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MAD - Artist - Round 4 - #12's have been posted (18 Viewers)

My Morning Jacket -- During the extensive tour for the Evil Urges album, I remember some friends saying that when they opened with the title track, it was going to be an average show, but when they opened with something else, it was going to be a special night. That's not quite fair to what's a pretty solid song, but I do feel it meets the baseline of "good MMJ song" and doesn't exceed it to any great degree. I doubt it would make my top 31, whereas "I'm Amazed", seen earlier from the same album, would.
I will add that there is one song on Evil Urges that I absolutely despise, and it's not this, so it's a win there.
 
26's PLAYLIST

26's

The WalkmenScoresmanFour Provinces
The Clashkupcho1Overpowered by Funk
Ryan StarYambagWe Were Kings
YesYo MamaIt Can Happen
Built To SpillThe Dreaded MarcoSpiderweb
Johnny MarrEephusElectronic--Late at Night
The Pretty Reckless Raging Weasel You
Jeff TweedyDr. OctopusHeavy Metal Drummer
JourneyKarmaPoliceMidnight Dreamer
Lindsey Stirling-oz-Surrender
TriumphPip's InvitationBattle Cry
Our Lady PeaceMACStealing Babies
Mötley CrüeJWBBad Boy Boogie
The Airborne Toxic EventZegras11Glory
Annie LennoxMrs. RannousLoneliness
Whitney HoustonCharlie SteinerHow Will I Know
My Morning Jacketlandrys hatWhat a Wonderful Man

RobynJohn Maddens LunchboxSexual Eruption (Fyre Dept Remix) - Snoop Dogg featuring Robyn
Tim MaiaDon QuixoteMeu País
Parliament FunkadelicUruk-HaiCan You Get To That
Can You Get To That (youtube.com)
Lord HuronKarmaPoliceMeet Me in the City
R.E.M.TuffnuttTurn you Inside Out

RadioheadTitusbrambleHow Do You
CandleboxMt.ManGlowing Soul
Eddie VedderTau837Oceans
The Bee GeeszamboniYou Stepped Into My Life
Fred EaglesmithMister CIAPontiac
Ringo Starrkrista4Shadows on the Wall
Big Room/Deep Big RoomzazaleDon't Leave Me
 
#26. Funkadelic - "Can You Get To That"

There's a lovely acoustic guitar bit to open this record, then it's all vocals and drums. The voice arrangement is unbelievable. Clinton's upbringing in gospel and doo w0p are more apparent here than any other P-Funk song I can think of. Stingray Davis' bass parts are brought up from below hell. Mavis Staples did a fantastic cover of this a few years ago and didn't change much of anything. My only complaint is that the song is too short.

Next, the ladies get to shine.
 
26's PLAYLIST

Ryan StarYambagWe Were Kings
Ryan on his On his influences: “I got into music because of a movie called Singles. Cameron Crowe directed this film. Before then I was into what I was into, but I heard Pearl Jam for the first time and formed my band the next day. It was because this soundtrack became my bible. Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Hendrix. All this stuff was on it. So, I always felt the marriage between film and music and visuals and music was vital."
 
Figured I’d take a picture of part of my room and post it. Reel-to-reel with The Walkmen. I ordered it from a guy who was a visual designer. I’d seen it years ago and wanted it, and finally talked to the guy and he had one left over. The framing job is a shabby chic silver and black frame from Michaels with a triple mat underneath, which made the poster pretty expensive in the end. Like three hundred dollars, which is prohibitive for me but I think it’s very cool and was worth it. It's the centerpiece of my room, really.


“Four Provinces” is a very cool song. You & Me is probably my favorite album by The Walkmen.
 
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#26 - Snoop Dogg feat Robyn (Fyre Dept Remix) - Sexual Eruption​


Producer - Original - Shawty Redd, Nat Powers
Fyre Dept Remix - The Fyre Dept
Writer - Calvin Broadus, Demetrius Stewart, Seneca Lovejoy
Chart Positions -
Original - Sensual Eruption - US#7, US #22, Australia #61
Fyre Dept Remix - #4 Sweden, #63 Australia
Album -Ego Trippin’
Year - 2008
Collaborator History - Most people have some familiarity with Snoop Dogg, especially if you watched the Paris Olympics lol. Robyn spent 3 days working with Snoop on the Sensual Eruption remix as Sexual Eruption in 2007/2008. They got on great so when it was Robyns turn to do an album, she asked Snoop Dogg to help her with one of her tracks. We night see that one later.

