OK, this is the last random playlist. And it’s a short one. Just six miles.
He was the Man in Black. The original Rock’n’Roll rebel. He spoke for the downtrodden and forgotten. He was tormented by his demons and knew both success and despair. A contemporary of Elvis, his legacy has had an impact on generations of musicians and music fans of all tastes and walks of life.
He was Johnny Cash, and he passed away on September 12th 2003.
If you’ve read my music themed posts previously, you’ll know that Johnny Cash is my favourite recording artist of all time. As a tribute to my hero, here is a summary of some of my favourite songs from his vast repertoire.
These songs are not presented as a “Top 10” or an essential guide. That would take much more contemplation. This is just ten songs that spring to mind as indispensable.
One Piece at a Time
Great memories of singing this song at Karaoke. One of Cash’s more light hearted tunes, with a great rolling rhythm. Find it on “The Best of Johnny Cash”.
The Man Comes Around
Title track from the fourth American Recordings album. Full of biblical portent and apocalyptic thunder.
Man in Black
Cash wasn’t afraid to speak his mind and go against the grain. In this song, the beaten and the cast aside are defended at a time when such views were not healthy for a Country star’s career. From “Greatest Hits”.
Pocahontas
Cash declared his sympathies with the Native Americans in several key songs throughout his career. This song pulls no punches yet does it with a beautiful melody. From the American Recordings boxed set, find it on “Vol. 2: Trouble in Mind”.
A Boy Named Sue
Another comedy tune and an obvious choice, I know. I picked it ‘cos I’ve sung it at Karaoke many times. Although I can’t really sing. This song gave me the confidence to stand up and try. From “Johnny Cash at San Quentin”.
Hurt
A cover of a Nine Inch Nails song, from “The Man Comes Around”. If you can listen to this all the way through and not get all choked up by the end, I feel sorry for you.
Ghost Riders in the Sky
When I started listening to Johnny Cash, I realised I remembered this song from when I was a tiny kid. Though I didn’t know it was him back then. Cowboys and ghosts, what’s not to like? I found it on “The Best of Johnny Cash”.
God’s Gonna Cut You Down
From “American V: A Hundred Highways”. A sombre warning. Sinners and saints. Great video.
Folsom Prison Blues
“I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die.” You’ll find it on the essential live album “Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison” or any Greatest Hits compilation, and you will love it.
Ring of Fire
This was the first Cash song I became obsessed with. I’d heard other songs but this was the (obvious, I admit) tune that grabbed me. The impact this song had on my listening habits is immense. Mexican trumpets. I blame “Jackass” for this one. Available everywhere, mine’s from “The Best of Johnny Cash”.
Johnny Cash
26/02/1932 – 12/09/2003
Rewind – The 80’s Festival
16th – 18th August 2013
It’s a stag do, and as such promises a weekend of laughter and mirth. Though some readers may be wondering what I was doing at a festival featuring pop bands from the 1980’s, there was actually quite a lot of music to savour. Plus the banter was to be unmissable. Besides, I’ve never been to Download or Castle Donington or whatever it is and it’s probably too late for me now. Rewind festival is go!
The first day is drive down, queue for two hours to get into the festival (at least we had beers) and then put the tents up. In the evening there’s a chance to explore the festival village, catch some live music and eat. And drink more ale. We drank quite a lot of beer and/or cider and got into the spirit quite nicely. The mood in the festival village was uplifting, everyone excited for the fun ahead.
One of the main acts I actually wanted to see over the weekend was Doctor & the Medics (don’t ask, I loved “Spirit in the Sky” years ago). Unfortunately a lack of information meant that I turned up for the last thirty seconds of that penultimate song, not something I was happy about. They did AC/DC’s “Whole Lotta Rosie” for an encore which kind of eased the pain. A teensy bit.
Blind drunk and weeping at having missed Doctor & the Medics, it was then time to sit around our tents till ridiculous o’clock and drink even more. I have to say that despite my inebriated state, I contributed many intellectual musings to the conversation, elevating my status as a raconteur and thinker by some degree.
Saturday’s music begins with the Sugarhill Gang, not an obvious choice for an 80’s festival but one I was looking forward to. Hip hop gained international exposure in the 80’s so this was a different, yet very apt act. Their set includes a run through of hip hop classics (some not their own) that gets the party started in good style. It’s a raucous start to the day – if Sugarhill Gang are the openers, then we’re in for a treat.
The Blow Monkeys are next – and they do indeed blow the good vibe set by their predecessors. Insipid eighties pop of the worst kind, their music is forgettable – and should be forgotten. They leave with a petulant comment about Chesney Hawkes. At least he had one good song, Blow Monkeys – you have none.
