This song was on The Car’s great debut album that just keeps giving. “Good Times Roll” was released as the third single from the album.
Ric Ocasek wrote and sang lead on this song. None of the songs were huge hits but 6 songs off of the album still get played on radio today. Rolling Stone also ranked the album No. 284 in its “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” list.
This song peaked at #41 in the Billboard 100 and #74 in Canada in 1979.
Ric Ocasek: “I just remember when we did ‘Good Times Roll’ in the studio in England on the first record, and we heard back the vocals. I told Roy that I thought it was way, way too much. … But you know, it grew on me later and it sounded so smooth. It was a nice process to do it because Roy, you know, was fortunate enough to have a 40-track machine … so he could do layering of vocals a lot.”
Good Times Roll
Let the good times roll Let them knock you around Let the good times roll Let them make you a clown
Let them leave you up in the air Let them brush your rock and roll hair
Let the good times roll Let the good times roll Let the good times roll
Let the stories be told They can say what they want Let the photos be old Let them show what they want
Let them leave you up in the air Let them brush your rock and roll hair Let the good times roll Let the good times roll-oll Won’t you let the good times roll
Good times roll
If the illusion is real Let them give you a ride If they got thunder appeal Let them be on your side
Let them leave you up in the air Let them brush your rock and roll hair Let the good times roll Won’t you let the good times roll-oll Let the good times roll
Let the good times roll Won’t you let the good times roll Well let the good times roll Let ’em roll (good times roll)
Let the good times roll Let the good times roll Ooh let the good times roll Let ’em roll (good times roll)
Let the good times roll (Let the good times roll) Let the good times roll Good times roll (Let the good times roll) Let the good times roll Let ’em roll
When I started to watch this movie…I thought it was going to be Charles Bronson randomly mowing down the people in New York City…but it had a purpose and was a pretty good movie.
There was some controversy when this movie was released because of Bronson being a vigilante in the movie. The critics who disliked the film complained that it irresponsibly exploited fear. They also claimed the film gave an exaggerated picture of crime in New York and that it glorified vigilantism… that it endorses violence as a solution to violence.
I enjoyed the film. New York in the mid-seventies makes a great atmosphere…although not a safe one. The movie is brutal but realistic.
On a side note…this movie is Jeff Goldblum’s film debut.
From IMDB
Open-minded architect Paul Kersey returns to New York City from vacationing with his wife, feeling on top of the world. At the office, his cynical coworker gives him the welcome-back with a warning on the rising crime rate. But Paul, a bleeding-heart liberal, thinks of crime as being caused by poverty. However, his coworker’s ranting proves to be more than true when Paul’s wife is killed and his daughter is raped in his own apartment. The police have no reliable leads and his overly sensitive son-in-law only exacerbates Paul’s feeling of hopelessness. He is now facing the reality that the police can’t be everywhere at once. Out of sympathy, his boss gives him an assignment in sunny Arizona where Paul gets a taste of the Old West ideals. He returns to New York with a compromised view on muggers…
Yes, this has been played to death but it still sounds good. No frills rock and roll from the early seventies.
I have a new appreciation for the song. The guys come over…well before the lockdown…and play music in my garage. Someone brought this one up and started to play it a couple of months ago and we started to play…it is a great song to play and hear live.
The song peaked at #4 in the Billboard 100, #4 in Canada, and #2 in the UK in 1970. It was featured on the Fire and Water album. In 1991, the song was remixed and re-released, reaching #8 in the UK again.
The song was written by Andy Fraser and Paul Rodgers.
This topped a 2010 online fan poll by UK radio station Planet Rock for the “Greatest Rock Singles.” Said Paul Rodgers: “When I started writing ‘All Right Now’ the lyrics and the melody flowed easily. It felt special and it’s still special to me and the fans. It’s a ‘must play’ in my solo set.”
