this is THE band that made me turn off pop radio in the 80's and start looking though my dad's 60s and 70s 'classic rock' collection. Thanks Depeche Mode!
First of all - DM was Pop in the '80s? HAHAHAHAHA Not even "Personal Jesus" was a Top 40 radio song.
You forget the music that was actually on Billboard... http://top40-charts.com/features/YearEnd/yearend1990.php
Other way around for me. I love DS, but find MK's solo stuff to be a little repetitive and slow. He's still my all-time favorite guitarist, but I have a particular fondness for the time he was with the band.
Seconded whole-heartedly. I love his solo work but there was a special spark in Dire Straits.
As a 16 year-old Beatles fan, my fellow band mate (21 years old) took me to see the BBB in Boston. He played their Born In Chicago album for me before it and I nearly puked - did nothing for me. We went to the show and it was actually a life changing experience for a guitarist. Mind you the album East West had just been released (65-ish?) and a 16 year-old Beatles fan is sitting there saying HOLY CRAP! Watching Bloomfield and Bishop was amazing! I rode home that night and couldn't sleep for hours. Pulled my guitar out and started trying to figure out what they were doing. So, almost 50 years later people are commenting on what they consider modal crap. They were way ahead of their time and I'm happy for it.
Now, can someone tell me who plays the first guitar solo? Bloomfield of Bishop?
Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, etc. are shaking their heads at you. You gotta be kidding me... this is the Blues equivalent to Elvis "being original."
This song was always one of my favorites from this album. I found a lot of it to not hold up over the years, and it wasn't helped by incessant overplay by every local radio station I could get when this came out.
I have never heard this song on the radio. DC's radio scene sucks.
"An" acknowledged master - Johnny Winter and Duane Allman come to mind, especially Allman's work with Johnny Jenkins in the late 60s when he was working as a studio musician.
As for Union Station, I've always thought of them as "barbeque for Yankees."
Pretty sure neither Allman nor Winter played lap steel (AKA "Dobro" for many today.) They may have played resonator guitars - hell, a National Resonator is on the cover of Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms, but they played them in the traditional slide guitar formation, not flat in front of them using a steel bar.
Jerry Douglas is without a doubt the most well known and lauded lap steel player currently working.
Watching Football yesterday and saw this player sitting on sidelines with his mouth guard all spitty hanging on his ear. I said to myself "now that ain't right." Banana peppers that close to your eye now that ain't right
Wow, this whole super group thing really is hit or miss. I was terribly disappointed with this effort as I am a huge Roy Orbison fan and really thought this group might work out.
This mind-blowing cover on YouTube was actually my first introduction to this song. In case you're not one of the 4 million people who have seen this to date:
As "Rotterdam" was pointing out, this song is an old spiritual/gospel song, which is originally titled "Sinner Man", and recorded by several artists before Peter Tosh, including Nina Simone, in the mid-1960s.
I remember seeing them at the Spectrum during this time, had seats behind the stage, thought that would be a real bummer but in the end it was fantastic. From the angle we were at we could watch the musicians very closely: watch Edge work the guitars, roadies scurrying around, Bono's expressions and demeanor change with each song. And what was even cooler is that the band realized we were all back there and turned around and played to us from time to time. We were sooooo close it was just magical — you could almost feel the waves of musical vibrations emanating from the stage. I'll never forget it, and this song brings it back so clearly every time I hear it.
Wow - I was at that show! In the same place - about 10 rows up from the stage above and to the right behind Larry... Bono climbed up on the drum kit and sand about 3 songs to US during the show!
I love Dire Straits. Make me wish I was on the open road!! Just one note & you know...they have such a distinct sound, which you can't say for very many bands. Plus, Mark Knopfler's voice is like buttah.
Heh. To me his voice is like a dram of Macallan while sitting in a drafty pub on a cold, wet Scotland evening. Rough, yet so smooth and soothing, warming you from the inside.
I flat out love this song, and so many others of his. I wish Bill would play the next three songs on the album (News/Where Do You Think You're Going/Communique) in sequence, just like he does DSoM.
In my opinion this is a great piece of music and all the discussion about Gabriel or Collins or whatever is redundant. If you can except the idea of two different bands (which in fact they were, due to the fact that one charismatic frontman was displaced by another - although big differences in style) and the musical change during that time period (1975-1977, when most of the progrock went down the hill) it is still great and ambitious music and great performance - whether you like it or not!
Genesis changed more when Steve Hackett left the band. This album didn't have Gabriel, yet sounds much more like the proggy Genesis than the later pop-oriented stuff.
