Category : Polls

Ah, this year’s releases, as the typically uncomplicated title already said. Now, I realise that we’re barely three months into the year, but I think it’s started with abundant promise. Have you heard anything that particularly caught your ear?

Two albums released (in the UK) this week – yesterday, in fact – which I’m enjoying are Man Up by The Blue Van and Beat the Devil’s Tattoo by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. I do think I should have saved more than £1-a-time by downloading and forgoing all that awful plastic, but that’s another matter entirely.

Marcus Bonfanti’s What Good Am I To You?, released last month, is also one to look out for. He’s touring at the moment, with tickets extremely reasonably-priced.

The above- and below-mentioned artist names, you’ve probably already realised and maybe even clicked out of curiosity, double as links to respective MySpace pages, should you care to give their tunes a few moments of your time.

Free downloads provide a good way of adding new material to your music collection. Here’s one from MGMT, and here’s another – it’s from Peter Gabriel’s Scratch My Back. Produced by Bob Ezrin, it’s a collection of orchestral covers of songs such as David Bowie’s ‘Heroes’ and Elbow’s ‘Mirrorball’, to perhaps give two of the more enticing examples.

If you know of any other goodies, and they must be legal downloads, don’t forget, please don’t keep them to yourself.

Which as-yet unreleased albums are you most looking forward to? New releases are expected from Arcade Fire, The National, Radiohead, R.E.M. and U2 this year. The one I most eagerly anticipate, though, is a fresh offering from Fleet Foxes.

Black Rock by Joe Bonamassa comes out later this month, too…

And speaking (or blogging, rather) of guitarists, there’s also a ‘new’ Jimi Hendrix album out; called Valleys of Neptune, it’s made up of previously unreleased songs, and you could win a copy here, courtesy of the nice people at Fender. Good luck.

Your thoughts on any of these, plus recommendations for others, are, as usual, appreciated; as were the birthday messages for David, thank you all for those.

You never know, 2010 could turn out to be as good a year for music as… 2006?

Speaking of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as we were back there (I know, it was quite a while ago, apologies for my desertion) with the news of the Hollies’ eventual induction next month, I noticed that the Museum has an exhibition deliciously entitled “500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll”. Get that.

Which got me thinking of answers to two questions:

1) Are there any David Gilmour/Pink Floyd songs in there (and if there aren’t, should there be)?
2) Have any of the songs written and recorded in, say, the last 30 years really influenced the way popular music has evolved?

Take a look at the list of 500, as chosen by a gaggle of curatorial staff at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum with a little help from rock critics and historians, or perhaps don’t just yet, because other than your thoughts on what has been listed, I’d like to know which songs you would select without first being influenced by what the exhibit values most highly.

I’m sure that we could come up with a decent list of 500 between us, so please list as many or as few as you wish, but please do bear in mind that these are songs that have shaped Rock and Roll, influencing and inspiring others to take up instruments, be they of the writing or the musical sort, and to get creative. Therefore, they almost all will have to have been popular, if not hugely commercially-successful (but many of them are most likely to have been worldwide hits, rightly or wrongly). And, of course, you don’t have to like them; you just have to acknowledge their influence, even if it is somewhat grudgingly.

All musicians and all genres. Songs only, not albums, please. If you think of an artist that absolutely deserves inclusion, but cannot decide on a song, do list him or her and perhaps others can chime in with suggestions for most deserving entry.

Looking forward to what you come up with.

Here are a few to get us started, which you may or may not agree with:

- Beach Boys, ‘Good Vibrations’
- Bill Haley & His Comets, ‘Rock Around the Clock’
- Sam Cooke, ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’
- Carl Perkins, ‘Blue Suede Shoes’
- Queen, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’

Now we just need another 495…

The recent post about the albums of the Noughties (I hate that term, but how else do you sum up the last ten years in one word?) contained the following question: Which year had the best new music? At the time of writing, almost half of the vote was with 2006, so, which songs would you recommend from that year?

They don’t have to be singles, album tracks are fine.

My favourite albums from 2006, On an Island aside, were as follows, so I’ve cheated with a favourite song off each.

- The Blue Van, Dear Independence – ‘Goldmind’
- James Dean Bradfield, The Great Western – ‘To See a Friend in Tears’
- Ray Davies, Other People’s Lives – ‘Over My Head’
- Bob Dylan, Modern Times – ‘Nettie Moore’
- Gomez, How We Operate – ‘How We Operate’
- Neil Young, Living with War – ‘The Restless Consumer’

Here are 100 from Rolling Stone to help you, or, should their list have the same effect on you as it did me, make you feel old and out-of-touch… and perhaps just a little grateful for it?

Not knowing approximately 65% of the acts listed, I’d like to know which, if any, are worth listening to; the titles don’t exactly make me want to investigate (I know, books and covers and all that). Besides, if the grammar, or lack of it, causes me to grind my teeth, I daren’t think what listening to the song could do. In all honesty, to my shame, I don’t hold out much hope that listening to some of them would be anything other than a waste of time that I can never get back. ‘Baby Let’s Have a Baby Before Bush Do Somethin’ Crazy’? Where do you begin? I clearly must be old and out-of-touch. God knows I’d like to add a comma to that title.

