In a recent thread, Jim Simon posed a question, and provided his answer. Here is the question for civil discussion: "What is the greatest rock song ever?"
Jim's opinion was Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. [Not my choice, but who cares?] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9rUzIMcZQ [Ad alert]
I had postulated that it was Innagadadavida by Iron Butterfly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXkGQFPhBOc
Upon reflection, I have a few more candidates:
Neil Diamond (stop that snickering right now!), Holly Holy from the live concert in LA, on Hot August Night, with the LA Symphony and the People's Church Choir backing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQq6ukZzut8 [Note: not the full Hot August Night version, but close.]
Three Dog Night's Try a Little Tenderness, from Captured Live at the Forum (seems that LA had a lot of great performances in the day.) http://www.myspace.com/music/player?sid=39926&ac=now
Joe Cocker's With A Little Help From My Friends. This is a double-header, as both the original LP release with the Grease Band, on the Joe Cocker album, and then also his Mad Dogs and Englishmen live tour. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIKBq9TeFlw [Mad Dogs tour version.] Delta Lady from the same album deserves an "honorable mention."
And maybe a stretch, as this was originally a Blues song, but in this version, it does rock: Otis Redding's I've Been Loving You Too Long (to stop now), from his Live in Europe album, recorded in Berlin, IIRC. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHtdgMm_QBU
His original studio version is beautiful, but never gets out of Blues genre. Listen to it, if possible.
And then the dark horse nominee, Mike Oldfield's Punkadiddle, on various albums, but the "live" version is on his Elements 2. I think that his studio version (Platinum) is slicker, but much of that is his mastery of multi-track recording and mixing. He gives up some of the best guitar licks ever. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytg8vPB-W0Q
Ommadawn would be another MO entry in my book. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpToJDpxQa0
Final entry is Pink Floyd's entire Atom Heart Mother Suite. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrabnP8lDek
Hunt