Are you being funny? Yes, this is the same song, and although I like the beat and O'Connor's voice is OK, this cannot hold a candle to Nina Simone's stunning version - IMHO.
Are you being funny? This song is also not by Nina Simone. Ever heard of Peter Tosh? Nina had...
This Album's musicians list is impressive to say the least:
Who played the lead guitar on this track? Wiki lists two lead guitarists for the original album this cut was on: Mama Africa - Darryl Thompson and Donald Kinsey.
Rolling Stone, especially Jann Wenner, has always picked winners and losers in music, regardless of actual talent. Guess that's what "critique" is - their personal impression at the time. How many reviews have they later changed, toward the positive or negative?
Distinctive is right — no matter if he's with a group or solo, his voice always sounds "whiney" to me....blah! Too bad, it takes away from the music part, which is actually nice on this track.
Bob Dylan & Neil Young think it's just fine to have an easily identifiable "whiney" voice. I agree with them.
Like it or not, Dave Grohl is a genius. You may not like it but deal with it, I'm sure there are artists you find more deserving of the accolade that others do not.
There would be far less shrines to Kurt Cobain without Dave's very fundamental (and vastly under-appreciated) contribution to Nirvana.
I've heard and read that U2 do not have the strongest rhythm section.... the bass and drums on this are so perfect i cannot imagine how they could get better
Huh - Adam Clayton (bass) and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums) are arguably the best technical musicians on their respective instruments in the group. Sure the Edge gets all the love for his loops and stuff, but that's more innovative than flat out skilled - not quite the same is it? Adam and Larry would be able to play jazz, the Edge I'm not so sure of.
Dark Side of the Moon>Wish You Were Here>Animals>The Wall.
Greatest burst of creative genius in the history of rock.
My call would be Atom Heart Mother >>> Animals. As thematically interesting as The Wall is it's just nowhere near as musically good as the previous albums.
Piper at the Gates of Dawn is one of the greatest debuts ever, IMHO. Too bad about Sid.
I have always said RP should just open up its entire library and let it go randomized. We should never have to hear the same song more than once or twice a week much less once or twice a day!
You don't comprehend the art of the segue. Sad, because Bill is awesome at it.
Just because a band sets the bar, doesn't mean other bands can't come after that.
Of course, otherwise we wouldn't have the Beatles or Rolling Stones, since their early work was derived from 50's Rockabilly and the Blues. Jeez this "derivative" argument is lame.
I'd argue the Grateful Dead had a hand in developing the Bluegrass/Country to Rock crossover as well. Workingman's Dead did come out in 1970, after all.
...and Gram Parsons was recording w/the Byrds in parallel to Neil forming Crazy Horse. Here's a good wiki on Roots Rock: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roots_rock
Boring album cover. Significance of 4 copies of the same graphic? looks like the graphic artist didn't know how to make the picture fit, so tiled the image.
You realize this was before Photoshop, right kid?
Regarding the MiM album...I wish "The Headmaster's Ritual" was played more.
So, perhaps those of you who believe Eno's as important to music as you claim he is would kindly explain "why" this is the case in cogent terms, rather than snarkly listing all the other groups he's influenced - because the jury's always out on how much an album producer's influence is responsible for the album's success/quality. After all, they don't right the songs. Unless the band is U2, then Eno does actually right the songs, and I'll leave that topic for another post.
I don't know about you folks, but it's 5:15 pm here in the mountain west and with this fine music playing, I do believe it is time for a martini. Who's with me?
Hope you used Park City's own High West Vodka 7000'!
This song almost defines the era for me. I have it as my ringtone and never miss an opportunity to play it as loud as I possibly can. Johnny Marr's guitar sound is simply epic here. Having said this, I also really, really like Tatu's cover of it, which is brilliant, particularly the live version, which makes me think of NIN for some reason.
You've got to be kidding me. You'll love the Justin Beiber version of Queen's "Somebody to Love" too.
Just here to point out that "they" is a "he." Bon Iver is one man - Justin Vernon. He has guys that play with him on tour, but the albums are all his, with guest performers.
Your "rating" system is based on songs, albums, and bands like this. This was U2 at the top of the world. Your problem is that it was everywhere (mine too, in retrospect) and thus became "mainstream" and killed by AOR radio. Believe me it wasn't blase when Joshua Tree came out. Everybody went "...whut? WOW."
no, the freedoms you enjoy are courtesy of a lot of brave men and women fighting and dying actually...
