tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81301202081209957912024-03-19T04:45:58.499-04:001001 Days of MusicEvery Song in <u>1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die</u>.
Eventually.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.comBlogger306125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130120208120995791.post-7999372427005565332012-08-23T21:01:00.000-04:002012-08-23T21:01:15.702-04:00"Given to Fly"Pearl Jam - "Given to Fly" (1997)<br />
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Dozens of Pearl Jam songs and this is the only one they decided to include in the <u>1,001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die</u>.<br />
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So let's all admit that yes, it's clearly heavily influenced by the sound of Led Zeppelin's Going to California. Whether you like that or not, the song does have it's own merits. It's got very uplifting lyrics, which lead singer Vedder has described as "a fable" and imagined each line as a line in a children's book with a picture to accompany it. I do enjoy the lyrics, it's a great story, for adults as well as kids. The song was written much the way the band built their freshman triumph <i>10</i>; with the melody and lyrics coming after the song was complete.<br />
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It's not in my top ten favorite Pearl Jam songs, and it's not even my favorite song from the album <i>Yield</i>. It's not a genre changing or even bending song, it's not "important" and I don't really know why the editors chose it. It's a good song, just not their best, but if the other option is nothing by the band, I guess I'll take "Given to Fly"Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130120208120995791.post-11845754677240042642012-08-21T23:50:00.001-04:002012-08-21T23:50:13.985-04:00"The Whole of the Moon"The Waterboys -"The Whole of the Moon" (1985)<br />
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It hit number thirty in 1985, then in typical English fashion it got a re-release and hit number three ix years later.<br />
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A long lived English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish band active during my elementary, middle and early high school years that I have never even vaguely heard of or heard anything by ever. Their typical genre is a Celtic inspired folk rock, lots of interesting drums, fiddle and acoustic guitars and other atypical stringed instruments. This song however is more straight ahead 80's keyboard driven rock, though it does have some fiddle. The wildly different instrumentation is the trumpet calls back and forth, and then adding electric harpsichord and saxophone we've got a mini-orchestra going on and that's a pretty interesting thing.<br />
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The subject of the song has been a question of a lot of speculation, a girlfriend, a writer or musician that was particularly inspiring? Whatever the answer (probably a mix of all of these things according to interviews) it's a sort of thank you, while admitting that the singer still doesn't appreciate and notice everything around him, it is the subject that makes him a better person.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130120208120995791.post-34136521364948940802012-08-20T22:16:00.003-04:002012-08-20T22:16:42.425-04:00"You Haven't Done Nothin'"Stevie Wonder - "You Haven't Done Nothin'" (1974)<br />
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Released in the summer of 1974 just before it's subject, U.S. president Richard Nixon resigned.<br />
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Stevie Wonder was 23 when he wrote, produced and performed almost every instrument on this track. It is short for a funk song, and not really sing-along like a good protest song should be, but it was catchy enough to climb the pop charts. It actually hit number one for one week in November, between Dionne Warwick and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. According to Wikipedia and 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die this is a drum machine, which is an odd choice for Stevie Wonder, who is a<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBA4vWQRBA0"> very talented</a> drummer. Backing vocals on this track were provided by The Jackson 5, who were still big stars, but a little past their prime. Wonder on the other hand was still going strong and had huge hits in his future. This song owes a lot to 1972's "Superstition" but the added element of a political statement was a new one for Wonder.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130120208120995791.post-89411777242012143792012-08-02T21:50:00.004-04:002012-08-02T21:50:45.078-04:00"Viva la Vida"Coldplay - "Viva la Vida" (2008)<br />
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It's been a while since this song ruled the airwaves.<br />
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I'd forgotten how repetitive it was. But I think that worked for it. It wasn't droning repetitive, dragging us down into a mire of boredom. It was uplifting and wanted us to stand up. Seriously, listen to it. Even if you can't speak English I bet that people stand up when they hear this song. Not like to attention mind you. But stand up and look around the room. See what their is to do, or dance with, or jump on. It's powerfully enthusiastically positive. Then if you listen to the lyrics you get a jolt. A king loses his kingdom; and when he dies, St. Peter denies him entrance into heaven. And he deserves it. Revolution begins because he is so corrupt and dishonest. But the strings and the chimes! And the rolling drums and the chorus singing in the background! Well yes, as I hear it, think of this as a song in a musical. The song is sung by the king, but it's about the revolution. So what we are hearing is the sounds of revolutionaries celebrating. The church bells are chiming victory, the crowd is singing along with everything, and the rolling drums are tolling for the king, now without a crown, being marched towards the inevitable death that awaits him at the end of the song. It is a jubilant song for everyone, except the singer.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130120208120995791.post-54874525858787917922012-08-01T22:52:00.001-04:002012-08-02T21:38:34.570-04:00The First YearWell here it is, it's been a year.<br />
