Monday 7 February 2011

News, Views and Music Issue 90 (Intro)




February 7:

Ummagumma! Hello and welcome to another ‘news, views and music’. Sorry this issue is so hard on the heels of the last one, but next week looks like a busy one for us so we’ve had to alter our dates a bit. Seeing as there’s no real news for you so soon after last time (we’re on 4390-odd hits now, with an accumulative 160-odd for our YouTube videos and our Beatles Sims are still struggling to pay for their new mansion), we thought we’d celebrate the recent and poorly publicised ‘troll a Tory day’ by delivering our own message to David Cameron. For those who don’t know, this is a day of protest where everyone sick of the stupidities of the UK’s coalition Government and their bizarrely twisted priorities harangues a chosen Conservative Mp for the whole day until they either agree to change policies or our arms get tired. And boy is there enough to complain about.

So here’s our AAA message: I’m so pleased for you, DC, on being so privileged all your life. The fact that you went to the best schools, was given every help in your career path without actually having to make any real decisions as a politician and had every whim of your early life catered for. Because that means you’re so thankful for your good start in life, of course you’ll do everything in your power to give everybody else a happy, privileged life like yours. It also means that you won’t be tired fighting on our behalf, having been handed everything on a plate, in the role where you represent the people – not like the rest of us, beneath you, who have had to fight for everything your Government has decided to cut. And well done helping out the rich by giving them tax breaks because that, surely, means they will feel even more generous and will want to help out their slightly less wealthy brethren in return for getting off with their recent mistakes scot free. I also have to thank you, DC, if your plans for banning industrial strikes comes to fruition because it will stop us from thinking about all the horrible things your Government is doing to us, even though its been the only way the average man in the street has been able to make his views heard in this country for the past few centuries. But of course, all that heritage means nothing in the face of a tiny deficit in a country that’s been in debt for 80 years now and counting. I have to think like this because the alternative – that we’ve got a corrupt politician in charge that never actually technically won the election, who will be in power for another three years and is clearly in politics only to help himself and his rich chums – is surely impossible in our modern democratic age. Isn’t it? So let’s look forward to a coming year when all our worst fears are unrealised – or else. Look at the riots in Egypt and France for a warning – you wouldn’t want that to happen would you? I mean, it’s not as if our benefit-slashed, VAT-taxed, recently made redundant population had anything to riot about is it? So take this as a warning. Being privileged by birth does not make you popular with everybody. And serving as your country’s representative could easily be seen as a privilege too far. But you won’t let us down will you DC Ummagumma? Not after the trust we’ve placed in you?...

Oh and I had to laugh at the political debate the other day: ‘Mr Cameron, you keep pretending you’re being Father Christmas by making everybody a part of your ‘big society’, but really you’re being Scrooge...’

                                                                     

Beatles News: Hundreds of letters made by John Lennon to various friends and colleagues have been sold to publisher Orion Books, causing a feast of speculation among Beatleologists that a book might be in the works (perhaps in 2012 according to the latest news bulletin). The letters were owned by Beatles biographer Hunter Davies (author of the first full book about the band in 1968), although technically Yoko owns the rights to any of Lennons writings, however small and it is she who has just given permission for them to be used. The vast majority of the letters have never been seen before and many contain typical Lennon doodles, such as the ones published in Johns three books of prose. More news if and when we hear it... 




ANNIVERSARIES: Happy birthday to everybody, everywhere celebrating this week (February 2nd-8th) and that includes AAA members Skip Battin (bassist with The Byrds 1970-72) who would have been 77 on February 2nd, Graham Nash (guitarist with The Hollies 1963-68 and Crosby, Stills and Nash various dates since 1969) who turns 69 on February 2nd, Eric Haydock (bassist with The Hollies 1963-65) who would have been 68 on February 3rd and Dave Davies (guitarist with The Kinks 1963-93) who turns 64 on February 3rd. Anniversaries of events include: The beginning of the end for The Beatles, when three of them officially hire Allen Klien as their manager against the wishes of Paul McCartney (February 3rd 1969); The Who headlines their first concert, surprisingly late in their career, at London’s Finsbury Park (February 4th 1966); The Rolling Stones releaser ‘19th Nervous Breakdown’ (February 4th 1966); John and Yoko begin what the American courts call their ‘trial separation’, beginning an 18-month ‘lost weekend’ (February 4th 1974); Jefferson Airplane’s Paul Kantner offers up his prize guitar as one of the lots in a San Francisco musical auction to help Save The Whales – the first real music charity auction of its kind (February 4th 1979); Paul Simon released his first single without Art Garfunkel, ‘Mother And Child Reunion’ (February 5th 1972); The Rolling Stones switch labels to join The Beatles at EMI (February 5th 1977); Three Beatles enter a recording studio for the first time in seven years, when Paul and Ringo guest on George’s tribute to John ‘All Those Years Ago’, eight weeks after his death (February 6th 1981); The Beatles arrive in America for the first time, to be greeted by hoards of fans at JFK airport (February 7th 1964); The Kinks make their first TV appearance, miming to ‘Long Tall Sally’ on ‘Ready Steady Go!’ (February 7th 1964); Ringo has his tonsils removed, interrupting a Beatles tour of Australia (February 7th 1965); Stephen Stills becomes the first musician to ever make a digital recording, although alas the results still aren’t released even now (February 7th 1979); Pink Floyd play the first of just four ‘Wall’ shows (February 7th 1980) and finally, two years on from The Beatles’ demise when it seems clear they aren’t getting back together, their fan club officially closes its books, having hit a peak of membership in 1965 that’s never been equalled since (February 8th 1972). 

News, Views and Music Issue 90 (Top Twenty-Eight!): AAA bands covering each other's songs!




