Middle Aged Dummies - Artist - Round 3 - #1's have been posted! (7 Viewers)

[Tau837]

Dave Matthews

Tau837

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

"Spoon" is a song featured on the 1998 DMB album "Before These Crowded Streets". It is a unique track within the band's discography due to its ethereal quality and its collaboration with other artists. It stands out for its contemplative lyrics, mellow instrumentation, and the haunting vocal harmonies that contribute to its distinct sound.

The lyrics explore themes of introspection, faith, doubt, and human frailty. The song’s narrative seems to reflect a spiritual journey or a quest for understanding, touching on existential questions and the complexities of human nature

The opening lines set a contemplative tone, invoking imagery that suggests a search for meaning and a questioning of one's beliefs: "Spoon in spoon / Stirring my coffee / I thought of you / And turned to the gate."

As the song progresses, the lyrics delve deeper into themes of forgiveness and redemption: "Forgive you, why? / You hung me out to dry / Maybe I'm crazy, but laughing out loud makes the pain pass by."

These lines suggest an internal struggle with forgiveness and understanding, perhaps reflecting a personal or spiritual conflict. The song's introspective lyrics are open to interpretation, allowing listeners to find their own meanings within the narrative.

In an interview, Matthews once mentioned that "Spoon" touches on the struggle between faith and doubt, and the difficulties in reconciling personal beliefs with the harsh realities of life. He has expressed that the song was influenced by his thoughts on forgiveness, both of oneself and of others, and how challenging that can be, especially when grappling with betrayal or loss.

Musically, "Spoon" is characterized by its gentle, acoustic arrangement and its layered instrumentation. The song begins with a delicate piano line, played by Butch Taylor, which is soon joined by Dave's soft acoustic guitar strumming. The track features contributions from Béla Fleck on banjo and Alanis Morissette on backing vocals, adding a unique texture to the sound. The presence of these guest artists brings an added depth to the song, creating a blend of folk, jazz, and rock elements. The arrangement builds gradually, with the addition of Boyd Tinsley's violin and LeRoi Moore's saxophone, creating a rich, atmospheric sound. The interplay between these instruments and Dave's vocals creates a haunting and reflective mood throughout the song. The song's tempo remains relatively slow, allowing the emotional weight of the lyrics to come through.

Regarding the collaboration with Alanis Morissette on "Spoon," Dave has expressed admiration for her vocal style and emotional delivery. He felt that her voice added a unique and haunting quality to the song, complementing the themes of searching and longing. Dave has also praised Béla Fleck's banjo work on the track, noting that Fleck's contribution brought an additional layer of depth and texture to the music.

The collaboration with Alanis Morissette and Béla Fleck adds a distinct flavor to the song, showcasing the band's willingness to experiment with different sounds and styles. "Spoon" continues to resonate with listeners as a reflective piece that invites contemplation and introspection, making it a unique and cherished part of DMB's repertoire.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Brian Setzer Orchestra - You're the Boss

Featuring our final guest, Ms Gwen Stefani.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Sweet​

#7 - The Six Teens​

- 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

Producer - Phil Wainman, Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman
Writer - Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman
Chart Positions - UK #9, Australia #48, Germany #4, US Did Not Chart
Album - Desolation Boulevard (Both US and UK version)
Year - 1974
Lead Vocal - Brian Connolly
Steve Priest Vocal - Lead Chip Ins “Julie and Johnny now you’ve made it”, “Suzy and Davy you can make it” and Bobbi and Billy maybe you’ll make it. One day”

Notes - This track broke a golden streak in the UK. The previous three singles had reached #2, the one before that #1. As would eventually turn out it was the last hit for them with Chinny/Chap controlling them.
This track also references the album title, Desolation Boulevard in the lyrics.

Next Up - One of the UK #2’s referenced above. As with most in the top 10, its Chinny/Chap written.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Chvrches​

#7 - Graves​

- 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

Producer - Greg Kurstin
Writer - Iain Cook Martin Doherty Lauren Mayberry, Greg Kurstin
Album - Love is Dead
Year - 2018
Notes - This nugget was buried in the middle of the Love is Dead album with no fanfare or thought of it being a single.
I just love the way Chvrches finish a song…usually
I know theres a musical term for what they do, but I cant remember it.
At the 3 minute mark exactly, they veer away from verse and chorus to start the “Looking Away, Im looking away, Looking away” etc

Next Up - Another collaboration. With a popular modern artist.

