What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.

Middle Aged Dummies - Artist - Round 3 - #1's have been posted! (1 Viewer)

krista4 said:
Zegras11 said:

krista4 said:
What's the timing on this, in terms of #31s being posted and cadence thereafter? Thanks.
Click to expand...
like every 3 days, or when I sense conversation slowing down on a post
Click to expand...

Thanks, and when does it begin? OH has a #32 and also another write-up about how he is approaching this, and I want to be sure he gets those in there before the official start.
Click to expand...

krista4 said:
Zegras11 said:

krista4 said:
What's the timing on this, in terms of #31s being posted and cadence thereafter? Thanks.
Click to expand...
like every 3 days, or when I sense conversation slowing down on a post
Click to expand...

Thanks, and when does it begin? OH has a #32 and also another write-up about how he is approaching this, and I want to be sure he gets those in there before the official start.
Click to expand...
I was thinking July 4. But I'll wait for this no problem.
 
Don Quixote said:
jwb said:
Rebelling was his thing – he rebelled against his family in Florida (his father was a domineering Navy admiral), even telling reporters they were dead.
Click to expand...
While not much of a connection (he died before I was born after all), but I’m in Alexandria, VA and he has a lot of connections to this area because his dad was stationed at the Pentagon at times when he was younger. The house that he lived in when he attended high school is about a quarter of mile from my house (I go by it on my neighborhood walks/runs all the time). Local coffee shop also has a painting of him on a mural. Maybe need to do some kind of selfies for FBGs.
Click to expand...
Do it, Don! :pics:
 
New Binky the Doormat said:
Bryan Ferry is the covers "master" so I tried to not go real cover heavy - but still have four of them on my top 31 and one in my "first 5 out".

21 Roxy Music songs
10 solo Bryan Ferry songs
Click to expand...
How do you do a Bryan Ferry list without covers? His first 3 solo albums were almost entirely covers.
The most famous Roxy song, arguably, is a cover
This should be very interesting.
 
Did we ever get a ruling on first 5 or 10 out? Is there a preference to hold those posts until after the countdown?
 
I'm claiming Annie Lennox off waivers. She only has about half as many albums as Brian Setzer, so it should be slightly easier.
 
KarmaPolice said:
We already staking claims for part 4??
Click to expand...
Nope. I just need more time because I listen to all the available material I can find. It takes a while. Thirty plus albums was a lot. I enjoyed it, but Lennox has a smaller catalogue. It should be easier. (Theoretically.)
 

The Sweet - #32-36 First five out​

The top 3 were at various stages inside the top #31, but I ultimately couldnt find a place for them

#32 - Alexander Graham Bell

- YouTube

Auf YouTube findest du die angesagtesten Videos und Tracks. Außerdem kannst du eigene Inhalte hochladen und mit Freunden oder gleich der ganzen Welt teilen.
m.youtube.com m.youtube.com
This is a fairly ordinary song written for them by Chinn/Chapman and by far the biggest failure from the 5 singles released that the Sweet didnt play the music on. The redeeming feature is the chorus, especially the music. It only reached #33 in the UK and more notably, was their only song released in Germany to not make the top 20 in the Brian Connolly era. Stalling at #24. The other 18 Brian Connolly led singles from Funny Funny onwards, made the top 20 in Germany. 8 number 1s in Germany and a further 6 other songs making their top 5

#33 - No You Don’t

- YouTube

Auf YouTube findest du die angesagtesten Videos und Tracks. Außerdem kannst du eigene Inhalte hochladen und mit Freunden oder gleich der ganzen Welt teilen.
m.youtube.com m.youtube.com
Although Brian Connolly does a fair bit of vocals here, the lead is Steve Priest. This song was recorded while Brian was recovering from getting his throat stomped on so Steve had to complete the bits Brian hadnt. It’s a gritty rocker showing the harder sound the band was looking for.

#34 - Two Into One

- YouTube

Auf YouTube findest du die angesagtesten Videos und Tracks. Außerdem kannst du eigene Inhalte hochladen und mit Freunden oder gleich der ganzen Welt teilen.
m.youtube.com m.youtube.com
This is a new wave song and I was trying to find a place for it. It comes from the Identity Crisis album, which i thought was quite good. Sounds like Devo to me.

