Middle-aged Dummies are back and bursting at the "themes" to get going! Full theme ahead! (2 Viewers)

[Dr. Octopus]

Same, it was a great trip down memory lane and I now have a new metal playlist of bands I did not listen to much thanks to you and rockaction.

We refer to him as "Metal" around these parts.

 

[Yo Mama]

#1 songs!!!!!!11111

Yambag – Metal songs from 1988-1992 that became the gateway into the world of music for a young Yambag

Jerk-Off - Tool

Summary: Tool is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1990. With the incorporation of visual arts and very long and complex releases, the band has been described as a style-transcending act and part of progressive rock, psychedelic rock, and art rock. Prior to the release of their latest album, 2019’s Fear Inoculum, the band had sold more than 13 million albums in the US alone and has won four Grammy Awards.

Times Seen Live in Concert: 0

Personal Connection: Along with Nine Inch Nails, Tool is the other reason I wanted to include 1992 in my playlist. Only one album makes that cut, and it’s before they veered into a more progressive style, but it’s fantastic nonetheless. I bought 1993’s Undertow after seeing the video for Sober and listened to it pretty much non-stop. 1996’s Aenima certainly did not disappoint and is arguably even better than its predecessor. Unfortunately, they lost me after that as I simply did not like the direction they went in, although the most recent Fear Inoculum has some good stuff on it. Another band I never got to see live back then and refused to pay the prices they were charging with their last tour.

Other songs to consider: Aenima, Forty Six & 2

Excellent superhero!

 

[KarmaPolice]

#1 songs!!!!!!11111

Yambag – Metal songs from 1988-1992 that became the gateway into the world of music for a young Yambag

Jerk-Off - Tool

Summary: Tool is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1990. With the incorporation of visual arts and very long and complex releases, the band has been described as a style-transcending act and part of progressive rock, psychedelic rock, and art rock. Prior to the release of their latest album, 2019’s Fear Inoculum, the band had sold more than 13 million albums in the US alone and has won four Grammy Awards.

Times Seen Live in Concert: 0

Personal Connection: Along with Nine Inch Nails, Tool is the other reason I wanted to include 1992 in my playlist. Only one album makes that cut, and it’s before they veered into a more progressive style, but it’s fantastic nonetheless. I bought 1993’s Undertow after seeing the video for Sober and listened to it pretty much non-stop. 1996’s Aenima certainly did not disappoint and is arguably even better than its predecessor. Unfortunately, they lost me after that as I simply did not like the direction they went in, although the most recent Fear Inoculum has some good stuff on it. Another band I never got to see live back then and refused to pay the prices they were charging with their last tour.

Other songs to consider: Aenima, Forty Six & 2

Excellent superhero!

Not sure we want to see what that superpower is!

 

[rockaction]

1. Rock & Roll - Velvet Underground

Despite all the computations you could just dance to that rock and roll station and, baby, it was alright

@Ilov80s and I once did a music draft where we selected Lou Reed as our songwriter of the fictional band we were putting together per the edicts of the draft. We had to pick an example of the songwriter's work and Ilov, in his wisdom, said something to the effect of, "How about we do 'Rock & Roll'?" "Naw," I replied. Forgetting all of the Velvet's more exploratory-penned tracks and Lou's wonderful solo career, I said, "I really want to do European Son by the Velvets." Ilov acquiesced and I picked the song when the time came to take our turn in the draft spotlight, and we went on our merry way. Well, let me tell you, folks, "European Son" is the dirge jam of the dirgeiest jams that has no lyrical mastery nor songwriting at all to really speak of. It's just jamming and guitar noise and a bitter message to an old friend of Lou's.

So that was a stupid choice. Well, I'm here to rectify that. I'm going to choose "Rock & Roll" as my number one in this thematic countdown. It is a wonderfully written song. Sentimental, nostalgic, gritty yet pretty, autobiographical, and guitar-laden. I love it so. It starts off so light and groovy and then the guitar gets intricate in its chord progression. And the lyrics. I don't usually like or care too much about rock lyrics, but I love these. The character in the song, Jenny, is Lou by his own admission and he insists that in real life he was saved by "rock & roll" (Reed said that Elvis's "Heartbreak Hotel" was the song he was singing about from his childhood memories).