 

[Yo Mama]

STP #7 - Sex Type Thing
Album - Core (1992)

Time to bring out the big guns. This was their first released single and one of their biggest hits.

Scott Weiland wrote this after a girl he was dating was raped by three guys after a party. Per Scott: “This song is really not about sex at all. It’s about control, violence and abuse of power.”

The band got some flack when this was first released since the song was written from the point of view of the abuser.


… I am a man, a man
I'll give you something that you won't forget
I said you shouldn't have worn that dress
I said you shouldn't have worn that dress
Worn that dress

[creepy]

 

[Yo Mama]

Sorry that was pretty dark

 

[KarmaPolice]

Sorry that was pretty dark

I was listening to the playlist today, and hit that song. Such good music, but it did get me thinking a lot about the lyrics and what I probably thought at the time. That is a tough dance to pull off of choosing to have the song in that type of pov. It was a similar reaction that i had listening to Little Girls from my artist.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Sorry that was pretty dark

I was listening to the playlist today, and hit that song. Such good music, but it did get me thinking a lot about the lyrics and what I probably thought at the time. That is a tough dance to pull off of choosing to have the song in that type of pov. It was a similar reaction that i had listening to Little Girls from my artist.

"Every Breath You Take" - The Police

I have no idea who didn't get that one.

Also, "Excitable Boy". Ummmm... okay.

 

[-OZ-]

Blue October

-OZ-

Oh My My - Acoustic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg4RQ6CsxgI

It looks like the regular version is on the Spotify playlist, I like the acoustic a lot more.

Oh My My (Acoustic)

Single · Blue October · 2020 · 1 songs

open.spotify.com

Originally on their 2020 This is what I live for, Justin has said he wrote it after seeing his daughter interact with boys and remembering his early crushes. It’s sort of creepy if you think about it from the perspective of a dad, it’s far less so if it’s written from the perspective of being the boy with early crushes. Thankfully no boy has tried to be more than friends with my daughter but I know it’s coming eventually.

You wear black hair, I have Blue
You look sadder than most girls do
The way you walk around
Always watching the ground, well I like watching you
Your friends they don't like me
I think they're jealous of my tattoos
I'm not a bad guy, just like wearing black
I'm not scared of anything, but saying this to you

 

[zamboni]

The Cure

Juxtatarot

A Letter to Elise A Letter To Elise - 2022 Remaster The Cure · Wish (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) · Song · 2022 open.spotify.com

My favorite Cure song. The unexpected soaring solo really stands out here.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

#7' - "Mighty Mighty"

When I first heard this record on the radio, I thought it was Kool & The Gang (who were on a heater in 1974). Except the vocal arrangement didn't sound like Kool - didn't sound like anything I'd ever heard, as a matter of fact. I can't recall if I was even aware of who Earth, Wind, And Fire were at the time I initially ran across this. I knew who they were after hearing it, though I thought for longer than I'd care to admit the title of the song was "People Of The Party".

It's a nasty piece of funk & rock. Crap's happening all over the place - an instrument snapping in-and-out at the blink of an eye (ear?), vocals coming through more channels than a stereo should have. Lyrically, it's EWF's basic "lift yourself up" message sung with a sassy lead vocal by Maurice White.

Next, a song written in 1966

 

[zamboni]

The Beach Boys

zamboni

"Don’t Worry Baby" Don't Worry Baby - Remastered 2001 The Beach Boys · Shut Down, Vol. 2 (Remastered) · Song · 1964 open.spotify.com

An homage to the Ronettes' great "Be My Baby", which came out the year before in 1963, right up to the opening Hal Blaine iconic drum beat. I've droned on and on about the BB's harmonies, but this one is upper tier. Brian himself, ever his own biggest critic, said this is one of the BB's best songs. His falsetto really stands out, with the other guys coming in and out all over the place. Just a chef's kiss concoction, with a seamless melody that feels like an undulating wave at the, you got it, beach. Often ranked as one of the top songs in history if you subscribe to those sort of lists: #11 on Spin's list of the greatest singles in history, #178 on Rolling Stone's greatest songs in history, and #14 on Pitchfork's list of the greatest songs of the 1960s. An avid BB fan, even Keith Moon loved it so much that he covered it.

 

[Charlie Steiner]

7. Who Knows (Moving Mountains, 1985)

Without much factual information available to share about this song or the album it came from, I only have a personal story about it to relay...

