10 Great G. Love songs not named “Cold Beverage”
G. Love & Special Sauce have officially reached the legal drinking age. The year 2015 marks the 21st birthday since the Philly-bred band released its self-titled debut album in 1994. But with a career spanning 11 albums (including G’s four solo albums), for some reason, some people still only know G. Love primarily for “Cold Beverage.” Stop the madness! Together, the band, which also includes drummer Jeffrey Clemens and James “Jimi Jazz” Prescott on bass, have recorded a slew of great jams with their trademark style that’s part hip hop, part unhinged blues, and for some reason these other jams have gone unnoticed. But not anymore! Here’s ten great deep cuts from G. Love & Special Sauce.
1. “Bloodshot and Blue”
The ultimate bluesy acoustic jam from G. Love, this song was a special release, available only on vinyl for Record Store Day back in 2013. As a result, a lot of people don’t know about it. But you should! So watch the video below.
2. “Baby’s Got Sauce”
A classic from G. Love’s self-titled first album, and the ultimate sing along jam if you can remember the words. And if not, just nod your head along to the groove. Check out this especially bluesy live version of “Baby’s Got Sauce,” where G. plays slide guitar with a microphone, below.
3. “Waiting”
A tad bit lower on the blues-o-meter than some of the other songs on this list, this still makes for a catchy acoustic number with great harmonica lines. Jam out to a studio version of the track below.
4. “Lay Down the Law”
Out of all the G. Love songs that will get stuck in your head, this one might be the hardest to get out. Listen to the studio version below and have the line “Greg’s gonna lay down the law” engraved into your brain for the rest of the day.
5. “Coming Home”
It might surprise those who only know songs like “Cold Beverage,” that G. Love isn’t all upbeat and catchy all the time. He’s also super capable of writing down to earth melancholic songs like “Coming Home.” This tune is off of G.’s Fixin’ to Die album released in 2011 and produced by The Avett Brothers.
6. “Astronaut”
This is one of G.’s lesser known songs, but shouldn’t be. It’s the first track off of one of G.’s solo albums, The Hustle, and it starts the record off with bang. Check it out here:
7. “Garbage Man”
Alright, back to the blues. “Garbage Man” is arguably G. Love’s bluesiest song, and gives off that slow ‘trudging through the mud of the Mississippi Delta’ sound to it. Rock out to the vibes and make fun of drummer Jeffrey Clemens’ ’90s hair below:
8. “Windshield Wipers”
Another more mellow track, but this one comes from of G.’s latest album Sugar, which just so happens to be a pretty solid release. And who says the early stuff is the best stuff? Check out this sweet video of the band playing the song in a diner.
9. “This Ain’t Living”
Another track off of his first album, G. Love’s “This Ain’t Living” is one of his more meaningful songs. The lyrics talk a lot about homelessness in the city, and the lack of support homeless people get from the government and the general public. Check out a cool video of G. playing the song on an acoustic guitar by himself in Cologne, Germany out front of the Cologne Cathedral.
10. “I-76”
This is almost as well-known as “Cold Beverage,” but what the hell. “I-76” is a catchy track about driving in Philly! But not only is it about the Schuylkill Expressway, it’s also about the Sixers, Rocky Balboa and Charles Barkley dissing Larry Bird. Check out a special fan-shot version of the song from the TLA from last year.
G. Love performs at the TLA on Friday, March 13th, and Saturday, March 14th; tickets and more information on the show can be found at the XPN Concert Calendar.