Forgive us if you’ve heard this one before, but the recent planned CSN cover versions CD is no more. Ummagumma! (OK, I will stop using that album title as a swear word now!) In honour of what we’ve missed (CSN getting their tonsils round the Beatles, Grateful Dead and The Rolling Stones among others) here is our extended top five: every single instance we can think of featuring one AAA band covering a song written and made famous by another. Now we’ve had to miss certain instances off this list, such as various ex-Beatles covering songs by the band proper during their later solo tours and CSN covering various songs written by members in their ‘first’ bands (ie The Byrds’ ‘8 Miles High’, Buffalo Springfield’s ‘For What It’s Worth’ and The Hollies’ King Midas In Reverse’ as written by C,S and N respectively) and we’re also not counting here songs covered independently by two bands (eg Hollies/Otis Redding/Rolling Stones doing ‘That’s How Strong My Love Is’, The Hollies/Rolling Stones/The Who doing ‘Fortune Teller’, The Beach Boys/The Who doing ‘Barbara Ann’ and Beatles/Kinks doing ‘Long Tall Sally’) But otherwise, we think this alphabetical Beatle-dominated list is complete – please email in if you can think of anything we’ve forgotten...

1)    Beach Boys/Beatles “I Should Have Known Better” (from ‘Beach Boys Party!’ 1966 and Beatles’ ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ 1964, respectively): A truly curious choice which is the first of three truly questionable choices from the Boys’ ‘Party’ record, ad libbed in the studio to buy Brian Wilson time to finish off ‘Pet Sounds’. Carl Wilson was the big fan of the band – much to dad Murray Wilson’s horror who saw the fab four as ‘the enemy’ – and he seems to be the only one talking this cover seriously, what with the band cracking jokes over the top and forgetting the words halfway through. Both bands have a similarly impressive youthful energy, however, on what was always one of the Beatles’ breeziest and most carefree of songs.



2)    Beach Boys/Beatles “Tell Me Why” (exactly the same as above): Ditto this cover version, which breaks down before it properly gets going. Again its a moody lennon lyrics masquerading as a couldn’t-care-less melody that suits both bands’ energetic readings, but it’s a shame the Beach Boys couldn’t take it more seriously!





3)    Beach Boys/Beatles “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away” (from ‘Beach Boys Party!’ 1966 and The Beatles ‘Help!’ 1965 albums respectively): Not so this moody Beatles track, always one of Lennon’s most under-rated efforts, covered nicely here by Dennis Wilson, who clearly identifies with the ‘love lost’ scenario. Shame the rest of the band can’t keep quiet behind him, though, ruining their song with their manic ‘hey!’ s, but its a good try. Somewhere in the archives the backing tapes without the manic choruses exist and it’s a great shame that hasn’t come out yet (the recording of The Everly’s ‘Devoted To You’ without the jokes appeared on the outtakes CD ‘Hawthorne, CA’ and sounds so much better).



4)    Beach Boys/Beatles “With A Little Help From My Friends” (from Beach Boys’ ‘Rarities’ recorded 1969 and released 1983 and Beatles ‘Sgt Peppers’ 1967 respectively): Next on our list is a recording that was never intended for release and seems to have been done merely to test the new Beach Boys studio, built in Brian Wilson’s kitchen, is working. It is – but the Beach Boys plainly aren’t and are just goofing around again, as shown by this curious, slowed-down reading on what was always one of the lesser Beatle songs, with Bruce Johnstone on unusually breathy lead vocals. It was revealed, long after the song came out on an itself-now-a-rarity rarities album,that the band wanted to hear how the song sounded sped-up. ‘Mad’ or ‘drunk’ seems to be the answer, if you’ve ever played the intended-speed version on YouTube... 





5)    Beach Boys/Beatles “Back In The USSR” (from Beach Boys’ ‘Rarities’ album, recorded 1969 and released 1983 and Beatles’ White Album, 1968): Our final fab four/fab five crossover makes much more sense. After all the song was started by Paul McCartney at the Maharishi’s retreat in Rishikesh when Beach Boy Mike Love was along for the ride and is based, with tongue firmly in cheek, on The Beach Boys’ ‘California Girls’. The song was written by Macca to give hope to Russian fans behind the Iron Curtain and has become even more loved since the fall of communism there in 1989 allowed it to be widely heard than it was at the time. You somehow get the sense that The Beach Boys didn’t quite get the depth of the song, as they treat it as just another surf singalong, quite unlike Macca’s deliciously ironic reading of his words on The Beatles’ original, but it’s good fun nevertheless and fascinating to hear a Beach Boys style Beatles song done by the group themselves. 



6)    Beatles/Belle and Sebastian “Here Comes The Sun” (from Beatles’ ‘Abbey Road’ 1969 and Belle and Sebastian’s 2CD version of ‘The BBC Sessions’ 2008 respectively): This cover version too is played utterly straight and does, in truth, sound just like another pop song rather than a gloriously uplifting hymn to nature and optimism as it does on the original (its one of the few Beatles tracks that sounds even better on the remix album ‘Love’). Belle and Sebastian’s Stevie Jackson has always cited The Beatles as his biggest influence – in fact, according to one interview I heard he, like me, was beaten up in school playgrounds for years for claiming no one in the then-top 40 could hold a candle to even the worst Beatles song and his friends were all mad to listen to anything made after 1970 – so its surprising there haven’t been more Beatles or AAA covers on B+S albums down the years. A shame the rest of the band either don’t know the song or can’t match Stevie’s enthusiasm in this live reading, though, which is a tad anonymous.





7)    Beatles/Crosby, Stills and Nash “Blackbird” (from the Beatles’ ‘White Album’ 1968 again, plus the self-titled CSN box-set from 1991): This song was an early live favourite and came in handy when the trio went into the Apple offices to try to get a deal with the Beatles’ label. It ever so nearly made the singers’ debut album, too, although fans had to wait until 1991 to hear the now 22-year-old studio version. This cover of ‘Blackbird’ has divided fans then and now, especially from fans who question why three such great writers needed cover songs at all, but I really like CSN’s reading, with some typically glorious harmonies and its uplifting social protest (Macca really did write it about a ‘black bird’ protesting against conditions for African-Americans in 1960s USA) is a perfect fit for the world’s most socially aware singers. 



8)    Beatles/Crosby, Stills and Nash “In My Life” (from The Beatles’ ‘Rubber Soul’ 1965 and CSN’s ‘After The Storm’ 1994): This cover doesn’t work quite as well, being a bit too mawkish and slow compared to the Beatles’ spot-on pop-rock reading of one of Lennon’s better lyrics and one of McCartney’s better melody lines. It’s still a lovely version, though, well worth seeking out if just to hear what this song sounds like with pristine three-part harmonies, although it doesn’t add much you won’t have learnt from the pristine original.