#35 - Co-Co

- YouTube

Auf YouTube findest du die angesagtesten Videos und Tracks. Außerdem kannst du eigene Inhalte hochladen und mit Freunden oder gleich der ganzen Welt teilen.
m.youtube.com m.youtube.com
One of two heavily reggaefied songs written by Chinny/Chap. The Calypso influence even flows through to the promo clip. It reached #2 in the UK and #99 in the US, but it holds up poorly and I didnt try that hard to squeeze it into the top 31

#36 - Lost Angels

- YouTube

Auf YouTube findest du die angesagtesten Videos und Tracks. Außerdem kannst du eigene Inhalte hochladen und mit Freunden oder gleich der ganzen Welt teilen.
m.youtube.com m.youtube.com
The lead single to the Off The Record album. All 4 singles off this album flopped in the US and UK, although the 4th one did reach #88 in the US
 
Steven F. Albini

There are a million places to learn about Steve's history as a musician and recording engineer, including Wikipedia and and approximately one hundred million podcasts. I won't bother with a long summary. He was from the early 80's an imprimatur of Chicago punk and noise rock, mostly in the bands Big Black, Rapeman, and Shellac, with occasional extracurricular collaborations with others. His influence is mostly felt as the recording engineer/erstwhile producer of some notable bands, but the sonic legacy he leaves with his guitar playing looms large as well.

If you were a dedicated scrobber of Steve Albini facts circa 2004’s internet, you might have heard him declare to the Electrical Audio Forums (he was often declaring and proclaiming things back then--he kinda grew out of it) that ranking art is just a pip less evil than quantifying art, because quantifying and monetizing the ineffable is what capitalists do. Or something. So that’s why he hated ranking lists of his favorite songs, favorite bands, favorite things. Sure, he said, exalt in that which moves you, but trying to pick “the best” is a fool's game.

And I kind of agree with him--not because I think that making top ten lists is analogous to the exploitation of human labor--but because it is a generally tedious exercise that turns something normal and fun for me (thinking and talking about cool ****) into something weird and anxiety-making. I don’t effing know if I like The Go-Between more than The Birthday Party ( either the Pinter plays or the Aussie bands), and I don’t ever, ever think about art like that, and I resent having to make the decision. As though whoever comes in second failed, in some way, to adequately entertain me.

So this list is just a bunch of songs I would play for someone who has never heard of Steve Albini, Big Black, Shellac, or The Other One, and wondered what his whole deal was. I think it accurately represents his influences, his sense of humor, his sense of the dramatic, and his complete and utter disregard for what is commercial, salable, or even comprehensible. Don’t get weird if you think #19 is better than #4. I probably do, too.

There will be cover songs, where the cover songs adequately illuminates some crucial aspects of Steve’s playing. I tried to follow a cover with a song that might have been immediately informed by it. Shellac didn’t play any cover tunes, but Big Black did, and Steve was never shy about talking about music and culture that gripped him. (Unsurprisingly, proto/post-punk noise and pop culture juvenalia: Metal Urbain, Wire, Kraftwerk, Rema Rema, Throbbing Gristle, SPK, Mad Magazine, The Ramones, The Stooges Surprisingly, my mother’s favorites and mid century German and Japanese modernists: Bill Withers, Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Heinrich Boll, Shusaku Endo, Raymond Carver.)

I once joked that my favorite plot in all of literature is “ Old man sits in a chair and reckons with a tragic or violent past, then either lives or dies, whichever is sadder.” I was speaking of a particular Charles Portis novel at the time, but Steve lit up like a Christmas tree and rattled off like a dozen Great Works with the same plot. He never once mentioned his own tiny masterpiece that adhered to that self-same structure. It'll show up much later.

If the Rapeman discography were ever to be reissued (it probably won’t be, now. No surviving band members care to do it, at least, they didn’t when Steve was alive) the name would be written as Rx. So I am, too. Like Big Black before them, they were a troubling, but important and occasionally brilliant band. Couple two-tree a there songs find their place on the list.

