MAD's ROUND 2!! # 1's have been posted!! (12 Viewers)

[Ilov80s]

Although some people might have made mistakes
They might have arrived to an appearance that bears no relationship to them
They might have picked an ideal appearance based on some childish whim
Or a momentary impulse
Some may have gotten half way there
And then changed their minds
He wonders if he too might have made a similar mistake

I don't know the Talking Heads very well. Whether this is a planned blind spot or whether they're just a group that doesn't rock enough or dance hard enough is up for me to debate with myself. All I know is that Byrne's lyrics, whenever reprinted, tend to be among the best rock lyrics I've read.

You, kupcho1, being a lover of books and eager reader, have picked two bands so far like that. The Decemberists and Talking Heads. I've enjoyed them and their lyrical stylings, and usually I could give a whit about what any pop band has to say in their lyrics. I think this round of MAD has musicians with quite a lot to say (not that last round didn't, but critical acclaim follows some of the acts here more in that respect) and I'll be interested in a bunch of them.

I am surprised and excited to see that you aren't too up on Talking Heads. I think lyrics, rock and dance and think about as well any band has managed to blend the three. This could be cool seeing you enter this territory.

 

[Ilov80s]

#30. I knew very little from this round.

Fourth of July (live) -- a stunner. I realize we're getting a lot of Sufjan's very best early because ilov80s Binky'd his list

Yes and No. I do consider Fourth of July and Chicago to be among the best songs of Sufjan's but my list isn't a ranked list. It's done by chunks of songs from his best albums with some random/idiosyncratic stuff breaking the albums apart. So while I've came out guns blazing (minus maybe the Christmas song that had a place more for the time of year I thought it would post) I don't think this means it's a negative trajectory from here.

 

[Mt. Man]

Selected favorites from the #29s. Shuffled again, because why not? I think this was a bit stronger of a round than #30, as much as that might not be surprising.

–
Familiar songs:
We Care A Lot - Faith No More
Rock & Roll Woman - Buffalo Springfield (/CSN)
To Love Somebody - Nina Simone
Everybody’s Talkin’ - Jimmy Buffett
Let’s Dance - David Bowie

New discoveries:
Open Door - Mike Shinoda
Mas Y Mas - Los Lobos
Make Yourself - Incubus
Little Girl in Bloom - Thin Lizzy
Chelsea Rogers - Prince

Shuffle adventures:
Near the halfway point, shuffle hit me with the combo of Petty/Cheap Trick/New Pornographers/QotSA. Very much a great section.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

EXTRA SURPRISE BONUS TRACK!!!

In case we've already forgotten, one of the bands that had a hand in creating The Seldom Scene included Roy Clark. His talent, as we saw already, was too big to be contained to a regional bluegrass band, so at some point he struck out on his own and found his way into the national spotlight. This link is to one of his early appearances, on the Jimmy Dean Show. I only stumbled on this clip after submitting my list, but felt it deserved some love here. I get a vibe from him similar to what Chris Pratt was going for when he was on Parks and Rec. Any musicians out there should appreciate the difficulty of what he was doing here. Hope y'all enjoy...

Roy sure was a god. He was also a major goober. He always ranks in my top ten guitarists. I really miss him.

To me, his talent sort of had the same kind of 'mania' that Robin Williams had, like his mind was maybe moving too fast for the moment and he worked himself harder to try and hold their attention while setting up the next laugh, when in fact the audience was trying to figure out what they just saw yet also trying to keep up with the next thing. Maybe that was how he compensated for being a goober.

Roy had a little vacation house in Deale Beach, about 2 miles from where I grew up. Used to see him in the grocery store every once in a while when I was a kid.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Rock and Roll Woman

Rock & Roll Woman

Buffalo Springfield · Buffalo Springfield Again · Song · 1967

open.spotify.com

For today's CSNY, we go to Buffalo Springfield - Rock and Roll Woman. It's a Stills song, and there's talk that Crosby was involved somewhat, even though he was solidly in the Byrds at the time. To me, it's one of those songs that should have been bigger than it was - the riff is pretty darn catchy. But a lot of Springfield songs are like that - the ultimate shoulda/woulda/coulda band.

Their label didn't really know what to do with them, and the turmoil between Stills and Young (which led to Young leaving the band several times during its brief history) didn't help either. I suspect Ahmet Ertegun suggested that Stills draft Young into CSN because he realized he had "blown it" with Springfield.

The bolded is the biggest reason, IMO, but they also came along during one of the most fertile times for pop music and there just wasn't room on the charts for everyone.

 

[rockaction]

This link is to one of his early appearances, on the Jimmy Dean Show. I only stumbled on this clip after submitting my list, but felt it deserved some love here.

Awesome clip. Fun.

 

[Tau837]

I listened to the #29 playlist.

Excluding my own song, I already knew that I liked these songs:

• David Bowie - Let's Dance
• Incubus - Make Yourself

On first listen to this playlist, these were the unfamiliar songs I liked the best:

• Sia, Zero 7 - Somersault - 2 out of 3 songs that made my highlight lists so far; really enjoyable
• Sufjan Stevens - Chicago - again, 2 out of 3 songs that made my highlight lists so far; awesome song
• Nathaniel Rateliff - Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain - again, 2 out of 3 songs that made my highlight lists so far; another awesome song

Another great playlist. Again, there were many other songs I enjoyed, they just didn't rise to the same level for me as the ones I highlighted here.

