Reversing the Numbness

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

Another week, another magazine down. Tomorrow begins our 109th issue, so I'm looking for some inspirational music this week.

I think the topic will be: songs that you freaking loved the first time you heard them.

Here are a few I'll start with:





23 comments:

Unknown said...

How did you narrow it down to three? I'm going to have to just go with a random sampling of mine.

Old
Gimme Shelter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wmcxqsO8rY

Sultans of Swing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6FXbSd1iXQ

New
Right Here Right Now
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R795KiMD4zs

Paper Wings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIP4Q_L5iCM

The Thing About It
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKM9odw4P6U

Clash said...

Nice, Sleek! You just influenced tomorrow’s I-pod downloads.

Without the VERY obvious Clash, Floyd, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and U2 choices that I have more than represented on RtN…..here are a few that I loved from the drop of the needle as it were.

After thinking about songs for this topic, it seems like music from my generation and earlier made more of an impact throughout those formidable years than the current generation of music today. I’m officially old!

The Verve / Lucky Man

I still groove to this tune and loved it from the first note.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyTO0jW8T2o


Jeff Buckley / Grace

Pure genius.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siNsgbIWhAQ


Oasis / Wonderwall

I truly believed they were the shit at the time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAPtTS0TYtU


Dylan / Hurricane

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EotM7FH8uQg&feature=related


The Killers / When You Were Young

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkkE7yDXr6g&feature=related


RHCP / Under the Bridge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQOYCXKfpt4&feature=related

Don McLean / American Pie

First song I can remember that my parents listened to that I liked and still sing along today. Although, my dad was a closet Joplin fan…..He had some taste.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHkT2YfqHE4

Rob Zero said...

Nine minutes of pure punk rock and soul:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PF9OjQWPHQ

The best Dylan cover:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-cF40OWeak

*dalyn said...

i still listen to all of these guys on a regular basis!
ELO - Living Thing 1976 (recommend these guys for roadtrips)

The Guess Who - These Eyes
(my favorite is sour suite but the live recording isnt that great) oooh burton!!! love him!

Gordon Lightfoot - Early Morning Rain
(1st heard it when i was 13, played it over and over)

America- Sister Golden Hair

Melissavina said...

New favorites that I loved right off the bat:
This one by Vampire Weekend

This one by Spoon

This one from the movie Once

Enjoy!! I did.

SleekPelt said...

Let me just hop in here real quick to say that, Melissavina, I had "Say it to Me Now" posted as the third video on my post, but I pulled it because I wanted to save it for my Once post. It's one of the best movies I've ever seen, and I've trying for a week to make a post about it, but I can't seem to do my feelings on the movie justice with my meager writing skills. My god, what an astoundingly beautiful movie. Maybe I'll try to finish my post this weekend.

*dalyn said...

whoa, that once song was amazing. need to see this movie!

SleekPelt said...

keith: I just went with some songs I immediately thought of. Stones -- man, that's a killer version of that song; Dire Straits -- great band I like this song pretty well, but "Skateaway" was probably the Dire Straits song that made the best first impression on me; Fatboy Slim -- I've never been too into this cat, but this is a pretty epic song. I thought it was a Jesus Jones song at first; Rise Against -- man that's some technical punk. I'm not a huge fan of the singer's voice, but they're tight and fast; Sweatshop Union -- I wasn't feelin' this too much at first, but I started to get it half way through. I'm going to check out some more of their stuff.

Helen Mansfield said...

"Here Comes Your Man," Pixies; "Head Like a Hole," Nine Inch Nails; and "How Soon Is Now," by the Smiths.

josh williams said...

Chris Rea's Road to Hell...Great CD it even makes me forgive "Fool if you think it's over". I may have suggested this before, but I am not sure you listened to it the first time. Great 10 year anniversary issue. JW

Zee said...

This one came to mind as a fairly recent song that fits into both categories: inspirational and I loved when I first heard it. I could only find live versions on YT---I think the studio version is actually better.

Melissavina said...

Oh that movie was like static cling to my heart when I saw it. I didn't tell Iggie or his brother Ryan what it is about or that it's *gasp* a musical, I just put it in the DVD player. We watched the whole movie with our mouths open. When the credits rolled we turned it back to "say it to me now" and watched the whole thing again. It is the most beautiful movie. That song doesn't get enough credit.

Devil Mood said...

I saw your post on Friday but I had to think. Most songs I really like tend to grow slowly in my heart. Usually it's Pop songs that can make it or break it on the first hearing because they're so immediate.

Here's what I'm listening to right now. That Smiths song, there is a light that never goes out. (this leads me to think of those songs that you never get tired of, the light never goes out) ;)

Unknown said...