Key Lyric -
If you don't know by now Doggy Dog is a freak freak freak
I keep a bad ***** with me seven days out the week week week
And all that we ever do is play in the sheets sheets sheets
Smoke us a cigarette and go back to sleep sleep sleep cause we then got a...
Sexual eruption Sexual Eruption (whoa whoa)
Sexual eruption Sexual eruption (whoa whoa)

Notes - I was surprised when I saw that the original version of this reached #7 in the US. The remix is so much better. But then again I am biased toward Robyn. This track was the last one to make it at the expense of List of Demands which didnt have an official recording or copy on Spotify. I thought 1 track with Snoop was enough, but wanted to represent her variety and this track fits that perfectly.

Next up - The first of several dance tracks we will see. Also the first time we will see a collaboration for the second time.
 
The Clashkupcho1Overpowered by Funk
Woo hoo! Another playlist title; I'm on a roll.

Anyway, Overpowered by Funk is the first selection from Combat Rock (1982), arguably the last real album from The Clash. I was pleasantly surprised that it is the funkiest song on the #26 playlist. Initially worried about what Funkadelic might bring, I was please to hear they went with a more bluesier number. ;)

Wiki comically describes the song as "white funk", lumping in artists The Jam, Spandau Ballet and Haircut 100 as fellow purveryors of the genre.
There isn't a server large enough to handle all of the :lmao: this contention merits.

St. Joe is joined on lead vocals by grafitti artist Futura 2000 for the rap break. Lest you think this might somehow violate the integrity of white funk, Futura 2000 was born Leonard Hilton McGurr (with, as far as I can tell, no relation to the Hilton Hotel fortune).

Picture frame, tickets here
For the graffiti train
People at home show you care
Don't try
Fry me in your shockin' chairs
Funkpower over and out
 
26. How Will I Know (Whitney Houston, 1985)

How Will I Know was the sixth song from the album released as a single and reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 after a three-month climb from its release date. The song was written by the husband-wife duo of George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam, as well as musician/producer Narada Michael Walden. it was originally written for but rejected by Janet Jackson. Merrill and Rubicam had also submitted a different song to Belinda Carlisle, who rejected that one, which prompted the pair to record it themselves under the name Boy Meets Girl. That song, Waiting for a Star to Fall, reached #5 on the U.S. charts and higher internationally.

Fun fact for you: Cece Houston provided backing vocals for this song, and at the insistence of producer Gerry Griffith, Whitney sang with her.
 
26. How Will I Know (Whitney Houston, 1985)

How Will I Know was the sixth song from the album released as a single and reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 after a three-month climb from its release date. The song was written by the husband-wife duo of George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam, as well as musician/producer Narada Michael Walden. it was originally written for but rejected by Janet Jackson. Merrill and Rubicam had also submitted a different song to Belinda Carlisle, who rejected that one, which prompted the pair to record it themselves under the name Boy Meets Girl. That song, Waiting for a Star to Fall, reached #5 on the U.S. charts and higher internationally.

Fun fact for you: Cece Houston provided backing vocals for this song, and at the insistence of producer Gerry Griffith, Whitney sang with her.
I think this my favorite Whitney song.
 
Fred EaglesmithMister CIAPontiac
We're about four or five songs away from what I call going over the continental shelf into the Fred Eaglesmith catalog. This song did not hit my radar at first, but the cacophony outro cemented its spot in my top 31.

Caution: Ear worm condition likely to develop.
 
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The Walkmen #26 - Four Provinces

This one is from their 2008 album, You & Me. I love the upbeat percussion and multiple tempo changes in this one. I always thought You & Me worked best listened to as an album rather than picking out songs, but this one stands well on its own. This is just a gorgeously written love song.

