I can't say for certain, but I'm fairly certain that this album cover from Butch Yelton and Upbound was the inspiration for the movie Frailty, in which Bill Paxton swings his own little gospel axe and sends a bunch of demons back to the fiery depths of hell. Or maybe it was Bill Pullman. Hard to say.Anyway, the appearance of supergroup Butch Yelton and Upbound -- man, that name just rolls off the tongue and right to Jesus's ear, don't it? -- means that it's time once again for the Friday Random Ten.
Audience participation has been slacking, as you people have devoted your attention to time-wasters like "work" and "family." So here's a refresher course on the FRT.
First of all, get out whatever thingamajig you use to play those new-fangled electronic songs, set it on random, and give us the first ten songs that come forth from the spirit world.
And, as always, if you're ready to run with the big kids, give us a Coolness Self-Audit as well. Remember, the audit is an optional feature for the FRT, sort of like power windows and curly fries.
1. Death Cab for Cutie, "Tiny Vessels" -- A very pretty song with some very ugly lyrics. I haven't checked in with Hipster Central to see if these kids are still the shit, but I don't care. Transatlanticism is one of my favorite albums of this decade, and this is one of its better tunes. 10/10
2. Dionne Warwick, "You're Gonna Need Me" -- Man, whatever happened to Dionne Warwick? (If only there was some way we could reach out and find our dear, long lost friend. If only....) This is actually a fantastic soul song, with some nice West Coast guitars and a great vocal track from Warwick. 8/10
3. Les Savy Fav, "Pills" -- A couple of these kids met while studying at the Rhode Island School of Design, which is how the Talking Heads got started too. The similarities end there, as LSF is a bit more all-up-in-your-grill than the Heads ever were. I'm not entirely sold on this song, but I certainly like the cut of their jib. 7/10
4. Frank Sinatra, "The Lady is a Tramp" -- As much as I respect and, yes, fear the Chairman of the Board, this was a song that always seemed to send him into the realm of self-parody. In the live versions, he'd always change "the lady" to "that koo-koo broad" by the time he hit his third chorus and fifth scotch. This is not even remotely cool, especially when set against Ella Fitzgerald's much better rendition. 4/10
5. Hayseed Dixie, "My Best Friend's Girl" -- These guys have apparently made a career out of performing bluegrass covers of rock tunes. (Their rendition of "Back in Black" is, in my opinion, fanfuckingtastic.) Here they take a swing at the Cars' classic. As Bill Hicks would say, it's a hoot. You gotta think about it, but it's a hoot. 6/10
6. Wolf Parade, "Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts" -- I cannot recommend this band strongly enough. I know, I know, you've been burned before, with all the overblown blogosphere buzz about the Arctic Monkeys, Tapes 'n' Tapes, and Of Montreal. But these gentlemen have stood the test of time. This album still kicks my ass, and seeing them live this year was probably one of the top ten concerts of my life or of any life, for that matter. Trust me. 10/10
7. Charles Wright, "65 Bars and a Taste of Soul" -- You may know Charles Wright from such previous hits as the original "Express Yourself" and "Doin' What Comes Naturally." This is an absolutely scorching instrumental, one that not only brings in the jazz but pushes out the funk. Brilliant. Do we have our first ever back-to-back perfect tens here at the FRT? Yes, Virginia. Yes we do. 10/10
8. Blind Willie Johnson, "Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed" -- I don't want to begrudge a dying bluesman his last wish, but it seems to me that if you were about to pass on and had the Messiah on the line, you might want to ask for everlasting salvation instead of a turn-down service. But that's just me. 6/10
9. Ghostface Killah, "Struggle" -- Another spinoff from the Wu-Tang Clan's vast empire. There are a few songs on this album that I really really like. This, however, isn't one of them. 5/10
10. Ram Jam, "Black Betty" -- Kick out the motherfucking jams, boys! If this song could maintain its full-throated swagger the whole way through, it'd have a chance of being the perfect classic rock tune. But they run out of steam about halfway through with a wholly unnecessary, tempo-destroying geetar solo. But all things considered, it's a pretty inspired take on an old blues traditional. (However, I believe the original version, performed by Leadbelly and others, lacks the Bonhamesque drum solo.) 7/10
All in all, that gives me a whopping 7.3 average. Considering I had three perfect tens this week, that's actually a little disappointing. Oh well, such is life during the Bush presidency. Can't get my hopes too high.
Alright, your turn. Think you're better than me? Because I will fight you.
No, no, wait, that's the liquor talking.
What I meant to say is -- kindly drop your own FRT in the comments, with or without the Coolness Self-Audit.
Punk.
