Some bands make a return engagement this week in Top Ten Land but don't
hold it against me. It's simply of bands that I wanted to listen to.
Plus a couple nods to the latest installment of Little Steven's
Underground Garage new Coolest Songs In The World Volume 8. I'm still
surprised that I'm still collecting the overlong digipak myself. But
first, a moment of silence to Randy Bewley, guitarist from Pylon who
passed away due to a heart attack. Pylon was the more underground
Athens band in the early 80s that brought us the B-52s and REM.
Sometimes Vanessa Hay pops in here to say hello. Randy will be missed.
1.
Already Gone-The Eagles 1974 I suppose I'm losing my street cred by
adding another overplayed classic from this band but this is my favorite
Eagles song in their history. Not even Sheryl Crow could screw this
song up but I'm sure she'll take her best shot at it.
2. Escape
The Nest-Editors 2007 With the hoopla surrounding Coldplay and
Radiohead I'm shocked that this band never made it big on the charts. I
think they sound a bit more danceable than The Killers ever did and
that includes their debut. Even Mark Prindle gave them a favorable
review. Perhaps that was the kiss of death. Mark Prindle knows more
than you do Bob Lefsetz (sometimes).
3. A Round-The Gimmecaps
1991 Side project of Wilco bass player/guitarist John Stirratt who made
this album but didn't see it get released till about six years later
probaly to capitalize on John's Wilco fame. Kinda sounds more in tune
with the Danny Whitten led Crazy Horse years. But then again I don't
expect too much of y'all out there to go find it.
4. Days-David
Bowie 2003 Mr Major Tom's albums of the the past couple decades sucked
except for Reality which bombed and pissed Bowie off to the point that
he hasn't made anything new since then, but Little Steven thought so
much of this song that he included it on the latest installment of
Coolest Songs In The World Volume 8 which you can get at your local FYE
store, if your local FYE store is still in business. Not to be confused
of the same name song by The Kinks.
5. Together And Free-Climax
Blues Band 1977 This was the followup to their number one smash
Couldn't Get It Right and it bombed on the charts. But they're still
getting their royalties from Couldn't Get It Right to which they must
have gotten it right in the first place. Later they scored with 1980
MOR hit I Love You, which played at many a wedding in the 1980s.
6. Parachutes-Cold play 2000 For all their recorded output they were up
and down. I did like Viva La Vida, didn't care much for X and Y. Liked
A Rush Of Blood To The Head, and didn't care much for their debut album
to which I finally got around to hear. Too much of the dreaded R word
for comparison.
7. Turn To Stone-Joe Walsh 1974 Two versions of
this you know about. The first one comes from his Barnstorm album and a
bit more prog rock, the second a minor hit from So What. One of a few
songs that my side project is trying to figure out how to play.
8.
Chinese Burn-The Len Price 3 2007 This UK Band owes more to The
Kinks/Who than the Coldplay/Radiohead that UK Bands tend to favor.
Which is why I prefer The Len Price 3 for their following true rock and
roll roots and not the flavor of the month cowpie that you hear on the
radio.
9. Red Firecracker-The Jayhawks 1989 Since Gary Louris
and Mark Olson made their CSPS concert last week, I've been pulling out
their Jayhawks albums of long ago and realize how good their first two
albums still are after all these years. This is the most Crazy Horse
sounding and it seems like every Americana band had their share of Neil
Young/Crazy Horse albums.
10. Dream Again-Franz Ferdinand 2009
I think this week's top ten we have had more songs from this decade in
quite a while. Which all goes to show that I haven't given up on the
music of today if you can believe that. But with the music industry in a
tailspin and all we get to hear on the radio is Sheryl Crow and that
GD Bad Day song from Daniel Prowter, no wonder nobody gives a
shit about music today. FF has survived three albums on a major label
so they are that rare occasion. And the jury is still out on FF, if
people will remember them 10 years from now it's hard to say. Tonight:
Franz Ferdinand is them trying to do something different and they miss
more than they hit, but give them enuff time and by the time you get
around to track 11 you get to hear this moody piece that does feel a bit
out of place with the dance music. Give them credit for trying to be a
bit different. That's all we ask for.
And Peter (easy rider) Fonda turned 69 on Monday. Another reminder of how time is flying by.
Mark Prindle counterpoint on....
Franz
Ferdinand - I HATE THIS BAND. Scottish hookless disco-rock with
arrogant, weedy vocals. To me, they represent everything that's wrong
with today's so-called "rock" music, and it boggles my mind that ANYBODY
IN THE WORLD finds this shit appealing.