Pitchfork’s list is here, very helpful in that you can hear 30-seconds from each song with ease. Just play the first one and the others will follow. If you hear something you like, the player will show both artist and song title. If you hear something you don’t like, you can skip to the next one and curse my suggestion.

Knowing that you have exquisite taste, I genuinely look forward to your recommendations and to hopefully discovering something new to listen to.

Six more before I hand over to you, seeing as I cheated earlier. Know any of them?

- Baby Woodrose, ‘Growing Younger’ (Love Comes Down)
- Band of Horses, ‘The Funeral’ (Everything All the Time)
- Burning Saviours, ‘Lilly Marion’ (Hundus)
- Califone, ‘The Orchids’ (Roots and Crowns)
- Five Horse Johnson, ‘Feed That Train’ (The Mystery Spot)
- Red Hot Chili Peppers, ‘Dani California’ (Stadium Arcadium)

Are you a fan of John Lennon?

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John Lennon was murdered on this day in 1980, shot by a crazed ‘fan’ in New York City. As is perhaps compulsory in some quarters on the anniversaries of his birth and death, if not boldly unoriginal, listen to his anthemic ‘Imagine’… and, well, just imagine.

One of the greatest songwriters of any generation, could this be the greatest song of all-time?

Your favourite songs, lyrics and most memorable moments from a life very much spent in the spotlight, please.

And which of his songs, whether you like them or not, do you think David could have some fun with? I think he could do a pretty decent ‘Nobody Told Me’, myself.

For those who placed their cursors in the same position as I have already placed mine in response to today’s poll, here’s I Met the Walrus, which was one of the nominations for the 2008 Academy Award for Animated Short. The audio comes from a 14-year-old Beatles fan named Jerry Levitan, who managed to sneak into Lennon’s Toronto hotel room and interview his idol back in 1969. The result, I’m sure you’ll agree, is classic Lennon.

Just one final thought: Does the case of Mark Chapman alter anyone’s views on the death penalty and/or the length of sentence often handed down to murderers, as discussed here recently? Chapman remains incarcerated in a New York state prison where he is serving a sentence of 20 years to ‘life’. He has been denied parole five times since 2000 and can next reapply in August. He claims to have found God, is said to have shown remorse for his crime, and believes that Lennon himself would have forgiven him by now. He still receives hate mail regularly.

Just curious.

Moving from a year packed with great music, as 1966 was, to any year is going to be difficult – even moving to a whole decade – so don’t be too hard on the Nineties, will you?

Your favourite chart-topping singles from the decade that gave us boy bands, girl bands and Beatles cover bands performing original music today, please. They can come from any country and any chart, but they must have reached No 1.

Here’s Jimmy Nail and the grammatically-incorrect ‘Ain’t No Doubt’. It spent three weeks atop the UK Top 40 in July 1992, and Guy Pratt had quite a lot to do with it.

I’ll just list five.

I should point out that the reduction from my usual roll of ten has nothing to do with the most commercially-successful songs of the Nineties being a bit naff on the whole and not wanting to admit to liking them, less still buying them and still knowing most of the words to them. It’s because I’m told that I list too many and therefore make it difficult for others to think of different ones to add. Honest.

The following tracks topped the UK singles chart. The ones I haven’t listed can be found here, should you find them useful. Re-releases from previous, and perhaps better, decades are not included (sorry, Righteous Brothers); neither is ‘Turtle Power’ by Partners in Kryme, The Simpsons’ ‘Do The Bartman’ or Mr Blobby’s eponymous, Meatloaf-mashing festive ditty.

- Adamski, ‘Killer’
- Blur, ‘Beetlebum’
- Michael Jackson, ‘Earth Song’
- No Doubt, ‘Don’t Speak’
- The Verve, ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’

After a really good discussion about drummers a few weeks ago (thank you all very much for adding to it), how about the best bass players?

I know, I know. Difficult. Divisive. Just list your favourites, if you want to.

As today is Mark King’s birthday, here he is proving why he should rank highly on such a poll, explaining one of the techniques that puts him there.

A few more talented bass players that, I believe, should occupy positions in a suitably-titled Top Ten (strictly in alphabetical order, I’m not stupid) are:

- Jack Bruce (Cream)
- Larry Graham (Sly & The Family Stone)
- Geddy Lee (Rush)
- Lemmy (Motörhead)
- John Myung (Dream Theater)

Two of the above-mentioned, you may also have noticed (in which case, you might want to take the advice that I’ve just given myself upon such realisation and get a life!), appeared with David on that cherished French & Saunders comedy sketch.

I haven’t overlooked the many fine players with whom David has frequently shared stages, studios and session musician acknowledgements down the years (thinking mainly of Guy Pratt, of course, as well as Cardiff’s finest, Pino Palladino). Examples of what you consider to be their best work would be especially nice to read about.

By the way, if you missed them, there are a few bass-related answers from Guy in response to the questions that you put to him back in 2006 – here.