9)    Beatles/Grateful Dead – Brief note: Even I can’t afford the 200-odd official concerts recorded by the band during their 30 years on the road but not released till Jerry Garcia’s death in 1995. That’s a shame because, while there are several Beatles covers around on these CDs, I can’t tell you which albums they’re on, but do have a look out for covers of ‘Day Tripper’ ‘Dear Prudence’ and even, would you believe, ‘Why Don’t We Do It In The Road’?



10) Beatles/Hollies “If I Needed Someone” (a track from The Beatles’ ‘Rubber Soul’ album 1965 and a single by The Hollies 1965): This Hollies single is still a big bone of intention among fans. George Harrison, long a distant admirer of The Hollies, was fed up only getting two songs per Beatle record and promised this one to the Hollies – not that unusual in the 1960s as Lennon and McCartney gave their unused songs away all the time. The problem came when George went back on his promise and recorded it with the Beatles after all, with the two versions being released almost instantaneously. Just to rub salt in the wounds, Lennon murdered the Hollies’ version in print, dismissing them as ‘studio musician hacks’ or something like that. All these years later he’s wrong – I much prefer The Hollies version as the harmonies are tighter, the track is more urgent and the guitar-work is better (so are the drums, but that generally goes without saying comparing Beatles to Hollies tracks – sorry Ringo!) Only Allan Clarke’s vocals sounds like his heart isn’t in the song but then, having heard what the band have to say about this cover all these years on, that’s because his heart wasn’t in it at all. In contrast, like many an early Harrison Beatles track, the others don’t sound all that fussed on the Beatles original and George is left to carry the song more or less on his own – perhaps he should have fronted a Hollies cover instead?



11) Beatles/Nils Lofgren “Anytime At All” (from The Beatles’ ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ 1964 and Nils’ ‘Time Fades Away’ 1981): This cover was one of many Lennon tributes released the year after the great man died (a subject we’ve already covered on ‘news and views’ 77) and is the sound of the Beatles Nils remembers from his youth – snappy, energetic and full of hope and optimism. The 1980s production values rather ruins this new version, but Nils’ Lennon pastiche – complete with falsetto call-and-answers-like the record – is still a sweet cover with its heart in the right place, although it probably won’t win over too many admirers from the Beatles camp.





12) Beatles/Oasis “I Am The Walrus” (from The Beatles’ ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ 1967 and Oasis’ B-side compilation ‘The Masterplan’ 1998): Oasis made so many lyrical and musical references to the fab four that an actual cover on the back of one of their records seems somewhat inevitable. Liam Gallagher tries gamely with Lennon’s most off the wall lyric with a ferocity only bettered by the original, but this elongated attempt to recreate psychedelia, with guitars left humming next to their speakers, doesn’t have the conciseness or poetry of the original. It’s also deeply weird hearing this song in a bunch of Mancunian accents rather than scouse ones!



13) Beatles/Oasis “Helter Skelter” (from The Beatles’ ‘White Album’ 1968 yet again and Oasis’ live record ‘Familiar To Millions’ 2001): Not so the other Beatles cover, which is handled by Noel Gallagher and substitutes the original’s crazy carelessness with something much taughter and spooky, with an underlying threat the original only had on the outtakes. One of the highlights of the Oasis’ only official live record (to date anyway, though with their demise I bet there’s more in the works), it’s a shame the quintet didn’t tackle any other minor Beatles classics, although I still miss Ringo’s cries over blistered fingers!





14) Beatles/Otis Redding “Day Tripper” (The Beatles’ version was a 1965 single available on ‘Past Masters Volume Two’ and Otis’ version is from his 1966 ‘Dictionary Of Soul’ album): To follow up his trick of making ‘Satisfaction’ his own (see below), Otis injects some ‘soul’ into one of The Beatles’ poppier singles. The result isn’t quite as successful as before, but there’s a great driving beat underneath this cover and the tension going into the chorus still makes for a pretty memorable cover. A shame Otis didn’t choose one of the more soully Beatles songs though: I’d have loved to have heard him tackle ‘You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away’ or ‘The Word’, for instance! (‘yes you gotta go gotta go get my my my the word is good y’all, my my my...’)



15) Beatles/Rolling Stones “I Wanna Be Your Man” (The Beatles’ version is from ‘With The Beatles’ 1963; The Stones’ version of this forgotten song was released as their second single barely weeks before The Beatles’ version): Back when Jagger and Richards were the singer and guitarist in the Stones rather than the creative driving force, the band were desperate for material. By chance they happened to bump into Lennon and McCartney, already superstars in the UK if not yet the world, in a club, asked them for a song or two and gaped in awe as the two Beatles came up with the song in the space of about 10 minutes. The song was a real R and B number, straight up their alley during the Stones’ early years, but I actually prefer the Beatles’ version of this which has less swing but more out and our rock and roll power. Ringo excels himself on the lead vocal, which is one of his loosest and best and much easier to love than Jagger’s affected American drawl on his version.  Oh and contrary to popular thought, the two bands were great friends for most of the 60s, Brian Jones especially.





16) Beatles/10cc “Paperback Writer” (The Beatles’ version is a 1966 single available on ‘Past Masters Volume 2’, while 10cc’s live reading appears on ‘In Concert’ 1993): The 10cc version of The Beatles’ midway-point single was part of a Lennon trilogy tribute the band were playing – and yes, before you point out, it is predominantly a McCartney song! This band never do the expected thing! 10cc slow the song down and add a reggae vibe onto the verses, which works well until we hit the chorus and the song goes back into rock and roll again, an awkward mix that doesn’t quite gel. Ultimately, not as good an idea as it looks on paper – although in retrospect McCartney’s lyrics are very 10cc-ish, tongue-in-cheek yet making a serious point about wannabe authors writing about situations they’re too young to have experienced, which might explain why Macca goes on to work with 10cc’s Eric Stewart in the 1980s.



