Thursday, January 21, 2010
Rainy Day in Cincinnati/NFL Playoffs/#20-#11...
It has been one ugly day in Cincinnati; rainy, cold and dreary. I guess it could be worse; if it was 15 degrees colder we would have about 2 feet of snow. Meanwhile, the computers are still off limits at Xavier for a third straight day. My guess is we won't be back up and running until after the weekend.
Not a very big day news wise. I will make my predictions for the Super Bowl -I think Indianapolis and Minnesota will be squaring off in Miami in a couple weeks. Given my recent track record, if that doesn't give the fans in New York and New Orleans hope, I don't know what will. On to my countdown....
#20. Sing, Sing, Sing - Benny Goodman and His Orchestra. There are words to this song but the 8 minute, instrumental version is one of the most awesome recordings I've ever heard. Tremendously hip for the time, Goodman earned the title 'King of Swing' with this romp that features clarinet and drum solos that keep you on your feet the entire song.
#19. Baba O'Riley - The Who. The opening alone certifies this song as an absolute classic but of course, that's just the start. There are several other songs by The Who that merit high praise but to me, this track which opens their best album, Who's Next; is as good as they ever were or ever will be.
#18. Badlands - Bruce Springsteen. "Lights out tonight trouble in the heartland, got a head-on collision smashing in my guts man. I'm caught in a crossfire that I don't understand."
if you want to know what goes through your mind while you're going through chemo treatments, the opening lines to Badlands sums it up pretty well. You have this battle going on inside you, you have no control over it and find it difficult to understand why this is happening to you. I listened to this song just about every day I was being treated for lymphoma, it became my song, more so for a line later in the tune - "I believe in the love that you gave me, I believe in the faith that can save me, I believe in the hope and I pray that some day it may raise me above these Badlands." Truly inspiring words.
#17. Pet Songs - The Beach Boys. OK, this is somewhat of a cop out. I selected Pet Songs because that was the Beach Boys best album and there are three songs I really couldn't decide on but I realize there needs to be a Beach Boys song on the list. So this spot belongs to 'Wouldn't it Be Nice', 'God Only Knows' or 'Sloop John B'...maybe someday I'll narrow it down to two.
#16. In My Life - The Beatles. This song, from the 'Rubber Soul' LP, was played at our wedding. Even though Lennon and McCartney were listed as the writers, this was Lennon's song and it's one of the best he ever wrote. A beautiful love song which also pays tribute to family and friends who touched his life.
#15. With or Without You - U2. I love tunes that start slow and build throughout the song...With or Without You does it perfectly. My favorite U2 song by far.
#14. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana. Everyone talks about how different this song sounded at the time, how they had never heard anything like it. To me, its just a great rock song and its message defined an entire generation of teens as well as influenced many bands from that era.
#13. Let's Stay Together - Al Green. At the risk of sounding like Randy Jackson; Al Green had some pipes. As a vocalist, he was in a league of his own and he displayed every ounce of his talent on this tremendously soulful classic. Green made it sound easy as he demonstrated endless range but as far less talented singers demonstrate every week on American Idol, it's not easy at all. Talent has a way of making things look easy and few vocalists are as talented as Al Green.
#12. Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked their top 500 songs of all time and this Bob Dylan classic wound up #1. I obviously don't have it that high but it's pretty damn close. As a lyricist, Dylan was never better and you can't listen to the refrain without singing along....'How does it feel?......'
#11. Turn! Turn! Turn! - The Byrds. What a great song and it was close to 2,000 years in the making. With 'lyrics' literally taken from the Book of Ecclesiastes, Pete Seeger came up with a wonderful tune to showcase those awesome words and The Byrds made it sound as if it was there own. Just a great, great song.
Alright, I'm looking forward to seeing what songs just missed the other guys top 10 lists. The top ten will begin tomorrow....
Not a very big day news wise. I will make my predictions for the Super Bowl -I think Indianapolis and Minnesota will be squaring off in Miami in a couple weeks. Given my recent track record, if that doesn't give the fans in New York and New Orleans hope, I don't know what will. On to my countdown....
#20. Sing, Sing, Sing - Benny Goodman and His Orchestra. There are words to this song but the 8 minute, instrumental version is one of the most awesome recordings I've ever heard. Tremendously hip for the time, Goodman earned the title 'King of Swing' with this romp that features clarinet and drum solos that keep you on your feet the entire song.
#19. Baba O'Riley - The Who. The opening alone certifies this song as an absolute classic but of course, that's just the start. There are several other songs by The Who that merit high praise but to me, this track which opens their best album, Who's Next; is as good as they ever were or ever will be.
