VU's "Rock & Roll" vs the Modern Lovers' "Roadrunner"

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

She started shakin' to that fine fine music
You know her life was saved by rock 'n' roll

It helps me from being lonely late at night
I don't feel so bad now in the car
Don't feel so alone, got the radio on

― nicky lo-fi (nicky lo-fi), Monday, 2 October 2006 07:56 (seventeen years ago) link

Is that from "Roadrunner (thrice)"?

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 2 October 2006 07:58 (seventeen years ago) link

It's a very close call, but "roadrunner" turned up can still get the adrenaline flowing after over a thousand lifetime listens.

― nicky lo-fi (nicky lo-fi), Monday, 2 October 2006 08:02 (seventeen years ago) link

yeah, "roadrunner" easily. not quite a fair compare because there are a lot of better v.u. songs than rock'n'roll and not that many better j.r. songs than roadrunner. (better match-up might be mitch ryder's "rock n roll" vs. joan jett's "roadrunner" -- which i'd call a tie. and then i'd lose myself in a reverie about a mitch ryder/joan jett double bill.)

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Monday, 2 October 2006 08:21 (seventeen years ago) link

If we're just comparing the lyrics, then Roadrunner.
Otherwise, the more apt comparison would be Sister Ray vs. Roadruner, which Roadrunner would obviously lose.

― Dr Benway (dr benway), Monday, 2 October 2006 08:44 (seventeen years ago) link

"Rock & Roll" by a country mile, though I like "Roadrunner" fine. I've always heard it as J-Rich's hommage to "R&R" actually.

I first heard the VU song on FM radio around the time of Transformer and became obsessed w/it. Took me years to find a copy of LOaded, though. Love the Mitch Ryder version too.

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Monday, 2 October 2006 09:36 (seventeen years ago) link

"Roadrunner" by a good ways. Production is better.

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 2 October 2006 10:06 (seventeen years ago) link

Love'em both, but "Roadrunner" every time.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 2 October 2006 10:16 (seventeen years ago) link

Rock & Roll (live)

― Roque Strew (RoqueStrew), Monday, 2 October 2006 12:25 (seventeen years ago) link

Rock and Roll Part Two

― Period period period (Period period period), Monday, 2 October 2006 18:16 (seventeen years ago) link

"Roadrunner"

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 2 October 2006 18:21 (seventeen years ago) link

"roadrunner" very very easily

― j blount (papa la bas), Monday, 2 October 2006 18:25 (seventeen years ago) link

Roadrunner once, Roadrunner twice, I said I'm in love with rock n roll, and I'll be on my Roadrunnah!

― Stew (stew s), Monday, 2 October 2006 18:27 (seventeen years ago) link

roadrunner roadrunner! RADIO ON!

― shake (shake), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 01:04 (seventeen years ago) link

roadrunner.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 01:08 (seventeen years ago) link

it's too easy to rail on loaded for the absence of john cale. and the third VU album was great. but VU without mo tucker is not worth listening to. "roadrunner" by a miles and miles. so many miles it's wasted.

― Godfrzej Ljang (godfrzej), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 01:50 (seventeen years ago) link

"roadrunner" vs "sister ray" is the tough one

― j blount (papa la bas), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 02:09 (seventeen years ago) link

Rock & Roll

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 02:31 (seventeen years ago) link

'roadrunner'!

― H2-H4 (H2-H4), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 02:37 (seventeen years ago) link

"roadrunner" vs "sister ray" is the tough one

"sister ray" no contest.

― Godfrzej Ljang (godfrzej), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 02:43 (seventeen years ago) link

No contest maybe if you're really into head music - which is fine, of course - but "Roadrunner" is a better tune than "Sister Ray."

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 02:49 (seventeen years ago) link

I was going to suggest "What Goes On" vs "Roadrunner" ... "Sister Ray" is nothing like "Roadrunner", except for maybe the first two minutes before the serious improvisation starts.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 07:10 (seventeen years ago) link

Rock & Roll.
(I like "What Goes On" better though, probably because I came to know it through the Feelies cover, which I heard long before the original.)