If mouse-clicking and -dragging is all your cold fingers can manage on this chilly October afternoon, here’s the NME’s latest poll, should you wish to contribute to it. As soon as you vote for one by choosing how many stars he or she deserves, another will follow. Stick with it; I don’t know who many of them are either, but the ones you’re most likely to be thinking of will appear soon enough (although, at the time of writing, there is an embarrassing misspelling of the name you’re probably waiting for with most curiosity).

You might want to do what I did: keep going until boredom sets in, then shamefully realise that you’ve ruined the results because you’ve been giving mediocre ratings to the ones you don’t know just because you don’t know them.

Sorry, NME.

If you do know some of the younger, hairier, more tattooed, pierced and masked bassists featured in the NME poll, and are familiar with their work, please recommend a track or two that best represents them for the rest of us to try.

If you don’t know of Nicky Wire, for example, have a listen to ‘Archives of Pain’ by the Manic Street Preachers; that begins with an eerie and infectious bass line.

On this day in 1935, the late and indescribably great Italian tenor and generous humanitarian, Luciano Pavarotti, was born.

Here’s one of my favourite duets, recorded in 2002 at one of the many world-famous ‘Pavarotti and Friends’ concerts, this one in aid of Angolan refugees in Zambia: ‘It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World’ (with James Brown, also sadly missed).

Others that spring to mind: Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel (‘Don’t Give Up’), Roy Orbison and k.d. lang (‘Crying’), Gene Pitney and Marc Almond (‘Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart’), Youssou N’Dour and Neneh Cherry (‘Seven Seconds’) and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss (‘Through the Morning, Through the Night’).

Your favourite duets today, then. Include a favourite from Luciano Pavarotti’s extensive list, if you are able to. There have been many memorable ones down the years, but his sharing the stage with B.B. King (for the children of Guatemala and Kosovo and ‘The Thrill Is Gone’) in 1999 was rather special.

If you’re stuck for ideas, or just in a picky mood, try this fanciful list of 50, as chosen by the Telegraph. I think they chose the wrong Sinatra for top spot, myself. Should have been Frank and Ella Fitzgerald…

Admittedly another vague, catch-all title, as for the purpose of this post this could mean anti-war or civil rights songs, or a commentary on political and social events.

Here are some that moved me, loosely and perhaps contentiously arranged, starting with what is arguably the greatest of them all: ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’.

Please add to this list, including a link to the song or a line or two from the lyrics. Please also share your thoughts on any of the songs mentioned throughout.

General anti-war: Eric Burdon & The Animals, ‘Sky Pilot’; Donovan, ‘Universal Soldier’; Bob Dylan, ‘Masters of War’; Grand Funk Railroad, ‘People, Let’s Stop the War’; Pete Seeger, ‘Where Have All the Flowers Gone?’

Vietnam: The Temptations, ‘Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World Is Today)’; Paul Hardcastle, ‘Nineteen’; REM, ‘Orange Crush’; Kate Bush, ‘Pull Out the Pin’.

Other conflicts: Manic Street Preachers, ‘If You Tolerate This, Your Children Will Be Next’; Dire Straits, ‘Brothers in Arms’; Robert Wyatt, ‘Shipbuilding’; Nena, ‘99 Luftballons’; U2, ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’; The Cranberries, ‘Zombie’.

Post-9/11 sentiment: Green Day, ‘American Idiot’; George Michael, ‘Shoot the Dog’; Elbow, ‘Leaders of the Free World’; Neil Young, ‘Let’s Impeach the President’; Michael Franti & Spearhead, ‘Bomb the World’.

Criticism of The System and society: Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, ‘Ohio’; Lowkey, ‘Tears To Laughter’; Joe Hill, ‘Preacher and the Slave’; Rage Against the Machine, ‘Killing in the Name’; John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band, ‘Woman Is the Nigger of the World’; Pierre Perret, ‘Lili’.

Civil Rights: Sam Cooke, ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’; James Brown, ‘Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud’; Billie Holiday, ‘Strange Fruit’.

A verse from ‘Strange Fruit’ to finish with – from 1939. Does any lyric grab you and shame you quite like this one?

“Strange trees bear strange fruit;
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root,
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze,
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees.”

Partly because we touched upon Best of and Greatest Hits albums in our recent discussion about file-sharing, mostly because Elvis Presley’s 30 #1 Hits started a two-week run at the top of the UK album chart on this day in 2002, a copy of which every household should own, I say…

Which, in your view, are the absolute must-have compilation albums? They can be an individual act’s retrospective, or, if you prefer, comprise of an assortment from different sources, but please try to list no more than ten.

In the US, the Greatest Hits of the Eagles and Billy Joel have amassed the most sales (platinum 29 and 21 times respectively). In the UK, it’s Queen and Abba.

