MAD's ROUND 2!! # 4's have been posted!! (4 Viewers)

[Mrs. Rannous]

So, felt in the mood for sharing this Nina Simone cover of a Randy Newman song: “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today”.

Or there's Neil Diamond.

I do love Randy Newman. I may have to claim him for the next round.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Time for the next installment...

A Short Prehistory of The Seldom Scene

Bonus track #2: Lost
Buzz Busby and the Bayou Boys, 1955

Thanks to the proliferation of radio in the 30s and 40s, bluegrass spread beyond the Appalachians, including to the town of Eros, in northern Louisiana, the birthplace of one Bernarr Graham Busbice, where the sounds of Bill Monroe's mandolin inspired him to take up the instrument himself. Upon graduating high school as class valedictorian, he joined the FBI and moved to DC, where he formed this band. One of its members was the criminally underrated Roy Clark. If you know his name, it's probably from his time as a co-host and comedy relief on the TV show Hee-Haw, but he was a master of many instruments; if it had strings, he pwned it.

Bonus track #3: showcase
Not one song but rather three that let him show off his versatility on an episode of The Odd Couple.

Another member of the band was a guitarist named Charlie Waller, and on a fateful night in 1957, Busby and a couple of his band members were injured in an accident on their way to a gig (@Uruk-Hai , they were on their way to DC from North Beach.), leaving Waller to find replacements to avoid not missing the show. Waller brought in two replacements, with whom he would later form a band of their own, named The Country Gentlemen. One of these replacements was John Duffey, who would later be a founding member of The Seldom Scene.

Through his presence and influence in the DC area, Busby is recognized as 'The Father of DC Bluegrass.'

Bonus track #4: Will the Circle be Unbroken
The Country Gentlemen, 1961

Filling in for Buzz Busby that night in '57 proved to be their launching point, from which they took the bluegrass world by storm, growing in popularity to the point that they toured the country, playing country/folk festivals coast to coast. In the late 60s, just before embarking on a tour of Japan, John Duffey quit the band, citing a fear of flying. Despite his departure and other lineup changes over the years, the band stayed at the forefront as one of the most popular bluegrass bands of all time.

This song should be at least known by name to most, and this version highlights not only Duffey's voice but also his musicianship; the mandolin solo is crisp and he even gave it a little flair toward the end.

Also of note is the presence of bassist Tom Gray, who years later will join Duffey when the 'Scene is founded.

Awesome post. In all seriousness, I am looking forward to this playlist and learning more about the genre.

I appreciate the compliment; however, the bonus tracks I've posted so far pretty much go into bluegrass as a genre as I'm going to, though I will say that as the list is revealed, what makes them special in the world of bluegrass will become apparent.

Point taken, and I wasn't taking the examples as a 1:1 expecting the playlist to song exactly like that. Mostly since these MAD lists started, I've been really into absorbing what I can. My music education has been lacking, despite owning probably 1000 CDs in the day. I never read much about genres and bands besides maybe an occasional Rolling Stone or metal mag article. I am on my 4th music book in 2 months time now, so most of my comment was about the info and passion in your posts. The fact that I didn't want to turn off the examples was just icing on the cake.

 

[Charlie Steiner]

Time for the next installment...

A Short Prehistory of The Seldom Scene

Bonus track #2: Lost
Buzz Busby and the Bayou Boys, 1955

Thanks to the proliferation of radio in the 30s and 40s, bluegrass spread beyond the Appalachians, including to the town of Eros, in northern Louisiana, the birthplace of one Bernarr Graham Busbice, where the sounds of Bill Monroe's mandolin inspired him to take up the instrument himself. Upon graduating high school as class valedictorian, he joined the FBI and moved to DC, where he formed this band. One of its members was the criminally underrated Roy Clark. If you know his name, it's probably from his time as a co-host and comedy relief on the TV show Hee-Haw, but he was a master of many instruments; if it had strings, he pwned it.

Bonus track #3: showcase
Not one song but rather three that let him show off his versatility on an episode of The Odd Couple.

Another member of the band was a guitarist named Charlie Waller, and on a fateful night in 1957, Busby and a couple of his band members were injured in an accident on their way to a gig (@Uruk-Hai , they were on their way to DC from North Beach.), leaving Waller to find replacements to avoid not missing the show. Waller brought in two replacements, with whom he would later form a band of their own, named The Country Gentlemen. One of these replacements was John Duffey, who would later be a founding member of The Seldom Scene.

Through his presence and influence in the DC area, Busby is recognized as 'The Father of DC Bluegrass.'

Bonus track #4: Will the Circle be Unbroken
The Country Gentlemen, 1961

Filling in for Buzz Busby that night in '57 proved to be their launching point, from which they took the bluegrass world by storm, growing in popularity to the point that they toured the country, playing country/folk festivals coast to coast. In the late 60s, just before embarking on a tour of Japan, John Duffey quit the band, citing a fear of flying. Despite his departure and other lineup changes over the years, the band stayed at the forefront as one of the most popular bluegrass bands of all time.

This song should be at least known by name to most, and this version highlights not only Duffey's voice but also his musicianship; the mandolin solo is crisp and he even gave it a little flair toward the end.

Also of note is the presence of bassist Tom Gray, who years later will join Duffey when the 'Scene is founded.

Awesome post. In all seriousness, I am looking forward to this playlist and learning more about the genre.

I appreciate the compliment; however, the bonus tracks I've posted so far pretty much go into bluegrass as a genre as I'm going to, though I will say that as the list is revealed, what makes them special in the world of bluegrass will become apparent.

Point taken, and I wasn't taking the examples as a 1:1 expecting the playlist to song exactly like that. Mostly since these MAD lists started, I've been really into absorbing what I can. My music education has been lacking, despite owning probably 1000 CDs in the day. I never read much about genres and bands besides maybe an occasional Rolling Stone or metal mag article. I am on my 4th music book in 2 months time now, so most of my comment was about the info and passion in your posts. The fact that I didn't want to turn off the examples was just icing on the cake.

My reply was more out of not wanting to mislead. TBH, I'm not that much of a bluegrass fan, yet here I am with all this history of an iconic bluegrass group in my head. I think most of my passion is simply based on familiarity and the memories I have of seeing them with my father, so I really hope that if he were to read this, he'd be proud.

