Andrew Clem home

Music:
Rock & Roll history, etc.


My favorite rock music groups

  1. Eagles (1980, 2008)
  2. Fleetwood Mac (1982, 2015)
  3. Beatles
  4. Rolling Stones (2005)
  5. Ozark Mountain Daredevils (1974, 2017)
  6. Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young
  7. Pink Floyd
  8. Led Zeppelin
  9. Kansas (1979, 2011) (also see Kerry Livgren)
  10. The Police ~(2007)
  11. Elton John (2012) {Album list}
  12. Doobie Brothers (2011)

(Years in parentheses denote concerts I have seen, with blog links for concerts in recent years.) I play several songs from each of the above groups and artists on guitar; see my Repertoire page.


The Eagles: America's greatest rock group

In concert: May 21, 2008, Charlottesville, VA.

    Top Ten Eagles songs

  1. Hotel California
  2. Take It Easy
  3. Tequila Sunrise
  4. Already Gone
  5. Peaceful, Easy Feeling
  6. Desperado
  7. Long Road Out of Eden
  8. Lyin' Eyes
  9. Certain Kind of Fool
  10. Life In The Fast Lane

OFFICIAL WEB SITE: www.eaglesband.com

It all started in the early 1970s when Glenn Frey, a native of Detroit "Rock City," Michigan, and Don Henley, from the small town of Gilmer, in eastern Texas, met in Los Angeles. Jackson Browne, John David Souther, and others collaborated on several of their early hits, as Henley and Frey formed one of the greastest creative musical matches since Lennon and McCartney. The group achieved commercial success and critical acclaim in creating a fusion of country and rock music, defining the "California sound," along with Fleetwood Mac. Their spectacular success in the late 1970s, culminating in "Hotel California," offered hope for humanity in the face of the soulless onslaught of disco music. Tragically, the group broke up in 1981 and did not reunite until "Hell Froze Over" (the name of their concert-based album) in 1994. For a couple years the same five players as before were together, but then Don Felder dropped out, leaving just four. After Glenn Frey died in 2016, the Eagles brought in his son Deacon and country star Vince Gill to take his place.

Drummer Don Henley (www.donhenley.com) was always the more serious conscientious one, a characteristic that became more pronounced after the Eagles split up. He went on to have a prolific solo career, and his song "The Boys Of Summer" was one of the biggest hit singles of the 1980s. He went on to release other studio albums, including The End of the Innocence (1989) and Inside Job (2000).

Guitarist Glenn Frey (see his blog) was the more fun-loving half of the duo. He also had success as a post-Eagles solist, most notably "You Belong to the City." He also appeared in a couple episodes of "Miami Vice." On January 18, 2016, he passed away after a prolonged battle with intestinal problems; see my tribute blog post.

Bernie Leadon played guitar, banjo, and dobro on the Eagles' early albums, giving the group an authentic country "flavor." Ultimately, the group decided they wanted to go more in the direction of rock, and he was the first band member to leave.

Randy Meisner, from Scotts Bluff, Nebraska, was the original bassist with the group. He too was strongly on the country side of rock, and his unique vocal style stood out on "Certain Kind of Fool" (one of my favorites), "Take It to the Limit" and "Too Many Hands." He left the group in 1977, shortly after Hotel California was released.

Don Felder, a true guitar virtuoso, arrived during the recording of On the Border in 1974, and had a big impact on "Already Gone." He played with the Eagles on their "Hell Freezes Over" reunion tour (1994), but not after that. I saw him at a concert, along with REO Speedwagon and Styx, on April 4, 2018.

The addition of Joe Walsh (www.joewalsh.com) in 1976 made the Eagles a true "super group." He came from the Cleveland-based hard-rock trio The James Gang, replacing Bernie Leadon. His exhuberant attitude added a lot to the group, which played his anthem "Life's Been Good" and other hits.

Timothy B. Schmit (www.timothybschmit.com) came from the mellow country-rock group Poco to replace Randy Meisner, whom he had also replaced in Poco. His soft voice added even greater depth to the Eagles' renowned vocal harmonies.