#18. Badlands - Bruce Springsteen. "Lights out tonight trouble in the heartland, got a head-on collision smashing in my guts man. I'm caught in a crossfire that I don't understand."
if you want to know what goes through your mind while you're going through chemo treatments, the opening lines to Badlands sums it up pretty well. You have this battle going on inside you, you have no control over it and find it difficult to understand why this is happening to you. I listened to this song just about every day I was being treated for lymphoma, it became my song, more so for a line later in the tune - "I believe in the love that you gave me, I believe in the faith that can save me, I believe in the hope and I pray that some day it may raise me above these Badlands." Truly inspiring words.
#17. Pet Songs - The Beach Boys. OK, this is somewhat of a cop out. I selected Pet Songs because that was the Beach Boys best album and there are three songs I really couldn't decide on but I realize there needs to be a Beach Boys song on the list. So this spot belongs to 'Wouldn't it Be Nice', 'God Only Knows' or 'Sloop John B'...maybe someday I'll narrow it down to two.
#16. In My Life - The Beatles. This song, from the 'Rubber Soul' LP, was played at our wedding. Even though Lennon and McCartney were listed as the writers, this was Lennon's song and it's one of the best he ever wrote. A beautiful love song which also pays tribute to family and friends who touched his life.
#15. With or Without You - U2. I love tunes that start slow and build throughout the song...With or Without You does it perfectly. My favorite U2 song by far.
#14. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana. Everyone talks about how different this song sounded at the time, how they had never heard anything like it. To me, its just a great rock song and its message defined an entire generation of teens as well as influenced many bands from that era.
#13. Let's Stay Together - Al Green. At the risk of sounding like Randy Jackson; Al Green had some pipes. As a vocalist, he was in a league of his own and he displayed every ounce of his talent on this tremendously soulful classic. Green made it sound easy as he demonstrated endless range but as far less talented singers demonstrate every week on American Idol, it's not easy at all. Talent has a way of making things look easy and few vocalists are as talented as Al Green.
#12. Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked their top 500 songs of all time and this Bob Dylan classic wound up #1. I obviously don't have it that high but it's pretty damn close. As a lyricist, Dylan was never better and you can't listen to the refrain without singing along....'How does it feel?......'
#11. Turn! Turn! Turn! - The Byrds. What a great song and it was close to 2,000 years in the making. With 'lyrics' literally taken from the Book of Ecclesiastes, Pete Seeger came up with a wonderful tune to showcase those awesome words and The Byrds made it sound as if it was there own. Just a great, great song.
Alright, I'm looking forward to seeing what songs just missed the other guys top 10 lists. The top ten will begin tomorrow....
# posted by Vince Hopkins @ 8:38 PM 
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I have something of meaning to post. I'm sitting here watching the Cavs vs Lakers game and I just have no idea why they let Lebron simply waltz up to the top of the key and pull off shot after shot without any semblance of a contest of the shot. I understand he is a man amongst boys out there but he can also turn into a turn-over machine when forced to drive. I would rather have him drive and force a lay up then shoot high school three's.
Any how, as for your Beach Boys problem: 1) God Only Knows, 2) Wouldn't it Be Nice, 3) Sloop John B.
20-11:
#20 Only The Good Die Young - Billy Joel - I think this song is a funny take on what Billy describes as the good and the bad. "I'd rather laugh with the sinners and cry with the saints. The sinners are much more fun. Only the good die young."
#19 Baby It's Cold Outside - Zooey Deschanel & Leon Redbone - I can listen to this song at any time of any day and it always cheers me up. I don't know if it's because of Zooey Deschanel's singing ability but it certainly has something to do with it.
#18 Californication - The best part of this song is the smooth bass that leads into every verse. It gives a sense of foreboding I guess that makes the song have a mysterious sound. The chorus is very powerful.
#17 Ants Marching - Dave Matthew's Band - This was the third of the songs that I memorize as a kid. when the songs swings into the faster lyrical part about the "candyman tempting the thoughts of a sweet tooth," I feel like the song is at its peak
#16 Juicy - The Notorious B.I.G. - The best rap song ever made is aptly made by the best rapper ever. The flow of this song is smooth and powerful at the same time.
#15 Let It Be - The Beatles - As a young chap I used to say I didn't like the Beatles. Then I heard Let It Be and it all changed. I'm a sucker for piano and this song handles it beautifully
#14 Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me - Elton John - I saw Elton live this summer twice with Billy Joel and each time this song stuck out as being incredible. The drums right before the final run through of the chorus is perfect
#13 Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles - Unfortunately papa, The Beatles don't make the Top 10. This is the highest reaching Beatles song. That being said, it is a very mellow tune that makes you wish you were driving down an open highway (preferably not through Central Ohio) on a cool summer morning with the window's down.
#12 Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - The only way to describe this song is bad-ass. I like to put it on as I walk through campus. It makes me feel untouchable. It is Hendrix's best guitar performance.
