1990s burnouts just as well as it can meld with the sound going on in the awkward early 2000s. It just works, and that song will forever be a piece of rock history. Everyone seems to know that track. Though, that little feeling that comes along with "Teenage Dirtbag", "A Little Respect", and the other little goodies that fill their debut didn't move into their second album as easily. Still them, there is no doubting that, but something was missing. Once I get into the 2005 portion of my studies in three months or so, then I get to try out their third album, Too Soon Monsoon, which I hope impresses me more. I was so damn excited to get into the second album, so maybe I am still a little butthurt that I was disappointed by it and it was actually a better album than I realized. I have always stood by the idea that you need to listen to an album three times to fully get the idea. The first is confusing and fun. The second is a little more serious, where you feel more than hear. Then that third one is where you find an understanding of the vision if it has one. There are times that on that third listen you think, "Yeah, I wasn't missing much", but I don't think that is going to be the case with Hand Over Your Loved Ones once I get around to giving it another spin, something I intend to do within the next month since I still did enjoy it. We didn't come here to talk about that second album; we are here for that debut of theirs and the cover of "A Little Respect".
Each and every time I have listened to their cover of "A Little Respect", I always jump over and listen to the divine original from 1980s synth-pop legends, Erasure. That song is so damn good! The cover is a strange one. It feels like a local band doing a strange cover, but one that keeps to the original pretty damn well even if it is far from the synth-pop genre. I would say that the Wheatus one is almost better put together to grab you. Erasure has a version that is a peaceful and moving track; that is where the emotion is, but the one from Wheatus is just... Fun! That is what Wheatus is known for after all. There is a music video that goes along with Wheatus's that follows the fun style. It pretty well covers a dude that has unfortunate things happen on repeat while he is trying to get back with his girlfriend, painting him as a pervert and overall as a rude bastard. I just watched it for the first time before I went to bed last night. Campy, but fun. Criminally of its time. Though, what do you expect? Much like the music video for "Teenage Dirtbag", it features actors acting out the song. Man, that girl in the "Teenage Dirtbag" music video was a childhood crush of mine. But.... I mean, a chick with Iron Maiden tickets could be a crush of mine anyday. Anyway, the music video to "A Little Respect" is a nice, easygoing time, but I would say the song without the music video is even better. It is the kind of song you can play casually anywhere you go. Like a lot of the songs off of their self-titled debut, it has a lot of different influences in there. The album jumps left and right but keeps that pop rock feeling there the whole way through. What better compliment to a pop-based album than having Erasure's most timeless track? It is kind of odd how well they pulled off the track. I have no doubt that Wheatus know what they are doing with their instruments and structuring of their songs, but not many groups can cover synth-pop and walk away doing it so damn well. That genre stands by itself, and I can only think of like 15 bands that pulled off an 1980s pop cover with a different style and did it nearly as well as Wheatus did it with "A Little Respect". It was one of the powerhouse tracks off the album, which was released in 2000, but the single to "A Little Respect" came out a year later, where it stood in third place on the UK charts, which is higher than the original made it years back. It did pretty well elsewhere, but it was the UK that loved it the most. Anyway, the song starts off with some mellow strumming before vocalist Brendan Brown joins in with his high vocals. Much like a solid chunk of Wheatus tracks, his vocals are damn enjoyable to listen to. Homey and innocent with a little edge of seriousness. The track keeps this mellow feeling all the way until the 0:41 mark, where the whole band joins in with enough power to give you chills. Where there are usually synthesizers, the band has the guitars filling the void, creating the same feeling. Not a full second of silence through the whole song. They do the song some serious justice. Sony poked and prodded Wheatus since they were signed by their subsidiary label, Columbia Records. This led to Wheatus even rereleasing their second studio album two years after its release, this time on their own label with a new title, Suck Fony, in Sony's own font. Well, for "A Little Respect", they put on the pressure for Brendan Brown to sing more like Scott Stapp of Creed and the others from the post-grunge world instead of their normal vocal style, which the band obviously wasn't about. I can't even imagine what that would sound like. If Creed or Staind did it... I mean, I can see it sounding pretty good, but this is Wheatus! What the hell were they thinking? If they did it, there is a 79 percent chance that "A Little Respect" would have never become the band's second big-time hit. They would have certainly faded away. So, what lesson did we learn? Big labels that try too hard to command an artist tend to not know shit. Music is from the soul, and that is something you cannot fully alter. Point it in the right direction, sure, but not force it. I am glad they stuck to their core sound since it spawned one of their greatest songs by a long shot. Once again, that is coming from someone who has only made it through 2 of their 5 studio albums. Still, I cannot help but feeling like "A Little Respect" will stand as one of their greatest tracks, no matter how many times I listen to their other material. It just has that thing! Alright, I guess I will just let you hear it for yourself. You know what to do! Load that song up already. Enjoy!
