Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Lucky Man

Emerson, Lake & Palmer is a hit-and-miss UK based band consisting of Keith Emerson (keys), Greg Lake (bass, vocals, guitar), and Carl Palmer (drums, percussion), which is the obvious source of their name. This band is famous for first their Hammond organ, then their Moog Synthesizer. This band was first introduced to me by a guru of classic rock, a man that I've worked with for the past couple years. Most of his influences musically have originated over the drink, so it wasn't at all a surprise that ELP was from Britain, at least to me. What did intrigue my ear, then my brain and then my Google-fingers was the subtle references to classical music that occur within their tracks.

Bob Seger: Night Moves

The lyrics of Bob Seger will always remain unrivaled in the world of American Classic rock. What makes Seger's lyrics so great to the every man is the content. His word don't have profound meaning, and can be appreciated by a large audience. He sings in this song about a delicious raven-haired beauty, which any(most)one can appreciate. Within the simplicity, though, is the real. His clean voice and guitar are matched with the substance of his songs. It's all clean-cut, bare and there. 

Toto: Africa

Blast from the past from the collective studio musicians known as Toto. The group conglomerated out of thin air, comprised of composers who were completely unknown, but had written and performed with Boz Skaggs. Their album work is supplemented solely, interestingly enough, by work for the film "Dune" for David Lynch, released in 1984.

Jefferson Airplane: White Rabbit

Jefferson Airplanes was a psychedelic rock group formed in San Francisco, California. Jefferson Airplanes was the first of several Bay-area psychedelic rock bands to receive renown, due to the release of their album Surrealistic Pillow as the "Summer of Love" zeitgeist and psychedelic eras were blooming. 

The Who: I Can See For Miles

I can't even being to write about The Who, and can only suffice to say that they are perhaps the best live band to ever perform because of their energy and passion. 

Fleetwood Mac: Landslide

I'll just let Nick's write about her own song: "My Dad did have something to do with it, but he absolutely thinks that he was the whole complete reason it was ever written. I guess it was about September 1974, I was home at my Dad and Mom's house in Phoenix, and my father said, 'You know, you really put a lot of time into this [her singing career], maybe you should give this six more months, and if you want to go back to school, we'll pay for it. Basically you can do whatever you want and we'll pay for it - I have wonderful parents, and I went, 'cool, I can do that.' Lindsey and I went up to Aspen, and we went to somebody's incredible house, and they had a piano, and I had my guitar with me, and I went into their living room, looking out over the incredible Aspen skyway, and I wrote 'Landslide.' Three months later, Mick Fleetwood called. On New Year's Eve, 1974, called and asked us to join Fleetwood Mac. So it was three months, I still had three more months to go to beat my six month goal that my dad gave me."

Led Zeppelin: The Rain Song

The Rain Song is a love ballad of some length. The song is a play on the melody discovered by Jimmy Page, who was at the time, screwing around with his new studio console recently installed at his home in Plumpton, England. Recognizably, Page tributed the Beatles "Something" with the opening chords; Page completed the melody and upon presentation to Robert Plant, Plant composed lyrics for it; Plant often considers "The Rain Song" to be his best work ever completed. The song features a mellotron specifically for this song to add an orchestral effect, while Page plays a Danelectro guitar for a unique and irreplicable sound.

Three Dog Night: Never Been To Spain

Another one of my mother's favorites, Three Dog Night is a classic of Southern  Rock, and have been in existence since 1968, to the present time (which is fairly impressive). Based in Los Angeles, they're best known for their years of 1968 to 1975, topping the Billboard lists with 21 top hits.