Middle Aged Dummies - Artist - Round 3 - #1's have been posted! (4 Viewers)

[Pip's Invitation]

The Beach Boys

zamboni

"Caroline, No" Caroline, No The Beach Boys · Pet Sounds (Original Mono & Stereo Mix) · Song · 1966 open.spotify.com

This heartbreaking gem serves as the closer to Pet Sounds, appropriate that it (almost) closes out the countdown. Brian at first actually recorded this without the rest of the group - on the single it's listed as "Brian Wilson," rather than "The Beach Boys." The re-released version was was recorded a half step slower and became a bit higher in pitch.

The title came from Brian's discussion with co-writer Tony Asher, whose girlfriend, Carol moved across the country to New York City. When Asher visited her, he was struck by how much she had changed - her new haircut inspired the first line in the song. Asher wrote a lyric in the song as "Carol, I Know," which Wilson interpreted as "Caroline, No," and they both agreed it was a better title.

One of the two songs on Pet Sounds with a solo vocal (Brian's), he used variety of unusual instruments here, including harpsichord, ukulele and vibraphone. Wrecking Crew stalwarts included Hal Blaine on drums, Carol Kaye on bass and Glen Campbell on guitar. Blaine created a unique percussion sound by hitting an empty, upside-down water bottle, which is what you hear at the beginning of the track. At the end of the song, closing out the album, there are sounds of a passing train and barking dogs. The train came from a sound effects reel, but the dogs (Banana and Louie) belonged to Brian. He brought them into the studio and recorded their barks - thus tying in the "Pet Sounds" concept.

As @Pip's Invitation knows, the tune got a nice shout out in Neil Young/Stephen Stills' "Long May You Run" with the lyric "maybe the Beach Boys have got you now, with those waves singing Caroline, oh Caroline, no."

The first time Neil performed Long May You Run, at a much-bootlegged surprise acoustic set in 1974, the crowd laughed when he got to The Beach Boys reference.

That is not the reaction you hear in later performances.

 

[KarmaPolice]

#2 ON THE OUTSIDE

- 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

Danny as the weird outsider will be front and center for my top 2 as I said. This one was another that was love at first listen. It has some of Elfman's funniest (to me at least) lyrics. The music itself it a bit sporadic, but the odd turns REALLY work for me. The first sax break reminded me a bit of Huey Lewis and the News which really hit me in the feels. The second, fist pumping synth turn with the chorus really sealed the deal for this one being toward the top. Yeah, we get some odd Eflman vocal flourishes, but it fits in well here. Some of the great Elfman lines in this one...

Don't talk to debutantes, don't eat in restaurants
The patrons sit and stare
The waiters make wisecracks behind my back
(I'm on the outside)
The teachers there in school, they flunked me by the rule
They say I had no motivation, brains, or dedication
I guess the imbeciles were right
I'm just an alien through and through
Tryin' to make believe I'm you
The disco makes me sick, I wear the wrong clothes
I say the wrong things
You know I can't dance, my feet are much too wide
Your house is modern; really kitsch
You get so macho when you're with your *****


Anyway, love the tune. I guess just not quite as much as my #1. This song was also the only one of the top 5 that didn't make the cut on my daughter's playlist.

 

[zamboni]

#2 ON THE OUTSIDE

- 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

Danny as the weird outsider will be front and center for my top 2 as I said. This one was another that was love at first listen. It has some of Elfman's funniest (to me at least) lyrics. The music itself it a bit sporadic, but the odd turns REALLY work for me. The first sax break reminded me a bit of Huey Lewis and the News which really hit me in the feels. The second, fist pumping synth turn with the chorus really sealed the deal for this one being toward the top. Yeah, we get some odd Eflman vocal flourishes, but it fits in well here. Some of the great Elfman lines in this one...

Don't talk to debutantes, don't eat in restaurants
The patrons sit and stare
The waiters make wisecracks behind my back
(I'm on the outside)
The teachers there in school, they flunked me by the rule
They say I had no motivation, brains, or dedication
I guess the imbeciles were right
I'm just an alien through and through
Tryin' to make believe I'm you
The disco makes me sick, I wear the wrong clothes
I say the wrong things
You know I can't dance, my feet are much too wide
Your house is modern; really kitsch
You get so macho when you're with your *****


Anyway, love the tune. I guess just not quite as much as my #1. This song was also the only one of the top 5 that didn't make the cut on my daughter's playlist.

Love this one. This and "Little Girls" were my introduction to Boingo way back in the early '80s and both songs have always stuck with me.

 

[-OZ-]

Blue October

-OZ-

coal makes diamonds - Live From Manchester - 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

The album version is a 6, on Live from Manchester It’s a 10.

Coal Makes Diamonds - Live

Blue October · Live from Manchester · Song · 2019

open.spotify.com

Nonetheless, the studio version was released on their 2016 album, Home. This was a more positive era for Justin and the group. It’s not too deep but the guitar riffs, piano and drumbeat make up for any lack of depth and just rock.

If I'm a desert my face is the wind
I know where I'm going and I know where I've been
You're the horizon and the wide open space
And I surround you caressing your face
There's not a limit to the things that I'd do
I'd give you stars but the stars wouldn't do
You're like the lava burning buried below
An eruption but too early to show
We are islands I hear our sirens
And so we wait (wait, down, put it right in front of me)
We wait (wait, down, put it right in front of me)

With the flood comes shifting the soil
Our blood runs thicker than oil
It's like erosion cutting straight to the core
No human nature ever felt this before
And we become an unbreakable vow
I wanna hold you up, higher than most
Because it feels like flying out
We are islands I hear our sirens
And so we wait (wait, down, put it right in front of me)
We wait (wait, down, put it right in front of me)

Ah, crap. I must not have clicked on that link, sorry. I just switched it for that live version.

