View Full Version : My Favorite 100 Songs
Spinal
05-16-2008, 01:48 AM
I had no idea what this list would look like before I compiled it. There are so many damn songs that I don't know if this is exactly comprehensive or not. It's quite possible that I've forgotten something, but it looks pretty good to me. Commentary will be minimal as I am not a music critic. Video will be provided when possible.
100.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/2006-05-27T01_32_41-07_00.jpg
Song: "500 (Shake Baby Shake)"
Artist: Lush
Album: Lovelife
Year: 1996
Peppy video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ7IKcCdVWQ)
After years of being a shoegazer band, Lush went for a more pop sound on their final album, succeeding in picking up new fans like me. There is even an ironic nod to this shift in the video as you can see the word 'Britpop' on a parking boot. In fact, with the exaggerated head-bops and goofy grins, the whole video seems to be ironic, as if they were dragged to this new sound kicking and screaming. Don't worry Miki. No shame in going pop when you do it this well.
Boner M
05-16-2008, 01:56 AM
Might be too much testosterone on this list for my tastes.
Spinal
05-16-2008, 02:00 AM
99.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/29063MIchael-Hutchence-INXS-Posters.jpg
Song: "Devil Inside"
Artist: INXS
Album: Kick
Year: 1987
Satanic video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luobOzreRq4)
Ooooo, man, I hear that opening guitar lick and, in the words of Ralph Wiggum, I like boys now. I was never a huge fan of the band, but I find this song to be relentlessly cool and seductive. Every single one of us ... the devil inside. It's an inclusive song too, as Michael urges us to tap into that inner devil.
Boner M
05-16-2008, 02:00 AM
I kid, btw. Like both choices so far. Looking forward to the rest.
Spinal
05-16-2008, 02:01 AM
Might be too much testosterone on this list for my tastes.
The top ten is comprised entirely of GWAR songs.
Boner M
05-16-2008, 02:03 AM
The top ten is comprised entirely of GWAR songs.
From their little-known riot grrl period?
Spinal
05-16-2008, 02:32 AM
98.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/everlybros.jpg
Song: "Bye Bye Love"
Artist: The Everly Brothers
Album: The Everly Brothers
Year: 1957
Sing-a-long video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jkd3yHviCr0&NR=1)
I like how straightforward this song is. I loved someone. She left me. I would like to die. Awesome. So many rock songs are variations on the same feeling, but I like simplicity and earnestness of this one. This is one of the few songs that would probably also be on my mom's top 100 list. Maybe also my Grandmother's.
Spinal
05-16-2008, 03:13 AM
97.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/rolling20stones20black2020whit e2001.jpg
Song: "Ruby Tuesday"
Artist: The Rolling Stones
Album: Between the Buttons
Year: 1967
Groovy video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dsRg5Ai-Js&feature=related)
The Stones are sort of reminiscent of "(Listen to the) Flower People"-era Spinal Tap in the video above. Who influenced who is a question for the music historians. I dare not speculate. All I know is that while I find watching the Stones these days a wee bit awkward, I do enjoy seeing them in their prime. Their unabashed smarminess seems so far ahead of its time and this song has a great melody I always have to sing along with.
Boner M
05-16-2008, 03:18 AM
Have to say, "Ruby Tuesday" is one of my least favorite 'classic' Stones songs. Dunno why, I guess the melody's just never done it for me. I prefer the cover of it in Children of Men; can't remember the artist now.
"Bye Bye Love" is great, though.
Spinal
05-16-2008, 03:21 AM
Have to say, "Ruby Tuesday" is one of my least favorite 'classic' Stones songs.
That's all right. Can't win 'em all. What are some of your faves?
I'm sure I'll have many more entries that will be offensive to your sensibilities. :)
Boner M
05-16-2008, 03:25 AM
That's all right. Can't win 'em all. What are some of your faves?
I'm sure I'll have many more entries that will be offensive to your sensibilities. :)
Oh god, I'd be here forever. Quick faves in two categories:
Canonical: "Wild Horses"
Non-canonical: "Ventilator Blues"
Spinal
05-16-2008, 03:32 AM
96.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/10855157-10855160-large.jpg
Song: "Shameless"
Artist: Ani Difranco
Album: Dilate
Year: 1996
Bootleg video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goTm7U0-IaA)
Back to the estrogen. I'm kind of over Ani Difranco now. I bought a few albums back in college. Went to a couple of live shows. Eventually, I decided that I didn't want to spend the effort keeping up with the cult following. But, looking at the video above, I am reminded what a charismatic performer she is. She's got some great songs, but this one's my favorite, as it captures her bubbling energy and sly, sexy sense of humor. Love that chorus.
MacGuffin
05-16-2008, 03:47 AM
Yeah, I love the song Ruby Tuesday. I saw the Stones live a few years ago, and it was great. I was actually going to do this list, but I'll wait until you finish before I even think about doing mine.
Kurious Jorge v3.1
05-16-2008, 03:47 AM
Spinal, you should have used this video for 'Ruby Tuesday'!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgPHmSfwpRI&feature=related
My mind has just been blown by a little girl and a bunch of balloons.
Spinal
05-16-2008, 03:52 AM
95.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/springsteen.jpg
Song: "I'm on Fire"
Artist: Bruce Springsteen
Album: Born in the USA
Year: 1984
Sultry video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wo1npZWR5qk)
Born in the USA was one of the first albums (or rather, cassettes) that I owned, given to me as a gift from my parents. The album was huge in those days and Bruce's videos were on all the time. A lot of the singles from that album sound kind of overwrought and corny these days to me; but, this one has aged very well. When I was a kid, my brother and I would giggle about Bruce waking up "with the sheets soaking wet." But now, I find this song focused, intense and insistent. I get it now. Haunting falsetto outro is glorious.
Spinal
05-16-2008, 03:54 AM
I was actually going to do this list, but I'll wait until you finish before I even think about doing mine.
I'll try to go quick. :)
Spinal
05-16-2008, 03:55 AM
My mind has just been blown by a little girl and a bunch of balloons.
*sheds single tear*
MacGuffin
05-16-2008, 04:36 AM
I'll try to go quick. :)
No way man, no rush. I'm actually looking forward to see this list. It looks good so far.
Spinal
05-16-2008, 06:23 AM
94.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/int-0602-exenecervenka.jpg
Song: "She Wanted"
Artist: Exene Cervenka
Album: Old Wives' Tales
Year: 1989
No video available.
You'll have to find this one yourself using your method of choice. It's one of the more obscure songs on my list, I suppose. I don't even remember why I have this Exene album, since I wasn't really into X, but it's pretty good. This is a pretty simple folk song that ranks this high for me mostly because I really enjoy the weary, pessimistic lyrics and nice, gentle melody
Spinal
05-16-2008, 06:46 AM
93.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/metallica.jpg
Song: "One"
Artist: Metallica
Album: ... And Justice For All
Year: 1988
Gloomy video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwW9L_qzqp8)
I have a hard time relating to Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield. I doubt that we would have much in common. Indeed, I am not really all that into metal. Most of it is pretty silly, I think, although it does allow teenage boys to feel badass in their black tour t-shirts. For some reason, though, this song totally works for me. What I like about the song is that it creates a vivid mood and is successful at musically expressing the inner turmoil suggested by the lyrics. The song feels genuinely dangerous (particularly when heard within the context of the creepy video) and the instrumental section manages to not only sustain, but build on the intensity of what proceeds it.
Spinal
05-16-2008, 07:37 AM
92.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/450px-KristinHershmikebaehrbw2b.jpg
Song: "Tar Kissers"
Artist: Throwing Muses
Album: Limbo
Year: 1996
Casual video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3NrUh5L-E4)
So many great Muses songs to choose from, but this one is a pretty good representation of their musicianship and Kristin's songwriting wit. "On my knees, I can see/All your better qualities." Compliment or insult? You decide. Low-key acoustic performance is captured on the video with sketchy audio.
Spinal
05-16-2008, 08:06 AM
91.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/eurythmics.jpg
Song: "Missionary Man"
Artist: Eurythmics
Album: Revenge
Year: 1986
Stop-motion video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RMEDBhXh-w)
The extent of Annie Lennox's coolness during the 80s cannot be overstated. Soulful voice, piercing looks, loads of artistic integrity. Though certainly one of the more masculine female artists of the era, she was able to find an on-screen persona during the MTV era that complimented the aggressive style of her band's music. This song is, for me, their peak.
ledfloyd
05-16-2008, 08:20 AM
i only like one of these songs so far! and like boner said, ruby tuesday is not top tier stones IMO. not criticizing your taste, just surprised there's not much i like here.
Benny Profane
05-16-2008, 01:58 PM
The Devil Inside is a great song. That album "Kick" was one of my favorites growing up. I also don't love Ruby Tuesday. To me it's a trite Stones song, plenty of better choices. I love that video for One by Metallica. I don't think I've ever heard the song without the video.
Spinal
05-16-2008, 02:59 PM
i only like one of these songs so far! and like boner said, ruby tuesday is not top tier stones IMO. not criticizing your taste, just surprised there's not much i like here.
Hang in there. We'll get to the GWAR eventually.
Kurosawa Fan
05-16-2008, 03:27 PM
Very cool list so far. I like everything on the list I've heard, and will check out the stuff I haven't. Though, I have to agree with the consensus thus far that Ruby Tuesday is just okay. Not a bad song at all, but I'd take "She Smiled Sweetly" or "Who's Been Sleeping Here?" from that same album before that one.
Spinal
05-16-2008, 04:23 PM
90.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/10466138.jpg
Song: "I'm Not Afraid"
Artist: Fleming and John
Album: Delusions of Grandeur
Year: 1995
Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq_tngzhqbY)
Ben Folds once called these guys The Carpenters of the 90s with Led Zeppelin's rhythm section. Maybe that inspires ridiculously high expectations, but it sort of gives you an idea of their peculiar blend of sweetness and hard-driving rock. I don't really know why they never got popular. Perhaps they were too square for the hipsters and yet also too weird for the mainstream. But they've got some killer songs, solid musicianship and a wonderfully flamboyant vocalist. This song is a bit like being on a smooth riding roller coaster.
Spinal
05-16-2008, 04:51 PM
89.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/gorillaz.jpg
Song: "19/2000"
Artist: Gorillaz
Album: Gorillaz
Year: 2001
Explosive video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzDiFEqAoUk)
They may be a gimmicky band, but what a great gimmick. Of course, the videos with their deadpan humor are some of the best around. But the music is great too, blending rock, pop, punk, hip-hop and more. I like this track best, with the way the beepy electronic riff gives way to Damon Albarn's too-cool-for-school vocals and eventually the infectious childlike chorus.
Horbgorbler
05-16-2008, 06:39 PM
I prefer the cover of it in Children of Men; can't remember the artist now.
Franco Battiato, FWIW. Fetus is a great album.
Huh, "19/2000" is one of those songs I know but didn't know I knew. Still like "Clinton Eastwood" best, though.
Spinal
05-16-2008, 08:19 PM
Still like "Clinton Eastwood" best, though.
It's a toss-up really.
Spinal
05-16-2008, 08:51 PM
88.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/genesis3.jpg
Song: "Land of Confusion"
Artist: Genesis
Album: Invisible Touch
Year: 1986
Satirical video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MzShg7yXik)
I'm not a Genesis fan and I am certainly not a Phil Collins fan. But I have to give credit where credit is due. This is a haunting song that effectively evokes the fears and frustrations of the modern age in which there are "too many people making too many problems." The verses with their despair and worry open up beautifully into an optimistic chorus that asks us to work for a better tomorrow. A little bit corny? Maybe. But also anthemic. The witty video doesn't hurt either.