"Every hour of the long day Rather spend with you Every year that I’m living Got to stick by your side Sun goes down Moon comes up Sky is black and blue Here I stand Honey, where are you"
 
26. Shadows on the Wall from Rewind Forward (2023)

Previously ranked - N/A

This is my third and final selection, after Miss Jean and Feeling the Sunlight, from Ringo's 2023 EP, Rewind Forward. The only song from that EP that didn't make my list or Last Five Out is the title track. This one was written by Steve Lukather and Joseph Williams of Toto, who also contributed guitar and backing vocals, respectively. I think a review I read of the EP sums up this song much better than I could: "bendy, wendy...would sound like an Oasis song from the Gallagher brothers if the Gallagher brothers didn’t already sound so much like the Beatles."
 
Yes #26 - It Can Happen
Album - 90125 (1983)

As I mentioned in my initial writeup, 90125 was one of my favorite albums in my early HS years and it is well represented on my list, starting with this one.

When the band broke up, Squire, White, and Rabin formed the band Cinema and this was originally one of their songs. When they got back together with Anderson, Horn, and Kaye to re-form Yes, this song was re-recorded and included on 90125.

This was released as a single and actually did pretty well on some of the charts.
 
#26: JOURNEY - MIDNIGHT DREAMER


Another tune that is basically an instrumental track. I don't think there are vocals past the 1:30 mark that has a Hendrix vibe. Next up we will double dip with this album before getting back to some late 70s tunes.
 
Eddie VedderTau837Oceans

"Oceans" is a song by Pearl Jam from their iconic 1991 debut album "Ten," which IMO is one of the best albums of all time.

The song was inspired by Eddie's love for surfing and his connection to the ocean, which he often uses as a metaphor in his songwriting. The lyrics reflect themes of longing and devotion, painting a picture of a powerful bond that feels as vast and uncontainable as the ocean itself. According to Eddie, the song also stemmed from a moment of frustration with his favorite surf leash, where his irritation transitioned into a deeper meditation on love and longing.

The primary theme is the deep longing for someone’s presence, articulated through ocean imagery. The song captures both the beauty and the pain of yearning for connection. Eddie expresses a faith that, like the ocean’s tides, love will guide people back together despite distance or life’s changes. The line “I am… I am… me…” reflects a theme of understanding oneself through one’s emotions and relationships, adding a layer of introspection to the song. Pearl Jam often uses natural elements to express complex emotions, and here, the ocean symbolizes the vast, enduring, and sometimes overwhelming force of love.

Following Pearl Jam's performance of the song at the band's 1992 MTV Unplugged performance, Eddie stated, "[that was] a little love song I wrote about my surfboard... Actually it was to someone named Beth who hopefully I'll see tomorrow."

Musically, "Oceans" has a calm, almost hypnotic quality, driven by Jeff Ament's bass and a gentle, minimalist drumbeat. The production incorporates subtle percussion sounds that evoke a sense of waves and water, complementing the song’s lyrical content. Eddie’s vocal delivery is soft and evocative, conveying a sense of intimacy and sincerity that enhances the emotional weight of the song.

"Oceans" is a meditative and emotionally rich song about love, longing, and the powerful connections that endure despite distance. Using the ocean as a central metaphor, Eddie conveys themes of yearning, resilience, and self-identity in love. The song’s serene sound and evocative lyrics have made it a cherished piece in Pearl Jam’s catalog, reflecting the band’s talent for capturing complex emotions with poetic simplicity.

I used the studio version for the playlist. Here is the MTV Unplugged version mentioned earlier, which is excellent: Oceans.
 
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Yes #26 - It Can Happen
Album - 90125 (1983)

As I mentioned in my initial writeup, 90125 was one of my favorite albums in my early HS years and it is well represented on my list, starting with this one.

When the band broke up, Squire, White, and Rabin formed the band Cinema and this was originally one of their songs. When they got back together with Anderson, Horn, and Kaye to re-form Yes, this song was re-recorded and included on 90125.

This was released as a single and actually did pretty well on some of the charts.
The Cinema version, with Squire on lead vocals, was released on the Yesyears box set and on the deluxe edition of 90125:

 
Thoughts on the #26's from the artists I know well:

Yes -- "It Can Happen" is one of their best '80s songs and I particularly like the "look up, look down" part.

