Taxpayer, Super-Patriot, and Townsman hrrundivbakshi‘s recent tale of walking out on a poorly executed and inappropriate performance by a US Army rock and soul band raised the obvious question: What would be the appropriate setlist for proper, rocking execution by a US Military rock and soul band?
Here’s an excerpt of HVB’s super-patriotic rant:
ESPECIALLY since the band showed no taste or common sense at all in their repertoire. I mean, come on — having (for example) a curvy female sergeant in camo pants, jungle boots and tight T-shirt singing “Walk This Way” — I mean the whole lyric, with all the references to schoolyard pussy and what-not — to a room full of teenage boys? With Sam Ash guitars screaming in the background? I’m no prude, but… wha? What does that have to do with love of country, or the caissons rolling along?
Read the whole thing to see what this taxpaying cat’s getting at, then contribute to a setlist worthy of our armed forces! Don’t be some namby-pamby kiss-up and suggest non-rocking songs like “This Land Is Your Land.” Don’t show your hatred for the Middle America that our troops protect by cynically suggesting Toby Keith numbers. This is YOUR US MILITARY ROCK AND SOUL BAND (at least for our US readers, but we invite readers from all nations to help construct this setlist). You’ve got 15 songs plus an encore. Make your setlist suggestions count! This set needs to represent all that is rocking about our armed forces and the United States of America!
Taxpayer and Super-Patriot hrrundivbakshi will decide all final set selections. Thank you.
35 Responses to “Armed Forces Set Selection”
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You Dropped a Bomb on Me
Let’s Groove Tonight
Pretty Woman (VH version)
Fight For Your Right (to Party)
You’ve got Another Thing Comin
You Really Got Me(VH version)
Keep on Rockin The Free World
Beautiful Day
Rock and Roll all Night
Lust For Life
Fly Like An Eagle
You know, the Navy has an official steel drum band. I suspect their sound is not authentic, but I guarantee they always sounded great going past on a Mardi Gras float.
They could do Melloncramp’s set pretty much.
WATCH IT: mockcarr sounds like one of those cynical types who would pass on freedom fries!
Oliver’s Army (Elvis Costello)
Soldier Boy (the Shirelles)
Sail On Sailor (Beach Boys)
Gang of 4 miniset:
He’d Send in the Army
Armalite Rifle
I Love a Man in a Uniform
Guns Before Butter
Army Arrangement (Fela)
Soldier of Love (Marshall Crenshaw)
A Soldier’s Last Letter (a country standard done by the Louvin Bros., Ernest, Tubb, Merle Haggard, etc.)
Gun (John Cale)
Dad’s Gunna Kill Me (Richard Thompson … the ‘Dad’ in the title is Baghdad)
War (Bob Marley)
War (Edwin Starr)
Peace Love & Understanding (Elvis Costello)
I’m in awe, BigSteve!
I may have to do this piecemeal, but here’s my first irony-free salvo of tunes that seem to speak to the positive side of the American ass-kickin’ spirit — and, crucially, don’t suck:
You Got That Right, Lynyrd Skynyrd
But see, BigSteve and others: Mod raises a question that could be answered seriously, with a list of tunes that could inspire listeners to feel — well, proud to be Americans. That’s what an Army band ought to do. It’s not enough (fun as it may be) to just list songs that mention bombs or planes or death or whatever. Not trying to crush your nuts, just sayin’.
Kick Start My Heart – Motley Crue – I hate Motley Crue but this set needs to start off with an adrenalin rush of a song about… adrenalin.
Search and Destroy – Stooges
Born in the USA – Bruce – Yes, I know this is not the patriotic tune that some of the less savvy politicos think it is, but this would provide an opportunity for some great crowd sing-alongs and I think some would appreciate the meaning if the lyrics.