#11 Man In The Mirror - Michael Jackson - I like the message sent from a disturbed individual. The build up throughout the song is awesome as it finishes, "make that change.."
Only 10 more to go!
Any how, as for your Beach Boys problem: 1) God Only Knows, 2) Wouldn't it Be Nice, 3) Sloop John B.
20-11:
#20 Only The Good Die Young - Billy Joel - I think this song is a funny take on what Billy describes as the good and the bad. "I'd rather laugh with the sinners and cry with the saints. The sinners are much more fun. Only the good die young."
#19 Baby It's Cold Outside - Zooey Deschanel & Leon Redbone - I can listen to this song at any time of any day and it always cheers me up. I don't know if it's because of Zooey Deschanel's singing ability but it certainly has something to do with it.
#18 Californication - The best part of this song is the smooth bass that leads into every verse. It gives a sense of foreboding I guess that makes the song have a mysterious sound. The chorus is very powerful.
#17 Ants Marching - Dave Matthew's Band - This was the third of the songs that I memorize as a kid. when the songs swings into the faster lyrical part about the "candyman tempting the thoughts of a sweet tooth," I feel like the song is at its peak
#16 Juicy - The Notorious B.I.G. - The best rap song ever made is aptly made by the best rapper ever. The flow of this song is smooth and powerful at the same time.
#15 Let It Be - The Beatles - As a young chap I used to say I didn't like the Beatles. Then I heard Let It Be and it all changed. I'm a sucker for piano and this song handles it beautifully
#14 Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me - Elton John - I saw Elton live this summer twice with Billy Joel and each time this song stuck out as being incredible. The drums right before the final run through of the chorus is perfect
#13 Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles - Unfortunately papa, The Beatles don't make the Top 10. This is the highest reaching Beatles song. That being said, it is a very mellow tune that makes you wish you were driving down an open highway (preferably not through Central Ohio) on a cool summer morning with the window's down.
#12 Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - The only way to describe this song is bad-ass. I like to put it on as I walk through campus. It makes me feel untouchable. It is Hendrix's best guitar performance.
#11 Man In The Mirror - Michael Jackson - I like the message sent from a disturbed individual. The build up throughout the song is awesome as it finishes, "make that change.."
Only 10 more to go!
20 Jungleland (Bruce Sprinsgeteen) Jungleland is one of those songs where the lyrics would work as straight poetry. Again, this guy was on the cover of Time and Newsweek for a reason… and that reason is an ability to paint images with the written word. The fact that the music’s understated bleakness is the perfect marriage to the lyrics is why this song is on the list.
19 Somebody to Love (Queen) Despite the fact that there’s one more Queen song in my countdown… this one is far and away my favorite. How good is it? It’s so good that singing cartoon Penguins couldn’t ruin it for me… (whatever happened to the chick that sang this in Happy Freet anyway... it's like she's fallen off the fact of the earth...) Freddie takes us on a journey through blues… gospel.. and hard rock and roll. The choir builds at the end to make way for Freddie’s ridiculously high-note last line. It’s perfection. It should probably be higher on my list.
18 Fly Like an Eagle (Steve Miller) Steve Miller has some of the defining tunes of the 70’s… this one is one of the defining tunes of the rock genre. The song’s feel is other-worldly…
17 Freebird (Lynyrd Skynyrd) – I’ve never been a huge Skynyrd fan, but you have to give them props…. The song starts out simple enough, then evolves into an unbelievable guitar jam… It’s also an example of how the right singer can make a song better. The story of a guy who just can't settle down... You sorta have to be a redneck guy with bad hygiene to make the song believable. Greasy-haired and unclean Ronnie Van Zandt was perfect.
16 Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin) I think Robert Plant has the best rock voice ever. On this song, the voice is in rare form and he kills. As a rock song, this is about as good as it gets. A rock odyssey with screaming guitars, pounding drums and vocals in echo. It's essentially a song that suggests he would appreciate the company of a fetching lass... but he says it way cooler.
15 Alices Restaurant (Arlo Guthrie) 17 minutes long, this song tells the ironic story of a guy who gets deferred for the draft because the military believes his prior arrest record makes him morally unfit to serve. Before we get that story, however, we get the story of what he did to get arrested… it’s funny, it’s clever, and it paints a picture of what it must have been like to be a draft age smart-ass in the Vietnam era. The ironic part is, of course, that an arrest for littering made him morally unfit to strap a gun on his back and kill people. Sadly, nothing he’s ever done since has come close. His one flashing moment of brilliance, however, gets him into the Top 15 of all time.
