72. "Better Now" by Collective Soul [iTunes? Yes] {Video: Better Now.}
I wrote briefly about Collective Soul way back at #192 with their first hit, "Shine." I really like Collective Soul. They seem a bit out of place when compared to other late-90s, early-00's bands. They weren't really "alternative." They were never "hip" or "cool." I'm pretty sure Collective Soul has never been called a "jiggy" band.
They just play the guitar and rock.
After they hit the scene with "Shine," they had several other minor hits. They quickly settled into a rhythm, where they would release an album and I would really like two or three songs on that album. These songs, like "Gel," "Heavy," and "Run," would all be really good, but just lacking some little thing to push them over the top to being great songs.
The song "Why, Part 2" almost made it to great status. It's a really good rocker of a song, and I actually included it in one of the rough drafts of the HondoJoe Top 200. But, eventually it missed the cut.
And then there's this song. "Better Now" is an excellent rock song. It has driving guitars. The riff is a little reminiscent of "Rock You Like a Hurricane" by the Scorpions, except better. The song has a bit of an optimistic feel to it with the whole "Better Now" vibe. (It also helps that lead singer Ed Roland has a low enough voice that I can at least attempt to sing along.)
But what really makes "Better Now" slightly better than all the other really good Collective Soul songs is the out-of-nowhere, totally unexpected saxophone. The song is three minutes and fifteen seconds long, and it is pretty much just heading for the closing fade-out when, with 38 seconds left, the saxophone comes a-blaring!
I've said before that I don't usually care for long instrumental fade-outs, but this is a definite exception. I'm not sure why, but that closing saxophone just really brings the whole song together and makes it awesome.
(I think the band added the sax on later, because if you watch the video, there is absolutely no one playing the sax at the end while the rest of the band plays on the guitars. In fact, a different version of the video features the song without the fading sax, and the song most definitely lacks without it.)
COMING UP NEXT: A song not sung by a chipmunk.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
73: I'm Interested In Things
73. "Doctor Worm" by They Might Be Giants [iTunes? Yes] {Video: Doctor Worm.}
Sometimes it's good to be horny.
I know I go on and on a lot about the Electric Light Orchestra and their orchestration and violins and cellos and such. But, sometimes I like horns, too.
This song has some good horn work. They aren't overpowering horns, and they aren't particularly fancy horns, they are just good, solid horns that make up the backbone of this song. (Which is kind of funny since it's not a song about horns, but it is a song about playing the drums.)
Another big selling point about this song is that it is one of my favorite workout songs. It has an excellent pace for my workouts on the elliptical, and it works for me at whatever stage of working out I am in. It's slow enough that I can still keep its pace even when I haven't worked out for months and am just starting up again. And it's fast enough for those times that I have been working out for months and I need faster paced songs.
"When I get into it I can't tell if you are watching me twirling the sticks."
"Someday somebody else besides me will call me by my stage name."
COMING UP NEXT: Good, better, best! (Again.)
Sometimes it's good to be horny.
I know I go on and on a lot about the Electric Light Orchestra and their orchestration and violins and cellos and such. But, sometimes I like horns, too.
This song has some good horn work. They aren't overpowering horns, and they aren't particularly fancy horns, they are just good, solid horns that make up the backbone of this song. (Which is kind of funny since it's not a song about horns, but it is a song about playing the drums.)
Another big selling point about this song is that it is one of my favorite workout songs. It has an excellent pace for my workouts on the elliptical, and it works for me at whatever stage of working out I am in. It's slow enough that I can still keep its pace even when I haven't worked out for months and am just starting up again. And it's fast enough for those times that I have been working out for months and I need faster paced songs.
"When I get into it I can't tell if you are watching me twirling the sticks."
"Someday somebody else besides me will call me by my stage name."
COMING UP NEXT: Good, better, best! (Again.)
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
74: What Could Go Wrong?
74. "Do What You Want" by OK Go [iTunes? Yes] {Video: Do What You Want (Wallpaper version). (Some videos are more important to see than others. This video is one you will want to see. It is a hoot.)}
OK Go is a band known mostly for their videos, not their songs. As the years have gone by, OK Go videos have gotten more and more complex, intricate, and demanding. Unfortunately, their songs have gotten a little less fun and a little less rocking.
"Do What You Want" is one of their earlier songs, and it's an absolute beast of a rocker. Great guitars. Great riffs. Great sing-along-ability. And some damn fine cowbell! It probably doesn't hurt that the lyrics have a wonderful hedonistic bent to them. "Do what you want. What could go wrong?" And while there are many arguments that can be made against pure "do whatever I want, seek out pure pleasure" hedonism, it's hard to argue that it sounds pretty good in a rock and roll song every now and then.
This is one of the newest songs on the HondoJoe Top 200. When I first made the list, I worried that I had put it a little too high because it was a bit more fresh in my mind than some of the other songs. Well, in the many months it has taken from when I started the list until now, I can say that if anything I probably have this song too low on the list. It's a damn good rock song! (The fact that I've watched the video with the kids dozens of times, and that they both really like it, probably helps.) It's hard to go wrong with guitars and cowbells.
