e.g. mix 2007.05: Eyes Open Wide

Hands All Over by Soundgarden from the album Louder Than Love (1989). Soundgarden is one of my favorite bands, and this is my favorite song of theirs. I love the dirge-like intensity of the main riff, and I love how the lead line comes in like a European police siren. And it has great lyrics, touching on environmental, social, and political themes, all delivered in that unique, bitterly sarcastic Chris Cornell style. Soundgarden was on the leading edge of the Grunge movement of the early Nineties, and this album was one of the groundbreakers of that movement. Two years later, Soundgarden would release Badmotorfinger and completely kick in the doors of superstardom. I enjoy listening to Louder Than Love in reference to what was to come after it. Quick trivia: If you tweak the main riff just a little bit and speed it up, you end up with "Evenflow" by Pearl Jam. It's real obvious when you listen to them back to back.
Something in the Air by Thunderclap Newman (1969). "Call out the instigator." This song is groovy and earnest in that inimitable late Sixties fashion. The original title of the song was to be "Revolution," but it was changed so as not to clash with the Beatles number of the same title. Thunderclap Newman was a pet project of Who guitarist Pete Townshend, who assembled the band and played bass for this track. The band was a one-hit wonder, and this was the one hit. Dig the fruit-loopy piano solo that splits the song in half like a clumsily wielded cleaver.
Butterflies by Toad the Wet Sprocket from the album Fear (1991). Toad the Wet Sprocket got their name geek-style. The name comes from a Monty Python skit that lampoons ridiculous band names. This is a challenging song that requires multiple listens to fully appreciate. At least, it took me multiple listens. My first impression was that it wasn't very good, but upon repeated exposure, I came to strongly enjoy its layered complexities. Maybe you will too.
Synchronicity II by The Police from the album Synchronicity (1983). Synchronicity came out when I was in third grade, and it was the first album I ever bought on my own. I remember it cost me seven dollars, which was significant money for me at the time. This song was the reason I bought the album. I saw it on MTV, and the music, along with Sting's massive on-screen presence, just blew me away. As I got older and began to understand the lyrics, my appreciation only increased. The song tells the tale of a suburban office worker drone whose mind-numbingly oppressive existence is slowly but persistently driving him mad. Concurrently, the Loch Ness Monster emerges from the slime at the bottom of the loch and prepares to strike a cottage on the shore. These two storylines are masterfully interwoven, and I think it's fabulous.
Revolution Earth by The B-52's. The B-52's have two personalities. The one personality gets you "Rock Lobster" and "Love Shack." The other personality gets you "Roam" and this little number. This is one of the greatest love-affirming and life-affirming songs ever. Its celebratory and celestial themes, delivered via the exultant and inspiring vocals, make me tingle.
The Song Remains the Same by Led Zeppelin from the album Houses of the Holy (1973). Led Zeppelin is my favorite band, and this is one of my favorite songs of theirs. It has a unique flavor when compared to the rest of their catalog. The reason for this is that Jimmy Page had this idea in his head of a sort of rock guitar symphony. It never came to fruition, but the various bits and pieces he had come up with were put together to form this track. the result is a powerful and enthusiastic rock anthem with multiple guitar solos and a cheerfully epic tone that is not really present in any of their other works. Don't miss the most excellent bass work; it's a real treat to listen to.
And You Lied to Me by Besnard Lakes. Recently I discovered that there's this thing called the "Internet" (uses fingers to make quote signs), and if you go to certain web sites, such as music.download.com, you can get free music. This track is one such free download. I love the completely over-the-top, drenching reverb that gives this song a unique sound and atmosphere. Musically, there are a number of compelling ideas here, and as the song builds to a steady crescendo, the payoff of the hard-rockin' final minutes are very gratifying. This song satisfies me.