I really enjoyed the previous MAD countdown, but this one is off to an even better start for my taste.

 

[JMLs secret identity]

Nope, I double checked and it's all correct for me.

Great song, though. I got to hear a couple of versions of it! I liked the version YouTube went to that was a Top Of The Pops looking thing.

Now it'll be in my head today.

I've got a pocket full of pretty green
I'm gonna put it in the fruit machine
I'm gonna put it in the jukebox
It's gonna play all the records in the hit parade

Just one question for Weller: If everything is in the pound or the fist, couldn't that fist belong to communism as well? Just ask a Russian farmer. . .

Okay, okay. I had to.

That little political interlude was more like Soylent Green, amirite?

We forgot to cover one important aspect of this discussion: What the heck is a fruit machine?

Slot machine. Poker Machine. Pokies. One Arm Bandits
British people are just more literal

Slot machine - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Salteriffic]

This playlist is like the first time I heard college radio in the 90s just the weird wild cool stuff that was unexpected. Super fun. Chicago smashed against Jorge Ben jor- now I have to go write a poem about my soul…

 

[Sullie]

We used to watch re-runs of The Odd Couple when I was a kid but I don't remember this. This popped up in my recommended and I was blown away by this. My apologies if this is Honda from this thread, other threads or from years ago.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

We used to watch re-runs of The Odd Couple when I was a kid but I don't remember this. This popped up in my recommended and I was blown away by this. My apologies if this is Honda from this thread, other threads or from years ago.

I've linked it before. That pretty much explains why Glen Campbell said they had an agreement- he didn't play the Malaguena, and Clark didn't play "Classical Gas".

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

The Tchaikovsky is a great palate cleanser.

This rendition of Elvira by Home Free might be good, too.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

EXTRA SURPRISE BONUS TRACK!!!

In case we've already forgotten, one of the bands that had a hand in creating The Seldom Scene included Roy Clark. His talent, as we saw already, was too big to be contained to a regional bluegrass band, so at some point he struck out on his own and found his way into the national spotlight. This link is to one of his early appearances, on the Jimmy Dean Show. I only stumbled on this clip after submitting my list, but felt it deserved some love here. I get a vibe from him similar to what Chris Pratt was going for when he was on Parks and Rec. Any musicians out there should appreciate the difficulty of what he was doing here. Hope y'all enjoy...

Roy sure was a god. He was also a major goober. He always ranks in my top ten guitarists. I really miss him.

I remember my dad embarrassing me as a kid when he commented on my friend’s Jimi Hendrix T-shirt by telling him “Roy Clark was a better guitar player [than Jimi].”

 

[snellman]

Here is a clip of Kid Rock covering Rod Stewart's Maggie at a concert. The Video isn't great, but the audio isn't bad and he knocks it out of the park.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Round 29

Top 5 Songs "New To Me"

1. Never Thought - Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers
2. Strange Victory, Strange Defeat - Silver Jews
3. Mas Y Mas - Los Lobos
4. Whiskey Tango - Tanya Donnelly
5. Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk - The New Pornographers

Top 5 Songs "Known To Me"

1. Chicago - Sufjan Stevens
2. Underground - Ben Folds Five
3. Change - Tears For Fears
4. When The Time Comes - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
5. Rock & Roll Woman - Buffalo Springfield

Other Notes

• I guess, unsurprisingly, I find myself drifting to the music that's most similar to what I gravitate towards now, generally. Here that will be Neko Case, The New Pornographers, Roger Clyne and the Silver Jews/Purple Mountain based on three songs in. Honestly, it's really tough for me to cut down to only 5 songs each round. On the "New To Me" side QOTSA - "Mule", Royksopp - "Bounty Hunters" and Kid Rock "Johnny Cash" were tough to keep off. Same for the Jam, Mellencamp, Faith No More and Bowie in the "Known To Me" bracket.
• I loved the Jett/Cyrus/Grace version of "Androgynous" (even sent some YouTube vidoes of it around in texts). On the slipside while I love Cornell and love the song "Patience", somehow Cornell's perfect voice didn't work on this song for me and I missed Axl's screeching (actually he sounds good on it).
• Cover songs are harder for me to rank, especially when I already know the song, but not that version.

 

[MAC_32]

Incubus - Make Yourself

Sorry for the late NSFW warning. Hopefully, none of you were blaring that around small humans. I don't think much needs written about this track as unlike many Incubus tracks its message is overt. If I were ranking this in favorites order this would be top 5, but since I'm not I thought it was important this roll out early as if you are unfamiliar with and like this then you'll like a lot more of what's to come.

 

[tuffnutt]

29.
Rumbleseat- John Mellencamp
from Scarecrow Album

"Rumbleseat" was the fifth and final single off John's 8th studio album "Scarecrow" and our 2nd of 6 songs on this list... The single peaked at #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart.

The rumble seat was usually on the back of the car, exposed to the outside elements. It would fold open and close as needed. John took this idea and composed a song comparing his life to that seat. Not his best effort, but a catchy, simple pop song that is typical of John's style... equal parts nostalgia and small town living that Ive always liked.

 

[scorchy]

The 29s - Known Knowns

Gold: We Care A Lot by Faith No More. In hindsight, probably the right decision by FNM to fire Chuck Mosley, but this will always be my favorite track of theirs.
Silver: Pretty Green by The Jam. I never heard the original till a cover by MAD favorite Mark Ronson led me to seek it out.
Bronze: When The Time Comes by Tom Petty.