If there is a thematic through-line in all of Steve’s work it is this: the entirety of the human experience is available to all of us. From the most hideous and depraved, to the most triumphant and exalted. It is all there, for and among all of us. That there is as much ugliness in that which is conventionally beautiful as there is beauty and transcendence in that which is ugly or noisy.

So I’m starting the official thing off with the song that opened Shellac’s second LP, Terraform: the plodding, barely changing, seemingly endless dirge “Didn’t We Deserve a Look at You the Way You Really Are?” And maybe, if you hang through 12 minutes of that kind of especially hidden ugliness, you’ll find the beauty before we get to the 2-minute rockers. Enjoy! I'm looking forward to this.


#32. Chin Music--Chin Music

https://nittykitty.com/product/chin-music-7-record/

No YouTube or Spotify link for this and all remaining copies are currently sitting in Andy’s living room. Chin Music will be the last official release to feature Steve Albini, and it’s a great one.

It was the middle of a pandemic and Kevin Goldstein needed music for a baseball podcast. Suddenly without work, Steve agreed to make some and enlisted Tim Midyette, Andy Kosinski, and Matt Spiegel. They knocked out 3 of the goofiest baseball themed songs you are likely to ever hear. After a few months Kevin got a job with the Minnesota Twins and the podcast was shelved.

A couple years later their buddy Rich Fessler (of the mighty Chicago band Bear Claw) had fallen on some hard times. So Andy thought they should press up some 7”’s of the Chin Music jams and give the cash to Rich. Steve did all the artwork and some very cool etching of a dope Stingray bass on the b-side. I think he misspelled Andy Kosinski’s last name. I have one of the test pressings, and I’ll sell it to you for no less than US $1,000,000.00.

Posting this here not because it is good music (It is ludicrous music, but it is joyful, and funny.) but because Steve did stuff like this all the damn time. Giving away enormous amounts of time and resources for absolutely nothing but a good time and the idea of doing something awesome and weird for someone else.

Also posting the link, so you buy it. There’s like 500 copies left. You get to hear Steve Albini try his hand at second wave ska-punk. Matt Spiegel (of many Chicago-land sports radio programs and the Marquee Network) sings. You can tell by the pickitups that he’s never heard ska music before.
 
Below are some for last five out for Curtis Mayfield. As I mentioned in earlier post, I’m going to avoid listing songs that did not make the cut from Curtis, Roots, and Superfly. I limited my list to just 3 or 4 from each of those albums, and some fans may quibble with what I included and did not from those; so, will avoid what could be some spoilers.

I’ll start with a couple from The Impressions’ The Young Mods’ Forgotten Story. This album came out in 1969, and towards the end of Mayfield’s tenure with The Impressions before he started his solo career. It features the lush arrangements of Johnny Pate (who helped introduce the horns into his songs) in the creation of the Chicago Sound. Another arranger was a young Donny Hathaway, who worked for Curtom Records before setting off on his own solo career. (I’ll get a bit more into the other members of The Impressions when get into the countdown, as set up a couple of their early songs in the early going when the members underwent some change, although will start with something funky to kick things off at 31.)

Mighty Mighty (Spade and Whitey)
YouTube: Studio version from The Young Mods’ Forgotten Story (Spotify here)
YouTube: Live version from Curtis/Live! (Spotify here)

Some of the earlier The Impressions songs that will be included in my 31 are some of the uplifting anthems of the civil rights movement. The type of stuff that they would sing on the freedom rides. But this one has a different feel, and was written after the assassinations of MLK and RFK.

We're killing off our leaders
It don't matter none black or white
And we all know it's wrong
And we're gonna fight to make it right

As Todd Mayfield wrote in his biography of his father, “It was his most honest song yet. It wasn’t about hope; it was about reality. It seemed he couldn’t write about hope when no one around him felt any. He knew he had to start speaking a different truth—a harder truth—but he didn’t know if the Impressions were the right group to deliver the message.”

I’ve also included link above to version from the live album recorded at the Bitter End. A bit looser than the studio version. It is a great live album and feeds off the energy of the crowd.