Here are a few that I’d recommend:

- The Beatles, 1962-1966 (The Red Album)
- The Best of Sam Cooke
- The Hollies, Greatest Hits
- Michael Jackson, Number Ones
- John Lennon, Lennon Legend
- The Essential Roy Orbison
- The Very Best of Prince
- My Way: The Best of Frank Sinatra
- U2, The Best of 1980-1990
- Neil Young, Decade

Then there are the myriad, money-spinning, over-excited series, such as The Best X Album in the World… Ever! (The Best Air Guitar Album in the World… Ever! The Best Gregorian Chant Album in the World… Ever! The Best Sixties Love Album in the World… Ever! The Best Party Mega Mix Album in the World… Ever!) and Now That’s What I Call Music! (although, to be truthful, much of it falls some way short of matching my loose definition of what music is, but that’s just me).

Go on, browse your favourite online retailer, see if they’ll let you hone in on Compilations, and search by Most Popular or Best Sellers. You’ll be amazed at the catchy, if not sometimes nauseatingly dire titles that need an exclamation mark to make them sound interesting. In spite of the corny titles and over-use of bright colours, many contain three discs and, I feel, offer excellent value for money.

Take Elvis and his 30 #1 Hits, for example. A definite steal at £4.98 from Amazon UK – either on CD or as MP3s. 31 tracks, each priced at 69p. That’s a total of £21.39 should you be mad enough to miss the obvious way of making a saving.

Should complacent record labels lazily focusing on compilations share responsibility for falling profits with the widely-condemned practice of illegal downloading? At the same time, aren’t these bargain albums the ideal, cost-effective and above all, legal introduction to an artist’s career? A good case for cheaper individual downloads, perhaps… even if I can’t think of many things that you pay for once, keep forever* and enjoy again and again for the moderate sum of 69p, can you? Consider just how many albums you’d have to purchase – including the often obligatory filler – to get that same collection of tunes (lots in the case of Elvis – both albums and filler), and how much downloading each one on a track-by-track basis to build an identical compilation would cost.

* I know, I’ve also lost the right to play songs that I paid for fair and square.

In memory of Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham, who died on this day in 1980, and who was, and quite possibly remains… the best drummer of all-time?

The greatest as you deem only right and just to declare him (or her), your favourites, the best living, most memorable performances on stage or on tape, your thoughts on this contentious ‘100 Greatest’ list… Whatever, let us know.

Additionally, as fate has decreed that this week be Nick Mason Week, how about casting a vote for his finest moments behind the Floyd kit, particularly during his time in Pompeii? (I know what you’re thinking, but his quibbling about apple pie was at Abbey Road and behind a table, not a drum kit, so doesn’t count.)

I’m rather partial to the often insane and frenzied, but always perfect, playing of Keith Moon, myself. Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater is no slouch and Ringo Starr, no matter what anyone says, will always be my favourite. ‘I Feel Fine’ indeed.

Thank you for making this week’s file-sharing debate such an interesting one.

That’s all for another week, but have a great weekend – and don’t forget the Top 10 Solo Albums, as chosen by Planet Rock listeners and would-be online vote-riggers, which everyone can listen to online, on Saturday at 6pm (UK). If you miss it, it will be repeated at the same time on Thursday.

In the interest of good blog-keeping, comments about that are to be left here, not here, please. And I’ll still eat my New York baseball cap if Imagine isn’t included…

If you’d like to talk about any of the above, the chatroom opens at 2pm (UK).

Planet Rock is currently asking listeners to vote for the Greatest Solo Album.

Only those who were in established bands before they went solo count, so your Bob Dylans and David Bowies aren’t welcome on this occasion.

Ray Davies of Kinks fame has put out two corkers in recent years; I particularly enjoyed Other People’s Lives from 2006.

Don Henley can do no wrong in my book. Pete Townshend’s another prolific talent.

Two more that stand out are James Dean Bradfield’s The Great Western and Richard Ashcroft’s Alone with Everybody.

We all know that John Lennon’s Imagine will probably win, but Paul McCartney’s Electric Arguments has some great tunes (which you can listen to here). We shouldn’t forget Run Devil Run either, where David joined his Beatle chum to play some good, old-fashioned Rock and Roll.

If you’d like to vote, you have until this Friday to do so. Voters will be entered into a prize draw to win a DAB radio.

The Top 10 will be revealed on Saturday 26 September and repeated on Thursday 1 October. As always, everyone can listen to Planet Rock online.

I wouldn’t dream of suggesting that you all vote for On an Island, About Face and/or David Gilmour, but I would like to know which others you’re most fond of.

Thanks for sharing which female vocalists you hold in highest regard back when.

Male vocalists today, please – King of Soul, Otis Redding’s birthday.

Of course, it goes without saying that there are too many to list, singing in different styles, their music often specific to a certain genre or two, making each artist incomparable. And this is a catch-all list of your favourites, not necessarily – but always quite welcome to turn into – a disagreement over who’s best.

The deliciously-contentious and never boring Rolling Stone carried out a Greatest Singers of All Time poll (with ‘from the rock era’ hidden in the small print) last year, and I partially agree with Neil McCormick’s view of it. Both links may help you remember someone you’ll want to kick yourself for forgetting and, if you do read McCormick’s piece, perhaps you’ll also find it interesting that the most loudly-hailed singers tend to almost always hail from the USA; as demonstrated not only by the Rolling Stone list but, I’d guess, probably yours, too.

