Rock Town Hall • Rock Music Discussion

Help Me Understand: Abba’s Look in “Waterloo”

Sep 242015

A friend of mine recently posted this song in his list of Favorite 100 Songs. As most of you know, I’m a fan girl; it’s one of my favorite songs but I hadn’t watched the video in years.

As true Rock connoisseurs, we have frequently discussed various bands’ visual styles. And while Abba is known for its sartorial excess, I think it’s time to take out those seam rippers and deconstruct their Look in this video.

It’s clear that there is no attempt at really playing music here. I mean, Benny’s boot heels are so high that he abandons the use of the piano pedals within the first few moments of the song. And as for the shoulder chains, if Bjorn’s guitar was really plugged in, wouldn’t they interfere with the amplification?

Additional questions that came to me: What is the meaning of Frida’s prominently-displayed fish pin? (I don’t know about you, but I think it clashes with the Glam Bohemian Cowgirl look she is sporting.) What is the symbolism of the chains? Is it time to bring back satin gaucho pants? As Benny is the only member of the group to wear lace cuffs, is he really the Barefoot Paul in the band? Is there any other Rock video which uses mirrored clothing to a greater degree?

I believe that there is a greater visual message being communicated to us through this video. Or is this look just further evidence that Abba is, as my friend eloquently put it, “Incredibly catchy, Eurovision-winning space aliens”?

Thank you.

Stone Country

Posted by funoka

Sep 212015

Mick Jagger helps his old pal Don Henley sing a Tift Merritt song “Bramble Roaw” on his new Cass County album out this week. My first Stones record was Some Girls, and before I knew any of the backstory of the Stones and their dalliance with Gram Parsons, I was surprised by the stone country sound of “Far Away Eyes.” Now I always got the joke, but damn, I always enjoyed the song, and I’m sure it was one of the reasons I became more open to listening to my mom’s Johnny Cash records, and later fell into the rathole of alt-country for about 10 years. (Aside — a guy who worked at country station in Belle Fouche, SD, told me he almost got fired for playing “Eyes” in the early ’80s — he spun it once and only once.)

My question is — what songs would you put on a Stones, Jagger, Keef country compilation? Are there any country-tinged songs on solo records that are not well known for this compilation? In addition, I’ll offer up Mick’s “Evening Gown” above. Thanks for your ideas!

Last Man Standing: Holy Shit!

Posted by cdm

Sep 142015

I’m looking for the names of people mentioned in the Bible. The rules:

The song must refer to an official saint or an actual person in the Bible (not just someone with the same name i.e. Abraham, Martin and John is not about the biblical Abraham).
The name can only be used once.
A song can only be used once.
Be sure to heed the 11th commandment “Thou shall not Bogart the thread” and limit your answers to one per response.

I will start off with Abraham from “Highway 61” (“God said to Abraham ‘Kill me a son’; Abe said ‘Man, you must be putting me on…'”)

“She Was Like, She Was Like”

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Sep 102015

If the Beatles’ Revolver was released today the song John wrote about his trippy conversation with Peter Fonda would be entitled “She Was Like, She Was Like.”

All-Star Jam

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Sep 082015

You may know already that I’m a big fan of the late guitarist Robert Quine, who was first known to me as the guy behind the unbelievable short solos on Richard Hell & the Voidoids‘ “Blank Generation” only to blow my mind a few years later on Lou Reed‘s The Blue Mask. I just stumbled on this little clip of a guy playing one of Quine’s guitars, bought from his estate in 2004. It’s kind of poignant, at least to me (especially with the text accompanying the post, copied below), so let it be the start of this week’s All-Star Jam, where you bring to the table whatever musically relevant topic is on your mind.

This guitar is one of three I purchased as soon as the collection went public after his passing in 2004. I purchased them in 9/05 and have owned all three in the videos. He had 2 triple sunbursts and each one is totally different. The Barcelona triple sunburst has a fixed bridge, tremolo but bridge was anchored so I left it that way. The other, which is the one in the video, had a floating Quine feel and was amazing. The tone and ghost of Robert is all over it. I bought these becuase he used Fernandes Stratocasters with Lou Reed on tour, and on Blue Mask. I saw Quine in 1984 with Lou and am a true fan. Talk to Rudy Pensa on 48th Street in NYC about Bobby if you have a moment. Thank you Charles in Tokyo for the purchase of this instrument. Hope you hear Robert Q when you hold it.

Mach Schau! Paul Fishman of Re-Flex and the Limitations of Dual-Keyboard Players

Posted by cliff sovinsanity

Sep 062015

I fell down a You Tube wormhole the other day and hit rock bottom with this clip of Re-Flex better known for their 80’s classic “The Politics of Dancing.” In the video, keyboardist Paul Fishman is either doing his best to rock out between the plastic ivory and ebony or trying his best to upstage the rest of the band. Regardless, his “dancing” is enthusiastic but also rather distracting. I’ve never done any research on the history of the keytar but I’m sure it was invented by a dude who was feeling left out of the action when his fellow bandmates would prowl the front of the stage with guitar and mic in hand.

So, how come no one took inspiration from double-neck guitars to invent a double neck keytar? Just think what kind of animal would be unleashed if our boy Paul Fishman was unshackled and unrestrained by his keyboard stand.

Rock ‘n Roll Do-overs

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Sep 052015

Do it again.

Do you ever listen to a song and think, “Mmm, I wish they could have done that part over.” It could be a particular verse or solo or middle eight, as is the case whenever I listen to an old favorite I spun on this week’s Saturday Night Shut-In, XTC‘s “Love on a Farmboy’s Wages.” I still love that song, but I used to love everything about it, even the bridge—so much so, in fact, that leaned on it as a model for quickly exiting a tricky bridge on a few of my own songs. I don’t remember exactly when I started to wish for a do-over on that bridge, but at some point in recent years the way it ends—”…and it’s breaking my back!”—started to feel a bit forced, as if my man Andy Partridge was laying heavy on that closing line to shut the door on any feeling the listener may have of him having abruptly exited that exciting, unexpected part of the song. (Andy, if you one day Google yourself in this piece and start getting worked up about this pathetic cretin who is trying to read your thoughts, etc, please know that I love your body of work, including this song, which is one of my favorite songs on the planet. This is a Rock Town Hall discussion, where we allow ourselves to pick apart even our most beloved songs and artists.)

Your rock ‘n roll do-over may be an entire album or stylistic shift, a Look, whatever, but keep it to subjects you really care about. For instance, unless you’re a die-hard Styx fan, some snarky comment about “Mr. Roboto” won’t fly. I’ll ask YOU for a do-over.

Let’s do it again, shall we?

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