You may have read the news reports about Don Paulin before, but here he is in all his button-down, well-groomed, white-bread glory.And thank God that he's here. How else would we ever be able to hear the songs of minorities? It's not like they've ever exhibited an interest in, or capacity for, recording their own musical creations. I think we all owe Don Paulin a debt of gratitude for doing what no other white musician would dare to do -- cover the songs of African Americans and present them as his own. Kudos!
An appearance by The Man can only mean that it's time for the Friday Random Ten. Let's do this thing.
1. Bob and Earl, "Harlem Shuffle" -- This song is perhaps best known for two other tunes it inspired. The opening horn blast is the one used over and over again in House of Pain's "Jump Around," while the Rolling Stones did a cover of the whole song on their 1,374th album. But this is the real deal, baby, and it's a stone cold groove. 9/10
2. Grand Puba, "360 Degrees (What Goes Around)" -- Grand Puba pretty much disappeared along with his group Brand Nubian, after a brief spark of brilliance in the early '90s. They were part of that "five-percent nation" movement in hiphop, the Afrocentric, dashiki-wearing movement. Remember that? Man, college was great. 6/10
3. Belle & Sebastian, "I Could Be Dreaming" -- Tigermilk is my favorite album by these kids, and this is one of the many reasons why. Peppy indie pop that's so happy I almost want to punch it. Almost. 8/10
4. Replacements, "Bastards of Young" -- Some classic 'Mats from their hangover of an album, Tim. Remember that? Man, high school sucked. 7/10
5. Graham Central Station, "Hair" -- Great funk from the band that Larry Graham formed after departing Sly and the Family Stone. As hard as it is for a spinoff to live up to the original, this one comes close. Consider this the "Facts of Life" to Sly's "Diff'rent Strokes." 8/10
6. Mitch Ryder, "Breakout" -- Some pretty decent soul from the folks who brought you "Devil With a Blue Dress On." Nothing spectacular, but it gets the job done. 6/10
7. Johnny Cash, "25 Minutes to Go" -- The darkest, creepiest countdown you've ever heard, sung from the perspective of a man awaiting his own hanging. Cash really should've written more children's songs. He clearly has a knack for it. 6/10
8. Cat Power, "The Greatest" -- Chan Marshall may be borderline crazy and a complete flake at her live performances, but when she's on, she's phenomenal. Unlike the store Stoner's Pot Palace, this song's title is not false advertising. 9/10
9. U.N.K.L.E. with South, "Suicide" -- A nice bit of electronica from the brilliant Sexy Beast soundtrack. Truth be told, the best part of this is the badass cockney thug monologue by Ben Kingsley. But the driving beat is fantastic too. 7/10
10. Black Sabbath, "Sweet Leaf" -- Oh, Lordy, I just made Thrillhous's week. I'm not really sure what this song is about. Oregano, I think. 9/10
Alright, that gives me a 7.5 average. Once again, I've demonstrated that I'm only three-quarters cool, much like one of the lesser Baldwin brothers.
Let's see if you can do any better. Drop your own Friday Random Ten in the comments below, with or without the Coolness Self Audit. Don Paulin would want it that way.
18 comments:
My goodness. Sweet Leaf is the only song I even know from this one.
I stand aside with Thrill this morning and bow before Otto's supreme musical coolness.
I do, of course, know the Stones version of Harlem Shuffle, but my coolness quotient is already low enough, so I'm not cashing that chip.
Wow, nine songs of nonsense followed by Tommy Iommi and the guys. Your best FRT ever, OM.
For those about to rock, salute this!
1) Twilight Zone - Rush. Rod Serling must be spinning in his grave. 7/10
2) Walk - Pantera. A headbanger song you can really dance to. 8/10
3) How Many More Times (live) - Zeppelin. I love their early bluesy stuff. 9/10
4) Breakin' All the Rules - Ozzy. From his gigantic runaway hit album No Rest for the Wicked, the first with Zakk Wylde. If the songs on this album were in Dieties and Demigods, this song would be a lesser god. 8/10
5) Astral Traveller - Yes. Woo! Best song off their second album. No clue what it's about. 10/10
6) Hero - Ozzy. Lordy is this list shaping up nicely. One of the greater gods from No Rest. 10/10
7) I Am the Sea - The Who. what is this crap, and why is it on my computer? 2/10
8) Demon Alcohol - Ozzy. A third hit from No Rest? Everything's coming up Thrillhous!! This song is second only to Bloodbath in Paradise. Okay, maybe it's in a tie for second with Tatoo Dancer. 11/10
9) Cutting it Fine - Asia. Great tune, but not a good follow-on to Ozz. 7/10
10) Deer Dance - System of a Down. One of y'all really like this song; The Doc? Smitty? Anyway, it's groovy. 8/10
Great list, but the message clear: cut out the random middle man and listen to No Rest for the Wicked!!!