It's difficult to say more before the songs have been revealed, and like I warned at the outset, I'm going to be very  throughout this list.

 

[KarmaPolice]

I will piggyback off Steiner's 2nd intro post.

MASTODON: PART 2.

Best American Metal Band and a perfect metal album. That is the thesis of my playlist. Maybe I won't convince anybody of this, but I at least want to bring forth the evidence and make my case. That is what popped into my mind early in the research and listening process, and I haven't waivered much off that since then. Notice, I am not high enough to drop the "American" off that descriptor. I am fine with them going to toe with the likes of Slayer and Metallica, but we are opening a whole other conversation when we start tossing in Sabbath, Maiden, Priest, and the like.

Here are things I was thinking about in the last couple months:

• Longevity. They are still making music and touring. They formed in 2000, so 23 years and counting. More importantly, they have not had any personnel changes since album one (they did part ways with a lead singer on early inception). Some of that is luck, as I will discuss as we go, but watching these making of videos and interviews makes is clear how much these weirdos love and respect each other. They truly work as a group with no egos.
• Album quality. Of course this is all opinion from a part time aging metalhead. They have 8 albums so far. Only 1 can I not listen to start to finish. My biased opinion is that they have 4 top to bottom perfect metal albums. I am just playing you my current favorite. Much of the above pales in comparison to bands that started in the 80s and are still going, but when you start thinking about hit rate, member changes, and lack of egos... ALSO, for me part of this rating is also album art and concepts. That's what made me fall in love with the genre and Maiden, and that's what I want in top artists. Gotta look badass on a shirt. A perfect album for me would start with sweet artwork on a concept album that has 0 bad songs and flows start to finish.
• Talent. I can let others talk about guitars if they want. I've already said that I would want to sound like Brann if I could play set, but he's held in high regard for his talent. Bill and Brent have won polls and are also listed as "top of " in the genre too, especially when leaning newer artists. I will say that because I was all about Brann from the start and that's what I focused on, I vastly underestimated Brent's solos and Bill's riffs. I realized that as I was grouping these songs for the playlist I was pairing tunes that had Brent solos and writing and then ones that were more riff heavy. There are songs that feature Troy's bass, but his instrument largely takes a backseat. However....
• Vocals. This is usually the instant deal breaker for me. I can't do screechy and I don't like 100% unintelligible guttural growls like Cannibal Corpse. Early Mastodon toes the line of too much growl for my tastes on the first album, but it smoothed out quickly. What does make them a little different is that they have up to 3 leads on songs. I don't have a great way to describe them, but in my head they are: Troy = deep/growl, Brent = nasally/growl, and Brann = clean. That's right this beast on the drums is also singing on a large number of them. Going back to the no egos - they sing each other's lyrics.
• Quan? . It stupidly popped in my head, so there you go. Just all the other stuff. They make epic videos - I didn't know these were still a thing. They are very open with crap in their lives and wear that on their sleeve when writing their music. It really makes it easy to connect and root for them. Too add to that draw they are funny and weird, and despite taking their music seriously, not themselves. They were in Game of Thrones, on Adult Swim, do bananas skits, all while pouring their hearts out about cancer, suicide, and death in general.

Alright, enough for another week. I will leave you with:

Preview Song #2 This was a tough cut from the playlist. It's a drumming video, but the song is playing as well and it sounds great IMO. I'm still not ready to unleash the official videos on you, so I thought I'd introduce you to Brann, his fun kits, and my drum video obsession.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Looks like we have about 25 lists submitted so far

Bracing yourself for the 9/30 pile up of playlists?

My Tears for Fears list will go right down to the wire.
Spent way too long on Röyksopp. They released 3 damn good albums in 2022 that I hadnt heard.

Thankfully Tears for Fears only have 2 new albums in the last 25 years, but I want to give them a fair shake.
So far I am padding some ordinary **** into 31 for them. They are very top heavy.
For Röyksopp, their 70th ranked song is worthy of inclusion and cutting 45 down to 31 was difficult.

 

[KarmaPolice]

I certainly couldn't hear the difference, but anybody who knows guitar and might - Brent learned banjo first, and I guess that stands out in his playing and makes his sound stand out? Maybe @Charlie Steiner can expand on that?

 

[KarmaPolice]

Looks like we have about 25 lists submitted so far

Bracing yourself for the 9/30 pile up of playlists?

My Tears for Fears list will go right down to the wire.
Spent way too long on Röyksopp. They released 3 damn good albums in 2022 that I hadnt heard.

Thankfully Tears for Fears only have 2 new albums in the last 25 years, but I want to give them a fair shake.
So far I am padding some ordinary **** into 31 for them. They are very top heavy.
For Röyksopp, their 70th ranked song is worthy of inclusion and cutting 45 down to 31 was difficult.

Well, there is the option of only doing one playlist too.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Since everyone is doing preview content of things that didn't quite make the cut, I figured I'd follow suit. Particularly, I want to talk about one of those Prince "sub-genres" that I intended to highlight but ended up not having space for. That sub-genre is "Songs that Strippers Dance To."

Our first example of the form was actually featured in Showgirls as the song Elizabeth Berkley dances to when she's still working at the Cheetah. It's off The Gold Experience, an album that is pretty darn good but which I only took one song from. Anyway, here's 319

I believe a saw a performance to this next song while hanging with @scorchy at the Millstone Inn one night. It was recorded new for The Hits 2 of The Hits/B-Sides compilation. Apparently the moan that begins the song is voiced by Kim Basinger. Please enjoy Peach

Our next song is off the Rave N 2 the Joy Fantastic album. I did not select any songs from this album, though Prettyman is a pretty good James Brown homage. I have not actually seen this song performed for erotic entertainment and you might think that the fact that Sheryl Crowe is credited on the song would preclude it, but I think you'll agree that it has that kind of hard, dirty guitar drive that identifies a Prince strip club special. Ladies and gentlemen, I present Baby Knows

 

[zamboni]

Sign me up for Rainbow

Nice - I was very close to doing Deep Purple.

 

[zamboni]

Our first example of the form was actually featured in Showgirls as the song Elizabeth Berkley dances to when she's still working at the Cheetah.

Crossover to Mrs. R’s list.

 

[Charlie Steiner]

I certainly couldn't hear the difference, but anybody who knows guitar and might - Brent learned banjo first, and I guess that stands out in his playing and makes his sound stand out? Maybe @Charlie Steiner can expand on that?

I don't know that I could differentiate either, but I know a very little bit about the banjo.

While there are multiple ways to play the banjo, the most common methods involve picking the strings with individual fingers, and bluegrass picking in particular involves a lot of 'rolls', in which the index and middle fingers work in concert with the thumb. I'd say it's probably close to how Mark Knopfler of Dire Straights plays--no pick, just his fingers. If anything, I'd say banjo playing is almost the opposite of guitar playing, in that with the guitar, either the fingers on their left hand is busiest or equally as busy as the right, while with the banjo, the right hand is routinely busier than the left. If they play left-handed, then reverse the previous comment.

I may be way off, but hope that helps.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Looks like we have about 25 lists submitted so far

Bracing yourself for the 9/30 pile up of playlists?

My Tears for Fears list will go right down to the wire.
Spent way too long on Röyksopp. They released 3 damn good albums in 2022 that I hadnt heard.

Thankfully Tears for Fears only have 2 new albums in the last 25 years, but I want to give them a fair shake.
So far I am padding some ordinary **** into 31 for them. They are very top heavy.
For Röyksopp, their 70th ranked song is worthy of inclusion and cutting 45 down to 31 was difficult.

Well, there is the option of only doing one playlist too.

That’s boring lol
I will take your obsessiveness and raise it
JML takes pre 2000. Secret man takes post 2000

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

I certainly couldn't hear the difference, but anybody who knows guitar and might - Brent learned banjo first, and I guess that stands out in his playing and makes his sound stand out? Maybe @Charlie Steiner can expand on that?

I don't know that I could differentiate either, but I know a very little bit about the banjo.

While there are multiple ways to play the banjo, the most common methods involve picking the strings with individual fingers, and bluegrass picking in particular involves a lot of 'rolls', in which the index and middle fingers work in concert with the thumb. I'd say it's probably close to how Mark Knopfler of Dire Straights plays--no pick, just his fingers. If anything, I'd say banjo playing is almost the opposite of guitar playing, in that with the guitar, either the fingers on their left hand is busiest or equally as busy as the right, while with the banjo, the right hand is routinely busier than the left. If they play left-handed, then reverse the previous comment.

I may be way off, but hope that helps.

Check out Wikipedia - the section "Classic Era". It describes the two main techniques pretty well.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

And The Pointer Sisters are ready to go. Yay!

 

[Zegras11]

I'm so excited!

 

[KarmaPolice]

I'm so excited!

Did you jump when you read that?

 

[AAABatteries]

I'm so excited!

I think I like it.






TWSS

 

[Scoresman]

Here's your Sunday Sia preview.

Sia has done a few covers over her career and I have included a few in my 31. This is one of my favorites and I feel like the original one of the best songs to come out of the 80s. , but since this cover is not on Spotify, I did not include it. So here it is. Sia's cover of Time After Time (with Chilly Gonzales)

This was done for a French TV program in 2009. This is pretty much the end of the indie phase of her career, right before her hiatus/retirement and subsequent return as a pop star.

Chilly Gonzales With Sia - Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper Cover

Chilly Gonzales & Sia performing "Time After Time" live at french TV show "Taratata". 2009.Time After Time was recorded by Cyndi Lauper for her debut studio...

www.youtube.com

 

[Just Win Baby]

Here is a Mike Shinoda preview. Warning: NSFW language.

I ranked my top 50 songs, here is 41-50 to help those of you unfamiliar with him to get some exposure:


50
Song: Dedicated
Artist: Linkin Park
Album: LP Underground 2.0
Released: 2002
Genre: nu-metal / rap rock / alternative rock

There isn't a lot of info on this song available, since it was originally recorded as a demo in 1999 and released on a fan club LP in 2002. It is one of the earliest songs I have by LP and IMO immediately demonstrated how talented they are and foreshadowed how successful they would become in this "nu-metal" genre. I didn't have this early in my discovery of LP, but it would have led me to seeking out more of their music.


49
Song: Heavy
Artist: Linkin Park featuring Kiiara
Album: One More Light
Released: 2017
Genre: pop / electropop / alternative pop / pop rock / R&B

Critics were very negative about this song and the One More Light album, since it was a pivot for Linkin Park to a pop-oriented sound. A lot of fans reacted the same way, and I have to admit it took me a while to warm up to it, but it highlights how diverse LP is/was.

Mike Shinoda on this song:

Mike Shinoda explained that the song is a core part of the album and described the message of the song with the proverb "when it rains it pours", talking about how "Heavy" is about the culmination of a singular, dramatic event and several smaller, less important problems. He later described a day that Chester had come in to the studio and exclaimed that he felt overwhelmed by a myriad of problems. Mike felt that the key to the song was the line "If I just let go I'd be set free", as that lyric contains the idea of personal responsibility, which solidified the song's message and theme.

48
Song: High Road
Artist: Fort Minor featuring John Legend
Album: The Rising Tied
Released: 2005
Genre: alternative hip hop / rap rock

Fort Minor is a side project for Shinoda. He played every instrument on the album and invited a number of guests to join him in performing the songs. In this one, John Legend sings the chorus and Shinoda sings the other vocals.

Mike Shinoda on this song:

"‘High Road’ is one of those songs, that I… it just makes me happy. Like it just sounds like a good time to me, sounds like a party. I love playing it live. When we play… when Fort Minor plays shows live, we play… I put together a band of three string players, three backup singers, drummer and a DJ, and it’s me, and Styles Of Beyond on the mic, it’s just a… it’s just a good time and this is one of those songs that I love to play."

47
Song: Shadow Of The Day
Artist: Linkin Park
Album: Minutes To Midnight
Released: 2007
Genre: alternative rock / electronic rock

The band on this song:

"The keyboard loop in “Shadow Of The Day” went through many different changes during the song’s creation. For months, the song’s place on the album remained undecided; the band agreed that it wouldn’t make the album unless the right introductory sound was discovered. Dozens of options were created on piano, acoustic guitar, marimba, xylophone, and even electric banjo before finally writing the reversed/edited keyboard version that appears here."