Year Released: 2000
Album: Wheatus (2000)
Genre: Pop Rock
Mood: Calming
Perfect For: Casual listening, Hanging out on lunch break, Being cursed in love, Drinking wine
Where to Next: "Stacy's Mom" - Fountains of Wayne
Rating: 8 / 10
Song of the Day 09/01/2026
"Low Down Freedom" - Billy Joe Shaver
Welcome to another start of the month here on our little corner of the internet. You chose one of the best places to start out September. We will be sure to keep things rockin' here, so check back often. Billy Joe Shaver might not be all too rockin' but he sure is a compelling country artist. He is one of the oddities that fell through the cracks until he was in the right place at the right time. What is that right time? Well, when the outlaw country scene started to really grow hair on its chest instead of being a more rough form of traditional country music. That didn't happen until the late 1970s into the 1980s, even if that outlaw sound was around before then. Billy Joe Shaver became an icon in that world, and a lot of that came from his talent with a pen. I would consider Billy Joe Shaver to be one of the most talented songwriters in country music history, and that is really saying something since there were some phenomenal lyricists in the genre. Shaver was a wild man. He looks like the kind of guy who lived out his songs. In a way he kind of did. He grew up poor as dirt and hit the fields trying to make ends meet for his family by the age of 13 and dropped out of school. His dad was never around, and for the first portion of his life it was just his grandmother and mom who were around. When his grandmother passed, he moved in with his mom and stepfather, but money is always tight, and he got to working. Cotton fields at 13, the navy at 17, rodeo clown at 21, and then losing some of his fingers in a sawmill accident a few years down the line. He was just a common joe for the most part at this point, but there was a fire within the man that saw him taking his skills at guitar (even with the missing fingers) alongside his talent with the pen and planned to hitchhike his way to the city of angels, Los Angeles. Now, a lot of the country boys don't tend to head that way right off the bat, and the same happened to Shaver by fate. He couldn't get anyone to pick him up to go west, but one truck driver stopped off to get the wild child east; the first stop on his path to glory was in Memphis, Tennessee. The first taste. Then the next was Nashville. Bright lights and country music. Now, that is where a lot of the country stars got their start. Music City Row had people up and down the street, half of them were drunks, and the other half were country pickers. One in the same, really, and Billy Joe Shaver was amongst the ranks. He got to working pretty quickly, landing himself a spot as a songwriter, even if the pay wasn't all too great, it was the right step to becoming a country star. Soon enough Waylon Jennings took notice of Shaver. The grand majority of Waylon Jennings essential 19th studio album, Honky Tonk Heroes, was written by Shaver. 9 out of 10 tracks on that album were written by Shaver, two of which had a little bit of help. The only song on Honky Tonk Heroes that didn't have the wiser words of Shaver on it was "We Had It All". This was the turning point for our dear spotlighted artist. He first got the attention of Jennings while at one of Willie Nelson's famous 4th of July gatherings. Shaver performed his song "Willie the Wandering Gypsy and Me", which is also featured on today's album and on Honky Tonk Heroes. Waylon heard it and asked if he had any others and wanted to record a whole album of them. Shaver naturally was ready for the challenge, and when the time came to meet up with Waylon in Nashville, he couldn't be found anywhere. Waylon avoided poor ol' Billy Joe Shaver for six whole months! Through pulling a few favors, Shaver finally zoned in on where Waylon was. By this time Waylon wasn't interested anymore but offered Shaver a hundred bucks for his time. Now, I mentioned that Shaver is a wild man, so he flat out refused the money and threatened Waylon that he was willing to throw down right here, right now if Waylon wouldn't hear his songs. Have you seen Billy Joe Shaver? The man has a wild eye, so Waylon cooled him down and said he would record "Willie the Wandering Gypsy and Me", and for every song he sang next if he liked it, he would record it for his next album, but as soon as he sang one he didn't like, then that was the end of that, and he would have to hit the road. Now, Shaver knew his stuff was good, and Waylon saw it too. I mean, the number of songs on the album shows that. He caught Waylon while in a recording session with Chet Atkins at RCA. If you know Chet Atkins, you know he is a perfectionist, and Atkins wasn't fond of the idea of having the songs written by some stranger who smells like he just blew into town, but Waylon wasn't the type of artist to stand down from what he wanted to record, so he had no choice but to follow through. Lo and behold, Honky Tonk Heroes was a country hit album and one of Waylon's most impressive. It was a cornerstone album to building the outlaw country genre, and some of that came from what Shaver brought into it. That is where his career fully began.