Simon Kirke (Drummer):“‘All Right Now’ was created after a bad gig in Durham, England. Our repertoire at that time was mostly slow and medium paced blues songs which was alright if you were a student sitting quietly and nodding your head to the beat. However, we finished our show in Durham and walked off the stage to the sound of our own footsteps. The applause had died before I had even left the drum riser. When we got into the dressing room, it was obvious that we needed an uptempo number, a rocker to close our shows. All of sudden, the Inspiration struck (bass player Andy) Fraser, and he started bopping around singing ALL RIGHT NOW… He sat down and wrote it right there in the dressing room. It couldn’t have taken more than 10 minutes.”
Paul Kossoff was the guitar player and influenced a generation of guitar players before and after his early death in 1976.
From Songfacts
In the CD Molten Gold – An Anthology, Free drummer Simon Kirke explained:
Andy Fraser (Free’s Bass Player): “We’d started work on our third album, Fire and Water and things were going well. The idea for ‘All Right Now’ came about on a rainy Tuesday night in some god-forsaken minor city – I can’t remember where – in England. We were playing a college that could have held 2,000 but had something like 30 people out of their heads on Mandrax bumping into each other in front of us. They didn’t notice when we came on or when we went off.
Afterward, there was that horrible silence in the dressing room. To break the intensity, I started singing, ‘All right now…come on baby, all right now.’ As if to say, Hey, tomorrow’s another day. Everyone else started tapping along. That riff was me trying to do my Pete Townshend. We listened to everything, though: The Beatles, Stax and Motown, Gladys Knight And the Pips was one of our main influences then.
Paul (Rodgers) said he wrote the lyrics while he was waiting for us to pick him up for another gig. We used to have a dressing room amp, so every night we’d do the song and add a bit until we tested it live.”
This is the first hit song with vocals by Paul Rodgers. He later joined Bad Company and also played with The Firm and Queen.
This song really took off after Free’s performance at the Isle of Wight Festival on August 31,1970 at the East Aftom Farm, Aftom Down, where over 600,000 people attended. Los Angeles disc jockey Joe Benson told Paul Rodgers during an on air interview that “All Right Now” is playing over the airwaves somewhere around the world once every 45 seconds.
Free weren’t able to follow up this song with another hit, as the next single, “Stealer,” stalled at #49 in America and didn’t chart at all in the UK. In a Songfacts interview with Simon Kirke, he said: “It became a bit of an albatross around our necks, I have to say. Even though it elevated Free into the big leagues, it became a bit of an albatross because we couldn’t follow it. It became a huge hit all around the world, only because we wanted to have something that people could dance to, but then, of course, we had to follow it up, and Island Records were desperate for us to follow it up.
Really it was just a one-off for us, and when the follow-up to ‘All Right Now’ died a death – it was called “The Stealer” – and the album that followed, Fire and Water, from which ‘All Right Now’ was taken, when that didn’t do very well, we took it to heart and the band broke up. So, in an indirect way, ‘All Right Now’ was not very good for the band, I have to say.
But, by the same token, it’s been such a durable song. I play it in my solo shows, I played it with Ringo Starr and I think one of the highlights of my career.”
The album version is over a minute longer than the radio edit, which had a shorter guitar solo.
The song has soundtracked numerous commercials in the UK, most famously in 1990 when it featured in a TV ad for Wrigley’s chewing gum, which generated enough interest to return the tune to the UK charts. “I can’t keep track of where it’s turned up,” Paul Rodgers ruefully told The Independent April 7, 2010. “Island Records owned the publishing rights to all our songs in perpetuity. In theory, they’re supposed to call me and ask, ‘Can we use this song in this way?’ but they often don’t. I think if the money’s good enough, they just go, ‘Yes! Wrigley’s? YES!!'”
A less satisfactorily tie-in came when the song was used to advertise a foot-odor powder on television. “You use this stuff on your feet and the song comes on to signify that your feet are All Right Now, you see,” Rogers said acidly. “I rang Chris Blackwell about it. He had it taken off pretty smartly.”
The song has been covered by many bands and artists, including Mike Oldfield, Rod Stewart, Christina Aguilera, the Runaways and, ex-Wham! backing singers Pepsi & Shirlie.
When Paul Rodgers teamed up with Queen in 2004 to tour as Queen + Paul Rodgers, this was a regular part of their set list and a crowd favorite.
