412. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, "Going to a Go Go"

 


GodDAMN this album is good.  Like I knew all about "Tracks of My Tears," which of course is one of the best/most important songs in rock history, and "Ooo Baby Baby," which is instantly recognizable,  and I'm relatively sure I knew the title track and maybe "My Girl Has Gone" but there isn't a bad song on this record.  When I first heard "Let Me Have Some," I immediately hit replay and then again, and again.  I think I listened to it four or five times in a row yesterday.

It's the piano riff and the handclaps and the incredible harmonies - incredible harmonies being a main feature of this record - but it's really the swingy vocal melody that does it.  Man, Smokey Robinson, why don't you save some melodies for the rest of us.  Also big shout-out to guitarist Marv Tarplin, who not only had the original vocal idea for "Tracks" but wrote the absolutely iconic guitar part.  Really, if you haven't listened to this album in a while, or ever, I encourage you to put it on your streaming service of choice and just enjoy.

I haven't officially checked, but is this the first time a skateboard appeared on an album cover?  I was mildly surprised to learn that skateboards existed in 1965.

Smokey is still out there touring!  He's 81 years old.  Well, not touring right now, of course, but he's got shows lined up in 2022.  I mean, damn.

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