They may defend them, brother, but they're certainly not giving them to me.
I'd also like to ask you when the last time was that the US military actually defended against an attack on the USA from an outside force. Some say its the current War on Terror, but that's a rather shallow argument. I think it was the war of 1812.
I think we've evolved as a society since then, thanks to the non-specific nature of the Constitution. That's the true genius of the founders - not pidgeonholing us into a specific vision of how things should be, but a framework to keep us free no matter how much we discover.
His voice would probably tie with the Bee Gees for gay-est voices out there, for some reason no Bee Gees on RP though. Of course, it's the genere you might say, but still the annoying voice is hard to overcome.
Easy, boy. Neil rocks harder than you could possibly imagine. Go see a show sometime.
This sounds like a different version from what I'm used to hearing (which I never really liked much, although I love these guys). Anyway, I like this one quite a bit more. : )
Hatful of Hollow is mostly BBC1 radio sessions... so "Live." Johnny Marr is a Guitar God.
The video for this is remarkable too, if for no other reason than Mr. Springsteen does not lip-sync in it. He sings the lyrics on location as the video was shot.
I will bet you everything I own that the vocal track you hear in the video was not recorded on location, thus by definition he was lip-synching.
I can never listen to the drum break without thinking: "Man, how does he keep the time straight in his head while his hands and feet are going off on those tangents?"
And then he ties it all together on the beat and my mind is blown once again.
He's listening to the other percussive instrument - the Bass.
Song about a about someone who'd be labeled a "Terrorist" these days, btw...
Mojique sees his village from a nearby hill Mojique thinks of days before Americans came He sees the foreigners in growing numbers He sees the foreigners in fancy houses He thinks of days that he can still remember...now.
Mojique holds a package in his quivering hands Mojique sends the package to the American man Softly he glides along the streets and alleys Up comes the wind that makes them run for cover He feels the time is surely now or never...more.
The wind in my heart The wind in my heart The dust in my head The dust in my head The wind in my heart The wind in my heart (Come to) Drive them away Drive them away.
Mojique buys equipment in the market place Mojique plants devices in the free trade zone He feels the wind is lifting up his people He calls the wind to guide him on his mission He knows his friend the wind is always standing...by.
Mojique smells the wind that comes from far away Mojique waits for news in a quiet place He feels the presence of the wind around him He feels the power of the past behind him He has the knowledge of the wind to guide him...on.
The wind in my heart The wind in my heart The dust in my head The dust in my head The wind in my heart The wind in my heart (Come to) Drive them away Drive them away.
These guys can put funk and soul into their slow, quiet ballads. Rollin' on the freeway late at night, top down, 15 miles over the speed limit, cd player at 40 dB, singing at the top of your lungs.
80's music had a style about it that seemed to permeate everything that came out. Especially during the mid part of the decade. That "style" seemed to water down the greater artists (great examples are Eric Clapton and one of Red Machine's favorites, Neil Young) and allow lesser lights and one-hit-wonders to shine. Artists like Elton John, Rod Stewart, and Phil Collins COMPLETELY lost their way in that decade and haven't been relevant since. To his credit, Clapton bounced back with the Journeyman album in 89 by getting back to his roots. Neil did it too in 89 with Freedom.
That being said, the aforementioned Police, U2, and REM are good examples of great bands that thrived in that time.
You're High. I love this masturbatory "The 80's SUCKED" BS but it is just that, These are just off the top of my head:
Guitar Rock: Van Halen Rush Metallica Guns n'Roses
Alternative Rock (British New Wave:) Clash Smiths Cure Joy Division/New Order Depeche Mode Psychedelic Furs
So many more. Maybe you had your head stuck in Led Zeppelin breaking up or Gabriel leaving Genesis, but There was some serious music that came out in the 80's. Hell, it birthed/solidified two new genres - Hip Hop and Electronica.
Probably something like 90% of the 300 million people in my country live in suburbs or suburb-type housing. The word sprawl is loaded and its use is quite well established - it's extreme, obnoxious, and even a bit sinister cultural condescension. Forgive me if I don't share your opinion that my country is "post-capitalist wreckage."
You're from DC, right? Hardly "Suburban." If you're actually from the MD or VA suburbs then you live in a quite non-standard suburban setting, with urban centers springing up all over the place, like Bethesda, Alexandria, Herndon, Rockville, etc. If you are unfamiliar with the suburban blight happening in many areas (hello - PG County?) I recommend going to Camp Springs MD sometime.