365 total possible days to update, and I got 300 of them. Not bad for an experiment. I really dropped off near the end, but I also got a full time job for the first time in like three years, and started going back to school for the first time in 15 years, so I'm going to give myself a little slack. For those of you that have enjoyed, or disagreed, or just glanced, thanks. I encourage you to comment if you hear a song you like, or hate, or agree with something I say, or not. Or if you've got a question, or for any reason at all. I'll be doing this for two more years if I can keep up this pace, so there's still plenty of songs still in the book. Thanks for reading!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130120208120995791.post-76400707332951578722012-08-01T22:46:00.002-04:002012-08-01T22:46:48.874-04:00"Tumbling Dice"The Rolling Stones "Tumbling Dice" (1972)<br />
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A song that is all about the groove.<br />
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Joe Strummer of The Clash once claimed that "part of what makes this special, is that the words are a conundrum, like 'Louie, Louie'". Mick Jagger has claimed that the song is ordinary and he doesn't really see what people see in it. The Stones use a backing group of women that kinda give the song a singalong feel. Mick is singing lyrics that are hard to keep up with, but when you hear something you recognize, everyone just sort of jumps in. There's a bit of a brass section, some tinkling piano, a little slide guitar, and world renown saxophone player Bobby Keys adds to that free wheeling "just throw it all in and see what happens" feel like the female backing musicians. But that freewheeling sound was precise. It sounds like it just happened because the musicians care so much. Engineer Andy Johns suggests that as many as 150 takes were done of the song. <br />
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Part of the legendary <i>Exile on Main Street</i> album, and part of the Stones live performances for so long that it appears on three different live compilations, the song is one that is often covered. Linda Ronstadt had a hit with it just five years after the original. Keith Urban and Bon Jovi are known to play it live. I've always like the Johnny Copeland cover on an album called <i>Paint it Blue: Songs of the Rolling Stones.</i> It's not a enlightening cover, but the whole album is great, so I think well of the song. It does have a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0M_8q0eEKo">ripping good</a> guitar solo.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130120208120995791.post-23694729485063899232012-07-18T23:37:00.004-04:002012-07-18T23:37:57.771-04:00"The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Any More"The Walker Brothers - "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Any More" (1966)<br />
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From actual brothers who didn't advertise it yesterday, to a trio who weren't related, marketed as brothers today.<br />
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This trio did have something in common with Sparks from yesterday. They were a LA group that came to England to find fame. They differ in that instead of playing genre defying originals, all of The Walker Brothers' chart success came on the backs of others, recording songs that hadn't quite been hits for other artists and most of them recently. This might be the closest between original and Walker Brothers cover, taking only seven months between release dates.<br />
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Written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio who were hit writing machines for Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, this song wasn't a big hit for that band, but it charted in the second 100 in the summer of 1965. The original is thin and sparse production wise, acoustic guitar and tambourine to start, then gradually swells to the full string and bells and piano that we would expect from a mid sixties pop act. The Walker Brothers' cover adds some trumpet that as the book points out are distinctly mariachi style. Other than that, they speed it up and that sounds much better for sure. But besides speed and some new trumpet licks, I swear the studio musicians are playing the same charts that were used for the original. The chimes come in at the same time, the piano, the tambourine, it's just a really straight ahead cover. So while I do appreciate the fact that these three guys do have some really nice voices, I just can't see how they justify calling this one of the 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130120208120995791.post-60384242409024551552012-07-17T23:40:00.003-04:002012-07-17T23:40:58.019-04:00"Beat the Clock"Sparks - "Beat the Clock" (1979)<br />
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Odd band, interesting story, song that doesn't stand the test of time but is historically significant.<br />
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Sparks started life as two brothers from LA who write music that no one else really seemed to get. They eventually got traction in England, and took up residency in London, writing operatic pop music like their big hit "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIhNgmJ0kvo">This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both of Us</a>". The vocals were high pitched, the songs were piano driven, and after a few albums with a full band, they still hadn't had <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-PqFIx_X6A&feature=related">any real success</a> outside of England. As the 70s were drawing to a close, they became enamored with Disco, and their new angle was born.<br />
