The big news for this week? That idiot DJRadiohead has stopped running this feature and has turned it over to me. There are a few of you who will get that joke. The rest of you would do best to keep reading forward, as there are some great entries in this week's Listening Room.
Speaking of great entries in The Listening Room, if you want to tell the world what you have been listening to, feel free to join us in the comments. You can also participate in the series by joining us in the BC Forums.
These may not be the best songs ever, they may not even be our favorites, but they kept us entertained last week. You could do worse than to try a few of them out and see what they do for you.
Josh Hathaway: "The Great Beyond" from In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003 by R.E.M.
I've been thinking about R.E.M. a lot lately as they make plans to release their new album. As you might expect, that has resulted in my listening to several R.E.M. tracks this past week. A day or so ago, I would have sworn I'd be writing to you about "Feeling Gravity's Pull." This morning, my iPod randomly dialed up "The Great Beyond," and I've been listening to it ever since.
It's hard to argue R.E.M. has been at the top of their game these past few years, but "The Great Beyond" and "Leaving New York" (from the truly awful Around The Sun) stand with the very best songs this band has ever produced. I'm not saying they are the best, but I'll argue with anyone that they belong in the discussion. So, what do these two latter-day songs have in common? Great Michael Stipe vocals. Somewhere, when we weren't looking, the charismatic mumbler of Murmur became one hell of a singer. His lead and overdubbed harmony vocals on "The Great Beyond" sometimes give me chills- like now. Yes, boys and girls, Mike Mills is also in the mix but the vocal power of this song comes from Stipe.
Speaking of Mills, he and Buck give top-notch performances creating a musical soundscape that is lush without being overblown. R.E.M. can knock a dozen of these songs out in their sleep. Let's hope Jacknife Lee on a Pogo Stick coaxes a few out of them.
A. Hathaway: "All the Wrong Reasons" from Into The Great Wide Open by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Most of my music listening time is spent while driving out to the animal shelter I volunteer at on Thursday evenings. It's the most time I spend in the car on any given day and I listen to most of my music in the car. At home, my hubby and his 1,000 CD collection intimidates my meager 60 CDs.
Anyway, this past Thursday evening drive was spent in the company of Tom Petty and "All the Wrong Reasons." The first time I heard this song (and I mean within the first second and a half) I connected to it. The music is beautiful and the lyrics are profound - at least in my opinion. If I had to pick an anthem for the current times we live in, then this would be it. I don't want to say too much more because I can't do the song justice in writing. But here are a few of my favorite lines from the song:
Well she grew up hard and she grew up fast
In the age of television
And she made a vow to have it all
It became her new religion
Oh, down in her soul, it was an act of treason
Oh, down they go for all the wrong reasons
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - El Bicho
"Has there ever, in the history of recorded music, been any better lyrics than those featured in this track?"
Yes, Whitesnake's "Spit It Out". Don't search for the lyrics unless you are over 18.
2 - Glen Boyd
So sm I the only one who recognized the April Fools thing this week?
-Glen
3 - Connie Phillips
Darn it! Another week got by me. Great song choices. Love the Petty Tune, A Hathaway, and a great Springsteen pick Mat.
4 - daryl d
all great choices except for bruce springsteen. how anyone can think he has an ounce of talent is beyond me.
5 - Josh
Well, Daryl, all comments and opinions are welcome. When someone says something Springsteen is without an ounce of talent, I'm tempted to respond with "consider the source." Now, I don't mean you personally. I point to two items folks might consider when evaluating your opinion because after all, that's what we're offering here.
1: You've written more than one nasty piece about Springsteen. Now, you don't have to be unbiased to offer an opinion but you clearly have a beef with the guy and it often goes personal.
2: Since you're evaluating Springsteen's lack of talent, it might be interesting for people to know what you consider talent.
Daryl's hall of fame series enshrines Jewel, Bon Jovi, Journey, TLC, Pat Benetar, and Alanis Morrisette. If that's the creme de la creme, maybe I'll stick with those who, in your view, don't have an ounce of talent.
So you run around here flogging the "Springsteen has no talent" horse all you want. He doesn't need me to defend him, anyway.
6 - Mat Brewster
Well he's no Jewel, Bon Jovi or Journey, but I'm starting to dig the Springsteen.
7 - daryl d
Ok, Josh, you made your point. But isn't talent all relative and subjective? Most of the acts I've mentioned have had a lot of success to back up the "talent" claims. Obviously, Springsteen has had the success to back up your claims (and a lot of others) of his having talent. What I really meant to say is that he doesn't have near the talent that his penis-licking "critics" give him credit for. Same with Bono. I will make this point over and over and over again till you throw up: if ANY other act had made the same records Springsteen has post-1990 (save for "Secret Garden," "Streets of Philadelphia," and a couple of songs on "The Rising,), they would be humiliated, ripped to shreds, etc. It's the same with Bozo and U2. Had ANY other act recorded their last album, they wouldn't be in the business anymore. Ok, I'll stop ranting, back to my meds.........
8 - Mat Brewster
You beat me to it Josh. I was going to link to those articles, but I think we all have something better to do with our time than read about the glorious talents of Bon Jovi.
9 - Mark Saleski
What I really meant to say is that he doesn't have near the talent that his penis-licking "critics" give him credit for.
forget the meds. maybe you should just consider growing up.