I assume you do realize that there is a huge push back into our city because the populace is realizing that having an acre of lawn to mow (mainly to isolate you from having to deal with the weird Indian family who just moved in on the other side of the fence) isn't worth a 2+ hour commute each way on a daily basis.
JT's vocals on this track make Knopler's voice sound so limited.
Anal tentivity is a problem for many.
IMHO Knopfler's conversational voice transcends JT's tonal range. Pavarotti could sing the MK part and the song would be far worse. Technical ability is such a small part of an emotional connection.
Phoebe Cates ... simple as that - anyone who doesnt understand - was not a teen boy in the 80's
Heard the song and logged in just to give Phoebe a shout-out. Saw I had been well beaten to the punch. Did you guys know that Cameron Crowe wrote "Fast times...?"
It's also my favorite Cars tune, despite Ms. Cates'... talents.
As for Trent Reznor calling this the "definitive version", I think he is probably thinking a little about the royalties he gets from this cover. This is a very successful song, it would not make sense for Reznor to badmouth the version. Rock stars don't usually do that about covers they authorize, to my knowledge anyway. Fine, Trent liked the cover. I still prefer the original, a lot more. I think Trent was on to something he did not realize. I don't particularly care about the drug angle either. The NIN version expressed something meaningful and unique about pain. It's the classic, not this.
So many problems with this post -
Reznor's version was ALL about drugs - his struggle with Heroin addiction and its effect on those close to him. The "other angles" were a happy accident... brought vividly to life by Mr. Cash's cover.
Neither Trent Reznor, nor his music, has ever - not once - been about the money. The reason he was so hesitant to let JC record this cover is because it was SO personal to him, speaking directly about his Heroin habit. Seriously - if there is any 90's and later artist list that hasn't "sold out" it starts with TR.
Reznor would make more royalties in a month selling a tune for commercial use than he would ever realize from the JC cover.
I write this as a NIN/TR fan. You shouldn't have the hubris to second-guess the songwriter.
But did you listen to it? Dubstep (often also called dadstep round here) is hugely popular. Have a listen to some with on excellent podcast - http://petecogle.com/blog/the-dub-step-zone/
Luckily, my kids listen to everything I give them and conversely, I enjoy what they pass back. Mind you, that is because I have fed them ALL kinds of music since they could hear and let them make their own minds up and in return, listen to what they find. Industrial/Gabba is about the only thing I can't deal with. . . but it does make me laugh though. . . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRRBuEU-c8c&NR=1
For me it's Gangsta Rap (50 Cent, The Game, etc.) and Bubblegum Pop (Katy Perry, Brittany Spears, Usher, etc.)
I agree 100% about feeding your children all your music and consuming what they return, and critically. My kids love everything from Bob Marley to the B-52s and PIL simply because I exposed them to the music I listen to when at home. To be honest my cd/record collection has been replaced to a large extent by RP in the past couple years, and I'm good with that. The mix on this "station" is remarkable.
We were listening to this song tonight while cleaning the dinner dishes and I caught my 10yo daughter pausing to listen. I told her it makes me think of a snowy Winter morning walking her to school, and she agreed whole-heartedly.
Ha! It's true, he can't sing. REM songs are so self absorbed.
Unlike any other rock band... especially post "Achtung Baby" U2 or anything by Rush.
I'll take Stipe's voice over Dylan's, Jagger's, or Neil Young's any day. Yeah he's a bit rough on this album, but that's what you get with "Live" music.
Hawkins had originally intended to record "I Put a Spell on You" as a refined love song, a blues ballad. He reported, however, that the producer "brought in ribs and chicken and got everybody drunk, and we came out with this weird version.<4> I don't even remember making the record. Before, I was just a normal blues singer. I was just Jay Hawkins. It all sort of just fell in place. I found out I could do more destroying a song and screaming it to death."
Lazy listener tuning in to a station rather than playing their own original mix.
How many DJs do you think they have? Ever have to DJ, and if so for more than an hour? I will bet you every penny I have that if I asked you to entertain a large (100+) group of people for the next four hours with your music collection that:
1. You'll repeat an artist. Probably more than one. 2. There will be people in the audience who dislike a song now and then... perhaps even questioning your DJ ability and taste in music in general.
I love both Kate's and Chrissie's oeuvres. As artists they're very, very different from each other — but each is an amazing one-of-a-kind. No comparisons apply.
wow i thought it was nirvana the downer chords start up and leave me relieved whatever that means
These guys were so much better than Nirvana, IMHO - the best Seattle Grunge band out of the big ones: AIC, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Screaming Trees, and later Pearl Jam. This album does a decent job recapturing Lane Staley's magic, but I do wish they'd let sleeping dogs lie and move on to another project, ala Nirvana's Dave Grohl w/Foo Fighters.
