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MAD's ROUND 2!! # 1's have been posted!! (3 Viewers)

@-OZ- another of yours not on Spotify. I didn't see a replacement option
Maybe next go round I’ll get Spotify and make sure my stuff is on there.

Saltwater gospel was often repeated this last week while listening at the beach with the fam. Doesn’t hurt that a good buddy is now the associate rector at the local church.

Now there ain't nothing wrong with putting on your Sunday best
But me, I won't be wearing nothin' that I can't get wet
I just think about how small I am, and life after we're gone
I'm out here by myself, but I know I'm not alone
Yeah, I got all the proof I need, and it sure makes me believe.

This was meant to be my last cover but somehow I messed up so y’all will get another one later.
 
#27's PLAYLIST
#27 -
PrinceRamsay Hunt ExperienceNothing Compares 2 U
Tanya DonellyplinkoThe River
House Tornado, 1988
Talking Headskupcho1Stay Hungry
Sia FurlerScoresmanBreathe Me
Los LoboseephusDone Gone Blue
The Seldom SceneCharlie SteinerWill There Be Any Stars in My Crown?
Kid RocksnellmanYou Never Met a Mothertrucker Quite Like Me (NSFW)
Against Me!scorchyThe Energizer
MastodonKarmaPoliceThe Wolf is Loose
Neko CaseMister CIAAndy
Faith No MoreJBBreakfastClubRise of the Fall
black midiJuxtatarot[skip]
Nina SimoneDon QuixoteDo What You Gotta Do, from ‘Nuff Said!
Beastie BoysYo MamaGratitude
Drive-By TruckersDr. OctopusThe KKK Took My Baby Away
Jimmy Buffet-OZ-Saltwater Gospel
The JamPip's InvitationThe Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had to Swallow)
RöyksoppJMLs secret identity27 - Me and Youphoria feat Gunhild Ramsay Kovacs
Nick Cave and the Bad SeedssalterifficThere is a kingdom
CSNYjwbHelpless
Roger ClyneMt. ManSwitchblade
David BermanThe Dreaded MarcoDallas
https://spotify.link/eKRVixg8ODb
David BowieBinky the DoormatQueen *****
Pointer SistersMrs. RannousMercury Rising

IncubusMAC_32Glass
John MellencamptuffnuttOur Country

Sufjan StevensIlov80sCasmir Pulaski Day
Mike ShinodaJust Win BabyWhere'd You Go
Chris CornellRaging WeaselNothing Compares 2 U
Josh HommetitusbrambleDo It Again
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night SweatsAAABatteriesShoe Boot
Kim MitchellSullieBig Smoke
Thin LizzyzamboniSweetheart
Collective SoulfalguyBearing Witness
Tears for FearsJohn Maddens LunchboxThe Way You Are (Vocals Curt)
Cheap TrickFairWarningIf You Want My Love
John Prinelandrys hatSix O'Clock News

Ben FoldsHov34Cologne
Tom PettyZegras11Learning To Fly
Scott HutchisonsnevenelevenOld Team
The New PornographersNorthern VoiceUse It
John Lee HookerDrIan MalcolmMiss Sadie Mae

RainbowSam QuentinCan’t let you go
Pyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyzazaleEugene Onegin, Op. 24, Act I, Scene 1: No. 2c, Choir "Uzh kak po mostu-mostochku"
 
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So I'm lying on the couch watching some hockey (btw, Center Ice is free for the first week of the season) and thought I'd check to see if the 27s had been posted.
Lo and behold, there's Queen B!tch by Mr. David Bowie! It made the list! (Sure, it's his #1 best song, but so long as it made the list. I think I've mentioned this before, but this tune makes the end credits of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou my favorite end credits ever.)
Kudos to you @New Binky the Doormat
:bow:
 
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So I'm lying on the couch watching some hockey (btw, Center Ice is free for the first week of the season) and thought I'd check to see if the 27s had been posted.
Lo and behold, there's Queen B!tch by Mr. David Bowie! It made the list! (Sure, it's his #1 best song, but so long as it made the list. I think I've mentioned this before, but this tune makes the end credits of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou my favorite end credits ever.)
Kudos to you @The Dreaded Marco
:bow:
I love that song and it would be top 5 Bowie for me but Binky is listing the Bowie songs!
 
Prince No. 27 -- Nothing Compares 2 U (from the One Night Alone collection)

Prince first recorded Nothing Compares 2 U in 1984 (so right around the time of Purple Rain). He decided he didn't want to release it and instead gave it to one of his protege groups, The Family. Then Sinead recorded it in 1990 and Prince started playing it in concerts. A version with Rosie Gaines made The Hits compilation in the early 90s. The YouTube link included is from his New Years Eve 1999 PPV special, which I bought and played at my New Year's Eve party that year. That's also with Rosie.

The version I chose, however, is from 2002, from the One Night Alone set. I chose it, ironically, because of the lack of Rosie. So it's kind of funny how JML talked about taking points off of Chelsea Rodgers for the female vocal. Because I kind of feel the same way. This version is pretty much all Prince, although fans of 1990's pop saxophonists will enjoy the Candy Dulfer shoutout. I'm trying to decide if Candy was the third most famous pop/rock saxophonist of that era. Obviously, Kenny G. was first. And the Big Man was probably still a bigger deal. But then it's either Candy or G.E. Smith, I'd say. Are you a Prince and Aresenio Hall Show fan? Or do you ride with Hall & Oates and SNL?
 
Talking Heads
#27 Stay Hungry


You know you've got an ***-kicking list of songs when #27 is Stay Hungry (either that or I screwed up in my rankings; you decide).
It's my 1st (but by no means my last) selection from1978's More Songs About Buildings and Food.
The song simply bangs and if you listen very closely, you may get a hint of the afrobeat they'd be incorporating a few albums down the line.

This album marks the start of Talking Heads relationship with the legendary Brian Eno. From the ubiquitous (at lest to me) Pitchfork:
Toward the end of the tour, Talking Heads played a small solo show in London. Brian Eno, fresh off making Low with David Bowie, caught the gig and invited the band to lunch the next day, which turned into listening to records at his flat. The producer put on Fela Kuti’s Afrodisiac and blew their minds. Afrobeat music (particularly West African polyrhythms) would become the next big influence on the members of Talking Heads, culminating in their magnum opus, 1980’s Remain in Light. But while that was still percolating, the group made an immediate connection with Eno. By the following spring, Talking Heads had kicked their original production team of disco pros to the curb and took up recording More Songs About Buildings and Food alongside Eno in the Bahamas.

From a random Reddit thread:
Brian Eno's magic comes to the fore during the first part of the instrumental lengthy break into E minor. What starts as a straight forward Talking Heads funky vamp becomes destabilised by Eno's clever use of delay effects and editing, essentially applying a Dub vibe in a very different context. Jerry Harrison's puts an end to the slipperiness with a majestic, sweeping synth part as the Byrne's vocals return in time for the fade-out

I think that we can signify our love now,
Ooh girl, you can initiate an impulse of love.

Stay hungry, stay hungry, stay hungry
Move a muscle, move a muscle, move a muscle.
Make a motion, make a motion, make a motion.
Pull it tighter, pull it tighter, pull it tighter.
Double beating, double beating, double beating
Double beating, double beating, double beating
Palpitation, palpitation, palpitation.
Stay hungry, stay hungry, stay hungry.

Here's that rhythm again.
Here's my shoulder blade.
Here's the sound I made.
Here's the picture I saved.
Here I am
 
#27 Switchblade (off ¡Americano!, 2004)

(Youtube Version) Switchblade
(Live Version 1: Off Live At the Belly Up) Switchblade (Live)
(live Version 2) Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers - "Switchblade"

Faster than the rockets on the Fourth of July
Strong and cruel enough
To make a statue of Mary cry...


I can let Clyne give you some background on this one. “The narrator is realizing consequence, that there are consequences to predatory actions, and oftentimes they're not to the external world, they're to yourself. There's a lot of bravado in the narrator - in the kid - to begin with: 'We're gonna go and get rich, we don't care who we harm.' Then by the end, there's a certain degree of responsibility in the consequences that he or she realizes, and I like that. Sort of the process of growing up.”

Why I Chose It:
Not to spoil too much, but there are going to be a few more of these story songs on this list, usually much higher up. So maybe this is too low? Historically it’s been more middle of the road for me, but I warmed up to it during the relistening process. Maybe I’ve grown up some too? (spoiler: probably not >.>) It helps that this song, as I understand it, is something of a crowd favorite. The 2nd live version above shows that off a little more.
 
27


  • Song: The KKK Took My Baby Away
  • Album: The New OK
  • Released: 2020
  • Lead Vocals: Matt Patton

A fairly straightforward cover of the Ramone’s classic – which comes across as a tribute to one of the band’s influences. Bassist Matt Patton, in a rarity, handles the vocals which work very well on this song. I’m not familiar with Patton performing lead vocals on any other DBT song – but if there is one, it will not be another on my list at least.
 
So I'm lying on the couch watching some hockey (btw, Center Ice is free for the first week of the season) and thought I'd check to see if the 27s had been posted.
Lo and behold, there's Queen B!tch by Mr. David Bowie! It made the list! (Sure, it's his #1 best song, but so long as it made the list. I think I've mentioned this before, but this tune makes the end credits of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou my favorite end credits ever.)
Kudos to you @The Dreaded Marco
:bow:
I love that song and it would be top 5 Bowie for me but Binky is listing the Bowie songs!
Damnit. The eyes are the first things to go.
Nice work @New Binky the Doormat
 
27. Nina Simone, Do What You Gotta Do (from ‘Nuff Said, 1968)
YouTube Spotify

Man, I can understand how it might be
Kind of hard to love a girl like me
I don't blame you much for wanting to be free
I just wanted you to know
I loved you better than your own kin did
From the very start
It's my own fault, what happens to my heart
You see I've always known you'd go
So you just do what you gotta do


This song was written by Jimmy Webb, who wrote a lot of hits like “MacArthur Park” and “By the Time I Get to Phoenix.” Nina Simone’s version has got some soul to it; while she could work in a mix of different genres, this one shows that the nickname “The High Priestess of Soul” not entirely a misnomer. The emotive way that she sings the line “I loved you better than your own kin did” gets me every time. In her singing, she just had a way of putting the emphasis in the right spot.

I mentioned the other day that one of mine coming up was “famously” sampled by Kanye West. To those who got my not-so-subtle hint (or not), this song was sampled in Kanye West’s “Famous.” (Not linking to it because the video is not appropriate for this forum, and pretty gross anyway — may be more known for showing Kanye West in bed with a bunch of celebrities than the song itself.) Kanye West has sampled Nina Simone a few times — I’ve got at least one more coming up that Kanye West sampled.
 
I fell one behind

#28 - THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS - UNGUIDED

I promise not every song is from Challengers or Together (in fact the since posted #27 isn't). At 6 minutes, 33 seconds, this is the longest song the band has ever released. Carl Newman sings lead over meandering, while strings and flutes throughout the slow building first four minutes, then it all drops out for a beautiful Kathryn Calder sung bridge before picking back up where it starterd and gliding to the beautiful song.


The New Pornographers Top 31 by the Numbers

Albums Represented:

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


Song Writers:

Carl Newman - 4


Lead Singers:

Neko Case - 2
Kathryn Calder - 1
Newman/Calder - 1
 
Mike ShinodaJust Win BabyWhere'd You Go

This is a Fort Minor song, featuring Holly Brook (aka Skylar Grey) and Jonah Matranga. It peaked at #4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The song is about the consequences of putting one's career before one's family with the lyrics emanating from the perspective of the person left behind in a long-distance relationship. I was never in that exact situation but certainly traveled a lot for business for a period of time. I think this song definitely applied during that time. I imagine that many of us have experienced this on one side or another...

Mike said this about the song:

Mike describes "Where'd You Go" as "a really crazy love song", saying it is about being on tour, but from the person at home's perspective, whose lover is always traveling. Although Mike wrote the song with his wife, Anna, in mind, he made it somewhat generalized so it would make a better story and people could relate it to more than just one situation. He mentions "people whose parents are divorced, people who have someone away in the army, people whose parents/loved one work too much." According to him, the song makes his wife cry every time she hears it...

"A lot of people write songs about being on the road and nobody really writes songs from the perspective of the people they leave at home. My wife has cried three times listening to this song."
 
Beastie Boys #27 - Gratitude
Album - Check Your Head (1992)

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

Name Rockin'
na

Rhyme Squawkin'
What's gonna set you free?
Look inside and you'll see


Yo Mama Talkin'
There was concern amongst some Beastie fans that they couldn’t survive without the heavy sampling they’ve previously relied on. The three years between Paul’s Boutique and Check Your Head helped make things more worrisome. But they reinvented themselves by getting back to more of their punk roots and playing their own instruments for many of their songs. Gratitude is an excellent example of this.

Gratitude was on one of the Guitar Hero games, and the video was on an episode of Beavis and Butthead.

Speaking of the video, it was an awesome tribute to Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii. Enjoy.

 
Röyksopp
27 - Me and Youphoria feat Gunhild Ramsay Kovacs

Year - 2022
Appears on - Profound Mysteries III
Vocalist - Gunhild Ramsay Kovacs
Key Lyric - I could fly you away
Euphoria awaits
Hold on
Darling

Notes
1- This is the first appearance of a song from the Profound Mysteries trilogy. This and the next one from these albums defeated 8 other songs worthy of inclusion. 6 from these albums were no brainers and had to be included. That left 2 spots for 10 songs, not including the older material that couldnt find a spot.