It's the perfect song to end to this excursion into musical genres within a song's title. The title of this one is simply the genre itself with no other descriptors, qualifications, adjectives, adverbs, anything. It's an ode to the whole messiness, grit, escapism, realism, liberation, and love that comes forth from the genre after which the song was named. Kudos to Lou and all the artists that have appeared in the countdown Their love of the music and the love of their own vernacular within which they work comes through. Awesome stuff.

Thanks to k4 and Karma for the time they spent concocting, entering, and constructing this so we all would have a chance to share our passions.

Fin.

 

[rockaction]

Wait, what?

Yep. She's Beyoncé's little sister. You can cue Elvis now

Little sister don't you cry

 

[KarmaPolice]

Wait, what?

Yep. She's Beyoncé's little sister. You can cue Elvis now

Little sister don't you cry

Totally didn’t know that and looked it up just now because i wasn't sure if you were being serious.

 

[Charlie Steiner]

1. I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing - The Hillside Singers

You weren't raised with Jesus. You don't know what happens to people when they believe in things. - Don Draper season 7, episode 14, Person to Person

There isn't another more appropriate song on the face of the planet for the show to go out on than this one. Real life McCann-Ericson ad man Bill Backer was on a business trip with two songwriters, Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, when during an extended layover in Ireland, Backer noticed people around him in the airport during the delay actually not bothered by the tedium of the long wait and were relaxing and enjoying themselves while drinking bottles of Coke. Backer then did what Don Draper did way back in the pilot episode, wrote an idea on a napkin, and showed it to Cook and Greenaway; I'd like to buy the world a Coke. The three of them crafted the lyrics and used a tune Cook and Greenaway previously wrote, called True Love and Apple Pie. The tune was recorded by The New Seekers (a reformed version of the British Invasion group The Seekers) and first aired on the radio in February of 1971, several months before the iconic TV spot. The version from the commercial was recorded by the ensemble of singers who sang the commercial and released as a single under the name The Hillside Singers.

The New Seekers' version reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #27 on the Adult Contemporary chart, while the Hillside Singers' version reached # 5 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #13 on the Hot 100.

This song remains in my earliest memories; my sister owned the 45 and I'm sure I drove everyone crazy listening to it repeatedly. When my sister moved out, somehow this record had made its way into my collection.

Spoiler: Spoiler

For me, this episode contains the single greatest one-off guest performance of the entire series and an all-time great of any of the TV shows I've ever seen.

While we get two literal uses of the term 'Person to Person' (Don's calls to Betty and Peggy), this next to last scene (and Don's last interaction of the series) gives us the enduring meaning of the term; Don seems to finally make a connection with someone else because he perfectly vocalized what Don was feeling. To me, it brings the show full circle.

Going back to the very first episode and the meeting with Lucky Strike, when Don was blanking on what to say but came up with a last-minute angle to save the day: It's toasted. During this pitch, he goes tells them:

Advertising is based on one thing: happiness. And you know what happiness is? Happiness is the smell of a new car. It's freedom from fear. It's a billboard on the side of the road that screams with reassurance that whatever you're doing...it's okay. You are okay.

I believe Leonard voicing what Don was feeling unlocked Don's understanding of the cause of his decade-long unhappiness, something that Anna tried to convey in her tarot card reading :

The only thing keeping you from being happy is the belief that you are alone.

Finally(!?) encountering someone who felt the same way he did made him realize he wasn't alone, which seemed to release all his stress and finally convince himself that he was okay.

When I set out with this theme, I envisioned crafting long, well thought out treatises covering the nuances of the episode featured and tying them into the greater meaning of the show; I quickly realized every episode was its own iceberg and there was no way I was going to adequately capture what I wanted to say, so what I hope I ended up with instead was part love letter, part attempt to draw interest in the show for those who haven't seen it and maybe a reminder of its greatness for those who have. Regarding the former, I must say one last time that unlike any show I've seen covering a span that includes Dark Shadows to the new Matlock series, Mad Men used every inch of space, word of dialogue and other details to pull us into the 1960s the way the show's characters experienced it.

Thanks to everyone who participated and/or followed along, and especially to @krista4 and @KarmaPolice for the time and effort it took to put this countdown together and roll it out. All of you are okay.

 

[rockaction]

Totally didn’t know that and looked it up just now because i wasn't sure if you were being serious.