Tweedy/Wilco -- "Heavy Metal Drummer" is probably the best-known song (it was released as a single) from Wilco's most revered album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. In contrast to much of Wilco's material during this period (thanks to Tweedy's migraines and his conflicts with his bandmates and label folks), its music is pure joy and its lyrics express the desire for more joy in his life: "I miss the innocence I've known/Playing KISS covers, beautiful and stoned". Given its status in the band's catalog, it appears frequently in setlists, usually at pivotal times.

My Morning Jacket -- "What a Wonderful Man" is a very good song but I'd have it in the bottom 50% of Z -- which speaks to how good Z is.

P-Funk -- "Can You Get to That" played a pivotal role in my discovery of P-Funk. My first exposure to them was at a late-night afterparty in college when someone put on Maggot Brain. After hearing the title track and this, I was like -- any band that can do both of these things, I need to know much more about. And I went out and bought Maggot Brain the next day, beginning an odyssey that has lasted for more than 30 years. As for the song itself, Uruk said it all. This song would probably be in my P-Funk top 10.

Bee Gees -- "You Stepped into My Life" is way funkier than any British/Australian people have any right to be. Another song that is pure joy.
 
26. Battle Cry
Album: Never Surrender (Canada 1982, US 1983)
Writers: Rik Emmett, Mike Levine and Gil Moore
Lead vocals: Gil Moore
Chart History: None
Video?: No
Lyrical category: Vaguely political

The pattern for Triumph's "vaguely political" songs usually went like this: There was one of them per album, it concerned ordinary people being used as pawns by the powers that be, and it was sung by Rik Emmett.

But the Never Surrender album is the exception. It has several "vaguely political" songs and some of them are sung by Gil Moore. One of them, "Battle Cry," struck me from the first listen because it is explicitly about how soldiers are used as pawns. America was still reeling from the effects of the Vietnam War in the early '80s, and those effects had to have been felt in Canada as well. The song laments why so many people were put in danger for no reason.

The search goes on
For truth in everyone
Numbers on the wall
Counting sad young faces, count them all

Hoo, the thrill of the fight
Killing's such a noble deed
And John said, "Love is all we need"

Should we forget
Or pause a moment to regret
Where have we been?
I see things I wish I'd never seen

So many, many miles from home
Oh Lord, have mercy on my soul
I think the loneliest man in the world is a soldier


There is no pulling punches with the music, either. Guitars and drums are loud and staccato at the outset, and the slower parts feature some of Moore's most compelling singing. The chorus is pure anguish, and the expressiveness of Emmett's guitar solo matches that. The second half of the song basically repeats the structure of the first half, except this time the guitar solo is more understated and fades out.

Never Surrender surprised me by how well it has held up. It doesn't seem to be considered one of their essential albums, but it may be their most consistent record -- of its seven songs with vocals, five made my top 31 and a sixth made my Last 5 Out. Part of the reason is that the record has more of a feeling of anger and urgency than the rest of their catalog, and a no-nonsense production style that has aged well. I can't imagine what spurred the former other than their dissatisfaction with RCA, which would culminate in a lawsuit that the band ended up losing.

There are no documented live performances of Battle Cry, which makes sense because there was no room for downer songs at Triumph shows, the whole point of which was to make everyone feel good about rock and roll, and themselves.

At #25, a song that was definitely designed to make people feel good about rock and roll.
 
Candlebox #26
Song: Glowing Soul
Album:
The Waterboy Soundtrack (1998)
Here off "The Best of Candlebox", 2006

(Youtube version) Glowing Soul (From The Waterboy Soundtrack)

Like a breaking inside my head
Storms of treason, lips of red
I trace the sand back to your bed
If your blackened heart is twisted in my head


As the Spotify track listing shows (and as teased last time), this song was from the soundtrack from The Waterboy in 1998. Apparently the song (and I suppose really the band) was included at the request of Adam Sandler. Though for the playlist I used the same version from “The Best of Candlebox”, released in 2006. As mentioned in my preview, this album helped stir the band to reunite (more or less) and tour.