Johnsburg Illinois – Tom Waits – A guy halfway around the world misses his girl and gets her name tattooed on his arm
The Mercenary Song – Steve Earle – The first of two songs about rugged individualists. “I guess a man’s got to do what he’s good at, ain’t found nothing better so far. Been called mercenaries and men with no country, just soldiers in search of a war. And we’re bound for the boarder, we’re soldiers of fortune, we’ll fight for no country but we’ll die for good pay…”
Copperhead Road – Steve Earle – The story of a guy coming back from ‘Nam and carrying on the family bootlegging business by becoming a weed farmer set to a great rocking build-up
For Those About to Rock – ACDC – We salute you! Plus, opportunity to shoot off cannons mid-song.
Highway Star – Deep Purple – Great opportunity for air guitar and man-dancing
Great White Buffalo – Ted Nugent
Born To Be Wild
Encore: Walk This Way – sung by some hot Army chick in form-hugging camouflage
All American rock music (that doesn’t suck) makes me proud to be an American, but I don’t want any of it used to recruit young men and women into the military.
cdm, you have done your nation proud!
COP-OUT, BigSteve! An Army band can just exist to play songs that make us feel proud of our nation. I, too, cringe at the thought of music being used to recruit cannon-fodder. MY army band doesn’t do that — and yours doesn’t have to, either.
I may have missed the point. My set was not a recruitment tool. It’s geared towards those serving and much of it hopes to connect with them by combining lyrics that may resonate if they bother to listen to them (Johnsburg, IL, Born In the USA), with Big Rock (Crue, ACDC)
Thanks, hrrundi. Our messages crossed in the mail.
Thanks for sticking up for the integrity of this thread, HVB. Although I found your rant hilarious, I sensed you were sincerely upset by the lack of taste in this band’s set selection and might look to create a set list that would better serve the troops. I think it’s a noble effort, regardless of whether any of us are geared toward the military way of life. At the same time, I figured humor and dissent have to play a role in this discussion. That’s why final set selection is your call, but I’m sure you’d agree that the space is here for all to fill as they see fit.
This is a tough topic for me to address sincerely. I commend cdm for addressing it in a more open-minded and informed way than I can yet muster (that’s not to say that other approaches so far aren’t valid, but they’re more within my grasp). HVB, could this band sincerely play “Fortunate Son” as a rallying cry for the men and women serving?
Now that I’ve thought of CCR, I am thinking of this movie scene:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA-ksOHP0bY
This is probably an inappropriate performance for the troops, right, but in some ways it was probably just what the troops wanted, if not needed.
A coupla pix to inspire:
http://bit.ly/bVBY1E
http://bit.ly/9wkpTw
These are the guys I saw!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ7ek0MkLCM
http://www.usarmyband.com/downrange/the_us_army_band_downrange.html#video
You know, if any band needs to perfect the Rock Iwo Jima move it’s these military bands!
Let’s not forget the Village People’s In The Navy.
Or “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos” or “Black Steel” by Tricky. It’s rockin’ (although the lyrics may not pass muster).
Sorry, again, but my other thought was “Happiness is a Warm Gun.”
Maybe the set list shouldn’t be so focused on the song lyrics, but reflect bands that most people cheer for when they hear. For example, Great American Artists, like some who appeared in our World Cup. If I were a serviceperson, I would probably feel pretty happy and proud to be American if I heard some Elvis, some CCR, some Boss, some Chuck Berry, Hendrix’s Star Spangled Banner, Bob Seeger (Old Time Rock and Roll), and others. Maybe it’s the American sound that is of the importance.
Btw a special medal for the soldier in the photo at the top of the thread for playing what I think is a tiple in a modified Ian Anderson stance.
Lady, I think lyrics are important — if we didn’t think of them at all, we’d be back to the same problem we had when I walked out of the Army Downrange Band performance.
Which doesn’t mean that the lyrics need to be topical, or patriotic. I think as long as they capture the American ethos, or show some understanding of the soldier’s lot, or make us proud to be Americans, or just make us want to dance while kicking some ass (metaphorically speaking), it’s all good.
So far, the keepers for me are:
You Got That Right
Route 66
Detroit Breakdown
Fortunate Son
Thunder Road
For Those About To Rock
Johnsburg, Illinois
Kick Start My Heart
Search and Destroy
We got room for 6 more on this freedom train. Serve your country!
