Bob Marley - I Shot The Sheriff
I really do love the Wailers. I promise, I do. I'm not about to disavow Robert Nesta Marley's importance to music, socio-politics and the war against racism and colonialism &c &c. But don't make me listen to this song again. Please. Hell, I'll listen to the live versions of Lively Up Yourself or No Woman, No Cry from 1975's Live album a million times over and never get tired of them, but this song just doesn't capture the essence of Marley's or the Wailers' talent. It's not raw enough. Great reggae should, like the blues, be raw as hell, not sanitised and overproduced. This is a song about killing a policeman over drugs - it's not meant to be an out-and-out pop song.
The only time you really hear Marley singing is at about 3:28 in the song, when he's belting it out with all the conviction of a man who shot the sheriff and realises that this may not have been the smartest career move. The rest of the song is just far too clean and poppy for me, which is a shame, because had it been a bit darker and rawer (like the live version), it would have made for a better song, in my opinion. But then again, what do I know?
That said, how did Marley fare on the Rock Nutter Scale (tm)? Pretty well, really. Needless to say, he has the drugs aspect covered, what with being the figurehead of stoned Trustafarians everywhere. He managed to piss off enough people to get shot, probably due to his political views, and was arrested and convicted in the UK for possession of marijuana (what a suprise?). He was also an alleged womaniser of note who managed to father a brood who seem pretty keen on destroying the Marley name in music. OK, so his real name was actually Robert Nesta Marley but, apart from that, most of the boxes are checked. He may not be Keith Richards, but he's done himself proud.
Verdict: Maybe he should have shot the deputy too?
Tomorrow: Little Richard - Keep a Knockin'
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Stop, in the name of all which does not suck
Sonny and Cher - I Got You Babe
The only thing I can say about this song is that the version that Cher did with Beavis and Butthead is better. But I'm not going to say that, because Cher, clearly a robot from the future sent back in time to rid the planet of humans via autotune, will find me and terminate me.
I can, however, understand why Bill Murray was always trying to kill himself in Groundhog Day. Having to wake up to this everry day would sap my will to live pretty damn quickly too.
Oh, and Sonny Bono is not related to a certain pretentious Irish halfwit.
Verdict: This sucks more than anything that has ever sucked before.
Tomorrow (if I'm still alive by then): Bob Marley - I Shot The Sheriff
The only thing I can say about this song is that the version that Cher did with Beavis and Butthead is better. But I'm not going to say that, because Cher, clearly a robot from the future sent back in time to rid the planet of humans via autotune, will find me and terminate me.
I can, however, understand why Bill Murray was always trying to kill himself in Groundhog Day. Having to wake up to this everry day would sap my will to live pretty damn quickly too.
Oh, and Sonny Bono is not related to a certain pretentious Irish halfwit.
Verdict: This sucks more than anything that has ever sucked before.
Tomorrow (if I'm still alive by then): Bob Marley - I Shot The Sheriff
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Don't Come Again
Nirvana - Come As You Are
I have some personal history with this song - it's iconic, chorusy bass intro was one of the first pieces of music I (and many of my contemporaries) learned to play on the guitar. I probably listened to this song, and the rest of the first 6 or 7 tracks on Nevermind, a million times between the ages of 13 and 15, as I traversed the dark void of being a middle class adolescent. It was never my favourite song on the album though - that honour went to Smells Like Teen Spirit or Lithium - but I know this song.
And, while listening to All Apologies recently was a pleasant suprise, re-listening to this is a little disappointing. Where All Apologies felt like a far more mature song, both musically and lyrically, Come As You Are is a little more adolescent, immature and raw, and it's not helped by that. It does a good job of furthering the definition of Cobain as a songwriter capable of stitching together immediate, catchy, punky songs from hooky riffs (or stealing the riffs from Killing Joke, as is the case of this song) with lyrics that make Bob Dylan look like a real poet.
My other issue with this song is that it doesn't really change tempo - while the dynamics of the song changes, Dave Grohl could have been replaced by a drum machine with no appreciable detraction from the song. It could even be argued that the world would be a better place if Mr AIDS-denialist Grohl was replaced by a machine (probably a discussion for when we review a Foo Fighters song in the top 500. Oh, wait, no Foo Fighters songs made it? Guess that proves who the talented one was).
On reflection (after listening 3 or 4), that assessment seems a little harsh - the tempo does change a bit, but there's nothing like the near-gleeful (this is Nirvana we're talking about, so gleeful is probably a bit excessive) tempo shifts of 'Teen Spirit or All Apologies that accompany the change in song dynamics. So let's change tack and go back to tearing the song apart for being immature. Well of course it is. Cobain recorded it for the first time when he was 24. And a junkie. And not married to Courtney Love. Clearly being married to Love was enough to turn him into a cynical old git in two short years. I'm suprised it took that long, to be honest.