So, why go off on a tangent about a completely different album? Well, since I love Waylon Jennings. Also, since the album that holds our song of the day, "Low Down Freedom", is mostly made up of songs that came out of Waylon's Honky Tonk Heroes. It was a wise play to record the same songs you wrote and had big acclaim for from another artist. That is as country as country goes during this time. I mean, Shaver practically made that album for Waylon, so it was his turn to shine a little bit. That shining didn't shine all too bright, sadly. Billy Joe Shaver isn't the type of artist to hit the top of the charts. He is the kind of icon that works best in the shadows. His debut album hardly shook any leaves off the country tree, but it is still a pretty good album. One of those barebone debuts that came along in country music. It feels like a basement recording session, but that is some of the crude click that comes along with Billy Joe Shaver's early work. His debut, Old Five and Dimers Like Me, released in 1973, the same year that Waylon released an album with his material. Shaver getting a record deal was bound to happen. More artists were starting to do their versions of Billy Joe Shaver songs, even the King of Rock 'n' Roll, Elvis Presley. Another person who covered a Shaver track was Kris Kristofferson, who is the producer of Shaver's debut. You can feel that little piece of Kristofferson in there; he always leaves his mark on anything he touches. Our song of the day is one of the best tracks that Waylon did in the 1970s, "Low Down Freedom". That might just be an opinion of mine since I am obsessed with the lyrical content. Shaver knows how to put together a fun yet moving track, that is where he excels. Now, I do think that Waylon does a better version, but the passion from the Billy Joe Shaver version is easily felt. "Low Down Freedom" is one of many songs that show up on the fittingly titled Old Five and Dimers Like Me that was previously put on Waylon's album. For Shaver, "Low Down Freedom" is the 8th track on his debut. A smooth track that zones in on the words of Shaver. There is a full band bumping along, but you mainly focus on the singing. With this being his first album, it is a little more amateur. That is the fun, but in comparison to some of his later albums like the 1981-1993 core albums, it comes off a little more stale. It doesn't have that recklessness to it. But that is some of the reason I cannot help but come back to his debut when I want something more earthy, something a little more mellow but still has a rebel streak to it. This is the kind of stuff that is perfect for going on an adventure through the Utah deserts into Colorado's mountains. Shaver has a lot stronger vocal work on the album, and since there is a ten-year gap between this one and his later, more famous albums, there is naturally gonna be a little aging in the voice. One gives the atmosphere of a youthful rambler, and the other is a hell-raising country boy. Both are great, it just depends on what you are in the mood for. This album is sort of a forgotten gem from outlaw country music. It has many people's hands in making sure people understood how talented Shaver was. Tom T. Hall, another highly respected song writer, wrote the liner notes to the album. Kris Kristofferson, arguably one of the most respected lyricists in the 1970s, produced it. Before and after this album was released, people were raving about Shaver in the inner country circles; this was just his striking out at the rest of the nation knowing his name. The album was met with weak sales and quickly became another country album out of 1973 that came and went. Over 50 years later and 6 years after Shaver's death, people are finally coming back to it. Shaver didn't put out songs that were polished or planned; he put out stuff that came from the soul, from the heart of someone who lived the life. You can feel the authenticity in his debut and through the rest of his albums that followed it. Shaver is an icon of the outlaw country world, and what he lacked in sales is made up for tenfold with the impact he made on the genre. Do yourself a favor and spin the song, you won't be disappointed. If you like it, then go check out his material and the stuff that he wrote and others recorded. It is a lot of homework, but it is highly worthwhile. Enjoy!
Year Released: 1973
Album: Parallel Minds (1973)
Genre: Country, Outlaw Country
Mood: Mellow
Perfect For: Casual listening, Daydreaming, Going for a long drive, Studying maps
Where to Next: "Ain't No God in Mexico - Live 1974" - Waylon Jennings
Rating: 8 / 10