I can see that. It's strange because at first blush they don't look alike—Solange is not conventionally pretty in the way she presents herself, which is unlike Beyoncé, and at first glance they don't look alike, but then they get all dressed up (with makeup and all tweezed and whatnot) and Solange and Beyoncé do look alike. Like, quite a lot alike. Rather beautiful and talented, both of them.

I didn't know who Solange was until I saw her record in the record store one day and did some poking, found out it was Beyoncé's sister, assumed that it was nepotism or kinship that got her a record deal and dismissed it in my head until I saw some of the reviews rolling in and she blew up. Now, you can have payola and manufacture reviews to call in favors; you can do a lot of that ****, but this seemed genuine and still seems that way. Just two talented women.

Full disclosure: I am not a Beyoncé fan at all, so this isn't any fan boy gushing or anything. Just an appreciation of what they both do. It's a tough world out there and to have one sister make it is tough, never mind two.

 

[Yambag]

@Yambag - we almost had a 4th the same. I've switched my Tool song 3x, but Jerk-Off was in there for a bit.

That's a nice surprise, figured it was obscure enough that it would not be on the radar!

Me too - that is why I talked myself out of Tool being a guess for your playlist. I thought I was pushing it with two EPs being the reason you wanted some 1992 in there. Loved the theme, tunes, and discussion - thanks!

Same, it was a great trip down memory lane and I now have a new metal playlist of bands I did not listen to much thanks to you and rockaction.

What did you add to the mix to listen to more? I'm glad I did a Death deep dive, and I have Danzig, Forbidden, and Helloween added to my list to dive into more.

I made a separate playlist from both yours and rockaction's (ie Metal) playlists consisting of any artists that was not on mine. No deep dives yet, but I did throw on Mastodon's Emperor of Sand twice yesterday.

 

[jwb]

jwb – songs that sound great on a decent 2-channel system

Gold Dust Woman – Fleetwood Mac

This is the song I have them play when I demo speakers. It's a great song, and it's really recorded and engineered well - all of the instruments are clear, and the different other-wordly sounds, especially towards the end, feel deep in the mix. But I'm really listening for the distinctive voices. Stevie is in the middle, and in the chorus, Lindsey should be a bit to the left and back, and christine should be on the right. Until I had really good speakers, my ears could not separate Christine, but there she is. I dig John's bass and Mick's drums in this one too - like many of the band's offerings, it's a complete group effort, and a fabulous speaker song.

 

[Ilov80s]

Neither Solange or Beyoncé are among my favorites but I like their music when I hear it. Solange has done an impressive job differentiating herself from her sister- that’s a tough shadow to get out from under but she’s done it.

 

[Yo Mama]

World’sWorst Superheroes #1

Spoonman
Artist - Soundgarden (1994)

Strengths - Slender enough to fit into tight spaces; excellent cuddler; can provide percussion in a pinch; he can (almost) do it all - he can scoop, he can spread, he can ball, he can separate, he can dollop, he do that cool thing with layering drinks, he can even quenelle (look it up)

Weaknesses - Extremely top heavy; he can be pretty dull and warped in the head; fork you if you don’t have any knife things to say about his relatives, except that redneck cousin of his the spork (Spoonman’s weakness is utensil-related puns)


There Goes My Hero

Situation - You are about to be married, but your baker (who was also providing all the cutlery for the reception) cancelled at the last minute. You look on Craigslist to find a replacement or your big day will be ruined).

Bride: “Thank you, Spoonman, for helping us out at such short notice! Meet Ed, the man of my dreams.”

Groom: “And this is my beautiful wife, Mahkeayleaugh.”

Spoonman: “Glad to be of service. What’s the . . . scoop?” [nobody laughs]

Bride: “Our elderly baker won the lottery yesterday and died this morning. Isn’t it. . .”

Groom: [quickly interrupting] “Don’t say it, honey. Anyway, we need a wedding cake asap, and could use some utensils for dinner. Save me, with your hands!”

Spoonman: “No problem. And I’ve got plenty of spoons, no need to use my hands. I’ll get right on it.”

Groom: “ I’m together with your plan.”

Spoonman, in a hurricane-like flurry of spoons, proceeds to mix, bake and decorate a cake reminiscent of Edward Scissorhands pruning a hedge. The ceremony proceeds without a hitch and everyone moves on to the reception.

Bride: “Oh, no! It looks like it might rain. Wouldn’t that be. . . “

Groom: “Nope, not today!”