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Producer Giogio Moroder had just finished working with Donna Summer and got put together with the Mael brothers who had just ditched the rest of the band. They kept the high pitched vocals and the keyboard driven, but switched to synthesizers. Moroder's disco beats hung the whole thing together and the hit upon the synth duo; a musical style that would burn through England, Europe, and shape the 80s in America as well.<br />
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It is a perfect example of a mid 80s New Wave sound, so while it doesn't really sound great to me, you have to respect the fact that this was released in July of 1979. The vocals are impressive, but the song is ultimately a drum loop and a synth player who might as well be looped for most of the track.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130120208120995791.post-39298313469981142732012-07-16T23:31:00.002-04:002012-07-16T23:31:55.645-04:00"Army of Me"Bjork - "Army of Me" (1995)<br />
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A song that has been chopped, remixed, appropriated for soundtracks, and dissected by too many people to count.<br />
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Short history, Bjork was the lead singer for the Sugarcubes, which we've already <a href="http://1001daysofmusic.blogspot.com/2011/08/birthday.html">discussed earlier</a> on this blog. After the band broke up, she wrote and recorded a debut album, and this was one of the first tracks she did, but she ultimately decided that its dark and aggressive tone were not right for the album. So even though she recorded it in 1992, it didn't actually see the light of day until April 21st 1995 as the first single for her sophomore album <i>Post</i>. <br />
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The song is not a call to arms by the singer, as many presume. It is actually a "get over yourself" or "get off your self imposed downward spiral" to the listener. In particular it was written for her brother, but the message is universal. Stand up, stop feeling sorry for yourself, your self destructive behavior is hurting yourself and others, so quit it.<br />
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The song is just as aggressive, using heavily distorted bass prominent synthesizer tracks for the majority of the songs melody. There are also recordings of actual explosions used in the mix. The drum track is said to be a loop of the first part of the drum track to Led Zeppelin's "When the Levy Breaks". The original single release contained 4 different remixes of the song. A charity album was released in 2006 with twenty tracks, each one a remix or cover of the song. In addition, Alternative Metal band Helmet recoded a cover of the song for a different charity album. All of the various covers and remixes that I have heard add layers of electronic noise or harsh electronic guitar chords in an attempt to make the song harder and edgier. As far as I'm concerned, the almost sparse by comparison original is chilling enough.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130120208120995791.post-40396253561394002282012-07-13T21:55:00.000-04:002012-07-13T21:55:08.785-04:00"Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy)"Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs - "Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy)" (1972)<br />
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The band, and this song, really jumped into the spotlight when they were featured in the inaugural <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunbury_Pop_Festival">Sunbury Pop Festival</a>.<br />
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According to Wikipedia Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs were an Australian pop rock group from the mid 60s that broke up, then reformed in the 70s to become a well respected hard-rock group. The Book points out that this song is their most popular, but not exactly indicative of their later sound, where they were known for being the one of 'rock's loudest acts'. I don't really know how they competed against ACDC for even being the loudest act in Australia. <br />
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This song is a great tight song that I can't believe doesn't get any attention on classic rock stations. It's got elements of the later Beach Boys, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Lynard Skynard, and Elton John. Wonderful harmonies, a passionate lead vocal, a simple chugging along acoustic guitar part and then seemingly out of nowhere just blazing lead guitar chops. And they don't rest on that. The guitar solos are pure 70s heavy lead stuff and the first one is actually competing with an organ which makes it sound like an early precursor to prog metal. Even during the guitar solos (one of which is an outro on the single) they've got an upright piano banging out chords that give the song a fuller, more complex sound that makes it really hard to put a name on. It's like Australian roots rock and I dig it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130120208120995791.post-14067197800613758432012-07-12T23:50:00.003-04:002012-07-12T23:50:54.943-04:00"Never Let Me Down Again"Depeche Mode - "Never Let Me Down Again" (1987)<br />
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Mostly sung by lead singer Dave Gahan, lead songwriter Martin Gore takes an unusually strong singing role in this song.<br />
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Apparently, many fans feel the lyrics refer to drug use. I always assumed it was about an overbearing best friend and that the lead voice and the anonymous 'best friend' were also homosexual on the down low. It's a little odd structurally, it starts with a verse, then the chorus, then another verse that starts so similarly you think maybe there is only one verse. but the back end of the verse is different. So then chorus again, then a bridge and a repetitive vocal fade out that actually grows much louder before the full fade out. So two verses, but really only one and a half.<br />