My Deceiving Heart
https://youtu.be/ttZjT6QdG7k?si=E2jruG9em47twek9 (Spotify)

Songs about love and relationships definitely another feature that will see heavily in my list. This one features some beautiful singing and guitar work by Mayfield.

Check Out Your Mind
https://youtu.be/YiamtLrx1RU?si=RihPKmwL91GzYXe2 (Spotify)

This is the title track of the last album from Mayfield’s time with The Impressions. This is the start of the new direction in Mayfield’s music, as he brought in two new arrangers, Riley Hampton and Gary Slabo. Hampton was known for his string work. As Todd Mayfield wrote, “Hampton tended toward languid, pretty string lines. When those lines mixed with Slabo’s punchy, insistent horns, the effect became eerie and schizophrenic. It still had the Chicago Sound, but instead of the jazzy swing of Johnny [Pate]’s arrangements, it was more straightforward, funky, and gripping.”

Billy Jack
https://youtu.be/V0QX2aBbYTM?si=9bUUwDpEF_VVES58 (Spotify)

Moving on to something from his solo work. A funky groove and bass line for this one. There’s No Place Like America Today is next in line for me after the big three of his solo albums. Lyrics about gun violence, and have more of the bite that will see in some of his solo songs:

Too bad about him
Too sad about him
Don't get me wrong, the man is gone
But it's a wonder, he lived this long

Ms. Martha
https://youtu.be/MJ9UfxJskkA?si=Ri6PFrgUQcjWQoAh (Spotify)

This one is from Curtis Mayfield’s last album, New World Order, released in 1996. He recorded this one after the concert accident that left him paralyzed. He recorded the songs by lying on his back, as found he could project his voice better that way. This song features some incredible vocals provided by Mavis Staples. I decided to include another song from this album in my 31 instead, and separately have another song featuring Mavis Staples on my Mayfield list. So, will leave this one here instead.
 
Last edited:
zamboni said:
First (last?) five out for The Beach Boys, apropos on the 4th of July. You may have heard most of these before.

31. Sloop John B
32. Cabinessence
33. Catch A Wave
34. Little Deuce Coupe
35. Fun, Fun, Fun

ETA: the top 31 won’t be nearly as beachy
Click to expand...
Sloop John B is one of my favorites, and Fun, Fun, Fun is fun. The intro to FFF has always sounded a bit like Chuck Berry on guitar, and then the song turns totally Beach Boys. Cabin Essence is a trippin' song.
 
Oliver Humanzee said:
Posting this here not because it is good music (It is ludicrous music, but it is joyful, and funny.) but because Steve did stuff like this all the damn time. Giving away enormous amounts of time and resources for absolutely nothing but a good time and the idea of doing something awesome and weird for someone else.

Also posting the link, so you buy it. There’s like 500 copies left. You get to hear Steve Albini try his hand at second wave ska-punk. Matt Spiegel (of many Chicago-land sports radio programs and the Marquee Network) sings. You can tell by the pickitups that he’s never heard ska music before.
Click to expand...
I bought a copy in celebration of Steve's generous spirit, your friendship with him, and because it comes from nittykitty.com. 😺
 
Dave Matthews first 5 out:

32. Crash Into Me

Official Video
Live at Luther College (acoustic, with Tim Reynolds)

"Crash Into Me" is one of DMB's most iconic songs. It was released in 1996 as the third single from their second studio album, Crash. It reached #7 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and #19 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it one of the band's most commercially successful songs. DMB has played it live 842 times, and there are 59 live releases of the song.

Written by Dave, the song features poetic and somewhat ambiguous lyrics that describe a passionate, almost voyeuristic, love. He has described it as a song about worshiping women and the intensity of romantic longing.

The track is known for its melodic and rhythmic intricacies. It showcases Dave's unique guitar playing style, featuring a mix of strumming and fingerpicking that creates a rich, textured sound. The use of the Lydian mode gives the song its distinctive feel.

