Did you know “Piece of my Heart” was originally recorded by Aretha Franklin’s older sister Erma?  I didn’t even know Erma existed and had a music career.  Thanks Wikipedia.  Well, we all know Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company’s classic version.  The video I have below is the most hard rocking and punkiest take I’ve ever seen.  Janis and the boys deliver this one with some extra kick and funk, blasting it out for hard core blues addicts.  The tempo is super-charged, and the atmosphere is damned manic, I’ve never seen a Janis performance like this.  The next bonus song, “To Love Somebody,” is taken from the Dick Cavett Show in 1969.  This one is just a pure showcases for Janis’s unbelievable talent and energy.  It reminds you that Janis was, and remains, the greatest female rock vocalist, and in the overall top 5 of greatest rock vocalists ever.  I have her as #5.  I came out about this number extremely scientifically, having gone through the long process of spontaneously coming up with the concept as I’m writing this sentence.  This is bound to be fun, so stay tuned tomorrow and watch me pull #4 out of my ass.

We’re back in the 1974 Catch a Fire sessions as Bob Marley and the Wailers cut a fifth version of “Duppy Conqueror.”  What is a “duppy,” and why is Bob conquering them?  Interesting question.  Well, in Jamaica, duppy is slang for ghost, and Bob was thinking about opening up a Jamaican branch of the Ghostbusters.  Actually, according to legend, i.e. Wikipedia, Bob’s success was bringing a lot of leeches and hangers on, draining his spirit like vampires (duppys.)  Bob was determined to rise above the situation and conqueror them, and presto, a song was born.  The song itself is a beautiful slow harmonized jam about overcoming prisons both mental and physical.  It’s a great abstract metaphor and a great song.  Bob sings it so soulfully, yet again bringing his unique perspective to a universal pop context.  Genius at work here folks.  Enjoy.

I’m pretty sure this is from the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” pilot, but who cares where its from exactly, I’m not double checking Wikipedia.  All you need to know is that its genius and hilarious.  This is Larry returning to his roots, doing strait up stand up, and killing.  He riffs on masturbation, blow jobs from Jews, Clinton, Hitler, Chinese men, answering machines, and Jack Kevorkian.  It’s a brilliant montage of his best jokes, and it all ends on a joke that sums up his entire comedy philosophy.  Just sit back, press play, prepare to laugh, and thank me later.

Lets “Pump it Up” with part 72 of my youtube countdown.  That’s right, I got Elvis “Declan MacManus” Costello’s 1978 hit “Pump it Up” from This Year’s Model. Now according to wikipedia, “Pump it Up” is a double entendres song about turning up your music’s volume and masturbation.  The two seem to go hand and hand…(see what I did there?)  Anyway, this is a rocking new wave classic video making Costello really seem like the second coming of Buddy Holly.  I’m just getting into Elvis myself, so this seems like a nice taster before I dive full in on all his best records.  Hopefully I’ll discover something a little more obscure from this era and I’ll put it right up.  Suggestions always welcome.