From the wilds of Oregon this fight-starting note showed up in my electronic mailbox today:
Hey Solonor-
I’m trying to come up with the Ultimate Rock CD. The criteria is as follows:
-The songs have to be relatively short (so no Rosalita or Stairway to Heaven, for example).
-The songs must be upbeat in tempo.
-The songs must ROCK (yes, in capital letters).
-The songs must be inclusive of all rock “eras” (so in theory it would appeal to a teenager and to old farts like us).
-Only one song from each artist (try picking one Green Day or Ramones song).
-And I was thinking it would have to fit on one CD, but that
Sheesh, just what we need, encouraging list-boy.
OK, here goes, exactly off the top of my head, with little or no thought put into this….
(20 songs, 20 different artists, Rock. I got it.)
Beatles – I Saw Her Standing There
Van Halen – Running With The Devil
Led Zeppelin – Livin Lovin Woman
The Who – Long Live Rock
Rolling Stones – Honky Tonk Woman
Blue Oyster Cult – Burning For You
Police – Synchronicity II
U2 – I Will Follow (Live version)
AC/DC – You Shook Me All Night Long
Aerosmith – Walk This Way
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Gimmie Three Steps (live version)
Metallica – Enter Sandman
Judas Priest – Rockin After Midnite
Neil Young – Rockin In The Free World
Deep Purple – Woman From Tokyo
The Clash – London Calling
Kiss – Detroit Rock City
Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
Pink Floyd – Another Brick In The Wall
Guns n Roses – Welcome To The Jungle
OK, I spent a little more time than I expected on that. And it ain’t completely right, but it’ll stand up as much as any group of 20 by 20. I was waffling on Hammer to Fall for the Queen entry, but Bohemian Rhapsody is still a great driving song, even though overplayed. I also waffled on Pink Floyd, but I’ll be damned if I can remember the name of the song on The Wall (after Another Brick II/Mother) that really rocks, but Another Brick will suffice. Kind of a fun exercise.
Oh, I have to add
Ballroom Blitz – Sweet
to the above list.
Okay, I’ll work on my list after I’ve been to sleep but I wanted to comment to point out that putting the title as “What’s So Funny About Love, Love and Understanding” is borderline blasphemy.
Did you know that Elvis Costello changed his name from Declan McManus because it sounded too Jewish? But shhh…it’s a secret.
All better, ya title Nazi.
Can we use bands that he’s already put down, or are we looking for 20 more songs that could add to his list?
It should be YOUR 20, even if you come up with the same songs as someone else.
I’m waiting for everyone else to finish, so I can rip off their ideas, myself.
Sheesh, what is it with you Yanks that mandates guitars in everything (preferably with all sorts of peddles attached to them). I know the eighties by-passed America and replaced all the best bits with big hair and soft-rock.
That said, I will enlighten you:
Vision Thing, Sisters of Mercy
Edge of the Deep Green Sea, The Cure
Pale Shelter, Tears for Fears
It’s my Life, Talk Talk
Rasberry Swirl, Tori Amos
Ricky’s Hand, Fad Gadget
Gimme Shelter, Rolling Stones
Bad Reputation, Thin Lizzy
She Blinded me With Science, Thomas Dolby
Cloudbusting, Kate Bush
The Days of Pearly Spencer, Marc Almond
Brighton Rock, Queen
One Week, Barenaked Ladies
Why, Bronksi Beat
Love Action, The Human League
The Look of Love, ABC
I am the Resurrection, The Stone Roses
Step Off, The Happy Mondays
This Charming Man, The Smiths
Wonderwall, Oasis
Finish off with some Madchester eh? Rave on. Smart.
I must play this game!
