Willie Simpson

Tag: England

  • AC/DC Week, Back in Black

    So Bon Scott died and in comes English native and Geordie lead singer Brian Johnson.  Johnson never would match Bon’s rock star charisma, but he would out sing him in every demonic capacity.  Scott had a high raspy McCartney/Plant like voice, not nearly as good as those guys, but similar.  Johnson had something altogether different;…

  • The Beatles, All You Need is Love

    At last we’ve arrived at part 100 of my youtube favorites countdown.  This is the final part of the countdown, and boy has it been a magical journey through some of my favorite songs and videos of all time.  I had to end the countdown on the Beatles because it hurts my eyes when they…

  • The Beatles, Nowhere Man

    We are just one tick away to glorious #100 of my youtube countdown.  Until then, you’ll have to make due with part 99 which is of course the Beatles with “Nowhere Man” from 1965’s Rubber Soul. Nowhere Man was the first Beatle song that exclusively had no references to love, girls, or romance.  Stepping out…

  • Carl Perkins and Friends, Rockabilly School

    It’s a star studded part 97 on my youtube countdown, and the stakes are getting higher, and the stars are getting hotter as we close in on 100!  This time I have the undeniably fantastic performance of Carl Perkins and his super friends from the 1985 concert Blue Suede Shoes: A Rockabilly Session.  Get this. …

  • The Rolling Stones, Out of Time

    For part 82 of my youtube countdown, you’re in danger of running “Out of Time” with the Rolling Stones incredible 1966 single.  First released on the UK version of Aftermath, the song is a fabulous example of 60s Brit pop, as well as being another song in a string of misogynistic themed lyrical exercises the…

  • X Ray Spex, Identity

    Part 75 continues my unplanned punk week, this time with the legendary X Ray Spex performing their underground surf punk classic, “Identity.”  Never heard of X Ray Spex?  Well, they were an original punk group from London whose goal was to be “deliberate underachievers.”  Releasing only one album, Germ Free Adolescents, X Ray Spex were…

  • The Kinks, Sunny Afternoon

    Part 66 of my countdown is the Kinks again, this time with “Sunny Afternoon,” from Face to Face.  This is a boozy depressed sunny pop song about the downside of being a rich famous rock star.  The tax man took all his money, his girlfriend left and stole his car, and Ray’s got nothing left…

  • The Rolling Stones, Like a Rolling Stone (Live)

    Part 61 of my youtube countdown rocks on with the Rolling Stones performing Bob Dylan’s classic “Like a Rolling Stone,” from their 1998 Bridges to Babylon tour.  The Rolling Stones have performed this song for decades, I guess a bit ironically, as an unofficial band anthem, though not really.  I mean, did they just want…

  • The Kinks, You Really Got Me

    Welcome to part 57 of my never ending youtube countdown.  Today, I present another one of England’s best, this time, The Kinks!  I start off this blog with an understatement, the Kinks are an interesting group.  Led by lead singer/songwriter and all around musical genius, Ray Davies, the Kinks are the all time kings of…

  • The Rolling Stones, Angie

    Part 52!  Oh, I don’t know, should I keep tracking the parts?  Does it matter anymore?  Who’s counting anyways?  Well, for this chapter, we have the Rolling Stones making another appearance with their 1973 #1 smash, “Angie,” from the Goats Head Soup album.  This song was written by Keith Richards after the birth of his…