Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Let This Boy Shout, Let This Boy Scream


"Going Underground" by The Jam is one the few dozen songs in existence that at one time or another (like right now) could lay claim as the greatest song ever written. I've heard this song 500 times and when it popped up on my itunes tonight the opening guitar salvo quickly shook me out of my basketball funk (my Hawks laid an egg tonight at home and got smoked by well-coached, fun to watch Holy Cross squad).

Why Paul Weller and The Jam couldn't crack the American market is a great mystery. Listen to this song and tell me there's a better way to spend three minutes.

As an added bonus here's an incredible Bowie meets T. Rex doing the E Street Shuffle version of "Going Underground". This song should be uncoverable but somehow Buffalo Tom makes it simmer and smolder and it becomes a declaration of purpose as opposed to Weller's furious statement of barely contained post-adolescent anti-war fury.

The Jam - "Going Underground"

Buffalo Tom - "Going Underground"

Sometimes rock and roll can absolutely take your breath away.

No comments: