Songs with Stone in the Title

Rock bassist Kelly Groucutt passed away recently. His obituary appeared in the February 26 edition of The New York Times, which discussed his association with the innovative 70s band Electric Light Orchestra. What always impressed me most about Groucutt were his backing vocals. His soothing falsetto provided a distinctive complement to the raspy lead vocals of guitarist Jeff Lynne. The most popular example of that collaboration was "Sweet Talkin's Woman," though there is a lesser-known song from that same album on which Groucutt's backing vocals are most appealing.

To honor Groucutt's passing I've decided to dedicate a lit of songs with the same noun as the one used in that tune. Among the artists in the list are such giants as Bob Dylan, the Monkees, Queen, and Van Morrison.

10. "Too Rolling Stoned" by Robin Trower: The legendary guitarist offers his great ability with the electric on this bluesy rocker, and the lyrics are a good fit for the rhythm. It opens in typical blues fashion with "Oh a stitch in time just about saved me, This cat is nine, he still suffers."

9. "Step Stone" by Woody Guthrie: The folk singer here visits one of his favorite themes, rambling. He bids goodbye to the step stones of his home in the chorus, recalling his childhood school, his family and his abandoned dreams of fortune.

8. "Stone Cold Crazy" by Queen:This cut from Sheer Heart Attack is probably the last hard rock song Queen recorded before skyrocketing into the pop mainstream. Brian May's guitar is topped only bu Roger Taylor, whose drumming is the only thing backing Freddie Mercury's quick vocals during the verses.

7. "Stone Piano" by Steely Dan: This tune is found on a collection of rare Steely Dan outtakes and demos called The Roaring of the Lamb. The production is minimal, which is what makes it such a special song and album. Donald Fagin's vocal sounds raw but with a sincerity that makes you wish the Dan had not been such perfectionists while recording their wonderful albums.

6. "And It Stoned Me" by Van Morrison: A perfect track to introduce the Moondance album, this laid-back folk number has the perfect mix of guitar, percussion, and horns.

5. "Turn to Stone" by Electric Light Orchestra: This track from Out of the Blue showcases the backing vocals of bassist Kelly Groucutt. He sings as much of the song as does lead vocalist Jeff Lynne that it is really more like a duet.

4. "Tombstone Blues" by Bob Dylan: John the Baptist's hero, the commander in chief, says "The sun's not yellow, it's chicken." The song is filled with humorous tidbits such as this, making it a natural fit for the Highway 61 album.

3. "Sam Stone" by John Prine: The Vietnam War veteran named Stone stole to feed his drug habit while "His kids went around wearing other people's clothes." It's a sad folk song strengthened by Prine's delivery.

2. "(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone" by The Monkees: The ascending keyboard between the verses is the highlight of this song, along with what is probably Mickey Dolenz's best vocal performance in the band's discography.

1. "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan: It is one of the few songs that actually deserves the continuous airplay it gets on oldies stations. Dylan's scathing lyrics, odd imagery, and Al Kooper's jaunty organ all fuse into what has become possibly the greatest song in the history of rock music.