On a whim, I spent the Fall semester of 1989 in Spain. About halfway through, I got involved with another student in the same program but from a different school, the University of Puerto Rico. She was pretty, very intelligent and her English was better than my Spanish, making it much easier for us to communicate. We had such a great time together that we made a go of a long-distance relationship. Given that this was pre-email, we wrote each other almost constantly, which built up in me the anticipation of when we would both be done with college and be together in the same place. I was able to let this sentiment out to a degree in the form of a mix tape I sent her which included this song, thus permanently intertwining it with our relationship. We were able to sustain things for a couple of years but ultimately it ended. I had gotten so emotionally invested in it that it took me almost a year and a half to get over, and as a result, I stopped listening to this song. Now that it's been almost 35 years and I'm happily married to someone else, I think I can hear it again without risking emotional damage.

 

[kupcho1]

Belle and Sebastian

kupcho1

I Don't Know What You See In Me I Don't Know What You See In Me Belle and Sebastian · Late Developers · Song · 2023 open.spotify.com

#7, I Don't Know What You See In Me is the first (and only) song off of 2013 Late Developers.

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La-ba-dee, la-daba-dee, la-daba-dee, la-daba-da
La-ba-dee, la-daba-dee, la-daba-dee, la-daba-da
La-ba-dee, la-daba-dee, la-daba-dee, la-daba-da
La-ba-dee, la-daba-dee, la-daba-dee, la-daba-da

 

[simey]

My Old Man

Jerry Jeff wrote this folk song about his grandfather, and it first appeared on his 1968 album Mr. Bojangles. “I came from a railroad town. My dad’s dad worked on that. During the Depression, he went off on the rails. A lot of people’s dads did that during the Depression. It was all about traveling, and being a traveling musician is kind of woven into that. And coming into a town and changing it with your music." It was JJ's dad's favorite song that he wrote, and on a lot of days it is my favorite as well.

My Old Man

My old man he had a rounder soul
He'd hear an ol' freight train and he'd have to go
Said he'd been blessed with a gypsy bone
And that's the reason I guess he'd been cursed to roam
He came through town back before the war
Didn't even know what it was he was lookin' for
He carried a tattered bag for his violin
Full of lots of songs of all the places he had ever been
He talked real easy, he had a smilin' way
He could pass along to you when his fiddle played
He's makin people drop their cares and woes
Hum out loud the tunes that his fiddle bowed.
The people there began to join that sound
And everyone in town was laughin', and singin', dancin' round
Like the fiddler's tunes were all they heard that night
As if some dream said that all the world is right.

The fiddler's eye caught a lady there
She had that rollin', flowin', danglin' kind of hair
He played for her as if she danced alone
He played his favorite songs, the ones he called his own.
Til she alone was dancin' in the room
The only thing left movin' to the fiddle tunes

He played until she was the last to go
He stopped and packed his case and said he'd take her home.
And all the nights that passed a child was born
All the years that passed their love would keep them warm
And all their lives they shared a dream come true
All because she danced so well to fiddle tunes.

The train next morning she blew a lonesome sound
As if she sang the blues of what she took from town
And all that I recall and said when I was young
Was no one else could play or sing the songs he sung.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Sorry that was pretty dark

I was listening to the playlist today, and hit that song. Such good music, but it did get me thinking a lot about the lyrics and what I probably thought at the time. That is a tough dance to pull off of choosing to have the song in that type of pov. It was a similar reaction that i had listening to Little Girls from my artist.

"Every Breath You Take" - The Police

I have no idea who didn't get that one.

Also, "Excitable Boy". Ummmm... okay.

To be fair, I didn't really listen to or think about the song, lyrics, or meaning much.

 

[KarmaPolice]

#7 HEARD SOMEBODY CRY

- 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.

www.youtube.com

Speaking of lyrics that I am not quite sure about - is Elfman talking about literal ghosts here or ones in his head or is he the ghost? Yes to all? When I've been listening to MAD possibilities I seem to purposely leave albums I am most "familiar" with until the end, and that was the case here. I knew I had something before as I think just from the 5 albums I had gotten to there was 30+ songs on the playlist and I hadn't even gotten to songs like this or the other 2 in my top 5. IF I remember right, I added 8 of the 9 tracks off Dead Man's, but was 10 for 10 on Nothing to Fear songs. That is why despite having 2 from Dead Man's in my top 5 I still give the nod to Nothing to Fear as an album.

