52% intelligent. 9% modest. More monkey than bear.

Friday, October 13, 2006

I hurt myself today

This weekend, I will be mostly:

-> eating a tagine whilst entertaining a guest from Switzerland
-> getting started on my CV (enough is enough)
-> meeting Yoko (it's about time, right?)
-> checking out C's brother's new pad in London
-> going to the Modigliani exhibition at the Royal Academy

oh, and posting the Earworms of the Week, obviously.

I've got a bottle of wine that needs opening, so let's just get on with it shall we?

Earworms of the Week - Guest Editor #44 - Cody Bones from It Is What It Is

Having been a fan of earworms, and Swiss Toni for awhile now, I’m honored as hell that I get to be guest editor, and to actually have an audience for what’s going through my head. I found ST through The Story of Why a while back and was not only amazed by his writing, but I thought to my self “That’s one great mustache”. It keeps me coming back. One of the reasons that I’ve loved the earworms segment is that I seem to have less exposure than ever to new music because of technology. I don’t listen to the radio in the car anymore, I listen to my iRiver. I really don’t watch MTV, or hang out downtown looking for up and coming bands anymore. Oh well, the joy of being 40. Earworms have given me new songs to download and listen to. So without any further ado, here are 10 songs that are not my 10 greatest hits, but more along the line of what I’ve heard lately on my Iriver, and have stuck in my head. Sorry Flash, no Gnu Cnu, but 'White Celebration' is still a crackling song. Enjoy.

1. Hurt - Johnny Cash

I started listening to Johnny Cash when I was young, and he was on the TV show Hee Haw. (Remember, there were only 4 channels to watch back then.) Quite simply, I think that he is one of the greatest musicians to have ever walked the planet. The honesty in his voice and music is so overwhelming to me. I realize that this is a Trent Reznor song, but to me Johnny Cash truly made it his own in this recording. Haunting.

2. Dani California – Red Hot Chili Peppers

One of the benefits of having a teenager is that they hear new songs before you do. I especially like it when our taste in bands coincide (he doesn’t though). The Peppers have managed to chart in three different decades, quite an accomplishment if you ask me. This also managed to be a good song, unlike the Stones with 'Start Me Up', for their third decade hit. Typical Peppers song, rockin with just enough funk. “Poppa was a copper, mama was a hippie

3. Snap your fingers – Lil Jon

My son’s ring tone. Nuff said

4. Temperature – Sean Paul

This is the type of song that is not quite my usual taste in music, but I can’t get it out of my head. The Caribbean beat is fantastic. My foot is in constant motion when I hear this song even though I only understand about half the lyrics.

5. Certain Romance - Arctic Monkeys

I started to listen to the Arctic Monkeys about 6 months ago when they were mentioned almost every day in blog land. After downloading a few songs, I found to my surprise, that I actually like them. They seem to be a combination of The Clash, and The English Beat, two of my favorite bands, again, a song I don’t seem to be able to get out of my head, but unlike 'Temperature', a song I’m happy to have there.

6. Bullet with Butterfly Wings – The Smashing Pumpkins

My favorite song, by my favorite band. I was living in the near north side of Chicago in the late 80’s-early 90’s, when the Pumpkins were getting their start, and I saw them perform at the Cabaret Metro numerous times. I think that Jimmy Chamberlin is the best drummer in rock history [ST's note: Dave Grohl? Keith Moon? John Bonham? Nico McBrain?], and Billy Corgan is truly a genius [ST's note: ?!?]. “Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage” I can’t tell you how many times I think about these lyrics in my everyday life. The good news is that the Pumpkins have reformed, and are in the studio recording a new album. I hope I’m not disappointed.

7. Who Are You – The Who

Of all the big 3 British Invasion bands, I’ll take The Who over the Beatles or Stones any day. The Who, were the first band that I know of to use anger in their music. These boys were angry at the world. The punk rock and alternative music scenes probably never would have happened without The Who. I love music that has an honest attitude. None of this pretend teen angst crap that a lot of manufactured bands try to pawn off on us, The Who, with 'Who Are You', just scream about the emptiness of life. I went to a showing of the movie 'Tommy' when I was 16, and sat next to a beautiful girl, who I happened to like. After the show, she kept saying “I get it, I get it”. Unfortunately for me I didn’t get 'Tommy' then, and it took me years of therapy to get over that one. Oh well, I still love the Who

I woke up in a Soho doorway, a policeman knew my name.
He said You can go sleep at home tonight if you can get up and walk away.
I staggered back to the underground, where the breeze blew back my hair.
I remember throwing punches around, and preaching from my chair


Good stuff, especially the voice. Delivered with attitude and authority by Roger Daltry

8. Cracklin Rosie – Neil Diamond

Jelvis(The Jewish Elvis). To a certain subset of the population, this man is God. I’m not Jewish, but sometimes I can’t help myself. I don’t know why, but he is my guilty pleasure. 'Cracklin Rosie' and 'Sweet Caroline' can also be considered two of the most popular sing along songs in history. Last, but not least, and much to the chagrin of my wife and friends, 'Cracklin Rosie' is MY Karaoke song. I rock. “Cracklin rose you’re a store bought women, but you make me sing like a guitar humming”. In case you were wondering, the song is about a bottle of cheap wine. It doesn’t get any better than this.

