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This Top 5 list comes from Butch Ellis of Louisville Kentucky. Butch is keeping it simple and going with his Top 5 Favorite Songs. A videographer by day Butch has been a performing musician since the age of 15; first on the drums although within a few years he switched to bass guitar. Butch’s list has a couple common threads in that it includes both a Beatles song and a solo Beatle song as well as including two songs that feature the bass guitar player many people consider, if not the greatest, probably the most influential. Butch describes himself as, “Liberal. Very romantic.”
The Beatles: Revolution
Everything you could ask for in a rowdy, raggedy rock protest song. This came on the radio in the car once and it made me speed up which got me pulled over. When the cop walked up there were about eight bars left. I held up my finger and the cop just stood there till it was over. Then we both nodded knowingly and he gave me my courtesy warning. Good times.
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Paul McCartney: Maybe I'm Amazed
Surely the greatest love song ever written. I much prefer the studio version over the live one. If you had written this song for your woman you would never lose her.
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Heart: Barracuda
The intro alone is worth the price of admission. Great playing. Tasteful use of a flanger. Incredible drummer. Not a bad vocalist either. These folks do Zeppelin better than Zeppelin.
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Weather Report: Teen Town
Greatest fusion band of all time. On this cut Jaco Pastorious plays bass AND drums. An instrument he’s not known for. It’s almost a bit rough but Zawinal puts just the right skin over the meat and bones.
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Joni Mitchell: Intro/Cotton Avenue
Incredible composition. Fantastic recording. Joni Mitchell and Jaco Pastorious at the height of their powers.
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