Italian Leather Sofa – Cake
Cibo Matto – Spoon
Special – Garbage
Beautiful – The Go Go’s
Someone Who is Cool – The Odds
Naked Eye – Luscious Jackson
Cannonball – Veruca Salt
Girlfriend – Matthew Sweet
Banana Chips – Shonen Knife
If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It) – AC/DC
Heterosexual Man – The Odds (yeah, I’m duplicating an artist, but they’re Canadian)
My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors – Moxy Fruvous
Unsupervised – Mono Puff
Whoever You Are – Geggy Tah
Gordon is a Moron – Jilted John
Where’d You Go? – Mighty Might Bosstones
Kids in America – The Muffs
They Don’t Call Them Chihuahuas Anymore – Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet
Down Together – The Refreshments
Look Sharp – Joe Jackson
Nothing wrong with those synths, Andy. And I quite like a lot of the songs on your list. I just wouldn’t use the term “rock” to associate with them.
Yup, “rock” is used to cover a wide spectrum of musical sub-styles. So yes, they are in the “rock” spectrum. But knowing Domino and Solly like I do (and believe me, the three of us have been bantering around “rock” music topics for the greater part of 25 years…. Oh my God, that is scary) the thought was towards
[initiate TV commercial-guy voice]
ROOOOOCCCKKKKKKK.
I’m afraid that usually means guitars. Though they don’t use so many pedals these days. What used to take a whole gaggle of little boxes all wired together, is now done with one. Freakin’ amazing stuff, actually. Science! (heh heh)
Your list does prompt me to go back and listen to some more of that stuff, though, cuz I really do like a lot of it. Dolby was always fun (I’m more partial to Hyperactivate myself) The Human League and ABC take me back big time. I’ll have to waffle on Tears For Fears. Sometimes I’d really like their stuff, then other times the lead singer would tick me off and I’d back away. Talk Talk, wow, another way-back one. I never gave The Cure proper listening, which I’d like to rectify. (The Jam, too.) Oh well, this is how we get started, these long conversations about “rock”…
Oh, just an FYI for Domino – my dad’s cousin managed the Sweet.
Well Andy, your dad’s cousin managed the Sweet? Very cool. Great band with some very cool tunes (Fox on the Run was my 2nd choice behind Ballroom Blitz).
And yes, you are right, we yanks equate ROCK with guitars. It comes from a steady diet of 70
I think a hair-band list, especially from this group, would be a Riot (see, there we go…)
There are quite a few that I like plenty, and always get the blood pumping, but I stayed away from them (mostly; I mean, I put Judas Priest on my list, fer crying out loud) cuz we were originally looking for the best rock CD going…
Let’s see if we can give Solly a few more lists to play with, huh?
P.S. I, too, think it’s cool your dad managed The Sweet, Andy. Ballroom Blitz and Fox on the Run are the best, but Little Willy was good, and Love Is Like Oxygen is funny to remember hearing on the radio, back in the day….
The Ultimate Rock CD: Open Mic Day
Stealing someone’s post sure makes it easy to blog. Thanks to Solonor, we have a good topic for today: Hey Solonor-I’m trying to come up with the Ultimate Rock CD. The criteria is as follows: -The songs have to be…
OK, so this list it biased towards the late 70s and early 80s, so it dates me.
Black Sabbath: Neon Knights
Blue Oyster Cult: Live for Me
Deep Purple: Speed King
Fish: Brother 52
Gary Glitter: I’m the Leader of the Gang
Jefferson Starship: Jane
Journey: Separate Ways
Judas Priest: Living After Midnight
Led Zeppelin: Rock and Roll
Marillion: Hooks in You
Motorhead: Ace of Spades
Muse: Feeling Good
Pink Floyd: Young Lust
Rainbow: All Night Long
Slade: C’mon Feel the Noize
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown: Fire
The Darkness: I Believe in Thing Called Love
Thin Lizzy: Don’t Believe a Word
UFO: Only You Can Rock Me
Whitesnake: Fool for Your Loving (the 1980 version with Jon Lord on keyboards, not the late 80s MTV version!)
More Ultimate Rock CD
I’ve been a bad Blogcritic. I should have posted this little list-making contest up here last week. Maybe we’ll do…