2- Usually I can find info on the internet about the collaborators of Röyksopp. For Gunhild Ramsay Kovacs, its hard. Apparently she is the queen of Norwegian dark wave lol.

3- Kovacs has worked with frequent Röyksopp collaborator, more of her to come, in Susanne Sundfør. Kovacs did backing vocals on all 3 of the Profound Mysteries albums, getting her own cowriting and lead credit on this track.

4- Gunhild Ramsay Kovacs also comes up as Gunhild Ramsay Kristofferson. No mention of any relationship to Kris Kristofferson

Running Vocal Count
Röyksopp - 2
Robyn - 1
Gunhild Ramsay Kovacs - 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 - 1
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 - 1

Next up we continue on our Profound Mysteries series with perhaps the biggest star among their collaborators. even bigger than Robyn
 
Man, I can understand how it might be
Kind of hard to love a girl like me
I don't blame you much for wanting to be free
I just wanted you to know
I loved you better than your own kin did
From the very start

I wondered who the heck had either covered this or written this when I heard it just a moment ago. I knew I'd heard it before, but Simone is credited as the original. Who copped it?

Kanye and Rihanna in "Famous"

 
27. Will There Be Any Stars in My Crown

This is the first of four songs from their debut album, Act I (1972).

I chose this one to lead off because it's classic '1st generation' bluegrass, i.e. an old standard. Duffey channeled Bill Monroe here more than usual and gives us a sample of his four-octave range. This song also was part of their live show rotation, and I think they did this one at just about every one of the dozen or so shows I was at over a nearly 25-year stretch.

To me, it's typical bluegrass but atypical Seldom Scene. They really stay in their lanes honoring the traditional sound and only Duffey's mandolin and Mike Auldrich's dobro step out.

Up next will be a contrast where they show some of their 'progressive' nature.
 
27. Will There Be Any Stars in My Crown

This is the first of four songs from their debut album, Act I (1972).

I chose this one to lead off because it's classic '1st generation' bluegrass, i.e. an old standard. Duffey channeled Bill Monroe here more than usual and gives us a sample of his four-octave range. This song also was part of their live show rotation, and I think they did this one at just about every one of the dozen or so shows I was at over a nearly 25-year stretch.

To me, it's typical bluegrass but atypical Seldom Scene. They really stay in their lanes honoring the traditional sound and only Duffey's mandolin and Mike Auldrich's dobro step out.

Up next will be a contrast where they show some of their 'progressive' nature.
To me, this isn't bluegrass at all. It's gospel- specifically a hymn. The instrument choices don't really change that for me. It seems to me to be a combination that mainly comes down on the religious side, rather than the secular.
 
Incubus - Glass

I think this is the right way to finish up the intro to Incubus. It's from their slam dance jazz funk metal days, but lyrically it demonstrates a starting point for where Brandon is heading (he had some pretty ridiculous stuff pre-breakout) and musically it shows what this group was capable of. Once their sound cleaned up about a half decade later this previously rough cut evolved into this. Those that have liked what they've heard so far and aren't familiar with them listen to the Morning View sessions in full. It wasn't just when the rest of the band was creating their best sound, but also when Brandon was peaking as a signer. I think this is one of the best samples from that set as it successfully applied their developed sound to the raw material they created before they knew what they were doing.

Like a bottle
With the cork stuck
Your true ingredients trapped inside
Through the cloudy glass we catch a glimpse of you
I guess the hard shell represents your pride
 
27. Will There Be Any Stars in My Crown

This is the first of four songs from their debut album, Act I (1972).

I chose this one to lead off because it's classic '1st generation' bluegrass, i.e. an old standard. Duffey channeled Bill Monroe here more than usual and gives us a sample of his four-octave range. This song also was part of their live show rotation, and I think they did this one at just about every one of the dozen or so shows I was at over a nearly 25-year stretch.

To me, it's typical bluegrass but atypical Seldom Scene. They really stay in their lanes honoring the traditional sound and only Duffey's mandolin and Mike Auldrich's dobro step out.

Up next will be a contrast where they show some of their 'progressive' nature.
To me, this isn't bluegrass at all. It's gospel- specifically a hymn. The instrument choices don't really change that for me. It seems to me to be a combination that mainly comes down on the religious side, rather than the secular.
The secular songs get more attention due to their 'broader' appeal, but the 'traditional' bluegrass catalog is lousy with gospel songs. :shrug:
 
Man, I can understand how it might be
Kind of hard to love a girl like me
I don't blame you much for wanting to be free
I just wanted you to know
I loved you better than your own kin did
From the very start

I wondered who the heck had either covered this or written this when I heard it just a moment ago. I knew I'd heard it before, but Simone is credited as the original. Who copped it?

Kanye and Rihanna in "Famous"

Read to the end of my post? ;)
 
This version is pretty much all Prince, although fans of 1990's pop saxophonists will enjoy the Candy Dulfer shoutout. I'm trying to decide if Candy was the third most famous pop/rock saxophonist of that era. Obviously, Kenny G. was first. And the Big Man was probably still a bigger deal. But then it's either Candy or G.E. Smith, I'd say. Are you a Prince and Aresenio Hall Show fan? Or do you ride with Hall & Oates and SNL?
Summer of '90, I was one of the maybe dozen or so teenagers in the world who bought Candy Dulfer's debut album Saxuality, mainly because of how hot she looked in the video for the Dave Stewart collab Lily Was Here. Really dumb decision given you can't actually see Candy when listening to the CD. Not sure that I've thought of her since...till now. Thanks for the memories, Scoob.
 
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27


  • Song: The KKK Took My Baby Away
  • Album: The New OK
  • Released: 2020
  • Lead Vocals: Matt Patton

A fairly straightforward cover of the Ramone’s classic – which comes across as a tribute to one of the band’s influences. Bassist Matt Patton, in a rarity, handles the vocals which work very well on this song. I’m not familiar with Patton performing lead vocals on any other DBT song – but if there is one, it will not be another on my list at least.
Matt is always a trip to watch at the live shows. From the moment he was brought into the band after Shonna Tucker left, I have never seen him not have the biggest grin on his face while performing. I don't know if he's just a super happy dude or perpetually stoned (maybe both) but absolutely love the vibe. I guess since he's such a great sport, Hood and Cooley decided to let him have the spotlight for a song and Matt doing The KKK Took My Baby Away became a fun staple at live shows starting with the American Band tour in 2017. Was surprised their take got included on an actual album a few years later, but good for Matt. Really like this pick.
 
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I have never seen him not have the biggest grin on his face while performing. I don't know if he's just a super happy dude or perpetually stoned (maybe both) but absolutely love the vibe.
I only saw them once and I stared at the rhythm section of Patton and Morgan for almost the entire show.
 
Sia - Chronological #27 - Breathe Me

Scoresman Rank - 2

We're now into Sia's solo indie part of her career, and we're starting with a real doozy. This is the song that basically put her on the map in the US. Like many, I was introduced to Sia while watching the finale of the fantastic HBO series, Six Feet Under. Widely regarded as one of the best series finales of all time, this song was perfectly utilized during a montage at the very end of the episode.

This a very sad, painful, and vulnerable song about Sia's battles with depression/suicide. I'm copy/pasting the below blurb from reddit that describes it well.

The track opens with Sia heavily sighing; this sets up the theme for the whole song. She's tired, she's sad, but most importantly, she is defeated. The delicate and quiet ballad is above all else a cry for help. It is her craving for human affection after she has isolated herself from her own suffering. She softly pleads to anyone listening: "Be my friend. Hold me". She wants to be literally breathed in, perhaps just like the drugs that have haunted her for years. This is Sia at her lowest. It is an understatement to say that she has had hardships. Over the years she has struggled with depression, anxiety, alcoholism, drug addiction (an issue that began when her partner died in a car accident) and suicide contemplation to the point of writing a note. Breathe Me is emotionally ripping, as Sia calls for help in a whispery tone of voice that maintains a low and fragile register throughout. Unlike her newer, more conventional songs about overcoming adversity, the fact is that here Sia simply does not have the strength. It is raw and unfiltered, and in the end, conveys the pain she has suffered with no desperate attempt to force a palatable happily ever after.
 
Prince No. 27 -- Nothing Compares 2 U (from the One Night Alone collection)

Prince first recorded Nothing Compares 2 U in 1984 (so right around the time of Purple Rain). He decided he didn't want to release it and instead gave it to one of his protege groups, The Family. Then Sinead recorded it in 1990 and Prince started playing it in concerts. A version with Rosie Gaines made The Hits compilation in the early 90s. The YouTube link included is from his New Years Eve 1999 PPV special, which I bought and played at my New Year's Eve party that year. That's also with Rosie.