Chester Bennington on this song:

"There are some pretty serious musicians in Linkin Park. There are moments during a Linkin Park session where I'll say, Hey, can we change this part? On Shadow of the Day, there is a guitar part that's at the end of the song. I walked into the studio, and Brad had been there two days straight. I said, How you're doing? He said, I can't do this. I can't break the code on this one. I said, Play it for me. I want to hear what you're working on. He played it and I go, I've got an idea. I go in the other room, played the part on the piano, and I go, Play this. He played it, and that's what we kept. That's what we do. That's what being in a band is about. Brad said, Ah! Why couldn't have you been here two days ago?"

46
Song: Guilty All The Same
Artist: Linkin Park featuring Rakim
Album: The Hunting Party
Released: 2014
Genre: heavy metal / hard rock / rap metal

Critics generally liked this song, viewing the heaviness of this song and album as a return to older LP.

About the rap in the song:

While writing the song, Shinoda knew he wanted a rap verse in the song, but felt it would be too predictable for him to do it. He jokingly asked if they could get Rakim, one of Shinoda's idols, in to do the verse, and the engineer told Shinoda that he could get in contact with Rakim. Within a week, Shinoda was on the phone with Rakim, and got him to do the verse during the bridge. Rakim drove out to LA, and was working on and perfecting his verse the entire time. He was still working on it in the studio before he went in to record it. Shinoda went on to cite the verse as an example of why Rakim is one of his favorite rappers, and that it is the "perfect mix of technicality, content, and emotional expression".

45
Song: I'll Be Gone (Schoolboy remix)
Artist: Linkin Park
Album: Recharged
Released: 2013
Genre: electronic dance music (EDM) / hip hop

The original version of this song is from the LP album Living Things, and its genre was characterized as electronic rock / alternative rock. This remix by Schoolboy is EDM / hip hop. For the original version of this song, Brad Delson said this:

"A long time ago, we wanted to work with some young artists who have a similar style with electronics and with rock bands. Then Rick Rubin came to the studio and said to us, "Guys, listen to this guy named Owen, I work with Arcade Fire." We called Owen, he came to the studio, and the result was "I'll Be Gone", maybe one of the best songs on the album."

44
Song: Make It Up As I Go
Artist: Mike Shinoda featuring K. Flay (i.e., Kristine Flaherty)
Album: Post Traumatic
Released: 2018
Genre: hip hop / electropop

K. Flay said this about the song:

"We were talking about how it's comforting to think that anybody knows what they’re doing but we're all inventing life moment by moment. That's a headspace I'm in frequently, and I think it was definitely connecting with Mike's headspace, too."

43
Song: Don't Stay
Artist: Linkin Park
Album: Meteora
Released: 2003
Genre: nu metal / rap metal / alternative metal / rap rock / alternative rock

Chester Bennington said this about the song:

"We don't talk about situations, we talk about the emotions behind the situations," he said. "Mike and I are two different people, so we can't sing about the same things, but we both know about frustration and anger and loneliness and love and happiness, and we can relate on that level."

42
Song: Remember The Name
Artist: Fort Minor featuring Styles of Beyond
Album: The Rising Tied
Released: 2005
Genre: alternative hip hop

Mike Shinoda on this song:

"That snare [sound] is like 12 tracks of sticks and clapping and snapping and tambourine [combined into one]. It probably took me a half hour just to make it. I'm lucky because I'm able to play a lot of different instruments. In the case of somebody like Kanye, he works a lot with samples. I could've gone that route too, but I figure if there's something you can do that is, like, your gift, just focus on [that]. Besides the fact that samples can be expensive!"

41
Song: Bleed It Out
Artist: Linkin Park
Album: Minutes To Midnight
Released: 2007
Genre: rap rock

Mike Shinoda quote:

"The guitar sounds like AC/DC, the beat sounds like Motown, and there's a Stones-like groove to it. But it's got rapping and Clash-style vocals. It's so different it may take people a beat to go 'I can't believe it's the same band. But hopefully their next thought will be 'F*ckin' Cool'."

Chester Bennington quote:

"rides the line of what you might expect from us. It’s got rapping on it and a real big chorus, but it’s also got these great Motown drums and a real party vibe to it. So it’s something different too. It’s fun."

So, these 10 songs cover this broad spectrum of genres:

• nu-metal
• heavy metal
• rap metal
• alternative metal
• rap rock
• hard rock
• alternative rock
• electronic rock
• alternative pop
• pop rock
• pop
• electropop
• R&B
• hip hop
• alternative hip hop
• electronic dance music

That's a lot. It will narrow down a bit in my top 31 countdown, but this is a broad exposure to Mike's music. Hope you like something in this list!

 

[MAC_32]

Hope you like something in this list!

Bleed It Out and Don't Stay are staples in my shuffles

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Sort of bleeds the suspense of some of these lists if we start posting what didnt make the cut already

I mean how will anyone be surprised if I reveal which 2 of
Like an Old Dog,
Me and Youphoria,
Forsaken Cowboy,
Denimclad Baboons and
The Alcoholic
made my Röyksopp list and which 3 didn’t?

 

[New Binky the Doormat]

oh we haven't begun the "just didn't make it" part yet man

 

[krista4]

Hey fam. I was thinking today about doing a middle-aged dummy countdown, in the format I've done before, where we submit our top 31 favorite covers. Usual stuff, countdown, winners, contests for charity, etc. Obviously after this thing is done. Thoughts?

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Hey fam. I was thinking today about doing a middle-aged dummy countdown, in the format I've done before, where we submit our top 31 favorite covers. Usual stuff, countdown, winners, contests for charity, etc. Obviously after this thing is done. Thoughts?

I’m ok with something different next time around. Covers would be fun.

 

[Scoresman]

I love covers but I feel like even today i will randomly learn that a song I’ve liked for years is actually a cover and the song is much older than I thought.

 

[krista4]

I love covers but I feel like even today i will randomly learn that a song I’ve liked for years is actually a cover and the song is much older than I thought.

That's a little bit of the fun to me.

 

[krista4]

It came to me because I was driving and heard an amazing cover of a Beatles song. Might not make my 31, but it made me think that there are so many underappreciated cover-y gems out there.