Known Unknowns (expanded for the reverse scenario where I know the song but not really the performer)

Gold: To Love Somebody by Nina Simone.
Silver: Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk by New Pornographers. I'm a sucker for handclaps.
Bronze: Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain by Nathaniel Rateliff.

Unknown Unknowns

Gold: bmbmbm by Black Midi. I don't know wtf is going on here, but I listened three times b/c I'm so intrigued.
Silver: Strange Victory, Strange Defeat by Silver Jews.
Bronze: Open Door by Mike Shinoda. TBH, Linkin Park-esque music isn't in my wheelhouse (maybe by association) but definitely giving it a chance. I liked this a bunch, even if it's not necessarily something I would seek out.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

EXTRA SURPRISE BONUS TRACK!!!

In case we've already forgotten, one of the bands that had a hand in creating The Seldom Scene included Roy Clark. His talent, as we saw already, was too big to be contained to a regional bluegrass band, so at some point he struck out on his own and found his way into the national spotlight. This link is to one of his early appearances, on the Jimmy Dean Show. I only stumbled on this clip after submitting my list, but felt it deserved some love here. I get a vibe from him similar to what Chris Pratt was going for when he was on Parks and Rec. Any musicians out there should appreciate the difficulty of what he was doing here. Hope y'all enjoy...

Roy sure was a god. He was also a major goober. He always ranks in my top ten guitarists. I really miss him.

I remember my dad embarrassing me as a kid when he commented on my friend’s Jimi Hendrix T-shirt by telling him “Roy Clark was a better guitar player [than Jimi].”

I agree with him.

 

[Northern Voice]

#29 - THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS - SWEET TALK, SWEET TALK

Returning to 2010's Together for a second and final time (this list will end up pretty heavy on the first four albums by the end, this was the best "classic" New Pornographers song on the album. We get a nice slow build up that sounds like a clock ticking, then in come the trademark harmonies and a terrific vocal performance by the underrated "other" female lead vocalist - Kathryn Calder (Neko and Carl Newman are in the mix here as well).

Add in a big chorus and some handclaps and this was the highlight of the album IMO.


The New Pornographers Top 31 by the Numbers

Albums Represented:

Challengers (2007) - 1
Together (2010) - 2


Song Writers:

Carl Newman - 3


Lead Singers:

Neko Case - 2
Kathryn Calder - 1

 

[tuffnutt]

Ok playing catchup already argh...

from the 30s list...

Songs I already knew and love:

China Girl- Bowie
Long Time Gone- CSN
Are you In?- Incubus
Clay Pigeons- John Prine - Blaze Foley cover... one of best (and saddest) songs ever written... one of my all time favs

Some of my favorite new to me from this round:

Primer Coat- Drive by Truckers
Empty Highway Roger Clyne... really enjoyed this one
Lick a message- Kim Mitchell
Distractions- Sia/zero 7... Im digging her stuff so far
Sol Invictus- Faith No more- a band I know, but only a couple songs
Someday- Los Lobos... I think I knew 1 song from them before this.

on to the 29s

 

[Eephus]

I've been out of town and then time-limited on dog walking by unseasonably hot temps in San Francisco. I've managed to fall 500 posts behind in this thread and would have given out many likes if I hadn't bailed on trying to catch up.

I listened to the #29s a bit today and will try to jump in with the next

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

A lovely song about beans. The gospel chorus is a nice touch.

 

[KarmaPolice]

#28s sent.

@-OZ- I couldn't find your song on spotify. I saw the youtube link had another artist with it, and I added a version with them instead. Don't know if Buffett is on the Spotify version, so let me know if I should drop it. @JMLs secret identity, i didn't see your song on youtube, either .

 

[KarmaPolice]

As I double checked - @Northern Voice , your song title and link don't match up. I used the spotify link so let me know if I need to make an adjustment there as well.

 

[JMLs secret identity]

#28s sent.

@-OZ- I couldn't find your song on spotify. I saw the youtube link had another artist with it, and I added a version with them instead. Don't know if Buffett is on the Spotify version, so let me know if I should drop it. @JMLs secret identity, i didn't see your song on youtube, either .

It was included on the list. Here it is again

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

m.youtube.com

 

[KarmaPolice]

#28s sent.

@-OZ- I couldn't find your song on spotify. I saw the youtube link had another artist with it, and I added a version with them instead. Don't know if Buffett is on the Spotify version, so let me know if I should drop it. @JMLs secret identity, i didn't see your song on youtube, either .

It was included on the list. Here it is again

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

m.youtube.com

LOL, doh - I meant I didn't see it on Spotify.

 

[JMLs secret identity]

#28s sent.

@-OZ- I couldn't find your song on spotify. I saw the youtube link had another artist with it, and I added a version with them instead. Don't know if Buffett is on the Spotify version, so let me know if I should drop it. @JMLs secret identity, i didn't see your song on youtube, either .

It was included on the list. Here it is again

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

m.youtube.com

LOL, doh - I meant I didn't see it on Spotify.

Yeah, doesnt look like its there. Some doofus called his playlist that without including the song itself.

 

[KarmaPolice]

#28s sent.

