Max's Song-a-Day Blog

"2010" - Andy Summers

2010-08-31T12:12:00-07:00

This is post #1010, and this entry from the venerable Police axe-wielder (and the film 2010) was about the most appropriate one I could find. OK, so I'm off by one digit. Sue me. Pay me to write this bobamathingy before I give an ass's rat about such things.

This will likely be my last post for a while, tomorrow I jet off to Portland to hang with Pat and play Scrabble. You know the drill. Enema nurses-blah-blah-blah-bondage-blah-blah-blah-blah-bikini wax-blah-blah-blah-blah-hey piss off you prog-hating beatnik twerps, Dream Theater is awesome-blah-blah-blah-blah-see you in a week.

Watch the music video for "2010" on YouTube.

"Eleven Plus Eleven" - Nine Below Zero

2010-08-30T11:16:00-07:00

Remember when I used to put up 80s post-punk tunes by the bushel and then effectively ran out of them? Well, here's a great one that originally fell through the ever-proverbial cracks and I happened to think of it just now. In a previous post, I talk about that old English sketch comedy show called The Young Ones. Every episode featured a lip-sync musical performance, and that's how I first found this kickin' gem from Nine Below Zero.

Early 80s British bands in suits rocked. They just did. Period.

Hear "Eleven Plus Eleven" on YouTube.

Watch the Young Ones segment.

Nine Below Zero official website

"Catholic Girls" - Frank Zappa

2010-08-27T11:58:00-07:00

Had Joe's Garage playing at rather high volumes in the car this morning. I dig on that record like no one's business. So, with this being Funky Friday, here is... OK, this is not an actual full-on funk tune. But it does have some funk elements, there's slap bass like a sumbitch. So go crazy folks, go crazy.

Oh, and I think there's an actual law that dictates that any online mention of Catholicism requires a picture of sexy girls in Catholic school clothing. And it should make for a nice boost in traffic.

There, don't say I never give you anything.

Hear "Catholic Girls" on YouTube. Make haste, weary Intarwebz traveler, Zappa's studio recordings tend to disappear from NotMeTube rather swiftly.

Joe's Garage weekee

"Everyone I Went To High School With Is Dead" - Mr. Bungle

2010-08-26T11:23:00-07:00

Once again I use the front page of YouTube for song ideas.

HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA!!!!

Gee, that was easy.

Hear "Everyone I Went To High School With Is Dead" on Der Tube von Du.

"Heart of the Sunrise" - Yes

2010-08-25T11:56:00-07:00

Quick entry today with an old school prog fave, a classic, epic Yes song. That was covered by Dream Theater.

Music critics, English majors and coffeehousers need not apply, as per usual.

Hear "Heart of the Sunrise" on YouTube.

Live performance

Hear Dream Theater's cover

"Blame Canada" - from South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut

2010-08-24T12:33:00-07:00

Yes, I'm still going through those South Park season sets on the Netflix streaming, so here's a rousing number from the full length 1999 film Bigger, Longer & Uncut. This was nominated for the Best Song Oscar that year, losing out to the vomitory, syrup-laden Phil Collins tune "You'll Be In My Heart." The drubbing Phil took in the succeeding "Timmy 2000" South Park episode seemed to make it all worth it, though.

At the time, being a Best Song nominee meant a live performance of the song during the Oscar show. I don't know if they still do that, I never watch the Oscars so it's not like I'd know. I just remember them being uniformly awkward and awful. Catching Kim Cattrall's "performance" of that Starship dreck from that dumb Mannequin movie pretty much guaranteed I would never want to watch another live rendition of a song during an Oscar show. Well, "Blame Canada" was done by (among many others) Robin Williams. Guess what? It was awkward and awful. Normally I hold Robin Williams in pretty high regard, but that was just unwatchable.

"Noooothin's gonna stop us... nooooooow" Ugh, why on Earth did I voluntarily exhume THAT horrific memory?

Watch the film segment on YouTube. Some F-bombs within, but if you're really concerned about such things, chances are you actively avoid South Park anyway.

If you're feeling masochistic, watch the Oscar performance.

"Theme from Shaft" - Isaac Hayes

2010-08-23T12:04:00-07:00

Just in case you were wondering what I was referring to on last Friday's post.

Not that anyone actually was wondering...

Hear "Theme from Shaft" on YouTube.

