1,001 songs to listen to before you die...

[ohtani's jacket]

6 hours ago, Curt McGirt said:

Well I guess I was wrong. Shit.

There was already some WAR earlier. 

No "Pancho and Lefty" is criminal. 

I think that WAR was all me. The only war in the book was Edwin Starr. 

[Liam]

376.      

‘Jolene’, Dolly Parton (1973)

A very simple song that tells a very simple narrative, based around a real life run in with a woman who was given Dolly’s husband the eye. I’ve used the term twice already, but it is hard to avoid talking about the relative simplicity of the song. The guitars and rising chords of the chorus don’t do anything particularly impressive, yet they create an eminently catchy tune. This, in my experience, tends to be a song much more liked by women than men, perhaps finding more to empathise with in the narrator’s attempts to stop Jolene.

377.      

‘Next’, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band (1973)

Influenced by: (Whiskey Bar) Alabama Song • The Doors (1967)   

Influence on: Burst • Magazine (1978)   

Covered by: Marc Almond (1989) • Gavin Friday & The Man Seezer (1989)   Other key track: Delilah (1975)

It is hard not to talk about this song with saying how very Scottish it is (well, at least the vocalists delivery is). This was originally a Jacques Brel song, which Harvey took to even weirder extremes. This is very much music as performance art it feels with Harvey’s Northern talk/sing getting increasingly fractious and erratic in places. Apparently, these were an interesting band to see live – not necessarily good, or bad, but you definitely left with an opinion. I personally love the drama of the mask-wearing violinists, both in terms of the sharp notes they add and the air of the eerie in the video.

378.      

‘20th Century Boy’, T-Rex (1973)

Influenced by: (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction • The Rolling Stones (1965)   

Influence on: Teenage Kicks • The Undertones (1978)   

Covered by: Siouxsie & The Banshees (1979) • The Replacements (1984) • The Big Six (1998) • Placebo (1998) • Naked Raygun (2001)

Whenever I read about T-Rex, there seems to be a suggestion that after bursting onto the music scene, Marc Bolan became somewhat of a parody of a rock star. I can’t attest to that, but this song is heralded as somewhere of a re-emergence in the book, a chance for Bolan to show that he was still capable of fronting a band that could still churn out a good tune or two. Of the T-Rex songs on the list so far, this is my preferred tune with its crunch and swagger throughout. There feels like more of an urgency here that I can get behind and enjoy that just doesn’t come from ‘Bang a Gong’.

[Curt McGirt]

After watching the Country Music series by Ken Burns, I was floored by hearing Dolly sing more traditional and less pop country, namely "Jolene". She has a pretty much perfect voice. It was a real shock at just how great she was and is. 

[Robert C]

15 hours ago, ohtani's jacket said:

Still waiting for them to pick some Townes Van Zandt:

 

 

13 hours ago, Curt McGirt said:

No "Pancho and Lefty" is criminal. 

Townes ain't showing up.  I guess it's possible that Willie and Merle's version of Pancho and Lefty shows up when we get to 1983, but that's about the only chance.

Honestly, it would probably be best if things like this just left country and related stuff out completely.  It possible I missed a few things, but I've seen one Carter Family song and one Hank Williams.  I've seen nothing from Jimmie Rodgers, Bob Wills, Ernest Tubb, Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs, Roy Acuff or a whole host of others.  Haven't noticed anything from Johnny Cash yet.  Late 60s/early 70s Kris Kristofferson hasn't shown up. 

[Curt McGirt]

Jesus, I hadn't noticed. That's pathetic.

[ohtani's jacket]

There were two Johnny Cash songs and a Merle Haggard song. And a few songs here and there with country elements like Sixteen Tons and Sam Stone.

It doesn't get any better. I believe there is one Emmy Lou Harris song and one Willie Nelson song. No Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, David Allen Coe, Jerry Jeff Walker, Guy Clark, Gram Parsons, Mick Newbury, or anyone else from the 70s. 

[Execproducer]

12 hours ago, Curt McGirt said:

After watching the Country Music series by Ken Burns, I was floored by hearing Dolly sing more traditional and less pop country, namely "Jolene". She has a pretty much perfect voice. It was a real shock at just how great she was and is. 

Whenever I hear "Jolene" I can imagine a final verse where Jolene refuses her and the narrator kills her. It feels very much like a murder ballad to me.

[Liam]

It is (I'm assuming) a British produced book, so it doesn't necessarily surprise me about the lack of country music. Doesn't make it right, but I think also explains an attempt to incorporate songs from Commonwealth countries more so than country music.

[ohtani's jacket]

Since we just did '72, and the bassist died, a band I discovered through Love and Rockets:

 

[Liam]

379.      

