Tampilkan postingan dengan label The Kinks. Tampilkan semua postingan
Tampilkan postingan dengan label The Kinks. Tampilkan semua postingan

Jumat, 20 April 2012

Top Ten Spaceship Songs


My musical exploration of space continues.

You may be wondering how I'm planning on getting up into the stars? Here's ten modes of interstellar transportation I considered...



10. The Rezillos - Flying Saucer Attack

Laser beams and gamma projectors
There'll be nothing on earth to protect us
When they arrive out of the sky
They'll be frying us alive

I think I'll wait for the next bus.

9. Def Leppard - Rocket

Oh, come on, you know you don't mean that. It's only Def Leppard. Calm down. Who wouldn't want to go into space with poodle-rockers from Sheffield and a one-armed drummer?

8. Starship - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now

They started out as a Jefferson Airplane, but that wasn't going to be Slick enough to get them into space. Becoming a Starship rocketed them to the top of the charts.

Heh. DJ puns. They could have been my life.

7. The Wedding Present - Flying Saucer

Dave Gedge has been collecting rusty old spacecraft for years. He also has a Rocket (though sadly you can't hear that on youtube).

6. Suicide - Rocket USA

If flying saucers ever did invade earth, this would be the perfect song to accompany their otherworldly attack. Deeply unsettling, even though it's actually got very little to do with space travel.

5. Peter Parker - Swallow The Rockets

The name of this band is Peter Parker. 'Nuff said.

If I had to go into space, I'd want Peter Parker as my co-pilot. Obviously.

4. Julian Cope - Spacehopper

Julian Cope may well be singing about the orange children's toy with hang-on ears... but I like to picture him riding through space on said item. Kind of like the Silver Surfer... but cooler.

3. Billy Bragg - My Flying Saucer

Care of Woody Guthrie, a sad little song about getting deserted by the mothership. Just like ET. Billy Bragg phone home.

2. Elbow - Lippy Kids

The "title" track from 'Build A Rocket, Boys!'

1. The Kinks - Supersonic Rocket Ship
On my supersonic rocket ship
Nobody has to be hip
Nobody needs to be out of sight. Out of sight.
Nobody's gonna travel second class
There'll be equality
And no suppression of minorities. Well alright.
We'll take this planet, shake it round
And turn it upside down.
My supersonic rocket ship.

Ray Davies: astronaut of pop genius.



So, that's my transportation sorted. If you had to go into space on a musical ship... which would you choose?


Kamis, 07 Juli 2011

Top Twenty "I'm Free!" Songs


Anyone spot a theme developing here?


20. Kenny Loggins - I'm Free (Heaven Helps The Man)

See, Footloose wasn't the only Kenny Loggins song.

I am, however, willing to hear your argument that it was the only good Kenny Loggins song. Nice beard, Ken.

(From 'Footloose - 15th Anniversary Collectors' Edition')


19. The Who - I'm Free / Roger Daltrey - Free Me

Roger Daltrey's a proper rock star - he can swim and sing at the same time.

It's curious though... when he was in The Who, he sang I'm Free... yet when he went solo, he started singing Free Me.

(I'm Free from 'Tommy')

(Free Me from 'McVicar - Original Soundtrack')

18. Belinda Carlisle - Live Your Life Be Free

I used to have the major hots for Belinda Carlisle.

Oh. Just watched the video. Still do.

(From 'The Best of Belinda Vol.1')

17. Billy Taylor - I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel To Be Free)

Or, the theme music to Film (whichever year) with Barry Norman. Jazz. Nice. And why not?

16. Wham! - Freedom

Of course, strictly speaking this shouldn't be here. Not because it's Wham! - but because George is so insistent he doesn't want your freedom. Still... he's never been one for telling the truth 100%, has he? Best. Wham! Song. Ever.

(From 'The Best of Wham!')

15. The Clash - Stay Free

A rare lead vocal turn from Mick Jones, inviting us to go on a nicking spree, hit the wrong guy, but stay free.

(From 'Give 'Em Enough Rope')

14. Johnny Cash - I'm Free From The Chain Gang Now

A more appropriate title I couldn't hope to find, given my current circumstances.

(From 'American V - A Hundred Highways')

13. Lou Reed - I'm So Free / The Velvet Undergound - I'm Set Free

Obviously a popular theme in Lou Reed's songwriting.

(I'm So Free from 'Transformer')

(I'm Set Free from 'The Velvet Underground')

12. Matt Monro - Born Free

Written by John Barry for the film adaptation of Joy Adamson's book on the adventures of Elsa the Lioness.

Born free - and life is worth living
But only worth living... 'cos you're Born Free!

(From 'Born Free')

11. Jimi Hendrix - Stone Free

The first song Jimi ever wrote. They couldn't hold him down.

(From 'Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix')

10. Toyah - I Want To Be Free

"I don't wanna go to school
I don't wanna be nobody's fool
I wanna be me
I wanna be free..."

Even as a kid, I found Toyah somewhat scary. A posh punk Kate Bush wannabe? I was never quite sure if she was serious... or an art school project. Her later career confirmed the latter, but this still stands up well as a testament to its time.

(From 'Good Morning Universe - The Very Best Of Toyah')

9. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Freebird

"Awesome guitar solo at the end," says the guy who posted this on youtube, repeatedly. He has a point.

(From 'Greatest Hits')

8. Luke Doucet - Free

Catchy Canadian guitar pop from former Man of Veal.

(From 'Broken')

7. Cream - I Feel Free

Eric Clapton has his unpleasant side, we can't get away from that, but he did make some pleasing noise back in them old days. Insert cool muso Ginger Baker reference here too.

(From 'The Very Best Of Cream')

6. Kirsty MacColl - Free World

One more reason to miss Miss MacColl..