17) Beatles/10cc “Across The Universe” (from The Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’ album 1970 and 10cc’s ‘In Concert’ 1993): 10cc’s other Lennon ‘tribute’ was a tad more obvious, alas, and despite its fondness among most Beatles fans I’ve always hated this Lennon composition (along with ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’ and their cover of ‘Mr Moonlight’, its the only truly pointless song in their whole back catalogue). This version fares little better, with this version amazingly even slower than the original – surprisingly it’s the third ‘tribute’song, a cover of Larry Williams’ ‘Slow Down’, also made famous by The Beatles despite only appearing on an EP, that works best.





18)  Hollies/Nils Lofgren “Shine Silently” (The Hollies’ version was a single-only track from 1988 that is available on some compilations, while Nils’ original is from his self-titled ‘Nils Lofgren’ album – but the 1979 one not his 1971 debut also titled ‘Nils Lofgren’, blimey being a collector is confusing sometimes!): This marvellous little song is still Lofgren’s best known track by far, despite him never actually having a hit with it. The Hollies’ version, released at the tail end of Allan Clarke’s recordings with the group, isn’t that well known either but it’s well regarded by both Lofgren and Hollies fans and perhaps the last great Hollies recording of all. While Lofgren’s original is a pleasing, sweet little uplifting song with a terrific vocal, The Hollies’ version is a tour de force with a re-arrangement that pads the song out by several minutes (especially on the 12” mix), an ear-catching a capella opening and among the best use of 1980s synthesisers by any band on this list. ‘Silently’ also sounds very Hollies, catchy but deep and with an eye on the charts and an eye on originality, adding a new weight to Nils’ already pretty special song of devotion to unsung heroes everywhere. Just to add to the AAA links, Nils performed this song live during two tours with Ringo Starr’s ‘All Starr’ bands in the early 1990s.



19) Hollies/Searchers “Have You Ever Loved Somebody?” (from The Hollies’ ‘Evolution’ LP of 1967 and a single-only from The Searchers 1967, available on all good Searchers compilations): The Hollies – or three of them anyway – were the writers this time around, with Searcher drummer Chris Curtis hearing this commercial album-only track and thinking it would be a big hit if done the right away. Alas, Curtis was ousted from the group not long after suggesting it, allegedly ‘going mad’ during a gruelling Searchers tour down under, and the other Searchers clearly don’t have the same love or respect for this song, with the drumming particularly bad. It’s a wonder they agreed to go through with recording it at all, in fact, given that their own writing skills were then at their peak. A Shame, because the Hollies’ version is a career highlight and I’ve always been surprised the band never released it as a single in its own right, as its one of the catchiest songs I’ve ever heard.





20) Hollies/Simon and Garfunkel “I Am A Rock” (from The Hollies’ album ‘The Hollies’ – the 1965 one not the 1974 one (help!) as well as Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘Sounds Of Silence’ album 1965): This song, though, is a Paul Simon original and in fact my very first introduction to the duo – now wonder I love both bands so. Each version of this song is excellent but very very different, with Paul and Arty going for a severe, sombre monochrome arrangement that places the emphasis on alienation. The Hollies are, by contrast, flowering in full colour, with a beaty optimistic vibe that should be at odds with the lyrics but somehow isn’t – the band sound strangely joyous and triumphant here, as if they’re ecstatic they’ve suddenly agreed to cut women out of their lives for good!





21) John Lennon/Moody Blues “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” (a single only for Lennon, available on every Lennon comp, and on The Moody Blues’ festive ‘Winter’ album 2004): Lennon’s original will probably never be toppled, despite the many cover versions of it down the years, most of them hideous quite frankly (The Spice Girls surely have a version it the works, its exactly the kind of message they’d mangle). The Moodies’ version of this song is the best of a poor selection of covers from their worryingly meagre Christmas album that can’t live up to their own work, but it’s still not that impressive, with the band a bit too reverential for their own good, as if afraid of treading on Lennon’s toes.



22) Oasis/Rolling Stones “Street Fighting Man” (Oasis’ cover is a B-side to ‘All Around The World’ 1997 and the Stones’ appears on ‘Beggar’s Banquet’ 1968): This classic song of Stones protest is not what it seems as we’ve analysed elsewhere (see review no 26) – it seems to be inciting riots but actually claims that there’s no way a ‘sleepy London town’ is ever going to do anything. I wondered for years what a ‘straight’ version of this song would sound like without the irony in Mick Jagger’s voice – and now I know, thanks to Oasis’ ferocious version which has Liam Gallagher spitting out venom with every line. Unlike most Stones fans, though, who treated this version as sacrilege, I like this cover – the band mean every word they say and the arrangement does a good job of copying the original without sticking to it rigidly.





23) Oasis/The Who “My Generation” (I’m a bit lost which single Oasis’ version was from but its one of the ones from 2005’s ‘Don’t Believe The Truth’, whereas The Who’s comes from debut LP ‘My Generation’ 1965): This Oasis cover isn’t quite as good, mainly because The Who already gave such a definitive performance and there’s no other angle they can take from what remains one of Pete Townshend’s most straightforward lyrics. It also sounds odd to hear a band referencing ‘their’ generation by using a song that at the time was 40 years old! The song does fit Liam’s angry vocal style well, however, so it’s a shame they recorded this song in 2005, when the band were comparatively old and tired, rather than in their fiery youth.



24) Oasis/Neil Young “Hey Hey My My (Into The Black)” (from Oasis’ ‘Familiar To Millions’ live album 2001 and Neil’s ‘Rust Never Sleeps’ album 1979): Perhaps the best  Oasis cover of all is this Young song, however, which Noel Gallagher transforms into a hybrid of Neil’s fragile acoustic and barnstorming electrified versions. Noel announces this song to stunned silence from the audience and adds ‘yeah I don’t know, I wasn’t born then either’ – perhaps forgetting that he was nine years old when it came out and is Neil’s response to the punk and new wave movements. This cover might not touch the original – either version, as Neil did two on the same LP– but hearing the lines ‘rock and roll will never die’ from perhaps the world’s last definitive rock band still brings a tear to my eye.