Certainly mine.

David Crosby (there’s our first American, from California) and Graham Nash, who, with and without Messrs Stills (Stephen’s from Texas) and Young, have created some very pleasing harmonies. Similarly, anyone who’s seen the Eagles on tour in recent years (there are four Eagles these days, so that’s another shout-out to Texas and California, plus one each for Michigan and Ohio) has to acknowledge their incredible combined vocal range; Don Henley’s being particularly impressive.

I can temporarily balance things out with the introduction of Robert Plant, Roger Daltrey, Paul Rodgers, Rod Stewart, Joe Cocker and Steve Winwood, to give the most obvious examples of vocal prowess.

But then there’s Roy Orbison (Texas again), Nat King Cole (Alabama), Ray Charles (Georgia), Sam Cooke (Mississippi), Jackie Wilson (Michigan), James Brown (South Carolina… is that 12 Americans so far?), Axl Rose (although I personally prefer Blind Melon’s tragic Shannon Hoon, like Axl, from Indiana)…

I’ll stop now that I’ve chosen my 18 from the above, keeping slots for the two I have yet to mention, and emphatically dismissed the silly ‘rock era’ concept in the process – as I hope you will.

The Rolling Stone ballot papers had space for 20 names. Each voter (you can see who completed one here) listed 20 singers in order of their importance. Have a look at David Crosby’s and note the modesty of some of the others balloted.

A near-impossible task, ranking 20 singers in order of their importance, surely.

Although he’ll never win any awards for being the greatest singer, Bob Dylan (from Minnesota and very highly-placed, you’ll notice) sings arguably the greatest songs that have ever been written (instantly recognisable, mostly without adornment), and he wrote them so he believes them. That’s good enough for me. Case closed.

However, the one that stands head and shoulders above all others whenever there is even idle mention of singers of any period, sex or level of ability, is this man: Frank Sinatra (from New Jersey). They didn’t call him ‘The Voice’ for nothing. For me, he’s the Greatest Singer of All Time and my hat is off in respect to B.B. King for including Ol’ Blue Eyes on his ballot paper even when he shouldn’t have.

So, forgetting any mind-boggling order of preference, importance, significance or anything else, please could you share your favourite male vocalists – from any era or genre? As always, David’s a given, so you need not list him.

I’ve got to ask… All in all, has the USA produced the most talented crop of singers?

Otis Redding, by the way, was born in Georgia.

On this day in 1966, Donovan topped the charts in the US with ‘Sunshine Superman’, which narrowly fell short of attaining the same position in the UK.

Did you know that Jimmy Page played guitar on it?

So, today’s topic: Songs you like which feature guitarists that you like even more.

David’s list of credits as hired-hand, of course, is almost as long as my arm, maybe even leg, but a couple spring to mind: Snowy White’s ‘Love, Pain and Sorrow’ and Paul McCartney’s ‘No More Lonely Nights’. Fine guitar-playing, I’m sure you’ll agree.

As I wrote way back, David has generated an A (Arcadia) to Z (Zevon, Warren) of session work credits and some of its contents, I suspect, were belatedly sought after once David’s involvement became known. But did you hear any without realising that you were listening to the Voice and Guitar of Pink Floyd, I wonder?

This even older discussion of David’s session work might help jog your memory.

I’d also enjoy learning your opinions on legendary guitarists making sometimes (but certainly not always) horribly over-done and ill-advised excursions into the charts. Shameless sell-outs looking to make a fast buck, or cutting-edge artistes embracing new styles and demonstrating much broader minds than those of their most loyal, yet bigoted, fan minority? I’m obviously thinking of the commercially-successful collaborations of Jimmy Page (with Puff Daddy) and Carlos Santana (with Matchbox Twenty’s Rob Thomas), both of which I rather liked.

Finally, just to let you know, the Blog is likely to be slightly temperamental for a short time on Friday, so please don’t be surprised if you cannot view or comment as usual. Any interruption will be minimal and I apologise in advance for it.

Are you a fan of U2?

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From reading your comments down the years, I think it’s true to say that no band divides Blog opinion quite as much as U2 – and that’s in terms of the music, without mentioning Bono’s campaigning, some would say preaching, in the name of various humanitarian causes.

As today marks the 30th anniversary of their very first record, the ‘Three’ EP, I’m curious to know who likes them and who doesn’t.

And, in continuing with the series of ‘cover’ posts, I wonder if you can imagine David performing any of their songs, keeping in mind that no musician has to make his interpretation of any piece of music sound anything like the original.

Did you know that they have more Grammy awards than anyone, with the exception of Stevie Wonder, who has the same number (22)? Or that, based on weeks spent on the UK singles charts, the four members are the 54th, 56th, 58th and 59th most successful songwriters in chart history? See here to see the rest.

Speaking of Grammys, I’m reminded of Bono’s impressive introduction as he invited Frank Sinatra on stage to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994.

