in my head, in my head
Posting shall be a bit slow until Monday, lots of family stuff going on in addition to baseball, guitar lessons, mall chauffering and other "I spend my life in my car surrounded by teenagers" things.
The Greatest Rock and Roll Songwriters thing will resume on Monday. Thanks to everyone who offered to write guest posts - take your time, hurry up, etc.
Meanwhile, here's something fun from Brian J: what albums can you sing from memory?
There are quite a few albums I can play entirely in my head, from start to finish, every note, every word, in the right order. On some of them, I can even include the part where the album used to skip. My list is way too long, but here's a sampling.
Faith No More - Angel Dust (and really any FNM album, but this one especially)
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
Far - Water and Solutions
Led Zeppelin II (to this day I cannot hear Heartbreaker on the radio without thinking that Living Love Maid should follow)
Led Zeppelin IV
Grateful Dead - American Beauty
Fear Factory - Obsolete
Stabbing Westward - Darkest Days
Danzig 4
Radiohead - Ok Computer
The Who - Tommy
Weezer - Blue Album
Boston - Boston
Slayer - Diabolus in Musica
Genesis - Trick of the Tail
Brand New - Your Favorite Weapon
U2 - Boy
Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
Clutch - Elephant Riders
There's many more, but these are the first that came to my mind as albums I could play in their entirety solely in my head. And I've done so, when bored and without music. Most times, there's no effort involved. You just start off with the first song on the album and your brain takes over from there.
Obviously, these would all go on a long (but relatively short, when you think of how many albums I own) list of albums/CDs that I listen can listen to from start to finish without skipping any songs.
Anyhow. Off to baseball. I just loaded Boston into the iPod to help pass the time.
Comments
Lord, love a duck, I didn't even mention the skips in the records.
Don't you hate it when you get caught doing that while singing a song in front of someone?
The particular song I do that with time and again is "You're Only Human (Second Wind)" by Billy Joel; the 45 I had for it skipped once in the chorus, and I cannot sing the song yet without singing the skip.
Posted by: Brian J. | March 26, 2005 10:18 AM
Mine are:
After the Gold Rush - Neil Young
Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys - Traffic
Deju Vu - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
White Album - Beatles
Abbey Road - Beatles
Ram - Paul McCartney
Kiln House - Fleetwood Mac
Automatic For The People - R.E.M.
Posted by: Trish | March 26, 2005 10:46 AM
"(to this day I cannot hear Heartbreaker on the radio without thinking that Living Loving Maid should follow)"
That's because it should. And "Ramble On" is next.
The only segue I've ever come up with that comes close to the perfection of "Heartbreaker"/"Living Loving Maid" is Stevie Wonder's "Sir Duke" into Badfinger's "Day After Day," and it requires exactly the same kind of precision timing or it falls flat.
And one last random-noises bit: On the 45 issue of the Troggs' "Wild Thing," after "You move me," there's a little break, a board click that was never cleaned up, and then the return of the mighty guitar riff that powers the song. On one CD reissue I remember, they'd cleaned up the noise level generally and removed that board click. Ruined the whole song.
Posted by: CGHill | March 26, 2005 11:06 AM
"Led Zeppelin II (to this day I cannot hear Heartbreaker on the radio without thinking that Living Love Maid should follow)"
When does it ever NOT follow? I don't think I've ever heard one on the radio without the other.
Others: Jesus Just Left Chicago must always follow Waitin' for the Bus and We Are the Champions must always follow We Will Rock You. There are rules.
Posted by: Rob | March 26, 2005 12:10 PM
How 'bout:
the Kevin Kline/Linda Ronstadt/Rex Smith version of the Pirates of Penzance?
S&G: Bridge Over Troubled Waters?
Van Halen I, II, Diver Down, Fair Warning, Women and Children First, and 1984?
and, for the love of it! ... "Blonde on Blonde" and "Highway 61 Revisited"?
And, yes, I can do every track on every Beatles album (with the exception of the white album's "#9", which is just stupid).
Posted by: dvg | March 26, 2005 03:24 PM
I can definitely do Van Halen I and Women and Children First.
Posted by: michele | March 26, 2005 05:05 PM
It occurs to me that on the Queen Greatest Flix video collection, "We Are the Champions" precedes "We Will Rock You." This makes no sense at all.
Posted by: CGHill | March 26, 2005 10:11 PM
Anyhow. Off to baseball. I just loaded Boston into the iPod to help pass the time.
Just as we all suspected, a closet Boston fan. GO SOX!!
Posted by: skillzy | March 27, 2005 07:17 AM
Every. singles. thing (and the albums too) the Clash ever cut.
Almost everything the Ramones did.
Posted by: TC@LeatherPenguin | March 28, 2005 04:45 AM
and just for the hell of it...skillzy, bite my black Irish ass.
Posted by: TC@LeatherPenguin | March 28, 2005 04:46 AM
The Clash: The Clash (import), and London Calling
The Who: Who's Next
REM: Murmur (But I don't know the words. Then again, neither does Stipe.
Hoodoo Gurus: Mars Needs Guitars! (For my money, one of the BEST album titles ever.)
Replacements; Tim, Pleased to Meet Me
Paul Westerberg: 14 Songs
Elvis Costello: Armed Forces, This Year's Model, Imperial Bedroom
The Ramones: The Ramones, Rocket to Russia
And though I hate to disagree with you, Michelle, there is a special place in Hell for Boston.
Posted by: JoeB | March 28, 2005 10:04 AM
Funny, I just found Clutch - their "blast tyrant" album. Pretty good stuff if you ignore the politics...
Posted by: fat kid | March 28, 2005 03:07 PM
While I've never heard an Andrea True Connection album, I'm sure I can sing any of them just by looking at the titles.
Posted by: Chrees | March 28, 2005 03:55 PM