‘Rock On’, David Essex (1973)

Apparently, this song – written by Essex – was played to Jeff Wayne by tapping it out on a wastepaper basket. With that sound in mind, he produced a tune that relied on percussive slapping and notes rather than chords. It makes for a very interesting song that sounds very unlike what has been on the list around here. Throwing in some almost atonal guitar alongside Essex’s every so slightly whiny vocals and this is aurally intriguing. It wasn’t used for its initial purpose, a theme tune to the film ‘That’ll Be The Day’, but it took risks perhaps beyond that which you might expect of a film soundtrack song.

380.      

‘Search and Destroy’, Iggy & The Stooges (1973)

Another step along the path to the punk movement, this was Iggy and the Stooges at a point where they’d largely been given up on by record labels. Columbia, who released the ‘Raw Power’ album that this song was cut from weren’t a big fan of the record as a whole, but it was probably more influential than it was designed to sell units. Driven forward by the rhythm section and accompanied by riffs that sound almost metallic in nature, Pop completed his vocals in one take.  There is something unhinged about the delivery, playing well into the anger and frustration that he was liable to be feeling having been almost passed by. A powerful opening tune.

381.      

‘Desperado’, Eagles (1973)

I’ll be honest with you – I’ve never wanted to listen to Eagles. There was an ‘American-ness’ about them that just didn’t interest me and I don’t think they were as successful over here (obviously, I could be entirely wrong here). A narrative about an outlaw trying to find his place in society plays into everything that I just didn’t really care for. It is perfectly fine as a song, yet it leaves me still with no desire to delve any further into their back catalogue. A big old meh from me.

[Ace]

The Cash version, where Henley sings backup is better.

 

[Liam]

382.      

‘Child’s Christmas in Wales’, John Cale (1973)

I really didn’t know what to expect with this, between the title and Cale’s associations with the Velvet Underground. I don’t think it was this. With a title shared with a Dylan Thomas memoir, the lyrics are tell a fairly elusive narrative with some organ giving it a touch of a Christmas feel and a slide guitar that makes it slightly more interesting than it otherwise might have been. There is nothing ostensibly bad with this, it just doesn’t really do much for me. As a singer, Cale has nothing going on personally that I find interesting.

383.      

‘Solid Air’, John Martyn (1973)

A song inspired by Nick Drake, this is drenched in a dark and melancholic mood from the opening. Martyn’s vocals are the very definition of drawling, but it is that edge and interest that I found to be lacking on the previous track. There is sparse instrumentation allowing the vocals and the lyrics, still largely understandable even with Martyn’s style, to do most of the work. The book talks about Martyn straddling folk/rock and this song does highlight that for me; the singer songwriter style playing into the folkier aspect, whilst the edgier tone more rock in nature. Perhaps it helps that I like Nick Drake, but yeah, I like this song.

384.      

‘I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe), Genesis (1973)

I have a friend who is a huge Genesis fans and swears by a lot of their work, yet I’ve only ever heard most of their chart friendly hits. Apparently this came about from some messing around during rehearsals, serving as light relief from the long, multi-part epics that they were creating. Underneath it all, alongside some of the proggier elements, is a good pop song, one that speaks more to Genesis as I know them. Electric sitar and Mellotron gives the song some of its more interesting aural elements and the whole things feels very playful throughout.

[Liam]

385.      

‘Cum On Feel The Noize’, Slade (1973)

Influenced by: Revolution • The Beatles (1968)   

Influence on: Come on Feel the Illinoise • Sufjan Stevens (2005)   

Covered by: Quiet Riot (1983) • One Way System (1983) • The Glitter Band (1996) • Oasis (1996) • Bran Van 3000 (1997)

Some more Slade for your lugholes. I think I can safely say that I prefer this to their first offering on the list of ‘Mama Weer All Crazy Now’. Maybe I do brush them off a bit too much as a novelty as this is a pretty good slice of pop rock and they did have more hits than I perhaps give them credit for. This feels very lowest common denominator, but that is the appeal – shout along and clap your hands and make a lot of noise. As I said before, I get the appeal even if it isn’t entirely for me.

386.      

‘Living for the City’, Stevie Wonder (1973)

Influenced by: Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler) • Marvin Gaye (1971)   Influence on: The Message • Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five (1982)   Covered by: Ike & Tina Turner (1974) • Ray Charles (1975) • Bonnie Tyler (1978)

This project offers up some interesting songs with regards to my own personal listening, as it draws attention to songs that are not as ‘big’ in the oeuvre of some big name acts. I guess this probably is a bigger song if you were already a Wonder fan, and it does sound vaguely familiar, but this politics-driven narrative isn’t really in keeping with a lot of what Wonder is remembered for by music fans at large. At least, as far as I am aware. The music sounds a little dated – the synthesizer in particular – but the tale of a man moving to New York and facing the difficulties of life in the big city as a black man showcases Wonder’s talent for singing, production and so much more. He is someone that has come out of this project in a much more positive light for me as it has helped to spotlight how talented he was.

