My parents who are both hippies, introduced me to a wonderful world of music from an early age. Being my crib was right next to their room, my dad would amplify wonderful sounds through the walls, which to this day feel as if they are feeding my very soul.
Artists and bands who have had rich histories and, horrible catastrophes to this day impact every other artist there on after.
Many different genre's... I'd have to say Blues is the base of what I listen to, because most of what I really do listen to has derived from blues. Naturally being that my parents are hippies, I adopted that culture from an early age getting into bands such as Cream, The Beatles, Janis Joplin, Arlo Guthrie, The Grateful Dead, Crosby Stills Nash & Young.
Really, I could keep going forever with artists in that particular era that influenced me...
What was cool was what happened after that era.. Rock and roll took a harder sound in the early 70's but they kept the core element of blues and rhythm.
70's had artists such as Led Zeppelin who while obviously started in the 60's with Jimmy Page being in The Yard Birds and so forth, but hit their monumental precedence in the 70's. Other bands of that magnitude, Pink Floyd, same boat as Zep. Eagle's, Sabbath, Steve Miller Band..
Anyways enough jabbering because I could go on forever, but I'm going to put up some youtubes of songs, and artists that have shaped me and kept my soul going for all these years and that some people never heard about or maybe forgot about.
Jimi Hendrix & The Band of Gypsys - Machine Gun
My favorite
Post, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, you could tell he was way more comfortable and "in his element with the Gypsys.. I think it's his best work, this song moves me so much.
Buffulo Springfield - For What It's Worth
Basiclly the band that started the rise of two of the greats. Steven Stills and Graham Nash.
Even people that don't know about them or Buffulo Springfield know this song... Even though the lyrics might not of been about the Vietnam War.. People of that era, used this song, and shaped it into that meaning so I find it very powerful and fitting.
The Robin Trower Band - Day Of The Eagle
Robin Trower, was in the audience of a famous concert that Jimi Hendrix played at. Inspired he picked up an electric guitar and never looked back... Four years after Hendrix's death, trower came out with his posthumous album Bridge of Sighs. With shrilling Guitar riffs and feeling reminesent of Hendrix, they were calling him the next. He still gets criticized today for being "too much like Jimi", But he was a fan who learned from Jimi, and really adapted his own style of rock and roll. He's like 65 years old now and still Jammin'. Infact he is on tour with Cream's vocalist Jack Bruce currently.
The Zombies - Time Of The Season
Formed in 1959, the Zombies was my favorite band of the 60's. They had an elegent harmonizing sound that just sends me into a dream. I'm actually trying to start a band once my military service is up. I want to sound similar to the zombies!
Blue Cheer - Summertime Blues
I heard my dad put this record on when I was 8 years old, and I knew it was somthing special. It was like heavy metal was being born in my ears.. Man they are great and still touring today.
I tried to pick songs and bands that people might of forgot about or never knew.. so.
Now to a newer side of music most people don't know about.
As a lot of people know in the early 90's a resergence of music similar to the 60's was starting again, great bands, and genres.. such as grunge starting, and progressive and rock coming back. Great bands such as Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Sound Garden, Screaming Trees, Mudhoney, Green River, Stone Temple Pilots, Blind Melon, Sonic Youth, Pixies, and Dinosaur Jr.. To name a FEW.
Well they had another scene in the early 90's happening in California, called the Palm Desert Scene, or as today's genre, "Stoner Rock". The Founding bands of this were Kyuss(named after a D&D module^^, and who's lead guitarist you may know.. Josh Homme who went on to form Queens Of The Stone Age), and Sleep(Who's album Holy Mountain is refered to "The album Sabbath never made").
Groovy low tone, bassy riffs, with obvious influence from two of my favorite bands Black Sabbath and Blue Cheer. Kyuss had these "Generator Parties" where they would all go out into the middle of the desert and play a concert for free running their equipment off generators.
Here are some of my favorite "Stoner Rock" jams from various artists.
Kyuss - Thumb
Just groovey desert rock at it's finest. I love John Garcia's voice, it's very unique.. as he went on to sing in other decently known bands as well.
Sleep - Dragonaut
One of my favorites to exemplify how Sabbathy it sounds, super groovy.
Electric Wizard - Mountain Of Mars
Electric Wizard really isn't the same as the later but is still considered "Stoner Metal". They are way heavier but I still find them Groovy. This little peices is soothing and mystical.
I know they have a lot of other stoner bands out there like Karma To Burn, who are awesome but I don't want to flood it out too much! I'll leave room for everyone to expand on these bands and find the other ones themselves, its more fun that way.
Now on to just random songs, bands from all these time frames that I want to mention that is awesome.
Jethro Tull - Teacher
When I first seen the record cover of Aqualung I was intrigued and my father put it on... it grabbed me, Ian Andersons voice was so course and rough.. and he just beasts the flute. I remember asking my dad after seeing a picture of Ian if they were pirates haha.
Joe Walsh - Life's Been Good
Many people don't know about him, but they know about the band's he's been in. the James Gang, Barnstorm, and lead guitarist of The Eagles. He is an incredible guitarist, and songwriter.. this song shows his ability. I love him the most for his really funny wit, which you can hear in Life's Been Good.
Neil Young - Heart of Gold
He was great with CSN&sometimesY, but I enjoyed his solo work more.. This song is awesome, his harmonica riff sends a chill down my spine. Real musician.
Temple of the Dog - Say Hello 2 Heaven
Temple of the Dog - Hunger Strike
Going to copy a wikipedia excert for this because its perfect. It was conceived by vocalist Chris Cornell of Soundgarden as a tribute to his friend, the late Andrew Wood, lead singer of Malfunkshun and Mother Love Bone. The line-up included Stone Gossard on rhythm guitar, Jeff Ament on bass guitar (both ex-members of Mother Love Bone), Mike McCready on lead guitar, Matt Cameron on drums and Eddie Vedder providing lead and backing vocals.
Ten years after - I'd love to change to world
Another 60's "hippie band", The message in this song is still true today, and I enjoy that kind of music
Well that's it. I listen to a loooot more genre's, and musicians, and I know they have more great songs.. this really isn't a best listing. It's just an introduction into genre's and music you might of forgot or not known about.
Hope you enjoyed this, been thinking about it for awhile