Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
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Post by Confessor on Oct 29, 2024 2:18:11 GMT -5
More Murky Lyrics From Hit Songs Jonathan King - Everyone's Gone To The Moon (1965)A one-hit wonder about the mid-60s space race, I think The song reached #4 in the UK, #17 in the US I'm baffled about the point this song is trying to make Streets full of people, all alone Roads full of houses, never home Church full of singing, out of tune Everyone's gone to the moon Eyes full of sorrow, never wet Hands full of money, all in debt Sun coming out in the middle of June Everyone's gone to the moon Long time ago Life had begun Everyone went to the sun Cars full of motors, painted green Mouths full of chocolate-covered cream Arms that can only lift a spoon Everyone's gone to the moon Everyone's gone to the moon Everyone's gone to the moon Unfortunately, his real-life escapades were not so murky. Yeah, he's a hateful nonce. |
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Post by berkley on Oct 29, 2024 22:29:48 GMT -5
And finally, since I'm running behind, here is # 1. I'm going to fudge the rules a bit by using two, BUT, in my defense, others have done so, too, and it's because they both collectively achieved two parts of the same goal for me. And this is once again and especially in this case, not in order of favoritism. It just took the longest to decide on the last entry, and this entry did open up a pathway I struggled to get into. 1. It's a 2-for-1... Green Day: Nimrod (1997) / Smash Mouth: Fush Yu Mang (1997)
I can't say I'm a huge fan but I like most of what I've heard of their music
edit: I was thinking of Green Day when I posted that - I didn't notice Smash Mouth until I saw Confessor's reply. I've heard of them but can't recall if I've heard any of their music, off the top of my head, but I'll try the sample later
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,197
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Post by Confessor on Oct 30, 2024 8:01:23 GMT -5
2. Metallica - Metallica, better know as The Black Album (1991) I know this album because an awful lot of my friends during my teenage years were "metallers" and thus Metallica fans. I've always thought that Metallica are great musicians, but they are not my sort of music at all. Green Day: Nimrod (1997) / Smash Mouth: Fush Yu Mang (1997) Green Day are one of those bands where I'm glad they exist and even enjoy the odd single of theirs ("Basket Case", "American Idiot", "Wake Me Up When September Ends", and "Good Ridden (Time of Your Life)", the last of which is on the Nimrod album, I believe), but at no point have I ever felt the need to own any of their stuff. I'm kind of the same way about the Foo Fighters. Smash Mouth are unknown to me. |
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Post by impulse on Oct 30, 2024 9:21:29 GMT -5
I can't say I'm a huge fan but I like most of what I've heard of their music edit: I was thinking of Green Day when I posted that - I didn't notice Smash Mouth until I saw Confessor's reply. I've heard of them but can't recall if I've heard any of their music, off the top of my head, but I'll try the sample later
Yeah, they're not my absolute favorite band by any means, but I do like them, and they were an important stepping stone on my early musical journey. They're far more a "pull the songs I like" rather than an album band for me other than the Nimrod album. The sample song is the one that hooked me fwiw.
I know this album because an awful lot of my friends during my teenage years were "metallers" and thus Metallica fans. I've always thought that Metallica are great musicians, but they are not my sort of music at all. Green Day are one of those bands where I'm glad they exist and even enjoy the odd single of theirs ("Basket Case", "American Idiot", "Wake Me Up When September Ends", and "Good Ridden (Time of Your Life)", the last of which is on the Nimrod album, I believe), but at no point have I ever felt the need to own any of their stuff. I'm kind of the same way about the Foo Fighters. Smash Mouth are unknown to me. That's a perfectly reasonable take on Metallica. That's similar to how I find a lot of jazz and older country-esque musicians. Undeniably talented, but not my bag. Either the good or bad thing about Green Day is they are very prolific. There's plenty to sort through and pluck the stuff you like. There's plenty of fluff, but plenty of solid stuff, too. Foo Fighters I was pretty indifferent to aside from Everlong. Great song. Then I saw them live, and the were great. I'm not a huge fan, but I enjoy their entire first album and the One by One album is good. Otherwise, they're another cherry picking band for me. I would be shocked if you didn't know any Smash Mouth. They're probably one of those "you don't know you know them" groups. Walkin' on the Sun, All Star, they cover 60s and 70s stuff. They were in Shrek 2 I think. Hardly a vital band, but they were ubiquitous at least in the US in the late 90s/early 00s. Like Green Day, I like the one album a lot, but they're pretty much another cherry picking band otherwise. Big gateway for me primarily.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Oct 30, 2024 9:34:02 GMT -5
Green Day: Nimrod (1997) / Smash Mouth: Fush Yu Mang (1997) Yeah...Um...Mama always said, if you can't say something nice... You and I, my friend...we should not try to sit down and listen to music together. The only thing I know about Smash Mouth is that Shrek song. And that got old before the movie was over. Oh...and that Steve Harwell dude lived in Boise and folks I know who knew him said he was a complete tool. Ummmm Green Day...I'm not sure I could pick out one of their songs with a gun to my head. I had completely left behind whatever was left of rock by the early 90s. I just hope they're lovely people. |