Don't care if we don't do it; just liked the M-AD format and was thinking of a way to bring it back.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Hey fam. I was thinking today about doing a middle-aged dummy countdown, in the format I've done before, where we submit our top 31 favorite covers. Usual stuff, countdown, winners, contests for charity, etc. Obviously after this thing is done. Thoughts?

I'm down with whatever.

An idea I was going to present is doing a shorter one- 15 to 20 songs but from bands with few albums or few listeners/month on Spotify.

 

[Eephus]

Here is a Mike Shinoda preview. Warning: NSFW language.

I ranked my top 50 songs, here is 41-50 to help those of you unfamiliar with him to get some exposure:


50
Song: Dedicated
Artist: Linkin Park
Album: LP Underground 2.0
Released: 2002
Genre: nu-metal / rap rock / alternative rock

There isn't a lot of info on this song available, since it was originally recorded as a demo in 1999 and released on a fan club LP in 2002. It is one of the earliest songs I have by LP and IMO immediately demonstrated how talented they are and foreshadowed how successful they would become in this "nu-metal" genre. I didn't have this early in my discovery of LP, but it would have led me to seeking out more of their music.


49
Song: Heavy
Artist: Linkin Park featuring Kiiara
Album: One More Light
Released: 2017
Genre: pop / electropop / alternative pop / pop rock / R&B

Critics were very negative about this song and the One More Light album, since it was a pivot for Linkin Park to a pop-oriented sound. A lot of fans reacted the same way, and I have to admit it took me a while to warm up to it, but it highlights how diverse LP is/was.

Mike Shinoda on this song:

Mike Shinoda explained that the song is a core part of the album and described the message of the song with the proverb "when it rains it pours", talking about how "Heavy" is about the culmination of a singular, dramatic event and several smaller, less important problems. He later described a day that Chester had come in to the studio and exclaimed that he felt overwhelmed by a myriad of problems. Mike felt that the key to the song was the line "If I just let go I'd be set free", as that lyric contains the idea of personal responsibility, which solidified the song's message and theme.

48
Song: High Road
Artist: Fort Minor featuring John Legend
Album: The Rising Tied
Released: 2005
Genre: alternative hip hop / rap rock

Fort Minor is a side project for Shinoda. He played every instrument on the album and invited a number of guests to join him in performing the songs. In this one, John Legend sings the chorus and Shinoda sings the other vocals.

Mike Shinoda on this song:

"‘High Road’ is one of those songs, that I… it just makes me happy. Like it just sounds like a good time to me, sounds like a party. I love playing it live. When we play… when Fort Minor plays shows live, we play… I put together a band of three string players, three backup singers, drummer and a DJ, and it’s me, and Styles Of Beyond on the mic, it’s just a… it’s just a good time and this is one of those songs that I love to play."

47
Song: Shadow Of The Day
Artist: Linkin Park
Album: Minutes To Midnight
Released: 2007
Genre: alternative rock / electronic rock

The band on this song:

"The keyboard loop in “Shadow Of The Day” went through many different changes during the song’s creation. For months, the song’s place on the album remained undecided; the band agreed that it wouldn’t make the album unless the right introductory sound was discovered. Dozens of options were created on piano, acoustic guitar, marimba, xylophone, and even electric banjo before finally writing the reversed/edited keyboard version that appears here."

Chester Bennington on this song:

"There are some pretty serious musicians in Linkin Park. There are moments during a Linkin Park session where I'll say, Hey, can we change this part? On Shadow of the Day, there is a guitar part that's at the end of the song. I walked into the studio, and Brad had been there two days straight. I said, How you're doing? He said, I can't do this. I can't break the code on this one. I said, Play it for me. I want to hear what you're working on. He played it and I go, I've got an idea. I go in the other room, played the part on the piano, and I go, Play this. He played it, and that's what we kept. That's what we do. That's what being in a band is about. Brad said, Ah! Why couldn't have you been here two days ago?"

46
Song: Guilty All The Same
Artist: Linkin Park featuring Rakim
Album: The Hunting Party
Released: 2014
Genre: heavy metal / hard rock / rap metal

Critics generally liked this song, viewing the heaviness of this song and album as a return to older LP.

About the rap in the song:

While writing the song, Shinoda knew he wanted a rap verse in the song, but felt it would be too predictable for him to do it. He jokingly asked if they could get Rakim, one of Shinoda's idols, in to do the verse, and the engineer told Shinoda that he could get in contact with Rakim. Within a week, Shinoda was on the phone with Rakim, and got him to do the verse during the bridge. Rakim drove out to LA, and was working on and perfecting his verse the entire time. He was still working on it in the studio before he went in to record it. Shinoda went on to cite the verse as an example of why Rakim is one of his favorite rappers, and that it is the "perfect mix of technicality, content, and emotional expression".

45
Song: I'll Be Gone (Schoolboy remix)
Artist: Linkin Park
Album: Recharged
Released: 2013
Genre: electronic dance music (EDM) / hip hop

The original version of this song is from the LP album Living Things, and its genre was characterized as electronic rock / alternative rock. This remix by Schoolboy is EDM / hip hop. For the original version of this song, Brad Delson said this:

"A long time ago, we wanted to work with some young artists who have a similar style with electronics and with rock bands. Then Rick Rubin came to the studio and said to us, "Guys, listen to this guy named Owen, I work with Arcade Fire." We called Owen, he came to the studio, and the result was "I'll Be Gone", maybe one of the best songs on the album."

44
Song: Make It Up As I Go
Artist: Mike Shinoda featuring K. Flay (i.e., Kristine Flaherty)
Album: Post Traumatic
Released: 2018
Genre: hip hop / electropop

K. Flay said this about the song:

"We were talking about how it's comforting to think that anybody knows what they’re doing but we're all inventing life moment by moment. That's a headspace I'm in frequently, and I think it was definitely connecting with Mike's headspace, too."

43
Song: Don't Stay
Artist: Linkin Park
Album: Meteora
Released: 2003
Genre: nu metal / rap metal / alternative metal / rap rock / alternative rock

Chester Bennington said this about the song:

"We don't talk about situations, we talk about the emotions behind the situations," he said. "Mike and I are two different people, so we can't sing about the same things, but we both know about frustration and anger and loneliness and love and happiness, and we can relate on that level."

