ssssssssSSSHHHHHHOCK
― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Friday, 15 July 2005 12:33 (eighteen years ago) link
― miccio (miccio), Friday, 15 July 2005 12:37 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 15 July 2005 12:39 (eighteen years ago) link
True, but I think it'd probably end up pretty middling otherwise.
Wasn't this his breakout hit, too?
― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Friday, 15 July 2005 12:41 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 15 July 2005 12:43 (eighteen years ago) link
― miccio (miccio), Friday, 15 July 2005 12:44 (eighteen years ago) link
― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Friday, 15 July 2005 12:46 (eighteen years ago) link
For me personally, "Shock The Monkey" was and is one of the most irritating hit songs ever. That incessant little semicolon of a synth hook (as in fish-hook, in my throat) just annoys the crap outta me. More tolerable than that fucking Usher hit but that's not saying much, is it?
"Pressure", OTOH, I think is actually one of BJ's more effective hits, appropriately nerve-racking, with a synth riff that weirdly reminds me of Bernard Herrmann's "Psycho". So "Pressure" wins it. (In other words, I hate one song because it gets on my nerves, and at the same time liking a different song because it gets on my nerves, so I really don't know what the fuck I'm talking about.)
― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Friday, 15 July 2005 13:50 (eighteen years ago) link
Some credit to Larry Fast...
― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Friday, 15 July 2005 13:57 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 15 July 2005 14:02 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 15 July 2005 14:04 (eighteen years ago) link
― p.j. (Henry), Friday, 15 July 2005 14:06 (eighteen years ago) link
― miccio (miccio), Friday, 15 July 2005 14:07 (eighteen years ago) link
― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Friday, 15 July 2005 15:39 (eighteen years ago) link
Whereas "Shock The Monkey" is epic. Dark, dramatic minor-key contrapuntage riding a rock solid groove. And yet another killer PG vocal performance.
Peter Gabriel vs. Mutt Lange Fairlight FITE!!!
― rogermexico (rogermexico), Friday, 15 July 2005 18:18 (eighteen years ago) link
I'll give you the melody on "The Downeaster Alexa". But what Alex in NYC said. I will have to sing the praises of Us (and Up) on a separate thread. Short version: delete "Kiss That Frog" and "Steam," and Us pwns.
― rogermexico (rogermexico), Friday, 15 July 2005 18:22 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 15 July 2005 18:27 (eighteen years ago) link
― Brett Hickman (Bhickman), Friday, 15 July 2005 18:29 (eighteen years ago) link
― miccio (miccio), Friday, 15 July 2005 18:29 (eighteen years ago) link
― Brett Hickman (Bhickman), Friday, 15 July 2005 18:31 (eighteen years ago) link
While I think "Pressure" is among Mr. Joel's more defensible tracks, gotta go with "Shock the Monkey."
― The Mad Puffin (The Mad Puffin), Friday, 15 July 2005 18:57 (eighteen years ago) link
Yo, Steve Biko - my dick!
― rogermexico (rogermexico), Friday, 15 July 2005 19:04 (eighteen years ago) link
I loved the song at the time, but it hasn't aged well. Whereas I find myself spinning "The Nylon Curtain" on a semi-regular basis. "Pressure", "Allentown" and "Laura" (where Billy Joel does McCartney circa Abbey Road) are all fantabulous.
― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Friday, 15 July 2005 20:41 (eighteen years ago) link