"Chocolate Salty Balls" - from South Park

2010-08-20T11:52:00-07:00

I recently picked up one of those little Roku players. It lets you stream certain Internet content directly to your TV, such as Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand and MLB.TV. What have I been using it for?

South Park. Lots and lots of South Park. Most of the season sets are available on the Netflix streaming, so I can watch pretty much any episode I want at any time. God, I've been watching so much South Park it's not even funny. No, I mean the show itself is funny, it's the fact that I've been watching so freaking much of it that's not even funny. So with that show on the noggin, and with this being Funky Friday, here is "Chocolate Salty Balls" from the Chef Aid album.

The vocals for this were performed by the late, great Issac Hayes, who also provided the voice of Chef on the show. You probably know that Hayes, a Scientologist, had a falling out with the show's creators after an episode lambasted Scientology. Well, if you have that Netflix streaming service, I heartily recommend the season 10 episode "The Return of Chef." It was made right after Hayes left South Park, so the character was quite obviously voiced by previously recorded, disconnected snippets of dialogue, making Chef out to be a raging pedophile. "I wanna make love to... the children." God, I was dying.

Issac Hayes died a couple of years ago, and he would have turned 68 today. You damn right, he was a bad mother... shut yo' mouth!

Issac Hayes
1942-2008

Hear "Chocolate Salty Balls" on YouTube.

Live performance

Wiki linky

"Partita No. 1 for Solo Violin (BWV 1002)" - Johann Sebastian Bach

2010-08-19T12:08:00-07:00

I actually found a way to keep my "article number" theme going for at least one more day. Dass right, I'm bad.

Apparently, Johann Sebastian Bach wrote a lot of stuff. I mean, a LOT. So much so that an arbitrary cataloging system was created just for his works, called Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (Bach Works Catalogue), or BWV for short. BWV 1002 is the first of his Partitas for solo violin, so go nuts!

The BWV catalog goes all the way up to 1120. Like I said, he wrote a lot of stuff.

Hear it on YouTube with accompanying sheet music. Part 1 - Part 2

"1001" - Yanni

2010-08-18T11:53:00-07:00

Wait, Yanni? I mean, freaking Yanni? Seriously? WTF, really? YANNI????

Actually, my opinion of Yanni is very similar to my opinion of John Tesh. In fact, take that article, replace "Red Rocks" with "the Acropolis", and you'd pretty much have it down word for word. He's an adept musician who performs in a genre I'm seemingly required to despise. It's often called "new age", which is a term I've never really liked, I guess they'd prefer "contemporary instrumental." But as long as there is no syrupy singing involved (Tesh lost me when he started doing his own vocals), I don't mind it so much.

So what does Yanni do in 2009? Bring in a bunch of singers and release Yanni Voices, with a whole lotta vocalizing.

NOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Thankfully, the album does contain a couple of instrumentals, with "1001" being one of them. So, with this being my 1001st post, here y'all go.

BTW, he looks a lot better without his trademark long hair and pornstache.

Hear "1001" on YouTube.

"Land of 1000 Dances" - Wilson Pickett

2010-08-17T12:18:00-07:00

This is my 1000th post.

HOORAY! MASSIVE CELEBRATION! OMG-OMG-OMG-OMG-OMG

OK, now that the festivities are taken care of, here's "Land of 1000 Dances." Needless to say, this song has been performed a metric buttload of times. But in all honesty, right up until the last minute, I considered, for the cheese factor alone, putting up the version that the WWF wrestlers did in the 80s. But at some point I guess common sense prevailed, so here is Wilson Pickett instead.

Hear "Land of 1000 Dances" on YouTube.

Oh, what the hell. Here's the wrestling one. Wow, several of those guys are dead now. Hey, there's Jesse Ventura!

"Sammy Hagar Weekend" - Thelonius Monster

2010-08-16T12:15:00-07:00

Some of you may remember Personics mix tapes from around the late 80s. They had these big kiosks in some major record store chains that let you hear snippets from this enormous catalog. You would then make a list of desired songs, take it to the front counter and they'd make you an authentic-looking laser printed cassette tape. It was a cool idea but it didn't last very long - I reckon it would have been much more useful in the early 80s, but with CDs having been in place for a while it just didn't catch on. Here is a blog post with links to more information if you're so inclined.

I had a couple of those tapes made at a local Wherehouse store, and "Sammy Hagar Weekend" was a song I just happened to come across in that monstrous catalog. Cool title, wonder if the song is worth anything? I heard the short sample and decided it was worth adding to the tape. I never got into the group further, but I still hold some fondness for this song.