Spinal
05-17-2008, 06:18 PM
87.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/marytimony-1.jpg
Song: "Pat's Trick"
Artist: Helium
Album: The Dirt of Luck
Year: 1995
Dirty video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja3aerw_yuk)
Steeped in 90s irony, Helium is a band with a lead singer (Mary Timony) who sounds like she has inhaled whatever the opposite of helium might be. The video linked above places her in a bright pink dress on a cutesy set of rotating flowers. It makes for a humorous juxtaposition with Timony's murky sound and cutting lyrics (sample - "This one is wilted/It looks like you/'Cause it never grew"). Timony's delivery is mostly deadpan, but that just makes her reach for the high note at the end of the chorus all the more glorious.
Totally digging it. Lots of these songs are blasts from the older-sister-influenced past.
Spinal
05-17-2008, 09:49 PM
Lots of these songs are blasts from the older-sister-influenced past.
:|
:)
Melville
05-17-2008, 10:19 PM
Song: "Bye Bye Love"
Artist: The Everly Brothers
Album: The Everly Brothers
Year: 1957
Awesome. Though I prefer the Simon & Garfunkel cover.
Spinal
05-17-2008, 10:23 PM
Awesome. Though I prefer the Simon & Garfunkel cover.
Fair enough. It's also quite good.
Spinal
05-17-2008, 10:34 PM
86.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/800px-The_New_Pornographers_group_p. jpg
Song: "All For Swinging You Around"
Artist: The New Pornographers
Album: Electric Version
Year: 2003
Bouncy video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bt8vvjwgh4)
I'm a sucker for bright, exuberant pop songs like this that inspire hot chicks in tight tank tops and pajama bottoms to stop what they are doing and shake what their respective mothers gave them (see video above). This is the kind of song you might hear at an outdoor summer party where everyone is two or three drinks in and feeling confident and attractive. Then this song kicks in and upshifts everyone from 'having fun' to 'blissed out'.
krazed
05-17-2008, 10:45 PM
Love the Lush pick, good Stones song though not my favorite, you've got Metallica's best and a fine Springsteen track along with some stuff I haven't heard in ages.
Yahoo music + spinal!
Spinal
05-17-2008, 11:09 PM
85.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/faithnomore24351517_std.jpg
Song: "Epic"
Artist: Faith No More
Album: The Real Thing
Year: 1989
Stormy video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ-XxkhIBKo)
When this song first started to get played regularly on the radio and MTV, it stood out as utterly bizarre to me. And at the same time, I found it irresistible. This was a couple years before Nirvana and if you had heard anything like it at the time, then you were far cooler than I was. All of the musicians in the video looked like they belonged in separate bands and lead singer Mike Patton wrestled with the song like he was trying to fight off a psychotic episode. Even today, nearly 20 years later, I still think the song sounds refreshingly strange with its punky aggression ultimately giving way to a transcendent final passage worthy of the song's title.
krazed
05-17-2008, 11:37 PM
85.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/faithnomore24351517_std.jpg
Song: "Epic"
Artist: Faith No More
Album: The Real Thing
Year: 1989
Stormy video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ-XxkhIBKo)
.. it stood out ...I found it irresistible... anything like it at the time...
There's not enough "it" in this description. I still have yet to find what "it" is.
Spinal
05-17-2008, 11:53 PM
There's not enough "it" in this description. I still have yet to find what "it" is.
It's it. What is it? It's it.
ledfloyd
05-18-2008, 12:16 AM
There's not enough "it" in this description. I still have yet to find what "it" is.
it depends on what your definition of "is" is.
Spinal
05-18-2008, 12:59 AM
84.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/steppenwolf-band.jpg
Song: "Magic Carpet Ride"
Artist: Steppenwolf
Album: Steppenwolf the Second
Year: 1968
Psychedelic video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwLdyIdY6U8&feature=related)
Full of swagger and boastfulness, this song does a great job of conveying what it is like to possess a full reservoir of rock star cool. The lyrics ask the listener to envision lead singer John Kay drifting on a "cloud of sound" and drifting up into the stars. Before we have a chance to think skeptically about his bold claims, he lunges into the chorus with a quick "Well ..." and we are already off on this magic carpet ride. Hypnotic, seductive and the antidote to any number of Nancy Reagan 'Just Say No' pleas.
Your last two, FNM and Steppenwolf, have raised my spirits. Epic, particularly, is immense.
Boner M
05-18-2008, 01:25 AM
That was the first time I'd heard Helium, been meaning to check 'em out for a while. Great song.
Spinal
05-18-2008, 03:06 AM
83.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/pharvey.jpg
Song: "The Dancer"
Artist: PJ Harvey
Album: To Bring You My Love
Year: 1995
Somber video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBvsPJX-CTU)
The grand finale of her masterful 1995 album, this song is a great example of how Harvey was attempting to stretch herself as a vocalist during this period of her development. She put down her guitar and instead opted to focus exclusively on singing. In fact, I did not see her play a non-percussive instrument until the second time I saw her perform in 2001. Against better judgment, I can rarely resist the temptation to sing along on the high-pitched 'ahhhs' in the middle of the song. The results are not pleasant; but I'm having fun, so suck it pitch police.
Spinal, New Pornographers video link is the Helium song.
Spinal
05-18-2008, 03:09 AM
Spinal, New Pornographers video link is the Helium song.
Fixed. Thanks. I knew I would do that at some point.
Spinal
05-18-2008, 03:35 AM
82.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/RoyOrbisonBWN.jpg
Song: "You Got It"
Artist: Roy Orbison
Album: Mystery Girl
Year: 1988
Video? You got it. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb_w4VsSyaQ)
This is Orbison's last hit, peaking in popularity in the wake of his 1988 death. Apparently, the footage in the video is taken from his only public performance of the song, at an awards ceremony in Belgium. It doesn't soar to vocal heights like some of his other tunes, but it has a superb melody and still has plenty of thrilling flourishes from Orbison's incomparable voice.
Spinal
05-18-2008, 04:05 AM
81.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/the_hollies.jpg
Song: "Carrie Anne"
Artist: The Hollies
Album: Evolution
Year: 1967
Ingratiating video. (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=sgA4-bLcoN8)
Don't be fooled by the beaming smiles of the boys in the band as they sing this song. If you follow the lyrics, they are really quite nasty to poor Carrie Anne, asking indelicately if anyone can play her game. Barabra Moss apparently wasn't listened too carefully, as she named her future actress daughter after the song's presumably slutty title character. But that's not what's important. What's important is that the song has a killer melody, groovy harmonies and causes one's mind to wander, considering what exactly a game of 'Janitor and Monitor' would be like.
Kurosawa Fan
05-18-2008, 04:32 AM
Why don't I own a Roy Orbison album? There's no good answer to that question.
Oh, and big thumbs up for "Carrie Anne". Love that song.
megladon8
05-18-2008, 04:34 AM
My favorite so far is "Land of Confusion".
Genesis was great.
Spinal
05-18-2008, 04:43 AM
80.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/s-0611.jpg
Song: "Mish Fadilak"
Artist: Natacha Atlas
Album: Ayeshteni
Year: 2001
Shadowy video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXip1vKryps)
I believe that the language she is using is Arabic, so I really can't help you with what she is singing about. Nevertheless, this song is a gorgeous example of Atlas' exhilarating blend of Middle Eastern sounds and Western electronica. Also, Atlas is from Belgium, bringing the number times that country has been mentioned in this thread up to 2.
Spinal
05-18-2008, 05:15 AM
79.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/elvis-presley-biography-7.jpg
Song: "Don't Be Cruel"
Artist: Elvis Presley
Album: did not appear on album until Elvis' Golden Records (1958)
Year: 1956
Clean cut video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eskG_swFmk)
The song made famous by Elvis Presley is the greatest song of all time with the title "Don't Be Cruel", safely outpacing Bobby Brown's entry (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9aLBdeT6ks) by a fairly wide margin. My favorite part of the video above is the startling contrast between Elvis and his back-up singers (1:02).
Spinal
05-18-2008, 06:29 AM
78.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/donovan05.jpg
Song: "The Hurdy Gurdy Man"
Artist: Donovan
Album: The Hurdy Gurdy Man
Year: 1968
Minimalist video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QDZgdsm_Ao)
Few songs sound more like the late 60s than this one. I love how the whole thing sounds slightly hazy, like it has been melted into liquid form and filtered through a tie-dye T-shirt. Donovan has an ear for words too. Some words just sound cool in a song. Like 'tranquility'. And 'roly-poly'. I've never done psychedelic drugs, but if I ever do, I'm going to try to remember to spend a lot of time repeating 'roly-poly' over and over. I bet it would be a blast.
ledfloyd
05-18-2008, 03:14 PM
finally a song i love!
Spinal
05-18-2008, 07:28 PM
77.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/115154556.jpg
Song: "Bring the Noise"
Artist: Public Enemy and Anthrax
Album: Attack of the Killer B's
Year: 1991
Hear the drummer get wicked! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoLkaGcpJFA)
I'll be honest with you. Neither of these bands are in heavy rotation at my household, though I do have a lot of respect for Public Enemy. Still, this collaboration is a track I can never get enough of. "BASS! How low can you go?" It loses a little steam near the end when Chuck passes the mic to Scott Ian, but it's still a glorious steamroller of a song, guaranteed to rev me up.
Spinal
05-19-2008, 02:38 AM
76.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/sgtpep-784282.jpg
Song: "She's Leaving Home"
Artist: The Beatles
Album: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Year: 1967
Way-too-literal video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCSF-zRW7po)
This wasn't always my favorite track on the album. But it is now. "Lucy in the Sky", "Lovely Rita", etc ... they're all still great. But there is something about this dreamy, ambiguous tune that I find utterly haunting. The lyrics are pure poetry, conjuring up so many questions and evoking so many feelings. The chorus with its repetition of the words 'Bye bye' is breathtaking. Unlike "A Day in the Life" which, despite its greatness, feels like a Lennon song squished together with a McCartney song, here the duo meshes together seamlessly.
Spinal
05-19-2008, 03:03 AM
75.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/johnny_cash_372x495.jpg
Song: "Ring of Fire"
Artist: Johnny Cash
Album: Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash (first album appearance)
Year: 1963
Burning video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2iv_E-Fn9E&feature=related)
A great song can take shared human experiences that are ordinary and elevate them to the soaring heights of intensity that we feel when they are personal to us. This classic song by Mr. Cash is about falling deeply in love. Nothing more. And yet, with a simple, resonant metaphor, Cash is able to color the experience in such a way that it approaches the mythological. The song's protagonist paints himself as small in the face of the unyielding flames. It's startling, beautiful imagery.
Spinal
05-19-2008, 04:54 AM
74.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/carpenters2.jpg
Song: "Superstar"
Artist: The Carpenters
Album: Carpenters
Year: 1971
Baby baby baby video baby. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWkOryYF6CI)
Casting straight-laced Karen Carpenter in an unlikely role as a shunned groupie waiting for the title superstar to return and play his 'sad guitar', this song is composed of a captivating contrast between the slow, wistful verses and the vibrant, upbeat chorus sections. The scenario creates at least one golden moment where Karen wonders what to say to make him 'come again' (titter, titter). And I absolutely love how the first two lines of the chorus end in 'baby' before giving way to a third line composed entirely of the word 'baby'.
Yum-Yum
05-19-2008, 09:57 AM
Song: "Pat's Trick"
Artist: Helium
Album: The Dirt of Luck
Year: 1995
Mmmm, I haven't tasted this one in a long time. Crunchy girl rock at its finest.
transmogrifier
05-19-2008, 03:14 PM
74.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/carpenters2.jpg
Song: "Superstar"
Artist: The Carpenters
Album: Carpenters
Year: 1971
Baby baby baby video baby. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWkOryYF6CI)
.
I prefer the Sonic Youth version. But then, I would.
Benny Profane
05-19-2008, 03:21 PM
"She's Leaving Home" is good. Damn good. "Fixing a Hole" is another great semi-obscure song from that album. But I'd have to still take "Rita" as the best from that great lineup.
I tried watching that Helium video. I couldn't take more than 40 seconds of it. Boy was that awful. But hey, at least I tried.