9. Backwater – Meat Puppets

This song popped up on my iRiver the other day, and I had forgotten how much I liked it. The album was 'Too High to Die', and was released in 1994. There was also a track on the CD that was listed as #99. Kind of a hidden track called “Lake of Fire”. Oh well, I was a big fan of the Puppets, and this song still rocks today. Take a listen.

10. Playing in the Band – Grateful Dead

In interest of full disclosure, yes I was a deadhead. I saw them perform probably 15 different times throughout the U.S.. My first Dead show was in 1982, and I was at the last show in Solider Field here in Chicago before Jerry died. The dead were just different, no category, no hit albums, just a bunch of guys playing in the band. It’s one of the reasons that I always liked this song. When I got the e-mail for Swiss Toni, it’s one of the first songs that I thought of. ( I like to work backwards.) Jerry’s guitar work, Bob Weir’s singing. The double drum beat. Classic

----

Thanks Cody. Not sure about your nomination for the best drummer of all time (Meg White? Ringo? Ginger Baker? Mitch Mitchell? Animal?), but it's all good, eh?

Our next Guest Editor is another American (will that be the third one in a row?), but at least I know we'll be in safe hands.... not least because she's just had two CDs in the post from me [cough cough!] Yup. Next week it's Jenni!

Yay!

[Previous Guest Editors: Flash, The Urban Fox, Lord Bargain, Retro-Boy, Statue John, Ben, OLS, Ka, Jenni, Aravis, Yoko, Bee, Charlie, Tom, Di, Spin, The Ultimate Olympian, Damo, Mike, RedOne, The NumNum, Leah, Le Moine Perdu, clm, Michael, Hyde, Adem, Alecya, bytheseashore, adamant, Earworms of the Year 2005, Delrico Bandito, Graham, Lithaborn, Phil, Mark II, Stef, Kaptain Kobold, bedshaped, I have ordinary addictions, TheCatGirlSpeaks, Lord B rides again, Tina, Charlie II]

9 Comments:

  • At 6:43 pm, Blogger Jenni said…

    cough cough indeed. So, I'm a bit behind on posting that review. I'll get on it. Have you received yours yet???

     
  • At 6:56 pm, Blogger swisslet said…

    not yet, but the shuffleathon will conclude one day, I'm sure of it!

    ST

     
  • At 10:02 pm, Blogger Stef said…

    ST, sounds like a top weekend!

    Cody, you have an iRiver too? Cool. It has to be said, I rather like the Smashing Pumpkins but feel you may have oversold them slightly.

    Meat Puppets? Who the hell thought of that name?!

     
  • At 1:29 am, Blogger Mark said…

    come all the way to London and don't fit us in eh? *SULK*

     
  • At 2:35 am, Blogger Michael said…

    Note on the Smashing Pumpkins: being another chicago area person, I'm in near agreement on the Smashing Pumpkins. Billy Corgan is a musical genius, although the band and their recordings as a whole had its ups and downs (like they were really bad without Chamberlain for that album or two.)

    As far as great drummers, Chamberlain is an excellent one. He was very musical in his style, and plays off of Corgan's writing extremely well. By far one of my faves...

    But, if you're going to have me name a favorite drummer... Its going to be Danney Carey from Tool.

     
  • At 12:11 am, Blogger Cody Bones said…

    Ok, I accept that the fact that the best drummer ever is a subjective one, but RINGO? Not a prayer. He was the second best drummer in the friggin beatles for God's sake.

     
  • At 2:21 pm, Blogger Stef said…

    Ringo was dreadful, I think everyone is in agreement there.

    "...Its going to be Danney Carey from Tool."
    Exsqueeze me? Baking powder?


    Lizzy, please don't mention that name, it makes me feel ill.

     
  • At 10:41 pm, Blogger swisslet said…

    ringo may well be the luckiest man alive, but he makes my list of great drummers for reasons beyond mere drumming - Octopus' Garden, for one thing.

    And that guy from Tool - Stef, have you listened to much Tool? He's on the list man...

    http://tinyurl.com/52zcf

    You see, I reseach this stuff and *everything*.

    ST

     
  • At 12:51 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I have to side with Cody Bones. With all due respect for Ringo, he's not even in the top 5 of "Best drummer ever" ranking on www.rankopedia.com

     

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