A relatively unknown song to those who aren't big Matthew Good fans, Middle Class Gangsters was a personal favourite from the bands second album Underdogs. As an alt-rock group this tune always seemed to make playlists of mine. A great 'song' where nobody within the group stands out individually, this is a great group effort which allows this song to really gel. I always loved the "jab" they were taking towards middle/upper class people who acted in a less advantaged manner. In today's world we see many people as a product of there environment, yet the group took a shot at the privileged individuals who act as though they were brought up in tough environments. But again this tune could also mean nothing remotely close to my interpretation and this is just a classic 90's Rock tune. Happy New Year!
It's that time of year!! The boys from Song Of The Day Fridays have spoken and are sharing their Christmas Song picks for the day!!!
Rob "Jingle Bell Rock" - Bobby Helms
From the moment the guitar walks you into this song, this 1957 classic hits its stride when the sleigh bells start in. With a bass walking along the whole time in the back this tune is not only smooth it straight up rocks! This song has been a staple throughout movies and shopping malls during the holiday season, and even though I don't listen to many Christmas songs this one always gets me in the holiday spirit! Merry Christmas!
Mr. T
"Merry Christmas Baby" - Bruce Springsteen
This is that song. That song we all have, the song where you put on your sexy underpants, sunglasses, a fedora, turn the lights down low and dance for your lover!! Well, at least it is for me. My absolute favorite Christmas song EVER!!! First off, Bruce sings the shit out of it big time. Never mind the absolutely, always soulful, ass kicking sax solos form Clarence Clemons. Anyone who is a fan of The Boss knows Clarence and I don't think Bruce would have made it as big without that guy. He will be missed. Its full of rock, blues, jazz a little reggae, what more could you ask for. So find that person this week, do the above and dance into Christmas!!
G-Man
"Christmas Is Coming" - The Payolas
Remember back in the day when you had to wait for the radio to play a song that you really wanted to hear? Maybe you were lucky enough to catch it and record it to tape. Being from a small northern town our one radio station was not the best one to hear your favourite songs, especially around Christmas. "Christmas Is Coming" was one of those songs that i'd be lucky to hear once a year and only in December. Thankfully because of the digital age it's become much more accessible and i'm reminded why I love this song. It's got all the great fundamentals of a pop song and just the right amount of heart for a Christmas song. Fun Fact: Canada's Payolas' guitarist Bob Rock has gone on to produce some great albums by acts like Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, Our Lady Peace and Metallica.
Christmas gift from G-Man!! A Bonus song!!
"Seasons Greetings Felony" - Revenge Of The Egg People
I know it seems odd that i'm choosing a song where Santa gets shot in the head. But it's not an anti-Christmas song, just the whole consumerablility of Xmas is not for everyone. Revenge Of The Egg People did a whole Christmas album with plenty of punkish takes on old favourites and some great originals. "Seasons Greetings Felony" is the star on top of the tree. More bands should write original Christmas songs....it would cause less rage about holiday music this time of year
Rob "Big Casino" - Jimmy Eat World Although first songs on albums rarely make the charts, Big Casino was a great tune from there 2007 release Chase the light. First songs on albums to me are usually a "table of contents" as to what type of album a band is embarking on and Big Casino really drives this home with its heavy yet melodic rhythm. A crisp and catchy hook to add to an ode to there true sound. Jimmy Eat World known for there harmonic rock style push to another level with this great opening track, right from the first chord they've got the listeners attention for an album worth a front to back listen!
Mr. T "Redemption Song" - Bob Marley
Not many people know this but I am a closet Reggae fanatic!! Bob is of course the King of Reggae. What draws me to Reggae is how the artists sing about repression form the government and overcoming it while growing as a country. Reggae artists use music to grow and better them selves as well as their community. The rhythms, sounds, syncopation within the music I find very relaxing and listen to Reggae to calm down. This song in particular I find moving. You can feel the pain and suffering Bob's country has suffered yet he still builds themselves from within the lyrics.
G-Man "Making It Work" - Doug & The Slugs
Going a little further back than I normally do this week. This is a song I recall from my youth, but I didn't pay serious attention until recently. A girl I was dating had an old record player and a few times for kicks we'd drink wine and put on whatever old records we could find. I remember when she pulled this one out the neon orange, or green maybe, cover immediately told me which era it was from. It's a catchy, quirky track. Dance music with real instruments and without all the lyrical bullshit posturing of modern day club music. Doug & The Slugs! "Makin' It Work" Aww yisssss
Women are sexy. In honour of that truth we here at Song Of The Day Fridays have decided to feature songs with female vocalists. Here we go
Rob "Excuse Me Mister" - No Doubt
This week’s honour goes to Gwen Stefani. From the first time I heard No Doubt, she and the band started making a type of well polished ska that had not been produced until then. Her lyrics and rhythm made the band a huge success it also didn’t hurt she can rock with the best of them! I know she did her solo thing, but my fondness to her is through the early years with No Doubt. Songs such as and Don’t Speak, Just a Girl, and Ex-girlfriend were known as the bands radio chart toppers, but songs such as Excuse me Mr, Spiderwebs, & Marry Me are a must listen. Although once Push and Shove hit I was wondering what happened, where is the group I used to listen to? Yet they stayed relevant using a great chorus and enough relevance to stay up with the times. This again shows Gwen’s versatility and form within the music world.