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The music has a lot more to dig into. After a blink and you'll miss it intro based on heavily produced guitars, we quickly get into the main song. The verses are synth heavy oppressive sounding things, threatening, and yet at the same time remind of of "<a href="http://1001daysofmusic.blogspot.com/2012/03/you-spin-me-round-like-record.html">You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)</a>" but slowed down. I appreciate the use of the bass drum, so it doesn't sound like a dance track, and I appreciate what sounds like an actual piano leading into the vocals. The chorus is really different. There's a really soft and pleasant backing vocal, and the keyboards sound almost like large chimes and other idiophones. There's also almost a tack piano/children's toy piano sound going on.<br />
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The ending is a whole different animal, choirs singing, multiple lead vocals blending over each other, orchestra hits, that keep building in volume the horn sounds getting brighter and louder and the tom drums reaching out under us, and then just as it reaches a near fevered pitch, it is over. Live they do more with drum sounds that I really like, keeping up a complex rhythm pattern that sounds almost tribal.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130120208120995791.post-27467152992166494302012-07-11T23:30:00.000-04:002012-07-12T00:12:01.217-04:00"Waterloo Sunset"The Kinks - "Waterloo Sunset" (1967)<br />
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How do you have this and not "Lola"?<br />
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You know how we know <u>1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die </u>is a British book? It's not just the dance acts, the Euro-Pop or the British one-hit-wonders. It's the fact that there are 5 songs by The Kinks in the 1001. That's tied with The Beatles. It's more than The Rolling Stones! Only a British book would have more songs written by Ray Davies than by Jagger and Richards. "But The Stones are British" I can hear you saying. Yes, I know, but by the middle of the 60's they were global. The Kinks on the other hand were never as big. They were huge in England, and popular elsewhere but never the globally dominant force that The Beatles or The Rolling Stones were. So it's a bit of a 'favorite son candidate' thing going on I think. Another point in that direction is that off the five, we do not get two of the biggest hits by the Kinks: "All Day and All of the Night" and "Lola". Sort of a London hipster-esque 'yeah, that stuff was good, but you should hear the stuff that didn't cross the pond'.<br />
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It's not a bad song, but it's nothing to hang your hat on. I like the high background vocals that sound like The Kinks are a girl group. I also like the fact that during the verses, the tune of the vocals is very music/dance hall sounding, much like their song from the previous year that <a href="http://1001daysofmusic.blogspot.com/2011/11/dead-end-street.html">we've already heard</a>. If it was played on a muted trumpet it would sound vaguely like "Winchester Cathedral". It's a sweet love letter to the city of London, and for Londoners, it's a classic. But to me, it's can't compare to the taste of Coca-Cola. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVXmMMSo47s&feature=related">C-O-L-A</a> Cola. <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130120208120995791.post-11552728739794626602012-07-10T23:30:00.000-04:002012-07-11T00:06:21.879-04:00"Ever Fallen in Love...(with Someone You Shouldn't've)"Buzzcocks - "Ever Fallen in Love...(with Someone You Shouldn't've)" (1978)<br />
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What is it about early twenty somethings and disastrous romantic relationships making good music?<br />
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Pete Shelly, the writer, guitarist, and singer of the Buzzcocks was twenty two when he and his mates in the band were vaguely watching the Sinatra/Brando film version of Guys & Dolls. A lyric about falling in love with a person you should not came on and inspiration struck. The song in very melodic punk, in fact if it wasn't the Buzzcocks, an iconic British punk band, you would just say it was rock. There are two guitars, the bass is doing it's own thing instead of thrashing out the same thing as the guitar, and the drummer is playing way more complex patterns in his fills than a usual punk song. The speed, and recycled lyrics are distinctly punk, and the lyrics being about love are very British punk, it's just so melodic a song I almost want to call it something else. It's also been covered by every second wave punk band you've ever heard of and a bunch more that you haven't. It's a much beloved song, clearly every punk kid has had a rough start with a relationship.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130120208120995791.post-18271670379321834192012-07-09T22:54:00.002-04:002012-07-09T22:54:24.213-04:00"Rid of Me"PJ Harvey - "Rid of Me" (1993)<br />
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Producer Steve Albini had just finished working on this album when he was asked to work on Nirvana's <i>In Utero</i>. <br />
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This is a raw sound. Three musicians, two doing some vocal work, but in one case it can not really be called singing. The drums, bass and guitar are menacing, no other word for it. The instruments are there, in the darkness, waiting, willing to hold off until you are too weak to run, and then they are going to hurt you. The lead vocal is angry, she has been wronged and so the idea that her partner should be punished is strong. She threatens to force the perpetrator to do things they don't want to do and find distasteful until they admit that it would have been better if they never met. This is the ego, bruised and demanding. But it is the background voice, the singer's angriest id that screams and rants, wanting and hating all together. This is a really powerful song with a really simple message: Do not. Make PJ Harvey. Mad.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130120208120995791.post-43950485269639742962012-06-28T00:00:00.000-04:002012-06-28T00:00:05.400-04:00"Do You Really Want to Hurt Me"Culture Club - "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" (1982)<br />