The version I chose, however, is from 2002, from the One Night Alone set. I chose it, ironically, because of the lack of Rosie. So it's kind of funny how JML talked about taking points off of Chelsea Rodgers for the female vocal. Because I kind of feel the same way. This version is pretty much all Prince, although fans of 1990's pop saxophonists will enjoy the Candy Dulfer shoutout. I'm trying to decide if Candy was the third most famous pop/rock saxophonist of that era. Obviously, Kenny G. was first. And the Big Man was probably still a bigger deal. But then it's either Candy or G.E. Smith, I'd say. Are you a Prince and Aresenio Hall Show fan? Or do you ride with Hall & Oates and SNL?
I used the Cornell cover as my pick today and prefer it over this one. Sinead's is better than both imo. I do like the sax in Prince's version .
I've never heard of Dulfer or GE Smith and would say Alto Reed would rate higher than them.
 
Wait, what is our schedule now? I am now behind, as usual...
It wouldn't be a MAD countdown if all of us were keeping up :lol: I'm on day 4 of trying to listen to the 29's. Over the first 3 days I didn't get past track 13 (I don't even remember getting through Whiskey Tango yesterday) before my days flew off the rails, but I'm writing this at the halfway point so maybe today the tide finally turns!
 
Against Me! #27 - The Energizer (Goldentone version)

Album: Total Clarity (originally from 2005's Searching for a Former Clarity)
Year: 2011

Was it a requirement for any punk band releasing music in the early 2000s to write an anti-Iraq war song?

The original title is actually From Her Lips To God's Ears (The Energizer) and it was the second single from Against Me's third album Searching for a Former Clarity, featuring a bizarre video that includes cartoon humans with animal heads and a Wizard of Oz motif. The single also included a terrible re-mix by Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys. The album got pretty good reviews in the punk press, but my favorite line comes from a middling one from Rolling Stone:

[The record is] like a bizarro combination of Who's Next, an angry oi-punk record, and some dude's blog.

Against Me's label didn't really like it either. According to Laura:

Fat Mike thought the album was ####. He told me that he hated J.'s production style, didn't like the mix or the track listing, and that the cover art (a black and white photo of a Florida palm tree) was terrible.

In 2011, Against Me! convinced Fat Mike to release the original version (retitled as Total Clarity) that was recorded at the band's preferred studio in Gainesville (Goldentone) before the label had sent them off to a more professional operation in Baltimore. I picked the Goldentone version b/c I think the lack of polish makes it kick all the more ###.
 
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THE WOLF IS LOOSE

Oh boy. As I wrote in the post about Blood and Thunder, this was a big year for me rekindling the metal love. I had become obsessed with Opeth because of Ghost Reveries and digging throw their old albums, and I was introduced to Mastodon. It wasn't long after that this album came out, and this time I was on it Day 1. Come on, hearing that opening salvo from this song - you know I was hooked right from the start as Brann starts off the adventure that is Blood Mountain. I'd guess that if you ask most Mastodon or metal fans what the best album is, the answer will be Leviathan or Blood Mountain. Combined they were getting critical praise and Grammy noms. Here is the Pitchfork review as an example with a blurb about today's song:

Songwise, Mastodon break out of the gate with "The Wolf Is Loose", a showcase of rapid-fire technical skill and songwriting chops. As usual, the guitars jab and interweave, drummer Brann Dailor melts minds with his fills, and the switch between vocalists finds the lyrics jumping from gruff gut-checks ("The belly of the whale/ Refusal of return") to Sabbathian soul ("As the solider walks through the crimson side"). There are more compelling costume changes and time shifts than you can count-- and from there, it never lets up.

Why do I like the album more? So many reasons (and again, I posted that Leviathan was a perfect metal album) but the long and short of it is that I think there was a noticeable jump in everything - the production and sound is better, they incorporate more proggy twists and turns, and all doing this while being a "heavier" album. On top of that, I like the album art better and here instead of just doing a Moby **** album, they come up with their own freakier concept for the album. After their fire and water themes they continue on with an "earth" theme. IF I understand this correctly, our protagonist is a werewolf who has a vision that he could be cured of his curse if he finds and places a crystal skull at the peak of Blood Mountain. Along the way he battles tree people, giants, cyclops-like bigfoot monsters, dragons, etc.... I found some good descriptions of the album on reddit of all places:

The Wolf Is Loose: A hero, chosen by the gods, has the curse of a werewolf, becoming a werewolf every night, He has been cursed by some sort of tyrant, and must climb the mountain to lift his curse. The line "The ice thaw" is referencing Siberian Divide. (Explained later) The protagonist is wandering the grave fields, and going on a killing rampage.

Again, we are back to talking about this band rekindling that feeling of being 13 year old KP sitting with my Maiden album and staring at the art while listening to 7th Son. That's a huge reason, on top of what I think is elite level musicianship from both bands, why I love and listen to so much Mastodon and Opeth in the last couple decades. I listen to way more of a variety of music now than ever, but those 2 bands are probably 70% of the metal I listen to when I go to that genre as of today. I'm pretty sure they have been in the top 4 most listened to artists on my Spotify for a few years in a row now.