25) Otis Redding/Rolling Stones “Satisfaction” (Otis’ version is from ‘Otis Blue’ 1966 – the Stones’ original was a single only in the UK and found on every good Stones comp since): So hot on the heels of the original was this cover and so much did Otis make ‘Satisfaction’ his own that a rumour went round that Otis had written it and sold it to Jagger/Richards for a pittance when he needed the money in a hurry. Complete rubbish of course, as Redding himself said at the time, but somehow the story stuck. Jagger/Richards hadn’t written many tracks before this and it’s clear that they too were thinking of soul when they wrote it (before developing the song into pure rock in the studio), which might be why it works so well. Otis is on top form here, with the song a close cousin of his own ‘Respect’, decrying the lack of opportunities in the world and all but turning ‘Satisfaction’ into an African-American protest song. Legend has it Otis only recorded this song when his planned choice – Buffalo Springfield’s ‘Mr Soul – fell through at the last minute.



26) Rolling Stones/Searchers “Take It Or Leave It” (from The Stones’ Aftermath’ album 1966 and a single-only for The Searchers in 1967, available on most good Searchers comps): Another early Stones song, so early casual fans would be hard pressed to guess who was writing and performing it even on The Stones’ version. The words do fit ‘Aftermath’s rather nasty anti-females vibe rather well, though, which makes it doubly odd why The Searchers should want to cover it (and if they wanted to shock then what about shocking us with a really good song, like ‘Under My Thumb’ ‘Stupid Girl’ or ‘Mother’s Little Helper’?) The Searchers certainly don’t sound all that enthusiastic on what is, to be frank, probably their worst A-side up to the end of their time with record label Pye – and the Stones’ original doesn’t sound all that hot either.





27) Rolling Stones/The Who “Under My Thumb” (from The Stones’ ‘Aftermath’ album 1966 and a single-only for The Who, later released on ‘Odds and Sods’ CD version 1996): A strange curio to end on – both sides of The Who’s 1967 tribute to The Stones, released when the band were facing drugs charges and it looked like the band would go to prison. The Who were furious on their behalf and pledged to release a ‘Who’ cover for every month they were inside, in order to keep their name alive. Alas, this hurried single sounds like it –John Entwistle, away on his honeymoon, isn’t available to play the bass part so Pete Townshend plays it, badly, while the rest of the band are still in their fixation-with-falsetto-harmonies phase which takes all the sneer and anger out of the song.



28) Rolling Stones/The Who “The Last Time” (a single only for The Stones in 1965 and The Who in 1966, again released on the CD version of ‘Odds and Sods’ 1996): The B-side fares slightly better, mainly because the song is a poppier, simpler one much easier to learn at speed. However, valiant as the idea is, you have to be grateful that Jagger and Richards were released after just one night inside and that the Who could go back to making ‘proper’ singles. 

And that’s that. Did we miss anything out? Drop us a link on our forum and let us know! In the meantime, till another issue in another time, goodbye!
A NOW COMPLETE List Of Top Five/Top Ten/TOP TWENTY  Entries 2008-2019
1) Chronic Fatigue songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/08/news-views-and-music-issue-1-top-five.html

2) Songs For The Face Of Bo
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/news-views-and-music-issue-2-top-five.html

3) Credit Crunch Songs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/news-views-and-music-issue-3-top-five.html

4) Songs For The Autumn
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/news-views-and-music-issue-4-top-five.html

5) National Wombat Week
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/news-views-and-music-top-five-national.html

6) AAA Box Sets
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/news-views-and-music-issue-6-top-five.html

7) Virus Songs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/news-views-and-music-issue-7-top-five.html

8) Worst AAA-Related DVDs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/news-views-and-music-issu-8-top-five.html

9) Self-Punctuating Superstar Classics
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/news-views-and-music-issue-9-top-five.html

10) Ways To Know You Have Turned Into A Collector
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/news-views-and-music-issue-9-top-five.html

11) Political Songs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/11/news-views-and-music-issue-11-top-five.html

12) Totally Bonkers Concept Albums
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/11/news-views-and-music-top-five-totally.html

13) Celebrating 40 Years Of The Beatles' White Album
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/top-five-issue-13-40-years-of-beatles.html

14) Still Celebrating 40 Years Of The Beatles' White Album
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/news-views-and-music-issue-14-top-five.html

15) AAA Existential Questions
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/news-views-and-music-issue-15-top-five.html

16) Releases Of The Year 2008
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/news-views-and-music-issue-16-top-five.html

17) Top AAA Xmas Songs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/news-views-and-music-issue-17-top-five.html

18) Notable AAA Gigs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/01/news-views-and-music-issue-19-top-five.html

19) All things '20' related for our 20th issue
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/news-views-and-music-issue-20-aaa-songs.html

20) Romantic odes for Valentine's Day
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/news-views-and-music-issue-22-top-five.html

21) Hollies B sides
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/news-views-and-music-issue-23-top-five.html

22) 'Other' BBC Session Albums
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/news-views-and-music-issue-24-top-five.html

23) Beach Boys Rarities Still Not Available On CD
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/news-views-and-music-issue-25-top-five.html

24) Songs John, Paul and George wrote for Ringo's solo albums
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/news-views-and-music-issue-26-top-five.html

25) 5 of the Best Rock 'n' Roll Tracks From The Pre-Beatles Era
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/news-views-and-music-issue-27-top-five.html

26) AAA Autobiographies
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/news-views-and-music-issue-28-top-five.html

27) Rolling Stones B-sides
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/news-views-and-music-issue-29-top-five.html

28) Beatles B-Sides
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/news-views-and-music-issue-30-top-five.html

29) The lllloooonnngggeesssttt AAA songs of all time
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/news-views-and-music-issue-31-top-five.html

30) Kinks B-Sides
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/news-views-and-music-issue-32-top-five.html

31) Abandoned CSNY projects 'wasted on the way'
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/news-views-and-music-issue-33-top-five.html

32) Best AAA Rarities and Outtakes Sets
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/news-views-and-music-issue-34-top-five.html

33) News We've Missed While We've Been Away
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/news-views-and-music-issue-35-top-five.html

