Category: Music

MORE MUSIC… More Music… more music

More songs I’d like to point out. Like The Clash song, these will be testosterone tracks.

I’ve featured David Bowie doing “The Man Who Sold The World,” and Nirvana did a cover version, so I’ll include it, even though it isn’t a particular favorite. If Kurt Cobain were alive, I’d tell him there’s nothing chic about heroin use, let alone addiction, especially when you’re found with your brains splattered everywhere. But I would also tell him that I consider “Smells Like Teen Spirit” to be a quintessential Rock track.

[Ah, well, it seems that Universal Music doesn’t want these videos embedded, so guess what? I won’t use them. Bye-bye, Nirvana.]

One of my top three favorite albums ever is Green Day’s American Idiot. All at once it can be considered derivative, calculated, and manipulative, yet sincere, original and compelling. American Idiot is a brilliant accomplishment, standing on the shoulders of the giants who came and went before, and one out of every three times you ask I will tell you it’s my all-time #1 pick. The 20 seconds that start at 4:35 in “Jesus of Suburbia” distill everything that the Sex Pistols and The Clash were all about.

By Request

My sister Jean asked for a particular song, and here it is. Pompous and bloated, even compared to the Moody Blues, and not as creepy as DOA by Bloodrock, but with a neat ambiance. Dig that old analog synthesizer sound!

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/JUL/KingCrimson.mp3]

It’s Easy To Forget

I’m a fan of the work of Dennis Potter. The thought has occurred to me that perhaps J.K. Rowling named Harry in his honor. He’s the sort of writer I suspect she would appreciate. If you don’t know who I’m talking about — and I’m sure Brian Sibley does — please look him up now.

When I hear this song I think of Dennis Potter, and if you don’t like what you’re about to hear, don’t tell me, because I think this is wonderful. It’s sometimes easy to forget what made certain performers from long ago great. Here’s Bing Crosby at his best.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/JUN/DerBingle.mp3]

Tagged Song

OK, here’s another one of seven songs I want to feature, after being tagged by Brian Sibley. You’ll see the artist and title when you play it. This really holds up as a late period psychedelic sci-fi classic.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/JUN/Bowie.mp3]

Culture Clashes

I’ve been tagged by Brian Sibley. This is a new concept for me, but it seems to mean that I’m supposed to highlight seven songs that I’m into right now. I can’t do all seven right now, but let’s start with one that runs over the end credits of the excellent Japanese movie Linda, Linda, Linda, featured here one year ago.

The movie is about a high school girl band practicing a song by the Japanese punk band The Blue Hearts for a high school talent show. The DVD supplementary material includes lengthy commentary from Patrick Macias, an American expert in Japanese Pop culture. Here, Macias provides a one minute introduction to The Blue Hearts.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/JUN/PatrickMacias.mp3]

This is “An Endless Song,” the Blue Hearts record that runs over the closing credits…

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/JUN/BlueHeartsEndlessSong.mp3]

…and this is The Clash from 1977.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/JUN/CareerOpportunities.mp3]

That recording came from a British import LP, and it has the nice full and smooth sound that’s characteristic of better vinyl pressings.