Eagles album covers
Year Album Drums Guitar Bass Guitar Guitar
1972 Eagles Don Henley Glenn Frey Randy Meisner Bernie Leadon .
1973 Desperado Don Henley Glenn Frey Randy Meisner Bernie Leadon .
1974 On the Border Don Henley Glenn Frey Randy Meisner Bernie Leadon Don Felder
1975 One Of These Nights Don Henley Glenn Frey Randy Meisner Bernie Leadon Don Felder
1976 (Their Greatest Hits, 1971-1975) Don Henley Glenn Frey Randy Meisner Bernie Leadon Don Felder
1976 Hotel California Don Henley Glenn Frey Randy Meisner Joe Walsh Don Felder
1979 The Long Run Don Henley Glenn Frey Timothy B. Schmit Joe Walsh Don Felder
1980 Eagles Live Don Henley Glenn Frey Timothy B. Schmit Joe Walsh Don Felder
1982 (Greatest Hits, Volume 2) Don Henley Glenn Frey Timothy B. Schmit Joe Walsh Don Felder
1994 Hell Freezes Over (mostly live) : 1 CD Don Henley Glenn Frey Timothy B. Schmit Joe Walsh Don Felder
2000 (Selected Works, 1972-1999) : 2 CD Don Henley Glenn Frey Timothy B. Schmit Joe Walsh .
2003 (The Very Best Of) : 2 CD Don Henley Glenn Frey Timothy B. Schmit Joe Walsh .
2007 Long Road Out of Eden : 2 CD Don Henley Glenn Frey Timothy B. Schmit Joe Walsh .
2019 Live From the Forum MMXVIII Don Henley Deacon Frey Timothy B. Schmit Joe Walsh Vince Gill

CLICK ON THE STUDIO ALBUM TITLES TO SEE THE LIST OF SONGS IN EACH ONE. Check marks () denote songs that I play.
NOTES: All band members do vocals, but Henley or Frey usually sing lead. All band members play multiple instruments. Album titles in parentheses are compilations of previously released songs recorded in studios. Albums prior to 1990s were (analog) vinyl LPs.


    Top Ten Rolling Stones songs

  1. Angie
  2. Satisfaction
  3. Wild Horses
  4. Jumpin' Jack Flash
  5. Gimme Shelter
  6. You Can't Always Get What You Want
  7. Brown Sugar
  8. Honky Tonk Woman
  9. Mother's Little Helper
  10. Ruby Tuesday

The Rolling Stones: the world's greatest rock group

The Rolling Stones played to a sell-out crowd at the University of Virginia's Scott Stadium in Charlottesville on October 6, 2005. (The group Phish, led by Trey Anastasio, provided the early music.) Ever since bassist Bill Wyman retired in the late 1990s, the Stones have consisted of: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ron Wood, and Charlie Watts (drummer); the bass player was one of the backup musicians. They played 20 songs altogether, including two from their recently-released album, A Bigger Bang. One song that was new to me was "Sweet Virginia," which of course elicited hearty applause from the audience. I was very impressed by the group's energy and skilled musical performance.

Rolling Stones at Scott Stadium

Rolling Stones concert at Scott Stadium, October 6, 2005.


Fleetwood Mac: Anglo-America's greatest blues/rock/pop group

Fleetwood Mac, an ingenious fusion of British blues with California pop-rock, played in Charlottesville, VA on March 15, 2015. All five members from their "peak" period were there: Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, and Stevie Nicks.

    Top Ten Fleetwood Mac songs

  1. Landslide
  2. Go Your Own Way
  3. Big Love
  4. Rhiannon
  5. The Chain
  6. Never Going Back Again
  7. You Make Lovin' Fun
  8. Gold Dust Woman
  9. World Turning
  10. Don't Stop
Fleetwood Mac in concert

Fleetwood Mac concert, Charlottesville, VA, March 15, 2015.

OFFICIAL WEB SITE: www.fleetwoodmac.com


    Top Ten Police songs

  1. Synchronicity II
  2. Every Breath You Take
  3. Message in a Bottle
  4. De Doo Doo Doo, De Da Da Da
  5. Don't Stand So Close To Me
  6. Invisible Sun
  7. Roxanne
  8. Secret Journey

The Police: Britain's greatest New Wave rock group


Police in concert

The Police led the retro "New Wave" rock movement in the late 1970s. Their November 6, 2007 concert in Charlottesville, VA was the first time we had been to the John Paul Jones Arena, which replaced University Hall as the venue for home basketball games in 2006.


"Sting" sings during The Police concert, November 6, 2007.