Maybe I'll dig up one of those tapes and reveal its contents for a future post. For now, it's time to drink beer, smoke pot, snort coke and drive over 55.

Hear "Sammy Hagar Weekend" on YouTube.

"Telegraph Road" - Dire Straits

2010-08-13T12:05:00-07:00

No funk today, I will instead acknowledge Mark Knopfler turning 61 yesterday.

Every once in a blue moon you will read or hear Straits songs like this one being called "progressive." Uh-oh. Don't let Rolling Stone hear you say that.

Hear "Telegraph Road" on YouTube. Part 1 - Part 2

Watch a live performance. Part 1 - Part 2

Knopfler Wiki

"I Can't Wait" - Nu Shooz

2010-08-12T12:18:00-07:00

Not ten minutes ago a cow-orker asked me for help identifying a song. He goes "da-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun" and I immediately think of that "I Can't Wait" song from the 80s. Ah, man, who did that one? I'm thinking Ace of Base but I'm pretty sure it wasn't them. I look it up. Ah yeah, it was Nu Shooz. Then he looks it up, and it was the exact song he was looking for. I don't even like it all that much. I'm putting it up for no other reason than to show off my acute, machine-like ability to recognize songs. Huzzah! All hail me.

Actually, I reckon that the song itself deserves more credit than I do.

Watch the video on YouTube.

"Carry On Wayward Son" - Kansas

2010-08-11T12:04:00-07:00

I can't believe what happened yesterday. I accidentally posted a song I had already put up before. God, how embarrassing. What was I thinking?

Needless to say I'm gonna make damn sure that never happens again, ever.

Watch a lyric vid for "Carry On Wayward Son" on YouTube.

"Cruisin' for Burgers" - Frank Zappa

2010-08-10T12:10:00-07:00

Another quick entry with yet another Zappa tune. I have burgers on the brain because a cow-orker just left the building, and he will be bringing back some grub from Super Burger. I think I've mentioned Super Burger before... (looks it up) yep, right here.

He's bringing me back a Diet Coke too. You can now make the standard joke about ordering a Diet Coke with unhealthy food. I actually like Diet Coke, but that's a story for another time...

Hear "Cruisin' for Burgers" on YouTube.

EDIT: Ah hell, I have just discovered that I have already posted this song, and for the exact same reason. Oh well, it was bound to happen at some point. I really don't feel like deleting this entry and posting another one. At least that entry featured a different version of the song than this one, which has the studio track. So there you go.

"Lose This Skin" - The Clash

2010-08-09T12:11:00-07:00

I first posted a track from the 1980 Clash album Sandinista! in December of '07, when I put up "The Magnificent Seven." Basically I state that the record is hit and miss, running the awesomeness-crap gauntlet pretty thoroughly. Well, "Lose This Skin" is more of the awesomeness. Great, great track. Some of the absolute best album filler from a band who didn't always make good album filler.

It was written and sung by English singwriter Tymon Dogg, who also played the violin. He was all BFF-y with Joe Strummer, apparently. I only found this out fairly recently, for years I just assumed it was a woman singing. Shows you what I know. (cue ass-you-me joke)

Hear "Lose This Skin" on YouTube.

"Give It To Me Baby" - Rick James

2010-08-06T12:15:00-07:00

Quick entry from Rick James on a Funky Friday.

I can only imagine what it's like to be famous and be able to say this to a woman and have it actually, you know, work. Every time I say that to women it's like they're offended or something...

Watch the video on YouTube.

"The Figurehead" - The Cure

2010-08-05T12:27:00-07:00

There's talk in Songfightland about possibly doing a Cure cover project. You know I'd be all over that if it happened.

One difficult aspect of such an endeavor would be deciding what song to do. This is one of the frontrunners so far. I reckon most people would want to record some Happy Pop-Sensible Cure, like "Friday I'm In Love" and what not. I think Dreary Wrist-Slashing Cure should be represented as well.

Hear "The Figurehead" on YouTube.

Live performance

"Piano Sonata No. 8 (Pathetique)" - Ludwig van Beethoven

2010-08-03T12:21:00-07:00

Hey, I hadn't put anything up from Herr Loodvig yet. I am remedying that today.

