The slow three chord start has gotta be one of the more famous openings in rock, jumping into the simple up-and-down lead guitar and the peppy percussion and bouncy rhythm guitar.
My favorite part might be Robert Smith doing his own wailing background vocals over the "I thought that you needed me more" line about 2/3 of the way through.
One thing you notice if you listen to a lot of Cure is that the bass is doing all kinds of shit; the bass is doing more on Cure songs than for most so-called funk bands. Kind of like the Beatles and McCartney.
The lyrics always struck me as misplaced. Boys Don't Cry? Isn't this a jock's lament? You goth boys are allowed to bawl like babies, tears spilling out onto your poetry notebooks, smearing your words and everything, no?
Rating: 81.
The video here is really fucking good (even though it's not exactly the original studio version of the song):
March 18, 2009
62. Elvis Costello: Radio, Radio
PF500 can be useful, like here where it explains that this song is about how God Save the Queen had been pretty much banned by UK radio stations. With that context, Costello's ranting makes some sense, whereas before it had always felt like he had an Eminem persecution complex or something.
"But everybody else is overwhelmed by indifference; And the promise of an early bed" ain't a bad line.
The organ and the energy are what make this song.
Rating: 71.
"But everybody else is overwhelmed by indifference; And the promise of an early bed" ain't a bad line.
The organ and the energy are what make this song.
Rating: 71.
61. The Cars: Just What I Needed
Ahhhh, Ocasek and Paulina, one of the 1980's couplings that gave every boy hope, but not on this song, which has the bass player stepping in on the vocals.
The choppy guitar and the lyrics are nice (someone to feed), but it's the monophonic synth line is what sticks in you head, mostly a good thing, but sometimes not.
Here is a boring discussion amongst synthesizer dorks about how to reproduce the synth sound.
Rating: 79.
60. Cheap Trick: Surrender
The premise to this song is, really, genius. The parents talking STDs, fucking and doing more drugs than the kids. This might shock those that are 25 or younger, who consider their parents "friends" and maybe even moderately cool, but us older people used to think our parents were complete losers. So this song surprised us.
PF500 claims that the parents are boomers and the kids are Gen X. Wikipedia claims the parents are the G.I. generation and the kids are boomers.
Considering that "Mommy served in the WACS in the Phillipines," I'm awarding the victory to wikipedia.
Rating: 67.
PF500 claims that the parents are boomers and the kids are Gen X. Wikipedia claims the parents are the G.I. generation and the kids are boomers.
Considering that "Mommy served in the WACS in the Phillipines," I'm awarding the victory to wikipedia.
Rating: 67.
59. The Records: Starry Eyes
How many songs are there where you heard the cover first?
Downtown Train, by Rod Stewart is one of mine. I remember disliking that song -- it was a Rod Stewart song, of course I disliked it -- but later having to try to convince myself I liked it once I found out it was a Waits song. But, alas, Stewart had ruined it for me forever.
There are many others, some of which I had no idea for years that they were covers:
Tainted Love by Soft Cell.
Take me to the River by the Talking Heads.
Signs by Tesla (unfortunately, I'm not kidding).
Red Red Wine by UB40.
Here's a nice list of covers
Which brings me to the Records. I loved a little-medium band called Too Much Joy who made a little run in the late 1980's and 1990's, covering this Records' song in 1993 (but modifying the lyrics for their own band, fittingly, and in doing so obliquely and briefing telling the stories of when they got arrested for covering 2 Live Crew songs in Florida and got sued by Bozo the Clown).
It's a nice example of late 1970's power pop. But, to me, the Records version is the one that feels like the cover.
Rating: 70.
Here's the cover:
Downtown Train, by Rod Stewart is one of mine. I remember disliking that song -- it was a Rod Stewart song, of course I disliked it -- but later having to try to convince myself I liked it once I found out it was a Waits song. But, alas, Stewart had ruined it for me forever.
There are many others, some of which I had no idea for years that they were covers:
Tainted Love by Soft Cell.
Take me to the River by the Talking Heads.
Signs by Tesla (unfortunately, I'm not kidding).
Red Red Wine by UB40.
Here's a nice list of covers
Which brings me to the Records. I loved a little-medium band called Too Much Joy who made a little run in the late 1980's and 1990's, covering this Records' song in 1993 (but modifying the lyrics for their own band, fittingly, and in doing so obliquely and briefing telling the stories of when they got arrested for covering 2 Live Crew songs in Florida and got sued by Bozo the Clown).