Spinal
05-19-2008, 04:02 PM
I prefer the Sonic Youth version. But then, I would.
It's pretty excellent.
Spinal
05-19-2008, 04:48 PM
73.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/kristinh.jpg
Song: "Me and My Charms"
Artist: Kristin Hersh
Album: Hips and Makers
Year: 1994
Charming video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHiTd1CLXfI)
One of many highlights from Hersh's first solo album, this is a great example of how she is able to access raw emotion and serve it up with a healthy dose of poetry. The evocative lyrics suggest two lovers joined forever through the creation of a child, referred to only as "the angel". Hersh describes the feeling of awe in seeing a piece of you merged with your partner, though it remains ambiguous as to whether the couple is currently happy together.
Spinal
05-19-2008, 06:33 PM
72.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/janis-joplin-woodstock-661x750.jpg
Song: "Piece of My Heart"
Artist: Big Brother and the Holding Company
Album: Cheap Thrills
Year: 1968
Damn hippy video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfuG5CmyGLs&feature=related)
A song that takes full advantage of Janis Joplin's earth shaking vocal capacity, "Piece of My Heart" offers a bit of a tease at the beginning as the 'come ons' build to the brink before settling in to the comparatively gentle opening verse. Next time around, Joplin releases into the command 'Take it!' and we are off and running into the groovy sing-a-long chorus. All of this of course builds to that orgasmic scream, after which it is time to ice down our asses, as they have been relentlessly rocked by Janis with no mercy.
Spinal
05-19-2008, 08:16 PM
71.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/john_denver.jpg
Song: "Take Me Home, Country Roads"
Artist: John Denver
Album: Poems, Prayers and Promises
Year: 1971
Sunny video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC8nDdPM_Qk)
Congratulations, John. You were successful at crafting a song so gorgeous that it is capable of making an Oregon liberal like me sing longingly about the beauty of West Virginia. His fashion may be ultra-square, but hearing this song played in the excellent animated film, Whisper of the Heart, reminds you just how gifted he was at delivering a stirring melody. Everybody needs a little lovin' from their mountain mama from time to time.
Spinal
05-19-2008, 08:33 PM
70.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/200602_086.jpg
Song: "Cross Bones Style"
Artist: Cat Power
Album: Moon Pix
Year: 1998
Chilled out video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXWvjkX446A)
Some songs are about dynamics. Some songs are about the pleasantness of scratching a particularly satisfying itch. This is one of the latter. The groove is established early on and stays constant throughout the song, leaving Chan Marshall's free-ranging vocals free to float over the top like drifting clouds.
My wife's favorite song lyric ever, quoted all the time to the either great pleasure or irritation of myself depending on what I've eaten is:
"Baby, baby, baby, baby, oh baby..."
Piece of My Heart is also incredible. Love Janis. Love her!
Spinal
05-19-2008, 09:33 PM
69.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/saltnpepa.jpg
Song: "Shoop"
Artist: Salt N Pepa
Album: Very Necessary
Year: 1993
Shoop shoop-a-doobie. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKaVBVikysw)
There may have been a time when my love for this song was ironic. But that time has long since passed. Salt n Pepa's naughty summertime tease is filled with humor and lyrical surprises as they pass the mic back and forth extolling the virtues of being horny. When was the last time you thanked your mother for having a butt like that?
Benny Profane
05-19-2008, 09:42 PM
Seriously?
Spinal
05-19-2008, 09:45 PM
Seriously?
Love it.
Benny Profane
05-19-2008, 09:46 PM
Stawp. STAWP!
That song is fkn terrible. It's beyond bad.
Spinal
05-19-2008, 10:47 PM
Stawp. STAWP!
That song is fkn terrible. It's beyond bad.
You're talking to someone who likes "My Humps", so I really don't know that you are going to get through to me.
Song: "Shoop"
Your appreciation for this song is why you are awesome.
Benny Profane
05-19-2008, 10:49 PM
You're talking to someone who likes "My Humps", so I really don't know that you are going to get through to me.
OK, but I'd be ashamed if I didn't at least try.
Spinal
05-20-2008, 03:43 AM
68.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/feist.jpg
Song: "Secret Heart"
Artist: Feist
Album: Let it Die
Year: 2004
Feisty video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj1w0vxCC2w)
The magic of Leslie Feist is not just in how she writes and how she sings, but also how she crafts a song. Therefore, it worries me none to select a cover song to represent her here. I greatly admire how she approaches each performance as if she is going to give the song a real working over. It makes for an exhilarating live show and no doubt keeps her invested as well. Her voice as she reaches for those high notes is pure bliss.
Thirdmango
05-20-2008, 03:08 PM
I now want to do a top 100 songs list, though I must say, at the rate this is going, not a one will be the same.
Spinal
05-20-2008, 04:46 PM
67.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/YES-Union.jpg
Song: "Owner of a Lonely Heart"
Artist: Yes
Album: 90125
Year: 1983
See a cat dropped on a man's face! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELpmmeT69cE)
After a quick drum fill, the killer riff kicks in and we are off on one of the most distinctive rock songs of the early MTV era. The lyrics encourage the listener to 'give your free will a chance' while intermittent crashes disrupt the song's flow, underscoring the song's plea for non-conformity. It doesn't hurt that the song was given a delightfully kooky Kafkaesque video that takes advantage of all the wails, changes of direction and other various aural eccentricities.
dreamdead
05-20-2008, 05:07 PM
93.
Song: "One"
Artist: Metallica
http://forums.hipinion.com/images/smiles/icon_gu_b_slayer.gif[/QUOTE]
I salute this choice and FNM's "Epic" especially; I figure plenty of others will salute the other tracks.
Song: "Owner of a Lonely Heart"
Eeeeexcellent
Lasse
05-20-2008, 05:13 PM
So far I like or love most of the songs on this list. I can't wait for the rest! :)
Spinal
05-20-2008, 05:50 PM
66.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/winter.jpg
Song: "Winter"
Artist: Tori Amos
Album: Little Earthquakes
Year: 1992
Ivory video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnboUbOGDOM)
I have a few Tori Amos CDs lying around the house that don't get a lot of attention these days. However, I don't think I could ever turn my back on this potent tearjerker from her first album. The lyrics are refreshingly free of much of the patented Tori Amos fairyspeak that can eventually grow tiresome. Instead, Amos delivers a devastating portrait of fatherly love that is as pure as the snow referenced in the song's first line. Man, that chorus gets me every time.
Benny Profane
05-20-2008, 05:59 PM
Like that song (Winter).
But the twirly dance in that video I do not like.
dreamdead
05-20-2008, 06:01 PM
I loves me some "China" off of that album. This just encouraged me to play the album later today while working on some projects.
Spinal
05-20-2008, 06:13 PM
65.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/15_beastieboys_lg.jpg
Song: "Sure Shot"
Artist: The Beastie Boys
Album: Ill Communication
Year: 1994
The song performed by Richard Scarry characters. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT8VyXRz0c4)
The original. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5GXj1jwb1U)
The world may have to wait for another great pop song that references Rod Carew. Fortunately, this ultra-fun track with its irresistible flute sample will do just fine in the meantime. I'm not sure that having the doo-doo guaranteed like Yoo Hoo is something to be bragging about, but you gotta appreciate MCA offering all the mother and the sisters his respect to the end.
Spinal
05-20-2008, 06:14 PM
Like that song (Winter).
But the twirly dance in that video I do not like.
I cannot defend it.
Spinal
05-20-2008, 06:47 PM
64.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/buddyhollylf1.jpg
Song: "Everyday"
Artist: Buddy Holly
Album: Buddy Holly
Year: 1958
Woo-ee-oo, he looks just like Rivers Cuomo. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMezwtB1oCU)
Oh, for a time when a male pop star could wear glasses like that unironically and still get the ladies. Golden moments from this super-sweet love song are aplenty, particularly all the glottal stops on the 'hey hey heys'. My personal favorite is the rhyming of "it's a-gettin' faster" with "go ahead and ask her."
Spinal
05-20-2008, 09:07 PM
63.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/Realfakeweb4.jpg
Song: "Outside of Town"
Artist: The Geraldine Fibbers
Album: Lost Somewhere Between the Earth and My Home
Year: 1995
Jammin' video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD_OYQNZ6Rs) (Song starts at about 1:16)
I'm not sure if the electricity of this bluesy murder ballad will come across completely on the video provided above. Too much attention is paid to the lead guitar player and not enough to the chilling delivery of the band's key artist, Carla Bozulich. Still, I never pass up an opportunity to try to convert people to these extraordinary musicians that during their short existence blended country and punk into a rich, thoroughly satisfying wallop. Bozulich has a gift for taking the dark sound of early American blues and giving it a post-feminist facelift.
Horbgorbler
05-21-2008, 02:45 AM
Buddy Holly was the shiznit; that's likely my favorite of his songs, as well.
berlin wallflower
05-21-2008, 07:33 PM
Great idea. I'd like to do a list like this...
Props for the Cat Power song.
rocus
05-21-2008, 08:06 PM
Great job so far, there are many that I would agree with (including the rap selections). For Faith No More, I like Epic but prefer Falling To Pieces.
Chuck D is by far the best rapper of all time. It's not even close.
Spinal
05-21-2008, 08:13 PM
62.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/willie.jpg
Song: "Always on My Mind"
Artist: Willie Nelson
Album: Always on My Mind
Year: 1982
Grizzled video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3DXyfL3HX0)
Although there have been notable recordings of this song by Brenda Lee, Elvis Presley and The Pet Shop Boys, it is Willie Nelson version that moves me most. Nelson nails the sense of regret underlying the lyrics and gives the listener the impression of a guy who just picked up a guitar and is trying earnestly to work himself out of a jam. Nelson's gentle vocals are the right match for this simple, yet stirring tune.
Spinal
05-21-2008, 08:15 PM
For Faith No More, I like Epic but prefer Falling To Pieces.
Great, great song. It was given serious consideration.
rocus
05-21-2008, 08:16 PM
Fantastic choice. Willie's vocals on that song are just perfect.
Spinal
05-21-2008, 09:36 PM
61.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/whitestripes6.jpg
Song: "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground"
Artist: The White Stripes
Album: White Blood Cells
Year: 2001
Red, white and black video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPRJ0iusGk0)
So much wonderful noise erupting from only two band members. Jack and Meg White tend to strip away all the excess and just focus on delivering straightforward R.O.C.K. in the USA. No one is ever going to say: Hey, aren't those the guys who wrote Paranoid Android? They've got loads of great stuff to choose from, but this little piece of thunder is tops for me.
There are days when I think the Stripes rival even Zep. Incidentally, those days are also days I usually get slammed in the head with a blunt object. Nevertheless, those days exist. Love the Stripes. LOVE em! Jack is the king of guitar riffs. Favorite song: maybe Screwdriver, maybe Little Bird, maybe Icky Thump, maybe Ball and Biscuit.
Lasse
05-21-2008, 10:35 PM
I don't know why I've never listened to an entire White Stripes record. I've pretty much loved every song I've heard.
The recent "You Don't Know What Love Is" is one of the most played songs on my mp3-player the last 6 months.
Spinal
05-21-2008, 10:58 PM
60.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/black-eyed-peas-365_193479m.jpg
Song: "My Style"
Artist: The Black Eyed Peas
Album: Monkey Business
Year: 2005
Dance dance video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_7U0-0yIps)
I really like the way this song builds. From the repetition of the phrase, "Lord, have mercy", to the slick beats and then that snake charmer riff before finally all clicking together on the first chorus. The boy-girl interplay brings out what is possibly the Peas' most notable trait, their sexy, flirty chemistry. A trifle? Perhaps, but also a real booty shaker and probably the greatest song of all time which employs the word 'cock-block'.