42
Song: Remember The Name
Artist: Fort Minor featuring Styles of Beyond
Album: The Rising Tied
Released: 2005
Genre: alternative hip hop

Mike Shinoda on this song:

"That snare [sound] is like 12 tracks of sticks and clapping and snapping and tambourine [combined into one]. It probably took me a half hour just to make it. I'm lucky because I'm able to play a lot of different instruments. In the case of somebody like Kanye, he works a lot with samples. I could've gone that route too, but I figure if there's something you can do that is, like, your gift, just focus on [that]. Besides the fact that samples can be expensive!"

41
Song: Bleed It Out
Artist: Linkin Park
Album: Minutes To Midnight
Released: 2007
Genre: rap rock

Mike Shinoda quote:

"The guitar sounds like AC/DC, the beat sounds like Motown, and there's a Stones-like groove to it. But it's got rapping and Clash-style vocals. It's so different it may take people a beat to go 'I can't believe it's the same band. But hopefully their next thought will be 'F*ckin' Cool'."

Chester Bennington quote:

"rides the line of what you might expect from us. It’s got rapping on it and a real big chorus, but it’s also got these great Motown drums and a real party vibe to it. So it’s something different too. It’s fun."

So, these 10 songs cover this broad spectrum of genres:

• nu-metal
• heavy metal
• rap metal
• alternative metal
• rap rock
• hard rock
• alternative rock
• electronic rock
• alternative pop
• pop rock
• pop
• electropop
• R&B
• hip hop
• alternative hip hop
• electronic dance music

That's a lot. It will narrow down a bit in my top 31 countdown, but this is a broad exposure to Mike's music. Hope you like something in this list!

I listened to the song with Rakim on it. Waited patiently for the R for about 4 1/2 minutes but his verse was worth it.

 

[Just Win Baby]

Sort of bleeds the suspense of some of these lists if we start posting what didnt make the cut already

I mean how will anyone be surprised if I reveal which 2 of
Like an Old Dog,
Me and Youphoria,
Forsaken Cowboy,
Denimclad Baboons and
The Alcoholic
made my Röyksopp list and which 3 didn’t?

I pretty much figure that none of the readers of this thread have any clue about Mike Shinoda, with an exception or two, so I'm not actually revealing anything.

 

[Just Win Baby]

Hey fam. I was thinking today about doing a middle-aged dummy countdown, in the format I've done before, where we submit our top 31 favorite covers. Usual stuff, countdown, winners, contests for charity, etc. Obviously after this thing is done. Thoughts?

Love the idea. I'm in.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Hey fam. I was thinking today about doing a middle-aged dummy countdown, in the format I've done before, where we submit our top 31 favorite covers. Usual stuff, countdown, winners, contests for charity, etc. Obviously after this thing is done. Thoughts?

There are several Pointer Sisters songs that will qualify. Sounds like fun to me.

 

[plinko]

Sort of bleeds the suspense of some of these lists if we start posting what didnt make the cut already

I mean how will anyone be surprised if I reveal which 2 of
Like an Old Dog,
Me and Youphoria,
Forsaken Cowboy,
Denimclad Baboons and
The Alcoholic
made my Röyksopp list and which 3 didn’t?

I pretty much figure that none of the readers of this thread have any clue about Mike Shinoda, with an exception or two, so I'm not actually revealing anything.

I’ve said this around here before, and I’ll say it again, I’ve seen dozens of shows at the 9:30 Club and the best one I ever saw was early Linkin Park with Taproot and Alien Ant Farm

That said, most of what you put here will be new to my ears. God speed Chester Bennington, in any case, seemed like an amazing dude

The first time I heard Linkin Park on the radio I thought it was Stabbing Westward doing some sort of rapper collab. But I really dug that first record, much more impressive than most things SW

 

[Dr. Octopus]

re-posting now that we're closer to the reveal:

Drive-By Truckers’ musical style is somewhat eclectic (depending in part on the songwriter) and incorporates elements of rock and roll, southern rock, country, punk, cow-punk, blues, and southern soul. They cite the following bands as their biggest influences: The Clash, Lynyrd Skynyrd, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Neil Young, Merle Haggard and Townes Van Zandt.

Drive-By Truckers was cofounded by Patterson Hood (son of bassist David Hood of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section) and longtime friend, former roommate, and musical partner Mike Cooley in Athens, Georgia, in 1996.

They have been the two steady members of the band along with drummer Brad Morgan as the only other member that has been around for all of their major label albums.

The band had three main singer/songwriters/lead guitarists, the aforementioned Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley, and Jason Isbell, who was in the band from 2001-2007. Isbell’s problems with alcohol caused him to leave the band, before starting a solo career that has arguably been more successful than that of his former band. Truth be told I prefer Isbell’s music a little bit more than the DBT’s but thought that would perhaps be a little too much pure country for some tastes in here.

I’d expect Hood’s vocals to turn some people off – especially when he breaks out his “angry southern man” voice. It did for me to some extent – but his songs usually rock the hardest for the band and have the better musical fills, so I’ve accepted it and grown accustomed to it.

While I said earlier that I prefer Isbell’s solo music to the DBTs’ by a slight margin, within the setting of the band Mike Cooley’s songs do the most for me. His songs are more straight up blues based rock and roll and he’s among the most clever lyricists out there. His voice is not anything great but it’s pleasant and works in context.

Jason Isbell has by far the smoothest vocals but is the most country leaning among the three. I love all of his DBT songs, but I feel like he really found his own way when he left the band and is now one of the best songwriters of the modern era. He’s more traditional country (with a slight rock leaning) than the junk that passes for country on the radio today.

DBTs’ music can be a tour de force at times – especially during the Isbell years when they featured, much like Skynyrd, three lead guitars.

For the last four years straight, DBT has finished in my Spotify year end Top 5 – and I suppose they’ll now be a lock for a 5th year, after putting my list together.


Hopefully, you guys enjoy the ride.