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel‘s set is peppered with irony – or is it just bad luck? We get the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” despite the looming rain clouds. And a song that Steve promises audiences sing along to all over the world – that no-one’s ever heard. Still, “Mr Soft” and the glorious “Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)” offer more highlights. Let’s just forget that Harley is a 1970’s act.
For some bizarre reason, Billy Ocean is on in the late afternoon. He could’ve headlined the night. Hit after hit, performed perfectly with a voice that sounds fresh and energetic. Billy knows his craft and leads the audience through sing-a-longs one after the other. It’s amazing how much quality material he has. As one of my festival buddies commented, previously I would’ve worn a Billy Ocean t-shirt with a hint of irony – now I’d wear one with pride. Awesome.
Then it was time to go back to the tent for a few cheap cans of lager, which meant that I missed Then Jericho (“A trainwreck” was how one pal described it). No loss there. Expensive festival booze encouraged us to enjoy more of our beer stash so I also missed Chesney Hawkes, though we could hear THAT song at the tent – and it was great.
Flying Pickets were also unfortunately ignored, unlike Ches I couldn’t hear them at all. On the walk back to the festival arena I heard the Journey bloke singing the one good song in their repertoire.
It should be said that the atmosphere at Rewind was great. The fun of it all was most obviously demonstrated by the fancy dress outfits that were worn by brave festival goers. Some of my favourites were security guards with Hannibal Lecter (Lecter was a puppet); aliens from “V”; He-Man and the Honey Monster.
Back in the thick of it, and it was time for Heaven 17. I’ve seen them before and knew they could do a solid job. Amazing to think that I’ve now seen Heaven 17 more than I’ve seen Metallica. Great 80’s pop that is, essentially, anthemic dance music. “Temptation” is another obvious highlight of the day.
Nik Kershaw was my cue to go get some food. But before I left, I checked out a few of Nik’s songs. He looks like a healthier Charles Bukowski and delivers a set that is actually really good, loaded with more hits than I remembered. Great stuff – made me regret leaving early to get a burrito.
Happily fed and with a new bottle of beer, it’s off to see Kim Wilde. WOW. Again, I’m surprised just how many great songs Kim has. I thought she would be good, but Kim really impresses. What’s more, she’s gorgeous – all twelve of our stag do party falling in love with her. “Kids in America” is a delight in a set of real gems.
Finally we have the B-52s, a band I actually consider myself quite a fan of. At least, I know most of their songs tonight. Starting with “Planet Claire” we are off to the strange sci-fi New Wave world of the B-52s, with a mid set appearance for (my favourite) “Roam”. Awesome vocals from Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson lift this and many other songs, till we reach our destination with “Love Shack” and finally “Rock Lobster”. There’s even some dude head to toe in a foam rubber lobster outfit down the front. Crazy.
That’s it. We hang around and enjoy the festival atmos, watching Camp Cooks (hilarious) and the rodeo bull ride (er…). Then it’s back to the campsite for another night’s chatting utter comedy gold around the tents. A great days entertainment, the only odd thing about the Saturday line up is the running order. Billy Ocean should’ve been top of the bill, with Kim Wilde and the B-52s on before him.
That was to be the end of my Rewind adventure, as due to family commitments I had to return home the next morning (thanks for lift, Adam) and miss all the Sunday fun. Which meant that I missed Go West, the Pointer Sisters, ABC and Belinda Carlisle…
Perhaps not seeing Belinda Carlisle isn’t the disaster it first appeared to be. Can you imagine the consequences of Belinda and myself actually being in the same place at the same time? And the obvious chemistry that would’ve brought us together? No, better to leave it without our meeting. There are families involved, there are children to consider. It would have been a catastrophe in the making.
This was a fun one. Lots of uphill. Going fast downhill. Got chased by a dog. 13.36 miles, iPod on shuffle:
Double Melvins, double Mudhoney, double Dio!
A mission up the river. No chopper cover. Just the mission, the river, the bike and me. This was my soundtrack.
Again some interesting choices from Ipodicus, covering several different genres. I particularly enjoyed the Finale from Return of the Jedi – nearly brought a tear to my eye!
If you’re not a fan of these random lists, click away now – this is the longest yet. 22.5 miles.
Some interesting choices from Ipodicus, Greek god of digital music. 11.75 miles.
A great deal of my blog is related to music (as if you hadn’t guessed by now). I’m obsessed with it. Always looking for artists – and genres – that I’m not familiar with, always looking to expand my musical horizons. As well, of course, as re-visiting favourites or establishing relationships with bands I’ve only dabbled with.
