ASV HoF: Finalists and new category:
This Poll needs more cowbell!
Finalists for Song that is most recoginzed by its opening:
[this poll has been completed]
Vote early, vote often, etc.
And now, the new, heavily anticipated category, brought to you by Mikey and Christopher Walken:
BEST USE OF COWBELL IN A ROCK SONG
If you need some suggestions, there are plenty here. The cowbell was used a LOT more than you realize.
/sings Don't Fear the Reaper
Let the nominations begin.
Comments
Not at nominations, but this is my favorite version of this song, http://homepage.mac.com/pudge/.Music/hand-nmc.mp3
See, cowbell does make everything better.
Posted by: Brandon Sharitt | October 25, 2005 06:55 PM
No one else will vote for this one, but I think B.J. Wilson from Procol Harum was The Master Supreme of rockin' cowbell, and his finest hour was "Whiskey Train."
Posted by: Toren | October 25, 2005 07:14 PM
I can't believe I'm saying this...
Loverboy - Working For The Weekend
Posted by: Matt | October 25, 2005 07:23 PM
Livewire- Motley Crue
American Band- Grand Funk Railroad
Posted by: carol | October 25, 2005 07:23 PM
I second the GFR pick,and add
"Wheel in the Sky" by Journey
(Oh admit it,you all dig it!)
Posted by: mbruce | October 25, 2005 07:34 PM
My fave that pops immediately to mind is Climax Blues Band "Couldn't Get It Right," with Fleetwood Mac's "Gold Dust Woman" second.
I know the Replacements had several songs where the cowbell was pronounced, but damned if I can think of them right now.
Posted by: Chrees | October 25, 2005 07:50 PM
I heard one today on the iPod.
Cold Water by Tom Waits.
But I'll throw in Mississippi Queen for purely nostalgic reasons.
Posted by: Tanya | October 25, 2005 07:53 PM
The BEST:
Honky Tonk Woman (Rolling Stones from the album, Get Yer Ya Ya's Out)
I second American Band by GFR
Posted by: Mark | October 25, 2005 07:55 PM
That list is insane. Duran Duran? Madonna? Abba, fercryinoutloud?!
Posted by: Tanya | October 25, 2005 07:58 PM
Nazareth- Hair of the Dog
Posted by: pril | October 25, 2005 08:02 PM
I'll also second Mississippi Queen.
I guess I've used up my three nominations (even though two were "seconds?"
But my first choice is still HONKY TONK WOMAN!!!
It seems to me there must be a few Cake songs that would qualify, but I can't think of them right now.
Posted by: Mark | October 25, 2005 08:03 PM
yeah, Honky Tonk Woman.
Posted by: Dave in Texas | October 25, 2005 08:07 PM
Whoa!
I just put on Get Yer Ya Ya's and Honky Tonk has no cow bells!!! What was I thinking??? Help!
Until I figure out what happened to my mind, I rescind the Honky Tonk nomination.
Damn, senile at 45???
Posted by: Mark | October 25, 2005 08:08 PM
Ok, I just KNOW it had to be Honky Tonk Woman, but from what version? It ain't Ya Ya's and it ain't Let it Bleed. I'm going nuts here, because I've been hearing a cowbell into to that song for 30 years. WHAT AM I THINKING???
Posted by: Mark | October 25, 2005 08:20 PM
Until I figure out my Honky Tonk delusion, I'm seconding Nazareth, Hair of the Dog.
Posted by: Mark | October 25, 2005 08:29 PM
I'd go with Honky Tonk Women or "American Band" by Grand Funk Railroad.
Posted by: Solonor | October 25, 2005 08:32 PM
Whew!
Honky Tonk Woman stands. I found the cowbell into on Hot Rocks, and I guess that's what I was thinking all along.
But what studio album is it from ???
Posted by: Mark | October 25, 2005 08:33 PM
A-hah!
It wasn't from a studio album, it was from the single. Sorry for the ugly panic folks.
Now I would like to reinstate HONKY TONK WOMAN as my first pick for BEST COWBELL.
Sigh, I'm not as crazy as I was beginning to think. Now, carry on.
Posted by: Mark | October 25, 2005 08:40 PM
Oh, and if you want a testimonial for Honky Tonk, here it is:
Because they used a combination of open and muted cowbelll sounds, in a highly syncopated fashion.
If that's not the nerdiest description ever, then I'll eat my cowbell.
Need. More. Alcohol.
Posted by: Mark | October 25, 2005 09:16 PM
Oh, I second that Fleetwood Mac tune.
Posted by: Roxanne | October 25, 2005 09:22 PM
Welcome To The Jungle - Guns N Roses
Posted by: Jay | October 25, 2005 09:41 PM
Little Sister by QOTSA
Posted by: Eric | October 25, 2005 09:58 PM
Little Sister by QOTSA. Bonus points for Will Ferrell himself playing the part when they were both on SNL.h
Posted by: Eric | October 25, 2005 09:58 PM
COWBELL?
What? You're fucking going Met?
Posted by: TC@LeatherPenguin | October 25, 2005 10:05 PM
A third for Mississippi Queen!
