The Greatest Rock n' Roll Number of All Time

Every so often I change my mind on this. Once I thought it was Jailhouse Rock. Then I thought it was the Medley on Side 2 of Abbey Road (remember when music had a side 1 and side2?). I Am The Walrus crept in and out a time or two. Radio Free Europe, Middle of the Road, Burning Down The House. Simply Irresistable and Doctor, Doctor. Sex Machine and When Doves Cry. Go Your Own Way, and so on.

But I've been fixated on a song the last few weeks, playing it over and over, listening ever closer to the individual instruments, the overall production, the performance. After careful consideration, I'm able to declare that at this moment, the greatest rock n' roll song of all time is: Brown Sugar by the Rolling Stones.

I always liked it. It's got an irresistable beat, is filled with post-adolescent bad boy chich, has an awesome vocal . And then there are the guitars. Have you listened to them? Mick and Keith hittin their chops like two divas shrieking at each other. Listen closely. Hear one guitar chopping in your left ear and the other chopping away at it's own staggered rhythim in your right. That's what's really got me going right now. I listen to that and think: Damn! how in the hell did they come up with that?

And you know what else? It's a very guitar oriented song, but there's no real 'lead' guitar, no solo. Just the incredible chop chop chop of chords and strums.

That's what makes Keith Richards great. He's been a capable lead guitar from time to time, playing those dual note leads ala Chuck Berry. But his real power comes in the way he approaches rhythm guitar. He gives a distinct almost melodic voice to the usually inconsequential role of the guy who plays chords. Listen to their other stuff. Time and time again, it's the choping rhythm of his guitar in perfect concert with Charlie Watts' drumming and Bill Wyman's bass that give the Stones their infectious driving beat.

My High School pal, Carson, whith whom I had my own plunge into the quirky world or rock stardom, really idolized Keith . . . and, though I appreciated him, I never really understood where his strength lay. I wasn't listening that closely. But he was right. The guy is a pioneer.

And then there is Jagger. What an icon. I love good singers, strong voices, screaming black women like Patti LaBelle and Aretha Franklin. But then there are the gutter guys, the rockers who growl their lyrics with little concern about tone and purity. And Mick Jagger is the king of that hill. His sound says every in-your-face thing most everybody has wanted to say from time to time.

I've heard several differnt versions of Mick singing this song. There's the studio version, of course, but there are live cuts floating around, too. It's funny: on the studio version, the person he's singing about 'tastes good like a young girl should.' But on the live tracks, he invariably slips in 'like a black boy should.' That's his genius, keeping us off balance, never quite sure, questioning, questioning. My brother thinks he's the devil. I think he's a genius.

So there you have it: today's winner in the greatest rock n' roll song of all time sweepstakes: Brown Sugar. But I gotta tell ya, my IPOD's been on shuffle as I've been writing this and right now it's playing Dave Mason's 'Shouldn't Have Took More Than You Gave' and I don't know . . . I think I'm going to have to listen to that 40 or 50 times over the next several weeks . . . and then I'll let you know. Hey! remember his song, 'Look at You, Look at Me?' And what about 'Only You Know and I Know' and 'Waitin on You?' That whole album is a candidate! It's called, 'Alone Together" -- which is exactly how I feel today. If you don't have a copy, you ought to go out and get one. It's awesome.

p.s. 'Look At You, Look At Me' -- one of the greatest guitar solos of all time.