This particular article relates to Father’s Day (which is today). I’ve decided to publish one of my iPod playlists, which is inspired by my Dad.
Many of you may have a pre-conceived idea of what my musical preferences are. And I admit that there’s a lot of rock, metal and punk in the melting pot. There’s other stuff too – a great deal of which, I think, comes from my Dad’s influence. If rock’n’roll provides the foundation of my musical knowledge, these artists provide the light, shade and colour.
So this playlist is dedicated to David Owen Jones, with fond memories of Sunday night taping sessions and endless hours of driving listening to the results.
From classic pop, Motown, through to disco and beyond.
Dad, if I’ve missed any favourites out – please let me know.
I’m a Dad too now. I hope my daughter finds as much to love in my music.
Happy Father’s Day.
Monday’s bike ride – a bit late but never mind. Sixteen miles.
A short opinion piece concerning the UK’s lack of success in the international song contest
The Eurovision song contest – that cacophony of the beautiful, the unusual, and the downright bizarre. Where reactions go from “This is pleasant,” to “What just happened? Did I really hear that?” in the space of a few minutes. Sometimes in the same song. It’s all in the name of entertainment, and often the strange moments are the best.
The United Kingdom has had it’s share of winners over the years, and in contrast to most people’s opinion has been very successful. These days, however, we constantly hear the public decrying the contest and complaining about the mutual voting of sympathetic countries. “That’s why we don’t win anymore,” the voices say, “all those countries voting for each other.”
Other reasons commonly championed as to why the UK hasn’t been successful include “No-one in Europe likes us”; and theories about the change in rules regarding singing in the national language.
So how is it possible that the nation that gave the world The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Bowie, the Clash (and on and on) – don’t win this contest hands down every year?
It’s because we don’t take it seriously.
I don’t mean we don’t take it seriously in a tongue-in-cheek, this is crap but what the hell post modern kind of way. That’s fine. Be ironic, have a laugh at the strange sounds and mangling of English phrases – that’s part of the fun.
No, by not taking it seriously I refer to the artists above. We don’t win Eurovision because every year the rest of Europe wants to see the UK field a superstar. A living legend like Bowie or Sir Paul, to lend their talents to the Greatest Music Competition in the World. They want to see some of the musical geniuses that have sprung from these shores show the rest of Europe what pop music is all about.
We know that’s never going to happen. Great fun as Eurovision is, it doesn’t have the cultural importance to tempt the like of Elton or Mick Jagger. Not going to happen.
But just imagine if we did? Imagine, if you will, a gleaming supergroup with Brian May on guitar, Roger Taylor on drums, Sir Paul on bass. Elt on the old joanna, and vocals from some one like Jessie J, or Adele, or Tom Jones. That’s what Europe want to see, and that’s what we need to win.
There was a rumour a few years ago (and I think it was just a rumour), of Morrissey being the United Kingdom’s entry for Eurovision. Now I’m no Morrissey fan, but maybe that would do the job? In the meantime, we have Bonnie Tyler to represent the country this year. A woman with considerable fame and success across Europe, not to mention her undoubted talent. Let’s see if she can do it.
Whoever wins, ignore the nay sayers and the whingers who complain because the UK doesn’t win. Enjoy the fun and the spectacle, whoever the winner is.
There are over 23,000 songs in my iTunes library. Hundreds of artists across numerous genres. But which artists have contributed the most to my music collection? I’ve reviewed all of them and compiled a list of which artists I have the most songs by. Some may surprise you.
The list below comprises the twenty artists with the most number of songs in my music collection at the moment. The list grows all the time. I should point out that this isn’t a list of my favourite artists in order, just a list of who’s music I have the most of.
All duplicate tracks (for example, a hit single appearing on an album and a Greatest Hits compilation) have been removed. Also extended versions, remixes and so on are usually not in my library anyway – with a few exceptions. And I generally don’t collect live albums – again with one or two exceptions – so duplicates of this type don’t generally figure in this list, unless there’s a particular reason for them to be here. In many cases, there are more tracks to be added for these Top 20 artists.
Here they are:
Top 20 Bands with the Most Songs in my Collection
20. Clutch – 128 songs
A massive contribution from this fine Maryland band, with only one track duplicated (an alternative, acoustic version of “Motherless Child”). This doesn’t include their great new album “Earth Rocker”, which isn’t added yet.
19. Danzig – 130 songs
The mighty Danzig makes a respectable appearance at number 19, thanks to a complete collection of studio albums and a helping hand from the “Lost Tracks of Danzig” compilation. This figure does not include any Misfits or Samhain tracks either, as I’ve classed them in this case as separate entities. Otherwise Glenn would be even higher up the list.