Minister: “Before we begin our celebration of the new couple, let us pray and give our thanks for this incredible feast. Come together with your hands.”

The dinner goes flawlessly - the lobster bisque followed by a seafood risotto are devoured by the guests. It doesn’t end up raining. The newlyweds enjoy a first dance and there are toasts given throughout the hall. Time to cut the cake.

Groom: [searching nervously] “Spoonman, you brought all the other utensils, but where is the knife to cut the cake?”

Spoonman: [rummaging through supply case] “Let’s see here. I’ve got teaspoons and tablespoons. I’ve got slotted spoons and grapefruit spoons and serving spoons. I’ve got soup spoons and salad spoons and even a demitasse spoon (look it up). I’ve got. . . “

Bride: [in a panic] “I don’t care if you have 10,000 of those things! All I need is a knife!”

Groom: “Ok, you can say it now.”

Bride: [hands on hips] “Isn’t a little too ironic?!!”

Spoonman: “Don’t you think?” [walks off into the sunset clicking some spoons on his hip in a catchy tune]

 

[krista4]

Wait, what?

Yep. She's Beyoncé's little sister. You can cue Elvis now

Little sister don't you cry

Totally didn’t know that and looked it up just now because i wasn't sure if you were being serious.

If it makes you feel any better, I didn't know this either.

 

[krista4]

World’sWorst Superheroes #1

Spoonman

Probably the best write-up yet, though it's hard to choose.

 

[kupcho1]

kupcho1 – rain

So. Central Rain - R.E.M

I was a little bummed that this song already made an appearance in this countdown, but what are you going to do? You picks your them and ya takes your chance. Not that there were any other choices to be made on 1984's Reckoning. No sir, not another good song on the album. (Sure I'm bitter.)

Anyway, it's been a blast. I've enjoyed the mixes and added a number of songs to my annual playlists.

Eastern to Mountain, third party call, the lines are down
The wise man built his words upon the rocks, but I'm not bound to follow suit
The trees will bend, the conversation's dimmed
Go build yourself another home, this choice isn't mine

 

[Yo Mama]

Phew, that was fun!

Echoing the thanks to @krista4 for running this whole thing and doing the mystery theme. Thanks also to @KarmaPolice for doing the playlists.

This felt like I signed myself up for a graded creative writing course where I stressed over a new short story due every other day, but I had lots of fun with everything and discovered a bunch of new music like I always do in these exercises.

I’ll do a little more of a summary of my squad later, but here are the near misses from my list (I’m sure there were plenty of other good ones I didn’t think about):
- China Girl - David Bowie
- Exciteable Boy - Warren Zevon
- The Boy with the Thorn in His Side - The Smiths
- Peter Pumpkinhead - XTC
- Smalltown Boy - Bronski Beat

The one that for sure would have made the list that I thought of when the first Queensryche song came up - Suite Sister Mary. That would have been a fun Blues Brothers writeup with the angry nun.

 

[Yambag]

1s

New Songs That Caught My Attention
Santana: Vive La Vida
Opeth: The Devil's Orchard
Queens of the Stone Age: 3's & 7's
Temptations: Ball of Confusion
Otis Redding: Shake
One Direction: Walking in the Wind (total surprise here)
A: Nothing

Known Songs
REM: So. Central Rain
Hillside Singers: I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing
Soundgarden: Spoonman
Blue Oyster Cult: (Don't Fear) The Reaper
Rod Stewart: Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?
Kiss: I Was Made For Lovin' You
Todd Rundgren: Hello It's Me
Jeff Healey Band: Confidence Man
Fleetwood Mac: Gold Dust Woman
Cutting Crew: (I Just) Died In Your Arms
Madonna: Dress You Up
Batman Theme
Pearl Jam: Animal
GNR: Welcome to the Jungle
Modern English: I Melt With You
The Cult: She Sells Sanctuary
Pearl Jam: Just Breathe

 

[Yambag]

Echoing others, thanks to @KarmaPolice and @krista4 for doing all the legwork, @titusbramble for the mystery theme and @Yo Mama for the great superhero write ups! Thanks to everyone for indulging my metal choices (especially the death metal ones). As with every countdown, I always find some gems which I add to an every growing playlist. Looking forward to the next one!

 

[KarmaPolice]

Jerk-off and Excitable Boy would make quite the dynamic duo.

