the most singularly pathetic talent in the world?

ipodization is enlivening broadcast radio, mostly by expanding and diversifying playlists. i love the periodic "a-to-z" marathons, in which classic rawk stations take us from a day in the life to ziggy stardust over the course of a week. on a long sunday run, it can be jarring good fun to hear sweet jane on the heels of sweet home alabama or cinnamon girl b/w cisco kid.

anyone my age can guess that white room will probably follow white rabbit, of course, but it takes a real geek to suss out that donny iris' ah leah! and steely dan's aja are comin' up behind after the gold rush. so now i've got this completely useless (and really kind of pathetic) talent for prognostication, based solely on my tight knowledge of the alphabet and my wildly misspent youth. i can amaze my friends and family but they ain't exactly impressed, if you know what i mean.

of course, these a-to-z efforts serve to remind listeners of all the great songs that aren't being played on the radio. to take but one example, i got a sniff of the old jeff beck group this week, which moved me to dust off truth and beck-ola for my guitar protege, young esperanza. the jeff beck group had the same basic structure as led zeppelin, with a flash guitarist (mr. beck was the flash guitarist in the page/clapton cohort*), a powerful singer in rod stewart, a talented multi-instrumental bassist in ron wood, and a muscular drummer. i ain't superstitious and beck's bolero brought smiles from the kid and they still sounded pretty good to me. the liner notes are also good fun, in a spinal tappish sort of way:

...this must be played at maximum volume whatever phonograph you use. Makes very appropriate background music if you have the Vicar for tea.

...Probably the rudest sounds ever recorded, intended for listening to whilst angry or stoned. Last note of song is my guitar being sick - well so would you be if I smashed your guts for 2:28.

...Stolen riff from old "Howlin' Wolf" tune, but he doesn't mind because I asked him. This number is more or less an excuse for being flash on guitar.

within a few short years of these albums, however, mr. wood was a rolling stone, mr. beck was doing fusion, and mr. stewart was doing everybody else (do ya think i'm sexy?). fortunately, one can get remastered versions of both classic albums today. though video seems scarce, youtube offers audio on plynth from beck-ola, as well as shapes, morning dew, let me love you, and beck's bolero from truth. if there's an old metalhead or skronky young guitarist on your shopping list, you might just consider putting a little jbg under the tree.

*i spent a few years trying to learn jeff's boogie, and got about as far as this. or maybe this.