Great songs, according to me (Part 14)
I know there's nothing better than discovering what songs your future dictator thinks are the bee's knees, so it's time for another installment of great songs, according to me! Peruse the previous posts: Parts One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen. Now, it's on to the next ten songs!
131. Death And Dying (by Shelter on the album The Perfection Of Desire, 1990): Shelter is a hard core Hare Krishna band. Yes, that sounds ridiculous, but they were (are?) a decent enough group, with good chops and some interesting lyrics that, of course, you could never understand because they were screaming them and playing really fast. I have no idea where I heard of them (it may have been my friend John, whose picture I posted on Sunday, because he is big into hard core stuff), but this album is pretty good. This song rises above the rest because it slows things down just a bit (it's still metal, but not as fast) and you can actually understand the lyrics, which are about reincarnation and what it means to die. Interesting band. I miss my Shelter T-shirt. It was groovy.
132. Deathly (by Aimee Mann on the album Bachelor No. 2 Or, The Last Remains Of The Dodo, 1999): P.T. Anderson said he used the first lines of this song: "Now that I've met you, would you object to never seeing each other again?" as the basis for Magnolia, and why not - it's a great way to begin a song. This is a great song about a guy who's no good but irresistible - kind of like me! It keeps building and building until we get to the killer guitar solo at the end that just about breaks your heart. It's also on the Magnolia soundtrack, which isn't a bad thing to own.
133. Debra (by Beck on the album Midnite Vultures, 1999): This album was when I really fell in love with Beck. Yes, I own Odelay, and it's good, but this one blew me away, with its funked up tunes and its wacky lyrics. This song caps the album, and it's brilliant. It's a slow love jam, but with a magnificent Beck twist. He starts singing in falsetto, and from the first lyrics we know we're in for a treat: "I met you at JC Penney ..." Later, he tries to score with the girl by telling her to step into his Hyundai. Truly excellent. Skewers all the romantic ballads of the 1970s by being funnier and better than most of them.
134. Deconstruction (by the Indigo Girls on the album Become You, 2002): Another strong Indigo Girls entry on the list (sorry, I really like them), this one deals with (shocking) the dissolution of a relationship. As usual, Emily's lyrics pull through song up to greatness, although the music remains strong. It's remarkable how she is able to distill all the smallness and meanness of a love affair and still make it sound transcendent. That's why I love them, I guess.
135. Deep Shag (by Luscious Jackson on the album Natural Ingredients, 1994): Whatever happened to Luscious Jackson? For a few years, they were dynamite - putting out some really funky albums with a nice sting in them, but then they just vanished? Did the Beastie Boys get tired of them? This is from their first album, and nice collection of tunes, and it's another look at a woman stuck in a relationship that's no good for her. Come on, ladies - break free! It has a lazy, loopy groove to it, which pulls you along and makes you bop your head. Go ahead and listen to it and try not to bop! I dare you! Just a nice song.
136. Demagogue (by Urban Dance Squad on the album Persona Non Grata, 1994): This is a powerful song by UDS, one that really grabs you and pounds you into submission. The music drives the song along, because the lyrics are largely incomprehensible - but that's fine, because UDS has never been about lyrics all that much - they want to get you jumping and banging your head, and this works perfectly well. It's better than most of their songs because the beat is so infectious and hard. Fine stuff from a largely forgotten band.
137. Desire (by En Vogue on the album Funky Divas, 1992): I bought this album because Spin magazine told me to. Yes, I admit it. Actually, I was thinking about buying it because of the songs I had heard on the radio, but when Spin said it was good, I figured it must be, because Spin was (and is) so holier-than-thou about so-called "popular" music that if they liked this, it must be good. And it is. It's an excellent album, and this song is one of the highlights. A perfect blending of the girls' voices, with desire dripping from every syllable (it's a song, after all, about desire), and a groovy saxophone solo. Simply divine.
138. The Desperate Kingdom Of Love (by PJ Harvey on the album Uh Huh Her, 2004): I love Ms. Polly Jean, even though my lovely wife thinks she's yucky. Let's all pity Krys because she can't see the genius of PJ! This is a quiet song from her latest album, and it just draws you in slowly, and it gets under your skin. Harvey is excellent at making us feel all her emotions, and she does so here. A beautiful, haunting song.
139. Desperate People (by Living Colour on the album Vivid, 1988): Back in the day, Corey Glover and Vernon Reid wrote song really nice songs that had some really nasty social commentary in them. This is one such song, decrying those people who waste their lives worrying about what other people think of them. Live for yourself, surround yourself with real friends who will help you when the chips are down, and you will no longer be desperate. Sounds easy, don't it? And it has an awesome guitar groove, too.
140. Devils Haircut (by Beck on the album Odelay, 1996): The grind that opens Odelay and this song puts you in a mood to listen to some funky wackiness. Many people cite this as Beck's masterpiece, and although I disagree, this is a fun song and one that typifies Beck's mid-1990s sound. I have no idea what he's talking about in this song, but that's okay - all he needs is two turntables and a microphone, and we'll listen, because it's a fun ride. A devil's haircut on my mind, indeed.