I gave myself a 4 max cap of songs from any album not named Emperor of Sand. When I was going through songs at first I would say that 9 of Emperor's 11 were on there, and also 9 off Blood Mountain were on there. That tells you how highly I think of Blood Mountain, and how painful those cuts were. If you don't mind the vocals, this is a fantastic metal album. I toyed with playing this one instead of Emperor, but Emperor is a culmination of all their sounds - newer proggy sound with heavier stuff and it was better interweaving their other songs through it. Also, Blood Mountain is missing another important element that is front and center in others to come - personal emotion and stories. So of the older, heavier songs we have only 1 from Leviathan and 3 more from Blood Mountain coming up.

I can't remember if @titusbramble got to it, but our artists have cross-over. Did that make either playlist of ours?
 
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It wouldn't be a MAD countdown if all of us were keeping up
Having a dog and having to take walks with him sure helps a lot.
Late Aug-early Oct is the perfect time of year around here for lots of reasons, but after dark music listening on the back deck was one of them. During the summer time it isn't dark yet and the family is usually out there as well, so music listening was only a one-off if that's what we were feeling. As the school year began and everyone retired to bed early I found that time was perfect for Incubus listening and all the other to-do items I couldn't get done between 6something am and 8something pm. Calm winds and dry 70ish temps - paradise...and that's exactly what I did on the 31's and 30's, but the first fall cold front swept through last weekend and I am now finding myself just going to bed instead. While this is infinitely better for my diet and sleep I think I'm gonna have to alter course if I'm gonna keep pace with y'all this time.
 
Selected favorites from the #27s. This felt like a tougher round to slim down on both sides of things. Though this time around, I decided to favor the new discoveries a little more, to show some appreciation to some artists I’m getting to know (better). Feel free to always assume I liked Bowie, Petty, Rainbow, Collective Soul, etc. Oh, yes, and still shuffled.


Familiar songs:
Helpless - CSNY
Do It Again - QotSA (/Josh Homme)
The KKK took My Baby Away - Drive-By Truckers
If You Want My Love - Cheap Trick

New discoveries:
Dallas - Silver Jews (/David Berman)
Use it - The New Pornographers
Shoe Boot - Nathaniel Rateliff
Casimir Pulaski Day - Sufjan Stevens
Breathe Me - Sia
Andy - Neko Case
 
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The 29's - for the second list in a row the only hearts I started with were Incubus and Chris Cornell.

*Los Lobos - after the 3rd consecutive heart I think they've graduated to 'assume they get a heart' status.
*Sufjan Stevens is making a strong claim to achieve a similar status. That was the second straight 'whoa...'
*New hearts - Whiskey Tango, Somersault, and Sweet Talk
*New heart that shouldn't have been - Lee Majors, no clue how this wasn't already in my library (derp)
*Familiar sounds and are now hearted - Chelsea Rodgers, Rock & Roll Woman, Give The Mule What He Wants, When The Time Comes, and Floating in the Forth
*Random note that's only applicable to me and the Ben Folds drafter - for the 3rd consecutive round I thought about hitting the heart for them, but didn't. I suspect that will change as we go forward.

I really enjoyed that round. Good thing too as is took me 4 days to get through it.
 
27
Our Country- John mellencamp
from Freedom's Road Album


Even NON-Mellencamp fans have probably heard this one a million times thanks to the Chevy commercials of the mid 2000s that used the song in it Silverado campaign. But the song itself ( much like Born in the USA) is not just a patriotic anthem to America. Its more of a plea to end the culture wars, to be inclusive, to respect each other. Something that is just as poignant today as it was then.

The song itself(outside of the Commercial) was not much of a hit... 88 on top 100, but did crack the top 40 on the country charts.. To me this song is kind of a rock version of Guthrie's "this land is your land" and for that It belongs on the list.
 
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Finally downloaded and listened on Spotify :bag: great stuff all around! Some songs and bands Aren’t my bag but that’s to be expected. I enjoyed many.

