Rod Stewart's worst 80s hit is better than anything the Faces ever recorded. Christ, what an inexplicably beloved pile that band was.
― Don Van Gorp, midwest regional VP, marketing (誤訳侮辱), Thursday, 1 September 2016 18:41 (seven years ago) link
looking forward to the Rod thread, I don't think I know any of his songs aside from Sailing, Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? and Young Turks (I like the second two and find the first unbearable which always made me doubt the "he used to be good then he totally lost it" narrative - but I've just looked and Sailing is on Atlantic Crossing which is supposed to be the beginning of the critically unacclaimed years, so maybe isn't representative of early Rod as I'd always assumed?)
― corbynite, shite (soref), Thursday, 1 September 2016 18:45 (seven years ago) link
Roger DaltreyPete TownshendCSNThe Beach Boys
Stewart wins.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, September 1, 2016 2:38 PM (seven minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I'll take Endless Wire over Rod's The Great American Songbook Christmas Kidz Bop And What The Hell It's Almost Halloween, I Think part MCMVLXXXIII any day.
And Pete's playing now is light years beyond Rod's current voice (or anyone else's playing, for that matter).
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 1 September 2016 18:50 (seven years ago) link
We Built This City is a great single imo. I love the story that various radio stations in the US replaced the spoken word "the city by the bay" DJ spiel bit with a different spoken word spiel about their own city/radio station, are there any other hits that were similarly adapted?
― corbynite, shite (soref), Thursday, 1 September 2016 18:50 (seven years ago) link
Can't comment on Endless Wire but Rod's voice on those Songbook records is a menace. He seems to think that baby-talk is the same thing as crooning.
― rhymes with "blondie blast" (cryptosicko), Thursday, 1 September 2016 18:52 (seven years ago) link
xxxpost:
All the good stuff is pre-Atlantic Crossing. His solo albums fro 1969-1974, plus everything he did with Faces, plus 'In a Broken Dream' = his best work.
― the hair - it's lost its energy (Turrican), Thursday, 1 September 2016 18:53 (seven years ago) link
no complaints on the Suckbook material, for which he has no affinity, philosophical or musical.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 1 September 2016 18:53 (seven years ago) link
― corbynite, shite (soref), Thursday, September 1, 2016 2:50 PM (two minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
On the Pointer Sisters' "Fire" they overdubbed radio station call letters so that the line "I turn on the radio" was changed to (in Chicago) "I turn on WLS."
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 1 September 2016 18:53 (seven years ago) link
― the hair - it's lost its energy (Turrican),
No denying it but like we did with the Eagles we want to see how those late '70s albums hold up. I don't have any problem with Footloose and Fancy Free and A Night on the Town.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 1 September 2016 18:54 (seven years ago) link
Oh, I'll be keeping an eye on the thread to see if anyone turns up any kind of forgotten gem.
― the hair - it's lost its energy (Turrican), Thursday, 1 September 2016 18:56 (seven years ago) link
Huey Lewis and the News did this for "The Heart of Rock and Roll." Maybe it's a mainstream SF thing.
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 1 September 2016 19:01 (seven years ago) link
xxpost:
Oh yeah, and the first two Jeff Beck Group LP's too... those can go on the "peak Rod" pile.
― the hair - it's lost its energy (Turrican), Thursday, 1 September 2016 19:02 (seven years ago) link
Also, anyone praising this song still as being 'great' is somehow defective, and I reserve the right to rip out your eardrums. I do this to save you from yourself, no need to thank me.
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 1 September 2016 19:03 (seven years ago) link
Second Jeff Beck Group record is meh, and the absence of Mickey Waller is largely why.
Truth is obviously all-time, and Zep wouldn't exist without it.
xp
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 1 September 2016 19:10 (seven years ago) link
The most offensive thing about "We Built This City" are Grace Slick's clothes on the single cover.
wtf are you talking about, her look is awesome!
― brimstead, Thursday, 1 September 2016 19:19 (seven years ago) link
Are "someone stole the stage" and "who rides the wrecking ball into our guitars?" supposed to be the lines that complain about techno pop? Like, I'm not even totally sure that this was unintended:
I hear unintended compositional irony: The song validates synclaviers as worthwhile foundation stones in this city of rock 'n' roll.
― Hi! I'm twice-coloured! (Sund4r), Thursday, 1 September 2016 20:15 (seven years ago) link
I meant musically.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 1 September 2016 20:18 (seven years ago) link
Ha, so it was the guitarist from the band who was saying they were complaining? I'll defer to him then.
― Hi! I'm twice-coloured! (Sund4r), Thursday, 1 September 2016 20:23 (seven years ago) link
Another candidate (one I can support) is nominated.
― Don Van Gorp, midwest regional VP, marketing (誤訳侮辱), Thursday, 1 September 2016 20:47 (seven years ago) link
Meanwhile in England...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GenPArDAdls
― Camaraderie at Arms Length, Thursday, 1 September 2016 20:56 (seven years ago) link
We Built This New Town (On Smack and Dole)
― the hair - it's lost its energy (Turrican), Thursday, 1 September 2016 21:17 (seven years ago) link
"The guitarist from the band" is Craig Chaqico and he was a total guitar stud from the day he joined JS as a 17 year old.