8 comments:
That album cover is priceless. But where you might see a friendly gospel quintet, I see a murder waiting to happen. 4 dudes with an axe and one lonely chick all alone in a field? You decide.
Speaking of murder, my FRT:
1) "Becoming," Pantera. I love Pantera. Not rush-the-stage-and-kill-Dimebag love, but still love. And the drums at the end of this song are MONSTER. 9/10.
2) "Arbeit Macht Fleisch," Carcass. I have no idea what this song title means. I never took German, opting for Spanish because it was waaaay easier. But I do know that as anger-infused German death metal goes, this song rocks. 8/10.
3) "Goodbye to Romance," Ozzy. Goodbye to this song. WTF?? 3/10.
4) "River of Deceit," Mad Season. Remember back when all the grunge bands did all these collaboration projects. Here was one of them. I want to say this one had Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and Mudhoney. Of all of those projects, this was probably the most mediocre. Not terrible, just not exciting. 6/10.
5) "What I Got," Sublime. I have always liked these guys for the sort of ska-funk-punk thing, and the way the lazy lyrics sort of blend into a head-bopping groove. Just cool. 7/10.
6) "Far Behind," Candlebox. These guys, if I am not mistaken, came on at the tail-end of the grunge phenomenon as a slightly more edgy, less dark Seattle band. I liked them, and now listening to them is more for nostalgia than aything else (as opposed to AIC, who I still listen to because they are still awesome). 7/10.
7) "Master of Puppets," Metallica. So I may not chop my breakfast on a mirror, but my reliance on coffee is just as addictive. Or something. 9/10.
8) "5 Minutes Alone," Pantera. The best song about wanting to kick someone's ass ever written. Awesome bluesy guitar riffs too. 8/10.
9) "My Michelle," GNR. Really, the song is only okay until the very end when the riffs really pick up. But that's like the last 20 seconds. But I will give the song more points because it is off of one of the top 10 (in my book) greatest all-around rock albums of all time, where every song is worth listening to. 7/10.
10) "Remorse Is For The Dead," Lamb of God. My face melted off. I can't get enough how perfectly the bass and double bass drums play together and how the guitars work in with the same rythms. 10/10.
7.4. Hmm. I might need to reasses, given how much pure ROCKING this week's FRT had on it. Do I give myself bonus points for having Metallica, 2 Panteras and a mildly obsure German death metal band on this week?
1. Billy Joel, "Big Shot"
Winamp said this track was "The Longest Time," which is much less bad. 2/10
2. Psychedelic Furs, "Heartbreak Beat"
What do the words mean? Do I need to see the video? Does it contain dancing multi-colored scribbles? 9/10
3. Michael Penn, "Me Around" 5/10
4. Radiohead, "Like Spinning Plates" (live)
Good despite the whining! Gotta love piano bits. 7/10
5. Radiohead, "You and Whose Army"
yawn 5/10
6. Enya, "I Want Tomorrow"
Makes me wish I learned to play cello. 8/10
7. James, "Egoiste" 7/10
8. Matthew Sweet, "Come to California" 5/10
9. Tool, "Third Eye"
Was 14 minutes of this really necessary? 5/10
10. Billy Joel, "The Night Is Still Young"
I like most of his older stuff, but not this one either. 3/10
Instead of typing this up, I should have been making CDs of soothing songs for labor--mostly classical music and Radiohead's "Let Down." Maybe some Enya. Too bad T-hous's music collection can't help, though he may secretly bring something for psychological purposes. ("You can push better than that! I'm gonna play 'Panama' until you pop her out!")
T-hous's music collection can't help
There's gotta be a joke about "morning sickness" in there somewhere, but damned if I know what it is.
Ghostface Killah has proven to be the best Wu-Tang rapper at the point. He's the tortoise to Method Man and Raekwon's hares.
FYI, Quantum Boggs episode II has been released.
http://boostershot.blogspot.com/2006/10/stop-ashing-in-my-car.html
Thank goodness I read the life-affirming list from Smitty before I got to Mrs. T's craptacular crapfest.
1) Rain When I Die - AIC. Describes the Tigers pretty good. 9/10
2) Karn Evil 9: 1st Impressions, Part 1 - ELP. Really really great, much better than part 2, and part 2 is awesome. 10/10
3) Paranoid (Live w/ Randy) - The only possible way to top the album version of this song is to have Randy Rhodes work his magic on it. Wow. 11/10
4) Another Brick in the Wall - Floyd. Meh. 6/10
5) Five Percent for Nothing - Yes. 30 seconds of noise. 2/10
6) What You're Doing - Rush. Old school, not at all memorable. 5/10
7) One of these Days - Floyd. Double meh. 1/10
8) I Put a Spell on You - CCR. I'm sure the original is much better, but I prefer it coming from a guy raised on the tough streets of suburban California. 7/10
9) My World - Metallica. Why haven't I deleted this St. Anger crap from my player yet? Very ashamed. -1/10
10) Keep Pushin' - REO. Blue-collar rock for white-collar fans. Sweet! 7/10
Thrill-
Prog rock, metal, prog-metal, pop-prog, and a little grunge. You wouldn't be a white guy, now would you?