Thanks, next time I’ll use Spotify links

 

[KarmaPolice]

Blue October

-OZ-

coal makes diamonds - Live From Manchester - 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

The album version is a 6, on Live from Manchester It’s a 10.

Coal Makes Diamonds - Live

Blue October · Live from Manchester · Song · 2019

open.spotify.com

Nonetheless, the studio version was released on their 2016 album, Home. This was a more positive era for Justin and the group. It’s not too deep but the guitar riffs, piano and drumbeat make up for any lack of depth and just rock.

If I'm a desert my face is the wind
I know where I'm going and I know where I've been
You're the horizon and the wide open space
And I surround you caressing your face
There's not a limit to the things that I'd do
I'd give you stars but the stars wouldn't do
You're like the lava burning buried below
An eruption but too early to show
We are islands I hear our sirens
And so we wait (wait, down, put it right in front of me)
We wait (wait, down, put it right in front of me)

With the flood comes shifting the soil
Our blood runs thicker than oil
It's like erosion cutting straight to the core
No human nature ever felt this before
And we become an unbreakable vow
I wanna hold you up, higher than most
Because it feels like flying out
We are islands I hear our sirens
And so we wait (wait, down, put it right in front of me)
We wait (wait, down, put it right in front of me)

Ah, crap. I must not have clicked on that link, sorry. I just switched it for that live version.

Thanks, next time I’ll use Spotify links

No worries. I'm not used to these German links that don't show the pic of the link, so I've missed a couple as I forget to preview the link.

 

[kupcho1]

Belle and Sebastian

kupcho1

She's Losing It She’s Losing It Belle and Sebastian · Tigermilk · Song · 1996 open.spotify.com

#2, She's Losing It from 1996s' Tigermilk is best described by consquence.net:

Many Belle and Sebastian songs prance around the subject of sexuality. “She’s Losing It” is a humorous anecdote of a woman’s changing philosophy on lesbianism, commencing with her days on the playground and solidifying when “Lisa’s around.” After exiting an abusive relationship, protagonist Chelsea’s taste for men has gone quite sour, which gradually drips into her daily brew and everyday interactions with others. Murdoch attempts to help her out, but it’s evident that no man will shake her grouchy funk. Her fits of temperament cycle through scenes of using the innocent B&S frontman as a punching bag or yelling at her neighbors, almost making it feel like a corny sitcom montage with a genuine laugh track. “She’s Losing It” is short, sweet, and hilarious, especially because everyone knows someone like Chelsea. –Sam Willett

Lisa met Chelsea at the knocking school
Chelsea didn't feel like following the rules
So they left the place for another school
Where the boys go with boys and the girls with girls

Chelsea was the one who's been abused
It changed her philosophy in '82
She says, "Inch for inch and pound for pound
Who needs boys when there's Lisa around?

 

[simey]

Night Rider's Lament

This cowboy waltz is for you @falguy

Michael Burton wrote this song, and Jerry Jeff was the first to record and release it. It is on his 1975 album Ridin' High.

This is Jerry Jeff doing the song on the TV show the Texas Connection (which he hosted for awhile) back in 1993. The song is sped up quite a bit. I reckon he had to do that to squeeze it all in for TV time. The album version above is much slower. If anyone watched the link I added of him doing Mr. Bojangles on Austin City Limits in '76, if you look at him in 1993 he looks different. It isn't just some aging. He had his nose reconstructed in '77 from it being broken one too many times. His wife said he gave the plastic surgeon a picture of Guy Clark, and said he wanted a nose like him. Instead he ended up with a nose more like Gomer Pyle.

One night while I was out a ridin'
The grave yard shift, midnight 'til dawn
The moon was bright as a readin' light
For a letter from an old friend back home

And he asked me
Why do you ride for your money
Tell me why do you rope for short pay
You ain't a'gettin' nowhere
And you're losin' your share
Boy, you must have gone crazy out there

 

[tuffnutt]

2.
The Sea and The Rhythm
from The Sea and The Rhythm EP (2003)
Tonight were the sea and the salty breeze
The milk from your breast is on my lips
And lovelier words from your mouth to me
When salty my sweat and fingertips

Our hands, they seek the end of afternoons
My hands believe and move over you...

Tonight, we're the sea and the rhythm there
The waves and the wind and night is black
Tonight we're in the scent of your long black hair
Spread out like your breath across my back

Your hands, they move like waves over me
Beneath the moon, tonight, we're the sea...

With just an acoustic guitar, some layered vocals and an outro banjo solo, “The Sea and the Rhythm” could be a simple lullaby. But listen closer and you’ll hear Beam’s romantic poetry. The title track is one of the most intimate songs and it’s one of the very best written love songs you will hear. Beam sings of what appears to be a night of lovemaking, as he equates his and his lover’s rhythms with those of the sea. It might sound obvious but it works really well... it’s an absurdly powerful and beautiful song.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

@simey why did Jerry Jeff keep breaking his nose? Bar fights?

