Keith Moon - Naked Man (1975)

Depending on who you ask, the greatest rock drummer of all time is either John Bonham of Led Zeppelin or this man. Between his fourteen year career as The Who’s drummer, blowing up toilets in hotel rooms across America, and passing out on stage in the middle of a song, he is remembered as one of the most charismatic, talented, and insane figures in rock history. It was said that had he been born at a later date, he probably would have been diagnosed with a borderline personality disorder. Sadly, an overdose of sedatives ended his life prematurely at the age of thirty-two. Considering that he is one of rock’s most legendary artists, it is with no doubt that his life cannot be fully summarized here.

This song comes from Moon’s only solo album, titled Two Sides of the Moon, and features a slew of Moon’s famous friends. It was composed entirely of cover songs written by artists such as John Lennon, Pete Townshend, and Brian Wilson. This particular song was originally written by Randy Newman, who stated that its lyrics were based on a true story told to him by a friend who worked as a public defender.



Keith Moon - Naked Man (1975)

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Lyrics:

Old lady lost in the city
In the middle of a cold, cold night
It was fourteen below and the wind starts to blow
There wasn't a boy scout in sight

Pull down the shades 'cause he's comin'
Turn out the lights 'cause he's here
Runnin' hard down the street
Through the snow and the sleet
On the coldest night of the year

Beware- beware- beware of the naked man
Beware- beware- beware of the naked man

Old lady head up toward Broad Street
Shufflin' up town against the wind
She had started to cry, wiped a tear from her eye
And looked back to see where she had been

Old lady stand on the corner
With a purse in her hand
She does not know but in a minute or so
She will be robbed by a naked man

Beware- beware- beware of the naked man
Beware- beware- beware of the naked man

Old lady lean ‘gainst a lamp post
Starin' down at the ground on which she stand
She look up and scream
For the lamplight's beam
There stood the famous naked man

And he say, "They found out about my sister
And kicked me out of the navy
They would have strung me up if they could
I tried to explain that we were both of us lazy
And we’re doing the best we could"

But he faked to the left and he faked to the right
And he snatched the purse from her hand
"Someone stop me," he cried
As he faded from sight
"Won't nobody help the naked man?"
"Won't nobody help the naked man?"

Beware- beware- beware of the naked man
Beware- beware- beware of the naked man

I’m not naked, but beware
I’m not naked, but beware
I’m not naked, but beware
I’m not naked, but beware

Do you think The Beatles will get back together?

America - Sister Golden Hair (1975)

All three members of this band had been raised completely or partially in London, England to British mothers and American fathers. They met while attending the same high-school, London Central High School, in the mid-‘60s and formed a band on borrowed instruments in 1969. Never having spent a great deal of time in the United States, the trio settled on the name “America” to honor their fathers’ homeland. By 1972 they were being produced by The Beatles' George Martin and the group shot into major success with songs like “A Horse with No Name” and “Ventura Highway”.

This song came three years later, in 1975, on the group’s fifth album, Hearts. It was written by the group’s own Gerry Beckley, who had been inspired by the songwriting style of Jackson Browne. The title of the song was inspired by the fact that each mother of the three members was a blonde.



America - Sister Golden Hair (1975)

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Lyrics:

Well I tried to make it Sunday
But I got so damn depressed
That I set my sights on Monday
And I got myself undressed
I ain't ready for the altar
But I do agree there's times
When a woman sure can be a friend of mine

Well I keep on thinkin' 'bout you
Sister Golden Hair surprise
And I just can't live without you
Can't you see it in my eyes?
I been one poor correspondent
And I been too- too hard to find
But it doesn't mean you ain't been on my mind

Will you meet me in the middle?
Will you meet me in the air?
Will you love me just a little?
Just enough to show you care?
Well I tried to fake it
I don't mind sayin'
I just can't make it

Well I keep on thinkin' 'bout you
Sister Golden Hair surprise
And I just can't live without you
Can't you see it in my eyes?
I been one poor correspondent
And I been too- too hard to find
But it doesn't mean you ain't been on my mind

Will you meet me in the middle?
Will you meet me in the air?
Will you love me just a little?
Just enough to show you care?
Well I tried to fake it
I don't mind sayin'
I just can't make it

The Who - Blue, Red and Grey (1975)

Spanning forty years and still performing to this day, this band, in the minds of many, is considered to be one of the greatest rock bands of all time. From My Generation in 1965 through Who Are You in 1978, this band has put together a monumental catalog of amazing songs. Their album, Tommy (1969), is one of the greatest albums of all time and should be sat and listened to as if you were watching a movie (and, later, was a movie).

This song comes from the album The Who By Numbers, where all synthesizers and overdubbing was left behind. The entire album revolves around the inner demons of Pete Townshend, who penned all but one track, including alcoholism, loneliness, and getting older, among others. This track and “Squeeze Box” stand out as the only rays of sunshine on an otherwise depressing album.

[Update: For a brief period of time, The Who were known as The High Numbers, which you can listen to on this site.]



The Who - Blue, Red and Grey (1975)

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Lyrics:

Some people seem so obsessed with the morning
Get up early just to watch the sun rise
Some people like it more when there's fire in the sky
Worship the sun when it's high
Some people go for those sultry evenings
Sipping cocktails in the blue, red, and gray
But I like every minute of the day

I like every second, so long as you are on my mind
Every moment has its special charm
It's all right when you're around, rain or shine
I know a crowd who only live after midnight
Their faces always seem so pale
And then there's friends of mine who must have sunlight
They say, “a sun tan never fails”
I know a man who works the night shift
He's lucky to get a job and some pay
And I like every minute of the day

I dig every second
I can laugh in the snow and rain
I get a buzz from being cold and wet
The pleasure seems to balance out the pain

And so you see that I'm completely crazy
I even shun the south of France
The people on the hill, they say I'm lazy
But when they sleep, I sing and dance
Some people have to have the sultry evenings
Cocktails in the blue, red, and gray
But I like every minute of the day

I like every minute of the day