    Top Ten Ozark Mountain Daredevils songs

  1. If You Wanna Get To Heaven
  2. Standing On The Rock
  3. Beauty In The River
  4. Leatherwood
  5. Country Girl
  6. It'll Shine When It Shines
  7. Whippoorwill
  8. Colorado Song
  9. Jackie Blue
  10. Homemade Wine

Ozark Mountain Daredevils: Mid-America's greatest country rock group

The Ozark Mountain Daredevils were founded in the early 1970s by a group of college guys in Springfield, Missouri. Their first big hit came out in early 1974: "If You Wanna Get to Heaven," which was still very popular when I saw them in concert in Slagle Hall at the University of South Dakota in the fall of 1974, when I was a freshman. Their second hit single was "Jackie Blue," which is a nice, mellow pop-rock song, but is not typical of the group's strong country flavor. There were originally six members, but keyboardist Buddy Brayfield quit in order to pursue a medical degree in 1977 or so. (He is now an M.D., possibly retired.) After another year or two, guitarist Randle Chowning quit, and apparently there are still some hard feelings, unfortunately.

Harmonica player Steve Cash died in November 2019.

Ozark Mountain Daredevils - 2017

In concert at the Mid-America Music Festival in Trenton, Missouri: August 2017, Missouri.

Year Album Guitar Harmonica Bass Drums Guitar Piano
1973 Ozark Mountain Daredevils ("Quilt Album") John Dillon Steve Cash Michael Granda Larry Lee Randle Chowning Buddy Brayfield
1974 It'll Shine When It Shines John Dillon Steve Cash Michael Granda Larry Lee Randle Chowning Buddy Brayfield
1975 The Car Over the Lake Album John Dillon Steve Cash Michael Granda Larry Lee Randle Chowning Buddy Brayfield
1976 Men From Earth John Dillon Steve Cash Michael Granda Larry Lee Rune Walle Buddy Brayfield
1978 Don't Look Down John Dillon Steve Cash Michael Granda Larry Lee Rune Walle Ruell Chappell
1980 Ozark Mountain Daredevils John Dillon Steve Cash Michael Granda Larry Lee (Rune Walle) (& others)
1985 Lost Cabin Sessions (Recorded years earlier.) John Dillon Steve Cash Michael Granda Larry Lee Randle Chowning Buddy Brayfield
1997 13 (That's the number of songs.) John Dillon Steve Cash Michael Granda

    Top Ten Kansas songs

  1. Dust In The Wind
  2. Carry On Wayward Son
  3. Reason To Be
  4. Angels Have Fallen
  5. Incomudro - Hymn to the Atman

Kansas: Mid-America's greatest progressive rock group

Kansas played a concert in October 2011 at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, accompanied by the JMU symphony orchestra..

Kansas at JMU

Kansas takes a bow after the show at JMU. (Roll mouse over the image to see a closeup of the band members signing autographs after the show was over. Photo retouched to remove obstruction.)


    Top Ten Pink Floyd songs

  1. Comfortably Numb
  2. Us and Them
  3. Big Love
  4. Wish You Were Here
  5. Mother
  6. Goodbye Blue Sky
  7. Welcome To the Machine
  8. Another Brick In the Wall
  9. Breathe In the Air
  10. Shine On You Crazy Diamond

Pink Floyd: Britain's greatest progressive rock group

My first awareness of Pink Floyd was when I was in a music store hearing "Dark Side of the Moon" as a demonstration of a particular speaker's quality.

Keyboardist Richard Wright died in September 2008.


Chronology of best rock groups & albums
(Work in progress.)

