Well, it's Friday and you know what that means. Yes, my Oriental manservant Hop-Sing and I are off to Nome, Alaska and the palatial estate of Sen. Ted Stevens [R-goniff] where we'll be putting on the dog at the annual Earmarks, Shmearmarks festival.
As a result, posting by moi will necessarily be sporadic for a few days.
But in my absence, here's a fun project for you all to contemplate:
BEST POST-ELVIS POP/ROCK SONG ABOUT SOME KIND OF ANIMAL!!!!!
Oh, and for what it's worth, there are no arbitrary rules of exclusion this time. Insects? Fine. Fish? No problem. Mythological beasts? Well, I shouldn't, but what the hell.
Okay, here's my totally top of my head Top Six:
6. Smashing Pumpkins -- Rhinoceros
Jeebus H. Christ in a chicken basket -- how many Listomanias has Billy Corgan's pretentious noggin showed up in over the last couple of months? Like fifteen or so? Sheesh. Oh well, at least he has hair here.
5. The Byrds -- Old Blue
An excellent live version of my fave track from their lovely Dr Byrds and Mr Hyde album. Clarence White rules, of course. Honorable mention: the Byrds' "Chestnut Mare" and "Bugler" (saddest dog song ever written).
4. A tie --
The Monkees -- Porpoise Song
One of Carole King's two great stabs at psychedelia (the other is "Wasn't Born to Follow," at least as the Byrds do it) and the Monkees masterpiece.
and
Fred Neil -- The Dolphins
Often covered, never bettered. Neil is pretty much the great underappreciated architect of 60s folk rock, among other interesting things.
3. Kate Bush -- Hounds of Love
I don't care if she's wacky, she's a doll.
2. Henry Gross -- Shannon
The former Sha-Na-Na guitarist's 1976 hit and a memorial for a dog owned by Beach Boy Carl Wilson. I believe that's some of the Beach Boys doing the back up vocals, actually. Okay, I know it's wimpy, but I like it a lot anyway. Sue me.
And the number one pop rock song about some kind of animal, and don't give me that "Crocodile Rock" shit or I swear I'll take a hostage is, obviously --
1. Soupy Sales -- The Mouse
Full disclosure: Great as this is, I actually bought the single for the B-side, the immortal Pachalafaka.
Alrighty, now -- and your choices would be?
[Shameless Blogwhore: My parallel Cinema Listomania is now up over at Box Office. Like it would hurt you to go over there and leave a comment? I don't think so...
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21 comments:
Boris the Spider - The Who
Stray Cat Blues - The Rolling Stones
Any of The Turtles 7"s on the White Whale Label (cutest logo ever!)
Cagey Cretins - Blue Oyster Cult - DOUBLE POINTS!
"Surfin' Bird"
When did Slim Harpo record "King Bee"?
Old King - Neil Young
Martha My Dear - The Beatles
Godzilla - Blue Oyster Cult
Monkey To Man - Elvis Costello
I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas - Gayla Peevey
Penguins - Lyle Lovett
Byrds: Dolphins Smile
Richard Thompson: Beeswing
ROT(Plumber)
The Pixies, "Palace of The Brine" [Odd user video who chose to show chickens]
The B-52's, "Quiche Lorraine"
They Might Be Giants, "Birdhouse In Your Soul"
Rufus Thomas, "The Funky Chicken"
Inez and Charlie Foxx, "MockingBird"
Stewball (wuz a racehorse) (& a good one too)
Kinks -- I’m King Kong (albeit with a hydrogen bomb …)
Oh...how could I forget?!
King Crimson, "Elephant Talk"
I Wanna Be Your Dog - Iggy and the Stooges
Steve, How about a Listomania with songs that start out "one, two, three, four", like I Saw Her Standing There?
Phil
Dogs of War by the Floyd.
I saw Henry Gross in Atlanta about a year before "Shannon" came out and it was a pure, Stonesy rock set, no ballads, no prisoners. He was very popular in Atlanta in those days, and as I understood it people thought of him as a flat-out rocker, sort of like the Georgia Satellites.
And if that's not Carl Wilson then I'm Karl Rove.
Great songs, Hounds of Love is epic. Just to add a couple, BR549, the hot country/swing group, did Slewfoot, about a bear.
Adrian Belew did several animal songs, including: Big Electric Cat, Ballet for a Blue Whale, and The Momsur kinda sorta.
Trey
Does a werewolf count as an animal?
Ah, it's not human so what the hell ...
"Werewolves of London" by the late, great Warren Zevon.
Also ...
Beatles: "Blackbird", "Hey, Bulldog" and "I Dig a Pony"
Stones: "Monkey Man", "Wild Horses"
Kinks: "Animal" (well, it's really about humans but ... )
Doors: "20th Century Fox"
Airplane: "White Rabbit"
Dead: "China Cat Sunflower", "Wharf Rat"
Prince: When Doves Cry"
Cream: "Pressed Rat and Warthog"
from the winamp
Bunnygrunt- "Brown Bear"
Go Betweens- "Cattle and Cane"
Gothic Archies- "In the Reptile Room"
& "Crows"
Milk 'n' Cookies- "Rabbits Make Love"
TMBG- "Thunderbird" & "Bee the Bird of the Moth"
Smittens- "Magpies and Eccles Cakes"
Tullycraft- "Fangs on Bats"
Young Marble Giants- "Zebra Tracks"
Allison Statton & Spike- "Lemming Time"
Individuals- "Monkey"
Club 8- "Where Birds Don't Fly"
Heavenly- "And the Birds Aren't Singing" & "Pet Monkey"
R.E.M.- "Horse to Water"
Sprites- "Jellyfish Genes"
Nana Grizol- "Clams"
Bands (not that they were asked for)
The Owls
Cats on Fire
The Hermit Crabs
Close Lobsters
not currently on the winamp
Men in Fur "Tiger Song" (or the rest of their album, for that matter)
Let's Active- "Crows on a Phone Line"
B-52's- "Rock Lobster"
Architecture in Helsinki "The Owls Go)
Well, Steve, I will stay away from "Crocodile Rock", but not "Crocodile" from Nonsuchby XTC. There's also "The Smartest Monkeys" from the same album. Jimi Hendrix hasn't gotten a mention so far, either. Granted, there aren't many Hendrix songs that fit the list, but I'll take "Night Bird Flying" (from The Cry of Love, later relreleased as First Rays of The New Rising Sun)
Three Cool Cats, Coasters (oh, too old)
Sammy The Dog, Bad Examples (or, for those under ten years old, their Ralph's World version)
the kinks - phenomenal cat
when's the next bus to oswego? said...
the kinks - phenomenal cat
I have been waiting for somebody to nominate that one. Thanks.
For years, I have insisted that Ray wrote that one about my sainted Murray, in the Great Litter Box in the Sky for lo these 17 years now....
One Trick Pony, Paul Simon. A song, an album, a film...and a floor wax!
Hiram Bullock and Joe Beck both played guitar on the album. If Eric Gale wasn't dead already, I'd tell him to be careful.
It's a Beautiful Day - White Bird
Stray Cats - Stray Cat Strut
Frank Zappa - Dirty Love
Tom Waits: Rain Dogs.
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