Lasse
05-21-2008, 11:03 PM
I have a hard time hating the Black Eyed Peas. Such fun, silly music - though I must say that I hardly ever listen to their music when I'm sober. :lol:
Spinal
05-21-2008, 11:19 PM
I have a hard time hating the Black Eyed Peas. Such fun, silly music - though I must say that I hardly ever listen to their music when I sober. :lol:
Exactly. Totally fun party music.
Benny Profane
05-22-2008, 12:49 PM
Really dig Jack and Meg.
The B.E. Peas are a musical abomination.
bac0n
05-22-2008, 03:26 PM
Really dig Jack and Meg.
The B.E. Peas are a musical abomination.
My only exposure to Black Eye Peas is about ten seconds of the song My Humps. If the rest of their music is like those ten seconds, then yeah, I'm with Benny on this one.
Benny Profane
05-22-2008, 03:42 PM
My only exposure to Black Eye Peas is about ten seconds of the song My Humps. If the rest of their music is like those ten seconds, then yeah, I'm with Benny on this one.
If you've never heard the utter annoyingness that is "Let's Get it Started" then I sincerely envy you.
I'll take "Popular Music that sounds like it was written by a retard" for $400 please, Alex.
Spinal
05-22-2008, 04:50 PM
59.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/blur.jpg
Song: "Tender"
Artist: Blur
Album: 13
Year: 1999
Come on come on come on. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AArt34TNAyk&feature=related)
A defining feature of Blur has to be their malleability. In that sense, their name truly fits as it is always difficult to pin down musically just who they are. This track, which runs over seven-and-a-half minutes on the album, sees the band at their most earnest, declaring that "love's the greatest thing that we have." The song never feels long to me though because I get caught up in the way the intimate opening verse erupts into that glorious chorus complete with gospel background singers.
Spinal
05-22-2008, 04:56 PM
My only exposure to Black Eye Peas is about ten seconds of the song My Humps. If the rest of their music is like those ten seconds, then yeah, I'm with Benny on this one.
If you've never heard the utter annoyingness that is "Let's Get it Started" then I sincerely envy you.
I'll take "Popular Music that sounds like it was written by a retard" for $400 please, Alex.
Well, at least you guys are participating.
If you've never heard the utter annoyingness that is "Let's Get it Started" then I sincerely envy you.
Booooo! BOOOOOO!
It's actually "Let's Get Retarded", hilariously enough.
Spinal
05-22-2008, 05:24 PM
58.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/simonandgar.jpg
Song: "Cecilia"
Artist: Simon and Garfunkel
Album: Bridge over Troubled Water
Year: 1970
Paul Simon is short. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2vNEXqHo_o)
Wikipedia speculates that this song was written not about a woman, but rather about Paul Simon's dog. This would explain the "down on my knees" and the "begging you please to come home" parts. However, it would turn the great lyrics "Making love in the afternoon with Cecilia/Up in my bedroom" into a dire cry for help. The pseudo-African drumbeat really makes this song, perfectly suiting the tragicomic lyrics which tell the story of an especially capricious lover ... who I'm just going to assume is human.
Benny Profane
05-22-2008, 05:36 PM
Booooo! BOOOOOO!
It's actually "Let's Get Retarded", hilariously enough.
Your taste in music is highly suspect.
Raiders
05-22-2008, 05:38 PM
Meh. I have never been a huge S&G fan. I do like "Bleecker Street" a lot, though.
Benny Profane
05-22-2008, 05:41 PM
Big fan of "Cecilia".
Nice call.
The Boxer is my favorite.
Spinal
05-22-2008, 06:00 PM
57.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/MMKlausParis66.jpg
Song: "Mighty Quinn"
Artist: Manfred Mann
Album: Mighty Garvey!
Year: 1968
Everybody's gonna jump for joy! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzQXf3WgJTA&feature=related)
This song, written by Bob Dylan (but unreleased by him at the time), gets a happy pop sheen from the British group responsible for the popularity of "Do Wah Diddy Diddy". The combination of Manfred Mann's smooth sound and Dylan's grounded folk makes for a perfect union, from the brief flute intro to the angelic backing vocals. Watch the video at 2:10 and you can see lead singer Paul Jones apparently forget to lip sync the word 'everybody' and then chuckle to himself.
Spinal
05-22-2008, 06:23 PM
56.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/b72719john-lennon-yoko-ono-posters.jpg
Song: "Oh Yoko!"
Artist: John Lennon
Album: Imagine
Year: 1971
All Yoko all the time. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6KGUq8UlcY)
It was the union that most of the world never understood. And yet, this gorgeous tune, composed for his Japanese avant-garde artist wife, demonstrates just how thoroughly Lennon loved Yoko. Lennon envisions a series of domestic scenes in which his lover's name comes to him and he must call it out. The final verse, which begins "in the middle of a cloud", suggests a connection between the two extending beyond mortal life and out into the universe.
Spinal
05-22-2008, 07:11 PM
55.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/nirvana460.jpg
Song: "Scentless Apprentice"
Artist: Nirvana
Album: In Utero
Year: 1993
Blistering video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEhIu4vtSIQ)
They composed plenty of songs that were more elegant; however, it is here where Nirvana sounds to me like what Nirvana should sound like. The big ol' monster riff is coarse, but deliriously effective. I love, love, love the way Cobain's vocals escalate in pitch through each line of the verses. And, of course, there is the shrieking chorus comprised entirely of "go away/get away." Add on top of that lyrics inspired by the novel, Perfume and you have a formidable beast of a song.
Kurosawa Fan
05-22-2008, 07:51 PM
So... should I be preparing myself for a list that only contains a Bob Dylan "cover" song?
Spinal
05-22-2008, 08:21 PM
So... should I be preparing myself for a list that only contains a Bob Dylan "cover" song?
It's best to approach life ready for anything.
Kurosawa Fan
05-22-2008, 09:08 PM
:sad:
I'm not very good at that.
Thirdmango
05-22-2008, 09:27 PM
The song never feels long to me though because I get caught up in the way the intimate opening verse erupts into that glorious chorus complete with gospel background singers.
Wow, I'm impressed. Though I do think the song is too repetitive, I wouldn't have minded the length if it didn't just keep repeating, I am impressed you would go for this one. Interesting so far. I have no idea where this list is going. :)
Spinal
05-22-2008, 11:34 PM
54.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/harryc.jpg
Song: "Cat's in the Cradle"
Artist: Harry Chapin
Album: Verities & Balderdash
Year: 1974
He came through the world in the usual way. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlHdjjHNEC8)
Though oft parodied, Harry Chapin's epic tale of fatherhood and the passage of time still has the power to evoke intense emotion. The story unfolds economically with beautifully illustrated moments that summarize an entire lifetime. The ironic twist that comes in the song's final section is like a dagger straight to the heart.
Spinal
05-22-2008, 11:35 PM
I have no idea where this list is going.
Good! Hopefully that keeps it somewhat fun. I have at least a couple more choices that could prove controversial.
Raiders
05-22-2008, 11:37 PM
Here's hoping your Beatles selection isn't "Across the Universe."
Spinal
05-22-2008, 11:40 PM
Here's hoping your Beatles selection isn't "Across the Universe."
There will be more than one Beatles selection. I don't think that's spoiling anything.
Raiders
05-22-2008, 11:41 PM
There will be more than one Beatles selection. I don't think that's spoiling anything.
Awesome. I thought there might, but then I couldn't remember if you were limiting to one per artist (I couldn't think of any repeats yet).
Spinal
05-22-2008, 11:43 PM
Awesome. I thought there might, but then I couldn't remember if you were limiting to one per artist (I couldn't think of any repeats yet).
No, there will be some repeats.
Song: "Cat's in the Cradle"
The cat's in the cradle... and the silver ball.
Seriously, vomitous song. Rivals Five Man Electrical Band's Signs as Worst Classic Rock Song Ever.
You had me you had me you had me you had me... you lost me. Don't worry, I'm sure your next selection will be much better, by virtue of default.
Sycophant
05-23-2008, 01:19 AM
54.
Song: "Cat's in the Cradle"
Artist: Harry Chapin
Album: Verities & Balderdash
Year: 1974
He came through the world in the usual way. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlHdjjHNEC8)Glad to see it! I find this song intensely moving. It may wear its heart on its sleeve, but I think it's honest, striking, and skillful enough that it's an asset. It's far too often and easily maligned.
In a word? Word.
Raiders
05-23-2008, 01:39 AM
For a number of years, I inexplicably thought "Cat's in the Cradle" was sung by James Taylor.
Spinal
05-23-2008, 02:27 AM
The cat's in the cradle... and the silver ball.
Seriously, vomitous song. Rivals Five Man Electrical Band's Signs as Worst Classic Rock Song Ever.
You had me you had me you had me you had me... you lost me. Don't worry, I'm sure your next selection will be much better, by virtue of default.
Well, at least I agree with you on "Signs", so you won't have to worry about that one showing up.
Spinal
05-23-2008, 03:05 AM
53.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/651368_356x237.jpg
Song: "Shadows of the Night"
Artist: Pat Benatar
Album: Get Nervous
Year: 1982
Bombastic video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME0U9nY0AH4&feature=related)
The queen of the 1980s female belters, Benatar (whose last name at birth was Andrzejewski!) always seemed to sing pop songs as if human lives were dependent upon the outcome. So it is perhaps fitting that in the video for this song, she imagines herself as an American pilot/spy/munitions expert infiltrating a Nazi compound. This one is all about the over-the-top chorus featuring Benatar at her finest, beseeching us to surrender our dreams so that she can make them come true. Sounds good to me.
Song: "Shadows of the Night"
I was right. Much better.
Spinal
05-23-2008, 03:07 AM
I was right. Much better.
Boo-ya.
Spinal
05-23-2008, 03:55 AM
52.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/coachella_portishead_1_.jpg
Song: "Glory Box"
Artist: Portishead
Album: Dummy
Year: 1994
I'm so tired of playing with this bow and arrow. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF-GvT8Clnk)
It doesn't matter what you are doing. If you do it with Portishead playing in the background, it is automatically going to make it cooler. Driving. Cooking. Going to the dentist. Selling insurance. It doesn't matter. This closer to their first album has a delicious Beth Gibbons vocal, including my favorite moment where she pronounces the word 'temptress' with three syllables. And then, of course, there is the ultra cool ending where the steady beat unravels and she declares "this is the beginning of forever ... and EVER." So damn cool.
Spinal
05-23-2008, 06:02 AM
51.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/talking_heads_11.jpg
Song: "Burning Down the House"
Artist: Talking Heads
Album: Speaking in Tongues
Year: 1983
Hey, you might need a raincoat. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozc70JPGRMQ)
This is what you call a show stopper. The album track is smokin' enough, but in the live performance captured in the film Stop Making Sense, David Byrne and the gang pick up the tempo and the result is something akin to an avalanche sweeping up everything in its path. Byrne provides lyrics that are surreal yet evocative, noodling around playfully until the shout-it-out title phrase appears. Go ahead. Try not to sing along.
Spinal
05-23-2008, 06:02 AM
Half way done. Man, 100 is a lot.
Benny Profane
05-23-2008, 12:27 PM
Burnin' Down the House was the entrance song into my wedding reception. The wife and I approve.
Horbgorbler
05-23-2008, 04:52 PM
51.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/talking_heads_11.jpg
Song: "Burning Down the House"
Artist: Talking Heads
Album: Speaking in Tongues
Year: 1983
Hey, you might need a raincoat. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozc70JPGRMQ)
LOL @ Jerry Harrison's dance attempt @ 3:17.
I really need to see Stop Making Sense.
Spinal
05-23-2008, 06:46 PM
50.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/JeffersonAirplane.jpg
Song: "Somebody to Love"
Artist: Jefferson Airplane
Album: Surrealistic Pillow
Year: 1967
Don't take the brown acid. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUbMWtUyIIE&feature=related)
There's a reason why this song is frequently used in movie soundtracks. It effectively captures the spirit of an era with its blend of psychedelic sound and lyrics of despair yearning for escape and peace. I love the way that Slick extends those opening phrases to allow 'truth' to tumble into 'lies' and 'joy' to be undercut by the word 'dies'.
