More gems from real rockers. The first one is "Getting Tighter" from Deep Purple's "Come Taste the Band" album. This was Deep Purple after Ritchie Blackmore left - he was replaced by Tommy Bolin who, IMHO, was a much better player. I got to see these guys in 1976 and I still remember being blown away by how good they were. FYI, there is a DVD coming out in early 2011 called "Getting Tighter" that chronicles the last (and only) year of this incarnation of Deep Purple.

Here's a live version of "Getting Tighter". It's funk-rock. Think Joe Walsh's "Funk #49", which is a great song but only 10% as good as this, IMHO. It will BLOW YOUR SOCKS OFF!

Next we have the one and only Mr. Pat Travers, or as my redneck brother-in-law thought, Bat Traveler. Pat Travers is another of those phenomenal '70's players that could set his guitar's neck on fire without any matches. He's best known for "Boom Boom Out Go The Lights". If you want to see a really great album cover, search for his "Putting it Straight" cover. You have to see the front AND the back to get the full effect. It's hilarious.

Here is Pat Travers going nuts on "Gettin' Bettah". BTW, don't you think the bass playing in this song foreshadows what Prince was doing on the bass in the early '80's?

Next up is Cheap Trick. Yes, I know we've all heard the stuff from "Live at Buddokan" far too many times. But what's been lost over the years was how good they rocked around classic blues riffs. This song is from the "All Shook Up" album, which former Beatles producer George Martin produced. "Baby Loves to Rock" is probably the best-known song from this album, although the song "Just Got Back" was recently used in "Grown Ups".

Here is "I Love You Honey But I Hate Your Friends". With a title like that, how could it go wrong?

Finally, we have The Faces, featuring Rod Stewart. Here's another artist that most don't know could rock the plaster off the walls. Rod the Mod was The Man in those days. I'm not going to say anything else. Just watch this and tell me you don't agree with me! (Yes, that's Ron Wood on guitar. He didn't start out in the Rolling Stones, you know!)

[Edited 10/11/10 19:01pm]

I forget how great these are! After you listen to these, eveything on top 40 radio seems tame.