 

[Mt. Man]

Ronnie James Dio #2
Artist: Dio
Song: Rainbow in the Dark (off Holy Diver, 1983)

(music video) Dio - Rainbow In The Dark (Official Music Video)
(Live version) 1983 Ronnie James Dio "Rainbow In The Dark" (Rock Palace)

Do your demons
Do they ever let you go?
When you try, do they hide deep inside?
Is it someone that you know?
You're just a picture
You're an image caught in time
We're a lie
You and I, we're words without a rhyme

It’s difficult to say much about the video beyond just watch it. Come for the nearly shirtless Ronnie, stay for the businessman trying to be creepy to a random woman only to be chased off by Vivian Campbell and Jimmy Bain.

Anyway, this is another huge song for Dio, one that needs very little introduction. Probably a lot of people’s #1. Heck, if I were to redo the list right now, I’d likely push it up there. These things flow. More on that with the #1, though.

You can probably get why it’s stayed popular. It starts very strong, with a fairly upbeat intro. Ronnie belting out emotional lyrics about isolation, inner strength and potential. It’s catchy and rather poppy for a metal song. Because of that, it was almost cut (literally, in that the story goes that Ronnie had to be talked out of cutting the tape up with a razor blade) from the album by Dio. It’s… pretty fair to say that people are glad that didn’t happen.

Next on the countdown, our closing song, the final title track, comes appropriately at the end of the queue.

 

[Scoresman]

The Tea Party #2 - Psychopomp​

This is the song that got me into the band. If you remember from my Sigur Ros countdown, I really like songs that feature raw emotion, and also songs that build slowly to an epic crescendo or peak. This song excels at both. When the drums come in at around 2:00, and then later when the full guitar comes in at around 3:20 is just epic. Despite it's fairly simple sound and instrumentation, this is probably the most emotion lead singer Jeff Martin gives.

An early version of this song was actually written by two of the band members in high school. It's based on a greek myth of Orpheus who went to the underworld in search of his lover Eurydice, only to have her fade away as they were escaping Hades.

You wanted this, so sad to see
The sweet decay of ecstasy
And you want it all
And you want it all
A frozen sun would guide you there
As shadows hide the deep despair

And you want it all
And you want it all
I'll give you somethin' more
And you'll fade away
One last kiss before
You fade away

So sleep tonight in idle dreams
The pain will drown your silent screams

And you want it all
And you want it all
I'll give you something more
And you'll fade away

One last kiss before
You fade away
Lives you once adored
Will fade away
Lies you can't ignore
You'll soon repay

As you fade away
As you fade away
As you fade away
As you fade away
As you fade away

 

[Uruk-Hai]

#2' - "Getaway"

This is the aural equivalent of a fine-tuned Ferrari doing 200 mph. Which is good, because "Getaway" is one of the great driving records. Everything is on point and the energy is off-the-charts.

Truth serum in my veins, this is probably EWF's best. The only reason I don't have it at #1 (besides me being an idiot) is that I couldn't imagine my #1 anywhere else.

Up next, the group calls it their national anthem and I can't make an argument against that statement.

I'm out for two weeks after tomorrow. Pip is kind enough to give his thoughts on my #1. They'd be more coherent than mine, anyway. You guys behave.

As always, this has been a ton of fun. The amount of effort you folks have put into these countdowns is unbelievable.

 

[zamboni]

Ronnie James Dio #2
Artist: Dio
Song: Rainbow in the Dark (off Holy Diver, 1983)

(music video) Dio - Rainbow In The Dark (Official Music Video)

Has there ever been a better video centered around a cheesy p0rn theater? I think not.

 

[simey]

@simey why did Jerry Jeff keep breaking his nose? Bar fights?

Yes. His friends and bandmates said he never fought back, because he was too drunk to get back up after being hit. A lot of fights stemmed from rednecks making hippie comments/threats. JJ wouldn't let comments go. They said one time a biker gang beat the **** out of him, and he still yelled comments back at them while lying on the ground getting kicked and stomped. This was during his heavy drinking days. He should have done what Hubbard did, which is run.

 

[jwb]

The Doors

jwb

When the Music's Over https://open.spotify.com/track/42dsUTJpzMWUJfEkzsbKWl

Epic 11-minute song by the boys. Between "The End" on the first album and this one on the second, they became known as having a "long" song on their albums. Which if you include Riders on the Storm and The Soft Parade, I guess it's kind of true.

Jim wanted this one recorded live, without overdubs (they had played/perfected it in clubs for months). But he was absent when the band did it. They refused to re-record it, so he did his vocal after the fact, and nailed it in one take. So I guess it is kind of live in the studio. Great song.

 

[Yo Mama]

STP #2 - Vasoline
Album - Purple (1994)

Just like my #3 (Trippin’ . . . ), this is just a straightforward rocker jammed into less than three minutes.

Scott Weiland said the line “Flies in the Vaseline” came from when he was younger. When his parents would play music by The Eagles, he thought that’s what the group was singing instead of Life in the Fast Lane. I’m going to sing it that way the next I hear it.

This is a song about Scott getting stuck in the same situation over and over, lying to his wife and to the band about his drug issues.