It's a nice example of late 1970's power pop. But, to me, the Records version is the one that feels like the cover.
Rating: 70.
Here's the cover:
March 17, 2009
58. Plastic Bertrand: Ca Plane Pour Moi
Per Wikipedia, literally, "It is gliding for me." "It works for me," basically.
Imagine a Chuck Berry-written basic fast-paced rock song, right out of the late 1950's, horns and all, but with some punkier guitars and sah-weet oo-wee-oo-oos.
And with French lyrics. Except when they say "I am the king of the divan!"
Kinda catchy. PF500 nails the joy of the song, with an interesting story about how this song copies the tune of an English song "Jet Boy Jet Girl" of about the same time.
Rating: 65.
Imagine a Chuck Berry-written basic fast-paced rock song, right out of the late 1950's, horns and all, but with some punkier guitars and sah-weet oo-wee-oo-oos.
And with French lyrics. Except when they say "I am the king of the divan!"
Kinda catchy. PF500 nails the joy of the song, with an interesting story about how this song copies the tune of an English song "Jet Boy Jet Girl" of about the same time.
Rating: 65.
57. The Undertones: Teenaged Kicks
I'm starting to think this blog I'm writing sucks. It can only be as good as the songs people!
Here's another power-pop masquerading as punk song. PF500 explains these guys are Northern Irelanders.
Rating:63. 59. 68.
UPDATE: I was much too defeatist above. This song is starting to grow on me. It's apparently John Peel's favorite-ever song. I think what gives it the extra kick is the half-step escalating chords in the chorus. Adds a little bit of spice to the power pop.
Here's another power-pop masquerading as punk song. PF500 explains these guys are Northern Irelanders.
Rating:
UPDATE: I was much too defeatist above. This song is starting to grow on me. It's apparently John Peel's favorite-ever song. I think what gives it the extra kick is the half-step escalating chords in the chorus. Adds a little bit of spice to the power pop.
56. The Only Ones: Another Girl, Another Planet
This band is described as punk, but that's just stretching the definition to a ridiculous degree. This is power pop. OK power pop, with a nice funky Brit vocal for yanks to enjoy. It's a cute little love song and that's about it.
Rating: 57.
Rating: 57.
55. Electric Light Orchestra: Mr. Blue Sky
PF500 claims that this song predicts 21st Century indie rock, other than the falsetto stuff. I'm thinking they're not wrong here.
It's nice to have a band that fucking claims their name and tries to live it. Electric Light Orchestra. Really? That's a mighty huge claim, but they aspire to it; they try for it. Serious Lyrics. Choruses. Strings. Piano (bouncy piano even) . Movements (Jesus, the surest way to crack the PF500 is to have multiple movements in your song).
An ending like a glide down a rainbow of synthey poop seventies.
Rating: 62.
It's nice to have a band that fucking claims their name and tries to live it. Electric Light Orchestra. Really? That's a mighty huge claim, but they aspire to it; they try for it. Serious Lyrics. Choruses. Strings. Piano (bouncy piano even) . Movements (Jesus, the surest way to crack the PF500 is to have multiple movements in your song).
An ending like a glide down a rainbow of synthey poop seventies.
Rating: 62.
March 16, 2009
54. Steely Dan: Deacon Blues
If you had to pick anything that represented the awfulness of the Nineteen-Seventies, is there any better example anywhere?
I just don't get it. At all. I never have.
The Luke Wilson letter was somewhat funny. And then, realizing being called out by Steely Dan was pretty much the worst thing that could ever happen to a person, Owen tried to kill himself.
Rating: FUCKING ZERO.
I just don't get it. At all. I never have.
The Luke Wilson letter was somewhat funny. And then, realizing being called out by Steely Dan was pretty much the worst thing that could ever happen to a person, Owen tried to kill himself.
Rating: FUCKING ZERO.
53. Fleetwood Mac: The Chain
It starts with the thumping drums. A mandolin-ish acoustic guitar. Blues electric guitar. And then three-part harmony. And the emotionally powerful lyric again and again. Multiple harmonies. Almost in a row row row your boat round. And then, right near the end, the nasty bass line, with the buildup: Running in the shadows! (actually, I could do without the ending).
Thank you Fleetwood Mac for teaching us that band members should not sex each other up all over the place!
The power of Fleetwood Mac has always been its ability to sound like no other band in the world.
Rating: 92 (the first in the nineties!)
Thank you Fleetwood Mac for teaching us that band members should not sex each other up all over the place!
