I know you’ve heard me say this before, but this may be the shortest Last Man Standing competition in the history of Rock Town Hall. I thought of this the other day, when Dexy’s Midnight Runners’ “Come On Eileen” came up on a playlist I made entitled 1980s Hits That Didn’t Completely Suck.*
At one point in “Come On Eileen,” the tempo purposely slows down, then picks up again and gets real fast. I thought of one other song that is arranged to purposely slow down, then pick up again – even getting faster – but no other examples came to mind. I’m NOT talking about changes in time signature or accidental/incidental changes in a song’s tempo, but the deliberately, blatantly slowed down or rushed speed at which a song moves along.
I could have thought more about this during my perfect day at the beach, but my company was too good and then on the ride home I played a much better playlist, one attempting to re-create the magic of jukebox at a community pool I used to go to when I was about 12 years old. And I should note, while typing up this post, I thought of a third song that uses this device, so don’t complain to me that there’s only one answer left. Help a brother out, won’t you?
*NOTE: When the playlist ended, at almost precisely the time the drive my wife and I made to the beach ended, my wife said, “What was that mix? I liked a couple of songs, but it sucked!”
How about “Heroes and Villains” by the Beach Boys?
Bewitched by the Wedding Present
Nice, you’ve already come up with 2 more than the 3 songs I had in mind!
Do you think we might be able to drag it out as long as the last one then?
Thanks for reminding me about this one. Haven’t listened to it in years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEjLFpU2pJ4
Say You, Say Me by Lionel Richie. I asked my wife what was up with the uptempo bridge in the middle of a slow-dancing song, she said “that’s the part where you rock out.” It really wasn’t worth pursuing it further than that.
It certainly goes through changes but after it speeds up in the third quarter, the Kinks’ Shangri-La gets slow again to finish up.
Last Of The Steam Powered Trains on the Kinks’ The Village Green Preservation Society.
Radiohead’s Paranoid Android has a long slow section in the middle of the song, with faster tempos at the beginning and the end.
Night Moves by Bob Seger
If Keith West’s Except From a Teenage Opera wasn’t on your list, Mr Mod, I fear you might be slipping!
Stones. Midnight Rambler.
I’ll get it in before anyone else does, Bohemian Rhapsody
It’s sad how many of these songs I hadn’t considered. “Midnight Rambler” is one of the songs on my very short list. Bring it on, Townspeople! I sense we will uncover many of these examples.
For your consideration, Adam Faith’s “It’s Alright.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgHsXrMzSmw
Pearl Jam’s version of Crazy Mary
Ike & Tina Turner’s “nice and rough” version of Proud Mary.
The Rolling Stones song Cool, Calm & Collected speeds up maniacally at the end.
Probably like a lot of songs that feature a train motif: XTC’s “Train Running Slow on Soul Coal”.
Bob Seger does it again on Brave Strangers.
Nazz – Loosen Up
A Quick One While He’s Away
“Jungleland” and “Outlaw Pete” by Bruce Springsteen.
My college band tried playing “Come On Eileen” once and let me tell you, slowing down/speeding up in unison is NOT easy.
The Chain – Fleetwood Mac
Time Has Come Today by The Chambers Brothers.
Rock Island Line by Johnny Cash
There’s a really subtle one in the Allman Brothers instrumental Jessica where it slows down for a tiny bit and you think it’s finally over, but then it climbs right back up again for some more healthy riffing.
A Day in the Life
The Concept by Teenage Fanclub starts out fairly slowly, but has a really long, slow outchorus for about 2 minutes.
The Fall – The Man Whose Head Expanded
Good Vibrations
Macarthur Park by Richard Harris
Stairway to Heaven
Maya by the Incredible String Band
Soft Parade by The Doors
I think “The Soft Parade” actually changes songs.
OK. So let’s make it “Unknown Soldier” by The Doors.
Beefheart – Electricity
Bungalow Bill
Pere Ubu – 30 Seconds Over Tokyo
San Francisco Girls by Fever Tree
Slow Ride!
Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
Wow, you are hitting on so many great examples that I had not thought of when this seemingly near-impossible-to-extend Last Man Standing popped in my head. How did I forget the majestic “Slow Ride”?!?!
Before I forget, here’s the third song that came to my mind, by a band that I see used this trick a few times: The Doors’ “LA Woman.”
I am (presently) Last Man Standing!
Ruby Tuesday by The Rotary Connection
Giant Sand’s Love Like a Train is another in the train motif. Speeds up into a near trainwreck (complete with “wooo!-wooo!”s) at the end. Sounds corny on paper, but it works!
Dreams by Beck
Carry On — CSNY
Ramble Tamble — CCR
Leaning on the Lamp Post — Herman’s Hermits