18. David Bowie – 133 songs
Spanning most of Dave’s career, but still with quite a few albums missing from my collection – so this number could increase.
17. Hawkwind – 148 songs
Admittedly, this figure does include live tracks – but then “Space Ritual” is such an integral part of the bands persona it has to be included. Still many, many more albums to collect though.
16. The Beach Boys – 149 songs
What a band. I’ve loved the Beach Boys for so long. There are so many great album tracks beside the obvious hits, everyone should investigate them further. I still have at least three albums to add here though, so a Top Ten position could be on the way in future updates.
15. AC/DC – 153 songs
All the albums, no live tracks – surprising though that there isn’t more from the mighty AC/DC. Several of their albums also appear in my “Greatest of All Time” list, no doubt coming soon…
14. Red Hot Chili Peppers – 154 songs
One of the best bands ever. Not just one of the best alternative bands, or one of the best funk rock (ugghh) bands – one of THE best bands ever. I’m surprised they don’t come in higher on this list, however, given the massive amount of work they’ve produced. Their best album? A debate for another time. But it’s “Mother’s Milk”. No, “BloodSugarSexMagic”. No, “Mother’s…”, ah, we’ll see.
13. Metallica – 159 songs
Now this number does include the live album “S & M”, though as those tracks are accompanied by an orchestra (and therefore sufficiently different) I decided to include them. Also includes their totally mental collaboration with Lou Reed – which everyone hates except me.
12. The Damned – 163 songs
Ah, The Damned. Probably my most favourite band ever, this number includes all the albums, plus compilations of B-sides etc, from “Damned Damned Damned” to “So Who’s Paranoid”. But remember, no duplicates – so for example “New Rose” only appears once (on the original album) – reappearances on the (many) compilations have been discounted.
11. The Rolling Stones – 165 songs
Only 165 songs? Clearly, I have some work to do here. There must be another 30 or so albums to get. This includes all the greats though. And the debate over their best songs and albums will be tackled in a future post.
And now the Top Ten…
10. Iggy Pop – 177 songs
A fantastic, under rated musician. Not nearly well known or respected enough these days. This number includes all the Stooges albums, as I decided that to exclude them would deprive a historical view of Iggy of some important milestones. Iggy rocks.
9. Beastie Boys – 183 songs
You’re surprised that the Beasties have recorded so much? Don’t be. And the quality is excellent throughout. Includes all of their forays into different musical genres, such as the fantastic “In Sound From Way Out” album.
8. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – 185 songs
I still have a few albums to collect from Nick Cave. The 185 songs includes the three disc “B-sides and Rarities” album, but no Birthday Party, Grinderman or film soundtracks. Maybe I’ll add those to a future update. Amazing music.
7. Queen – 191 songs
“Greatest Hits I and II” is not enough. You need the studio albums for some of the outstanding lesser known compositions. More on this in a later post. No live tracks included.
6. Ramones – 199 songs
There are just a couple of bonus tracks from “End of the Century” I don’t have. No live tracks included. I’ve loved this band ever since my English teacher played “Go Mental” in class.
5. Alice Cooper – 204 songs
Often maligned as a cock-rock Metal caricature, many miss the impact that Alice has had on rock, punk and alternative music. Pay this man some respect. NOW. Still loads of albums I don’t own, but I’m working on it.
4. The Beatles – 207 songs
I was surprised I had this many tunes by The Beatles, but what a band. Beyond compare, and I’m happy to see them up near the top of the list. This number doesn’t include my Mum’s original 7 inch singles, of course.
3. Motorhead – 221 songs
How many albums have Motorhead made now? Not enough. Recent output has been just as great as the early years. Still got two or three albums I need to get though, unbelievably.
2. Melvins – 282 songs
I love this band. 282 songs, including collaborations with Jello Biafra and others. Doesn’t include the new record “Everybody Loves Sausages” (yet), and still quite a few albums (not just single tracks!) I need to track down.
So which recording artist has the most songs that I own? Who could possibly top that list? Only one man…
1. Johnny Cash – 330 songs
That number doesn’t include the Christmas album or a new three disc set I picked up recently. A duets album with June Carter Cash is in there, however. And the two live albums “At Folsom Prison” and “At San Quentin” – as they’re both indispensable. I am a huge fan of Johnny Cash, and thankfully there’s still loads of his music out there for me to discover.
Johnny Cash is my hero.
Any thoughts? Disagree with any of the above criteria? Leave a comment.
Platinum Al's Virtual Hot Tub 