With this song, you get a pretty good taste of Candlebox as a rock(in’) band. Energetic drum-filled start, and even with things slow down a bit, there’s a lot of spirit to this song. Listening to it yet again, I do wonder if I’ve short-changed this one a little. (*Looks at next few spots in the rankings*) Hard to say. We’re already into “really really like” territory. Also, I couldn’t really find any live performances of this song so hopefully you’ll settle for the single link this time around.

Next on the countdown, a song that also appeared on the “Best Of”, so you might have some comprehension and empathy about why I included it.
 
Listened to the #26 playlist. Other than my own song:
  • Favorites already known to me:
    • Yes - It Can Happen -- awesome song, love 90125
  • Favorites new to me:
    • The Pretty Reckless - You -- 6 for 6 and still running away with this countdown for me
    • Lindsey Stirling - Surrender
    • Fred Eaglesmith - Pontiac
Good playlist. Looking forward to more music new to me.
 
26. Battle Cry
Album: Never Surrender (Canada 1982, US 1983)
Writers: Rik Emmett, Mike Levine and Gil Moore
Lead vocals: Gil Moore
Chart History: None
Video?: No
Lyrical category: Vaguely political

The pattern for Triumph's "vaguely political" songs usually went like this: There was one of them per album, it concerned ordinary people being used as pawns by the powers that be, and it was sung by Rik Emmett.

But the Never Surrender album is the exception. It has several "vaguely political" songs and some of them are sung by Gil Moore. One of them, "Battle Cry," struck me from the first listen because it is explicitly about how soldiers are used as pawns. America was still reeling from the effects of the Vietnam War in the early '80s, and those effects had to have been felt in Canada as well. The song laments why so many people were put in danger for no reason.

The search goes on
For truth in everyone
Numbers on the wall
Counting sad young faces, count them all

Hoo, the thrill of the fight
Killing's such a noble deed
And John said, "Love is all we need"

Should we forget
Or pause a moment to regret
Where have we been?
I see things I wish I'd never seen

So many, many miles from home
Oh Lord, have mercy on my soul
I think the loneliest man in the world is a soldier


There is no pulling punches with the music, either. Guitars and drums are loud and staccato at the outset, and the slower parts feature some of Moore's most compelling singing. The chorus is pure anguish, and the expressiveness of Emmett's guitar solo matches that. The second half of the song basically repeats the structure of the first half, except this time the guitar solo is more understated and fades out.

Never Surrender surprised me by how well it has held up. It doesn't seem to be considered one of their essential albums, but it may be their most consistent record -- of its seven songs with vocals, five made my top 31 and a sixth made my Last 5 Out. Part of the reason is that the record has more of a feeling of anger and urgency than the rest of their catalog, and a no-nonsense production style that has aged well. I can't imagine what spurred the former other than their dissatisfaction with RCA, which would culminate in a lawsuit that the band ended up losing.

There are no documented live performances of Battle Cry, which makes sense because there was no room for downer songs at Triumph shows, the whole point of which was to make everyone feel good about rock and roll, and themselves.

At #25, a song that was definitely designed to make people feel good about rock and roll.
Never Surrender has always been my favorite album of theirs, probably because that was basically when I first discovered them and played it constantly. Definitely had a bit of an edge, but that was a function of the times in 1982.

Love Gil's vocals and Rik's crunchy guitar on this one.
 
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The Bee GeeszamboniYou Stepped Into My Life
Their 1976 album Children of the World marked the Bee Gees at probably their funkiest (as @Pip's Invitation alluded to above) and this song is a highlight off it. Maurice once again demonstrating his underrated bass chops that were so instrumental in underpinning their sound, accompanied by groovy keyboard and guitar licks by longtime collaborators Blue Weaver and Alan Kendall, respectively. The album proved to be precursor of what would come the following year.
 
26.

Song: Heavy Metal Drummer
Artist: Wilco
Album: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Year: 2003


I miss the innocence I've known
Playing KISS covers, beautiful and stoned



"Heavy Metal Drummer" is one of the more popular WIlco songs from their most popular album. Written by Jeff Tweedy and Jay Bennett, it was released off their critically acclaimed 2002 album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The lyrics describe a nostalgic reminiscence of "those heavy metal bands" Tweedy used to go see "on the landing in the summer", and the loss of "the innocence [he'd] known".
 