@-OZ- I couldn't find your song on spotify. I saw the youtube link had another artist with it, and I added a version with them instead. Don't know if Buffett is on the Spotify version, so let me know if I should drop it. @JMLs secret identity, i didn't see your song on youtube, either .

It was included on the list. Here it is again

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

m.youtube.com

LOL, doh - I meant I didn't see it on Spotify.

Yeah, doesnt look like its there. Some doofus called his playlist that without including the song itself.

That happens too often.

 

[Zegras11]

#28's PLAYLIST

		#28 -
Prince	Ramsay Hunt Experience	The Holy River The Holy River Prince · Song · 1996 open.spotify.com Prince - Chelsea Rodgers 'Chelsea Rodgers' by Prince, off of "Planet Earth"Listen to the album: https://Prince.lnk.to/planetearth!crListen to your favorite Prince tracks, all in one ... youtu.be
Tanya Donelly	plinko	VivaKaraoke Swan Song Series Vol. 3, 2013 VivaKaraoke Tanya Donelly · Song · 2013 open.spotify.com
Talking Heads	kupcho1	Mind Mind Talking Heads · Song · 1979 open.spotify.com
Sia Furler	Scoresman	Speed Dial No. 2 (Zero 7) Speed Dial No. 2 Zero 7, Sia · Song · 2004 open.spotify.com
Los Lobos	eephus	Sabor A Mi Sabor A Mi Los Lobos · Song · 1993 open.spotify.com
The Seldom Scene	Charlie Steiner
Kid Rock	snellman	Trucker Anthem (NSFW) Trucker Anthem Kid Rock · Song · 2001 open.spotify.com
Against Me!	scorchy	Strip Mall Parking Lots (Goldentone Studio version) Strip Mall Parking Lots (Goldentone Studio Version) Against Me! · Song · 2011 open.spotify.com
Mastodon	KarmaPolice	Show Yourself Show Yourself Mastodon · Song · 2017 open.spotify.com Mastodon - Show Yourself [Official Music Video] Watch the official music video for Show Yourself by Mastodon from the album Emperor of Sand.🔔 Subscribe to the channel: https://youtube.com/mastodonmusic?su... www.youtube.com
Neko Case	Mister CIA	Deep Red Bells Neko Case - Deep Red Bells From Blacklisted (2002).................................He led you to this hiding placeHis lightening threats spun silver tonguesThe red bells beckon you to ... www.youtube.com
Faith No More	JBBreakfastClub	Midnight Cowboy Midnight Cowboy (Theme From) Faith No More · Song · 1992 open.spotify.com
black midi	Juxtatarot	[skip]
Nina Simone	Don Quixote	Nobody’s Fault But Mine, from Nina Simone and Piano! Nina Simone - Nobody's Fault but Mine (Audio) Listen to the Audio for "Nobody's Fault but Mine" by Nina SimoneListen to Nina Simone: https://NinaSimone.lnk.to/listenYDSubscribe to the official Nina Simon... youtu.be Nobody's Fault but Mine Nina Simone · Song · 1969 open.spotify.com
Beastie Boys	Yo Mama	The Sounds of Science The Sounds Of Science Beastie Boys · Song · 1989 open.spotify.com
Drive-By Truckers	Dr. Octopus	Easy On Yourself Easy On Yourself Drive-By Truckers · Song · 2006 open.spotify.com
Jimmy Buffet	-OZ-	Where the boat leaves Where the Boat Leaves From Zac Brown Band · Song · 2008 open.spotify.com Jimmy Buffett ft Zac Brown - Where The Boat Leaves From Jimmy Buffett and Zac Brown perform Where The Boat Leaves From at Lakewood in Atlanta - Apr 27, 2010 www.youtube.com
The Jam	Pip's Invitation	Bricks and Mortar Bricks And Mortar The Jam · Song · 1977 open.spotify.com
Röyksopp	JMLs secret identity	28 - Cry Baby (By Spiller - Röyksopp's Malselves Memorabilia Mix) Spiller - Cry Baby (Röyksopp's Malselves Memorabilia Mix) Spiller - Cry Baby (Röyksopp's Malselves Memorabilia Mix) m.youtube.com
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds	salteriffic	Tupelo https://open.spotify.com/track/02TlBa3Yd1NEJtZP016QAB?si=68adcb2c100e47a5
CSNY	jwb	Dark Star Dark Star Crosby, Stills & Nash · CSN · Song · 1977 open.spotify.com
Roger Clyne	Mt. Man	Ain't Got the Words Ain't Got the Words Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers · Song · 2014 open.spotify.com
David Berman	The Dreaded Marco	I Remember Me Silver Jews - I Remember Me Silver Jews"I Remember Me"Bright Flight, 2001 www.youtube.com
David Bowie	Binky the Doormat	Modern Love - YouTube Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. www.youtube.com
Pointer Sisters	Mrs. Rannous	As I Come Of Age As I Come Of Age Provided to YouTube by Legacy RecordingsAs I Come Of Age · The Pointer SistersEnergy (Expanded Edition)℗ 1978 BMG MusicReleased on: 2010-04-26Composer, Lyric... www.youtube.com As I Come Of Age The Pointer Sisters · Song · 1978 open.spotify.com
Incubus	MAC_32	Pantomime Pantomime Incubus · Song · 2012 open.spotify.com
John Mellencamp	tuffnutt	Just Another Day John Mellencamp - Just Another Day Music video by John Mellencamp performing Just Another Day. (C) 1996 John Mellencamp under exclusive license to the Island Def Jam Music Group#JohnMellencamp... www.youtube.com
Sufjan Stevens	Ilov80s	They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors! They Have Come Back From ther Dead!! AHHHHHH! They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From the Dead!! Ahhhh! Sufjan Stevens · Song · 2005 open.spotify.com
Mike Shinoda	Just Win Baby	A Light That Never Comes - YouTube Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. www.youtube.com
Chris Cornell	Raging Weasel	Promise Promise Slash, Chris Cornell · Song · 2018 open.spotify.com
Josh Homme	titusbramble	Like Clockwork ...Like Clockwork Queens of the Stone Age · Song · 2013 open.spotify.com
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats	AAABatteries	Brakeman Brakeman Nathaniel Rateliff · In Memory Of Loss (Deluxe Edition) · Song · 2017 open.spotify.com - YouTube Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. youtu.be
Kim Mitchell	Sullie	Ain't Life Amazing Ain't Life Amazing Provided to YouTube by MNRK Music GroupAin't Life Amazing · Kim Mitchell · Greg Morrow · Ken Spider Sinneve · Kim Micthell · Peter Fredette · Joe HardyAin't ... www.youtube.com
Thin Lizzy	zamboni	Hollywood (Down On Your Luck) Hollywood (Down on Your Luck) Provided to YouTube by Rhino/Warner RecordsHollywood (Down on Your Luck) · Thin LizzyRenegade℗ 1981 Warner Records Inc.Writer: Phil LynottWriter: Scott Gorha... www.youtube.com
Collective Soul	falguy	Needs Needs Collective Soul · Song · 1999 open.spotify.com
Tears for Fears	John Maddens Lunchbox	Everybody Loves a Happy Ending (Vocals Roland) TEARS FOR FEARS - Everybody Loves a Happy Ending (2004) Taken from the album "Everybody Loves a Happy Ending" (2004)Roland Orzabal - vocals, guitar, keyboardsCurt Smith - bass, backing vocalsCharlton Pettus - keyb... m.youtube.com
Cheap Trick	FairWarning	Little Sister Little Sister Cheap Trick · Song · 1985 open.spotify.com
John Prine	landrys hat	Mexican Home Mexican Home John Prine · Song · 1973 open.spotify.com
Ben Folds	Hov34	Late Late Ben Folds · Song · 2005 open.spotify.com
Tom Petty	Zegras11	You Got Lucky You Got Lucky Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers · Long After Dark · Song · 1982 open.spotify.com
Scott Hutchison	sneveneleven	Keep Yourself Warm Frightened Rabbit - Keep Yourself Warm www.youtube.com
The New Pornographers	Northern Voice	Unguided Challengers The New Pornographers · Song · 2007 open.spotify.com
John Lee Hooker	DrIan Malcolm	Burning Hell Burnin' Hell John Lee Hooker · Song · 2017 open.spotify.com
Rainbow	Sam Quentin	Black Masquerade https://open.spotify.com/track/0TjGoPLIm2fieNuMidmpSr?si=bdfd2e9bca2d4ff7
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky	zazale	Swan Lake, Op. 20, Act II No. 13, Danses des cygnes: IV. Allegro moderato Swan Lake, Op. 20, Act II No. 13, Danses des cygnes: IV. Allegro moderato Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, James Ehnes, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi · Song · 2013 open.spotify.com

