Look for the girl in the faded blue Dodgers hat and she's gone...

Thursday, June 3, 2010

The Greatest Songs EVER. According to Rolling Stone. (459-450)

A cold has derailed me this past week, but I'm back in full force! Anyway, on with the show.

459. "Rollin' Stone"-Muddy Waters
This track is classic blues from the greatest bluesman out there. It has a slow, thick groove that carries the typical Muddy Waters lyrics about wanting to "have all you women..." It's not a track that the average person is going to be familiar with, but it is integral part of his catalogue. It has a very chunky riff, and the vocal is classic blues. Great track overall.

458. "Soul Man"-Sam and Dave

This track has literally been everywhere. It's most famous incarnation was in the "Blues Brothers" movies, and the great Sam Cooke also did a cover. This song is crazy upbeat, with a fantastic horn section that really gives the song it's jauntiness. The chorus is catchy, and the vocals by Sam Moore and Dave Prater are excellent. It's a great track for everyone, even if you don't like soul music.

(The website I'm using to look at the list skipped tracks 456-457, so I'm jumping ahead to 455)
455. "All Apologies"-Nirvana
The truth is, I think Nirvana is REALLY overrated. They have a few good songs like "About a Girl", "Heart Shaped Box", and of course "Smells Like Teen Spirit". This song is just, boring. It doesn't ever really peak at any point and Kurt Cobain sounds like he's mumbling the entire last half of the song. In 10 minutes or so I'll have forgotten all about this track.

454. "My Sweet Lord"-George Harrison
This was George Harrison's first big hit after the breakup of the Beatles. It's an enigma in the sense that it's a song about religion, but it doesn't really sound religious. It's just a nice pop song in the end. The production is perfect and it never weighs down the track at all, which could happen with a song like this. The chanting towards the end is a little overkill, but excusable. George sounds like he's actually enjoying the new lease on life that the breakup of the Beatles gave him, and it all just sounds so happy. A great track from an album full of great tracks.

453. "Paradise City"-The Guns and Roses

This track is very summer in spirit. I would listen to it while riding in a convertible with my hair blowing all over the place. This track falls into that pop-metal vein that the Guns and Roses were so good at, it's kind of a similar track to "Sweet Child of Mine" in fact. Its catchy and it's one of Axl Rose's best vocals. A great summer track.

452. "Cupid"-Sam CookeThe first mention of this song that I ever heard was actually in the song "Sleepwalker" by the Wallflowers. There's a line in that song that says "Cupid don't draw back your bow/Sam Cooke didn't know what I know." So obviously, the jist of the lyrical content of this song is Sam Cooke wanting cupid to shoot his arrow in his direction. It's not exactly "A Change is Gonna Come", but it's...nice. That's really all I can describe it as, it's just kind of bland.

451. "The Twist"-Chubby Checker

Upon first listen, I could see where people got off shaking it to this song. It's crazy catchy. Before there was "Achy Breaky Heart", "Thriller", or even "Soulja Boy" dance crazes, there was the twist. This song really started the genre of music made specifically to dance to. It's a fun and you cant help but to do the twist. :D

450. "By the Time I Get to Phoenix"-Glen Campbell

This track is just SO overwrought and dramatic. The strings on it just drone on in the background of Glen Campbell's genuine heartbroken vocal. A good track, not something I'd listen to on my own free will.

My favorite song of the bunch? I would have to say "Soul Men" or "My Sweet Lord"

1 comment:

  1. Completely agree on Nirvana!! I didn't get the weeping and wailing when Kurt Cobain died. Of course it's sad when anyone commits suicide, but I never thought they were all that brilliant.

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