Expand, debate, enlighten us -- please feel free to riff on the cheesy topics of the day!
Monday Pop: “Good Thing”
“She Drives Me Crazy” is fine as far as it goes, and, in the minds of classic hits radio, it’s Fine Young Cannibals’ only record. But they had another hit:
It’s got a ton more drive to it than “Crazy” — more energetic, more original, better vocal, and just a better record. I like the piano break — nice to hear an actual piano on an ’80s hit — and the lines “She came back/I was so happy that I didn’t ask….” The whole history of a silly relationship, right there.
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Rock ‘n’ Roll Axioms
In the news today, Pete Townshend said he and Roger Daltrey will be playing a “mashup” of Who songs at the Super Bowl on Sunday. Now, aside from it being cute to see old Pete use a term like “mashup,” what this means is that they will be playing, simply, a medley of hooks.
And that brings me to one of my small collection of rock ‘n’ roll axioms, stated here before:
A band or artist that plays a medley of hits and/or hooks in public at any time may consider its artistic credibility irredeemably lost.
Now, the Who peaked artistically with Quadrophenia in ‘73 and lost whatever remaining identity they had with Keith Moon’s death in ‘78, and they have been more or less spinning their wheels ever since. But it is nonetheless inexpressibly discouraging to hear they plan to do a damn medley. Tom Petty’s an old rocker, too, but he knows it: Real artists don’t do medleys, they do songs.
But anyway. Here are a few more of Bridey’s informal rules of pop:
If a band is capable of producing two really good albums, consecutively or not, they will probably produce a third good album, but will almost never produce a fourth.
Speaking of albums, hardly anyone ever does anything that works all the way through.
Making a concept album and/or rock opera is a bad idea. That Ziggy Stardust and Quadrophenia are great concept albums only means that it’s possible, not that it’s a good idea.
There never has been and never will be a concept album and/or rock opera where the concept involves Rock ‘n’ Roll Rebels against the Establishment that doesn’t suck.
When your frontman or at least half of your founding members are dead, it is time to hang it up, or at least call the band something else.
Want to debate? Got your own rules of rock? Put ‘em in comments!
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Kerraaaaang!
(And it was, too.)
Just 1964, they’ve been pop stars for about five minutes, and it’s all in place already, including some intense and complicated major-label image-making. But what a great, joyous, funny record.
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Hot Rods
After the end of World War Two a new way of thinking about automobiles came into being in the then sleepy, sunny Southern California. The “Hot Rod” craze was born, started by recently returned American servicemen who fell in love with the small, inexpensive and fast little cars you could find in Europe. When they got back home to the States, nothing like that existed, so…
You take the cheapest car you can get, remove everything that is not needed to make it run and then put the biggest, most powerful engine you can find in it. Quite often starting with a Ford Model A.
I’m talking about “Hot Rod Lincoln” written by Charlie Ryan and W. S. Stevenson. This song has been around since the beginning of rock and roll and has been covered by many artists. Here’s the 1959 version by Charlie Ryan and the Timberline Riders
In 1960 Johnny Bond had the first hit with his version.
By 1972 “Hot Rod Lincoln” had become a rock standard, any bar band with the skills would gladly take this song on.
Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen had a hit with it. Their only hit…
Bill Kirchen, Commander Cody’s lead guitarist keeps it going these days with a really cool twist. Kirchen extends the song to over ten minutes by adding parts he plays in the style of other guitarists and bands.
(I wish there were a better video)
Some brillent musicianship. And just good ol’ fun!
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Sometimes…
In honor of the asthma flareup that has sidelined me for several days:
A pleasant record, and it deserved to be a hit, but — like so much of the Hollies’ music — ultimately unsatisfying. But it is a very pretty tune.
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Sunday Eighties Flashback!
How about an MTV trivia question?
What was the first video aired on MTV?
Why is this important? Well, quite honestly it’s not to most of the known universe. To me, yes it is important but not because I love the song or anything. It’s kind of fun in a very silly, superficial way. The video is pretty bad but at least it gets it’s message across and it was an accurate prediction of the music industry throughout the eighties and beyond. So, why do I care?
The goofy looking lead singer with the goofier glasses is none other than Trevor Horn. (I can hear the collective yawn…) Well, not so fast there.
Horn and the uncomfortable looking blond keyboard player, Geoff Downes shortly went on to join Yes. Yes, that Yes. They only recorded one album together as fans didn’t really settle into Horn’s vocals as the replacement for Jon Anderson, it did however have one very long term success story as a result.
Trevor Horn became a producer. One of his first acts was ABC and their the Lexicon Of Love album from 1982.
Horn would also produce Yes’ smash hit comeback album, 90125.
Horn would go on to produce Seal’s first three albums and Geoff Downes would join with Steve Howe from Yes to form the super group Asia for a multi-album run.
Not a bad result from a new wave one hit wonder video.
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Stalker Pop, Part 5: The ’80s Begin
In this entry in the ongoing occasional series on stalker pop, we move into the ’80s, or the Decade of the Stalker, pop-music-wise. So, just to get it out of the way, we kick off with perhaps the biggest stalker hit ever:
(No really good version of the video seems to be out there.) Ever since this came out, in 1984, there have been stories claiming people thought this was a love song and played it at proms and at weddings. I believe Sting even said he’d had fans tell him how romantic they thought it was.