The power of Fleetwood Mac has always been its ability to sound like no other band in the world.
Rating: 92 (the first in the nineties!)
March 15, 2009
52. Van Halen: Running With the Devil
The only place I ever hear this song is on Cleveland classic rock radio, so I wasn't really prepared for the somewhat awesome opening, segue into the first lyric "I live my life like there's no tomorrow," that Roth certainly proved was a true statement in the years to come.
PF500 has a very nice take on how Roth's lyric "Got no love, no love you'd call real; Got nobody waiting at home," which sounds like a "woe-is-me sentiment," is really a "fist pumping mantra."
Harmonies on heavy metal always struck me as odd, and they do doubly so on this song.
Rating: 71.
PF500 has a very nice take on how Roth's lyric "Got no love, no love you'd call real; Got nobody waiting at home," which sounds like a "woe-is-me sentiment," is really a "fist pumping mantra."
Harmonies on heavy metal always struck me as odd, and they do doubly so on this song.
Rating: 71.
51. Highway to Hell: AC/DC
This marks AC/DC's only appearance in the PF500, which is a sad thing, but probably necessary. All of their great songs have a common sound and structure, so anything more than one would seem redundant. I wouldn't have chosen this one, but I'm OK with it.
I thought PF500 had a nice take on this song, that the song is a homage to the "pursuit of abandon" that is "played like an exercise in rigor." PF500 notes the simple riff, the unadorned drums and how Scott "stays completely in the song's pocket."
I mean, I thought it was a nice take until I listened to it again, this time paying attention to Scott's vocals, which could never ever be described as tight, or rigorous or anything like it. Nice try, PF500.
One more thing on AC/DC: I do think the Bon Scott lovers that don't appreciate Brian Johnson are just silly. Scott was better, but you're splitting hairs here guys. Never has a dead man replacement done so well.
Rating: 77
OK with it: Absolutely
I thought PF500 had a nice take on this song, that the song is a homage to the "pursuit of abandon" that is "played like an exercise in rigor." PF500 notes the simple riff, the unadorned drums and how Scott "stays completely in the song's pocket."
I mean, I thought it was a nice take until I listened to it again, this time paying attention to Scott's vocals, which could never ever be described as tight, or rigorous or anything like it. Nice try, PF500.
One more thing on AC/DC: I do think the Bon Scott lovers that don't appreciate Brian Johnson are just silly. Scott was better, but you're splitting hairs here guys. Never has a dead man replacement done so well.
Rating: 77
OK with it: Absolutely
50. Blue Oyster Cult: Don't Fear the Reaper
PF500 pre-empts, by noting the song is a "favorite frat-boy punchline thanks to Saturday Night Live." I'm not sure what PF500 was going for here. Are they angry that people don't take this Blue Oyster Cult song more seriously? It's tough to argue that "More Cowbell" isn't funny, even if you don't think it deserves the lionization some have given it. Skewering VH1's behind-the-music at a time when it desparately needed skewering was a necessary thing. PF500 doesn't even say it wasn't funny; it just goes for the fratboy punchline wherever it can, I guess.
The song is actually quite nice, the creepy guitar solo exploding half-way through somewhat powerful if you have it on loud enough.
The semi-lobotomized vocals give the suicide pact lyrics quite a bit of umph.
It's not bad at all.
I do have to say that I thought the cowbell was mixed quite a bit quieter than I had thought it was.
Rating: 66
OK with it: Naah.
The song is actually quite nice, the creepy guitar solo exploding half-way through somewhat powerful if you have it on loud enough.
The semi-lobotomized vocals give the suicide pact lyrics quite a bit of umph.
It's not bad at all.
I do have to say that I thought the cowbell was mixed quite a bit quieter than I had thought it was.
Rating: 66
OK with it: Naah.
49. Suspira: Goblin
An instrumental track in 3 movements, this is apparently a song from the soundtrack to Dario Argento's horror movie Suspira, which apparently is some kind of big deal I had never heard of (but which is now in my netflix' queue, albeit 175 movies (and thus about 4-5 years) from actually getting to me.
As for the song, the first 150 seconds sound like what a horror soundtrack is supposed to sound like: the repetitive, suspenseful, higher octave work dominating. The song launches into a middle section that is clearly a chase sequence before returning to the suspense, this time with foreboding chanting coming to the foreground.
Great soundtrack song. But I wasn't watching the movie.
Rating: 45
OK with it: N
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