Thrill with the daily dose of mid-70s Rush. For that, I salute you.
I think, by the way, that Rod has to be spinning more over that Manhattan Transfer version from 1980 or so.
What disc is the live Zep off of? Is that early live Zep (read: great), or later, Jimmy Page noodling/Robert Plant warbling stuff (read: ugh)?
Yeah, this was a fairly random ten. Last week was nothing but hits, so I guess it all balances out.
I do like System of a Down....in short doses. Two, maybe three songs at a time.
With an iPod still out of commission, I have no songs to offer. But I do have beer!
1) Great Lakes Brewing Company Blackout Stout. A perfect and flawless example of an American Stout. 9/10 (there are no perfect beers)
2) Victory Brewing Company Golden Monkey. A beautiful, silky, banana-and-clove Trippel with great earthy undertones. 8/10.
3) Stone Brewing Company Russian Imperial Stout. Remember when I said there were no perfect beers? I lied. 10/10.
4) New Holland Brewing Company Dragon's Milk. Dude. Take a good sweet stout, even an oatmeal stout like Sam Smith's and age it in an oak barrell used to age Chardonnay. 9.5/10. Look out, Stone.
5) Great Lakes Brewing Company Edmund Fitzgerald Porter. Unfortunate name for a beer that absolutely soars. Shining example of a Robust Porter. 9/10.
6) Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout. Sweetness from the oats gives it the same sweetness you ghet from chocolate milk. Classic beer. But it can skunk easily, since it's actually in a clear bottle so take good care of it. 8/10.
7) Molson Canadian Lager. Football. Tailgates. Hockey season drawing closer. For an adjunct-laden macro-lager, it has the best malty taste with a shade of bitter. More of a sentimental favorite than a taste favorite, but I loves it still. And in Michigan, Molson and LaBatt are considered domestics. Eh. 6.5/10.
8) Anchor Steam Beer. Man, it's been a while since I've had Anchor Steam. The beer is actually a lager, but it is fermented warm like an ale, because in the 1800s in California, refrigeration wasn't around. The result? A new strain of high-temperature yeast and a tasty beer. The "Steam" comes from the resounding hiss when this high-pressure beer was tapped. 8/10.
9) Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti. This is a really interesting, highly-bitter imperial stout aged in an oak barrel. Decent, but not dizzying. 7/10.
10) Sam Adams Boston Lager. One small tiny step away from being mass-produced, but Jim Koch keeps to using real hops, not extracts, and brewing really solid beers. This is an all-time favorite and stand-by. 8/10.
8.3. Does that make me cool, or really drunk?
Man, I could've used that list for last night's game. I just kept on pulling out one Yuengling after another. I kept trying, but after about twelve or so I gave up.
"The Greatest" is a lovely, lovely song. And according to my friend "A," who saw her very recently, she's cut back a great deal on that "falling apart on stage" thing. Much more professional lately...
And about the Don Paulin thing: How else will minority music get played in Georgia country clubs?
Don't underestimate the Yuengling, OM. It's Beer Fu is very strong.
Well, I'm glad to hear Marshall is pulling it together. She's got so much talent and, sadly, the crazies that go along with talent.
As far as Yuengling goes, I never underestimate its strength. Though I do need to watch myself. I already had a slight hangover by the end of last night's game.
Astral Traveller - Yes. Woo! Best song off their second album. No clue what it's about.
I have no memory of ever hearing this song (fortunately!), so I looked up the lyrics. It sounds like a guy who wants to use astral projection to escape his woman.
In high school, I read a Lois Duncan book about A.P., but there, one girl tricked another girl into doing it so she could enter her body. I don't remember much flying over valleys.