I'll try to start getting people a little used to Hood's vocals with a bonus track, a cover of Warren Zevon's Play It All Night Long,

 

[Dr. Octopus]

I'll also post my last three out (one for each songwriter/vocalist):


The Day John Henry Died - Jason Isbell on vocals

What It Means - Patterson Hood on vocals

Zip City - Mike Cooley on vocals

 

[jwb]

re-posting now that we're closer to the reveal:

Drive-By Truckers’ musical style is somewhat eclectic (depending in part on the songwriter) and incorporates elements of rock and roll, southern rock, country, punk, cow-punk, blues, and southern soul. They cite the following bands as their biggest influences: The Clash, Lynyrd Skynyrd, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Neil Young, Merle Haggard and Townes Van Zandt.

Drive-By Truckers was cofounded by Patterson Hood (son of bassist David Hood of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section) and longtime friend, former roommate, and musical partner Mike Cooley in Athens, Georgia, in 1996.

They have been the two steady members of the band along with drummer Brad Morgan as the only other member that has been around for all of their major label albums.

The band had three main singer/songwriters/lead guitarists, the aforementioned Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley, and Jason Isbell, who was in the band from 2001-2007. Isbell’s problems with alcohol caused him to leave the band, before starting a solo career that has arguably been more successful than that of his former band. Truth be told I prefer Isbell’s music a little bit more than the DBT’s but thought that would perhaps be a little too much pure country for some tastes in here.

I’d expect Hood’s vocals to turn some people off – especially when he breaks out his “angry southern man” voice. It did for me to some extent – but his songs usually rock the hardest for the band and have the better musical fills, so I’ve accepted it and grown accustomed to it.

While I said earlier that I prefer Isbell’s solo music to the DBTs’ by a slight margin, within the setting of the band Mike Cooley’s songs do the most for me. His songs are more straight up blues based rock and roll and he’s among the most clever lyricists out there. His voice is not anything great but it’s pleasant and works in context.

Jason Isbell has by far the smoothest vocals but is the most country leaning among the three. I love all of his DBT songs, but I feel like he really found his own way when he left the band and is now one of the best songwriters of the modern era. He’s more traditional country (with a slight rock leaning) than the junk that passes for country on the radio today.

DBTs’ music can be a tour de force at times – especially during the Isbell years when they featured, much like Skynyrd, three lead guitars.

For the last four years straight, DBT has finished in my Spotify year end Top 5 – and I suppose they’ll now be a lock for a 5th year, after putting my list together.


Hopefully, you guys enjoy the ride.

I'll try to start getting people a little used to Hood's vocals with a bonus track, a cover of Warren Zevon's Play It All Night Long,

Definitely an artist I'm looking forward to learning more about. Pretty unfamiliar with their work but I like what I've heard.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Hey fam. I was thinking today about doing a middle-aged dummy countdown, in the format I've done before, where we submit our top 31 favorite covers. Usual stuff, countdown, winners, contests for charity, etc. Obviously after this thing is done. Thoughts?

In. I’ll try not to make it all Neil covers.

 

[Don Quixote]

Hey fam. I was thinking today about doing a middle-aged dummy countdown, in the format I've done before, where we submit our top 31 favorite covers. Usual stuff, countdown, winners, contests for charity, etc. Obviously after this thing is done. Thoughts?

Sounds fun to me. I’d be in for that.

 

[AAABatteries]

Jason Isbell has by far the smoothest vocals but is the most country leaning among the three. I love all of his DBT songs, but I feel like he really found his own way when he left the band and is now one of the best songwriters of the modern era. He’s more traditional country (with a slight rock leaning) than the junk that passes for country on the radio today.

It’s been out a long time but currently playing the crap out of If We Were Vampires - I suddenly felt like I reached middle age and this song just hits me differently now.

Can’t wait to dig in to DBT more as I’ve always been somewhat interested as an Isbell fan.

 

[Charlie Steiner]

Hey fam. I was thinking today about doing a middle-aged dummy countdown, in the format I've done before, where we submit our top 31 favorite covers. Usual stuff, countdown, winners, contests for charity, etc. Obviously after this thing is done. Thoughts?

25 of my songs this time around are covers. There may be duplicates.

 

[Raging weasel]

just need to finalize songs 9-14 and I'll submit my list, should be tonight or tomorrow.

 

[MAC_32]

I am only going to tease one Incubus song. Only reason I'm even doing one is because I recall several commenting when I unveiled my artist that they weren't familiar with them. I suspect most of those that wrote it will remember this by the time they get to the chorus. Probably sooner. It just didn't make my 31 because I ****ing hate this song.

 

[Mister CIA]

Hey fam. I was thinking today about doing a middle-aged dummy countdown, in the format I've done before, where we submit our top 31 favorite covers. Usual stuff, countdown, winners, contests for charity, etc. Obviously after this thing is done. Thoughts?

I'll play. A couple of thoughts. It's likely several songs will be selected multiple times, which may be more feature than bug as it allows for side contests guessing at the clues you might reveal.

Also, speaking only for myself, I could spend weeks curating a top-31, only to keep discovering cover songs I like even more. Don't know how you'll want to handle submissions, but maybe make the first submission final, and allow for a short list of songs of regreattable oversights at the tailend of the reveals, else there might be a lot of sliding into your DMs.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Hey fam. I was thinking today about doing a middle-aged dummy countdown, in the format I've done before, where we submit our top 31 favorite covers. Usual stuff, countdown, winners, contests for charity, etc. Obviously after this thing is done. Thoughts?

I'll play

 

[JB Breakfast Club]

I am only going to tease one Incubus song. Only reason I'm even doing one is because I recall several commenting when I unveiled my artist that they weren't familiar with them. I suspect most of those that wrote it will remember this by the time they get to the chorus. Probably sooner. It just didn't make my 31 because I ****ing hate this song.

Hot take, considering it's one of their most popular hits. You'd be getting roasted on FootballGals fersure.

 

[MAC_32]

I am only going to tease one Incubus song. Only reason I'm even doing one is because I recall several commenting when I unveiled my artist that they weren't familiar with them. I suspect most of those that wrote it will remember this by the time they get to the chorus. Probably sooner. It just didn't make my 31 because I ****ing hate this song.

Hot take, considering it's one of their most popular hits. You'd be getting roasted on FootballGals fersure.

I like many of the softer sides of Incubus, but this track has been a miss with me since first listen.

