Phil Maq

For as long as I’ve been on the radio, and definitely for as long as I’ve been writing a blog, I will occasionally make a reference to a song being “One of the Greatest Songs Ever Recorded!” (GSER)

I would usually follow that by saying that I would eventually start a category for it, but then never get around to it.

Well, now I’m getting around to it!

It will pretty much follow the pattern of The Most Awesomest Song of the Day.

I’ll select a song to celebrate and then give my thoughts about it. Nothing really brand new here that hasn’t been done before. But since I have a website, I can collect them and lay out what my own greatest songs are.

I have always done two “Semi-Annual Theme Attic Hall of Fame Shows” a year on my Monday night show, “Prime Time Theme Attic.” (Monday nights 8PM-10PM ET when it returns.)

Here’s the link for when that day comes: http://rdo.fm/r/4qntu )

Even though I always emphasize new music and artists, it’s always fun to take a short drive through the legendary artists, since they influenced those other artists!

But a song doesn’t have to be old or done by a legendary Theme Attic Hall of Fame member to be thus honored.

I can think of several songs that are only a few years old or less that I could identify as One of the Greatest Songs Ever Recorded.

On days that I spotlight a greatest song, it will take the place of The Most Awesomest Song of the Day.

This will be fun, and hopefully you will join me on my journey…at least sometimes!

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“The Pretender” by Jackson Browne [Hall of Fame] was the first album of his that I bought.

At the time, I never really cared for “Doctor My Eyes.”

The next song I remember hearing by him was “Redneck Friend.” It had a good melody with some nice slide guitar, so he gained a few points with that one.

And that was it for a few years.

I don’t remember anything from “For Everyman” or “Late for the Sky” ever being played on FM radio. I also don’t remember hearing the songs of his that Linda Ronstadt recorded. I heard his name mentioned with Linda, but that was it.

So, I ended up buying The Pretender the first weekend it was released without hearing a single track.

Why?

Well, it was a time in my life when I finally had a few bucks and an addictive behavior: buying any music I could get my hands on, and I could always get more music if I bought it on the first weekend it was released!

Of course, my few dollars weren’t unlimited, and I’m pretty sure I hemmed and hawed about buying it. But I liked the picture of Jackson on the cover in that plain white t-shirt, sticking out amongst all of the other drab colors that made him stick out even more–like a scoop of vanilla ice cream at Baskin Robbins! And I guess I identified with it. Music Stop got a few more of my dollars and I went home with a classic!

Now, it didn’t hit me right off, but after a few listens, the lyrics and the songs started to weave its magic on me.

One of the things I really liked about Jackson Browne is that he took his time getting to his destination, but the ride was worth it, too.

Such mellow grooves that seemed like breathing!

Great musicians and musicianship!

One song quickly stood out to me, mostly because it didn’t sound like the others. The first plucked strings by an awesomely talented harpist is proof of that. The heavily Mexican flavored song, “Linda Paloma,” just carried me away, especially when the fiddles representing the wind come in on the lyric “Like a wind that comes up in the night!”

I’m gone! I’m transported to Mexico, maybe in a cantina!

Browne’s sad vocals never quite reach the heights that he wished for his Mexican dove in “Linda Paloma!”

There’s no other song that sounds like this to me.

The arrangement is perfect!

I eventually worked backwards and picked up the previously mentioned. True classics themselves!

But I never have learned to like “Doctor My Eyes.”

One of the Greatest Songs Ever Recorded: “Linda Paloma” by Jackson Browne!!!

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