 

[Don Quixote]

Curtis Mayfield

Don Quixote

Freddie’s Dead (Theme from Superfly), 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 Freddie's Dead Curtis Mayfield · Superfly (Original Soundtrack) · Song · 1972 open.spotify.com

Everybody's misused him
Ripped him up and abused him
Another junkie plan
Pushin' dope for the man
A terrible blow but that's how it goes
A freddies on the corner now
If you wanna be a junkie, wow
Remember Freddie’s dead

As I mentioned in my write-up of Superfly, Mayfield recognized a lot of his upbringing in a poor section of Chicago as he was reading the script. Rather than glorifying the drug dealer in the center of the story, Mayfield instead glorified someone who caught got up in his dealings which led to his death, as the lyrics tell the sad tale of Freddie. Todd Mayfield’s Traveling Soul writes about the importance of “Freddie’s Dead” to Curtis Mayfield:

Even closer to reality, my father felt, was Priest’s fall guy, Freddie. “Reading the script, I started feeling very deeply bad for Freddie,” he said. “Between his friends, his partners, and his woman, he was catching a hard time. ‘Freddie’s Dead’ came to me immediately. While you might not know a lot of pimps and drug dealers, we do meet quite a few Freddies.”…

Despite the success of both soundtrack and movie, though, the critical excoriation stung [critics viewed it as glorifying the drug dealer]. My father, who never wasted time arguing with critics, fought back, saying: “The way you clean up the film is by cleaning up the streets. I can see where those guys are coming from, and how they look upon Superfly as a dope movie. But it’s just as easy to see it as an antidrug movie, which is what I think the critics don’t give the people enough credit for seeing. I mean even an anti-dope commercial can be looked at as a dope commercial. You can’t do nothing about drugs by pretending they don’t exist. You just have to be able to give people credit for knowing what’s good and what’s bad. That’s why I wanted “Freddie’s Dead” put out as the single. Because the average dude realizes that he’s more like a Freddie than a Priest. And Freddie’s just the average guy who might have been able to be saved except that he fell in with the wrong crowd. More people are gonna realize that they’re like Freddie and if they don’t watch what they’re messing with they’ll end up dead.”

The song also includes some of the future elements of hip-hop between the subject matter (which is true of the whole album), as well as the way that Mayfield seemingly raps lines like “Let the man rap a plan said he'd see him home/But his hope was a rope and he should've known.” Its influence in both the time and future music hard to miss.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Ronnie James Dio #2
Artist: Dio
Song: Rainbow in the Dark (off Holy Diver, 1983)

(music video) Dio - Rainbow In The Dark (Official Music Video)

Has there ever been a better video centered around a cheesy p0rn theater? I think not.

Maybe this one. Open Your Heart by Madonna.

 

[Tau837]

Dave Matthews

Tau837

Crush - 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

"Crush" is a song featured on the 1998 DMB album "Before These Crowded Streets." It’s one of the band's most beloved and well-known tracks, both for its smooth jazz-influenced sound and its romantic lyrics. The song was a commercial success, reaching #11 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, and it has since become one of the band’s signature songs.

"Crush" is essentially a love song, with lyrics that express deep affection, passion, and admiration for someone. The lyrics explore the intensity of romantic feelings, reflecting both physical attraction and emotional connection. Dave Matthews’ lyrics in this song are poetic and nuanced, filled with vivid imagery and metaphors.

Key lines such as "Lovely lady, I am at your feet, Oh God, I want you so badly" capture the yearning and admiration the speaker feels toward his romantic interest. The song also reflects on the complexity of love — its highs, its passion, and its overwhelming nature, making it both tender and intense.

Musically, the song is a blend of rock, jazz, and funk influences, showcasing the band’s diverse musical background. The song has a relaxed, sultry groove that features an intricate bassline by Stefan Lessard, smooth saxophone melodies from LeRoi Moore, and Boyd Tinsley's violin adding depth to the arrangement. The rhythm section, led by drummer Carter Beauford, provides a jazz-like feel, while Matthews’ acoustic guitar adds warmth and texture.

One of the song's standout features is its extended instrumental sections, particularly in live performances, where the band stretches the song into long jams. These sections allow each member of the band to showcase their individual talents, contributing to the song’s rich and layered sound. The live versions are known for their dynamic range, with the band moving seamlessly between quiet, intimate moments and loud, energetic sections. DMB has played the song live 822 times, and there are 40 live releases.

"Crush" received widespread critical acclaim, both for its smooth, romantic vibe and its musical complexity. Critics have praised the band's ability to create a jazz-inflected pop song that maintains a balance between technical prowess and emotional depth. Dave's lyrics have been commended for their vulnerability and tenderness, while the musicianship of the band, particularly the bass and saxophone work, is often highlighted as exceptional.

Overall, "Crush" is a beautiful, romantic song that showcases the band's ability to combine emotional lyrics with sophisticated musicianship. I mentioned in an earlier writeup that I have a love mix for my wife that has evolved over the 34 years we have been together. This is my favorite song in that mix. My wife has been suffering from severe chronic pain for most of our life together, and it feels like Dave wrote this line for us: "My love, my love, we'll beat back the pain weve found."

I chose the official video to link in the playlist. Here are some other great versions:

• Live at Appalachian State University 2003 (Dave and Tim, really outstanding guitar work by Tim)
• Live in Central Park 2003

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Known and liked songs from #2 include Sweet (one of their best), Moodies, STP, Mayfield, Roxy, Chesney, Beach Boys, Bangles (I believe this got some votes in the covers countdown), Judas Priest, The Cure, The Doors, EWF and Dio (I bet this is the go-to song for people when they imitate Ronnie's voice).

Thoughts on some of the others:

Coal Makes Diamonds is another U2-ish track from Blue October.

On the Outside is tight and quirky.

She's Losing It is breezy and bouncy, which you wouldn't expect for a song about someone so cranky.

Brand New City gives me PJ Harvey vibes, which I have not gotten from Mitski before. Which means this might be my favorite of hers.

Radio Kids offers big sounds and big emotions. It is Springsteen in vibe but not in sound.

Crush has some chillingly good instrumental passages.

The bursts of slide guitar at the end is the best part of Take Everything.