One of the many things I love about the band is how as you go through the songs and albums everybody in the band gets time to shine and different instruments are front and center while still keeping that core 80s sound and weird tone. Grey Matter had the driving synth bass plus background percussion like the xylophone Simey dug. Mama has that great bass guitar. Here we are back to that 80s synth, but with a groovier beat but of course what stood out to me was that great guitar work. I like that there is a solo earlier than expected (about the 1:30 mark) and how the horns fill out the song towards the end of the song. It seems I got the slightly longer songs in this group that feature a little more guitar noodling, and the top 5 is mostly all songs well under the 4 min mark.

Speaking of spooky, next up we get more than a slight nod to an iconic movie score.

 

[Mt. Man]

Ronnie James Dio #7
Artist: Black Sabbath
Song: After All (The Dead) - off Dehumanizer, (1992)

(music video) After All (The Dead) (2007 Remaster)
(live version) Black Sabbath - After All live from Beacon Theater
(live version 2 - paired with Master of Insanity) BLACK SABBATH With DIO- Master Of Insanity / After All (Live 1992)

The fundamental principles
Say nothing of forever
But those are voices that I hear
Or I'm just not so clever

It was while I was (re-)listening to the later Dio albums, still debating whether to stick solely to that band, when this song came into mind. It stuck there for a day or two, and definitely pushed me towards going for more of a retrospective. It’s not the highest Dio-led Black Sabbath song (that’s… something a bit better well-known), but as something that sticks with me in a good way, I knew it was going to be fairly high on the list once I made that call.

A slow, rather haunting guitar intro starts the song off, setting a rather somber tone. After all (ha?), this is a song with questions about what happens… well, once you die. I’m not going to get into beliefs (especially since the song has questions about them), but doubts, I’m sure you can understand too well. Dio goes for mostly a remorseful tone, one I think you can hear pain in. Though one I also like to think has a little hope.

–
Next on the countdown, you knew I was going to take the plunge on this one soon. It’s the perfect song for your Bay of Pigs Memorial Dance

 

[MAC_32]

Summer 2019- sitting on our back deck as we so frequently do. Jams playing, kids whiffle balling, I'm grilling, wife's entertaining. I sit down to eat with our youngest (then 4) and a couple others and Kenny Chesney - Get Along comes on. Pleasant sounding, but didn't think anything of it, then it got to the chorus and the little man chimes in, on beat, word-for-word.

Get along, on down the road
We've got a long, long way to go
Scared to live, scared to die
We ain't perfect but we try
Get along while we can
Always give love the upper hand
Paint a wall
Learn to dance
Call your mom
Buy a boat
Drink a beer
Sing a song
Make a friend
Can't we all
Get along

The others were in awe, but I just looked at him and grinned. Maybe there is more to this guy's music than I thought, I should give him a better listen...

 

[MAC_32]

Some new flavor on this medal stand, have a great long weekend all!

The 7's

Medal Stand
Gold Jerry Jeff Walker- My Old Man, wow Wow WOW!!!
Silver April Wine- You Could Have Been A Lady, a catchy chair dancer that sent me off perfectly into the long weekend
Bronze The Slambovian Circus of Dreams- Halo, gold and silver were standouts, but it took a 2nd spin to id the bronze, the instrumental variety connected that time through as it usually has when the circus has been **hearted**

Medal Count
STP - 3 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze
Tea Party - 3 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze
Fanny - 3 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze
Blue October - 3 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze
The Doors - 3 gold, 1 silver
The Slambovian Circus of Dreams - 2 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze
DMB- 1 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze
The Beach Boys - 2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze
Oingo Boingo - 1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze
Roxy Music - 2 silver, 1 bronze
Jerry Jeff Walker - 1 gold, 1 silver
Susanna Hoffs - 1 gold, 2 bronze
Mazzy Star - 1 gold, 1 bronze
Brian Setzer - 2 silver, 1 bronze
April Wine - 1 silver, 2 bronze
Iron & Wine- 1 silver, 1 bronze
Sweet - 1 silver, 1 bronze
Ronnie Dio - 1 silver
Belle & Sebastian - 1 silver
Strand of Oaks - 1 silver
Judas Priest - 1 silver
Mitski - 1 silver
Steve Albini - 1 silver
EWF- 1 bronze