33. Halloween

Studio
Live at Luther College 1996 (acoustic, with Tim Reynolds)

"Halloween" is one of DMB's most intense and emotionally charged songs. It first appeared on the band's 1998 album, Before These Crowded Streets. The song stands out for its dark, brooding atmosphere and Dave's raw vocal performance.

The lyrics are passionate and anguished, reflecting themes of heartbreak and betrayal. Dave has explained that the song was inspired by a tumultuous relationship and the intense feelings associated with it.

Musically, "Halloween" features a driving, aggressive rhythm and complex time signatures. The song is known for its dynamic shifts, moving from quiet, eerie verses to explosive choruses. Boyd Tinsley's violin and LeRoi Moore's saxophone add to the haunting quality of the track, while Carter Beauford's drumming drives the intensity.

34. American Baby

Official Video

"American Baby" is the lead single from the DMB 2005 album, Stand Up. The song marked a significant return to the mainstream for the band and showcased a blend of their signature sound with contemporary production elements. It performed well on the charts, peaking at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached #5 on the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart and #19 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, making it one of the band's more successful singles in the 2000s.

Written by Dave, the song explores themes of love, hope, and unity against the backdrop of a divided and tumultuous America. The lyrics reflect a longing for connection and a better future, resonating with many listeners during a time of political and social upheaval.

The song combines the band's characteristic blend of rock, jazz, and folk influences. It features a catchy, anthemic chorus and a prominent string arrangement, with Boyd Tinsley's violin playing a key role. The production, led by Mark Batson, brought a polished and modern sound to the track, differing from the band's earlier, more acoustic-driven work.

35. Grey Street

Studio
Farm Aid 2020 (Dave solo acoustic)

"Grey Street" is one of DMB's most beloved songs, known for its poignant lyrics and dynamic musical composition. It first appeared on the band's 2002 album, Busted Stuff, although an earlier version of the song was included in the band's The Lillywhite Sessions, an unofficial release of recordings from 2000. DMB has played it live 790 times, and there are 45 live releases of the song.

Written by Dave, the song tells the story of a woman struggling with depression and feelings of emptiness. The lyrics explore themes of disillusionment, searching for meaning, and the difficulty of overcoming personal challenges. The imagery of a "grey street" symbolizes a place of stagnation and melancholy.

The song features a compelling blend of rock and folk influences, characterized by a driving rhythm and melodic interplay between the instruments. Carter Beauford's intricate drumming, Stefan Lessard's bass lines, Boyd Tinsley's violin, and LeRoi Moore's saxophone all contribute to the song's rich, layered sound. Dave's guitar work and emotive vocals further enhance the track.

"Grey Street" has resonated with many listeners due to its relatable themes of personal struggle and the search for hope. It's often interpreted as a song of resilience and finding one's way out of difficult times.

36. Satellite

Official Video
Live at Red Rocks 1995

"Satellite" is one of DMB's early hits, known for its intricate guitar work and melodic beauty. The song was released as the third single from their debut studio album, Under the Table and Dreaming, in 1994. It performed well on the charts, reaching #18 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and #20 on the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart. Its success helped solidify DMB's presence in the mainstream music scene. DMB has played it live 1064 times, and there are 76 live releases of the song.

Written by Dave, the song features poetic and somewhat abstract lyrics. The song uses the metaphor of a satellite to explore themes of distance, observation, and connection. The lyrics convey a sense of longing and contemplation, reflecting Dave's unique lyrical style.

The song is renowned for its complex guitar riff, played in a distinctive fingerpicking style that Dave developed. This riff, combined with Stefan Lessard's bass, Carter Beauford's rhythmic drumming, LeRoi Moore's saxophone, and Boyd Tinsley's violin, creates a rich, textured sound. The musical arrangement of "Satellite" showcases the band's ability to blend rock, jazz, and folk influences seamlessly.

The song evolved from an earlier song called "After Her," which had different lyrics but a similar guitar riff. Over time, Matthews reworked the song into what became "Satellite." The song's success and distinctive sound helped establish Dave Matthews Band's reputation for musical intricacy and lyrical depth. It remains a quintessential example of the band's early work and has influenced many aspiring guitarists and songwriters.