And as for publically dissing a pregnant woman, I'm not sure how that could be topped. Unless the pregnant woman was one's own wife!
Finally, which Brick in the Wall did you hand out that "Meh" to?
I'm not even gonna comment on the inexcusable 1 you gave to One of These Days. That's right, no comment on the outrageous score you gave to that song. No comment at all.
Rain When I Die is a great tune.
Sorry folks, haven't had time to listen to 10 random songs since I got back yet.
OM, It's Paxton, and that's a good flick. Bill Pullman can't hold Bill Paxton's jock. A Simple Plan, Frailty, One False Move Those are good movies and he was good in 'em. And let's not forget the PAt Benatar "Shadows of the Night" video. Paxton was the radio man.
Mike, you'll be happy to know the Racs have been playing in the car. A week away and I need my fix. I'm not sure I can ever kill this album.
Smitty, I, in my grungy superiority of the time, I used to hate on Candlecrotch as pretty-boy corporate crap, but the excellent use of "Change" in a Homicide episode turned me. At least on that song.
Grunge collaborations? Who's got "temple of the dog"? That was a good album. "hunger Strike was the worst song on there.
Non-Neil Peart Rush doesn't even count, except for "Working Man."
Um. It's Sunday. I sorta missed the Friday part, but I've got a R10, I'm just not sure I'm cool enough to play in this league, but here goes nuthin anyway:
1. Ghanan Ghanan--Udit Narayan/Alga Yagnik/Sukwinder Singh--Soundtrack to Bollywood movie Lagaan, I recommend both the movie (best 3+ hour flick WITH TUNEAGE and DANCING about a cricket match you will prolly ever see), the Criterion version has subtitles and the CD, the English-type music is crap, just skip it. 8/10
2. Seventy-Four, Seventy-Five--Shearwater--these guys can be sorta, um, plaintive which I usually don't mind (I mean, I like The Smiths), and they are capable of rocking, they just don't do it on this song much. 6/10
3. Man Out of Time--Elvis Costello & The Attractions--this is still one of my favorites of his, from Imperial Bedroom, I listen to that one all the time--the primal screaming at the end of this song is amazing. This was back wehn people still claimed he couldn't sing, btw. 10/10
4. Blood Makes Noise--Suzanne Vega--I first heard this song on an AIDS-related episode of Homicide, what a coincidence. Not so folky as yer usual S. Vega. 9/10.
5. The Other End of the Telescope--Aimee Mann/Elvis Costello--I'm not a huge Mann fan, being a straight female, the blonde beauty passes me right by and she doesn't have much of a voice, but mostly cuz I think she's sorta a star-fucker (after Elvis, think she went on to poor Andy Partridge and totally messed him up even more than he was already), but she is a good songwriter and this is a good song. 7/10.
6. Pensacola--Joan Osborne--A lot of people dismissed her as a one-hit-wonder and a weirdo, but she's got a new album out which I haven't heard yet, and this is a tough-ass song. 8/10
7. Harrowdown Hill--Thom Yorke--Yeah, Radiohead was great, Thom's still great, but this song's sorta too twee for me, sorry. 5/10
8. Fools Rush In--Rosemary Clooney--Rosemary is the bomb. This was recorded very late in her career, the pipes are rusty, but geez Sinatra WISHED he has phrasing like this, so there. 10/10
9. Brain Damage--Pink Floyd--Well, this was such a weird transition from Rosemary that I can no longer remember why this song is on my player. It sounded better when I used to get high a lot, I think. 5/10
10. Precious Little--Eleanor McEvoy--I just like this song. She sounds tough. She has a great range which you only get to hear a little of on this song. 8/10
7.6. In my own defense, I should say that my FR10s are not usually this eclectic. Usually they're more so. There was no XTC this time. Also no salsa or samba, which is highly unusual. No Irish or Macedonian tuneage. No klezmer or newgrass. No Steely Dan. You see how much worse it could be??? If you don't rip me up too badly on this one, I'll be back next week and I'll even try not to be tardy.
And conga rats to Mr. & Mrs. thaus on the soon-to-be-new-arrival! Some day, let me tell you about my plans for a chain of Rock n Roll Nurseries...
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