Mar 042011
Let’s try another 1-2 Punch, shall we? Top 10 lists are too much; Top 5 lists invite too many opportunities for throwing in a hipster, obscuro choice to distinguish oneself from the raging masses. What I’d like to know is what TWO (2) songs you would choose from an artist’s catalog to say as much about that artist that you believe represents said artist’s core as possible? In other words, if you could only use TWO (2) songs from an artist’s catalog to explain all that said artist is about to a Venutian, what TWO (2) songs would you pick to represent said artist’s place in rock ‘n roll?
I’ll pose two artists and you—love ’em or leave ’em—give me each artist’s representative 1-2 Punch. Dig? Here goes!
The Who!
Name of This Band Is "Eagles"
Not my favorites, but the Who’s My Generation and Won’t Get Fooled Again are pretty good bookends to the dichotomy that is Townshend, embracing and repelled by his audience while trying to speak FOR them. It’s hard to leave something off from Tommy or Quadrophenia though.
I’m going to cop out for now on Eagles, I do not own any and it would require research into psychic oblivion that would render the rest of my workday useless. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
The Who:
– The Kids Are Alright to represent the concise, mod pop side of the band
– Won’t Get Fooled Again to represent ambitious, anthematic, Big Statement side of the band.
Eagles:
– Take It Easy, a not unpleasant song that nicely captures the spirit of the So Cal singer songwriter scene in the early ’70s
– Hotel California, a big bloated turd of a song that is as cynical, crass and pretentious as the band itself.
The Who: One of their songs about being a drunken Brit.
The Eagles: One of their hilarious coke songs.
Can’t Explain
Baba O’ Reiley
Take it Easy
One Of These Nights
Who:
The notion of having to provide “bookends” or songs that capture the different flavors of Pete Townshend is silly. There is a *thing* that the Who is, and it’s perfectly captured by these two songs:
Overture from Tommy, preferably a live version
Song Is Over
Eagles:
Take it Easy
Hotel California
… both perfect encapsulations of the whole Psychic Oblivion thing, I think.
For the Who I’ll say Substitute and Behind Blue Eyes.
I’d go along with Take It Easy and Hotel C for the Eagles, I mean for Eagles, but I always say New Kid in Town is the only song by them I actually enjoy hearing.
I agree with Cdm, except I’d use “Can’t Explain” rather than “Kids”. Close call. I don’t see these as bookends so much as shining examples of their two kinds of power, that the alien would need to hear. It’s true that this leaves out the whole other side of them, but these are the examples that explain to the alien why, for me, The Who are great.
– “Can’t Explain”
– “Won’t Get Fooled Again”
Similar sampling for Eagles’ breezy mellow side, and ambitious side.
– “Take It Easy”
– “Hotel California”
So you obviously don’t believe the in the Who’s mach schau translating since you don’t represent that at all.
I think I Can’t Explain is a great Kinks song.
Also, the Song Is Over? C’mon, that represents Baba, not the bleedin’ WHO!
I could get Behind Blue Eyes.
Song Is Over has:
– Lots of Entwistle noodling
– Lots of Keith Moon bashing
– Pete warbling
– Daltrey bellowing
– Power chords
– Sensitive Pete piano
… what’s it not got that the Tommy Overture ain’t got?
These Venutians have mastered interplanetary travel, so they are not limited to pure audio. I’m calling up Youtube and showing them the Rock ‘n Roll Circus performance of “A Quick One” and the video for “Join Together” for The Who.
I would prefer not to betray my fellow Terrans by providing any Eagles material, but I suppose there is precedent since footage of that Hitler speech has been beamed into space, so maybe they’ve had adequate time to prepare their four stomachs for this. In that case, I’d go with “New Kid In Town” as an example of the least offensive version of that style of Eagles material, and then maybe “Victim Of Love”, which is probably the least worst Eagles song and is more along the lines of the rockin’ Eagles.
Alternately, I play “Hotel California” for our potential new alien overlords, and when they get to the “you can check out any time you want, but you can never leave” line, that’s when I blow their ship up, hop into a car and drive triumpantly into the desert night, cool wind in my air, as the Venutian Master Ship continues to burn up in the distance.
You just beat me to A Quick One, but I’d add something like The Real Me for an edgier contrast.
How about Life’s Been Good to pair with Hotel California?
sensitive piano? that’s what you want et to phone home about the who?
Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man, all the way!
I think Life’s Been Good is solo Joe Walsh.
Hmm
The Kids are Alright
Baba O’Reilly
Eagles:
I Can’t Tell you Why
New Kid in Town
The Who
I Can See for Miles — my first recollection of hearing a “rock” song on the radio — I remember telling my dad in the car that I liked that song. I was probably 5 or 6 years old.
Tattoo
The Eagles
Life in the Fast Lane
Take it Easy
Another dad memory — they were on TV and he asked me “What’s the big deal about these guys?”
As kids, we played off the lyrics of New Kid in Town — when there was somebody talking and we didn’t want to hear what they were saying — we’d say “There’s a new kid in town! I don’t wanna hear it” I’ve just never been able to take that song seriously.
The Who: “Substitute” Short, punchy and tuneful. Power pop and punk before its time. “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (video from The Kids are Alright) Full on Power & Glory stuff.
Eagles: “Life in the Fast Lane” LA coked out asshole music. “Desperado” Shows their influence on today’s mainstream country music. Listenable but ultimately hollow and contrived.
northvan is among us! How’ve you been, brother?
I’ve got to give you credit for selecting two of the most-listenable Eagles songs.
Yeah, did you get hitched?
Getting hitched in Vancouver in July. Any suggestions on songs to play? (Worms escape from can….)
Yo, Mod! Sorry I haven’t been around. It has been one of those good busy times, business wise.
just this: https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/index.php/help-a-brother-out/
The Who:
-The Kids Are Alright (the best of their Mod anthems) and
-Slip Kid (the most underrated but perhaps most concise of their 70s epic throwdowns)
The Eagles: who cares?
your dad’s alright by me.
northvan, your fellow townsman saturnismine is getting fitted for a ball and chain in august, and it seems we’re in the same boat: gotta make the music. I have proposed “Iron Man” as the song for my dance with my mom. that got LOTS of laughter from my old lady. That’s why I love her. congrats and good luck!
right you are — shows how much attention i pay to the eagles!
I haven’t answered yet. For The Who I’m going with “My Generation” and “Baba O’Riley.” For Eagles, a band I detest, I’ll go with the decent, mildly optimistic “Take it Easy” and the putrid “Hotel California.” I am confident these 4 songs will help our Venutian friends understand.
Mr. Mod, this is one of your best threads yet! What a concept. Two songs to sum up an entire lifetime of work… hmmmm…
For me the who are about drama and anger/pain so I will say
Substitute – pop and anger together
I’ve Had Enough – rock and anger – perfect Townsend
Eagles
I agree with @saturnismine – who gives a crap?
I think Roxy Music would be a good band for a 1-2 Punch.
Good idea – let’s wait ’til next week and find a proper pairing for them. Thanks.