 

[kupcho1]

Talking Heads
#28 Mind

Drugs won't change you, religion won't change you
I haven't got the faintest idea
Everything seems to be up in the air at this time

Another retrospective review (published 2020) from Pitchfork for Fear of Music (1979).

“Everything seems to be up in the air at this time," Byrne observed mildly on “Mind,” with deadpan irony. On Fear of Music, he became our metaphysical straight man, able to defamiliarize the world, object by object, with his through-a-telescope gaze and his curious tone. He describes his “Mind” like some peculiar object that has crash-landed in his living room. “Drugs won’t change you/Religion won’t change you/What’s the matter with you?/I haven’t got the faintest idea,” Byrne mutters.

I don't know why, but I just love how he sings "Mind" at the end of the chorus. Great guitar work too.

 

[Northern Voice]

As I double checked - @Northern Voice , your song title and link don't match up. I used the spotify link so let me know if I need to make an adjustment there as well.

Yeah the song should be Unguided (from the same album)

 

[KarmaPolice]

As I double checked - @Northern Voice , your song title and link don't match up. I used the spotify link so let me know if I need to make an adjustment there as well.

Yeah the song should be Unguided (from the same album)

Got it. Made the switch.

 

[KarmaPolice]

SHOW YOURSELF

Mastodon at it's most mainstream and poppy. It should be no surprise that it's their biggest Billboard hit. I'm pretty sure I have taken at least 3 Mastodon songs for drafts and playlists in the last few years, and this is one. I'm also pretty sure most liked it, and that's what made me think even non-metal fans would like a few songs here. This is a Brann main singing track with a toned down Troy for the other part. Another that might not have made a true 31 of mine, but it rocks, is on the album, and I thought it had one of the best shots at landing with the group overall.

