Listening In: The Golden Age

What’s going on, Patch peeps? It’s time for another installment of Listening In, my weekly peek at your iPods and record collections. I believe music can forge connections between people, and that’s my goal with this column. I want to get to know you, Montgomery, and the best way I know how is to ask you what you’re listening to.

So here’s how you play. Send me an email with your name and hometown. Once a week, I’ll pick one name out of a hat, and send a reply. If it’s your week, you send me the names of five songs you’re listening to. I publish your list, and I send you free Patch stuff. It’s easy.

This week’s contestant is Michael McDougall of Montgomery. Michael won The Full Monty, our other weekly contest, two weeks ago. This week, he’ll get another free Patch goodie from me. Here’s his list, and it’s heavy on the golden age of rock, the '60s and '70s:

1. “Peace Frog,” by The Doors. This is actually one of my favorite Doors songs, from side one of their 1970 album Morrison Hotel. It’s from their bluesy bar band period, which I always preferred to their pretentious psychedelic beat poetry period. It’s still disturbing, though: “Blood on the streets in the town of Chicago…” Good start, Michael.

2. “Redemption Song,” by Bob Marley. Who doesn’t like Bob Marley? Is there anyone on the planet who doesn’t like Bob Marley? This song is awesome. ‘Nuff said.

3. “Hey Jude,” by the Beatles. Well, Michael is sticking with the unimpeachable artists. I’ll fight anyone who says the Beatles weren’t the best rock band of all time. I don’t know if I even need to give you background on this song, but here goes: Paul McCartney wrote it for Julian Lennon, and it was a successful single (despite being seven minutes long), though never released on an album. Oh, and it’s great. Simply great.

4. “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” by Mama Cass. Can’t say anything bad about this either. Mama Cass Elliot had a great voice, both by herself and with the Mamas and the Papas. This is from her 1968 solo album of the same name.

5. “Rocket Man,” by Elton John. And the streak continues right to the end. Elton John jumped the shark in the ‘80s, but 1970s Elton is fantastic stuff. This is from 1972’s Honky Chateau, an album that rocks from start to finish. “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters” is on here too. Elton used to make albums this good once, sometimes twice a year. Hard to believe now. Just listen to this. It’s marvelous.

 And with that, we draw another Listening In to a close. Thanks to Michael McDougall for playing. If you want to play, send me an email at andre.salles@patch.com. Thanks, and be good to each other.