Tag Archives: Freealonzo’s Rock Week

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Rolling Stones – Shattered

Some Girls was probably the last great Rolling Stones album and being the Stones, it had a mix of standard rock, disco, and even punk with the song Shattered. This version absolutely rocks and really shows how much of a showman Jaggar was and that the Stones could still throw down. There’s a lot of crappy, drug addled live versions of this song (including on SNL which I remember watching) from this time period but this performance is sublime, I’m glad I found it.

That's a wrap on 1978, or at least a taste. Hope you all enjoyed.

2 votes, average: 9.50 out of 102 votes, average: 9.50 out of 102 votes, average: 9.50 out of 102 votes, average: 9.50 out of 102 votes, average: 9.50 out of 102 votes, average: 9.50 out of 102 votes, average: 9.50 out of 102 votes, average: 9.50 out of 102 votes, average: 9.50 out of 102 votes, average: 9.50 out of 10 (2 votes, average: 9.50 out of 10)
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Elvis Costello – Pump it Up

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Elvis Costello’s second album This Year’s Model and I’ve probably listened to this album more than any other (or close to Abbey Road and Bee Thousand). Pump it Up has a definite punk sensibility and showed that one can still rock out with an organ. I could have chosen from a dozen great live versions of this song.

3 votes, average: 10.00 out of 103 votes, average: 10.00 out of 103 votes, average: 10.00 out of 103 votes, average: 10.00 out of 103 votes, average: 10.00 out of 103 votes, average: 10.00 out of 103 votes, average: 10.00 out of 103 votes, average: 10.00 out of 103 votes, average: 10.00 out of 103 votes, average: 10.00 out of 10 (3 votes, average: 10.00 out of 10)
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Talking Heads – Warning Sign

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Ok, now we are moving into a more arty not, necessarily rock direction. I love this video in that the crowd seems to be surrounding the Talking Heads. Also, David Bryne throws down some crazy licks on the guitar. The album More Songs About Buildings and Food was a sign that there was something different out there that was really interesting musically.

2 votes, average: 9.00 out of 102 votes, average: 9.00 out of 102 votes, average: 9.00 out of 102 votes, average: 9.00 out of 102 votes, average: 9.00 out of 102 votes, average: 9.00 out of 102 votes, average: 9.00 out of 102 votes, average: 9.00 out of 102 votes, average: 9.00 out of 102 votes, average: 9.00 out of 10 (2 votes, average: 9.00 out of 10)
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Bruce Springsteen – The Promised Land

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Coming off of Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen was a genuine rock star and while I think Born to Run created tons Bruce fans, Darkness on the Edge of Town turned that crowd into life-long adoring fans that still exist to this day (did you know Joe Pos once wrote about this album?). I love that the lyrics are screened on the video. Probably my favorite Springsteen song.

This verse is just magic:

There’s a dark cloud rising from the desert floor
I packed my bags and I’m heading straight into the storm
Gonna be a twister to blow everything down
That ain’t got the faith to stand its ground

Blow away the dreams that tear you apart
Blow away the dreams that break your heart
Blow away the lies that leave you nothing but lost and brokenhearted

7 votes, average: 9.57 out of 107 votes, average: 9.57 out of 107 votes, average: 9.57 out of 107 votes, average: 9.57 out of 107 votes, average: 9.57 out of 107 votes, average: 9.57 out of 107 votes, average: 9.57 out of 107 votes, average: 9.57 out of 107 votes, average: 9.57 out of 107 votes, average: 9.57 out of 10 (7 votes, average: 9.57 out of 10)
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Van Halen – Feel Your Love Tonight

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I’m going to start the week with rock and roll because for the most part, rock still dominated popular music. Van Halen came out in 1978 and blew my 15-year-old mind away. This is still one of my favorite songs of all time and this performance really shows what early Van Halen was like alive. I flipped out when I found this video. This album is important because rock was getting a little stodgy (I’m looking at you Foreigner and Styx). Van Halen gave rock a much-needed kick in the ass. The drum solo got a little long, unfortunately.

2 votes, average: 9.00 out of 102 votes, average: 9.00 out of 102 votes, average: 9.00 out of 102 votes, average: 9.00 out of 102 votes, average: 9.00 out of 102 votes, average: 9.00 out of 102 votes, average: 9.00 out of 102 votes, average: 9.00 out of 102 votes, average: 9.00 out of 102 votes, average: 9.00 out of 10 (2 votes, average: 9.00 out of 10)
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Friday Music Day

Monday Music Day – Welcome to 1978

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Welcome to Monday Music Day and Freealonzo’s Guest DJ rock week, brought to you by the year 1978.

I know most people take a cursory look at the videos posted so I thought I’d take a different approach and spoiler all my video selections for the week. I supposed you could close this post if you want to be surprised. Hopefully this will prompt you to check out the vids.

All seven videos are songs released in 1978, which I think is a fascinating year musically. Rock and roll, which had been fully ensconced in the popular zeitgeist for nearly 15 years, was still reigning supreme but after the Sex Pistols and Ramones broke out in 1977, there were a burgeoning punk and new wave scene as well. Also, some experimenting with reggae and other musical genres were sneaking into the songs. I think 1978 was the beginning of transition from rock to a broader musical experience which led to eventually over time a more popular acceptance of hip-hop, alt-country, hard core punk, etc., which has led to the diffuse musical genres we all experience 45 years later in 2023. As a 15-year-old at the time I was in my element. I still listen to most if not all these albums to this day with Elvis Costello’s This Year’s Model and Van Halen practically getting spins monthly.

All videos are from the era and mostly shot from crowd or with minimal effects. No staged performances on a tv sound stage in the bunch. I will give more background on each song during the week. Enjoy!

Monday: Van Halen – Feel Your Love Tonight
Tuesday: Bruce Springsteen – The Promised Land
Wednesday: Talking Heads – Warning Sign
Thursday: Cars – You’re All I got Tonight
Friday: The Police – So Lonely
Saturday: Elvis Costello – Pump It Up
Sunday: Rolling Stones – Shattered

Also, I could have easily done this for another week. Here are a bunch more albums that came out in 1978 that you should check out.

The Jam – All the Mod Cons
Cheap Trick – Heaven Tonight
The Clash – Give 'em Enough Rope
Warren Zevon – Excitable Boy
Nick Lowe – Jesus of Cool
Kraftwerk – Man-Machine
Blondie – Parallel Lines
Devo – Are We Not Men
Big Star - Third