Ten killer deep cuts that turn fifty this year

“E.E. LAWSON” by Ozark Mountain Daredevils

And this may be the coolest of the decade. OMD’s second album, It’ll Shine When it Shines, had their biggest hit – “Jackie Blue.” It was sung by Larry Lee and didn’t sound all that much like the music the band was known for. At the other end of the spectrum – far away from Lee’s pop-infused tenor – was harmonica player Steve Cash.

Cash co-wrote plenty of songs but didn’t sing lead on most. When he did, he would apply a deep baritone that seemed to emanate from somewhere deep in the planet’s core to the swampiest blues imaginable.

That’s the kind of song “E.E. Lawson” is. It begins with a twangy, echoey guitar before the chugging groove kicks in. Then Cash begins the story of E.E. Lawson – “He’s a hell of a man – E.E. Lawson for a one night stand – E.E. Lawson, he got him a plan.” Cash’s harmonica punctuates some fills, but really, this song is all about an ultra-cool groove and an ultra-wicked voice.

“STONE COLD CRAZY” by Queen

“Killer Queen” is one of the best songs of the decade. It came from Sheer Heart Attack and seemed to galvanize a new sound that took glam rock and made it somehow more theatrical while rocking even harder. That may have had to do with the symbiosis between Freddy Mercury and Brian May.

“Stone Cold Crazy” may have been an even clearer representation of where they were headed. It has May’s explosive guitar propelling both the verse and the solo sections. Meanwhile, Mercury’s vocal attack hints at a future that might include “Bohemian Rhapsody,” without quite the excess. At barely over two minutes, this is Queen showing some restraint while still blowing the doors off.

It is one of the few tracks credited to all four members of the band. And, for you trivia buffs out there, Metallica’s cover is on the B-side of the “Enter Sandman” single.