Benny Profane
05-23-2008, 06:49 PM
Lots of songs here that I liked a long time ago but have heard SO many times in my life I just hate them now. The above being a good example.
rocus
05-23-2008, 07:38 PM
"Watch out, you might get what you're after." Great opening to a song.
Spinal
05-24-2008, 02:04 AM
49.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/3479106u2s.jpg
Song: "Pride (In the Name of Love)"
Artist: U2
Album: The Unforgettable Fire
Year: 1984
Watching this video will end hunger in Africa. (http://youtube.com/watch?v=k04KzgYRKrE)
Even for a man who loves to wear his heart on his sleeve (and American flags in the lining of his jacket), Bono doesn't get much more bombastic than he is during the chorus of this stirring anthem. The lyrics are impressionistic, calling to mind protesters through time, including Jesus, before settling in the last verse on a description of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Listen carefully and you can hear Chrissie Hynde on back-up vocals.
Spinal
05-24-2008, 05:32 PM
48.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/falco2.jpg
Song: "Rock Me Amadeus"
Artist: Falco
Album: Falco 3
Year: 1985
Biker gangs love Mozart! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wrd7capPKaw)
How extraordinary that a song composed mostly of German rapping managed to hit #1 on the American pop charts. Of course, it helped that the song was released shortly after the Milos Forman film, Amadeus, had taken home the Best Picture Oscar. Falco uses the film's irreverent portrayal of Mozart as a starting point and then takes it to absurd extremes, backed by a super fun sing-a-long chorus and generous helping of synthesizer. Favorite moment (2:15) where five quick screams lead into a key change.
Favorite moment (2:15) where five quick screams lead into a key change.
Truly glorious.
Spinal
05-25-2008, 04:44 AM
47.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/therose350x300.jpg
Song: "The Rose"
Artist: Bette Midler
Album: The Rose soundtrack
Year: 1979
I say love it is a flower. (http://youtube.com/watch?v=HxDXq9I3MvM&feature=related)
I've never seen the film in which the song is featured. And I am not particularly a fan of Bette Midler. For the most part, I find her comedic shtick tiresome. But, despite that, I find this song to be absolutely beautiful. The lyrics are hopelessly romantic, possibly bordering on trite in the way they urge the listener to take chances and not be afraid of heartbreak. And yet, set to the right melody, a phrase like "[it's] the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live" becomes elevated into something resonant, the pleasure coming from a new expression of an old truth.
BirdsAteMyFace
05-25-2008, 05:47 AM
Song: "The Rose"Indeed. Rep!
Spinal
05-25-2008, 06:31 AM
46.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/Breeders_cover.jpg
Song: "Cannonball"
Artist: The Breeders
Album: Last Splash
Year: 1993
I know you little libertine. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AsId-qVIb4)
Listening to a Breeders album can be an odd experience at times. Despite Kim Deal's knack for writing a great hook, you sometimes think, 'Well, I can't wait to hear this record when it's finished.' However, here is where everything came together and demonstrated the full extent of her band's potential. Listening to this song is like working your way through a Christmas stocking, finding a long string of goodies. I love the way it stops and starts and changes direction without ever losing its momentum.
Kurosawa Fan
05-25-2008, 12:53 PM
Rock. :cool:
Spinal
05-26-2008, 02:42 AM
45.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/who001copy-764268.jpg
Song: "Sally Simpson"
Artist: The Who
Album: Tommy
Year: 1969
The crowd went crazy! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G4GSqLSYuU)
As Tommy hit the stage! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7o7DVh6g1s&feature=related)
Within the rock opera Tommy, it is a song that is essentially a self-contained story in its own right. If you have seen the film, you know that the song is inessential to furthering the plot. And yet, it is a superb distillation of Townshend's larger themes, reflecting on the messiah-like status given to rock stars and the absurd level of attention and adoration they can receive. Here, Townshend creates a vivid portrait of a young female fan and speculates on the kind of context that might lead her to risk life and limb to get close to her idol.
Spinal
05-26-2008, 05:46 PM
44.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/fat-elvis.jpg
Song: "Burning Love"
Artist: Elvis Presley
Album: Burning Love and Hits from His Movies, Volume 2
Year: 1972
Jumpsuit! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGJ08l3mBQA)
In the early 70s, Elvis may have no longer been a hunk, but with this song, he declared himself to be 'a hunk of burning love'. The song gets off to a rip-roaring melodramatic start from the opening lyrics and only gets more delightfully silly after that as Elvis describes how his crush is causing him to spontaneously combust. Favorite part of the video (besides Elvis providing his own vocal echoes) is the moment beginning at about 1:19 where Elvis plays approximately three seconds of guitar before eventually holding it aloft in triumph at the end of the song.
Spinal
05-27-2008, 01:45 AM
43.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/hypbld.jpg
Song: "Hyperballad"
Artist: Björk
Album: Post
Year: 1995
Car parts, bottles and cutlery. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhG4w6zjCec)
First off, what a great title. And it fits too. One of the cool things about this track is the pulsing energy that drives the instrumentation beneath Björk's more methodical pace. It's one of those songs with Björk-specific phrasing, so mannered that it is difficult to imagine anyone else making the song their own, although some have tried. Odd, yet captivating imagery in the verses give way to a stirring chorus in which Björk boldly professes her love, although we may be concerned as to what our neighbors at the bottom of the mountain will say when they find all that junk that she's been tossing over the edge of the cliff.
soitgoes...
05-27-2008, 03:29 AM
43.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/hypbld.jpg
Song: "Hyperballad"
Artist: Björk
Album: Post
Year: 1995
Car parts, bottles and cutlery. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhG4w6zjCec)
First off, what a great title. And it fits too. One of the cool things about this track is the pulsing energy that drives the instrumentation beneath Björk's more methodical pace. It's one of those songs with Björk-specific phrasing, so mannered that it is difficult to imagine anyone else making the song their own, although some have tried. Odd, yet captivating imagery in the verses give way to a stirring chorus in which Björk boldly professes her love, although we may be concerned as to what our neighbors at the bottom of the mountain will say when they find all that junk that she's been tossing over the edge of the cliff.
I need to see her in concert at some point in my life.
Spinal
05-27-2008, 04:04 AM
42.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/zap_fmac.jpg
Song: "Landslide"
Artist: Fleetwood Mac
Album: Fleetwood Mac
Year: 1975
Stevie Nicks is still getting older. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX6WHvxTYHs)
Great, great lyrics and they are matched with a melancholy tune that nicely showcases the dark-toned vocals of Steve Nicks. This is a case where the effectiveness of a pop song actually increases with the aging of the original artist. The central metaphor is haunting with a woman's reflection tumbling down the side of a mountain into oblivion. Simply beautiful.
Yum-Yum
05-27-2008, 11:06 AM
Song: "Rock Me Amadeus"
I'm more of a "Der Kommissar" person. But still, I like where your head is at.
Spinal
05-27-2008, 04:50 PM
41.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/once_again.jpg
Song: "Falling Slowly"
Artist: Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová
Album: Once soundtrack
Year: 2007
We've still got tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPbC2YrUUsI)
Before playing this song at a recent concert in Portland, Hansard compared the process of writing a song to kicking a ball in the backyard and just trying to get it to the other end. In this particular case, he said that he knocked it over the fence, the neighbor's yard and well into the next town, but all he really wanted was his ball back. The film works so well because Hansard and Irglová perform with a devotion to their music that registers as utterly authentic. Does the song work so well because of the film's context? It doesn't matter. Hansard still performs live with the guitar that has a gaping hole in it. Perhaps it serves as a reminder to stay humble and to continually work to heal the open wound that served as the impetus for his songs in the first place.
Raiders
05-27-2008, 05:29 PM
Great pick, though "If You Want Me" is my favorite song in the film.
Spinal
05-27-2008, 05:33 PM
Great pick, though "If You Want Me" is my favorite song in the film.
Hard to argue with that.
Kurosawa Fan
05-27-2008, 05:34 PM
Love the Fleetwood Mac inclusion. I would have gone for "Silver Springs", but Landslide is great as well.
Spinal
05-27-2008, 06:01 PM
40.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/pixies.jpg
Song: "Here Comes Your Man"
Artist: The Pixies
Album: Doolittle
Year: 1989
So long, so long. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE1R-Az9PZA)
As Pixies songs go, this one is decidedly uneccentric. Still, it's got lots of characteristic elements including that opening riff which grabs you immediately, some semi-yodeling from Frank in the bridge and backing vocals from Kim that give the tune just the right shading. Favorite part for me are those slides on the word 'man' during the outro, which I have sung along with many a time.
Raiders
05-27-2008, 06:09 PM
Hm, yeah, never thought that was among their best. For me, I would likely go with "Motorway to Roswell."
Spinal
05-27-2008, 11:49 PM
39.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/katebush1-tm.jpg
Song: "Wuthering Heights"
Artist: Kate Bush
Album: The Kick Inside
Year: 1978
This video is pure, unadulterated awesome. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv0azq9GF_g)
A young Kate Bush adapts the famous Emily Bronte novel for use in her idiosyncratic pop music and the results are glorious. Bush is able to capture the half-mad passion of Cathy with such ease that I figure it has got to be mostly instinctual. When she says "let me grab your soul away", you get the feeling that she really thinks she might be able to do it. A singular artist. An extraordinary song. The video really speaks for itself.
Benny Profane
05-28-2008, 12:00 AM
That voice is like nails on chalkboard, and the video is pure Velveeta. Sir, you have some wacky taste.
Spinal
05-28-2008, 12:12 AM
38.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/len.jpg
Song: "Steal My Sunshine"
Artist: Len
Album: You Can't Stop the Bum Rush
Year: 1999
L-A-T-E-R that week. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwtTOxouD5Q)
Where others may see a trifle, I see a knock-out laid back summertime wonder. I don't really know any other songs by these guys. In fact, they look like they should be working at the local Orange Julius. But all I know is that I cannot get enough of this song. Even though the lyrics talk about missing 'a million miles of fun', this tune effectively communicates the feeling of being young, attractive and ready to have a great time with friends. Favorite moment of the video comes at about 2:44 as she takes a lollipop out of her mouth long enough to sing her backing vocal.
That voice is like nails on chalkboard, and the video is pure Velveeta. Sir, you have some wacky taste.
So, the way the post displays are with my settings, this was the only post on the page. After reading it, I thought to myself "Ha, wouldn't that be funny if he was talking about Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights..."
Lo and behold.
I feel awesome.
Check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSed1K-QNMc
Good call on Len. You and I have a very similar appreciation of pop, it seems.
Spinal
05-28-2008, 12:18 AM
Check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSed1K-QNMc
Awesome.
Winston*
05-28-2008, 12:20 AM
I think a party at Spinal's house would be a disorientating experience.
By "similar appreciation", I meant to say "kind of appreciation", for the record. Everyone appreciates pop in their own way, and it just so happens that your list includes many many titles that would appear on mine (frequently the "guilty pleasure" ones), ie, Len, BEP, Who, Pat, etc.
Spinal
05-28-2008, 12:41 AM
I may lose you with the next one, but hang in there.
Spinal
05-28-2008, 01:04 AM
37.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/radiohead.jpg
Song: "The National Anthem"
Artist: Radiohead
Album: Kid A
Year: 2000
There Will Be Bass. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5hk_nIu1Dk)
You need one of those clever guys from NME to break down this song, because I'm pretty sure there's more going on here than I can grasp. All I know is that it strikes me as an intensely groovy cacophony of noise that sounds like a hit single from another planet. Yorke's spare, clipped vocals communicate paranoia and alienation while the building instrumentation behind him suggests industrialization run amok.
Horbgorbler
05-28-2008, 01:05 AM
Big thumbs up for the last two. I could watch Kate Bush videos all day.