What do everyone think? Don't be shy to attack!
131. Death And Dying (by Shelter on the album The Perfection Of Desire, 1990): Shelter is a hard core Hare Krishna band. Yes, that sounds ridiculous, but they were (are?) a decent enough group, with good chops and some interesting lyrics that, of course, you could never understand because they were screaming them and playing really fast. I have no idea where I heard of them (it may have been my friend John, whose picture I posted on Sunday, because he is big into hard core stuff), but this album is pretty good. This song rises above the rest because it slows things down just a bit (it's still metal, but not as fast) and you can actually understand the lyrics, which are about reincarnation and what it means to die. Interesting band. I miss my Shelter T-shirt. It was groovy.
132. Deathly (by Aimee Mann on the album Bachelor No. 2 Or, The Last Remains Of The Dodo, 1999): P.T. Anderson said he used the first lines of this song: "Now that I've met you, would you object to never seeing each other again?" as the basis for Magnolia, and why not - it's a great way to begin a song. This is a great song about a guy who's no good but irresistible - kind of like me! It keeps building and building until we get to the killer guitar solo at the end that just about breaks your heart. It's also on the Magnolia soundtrack, which isn't a bad thing to own.
133. Debra (by Beck on the album Midnite Vultures, 1999): This album was when I really fell in love with Beck. Yes, I own Odelay, and it's good, but this one blew me away, with its funked up tunes and its wacky lyrics. This song caps the album, and it's brilliant. It's a slow love jam, but with a magnificent Beck twist. He starts singing in falsetto, and from the first lyrics we know we're in for a treat: "I met you at JC Penney ..." Later, he tries to score with the girl by telling her to step into his Hyundai. Truly excellent. Skewers all the romantic ballads of the 1970s by being funnier and better than most of them.
134. Deconstruction (by the Indigo Girls on the album Become You, 2002): Another strong Indigo Girls entry on the list (sorry, I really like them), this one deals with (shocking) the dissolution of a relationship. As usual, Emily's lyrics pull through song up to greatness, although the music remains strong. It's remarkable how she is able to distill all the smallness and meanness of a love affair and still make it sound transcendent. That's why I love them, I guess.
135. Deep Shag (by Luscious Jackson on the album Natural Ingredients, 1994): Whatever happened to Luscious Jackson? For a few years, they were dynamite - putting out some really funky albums with a nice sting in them, but then they just vanished? Did the Beastie Boys get tired of them? This is from their first album, and nice collection of tunes, and it's another look at a woman stuck in a relationship that's no good for her. Come on, ladies - break free! It has a lazy, loopy groove to it, which pulls you along and makes you bop your head. Go ahead and listen to it and try not to bop! I dare you! Just a nice song.
136. Demagogue (by Urban Dance Squad on the album Persona Non Grata, 1994): This is a powerful song by UDS, one that really grabs you and pounds you into submission. The music drives the song along, because the lyrics are largely incomprehensible - but that's fine, because UDS has never been about lyrics all that much - they want to get you jumping and banging your head, and this works perfectly well. It's better than most of their songs because the beat is so infectious and hard. Fine stuff from a largely forgotten band.
137. Desire (by En Vogue on the album Funky Divas, 1992): I bought this album because Spin magazine told me to. Yes, I admit it. Actually, I was thinking about buying it because of the songs I had heard on the radio, but when Spin said it was good, I figured it must be, because Spin was (and is) so holier-than-thou about so-called "popular" music that if they liked this, it must be good. And it is. It's an excellent album, and this song is one of the highlights. A perfect blending of the girls' voices, with desire dripping from every syllable (it's a song, after all, about desire), and a groovy saxophone solo. Simply divine.
138. The Desperate Kingdom Of Love (by PJ Harvey on the album Uh Huh Her, 2004): I love Ms. Polly Jean, even though my lovely wife thinks she's yucky. Let's all pity Krys because she can't see the genius of PJ! This is a quiet song from her latest album, and it just draws you in slowly, and it gets under your skin. Harvey is excellent at making us feel all her emotions, and she does so here. A beautiful, haunting song.
139. Desperate People (by Living Colour on the album Vivid, 1988): Back in the day, Corey Glover and Vernon Reid wrote song really nice songs that had some really nasty social commentary in them. This is one such song, decrying those people who waste their lives worrying about what other people think of them. Live for yourself, surround yourself with real friends who will help you when the chips are down, and you will no longer be desperate. Sounds easy, don't it? And it has an awesome guitar groove, too.
140. Devils Haircut (by Beck on the album Odelay, 1996): The grind that opens Odelay and this song puts you in a mood to listen to some funky wackiness. Many people cite this as Beck's masterpiece, and although I disagree, this is a fun song and one that typifies Beck's mid-1990s sound. I have no idea what he's talking about in this song, but that's okay - all he needs is two turntables and a microphone, and we'll listen, because it's a fun ride. A devil's haircut on my mind, indeed.
What do everyone think? Don't be shy to attack!
posted by Greg | 2:29 PM
2 Comments:
Oh dear. I forgot it. How many parts is the epic up to now????
No "Desperado?"
hee hee
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