Ok, then, I’m offerin’ up this pure slice of kick-ass Americana (note not all are American Bands):
Sweet Home Alabama
Rebel Yell
Johnny B. Goode
You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’
We Will Rock You
Born To Be Wild
Rock and Roll Part 2
Rock and Roll All Nite
Song 2
Welcome to the Jungle
You Really Got Me
Jumpin’ Jack Flash
Ballroom Blitz
Running With the Devil
American Band
Great stuff, Lady! I’m definitely choosing a heaping helping of your tunes. New list is as follows:
Sweet Home Alabama
American Band
Rock and Roll All Nite
Back in the USA
Route 66
Detroit Breakdown
Fortunate Son
Thunder Road
For Those About To Rock
Johnsburg, Illinois
Kick Start My Heart
Search and Destroy
A couple of Clash songs come to mind right away.
Charlie Don’t Surf
Guns of Brixton
Great! I’ll go read my Jane Austen now.
I’ve always felt a certain martial motivation from these two songs:
Metallica –“Motorbreath” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hjGuTJAJrY
Rob Zombie – “Superbeast” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHBtpqbOKXk
An unironic one came up on my Ipod at the gym this evening — Paul Simon’s American Tune. It doesn’t rock out, but it’s a good one.
Back in the USA definitely belongs on there.
Anybody suggesting a non-American band be represented should be turned in as one of those Russian internet spies. Now, to prove that I love my country and the men and women who protect it most:
1. Traveling Band – CCR
2. Funk #49 – The James Gang
3. Shout! – The Isley Brothers
Doobie Brothes Medley:
4. Long Train Runnin’
5. China Grove
6. Black Water
(quick break to arrest anyone illegally recording the concert)
7. Paradise City – Guns ‘n Roses
8. A Little Less Conversation – Elvis
9. Hold On, I’m Comin’ – Sam & Dave
10. Roadhouse Blues – The Doors
11. Thunder Road – Bruce Springsteen
12. Sabotage – Beastie Boys
13. La Grange – ZZ Top
14. Rock and Roll All Nite – KISS
15. American Band – Grand Funk Railroad
Encore:
Last Song (Love Needs To Be Loved) – The Bob Seger System
The Doobie Brothers Medley is killer!
NEW SET LIST!
Sweet Home Alabama — great way to open a set; that chicken-pickin’ intro will get the boys on their feet!
American Band — segue into a real ball-crusher, replete with plenty of references to this great nation and its imputed ability to rock harder than any other
GEO-MEDLEY
Back in the USA
Route 66
Detroit Breakdown
Johnsburg, Illinois — band director steps to the mic and explains we need to slow things down a bit, and: this is a story about a young man who…
Fortunate Son — and back up with an uptempo number, still in the soldiers-live-a-hard-life category
Thunder Road — things may still be wistful, but the rock keeps on a-comin’
For Those About To Rock — the stage goes black, there’s an uncomfortable moment of silence, rent in two by an ear-shattering blast. Lights come up, and out come the pointy guitars!
Kick Start My Heart — an adrenaline rush ups the pace and the ante for the show
Search and Destroy — the special forces/black ops guys get a song to silently nod their heads to
Riders On the Storm — aahhh, a long, contemplative jam. Just enough high-school stoner poetry in the lyrics to let folks zone out and imagine themselves far, far away from the field of battle
Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers — jolted back to the realization that as American soldiers, our boys have a responsibility… to party!
Rock and Roll All Nite — the party vibe continues, reaching a crescendo of whoopin’, hollerin’, and singin’ along. Flashpots explode, lasers pierce the night sky and the band leaves the stage
(Encore/Sing-a-long) Little Surfer Girl — aahhhh. Ain’t it great to be an American, where just about everything we love is idealized and burnished to a tear-jerkingly bright sheen? You bet your ass it is!
Taxpayer and Super-Patriot hrrundivbakshi wrote:
So it is written, so let it be performed!