34) Birthday Songs for our 1st Anniversary
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/news-views-and-music-issue-37-top-five.html

35) Brightest Album Covers
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/news-views-and-music-issue-37-top-five.html

36) Biggest Recorded Arguments
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/news-views-and-music-issue-38-top-five.html

37) Songs About Superheroes
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/news-views-and-music-issue-39-top-five.html

38) AAA TV Networks That Should Exist
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/news-views-and-music-issue-40-top-five.html

39) AAA Woodtsock Moments
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/news-views-and-music-issue-41-top-five.html

40) Top Moments Of The Past Year As Voted For By Readers
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/news-views-and-music-issue-42-top-five.html

41) Music Segues
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/news-views-and-music-issue-43-top-five.html

42) AAA Foreign Language Songs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/news-views-and-music-issue-44-top-five.html

43) 'Other' Groups In Need Of Re-Mastering
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/news-views-and-music-issue-45-top-five.html

44) The Kinks Preservation Rock Opera - Was It Really About The Forthcoming UK General Election?
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/news-views-and-music-issue-46-top-five.html

45) Mono and Stereo Mixes - Biggest Differences
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/news-views-and-music-issue-47-top-five.html

46) Weirdest Things To Do When A Band Member Leaves
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/nerws-views-and-music-issue-48-top-five.html

47) Video Clips Exclusive To Youtube (#1)
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/news-views-and-music-issue-49-top-five.html

48) Top AAA Releases Of 2009
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/12/news-views-and-music-issue-50-top-five.html

49) Songs About Trains
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/news-views-and-music-issue-51-top-five.html

50) Songs about Winter
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/news-views-and-music-issue-52-top-five.html

51) Songs about astrology plus horoscopes for selected AAA members
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/news-views-and-music-issue-53-top-five.html

52) The Worst Five Groups Ever!
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/news-views-and-music-issue-54-top-five.html

53) The Most Over-Rated AAA Albums
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/news-views-and-music-issue-56-top-five.html

54) Top AAA Rarities Exclusive To EPs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/news-views-and-music-issue-57-top-five.html

55) Random Recent Purchases (#1)
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/04/news-views-and-music-issue-58-top-five.html

56) AAA Party Political Slogans
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/news-views-and-music-issue-60-top-five.html

57) Songs To Celebrate 'Rock Sunday'
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/news-views-and-music-issue-61-top-five_21.html

58) Strange But True (?) AAA Ghost Stories
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/news-views-and-music-issue-61-top-five.html

59) AAA Artists In Song
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/news-views-and-music-issue-63-top-five.html

60) Songs About Dogs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/news-views-and-music-issue-65-top-five.html

61) Sunshiney Songs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/news-views-and-music-issue-67-top-five.html

62) The AAA Staff Play Their Own Version Of Monoploy/Mornington Crescent!
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/news-views-and-music-issue-68-top-forty.html

63) What 'Other' British Invasion DVDs We'd Like To See
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/news-views-and-music-issue-69-top-five.html

64) What We Want To Place In Our AAA Time Capsule
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/news-views-and-music-issue-70-top-five.html

65) AAA Conspiracy Theroies
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/news-views-and-music-issue-72-top-ten.html

66) Weirdest Things To Do Before - And After - Becoming A Star
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/news-views-and-music-top-ten-aaa-stars.html

67) Songs To Tweet To
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/news-views-and-music-issue-74-top-five.html

68) Greatest Ever AAA Solos
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/news-views-and-music-issue-75-top-ten.html

69) John Lennon Musical Tributes
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/news-views-and-music-issue-77-top-five.html

70) Songs For Halloween
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/news-views-and-music-issue-78-top-five.html

71) Earliest Examples Of Psychedelia
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/news-views-and-music-issue-79-top-five.html

72) Purely Instrumental Albums
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/news-views-and-music-issue-81-top-five.html

73) AAA Utopias

74) AAA Imaginary Bands
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/news-views-and-music-issue-82-top-five.html

75) Unexpected AAA Cover Versions
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/news-views-and-music-issue-83-top-five.html

76) Top Releases of 2010
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/news-views-and-music-issue-84-top-five.html

77) Songs About Snow
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/news-views-and-music-issue-85-top-five.html

78) Predictions For 2011
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011_01_02_archive.html

79) AAA Fugitives

80) AAA Home Towns
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/news-views-and-music-issue-88-home.html

81) The Biggest Non-Musical Influences On The 1960s
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/news-views-and-music-issue-89-top-five.html

82) AAA Groups Covering Other AAA Groups
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/news-views-and-music-issue-90-top.html

83) Strange Censorship Decisions
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/news-views-and-music-issue-91-top-ten.html

84) AAA Albums Still Unreleased on CD
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/news-views-and-music-issue-92-top-five.html

85) Random Recent Purchases (#2)
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/news-views-and-music-issue-93-top-ten.html

86) Top AAA Music Videos
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/news-views-and-music-issue-94-top-ten.html

87) 30 Day Facebook Music Challenge
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/news-views-and-music-issue-95-top.html

88) AAA Documentaries
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/news-views-and-music-top-five-aaa.html

89) Unfinished and 'Lost' AAA Albums
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/news-views-and-music-issue-97-top-ten.html

90) Strangest AAA Album Covers
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/newsa-views-and-music-issue-98-top-ten.html

91) AAA Performers Live From Mars (!)
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/news-views-and-music-issue-99-top-ten.html

92) Songs Including The Number '100' for our 100th Issue
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/news-views-and-music-issue-100-top-five.html

93) Most Songs Recorded In A Single Day
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/news-views-and-music-issue-101-top-five.html

94) Most Revealing AAA Interviews
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/news-views-and-music-issue-102-top-five.html

95) Top 10 Pre-Fame Recordings
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/news-views-and-music-issue-103-top-ten.html

96) The Shortest And Longest AAA Albums
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/news-views-and-music-issue-104-top-ten.html


97) The AAA Allstars Ultimate Band Line-Up
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/news-views-and-music-issue-105-top.html

98) Top Songs About Sports
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/news-views-and-music-issue-106-top-ten.html