Suicide Demo for Kara Walker is masterfully arranged. So is Eight.

Kerosene is relentlessly intense.

Say Hello has some memorable repeating guitar figures and nice harmonies.

The Spotify algorithm returned to form, giving me Bad Side of the Moon again.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

These Number Two's work for me:

Blue October - Coal Makes Diamonds
The Tea Party - Psychopomp
Sweet - Is Like Oxygen
The Moody Blues - I Know You're Out There Somewhere
Brian Setzer - Gettin' In The Mood
Curtis Mayfield - Freddie's Dead
Roxy Music - Out Of The Blue
The Bangles - Hazy Shade Of Winter
Judas Priest - The Hellion/Electric Eye
EWF - Getaway
Big Black - Kerosene
Dio - In The Dark

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Ronnie James Dio #2
Artist: Dio
Song: Rainbow in the Dark (off Holy Diver, 1983)

(music video) Dio - Rainbow In The Dark (Official Music Video)
(Live version) 1983 Ronnie James Dio "Rainbow In The Dark" (Rock Palace)

Do your demons
Do they ever let you go?
When you try, do they hide deep inside?
Is it someone that you know?
You're just a picture
You're an image caught in time
We're a lie
You and I, we're words without a rhyme

It’s difficult to say much about the video beyond just watch it. Come for the nearly shirtless Ronnie, stay for the businessman trying to be creepy to a random woman only to be chased off by Vivian Campbell and Jimmy Bain.

Anyway, this is another huge song for Dio, one that needs very little introduction. Probably a lot of people’s #1. Heck, if I were to redo the list right now, I’d likely push it up there. These things flow. More on that with the #1, though.

You can probably get why it’s stayed popular. It starts very strong, with a fairly upbeat intro. Ronnie belting out emotional lyrics about isolation, inner strength and potential. It’s catchy and rather poppy for a metal song. Because of that, it was almost cut (literally, in that the story goes that Ronnie had to be talked out of cutting the tape up with a razor blade) from the album by Dio. It’s… pretty fair to say that people are glad that didn’t happen.

Next on the countdown, our closing song, the final title track, comes appropriately at the end of the queue.

Greatest metal song of all-time, imo.

 

[falguy]

While I go through the current playlist, here's my short blurb on my #2 pick

Say Hello

From the Harder...Faster album which is chock full of great songs. I love. all of 'em. This was the release immediately prior to Nature of The Beast.

Say Hello is just a bit different than most. I love the rhythm of this one. Found a guy on Youtube who analyzed the time signature and suggests the drums are in 4/4 and the rest of the band is in 6/8. Here - https://youtu.be/pX7vUTmx8TI?t=337 - if you care to hear what he has to say. Regardless, I think it's a great drum intro to a unique song.

My #1 will likely only be known by only a few of you. Hope you like it half as much as I do.

On to the full playlist

 

[New Binky the Doormat]

What? The laughing reaction is gone again??

Who did what??

 

[falguy]

Penultimate round


After the previous 2 amazing rounds, I suppose it was inevitable that I hit a slump. Round 2 produced only a few new favorites. Can't win them all

Maybe this is the round to pick a personal favorite that maybe is a bit different. Or maybe it's just me today.

Love is Like Oxygen. Sweet. Great tune. May be my favorite Sweet song.
* She's Losing It - Belle and Sebastian
I Know You're Out The Somewhere - Moody Blues. Another one I'd forgotten about
Vasoline - STP. Banger
Getting' in The Mood - Brian Setzer. What's not to love!
Hazy Shade of Winter - Bangles. Good cover Here
* Night Rider's Lament - Jerry Jeff. Could have done without the yodelling but still very much enjoyed.
* Clearest Blue - Chvrches. Still think her voice is very similar to Lights

That's it. Short list today

 

[Yambag]

2's PLAYLIST

The Slambovian Circus of Dreams

Yambag

Angels We Have Heard On High/Gloria - 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

NOT ON SPOTIFY PLAYLIST

A bit late here as I am away on vacation. Here Joziah describes their Christmas shows: "It's an interesting breadth of things. We've got some old, super classic stuff in it. And five or six original Slambovian Christmas songs in the traditional sense but with a quirky edge." Always the closing song at Christmas Shows, combining Hark the Herald Angels Sing and Gloria by Van Morrison’s, Them ending with Joziah’s holiday send off “Merry Everything!”

 

[Oliver Humanzee]

3. Budd -- Rx



I remember being 10 years old and watching the moments leading up to Budd Dwyer's suicide on the nightly news. I felt then what this song manages to evoke even now: scared. Scared of what is to come and what must be writhing behind the eyes of this otherwise ordinary politician. That a conviction of the kind of small-potatoes state-level bribery that would make even a goof like Blagojevich scoff, and wouldn't even move the needle in the Trump administration ($300,000 might have been a lot of money in 1986, I don't know) would drive a man to suicide seems terrifying. That much of his final press conference was dedicated to expressing regret over his support for the death penalty has been largely forgotten, overshadowed, such as it is, by death itself.



There is so much space in this song. So much silence and menace that you might be able to guess what the song is about without Albini singing a word. Whereas Steve's earlier efforts employed kind of a maximalist wall of bombast to evoke a sense of terror or pain, "Budd" managed to use juuuuust enough noise to allow our own imagination do the supply the terror, like cutting off the video feed seconds before the final act. Budd don't, indeed.