Top 5s
KNOWN
Where'd you go Fort Minor LOVE this song! The next 26 songs must be incredible
Gratitude Beastie Boys Brings me back to college when we would play this CD LOUD, along with RATM, NIN, and the Cranberries (weird mix I suppose but there we were)
Nothing Compares to you Prince / Chris Cornell Prince wins this round; it almost isn't a fair competition
Our Country John Mellencamp I go in waves with him and Tom Petty but overall he's one of my faves. I haven’t heard this one in a while.
Learning to fly Tom Petty One of my favorites by the late great Mr. Petty


UNKNOWN
Breathe Me Sia i love Amy Shark, who clearly was influenced by Sia
Andy Neko Case So far this is one of my favorite artists I didn't know before
Shoe Boot Rateliff I like many of his songs, had not heard this one.
Switchblade Roger Clyne Good chill background music
Dallas Silver Jews I had never heard of this band until this week, digging it!
 
#27 - THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS - USE IT

Alright, first song on the list from what is probably regarded as "peak era" New Pornographers. From 2005's Twin Cinema, there was probably a time that this would have cracked my top 5 songs by the band. One of the things that has fallen off a bit in the more recent albums is the impact (and in recent years even presence) of drummer Kurt Dahle. He's centre stage on this one, bashing through a power pop stomper. Also, the first four songs on the list have prominently featured the wonderful high end female voices but this one is almost all Carl Newman.

Also:
Two sips from the cup of human kindness
And I'm ****faced



The New Pornographers Top 31 by the Numbers

Albums Represented:

Twin Cinema (2005) - 1
Challengers (2007)
- 2
Together (2010) - 2

Song Writers:

Carl Newman - 5

Lead Singers:

Neko Case - 2
Carl Newman - 1
Kathryn Calder - 1
Newman/Calder - 1
 
Finished reviewing the 29s and found it not as much too my liking as the other 2

Added my first Prince song - Chelsea Rogers was a funky tune. I enjoyed it.
Also added my first Kid Rock tune (Johnny Cash)
Jimmy Buffet's Everybody's Talkin' was fun
Blue Eyes Crying in the rain (Nathaniel Rateliffe) was also a favorite from this round
Finally, Change by Tears For Fears made my list

So, only 5 this round which is a fair bit lower than the previous two rounds.

Onto the 28's this afternoon, hopefully.
 
It occurs to me that I should have probably given a little more background on The New Pornographers, so here's the Coles Notes:

  • Carl Newman is the primary songwriter, he's probably written close to 90% of their songs. He's also the primary lead singer, though this is shared around a lot more. I don't think it's unfair to say that Newman really is The New Pornographers, they don't exist without him in any sense
  • Dan Bejar (a.k.a. Destroyer) is a secondary song writer and lead vocalist. He's an incredible song writer and he has written some of their very best but he is very much a designated hitter in a lot of senses in that he comes and goes but when he's there he makes a huge impact.
  • Neko Case was the primary female lead vocalist for the first three albums and remains a very frequent collaborator and vocalist, though obviously she, like Bejar, has a strong solo career so she tends to be a bit less prominent than she was on those first three albums.
  • Kathryn Calder is the female vocalist who has come in and picked up a lot of the slack for Case in more recent years, her voice is right up there with Neko's in turns of range and talent but Neko has that very distinct, instantly recognizable signature sound.
  • Kurt Dahle is the primary drummer for the first six albums. His other bands, Age of Electric and Limblifter received modest success in Canada in the 90s, he is part of why they are sometime referred to as a supergroup and does have a big impact on those early years.
  • Todd Fancey and John Collins are primary guitarists.
  • Joe Seiders has been a touring member of the band a long time and has become primary drummer in more recent years.
It was initially thought that the band might just be a one off, one album project but obviously they were pretty successful critically and commercially, much more than Carl Newman's solo projects were to be honest, so it has made sense that he has put most of his time and effort into the band. It also makes sense that Neko Case and Destroyer, who have more success in their solo careers continue to pursue those and tour to a great extent and tend to come and go a lot more frequently - this is more true of Bejar who is barely on the last few albums, if he is at all. Case still appears on every album.

Seeing them live, you never know which combination you're going to get but no matter what they put on a great show. Carl Newman can sing Bejar's songs surprisingly well. Kathryn Calder can hit the same notes as Neko Case. I've had pretty good luck over the years catching the whole band. The last time I saw them (2021) everyone was there. Even when Bejar is there, he remains a designated hitter. He appears on stage for his songs, completely takes over with his huge presence, then disappears again backstage waiting for his next time up. A The Calder/Case harmonies get amped up live when they're both there and sound incredible.
 
Even NON-Mellencamp fans have probably heard this one a million times thanks to the Chevy commercials of the mid 2000s that used the song in it Silverado campaign.
Somehow, I missed these ads completely. I've never heard this that I can recall, and I can sing pretty much any ad I've heard more than once or twice. That's why I've been avoiding the Jardience ads like the plague that they are.

I do like Mellencamp very much. I'm waiting for some favorites to show.
 

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