 

[Raging weasel]

I am only going to tease one Incubus song. Only reason I'm even doing one is because I recall several commenting when I unveiled my artist that they weren't familiar with them. I suspect most of those that wrote it will remember this by the time they get to the chorus. Probably sooner. It just didn't make my 31 because I ****ing hate this song.

Hot take, considering it's one of their most popular hits. You'd be getting roasted on FootballGals fersure.

Not in my top 10 but still really like it.
Your list sucks

 

[Don Quixote]

I’ve posted a few extra tracks in the past couple of weeks and my album breakdown, but I haven’t done a real introduction to Nina Simone yet. Some may already be pretty familiar with her biography and/or music. If you’ve seen the “What Happened, Miss Simone?” documentary on Netflix, this all should sound familiar. (And, if you haven’t, I highly recommend it.)

In her autobiography, Nina Simone mentioned that critics had trouble identifying what genre to fit her music in when she started out — Nina Simone described it there as “popular songs in a classical style with a classical piano technique influenced by cocktail jazz.” She rejected being called a jazz singer and comparisons to Billie Holliday that were made by the critics — she thought that the only thing that they had in common was being black. Nina Simone said that if she needed to be slotted somewhere, she considered herself a folk singer, as there was more folk and blues than jazz in her songs. At times, her music can be a bit of a combination of Bach and the blues.

For a small biography, her initial aspirations were to be a classical pianist. She was rejected by the Curtis Institute of Music in Philly (likely because of race), but took private lessons with one of the professors. She started performing to pay for the cost of her piano lessons. One of her first gigs was the Midtown Bar & Grill in Atlantic City. After not singing during her first performance there, the owner told her that she had to start singing if she wanted to keep her job — so, she only started singing then.

Another source of her music as a youth was gospel. Her mother was a Methodist preacher. She adopted a stage name to try to hide her performances from her mother, who disapproved. While some songs are true to gospel, she also has some songs that are gospel in style, but subvert it. Subverting styles or songs is something that comes up in some of my favorites of hers — her covers frequently take a song and convert it to something completely different in a way that can change its meaning.

As the peak of her career intersected with the civil rights movement and other movements of the 1960s, she used this to great effect then. Standing up for her rights started at a young age — at her first recital as a young kid, her parents were moved to the back of the auditorium to make room for a white couple. She refused to start playing until they moved her parents back to the front.

As she told MLK, she was “not non-violent.” She said that if she knew how to use a gun, she probably would have gone to the south to fight and ended up dead. But since she did not know how to use one, she used her piano and voice to try to effect change instead. Her vocalness of those issues certainly impeded her career, and stopped her from getting the TV gigs that she had been able to get early on in her career.

Many of her most powerful songs from that era will end up on my list, and near the top, where they should be. List is going to start out with one that really shows off her voice, one that shows off her classical piano training, and then a pop cover, before settling in. While she has a lot of songs that I love, my 31 leans heavily to the songs that completely stop me in my tracks even if I’ve heard it 100 times.

For a few more bonus tracks as bit of an intro, including a couple of covers of well-known songs, so you can see Nina Simone’s interpretation:

• My Way: You know Sinatra’s version (and countless others). Miss Simone adds more of an ebullient feeling to it (though less ebullient than Sid Vicious’s) — more of an “eff yeah, I did it my way and I’m effing proud of it.” (Live performance here)
• Suzanne: Cover of the Leonard Cohen song (first recorded by Judy Collins). Instead of the monotonal reverence of most versions, Nina Simone‘s is more soulful (Cohen obviously can’t hit some of the notes that Nina Simone does here). The arrangement and Nina’s vocals retain some of the mystery, but also give it a completely different vibe — feels like the perspective is flipped more to Suzanne’s. Not really a question of ”which is better” for me — view them as two different songs, and can appreciate both depending on my mood.
• Are You Ready?: I’ll leave this one for the last as a peak into some of her torch songs. Those who have seen the “Summer of Soul” documentary should know this one as it is one of the (if not “the”) most memorable scenes in the documentary — her fiery reading at the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. I think it’s best with the visuals in the doc, which is why did not make my 31, and unfortunately can’t find a clip of that on YouTube.

Additional tracks previously linked, so all in one place:

• I Think It’s Going to Rain Today (Randy Newman cover)
• It Be’s That Way Sometime (written by her brother)
• You’ve Got to Learn and Blues for Mama (both live from the 1966 Newport Jazz Festival — previously unreleased live recording; album released in August)

 

[krista4]

Hey fam. I was thinking today about doing a middle-aged dummy countdown, in the format I've done before, where we submit our top 31 favorite covers. Usual stuff, countdown, winners, contests for charity, etc. Obviously after this thing is done. Thoughts?

I'll play. A couple of thoughts. It's likely several songs will be selected multiple times, which may be more feature than bug as it allows for side contests guessing at the clues you might reveal.

Also, speaking only for myself, I could spend weeks curating a top-31, only to keep discovering cover songs I like even more. Don't know how you'll want to handle submissions, but maybe make the first submission final, and allow for a short list of songs of regreattable oversights at the tailend of the reveals, else there might be a lot of sliding into your DMs.

Were you not involved in the M-AD countdowns? I’m not being sarcastic. I would have been certain you were, but the nature of the comments above is making me question myself.

 

[Mister CIA]

Hey fam. I was thinking today about doing a middle-aged dummy countdown, in the format I've done before, where we submit our top 31 favorite covers. Usual stuff, countdown, winners, contests for charity, etc. Obviously after this thing is done. Thoughts?

I'll play. A couple of thoughts. It's likely several songs will be selected multiple times, which may be more feature than bug as it allows for side contests guessing at the clues you might reveal.

Also, speaking only for myself, I could spend weeks curating a top-31, only to keep discovering cover songs I like even more. Don't know how you'll want to handle submissions, but maybe make the first submission final, and allow for a short list of songs of regreattable oversights at the tailend of the reveals, else there might be a lot of sliding into your DMs.

Were you not involved in the M-AD countdowns? I’m not being sarcastic. I would have been certain you were, but the nature of the comments above is making me question myself.

Yes, all but the first one. I'm one of those who sent you multiple updates for my submitted lists.