2. Kerosene -- Big Black

The closest thing Big Black got to a pop-punk banger with, like, a beginning, an end, and intelligible lyrics. Cool harmonics in the beginning from Santiago Durango. Like Steve, I came from a small, backwards town, and, like the protagonist of this song, would rather set myself on fire than build a life there. I first heard this song on Bethany College's tiny 10,000 watt radio station while my friend Shawn and I were driving through the nearby town of Wheeling, West Virginia. It became kind of an anthem to us for a while. I lost touch with Shawn for many years after I moved to Chicago. He got himself hooked on booze and benzos and spent about 10 years with no address. The Dead Kennedys tattoo on his neck and a drug addiction made him less than employable. We reconnected on Facebook around 2010. He thought it was funny that I was friends with Steve. Health issues forced him to move back in with his mother in our ****ty hometown in 2014. He killed himself shortly thereafter, posting a note on Facebook that said "I'm sorry I killed me." I miss him sometimes.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

3. Budd -- Rx



I remember being 10 years old and watching the moments leading up to Budd Dwyer's suicide on the nightly news. I felt then what this song manages to evoke even now: scared. Scared of what is to come and what must be writhing behind the eyes of this otherwise ordinary politician. That a conviction of the kind of small-potatoes state-level bribery that would make even a goof like Blagojevich scoff, and wouldn't even move the needle in the Trump administration ($300,000 might have been a lot of money in 1986, I don't know) would drive a man to suicide seems terrifying. That much of his final press conference was dedicated to expressing regret over his support for the death penalty has been largely forgotten, overshadowed, such as it is, by death itself.



There is so much space in this song. So much silence and menace that you might be able to guess what the song is about without Albini singing a word. Whereas Steve's earlier efforts employed kind of a maximalist wall of bombast to evoke a sense of terror or pain, "Budd" managed to use juuuuust enough noise to allow our own imagination do the supply the terror, like cutting off the video feed seconds before the final act. Budd don't, indeed.

2. Kerosene -- Big Black

The closest thing Big Black got to a pop-punk banger with, like, a beginning, an end, and intelligible lyrics. Cool harmonics in the beginning from Santiago Durango. Like Steve, I came from a small, backwards town, and, like the protagonist of this song, would rather set myself on fire than build a life there. I first heard this song on Bethany College's tiny 10,000 watt radio station while my friend Shawn and I were driving through the nearby town of Wheeling, West Virginia. It became kind of an anthem to us for a while. I lost touch with Shawn for many years after I moved to Chicago. He got himself hooked on booze and benzos and spent about 10 years with no address. The Dead Kennedys tattoo on his neck and a drug addiction made him less than employable. We reconnected on Facebook around 2010. He thought it was funny that I was friends with Steve. Health issues forced him to move back in with his mother in our ****ty hometown in 2014. He killed himself shortly thereafter, posting a note on Facebook that said "I'm sorry I killed me." I miss him sometimes.

Something that was pointed out in the YouTube comments of Budd:

If Budd had been convicted, he and his family would have lost his state pension. By killing himself before conviction, his pension was preserved. In his mind, conviction was in fact a fate worse than death.

Sorry to hear about your friend. Addiction is a b—-h.

 

[Yo Mama]

My round #2 thoughts:

Great overall list with my personal known to me #1s from Sweet, DMB, Bangles, and Dio.

Great songs from known bands I hadn’t heard for a long while from Boingo, Roxy Music, Mazzy Star, Judas Priest, The Cure, and EWF.

This was another Strand of Oaks song with big Replacements vibes.

Didn’t realize Curtis Mayfield wrote a song for one of the nightmare on Elm Street sequels.

Other new to me standouts from Blue October, Tea Party, Iron & Wine, Big Black, and April Wine.

Biggest standout on this playlist to me was the Andrew Bird song - just incredible. Definitely my favorite of his so far and at the top of new to me songs this whole process. Multiple re-listens already.

 

[MAC_32]

Taking a new approach with the #2 medal stand, play-by-play per song. Medal stand to come tomorrow...

