World of KJ https://worldofkj.com/forum/ |
|
Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty https://worldofkj.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=83210 |
Page 3 of 5 |
Author: | Shack [ Mon Aug 28, 2017 12:32 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty |
Great pick in Girl from the North Country. Love Joni but the Court and Spark version is not my favorite |
Author: | David [ Mon Aug 28, 2017 10:34 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty |
26. "2HB" by Roxy Music In their early years, glam titans Roxy Music were defined by a productive tension between left-field, pastel-feather-boa-wearing sonic wizard Brian Eno, on the verge of pioneering ambient music, and vocalist Bryan Ferry, a suave crooner at heart. On this cut from their debut album, the combination is subtly magical; Ferry sings a misty-eyed ode to screen legend Humphrey Bogart and his urbane persona while Eno uses tape-delay effects to bedazzle a saxophone solo. The song is notably featured in the film Velvet Goldmine, covered by Thom Yorke and Suede's Bernard Butler. "Oh, I was moved by your screen dream" Spoiler: show |
Author: | David [ Mon Aug 28, 2017 10:45 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty |
25. "Jane Says" by Jane's Addiction Jane's Addiction's definitive song, first quietly released in a quasi-live form and then more popularly on their first major-label studio album, is based on a troubled friend of songwriter and vocalist Perry Farrell. With enormous empathy and a bit of savage wit, the song depicts a heroin-addicted woman, her volatile relationship with a drug dealer named Sergio, and her imprisonment within the cycle of addiction, always confusing exploitation and lust for love and planning to stop using...tomorrow. The music is simple (two chords accompanied by steel drums), but hypnotic. "She knows they all want her to go" Spoiler: show |
Author: | David [ Mon Aug 28, 2017 10:58 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty |
24. "Isn't It a Pity" by George Harrison George Harrison, soul-searching and vastly enjoying the creative freedom of his immediate post-Beatles period, spins an epic, flowing, and profoundly gorgeous song from a simple enough question: isn't it a pity how awful humans so often are toward one other? Produced by Harrison with Phil Spector (now a rather foreboding name, but a truly special talent in his prime), the song, released in two versions, features an entire gallery of virtuoso players on drums, guitar, organ, and piano, not to mention orchestral and choral arrangements. It is pure of heart, ambitious, and the single best song by a solo Beatle. "How we break each other's hearts And cause each other pain" Spoiler: show |
Author: | David [ Mon Aug 28, 2017 11:53 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty |
23. "I Am the Resurrection" by the Stone Roses The Stone Roses end their momentous debut album with an expansive song exercising every aesthetic, lyrical, and sonic muscle for which they are famous. With his slightly flat, yet also oddly passionate voice, Ian Brown casts himself as a type of contemporary messiah, rejecting proselytizing before declaring he is the resurrection and the light. Meanwhile, ingenious guitarist John Squire and the rest of the band dance and weave through a blissful wide-screen sea of chiming melodies and intricate, irresistible rhythms, powering on well past the end of Brown's vocals. "I don't care where you've been or what you plan to do" Spoiler: show |
Author: | David [ Tue Aug 29, 2017 1:02 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty |
22. "Heroin" by the Velvet Underground "Heroin" is a rather mysterious and mythic song by a rather mysterious and mythic band. Its portrayal of counterculture drug culture is arguably glamorous and terrifying at the same time. It is this ambiguity, or perhaps it is ambivalence, which allows one person to find in its lyrics and sounds an anti-heroin polemic while another may inject themselves while it plays (cheerful people reportedly told songwriter Lou Reed this at concerts). Subtle guitar playing and a primitive, nervous drum beat give way to a wailing and abrasive electric viola as the lyrics describe alternating sensations of creeping discontent and rushing euphoria, climaxing with Reed's user plainly admitting, "I guess I just don't know." It is a disconcerting and striking ride. "Heroin, it's my wife and it's my life" Spoiler: show |
Author: | Flava'd vs The World [ Tue Aug 29, 2017 4:30 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty |
Next 10 Thin Lizzy was one of last artists I would have expected on here, but you do a great job of using that expectation in your write up. Cool song too. Pancho is ok, and I always love seeing Cleveland mentioned. It is pretty cold. Belle and Sebastian are one of those bands I see everywhere but have never gotten into to. Same with Libertines. These songs were fine but not enough to change that. REM arent one of my favs but they have some solid tracks and Nightswimming is definitely one of them. I've mentioned before that I prefer Odelay style Beck (my favorite song is "E-Pro" though) , but I still appreciate the other sides and Lost Cause is a great song The Weight and Thats Entertainment are songs I've heard a million times but never knew the source. Thanks for that. Shadowboxer and Tangerine are my favorites of the set. Fiona would make a top 100 for me, but it'd probably be for Criminal. |
Author: | Flava'd vs The World [ Tue Aug 29, 2017 5:27 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty |
I'm also enjoying the write ups so im glad you decided to do them. |
Author: | David [ Tue Aug 29, 2017 7:11 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty |
Thanks, dude. |
Author: | David [ Tue Aug 29, 2017 8:51 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty |
21. "Angel of Harlem" by U2 U2 pay homage to Billie Holiday and the blues and jazz traditions to which she contributed with this high-spirited song from Rattle and Hum, an album which finds the seminal Irish band obsessed with American culture in general. Featuring a full-bodied vocal performance by Bono, one of his best, as well as a Memphis horn section for extra authenticity and vigor, the song's lyrics open with Bono flying into New York City on a desolate, wintry day and his spirits being lifted when he hears a song by Holiday on FM radio. "Angel in devil's shoes Salvation in the blues" Spoiler: show |
Author: | David [ Tue Aug 29, 2017 11:18 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty |
20. "Young Americans" by David Bowie After pushing his glam sound to its extreme with the album Diamond Dogs, David Bowie begins his self-proclaimed "plastic soul" era in sensational fashion. I consider this song his magnum opus, which is no small feat considering the competition. With guitar, piano, congas, saxophone, and a vocal assist by R&B legend Luther Vandross, the song's sound is luxurious, swinging, and velvety. It is complicated and deepened by biting lyrics referencing Nixon-era political disillusionment, racial tension, suicide, and unplanned pregnancy. "We live for just these twenty years Do we have to die for the fifty more?" Spoiler: show |
Author: | David [ Tue Aug 29, 2017 11:42 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty |
19. "Wuthering Heights" by Kate Bush Kate Bush is a true iconoclast and visionary, and her influential and wildly unpredictable began with this sterling gem of a pop song. It draws inspiration, of course, from the Emily Brontë novel of the same name, the ultimate Gothic, romantic, tragic piece of classic English literature. It turns a scene in which the ghost of heroine Catherine appears at a window, calling for her brooding lover Heathcliff from beyond the grave, into an arty and catchy song full of longing and whimsy. The song also features effervescent guitar playing by session guru and Alan Parsons Project member Ian Bairnson. "I hated you I loved you, too" Spoiler: show |
Author: | David [ Wed Aug 30, 2017 12:16 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty |
18. "This Is Hardcore" by Pulp After reaching the zenith of British pop with "Common People" and the album Different Class, Pulp entered a slight rough patch: a longtime member, guitarist-violinist Russell Senior, quit, and band leader Jarvis Cocker became exhausted by fame amid media scrutiny and substance abuse. (He was also skeptical of Tony Blair's calculated bid to woo and associate himself with the country's film and music stars.) The result is This Is Hardcore, an astonishing and difficult album alternately brutal, perverse, and sad in tone. Its title cut is a nocturnal odyssey of a song, a cinematic tale of debauchery and exploitation set to eerie, lounge-style piano and lushly menacing strings. "It's what men in stained raincoats pay for" Spoiler: show |
Author: | Algren [ Wed Aug 30, 2017 12:23 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty |
Never been a fan of Bowie. He sounds like he is having a spasm fit in that song. His voice sounds so jerky. Not a bad song. It's infectious, but I cannot believe there wasn't a better song to represent your love for Bowie. Kudos on "Wuthering Heights". Awesome song. But this is a better version... And this one is even better. Spoiler: show |