Year Beatles Rolling Stones Fleetwood Mac Pink Floyd Eagles Ozark Mtn Daredevils Kansas
1963 Please Please Me
With the Beatles
. . . . . .
1964 Hard Day's Night
Beatles For Sale
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones Now!
. . . . .
1965 Help
Rubber Soul
The Rolling Stones No. 2
12 x 5   ||   Out Of Our Heads
. . . . .
1966 Revolver Aftermath . . . . .
1967 Sgt. Pepper's L.H.C.B.
Magical Mystery Tour
Flowers   ||   Between Buttons
Satanic Majesties' Request
. Piper At the Gates of Dawn . . .
1968 White Album Beggars' Banquet Fleetwood Mac
Mr. Wonderful
A Saucerful of Secrets . . .
1969 Abbey Road Let It Bleed English Rose
Then Play On
Ummagumma . . .
1970 Let It Be . Kiln House Atom Heart Mother . . .
1971 . Sticky Fingers Future Games Meddle . . .
1972 . Exile On Main Street Bare Trees Dark Side of the Moon Eagles . .
1973 . Goat's Head Soup Penguin; Mystery To Me . Desperado Ozark Mountain Daredevils .
1974 . It's Only Rock 'N' Roll Heroes Are Hard To Find . On the Border It'll Shine When It Shines Kansas
1975 . Metamorphosis Fleetwood Mac Wish You Were Here One Of These Nights Car Over the Lake Album Song For America; Masque
1976 . Black and Blue Rumours . Hotel California Men From Earth Leftoverture
1977 . . . Animals . . Point Of Know Return
1978 . Some Girls . . . Don't Look Down Audio-Visions
1979 . . Tusk The Wall The Long Run . Monolith
1980 . Emotional Rescue . . . . .
1981 . Tatoo You . . . . .
1982 . . Mirage . . . Vinyl Confessions
1983 . Undercover . The Final Cut . . Drastic Measures
1984 . . . . . . .
1985 . . . . . . .
1986 . Dirty Work . . . . Power
1987 . . Tango In The Night Mometary Lapse of Reason . . .
1988 . . . . . . In the Spirit of Things
1989 . Steel Wheels . . . . .
1990 . . (Behind the Mask) . . . .
1991 . . . . . . .
1992 . . . . . . .
1993 . . . . . . .
1994 . Voodoo Lounge . The Division Bell Hell Freezes Over * . .
1995 . Time ??? . . . . .
1996 . . . . . . .
1997 . Bridges To Babylon The Dance . . 13 .
1998 . . . . . . .
1999 . . . . . . .
2000 . . . . . . .
2001 . . . . . . .
2002 . . . . . . .
2003 . . Say You Will . . . .
2004 . . . . . . .
2005 . A Bigger Bang . . . . .
2006 . . . . . . .
2007 . . . . Long Road Out of Eden . .
2008 . . . . . . .
2009 . . . . . . .
2010 . . . . . . .
2011 . . . . . . .
2012 . . . . . . .
2013 . . . . . . .
2014 . . . . . . .
2015 . . . . . . .
2016 . Blue and Lonesome . . . . .
2017 . . . . . . .
2018 . . . . . . .
2019 . . . . . . .
2020 . . . . . . .

SOURCE: My own CDs as well as www.allmusic.com.
* In general, only studio albums are shown except for live albums that included new songs, marked with an asterisk.


Chronology of rock music since the 1960s
(Work in progress.)

1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
4,5 6,7 8,9 0,1 2,3 4,5 6,7 8,9 0,1 2,3 4,5 6,7 8,9 0,1 2,3 4,5 6,7 8,9 0,1 2,3 4,5 6,7 8,9 0,1 2,3 4,5 6,7 8,9 0,1 2,3 4,5 6,7 8,9
Bill Haley
Elvis (mil.) Presley
. Chuck Berry
. B. Holly
. The Beach Boys
. Bob Dylan
. The Beatles Paul McCartney (& Wings)
John Lennon
. The Rolling Stones
. Fleetwood Mac
. Jeff. Airplane Jefferson Starship Starship
. Simon & Garfunkle Paul Simon
. The Who
. Pink Floyd
. Moody Blues
. Grateful Dead
. The Doors
. Creedence Clearwater Revival John Fogerty
. Chicago
. Led Zeppelin
. Jethro Tull . .
. Crosby, Stills, & Nash
. Neil Young
. The Doobie Brothers . .
. Elton John
. Grand Funk RR
. Three Dog Night
. Lynyrd Skynyrd . .
. Eagles . .
. Queen
. Z Z Top
. Kansas . .
. The Police . .
. Heart
. Van Halen
. The Cars
. The Pretenders . .
. Bruce Springsteen
. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
. Rush
. U 2
. Foreigner
. John Mellencamp
. Bon Jovi
. Guns 'N Roses
. Nirvana
. Hootie & the Blowfish
. Sheryl Crow
1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s

Latin American folk music

This table of charango chords is based on a pamphlet that came with the charango I bought in Cuzco, Peru in March 2004. A charango is a very small ten-stringed instrument with a rounded body, roughly comparable to a ukelele but with a much richer, almost haunting tone. The numbers correspond to, respectively,
the index finger (1),
the middle finger (2),
the ring finger (3), and
the little finger (4).

Charango chords