To Townsman Northvan and other Townspeople north of the border, we wish you a happy Canada Day! Americans have long had a hard time figuring out who’s Canadian in the entertainment world and other walks of life. Along these lines, I’d like to know the answer to the following question: Who is the most Canadian of Canadian rock ‘n rollers?
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Here’s your chance, Rock Town Hall, to champion a totally obscure artist with a degree of hipster pedigree: Cruella De Ville and their Roy Wood-produced single “I’ll Do the Talking.”
No one’s asking you to really have to like this song, but like a true barrel-scraping hipster, you need to make a case for why its an overlooked gem of epic proportions. What modern-day bands have been heavily influenced by this band – or will say they have been after reading your testimony? I mean, see if you can spin this as the greatest obscuro find, like, EVER, or at least until next Tuesday, whichever comes first.
In case you need a little more evidence of the band’s genius, check out this next clip:
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Let’s face it. The Dolls were a product of a place and time and heavy shtick. And ya know what, I dig the shtick but when all is said and done, the music is moderately interesting at best.
Rolling Stone called “Personality Crisis” the 267th best rock song of all time. Really?! Granted this was 2006 and doesn’t include anything the Raconteurs did but…
K-Mart Stones in drag, man. And yeah that’s cool but c’mon, legendary? Bullshit.
Here’s the greatest thing The Dolls ever did:
I’m not talking about the album, I’m talking about the image on the cover. I maintain that without this cover, The New York Dolls would not have attained legendary status. And though this doesn’t have the balls, it did come 2-3 year before.
What say you?
I’m listening to Neil Finn‘s first solo album, Try Whistling This, right now. There are fine songs spread all across the disc, but the last five songs are especially strong, and flow especially well together. Can you name other albums save most or all of the strongest songs for the end?
(Incidentally, I believe Neil Finn is one of the best songwriters around, and I will fight you on this.)
“I wrote it before I met her, but it’s Kate’s song.”
Those of you who voted for Kate in the Who’s Your Angel poll may want to grab another Townsperson’s hand and let the healing begin!
There’s no way I’ll have fun with this death. This guy got all the slings and arrows coming to him, deserved or not, during his life. Those half dozen great Jackson 5 songs, topped off by this historic robot dance, which debuted on the above performance of “Dancing Machine,” are more than any of us will ever do in our lifetimes let alone before we reached adulthood. That Off the Wall album had some songs I liked, then came Thriller. Most of that stuff bored me, but I was in quite the minority. All sorts of nonsense and horrible accusations followed, but I kind of liked that “Black or White” single. It seemed to me the last time he ever dared letting it all hang out.
I’m sure more dirt than ever will be uncovered. Meanwhile I’ll contemplate my Farrah poster and replay this robot dance sequence.
My inner horny 13-year-old has lost a special friend today.
The Seeds’ Sky Saxon has also died. It’s hard to beat “You’re Pushing Too Hard” for original Nuggets tracks.
NEXT: Rock Town Hall’s Official Eulogy…
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