Music. With billboard topping artists such as Justin Bieber and Willow Smith, making music these days just seems like child’s play. (Pun intended.) It seems that all you need to make it in the music industry these days is good looks, because thanks to auto-tune, you don’t even have to be able to sing in key!

It’s beginning to feel as if people are making music these days just to earn a quick buck or a quick stint in the music industry releasing songs to do with the shallowest of things like alcohol, partying, sex or ‘swagger.’

If pop artists can make such references to a hard rock legend like Mick Jagger, does it mean that those old horses still have a place in today’s music other than being a completion of a rhyme? More often than not, pop music lovers scoff at the thought of a Beatles or a Rolling Stones record because it’s ‘old’ and ‘outdated.’

Sure, it may not have a heavily synthesized backing 808 beat or a chorus filled with nonsensical words (ama seh mama seh mama cooha etc.), but it’s music made by these ‘old’ and ‘outdated’ artists that have such emotional depth and meaning.

I mean what is the point behind the song ‘I whip my hair back and fourth’ other than being a personal and declarative outcry against constraints through metaphorical whipping of one’s head until one is motion sick? Compared to a more meaningful song, ‘Across the Universe,’ by the Beatles, this chart topper is a box of year-old dust.

Don’t get me wrong though, I’m not putting down today’s music. Admittedly, some of them are undeniably catchy and addictive. I’m merely saying perhaps it would do everyone’s soul some good to inject some old music into their lives. A little bit of soul food never did anyone any harm.

So here’s a short play list and review of albums from the good old days that you should go check out if you’re feeling in the mood for some music you can sink your brain into and really feel.

Stevie Ray Vaughan- Texas Flood (1983)

Personally my favourite album from this unmistakable blues player, Stevie Ray Vaughan (SRV)’s style and feel for his music shows the most on this debut album. He plays his guitar with such emotion that at times, it seems as if his guitar is doing all the talking for him. SRV’s emotional side speaks intimately to the listener especially on instrumentals like Rude Mood and Lenny, written for his wife. Blues numbers like Pride and Joy and Love Struck baby, showcase SRV’s slick timing and knack for catchy riffs.

Vocally, SRV delivers typical blues melodies with a strong gritty punch and stays very true to its style. Set in a blues/roots rock feel, you won’t hear much of a colourful vocal display but the solid guitar riffs and solos pretty much make up for that.

Reminiscent of Chuck Barry’s energy and Muddy Waters’ feel, Texas Flood is a 10-track album filled with musical creativity and depth and should definitely not be left out of anyone’s music collection.

The Beatles- Abbey Road (1969)

One of the most carefully constructed records released by the fab four and their last recorded album before their breakup in 1970, Abbey Road is a pastiche of various musical styles from rock, folk rock and psychedelic rock. From the first track Come Together, undeniably one of the tastiest bass/drum combo riffs from Ringo and McCartney, Abbey Road really is an example of how to go out with a bang.

Musically, The Beatles succeed at being totally unexpected and unpredictable. Jumping from a bluesy mood on Come Together to a more piano-based cheerful track on Maxwell’s Silver Hammer, to hints of their hippie stage on tracks like Here Comes the Sun. Abbey Road takes you on a warped musical roller coaster ride through the minds of McCartney, Lennon, Starr and Harrison.

Experimenting with different key structures and sound effects, Lennon and McCartney prove themselves to be masters of their craft despite their artistic conflict. Starr also uses interesting rhythm fills maximizing the full range of his drum set in Come Together and I Want You (She’s So Heavy). And as always, every single one of the Beatles deliver pitch-perfect harmonies and impressive vocal displays on every single one of the tracks.

Earth, Wind and Fire – The Best of Earth, Wind and Fire vol. 1

This is what used to play in clubs (or discos as they were once more commonly called) when people used catch phrases like ‘jive turkey’. This album really is a collection of the grooviest and most hip-moving tracks. Using a blend of funk guitars, synths and brass instruments, Earth, Wind and Fire pioneered the R&B movement with these disco tracks that are all about having a good time.
Musically, some of the tracks do get slightly repetitive at times, repeating choruses and hooks drawing you into an almost zen-like state, but allow your mind to be infected with the good feel of the tracks and you’ll find yourself bobbing your head and shifting your shoulders side to side. No individual displays of instrumental or vocal mastery in the form of solos in these tracks, instead, the focus is on the overall and holistic feel of the music with equal contributions from all parts of the arrangement.

Filled with infectious beats and feel-good melodies, this album is definitely one for the office-buff who needs to put the jive back into his soul.