This week’s song: “Heroes” by David Bowie:
If this is playing during my commute, I’m singing it. One of my favorite Bowie tunes ever.
Live in Berlin, 2002:
And from Live Aid in 1985:
57 Comments
This week’s song: “Heroes” by David Bowie:
If this is playing during my commute, I’m singing it. One of my favorite Bowie tunes ever.
Live in Berlin, 2002:
And from Live Aid in 1985:
“We can beat them just for one day.”
Don’t forget the tips and recs. May the 4s be with you.
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I loved that film. Even though I stream much of what little I still view, I do have the DVD. Probably should pop that one in sometime. Yeah, inclusion of that Al Green track on the soundtrack was well worthwhile.
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Oh my,
I like that one!
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My response.
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LOVE this goddamn song- so fun! Yep, there’s a long tradition for the murder song.
Here’s a slight variant:
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Polly Jeans ex
Stagger Lee- one of the seed legends for the death song tree.
I love Lloyd Price’s version. Listen to those backup singers happily, excitedly singing “Go Stagger Lee!” as Stago goes to get his 44. in order to kill the unarmed Billy:
First Stagger makes Billy beg for his life, then shoots him anyway. “Go Stagger Lee!” Astonishing.
A most excellent take. Let’s have one from the only band that matters.
From literal to metaphorical death:
That “only band that matters” slogan was fun to believe in and openly proclaim, particularly in the cowtown I lived in at the time. Journey and AC/DC ruled that culture, not a bunch of Englishpersons.
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Low and slow death from Waylon. But good Lord, listen to this spooky, nasty shit:
That was a rough Sunday in Tennessee.
Diary is not loading as well as this morning!
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Another weird smash pop hit from the same genre and era:
Who doesn’t love sinister songs about clinically insane teenage girls who murdered their peeping neighbors?
Wow, I had forgotten all about that song. Love it!
Can someone explain the ‘go fuck yourself’ autograph at the end? Obviously written by Reddy.
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Noticing that as well. Then again, we have all been having fun sharing videos.
I can’t keep up.
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Nor can I.
Still I won’t complain. A bit of music and conversation free of the infighting that happens elsewhere on this blog make it all worthwhile. 🙂
Avoid infighting with the republicans, listen to songs about murder instead!
My kind of rainy day.
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Yes, I think this one fits the genre just a little, tiny bit better.
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An old friend of mine who owned a record store used to refer to Nick Cave as “Death Rock Elvis”. Seemed to fit.
Serious Moonlight tour. Lucky was I to attend.
With David Sanborn and Luther Vandross backing
I love this album, and the story behind its production. There’s a write-up
Here, and
valuable documentary film of the construction of the vocal arrangement for the song “Right”
Here, at the 23:00 mark
The entire “Five Years” documentary is worthwhile.
Here’s the full song:
It really takes off when the backup singers enter.
I saw the five years documentary. Made sure to DVR it at the time. Our local PBS station had it on not long after his death. Felt the mood this evening to watch that again. My first album was Lodger, which of course led me on a path that I think I am still traveling.
And J Geils because why the hell not.
You know Peter Wolf was once married to Faye Dunaway.
And J Geils because why the hell not.
You know Peter Wolf was once married to Faye Dunaway.
didn’t mean to post this twice. Sorry.
So’k, I’ll listen to it twice.
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While we’re on a theme…
I’m crazy for this song’s arrangement:
Lady Gaga hit the tip-top with me with this first song from her first album.
Just gotta – after all Bowie was one of inspirations.
One of the many great stories in the “Five Years” doc is told on camera by Nile Rogers. Bowie asked him to produce songs for his new album “so you can do what you do.”
“What is it that you think I do?”, Nile asked David.
Bowie grinned big. “Oh, you make hit records, darling.”
And from what I remember as a kid, that was precisely Nile Rodgers’ reputation. Le Freak was always on the radio for a while back around 1979, for example. Of course back then I did not quite understand what a big deal he was (or how well some of those old hits still hold up) – I just knew that Chic had some big hits that sounded good. Yeah – eclecticism was something I cultivated early in life. And when Let’s Dance came out, the hits from that album were played all the time. And yes – rehearing that one, it holds up quite nicely. What’s fun now is my kids introducing me to all sorts of new stuff (they seem very enamored with K-Pop) and they’ll hear the selection in my car during the morning commute as well. Every once in a while I’ll get some props (usually if it involves Bowie or Eno – or Aphex Twin).
Improbably, I developed an appreciation for K-Pop on the long flights to my vacation in Myanmar a few years ago. This one really stuck with me:
Over 34 million views!
What’s improbable is that I’m an admirer of Korean Dramas! I watch them all the time.
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When my wife and I were in Mexico we enjoyed the telenovelas. No translation needed, the acting and plot lines were so broad.
What are some of the plot lines of Korean dramas?
All different plot lines, many very stupid.
K-Dramas mainly run just one season (though this is changing), usually 18-22 episodes. Then it ends. They run each episode about two weeks after filming, and pay attention to reactions so they can adjust the plot. It makes for a brutal schedule for all involved, and production values can suffer.
Most K Dramas are online within a year or so, and can be found in places like here
It’s free, but with commercials.
Start with Coffee Prince.
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Thanks.
OK, let’s dance!
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Powell sure could tap! And Astaire, well, we know…
Ginger wasn’t my favorite, but she and Fred are delightful here. The last minute and :45 is all one take. So free and easy:
Great exit!
LOL…whoops?
Here it is…
That’s better.
HAHAHAHA…still no!
Take three…
Maybe baby?
And of course, Radio Ga Ga seems appropriate.
A truly great funk/rock/pop hybrid:
Like the Lady Gaga tune, it’s best enjoyed with the volume turned up to 11:
Just the way I like it – one louder than 10. 🙂
Split Enz, for a bit of a change of pace. I love the pop up balloons the person who posted this added.
This was the stuff I would have found on video on some of the video shows that UHF stations would put on to try to compete w/MTV (back when MTV actually did music). I’d learn about Split Enz’ artier stuff later.
Some of their earlier artier stuff. Marketers must have been baffled.
That’s fucking great. 100% pop music arrangement, subverted by the costuming, makeup and performance! Slow swaying forward and back by the “singers”, guy in a posh butler’s outfit openly carrying around a smoke machine, the garish close-ups at the end…fully realized weirdness.
New Zealand had quite a few interesting bands at one time. Very quirky scene back when I was much younger. Would have loved to have been in the audience at some early Split Enz gigs, or even during the 1980s when the Flying Nun label was fielding a lot of fun acts with names like Headless Chickens. Haven’t really followed their pop scene in a long while though.
Quite the lyrical opening:
There is freedom within, there is freedom without/
Try to catch the deluge in a paper cup
The music is equally evocative.