EDIT: Well, last two before the last one now.
Even if National Anthem is just about my least favorite 'head song, I like your brief and concise blurbs. One of my biggest pet peeves these days is reading music reviews that aim for a sort of post-modern interconnectivity that ramble on and on, attempting abstract terminology and end up reeking of overwrought pomp. Young kids these days, eh?
Spinal
05-28-2008, 01:42 AM
Even if National Anthem is just about my least favorite 'head song, I like your brief and concise blurbs. One of my biggest pet peeves these days is reading music reviews that aim for a sort of post-modern interconnectivity that ramble on and on, attempting abstract terminology and end up reeking of overwrought pomp. Young kids these days, eh?
It's only rock 'n' roll, but I like it.
Spinal
05-28-2008, 02:12 AM
36.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/Heart_web.jpg
Song: "Crazy on You"
Artist: Heart
Album: Dreamboat Annie
Year: 1976
Your sweet flowing love! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5PKULglde8&feature=related)
Hearing Ann Wilson sing on this song is like someone took Grace Slick and then turned her up to '11'. The song allows her to hit all the sweet spots of her voice (of which there are many). There are, of course, those thrilling wails during the chorus, but the smooth, soulful sound she is able to generate on the verses should not be neglected. The basic theme of the song seems to be 'the world's going to hell, so all we can do is fuck like there's no tomorrow' and Wilson excels at conveying that sense of sexuality about to burst wide open.
My favorite song from that album is the title song, Dreamboat Annie. So beautiful. Props. I'm probably going to make a playlist in my iTunes of your songs, by the way. Don't be creeped out.
monolith94
05-28-2008, 03:26 AM
Oh man, Len, I haven't heard that shit in sooooo long. I feel I'm back in 99! Can't say I dig it though - the dude's voice doesn't jive.
Spinal
05-28-2008, 03:47 AM
35.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/Rod_stewart_05111976_12_400.jp g
Song: "You're in My Heart (The Final Acclaim)"
Artist: Rod Stewart
Album: Footloose and Fancy Free
Year: 1977
You're ageless, timeless, lace and fineness. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaJpkup4IsI)
Rod Stewart strikes me as being a bit of a cad, but I'm sure that this song has led to many instances of dropped knickers over the years. The song is almost wall-to-wall flattery, from the semi-apologetic "the attraction was purely physical" to the comical it-sounded-better-in-my-head "you're the warmest thing I've ever found." Part of the appeal is that Rod comes across like a guy trying to be earnest, struggling with the right words, before finally nailing the sentiment in the chorus: "You'll be my breath should I grow old." I wish I had written that line.
Spinal
05-28-2008, 03:50 AM
I'm probably going to make a playlist in my iTunes of your songs, by the way. Don't be creeped out.
I am honored. :lol:
Watashi
05-28-2008, 03:58 AM
Kate Bush is/was hot.
Boner M
05-28-2008, 04:04 AM
Kate Bush is love. Benny has terrible taste in girls who make music. Boner out.
Watashi
05-28-2008, 04:05 AM
Kate Bush is love. Benny has terrible taste in girls who make music. Boner out.
Don't you mean 'Boner in'?
Boner M
05-28-2008, 04:16 AM
Don't you mean 'Boner in'?
A pun on my username? Well, I never...
Spinal
05-28-2008, 05:01 AM
34.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/2105_346046089_fiona_apple_H15 2345_.jpg
Song: "Limp"
Artist: Fiona Apple
Album: When the Pawn ... etc.
Year: 1999
You wanna lick my wounds, don't you baby? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWpIzDhVn8k)
What I love about this song is the way it builds. If you listen to the way the song progresses through the first verse and chorus, it is like a car shifting through four gears. The first gear is just sparse piano and that weird sound like an alien walking in corduroys with Apple's voice soft but indignant. Second gear, those drums kick in with a little bit of bass. Shortly thereafter, Apple picks up momentum and we are into the first part of the chorus (third gear) before finally ripping it up in the second half (fourth gear), spitting invective until she gets to that superb put-down, "It wont be long till you'll be lying limp in your own hand." Ouch. Boner out, indeed!
Winston*
05-28-2008, 05:49 AM
Hey, I've listened to that track this very day. Dig it a bunch.
Spinal
05-28-2008, 06:27 AM
33.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/15_beastieboys_lg.jpg
Song: "So What'cha Want"
Artist: The Beastie Boys
Album: Check Your Head
Year: 1992
Watch this video and try to front on it. You cannot do it. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzaFGMQRBfs)
The Beasties slow down the pace a little with the big ol' thundering bass and nonetheless manage to rock more than ever. I bet this song sounds kick-ass driving through town with the top down and blasting it on your high quality stereo system. Unfortunately, I drive a minivan with factory speakers, but I do the best I can. Even through all the distortion, the Beasties' personalities come right through and the many anti-fronting warnings never get old. Highlight for me: the lyric that begins "I think I'm losing my mind this time ..." (1:38)
Spinal
05-28-2008, 06:52 AM
32.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/siouxsie.jpg
Song: "Peek-a-Boo"
Artist: Siouxsie and the Banshees
Album: Peepshow
Year: 1988
Flaccid ego in your hand.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i41W-NIjMfs)
This masterful late 80s hit is like an aural house of mirrors, if such a thing is conceivable: mischievous, disorienting and loads of fun. The band used backmasking (playing their parts backwards and then reversing the recording) to achieve the unusual sounds you hear and consequently, flourishes and beats happen when you aren't really expecting them. Siouxsie Sioux sounds like she has cloned herself several times over and then formed an assault squad.
Spinal
05-28-2008, 07:24 AM
31.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/SKcolor2.jpg
Song: "One Beat"
Artist: Sleater-Kinney
Album: One Beat
Year: 2002
I cannot explain this video, but it has better audio than the concert footage.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol6OXGXDwWc)
Sleater-Kinney was already pretty much the greatest thing in the world before this album came out. But less than a year after 9/11, the trio stepped up their game and addressed the horrors of that tragic day head-on with a pair of songs at the top of their track list. While "Far Away" is a visceral expression of a nightmare, this song is more heady, pleading for an improvement to this world of "bloody arms and oil fields." Yet underneath the grad school level lyrics (at one point Carrie rhymes 'Newton-like certainty' with 'oscillating energy') is an aggressive, relentless stalker of a rock song.
Spinal
05-28-2008, 07:25 AM
30 more. The end is in sight.
Spinal
05-28-2008, 04:34 PM
30.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/Nina_Persson.jpg
Song: "The Bluest Eyes in Texas"
Artist: Nina Persson and Nathan Larson
Album: Boys Don't Cry soundtrack
Year: 1999
Another dream that ended way too soon.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bII7euN6dXw&feature=related)
In a magical cinematic moment during the film Boys Don't Cry, Lana (played by Chloë Sevigny) takes the stage in a karaoke bar. Sitting at a table nearby is her soon-to-be boyfriend, Brandon. Lana is kind of trashy. Her singing is awful. The bar is a dive. And yet, the look on Brandon's face tells us that he may as well be listening to an angel. This scene provides the context for the excellent version of the song recorded by The Cardigans' Nina Persson and Shudder to Think's Nathan Larson. The duo strip away the countrified twang of the original and gently evoke the tragic undertones of the film by finding the sadness at the song's core.
Spinal
05-28-2008, 05:10 PM
29.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/liz.jpg
Song: "Supernova"
Artist: Liz Phair
Album: Whip-Smart
Year: 1994
Liz dances in a motorcycle helmet and short white skirt.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwQ3Vi0G6iE)
It's no secret why Liz Phair became ultra-popular with pimply male music critics. Nothing feeds the soul more than being told by a hot alternachick that you 'fuck like a volcano'. Why yes. Yes, I do! I'm so glad someone finally noticed. But Phair's disarming sexuality is far from her only gift. She also crafts wicked music with great melodies and raw, heartfelt lyrics, exposing the juvenile nature that drives most mainstream pop/rock teases. I love the way that opening guitar lick purrs and also how Phair's voice goes up in pitch during the middle of the verses.
monolith94
05-28-2008, 05:15 PM
Somewhat a fan of the female singer/songwriter, eh Spinal?
Spinal
05-28-2008, 05:18 PM
Somewhat a fan of the female singer/songwriter, eh Spinal?
I haven't counted, but I think the final tally will be somewhere close to a 50/50 split. Seems reasonable to me.
Spinal
05-28-2008, 05:35 PM
28.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/Queen.jpg
Song: "Love of My Life"
Artist: Queen
Album: A Night at the Opera
Year: 1975
Is that Betty Boop on the back on his shirt?
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3xwCkhmies)
There can be no understating the enormity that was Freddie Mercury's rock star charisma. Concert footage of some of his most notable gigs often capture moments that are breathtaking. Of course, the incomparable vocal ability helps, but it's not just that. It's the way he entertains. It's the way he understands the collective needs, wants and desires of a massive audience and then pulls their strings as if they were an old lover. That is an amazing ability. With this song, he shows that he is just as moving on a gentle love song played on an acoustic guitar as he is on the bombastic rockers.
You're My Best Friend and '39 (off the same album) are just about my favorite Queen songs, which puts them in the running for favorite songs ever. This one's good too. Great band.
Spinal
05-28-2008, 06:12 PM
27.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/prince.jpg
Song: "U Got the Look"
Artist: Prince and Sheena Easton
Album: Sign o' the Times
Year: 1987
You may have to watch a short ad for this one. I promise it's worth it.
(http://www.spike.com/video/2794111?cmpnid=753&pt=sr&refsite=7063)
In the 80s, as my memory serves, Sheena Easton was known as kind of a prissy chanteuse. Great voice, but kind of like a Scottish version of Olivia Newton-John if you catch my drift. Prince, on the other hand, was still in full-blown raunch mode, annoying the likes of Tipper Gore with his provocative lyrics. And so, this duet was a thrilling opportunity for the two of them to get together and roll around in the mud in a match that Prince declares from the start is 'boy versus girl'. All of Prince's incredible musical ability is on display here and he seems to delight in having a nearby target for his filthy come ons, as well as in being able to coax Easton into singing 'let's get to rammin'. Video has an extended intro, main song starts about a minute and a half into it.
Spinal
05-28-2008, 06:13 PM
You're My Best Friend and '39 (off the same album) are just about my favorite Queen songs, which puts them in the running for favorite songs ever. This one's good too. Great band.
Amazing album. Hard to pare it down.
I'm just going to rep you once more for this list, Spinal, despite wanting to rep you for Prince. If I were to rep you for every song whose inclusion pleases me, you'd be even more ahead of the rest of us than you are now.
Spinal
05-28-2008, 06:40 PM
26.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/deee-lite.jpg
Song: "Groove is in the Heart"
Artist: Deee-Lite
Album: World Clique
Year: 1990
Slide whistle!
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKTCW4oxS6I)
There was a girl in my high school who modeled her fashion after Lady Miss Kier. This was a very hip thing to do in a place where crispy bangs were still a staple and Northwest casual was the norm. Anyway, she went on to be an actress, appearing in small roles in High Art and Bringing Out the Dead and I have her to thank for getting me into this New York club band. Despite their one-hit-wonder label, Deee-lite really does have quite a few great songs. Still, this one remains tops with its intoxicating party-time vibe and giddy playfulness. The retro-kitsch video is a classic as well.
Spinal
05-28-2008, 07:00 PM
25.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/Atlastshot1.jpg
Song: "I Drove All Night"
Artist: Cyndi Lauper
Album: A Night to Remember
Year: 1989
The city was sticky and cruel.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bR46ibN7Rw)
It annoys me greatly that this song has become associated with Celine Dion. However, it does give us a side-by-side comparison proving that while Lauper can keep up with Dion on technical proficiency, Dion cannot hold a candle to Lauper when it comes to warmth of tone and connection with the lyrics. This song was a critical transition for Lauper from MTV bizarro-fashion icon to a gimmick-free singer with a more adult sound. She always had the pipes and this song showcases them wonderfully. Favorite moment: that smooth slide into her head voice at about 3:22.