 

[Eephus]

Before I start listening to the #1s, here's one more interesting MADs adjacent new album today

TIMBO PROGRESSION

Timbaland · Album · 2025 · 10 songs

open.spotify.com

Legendary Hip Hop producer Timbaland has released an Afrobeat record. If you're familiar with his hits, his signature stuttering beats were definitely influence by to African music. He goes full native here with a horn section and more chanting than rapping. It's pretty good although the songs seem a bit like sketches; he races through ten of them in under 30 minutes which is like one Fela song (split into two parts).

 

[Yo Mama]

Jerk-off and Excitable Boy would make quite the dynamic duo.

With The Exploding Boy the final piece of that triumvirate.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Mrs. Rannous – umlauts

(Don't Fear) The Reaper - Blue Öyster Cult


KarmaPolice – songs from artists not on shuke’s list

The Devil's Orchard - Opeth

Back to back creepiest songs ever on one of these things?

 

[Dr. Octopus]

JMLs secret identity – songs in D#Minor, the saddest key of all

Do Ya Think I'm Sexy (Spotify) - Rod Stewart


-OZ- - song / music moments from the Marvel cinematic universe

I Was Made For Lovin' You - KISS

And then back to back aging Rock Stars that took advantage of the disco craze.

Oh, and Atom Bomb in the middle.

I think the dice are trying to tell us something.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Jerk-off and Excitable Boy would make quite the dynamic duo.

With The Exploding Boy the final piece of that triumvirate.

We could make our own Avengers team:

One Minute Man (feat. Ludacris)

Missy Elliott, Ludacris · Miss E... So Addictive · Song · 2001

open.spotify.com

 

[falguy]

falguy – songs by 31 different Canadian artists

Confidence Man - Jeff Healey

Had to end with this legend who was sadly taken from us way too soon. What a talent.

 

[falguy]

Thanks @krista4 and @KarmaPolice once again for all of your efforts.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Round Öne - Don't Fear The Reaper - Blue Öyster Cult

The granddaddy of them all. They just had to be here. I considered picking a different one of their songs, but it just didn't seem right.

More Cowbell!

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

@Yo Mama , what's your next theme?

World's Worst Sidekicks? (ex. Excitable Boy)

World's Worst Superpets? (ex. Puff, the Magic Dragon)

(Thanks to Mr R for that second suggestion.)

 

[jwb]

Round Öne - Don't Fear The Reaper - Blue Öyster Cult

The granddaddy of them all. They just had to be here. I considered picking a different one of their songs, but it just didn't seem right.

More Cowbell!

Thanks to their small club touring (sometimes under the name "Soft White Underbelly") BOC has the distinction of being the band I've seen the most times live (10+ easy, most recently in 2015 or so, with Vanilla Fudge opening). Great song and worthy #1 pick.

 

[Yo Mama]

@Yo Mama , what's your next theme?

World's Worst Sidekicks? (ex. Excitable Boy)

World's Worst Superpets? (ex. Puff, the Magic Dragon)

(Thanks to Mr R for that second suggestion.)

Oh my god. I need a break after this one.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

-OZ- - song / music moments from the Marvel cinematic universe

I Was Made For Lovin' You - KISS

I have no idea what’s happening in this Scooby doo video (please Scooby Doo this crap) but it’s awesome and irrelevant to the inclusion here.

This comes from a what if episode this past December, in which everyone’s favorite fowl mouth develops a relationship with our favorite intern, Darcey, played by the equally vivacious Kat dennings.

Wholesome moment
Does anyone want to know how She gave birth to an egg?
“Parents are the greatest heroes of all”

I am so not clicking those links. I watched that episode. So disturbing.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

@Yo Mama , what's your next theme?

World's Worst Sidekicks? (ex. Excitable Boy)

World's Worst Superpets? (ex. Puff, the Magic Dragon)

(Thanks to Mr R for that second suggestion.)

Oh my god. I need a break after this one.

You have time. We're doing a regular MAD round after this.

Admit it. You'll be thinking about it, won't you?

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Batman​

1 Neil Hefti - Batman Theme​

- YouTube

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

m.youtube.com

Relevant Lyric - Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na)
Batmaaaaaan!
(Na na na na na na na na na na na na)
Batmaaaaaan!
(Na na na na na na na na na na na na)
Batmaaaaaan!
(Na na na na na na na na na na na na)
Batmaaaaaan!
(Na na na na na na na na na na na na)
Batman! Batman! Batman!
(Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na)
Batman! Batman! Batman!
Da da da da da da da da da da da da da!
Batmaaaaaan!