387.      

‘I Can’t Stand The Rain’, Ann Peebles (1973)

Soulful and somewhat timeless in sound, Peebles’ song came about in the time before a concert in which she voiced her disdain for the falling rain. The song gets in, does its job, and gets out. Blares and blasts of trumpet add a bit of noise to proceedings, but the star of the show is Peebles’ voice. I wouldn’t argue that it was amongst the greatest, but it definitely has a mellowness that works wonderfully for this song.

[Curt McGirt]

This version of the Slade song might be even dumber than the original... and even catchier. Very barrel-housing Oi! feeling. 

[ohtani's jacket]

Liam, 

Stevie Wonder had a series of acclaimed albums in the 70s:

Music of my Mind (1972)
Talking Book (1972)
Innervisions (1973)
Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974)
Songs in the Key of Life (1976)

The Innervisions album was considered his transition into a mature recording artist. 

You may have heard this track before:

 

[Liam]

3 hours ago, ohtani's jacket said:

Liam, 

Stevie Wonder had a series of acclaimed albums in the 70s:

Music of my Mind (1972)
Talking Book (1972)
Innervisions (1973)
Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974)
Songs in the Key of Life (1976)

The Innervisions album was considered his transition into a mature recording artist. 

You may have heard this track before:

 

Cheers and yeah I know that song. I was aware he was 'big', so to speak, but a lot of his stuff that gets played on radio over here isn't necessarily anything hard hitting or overtly political - at least not as far as I am aware. 'I Just Called To Say I Love You' and 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered' alongside other songs along those lines tend to be the ones that get airplay over here on the big commercial radios. Hearing him do something more political was cool.

[ohtani's jacket]

Here's one that might surprise you.

 

[Liam]

5 hours ago, ohtani's jacket said:

Here's one that might surprise you.

 

Haha, it is one of those examples of songs where I kinda knew somewhere in the back of my mind that this existed, but didn't know it was Stevie Wonder or what he wrote about instead of Gangstas.

[Liam]

388.      

‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’, Elton John (1973)

I am a big fan of what I know of Elton John’s catalogue, though I hadn’t properly heard this until I bought his Diamond collection of singles. It is weird to not have heard this until then, but I also don’t think – based on a lot of reading around – that John was always the best when it came to albums. ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ might be different as it is supposedly a good album, whilst I can definitely vouch that I think the song itself is a strong offering. There are elements that feel somewhat psychedelic as well as fantastical, playing into the Wizard of Oz reference, whilst the lyrics speak to the rejection of a former lover – something I hadn’t realised until now. The little touches are just that, little, but they create a good pop song.

389.      

‘Future Days’, Can (1973)

I’ve never even heard of Can, so sticking a nine minute song in front of me could have really gone anywhere. This is all about delayed gratification and layers as it builds up over time, taking what feels like an age to get going but slowly adding elements that build to quite a chilled out overall tone. Unlike some other songs on the list, the vocals are really not intended to stand out above and beyond the instruments, which allows the playful nature of the melody be the focal point for long sections. I like it, yet I don’t necessarily feel that I like nine minutes of it…or at least I’m not sure I do. Your mileage may vary on this one.

390.      

‘Essiniya’, Nass El Ghiwane (1974)

This is another song that feels like it is here as much for its historical significance as for any specific musical leap forward. Nass El Ghiwane were a band who were likened to being Morocco’s Rolling Stones. Having mixed Southern Moroccan musical influences with lyrics that made them interesting to Northern African music fans, they released this song which was very controversial. Unlike the custom of the time, they refused to include any lyrics that praised the King. The percussive nature of African music often creates something that is listenable, though this song has lesser meaning for me due to time and place, I feel.

391.      

‘The Carpet Crawlers’, Genesis (1974)

They clearly like Genesis as they pop up for a second time in quick succession. This was part of a double CD concept album called ‘The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway’ about a Puerto Rican called Rael who lived in the Bronx. That just all sounds very out there as I type it and the song is also an interesting slice of music. It does feel part of a bigger narrative, so perhaps is a little harder to judge as a one off song. However, there’s a glow to the whole production and delivery that I really like. What could be impenetrable, and lyrically pretty much is, is instead a catchy song with a heady mix of drumming, keyboards and Collins’ vocals. I type these as I listen, and I’m more sold on this song now than I was at the start.

392.      

‘Águas de março’, Antônio Carlos Jobim and Elis Regina (1974)

Seven years since the first song that Jobim has on the list is this song with Brazilian singer Regina. There isn’t too much to say about this outside of how wonderfully playful the delivery of both vocalists is – they play off of each other in a way that is very enjoyable even if you don’t know what the lyrics are. Coupled with a jaunty rhythm, this is a fun song that I’d never heard before and am thankful I now have.