― brimstead, Thursday, 1 September 2016 21:33 (seven years ago) link
and I probably spelled his name wrong
― brimstead, Thursday, 1 September 2016 21:34 (seven years ago) link
He also seems to think that Guglielmo Marconi would have played or even listened to 'mamba' so I'm beginning to question my deference to his interpretation of the lyrical message.
― Hi! I'm twice-coloured! (Sund4r), Friday, 2 September 2016 11:49 (seven years ago) link
Like, what I was trying to say earlier was that, before reading the article, I did not really think of the song as trying to make an anti-synth statement, ironic or otherwise. Did any psychedelic band explicitly object to synthesizers or electronic music technology in the 60s? (I know that some hard rock bands did later from the mid-70s onwards.)
― Hi! I'm twice-coloured! (Sund4r), Friday, 2 September 2016 12:25 (seven years ago) link
Did any psychedelic band explicitly object to synthesizers or electronic music technology in the 60s?
No way, man, because in the '60s synths and electronic music were still totally far out and anti-establishment.
http://moreorlessbunk.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/tumblr_mjart3dSfz1qzhoqfo1_1280-1-2.jpg
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Friday, 2 September 2016 13:26 (seven years ago) link
^ Aw, sticking it to "The Man" with bleepy synths. How quaint.
― the hair - it's lost its energy (Turrican), Friday, 2 September 2016 15:32 (seven years ago) link
yeah psych rocker attitude towards synths in the late 60s was probably like "whoa far out, man, look at all those wires.. listen to that shit, man, wow, groovy, where can i buy one?"
― brimstead, Saturday, 3 September 2016 04:49 (seven years ago) link
magic alex!
― brimstead, Saturday, 3 September 2016 04:50 (seven years ago) link
i could imagine jorma and jack from JA being hesitant about synths, though... just because for all their acid fried otherworldly shredding.. they had a pretty trad blues/folk background, iirc. i know they were taken aback seeing the Who destroy instruments on stage ("your guitar... that's a sacred totem, man, you gotta respect your instrument"). lots of weird noises all over airplane records, though.
― brimstead, Saturday, 3 September 2016 04:53 (seven years ago) link
I think the technology for early synths was so rare and studio time so precious that coming across them was probably quite novel.
To me the band that seemed to make a big deal about not using synths was Queen.
― earlnash, Saturday, 3 September 2016 06:14 (seven years ago) link
The big deal in Queen's case was less anti tech and more "No really, Brian May's guitar does sound like that!"
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 3 September 2016 15:41 (seven years ago) link
had no idea Mickey Thomas got attacked by a bandmate in a bar and that's why he needed facial reconstruction surgery.
― Neanderthal, Saturday, 3 September 2016 15:49 (seven years ago) link
omg this video
― Neanderthal, Saturday, 3 September 2016 15:50 (seven years ago) link
lol at him singing at Lincoln Memorial about to cry. i haven't seen this since i was 5
man I had no idea Grace Slick was 47 at the time
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 3 September 2016 15:54 (seven years ago) link
still looked and sounded vibrant as hell. that's why of the Starship material I prefer the cheesy "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now". her voice is still sexy and powerful as hell on that, where it has no utility on We Built This City given how low in her register she has to sing it.
plus also Mannequin video lol
― Neanderthal, Saturday, 3 September 2016 15:56 (seven years ago) link
Everyone deserves a pop hit in their 47th year.
― thrill of transgressin (Eazy), Saturday, 3 September 2016 16:27 (seven years ago) link
can't wait for my single about the Trump presidency to drop in 2028
― Neanderthal, Saturday, 3 September 2016 16:41 (seven years ago) link
“We Built This City” was written and recorded in stages, by an assembly line of songwriters. (Cancer, too, develops in stages.)
Fuck off, Rob Tannenbaum.
― rhymes with "blondie blast" (cryptosicko), Monday, 5 September 2016 02:21 (seven years ago) link
i am listening to this song right now and i like it
― Pull your head on out your hippy haze (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 6 October 2016 20:00 (seven years ago) link
that "Planes" vid upthread is fucking hilarious
― waht, I am true black metal worrior (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 7 March 2017 05:00 (seven years ago) link
The song came on while I was eating at Taco Bell and it made the fact I was eating Taco Bell even more depressing.
― Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Monday, 1 May 2017 21:35 (seven years ago) link
We built this city on Taco Bell
― Naive Teen Idol, Saturday, 3 August 2019 20:16 (four years ago) link
Ma Coley drops the chalupa
― frustration and wonky passion (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 3 August 2019 20:17 (four years ago) link
Grace Slick = oldest woman to have a number one single, except for Cher ("Believe")
― Josefa, Saturday, 3 August 2019 21:36 (four years ago) link
knee deep in the chalupa
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Saturday, 3 August 2019 21:43 (four years ago) link
Listen to the raving ho
― i'd rather zing like a man, than FP like a coward (Neanderthal), Monday, 5 August 2019 05:38 (four years ago) link
I always hated this song.... until today.
― Mardi Gras Mambo Sun (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 18 March 2022 19:38 (two years ago) link
That's good. You've taken your first step into a larger world.
― Please don’t take / My time change away (morrisp), Friday, 18 March 2022 19:41 (two years ago) link