Mötley CrüeJWBBad Boy Boogie

Back to the 80's!

This is a good example of an average song on any 80's Crüe album being better than their stuff from the mid 90's on. Classic Crüe off the Girls Girlks Girls album, it's 3.5 minutes of a catchy riff and lewd lyrics about girls (basically a warning to lock up your daughters when MC comes to town).
 
#26. Funkadelic - "Can You Get To That"

There's a lovely acoustic guitar bit to open this record, then it's all vocals and drums. The voice arrangement is unbelievable. Clinton's upbringing in gospel and doo w0p are more apparent here than any other P-Funk song I can think of. Stingray Davis' bass parts are brought up from below hell. Mavis Staples did a fantastic cover of this a few years ago and didn't change much of anything. My only complaint is that the song is too short.

Next, the ladies get to shine.

Fun song, and sooooo 70's!
 
Marr #26 (Collaboration #9) - Electronic - "Late at Night" (1999)

Electronic, Johnny's band with fellow Mancunian and New Order frontman Bernard Sumner was Marr's longest running collaboration. They were together for a decade although they only released three albums during this time. They never toured much because Sumner was afraid of flying and Johnny wanted to stay close to home and his young family. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe of Pet Shop Boys and Karl Bartos were unofficial members of Electronic at various points during their run but Marr and Sumner were the only constants.

One of the problems with being a sideman is that a band tends to take on the sound and personality of its frontman. Johnny experienced this with Morrissey and then teamed up with an equally distinctive voice in Sumner. This song sounds a lot like New Order albeit with much more prominent guitars courtesy of Johnny. The lyrics are a slice of late 90s optimism and recall a time when so much seemed possible.

"Late at Night" was the last single released under the Electronic name and was included on their final album Twisted Tenderness. The album wasn't released in the US until years later due to problems with the record label.

 
Yes #26 - It Can Happen
Album - 90125 (1983)

As I mentioned in my initial writeup, 90125 was one of my favorite albums in my early HS years and it is well represented on my list, starting with this one.

When the band broke up, Squire, White, and Rabin formed the band Cinema and this was originally one of their songs. When they got back together with Anderson, Horn, and Kaye to re-form Yes, this song was re-recorded and included on 90125.

This was released as a single and actually did pretty well on some of the charts.
We must be about the same age because I listened to this album a lot in 9th grade. I'm also enjoying hearing these Yes songs again.
 
Marr #26 (Collaboration #9) - Electronic - "Late at Night" (1999)

Electronic, Johnny's band with fellow Mancunian and New Order frontman Bernard Sumner was Marr's longest running collaboration. They were together for a decade although they only released three albums during this time. They never toured much because Sumner was afraid of flying and Johnny wanted to stay close to home and his young family. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe of Pet Shop Boys and Karl Bartos were unofficial members of Electronic at various points during their run but Marr and Sumner were the only constants.

One of the problems with being a sideman is that a band tends to take on the sound and personality of its frontman. Johnny experienced this with Morrissey and then teamed up with an equally distinctive voice in Sumner. This song sounds a lot like New Order albeit with much more prominent guitars courtesy of Johnny. The lyrics are a slice of late 90s optimism and recall a time when so much seemed possible.

"Late at Night" was the last single released under the Electronic name and was included on their final album Twisted Tenderness. The album wasn't released in the US until years later due to problems with the record label.

One of the ideas on my short list for a future round was trying to center around the Electronic connection to get both New Order and Pet Shop Boys.
 
Marr #26 (Collaboration #9) - Electronic - "Late at Night" (1999)

Electronic, Johnny's band with fellow Mancunian and New Order frontman Bernard Sumner was Marr's longest running collaboration. They were together for a decade although they only released three albums during this time. They never toured much because Sumner was afraid of flying and Johnny wanted to stay close to home and his young family. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe of Pet Shop Boys and Karl Bartos were unofficial members of Electronic at various points during their run but Marr and Sumner were the only constants.