Spinal
05-28-2008, 07:31 PM
24.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/509235_356x237.jpg
Song: "Bust a Move"
Artist: Young MC
Album: Stone Cold Rhymin'
Year: 1989
Come sit next to me, you fine fellow.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xy4FXhkm6Nw)
In the movie Hitch, Will Smith gave lessons in savoir faire to a fat, white Kevin James. Likewise, in the video for this song, Young MC deals out life lessons to awkward males who struggle with being white and/or fat. With Flea kicking out the bass line, Young MC's rhymes and delivery are clean, crisp and entirely free of malice. I suppose an argument could be made that he lacks the bite of some of his fellow rappers who play a little bit rougher. Still, Young MC's only true hit is a stellar example of a fun, booty shakin' summertime groove that comically evokes the moments from high school that scarred us for life.
Kurosawa Fan
05-28-2008, 07:32 PM
:cool:
Spinal
05-28-2008, 08:09 PM
23.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/ozzy.jpg
Song: "Crazy Train"
Artist: Ozzy Osbourne
Album: Blizzard of Oz
Year: 1980
Crazy!
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKYAhVSBxsQ&feature=related)
But, that's how it goes. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRbPWcLode0)
When I was a kid, Ozzy Osbourne's name was used by the media as a kind of modern-day boogeyman. He bit the head off of animals in his concerts. He encouraged kids to commit suicide with his music. And of course, he played up his demonic image on the cover of his albums. I distinctly remembering walking behind a restaurant near my house on the way home from school and seeing the word 'Ozzy' spray painted on the back wall. I had never heard his music, but still I felt the need to walk a little swifter, as if I had entered dangerous territory. While some of Osbourne's antics were indeed demonstrative of the effects of alcohol abuse, it was a surprise for me to grow up and discover the Antichrist singing "learn how to love and forget how to hate." Nowadays, kids are probably playing this song over and over again at home on Guitar Hero.
Spinal
05-28-2008, 08:43 PM
22.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/b72719john-lennon-yoko-ono-posters.jpg
Song: "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)"
Artist: John Lennon
Album: Double Fantasy
Year: 1980
Every day in every way, it's getting better and better.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mrfi8-9JVtE)
By now, it should be clear that I have a soft spot for songs that effectively evoke the intense love between parent and child. Lennon doesn't push the sentiment here. He doesn't have to. His lyrics are filled with simple fatherly advice and reassurances. If you do not know first-hand the power that can come from a simple phrase like "Before you cross the street/Take my hand", then I cannot explain it. This is one of the last songs Lennon ever wrote. This is the gentle man, filled with awe at the wonder of his beloved child, who was gunned down senselessly by a madman. Thinking about it fills me with palpable sorrow.
Spinal
05-28-2008, 09:00 PM
21.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/MUSEbw_Gullick.jpg
Song: "Shimmer"
Artist: Throwing Muses
Album: University
Year: 1995
Don't follow me home.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1exb_Uk-i-M)
Sometime around the release of this album, I went to a Throwing Muses concert on a bit of a whim. I had not heard any of their music before, but there was an article in the paper that made them sound compelling. By the time this song came to an end, I had a new band to rank among my favorites. Hersh's frequent Portland gigs and the fact that the band never really became very popular in the States have allowed me to forge a connection with the band that feels strangely personal. I imagine we all have bands like that. This one is mine, and Kristin's piercing vocals in this song's final charge are etched in my memory.
Spinal
05-28-2008, 09:35 PM
20.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/pharvey.jpg
Song: "This is Love"
Artist: PJ Harvey
Album: Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
Year: 2000
Thanks for waiting. Ms. Harvey will rock you now. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkU5-PJY6B8)
PJ Harvey is an extraordinary live performer. The best that I personally have seen. And I have seen Sleater-Kinney, Radiohead and David Byrne among others, so she's got some competition. She is the definition of what a rock star should be, in my opinion. She is inventive, devoted to her music, technically skilled, sexy and, on top of all that, seemingly gracious. Her indulgences come across as risks taken for her audience, rather than opportunities for self-gratification. The video above leaves us alone in a room with PJ for three and a half glorious minutes as she rocks our every need. The two-part zoom into a close-up that occurs at about 0:28 makes me all tingly inside.
Spinal
05-29-2008, 02:55 AM
19.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/talking_heads_11.jpg
Song: "Once in a Lifetime"
Artist: Talking Heads
Album: Remain in Light
Year: 1980
My God! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYbUCvz1LYE&feature=related)
What have I done? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUgKb-5u6v4&feature=related)
A masterpiece of dry humor, David Byrne explores modern ennui with this cautionary tale about waking up to find yourself living the American Dream. The song almost sounds like it could be sung in one of those revivalist churches with Byrne playing the role of the preacher who has seen Satan first hand and lived to tell the tale. Even though the tone is tongue-in-cheek, Byrne succeeds with his 'nightmare' vision of middle age in making a pointed commentary on the passivity with which many of us live our lives. This is not just a pop song. It's art you can dance to.
Horbgorbler
05-29-2008, 03:23 AM
26.
Song: "Groove is in the Heart"
Artist: Deee-Lite
Album: World Clique
Year: 1990
YES.
Spinal
05-29-2008, 03:24 AM
18.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/georgeclinton01bg0.jpg
Song: "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)"
Artist: Parliament
Album: Mothership Connection
Year: 1975
There's a whole lot of rhythm going round. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UypeE3zTwBs)
I'm nearly speechless when trying to describe my love for this track which has been used frequently at sports events and for the purpose of parody. It's a somewhat ridiculous song on the face of it, even more so when you see it performed by a stage full of musicians who look like extras off of Star Trek. I think what I find infectious about this song is that it is structured less like a pop song and more like a mantra. To call it repetitive is to miss the point. George Clinton and his extraordinarily talented collaborators strive to propel you into a state of bliss and keep you there content for as long as you can take it.
I think what I find infectious about this song is that it is structured less like a pop song and more like a mantra. To call it repetitive is to miss the point.
Much of Parliament/Funkadelic is like this. Which is why they're awesome.
Spinal
05-29-2008, 03:51 AM
17.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/beatles-half-faces.jpg
Song: "Eleanor Rigby"
Artist: The Beatles
Album: Revolver
Year: 1966
Where do they all belong? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boc7rnhkLAk)
A hauntingly beautiful Paul McCartney composition, it's hard to believe that this song clocks in at just over two minutes because, in that short amount of time, it paints a vivid picture of modern day loneliness and feelings of insignificance. One of the most amazing aspect about The Beatles is how quickly they grew and progressed as musicians. To hear the sophistication in this track, you might very well assume that it is a part of their late experimental era. Yet, the song was recorded less than three years after "I Wanna Hold Your Hand". The fate of the title figure is not pleasant. She dies alone and is "buried along with her name". The strings used in the instrumentation cause the sad story to linger within the listener's mind, and coax us to notice "all the lonely people".
Watashi
05-29-2008, 03:54 AM
My favorite Beatle song.
transmogrifier
05-29-2008, 04:28 AM
27.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/prince.jpg
Song: "U Got the Look"
Artist: Prince and Sheena Easton
Album: Sign o' the Times
Year: 1987
You may have to watch a short ad for this one. I promise it's worth it.
(http://www.spike.com/video/2794111?cmpnid=753&pt=sr&refsite=7063)
In the 80s, as my memory serves, Sheena Easton was known as kind of a prissy chanteuse. Great voice, but kind of like a Scottish version of Olivia Newton-John if you catch my drift. Prince, on the other hand, was still in full-blown raunch mode, annoying the likes of Tipper Gore with his provocative lyrics. And so, this duet was a thrilling opportunity for the two of them to get together and roll around in the mud in a match that Prince declares from the start is 'boy versus girl'. All of Prince's incredible musical ability is on display here and he seems to delight in having a nearby target for his filthy come ons, as well as in being able to coax Easton into singing 'let's get to rammin'. Video has an extended intro, main song starts about a minute and a half into it.
Hellz yeah!
Spinal
05-29-2008, 04:45 AM
16.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/Thepretenders33.jpg
Song: "2000 Miles"
Artist: The Pretenders
Album: Learning to Crawl
Year: 1983
It's very far. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30kXXTdmGCo)
It's not really a song about Christmas, although that time of year is explicitly referred to in the lyrics and wintry imagery dominates throughout. To me, it is a song about the feeling of being apart from someone who has become a part of you. It's about not being able to shake that person from your mind, about being able to do nothing but anticipate their return. Chrissie Hynde sounds heavenly on those higher notes and the way the melody drifts and floats around is magic.
For a second, I thought your entry was "500 Miles" by The Proclaimers, and someone was about to get a bitch slap.
Spinal
05-29-2008, 05:09 AM
15.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/radiohead.jpg
Song: "Just"
Artist: Radiohead
Album: The Bends
Year: 1995
How to get to purest hell. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jufT3v1roaU)
I don't know whose idea it was to turn a Radiohead video into a short pseudo-European art film, but that person deserves a cookie. As always, Yorke's vocals are top-notch, communicating just the right amount of smug condescension to make the lyrics really sting. The song's most memorable moment begins at about 3:10 when Jonny Greenwood's guitar ascends gradually up and up until it approaches levels that only dogs can hear. Greenwood lets his instrument soar in the stratosphere for about 10 seconds before tumbling back down into the song's guitar solo finale. Masterful.
Spinal
05-29-2008, 05:11 AM
For a second, I thought your entry was "500 Miles" by The Proclaimers, and someone was about to get a bitch slap.
"And if I haver ..."
What the hell? If you haver? :confused:
berlin wallflower
05-29-2008, 08:44 AM
Ah. I don't really like The Bends that much. Yorke's too smug on that one. I much prefer their later work. "Fake Plastic Trees" is pretty good, though.
Spinal
05-29-2008, 03:02 PM
Ah. I don't really like The Bends that much.
Still their best album.
Raiders
05-29-2008, 03:06 PM
Still their best album.
Indeed.
transmogrifier
05-29-2008, 03:10 PM
Not really.
Spinal
05-29-2008, 04:34 PM
14.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/slade_promo_470x394.jpg
Song: "Run Runaway"
Artist: Slade
Album: Keep Your Hands off My Power Supply
Year: 1983
Caber tosser! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHoPYLQvnQM)
After Quiet Riot covered their "Cum on Feel the Noize" and took it into the top 5 on the Billboard chart (unprecedented for a heavy metal song), Slade was primed to try to find popularity in the States to rival the popularity they had achieved in their native England. The conquering of America never quite happened, but they did kick out this perfect upbeat gem which sounds like what Highlanders would play if they put down their bagpipes and starting listening to David Bowie. I love pretty much everything about it from the hard-driving drums, to the wicked guitar lick to Noddy Holder's exuberant vocals. That final repetition of the title phrase is pure bliss.
Spinal
05-29-2008, 04:48 PM
13.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/SKcolor2.jpg
Song: "One More Hour"
Artist: Sleater-Kinney
Album: Dig Me Out
Year: 1997
I'll hold you close before I leave. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg9e9kHJv6Y)
It is the last song that the band played in public before taking an indefinite hiatus in 2006. And it will always have emotional resonance for me, because I was there to see it. The video above is taken from that final performance, which is why you get a group hug at the end. Apart from the emotional connection I have, it really is a great song, conjuring up the sensation of being at the end of a long, intense relationship and knowing that the time has come to move on.
Spinal
05-29-2008, 05:03 PM
12.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/b72719john-lennon-yoko-ono-posters.jpg
Song: "Imagine"
Artist: John Lennon
Album: Imagine
Year: 1971
But I'm not the only one. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEOkxRLzBf0)
Lennon wrote many songs that were musically more compelling. Even he admitted that the song was 'sugar-coated'. But it is the lyrical content that elevates the song into one of the all-time greats. The masterstroke is that it is a provocation without seeming like a provocation. It's one thing for the Sex Pistols to gripe about the Queen and her 'fascist regime'. It's quite another to hold someone's hand and show them a beautiful world beyond their own fear and distrust.