However, what the song means to me is that it is the reason for my obsession with Mastodon's videos. So, even if you don't think you will like the song do me a favor and please watch the official video in the link from zegras or HERE. It was the first of their videos that I watched as I thought "huh, bands still make these things?". I said before that part of my love for this band is their ability to bring me back to my old metal days, and a huge part of that was watching and recording Headbanger's Ball. This still might be my favorite video from them, but they have other great ones and it's hard to choose. I fully understand people not liking metal or not digging the playlist up until now, but if you don't at least chuckle at the video we might not be able to be friends anymore.

A blurb I found about the song:

The comment was made during an interview with Bill Keliher that this song is "more pop-driven than the band's usual direction." He responded:

"When I first wrote the riff, I didn't hear it as a poppy riff at all. I felt more like a kind of Kvelertak kind of feel to me. I felt more of a driving evil, like what those guys do. That's kind of what I channeled, was like Kvelertak because we just toured with them and I kind of had like their beat in my head and was just playing along to it in the back of the tour bus in Europe one day, and I should it to Brann, and he was like, 'Yeah that's cool.'"

"I recorded it and we revisited it years later when we were doing this record, and Brann was like, 'I still don't feel it.' I wrote probably 20 riffs for that song and we just chopped it down to just four riffs that are in it now, but not until Brann started singing on it did it come alive. And then it kind of turned to me into more of a pop sounding song because you never know what it's going to be. If you didn't hear the lyrics or the vocals, you probably wouldn't say, 'Oh it's a poppy song,' but the second you hear the vocals, you're like that's a pop song."

 

[Raging weasel]

The 29's
Known Liked Songs
Blood and Thunder
We Care A Lot
To Love Somebody
Everybody's Talkin'- never heard this version but like the Tedeschi Trucks version
Let's Dance
Make Yourself
New to me favs
Chelsea Rogers
Whiskey Tango
Somersault
Androgynous
That Teenage Feeling
Plastic Flowers on the Highway
Little Girl in Bloom
Frisco Blues

Once again another great round!

 

[The Dreaded Marco]

Deep Red Bells is my #1 from Neko.

 

[Scoresman]

Sia - chronological # 28 - Speed Dial # 2 - Zero 7 with Sia.

Scoresman ranking: 15

The last of my selections from Sia's time with Zero 7. I especially love the chorus of this one as well as the opening riff, which kind of sounds like it could be the start of a Radiohead song, like something off The Bends or even OKC.

This pretty much marks the end of "jazzy Sia". Next, we're entering into "indie Sia". We'll stay there for a bit as it's probably my favorite Sia.

Personal ranking of songs to date:

31
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17
16 Distractions
15 Speed Dial 2
14
13
12
11 Somersault
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3 Destiny
2
1

 

[Don Quixote]

28. Nina Simone, Nobody’s Fault But Mine (from Nina Simone and Piano!, 1969)
YouTube Spotify

“Nobody’s Fault But Mine” is a gospel blues song from the 1920s first recorded by Blind Willie Johnson. Some posters may be familiar with the version later recorded by Led Zeppelin on their “Presence” album in 1976 (even if Page and Plant absurdly claimed this to be an original composition of theirs).

Nina Simone’s version is all her own. The gospel blues works well with her — her mother was a Methodist minister, and can see the influence of that upbringing in some of her songs like this one.

“Nina Simone and Piano!” is a gem of an album and wish I had room for more than just this one in my 31. The whole album is Nina Simone in her purest form — just Nina Simone singing and accompanying herself on the piano.

 

[-OZ-]

@-OZ- I couldn't find your song on spotify. I saw the youtube link had another artist with it, and I added a version with them instead. Don't know if Buffett is on the Spotify version, so let me know if I should drop

Probably drop, that’s disappointing.
Still a good song, but the live version with Jimmy and Zach was great imo.

 

[Mt. Man]

#28 Ain’t Got the Words (off The Independent, 2014)

(Lyrics Video) Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers - Ain't Got the Words
(Live Version) Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers - Ain't Got the Words, Falls Church, VA

Pack it in (Pack it in)
Stick it out (Stick it out)
Well, the only thing I'm certain of is lingering doubt

As the tale is told, this song was inspired by, among other things, a bout of writer’s block. With Clyne literally saying “I ain’t got the words for this” while struggling, leading to the title of this song along with a repeated phrase in the lyrics.

Why I Chose It:
When recording it, Clyne’s voice was a little strained from touring, leading to the first verse being in a lower register than normal. There’s an intentionally ragged, almost desperate-sounding tone to this song, both in lyrics and melody. A song with rare “filler” lyrics, though it works a bit here, as if he literally runs out of words to say. I’m not going to defend that decision too much (I mean, this is #28), but it’s still amusing to me.

Some of it I just covered (/repeated), but there’s some BTS stuff on this song Here . Check it out as you will.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

#28 from Prince -- The Holy River (from the Emancipation triple album)

So, in 1996, Prince finally escaped from his contract with Warner Brothers. He dropped unpronounceable symbol and "the Artist Formally Known As" shtick and released Emancipation, and triple-album containing all the stuff that Warner Brothers presumably didn't want him to release. And, it wasn't very good? In truth, I think the best songs on the three discs are the two Philly soul covers (Betcha ByGolly Wow, and La La La La Means I Love You), but I'm trying to avoid covers and Prince kind of did his own original take on that style of song back on The Gold Experience (and we'll get to that). In hindsight, I might very well have just punted on Emancipation, but when I made my first crack at the list, I thought it should probably be represented considering the significance of the Warner Brothers dispute. So I picked The Holy River.