This is a really strong group. Any of these could have easily made my top 31 on a different day than the one I finalized my list.
 
Here is my Fanny Last 5 Out. As a whole, these are more mellow than most of what made my top 31, so they are good songs, but not very representative of the band's identity.

32. Long Road Home
Album: Mothers Pride (1973)
Writer: June Millington
Lead vocals: June Millington

Pleasant ballad from their mellowest album. The presence of electric piano and something that sounds like theremin gives away that this is a laid-back early '70s thing. Has more in common with the acoustic singer-songwriter movement of the day than the hard rock the band was usually associated with.

open.spotify.com

Long Road Home

Fanny · First Time In A Long Time: The Reprise Recordings · Song · 2002
open.spotify.com open.spotify.com

33. Sound and the Fury
Album: Fanny Hill (1972)
Writer: June Millington
Lead vocals: June Millington

Most Fanny Hill tracks made my top 31, and this one just missed, probably held back by the obvious musical and melodic similarities to the Stones' Dead Flowers. While the song, probably the most country-ish of their work, is derivative, it's still exquisitely crafted and memorable. It's also got one of their most personal lyrics, as it's about how June Millington was able to use music to deal with being an outcast, and will now use it to deal with a breakup.

open.spotify.com

Sound And The Fury

Fanny · First Time In A Long Time: The Reprise Recordings · Song · 2002
open.spotify.com open.spotify.com

34. Last Night I Had a Dream
Album: Mothers Pride (1973)
Writer: Randy Newman
Lead vocals: Nickey Barclay

Until its reunion effort, the band had at least one cover on each of its albums, often more than one. Mothers Pride was no different and kicks off with a haunting composition by their friend Randy Newman. Its key lines: "I saw a vampire/I saw a ghost/Everybody scared me, but you scared me the most." Nickey Barclay does a good job of alternating timidity and horror in her vocal, and the guitar bursts at the end mirror the lyrics in how they are both dreamy and cutting. There are six covers that are so clearly among Fanny's best work that they had to be included, but otherwise, I wanted to showcase their originals.

open.spotify.com

Last Night I Had A Dream

Fanny · First Time In A Long Time: The Reprise Recordings · Song · 2002
open.spotify.com open.spotify.com

35. Not My Monkey
Album: Fanny Walked the Earth (2018)
Writers: Jean Millington, June Millington and Brie Darling
Lead vocals: Jean Millington, June Millington and Brie Darling

Nothing from the reunion album made my top 31, but its best song came close. The Stonesy rocker prominently features cowbell and builds up to a frenzied climax. The band must have recognized its worth also, as it opened their 2023 reunion shows.

open.spotify.com

Not My Monkey

Fanny Walked The Earth · Fanny Walked the Earth · Song · 2018
open.spotify.com open.spotify.com

36. A Little While Later
Album: Charity Ball (1971)
Writer: Nickey Barclay
Lead vocals: Nickey Barclay

The closer of Charity Ball showcases Nickey Barclay's gospel influences, as well as how Leon Russell's writing and arranging style must have rubbed off on her when she was on the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour. Some of the arrangement is a bit Beatlesque, which is unusual for Barclay, who very much preferred the Stones. It was left off my list because Barclay has a similar song that I like better, and because her vocal range isn't up to the song's demands at points; it may have been a good idea to have Jean Millington sing this one.

open.spotify.com

A Little While Later

Fanny · First Time In A Long Time: The Reprise Recordings · Song · 2002
open.spotify.com open.spotify.com
 
Pip's Invitation said:
Here is my Fanny Last 5 Out. As a whole, these are more mellow than most of what made my top 31, so they are good songs, but not very representative of the band's identity.