Honorable Mentions.
Stevie Nicks Ani DiFranco Fiona Apple
Mr. T "Landslide" - Fleetwood Mac
Sorry I'm behind everyone. There is not much to say but it's Stevie. Look at everything she's done with Fleetwood mac or any solo songs. There isn't a bad one but this song stands out for me. It really shows who she is as an artist and its full of feeling you can hear through the way she sings and draws you into this song. Enjoy.
G-Man "Portions For Foxes" - Rilo Kiley
Jenny Lewis is the lead singer of the Los Angeles based indie-rock group Rilo Kiley. I always felt she had a similar sound to Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Rilo Kiley (named after a dream the guitar player had) released 4 studio albums including 2 on a major label, before breaking up in 2014. "Portions For Foxes" comes off their 2004 release More Adventurous.
Week 4 - Good Covers/Bad Covers
This week we decided to include a theme to Song Of The Day Fridays and we're going to be featuring cover songs. Good ones that honour or improve upon the original, and bad ones that disrespect and try capitalize on the original's success. A Side (good cover). B Side (bad cover). Get us started Rob
Rob A Side: "Take On Me" - Reel Big Fish Reel Big Fish captured the essence of the original. A great cover needs
to stay true to the origins of what made the song in the first place. I believe
they accomplished this by keeping the hook and melody while adding their own style
to enhance an already good tune! The horns mixed with their up tempo rendition
really spoke volumes as to how much they mashed their own sound without taking
away from what made this song appealing in the original version
B Side: "Behind Blue Eyes" - Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit tried a balladesque tune to show there is more to them than
loud, heavy rap/rock which drove them to stardom, they failed! From the moment
Fred Durst tried to actually sing this song was doomed. While they did keep it
close to the original (minus good vocals), they lost all credibility with the
computer generated spoken word version of how to spell the obvious portion of
the band’s name. In closing this attempt at The Who feels as if they put it together
in an hour. Why? To show people they are more than a heavy rap/rock group who
were never really known for their musical credibility, although that was
further from they're reach by this point in the bands tenure.
Mr. T A Side: "Bad Company" - Five Finger Death Punch
I am usually by no means a "heavy" metal guy, but I became an instant fan of Five Finger Death Punch when I heard their cover of Bad Company's Bad Company. In my opinion they captured the modern meaning of the song by changing the tuning into drop "d". A heavier, more hard core, modern solider is what they appeal to as wells as incorporating themselves by changing the lyric "6-gun sound is our claim to fame" to "Our Death Punch sound is our claim to fame".
Overall an excellent cover
B Side: "All Summer Long" - Kid Rock
Although not a cover, this was a lame attempt to write something original from someone else's songs.
Some of the more uneducated music enthusiasts will say "whoa dude, this isn't a cover, Its an original". To you I say wake up and your stupid! This song doesn't know what it wants to be. The opening verse is a copy of Warren Zevon's Werewolves of London and it then proceeds to morph into one of the most overplayed songs ever Sweet Home Alabama. What is it with that song anyway. Don't get me wrong its a good song with a big-ol middle finger back at Neil Young for writing Southern Man, a song about the racism and miss-treatment of blacks in the American south, but why must it be played at every wedding and drunk fest at the local bar. I digress. What else can you expect from a guy who was born and grew up in Detroit but presents himself as successful Florida redneck trailer trash. That's where he belongs. Besides, what has he done sense? Most certainly has not contributed anything meaningful to music.
G-Man A-Side: "The Boys Are Back In Town" - Happy Mondays
I wasn't even really sure what I was hearing when I first encountered this song. The opening riff caught my attention only because it reminded of Metallica's "I Disappear". The lyrics were vaguely familiar and I could tell they were singing "The Boys Are Back In Town" during the chorus. Happy Mondays spun this old Irish favourite so much that it took some major detective work to confirm that it was a reworking of the classic Thin Lizzy jam. If you're gonna cover a good song put your own flavour on it. Happy Mondays did that.
B-Side: "My Generation" - Hilary Duff
Someone said that this song is a cheat to include because we shouldn't be listening to Hilary Duff anyway, but the sins contained in this version are so egregious that it has to be included. One of my biggest pet peeves when a band covers a song is changing the lyrics. Whether it's changing the gender of the song's subject or merely adding or omitting a word to make it more accessible. It's bullshit. The song was written and released a certain way, keep it that way. Here in Duff's "My Generation" a cover of The Who's signature song she changes "Hope I die before I get old" into "Hope i don't die before I get old". Thats the whole point of the song! The live fast, die young attitude of the 60's. She effectively rips out the song's heart and soul with that one word and continues to urinate over it's legacy throughout the rest of this clumsily rehashed pop-dud. Listen to it once, because those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat it
Honourable Mentions (B-Sides):
"Music" - Word Of Mouth
"Boys Of Summer" - The Ataris
"Such Great Heights" - Confide
"American Pie" - Madonna
"Sweet Child Of Me" - Shery Crow
"Gimme Shelter" - Puddle Of Mudd