In my opinion, U2 gave by far the strongest and most memorable performance at Live Aid, and there can be few front men with anything matching Bono’s charismatic stage presence. (A debate for another time, perhaps?)

Truthfully, I wish they hadn’t felt the need to ‘re-invent’ themselves with Achtung Baby and their albeit visually impressive Zoo TV tour, but that’s just a matter of personal preference, and as much as I may have despised the song, I applaud the decision to donate the proceeds from the release of their ‘Sweetest Thing’ single to the relatively low-profile Chernobyl Children’s Project International.

Anyway, there’s much to talk about and it’s all very welcome: the huge multi-media live extravaganzas (maybe some of you had, or have, tickets for their ongoing tour?), the collaborations, the sunglasses and, I suspect, the charitable crusades.

I’d like to know what you think of their current album, No Line on the Horizon, a group effort involving two names that you’ll know well: Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois (the album is also blessed with Caroline Dale’s cello). Rolling Stone (yes, them again) consider it to be their best, “in its textural exploration and tenacious melodic grip,” since Achtung Baby. From what I’ve heard of it, I’d probably agree.

Lastly, but of great importance to some of us: Leonard Cohen fans, did you care for Bono’s take on ‘Hallelujah’ (which is on the Tower of Song compilation)?

One of the most talented and respected guitarists – of any generation – died on this day in 1990, tragically killed in a helicopter crash at just 36 years of age.

Here’s Stevie Ray Vaughan, performing ‘Crossfire’ on NBC’s Night Music, in 1989.

I’d like to remember all the gifted guitar players that have passed, especially the inspirational Les Paul, who died two weeks ago; another iconic giant, like Dr Robert Moog, whose inventions and innovations changed the course of music completely and to whom any music-maker or -lover owes a debt of gratitude.

As the 1988 Les Paul and Friends (David being one of them; his performance, you may recall, earned an enthusiastic “Boy, you played your butt off” from Les) tribute concert was so suitably labelled, ‘He Changed the Music’.

Ignore the eleven Number One singles and 36 gold discs (with his wife, Mary Ford) for just a moment. Les Paul didn’t just design what would become one of the world’s most famous and popular musical instruments, he considerably advanced developments in guitar effects and taping techniques. He is credited for inventing both the solid body electric guitar and the eight-track tape recorder. He pioneered multi-track recording, electronic echo and over-dubbing. All this without any formal training in either music or electronics.

Although I’m sure that everyone knows the famous tale by now, to repeat it, perhaps, is to pay compliment to the immense dedication Les Paul showed to his craft: after a near-fatal car crash in 1948, he insisted that doctors set his shattered right arm at a right angle so as to allow him to continue playing the guitar.

He would continue playing into his nineties.

Which guitarists do you remember with most fondness? For me, George Harrison and Syd Barrett stand out most of all, but there’s also Jimi Hendrix (obviously), Jerry Garcia, Marc Bolan, Frank Zappa, Joe Strummer, Buddy Holly, Muddy Waters, Carl Wilson, Brian Jones…

It’s a week to celebrate guitar-players, starting with the best living guitarists and following later with those who are, sadly, no longer with us.

As he’s influenced so many of the very biggest names in music (including David, who wanted a Fender Stratocaster “because Hank Marvin had one”), and as The Shadows were at the top of the UK singles chart with ‘Apache’ on this day in 1960, here’s one of the songs that inspired David.

Although never particularly well-known in the US, Cliff Richard & The Shadows were popular in Europe and Canada (Neil Young being another fan who has cited Hank Marvin’s influence). Others include Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Mark Knopfler, Brian May, Carlos Santana, Pete Townshend and Frank Zappa. That’s probably most people’s Best Guitarists list right there.

A TIME magazine music critic listed his picks for ‘Greatest’ electric guitar-players recently. Have a look and let me know if you agree with his choices, then add your own (living guitarists only today, please).

If, during contemplation, you find yourself in need of more Hank, reach no further than the Fender Strat Pack DVD. As well as ‘Apache’, the Bespectacled One also performed ‘The Rise and Fall of Flingel Bunt’ and ‘Sleepwalk’.

Among his most recent works is 2007’s Guitar Man, a collection of instrumental covers of classic and contemporary tunes, which includes a beautiful rendition of the Beatles’ ‘Here, There and Everywhere’. If you like that, track back to 2002 and Guitar Player, worth doing for Hank’s take on Elton John’s ‘Your Song’ alone.

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The Rolling Stones appeared on the UK TV show, Ready, Steady, Go! (damn it, even the programme titles were better back in the Sixties, weren’t they?), for the first time on this day in 1963.

It was the first of 20-odd appearances on the cult Friday night show, which ran until late-1966. They performed their debut single, Chuck Berry’s ‘Come On’.

This isn’t it, but it is a classic Stones performance: ‘Under My Thumb’.

As ever, for fun, which Rolling Stones songs can you imagine David performing?

I think ‘Wild Horses’ would be good, ideally with Crosby and Nash providing the harmonies, as well as ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ (in a ‘lazy’ style reminiscent of ‘Fat Old Sun’; minus the choir, perhaps introducing some cümbüş in place of the piano, with the soothing tone of Sam Brown drifting in towards the end… What do you think?).

