The Yardbirds - "You're A Better Man Than I"
1966
Whoah whoah whoah. You mean to tell me that "You're A Better Man Than I" was the B-side of "Shapes of Things"?? This puts that 45 on the short list of greatest two sides-in-one of protest music ever unleashed. (What'd the Beatles put on the back of "Revolution"? "Hey Jude".) Certaintly its kick out the jams high energy puts it near the top for its sheer audacity factor. The doom/gloom backdrop plus the power/glory of the noise on "You're A Better Man Than I" set a template for heavy metal, not to mention it features the Greatest Rock Guitar Solo Ever.
Lester Bangs: (Jeff Beck's solo) was THE original primal prototype heavy metal guitar move. Ten million fretbusters since have heard and tried to replicate the chilling fire-and-ice power of it and all failed.
My question is: Which rock 'n' roll band is going to be men enough to step up to the mics, cover this one, and dedicate it to that Richie Rich putz Mitt Romney? Because if no one else will do it, I will be forced to reform my garage band, The Recount Five (active November 2000 - January 2001 in Florida; November 2008 - June 2009 in Minnesota) and we'll do it. Which shouldn't be a problem, my band is fictional. Hell, that means we could even have Sam Phillips record it. Just like The Yardbirds did with this tune. Yep. THAT Sam Phillips.