― willem -- (willem), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 07:36 (seventeen years ago) link

roadrunner for me

― nijoli (nijoli), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 00:58 (seventeen years ago) link

It's hard to right the modern lovers, but early Lou Reed is pretty much untouchable. (I'm still mourning the breaking of my copy of _The Velvet Underground & Nico_)

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 01:02 (seventeen years ago) link

It's hard to FIGHT the modern lovers.

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 01:02 (seventeen years ago) link

Impossible to choose, so "Rock n Roll"

― Iago Galdston (Iago), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 01:18 (seventeen years ago) link

I can't pick, it's a draw.

― Ruud Comes to Haarvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 01:21 (seventeen years ago) link

squirrel - you are OTM with the IT IS HARD TO FIGHT THE MODERN LOVERS!

amen.

― nijoli (nijoli), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 01:48 (seventeen years ago) link

'Rock & Roll' is about. Whereas 'Roadrunner' is.

'Roadrunner'.

― scriblerus (mike lynch), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 01:58 (seventeen years ago) link

I'm in love with Massachusetts, but obviously Rock and Roll even if I hate those New York cunts

New Yorkers generally, maybe, not necesarily the Velvet Underground, though obviously Lou Reed

― Adam S S (Zephery), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 19:38 (seventeen years ago) link

boy, we're in Red Sox/Yankees territory here...

I'll take "Roadrunner", because "Rock And Roll' is kinda sullied for me as I was familiar with Mitch Ryder's bombastic cover long before I heard the original...

― hank (hank s), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 19:42 (seventeen years ago) link

Well, since VU are the incollapysible, while Mod Lovers suck...

― ramon fernandez (ramon fernandez), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 19:54 (seventeen years ago) link

Roadrunner was my #1 song in the 1970s poll. Therefore:

Roadrunner

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 19:57 (seventeen years ago) link

sixteen years pass...

“Roadrunner” but it’s not really quite a fair comparison.

― It’s Only Her Factory, Girl! (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 27 March 2023 23:08 (one year ago) link

Yeah I agree

― Xennial’s School for Jaded Oldsters (morrisp), Monday, 27 March 2023 23:30 (one year ago) link

Band’s most iconic song, the leadoff from the one and only album by the classic lineup, versus a very good, mostly great song by a problematic lineup of a band with many more songs with studio and live recordings by the earlier incarnations.

― It’s Only Her Factory, Girl! (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 28 March 2023 00:30 (one year ago) link

But maybe I should listen again to reevaluate.

― It’s Only Her Factory, Girl! (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 28 March 2023 00:30 (one year ago) link

Roadrunner. You know when a dog is sticking their head out the window of a car, being blasted with wind and smells and it is the happiest damn dog that ever was? That’s what Roadrunner does to my ears.

Someone upthread said Rock n Roll is about, and Roadrunner is. That nails it.

― Cow_Art, Tuesday, 28 March 2023 00:49 (one year ago) link

^boom!

― It’s Only Her Factory, Girl! (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 28 March 2023 00:57 (one year ago) link

I love the Demo Version of “R&R” – with that slightly melancholy, chiming rhythm guitar.

― Xennial’s School for Jaded Oldsters (morrisp), Tuesday, 28 March 2023 02:38 (one year ago) link

"Rock & Roll"

― Maggot Bairn (Tom D.), Tuesday, 28 March 2023 06:59 (one year ago) link

Agreed with Cow_Art. Rock & Roll sounds like Bob Dylan.

― Nabozo, Tuesday, 28 March 2023 08:31 (one year ago) link

eleven months pass...

otm and reminds me of one of my favorite scenes in anything, Bruce Willis in 12 Monkeys sticking his head out the car window and yelling "I LOVE THE MUSIC OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY!"

― Lily Dale, Friday, 1 March 2024 04:26 (two months ago) link

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.