Those of you who were in St John’s Wood for the ‘Live from Abbey Road’ recording (was it really three years ago this month?) may recall David’s apt doodling of ‘Play With Fire’ during a break in filming.

If you missed our similar consideration of the Beatles’, Eagles’ and Beach Boys’ extensive back catalogues, and also those of Led Zeppelin, Elvis, Dylan and Hendrix, you can still add your inspired choices at any time.

Please keep those marvellous Moog moments coming in, too.

The chatroom’s open on Tuesday this week – from 2pm (UK time). If you’d like to chat about any of the topics we’ve covered here recently, please drop by.

Dr Robert Moog, inventor of the Moog synthesiser, one of the first widely-used electronic musical instruments, passed away on this day in 2005 – aged 71.

He started off in his early teens by making his own Theremin, but it would be his range of synthesisers which would make him such a pioneering and legendary figure: he would go on to win Sweden’s Polar prize in 2001 and there is an annual Moogfest held in his honour. Certainly, some of the biggest names in music owe him an enormous debt for creating such remarkable equipment to play around with.

With the introduction of the portable Mini Moog in 1970, a very expensive piece of kit was put in reach to many and could be taken on the road (the 1964 original filled a room with a price to match, see Wendy Carlos’ gallery for proof of this).

It was Wendy Carlos and her 1968 triple Grammy award-winning album, Switched-On Bach, an album of electronic versions of the composer’s most famed pieces, that brought the Moog to prominence. The Well-Tempered Synthesizer followed a year later, and who can forget the eerie soundtrack of Stanley Kubrick’s classic 1971 movie, A Clockwork Orange, with classical pieces electronically altered?

There then, somewhat inevitably, followed myriad Moog re-interpretations of the hits of the day, covering all genres of music – such as this version of Bob Dylan’s ‘Lay Lady Lay’, by Mike Melvoin. (For a selection of alternative rock covers performed using Moogs and other analogue synthesisers, check out the debut album from The Moog Cookbook. ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ is my favourite.)

The Monkees used a Moog on Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd (listen to the track ‘Daily Nightly’); the Beatles, likewise, on Abbey Road, particularly on ‘Because’. George Harrison couldn’t not on his 1969 Electronic Sound album.

Stevie Wonder would bag loads of awards, including Grammys, in 1973 and 1974 for Talking Book and Innervisions. Just listen to the sounds he achieved, courtesy of Dr Moog, on the funky ‘Living for the City’ and the even funkier ‘Superstition’.

Other notable Moog-users include Genesis (‘The Battle of Epping Forest’), Devo (‘Mongoloid’), ELO (‘Turn to Stone’), Kraftwerk (‘Autobahn’) and Yes (‘Close to the Edge’), although it’s been used by acts as diverse as Abba (‘S.O.S.’), Donna Summer (‘I Feel Love’), Dream Theater (‘Octavarium’), Air (‘La Femme d’Argent’) and Coldplay (‘Life in Technicolour’) – and too many ’80s New Wave bands to mention or, indeed, stomach (New Order’s ‘Blue Monday’ springs to mind).

Perhaps the most well-known of all is Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s ‘Lucky Man’.

The Doors’ ‘Strange Days’ was one of the first, Joni Mitchell’s ‘The Jungle Line’ one of the most innovative, Gary Numan’s ‘Cars’ one of the most enduring…

Can you think of any more, either from film scores or your favourite artists? (Not least from Pink Floyd; I’m thinking ‘Welcome to the Machine’…)

Lastly, as a duty of respect to perhaps the most mispronounced man in music history, if, like me, you always thought that ‘Moog’ sounded like the noise a cow makes, you should actually be pronouncing it so that it rhymes with ‘rogue’.

As I’m sure you’ve heard more than once over the weekend, it’s the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock festival – originally due to be billed an “Aquarian Exposition”, but eventually labelled a much more suitable “Three Days of Peace and Music” instead – which took place on a dairy farm in the rural town of Bethel, New York between 15 and 18 August 1969 – some 70 miles away from Woodstock.

Close to half a million people turned up, although it wasn’t meant to be a free concert; organised by hippie capitalists who had sold about 200,000 tickets before declaring it open to those who were forcing entry anyway.

I’ll be very surprised if you haven’t heard something about it recently, so I ask you two things:

1. Which were your favourite performances from this historic event?

There were more than 200 songs, starting with Richie Havens and ending with Jimi Hendrix. The Who (the fringe-shirted Roger Daltrey being one of the festival’s most lasting images, surely), performed 24 of them.

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young performed ‘Find the Cost of Freedom’ – as did David on his last tour, with David Crosby and Graham Nash – as part of a 16-song set split between acoustic and electric guitars.