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Apparently Boy George started on stage as Lieutenant Lush, an occasional guest vocalist for Bow Wow Wow, who was booed off stage until he was dropped and started his own band.<br />
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So I am really just listening to this song for the first time. Of course I was aware of it culturally, and have heard it thousands of times at school dances, in <u>The Wedding Singer</u>, and played every time someone on VH-1 says 80s. But I've never bothered listening to it before. It's a very quiet song, a very sad song, a touching mournful song; sitting on the back of a Reggae dance beat to make it all go down easier.<br />
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There is very little solo keyboard in the song, but it's there, floating along in the background, holding down the chords. The bass is too busy showing off to hold the song together, and I really like the kinda flashy bass work. There is a sound of a Glockenspiel throughout the song, but I'm pretty sure that's a synth sound. The strings sounds at the beginning for sure are artificially created. I really like the church choir sound of the beginning. The subtle soaring sound of the backing vocalists really hits at the right moments during the song, but in particular make the opening a memorable almost confessional moment. As much as I like the vocals and the bass, it's the beat that makes this song danceable, and stand out from any number of New Wave love songs. The Brits really love their reggae, which I did not really know before reading <u>1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die</u>. It really influenced British New Wave and the British Punk Scene. This songs rhythm is pure laid back reggae and that beat made it possible to move your butt while listening to an androgynous man sing about love in a manner that made people confused. It was really the beat that made Americans OK with such an odd and different band I'm sure.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130120208120995791.post-65506870003789391852012-06-26T16:45:00.001-04:002012-06-27T23:32:06.408-04:00"Tomorrow Is a Long Time"Elvis Presley - "Tomorrow Is a Long Time" (1966)<br />
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From the soundtrack album <i>Spinout</i>, where Elvis plays a part time rock band leader and part time race car driver. Three different women want to marry him. It couldn't be more of a <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MartyStu">Marty Stu</a> movie if it tried.<br />
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This song's got a convoluted recording history. Let's break it down. Originally written and recorded by Bob Dylan in 1962 as a demo, that version was only available on bootleg and didn't get released until 2010. A bootlegged live version, recorded in April 1963 in New York was the most commonly heard version of the song for years, by Dylan at least. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6JOaprbp04">This version</a> that played over the Walking Dead season one finale is now the only version by Dylan easily available on line. I think it's the 1963 live version, but I can't promise. Anyway, back to the brief story of the Elvis version. In August of 1963 Bob Dylan played at the Civil Rights march in Washington DC along with many others. One of those was Black folk singer Odetta. in January of 1965 Odetta released an album called <i>Odetta sings Dylan</i> that included her take on the song. Now Elvis didn't need Odetta's version to record Dylan, he was a fan, and covered <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTu__Oh9qlU">at least</a> a couple more Dylan tunes during his later career, mostly informal never released stuff, but still; he knew the guy. So why is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl0GjjxepnU">the Odetta version </a>an important step? It's clearly the version Elvis, his producer Felton Jarvis, and his musicians based their version on.<br />
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I'm hearing two acoustic guitars, one playing an almost slide-like wailing occasional lead. The other playing chords. The only real percussion is a tambourine doing just about the most laid back tambourine I've ever heard. I really like the walking bass on this track. It's a great sound and not overly loud or brash. Actually that bass is just about all that keeps the instruments on this song from being an old folk recording, it's too clear and was obviously done in a studio. Elvis gets forgotten a lot in today's fast paced musical world, but his voice here is not to be denied.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130120208120995791.post-1676082124520440982012-06-25T20:15:00.002-04:002012-06-25T20:15:55.273-04:00"Cokane in My Brain"Dillinger - "Cokane in My Brain" (1976)<br />
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I don't know who Jim is. The producer's name was Joseph, but he apparently went by Jo Jo. I can only hope that somewhere, Jim has learned how to spell New York.<br />
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I gotta be honest, I think this might be one of those songs that became popular because it mentioned drugs a lot, and so in the time, it sounded cool. Much like Afroman's "Because I Got High" it doesn't really hold up years later. The music is The People's Choice's "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJlpMD7PH1Q">Do It Any Way You Wanna</a>" but played by in house Jamaican studio musicians. The don't play it the same, but it's the same tune nevertheless. They've got some good funk going on, but the original is funkier.<br />
