Let’s try another 1-2 Punch, shall we? Top 10 lists are too much; Top 5 lists invite too many opportunities for throwing in a hipster, obscuro choice to distinguish oneself from the raging masses. What I’d like to know is what TWO (2) songs you would choose from an artist’s catalog to say as much about that artist that you believe represents said artist’s core as possible? In other words, if you could only use TWO (2) songs from an artist’s catalog to explain all that said artist is about to a Venusian, what TWO (2) songs would you pick to represent said artist’s place in rock ‘n roll?
I’ll pose two artists, one of whom YOU asked for, and you—love ’em or leave ’em—give me each artist’s representative 1-2 Punch. Dig? Here goes!
Roxy Music
Queen
Virginia Plain
More Than This
Another One Bites The Dust
Flash Gordon
Roxy Music: For me, the true RM is the early stuff. I loved “Avalon,” the make-out album of it’s time, and it certainfly foreshadowed the direction that Ferry would go on his own. I have stronger memories of the first RM “Greatest Hits.” When I was a teen, I stayed with my English aunt and uncle and much younger cousins for a summer. I was inundated with those silly English novelty songs that the British seem to like so much and were favorites of my cousins. A hipper friend of my aunt and uncles felt sorry for me and gave me a cassette tape of that Greatest Hits and I felt that by listening to it, I was one of the adults. So my selections would be:
1. Virginia Plain
2. Love is the Drug
Queen: My favorite band in high school. I had Queen posters on my wall and my ceiling, and thought Roger Taylor was a total hottie. I liked his rendition of “I’m In Love with My Car” which seemed sooooo sexy. But I think there isn’t much arguing with these two tracks:
1. We Will Rock You
2. Bohemian Rhapsody
If I could add a third, it would be “Let Me Entertain You” which could be subtitled, “The Freddie Mercury Story” and is a perfect blend of fat guitar rifts and amped up Tin Pan Alley, which to me is so indicative of Queen.
Avalon and Love Is the Drug because they’re the only two songs I know by Roxy Music.
Bohemian Rhapsody and Tie Your Mother Down representing the bombastic/grandiose/kitchen sink side of their music and the Big Rock side.
Roxy Music
1. Editions of You off For Your Pleasure– had an 8-track cut out of this and Manifesto as a kid.
2. Trash — off Manifesto
Queen
1. Killer Queen
2. You’re My Best Friend
Everybody I hung with in school had Queen albums, so I never owned one.
I don’t need two songs for these two bands. Mother of Pearl has trashy rock and droney dreaminess all in one arty but fucked-up track, and Bohemian Rhapsody has piano pomp and guitar crunch in one extravagant but silly track.
And btw I think they’re called Venusians, unless we’re talking about visitors from the planet Venut.
I’m gonna say Prairie Rose and Editions of You for Roxy, mostly because I like so much of their music. I’d change my mind in ten minutes and the people from Venut would just think I’m flaky anyway. But I bet they’d love Roxy’s Look!
For Queen I’ll go with Tie Your Mother Down, which is pretty okay, and that song about wanting to ride my bicycle, which makes Dyson look like they lose suction. Then the people fro Venut would know that Queen could be good, but they chose to suck.
Thank you for correcting my spelling of that little-known race of interplanetary music lovers.
“Fat Bottom Girls.” And the album came with a poster which I did not put on my wall.
If I were making a mix tape cassette for the Venusians, (for some strange reason, as advanced as they are, Venusians still like their music on cassette tape) I’d probably trick them a little by including Remake/Remodel and The Thrill of it All.
Those 2 include all the cool stuff I like about Roxy. They rock, and have all of the weird progressive influences too. They have just the bare minimum of the Casino Royale Bryan Ferry that makes me snooze. I don’t want them to go away with the impression that Roxy is an earlier version of Simply Red.
No need to do Queen. The Venusians are quite familiar with the work of Brian May.
We covered Roxy pretty extensively over the summer. I don’t get the stuff up to “Love is the Drug” so pick any one at random and let them make up their own minds. Add “Dance Away” because that one is straightforward and easy to like.
“Bohemian Rhapsody” says all they need to know about Queen so play “We Are the Champions” over some sports highlight reels and give them a bonus lesson in Western Sports Culture.
Roxy Music: All I Want Is You and Out of the Blue. (Yes, I am partial to Country Life.)
Queen: The Venusians should know what mixed feelings I have always had about Queen. But, anyway, Killer Queen and You’re My Best Friend.
both “venutian” and “venusian” are acceptable.
I’m not going for variety in my choices, just quality:
Roxy Music: Ladytron and Love is the Drug.
Queen: Killer Queen (“dynamite with a laser beam” might be one of the best meaningless just-throw-it-out-there hooks of the 20th century, and that might be the most appropriate use of flanging I’ve ever heard) and Bohemian Rhapsody (it’s just too megalithic to be left off any list, no matter how short).
Mother of Pearl is indeed a super gem.
Roxy: Remake/Remodel and More Than This. One wild song and one smooth song.
Queen: Bicycle Race and Under Pressure (this counts, right?)
not that it’s my place to say one way or the other, but I think Under Pressure definitely should count!
Certainly it counts, Oats! Isn’t it Queen with Bowie more than the other way around?
Under Pressure is a truly great record. But if we sent it to them, the Venusians might come back demanding “We want more Queen with David Bowie!” We wouldn’t have any for them, and they’d destroy us.
For Roxy Music I’ll play the Venusians a song off Stranded that contain both ends of the spectrum of what I love about Roxy Music, “Amazona,” followed by the first US hit that made the band remotely relevant long enough for some of us to grow up and fully appreciate their catalog, “Love Is the Drug,” which has the added benefit of covering Bryan Ferry’s solo rubber soul side.
For Queen, a band that mostly troubles me, I’ll be fair and not play them the couple of late-period songs I prefer, “Under Pressure” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.” I’ll hold their alien hands and play them “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “You’re My Best Friend,” I’ll point out how great Freddie Mercury was singing that weird mix of operatic rock. I’ll point out the funny guitar sound Brian May got on his solos. I’ll then open the floor to a discussion of the differences in camp and cool between Queen and Roxy Music. Maybe they’ll help me better understand where Queen was coming from.
this is the kind of thoughtful commentary that earns you the big bucks, sir.