The Moonlight Sonata may be more widely known, but I've always held a fondness for the Pathetique. I was first turned on to this one in some music appreciation college course, called Music 74 I think. The little teacherette (not a full-on professor) really knew her stuff, and was a stellar piano player. And she was nice looking to boot. I'd have to go watch other people's concerts and recitals and such and then give her written critiques. She seemed to think I was pretty far advanced. Eh, there's no accounting for taste. But hey, whatever works. It was an easy A at a time when I really needed them.

I still think I'd be a lousy music critic.

Hear the Pathetique on YouTube. Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

"Roadkill" - Meanstreak

2010-08-02T12:28:00-07:00

I guess there really haven't been many all-female metal bands. At least any well-known ones. There was Vixen, but that was just sterile, overglossed schlock. Have any honest-to-God face-melting all-chick metal groups ever achieved a modicum of notoriety?

Here is an arbitrary listing of all-girl metal groups. Some great tribute band names contained within, like AC/DShe, Judas Priestess, Misstallica, Slaywhore (haha), and Lez Zeppelin. God, I love tribute band names. But the point is, I hadn't heard of a single band listed there, other than Vixen and today's featured group, the long-defunct Meanstreak. And the only reason I knew about Meanstreak is that three of their members ended up marrying members of Dream Theater.

No, I do not tie every post to Dream Theater in some way. Shut up.

In any event, I was curious to hear for myself how the band actually sounded, so I looked up "Roadkill" on Der Tube von Du. I must say, Meanstreak rocked pretty damn hard. Those vixens were definitely no Vixen.

Hear "Roadkill" on YouTube.

"Show Me Your Soul" - Red Hot Chili Peppers

2010-07-30T12:38:00-07:00

I just had a nice cow-orker-provided chile verde lunch. So, I have chiles on the brain. It's also Funky Friday, so here are some Chili Peppers. This one comes from the Pretty Woman soundtrack as well as the RHCP compilation album What Hits!?

This chile verde plate was way too small. I want another one now. Urrgh. Chile verde is one of the best foods ever for overeating.

Watch the video for "Show Me Your Soul" on YouTube.

Hear it in better audio quality.

"The Analog Kid" - Rush

2010-07-29T11:13:00-07:00

Yes, I know I put up a Rush song very recently. Still have them on the noggin after watching the Beyond the Lighted Stage doc I mentioned before. Fascinating. You may be nonplussed by it if you're a true nonpartisan listener, but if you're a fan, it's a no-brainer. Watch it. There's footage of a very young Alex Lifeson sitting with his somewhat distraught parents telling them he's gonna quit school and do music full time. It's like 1) wow, heavy and 2) how on Earth did THAT get filmed?

Plus, it's Geddy Lee's b-day. He is 57. Sorry, I meant Geddy Lee, OC. As in Order of Canada. Seriously, that's his title. I guess it's a bit like being knighted in England. All of the guys in the band were made Officers of the Order of Canada.

Of course, so was Bryan Adams, so make of that whatever you will.

Anyway, I am continuing my sort of pseudo-tradition of putting up Rush's lesser known album filler tracks, and this one is a HUGE favorite. Sure, "Subdivisions" is nice, but "The Analog Kid" is my preferred track from 1982's Signals. And it's really not close. Terrific bassing by Ged. Love the verse and solo sections. Hey, look at this! It's got a great chorus section too. And for you music critics, English majors and "indie" types, it's in 4/4. All of it. <gasp!> Imagine that. Rush actually made a song in 4/4.

You move me, indeed.

Hear "The Analog Kid" on YouTube.

It's 4th and 27

2010-07-28T12:30:00-07:00

I'm punting today. So, in the spirit of punting, here's a really awesome football celebration, even though it's not THAT kind of football.

"Northwest Airlines" - Wesley Willis

2010-07-27T12:39:00-07:00

I'm PO'ed at US Airways right now. While checking in on my return flight from Denver last Friday, I was using their check-in kiosk. Everything was kosher at the beginning, and it asked me for the number of bags. I hit '1'. It asked me if it could charge the same credit card I used for the check-in, and I said yes. I finish the whole process and go to take my bag to the counter, when I realize I didn't get a receipt for the transaction (which I needed so I could report the expense to my company later). The lady at the counter assumed there was no charge, and actually called someone to confirm there was no charge. They insisted there was no charge. So I give them my card and they run it through again. As you have probably deduced by now, I have two $25 charges on my credit card now.