It’s Alright Now
There she stood in the street Smiling from her head to her feet I said hey, what is this Now baby, maybe she’s in need of a kiss I said hey, what’s your name baby Maybe we can see things the same Now don’t you wait or hesitate Let’s move before they raise the parking rate
All right now baby, it’s all right now All right now baby, it’s all right now
I took her home to my place Watching every move on her face She said look, what’s your game baby Are you tryin’ to put me in shame? I said “slow don’t go so fast, Don’t you think that love can last? She said Love, Lord above Now you’re tryin’ to trick me in love
All right now baby, it’s all right now All right now baby, it’s all right now
Yeah, it’s all right now Oh yeah
Let me tell you all about now Took her home to my place Watching every move on her face She said look, what’s your game Are you tryin’ to put me in shame? Baby,I said “slow don’t go so fast Don’t you think that love can last? She said love, Lord above Now he’s tryin’ to trick me in love
All right now baby, it’s all right now All right now baby, it’s all right now
All right now baby, it’s all right now All right now baby,baby,baby it’s all right now All right now baby, it’s all right now All right now baby, it’s all right now (All right now baby, it’s all right now) We are so happy together it’s alright,it’s alright,it’s alright (Everything alright) all right now baby, it’s all right now
This song was on the Edmunds solo album Repeat When Necessary. It was released in 1979 on Led Zeppelin’s record label Swan Song. The album peaked at #54 in the Billboard 100 in 1979.
Crawling From The Wreckage peaked at #59 in the UK when released.
The musicians on the album are Edmunds, Lowe, Billy Bremner, and Terry Williams…known as Rockpile.
This song was written by Graham Parker…below are both versions.
Crawling From The Wreckage
Got out really early from the factory Drivin’ like a nut in the rain Don’t think I was actin’ so hysterically But I didn’t see a thing until it came Met the dumb suburbos in the takeaway Beating up the Chinee at the counter I put a few inside me at the end of the day I took out my revenge on the revolution counter
Crawlin’ from the wreckage, Crawlin’ from the wreckage You’d think by now at least that half my brain would get the message Crawlin’ from the wreckage, Crawlin’ from the wreckage Into a brand new car
In walks Bud with his exploding nose He’s been giving it maximum today Shouted, How the devil, you in trouble, I suppose All you ever do is run away Gunned up the motor inta hyperdrive I wasn’t gonna take any of that Don’t get bright ideas about a suicide ‘Cause all I ever hear is, Zoom, bam, fantastic
Crawlin’ from the wreckage Crawlin’ from the wreckage You’d think by now at least that half a brain would get the message Crawlin’ from the wreckage Crawlin’ from the wreckage Into a brand new car
Crawlin’, crawlin’, crawlin’ from the wreckage Crawlin’, crawlin’, crawlin’ from the wreckage Crawlin’, crawlin’, crawlin’ from the wreckage
Crawlin’ from the wreckage, Crawlin’ from the wreckage Bits of me are scattered in the trees and in the hedges Crawlin’ from the wreckage, Crawlin’ from the wreckage Into a brand new car
Nothin’ seems to happen that ain’t happened before I see it all through flashes of depression I drop my drink and hit some people runnin’ for the door Gotta make some kind of impression ‘Cause when I’m disconnected from the drivin’ wheel I’m only half the man I should be Metal hitting metal is-a all I feel Everything is good as it poss-i-bul-ly could be
Crawlin’ from the wreckage, Crawlin’ from the wreckage You’d think by now at least that half a brain would get the message Crawlin’ from the wreckage, Crawlin’ from the wreckage Into a brand new car
Crawlin’ from the wreckage, Crawlin’ from the wreckage Bits of me are scattered in the trees and in the hedges Crawlin’ from the wreckage, Crawlin’ from the wreckage Into a brand new car
Crawlin’ from the wreckage, Crawlin’ from the wreckage
Our House…that is where most of us are today and for days to come. Here is a ballad that Graham Nash wrote for the Déjà Vu album. The first album to include Crosby, Stills, Nash, AND Young.
