Friday Five: Crazy as a Loon

Art has been going crazy lately, so he suggested crazy music for this week’s Friday Five.  As one who wears that diagnosis like a badge, here we go:

1. Somewhere Down the Crazy River – Robbie Robertson.  The former The Band guitarist and songwriter(awkward!) made his solo debut in the 80s with a great album produced by Daniel Lanois.  The video was directed by Scorsese and featured the wonderful Maria McKee.
2. Crazy Arms – the Killer.  I always loved Jerry Lee Lewis’ cover of Crazy Arms, and joy of joys I found a video of him performing it live with the awesome Emmylou Harris!
3. Crazy Mama – J.J. Cale.  Slide guitar with a wah-wah pedal, baby!
4. Blind, Crippled and Crazy – The Derek Trucks Band.  I also have this one by Buddy Guy.
5. Buddy Guy – I Go Crazy.  Feels Like Rain was the first Buddy Guy album I bought, and it’s wonderful.

As hard as it might be for me to admit, the band that made me want to play guitar was KISS.  Did you hear that whooshing sound?  That was my rock geek cred going down the toilet.  I wanted to play guitar because Ace Frehley played guitar.  So this “seventiestastic” eighties hit immediately jumped into my head when putting this list together.  (And, in an attempt to restore my rock geek cred I’m only *ahem* crazy about full-makeup Frehley-Criss era KISS, despite this video).

Honorable Mentions (because I couldn’t find good YouTube clips):

• Are You Losing Your Mind? by Buddy Guy (originally entitled Stone Crazy).
• Crazy as a Loon – John Prine