SONGS LIST BELONGS IN BLENDER

New York Post ^ | September 15, 2005 | Michael Kane

[ConservativeStatement]

September 15, 2005 -- THE October issue of Blender magazine, on newsstands Tuesday, lists "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born," which, for their readers, means the best songs since 1980.

No. 1 is "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson. Catchy, important. A good choice.

[Caramelgal]

I agree. Cobain mumbled incoherently. It wasn’t until I heard the Tori Amos cover of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” that I appreciated that there was some depth to the lyrics.

[Temple Owl]

Stardust, Red Sails in the Sunset, Harbor Lights, Deep Purple,
Continue on.

[Ichneumon]

For those 25 and older YOUR MUSIC SUCKS.

Would you like us to tell you how much of "your" 25-and-under" music is actually just remakes of *our* music? LOL.

[Burr5]

The very idea that we have to argue Rush music vs. Michael Jackson and "rap music" is enough to convince anyone who knows what the hell they're talking about that this list was not created by musicians. They almost never are.

Don't waste time arguing with an edditorial board that is completely unqualified to decide these things. Led Zeppelin fans, for example might ask how in the world "Billie Jean" (nice bass riff- nothing else) is superior to "Stairway to Heaven", "Kashmir", "Since I've Been Loving You", or "When the Levee Breaks".

This kind of crap is so stupid that you marvel at the audacity these pinheads display when they put such nonesense out.

BTW, if you are as big a Rush fan as me, you might want to check out Dream Theater. "Images and Words", "Falling Into Infinity", and "Octavarium" are each 100x more valuable than any of the punk-rap-alt-pop-disco BS on this list.

[ConservativeStatement]

I used to listen to a metal show on Sunday night's (mid 80s) on a college radio station station here. Their intro was snippets of different songs but I recall was "You heard your mother, turn that s--- off." LOL!

It was Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, et al before radio played those bands.

[spinestein]

[My parents thought the Beatles were pure noise when they first came out until later on when my mother, a former music student and opera singer, recognized the genius of McCartney-Lennon as songwriters.]


They're both right.

When the Beatles first came out they were a pure teeny bopper band that put out 3 minute cheesy love songs. They did this until they gathered enough of a following with their hit singles that they could record the more artistic albums that they really wanted to do.

Sgt Pepper's was their first "concept album" with real musical integrity and their genius never quit until the band's breakup.

[ConservativeStatement]

A Rhode Island DJ named "The Doctor," who perished in the huge nightclub fire a year or so ago, loved Dream Theater -- it was listed in his online bio, too.

[spinestein]

[I agree. Cobain mumbled incoherently. It wasn’t until I heard the Tori Amos cover of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” that I appreciated that there was some depth to the lyrics.]


Interesting. There is a "cover" of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', complete with a video, that I forgot about until now, that was done by Weird Al Yankovic. It's a parody, of course, and the joke in the video is that you can't understand the lyrics.



Weird Al's "Smells Like Nirvana"

What is this song all about?
Can’t figure any lyrics out
How do the words to it go?
I wish you’d tell me, I don’t know
Don’t know, don’t know, don’t know...

Now I’m mumblin’ and I’m screamin’
And I don’t know what I’m singin’
Crank the volume, ears are bleedin’
I still don’t know what I’m singin’
We’re so loud and incoherent
Boy, this oughta bug your parents
Yeah

It’s unintel-ligible
I just can’t get it through my skull
It’s hard to bargle nawdle zouss(?????)
With all these marbles in my mouth
Don’t know, don’t know, don’t know...

Well, we don’t sound like madonna
Here we are now, we’re nirvana
Sing distinctly? we don’t wanna
Buy our album, we’re nirvana
A garage band from seattle
Well, it sure beats raising cattle
Yeah

And I forgot the next verse
Oh well, I guess it pays to rehearse
The lyric sheet’s so hard to find
What are the words? oh, nevermind
Don’t know, don’t know, don’t know...

Well, I’m yellin’ and we’re playin’
But I don’t know what I’m sayin’
What’s the message I’m conveyin’?
Can you tell me what I’m sayin’?
So have you got some idea?
Didn’t think so -- well, I’ll see ya
Sayonara, sayonara
Ayonawa, odinawa
Odinaya, yodinaya
Yadda yadda, yaaah yaaah
Ayaaaaaah!

Weird Al always gets permission from the artists he parodies, and Kurt Cobain said he liked the idea about making fun of him mumbling through the words in the song.

[ConservativeStatement]

Though it was written in the 1840's, I will always maintain that "O Holy Night" is one of the greatest songs ever penned -- Christmas or not. Prior to the holidays last year, a Freeper turned me onto a version by Aaron Neville and she was right on -- powerful!

[spinestein]

There was a tiny little FM station in Aurora, Illinois that broadcast only a few watts in MONO and could only be heard up to about 20 miles away that played Metallica, Megadeath, Slayer, and LOTS of Black Sabbath back around 1983 and onward.

They're long gone, but it brings back memories of cruisin' around in high school, banging our heads against the car seats.

[ConservativeStatement]

I think I saw you in Wayne's World or was it Dazed and Confused? :-)

[MinuteGal]

Oh, Holy Night (Cantique de Noel)........I agree, it's an incredibly beautiful melody.....even if it was penned by Adolphe Adam, a French composer, LOL.

Leni

[spinestein]

Dream Theatre is the only band I've ever heard that could do justice to covering Rush songs.

I've had to play a few of Geddy's basslines myself as part of a cover band, and it's all I can do to take shortcuts and cheat my way through playing the songs, hoping no one notices the notes I leave out.:^)

[spinestein]

["The Five Hundred Greatest Hits Since You Were Born"....]

[[Since I was born in nineteen ought one, I'm sticking my oar in.]]



But if you were born in 2001, then it would have to be "The Five Greatest Hits Since You Were Born".

[MinuteGal]

I hear ya, LOL.

Leni

[spinestein]

I saw the Australian classical guitar player Tommy Emmanuel do a show for about 300(?) people at the Chautauqua in Bayfield WI in 2004, and he played an incredibly beautiful version of "Somewhere over the Rainbow". I looked around when he had finished playing the song and I saw a whole lot of tissue out and very few dry eyes.

He is probably the most talented solo musician that I know of, and certainly the most moving performer.

http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/

[orchid]

Then there is the old joke about a child's drawing of a Nativity scene - "Oh that's round John virgin."

[Burr5]

Tommy Emmanuel sounds really good, although the snipet on his web-site doesn't suggest that he's a "classical" guitarist. Is he maybe a Jazz or Nashville session guy? Either way, he's ripping through those modes (ever so slightly) faster than I can, and I gotta respect that.

Everyone should click on spinestein's link and ask themselves:
Can anyone in 50 Cent's "band" do that?
Could Kurt Cobain have done that?
How about the Sex Pistols? I hear Rolling Stone says they were "important" or something.

[superfluousdude]

to0 bad it was a coversong

[MinuteGal]

Very interesting link, thanks.

I never heard of him, but sure would like to hear him play in person.

I enjoy listening to solo string instrumentalists. My late grandfather played the guitar, bass, mandolin and piano. I never will forget the old days when we all stood around the piano and sang the oldie, goodie songs. Almost a vanished scenario, alas.

Leni