Season of the Witch

A true late-'60s FM underground radio classic, this version of "Season of the Witch" was one of the most exploratory re-arrangements of the late-'60s. Taking Donovan's neo-psychedelic classic and turning it virtually upside down, Al Kooper and company easily slipped it into a hard, slow soul-fried groove that was only hinted at in the (brilliant) original. Possibly the most legendary feature of the song is Stephen Stills' performance on a wah-wah'd electric guitar, underpinning the groove and rhythm with a solid sense of funk, without resorting to histrionics. In Stills' pre-Crosby, Stills & Nash days, it set his reputation as a guitar hero in stone. Also of note is Eddie Hoh's flawless drumming, which laid down as solid a groove as Stills and Kooper could have ever hoped for.