Graham Nash wrote this sentimental tune about his relationship living with Joni Mitchell in a cottage in LA’s Laurel Canyon around 1969. Mitchell and Nash were a romantic couple during the period in which Joni wrote the songs for Ladies Of The Canyon which, like Deja Vu, was released in 1970.
Our house peaked at #30 in the Billboard 100, #13 in Canada, and #19 in New Zealand in 1970.
Graham Nash: It was one of those gray cloudy days in Los Angeles that foreshadows the spring. When we got back and put our stuff down, I said, “I’ll light a fire”—she had an open fireplace with a stash of wood in the back—“why don’t you put some flowers in that vase you just bought. It’ll look beautiful. It’s kind of a bleak day. It’ll bring some more color into the room.” Then I stopped. I thought: Whoa! That’s a delicious moment. How many couples have been there: You light a fire, I’ll cook dinner. I thought that in the ordinariness of the moment there might be a profoundly simple statement. So Joni went out into the garden to gather ferns and leaves and a couple flowers to put in the vase. That meant she wasn’t at the piano—but I was! And within the hour, the song “Our House” was finished.
From Songfacts
Biographer Dave Zimmer shared what Graham Nash told him about the song in the 2007 CSNY Historian’s interview: “He once told me: ‘The time that Joni and I were living together was really interesting because I had left my band [The Hollies] successfully, I had left my country [England] successfully, I had been accepted here [Los Angeles, California], and I was feeling great. And Joni was feeling great, too; she had started to realize who she was and the fantastic work she was doing. She was painting and designing her second album cover, doing that self-portrait. And I remember being totally in awe of her. She’d go and make some supper and come down and we’d be eating, then she’d all of a sudden space out, go to the piano … to see her sit down and write ‘Rainy Night House’ and all those other things was just mind blowing.'”
According to Graham Nash’s biography Wild Tales, a famous line in this song had a very specific inspiration. He and Joni Mitchell went to an antiques store and she picked out a vase. When they got home, Nash said, “I’ll light the fire while you place the flowers in the vase that you bought today.” He stopped dead in his tracks and went immediately to the piano.
In the earliest live performances of the song, Nash would introduce it as being “about my woman.” He never used Mitchell’s name, though.
This was used in ’80s TV spots for Eckrich sausage and the Pacific Bell telephone company.
Our House
I’ll light the fire, you place the flowers in the vase that you bought today Staring at the fire for hours and hours while I listen to you Play your love songs all night long for me, only for me
Come to me now and rest your head for just five minutes, everything is good Such a cozy room, the windows are illuminated by the evening Sunshine through them, fiery gems for you, only for you
Our house is a very, very fine house with two cats in the yard, life used to be so hard, Now everything is easy ’cause of you and our la, la, la…
Our house is a very, very fine house with two cats in the yard, life used to be so hard, Now everything is easy ’cause of you and our
I’ll light the fire, while you place the flowers in the vase that you bought today
You go and see Pete Townshend to watch him windmill his guitar and jump about. Not on this song…you hear Pete happily playing on a banjo…and that is a great thing. He also slips in the accordion for good measure. This is not The Who’s best song but it’s happy and catchy. It’s also the first Who song I remember hearing without knowing much about them. My sister surprisingly had this single…a bright spot among the many bad ones she owned.
This song was on the album The Who By Numbers released in 1975 and peaked at #8. Squeeze Box made it to #16 in the Billboard 100 in 1976.
Townshend wrote all of the songs and they were deeply personal. He had just turned 30 and he was beginning to question his place in Rock and Roll. A question he would wrestle with a few more years.
Squeeze Box was originally intended for a Who television special planned in 1974. In the planned performance of the song, the members of the band were to be surrounded by 100 topless women playing accordions
Pete Townsend: “It’s not about a woman’s breasts, vaginal walls, or anything else of the ilk.”
Roger Daltrey:“What’s great about ‘Squeeze Box’ is that it’s so refreshingly simple, an incredible catchy song. A good jolly. I’ve never had a problem with that song because it doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is and I love it for that. Live audiences love it. Nothing wrong with a bit of ‘in-and-out’, mate!”