 

[Don Quixote]

Curtis Mayfield

Don Quixote

Keep On Keeping On, by Curtis Mayfield - YouTube Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. youtu.be Keep on Keeping On Curtis Mayfield · Roots · Song · 1971 open.spotify.com

We who are young, should now take a stand
Don't run from the burdens of women and men
Continue to give, continue to live
For what you know is right

Most of your life can be out of sight
Withdraw from the darkness and look to the light
Where everyone's free
At least that's the way it's supposed to be

We just keep on keeping on

Back to Roots album for the final time (so, feel free to complain about any from there left out). A message song that again shows the changes in times from he wrote ”Keep on Pushing” to when Roots was released in 1971, in the shift in what to “keep on” doing. Todd Mayfield writes of it:

“Keep On Keeping On” boasts one of my father’s best melodies and became one of his most beloved anthems. He felt partial to its message, saying, “If ever you could gather up a bunch of kids, sit them down, and sing just one song, this is it. You would not be there as an entertainer. You would be instilling a message in our young. Within the song is life’s story—the hopefulness … the sweetness—and the bottom line to keep on keeping on.” With four children of his own, Dad felt the need to speak to the next generation.

The song is also fascinating in comparison to his earlier work. It spoke to the times just like its corollary, “Keep On Pushing,” saying, “Many think that we have blown it / But they too will soon admit / That there’s still a lot of love among us / And there’s still a lot of faith, warmth, and trust / When we keep on keeping on.” It was a recognition the movement had faltered, and it represented a subtle and important shift in my father’s message. No longer was he exhorting his people to keep on pushing. With everything that went down since the Impressions’ first message song in 1964, simple survival now became his main message.

Next, get back to a more optimistic message about the movement’s prospects.

 

[Yambag]

7's PLAYLIST

The Slambovian Circus of Dreams

Yambag

Halo Halo The Slambovian Circus Of Dreams · A Very Unusual Head · Song · 2022 open.spotify.com

Joziah tells the story of when he was young, he used to collect saint cards and was fascinated by the glowing halos around their head. One of his goals was to find a way to attain one and be a good catholic so he started to write this song at 8 years old. He now dedicates Halo to his mom who recently found the cards while cleaning out the house.

 

[Zegras11]

Belle and Sebastian

kupcho1

I Don't Know What You See In Me I Don't Know What You See In Me Belle and Sebastian · Late Developers · Song · 2023 open.spotify.com

#7, I Don't Know What You See In Me is the first (and only) song off of 2013 Late Developers.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

La-ba-dee, la-daba-dee, la-daba-dee, la-daba-da
La-ba-dee, la-daba-dee, la-daba-dee, la-daba-da
La-ba-dee, la-daba-dee, la-daba-dee, la-daba-da
La-ba-dee, la-daba-dee, la-daba-dee, la-daba-da

Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I’m behind on playlists again due to a work conference. (The European Society of Cardiology doesn’t care about American holidays.) I’ll try to get to the next Fanny writeup tonight.

 

[Yambag]

7's Thoughts From Slambovia:

Known: STP, DMB, Beach Boys, Priest, Cure, Doors

Previously established favorites: Blue October, Fanny, Tea Party, Oingo Boingo, Chvrches and Brian Setzer

6 Standouts (could not narrow it to 5)
Sweet: The Six Teens
Mitski: Why Didn't You Stop Me?
Jerry Jeff Walker: My Old Man
EWF: Mighty Mighty
Andrew Bird: Skin Is, My
April Wine: You Could Have Been a Lady

 

[Pip's Invitation]

7. Butter Boy
Album: Rock and Roll Survivors (1974)
Writer: Jean Millington
Lead vocals: Jean Millington

Fanny's most successful single on the Billboard Hot 100 was their last one. And, fittingly given how poorly their career was handled by their labels and their management, it reached its peak chart position (#29) after the band broke up.

Jean Millington, one of two original members to last to the Rock and Roll Survivor album, wrote only one song for what proved to be the final album of Fanny's original run, and it was partly about her affair with David Bowie, a friend and major supporter of the band.