Author: | David [ Wed Aug 30, 2017 12:29 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty |
17. "The Ship Song" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Alternative rock's presiding vampire, a wiry post-punk Goth and a poetic crooner inside one body, Nick Cave can create abrasive, explosive, flesh-tearing songs and songs of immense, wistful beauty. He excels in either mode. "The Ship Song" falls into the latter category. Powered by Cave's deep, impassioned voice and an electric organ, the tune is a beautiful and pure expression of desire, described here as a force with destructive, mysterious, and redemptive qualities. "Come sail your ships around me And burn your bridges down" Spoiler: show |
Author: | Algren [ Wed Aug 30, 2017 12:33 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty |
Not heard "This is Hardcore" before. Loved it. Long, dreamy track. |
Author: | David [ Wed Aug 30, 2017 12:36 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty |
Glad you dig it. |
Author: | Algren [ Wed Aug 30, 2017 12:43 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty |
I also enjoyed "Heroin". Not heard that or [to my knowledge] any Velvet Underground before. |
Author: | Algren [ Wed Aug 30, 2017 12:45 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty |
You sure like songs about drugs and addiction. |
Author: | Algren [ Wed Aug 30, 2017 12:49 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty |
David wrote: Spoiler: show Yes! That was cool. Good enough to make me want to pursue more from The Strokes. Never liked anything I heard from them on the rare occasions I saw the on VH1, Q, and MTV. |
Author: | David [ Wed Aug 30, 2017 1:25 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty |
16. "I Want You" by Elvis Costello and the Attractions Elvis Costello, bright and prolific songwriter, new-wave pioneer turned genre traveler, addresses this song to "my baby" in the first line, and so unspools a perfectly acrid love song overflowing with jealousy, sarcasm, and, at its core, plain old pain. Each thorny barb and somber plea is delivered at a bluesy, funereal pace, leaving no place to hide. "It's the thought of him undressing you or you undressing" Spoiler: show |
Author: | David [ Wed Aug 30, 2017 1:38 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty |
15. "Fans" by Kings of Leon Before Only by the Night singles "Sex on Fire" and "Use Somebody" elevated them to the arena level worldwide, Kings of Leon were a distinctly American band (the Southern Strokes, many said, performing angular guitar music with a heavy twang) far more popular in England than on their home turf. "Fans" is a boisterous, sexy, and sincere tip of the hat to their fans in the United Kingdom, notably the early adopters who embraced them at summer festivals. In general, Kings of Leon are an important band to me. I have loved them since roughly the beginning of their career, and I have remained a steadfast fan through every stage, from early, NME-generated hype through calls of, "They've sold out!" to seeing them live for the third time this summer. "Make me feel like I'm the one who moves you" Spoiler: show |
Author: | David [ Wed Aug 30, 2017 1:44 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty |
Algren, I enjoyed the 8-bit-esque dance cover of "Wuthering Heights" you posted. The bones of the song are strong enough to sustain different interpretations and textures. I had never heard it before. How'd you discover it? |
Author: | Flava'd vs The World [ Wed Aug 30, 2017 1:48 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty |
I'll go through all the songs I don't know tomorrow. I do remember "This Is Hardcore" from your Song Game many years ago and it is definitely great. |
Author: | Algren [ Wed Aug 30, 2017 2:08 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Ladies and gentlemen, the David fifty |
David wrote: Algren, I enjoyed the 8-bit-esque dance cover of "Wuthering Heights" you posted. The bones of the song are strong enough to sustain different interpretations and textures. I had never heard it before. How'd you discover it? Did a search on YouTube for "wuthering heights remix". I knew there had to be a remix out there, and I knew I would probably enjoy it more, which I did. But it is testament to the original, as you say. |
Page 3 of 5 | All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ] |
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group http://www.phpbb.com/ |