14 Happy Christmas (War is Over) - (John Lennon) It was between this one and Give Peace A Chance... and ultimately I think this one holds up better. One way to protest the war is to write 17 and a half minute songs about it.. (see above) another way is to write a song that simply puts the suggestion of ending war out there. Lennon understood the power of music, and I think he honestly tried to use it for good.
13 Here, There. Everywhere (The Beatles) Simply put, one of the most beautiful songs ever written. McCartney’s vocals are perfect. It’s from the first half of their career… but it shows that even early on these guys were good.
12 All Along The Watchtower (Jimi Hendrix) Bob Dylan wrote the song but it’s a Hendrix song for evermore. Hendrix was a perfect fusion of rock and blues. By the time I got into music, everybody was doing the stuff that made Hendrix famous… but you have to remember that Jimi did it first... An amazing gyuitarist and an amazing musician… Hendrix rocked.
11 You Can't Always Get What You Want (The Rolling Stones) Mick Jagger has one of those voices that when it’s off, he sounds like crap… but when he’s on… it’s amazing. Jagger was hitting on all cylinders with this one. A much bigger song musically than what the Stones typically did. The background singers… the guitar licks… The song is a production, and one of the best things the stones ever did.
19 Somebody to Love (Queen) Despite the fact that there’s one more Queen song in my countdown… this one is far and away my favorite. How good is it? It’s so good that singing cartoon Penguins couldn’t ruin it for me… (whatever happened to the chick that sang this in Happy Freet anyway... it's like she's fallen off the fact of the earth...) Freddie takes us on a journey through blues… gospel.. and hard rock and roll. The choir builds at the end to make way for Freddie’s ridiculously high-note last line. It’s perfection. It should probably be higher on my list.
18 Fly Like an Eagle (Steve Miller) Steve Miller has some of the defining tunes of the 70’s… this one is one of the defining tunes of the rock genre. The song’s feel is other-worldly…
17 Freebird (Lynyrd Skynyrd) – I’ve never been a huge Skynyrd fan, but you have to give them props…. The song starts out simple enough, then evolves into an unbelievable guitar jam… It’s also an example of how the right singer can make a song better. The story of a guy who just can't settle down... You sorta have to be a redneck guy with bad hygiene to make the song believable. Greasy-haired and unclean Ronnie Van Zandt was perfect.
16 Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin) I think Robert Plant has the best rock voice ever. On this song, the voice is in rare form and he kills. As a rock song, this is about as good as it gets. A rock odyssey with screaming guitars, pounding drums and vocals in echo. It's essentially a song that suggests he would appreciate the company of a fetching lass... but he says it way cooler.
15 Alices Restaurant (Arlo Guthrie) 17 minutes long, this song tells the ironic story of a guy who gets deferred for the draft because the military believes his prior arrest record makes him morally unfit to serve. Before we get that story, however, we get the story of what he did to get arrested… it’s funny, it’s clever, and it paints a picture of what it must have been like to be a draft age smart-ass in the Vietnam era. The ironic part is, of course, that an arrest for littering made him morally unfit to strap a gun on his back and kill people. Sadly, nothing he’s ever done since has come close. His one flashing moment of brilliance, however, gets him into the Top 15 of all time.
14 Happy Christmas (War is Over) - (John Lennon) It was between this one and Give Peace A Chance... and ultimately I think this one holds up better. One way to protest the war is to write 17 and a half minute songs about it.. (see above) another way is to write a song that simply puts the suggestion of ending war out there. Lennon understood the power of music, and I think he honestly tried to use it for good.
13 Here, There. Everywhere (The Beatles) Simply put, one of the most beautiful songs ever written. McCartney’s vocals are perfect. It’s from the first half of their career… but it shows that even early on these guys were good.
12 All Along The Watchtower (Jimi Hendrix) Bob Dylan wrote the song but it’s a Hendrix song for evermore. Hendrix was a perfect fusion of rock and blues. By the time I got into music, everybody was doing the stuff that made Hendrix famous… but you have to remember that Jimi did it first... An amazing gyuitarist and an amazing musician… Hendrix rocked.
11 You Can't Always Get What You Want (The Rolling Stones) Mick Jagger has one of those voices that when it’s off, he sounds like crap… but when he’s on… it’s amazing. Jagger was hitting on all cylinders with this one. A much bigger song musically than what the Stones typically did. The background singers… the guitar licks… The song is a production, and one of the best things the stones ever did.
Not bad guys, I'm actually feeling pretty solid at this point because you're going to see some of your songs repeated in my top 10. I think I have two songs that you'll think are off the wall but my guess is the other top 8 will make at least one of your lists and there may be a couple songs that appear on all three of our top 10's.
Binks - you need to see 500 Days of Summer - Zooey is very good in it and she does sing a couple times.
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Binks - you need to see 500 Days of Summer - Zooey is very good in it and she does sing a couple times.
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