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Last Man (or Woman) Standing: Animal Songs

Posted by cdm

Sep 272010

In this latest installment of Last Man Standing, I’m looking for songs with animals in the title.

The rules:

The animal must appear in the title, not just the lyrics.
Once a specific animal has been mentioned, it can no longer be used. However, if for instance, “Dog” has already been used, “Dalmatian” is still in play.

As always, please just submit one answer per post. Once you have submitted an answer, you are the Last Man (or Woman) Standing, until someone trumps your answer. The game continues until we’ve exhausted our stock of answers or we can no longer stand it anymore.

Shamelessly pandering to our newfound prog-rock friends, I submit “Tiger in a Spotlight,” by ELP. (“Tiger” is now out of play.)

UPDATE
On this topic, bostonhistorian is Last Man Standing. Comments have been closed for this thread. Well played, Townspeople!

Say “Amen Corner,” Somebody!

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Sep 242010

Townspeople, I just came across this abbreviated, super-charged version of The Move‘s “Hello Susie,” by a band I’d long heard of but never heard, Amen Corner, led by a musician I’d long heard of and knew of as a sort of Oliver, I believe, for big British bands in the ’70s but never heard play on his own, Andy Fairweather Low.

Hearing this version of “Hello Susie” for the first time was pretty exciting, primarily for the fact that Bev Bevan is not paradiddling all over the tune. As loyal as I am to The Move (and as tolerant as I am of their excesses), Bevan’s sloppy, sludgey style sometimes aggravates me. Amen Corner’s arrangement gets to the chugging, cascading heart of the song and doesn’t overdo it. Ultimately it makes for a “lighter” approach in scope as well as the song’s inherent ability to celebrate The Power and Glory of Rock, but tonight I was intrigued and wanted to hear more. Continue reading »

What if…Janis, Jimi, and Jim Lived Long Enough to Make Comeback Albums

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Sep 182010

What if founding “27 Club” members Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Jim Morrison lived long enough to each make a celebrated comeback album? Let’s say they went through the standard cylce of rock bottom, rehabilitation, humility and self-awareness, and finally a well-crafted, highly acclaimed comeback album produced by the likes of Rick Rubin and T-Bone Burnett. What would these comeback albums sound like? Who would produce each one? What guest star would be featured on the lead single?

Bonus question: What instrument would Brian Jones be featured playing on Kurt Cobain‘s comeback album?

Xylophones: They’re Not Just for Marching Bands Anymore

Posted by ladymisskirroyale

Sep 172010

Today, while driving to work, I was listening to “Fredag,” a new track by the classic/psychedelic rock outfit Dungen. It features guitars, pounding drums, Leon Russell-style piano chords, and….a xylophone.

The xylophone seems to be such a sweet, happy instrument that is well suited to twee-ish pop, such as The Magnetic Fields. But in a quick scan of our music collection, Mr. Royale and I unearthed these other xylophone-friendly rock tracks:

“I Will Follow” by U2
“Gone Daddy Gone” by the Violent Femmes
“Little Wing” by Jimi Hendrix
“Under My Thumb” by the Rolling Stones

And I’m sure there are more that you can think of. So is there a place in rock for the xylophone?

P.S. – “Born To Run” showcases a glockenspiel…

Album Covers That Delivered!

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Sep 152010

Floods!

Certainly, you can’t judge a book by it’s cover. We know this to be true, or true enough that we do our part to pass this wisdom down to younger generations, but sometimes we do – judge a book, or record album, by it’s cover, that is. I’m sure I’m not the only Townsperson who’s bought an album based almost solely on the strength of its album cover.

Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake, in its die-cut, round cover, was a no-brainer purchase many years ago. I took it home, however, and never fell for it. A few years later I sold it, only to buy it again because the cover was so damn cool! I still don’t like that album.

On the other hand, there are some albums I’ve bought almost solely because of a cool album cover that have delivered. I picked up the first Undertones album based on the cover shot of those cheery, aware teens wearing “floods” before I knew anything about them other than the fact that they were one of those new-fangled punk bands I’d was just getting into. (As an aside, this old Trouser Press article I ran across reminds me that it’s no wonder I still love The Undertones as deeply and as personally as I do!)

There are others, I’m sure (in fact, I had one in mind when I thought about this thread, but it’s slipped my mind), and I’m sure I’ll remember some more as you share your album covers that delivered!

Consult the Orockle: Cool or Uncool?

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Sep 062010

The wisdom of The Hall continues to amaze me. For as many knowledgeable individuals who dazzle with their rock knowledge, it is the collective wisdom of our participants that I find most dazzling.

It is in this spirit that I want to allow for further amazement—not only for the people but by the people. I was going to try to turn this into my own original post, maybe even do a few minutes of research on the Web, but then I thought better of it. Instead, I’d like to pose a question to the collective wisdom of The Orockle.

The question I’d like to pose – and one that I hope will inspire other questions we’d like to have asked when we had more time to find the answers ourselves – will follow a little bit of background. Read on, please. Continue reading »

Revisionists Unite! Your Greatest Challenge, McCartney’s First Solo Album, Awaits You!

Posted by hrrundivbakshi

Sep 022010

I don’t know if Paul McCartney blew his mind out in a car in 1966, but it’s clear to me that by 1969-70, he’d gotten pretty rich and tired — or maybe just lazy. His noble savage/country farmer persona — only hinted at during the Get Back sessions — probably reached its most fervent, greasy-haired expression in the music (and photos) that fill his first solo album, entitled simply McCartney.

Who knows why Paul decided to retreat to his farm/lighthouse/sheep station/rock studio and record this half-baked collection of unfinished demos? But he did — and, for my money, it’s a sad preview of the dozens (hundreds?) of half-assed songs he’s foisted on the world since then, just because he can.

As usual, there’s at least one jaw-dropper on the album (in this case, “Maybe I’m Amazed”) — the song that makes you want to sock the guy in the nose for betraying his talent on the rest of the record. But the rest of it is just stupid. I mean, really: is this LP any better than a bootleg collection of home demos — clearly never meant to get “finished” — would be?

Reading current reviews of this record, I’m sensing that the rock and roll revisionists are circling around this disc, telling us that it’s a hidden “rough gem” in McCartney’s otherwise polished catalog. Bullshit! The album sucks eggs.

Don’t you agree?

HVB

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