99) AAA Conversations With God
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/news-views-and-music-issue-107-top-ten.html

100) AAA Managers: The Good, The Bad and the Financially Ugly
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/news-views-and-music-issue-108-top-ten.html

101) Unexpected AAA Cameos
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/news-views-and-music-issue-109-top-ten.html

102) AAA Words You can Type Into A Caluclator
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/news-views-and-music-issue-110-top-five.html

103) AAA Court Cases
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/news-views-and-music-issue-111-top-five.html

104) Postmodern Songs About Songwriting
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/news-views-and-music-issue-112-top-five.html

105) Biggest Stylistic Leaps Between Albums
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/news-views-and-music-issue-113-top-ten.html

106) 20 Reasons Why Cameron Should Go!
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/news-views-and-music-issue-114-top.html

107) The AAA Pun-Filled Cookbook
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/news-views-and-music-issue-115-top-five.html

108) Classic Debut Releases
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/news-views-and-music-issue-116-top-five.html

109) Five Uses Of Bird Sound Effects
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/news-views-and-music-issue-118-top-five.html

110) AAA Classic Youtube Clips Part #1
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/news-views-and-music-issue-119-top.html

111) Part #2
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/news-views-and-music-issue-120-top.html

112) Part #3
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/news-views-and-music-issue-121-top.html

113) AAA Facts You Might Not Know
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/news-views-and-music-issue-122-top-ten.html

114) The 20 Rarest AAA Records
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/news-views-and-music-issue-123-top.html

115) AAA Instrumental Songs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011_12_04_archive.html

116) Musical Tarot
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/news-views-and-music-issue-125-top-23-i.html

117) Christmas Carols
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011_12_18_archive.html

118) Top AAA Releases Of 2011
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011_12_25_archive.html

119) AAA Bands In The Beano/The Dandy
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/news-views-and-music-issue-128-top-five.html

120) Top 20 Guitarists #1
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/news-views-and-music-issue-129-top-ten.html

121) #2
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_01_15_archive.html

122) 'Shorty' Nomination Award Questionairre
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_01_22_archive.html

123) Top Best-Selling AAA Albums
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_01_29_archive.html

124) AAA Songs Featuring Bagpipes

125) A (Hopefully) Complete List Of AAA Musicians On Twitter
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_02_19_archive.html

126) Beatles Albums That Might Have Been 1970-74 and 1980
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_02_26_archive.html

127) DVD/Computer Games We've Just Invented
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_03_11_archive.html

128) The AAA Albums With The Most Weeks At #1 in the UK
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_03_18_archive.html

129) The AAA Singles With The Most Weeks At #1 in the UK
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_03_25_archive.html

130) Lyric Competition (Questions)
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_04_15_archive.html

131) Top Crooning Classics
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_04_22_archive.html

132) Funeral Songs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/news-views-and-music-issue-142-top-five.html

133) AAA Songs For When Your Phone Is On Hold
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/news-views-and-music-issue-143-top-five.html

134) Random Recent Purchases (#3)
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/news-views-and-music-issue-144-top-five.html

135) Lyric Competition (Answers)
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/news-views-and-music-issue-146-top.html http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/news-views-and-music-issue-145-top-five.html

136) Bee Gees Songs/AAA Goes Disco!
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/news-views-and-music-issue-147-top-five.html

137) The Best AAA Sleevenotes (And Worst)
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/news-views-and-music-issue-148-top-ten.html

138) A Short Precise Of The Years 1962-70
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/news-views-and-music-149-top-eight.html

139) More Wacky AAA-Related Films And Their Soundtracks
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/top-five-for-news-views-and-music-150.html

140) AAA Appearances On Desert Island Discs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/top-eight-aaa-desert-island-discs.html

141) Songs Exclusive To Live Albums
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/news-views-and-music-issue-153-top-10.html

142) More AAA Songs About Armageddon
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/aaa-armageddon-songsalbums-top-5-for.html

What difference does a name make? Arguably not much if you’re already a collector of a certain group, for whom the names on the album sleeves just...

This week’s top ten honours the humble motor car. The death trap on wheels, the metaphor for freedom, the put-down of capitalism, a source of...

This week we’re going to have a look at the 10 AAA singles that spent the most weeks at number on the American chart ‘Billboard’ – and it makes for...

Following on from last issue’s study of the American Billboard charts, here’s a look at which AAA albums spent the most weeks on the chart. The...

There are many dying arts in our modern world: incorruptible politicians, faith that things are going to get better and the ability to make decent...

This week we’ve decided to dedicate our top ten to those unsung heroes of music, the session musicians, whose playing often brings AAA artists (and...

Naturally we hold our AAA bands in high esteem in these articles: after all, without their good taste, intelligence and humanity we’d have nothing to...

What do you do when you’ve left a multi-million selling band and yet you still feel the pull of the road and the tours and the playing to audiences...

‘The ATOS Song’ (You’re Not Fit To Live)’ (Mini-Review) Dear readers, we don’t often feature reviews of singles over albums or musicians who aren’t...

In honour of this week’s review of an album released to cash in on a movie soundtrack (only one of these songs actually appears in ‘Easy Rider’...and...

Hic! Everyone raise a glass to the rock stars of the past and to this week’s feature...songs about alcolholic beverages! Yes that’s right, everything...

154) The human singing voice carries with it a vast array of emotions, thoughts that cannot be expressed in any other way except opening the lungs and...

Everyone has a spiritual home, even if they don’t actually live there. Mine is in a windy, rainy city where the weather is always awful but the...

Having a family does funny things to some musicians, as we’ve already seen in this week’s review (surely the only AAA album actually written around...

Some artists just have no idea what their best work really is. One thing that amazes me as a collector is how consistently excellent many of the...