10 - daryl d
Please also realize that my "Hall of Fame" is for singles, not so much the artists. I'd put Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers far above Bon Jovi, TLC, or Alanis Morisette, but I don't find ONE particular single of theirs a cultural phenomenon. I'd put Bob Dylan above any act I've listed in my "Hall of Fame," but since I think of him more as an album artist and their isn't one song that speaks to me since I was born after 1970. Oh, and I LOVE R.E.M. I would love to list them in my Hall of Fame (far more than I would Alanis Morisette or Bon Jovi), but I can't think of ONE particular song that was a cultural event. So please, if you are going to critize my "Hall of Fame" series, please understand what it represents: hit singles, not necessarily the greatest talents of our time.
11 - daryl d
Oh, Bon Jovi has had something that Bruce Springsteen hasn't since 1994: a hit single. That's a fact, not an opinion.
12 - daryl d
Oh, all you Springsteen fanatics who continue to send me death threats (shows how mature you must be), your idol is apparently no saint. When I was the Assistant Music Director at one of the biggest radio stations in America (trust me, it was very influential) apparently Mr. Saintly Springsteen wasn't very happy that his new single, "Human Touch," which was supposed to be the biggest single of the year, barely made a dent. So, guess what his record company offered us to play it, despite the fact that call-out research was absolutely awful.
13 - daryl d
and, because I'm obviously bored enough to keep posting here, I'll give you Springsteen fans some trivia because I hold no grudges:
Bruce Springsteen did NOT want "Human Touch" to be the fist single (I think Better Days was a B-side and it was always going to be a B side no matter what single was released). He very much wanted "57 Channels" to be the first single and video from the project. His record company disagreed though. And despite his megastar status at the time, his record company still called the shots. Bruce was proud of "Human Touch," even named the album after it, but didn't think it was the right song to bring him back after all the years of not releasing an album. It ends up that Springsteen's instincs were probably commercially right. They rushed "57 Channels" as a single after "Human Touch" bombed, but it was too late; the project had already been destroyed.
14 - Mat Brewster
As I state in my bit right here, I am by no means a "Springsteen fanatic" but can you not see why fans get irritated at you when you lug insults like "how anyone can think he has an ounce of talent is beyond me?" And stop using number of units sold as a measure of talent. It just isn't.
I'm a critic, I think he's got loads of talent, and I've never done any "penis licking." Whatever that means.
I don't know why I'm even trying here. I'm just going to start calling you Al Barger Jr, and stop giving you the attention you seem to so desperately need.
15 - J.J. Hunsecker
"Had ANY other act recorded their last album, they wouldn't be in the business anymore."
According to wikipedia: "HTDAAB's worldwide sales as of 2006 number close to 10 million copies sold.
Yeah, it's amazing Island Records didn't go bankrupt. Plus, multiple Grammys has no street cred. I'll take "Love and Peace or Else"
and "All Because of You" over "It's My Life," but then I'm not a 15-year-old girl.
No one believes you are getting death threats, drama queen.
16 - daryl d
Matt:
Don't take criticism of Springsteen so personally I' probably like a lot of the same music you do. Who is Al Barger, by the way?
17 - Michael Jones
I don't think all that much of Celine Dion, but I'm too lazy to bother mentioning her half as much as you've mentioned Springsteen.
Just, calm down. Next time... take part in the feature and tell us what you are listening to, instead of what you can't stand.
18 - daryl d
How dare you criticize Celine Dion!!!!!! Does she have absolutely any talent besides her voice. No way! Does it matter since she has just about the most amazing voice of all time?
On to REM: I still remember seeing them on MTV's "Postmodern" special in the mid 1980s and hoped they would NEVER become mainstream because I realized that every act that becomes mainstream falls. They never deserved to fall. Sure enough, they became mainstream and people were just as happy to jump on the bandwagon as they were to jump off. I don't think REM stopped making good music though.
19 - J.J. Hunsecker
"I don't think REM stopped making good music though."
When was the last time they had a hit single?
20 - James Galway
R.E.M is and will be the best al rock band in history.... They still are making good music....
21 - Michael Jones
"Good music" does not have to equal out to "hit single," I hope you know.
22 - J.J. Hunsecker
I do, but Daryl doesn't
23 - Glen Boyd
Wow! Death Threats? Penis Licking? Is this the Listening Room or did the new season of The Shield start a day early?
-Glen
24 - Mat Brewster
Way off topic, but Glen started it: Due to my work schedule I missed a good deal of last seasons Shield I bought it Sunday and have been doing one long marathon since then to catch up before tonight.
25 - Mary K. Williams
Wow, what a fun little thing this is turning out to be!
First - It's nice to see A. Hathaway's writings. You be proud of that 60 CD collection. More than me I think! (clearly anyone who has 1000 is over compensating ; )
I think Petty has had some terrific singles, and seeing him live was a lot of fun.
Springsteen has talent. I dare say at least several pounds worth! Born to Run was my favorite, and still is. I have a special place in my heart for "She's the One"
Whitesnake - good memories
I'm not familiar with Cut Chemist, and Dylan, although deserves his iconic status, doesn't do a lot for me personally. It's cool. It's like my Elvis thing. He was many things, and also deserves his place in music history. Extremely talented. Just not my cup of tea for the most part. But..he was a Black Belt, and studied under Ed Parker - in my book, all kinds of cool.