I love playing music before class starts.  Sometimes this is quasi-educational – i.e. Animaniacs videos – and sometimes it’s just music with a historical bent – i.e. Guns ‘n’ Roses Civil War, Black Sabbath War Pigs, U2′s Blood Sunday, and others.

But recently I’ve found the band that you should be listening to – the Sensational Alex Harvey Band.

I was searching for YouTube videos about the Boston Tea Party, and I stumbled on this gem.

SAHB – The Boston Tea Party

There is something amazingly addictive about the song – Boston Tea Party – by SAHB. The melody, in its simple repetition, makes you want to hum along forever. The chorus is almost hypnotic, but the verses introduce a nice splash of life into the song.

I’ve been mezmerized since the first time I heard it. My wife isn’t so enthralled, though, and she usually gets a weird look on her face when I randomly start humming the tune.

There isn’t exactly a lot of historical content in the song, but I love it. I wouldn’t put it in the bin of music to constantly repeat, but I wouldn’t mind playing it once or twice for my kids. If nothing else, they’ll get a kick out of the video and wonder what the heck is wrong with the guitarist.

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band has a lot of decent stuff besides this song.  They were a pretty well known Scottish rock group in the 1970′s, and although they seem dated now they were apparently a heckuva live show.

If you’re into classic rock, I’d suggest you check them out.  There are a lot of live performances on YouTube, so just browse around and listen/watch.  Here’s one more cool song for you to check out.

Impossible Dream - kind of like spoken word over a guitar riff – makes a poignant statement about weapons. Not necessarily the best song ever (musically), but I love the theme. This song in particular reminds me a lot of Lennon, one of my all-time favorite musicians.

Go Out and Listen!

So what are you waiting for?  Go start listening.  The Sensational Alex Harvey Band is waiting.  If nothing else, you’ll get a kick outta the video.