32. Long Road Home
Album: Mothers Pride (1973)
Writer: June Millington
Lead vocals: June Millington

Pleasant ballad from their mellowest album. The presence of electric piano and something that sounds like theremin gives away that this is a laid-back early '70s thing. Has more in common with the acoustic singer-songwriter movement of the day than the hard rock the band was usually associated with.

open.spotify.com

Long Road Home

Fanny · First Time In A Long Time: The Reprise Recordings · Song · 2002
open.spotify.com open.spotify.com

33. Sound and the Fury
Album: Fanny Hill (1972)
Writer: June Millington
Lead vocals: June Millington

Most Fanny Hill tracks made my top 31, and this one just missed, probably held back by the obvious musical and melodic similarities to the Stones' Dead Flowers. While the song, probably the most country-ish of their work, is derivative, it's still exquisitely crafted and memorable. It's also got one of their most personal lyrics, as it's about how June Millington was able to use music to deal with being an outcast, and will now use it to deal with a breakup.

open.spotify.com

Sound And The Fury

Fanny · First Time In A Long Time: The Reprise Recordings · Song · 2002
open.spotify.com open.spotify.com

34. Last Night I Had a Dream
Album: Mothers Pride (1973)
Writer: Randy Newman
Lead vocals: Nickey Barclay

Until its reunion effort, the band had at least one cover on each of its albums, often more than one. Mothers Pride was no different and kicks off with a haunting composition by their friend Randy Newman. Its key lines: "I saw a vampire/I saw a ghost/Everybody scared me, but you scared me the most." Nickey Barclay does a good job of alternating timidity and horror in her vocal, and the guitar bursts at the end mirror the lyrics in how they are both dreamy and cutting. There are six covers that are so clearly among Fanny's best work that they had to be included, but otherwise, I wanted to showcase their originals.

open.spotify.com

Last Night I Had A Dream

Fanny · First Time In A Long Time: The Reprise Recordings · Song · 2002
open.spotify.com open.spotify.com

35. Not My Monkey
Album: Fanny Walked the Earth (2018)
Writers: Jean Millington, June Millington and Brie Darling
Lead vocals: Jean Millington, June Millington and Brie Darling

Nothing from the reunion album made my top 31, but its best song came close. The Stonesy rocker prominently features cowbell and builds up to a frenzied climax. The band must have recognized its worth also, as it opened their 2023 reunion shows.

open.spotify.com

Not My Monkey

Fanny Walked The Earth · Fanny Walked the Earth · Song · 2018
open.spotify.com open.spotify.com

36. A Little While Later
Album: Charity Ball (1971)
Writer: Nickey Barclay
Lead vocals: Nickey Barclay

The closer of Charity Ball showcases Nickey Barclay's gospel influences, as well as how Leon Russell's writing and arranging style must have rubbed off on her when she was on the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour. Some of the arrangement is a bit Beatlesque, which is unusual for Barclay, who very much preferred the Stones. It was left off my list because Barclay has a similar song that I like better, and because her vocal range isn't up to the song's demands at points; it may have been a good idea to have Jean Millington sing this one.

open.spotify.com

A Little While Later

Fanny · First Time In A Long Time: The Reprise Recordings · Song · 2002
open.spotify.com open.spotify.com
Click to expand...
Looking forward to listening to these over the weekend.
 
Since most of you probably didn't make it to the end of my 6-part Fanny introductory essay, here again is the breakdown of my top 31.

Albums:

Fanny (1970): 5
Charity Ball (1971): 7
Fanny Hill (1972): 9
Mothers Pride (1973): 3
Rock and Roll Survivors (1974): 4
Fanny Walked the Earth (2018): 0
Other: 3

Writers (does not add up to 31 due to co-writes):

Nickey Barclay: 13
June Millington: 10
Jean Millington: 8
Covers: 6
Alice de Buhr: 3
Patti Quatro: 2

Lead vocals (does not add up to 31 due to sharing):

Jean Millington: 18
Nickey Barclay: 13
June Millington: 12
Patti Quatro: 2
Alice de Buhr: 1

At #31, a song that is hated by its writer. But I like it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Zegras11
MAD - Artist - Round 4 - #1's have been posted
69 70 71
Replies
4K
Views
195K
Zegras11
Zegras11
Zegras11
MAD's ROUND 2!! # 1's have been posted!!
62 63 64
Replies
3K
Views
169K
zamboni
zamboni
Zegras11
Middle Aged Dummies!! Artists #1's have been posted!!
130 131 132
Replies
7K
Views
309K
Eephus
Eephus

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Top