Random five. Describe.
- Television - Friction. It's taken many many years for me to like this band. If their reputation wasn't so strong, I wouldn't have given them a third chance.
- Tanya Donnely - Littlewing. From her 2006 "This Hungry Life" record. It's a mellower, softer sound than she had in her Belly days, with a hint of country twang here and there.
- NiN - Head Like A Hole. This bridge between poppy Depeche Mode and grinding Ministry was shocking when it first appeared. Nobody I knew even suspected something could occupy that space, let alone something great.
- Big Black - Steelworker. But if I'd known about Big Black at the time, Ministry would have seemed cute. I've never heard anyone even approach Big Black's seething anger.
- Tricky - Ghetto Youth. Ah trip-hop. Where are you today?
I was kind of hoping the Tanya Donelly would be a Jimi Hendrix cover.
Otis Redding – Come to Me
You’d think I don’t like Otis Redding with the way I’m always saying “This song sounds like every other early Otis Redding 6/8 ballad,” but it’s not true! I love these 6/8 ballads that all sound alike. It’s Otis Redding, for Pete’s sake.
J.S. Bach – Orchestra Suite #3, Iv. Gigue (Nicholas Harnoncourt)
The suite that contains the well-known “Air on the G String” also has this little ditty that is kind of Handel-esque and full of mini-fanfares and doesn’t really float my boat.
Cat Stevens – Morning Has Broken
Did you know this melody is public domain? I didn’t, ’til it showed up in my son’s piano lesson book.
Ramin Djawadi – The Pointy End (Game of Thrones Soundtrack)
Djawadi’s soundtrack overall works better as accompaniment than standing on its own, and quite a bit of it has a similar feel. This track, though, stands out with its plucked motif and building tension.
Pink Floyd – Julia Dream
As Saucerful-period songs go, this is just okay, but its lyrics win bonus points for using the phrase “scaly armadillo.”
Drove to work in the dark and it stayed gloomy all day long. And the clocks go back next weekend. Totally depressing.
Oasis – F*cking In The Bushes
First track on their 2000 album ‘Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants” (and yes, that should be “Shoulders” but rock and roll doesn’t care about grammar). It’s an instrumental with an infectious riff and swirly organ and they used it as an opener for live gigs for a long time. It’s a shame the rest of the album was such a disappointment but by 2000 Oasis’ British rock crown had well and truly slipped and the kids were no longer buying guitars.
I remember downloading this album in 2000 over via a dial-up modem – it took all night. :)
The Boo Radleys – The Old Newsstand At Hamilton Square
From the sadly underrated album “Kingsize”, released in 1998. Horns-a-plenty, pleasant bass-line, touch of wah-wah guitar, smooth vocal. “Sad songs are easier to play”. Well worth a listen.
Simon & Garfunkel – Sound Of Silence
You all know it. Sounds a bit dated and the recording seems treble-tastic. But it’s a beautiful song.
The Stone Roses – Love Spreads
Quite possible the best song the Roses every recorded simply for the guitar playing alone. Ignore the fact that Ian Brown cannot sing for toffee and crank the volume as high as you can get away with. John Squire can play a Les Paul, that’s for sure.
Metric – Monster Hospital
Foot-tapping rock from Canada’s Metric and found on 2005’s “Live It Out” which is an album I played to oblivion at the time and don’t often dip into these days. I’m finding it hard to fault this – but it does sound like there is a kazoo in the mix somewhere – does that make it uncool or uber-cool?
I got a speeding ticket for the first time ever here driving across country last week. Going 74 km/h in a 60 km/h zone (I missed the sign change apparently) got me a ticket for 2900 Kroner which is about 500 bucks. We could have flown instead for that kind of cash…
1. The Police – Miss Gradenko
This song is so Stewart Copeland.
2. The White Stripes – There’s No Home For You Here
Kick butt song. I turned this one way up in my headphones so that my wife asked what I was listening to.
3. Fleetwood Mac – Rhiannon
I am not the biggest Mac fan but this song is just sublime. And this live version posted here is fantastic, particularly towards the end.
4. Wolfmother – Love Train
Derivative? Sure. Grows old after a while? Sure again. Sometimes, though, Wolfmother hits all the classic rock buttons I need pressed and wraps it up in nice little quazi-alternative package.
5. Army of Anyone – Goodbye
Supergroup consisting of Richard Patrick from Filter, the DeLeo brothers from Stone Temple Pilots and a drummer who now drums for Korn. Sounds pretty much what you would think. Nice guitar work, great hook and some pretty killer drumming. Too bad they only lasted one album.
Rob: that is my favorite Stone Roses song.
Cleek: Took me a while to like Television too after a friend insisted over and over they were excellent. They are. And so is Big Black.