Tempting?
Despite never having owned it, the hippie cheese of Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky” never fails to please. Hearing on the radio yesterday I realized how influential the record is on my aesthetic: the beat, the fuzz tone, the double-bends… “Sad,” you may be right in thinking to yourself.
Or maybe not, as I learned with an outpouring of support when I posted these thoughts to my Facebook page minutes after this experience.
Why don’t I own a copy of “Spirit in the Sky”?
In part because I never went out of my way to buy a 45 of it. In part because I knew feared buying a dollar bin copy of the entire Norman Greenbaum album on which it appears would bum me out (ie, I have always assumed that anything else by that guy would stink to high heaven and probably not even be in the same musical vein). In part because it’s always been so easy to hear “Spirit in the Sky” for free on the radio. Maybe I’ll buy an mp3 of it some day and avoid the temptation of bringing home a used copy filled out with what I imagine would be orchestrated, musty roll-neck sweater, hippie-folk shit.
How about you, what song do you love and find inspiration in yet have never owned? What’s your excuse?
Smiths “How Soon Is Now.” Johnny Marr’s hardcore. I think not having it “at the figertips” keeps it *that* much more exciting when it does come around.
aloha
LD
I can think of a few, but I think they’re probably mostly nostalgia for me, and I really try not to listen to music for nostalgic reasons very often. But I love Ozark Mountain Daredevils’ If You Wanna Get to Heaven, and I like Jackie Blue, so why haven’t I dropped a dollar on a GH record? I’m sure it would have both songs on it, and if I got lucky they’d be on the same side!
I also love Sister Havana by urge Overkill, but I’ve never owned it. I think it might be because I think that’s a really bad name for a band.
I use Spotify for everything, so I don’t really own much in physical form.
I heartily recommend the UO album containing “Sister Havana”. By now about 2/3 of the tracks really stick in my head and are catchy and rocking. And occasionally goofy.
We need to investigate the Spotify/cloud music phenomenon, in general. I’ve had some thoughts developing the last couple of weeks. I look forward to getting your input later this week. Stay tuned! Thanks.
Something in the Air – Thunderclap Newman
I must have done the 30 second sample on the album at least a dozen times but nothing beyond that. If I catch the song on the radio I usually stop what I’m doing. I love the simplicity. The middle section is absolutely bonkers.
I finally downloaded that song last year. A friend in high school had the album and it was terrible.
Probably tons of songs that will only register once I hear them again “in the wild”. But since I was trying to come up with one for your post, I dropped $0.99 on Cheap Trick’s version of “California Man” yesterday. That opening throws me right back to the basement keg parties with a couple of barely rehearsed garage bands making a hell of a racket.
If You Wanna Get to Heaven. Wow, I haven’t thought about that song in a long time.
Many many examples, mostly songs from the top 40 of my youth. “Go All the Way” by the Raspberries. Never owned it, still don’t. It’s on a spotify playlist now, though. From a later time, and simply free associating, I was a big fan at the time of Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go” but never owned it.
20th Century Boy. I have other t-rex but not that one for some reason. (scratches head)
First one that comes to mind is Whiter Shade Of Pale, it gets played plenty, and I always had the sense that I wouldn’t want a whole Procol Harem album, but it never fails to mellow me out whenever I happen upon it. Maybe it bothers me a little that it’s the same pattern over and over without a middle eight. Didn’t they rip it off from Bach? I’m talking myself out of this. Well, it didn’t hurt to have the Lennon endorsement about it too for my Lennon/Beatle-addled youth.
I’ve always really liked Story in Your Eyes by the Moody Blues, but I don’t own it. I also haven’t heard it in years. I own one MB LP which I inherited from my older brother: To Our Children’s Children’s Children
I haven’t played it in at least 30 years.
I find them a bit much, though I used to like Gypsy from that one. I just heard an ad that there is a Moody Blues Cruise you can take with the band. Yikes.