One of the problems with being a sideman is that a band tends to take on the sound and personality of its frontman. Johnny experienced this with Morrissey and then teamed up with an equally distinctive voice in Sumner. This song sounds a lot like New Order albeit with much more prominent guitars courtesy of Johnny. The lyrics are a slice of late 90s optimism and recall a time when so much seemed possible.

"Late at Night" was the last single released under the Electronic name and was included on their final album Twisted Tenderness. The album wasn't released in the US until years later due to problems with the record label.

One of the ideas on my short list for a future round was trying to center around the Electronic connection to get both New Order and Pet Shop Boys.
Make it work. That's why I picked Annie Lennox. The Eurythmics catalogue is just not that big.
 
Marr #26 (Collaboration #9) - Electronic - "Late at Night" (1999)

Electronic, Johnny's band with fellow Mancunian and New Order frontman Bernard Sumner was Marr's longest running collaboration. They were together for a decade although they only released three albums during this time. They never toured much because Sumner was afraid of flying and Johnny wanted to stay close to home and his young family. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe of Pet Shop Boys and Karl Bartos were unofficial members of Electronic at various points during their run but Marr and Sumner were the only constants.

One of the problems with being a sideman is that a band tends to take on the sound and personality of its frontman. Johnny experienced this with Morrissey and then teamed up with an equally distinctive voice in Sumner. This song sounds a lot like New Order albeit with much more prominent guitars courtesy of Johnny. The lyrics are a slice of late 90s optimism and recall a time when so much seemed possible.

"Late at Night" was the last single released under the Electronic name and was included on their final album Twisted Tenderness. The album wasn't released in the US until years later due to problems with the record label.

One of the ideas on my short list for a future round was trying to center around the Electronic connection to get both New Order and Pet Shop Boys.
I have considered the Pet Shop Boys. The problem is they are still releasing new and decent material and are reasonably prolific.
I couldnt possibly get the list down to 31. Unless i split it into decdes.

As for Electronic, big fan of the first 2 albums. I do have the third album, but only listened to it once
Id have at least 6 tracks from the self titled LP. Love Idiot Country
 
Marr #26 (Collaboration #9) - Electronic - "Late at Night" (1999)

Electronic, Johnny's band with fellow Mancunian and New Order frontman Bernard Sumner was Marr's longest running collaboration. They were together for a decade although they only released three albums during this time. They never toured much because Sumner was afraid of flying and Johnny wanted to stay close to home and his young family. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe of Pet Shop Boys and Karl Bartos were unofficial members of Electronic at various points during their run but Marr and Sumner were the only constants.

One of the problems with being a sideman is that a band tends to take on the sound and personality of its frontman. Johnny experienced this with Morrissey and then teamed up with an equally distinctive voice in Sumner. This song sounds a lot like New Order albeit with much more prominent guitars courtesy of Johnny. The lyrics are a slice of late 90s optimism and recall a time when so much seemed possible.

"Late at Night" was the last single released under the Electronic name and was included on their final album Twisted Tenderness. The album wasn't released in the US until years later due to problems with the record label.

One of the ideas on my short list for a future round was trying to center around the Electronic connection to get both New Order and Pet Shop Boys.
I have considered the Pet Shop Boys. The problem is they are still releasing new and decent material and are reasonably prolific.
I couldnt possibly get the list down to 31. Unless i split it into decdes.

As for Electronic, big fan of the first 2 albums. I do have the third album, but only listened to it once
Id have at least 6 tracks from the self titled LP. Love Idiot Country

I never really dug deep in Electronic's catalog until this exercise. The albums are OK but I think the pairing of Marr and Sumner sounds better on paper than on disc. Johnny considered them a singles band and I agree with him. UK dance music changed a lot during the 90s and Electronic tried a number of styles to try to keep up with the times. Some of their experiments worked better than others.

I read an interview where Marr said he's played on more Pet Shop Boys albums than he did with any other band. I think they're tied with the Smiths but Johnny should know I guess. I listened to all his PSB guest appearances but I couldn't find one where his contribution stood out enough to make my collaborations top ten.
 