Another notable aspect of the Emancipation era is that Prince was moving away from the hyper-sexualized stuff and leaning into his religion (he was a Jehovah's Witness). He was also newly married (to one of his dancers, Mayte) and a new father. That's reflected in this song, a romantic, borderline corny ballad with lots of religious imagery. Kind of a poor man's Purple Rain. I'm not sure it's one of Prince's 31 best songs, but it's pretty good for what it is. Do I prefer Prince singing about f****** the taste out of a partner's mouth to him singing about some weird metaphorical baptism in love? Yeah, but I have the maturity of a ten-year-old.

 

[kupcho1]

Kid Rock's Trucker Anthem was ... unexpected. Especially the beginning; had to alt-tab over to see who the hell it was.

 

[Yo Mama]

Beastie Boys #28 - The Sounds of Science
Album - Paul's Boutique (1989)

Peacockin'
Ad-Rock: 0, MCA: 1, Mike D: 1, Beastie Boys: 0, Greater NYC: 2

Name Rockin'
Naugles, Isaac Newton, Ben Franklin, Ponce de Leon, Robotron, Cheech, Gallileo

Rhyme Squawkin'
Ponce de Leon, constantly on
The fountain of youth, not Robotron

Yo Mama Talkin'
So far, we’ve had a frat party anthem, a hip hop throwback, a rap/punk hybrid, and now a sampling masterpiece the Beasties thrived in before the dreaded IP laws kicked in.

If the beginning is a bit tedious, stick around past the first minute or so for when the fun kicks in.

So much sampling goodness, they somehow crammed in cuts from James Brown, Isaac Hayes, Pato Banton, Boogie Down Productions, and five (yes five) Beatles songs in barely over two minutes.

 

[Tau837]

Mike Shinoda

Just Win Baby

A Light That Never Comes - YouTube Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. www.youtube.com

This is a Linkin Park song that is a collaboration with American DJ and producer Steve Aoki. It was included on Linkin Park's second remix album, Recharged.

This is another different genre for my playlist - electronic dance music (EDM). The link with my song is to the official video for the original version of the song, but LP and Aoki also released an EP with 7 different remixes of the song. I like the Rick Rubin remix the best of those; here is a video of that version.

Mike said this about Steve:

"I was absolutely aware of Steve and had heard of him for a long time. I knew that he was very active making remixes and stuff like that. As well, I’d see him on all of those “Most Powerful DJs in the World”-type of lists. When I became more interested, I heard his collaborations with artists like Lil Jon and Iggy Azalea, and was impressed. Just like Linkin Park, he can reach into different genres and styles of music with his sounds."

The two of them said this in an interview about this collaboration:

Steve started, "It was about building this bridge between our two worlds and doing it in an organic way. We’ve stayed true to both our elements. Our fans in the EDM space and the Linkin Park space can gravitate towards it naturally." Then Mike continued, "There was a balance aspect. In my process writing a song, I tend to add a lot of elements and sounds, remove them, then add more, until I get the vibe I like. On this, I don’t want to trample on some of the work Steve did. We found that out on our first two records. There are actually a lot of keyboard and sample-based sounds on “Hybrid Theory” and “Meteora,” but in the mix they got drowned out by the guitars. Since then, I think we’ve paid more attention to balance as we go through the whole process, from the writing to the engineering." And Steve added, "I always add a lot. Mike’s the one to say, let’s take some layers out to make this work. For me, it was a major learning process. It’s hard for me to gauge certain things when I just work with other dance producers. Working with the band allowed this different color palette to come out that I would’ve never heard before. I took this one much differently than I would on any other record."

Lyrics excerpt:

'Cause I know what it's like to test fate
Had my shoulders pressed with that weight
Stood up strong in spite of that hate
Night gets darkest right before dawn
What don't kill you makes you more strong
And I been waiting for it so long

 

[The Dreaded Marco]

Keep Yourself Warm was #9 on my Hutchison list.

And @sneveneleven coming out of the gate with 4 songs from, arguably, Frightened Rabbit’s best album. Nice.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

28. Bricks and Mortar
Album: In the City (1977)
Released as a single? No

This is the one song I had no idea would make my top 31 when I went through all of The Jam's material in preparation for this countdown. But the closer of their debut album is such a thumper that I had to make room for it. As with many of the other tracks on In the City, the early Who sound is all over this one, especially in Rick Buckler's slapdash drumming and the Townshend-like sustain notes Paul Weller hits on his guitar once each verse. The final minute of the song, signaled by Weller's scream of "knock 'em down!", is pure delightful chaos. The lyrics decry unchecked sprawl:

Why do we try to hide our past
By pulling down houses and build car parks?
Windows and mirrors like a two-way glass
This is progress, nothing stands in its path

In the City is an irrepressible debut album that still crackles after all these years. It's most likely to be up your alley if you are into the pre-Tommy Who, as many of its tracks are not only influenced by those records, but could actually pass for songs from them if Roger Daltrey sang them. The R&B and soul influences that drove The Who are also present here, sped up and at times jittery, and show that from the very beginning, this is a band that had a strong sense of direction and wasn't just making noise for noise's sake. And if you listen closely, you can hear the seeds of the diversions they would take in the early '80s that would make them one of the UK's biggest acts.