Stand-out performances for me were:

- Joan Baez, ‘We Shall Overcome’
- The Band, ‘The Weight’
- Joe Cocker, ‘A Little Help From My Friends’
- Creedence Clearwater Revival, ‘Born on the Bayou’
- Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, ‘Long Time Gone’
- Jimi Hendrix, ‘Star-Spangled Banner’
- Jefferson Airplane, ‘White Rabbit’
- Mountain, ‘Southbound Train’
- Sly & the Family Stone, ‘I Want to Take You Higher’
- The Who, ‘See Me, Feel Me’

I’d also like to know what you think about Woodstock in general.

Nobody can argue that it symbolised the tremendous hope of a generation during a time of rioting, violence, racial unrest and unjust war.

Yet perhaps, as the New York Times suggested, it was also “a prime example of how coddled the baby boomers were in an economy of abundance. The Woodstock crowd, which arrived with more drugs than camping supplies, got itself a free concert, and when the people responsible could no longer handle the logistics, the government bailed them out. Some people took it upon themselves to help others; many just freeloaded.”

Is this fair… or even surprising? I mean, isn’t that what always happens? The close-to-half-a-million were mostly white kids who could afford to take time off work or college to listen to music and get high. As more youthful cynics are quick to point out, such a large part of the so-called Woodstock Generation would go on to sell their souls and build the exploitative world in which we live today. And if they didn’t build it, they allowed its construction, prospered from it, enriched themselves from its many evils – evils they once rallied against. There have been other unjust wars since Vietnam, more people killed at protests, more racially-motivated police brutality. So, what did Woodstock achieve exactly?

We discussed the significance, and also the disappointments, of Live Aid recently. For those born after the Sixties’ passing, Live Aid was this generation’s Woodstock (as Joan Baez declared from the Philadelphia stage), and that had a clear purpose, didn’t it? It was to raise money to feed the starving in Africa. What was Woodstock really about? Where was its direction? Did it even have one?

Perhaps all that should matter is the music and the scene, the latter, at least, has never been successfully repeated (the music has often; even musicians on the Woodstock bill admitted that their performances were below-par). Now concert-going is all about numbers: how much you pay (not least in assorted fees) for a numbered seat, to park your car, to drink an over-priced beverage from a plastic beaker and to be a part of a not-quite-but-almost homogeneous mass, where those demonstrating the greatest show of wealth may sit in the front, with the less comfortably off straining their necks to see from the back. They rarely take place out in the open any more, instead they’re usually held in bland arenas with familiar corporate logos emblazoned across every available flat surface.

It’s no wonder the ‘baby boomers’ are so nostalgic – some might even say smug – about Woodstock. Wouldn’t you have liked to have been there?

Some might even say it’s no wonder that Woodstock ‘99 ended the way it did.

So, my second question.

2. Undoubtedly, the Sixties had a remarkable influence culturally, but was Woodstock yet another over-hyped piece in an over-valued tie-dye puzzle? Wonderfully idealistic, jolly good fun, yet rather… pointless?

(Yes, I’ve been away for a week, so I’m trying to get a reaction out of you.)

The Small Faces’ debut single, ‘Whatcha Gonna Do About It’, was released on this day in 1965.

One of the best-loved Mod groups, it was made up of Steve Marriott, on lead guitar and vocals (one of the finest voices in music, later of Humble Pie); Ronnie Lane on bass; Ian McLagan (Jimmy Winston originally) on keyboards; and Kenney Jones on drums (who would became The Who’s replacement for Keith Moon).

Following Marriott’s departure, Lane, McLagan and Jones recruited Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood – from the Jeff Beck Group – and became, first, the Faces, then Rod Stewart and The Faces.

(Speaking of Rod Stewart, if you haven’t yet heard his 1992 re-make of the Python Lee Jackson hit, ‘In a Broken Dream’, featuring David on guitar, it can be heard at Rod’s MySpace page.)

Anyway, when the Faces were still Small and their music best described as a quirky blend of psychedelic-tinged Pop, they had hits with ‘Itchycoo Park’, ‘Lazy Sunday’ and ‘Sha-La-La-La-Lee’, and, just as the Sixties began morphing into the Seventies, they released their psychedelic opus, Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake.

If you’re not familiar with the term ‘Mod’, in Britain in the late-Fifties and early-Sixties, you had the emergence of two youth counter-culture movements: the Mods (picture the fishtail parkas, turned up Levi’s, Fred Perry polo shirts and cropped hair) and the far less coiffured, leather-wearing Rockers, who still listened to – what else? – Rock and Roll.

The violence between the two groups one weekend in Brighton was dramatised in the cult film Quadrophenia; the Mods on their heavily-customised scooters, the Rockers on their motorbikes.

True Mods listened to Ska, Bluebeat and Motown, as well as American R&B, but British R&B-based ‘beat’ bands quickly became a key part of Mod culture: the Small Faces, Kinks, Zombies, Animals, Spencer Davis Group, Yardbirds, Creation and, of course, the most famous of the lot, The Who.

If you enjoy this music, I’d like to know which are your favourite Mod bands and tracks (from the Sixties, not the late-Seventies/Eighties revival, please).

Special mention to Mod royalty, Georgie Fame, whose Hammond organ can be heard on the On an Island album (on ‘This Heaven’).