Batman Vibe Score - 10/10

Where to Find - Neil Hefti - Batman Theme and 11 Other Bat Songs

Quick Hit Comment - The one, the only. Much covered, parodied and admired Batman song by a mile

FIN.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Songs in D Minor - The Sexiest Key of All​

1 - Rod Stewart - Do Ya Think I’m Sexy​

- YouTube

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

m.youtube.com

Lyric - If you want my body, and you think I'm sexy
Come on, sugar, tell me so
If you really need me, just reach out and touch me
Come on, sugar, tell me so

Source - https://musicstax.com/track/do-ya-think-im-sexy/3wsPg2KrRYZFi0inIFa41x
https://www.hooktheory.com/theorytab/view/rod-stewart/da-ya-think-im-sexy

Sadness Quotient - 0/11. I guess the only tears are from those who wondered what the hell Rod Stewart was doing

Comment - Obviously an acquired taste. This clearly demonstrates that D Minor is NOT the saddest key of all. Every well known sad song i looked up was in a different key. But Boogie Wonderland, Feel Good Inc, The Robots and Do Ya Think I’m Sexy were. So next time some internet keyboard warrior tells you D Minor is the saddest key of all, tell them to pound sand.

FIN. Not exactly what I was expecting when i started this exercise. I was expecting to use more tissues than Exploding Boy

 

[Eephus]

One more MADs adjacent new release

Perfect Teeth (30th Anniversary Edition)

Unrest · Album · 2025 · 23 songs

open.spotify.com

New remaster of 90s DC punkish indie band Unrest's final album padded with a bunch of rarities.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I might be unleashing a Pip lengh post tonight...

I've been unleashing them all over the board today, but they're not as readable as Pip's posts are. Pip is prolific while being very organized.

Pip has 30+ years of training in journalism.

And is much less organized about things other than writing.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

1. Hello It's Me
Artist: Todd Rundgren
Album: Something/Anything? (1972)
Todd's role(s): producer, engineer, piano, lead vocals
Writer(s): Todd Rundgren

The song: "Hello It's Me" is Todd Rundgren's most commercially successful song, reaching #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, and I ranked it #8 in the U.S. countdown. What I said there:

Something/Anything? is pretty much a perfect album (and it's a double!) and this is its high point. It's a reworking of a song Rundgren wrote for Nazz, the band he was in in the late '60s, but this version is far superior to that one. It's a triumph of songcraft, production, arrangement, performance and emotion, every bit the equal of the best pop and soul songs from its era.

It appears on side 4 of Something/Anything, which featured six songs that Rundgren taught to the session musicians and then recorded live in one take. (He would later do an entire album, 1989's Nearly Human, this way.) The hilarious liner notes claim they comprise a "pop operetta" called "Baby Needs a New Pair of Snakeskin Boots."

Yes, KP, Todd's version of this song is technically a cover! The original is much slower and less catchy. https://open.spotify.com/track/3maplYZcXwQwPcfHHBayk1?si=a08e3d04c5724520 Despite that, it became the Nazz song receiving the most radio play in some markets (it was the B-side of their first single and some DJs preferred it to the A-side, "Open My Eyes"; I don't), so it was ripe for a reworking when Todd put his mind to it.

"The main influence for "Hello It's Me" was an eight bar intro that Jimmy Smith played on a recording of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," Rundgren told puremusic.com. "He had this whole sort of block chord thing that he did to set up the intro of the song. I tried to capture those changes, and those changes became what are the changes underneath Hello It's Me. I then had to come up with melody and words, but the changes are actually almost lifted literally from something that was, from Jimmy Smith's standpoint, a throwaway."

The Something/Anything version begins with a false start that was cut from the single version but left on the album because, like, whoa, it's a first take and anything can happen, man!

"Hello It's Me" was not the album's intended hit; that was "I Saw the Light," which Todd sequenced first and released as the first single; it hit #16. Second single "Couldn't I Just Tell You" stalled at #93 and wasn't given its due until the late '70s when power pop bands cited it as an influence. "Hello It's Me" was the third single and failed to chart when first released in late 1972. But it got new life in 1973 when Todd decided that his follow-up record, the experimental A Wizard, A True Star, would have no singles released from it because he wanted it to stand alone as an album. That prompted Bearsville to re-release "Hello It's Me," and this time it made the top 5.