159) A (Not That) Short Guide To The 15 Best Non-AAA Bands http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/a-not-that-short-guide-to-15-of-best.html%20%0d160

160) The Greatest AAA Drum Solos (Or Near Solos!) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/the-greatest-aaa-drum-solos-or-near.html%20%0d161

161) AAA Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame Acceptance Speeches http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/aaa-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame.html%20%0d162

162) AAA Re-Recordings Of Past Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/aaa-re-recordings-of-past-songs-news.html%20%0d163

163) A Coalition Christmas (A Fairy Tale) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/a-coalition-christmas-news-views-and.html%20%0d164

164) AAA Songs About Islands http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/aaa-songs-about-islands-news-views-and.html%20%0d165

165) The AAA Review Of The Year 2012 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-aaa-review-of-year-2012-news-views.html



166) The Best AAA Concerts I Attended
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/the-best-aaa-concerts-i-attended-news.html

167) Tributes To The 10 AAA Stars Who Died The Youngest http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/tributes-to-10-aaa-stars-who-died.html



168) The First 10 AAA Songs Listed Alphabetically
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/the-first-10-aaa-songs-if-listed.html


171) The 10 Best Songs From The Psychedelia Box-Sets ‘Nuggets’ and ‘Nuggets Two’ http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/the-best-of-two-nuggets-psychedelia.html%20%0d172

172) The 20 Most Common Girl’s Names In AAA Song Titles (With Definitions) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/girls-names-in-aaa-song-titles-from.html 








180) First Recordings By Future AAA Stars http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/first-





185) A Tribute To Storm Thorgerson Via The Five AAA Bands He Worked With http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/a-tribute-to-hipgnosis-via-five-aaa.html



188) Surprise! Celebrating 300 Album Reviews With The Biggest 'Surprises' Of The Past Five Years Of Alan's Album Archives! http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/celebrating-300-album-reviews-10.html


190) Comparatively Obscure First Compositions By AAA Stars http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/comparatively-obscure-debut.html



193) Evolution Of A Band: Comparing First Lyric With Last Lyric: http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/evolution-of-band-comparing-1st-lyric.html







200) The Monkees In Relation To Postmodernism (University Dissertation) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/university-dissertation-monkees-in.html


202) Carly Simon's 'You're So Vain': Was It About One Of The AAA Crew? http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/carly-simons-youre-so-vain-was-it-about.html















217) AAA 'Christmas Presents' we'd most like to have next year http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/aaa-christmas-presents-wed-most-like-to.html




221) Dr Who and the AAA (Five Musical Links) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/01/dr-who-and-five-musical-links-to-alans.html

222) Five Random Recent Purchases http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/01/five-random-recent-purchases-news-views.html

223) AAA Grammy Nominees http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/02/aaa-grammy-nominees-top-twelve-news.html

224) Ten AAA songs that are better heard unedited and in full http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/02/ten-aaa-songs-that-are-better-unedited.html

225) The shortest gaps between AAA albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-shortest-gaps-between-aaa-albums.html

226) The longest gaps between AAA albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-longest-gaps-between-aaa-albums.html

227) Top ten AAA drummers http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/03/top-ten-aaa-drummers-news-views-and.html

228) Top Ten AAA Singles (In Terms of 'A' and 'B' Sides) http://www.alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/top-ten-aaa-singles-and-b-sides-news.html

229) The Stories Behind Six AAA Logos http://www.alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/the-stories-behind-six-aaa-logos.html

230) AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!! The Best Ten AAA Screams http://www.alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/the-best-aaa-screams-top-ten-news-views.html

231) An AAA Pack Of Horses http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/aaa-songs-about-horses-top-ten-news.html

232) AAA Granamas - Sorry, Anagrams! http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/aaa-anagrams-news-views-and-music-issue.html

233) AAA Surnames and Their Meanings http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/aaa-surnames-and-their-meanings-news.html

234) 20 Erroneous AAA Album Titles http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/twenty-erroneous-aaa-album-titles-news.html

235) The Best AAA Orchestral Arrangements http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/fifteen-great-aaa-string-parts-news.html

236) Top 30 Hilariously Misheard Album Titles/Lyrics http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/top-thirty-hilariously-misheard-aaa.html

237) Ten controversial AAA sackings - and whether they were right http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/ten-controversial-aaa-sackings-news.html

238) A Critique On Critiquing - In Response To Brian Wilson http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/a-critique-on-critiquing-in-response-to.html

239) The Ten MusicianS Who've Played On The Most AAA Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/the-ten-musicians-whove-played-on-most.html

240) Thoughts on #CameronMustGo http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/thoughts-on-cameronmustgo.html

241) Random Recent Purchases (Kinks/Grateful Dead/Nils Lofgren/Rolling Stones/Hollies) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/six-random-recent-purchases-kinksg.html 

242) AAA Christmas Number Ones http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/aaa-christmas-number-ones.html 

243) AAA Review Of The Year 2014 (Top Releases/Re-issues/Documentaries/DVDs/Books/Songs/ Articles  plus worst releases of the year) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/aaa-review-of-year-2014.html

244) Me/CFS Awareness Week 2015 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/mecfs-awareness-week-at-alans-album.html

245) Why The Tory 2015 Victory Seems A Little...Suspicious http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/why-tory-victory-seems-deeply.html

246) A Plea For Peace and Tolerance After The Attacks on Paris - and Syria http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/a-plea-for-peace-and-toleration.html

247) AAA Review Of The Year 2015 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/the-aaa-review-of-year-2015.html

248) The Fifty Most Read AAA Articles (as of December 31st 2015) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/the-fifty-most-read-aaa-posts-2008-2015.html

249) The Revised AAA Crossword! http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2016_07_10_archive.html


251) Half-A-Dozen Berries Plus One (An AAA Tribute To Chuck Berry) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/an-aaa-covers-tribute-to-chuck-berry.html

252) Guest Post: ‘The Skids – Joy’ (1981) by Kenny Brown  https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/guest-post-skids-joy-1981.html


254) Guest Post: ‘Supertramp – Some Things Never Change’ by Kenny Brown https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2018/06/guest-review-supertramp-some-things.html

255) AAA Review Of The Year 2018 https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-aaa-review-of-year-2018.html

256) AAA Review Of The Year 2019 plus Review Of The Decade 2010-2019 https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-alans-album-archives-review-of-year.html



257) Tiermaker https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2019/06/alans-album-archives-on-tiermaker.html

258) #Coronastock https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2020/04/coronastock.html

259) #Coronadocstock https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2020/05/coronadocstock.html