Americans are just a month away from the fortieth anniversary of one of the country’s biggest political scandals. The controversy over the Watergate tapes resulted in President Richard Nixon’s resignation in August of 1974.
The attempted cover-up has lost some of its luster, what with the recent phone-tapping and shenanigans of the Obama administration. However, the Watergate scandal will forever celebrate the American Press at its investigative peak, thanks to the Washington Post.
The press unfortunately is not as powerful as forty years ago, when they brought down the President known as “Tricky” Dick. To show my appreciation for the efforts of the Post reporters forty years ago, here are ten “Trick” songs associated with the subject of their articles.
“For My Next a Trick I’ll Need a Volunteer” by Warren Zevon: This song about heartbreak from Life’ll Kill Ya has a classic country feel to it, once again showcasing the brilliant songwriter’s incredible range.
“Trick of the Light” by the Who: Somehow, probably because of all the other gems on Who Are You, this tune is too often overlooked.
“Another Tricky Day” by the Who: This tune provided an excellent closing for the Face Dances album, which opened with “You Better You Bet.”
“Trick Bag” by Alice Cooper: This song is the heartbeat of Constrictor, the first Alice album to feature bassist Kip Winger who would soon move on to create his own self-named metal group.
“Trick of the Tail” by Genesis: This title track represents a bittersweet era in the band, the album being the first with Phil Collins on lead vocals after the departure of Peter Gabriel.
“One Trick Pony” by Paul Simon: A movie with the same game was released simultaneously with the album, which spawned singles like this title track and “Late in the Evening.”
“Magic Trick” by M. Ward: Even though it is the shortest tune from Post-War, this ditty of under two minutes of unadulterated pop cuteness from the indie folk-rocker.
“Tricks of the Trade” by Paolo Nutini: “New Shoes” made the artist a radio star, but superior songs like this one have helped him amass a far more faithful fan base.
“Three Card Trick” by the Clash: This tune, along with “We Are the Clash” and “This Is England,” are the standouts from the punk band’s last album, Cut the Crap.
“Old Tricks” by Johnny Flynn: A ukulele really enhances this track from A Larum, the folk band’s most accessible album to date.