All in all, this isn't the best Nirvana song. In fact, it isn't even the best song on the album. But it's still good enough to get into the list, which should be testament to how good a song it is. But it's not actually that good a song. As a piece of my youth, it's left an indelible mark, but as a song, it's a bunch of non-sequiturs draped around a riff stolen from Killing Joke and it would have had none of the impact it did if it wasn't preceded by Smells Like Teen Spirit.
Verdict: Nevermind
Tomorrow: Sonny and Cher - I Got You Babe
I have some personal history with this song - it's iconic, chorusy bass intro was one of the first pieces of music I (and many of my contemporaries) learned to play on the guitar. I probably listened to this song, and the rest of the first 6 or 7 tracks on Nevermind, a million times between the ages of 13 and 15, as I traversed the dark void of being a middle class adolescent. It was never my favourite song on the album though - that honour went to Smells Like Teen Spirit or Lithium - but I know this song.
And, while listening to All Apologies recently was a pleasant suprise, re-listening to this is a little disappointing. Where All Apologies felt like a far more mature song, both musically and lyrically, Come As You Are is a little more adolescent, immature and raw, and it's not helped by that. It does a good job of furthering the definition of Cobain as a songwriter capable of stitching together immediate, catchy, punky songs from hooky riffs (or stealing the riffs from Killing Joke, as is the case of this song) with lyrics that make Bob Dylan look like a real poet.
My other issue with this song is that it doesn't really change tempo - while the dynamics of the song changes, Dave Grohl could have been replaced by a drum machine with no appreciable detraction from the song. It could even be argued that the world would be a better place if Mr AIDS-denialist Grohl was replaced by a machine (probably a discussion for when we review a Foo Fighters song in the top 500. Oh, wait, no Foo Fighters songs made it? Guess that proves who the talented one was).
On reflection (after listening 3 or 4), that assessment seems a little harsh - the tempo does change a bit, but there's nothing like the near-gleeful (this is Nirvana we're talking about, so gleeful is probably a bit excessive) tempo shifts of 'Teen Spirit or All Apologies that accompany the change in song dynamics. So let's change tack and go back to tearing the song apart for being immature. Well of course it is. Cobain recorded it for the first time when he was 24. And a junkie. And not married to Courtney Love. Clearly being married to Love was enough to turn him into a cynical old git in two short years. I'm suprised it took that long, to be honest.
All in all, this isn't the best Nirvana song. In fact, it isn't even the best song on the album. But it's still good enough to get into the list, which should be testament to how good a song it is. But it's not actually that good a song. As a piece of my youth, it's left an indelible mark, but as a song, it's a bunch of non-sequiturs draped around a riff stolen from Killing Joke and it would have had none of the impact it did if it wasn't preceded by Smells Like Teen Spirit.
Verdict: Nevermind
Tomorrow: Sonny and Cher - I Got You Babe
No Pressure
Toots and the Maytals - Pressure Drop
After some pretty maudlin songs recently, the rootsy ska of Pressure Drop is like a breath of fresh air, lightening the mood and bringing smiles to glum faces. It's also one of the first songs to introduce reggae to a global audience, thanks to its appearance on The Harder They Come, and has been covered by everyone from The Clash, The Specials, Keith Richards, The Oppressed and.. erm.. Robert Palmer and Izzy Stradlin and the Juju Hounds.
Nevertheless, it's a great song - all bouncy ska and vocal harmonies courtesy of the Maytals with Toots Hibberts' toasting riding the surging wave of pressure. It's easy to imagine this song sounding like a breath of fresh air to a world caught in the tense, confrontational late 60s, listening to Pinball Wizard and Whole Lotta Love. Added to this, imagine the impact of this song in those areas of London where Jamaican immigrants lived, often in terrible conditions, feeling cut off from their homeland. This song's implications are gigantic, both on the British ska movement, typified by the Specials and Selector, and on the wider UK punk movement, which identified with reggae and disenfranchised Jamaicans long before The Clash discovered Junior Murvin's back catalog and wrote White Man (In Hammersmith Palais).
This song makes me feel happy. I don't know what the hell Toots is singing about. It's not clear whether Toots do either - he was a man known to appreciate Jamaica's other big export, to the extent of spending 18 months in jail for possession - but the results are a great reggae song. It's probably a little raw to appeal to trustafarians the world over but, as one of the archetypes for the ska movement that would spawn some of my favourite bands and music, it stands as a testament to reggae's ability to uplift.