5 New

  • Four Provinces - The Walkmen
  • We Were Kings - Ryan Starr
  • Pontiac - Fred Eaglesmith
  • Late at Night - Electronic
  • Meu Pais - Tim Maia

5 Known

  • It Can Happen - Yes
  • Overpowered by Funk - The Clash
  • Can You Get to That - Funkadelic
  • Oceans - Pearl Jam
  • Spiderweb - Built to Spill
I Will Turn You inside Out should have made the known list - one of the favorites and it's arguably the heaviest R.E.M. song.
 
Marr #26 (Collaboration #9) - Electronic - "Late at Night" (1999)

Electronic, Johnny's band with fellow Mancunian and New Order frontman Bernard Sumner was Marr's longest running collaboration. They were together for a decade although they only released three albums during this time. They never toured much because Sumner was afraid of flying and Johnny wanted to stay close to home and his young family. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe of Pet Shop Boys and Karl Bartos were unofficial members of Electronic at various points during their run but Marr and Sumner were the only constants.

One of the problems with being a sideman is that a band tends to take on the sound and personality of its frontman. Johnny experienced this with Morrissey and then teamed up with an equally distinctive voice in Sumner. This song sounds a lot like New Order albeit with much more prominent guitars courtesy of Johnny. The lyrics are a slice of late 90s optimism and recall a time when so much seemed possible.

"Late at Night" was the last single released under the Electronic name and was included on their final album Twisted Tenderness. The album wasn't released in the US until years later due to problems with the record label.

One of the ideas on my short list for a future round was trying to center around the Electronic connection to get both New Order and Pet Shop Boys.
I have considered the Pet Shop Boys. The problem is they are still releasing new and decent material and are reasonably prolific.
I couldnt possibly get the list down to 31. Unless i split it into decdes.

As for Electronic, big fan of the first 2 albums. I do have the third album, but only listened to it once
Id have at least 6 tracks from the self titled LP. Love Idiot Country

I never really dug deep in Electronic's catalog until this exercise. The albums are OK but I think the pairing of Marr and Sumner sounds better on paper than on disc. Johnny considered them a singles band and I agree with him. UK dance music changed a lot during the 90s and Electronic tried a number of styles to try to keep up with the times. Some of their experiments worked better than others.

I read an interview where Marr said he's played on more Pet Shop Boys albums than he did with any other band. I think they're tied with the Smiths but Johnny should know I guess. I listened to all his PSB guest appearances but I couldn't find one where his contribution stood out enough to make my collaborations top ten.
I think Marr just likes Chris and Neil from the Pet Shop Boys. Hanging with his mates kinda thing.
The PSB have their own style and guitar doesnt really feature. I could t identify any PSB track and think thats great guitar work.

I get your point about Electronic. I think the first album is chock full of singles that dont make a terribly cohesive album, outside a bunch of good songs together. It is one of my fave 90s albums. Well behind Parklife though
 
#29 - All I Need, #28 - Nude

Going to group these two from the same album together as I think they share a lot of similarities. Same album, same half of the album, both kind of getting lumped into the same sort of category where I'm thinking on a first relisten in a while the following: Is it a decent song? Yes. Does it have a lot going on in it? Nope, in both cases the amount that's happening in the track beyond Thom's vocals isn't huge. Was that enough to make me not instantly say yes on a first cut down? Seemingly so. Is it that big of a deal that it should prevent them from being upgrades in the event I can't fill a 31 straight off the bat? Nope. So here they are.

#27 - 2+2=5

The opening track off of Hail to the Thief, it's the first many may have heard following the divergence of style that was the Kid A/Amnesiac arc, and while it starts out somewhat quiet, it quickly kicks in to one of the more standard guitar/drum featuring tracks you might have expected to find on their first three albums. As such, it's a nice wake up call and "ok wtf are they doing" notice serving track to kick off the album

#26 - How Do You

I think this finishes off the "top up" list, although I think #25 is also a top up B-side selection. This one is probably overlooked by a bunch of people, being an album track off what many perceive to be the Creep album (it's literally the next track after it), and that it comes in, does its work and gets out of the way pretty quickly, clocking in at just over 2 minutes, but I think there's enough about it for it to warrant an upgrade to the list. Simple early 90's indie rock formula, does things, doesn't waste a bunch of time doing so, move on to the next track, and there's very much a place for that. Which I call #26
 

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