43. Rickie Lee Jones: Willie and the White Boys Cool
When Rickie Lee Jones appeared in 1979, wearing a beret and smoking a cigarillo on her self titled debut on Warners, she seemed easy enough to pigeonhole. A singer/songwriter with a jazzy delivery and odd, bohemian lyrics she was dubbed the new Joni Mitchell, and had an enormous hit with "Chuck E's In Love". Her romance with Tom Waits at the time added additional credibility to her image. However, Jones has made a career out of being unpredictable. She's never really recorded another album in the same vein as the first, which initially was greeted with disappointment that was accompanied by a dramatic drop in sales. However, her forays into everything from jazz-pop to folk-pop to quirky cover versions has gradually built her a whole new devoted cult who admire her specifically for her restless determination not to repeat herself. And there's no denying her voice and vocal style, which remain one of the most distinctive in pop.
44. Heart: Bebe Le Strange
Heart is a band whose legend has receded considerably over the years, partly because they never really had very many hits in their rock years, and partly because their mid-80's renaissance as a glossy adult contemporary band alienated many of their original fans. Ann Wilson had one of the best voices among women in rock in the 70's, while sister Nancy was a capable guitarist. Their albums were usually odd hybrids; half hard-rock in a Led Zeppelin mold, half gentle folk-rock. "Barracuda", from 1977, is their best known hard rock hit, although the "Kashmir"-esque "Bebe Le Strange" the title cut from their lukewarm 1980 album of the same name, is a lesser known gem. A fan letter from a groupie given nuance from Ann and weight from Nancy, it was one of their most ambitious rock numbers.
45. Fairport Convention: Who Knows Where The Time Goes
Fairport Convention, formed in 1967, has had one of the most confusing histories of any band over the last 38 years. Having undergone repeated lineup changes and stylistic changes, they're the kind of band newcomers might find too confusing to even start with. That'd be a shame; their music, which has always been variations on what essentially was British Isle folk rock, is always engaging and their earliest albums were rich, intricate, and meaty folk-rock albums notable for the talents of Richard Thompson, Ian Matthews, and (beginning with their second album) Sandy Denny, who had a forceful, prenetrating voice capable of extremely compelling emotion and nuance. She was almost immediately hailed as one of the best female singers in England, and routinely made top-10 lists. She's since been entirely forgotten except by diehards; her untimely death in a 1977 fall down a flight of stairs ended a career that seemed destined to be a good one. "Who Knows Where The Time Goes" was her signature song, reminiscent of Joni Mitchell crossed with Judy Collins, and its innate sadness is made more poignant by her subsequent story.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Sean
Wanda Jackson.
I'm just gonna keep saying her name till somebody listens
2 - uao
That got me laughing, Sean. I just haven't heard Wanda Jackson enough. I'll check her out today, though.
3 - jones violet
Cat Power's "Good Woman" is the saddest song I know, also one of the best, but I can never listen to it because it just breaks my heart.
And yes, Pat Benetar! Glad to see her on the list.
What's your next list going to be?? :)
4 - Sean
Be sure to check out the stuff from the fifties. She went into a brief retirement and came back as a syrupy country singer. That stuff is ok but the stuff from the fifites is white hot rock and roll.
Great list by the way. I was very happy to see the Slits and X on there
5 - uao
Willdo, Sean, thanks for the tip. I realize now as I type this that she was nominated for Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame induction earlier this year. For that reason alone, her omission is glaring.
Thank god for peer-to-peer.
(note to RIAA, I meant peer-to-peer music fan consultation, not file swapping)
jones--
If I tell, it'll spoil the surprise. But some surprises will be forthcoming in the weeks ahead. I'm taking a different approach to music these days.
6 - uao
I was winking with that RIAA comment, btw. But I won't say towards whom.
;-)
7 - BigLug
I suggest Aimee Mann: I would've put her in the top 25, but, unless I overlooked it, I didn't even see her man in the honorable mentions.
8 - Big Lug
er, "her man"? sorry, temporary dyslexia of some kind I guess, or my butterfingered typing skills.
9 - uao
Aimee Mann is one of a whole lot of singers who lurk around the nexis where rock, pop, r&b meet. I couldn't get 'em all in, but she does deserve a mention.
10 - godoggo
I'm pleased to find that there is now a Castration Squad Home Page. I actually never got a chance to hear them (til nowm I guess; we'll see if the video works on my antique Mac), but one cannot deny that they had a very nice name.
