From prog to soul, Windrush’s classic car storage team chooses the ten-minute-plus songs that turn a journey into an odyssey.
It’s a fact that everything sounds better in the car. Needless to say, you’ll find plenty of driving playlists out there (typically fronted by Steppenwolf’s Born To Be Wild, and rarely clocking over three minutes per song). But in this blog, the Windrush classic car storage team chooses ten of the lengthier tracks that lend themselves to longer drives, the ebb and flow of the music unfolding alongside the scenery, and the tempo changes echoed by your right foot.
Deep Purple – Child In Time
A track so otherworldly that mist practically billows from your speakers, this opus from 1970’s Deep Purple In Rock is the ultimate slow-burner. Get up early to claim the road for yourself and work through the gears as the track suddenly tempo-shifts for a scorching Ritchie Blackmore guitar solo.
The Stone Roses – Fools Gold
But not the lightweight radio edit of the Madchester legends’ 1989 release that you’ll find on most compilations – we’re talking about the full-length 12” original that sees guitarist John Squire and drummer Alan ‘Reni’ Wren jam themselves into delirium.
Guns N’ Roses – Coma
For instant gratification on the everyday A-to-B, cue up the LA hellraisers’ Welcome To The Jungle or It’s So Easy. But for a connoisseur moment that lends drama to the most banal drive, try Use Your Illusion I’s peerless prog-tinged ten-minute closer. Not bad for a track that Slash wrote in a “heroin delirium”.
Pink Floyd – Echoes
In a previous blog, we prescribed the Floyd’s Shine On You Crazy Diamond as the ultimate moment behind the wheel. It’s lesser-known, but this 23-minute standout from Meddle conjures a whole different flavour of atmosphere, with the experimental influence of recently departed bandleader Syd Barrett still discernible in sound effects that include a submarine-style ‘ping!’ and David Gilmour evoking seagulls with his wah pedal.
Curtis Mayfield – Move On Up (Extended Version)
You can already whistle the brass hook in your sleep. But for bright and breezy spring morning drives, there’s not much better than the Chicago soul man’s extended take, which adds almost five minutes of outro percussion so funky that you’ll beat the steering wheel like it’s a set of congas.
Led Zeppelin – In My Time Of Dying
The roots of this Physical Graffiti slide-blues highlight might be contested – with some suggesting it borrows a little too freely from Blind Willie Johnson and Bob Dylan. But Zeppelin’s pummelling groove atones for it, urging you to drive like there’s a hellhound on your trail.
Allman Brothers Band – Whipping Post
Widely regarded as the ultimate Southern rock jam, the Allmans’ immortal live take from New York’s Fillmore East in March 1971 is a masterclass of attack and release whose marathon duration means you won’t need to touch the dial for the next 23 minutes.
Television – Marquee Moon
The recent death of Television guitar god Tom Verlaine reminded us of the sprawling genius of the New York art-punks’ acclaimed debut album – and specifically the icy title track that practically gave The Strokes their blueprint. Play it at night and you’ll feel like you’re cruising the Bowery circa ’77.
Jimi Hendrix – Machine Gun
The Experience’s discography might be more celebrated, but Jimi’s late period with bassist Billy Cox and drummer Buddy Miles was arguably even more adventurous. The trio’s Band Of Gypsys live album – recorded January 1970 at Fillmore East – peaked with this thrilling 12-minute anti-war anthem, whose wah-driven power demands the open road.
Funkadelic – Maggot Brain
Not so much a song as an instrumental showcase for the skills of late guitarist Eddie Hazel, who was instructed by bandleader George Clinton to play “like his mother had just died”. Hazel certainly does that, tearing through a bleakly beautiful tour de force, recently saluted by The Guardian as the best guitar solo of all-time, and the perfect accompaniment for more reflective drives.
Then tune up with Windrush classic car storage
After completing our playlist, come back to Windrush prestige car storage in the Cotswolds and London for the ultimate wind-down. We’ve worked with every model over the years and our long term car storage service factors in every detail, starting with our twelve-step induction process and running right through to our ongoing maintenance programme. Whether you’re here for a short stay or long term car storage, Windrush is the only team to trust.
To hear more about our prestige car storage service, simply drop the Windrush team a line on info@windrushcarstorage.co.uk
