Not Bad for a Piano Man

He may not have been a paragon of rockdom, but in the 70s Billy Joel knew how to jam beats out of his piano. His songs are already entertaining, and the pop wisdom they impart are at least worth a smile or two. Only the Good Jog Young is the Weekly Wog, and herein you will indeed find a wog that is paceworthy. My personal favorite is his lively history lesson, We Didn’t Start the Fire, whose lyrics about America’s transgressions and banalities he shouts out with exultant glee. Check it out at Podwogging.com.

Sunshine of your Wog

Of the thousands of rock albums that have been released over the years, only a few were instant hits, and even fewer stand up to the test of time. Disraeli Gears by Cream was such an album. Psychedelia had always chosen blues as its starting idiom, and with Cream, led by Eric Clapton, the British psychedelic blues reached full flower. Heady, pulsing with primal energy, poetic, at times otherworldly, Disraeli Gears was a must listen then, and is still a great listen today. The classic Sunshine of Your Love is the best-known song, but my favorites are Tales of Brave Ulysses and We’re Going Wrong. It’s not a particularly long album, so this One Album Wog is a Quickie, with brisk walking but not much in the way of jogging. Find the BPMs for this week's wog at Podwogging.com!

Through the Past, Woggly

There are times in one’s life when certain music takes on an added importance. A song heard only once may stick in your mind for years, giving it a meaning that is unique to you and perhaps those around you who shared the experience. When was an undergrad at Stanford University in 1972, I spent six months on their overseas campus on a small hill, covered with a vineyard, overlooking Beutelsbach, Germany. We only had a few albums with us, and they tended to get played over and over: the Grateful Dead’s American Beauty, the Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers, Cat Stevens’ Tea for the Tillerman, Jefferson Airplane’s Bark, and albums by Derek & the Dominoes and John Denver are the ones I remember. Thus in honor of those days I’ve concocted two woggings sets, one faster (Schneller) and one slower (Langsamer). This week’s Weekly Wog is the faster one, but I’ve posted both. Check it out...und Viel Glück (good luck)!

Let’s Bounce to Blondie

Last week I strutted to Madonna’s stuff. This week I take on another female singer from the same era, Blondie’s Debbie Harry. Like Madonna, Harry has unfailing pop instincts and a brassy attitude. Unlike the Material Girl, she truly rocks—One Way or Another and Hanging on the Telephone will send you into New Wave Pulse-Pounding Heaven. You’ll also hear classy disco (Heart of Glass), reggae (The Tide is High), punk (Rip Her to Shreds) and rap (Rapture) in this set. Put this one your pod for a high-energy Blondie mix! Check it out at Podwogging.com.