Spinal
05-29-2008, 05:32 PM
11.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/bowie-mercury.jpg
Song: "Under Pressure"
Artist: Queen and David Bowie
Album: Hot Space
Year: 1982
The terror of knowing what this world is about. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdaHCLlBkWU)
It is a collaboration so cool that you can hardly believe it happened. And the result is even better in practice than it is in theory. All I need to submit for supporting evidence is the section beginning at 2:19 and continuing on until about 2:42. Mercury hits the word 'why' and then lets his voice soar into one of those ridiculous, impossible notes that he would hit every time he wanted to make other human beings feel small and insignificant. Bowie answers the question with the repetition of the word 'love' and shortly thereafter we explode into Mercury's plea to give love 'one more chance'. The lyrics are vague, but it only recently occurred to me that it could be interpreted as a love duet, with Mercury and Bowie singing about coping with society's resistance to two men falling for each other.
Kurosawa Fan
05-29-2008, 05:46 PM
This list is making me feel menopausal.
Spinal
05-29-2008, 05:56 PM
This list is making me feel menopausal.
You're welcome?
Kurosawa Fan
05-29-2008, 05:57 PM
You're welcome?
I've just never felt so hot and cold about a list. Every entry is a sweat or chill waiting to happen.
Spinal
05-29-2008, 06:41 PM
THE MEA CULPA POST
Note: This is not a reaction to KF's post. I was going to write this anyway.
Before we get to the top ten, let me apologize in advance for some of your favorites that will not be here. When I started compiling this list, it quickly became clear to me that there were far, far more than 100 songs that I felt very strongly about. And so, in paring it down, I had to make some ridiculously difficult decisions. In doing so, I have been guided by the idea that the list would be most interesting the more personal it was. And so, despite the greatness of artists like Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix and many others, I have regrettably left them on the sidelines because they do not have an individual song that has been a part of my life like these others. Does that make "Shoop" a greater song than "Stairway to Heaven"? Of course not. It just means that, for whatever reason, the former feels more 'me', for better or for worse.
That will also explain the absence of great songs like "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Baba O'Reilly" and "Smells Like Teen Spirit". It's not that I am intentionally trying to swim upstream. It just means that when it came to tough decisions, I leaned towards the song that I probably liked much more than the average music lover. At the same time, I have not shied away from certain artist's signature songs, if they are particularly meaningful to me.
My personal view of pop music it that it is not rocket science. Pop songs inexplicably cling to you for strange reasons - because they remind you of someone, because they were around at a critical time of your life, because they unabashedly say something that you strongly believe but would feel is too trite to say in public. The song that annoys you today may turn out to be a favorite in 20 years simply because it serves as a touchstone in your life. How else can you explain a roomful of people cheering at "Ice Ice Baby" in a karaoke bar? That said, I have not been ruled merely by nostalgia. At the same time, I have tried to give equal attention to fun, party songs as well as the more introspective, 'important' stuff, which is why you see John Lennon rubbing elbows with Young MC. Bottom line: I have avoided 'ironic' picks. If a song is here, it's because I genuinely love it and hope that whether or not you agree that you at least enjoy reading about my connection to it.
Thanks to those who have provided feedback, whether it be positive or negative. I'll continue on with the top ten before too long.
Kurosawa Fan
05-29-2008, 06:48 PM
Like them or not, your list has been an adventure.
dreamdead
05-29-2008, 06:51 PM
Word up for the Queen/Bowie song. Pure awesomesauce, that one.
Spinal
05-29-2008, 07:29 PM
10.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/Hollies_Australia.jpg
Song: "The Air That I Breathe"
Artist: The Hollies
Album: Hollies
Year: 1974
Can't think of anything I need. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFG--wvb9Xo)
I once used this song as the closing musical cue for a Neil LaBute play that I directed. I sort of picked it on instinct, not really knowing why it fit. In time, I began to sense that the song provided welcome relief from the dark, suffocating nature of the play. It was then that the song really started to grow on me and I began to enjoy the profound sense of calm it gave me when I listened to it. The song was originally recorded by Phil Everly. His version is great too. But the Hollies' version is one I have come to love. The perfect pacing and the build to the high pitched sections is a thing of beauty.
Raiders
05-29-2008, 07:41 PM
I once used this song as the closing musical cue for a Neil LaBute play that I directed.
Lemme guess... Fat Pig?
Spinal
05-29-2008, 07:42 PM
Lemme guess... Fat Pig?
Bash, actually.
Raiders
05-29-2008, 07:49 PM
Bash, actually.
Never seen/read that one. I guessed Fat Pig for subject matter, but also because it is one of the only two LaBute plays I have seen in person.
Spinal
05-29-2008, 08:00 PM
Never seen/read that one. I guessed Fat Pig for subject matter, but also because it is one of the only two LaBute plays I have seen in person.
Yeah, I'd definitely like to see that one sometime.
Spinal
05-29-2008, 08:12 PM
9.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/prince.jpg
Song: "Gett Off"
Artist: Prince and the New Power Generation
Album: Diamonds and Pearls
Year: 1991
Another Prince video with an ad. He must have a deal with this website. Again, well worth your time. (http://www.spike.com/video/2789982?cmpnid=753&pt=sr&refsite=7063)
I still remember vividly the first time I heard this song. I was a high school senior and had some friends (both male and female) over to my house when the video came on. Whether it was nervous laughter or sheer joy, we giggled with amusement whenever Prince got to one of his raunchier lyrics, such as "move your big ass 'round this way so I can work on that zipper, baby." Even today, the audaciousness of the song still fills me with awe. From the opening scream to that ultra-cool flute riff and all through Prince's idiosyncratic asides, the song is a party-time wonder sure to get bodies moving and to put smiles on people's faces. Funny, sexy, groovy, surprising. It's all of that.
Raiders
05-29-2008, 08:17 PM
Yeah, I'd definitely like to see that one sometime.
Yeah, it's my favorite of all the plays/films of his I've seen (or read). Then again, I saw it with Jeremy Piven, who was pretty great. It's likely the funniest of his, and though it has some of his harshest material, the one with the biggest heart.
One of my favorite aspects of Prince's music is its blatantly pornographic lyricism. Distilling the drive of most pop music to its basest elements: getting the male hard and the female wet. There's something inspiring about that.
Spinal
05-29-2008, 08:46 PM
8.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/hedwig_still09.jpg
Song: "The Origin of Love"
Artist: John Cameron Mitchell
Album: Hedwig and the Angry Inch original cast album
Year: 1999
Last time I saw you, we had just split in two. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8oUCRPe4XA)
For the most part, I have avoided a few of the musical theatre songs I enjoy simply for reasons of space. As much as I enjoy Sondheim and others, I decided that it would be best to leave that list for another time (or for Horbgorbler, whichever comes first). However, the music of Hedwig and the Angry Inch is something else altogether, able to stand side by side with pop/rock singles and not seem ridiculously out of place. The show has a slew of great songs, but I love this one most with its mythological imagery drawn from Plato's Symposium and the way that Mitchell deftly handles the song's dynamics. Stephen Trask also deserves recognition for crafting a tune that contains so much information and yet never plods, moving smoothly from one thrilling passage to another.
Ezee E
05-29-2008, 09:10 PM
There's no way I could come up with a Favorite songs. Music works so much based on mood, that I'll have a completely different list tomorrow.
Watashi
05-29-2008, 10:08 PM
Yeah, you lost me with that one.
Spinal
05-29-2008, 10:24 PM
Yeah, you lost me with that one.
Shoo.
transmogrifier
05-29-2008, 10:26 PM
Great song.
rocus
05-30-2008, 01:41 AM
Spinal, you are doing a fantastic job with this list. I'm with you on about 80% and would spend waaaay too much time here if I commented on each one. I love the inclusion of the Beasties and Prince, The Hollies and P. Funk, and, of course, The Beatles. I had alway thought of Prince as a just racy pop star with a gift for the funk, so when I saw this, I was surprised. I thought you might like it:
Prince's Guitar Weeping With Tribute (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7sT1HRV2qU)
Spinal
05-30-2008, 02:01 AM
Prince's Guitar Weeping With Tribute (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7sT1HRV2qU)
:eek:
I bet he's really good at Guitar Hero.
Thirdmango
05-30-2008, 02:15 AM
I gotta say so far, I love your explanation and would probably need to make a similar one when I finish my top songs. Also Radiohead's Just I think will make my list too. It's good to see there are more Bends fans here as I too think it's the best Radiohead album. Loving the list even if it's so different from mine.
Spinal
05-30-2008, 02:22 AM
7.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/talking_heads_11.jpg
Song: "And She Was"
Artist: Talking Heads
Album: Little Creatures
Year: 1985
She could hear the highway breathing. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA3ZE3mb7DU)
Byrne says that he wrote the song about a girl he used to know who would take LSD and then lie in the grass, presumably imagining herself "moving into the universe". I can't say that I have had that particular experience myself; however, I find great beauty in Byrne's narrative about absorbing the world that is around you and taking pleasure in simply being alive. Initially, when Byrne uses the title phrase at the end of a line, you may think that he is hinting at something to follow which goes unspoken. But I think that it may be intended as a complete sentence: she was. And that was enough.
Spinal
05-30-2008, 02:58 AM
6.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/RoyOrbisonBWN.jpg
Song: "Crying"
Artist: Roy Orbison
Album: Crying
Year: 1961
Silencio. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE9AwR0awVQ)
He was a freak of nature. A rockabilly musician with an ugly mug who sang like he should be performing Verdi at the Met. As you are undoubtedly aware, David Lynch used his song for a critical scene in Mulholland Dr. The language was changed. The song was given to a female opera singer. Yet, when Lynch was able to achieve a moment of extraordinary emotional catharsis, he owed a heavy debt to Orbison for providing not only the song, but the original context that gives the scene such electricity. Even when you know it is coming, those last thirty seconds in which Orbison builds towards the big finish are breathtaking.
Spinal
05-30-2008, 03:24 AM
5.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/pharvey.jpg
Song: "You Said Something"
Artist: PJ Harvey
Album: Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
Year: 2000
Letterman tells PJ that she should be on the show more often. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoxvJEL7LKM)
Having explored darkness and noise on previous albums, PJ Harvey made a conscious decision to compose a new album full of lush, beautiful sounds. On an album dedicated to beauty, this track stands out as the most beautiful of all. Harvey imagines herself "on a rooftop in Brooklyn" with her lover in the wee hours of the night gazing out across the city. I will never forget hearing PJ sing this song in Denver, Colorado on September 15, 2001, standing in a crowd of people who desperately wanted to see something beautiful. It was the first time in that awful week that I got the feeling that, in the long run, humanity was going to be OK.
Spinal
05-30-2008, 03:55 AM
4.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/more/01cat.jpg
Song: "Oh Very Young"
Artist: Cat Stevens
Album: Buddha and the Chocolate Box
Year: 1974
You're only dancing on this earth for a short while. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_eUnxDE8YY)
In about two and a half minutes, Cat Stevens manages to boil down the human experience to its essence. We are only given a brief moment in time. What will you do to leave the world a better place than when you entered it? To the 'very young', mortality is an abstract concept that is difficult to grasp. Rather than fear the inevitable, Stevens encourages the listener to carry the 'words of love' so that we may ultimately find glory in the life we lived and 'ride the great white bird into heaven'. The video above captures a superb live performance with Stevens' voice sounding clean and true on the high notes and with his slight growl adding texture on the lower ones.
Dude, Cat Stevens is always magnetic live. I wish I'd been able to see him, but I'm content with the recordings. Excellent pick. Do you like much other Cat? He's pretty much my favorite.
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