Chip Taylor and Lenny Kaye Rock "Wild Thing"

Chip Taylor's performances of songs from his upcoming album New Songs Of Freedom were the highlight of his all-to-brief set last week at NYC's Living Room. But that said, I won't complain that Taylor ended the set with a raucous version of his own famous song, Wild Thing joined by none other than another NY rock legend, Lenny Kaye, who jumped in on the backup singing. That encore got me to thinking how Wild Thing has got to be one of the greatest songs ever written...it's completely indestructible. Try as you might, you just can't ruin it (believe me, I tried. But that's another story entirely. Have you ever played it yourself on an instrument and /or in a band? Believe me too, it's a blast).

Talk about completing the circle. Kaye, among other achievements, is lauded for his 1971 garage-rock defining compilation Nuggets. Nuggets didn't include Wild Thing, but it was the start of the canonizing of such 65-68 era guitar rock hits.



Above: Chip Taylor, the man in black, with Kaye , the man in white.


I've met Lenny Kaye every two or three years since I first ran into him in 1983 or 4 at a record store in Greenwich Village. My friend recognized him and we introduced ourselves, complimenting him on how great Nuggets was. A sweetheart then and a stand up guy now too.