The following year, The Isley Brothers released a cover of "Hello It's Me." And Rundgren recorded the song for a third time in 1997 for With a Twist, which consists of bossa nova versions of some of his older songs.

The album: Something/Anything? is one of my favorite records of all time and is a rare example of a double album with almost no weaknesses. It made the album version of the Rolling Stone Garbage List in 2003, 2012 and 2020.

Rundgren recorded the first three sides by himself at ID Sound Studios in LA. It was the first time he'd played bass or drums on a record. He would record the drum parts first, and "if I would screw up, then I would change the song afterwards, to fit the mistake that I had made, because it was easier than going back and fixing it," he said on In the Studio with Redbeard.

He churned out songs at a prolific rate, attributing his productivity to Ritalin and weed. The songs "were all basically starting out with C Major 7th, and I'd start moving my hand around in predictable patterns until a song came out," he told puremusic.com.

After an earthquake in LA, Rundgren decided to relocate back to New York. He'd recorded a lot of material but not enough for a double album, so he decided to hold a live recording session at the Record Plant to produce a fourth side. He asked friend and keyboard player Mark "Moogy" Klingman -- later a founding member of Utopia -- to round up whatever session players he could find. This collective recorded three songs including "Hello It's Me" and the Klingman composition "Dust in the Wind" (not the Kansas song). (Rundgren later produced two of Klingman's solo albums; I did not consider them because they are not on Spotify.)

Another two tracks were recorded in Woodstock with members of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and a sixth had been recorded live with collaborators before Rundgren left LA. In all cases, the musicians rehearsed just a few times and then recorded one take live. This was emblematic of Rundgren's preferred working methods in the studio: efficient and spontaneous, yet not lo-fi in the slightest because of his ability to use the room and the board as instruments in their own way. Side 4 of Something/Anything? is Rundgren-as-producer at its essence, which makes its most famous track a logical choice to top this themed list.

You Might Also Like: "Black Maria" hints at Todd's prog obsession to come but maintains a strong melody and never strays into wankery, even on the extended guitar solos he takes: https://open.spotify.com/track/2cQPn2UvmVPISIYyZf37ik?si=93b8561161654d90

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I flew to Chicago today for a conference so that's all the words I have right now. Next week I'll be hippling this thread with some final thoughts on the last three playlists and whatever else. Thanks to krista for organizing, KP for doing the playlists and all of you for your selections and commentary.

 

[Don Quixote]

0/11. I guess the only tears are from those who wondered what the hell Rod Stewart was doing

Plagiarizing MAD alum Jorge Ben Jor. That’s what.

The Time Rod Stewart Accidentally Stole A Jorge Ben Song

It’s mid-1978, and Rod Stewart was, as he often was in those days, in the studio working on a new album with no finished songs, pulling together sessions for Blondes Have More Fun. As he says in his tremendously readable autobiography, Rod, he hardly ever went into the studio with anything ready...

www.vinylmeplease.com

 

[Leroy Hoard]

simey – train songs

Let The Train Blow the Whistle - Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash wrote this song for his 1994 album American Recordings. For J...

I don't want no aggravation
When my train has left the station
If you're there or not, I may not even know
Have a round and remember
Things we did that weren't so tender
Let the train blow the whistle when I go

Train songs have always been some of my favorites.

One more train song for the road ahead:

Your browser is deprecated. Please upgrade.

music.youtube.com

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Wait, what?

Yep. She's Beyoncé's little sister. You can cue Elvis now

Little sister don't you cry

Totally didn’t know that and looked it up just now because i wasn't sure if you were being serious.

Bootlicious

Yep. There they are. I have an advantage here since they are from Houston.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Wait, what?

Yep. She's Beyoncé's little sister. You can cue Elvis now

Little sister don't you cry

Totally didn’t know that and looked it up just now because i wasn't sure if you were being serious.

Bootlicious

Yep. There they are. I have an advantage here since they are from Houston.

True to form, I probably have listened to way more Solange than Beyonce.

Learn something new every day. Easy to do when you have your head up your *** about most things.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Mrs. Rannous – umlauts

(Don't Fear) The Reaper - Blue Öyster Cult


KarmaPolice – songs from artists not on shuke’s list

The Devil's Orchard - Opeth

Back to back creepiest songs ever on one of these things?