[punctuation nazi] And please remove the apostrophe from the word "it's" in the first sentence of your post [/punctuation nazi]
Posted by: Amanda | October 25, 2005 10:13 PM
Another brain cramp. I've seen Cake wail on the cowbell live. Yet I've listened to Fashion Nugget and Prolonging the Magic tonight. I have two more albums to go, but I still haven't heard any cowbell.
Please, help me find Cake cowbell! I know its there.
Posted by: Mark | October 25, 2005 10:16 PM
Lowrider... don't know by who, and I'm too lazy to look it up. Don't even know if it's considered a rock song either...
I suck at life.
Posted by: kotter | October 25, 2005 10:30 PM
mississippi queen
Posted by: TC@LeatherPenguin | October 26, 2005 12:30 AM
That list is a bit bogus - they list several Rush songs but only 1 actually has a cowbell (unsurprisingly, it's the pre-Peart one). I think they're confusing various other percussion toys and synthesizer sounds for the Real Thing.
That said, I'm gonna go ahead and nominate Rush's "In The Mood" - just the goofy lyrics alone should get it an award of some sort, but the cowbell helps it too.
For an alternate I'll toss out Abba's "Dancing Queen" - not only does it have a bassline that could power dozens of rap tunes if there was a place in the song to sample it cleanly, but there's plenty of cowbell.
Posted by: Ian S. | October 26, 2005 01:21 AM
what about Hell's Bells by AC/DC. You hear the bells, you know what you're about to hear....
Posted by: caltechgirl | October 26, 2005 02:41 AM
what about Hell's Bells by AC/DC. You hear the bells, you know what you're about to hear.... not cowbells, though.
Posted by: caltechgirl | October 26, 2005 02:42 AM
Just so there's not a glaring omission, like the pretty girl who no one asks to the prom:
Don't Fear the Reaper - BOC
Posted by: BumperStickerist | October 26, 2005 07:45 AM
Mississippi Queen is a good one, but it has to be:
Nazareth - Hair of the Dog
That song suffers without it, even though it has a catchy riff
(and oh so clever lyrics - ha!). We had that song on our setlist for a long time - one night we played it even though our drummer had lost his cowbell in transit. He faked it on the bell of his ride cymbal, and it sounded horrible - we almost stopped midway through.
Posted by: hockeypuck | October 26, 2005 07:56 AM
Welcome to the Jungle Guns n' Roses
Might I suggest best use of a mouth harp (harmonica) in a rock song?
Posted by: Andrew Ian Dodge | October 26, 2005 07:59 AM
Second Low Rider (by War?), and nominate one I don't imagine I'd see here otherwise: Free Your Mind - En Vogue.
Posted by: Keiran Halcyon | October 26, 2005 09:04 AM
I'll second Little Sister live on SNL, one of the few funny moments on SNL the last few years.
Posted by: coolrobc | October 26, 2005 09:15 AM
Rock of Ages - Def Leppard
Posted by: jcrue | October 26, 2005 12:18 PM
Definitely Nazareth, Hair of the Dog. Cowbell masterpiece.
Posted by: Keith | October 26, 2005 01:17 PM
Down on the Corner (Willie and the Poor Boys) by CCC
Posted by: Amphioxus | October 26, 2005 01:52 PM
I'll third Low Rider by War...
Posted by: LDH | October 26, 2005 03:31 PM
Motley Crue, "Public Enemy #1"
I was going to say that "Livewire" doesn't even have a cowbell, but I did vaguely hear it when I listened... but it's definately not thier BEST use... PE#1 is.
Also, Iron Maiden, "Running Free".
Posted by: Jim S | October 26, 2005 04:11 PM
Mississippi Queen, but the Agony Column cover version.
(Where's the cowbell in Master of Puppets? Teh Hellz?)
Posted by: Sigivald | October 26, 2005 05:21 PM
Hands-down:
Honky Tonk Woman - The Rolling Stones
No others need apply.
Posted by: diamond dave | October 26, 2005 05:35 PM
Replacements- Alex Chilton
Posted by: Adam | October 26, 2005 05:52 PM
I wasn't going to play on this one, but I've got to add my vote for
Low Rider, War
Fear the Reaper, BOC Because it IS the first cut on Cowbell Rock.
Posted by: Timmer | October 26, 2005 05:59 PM
Seconding Motley Crue's Public Enemy #1.
And I'm listening to Dancing Queen right now and there is no discernable cowbell. Lots of banging on the piano, yes. Cowbell, no.
Posted by: Renee | October 26, 2005 07:16 PM
Oh yeah! Down on the Corner!!! My favorite song when I was 9 (except for Magic Carpet Ride)!
That definitely deserves a place on the ballot, I would think.
Honky Tonk still gets my final vote, tho.
Posted by: Mark | October 26, 2005 09:34 PM
FAT LESLIE & MOUNTAIN (is there a difference?)
Mississippi Queeeyeeyahn....you know what I mean
Posted by: TC@LeatherPenguin | October 26, 2005 11:27 PM
On behalf of one of the guys that works for me, since the only song I'm aware has cowbell in it is "Don't Fear the Reaper":
"Dance in the Dark" - Van Halen
Posted by: Lesley | October 26, 2005 11:37 PM
It's clear as a bell that it has to be Mississippi Queen.
Posted by: Paul Phillips | October 27, 2005 07:59 AM