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Post by impulse on Oct 30, 2024 10:10:42 GMT -5
Yeah...Um...Mama always said, if you can't say something nice... You and I, my friend...we should not try to sit down and listen to music together. Ha, no sweat. I knew going in I was going to lose most of the folks here once I got into my own picks. My tastes are heavier than the general population, and I realize that. In the unlikely scenario we are ever in the same room trading off on the turntable, I'm happy to listen to new stuff, and I can appreciate things even if I don't like them. And while The Metal™ is my number one musical love, I enjoy a pretty broad range of other music. Though not much country there. Yet, anyway. I do plan to check out Merle Haggard and Hank Senior, among others posted here. It's not an excuse, but a somewhat possibly mitigating bit of info, Steve Harwell lost his son fairly early on in their career and became a severe alcoholic. He never recovered from the tragedy. He had a massive heart attack a few years back, and he recently passed away. Dude drank himself to death after that tragedy. Again, not an excuse, but I feel bad for the guy. I like some of Green Day's stuff from around 1994 to about 2004. I don't really care about much of anything they did before or after. They only got mentioned because the theme was early influential albums. If it were favorite bands or albums, my list would look quite different. I hardly listen to the majority of my picks anymore. It's funny how that works. |
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Post by berkley on Nov 2, 2024 4:03:27 GMT -5
Yeah...Um...Mama always said, if you can't say something nice... You and I, my friend...we should not try to sit down and listen to music together. Ha, no sweat. I knew going in I was going to lose most of the folks here once I got into my own picks. My tastes are heavier than the general population, and I realize that. In the unlikely scenario we are ever in the same room trading off on the turntable, I'm happy to listen to new stuff, and I can appreciate things even if I don't like them. And while The Metal™ is my number one musical love, I enjoy a pretty broad range of other music. Though not much country there. Yet, anyway. I do plan to check out Merle Haggard and Hank Senior, among others posted here. It's not an excuse, but a somewhat possibly mitigating bit of info, Steve Harwell lost his son fairly early on in their career and became a severe alcoholic. He never recovered from the tragedy. He had a massive heart attack a few years back, and he recently passed away. Dude drank himself to death after that tragedy. Again, not an excuse, but I feel bad for the guy. I like some of Green Day's stuff from around 1994 to about 2004. I don't really care about much of anything they did before or after. They only got mentioned because the theme was early influential albums. If it were favorite bands or albums, my list would look quite different. I hardly listen to the majority of my picks anymore. It's funny how that works.
Yeah, it's the question of what's been most influential that made this tricky. I tried very hard to reach back in my memory but I'm still not sure I made the most accurate choices - for exmple, when the idea was first raised of llisting five albums you yourself had bought that were influential the first bands that came to mind were Steppenwolf (Rest in Peace was the very first LP I ever bought for myself with my "own" (actually my parents') money) - and Alice Cooper ( who fascinated me as an 11-12 year old and I still consider myself a fan (in the non-comic-book, non-self-entitled sense), neither of which or whom made my final list - but maybe they should have? I still can't decide.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Nov 3, 2024 21:57:02 GMT -5
Today is the 60th anniversary of Roger Miller recording “King of the Road.” Absolute magic in 2 minutes and 28 seconds. An international smash that killed at the Grammy’s…not just in the country categories, but in the “contemporary” categories.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Nov 4, 2024 3:15:56 GMT -5
More Mysterious Lyrics
Bobbie Gentry - Ode To Billy Joe (1967)
A haunting country/ folk tune regarding the unexplained circumstances surrounding a young local boy's suicide. The song was a massive smash hit , crossing over into the pop charts, reaching #1, selling over 1 million copies and several Grammys
Even Hollywood thought the song's mystery was still strong 9 years later to have a theatrical film based on it. Ode to Billy Joe (1976) starring Robbie Benson and directed by Max (Jethro Clampett) Baer Jr.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Nov 4, 2024 8:56:10 GMT -5
More Mysterious Lyrics Bobbie Gentry - Ode To Billy Joe (1967) A haunting country/ folk tune regarding the unexplained circumstances surrounding a young local boy's suicide. The song was a massive smash hit , crossing over into the pop charts, reaching #1, selling over 1 million copies and several Grammys Even Hollywood thought the song's mystery was still strong 9 years later to have a theatrical film based on it. Ode to Billy Joe (1976) starring Robbie Benson and directed by Max (Jethro Clampett) Baer Jr. The reason for Billy Joe’s death and, particularly, what they were throwing off the bridge is a McGuffin. Neither are important to the story in any way. What’s important is the family’s complete nonchalance at his death and the girl losing her friend. |
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Nov 6, 2024 6:31:03 GMT -5
I was today years old when I learned that John Williams had written the score for several episodes of Gilligan's Island. The guy's been around!