But I dunno, that’s a little tough to buy. At best, this is a breakup song. And you know, the Police were not all sunshine-’n'-roses at the best of times, the creepy video doesn’t suggest that anybody’s having a good time, the tick-tock tune is not exactly cheery, and — most to the point — there is nothing ambiguous about the words:
“Every move you make/And every vow you break/Every smile you fake/Every claim you stake/I’ll be watching you.”
This is classic stalker stuff, creepy and accusing. And all the while he’s whining, “Oh, can’t you see/You belong to me” and complaining that “Since you’re gone, I’ve been lost without a trace.” Because, of course, it’s really all about his feelings….
And on a similar, earlier (1981) note, we have this, one of many inexplicable hits from the generally inexplicable and frequently misogynistic Hall & Oates:
This dude is following a woman around, apparently for the purpose of providing a running critique on her behavior: “I see you/You see me/Watch you blowin’ the lines/When you’re making a scene.” (I actually have no idea what that means.)
These magical “private eyes” apparently allow our singer to keep permanent tabs on this chick: “You can play with words/You play with love/You can twist it around.” And after this barrage of accusations, he requests: “Don’t lie when you’re hurting inside.” How very sensitive of him. But would you tell this dude your innermost feelings?
More, much more, to come.
Earlier stalker entries:
Part one
Part two
Part three
Part four
Topics: Sweet Emotion | No Comments »
Midweek Pick-Me-Up: I Can’t Explain
It’s only Tuesday, and it’s already been a long week. But here’s a look at the Who’s rockin’ first single, from 1965:
Keith Moon would be about 18 here, and the others just a couple of years older.
Pete Townshend described “I Can’t Explain” as “straightforward Kinks-copying,” and that pretty much covers it, though Ray and the boys would’ve done a song like this both faster and louder in those days. The Who were not an especially attractive group of young men, but, as you can see in the video, they look just like the boys in the crowd (and are there any girls in the crowd)?
Dressing the mod part, both clothes and haircuts, was very much part of the marketing for the Who in the early days, and that working-class flash was part of the reason their reputation in the ’60s was a lot tougher than their music ever was. “My Generation” aside, the Who spent their first several years essentially doing novelty songs and sort of proto-prog things like “Armenia, City in the Sky” and the “Rael” songs. Some of it’s interesting, and some of it’s great — but the Who’s real prime, both artistically and as a touring band, was in the ’70s.
Topics: Sweet Emotion | 1 Comment »
Bar Band Essentials
Just for fun, a few bar and garage band faves for the weekend:
How can you not love this? That opening guitar moan is practically heavy metal, it sounds outrageous but the words don’t say much at all, and it is, shall we say, extremely forgiving to both singers and players. Just get up there and emote!
The definition of frat rock. This video has the words the way the Kingsmen did it, but if you do it right, you can pretty much just sing “Louie-LouAYE” and “yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah” with any other words you want — or no intelligible words at all, as the famous court case concluded.
A lot harder to play than the first two — and you have to do it in Spanish — but what’s more fun than this if you can get around it?
If Joan can sing it, so can you!
Pete, you’ve done the bar band thing from time to time — what rocks the room?
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Brit Pop, Not!
Being a music nut, I have a nearly unlimited capacity to remember songs that strike me one way or another. That can be a good or bad thing. There is a song I heard a few times on the radio back in the early ’90s that I am still looking for. It sounded quite a bit like The Kinks, but I know it wasn’t them. I remember a few lines and have gone through the Internet wilderness, searching and searching to no avail.
It’s almost like a “love at first listen” obsession. Someday I’ll find it and my world will be complete. Or not.
Over the years this has happened to me lots of times, and so far only a few have eluded me. Once the chase is over, it’s usually satisfying to reconnect with an old friend. But other times it’s like those “What was I thinking?” moments you get when you watch an old episode of Emergency with Randy Mantooth.
This was too good not to put up here. I mean Clay Aiken and Emergency, together at last!
It’s disturbing how well Aiken fits with this classic ’70s TV cheese.
When DVDs came out, one of the first ones I bought was the movie version of Hair. I popped it right in, got about half an hour into it, and turned it off. It’s still taking up space on my shelf, I’m sure feeling a bit lonely after not having moved for about 15 years. Some things that are really cool and fun when you’re a teenager just aren’t when you’re a bit older. OK, much older.
When they hold up, it’s a delight.
After searching for years, this song finally made its way to the legitimate music services and YouTube a few months ago. It was worth the time and energy I spent looking for it.
In 1983 one of the worst videos ever made worked its way, briefly, into the MTV playlist. Even for its time, the video is truly awful. The song, however, is a bit of post punk/new wave/retro gold.
I always thought that these guys were a Brit band from the sound of the song.
They’re from San Francisco. Go figure.
And they are still around. Translator
Keeping the arrangement simple and stripped-down allows the lead vocal and harmonies to really stand out. The worry, fear, and eventual anger in the vocal keeps getting more and more intense until he’s pretty much screaming by the end.
Love it! And it was worth the wait. A great song!
Topics: Album Tracks | 1 Comment »
