The Toronto Star called him ‘the best young guitarist in the country’, and he joined Sarah McLachlan’s band at 19. Luke Doucet has since gone on to release solo work, including the highly praised Blood’s Too Rich (Six Shooter, 2008), as well as albums with the rock band Veal.
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers / Don’t Do Me Like That
This song makes me feel like I’m five years old (which I was when it came out) but also reminds me of how great Tom Petty is as a writer. It sounds fresh to me. Not that radio would play it if it were a modern song (it’s too organic and human sounding), but I would listen to it.
Tom Waits / Jockey Full of Bourbon
‘Hey little bird, Fly away home. Your house is on fire. Your children are alone’. This is a beautifully haunting image. This record was Wait’s initial foray into the dark and angular corners of his soul, as inspired by Captain Beefheart. He still sounds young enough to be wide-eyed, but the depth of his perception is revealing itself and foreshadows the next twenty years of his writing and devolution back into Howlin’ Wolf and the blues.
Wilco / You Never Know
This is the first time they’ve ever really paid homage — deliberately or not — to George Harrison. One little chord change and a slide guitar lick is all it takes because otherwise it’s not all that groundbreaking. Cool. I like that Tweedy hasn’t cornered himself into needing to always be experimental but can return to simple melody from time to time.
Sloan / The Great Wall
Sloan are the best rock band ever to come out of Canada, my home turf. It’s just simply the best rock and roll. Somehow this song, in particular, manages to be swimming in back-up vocals, but the ROCK never gets buried. Sounds easy enough, but it’s not.
The Rolling Stones / Can’t You Hear Me Knocking
This may be Keith’s greatest riffing ever. It makes me want to get drunk and play my Telecaster. This song illustrates how perfectly The Stones co-opted the blues and made it new and fresh. This isn’t blues in the traditional sense, it’s rock and roll (her sexy and irreverent little sister). But it proves that there is more integrity in evolving than simply imitating.
Cracker / What the World Needs Now
As we are watching our cultural infatuation with the 80s run its predictable course, we can only wait with baited breath for the 90s to follow suit. Obviously Nirvana, Pearl Jam and their ilk will take center stage once again, but I hope at least this song is revived if the alter of David Lowery should remain a solitary place.
Melissa McClelland / Glenn Rio
She’s the Patsy Cline of our day (I know, Neko Case is the Loretta Lynn). Melissa has that ‘white girl lost in the blues’ vibe, but never strays into the tiresome self-indulgent land of Janis Joplin wanna-bes (constantly showing you how loud and how high they can sing). She is restraint personified.
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