Verdict: Happy cornerstone(d)
Tomorrow: Nirvana - Come As You Are
After some pretty maudlin songs recently, the rootsy ska of Pressure Drop is like a breath of fresh air, lightening the mood and bringing smiles to glum faces. It's also one of the first songs to introduce reggae to a global audience, thanks to its appearance on The Harder They Come, and has been covered by everyone from The Clash, The Specials, Keith Richards, The Oppressed and.. erm.. Robert Palmer and Izzy Stradlin and the Juju Hounds.
Nevertheless, it's a great song - all bouncy ska and vocal harmonies courtesy of the Maytals with Toots Hibberts' toasting riding the surging wave of pressure. It's easy to imagine this song sounding like a breath of fresh air to a world caught in the tense, confrontational late 60s, listening to Pinball Wizard and Whole Lotta Love. Added to this, imagine the impact of this song in those areas of London where Jamaican immigrants lived, often in terrible conditions, feeling cut off from their homeland. This song's implications are gigantic, both on the British ska movement, typified by the Specials and Selector, and on the wider UK punk movement, which identified with reggae and disenfranchised Jamaicans long before The Clash discovered Junior Murvin's back catalog and wrote White Man (In Hammersmith Palais).
This song makes me feel happy. I don't know what the hell Toots is singing about. It's not clear whether Toots do either - he was a man known to appreciate Jamaica's other big export, to the extent of spending 18 months in jail for possession - but the results are a great reggae song. It's probably a little raw to appeal to trustafarians the world over but, as one of the archetypes for the ska movement that would spawn some of my favourite bands and music, it stands as a testament to reggae's ability to uplift.
Verdict: Happy cornerstone(d)
Tomorrow: Nirvana - Come As You Are
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Twisted Sisters
The Shangri-Las - The Leader of the Pack
A tale of woe via young love and death by Harley Davidson, The Leader of the Pack is viewed as possibly the greatest of the Brill Building classics. Sung in classic call-and-response style by some delinquent street toughs from Queens, New York (ring any bells?), legend has it that this song features both a real Harley Davidson (driven into the studio which happened to be on the second floor of a hotel, via the lobby) and a young Billy Joel playing the piano. The song was also refused airplay by the BBC because it was thought that it may incite mod/rocker violence*.
The song? It's horribly produced. The instruments are muddy, the vocals are metallic and the mix is wishy-washy as hell. It's almost a relief when Jimmy the leather-jacketed thug crashes his bike and you know that the end is near. This is rebellious schoolgirl music for the cloth-eared. I'm sure that it's a great song (and the minor key vocal style is enticing) but it's just too harsh on the ears, in a bad way, to bear repeated listens.
*And that's a bad thing? I would have paid good money to see Keith Moon beat the piss out of Elvis.
Verdict: Mods beat rockers.
Tomorrow: Toots and the Maytals - Pressure Drop
A tale of woe via young love and death by Harley Davidson, The Leader of the Pack is viewed as possibly the greatest of the Brill Building classics. Sung in classic call-and-response style by some delinquent street toughs from Queens, New York (ring any bells?), legend has it that this song features both a real Harley Davidson (driven into the studio which happened to be on the second floor of a hotel, via the lobby) and a young Billy Joel playing the piano. The song was also refused airplay by the BBC because it was thought that it may incite mod/rocker violence*.
The song? It's horribly produced. The instruments are muddy, the vocals are metallic and the mix is wishy-washy as hell. It's almost a relief when Jimmy the leather-jacketed thug crashes his bike and you know that the end is near. This is rebellious schoolgirl music for the cloth-eared. I'm sure that it's a great song (and the minor key vocal style is enticing) but it's just too harsh on the ears, in a bad way, to bear repeated listens.
*And that's a bad thing? I would have paid good money to see Keith Moon beat the piss out of Elvis.
Verdict: Mods beat rockers.
Tomorrow: Toots and the Maytals - Pressure Drop
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Happy Days
The Velvet Underground - Heroin
From jaunty and twee to "dear god, could they be any more morose and miserable?". Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Lou Reed is in the house with his merry band of pranksters, The Velvet Underground. And they're here to tell you about kittens, flowers, sweetness and light. Actually, they're here to talk about heroin and how it makes them feel (apparently, like Jesus's son and how they guess, but just don't know). And who said men never talk about their feelings?
Reed also manages to perform admirably on the Rock Nutter Scale (tm). To whit:
Drugs? Umm, yes. Reed knew his way around heroin and quaaludes. And probably everything else.
Name? Prosaically no. Real name: Lewis Allan Reed.
