Rock Town Hall • Rock Music Discussion

Last Man Standing: Song References That Time Forgot

Posted by al

Apr 072016

Another post from the crotchety old man.

I know I’m out of touch with current slang and modern jargon. I know what OMG and LOL mean, but there are too many Internet terms I need to look up. Same for rap/hip-hop slang. I’m glad there’s such a thing as the Urban Dictionary. This all makes listening to current songs problematic.

Then, I heard this song recently:

Yes, South Philly’s, Upper Darby’s, and Villanova’s very one Jim Croce! (And how about those Wildcats last night?!?!)

Listening to it, I realized there are references that might baffle kids these days (or, to quote another Philly legend, Jerry Blavat, the Geator with the Heater, “the yon’ teens in the Delaware Valley”).

From the Mouths of Babes

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Apr 062016

As good as it gets?

My 18-year-old son was telling me last week about his recent mission to spend entire days listening to the complete catalogs of artists who have interested him. One day, through Spotify, he listened to every Creedence Clearwater Revival album in order. He dedicated another day to Lynyrd Skynyrd. His growing interest in rootsy music has led him to investigate a genre I’ve never come to terms with: Country music.

“You know what’s the best driving station on the radio?” he asked me, to kick off this conversation.

“What.”

“92.5, the Country station.”

“Really?” I tried to hide my concern over imagining my usually hip, somewhat snobbish son as a budding Bro-Country guy, clutching a Solo cup in the parking lot.

“Yeah,” he said, “the thing I’m realizing about Country music is that although not much of it is great, not much of it sucks.”

This is the kind of insight that has led me to lay the plans for one day turning over the “family business” of rock snobbery to my boys!

What musical wisdom has come from the mouths of your babes in recent months?

Please Explain: The Appeal of Billy Joel’s “Big Shot”

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Mar 212016

Every once in a while some old song comes across the public airwaves and I’m perplexed by what anyone found appealing about it then or now. Recently Billy Joel’s “Big Shot” was playing over a store’s speakers, and I tried to imagine what it would feel like to experience any sort of enjoyment while listening to the song. I was stumped. There are so many things I hate about the song: the oompah rhythms; Joel’s hectoring, faux-tough guy tone; the sax hook; the time when he sings beeeeg shot; and so forth. It was like trying to imagine any kind of positive physical sensation while sticking hot pokers in my eyes.

Someone out there must have experienced a positive reaction to Billy Joel’s “Big Shot” at some time. Blame it on youth. Blame it on sneaking wine at the Bar Mitzvah. Blame it on whatever, but please explain what it feels like to have enjoyed sticking hot pokers in your eyes. Thank you.

Real Estate Mystery Date

Posted by trigmogigmo

Mar 172016

A chain of little music events led me to ask this question. Some songs were playing on the car stereo, a web article about a music producer was seen, and a musician with an unusual name came to mind, and I wasn’t sure if I’d ever seen a photo of the guy. A little web image search landed me on the following web page, and it is definitely the guy, as can be seen from the bio provided.

Who is this real estate agent and former musician? I guarantee you have heard his playing in more than one extremely well-known rock song. More clues will be provided as needed; think of this as a visual “Mystery Date” thread….

(click to see full-size image; I have blanked out the guy’s name)

Who *is* this real estate agent?!

So, This Is Easter

Posted by al

Mar 152016

A few months back we tried to determine—once and for all—what the best rock & roll Christmas song is. Maybe next year…

Now, it’s a new season, a new holiday but…are there any rock & roll Easter songs??? I can’t really think of any. Yes, there are songs from Jesus Christ Superstar. I guess they qualify. And Dylan went Gospel and was Saved (“by the blood of the lamb”), that’s somewhat Easterish, as are many gospel songs.

But where is, say, the “Jingle Bell Rock” of Easter? Or even the “Sock It To Me Santa” of Lent? The “Dreidl Dreidl Dreidl” of Passover? I can’t think of them; can you?

And if not, let’s be creative. Can we call this an Easter song?

(And, if nothing else, this lip-sync’ed video presents the most sedate rock & roll audience ever; they are much more suited to a crucifixion.)

Your turn, be creative, what can we pretend is a rock & roll Easter song?

Rock Book Capsule Reviews, Early 2016 Edition

Posted by funoka

Mar 142016

Extended travel of late means I’ve just finished a couple more rock books of note on Sam Phillips and the Replacements!

Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock ‘n’ Roll, by Peter Guralnick

I had just a cursory knowledge of Sun Records and Sam Phillips. If you’re in the same boat, this is a good history lesson on the Memphis scene in the 50s. Guralnick was a friend of Sam’s and relied on him big time for his two Elvis books, so this story line takes most of what Sam says and thinks about the period at face value. Of course there are great stories about Jerry Lee, Cash, Ike Turner, and Elvis, but beyond that are the people, family members and mistresses that surrounded Phillips throughout that golden age and later. It also does a good job explaining how independent labels functioned and the shoe leather (and tire rubber) it took to break artists…and then how the majors would come in and sign the rising star for big money. There’s also vintage gear talk!

Keith Emerson: Keyboard Madman – RIP

Posted by tonyola

Mar 122016

One of the all-time great prog rockers and keyboard players has just passed into the infinite. Keith Emerson died the other day at the age of 71 at his Santa Monica home. Police are investigating as to whether his death was a suicide. Emerson was an absolute master of the keyboard, encompassing rock, classical, and jazz in his playing. Not only that, he was a pioneer of the use of synthesizers in rock. He was also the prime mover behind the Nice as well as Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, which was one of the very biggest prog groups of the 1970s. Frankly, I’m not a huge fan of ELP – I find them to be often bombastic and sometimes overbearing – but there is no denying that Emerson’s keyboard skills were almost untouchable.

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