393.      

‘Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City’, Bobby Bland (1974)

Another singer who was revitalised after a period of low commercial interest, Bland sings a song that tells a story about love, though one that might be about the city itself as much as a woman. Urban deprivation was a narrative theme in black music around the time and this was Bland’s take on the matter. Things like the strings and guitar came from his association with a new record label (they had bought out his old one), making his music immediately more commercially viable. A simple song, but one that does what it sets out to do with little fuss.

Edited June 15, 2020 by Liam

[ohtani's jacket]

Uh oh, 388-390..

[OSJ]

On 6/10/2020 at 11:23 PM, ohtani's jacket said:

Liam, 

Stevie Wonder had a series of acclaimed albums in the 70s:

Music of my Mind (1972)
Talking Book (1972)
Innervisions (1973)
Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974)
Songs in the Key of Life (1976)

The Innervisions album was considered his transition into a mature recording artist. 

You may have heard this track before:

 

Did I ever mention that I saw Stevie when he opened for the STones? Must have been 1970 or 1972, sorry but it was a long time ago... Mick Taylor was with the Stones so that should narrow it down... Anyway, Stevie played every instrument on the stage and I haven't seen such a masterful job of blowing the main act away since then. (Well, Bob Seger doing a number on Bachman-Turner Overdrive was close, but this was arguably the greatest rock band in the world just having their lunches eaten by a blind dude... It was glorious.)

[Liam]

16 hours ago, ohtani's jacket said:

Uh oh, 388-390..

Cheers man. There are times when I wonder about the posting mechanism here - as I've said before, it is weirdly tumultuous to post these here compared to where I originally post them. More than likely I just forgot, but I was pretty certain I posted these over here, so I'm a bit unsure about this trio.

Anyway, added now.

[ohtani's jacket]

I always thought Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was about a country boy who became a toy boy for some rich socialite. 

Edited June 15, 2020 by ohtani's jacket

[ohtani's jacket]

1973

1973 was a year with plenty of classic albums, and a lot of songs you'd hear on Classic Rock stations. Let me add some funk:

Funky Kingston is one of my favorite reggae songs:

BuA nice slice of New Orleans funk:

It doesn't get much funkier than this:

If you'd rather hear Marvin trying to get laid than save the children:

Possibly the best of the blaxploitation themes:

The guitar work on this song is outstanding:

This'll get you singing along by the time it's through:

James Brown is mad:

I tend to prefer ex-Temptations dudes to the Temptations themselves:

Might not be Jim Croce's best, but a toe-tapper:

It's hard to stop when it's this good:

The great MANDRILL:

It always amuses me how much effort Joe Simon put into this one:

 

[Liam]

394.   

‘(Looking For) The Heart of Saturday Night’, Tom Waits (1974)

I’ve not listened to a lot  of Tom Waits, but what I have heard was from his much more raspier-era, or at least that is what I will dub it. This is a beautifully crafted song, one that tries to encapsulate the optimism of a bit of money and a girl by your side. The melody in particular is lovely, really capturing that hopefulness, whilst Waits’ voice may not be as I expected, but it works best to sell the narrative of this story. Not what I was expecting, though good notwithstanding.

395.      

‘Sweet Home Alabama’, Lynyrd Skynyrd (1974)

Influenced by: Southern Man • Neil Young (1970)   

Influence on: Ronnie and Neil • Drive-By Truckers (2001)   

Covered by: Charlie Daniels (1981) • Hank Williams Jr. (1987) • Leningrad Cowboys (1993) • Bonfire (1999) • Down By Law (2000) • Jewel (2002)

Does anyone dislike ‘Sweet Home Alabama’? It is an absolute banger of a tune. What I find most interesting is that this was a response to ‘Southern Man’ by Neil Young, a song that pointed a lot of the issues surrounding racism. Young liked this song, as did many Southerners, perhaps missing some of the subtle political statements made in the song lyrically. For a singalong crowd pleaser, there is a lot more under the hood of which I was unaware. I was always too busy singing along.

396.      

‘Piss Factory’, Patti Smith Group (1974)

Influenced by: Desolation Row • Bob Dylan (1965)   

Influence on: Marquee Moon • Television (1977)   

Covered by: Swarf Sisters (1997) • The Klone Orchestra (2009)   

Other key tracks: Hey Joe (1974) • Free Money (1975) • Because the Night (1978)

This is an eye opener as Patti Smith, having been involved in music for a while before recording her first album, unleashed ‘Piss Factory’ as a B side in 1974. Alongside some frenetic jazzy piano, Smith effectively recites poetry over the turbulent melody. Telling the autobiographical tale of her time spent legitimately working in a factory at 16, it is imbued with fire and anger in a way that few songs up until now have been. Though she doesn’t really sing, there is a rhythmic nature in her voice that is pleasant to hear.