Theme from "Young Frankenstein" by The Madeira from the album Monster Party 2000. I've always liked the monster's music from Mel Brooks's Young Frankenstein. It is simple yet interesting, catchy, haunting, and melodic. Giving it the surf guitar treatment was a stroke of pure genius. I found this song because I was surfing around Amazon trying to find stuff by the Space Cossacks, my favorite surf guitar band. (Look for them on future mixes for sure.) After a bit of digging I stumbled across Monster Party 2000, which has a single Cossacks track. I probably would have passed over it, but then I noticed the album also had this track, and that was that.
Low by Cracker from the album Kerosene Hat (1993). True story: I play some guitar, and I used to write songs. One day I wrote a song with some neat-sounding nonsense lyrics on top of a chord progression that I thought was unique and quite catchy. I was very pleased with myself. Two days later, I heard the song on the radio. Yes, I had created an alternate lyric version of "Low." Even the melody was the same; the only difference was the chorus. The only explanation I can come up with is that maybe I heard the song on my clock radio alarm, and it entered my subconscious while I slept. Otherwise, it's just a really weird coincidence.
I Feel Free by Cream from the album The Very Best of Cream. Cream was one of the first ever supergroups, that is, a band whose members are all stars in their own right prior to the formation of the band. You had Eric Clapton on guitar, Jack Bruce on bass/vocals, and Ginger Baker on drums. It was a short-lived but very dynamic combo. This song is thematically interesting. The sentiment, "I feel free" is generally considered to be a positive thing, and the verses talk of compatibility and devotion. Yet the chorus describes a person who is alone even when surrounded by people, who is blind, and whose mind "wants to cry out loud." The juxtaposition of these rather unsettling ideas with the upbeat music and verses gives one pause. The lyrics are by Pete Brown, a performance poet and lyricist who worked with the band on many of their most famous songs, including this one, as well as "White Room" and "Sunshine of Your Love."
Nothing to Hold Me by Jesus Jones from the album Doubt (1991). Jesus Jones was a band from England. Their big hit was "Right Here, Right Now," which put this album on the charts. Then Grunge hit (it was 1991, after all). They had other albums, but none of them did nearly as well as Doubt, and the band dropped quickly off the radar. It's a bit of a shame, because they were actually pretty good. Anyway, here's a grim and pensive number.
Battle Without Honor or Humanity by Tomoyasu Hotei from the album Kill Bill, vol. 1. Tomoyasu Hotei is as tall as a six foot, three inch tree. Famous in Japan as a musician and actor, he is first and foremost a guitarist. Fans of the film will remember this from the scene where Oren and her posse make their entrance at Charlie Brown's establishment. It's one of the most memorable scenes in the film, and this music is the reason why.
Frankenstomp by Satan's Pilgrims from the album Monster Party 2000. What? Another surf guitar track? And from the same album as the last one? Yes, this is another gem from Monster Party 2000. This song is very me. I'm not sure how else to describe it. The chord progression, the leads, the bridge: I find all of it extremely appealing. If I had ever been in a band I'd've done songs like this one.
How Soon is Now? by The Smiths. This is one of those songs that becomes bigger than what it is, and reaches an iconic status. Bottom line is, this is an incredible piece of music that I'm very very fond of.
37 by Karma to Burn from the album Almost Heathen (2001). Karma to Burn takes a refreshing approach to hard rock, eliminating the vocals and lead guitar altogether and giving the rhythm guitar the spotlight. Even titles are eliminated in favor of simple numbering. There's not a lot of flash here; there's just tight, crunchy, balls-to-the-wall rock guitar. The whole album is much like this track. About half of it, like this track, is really damn good.
Meatplow by Stone Temple Pilots from the album Purple (1994). Ah, yes, good old Stone Temple Pilots. Often maligned as hopelessly derivative, they were one of the underdogs of Grunge. I always thought they were cool. They had little touches all through their music that set them apart from pretty much anyone else. In this song, it's the tasty slide guitar licks in the chorus. This song has a nice theme, basically saying that camaraderie and love can overcome that which is dismal in the world. It's the opening track on Purple, but I think it makes a nice closer, too.

Back to e.g. mix

Back to SimplePhrase Closet

BITSOW