In case you're not totally sick of year-end "Best of" lists yet, Detroit music fans might get a kick out of the fact that the Silent Years placed on a very prestigious list that ran in the Boston Herald this past Sunday and was compiled by the legendary Al Kooper.
"Legendary" is, of course, an overused term these days so how legendary is Kooper? Well, he played the famous keyboard part on Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone," among numerous other tracks by the bard (in addition to playing the infamous "Dylan goes electric" Newport Folk Festival gig), as well as playing on several Hendrix tracks. He was a founding member of Blood, Sweat & Tears and Blues Project; wrote "This Diamond Ring" (a hit for Gary Lewis & the Playboys); discovered and produced Lynyrd Skynyrd; put Mike Bloomfield together with Stephen Stills for their Supersessions albums; produced the Tubes' debut album; and also did session musician work with the Stones, George Harrison, Simon & Garfunkel and the Who, among numerous others. (On the other hand, he's real old now... so what the fuck does he know?)
Seriously, though, the Herald asked Kooper to pick the 50 best songs he heard in 2009 -- and the Silent Years placed a lucky number 13 on his list. Here's what he had to say:
13. "Pay It Back," The Silent Years. College pals from Detroit make some fine noise under the guise of indie rockers. Great brass and string parts on a catchy track.
Congratulations, dudes and dudettes. Impressive kudos, indeed. You can read Kooper's entire list by clicking here.
The Silent Years: How does it feel...?
