School [1989] - Nirvana

The first time I heard 'School' by Nirvana was when I saw its promotional video on Youtube. The band recently (not to mention finally) released a DVD of their legendary 1992 Reading Festival performance and needless to say I was hooked! 'School' is not a very complex song, the lyrics are not particularly profound but its charm lies in its pure simplicity. Starting off with a simple distorted riff, the song kicks into life when the bass and drums join in the mix. I would suggest listening to the remastered version of Bleach with the bass turned up. Trust me, the more bass, the better. Kurt Cobain restricts his vocabulary to "Wouldn't you believe it it's just my luck" , "No recess" and "You're in high school again ". Yes, that's it folks, three sentences. However, these fit well with the song and so does its noisy,discordant guitar solo. Overall, 'School' is a fun song to listen to, the kind of song that warms you up and gets your blood pumping.

Rating : 8/10

"No recess!"

Going Down [1971] - Freddie King

Released in 1971 , Blues legend Freddie King's 'Going Down' is a real monster of a song, one that would be covered by various future guitarists such as Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jeff Beck and even Joe Satriani. Featuring catchy-as-hell piano playing by none other Leon Russell himself, a groovy bass line and King's throaty vocals, the song became an instant blues classic. But the real centerpiece is King's guitar. It plays the role of a secondary vocalist, demanding the listener's attention every time it squeals through the background. It emotes as much as King, perhaps even more, channeling his passion through every note. Seen as an attempt to fuse classic blues-rock with the emerging hard rock scene of the 70s, 'Going Down' was ultimately a success that influenced a generation of guitarists and its impact can still be felt today.

"I'm going down
I'm going, down, down, down
Down, down
Yes, I'm going down, yes
I'm going down, down, down
Down, down
Yes, I've got my feet in the window
Got my head on the ground"

Rating 9/10