*Blue October- not gonna seek out the album version because I think this live version will still reign supreme. Not sure where this lands on the medal stand, but this was pretty flawless. We'll see where things land...
*Fanny always gets me when there's something to compliment a driving guitar, this time it was the piano, then the vocals, until it was just about to chaotically break and wrapped up. Gonna be surprised if it doesn't land a medal.
*Tea Party always gets me when the sounds layer and they wow me when they nail the transitions. This song had a ton of the former and while it took a while to level up when they finally did it delivered. Three songs in and three deserving candidates.
*Sweet- ooooh, that riff. That chorus lost me, but there was some fun stuff sprinkled around it.
*Oingo Boingo stopped surprising me quite a while ago. Thrilled I overcame my bias with this sound and this song certainly qualifies. Vocal delivery was one of their better efforts too. And that sax solo (@krista4 hi!) brought it to medal stand consideration. We'll see how they do on spin #2...
*Given the amount of hearts dolled out to Belle & Sebastian I'm surprised they don't have more hardware. I suppose they've just been littered with likes instead of loves. This is another one of those, but the instrumental did level it up some of their other efforts.
*Mitski's been more miss than hit with me, but that was an attention grabber in a good way. Knee jerk, the best effort to date.
*Given the little I knew about the Moody Blues I thought they'd connect more with me than they did. This may be more of a product of this MAD group being that strong than it was them missing. Pleasant listen, but I didn't leave it thinking I need to hear it again. Now that I write that out, that's probably how I felt about most contributions.
*An STP classic, in an earlier round certainly a medal consideration, but may get squeezed here.
*Brian Setzer- typical sound and I say that in a good way, but didn't stand out and at this point you need to
*I suppose it makes sense why Curtis Mayfield didn't get many hearts out of me early on, but they've been frequent as we've gotten late into this thing.
*Roxy falls in the same bucket as the Moody Blues- never or almost never skip, but don't find myself hitting the heart smash. Pleasant, but not something I have to hear again.
*Can pretty much copy & paste what I wrote about Belle & Sebastian for Strand of Oaks, but I was a little overwhelmed with this particular sound.
*I lied about what I said about Mazzy Star's Fade Into You, but only because DMB's Crush hadn't rolled out yet. **Spoiler**
*Speaking of Mazzy, crushed it again. That voice...
*This Kenny cut hits a whole lot differently now than it did when I first heard it but didn't listen to it ~20 years ago
*Speaking of that voice, err...I guess, sound - Pet Sounds...
*Almost immediately thought of Sweet when the Bangles hit- great riff, but got kinda lost around it.
*I think my thoughts on Judas Priest would be different if I grew up in a different time. There are elements of them I always like, but when all the pieces come together the sound doesn't do it for me and I can't explain why.
*Unlike Judas Priest, I know where The Cure is a miss- new wave, it ain't for me. But I have been happily surprised that I've been able to enjoy most of their contributions and even sprinkled in a few hearts. This one dragged on too long though.
*Iron & Wine falls into a similar boat as Belle & Sebastian and Strand of Oaks. I like his vocal more though- and especially on this one.
*Jerry Jeff Walker's had a handful of extra base hits and at least one home run from what I recall, but most others were groundouts. This was one of the rare ones that threaded the needle somewhere in between.
*It's probably been more than 2 decades since I heard this Doors track. I plain forgot it existed. Derp. Gonna fix that...
*CHVRCHES is gonna get shutout from the medal stand, but I've appreciated this sound way more than I thought it would. It's just too modern for my old man shakes fist at cloud tastes.
*EWF has been the biggest surprise- came in with little familiarity and just haven't been feeling them
*I think Destroyer's just a case of hitting my blind spot with indie rock. A select few really connect with me, but most miss. And given how much others enjoy the sound I understand that's a me thing.
*Andrew Bird hit it out of the park on this one, definitely under medal consideration
*Albini may not have hit a home run here, but definitely some solid contact here. The riff was infectious and there were more layers to this one than most of his others.
*Rainbow in the Dark- what a jam, classic.
*It's a different sound, but April Wine really falls in the same cat as Iron & Wine, Belle & Sebastian, and Strand of Oaks. A lot of hearts, but lacks standouts and on this countdown that's what was needed.

 

[Eephus]

I've fallen a little behind again but the damage is contained at this late stage of the countdown.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

CHVRCHES is gonna get shutout from the medal stand, but I've appreciated this sound way more than I thought it would. It's just too modern for my old man shakes fist at cloud tastes.

Thats interesting. The whole reason i like them is that they sound like they come out of the early 80s.
Yeah theres bells and whistles with modern production and dance. But even edm dance etc is just 90s house music recycled.

Modern music scares me lol

At the end of the day, a good melody, good singing and music can be dressed up anyway and be enjoyable.
Scandinavian death metal, Country, Synth Pop, Reggae, Opera etc

 

[-OZ-]

Hazy Shade of Winter - Bangles. Good cover Here

I feel stupid for not realizing this was a cover

 

[Eephus]

Strand of Oaks #2: "Radio Kids" (2017)

In retrospect, I probably should have swapped this one with "Goshen '97" at #6. They're similar rockers about looking back on how music inspires in our formative years. In this one, Tim's is remembering the thrill of discovering a new song on the radio when he was growing up. In the later verses he turns more reflective and bittersweet that those days are now gone.

The main thing that distinguishes "Goshen '97" from "Radio Kids" is the huge, strange sound of the latter. The layers of distorted guitars and booming drums were definitely a production decision but for me, this is one of the few times that the idiosyncratic production of the Hard Love album really hit the mark, if for no other reason than it prevents it from becoming "Goshen '98".

Radio Kids

Song · Strand of Oaks · 2017

open.spotify.com

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I have completed my writeup of Uruk’s #1 EWF. Tonight I have to do the #1 Fanny and a ramble about a Strand of Oaks song that won’t be on Eephus’ list. And I have a football game to watch. Phew.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Anyone care to guess the #1 song i have listed from Sweet or Chvrches?

 

[KarmaPolice]

Anyone care to guess the #1 song i have listed from Sweet or Chvrches?

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Anyone care to guess the #1 song i have listed from Sweet or Chvrches?

Thats cheating lol

 

[kupcho1]

Anyone care to guess the #1 song i have listed from Sweet or Chvrches?

Thats cheating lol

I'd be cheating too.

 

[simey]

* Night Rider's Lament - Jerry Jeff. Could have done without the yodelling but still very much enjoyed.

At least the yodeling is at the end of the song. It isn't my favorite part either, but I understand why it is part of the tune. Cowboys would (and probably still do) yodel to cattle call/ round up the herd. I don't know if you watched the live version, but they howl at the end of the yodeling. I hope I didn't put you on the spot (make you feel like you had to comment) when I said this waltz was for you.

 

[falguy]

* Night Rider's Lament - Jerry Jeff. Could have done without the yodelling but still very much enjoyed.

At least the yodeling is at the end of the song. It isn't my favorite part either, but I understand why it is part of the tune. Cowboys would (and probably still do) yodel to cattle call/ round up the herd. I don't know if you watched the live version, but they howl at the end of the yodeling. I hope I didn't put you on the spot (make you feel like you had to comment) when I said this waltz was for you.