Fire and Skill 1977 disc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u1DWFq8yeg
Fire and Skill 1978 disc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFCC62WfvxE
Fire and Skill 1979 disc (segues into their cover of the Batman theme): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6LSi3RmJBA

At #27, the song that may have predicted Paul Weller's direction with The Style Council more than any other.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I'll be behind in my listening often, as this is a busy time at work, plus I am following the baseball playoffs, the NFL season and Survivor.

#29:

Known-to-me favorites:

Seen and Not Seen -- It's possible every Remain in Light track would make my Talking Heads top 31
We Care a Lot
Rock & Roll Woman -- basically the CSN(Y) prototype; it made my Last 5 Out in the worldwide countdown
Let's Dance
Chicago -- the only Sufjan song I know for sure that I know
Change -- I don't care if Roland thinks it's cheesy, it's a perfect slice of early '80s Britpop
That '70s Song -- though I like it even better when it's called In the Street and Big Star performs it
Underground -- The first Ben Folds Five song I heard (the local "modern rock" station would play it), and their set closer when I saw them open for Neil Young in 1996.
When the Time Comes -- There's an alternate universe where TP & HB are power poppers instead of "heartland rockers". This is a glimpse of that.
Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk -- Speaking of power poppers

New-to-me favorites:

Chelsea Rodgers
Somersault -- jazzy Sia is 3 for 3
Mas Y Mas
Johnny Cash
To Love Somebody -- I have heard the Bee Gees' version and a few others, but not Simone's, which is top-notch.
Plastic Flowers on the Highway -- I hear a lot of Neil in the guitars. Despite the warnings about Hood's voice, I'm fine with it here, I think his raspiness is a good fit for this music.
Never Thought
Give the Mule What It Wants -- but I think I recognize the opening bass riff, was it used in an ad or as bumper music or something?
2Up2BeDown
Little Girl in Bloom -- As I said, I only knew the Ted Leo and the Pharmacists version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLFiklZuXPo
Floating in the Forth

 

[JMLs secret identity]

Sia - chronological # 28 - Speed Dial # 2 - Zero 7 with Sia.

Scoresman ranking: 15

The last of my selections from Sia's time with Zero 7. I especially love the chorus of this one as well as the opening riff, which kind of sounds like it could be the start of a Radiohead song, like something off The Bends or even OKC.

This pretty much marks the end of "jazzy Sia". Next, we're entering into "indie Sia". We'll stay there for a bit as it's probably my favorite Sia.

Personal ranking of songs to date:

31
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17
16 Distractions
15 Speed Dial 2
14
13
12
11 Somersault
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3 Destiny
2
1

Thanks for this rundown. Makes a lot of sense.

Destiny is probably on my Trip Hop Mt Rushmore, with one from Royksopp to come,
Probably something from Portishead and Massive Attack will round it out

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

#28 - The Pointer Sisters - As I Come Of Age - 1978

This is by Stephen Stills.
David Paich (wrote for Toto amongst others) - acoustic piano
James Newton Howard (nine time Oscar nominee) - electric piano
Steve Pocaro (also Toto) - organ
Mike Pocaro (ditto) - bass
Danny Kortchmar (session musician for everybody) - electric guitar
Waddy Wachtel - lead guitar

All in all, a pretty good house band.

 

[JMLs secret identity]

Röyksopp
28 - Cry Baby (By Spiller - Röyksopp's Malselves Memorabilia Mix)

Spiller - Cry Baby (Röyksopp's Malselves Memorabilia Mix)

Spiller - Cry Baby (Röyksopp's Malselves Memorabilia Mix)

m.youtube.com

Year - 2002
Appears on - 12” Single by Spiller song Cry Baby
Vocalist - Röyksopp
Key Lyric - Cry Baby, Cry Baby, Baby Don’t cry

Notes
1- This original song by Italian artist Spiller sounds like typical Italo disco. The Röyksopp mix leaves the skeleton but replaces it totally with the ice cool scandinavian styles. Trip Hop at its finest. The fact it is so superior to the original makes Röyksopps remix skills obvious. Such gorgeous synth and groove on this track. Here is the original for comparison https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WOcvcmdosdc&pp=ygUQU3BpbGxlciBjcnkgYmFieQ==

2- Spiller had a huge number one global hit two years earlier called Groovejet featuring Sophie Ellis Baxter on vocals. This was the follow up two years later. It reached #40 in the UK.

3- Groovejet was allegedly the first song ever played on an ipod. Although that is hard to verify

4- Röyksopps production work with remixes is widely sought after but the band prefer to concentrate in their own music. They have turned down several movie projects, most notably the third Matrix movie.

Running Vocal Count
Röyksopp - 2
Robyn - 1
Instrumental - 1

Where to find
Melody A.M - 0
The Understanding - 0
Röyksopp’s Night Out - 1
Back to Mine Series - 0
Junior - 0
Senior - 0
Late Night Tales Series - 0
Do It Again EP - 1
The Inevitable End - 0
Profound Mysteries I - 0
Profound Mysteries II - 0
Profound Mysteries III - 0
Other/Non Album Songs - 2

Year
1999 - 0
2001 - 0
2002 - 1
2005 - 0
2006 - 1
2007 - 0
2008 - 0
2009 - 0
2010 - 0
2013 - 0
2014 - 1
2016 - 1
2022 - 0

Next up we kick into gear with our first visit to the Profound Mysteries trilogy