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There's really only two lyrics worth talking about. The first is the answer to the question that Dillinger asks over and over again. "/A knife, a fork, a bottle, and a cork/ That's the way we spell New York" (Bullock). The line is a sort of Cockney rhyming slang that dates back until at least the 1910s. A article in the <u>Syracuse Herald </u>from 1915 mentions the phrase in relation to an address on a letter. Other artists, including <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkayrMDWt0w">Siouxsie and the Banshees</a>, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIk7bncVQkE">Information Society</a> have used the phrase in songs. The other lyric is the common complaint of people who throw house parties. "/No matter where I treat my guest/ They always like my kitchen best/" of course Dillinger follows it up with a reason. "/ Because I've got a whole lot of Cocaine.../".<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130120208120995791.post-87754321259520292242012-06-24T15:00:00.001-04:002012-06-24T15:00:30.923-04:00"Chicago"Sufjan Stevens "Chicago" (2005)<br />
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The album cover originally contained a drawing of Superman, which in later versions was covered by a sticker of balloons.<br />
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So much music has been tied up with The Second City. It's got a classic <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoKn7vkSMBc">song from the 20s</a> that has been recorded hundreds of times, most notably by Frank Sinatra. It's also got a song from the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1rt7RXE0KU">early 60s</a> that Sinatra sang that virtually drove the early song out of people's heads. It's got <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFh1V0XUQIc">its own musical</a>, which opened in 1975. It's got a Progressive, Jazz Fusion Rock/Adult Contemporary band that named itself after the<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLiuMkGCOC4"> transit authority</a>, then changed to just be named after the whole city. Graham Nash wrote a song in 1970 <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyJRPAmGNwA">as a plea</a> to the rest of his band mates to come and protest on behalf of the Chicago 8. There are also lesser known songs in the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aT6KOcj2ysQ">electronica</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAc634e5K0s">pop folk confessional</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LecGkxPsg20">metalcore</a>, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAjtkyGVDxc">Tom Waits</a> genres. So how does an indie singer-songwriter from Detroit come to write one of the most critically regarded songs about the city?<br />
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In 2004 Sufjan Stevens expressed an interest in writing an album for each of the fifty states of the US. The first he wrote back in 2003 about his home state of Michigan. When he eventually released <i>Illinois</i>, often called by the name on the cover:<i></i> <i>Sufjan Stevens Invites You To: Come On Feel the Illinoise </i>in 2005 it was a lo-fi complexly orchestrated extraveganza. The titles of the songs were sometimes longer than the title of the album, he used over a dozen musicians, not including the choir, and played close to two dozen instruments himself. In more recent years, as he has released other non state related albums, there have been hints about others, but also statements that it was all a promotional gimmick.<br />
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The song is about growing up in general, and having one defining moment that encapsulates that growth in maturity. The vibraphone that starts the song is such an unheard song in music anymore that I love hearing it. the layers of sound just sit on top off each other perfectly, the strings in particular I really enjoy. There is a anoying little sound in the chorus that reminds me a little too much of a clock alarm, but overall I can't dislike the song over it. I like the trumpet, particularly because it is in the moment that the trumpet comes in that you realize that it's not a super hi-fi slick production with auto tune correction everywhere. It's musicians playing a song they love and with people they respect and appreciate. The layers of sound, and in particular the backing choir remind me of a band that does not have a place in the <u>1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die</u> book: <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHJo_klmPcA">The Polyphonic Spree</a>.</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130120208120995791.post-11295987284210307932012-06-23T15:42:00.001-04:002012-06-23T15:42:41.315-04:00"Let's Dance"David Bowie - "Let's Dance" (1983)<br />
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One of the few albums that did not feature long time Bowie collaborator Carlos Alomar on guitar. He says he was busy, rumor has it the pay was too low; regardless he returned for five more albums after this break.<br />
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The song is one of Bowie's most popular, and is seen by purists as the beginning of his commercial stage. Bowie became a household name, stopped dressing up funny, and recorded duets with Queen, Mick Jagger, and Bing Crosby. Older fans cried sellout but the new fans embraced him and made his post disco dance music an international success.<br />
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There is a big collection of early 80s talent here on this cut. Niles Rodgers and Tony Thompson from Chic played guitar and drums on the track respectively. You've most likely never heard of keyboardist Robert Sabino, or saxophone player Stan Harrison,but I promise you, they've both played with dozens of popular 80s bands. Niles Rodgers also produced not only this song, but with Bowie, produced the entire album. His Dance and R&B influence can be heard all over the record. The guitar solo at the end of the song is played by Stevie Ray Vaughn, recorded right before he broke huge into the American mainstream.<br />