She said in an interview posted on the band's website: "Well, when we were on tour in England and I was still with [Fanny manager] Roy [Silver], we had met David and I had ended up getting together with David. He was married to Angie Bowie at the time. She supposedly allowed him to have extramarital affairs, but after she found out that David was seeing me for the third or fourth time, well. I suppose once or twice was okay, it meant nothing to David. Three or four times, it was getting serious. So she really flipped out, and it became difficult to see David after that, especially because he lived in England and I was in the States. But we carried on with a relationship for maybe a little bit more than a year. The song was sort of tongue in cheek. I mean, I think David is a wonderful person too."

And let's address the elephant in the room: "He was hard as a rock and I was ready to roll" is an opening line worthy of AC/DC. It's not surprising that the song performed how it did given its attention-grabbing opening. Patti Quatro said during the 2023 reunion shows that the song was banned in Boston "because it was too racy", and the opening line is presumably why. The last line of the chorus, "I'm on fire down below," doesn't leave much to the imagination either.

Musically, the song is the best example of how '50s pop and doo-w0p influences found their way into some Rock and Roll Survivors tracks. The '50s music revival of the '70s had just kicked off after the success of American Graffiti (it would peak in 1978 with Grease), and it was a logical element to add to the mix at this point in their career, as the "boogie rock" that informed many of the best tracks on their first three albums was falling out of favor on the radio. The best part of the song is the "Go baby go" chorus, which is snappy and instantly memorable.

For some bands, this would have been the start of a path to success, but for Fanny, it was the end, as everyone who played on Rock and Roll Survivors except Jean Millington had quit or was fired by early 1975, and the band wheezed to an end. After the success of Butter Boy, an amalgamation of alumni of Fanny and its predecessor bands, including both Millington sisters, toured as the LA All-Stars to try to capitalize on it. But by the end of 1975, they called it quits when they could only get a record deal if they revived the Fanny name, which some of them didn't want to do.

This is the highest-ranking song from Rock and Roll Survivors, making it the second Fanny album we say goodbye to. What's left are my highest-ranking original from each of the first three Fanny albums, and three covers. This is also my highest-ranking song credited to a single member of the band. Everything from here on out is collaborations and covers.

The only documented live performances of Butter Boy are from the 2023 reunion shows, but presumably it was played on the LA All-Stars tour, and possibly at some of Fanny's 1974 shows.

Live in San Francisco in 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9vhjm0znh8
June Millington, Patti Quatro and Brie Darling performed Butter Boy at the Fanny documentary's NYC premiere in 2021, with Darling on lead vocals: https://youtu.be/rAyE-Yb-1fQ?t=368

At #6, a thrilling fusion of the band's Motown and Stax influences.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

@krista4 warning: Sax solo starting at 1:40.

 

[Eephus]

Strand of Oaks #7: "Little Wishes (Darker Shores version)" (2013)

The Darker Shores EP makes its first and only appearance in the countdown. By this point you can probably guess that Darker Shores is the outtakes companion to the Dark Shores album.
This is another one where I think Tim should have stuck with his intuition and released this version instead of the re-recording that eventually made the album. That version is OK and fits with the rest of the album better but its folky acoustic arrangement lacks the synths and vocal reverb that gives the song its ethereal quality.

"Little Wishes" is in 3/4 time which is a time signature that's rarely found in the Strand catalog so you can waltz to it if you like. It's another love song written when Tim and Sue were working through some relationship troubles. They took a winter getaway to a beach in New Jersey where he wrote this song. There are specific references to the beach and their cabin and the image of lighting off fireworks at night. The song ends with the line "just love me again" repeated over and over as the synths soar over the drums.

And I wait til the night
To set my flares
Then I point them to the sky
And hope you'll be there
And a flicker of light
Neon stretches the water
There's no more time
To build this shelter
Just love me again

Little Wishes

Song · Strand of Oaks · 2013

open.spotify.com

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

@krista4 warning: Sax solo starting at 1:40.

Pretty sure everything with the Brian Setzer Orchestra has saxophones. Heck, one of my songs is "Wild Saxophone". Krista is so screwed.

 

[KarmaPolice]

@krista4 warning: Sax solo starting at 1:40.

Pretty sure everything with the Brian Setzer Orchestra has saxophones. Heck, one of my songs is "Wild Saxophone". Krista is so screwed.

Add in some Oingo, and no wonder Krista ran for the hills.

 

[jwb]

The Crystal Ship

The Crystal Ship

The Doors · The Doors · Song · 1967

open.spotify.com

From round 8. This is essentially the Doors "ballad". They don't have many songs like this, so it stands out in their catalog. They should have done more of these - Jim's voice is good for this.