I almost picked Joan Crawford. Way creepier.

 

[KarmaPolice]

@Yambag - we almost had a 4th the same. I've switched my Tool song 3x, but Jerk-Off was in there for a bit.

That's a nice surprise, figured it was obscure enough that it would not be on the radar!

I forget where I ranked it in comfortablynumb's countdown, but if it was not top 10, it was near it - by far my favorite on Opiate and may be my favorite from their pre-Aenima catalog.

I went back to Undertow for the playlist because I wasn't confident which one I had first, and I think my intro was Sober. I put Jerk-Off on way too many people's mixes back in the day.

 

[KarmaPolice]

@Yambag - we almost had a 4th the same. I've switched my Tool song 3x, but Jerk-Off was in there for a bit.

That's a nice surprise, figured it was obscure enough that it would not be on the radar!

Me too - that is why I talked myself out of Tool being a guess for your playlist. I thought I was pushing it with two EPs being the reason you wanted some 1992 in there. Loved the theme, tunes, and discussion - thanks!

Same, it was a great trip down memory lane and I now have a new metal playlist of bands I did not listen to much thanks to you and rockaction.

What did you add to the mix to listen to more? I'm glad I did a Death deep dive, and I have Danzig, Forbidden, and Helloween added to my list to dive into more.

I made a separate playlist from both yours and rockaction's (ie Metal) playlists consisting of any artists that was not on mine. No deep dives yet, but I did throw on Mastodon's Emperor of Sand twice yesterday.

Whoa. That put a huge smile on my face. Evidently you liked it enough to give it another spin.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Mrs. Rannous – umlauts

(Don't Fear) The Reaper - Blue Öyster Cult


KarmaPolice – songs from artists not on shuke’s list

The Devil's Orchard - Opeth

Back to back creepiest songs ever on one of these things?

Does this deserve the or ?

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

simey – train songs

Let The Train Blow the Whistle - Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash wrote this song for his 1994 album American Recordings. For J...

I don't want no aggravation
When my train has left the station
If you're there or not, I may not even know
Have a round and remember
Things we did that weren't so tender
Let the train blow the whistle when I go

Train songs have always been some of my favorites.

One more train song for the road ahead:

Your browser is deprecated. Please upgrade.

music.youtube.com

I love that playlist staple "Your Brower is Depreciated. Please Upgrade."

That's what my link says. Seriously. The music is great. For some reason, it resonates with me.

 

[Eephus]

simey – train songs

Let The Train Blow the Whistle - Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash wrote this song for his 1994 album American Recordings. For J...

I don't want no aggravation
When my train has left the station
If you're there or not, I may not even know
Have a round and remember
Things we did that weren't so tender
Let the train blow the whistle when I go

Train songs have always been some of my favorites.

One more train song for the road ahead:

Your browser is deprecated. Please upgrade.

music.youtube.com

I love that playlist staple "Your Brower is Depreciated. Please Upgrade."

That's what my link says. Seriously. The music is great. Form some reason, it resonates with me.

As least it doesn't say "Ihr Browser ist veraltet. Bitte aktualisieren Sie." anymore

 

[KarmaPolice]

Last of the metal musings...

I also had Tool on the playlist. As I posted earlier, I wasn't sure about what I had first, but I think it was Undertow. Since I was already cheating by using '93 I stuck with that and put Crawl Away on the playlist. I've been a fan since HS, but I listen mostly to Lateralus on. I never listen to Aenima because of the weird skits, so I don't seem to go back to Undertow enough either. On a couple recent listens I was reminded how good the back half of that album is.

Crawl Away

TOOL · Undertow · Song · 1993

open.spotify.com

I closed out my 31 with White Zombie. I wasn't the biggest fan overall, and don't remember listening to other albums, but this one was played a lot in HS. The horror movie fan in me got sucked in. Cosmic Monsters Inc has always been a favorite. I love that heavy groove and the solo cooks. Great way to finish off the playlist.

Cosmic Monsters Inc.

White Zombie · La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume 1 · Song · 1992

open.spotify.com

I had a blast with that one, thanks again to Yambag for the idea and trip into the past. Here is my 31 in case anybody wants to give a listen.

'88 - '93 Metal

Playlist · thelukewarm · 31 items

open.spotify.com

 

[KarmaPolice]

An no, that pic is not me, rockaction, and Yambag in High School.