All good. I've liked tons of his stuff and it's no secret I love a good 3/4 time tune.
I listened to it again and the yodel part was fine. Think it just caught me off guard the first time.

 

[simey]

Think it just caught me off guard the first time.

It is a total WTH moment when the yodeling happens if you've never heard the song before.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Anyone care to guess the #1 song i have listed from Sweet or Chvrches?

I tried. I have no idea. Would have picked "Ballroom Blitz".

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Ronnie James Dio #2
Artist: Dio
Song: Rainbow in the Dark (off Holy Diver, 1983)

(music video) Dio - Rainbow In The Dark (Official Music Video)
(Live version) 1983 Ronnie James Dio "Rainbow In The Dark" (Rock Palace)

Do your demons
Do they ever let you go?
When you try, do they hide deep inside?
Is it someone that you know?
You're just a picture
You're an image caught in time
We're a lie
You and I, we're words without a rhyme

It’s difficult to say much about the video beyond just watch it. Come for the nearly shirtless Ronnie, stay for the businessman trying to be creepy to a random woman only to be chased off by Vivian Campbell and Jimmy Bain.

Anyway, this is another huge song for Dio, one that needs very little introduction. Probably a lot of people’s #1. Heck, if I were to redo the list right now, I’d likely push it up there. These things flow. More on that with the #1, though.

You can probably get why it’s stayed popular. It starts very strong, with a fairly upbeat intro. Ronnie belting out emotional lyrics about isolation, inner strength and potential. It’s catchy and rather poppy for a metal song. Because of that, it was almost cut (literally, in that the story goes that Ronnie had to be talked out of cutting the tape up with a razor blade) from the album by Dio. It’s… pretty fair to say that people are glad that didn’t happen.

Next on the countdown, our closing song, the final title track, comes appropriately at the end of the queue.

Greatest metal song of all-time, imo.

"Run to the Hills" or "War Pigs".

 

[simey]

*EWF has been the biggest surprise- came in with little familiarity and just haven't been feeling them

This sentence ended totally how I didn't think it would. I love EWF.

 

[MAC_32]

*EWF has been the biggest surprise- came in with little familiarity and just haven't been feeling them

This sentence ended totally how I didn't think it would. I love EWF.

Most do, which is why I was looking forward to it. I don't know, maybe it was a misfit with the rest of the playlist? It's probably a me problem.

 

[MAC_32]

CHVRCHES is gonna get shutout from the medal stand, but I've appreciated this sound way more than I thought it would. It's just too modern for my old man shakes fist at cloud tastes.

Thats interesting. The whole reason i like them is that they sound like they come out of the early 80s.
Yeah theres bells and whistles with modern production and dance. But even edm dance etc is just 90s house music recycled.

Modern music scares me lol

At the end of the day, a good melody, good singing and music can be dressed up anyway and be enjoyable.
Scandinavian death metal, Country, Synth Pop, Reggae, Opera etc

You're probably hitting on more of the right key words- early 80's, edm dance, and 90's house are all big misses with me

 

[simey]

*EWF has been the biggest surprise- came in with little familiarity and just haven't been feeling them

This sentence ended totally how I didn't think it would. I love EWF.

Most do, which is why I was looking forward to it. I don't know, maybe it was a misfit with the rest of the playlist? It's probably a me problem.

Oh wait. I thought you meant you haven't been feeling EWF through the whole countdown.

 

[Yo Mama]

Ronnie James Dio #2
Artist: Dio
Song: Rainbow in the Dark (off Holy Diver, 1983)

(music video) Dio - Rainbow In The Dark (Official Music Video)
(Live version) 1983 Ronnie James Dio "Rainbow In The Dark" (Rock Palace)

Do your demons
Do they ever let you go?
When you try, do they hide deep inside?
Is it someone that you know?
You're just a picture
You're an image caught in time
We're a lie
You and I, we're words without a rhyme

It’s difficult to say much about the video beyond just watch it. Come for the nearly shirtless Ronnie, stay for the businessman trying to be creepy to a random woman only to be chased off by Vivian Campbell and Jimmy Bain.

Anyway, this is another huge song for Dio, one that needs very little introduction. Probably a lot of people’s #1. Heck, if I were to redo the list right now, I’d likely push it up there. These things flow. More on that with the #1, though.

You can probably get why it’s stayed popular. It starts very strong, with a fairly upbeat intro. Ronnie belting out emotional lyrics about isolation, inner strength and potential. It’s catchy and rather poppy for a metal song. Because of that, it was almost cut (literally, in that the story goes that Ronnie had to be talked out of cutting the tape up with a razor blade) from the album by Dio. It’s… pretty fair to say that people are glad that didn’t happen.

Next on the countdown, our closing song, the final title track, comes appropriately at the end of the queue.

Greatest metal song of all-time, imo.

"Run to the Hills" or "War Pigs".

Good choices - I’ll throw Master of Puppets in there too.

 

[MAC_32]

*EWF has been the biggest surprise- came in with little familiarity and just haven't been feeling them

This sentence ended totally how I didn't think it would. I love EWF.

Most do, which is why I was looking forward to it. I don't know, maybe it was a misfit with the rest of the playlist? It's probably a me problem.

Oh wait. I thought you meant you haven't been feeling EWF through the whole countdown.

I haven't. I instantly recognize them and start paying attention then lose interest a minute in. Not what I expected pre-countdown