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The song's video is anti-capitalist, and considered by Bowie to be anti racist, but to the modern eye seems to lean a little hard on the 'Noble Savage' archetype. The lyrics are mostly just a hopeless romantic asking his partner to dance, but there lies just underneath the hint of something darker, as if the love affair might be ending. The music is funked along by the bass, while the echo-y guitar and saxophones give it a dreamy cushion on either side of the bouncing/walking/grooving protagonist of the bass. I can't forget to mention two things vocally. The first is the rising do-wop backing singers heard at the beginning and elsewhere, giving the song an odd homage/throwback feel that has enthused listeners since then. The second is Bowie's shaking vocals as the song grows and he honestly makes us sound like it's not just the love affair we have to worry about ending; maybe we're dancing at the end of the world!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130120208120995791.post-17457386360302509682012-06-22T19:46:00.000-04:002012-06-22T19:46:10.887-04:00"End of a Century"Blur - "End of a Century" (1994)<br />
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It's a pretty little slice of Britpop right in the middle of the grunge years.<br />
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Damon Albarn's early 90s accent could never be described as easy on the ears, but even with the addition of monotonous power chords played on the electric guitar during the verses and the bridge the song manages to feel light and airy. The backing vocals being in the upper register as well as the ringing guitar help that quite a bit. The organ is also a light element to the song. There's a flute at the beginning, as well as during the bridge, and the flugelhorn that dominates the bridge and outro give the song the peppy upbeat poppy feeling. the lyrics on the other hand includes one of the saddest lines hidden amongst the wealth of depressing ones. The song as a whole is about how we, as the century drew to a close, had become complacent and willing to just say "meh, whatever". Their flat is infested with insects, they watch TV instead of have conversation, etc. But the line that gets me is "/and kiss with dry lips/when we say goodnight/" (Albarn). In a relationship full of boredom and monotony, the fact that they kiss each other goodnight with dry lips is the saddest thing I've heard all week.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130120208120995791.post-2019369630308377182012-06-21T19:31:00.000-04:002012-06-22T00:57:51.170-04:00"Season of the Witch"Donovan - "Season of the Witch" (1966)<br />
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I have no memory of the Nicolas Cage movie of the same name that came out last year.<br />
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That hack down on the electric guitar sounds scratchy and scary doesn't it? And the electric organ sitting on that quiet drone just makes it creepier. Donovan's voice gets more insistent and angry as the chorus grows near until he is very nearly begging us for help, the time has drawn neigh and the Season is upon us all.<br />
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Donovan was a Scottish folk singer/songwriter who had a lot of success both at home and in America. His "Catch the Wind" from 1965 is a perfect encapsulation of love unrevealed and unrequited. For his third album, he and producer Mickie Most grabbed local musicians to play a more electric version of folk. Instead of continuing to sound like 'Britain's Bob Dylan' (as he often was called) what emerged was early psychedelic rock, including many of the things that would come to be associated with the genre. Namely, impenetrable lyrics and long drawn out instrumental jam style solos. The song, also like Dylan before, was longer than a normal pop song.But Donovan deserves to be remembered as more than just a Dylan follower.<br />
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The song is a great example of early psychedelia, and it has been used in media to denote mystic happenings as well as a song of the times. It's been covered many times, to great effect, but my favorites include <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fluNM__tqOg">Dr. John</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hl3U0KhwgM">Lou Rawls</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYQn8ewgWBI&feature=related">The Strangelings</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNQstm8t17g">Joan Jett</a>, and of course <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icVsptCvCnA">Vanilla Fudge</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130120208120995791.post-21948779632245027042012-06-20T22:56:00.004-04:002012-06-20T22:56:58.724-04:00"It's a Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl"Faust - "It's a Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl" (1972)<br />
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Faust was one of the earliest bands signed to Richard Branson's fledgling Virgin Records.<br />
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OK, so clearly we've started with some drums, it's a raw sound, you can hear that on some beats the drummer is hitting harder than others, and you can hear the actual "tone" of the drum and not just the percussive hit. The piano part that comes in is only marginally more complex than the drums, in that they play the same note 15 times then one different note, at the same time the drummer hits the drum a little harder. The vocalists that come in sound like they are being recorded on one mike, a little too far away and then the guitar comes in. The second acoustic guitar adds the most complexity so far, and it's about two minutes in when you realize that this song is over seven minutes long, and you <i>just might</i> be listening to some experimental college rock that no one expected anyone else to ever listen to.<br />