And I'll see you baby when the clans rise again
Women and men united in the struggle
In this free world baby
Got to take it got to grab it
Got to get it up and shag it
In this free world

(From 'Kite')

5. The Kinks - Set Me Free

It's the Kinks. That's all you need to know.

(From 'The Kinks - The Ultimate Collection')

4. The Vines - Get Free

Rifftastic, hoarse-throated Aussie rock at its loudest and proudest.

(From 'Highly Evolved')

3. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Free Fallin'

It's unfortunate that I can't hear this tune without thinking of Tom Cruise being a smug bastard in Jerry Maguire... but that's hardly Tom Petty's fault. It's still a great song.

(From 'Anthology: Through The Years')

2. Queen - I Want To Break Free

"I want to break free from your lies
You're so self-satisfied, I don't need you."

The song that killed Queen's career in America - turns out the MTV audiences just weren't ready for Freddie's dragged up Coronation Street tribute video. Shame.

(From 'The Works')

1. The Rolling Stones / The Soup Dragons - I'm Free



(From 'The Rolling Stones Singles Collection: The London Years')

"I'm free to do what I want any old time..."

That would include bastardizing an old Stones song as a baggy 90s indie-dance anthem. Still, we were young, we were crazy, we were... free.



(From 'Lovegod')

So... which record makes you feel free?


Rabu, 20 April 2011

My Top Ten Thunder Songs


So the THOR movie is almost upon us and appears to be getting halfway decent reviews too. Good old Kenneth Branagh, eh? I won't be seeing it for a while, but in honour of the God of Thunder, what better than a Top Ten Thunder songs?

If you're really good, we'll do lightning next week.


Special mentions go to Thunder, Thunderthighs, Thunderclap Newman... and (thanks to Rob), Thor himself... with Thunder On The Tundra! (Nice hammer.)



10. Kiss - God Of Thunder ( From Greatest Hits)

The most appropriate record on the list, if not the best, though Kiss seem to be confusing Thor with Elvis... he's not just the God of Thunder, he's also the God of Rock 'n' Roll. And a very naughty boy too, no doubt.

9. Leo Sayer - Thunder In My Heart ( From The Show Must Go On: The Very Best Of Leo Sayer)

Man, that is one serious 'do, Leo.

I can't help but think of Kenny Everett while watching this video.

8.Alphabeat - 10,000 Nights Of Thunder ( From This is Alphabeat)

I know absolutely zilch about Alphabeat, but this record found its way onto my radar a couple of years back and it's not an unpleasant way to spend 3 minutes and 30 seconds.

This is the first time I've ever seen the video though... and if I didn't know better, I'd swear the (male) lead singer was a young Chris Morris.

7. John Cougar Mellencamp - Thundering Hearts ( From American Fool)

Back when he was just a Cougar, JM took a motorcycle ride through the valley of the Thundering Hearts, and this was the result.

Louise recently bought Guitar Hero for her wii. Yes, we've jumped on board the Guitar Hero craze just as everybody else jumped off it (or maybe not). Anyway, one of our favourite songs to play, from Guitar Hero 5, is JCM's Hurts So Good. Just in case you were wondering.

6. The Kinks - Johnny Thunder

From my favourite Kinks album, The Village Green Preservation Society, the songs takes its name from the same DC Comics character that also christened the late New Yorks Dolls guitarist.


5. Tina Turner - We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) ( From All The Best)

From the movie Mad Max 3 - Beyond Thunderdome (1985) [DVD] - now there's a killer idea... Thor vs. Max Rockatansky. (Not in 3D.) C'mon, Hollywood - make it happen!

4. ACDC - Thunderstruck ( From The Razor's Edge)

Featured in the soundtrack to Iron Man 2(although the soundtrack to Iron Man 2 was pretty much a crass exercise at shifting a Greatest Hits album for a band that never does Greatest Hits albums).

Still worth getting your old school uniform on for...

3. Tom Jones - Thunderball ( From Best of Bond...James Bond)

Another soundtrack favourite. Tom Jones allegedly fainted while singing the last line in the recording studio, so much thunder did he put into his performance. Big girl's blouse.

2. Prince - Thunder

Here's a story I might have told before.

Thunder is the opening track to the album Diamonds And Pearls. I remember buying the CD as soon as it came out and rushing home to listen to it. Realising I had to work that night, I decided to copy the CD onto cassette to listen to in my car on the way (this was 1991, so forgive me for not having an in-car CD player). To make sure the album filled the cassette, I programmed the CD player to repeat-play then left it recording while I went to have my tea. I returned, picked up the cassette, and set off to work. Thunder was a great opening track and I was really enjoying it... but, boy, did it go on. I was halfway to work before I started to get a little bored of it - how long was this track anyway? Was track 2 ever going to begin?

No. It wasn't. Because rather than repeat-play the whole album, I'd set the cassette to record repeat-play just track 1... and filled an entire C90 with it. A great song then... but perhaps not one you want to hear for an hour and a half solid.

1. Bruce Springsteen - Thunder Road ( From Born To Run)

There is a constant debate going on in my head about which is my favourite Bruce Springsteen song. This is always one of the top contenders, and therefore has a pretty good chance of getting into my Top Ten Favourite Songs of ALL TIME.

The screen door slams
Mary's dress waves
Like a vision she dances across the porch
As the radio plays
Roy Orbison singing for the lonely
Hey that's me and I want you only
Don't turn me home again
I just can't face myself alone again



Do you have thunder in your heart? What song's it playing?

(Attention, Thor-fans, I reviewed Thor Visionaries Walt Simonson Volume 1 over at Comics On The Ration last week. Go there and say hi to Rob.)


Minggu, 18 Juli 2010

 

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