The Unknown Soldier

The Unknown Soldier

The Doors · Waiting for the Sun · Song · 1968

open.spotify.com

And here's one of the Door's "protest" songs. This one made the top 40, but also got some pushback, with some radio stations refusing to play it due to its content (which honestly is not bad at all.) The made a film/video for it with Jim being executed by firing squad. It may be a little NSFW due to some violence/blood.

 

[zamboni]

The Crystal Ship

The Crystal Ship

The Doors · The Doors · Song · 1967

open.spotify.com

From round 8. This is essentially the Doors "ballad". They don't have many songs like this, so it stands out in their catalog. They should have done more of these - Jim's voice is good for this.

Probably my top Doors song. Only complaint is that it’s too short.

 

[falguy]

April Wine=sax free zone

 

[Pip's Invitation]

April Wine=sax free zone

You sure none of the three guitar players double on sax?

 

[Raging weasel]

#7 Better By You,Better Than Me

The second of three covers on my list, it was released as the lead single for the Stained Class album. It failed to chart and seemed destined to fade into obscurity as it was dropped from the setlist after the Stained Class tour.
In 1990 it became the center of a court case in which the parents of two teens who committed suicide sued the band for 6.2 million dollars. They claimed Stained Class was filled with back masked messages that promoted suicide and devil worship. Supposedly, if Better By You,Better Than Me was played backwards you could here Rob Halford saying Do it! over and over.
The charges were ultimately dropped and to celebrate their legal victory they began opening their 1990 tour sets with it.

 

[krista4]

Thanks for all the notes on the sax. I haven't been able to listen to these playlists since the #28s or so, so I'm sadly not able to comment on anything sax-full or sax-free. I know MAC @ed me for a Chesney song that I definitely will check out, and yesterday I listened to a simey special of JJW that I loved, too.

Maybe I'll be super-selfish and ask those are willing to give me 3-5 songs from their artists that they'd like me to hear, so I can at least get a taste of what's happened here in the past couple of months. I was really enjoying so many of these artists, both known and especially unknown, before I had to ghost the thread.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Thanks for all the notes on the sax. I haven't been able to listen to these playlists since the #28s or so, so I'm sadly not able to comment on anything sax-full or sax-free. I know MAC @ed me for a Chesney song that I definitely will check out, and yesterday I listened to a simey special of JJW that I loved, too.

Maybe I'll be super-selfish and ask those are willing to give me 3-5 songs from their artists that they'd like me to hear, so I can at least get a taste of what's happened here in the past couple of months. I was really enjoying so many of these artists, both known and especially unknown, before I had to ghost the thread.

Asking for a friend - do you have an adverse reaction to horns in general or just sax.

 

[kupcho1]

Maybe I'll be super-selfish and ask those are willing to give me 3-5 songs from their artists that they'd like me to hear, so I can at least get a taste of what's happened here in the past couple of months

Can we assume you'd like to hear what you may have missed, and not what's yet to come?

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Maybe I'll be super-selfish and ask those are willing to give me 3-5 songs from their artists that they'd like me to hear, so I can at least get a taste of what's happened here in the past couple of months

Can we assume you'd like to hear what you may have missed, and not what's yet to come?

Good question. I'd most want you to hear my number one choice, a tune I was unaware of until this draft. Narrowing Brian Setzer down to five tunes could be traumatizing.

 

[New Binky the Doormat]

April Wine=sax free zone

back in the day ...also "sex free zone"

 

[New Binky the Doormat]

April Wine=sax free zone

back in the day ...also "sex free zone"

yeah, hey I like Abrosmia too but not admitting it if she thinks i'm a total ***** - lol

 

[krista4]

Thanks for all the notes on the sax. I haven't been able to listen to these playlists since the #28s or so, so I'm sadly not able to comment on anything sax-full or sax-free. I know MAC @ed me for a Chesney song that I definitely will check out, and yesterday I listened to a simey special of JJW that I loved, too.

Maybe I'll be super-selfish and ask those are willing to give me 3-5 songs from their artists that they'd like me to hear, so I can at least get a taste of what's happened here in the past couple of months. I was really enjoying so many of these artists, both known and especially unknown, before I had to ghost the thread.

Asking for a friend - do you have an adverse reaction to horns in general or just sax.

LOVE the Memphis horns. And I don't even hate sax in general, just superfluous sax without any real connection to what is otherwise going on in the song. I'd give an example of "good sax" but am sleepy.