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,197
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Post by Confessor on Nov 6, 2024 19:41:10 GMT -5
More Mysterious Lyrics Bobbie Gentry - Ode To Billy Joe (1967) A haunting country/ folk tune regarding the unexplained circumstances surrounding a young local boy's suicide. The song was a massive smash hit , crossing over into the pop charts, reaching #1, selling over 1 million copies and several Grammys Even Hollywood thought the song's mystery was still strong 9 years later to have a theatrical film based on it. Ode to Billy Joe (1976) starring Robbie Benson and directed by Max (Jethro Clampett) Baer Jr. The reason for Billy Joe’s death and, particularly, what they were throwing off the bridge is a McGuffin. Neither are important to the story in any way. What’s important is the family’s complete nonchalance at his death and the girl losing her friend. I think all three things are important. The thing thrown off of the bridge was the singer and Billy Joe's secret illegitimate infant, right? That's why Billy Joe later jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge himself; he couldn't bear the guilt of having committed infanticide. I mean, we all know that, right? So, it's the harrowing heartbreak of the female singer having been forced to kill her illegitimate child, then losing her beloved Billy Joe who she was having a secret love affair with, juxtaposed with the awful nonchalance of her unknowing and uncomprehending family. |
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Nov 6, 2024 19:47:50 GMT -5
Was the child named McGuffin before it got tossed off the bridge?  |
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Nov 6, 2024 22:41:22 GMT -5
The reason for Billy Joe’s death and, particularly, what they were throwing off the bridge is a McGuffin. Neither are important to the story in any way. What’s important is the family’s complete nonchalance at his death and the girl losing her friend. I think all three things are important. The thing thrown off of the bridge was the singer and Billy Joe's secret illegitimate infant, right? That's why Billy Joe later jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge himself; he couldn't bear the guilt of having committed infanticide. I mean, we all know that, right? So, it's the harrowing heartbreak of the female singer having been forced to kill her illegitimate child, then losing her beloved Billy Joe who she was having a secret love affair with, juxtaposed with the awful nonchalance of her unknowing and uncomprehending family. Bobbie Gentry said that what was thrown off the bridge was left up to the listener's interpretation. Her motivation was to show people’s apathy to the feelings of others. She did say she knew what it was while she was writing the song, but it wasn’t important because the song was about unconscious cruelty and indifference. As best I can find she never told anyone. |
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Post by berkley on Nov 7, 2024 1:33:37 GMT -5
The reason for Billy Joe’s death and, particularly, what they were throwing off the bridge is a McGuffin. Neither are important to the story in any way. What’s important is the family’s complete nonchalance at his death and the girl losing her friend. I think all three things are important. The thing thrown off of the bridge was the singer and Billy Joe's secret illegitimate infant, right? That's why Billy Joe later jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge himself; he couldn't bear the guilt of having committed infanticide. I mean, we all know that, right? So, it's the harrowing heartbreak of the female singer having been forced to kill her illegitimate child, then losing her beloved Billy Joe who she was having a secret love affair with, juxtaposed with the awful nonchalance of her unknowing and uncomprehending family.
In a way, the self-censoring by the writer of her own lyrics - I assume any song explicitly describing what actually happens in this story would never have been allowed on the air at the time - might have raised it to a higher level of artistic achievement (if that isn't too pompous a phrase to use in the context of pop music) than it would have done otherwise. Even though I agree with Confessor that it's pretty clear what's going on, the way the lyrics skirt around the main issue, never really coming to grips with it, never really talking about it, but rather talking "around" it, and all the time with a kind of distanced, emotionally deadened delivery - makes it into a kind of pop masterpiece. And I think it still maintains an air of disturbing mystery because even though it seems apparent what it must be all about, it's never stated clearly, which enhances the atmosphere of unease.
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