1. Rick Springfield – “Jesse’s Girl,” from 80’s: My Preteen Years
This song makes Milty want to put his American flag bandana on and ask a long-haired friend to drive him around in a convertible, while he lip synchs this song. Also, there are fist pumps. This homemade mix kicks the proverbial ass. As does that one scene in Boogie Nights. 8/10
2. Smashing Pumpkins – “Infinite Sadness,” from MCIS (vinyl)
An instrumental that probably didn’t make the double-disc cut since “MCIS” did. “MCIS” is a splendid opener to one of Milt’s ten fave LPs, and it always makes him think of the lights dimming before the arena Pumpkins take the stage. But this, like everything else they did back then, is gold. 8/10
3. “I Want to Marry a Lighthouse Keeper,” from A Clockwork Orange
Great ditty! Please excuse Milt, it’s milk-plus time. 10/10
4. The Pixies – “Head On,” from Trompe le Monde
Better track from a not better album. Thank God they didn’t follow through with a reunion album. 7/10
5. Aimee Mann – “That’s Just What You Are,” from I’m With Stupid
As scary as it is to think the good doctor will mellow (slightly) with age, it’s already started, and Miss Mann is someone he expects to listen to for the rest of his days, which is a good thing. 8/10
6. Gomez – “Free to Run,” from Bring it On
Meh. 5/10
7. The Who – “Christmas,” from Tommy
Never really listened to this much. Not keen on songs about cripples. Sue me. 5/10
8. U2 – “Surrender,” from War
A long overdue Fünkdoctor-rant: their last album shouldn’t have won the grammy. Alternate titles for it: Packin’ it In, Putting it in Neutral, This Sounds Mysteriously Similar to Our Last Album, or Rubbish.
Turns out Milt can be a snob. Who knew? 7/10
9. The Roots – “Good Music (Prelude),” from Organix
Prelude? Honestly. 5/10
10. Fugazi – “Sweet and Low,” from In on the Kill Taker
The most consistently solid group in Milt’s lifetime. Check out The Evens, Ian’s side project, if you need some blissfully chill tunes. The go back to Fugazi when you’re feeling the hot rock. “I am a patient boy. I wait, I wait, I wait, I wait!” 8/10
Thrilled w/ this disappointing 71 because 71 used to be acceptable, which means Milt’s standards done gone up.
Milt-
I have to disagree with you regarding Head On on two counts: First, as a cover of a Jesus & Mary Chain song, it deserves at least one more point.
And if you're saying, "Wait a second, that's a non sequitur, well you're correct. And you're speaking French.
Secondly, Trompe le Monde is an underrated album. Bird Dream of the Olympus Mons? C'mon!
Smitty-
You have me drooling with alcoholic aniticipation for tonight. Some of those beers you mention are just amazing. Golden Monkey's not great, but that 9%+ ABV works for this kid. Haven't tried the Stone Imperial Stout, but I like Arrogant Bastard and I'm really impressed by the Smoked Porter, so I gots to check me out some of that stuff.
And good tips re Sam Smith's skunkiness & the underrated (and cheap) Yeungling.
12:18. How much longer?
Mike, the Zep stuff is off BBC Sessions, and I think it's mostly stuff recorded before 1971 or so.
As usual, thanks for the beerfotainment, Smitty. I'll take 10 of each.
Mrs. T, don't even smurf it; you could never, EVER understand Yes. You don't know me, woman, you don't know me.
Looking at that album cover, Don looks a little pissed. Maybe the photographer was one of those minorities?
Ah, Yuengling...if only there was a Michigan distributor.
You can't get Yuengling in Michigan? I remember being able to find it down south, so that's surprising.
It's such a bargain up here. $5 for six bottles, baby! I bought a twelve pack last night, and the other half is going to taste so nice come Sunday morning.
Did I mention that I am, in fact, ready for some football?
Bob:
You can find Yuengling in MI. Go to Oades Big 10 on Clippert. It is GREAT tailgate beer, right along with Iron City.
"You can find Yuengling in MI. Go to Oades Big 10 on Clippert. It is GREAT tailgate beer, right along with Iron City."
No shit? I don't even think Yuengling knows its here. They only come as far east as Penn according to their website. They bought a brewery in Florida and brew down there too, so I buy it when I am on vacation.
Oades Big 10, here I come.
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