Weird and Unstable Behaviour? Does repeated affairs with transvestites count? Or hanging out with Warhol and his factory? Read Please Kill Me and any doubts will be erased. Also, 3 words: Metal Machine Music.
Upbringing? He was given electroshock theraphy for homosexual tendencies. Seems suitably weird.
Trouble with the Law? Not really.
If you ever thought about doing heroin, listen to this song and you'll realise that it really can't be any fun. That said, maybe it's more fun than actually listening to this song. Especially when the screaming feedback starts. That's when it gets really fun. Thanks for that, John Cale, my eardrums were doing fine before you started trying to perforate them with viola feedback.
It may not be a fun song to listen to, but that doesn't mean that it is bad in any way. The point of this song is, rather than to glorify heroin, to demystify it, to express in music the anticipation of feeding an addiction, the rush of the drug, the bliss that follows it, and finally the all-encompassing wash of the chaotic feedback as everything comes together. The song starts slowly with clean guitars and Reed's near-monotone, building to a false crescendo at the first chorus, slowing up again for the verses and building in pace and volume again for the choruses, a rollercoaster of excitement and anticipation and relief, finally reflecting the narcotic bliss and pain and rush, driven by Maureen Tanners more and more frantic drumming and Cale's screaming viola feedback but offset by the mellowness of Reed's voice, before the calmness envelops the listener again and normalcy returns.
It's all very harrowing in fact. It would probably sound a little derivative and unauthentic were it released in a post-Trainspotting world, but its context is original and Reed's cachet as a true rock nutter can only enhance this songs claim to glory.
(Let's be clear here, the closest I've come to heroin is watching Trainspotting)
Verdict: Not fun, but addictive
Tomorrow: The Shangri-Las - Leader of the Pack
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
A Penny For Your Thoughts of Kate Hudson
The Beatles - Penny Lane
From the Magical Mystery Tour album, Penny Lane was originally released as a double A-side single with Strawberry Fields Forever, a release that George Martin considered the finest single released by The Beatles.
It's a fine, jaunty song but has prompted a rare apology. When I called The Twist twee, I really meant it, but I've realised that twee is relative. This song is more twee than .. something incredibly, unutterably, ridiculously twee. It's the Deathstar of twee. It is indescribably twee. This assessment is, of course, based on the fact that I consider most of The Beatles' output to be such. This song, however, takes the biscuit. There's none of the ironic detachment of Sgt Peppers or the youthful joie de vivre of I Want To Hold Your Hand, merely almost nauseating cuteness and daintiness. It should be enough to make you want to mug an old lady, or think impure thoughts about Kate Hudson's Almost Famous namesake groupie, just to feel better about the world, but the song is actually pretty good.
OK, it's great. And it doesn't get out of your head. Especially not the chorus, which I have spent a good portion of the morning cursing due to it's limpet-like attachment to my rather feeble mind. Plus it's got little sexual references like "keeps his fire engine clean" (apparently, whatever that means). And you can also imagine Kate Hudson all dressed up like she was in Almost Famous..
(gratuitous Kate Hudson photo)
Point is, it's a little McCartney for my liking, but it's still a fantastic song.
Verdict: Kate Hudson Kate Hudson Kate Hudson Kate Hudson etc
Tomorrow: The Velvet Underground - Heroin
From the Magical Mystery Tour album, Penny Lane was originally released as a double A-side single with Strawberry Fields Forever, a release that George Martin considered the finest single released by The Beatles.
It's a fine, jaunty song but has prompted a rare apology. When I called The Twist twee, I really meant it, but I've realised that twee is relative. This song is more twee than .. something incredibly, unutterably, ridiculously twee. It's the Deathstar of twee. It is indescribably twee. This assessment is, of course, based on the fact that I consider most of The Beatles' output to be such. This song, however, takes the biscuit. There's none of the ironic detachment of Sgt Peppers or the youthful joie de vivre of I Want To Hold Your Hand, merely almost nauseating cuteness and daintiness. It should be enough to make you want to mug an old lady, or think impure thoughts about Kate Hudson's Almost Famous namesake groupie, just to feel better about the world, but the song is actually pretty good.
OK, it's great. And it doesn't get out of your head. Especially not the chorus, which I have spent a good portion of the morning cursing due to it's limpet-like attachment to my rather feeble mind. Plus it's got little sexual references like "keeps his fire engine clean" (apparently, whatever that means). And you can also imagine Kate Hudson all dressed up like she was in Almost Famous..
(gratuitous Kate Hudson photo)
Point is, it's a little McCartney for my liking, but it's still a fantastic song.
Verdict: Kate Hudson Kate Hudson Kate Hudson Kate Hudson etc
Tomorrow: The Velvet Underground - Heroin
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