 

[krista4]

Maybe I'll be super-selfish and ask those are willing to give me 3-5 songs from their artists that they'd like me to hear, so I can at least get a taste of what's happened here in the past couple of months

Can we assume you'd like to hear what you may have missed, and not what's yet to come?

Great question, and I left it open because I wasn't sure what I meant. Let's say 3-5 I've missed from 28-6, and then I'll try to listen to the full playlists from 5-1.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Maybe I'll be super-selfish and ask those are willing to give me 3-5 songs from their artists that they'd like me to hear, so I can at least get a taste of what's happened here in the past couple of months

Can we assume you'd like to hear what you may have missed, and not what's yet to come?

Great question, and I left it open because I wasn't sure what I meant. Let's say 3-5 I've missed from 28-6, and then I'll try to listen to the full playlists from 5-1.

Oops. I've already sent you a message. If you need more rockabilly in your life, I'm going to try to figure out how to make a playlist on Spotfy. I'm just clueless here.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Maybe I'll be super-selfish and ask those are willing to give me 3-5 songs from their artists that they'd like me to hear, so I can at least get a taste of what's happened here in the past couple of months

Can we assume you'd like to hear what you may have missed, and not what's yet to come?

Great question, and I left it open because I wasn't sure what I meant. Let's say 3-5 I've missed from 28-6, and then I'll try to listen to the full playlists from 5-1.

Oops. I've already sent you a message. If you need more rockabilly in your life, I'm going to try to figure out how to make a playlist on Spotfy. I'm just clueless here.

1. You have Spotify premium?
2. You doing this on PC or your phone?

 

[simey]

Oops. I've already sent you a message. If you need more rockabilly in your life, I'm going to try to figure out how to make a playlist on Spotfy. I'm just clueless here.

I think she would like "You're the Boss." It's great and swings.

 

[simey]

Brian himself, ever his own biggest critic, said this is one of the BB's best songs. His falsetto really stands out, with the other guys coming in and out all over the place. Just a chef's kiss concoction, with a seamless melody that feels like an undulating wave at the, you got it, beach.

I agree with all of this. Great song.

 

[simey]

The Cure

Juxtatarot

A Letter to Elise A Letter To Elise - 2022 Remaster The Cure · Wish (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) · Song · 2022 open.spotify.com

My favorite Cure song. The unexpected soaring solo really stands out here.

I forgot how good this song is until just listening to it.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Known and liked songs from #8 include Sweet (a song that induced puns in one group of friends because the phrase "sweet action" was a running joke in our cohort for some reason), Roxy, Chesney, Beach Boys, Hoffs (again because I listened to the covers albums during the covers countdown), Judas Priest (YESSSS!!!!!! as Butt-head would say), the Cure, Jerry Jeff (yes, the one song of his I know I know for sure), the Doors, EWF (more perfection from the I Am album) and April Wine (a major mainstay on MTV in the early '80s and one of my introductions to the band).

Thoughts about some of the others:

Sway is another Blue October song that could pass for a Peter Gabriel tune.

Excellent bass and guitar work on Mama. Very "angular."

Of course the Slambovians covered Little Drummer Boy. It's one of Bowie's most famous covers and Joziah sounds like Bowie.

And So I Know is groovy. It sounds like a track from one of your "put it on and get stoned" records from the '60s or '70s.

This is My Country has great horn and vocal arrangements.

Ruby is another Strand of Oaks song from the album where Tim was backed by 4/5 of My Morning Jacket, and it bears some resemblance to the MMJ sound, particularly on the passage just before the slow piano-led coda begins. There are still two songs from this album I REALLY want to appear.

How Not to Drown has phat bass. I wasn't sure why the track needed Robert Smith until we got to the dreamlike part about 2/3 of the way through the song.

The Naming of Things has a great melody and guitars that clang at just the right time.

Egypt (The Chains are On) is an epic. It's slightly prog metal, but also reminds me of the very early Black Sabbath records, where there weren't really rules about what metal should be, so they were trying whatever came to their minds.

 

[simey]

"The Unknown Soldier" is another one of The Doors weird ones. Sometimes they could really get out there, but I respect their creativity and just being themselves.

Love the music in "Skin Is, My."

"Look On Down From The Bridge" sounds beautiful and sad. The organ is a nice touch for the somberness of the song.