And apparently, according to their website, there isn't even a number I can call to resolve this. All the numbers listed are for reservations, for other customer relations they expect you to e-mail them and wait for a response in "5-7 business days." Well, f*ck that noise. I'm calling SOMEBODY and asking them if I can speak with whomever I need to. That seems like a complete joke. So, in "honor" of US Airways, here is the Wesley Willis tune called "US Airways."

Dammit, I can't find that one. Oh well, I guess the best I can do is put up this other ditty about a different airline. I mean, c'mon, it's Wesley. The songs are essentially identical anyway.

Hear "Northwest Airlines" on YouTube.

"Walking Home Alone" - Stan Ridgway

2010-07-26T12:33:00-07:00

Doing the "home" thing again after returning from an extended exodus. I didn't walk home, obviously. How long would it have taken for me to walk home from Denver? Sheesh. Don't even want to think about it.

Came down with a slight head cold right before I left, which I'm still feeling - my ears still haven't fully unclogged yet. Head colds + airplane flights = somewhat problematic...

Hear "Walking Home Alone" on YouTube.

"Birthday" - Sugarcubes

2010-07-17T12:06:00-07:00

OK, OK, I'll post one more song before I leave. I feel compelled to do so because this blog turns three years old today. Yes, we have evolved past the terrible twos and into the, uh, terrible threes?

So we'll see if this thingamacallit hangs around another year. There'll be many more songs, hopefully one or two more celebrity blessings, and considerably more Funky Fridays, bondage searches and prog bloviations. Until then it's off to the Mile High city. Happy trails!

Watch the video for "Birthday" on YouTube.

Watch a live performance.

"Bonin' in the Boneyard" - Fishbone

2010-07-16T12:14:00-07:00

Time for some Bonin' on Funky Friday!

This will likely be my last post for a while, I will be in Denver all next week for some company-mandated classroom training. I swear, I've been pretty much living in hotels this year. So, you may continue to hit me with your enema bondage bikini wax searches while I'm gone.

Speaking of which:

AMUSING GOOGLE SEARCH HIT ALERT: "pictures of nurses at work in a bikini" Dude, when you find that site hook me up, will ya?

Hear "Bonin' in the Boneyard" on YouTube.

Live performance

"Turn the Page" - Rush

2010-07-15T12:14:00-07:00

I have this band on the brain right now, so here comes another Rush tune. They just released a documentary film called Beyond the Lighted Stage, and the Bluray disc is on order. I don't normally buy movies on disc sight-unseen, but I think it's a pretty safe bet this is one I'll want to keep.

Obviously I've put up a steaming crapload of Rush songs here. But if you go through them, you won't find very many of the radio staples. As fond of this group as I am, I honestly and truly don't want to hear "Tom Sawyer" ever again. Ditto for "Limelight." And you could probably add "Closer to the Heart" to that list. "Spirit of Radio" too. "Distant Early Warning" may be one to bury as well. And... aw screw it, I've made my point.

If I'm gonna groove on a Rush tune nowadays, it will likely be either a filler track like "The Camera Eye" or a song from an album that's not considered "classic", like Counterparts. Or I'll pick one that fits both criteria, like "Turn the Page" from 1987's Hold Your Fire. Love that one. That bass playing is so killer.

Rush will have a new record out next year. Even though I had issues with the last couple of albums, I'll likely get it out of habit. Until then, here's one that came out the year I graduated high school. LOL OLD

Hear "Turn the Page" on YouTube.

Watch the segment from the Show of Hands concert video.

"Mes copines a moi" - Mac Abbe et le Zombi Orchestra

2010-07-14T12:33:00-07:00

I've mentioned this wonderful French group before. Their latest release Votre Monde est d'Enfer is, unlike their previous albums, widely available and stuff. You can get it from the likes of Amazon and iTunes without having to put on a raincoat and discreetly show up at BrunosSeedyDenOfMP3Contraband.com.

It's like Oingo Boingo and Mr. Bungle went to France on a honeymoon and conceived a hideous Eraserhead-style offspring that grew up to become some horribly disfigured mad genius. Then at some point he got surgically and psychologically transformed into a slick, sophisticated, brilliant butterfly at the top of the social ladder, all while still being every bit the mad genius. Like your average Batman villain. Well, OK, I guess the Penguin was never all that sophisticated. And the Riddler was never all that slick. And where does the Joker fit into all this? Hmm, was Catwoman ever much of a social climber? I guess not, or perhaps maybe...

Holy crap I'm all over the place now. I need to abort this entry. Just click the link already.

Hear "Mes copines a moi" on YouTube.