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Krautrock is the genre name given to a German based highly experimental sound that has no real other binding definition. Some of it is more like jazz, other stuff is more like progressive classical, and then this is sort of an ambient, layers of sound thing. After building a basic sound of drums, keyboard, and vocals, we get several different layers. The guitar starts as something different, giving us hints of complexity, but eventually just becomes another layer. The vocals too go in and out, but for the most part are just another bass layer. About halfway through the song, faint electronic keyboard sounds and the wind start, eventually getting louder until they push everything else into a drone in the back of your mind. It's the kind of sound a Hollywood executive would want a scene of a Native American or Hippie meditation/psychedelic scene to have going on over it. A totally unexpected harmonica solo breaks the drone and suddenly the vocals that you hadn't noticed had disappeared are back in. Then a saxophone reminds you that you are listening to experimental music as the whole thing ends rather abruptly after a short fade out. You are left sitting and wondering "what did I just listen to?"Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130120208120995791.post-37092706912480608502012-06-18T22:33:00.001-04:002012-06-18T22:33:19.344-04:00"Camarón"Pata Negra - "Camarón" (1987)<br />
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Pata Negra is Spanish for Black hoof, a very expensive type of Iberian ham. Sort of like naming your band Cristal, or Beluga.<br />
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So we've already had a flamenco hybrid style, <a href="http://1001daysofmusic.blogspot.com/search/label/flamenco">that was</a> flamenco and hip hop, this is flamenco and blues based rock and roll. It kind of has a movie vibe to it, like it's the kind of song that would be playing in an 80s movie when the main characters got off the boat and walked up to find the beach of their dreams, sun, surf, hot bodies and cool beer.<br />
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The acoustic flamenco style guitar and the hand claps keep the song rooted in the traditional Spanish dance style. but the electric bass and electric guitar really pull the song into blues rock territory. The solos are great, with a lot of echo and reverb that give the tune a laid back feel even with the driving 12/8 rhythm driving us along. I think that's why it reminds me of a beach, you're excited and happy and there is a lot going on, but you're really their to relax. The principal members of the band are two brothers. One mostly sings and plays guitar, the other mostly plays guitar and sings. You should really check out just a bit of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzQfMa5vDAE">this live video</a> of them playing in 1992. The big hair and spandex is just a bonus, you're really checking out how much fun they are having.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130120208120995791.post-35991825172937163792012-06-15T23:08:00.000-04:002012-06-15T23:08:06.635-04:00"One More Time"Daft Punk - "One More Time" (2000)<br />
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An absolute classic of the genre, and responsible for thousands and thousands of imitators.<br />
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I think it goes without saying that I think this song is terrible. It is almost everything I found bad about music in one long repetitive track. That being said, I will attempt to find some nice things to say about it. The middle section, starting around 2:22 is not as annoying as the rest of the track, because the drum machine has been turned off. They use a great bass sample even if they claim that it wasn't sample. If they played it themselves, great. The song ends so surprisingly abruptly I thought YouTube had choked. The lyrics are very upbeat.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130120208120995791.post-80771126068420847062012-06-14T23:24:00.001-04:002012-06-14T23:24:38.514-04:00"Voices Carry"'Til Tuesday - "Voices Carry" (1985)<br />
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OK, I'm going to admit it, turns out the cute redhead in the band that I always thought was better looking than Aimee Mann is actually guitarist Robert Holmes.<br />
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It's a track that leans heavily on the synthesizers and driving high hat but the vocals and bass really make it a memorable track. Aimee Mann provides both of those things. Her shouted lines like "He wants me/ but only part of the time./ He wants me/ if he can keep me in line!/" (Mann) are powerful and compelling, and her sung/whispered take on the chorus is so breathy it would be sexy if she wasn't talking about an abusive relationship. Mann is also the bass player and the bass line is the only instrumental part that sticks with me. The backing vocals are also really lush , with male and female vocalists blending together to sound really big and deep and important. It really helps the song build at the end so that the backing vocalists can keep going while Mann on lead can start going into her "He said shut up!" lines.<br />
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The song was famously written as a woman singing to another woman, but the record company wanted the song to be the lead single off the album so they asked for a change. The band agreed and 'Til Tuesday got their biggest hit. Aimee Mann went on to a solo career, including an Oscar nomination for her work on the soundtrack to <u>Magnolia. </u>In 2005 she recorded an acoustic version as an iTunes exclusive. It's not completely acoustic mind you, just features an acoustic guitar, but it's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwRXi8gEQtw">very worth a listen</a>. Her voice is still great.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10942759609610660482noreply@blogger.com0