Nov 072010
I’ve never been a fan of The Jam‘s “Eton Rifles” (or any of Paul Weller’s soccer-chant songs, for that matter), but its middle eighth, which first appears at about the 1:24 mark of this clip, is—for me—the song’s saving grace. This song would be a constant needle-lifter on my favorite Jam album, Setting Sons, if not for that part. I like it that much.
Is there a song you would never listen to again if not for one worthwhile moment?
There’s an Aztec Camera song called “Notting Hill Blues” which I usually listen to for about 30 seconds, then zip forward to the guitar solo then listen through to the end. The top half of the song seems monotonous to me.
I can’t find it on You Tube, so there’s this instead:
Not Notting Hill Blues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puc0_MsqRZA
Despite Mr. Royale’s recent purchase of a ticket (for him) to go see God Speed You Black Emperor, I can not make it through a single song of theirs. I have tried, as I admire my husband’s taste and openness about music, but appreciation for that band has completely eluded me.
I’m not a big Southern Rock fan by any measure, but the second half of the first stanza of the chorus of “Ramblin’ Man.” “Tryna make a living and doin’ the best I can.” The key change, the wiggly melody of the lyrics, the fact that it doesn’t have the “tweedle-dee.” Just those two measures. It’s a pretty sophisticated line all through there, anthemic in the beginning, explanatory afterward, and kind of a mood shift through the entire chorus. But that one line makes it, and I’ll sit through the tweedledee to hear it every time, and have since i was like 8!
The opening guitar riff of the Stones’ “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” has me reaching for the volume knob (WAY UP) every time. Just to hear that guitar part (I presume it’s Keef) in the right channel. But from the second chorus on, including the entire last 2/3 of the song based around the saxophone/guitar jam, it that was a separate track I would skip it.
I used to only like the break in Sitting On the Dock of the Bay (“Looks like nothing’s gone a change…”). I like the whole song now but for years I would just put up with it just to get to that part.
Funny, for years I didn’t like that break and felt the need to tolerate it. Anout 10 years ago I began to like the break a lot.
I have that reaction to a lot of Dylan songs. Especially the very simple, repetitive, folky numbers. I just wait for the payoff line like “… anyway, I’m not alone” from It Ain’t Me, Babe or “I can’t feel you anymore / I can’t touch the books you read” stanza of Idiot Wind.
Well, there’s your problem. Godspeed You! Black Emperor don’ do “songs.”
That could be a whole seperate thread. Songs that have great openings/intros, and then bomb right into the gutter.
Ho! Prince Nez to the rescue!! Mr. Mod. I must delicately, and respectfully point out, that the term is middle 8, and not 8th. It stems from old songs such as were popular in the tim-pan-alley 20s and such. There would be an eight measure (usually) phrase in the middle of the song, serving often as nothing more than a brief wake-up from the ABAB that came before, and the AB that would close the song. ABACAB and so on, you see. I am willing to hear other apocryphal explanations and corrections, but this is, as the people who were young once used to say, “the straight dope.”
This is at least the second time I’ve been Pince Nez’d on this topic. I stand before you, Rock Town Hall, and ask for your forgiveness.