I don't get you folks. This is an amazing track from one of the best albums of all time. Bill, you can play anything from this anytime. And while you're at it, add some tracks from My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by Eno and Byrne.
Seconded. Remain in Light is amazing, My Life in the Bush of Ghosts groundbreaking.
"...wanted in fourteen counties of this state, the condemned is found guilty of crimes of murder, armed robbery of citizens, state banks and post offices; the theft of sacred objects, arson in a state prison, perjury, bigamy, deserting his wife and children, inciting prostitution, kidnapping, extortion, receiving stolen goods, selling stolen goods, passing counterfeit money and contrary to the laws of this state the condemned is guilty of using marked cards and loaded dice. Therefore, according to the powers vested in us, we sentence the accused before us, Tuco Benedicto Pacifico Juan Maria Ramirez and any other aliases he might have, to hang by the neck until dead... may god have mercy on his soul... proceed."
Loving this (most of the time, but in particular...) as part of a great progression: The Cure: Love Cats, Stray Cats: Stray Cat Strut (Ok, those were obvious), but then into Billie Holliday: Gimme a Pigfoot, then this. Genius. Follow it with Little Walter: My Babe, and Mich Gerber: By your Side... This could only be RP.
These tracks roll together like they were on the same album.
Guess it's programmed into the computer that way...
Petty always gives you RLS Restless Leg Syndrome... Campbell does the do..great muscians great professionals Where on earth ? the only thing Live Nation didn't have was cattle prods.......
The Gorge. Along with Red Rocks the two best venues in the land. RR still wins for acoustics...
IMHO REM was the best American band going in the 80's and early 90's. If you listen to their first 4 albums you hear where Uncle Tupelo got their inspiration - Gram Parsons not withstanding.
Eric Clapton brought Muddy Waters along to open one of his tours shortly before the great McKinley Morganfield died. The tour was mid to late 70s.
I've got to say that it was a sad and painful thing to witness, Waters was just too old and was just (barely) going through the motions.
I moved to the SF Bay area in '82, which is where John Lee Hooker lived. Although I loved his music I never went to see him live because I couldn't get Muddy Waters out of my mind. I thought he had one foot in the grave in '82 but the tough old bastard lived for nearly 20 more years.
If you haven't please watch/listen to "The Last Waltz."
Muddy Waters was amazing that night, that was 1976.
I watche JLH tour with Big Head Todd in the mid-90's. He was rollin'.
I kwow better watch out....... life is like that...... look up look up look up...... then the grooze smack you right in the face....... you are like a mother+?**** robot..... watch you !!!!!
Sonny Landreth is really good when he plays with others. His own stuff is just too masturbatory (and repetitive.) He did a great turn on Govt. Mule's "The Deepest End."
There are great "river" songs, which evoke the water's passage as much as its role in the lyrical ideas. This is one. So are "One Tree Hill" (U2), "The River" (Bruce), "Green River" (Creedence) and Smetana's "Die Moldau." There are many, many more.
"Ride Across the River" - Dire Straits "Orinoco Flow" - Enya
Not really a segue since he talked in between, but still an odd choice after the old-timey blues tune. Nevertheless it's a cool song (especially if you like Radiohead.)
Don't like Dobro as a solo instrument. Sounds like someone is strangling a banjo.
Ignore this post. If a slide guitar can be a solo instrument (Allmann Bros, Little Feat, Ry Cooder) why not a Dobro? Do you like drum solos? How about Bass? Keyboards?
If you do find it, you may want to preview the whole album before buying it. This song is by far the best, there are some OK chill-out tracks as well, but some come very close to being muzak.
Like them both but I think a celebrity death match between Tori Amos and Kate Bush would be good.
A Celebrity Oil Wrestling match, you mean....
Tori is great. I think she's one of those female musicians you aither like or dislike, akin to Joni Mitchell. To compare her to that talentless hack Alannis is unfair to both.
...back before they went corporate. I miss the 'HFS of the 70's and 80's. When they were still on FM102.3, broadcasting from Cordell Ave. in Bethesda, and had Damien getting stoned on the air nightly they were the best radio station on the planet.
I have always said RP should just open up its entire library and let it go randomized. We should never have to hear the same song more than once or twice a week much less once or twice a day!
Understatement of the year award goes to......
Where on earth ?