Other old LA punks: Alleycats/Zarkons and UXA (like their album a lot, kind of a mix of X, Pistols and Sabbath, with a touch of Doorsiness, although they were barely able to stand the one time I ever saw them).
Oh yeah, and punk/prog/reggae/funk LA allstars Twisted Roots. With the guitarist from the Germs (and some other band that lots of people like)! And the keyboardist from the Screamers! And that hot (in both senses) bassist who married Mike Watt, whatever her name is! And some chick named Maggie on vocals! And a drummer!
But I guess this would really be for a different list. Anyway, I love women. I really need to go get me one.
11 - Scott Butki
Ah, that's better now that you added them.
Thanks.
12 - Guppusmaximus
Come on, Uao.... Where's Patsy Cline??
Honorable Mention of The Carpenters? I guess I will be happy that you mentioned them...
13 - uao
Aww, Guppusmaximus. You know I can't put Patsy Cline on there. Because then people will say "Where's Aretha Franklin?" or "How come no Dolly Parton?"
I didn't know you were a Carpenters fan; I have very mixed emotions about them myself, and waffled on their inclusion, ultimately denying them on the grounds that they were less "rock" than anyone else on the list.
14 - Guppusmaximus
Uao,
Hey...Patsy Cline was Rock in my opinion(Rockabilly) so I don't think people would necessarily question it considering Dolly Parton was Country. Maybe you should've mentioned Mrs. Franklin because R&B was where rock started...
Why Yes, I am a Carpenters fan maybe not the #1 fan(Funny enough I'm a metalhead)Karen's voice was superb and she played drums while singing which in my book is definately ROCK!!
15 - uao
You know another metalhead who is also a Carpenters fan? Tony Iommi.
Maybe Pasty could have gone on, but then it opens the doors for so many others. If Aretha Franklin is included, someone will ask where is Diana Ross, which leads us to Carla Thomas, LaBelle, Mary Wells, et. al.
Then I'd have no room left for Ani DiFranco and LiLiPUT.
Real estate on my lists is very exclusive; Patsy'll have to be a good sport and wait until I get her on another. Same with Karen Carpenter.
But thanks for the ideas; the lists people come up with of names left off are often more interesting than the original list.
16 - uao
I meant "Patsy" not "Pasty" Me and my typing.
17 - BigLug
speaking of the Carpenters--guilty pleasure: "Rainy Days and Mondays" despite the fact, dammit, that they always get me down. Now don't get me started on Abba ...
18 - uao
My guilty Carpenter pleasures are their versions of Carole King's "It's Gonna Take Some Time", Herman's Hermits' "A Kind of a Hush" and Klaatu's "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft". I also like "Superstar", but I prefer Delaney and Bonnie's original "Groupie", 'cause it's dirtier.
As for ABBA, I'm a "Chiquitita" "Name of the Game" "On and On and On" and "Summer Night City" man.
But I don't like admitting this stuff when the place is crawling with music critics.
19 - BigLug
um, "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" by Klaatu (the second coming ot the Beatles)? Is that more of a delusionary pleasure? Not there's anything wrong with that ...
20 - uao
"Rainy Days and Mondays" fans ought not be snobs.
;-)
But you're right though; it isn't a guilty pleasure. It's just guilty. :D
21 - BigLug
I felt better when Elvis Costello had mentioned he's a big ABBA fan.
22 - Guppusmaximus
Yeah...Definately "Superstar" especially in that scene from Tommy Boy. You guys are reminding me of that exact moment where David Spade tells Chris Farley that he can change the station when that song comes on...:-)
23 - Baronius
Oddly, this isn't the exact list that I would have come up with - funny how that happens. But I'm glad that Tina Weymouth made it. I wonder if Sheryl Crow will be on this list in 20 years.
24 - BigLug
oops, very sorry uao: Carpenters did cover "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft." Who'd would've thought I'd've thunk it?
Maybe I should've known better: back in the day when the Carpenters had just come onto the scene (as the kid's say), before anyone got a load of Richard's helmet hair or caught Karen's Mega-Meg White drumming skills, their version of the Beatles "Ticket to Ride" caught FM rawk's fancy, and for a while the song, and this mysterious unfrozen-caveman Carpenters group were the epitome on heaviosity.
Again, my apologies.
25 - godoggo
The "comments" count should be reimplemented. It was useful.