Difficult, as most of the music I really love is stuff I didn't take to the instant I first heard it. But, there's these:

Barenaked Ladies: Pinch Me - also check out the 'The Bathroom Sessions' version.

Zero 7: The Waiting Line - like everyone else, I discovered them via the 'Garden State' soundtrack. The rest is history.

The Cure: Just Like Heaven - 00:26; main guitar-line kicks in and squeezes my heart so very tightly.

Scissor Sisters: Laura - the instant I heard this I knew I'd be a Scissor Sisters fan for life.

SleekPelt said...

clash: It's nice to be a positive influence from time to time. The Verve -- I love this band and this song. Jeff Buckley -- what can I say? One of the great musicians of all time, Grace is like church; Oasis -- I don't mind these guys even now. I was never a huge fan, but it didn't surprise me that this song was such a big hit; Dylan -- Another classic Dylan song, and what a performance to dig up!; The Killers -- you know, I like these guys, but the only thing I ever think of when I listen to them is Langers sprawling all over the karaoke stage; RHCP -- that one never did much for me, though I somehow know pretty much every word still; Don Maclean -- it's certainly a classic and I wouldn't change the radio if it came on, but I probably wouldn't intentionally play it either. I think I've just heard it too many times.

rob: Live Oblivians -- that is definitely some pure punk rock. New to me; Jason and the Scorchers -- This is very cool, but I'm not sure it beats Elvis Costello's cover of "I Threw it All Away."

dalyn: ELO -- one of the biggest bands of my youth, and I also listen to them still. They're amazing and so is this song; The Guess Who -- this is the epitome of a song you belt off when it comes on the radio. I couldn't get much out of "Sour Sweet" with this recording; Gordan Lightfoot -- I didn't know how many of this guy's songs I knew until he died and people started playing them. I just realized he has a similar vocal tone to Warren Zevon, at least in this song; America -- I've never actually been a huge fan of this song, but I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority on that one.

SleekPelt said...

melissavina: Vampire Weekend -- that little guitar lick is designed to burrow into your brain and never let go. I love this video, it must've taken some work; Spoon -- good band and good song; Glen Hansard -- what can I say? This guy exudes passion. I still plan on doing a Once post and I'll talk more about him. Watch this movie, folks.

helen mansfield: The Pixies are big hits in my house, right down to my kids. "Here Comes Your Man" is a classic, but it was "Wave of Mutilation" -- the slow version from Pump Up the Volume that killed me on first listen; NIN -- I almost put this song in my post, it blew me away the first time I heard it; Smiths -- "I am human and I need to be loved / just like everybody else does", that's the Smiths lyric I'm most familiar with. Very nice selection!

Rob Zero said...

Sleek, did you know that the JZs cover ELO's "Rockaria"... seriously.

Erin O'Brien said...

"The Man Comes Around" Johnny Cash.

SleekPelt said...

josh: Yep, this is an encore, but that's good because it's a killer song. It's in my iTunes and I listen to it regularly. And thanks for the props on 10 years. It's been a long, strange trip, that's for certain.

getto said...

R.I.P. Jeff Healey!

Clash said...

"I like these guys, but the only thing I ever think of when I listen to them is Langers sprawling all over the karaoke stage."

Har! That cracked me up!

SleekPelt said...

zee: That's a cool song, definitely catchy. I can see how the original would sound better.

melissavina: I watched it a couple of times right off the bat, too. We'll talk more!

devil mood: Another awesome Smiths song. I don't rival their hardcore fans by any stretch of the imagination, but I really like them and it's been nice getting a little wave of their music.

rob: I didn't know that, but I would love to hear it!

end o' business: I spun Cash in all his glory today, thanks to the fantastic mix CDs you sent me. What a peach you are.

geto boy: Man, I didn't even know he was sick! What a bummer. I'm ending my day with "Angel Eyes."

clash: Langers is always a source of entertainment, so long as there's alcohol involved.

Thanks, everyone! Friday Music is still open (Anon, where are you?), so feel free to keep suggesting. I've got a guest commenter lined up already for next week.

SleekPelt said...

teoh: Dang, not sure how I forgot to comment on your songs. Barenaked Ladies -- these guys write some crazy catchy stuff. I'm not into everything, but I was also impressed the first time I heard this song. Good stuff; Zero 7 -- actually, the DM and I have been listening to Zero 7 for a long time. She saw a video on MTV2 a long time ago and got the album. Cool trip-hop stuff, reminds me the SoHo Grand hotel in NYC; The Cure -- I'm also with you on this one, I loved it instantly. My friends' band used to cover this song back in the day, like so many other cover bands had before and have since; Scissor Sisters -- these guys are like crab dip to me. Really good in small amounts, but overindulging means pain. This song is sort of middle-of-the-road for me, but they have a few songs that I really love. Thanks, Teoh!