COMING UP NEXT: Doctor, doctor, give me the news.
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| Reminds me of the couches in the foyer at the Arimo church back in the day. (Suddenly I want to sluff Sunday School.) |
"Do What You Want" is one of their earlier songs, and it's an absolute beast of a rocker. Great guitars. Great riffs. Great sing-along-ability. And some damn fine cowbell! It probably doesn't hurt that the lyrics have a wonderful hedonistic bent to them. "Do what you want. What could go wrong?" And while there are many arguments that can be made against pure "do whatever I want, seek out pure pleasure" hedonism, it's hard to argue that it sounds pretty good in a rock and roll song every now and then.
This is one of the newest songs on the HondoJoe Top 200. When I first made the list, I worried that I had put it a little too high because it was a bit more fresh in my mind than some of the other songs. Well, in the many months it has taken from when I started the list until now, I can say that if anything I probably have this song too low on the list. It's a damn good rock song! (The fact that I've watched the video with the kids dozens of times, and that they both really like it, probably helps.) It's hard to go wrong with guitars and cowbells.
COMING UP NEXT: Doctor, doctor, give me the news.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
75: Kicking Edgar Allan Poe
75. "I Am the Walrus" by the Beatles {#56; 12/67} [iTunes? Yes] {Video: I Am the Walrus. (First of all, this is an actual music video from the Beatles! Second of all, it's actually pretty good.)}
Who is your favorite Beatle?
For me, it's always been pretty simple. First, I'll eliminate Ringo right off the bat. Why? Because he is Ringo. And then, as much as I like George, he's out, too. He's a very talented and under-appreciated guy, but he is, was, and always will be the "third Beatle."
So that leaves John and Paul. I always liked Paul best. Paul seemed nice, I liked his solo work best, and, yes, he was the "cute" one.
John, on the other hand, seemed more angry, more hippie-ish, more arrogantly intellectual, and his marriage to Yoko broke up the band. Plus, he had the audacity to say that the Beatles were bigger than Jesus.
And yet, here we are with "I Am the Walrus," one of my favorite Beatles songs. As much as I like Paul, this song shows just how brilliant/insane/funny/flippant/talented John Lennon was. Dang, this is a great song!
Of course the lyrics are the star of the show here, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the orchestration backdrop to the song. I'm sure the violins and cellos here had more than a bit of influence on Jeff Lynne and his Electric Light Orchestra.
But yes, those lyrics:
"I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together."
"Yellow matter custard, dripping from a dead dog's eye."
"Sitting on a corn flake, waiting for the van to come."
"Man, you should have seen them kicking Edgar Allan Poe."
"If the sun don't come you get your tan from standing in the English rain."
"Mister city policeman sitting pretty little policemen in a row."
"Man, you've been a naughty boy, you let your face grow long."
"Boy, you've been a naughty girl, you let your knickers down."
"Elementary penguin singing Hare Krishna."
"I am the eggman. They are the eggmen. I am the walrus."
"Ho, ho, ho; hee, hee, hee; ha, ha, ha."
"Goo goo g'joob."
Nice work, John.
(On second thought, maybe I just like this song because I'm fond of the idea of someone kicking Edgar Allan Poe. That dude could've used good kicking.)
COMING UP NEXT: Hedonism: Is It Good?
Who is your favorite Beatle?
For me, it's always been pretty simple. First, I'll eliminate Ringo right off the bat. Why? Because he is Ringo. And then, as much as I like George, he's out, too. He's a very talented and under-appreciated guy, but he is, was, and always will be the "third Beatle."
So that leaves John and Paul. I always liked Paul best. Paul seemed nice, I liked his solo work best, and, yes, he was the "cute" one.
John, on the other hand, seemed more angry, more hippie-ish, more arrogantly intellectual, and his marriage to Yoko broke up the band. Plus, he had the audacity to say that the Beatles were bigger than Jesus.
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| Nice jackets! (THANKS!) |
And yet, here we are with "I Am the Walrus," one of my favorite Beatles songs. As much as I like Paul, this song shows just how brilliant/insane/funny/flippant/talented John Lennon was. Dang, this is a great song!
Of course the lyrics are the star of the show here, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the orchestration backdrop to the song. I'm sure the violins and cellos here had more than a bit of influence on Jeff Lynne and his Electric Light Orchestra.
But yes, those lyrics:
"I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together."
"Yellow matter custard, dripping from a dead dog's eye."
"Sitting on a corn flake, waiting for the van to come."
"Man, you should have seen them kicking Edgar Allan Poe."
"If the sun don't come you get your tan from standing in the English rain."
"Mister city policeman sitting pretty little policemen in a row."
"Man, you've been a naughty boy, you let your face grow long."
"Boy, you've been a naughty girl, you let your knickers down."
"Elementary penguin singing Hare Krishna."
"I am the eggman. They are the eggmen. I am the walrus."
"Ho, ho, ho; hee, hee, hee; ha, ha, ha."
"Goo goo g'joob."
Nice work, John.
(On second thought, maybe I just like this song because I'm fond of the idea of someone kicking Edgar Allan Poe. That dude could've used good kicking.)
COMING UP NEXT: Hedonism: Is It Good?
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