From Songfacts
“Squeeze Box” is a slang term for an accordion, but it is also slang for the vagina. The band just wanted to see if they could get away with singing about the joys of explicit sex.
In the liner notes to Pete Townshend’s compilation album Scoop, he wrote that he recorded the song for fun one day when he had bought himself an accordion. The accordion gave the song a polka-esque rhythm and the lyrics were “intended as a poorly aimed dirty joke.” Townshend had no thought of it ever becoming a hit.
The song is about an accordion (sort of), but there is hardly any of the instrument in the song. You can hear some in the section about 90 seconds in that goes, “squeeze me, come on and squeeze me,” but the subsequent instrumental section is mostly banjo. Pete Townshend played both instruments.
Squeeze Box
Mama’s got a squeeze box She wears on her chest And when daddy comes home He never gets no rest ‘Cause she’s playing all night And the music’s all right Mama’s got a squeeze box Daddy never sleeps at night
Well the kids don’t eat And the dog can’t sleep There’s no escape from the music In the whole damn street ‘Cause she’s playing all night And the music’s all right Mama’s got a squeeze box Daddy never sleeps at night
She goes in and out and in And out and in and out and in and out She’s playing all night And the music’s all right Mama’s got a squeeze box Daddy never sleeps at night
She goes, squeeze me, come on and squeeze me Come on and tease me like you do I’m so in love with you Mama’s got a squeeze box Daddy never sleeps at night
She goes in and out and in and out And in and out and in and out ‘Cause she’s playing all night And the music’s all right Mama’s got a squeeze box Daddy never sleeps at night
One quick story before the song. When I was 6 years old my dad, mom, sister. and I piled into the car and we all traveled to the carnival. I was so excited…too excited. I was in the backseat and stuck my head out the driver’s side window. My dad was not paying attention…can you see this coming? My dad started to roll the window up and could not understand why it was stuck. My neck was in it and Dad was trying to roll up harder. By this time I could not breathe, my face was turning red, and I was flopping around like a mouse in a trap…my mom yelled at my dad…MAX IS IN THE WINDOW… what? my dad asked…then my mom and sister screamed…MAX IS IN THE WINDOW…in unison no less. I can still hear him….Son…why the hell did you have your head handing out the window? Uh Dad…I wanted out to go to the carnival.
I loved carnivals growing up. At night they were magical with the lights, sounds, and smells.
This song was on The Band’s fourth studio album Cahoots. The song was written by Rick Danko, Levon Helm, and Robbie Robertson. The song peaked at #72 in the Billboard 100 in 1972. The album Cahoots peaked at #21 in the Billboard Album Charts in the same year.
The Band had a new studio in Bearsville NY to experiment in during the early ’70s. It was opened by their manager Albert Grossman but Robbie Robertson commented that it left them a bit cold. They are also going through drug problems with three members at the time of recording.
Rick Danko in 1993: “I think we shipped a million copies of that second album,” “And that changed a lot of people’s lives — in particular, the Band’s. After that, we were only getting together once a year, for a couple of months, to record. It was like we were too decadent to play.”
Life Is A Carnival
You can walk on the water Drown in the sand You can fly off a mountaintop If anybody can
Run away, run away (run away, run away) It’s the restless age Look away, look away (look away, look away) You can turn the page
Hey, buddy, would you like to buy a watch real cheap? Here on the street I got six on each arm And two more ’round my feet
Life is a carnival Believe it or not Life is a carnival Two bits a shot
Saw a man with a jinx In the third degree From trying to deal with people People, you can’t see
Take away, take away (take away, take away) This house of mirrors Give away, give away (give away, give away) All the souvenirs
We’re all in the same boat ready to float Off the edge of the world The flat old world The street is a sideshow From the peddler to the corner girl
Life is a carnival It’s in the book Life is a carnival Take another look
Hey, buddy, would you like to buy a watch real cheap? Here on the street I got six on each arm And two more ’round my feet
Life is a carnival Believe it or not Life is a carnival Two bits a shot
