In any case, as a result, posting by moi will necessarily be somewhat fitful for a few days.
But until then, as always, here's a fun project for us all to contemplate:
Best Post-Elvis Pop/Rock Song or Record Whose Title or Lyrics Reference a Blood Relative
You know what we're talking about -- songs with words like Uncle or Mommy or Grand-Niece (as unlikely as that one might be).
And no arbitrary rules for this one, except that "child" is totally ineligible for reasons I feel no need to explain to the likes of you, except to say that I find Guns 'n' Roses annoying.
Okay, that said, here's my totally arbitrary Top Seven:
7. Mother -- Cristina Aguilera
The Lennon song, obviously, but I went with Aquilera because to my surprise she actually seems to kind of get it on a personal level and because I wanted something recorded in this century.
6. Brother Louie -- Stories
Okay, the "brother" here is not a blood relative, but it's a great song about racism, so the heck with consistency.
5. Sister Surround -- The Soundtrack of Our Lives
The greatest rock 'n' roll band in the world, or just the most exciting group in Sweden? YOU make the call!!!! BTW, I have no idea if the titular sister is a relative or a nun. Obviously, I'm being more flexible about the rules than I had planned.
4. Cousin Kevin -- The Who
Pedophilia rocks! Wait, that can't be right...
3. Jesus Loves His Babies -- Smashing Pumpkins
An obscure out-take proving yet again that there is no Listomania theme so specific that we can't find a way to shoehorn in Billy Corgan and his pretentious cueball noggin. Like you're surprised?
2. Auntie Grizelda-- The Monkees
Recorded live on the 1967 tour with Hendrix, so perhaps we should refer to this as The Peter Tork Experience.
And the number one niftiest -- please, it's not even a contest so just chill -- song referencing some kind of blood relative, obviously is --
1. Papa Was a Rolling Stone -- The Temptations
The Temptations Mark II, and producer/writer Norman Whitfield's masterpiece of proto-psychedelic funk.
Awrighty then -- what would your choices be?
[Shameless Blogwhore: My parallel Cinema Listomania (Theme: Performances That Deserved An Oscar But Didn't Get One!) is now up over at Box Office. As always, if you could see your way to going over there and leaving a comment, it would really put me in good with management. Thanks.]
34 comments:
Virgil Caine’s brother, CSA & RIP (Night They Drove Old Dixie Down)
And who’s that standing in the shadows? (Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby?
Papa's Got a Brand New Bag - James Brown
Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves - Eurythmics and the one and only Aretha
Baby's in Black; Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby - The Beatles
It's Alright Ma; It's All Over Now, Baby Blue - Dylan
Mother's Little Helper - Stones
Five totally random ones:
In the spirit of the season, "Father Christmas" by the Kinks
"Little Angel, Little Brother"--Lucinda Williams
"Stuck Inside of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again"--Bob Dylan ("Grandpa died last week...)
"Son of A Preacher Man"--Dusty Springfield
"Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution"--The Black Crowes, the 21st century entry here
"My Mummy's Dead" - Lennon
"Gone Daddy Gone" - Violent Femmes
"Hold On, Dear Brother" - The Beach Boys
"Big Sister's Clothes" - Elvis the C
And bonus relation track, in the spirit of the season...
"GRANDMA GOT RUN OVER BY A REINDEER"! by Patsy and Elmo (if that bugs you too much, we can add "When Grandma Plays the Banjo" by Roy Wood...)
WHATS GOING ON - MARVIN GAYE "Mother, mother
There's too many of you crying
Brother, brother, brother"
Sonny & Cher -"baby dont go " (I never had a mother, I hardly knew my dad)
Ernest Kador, Jr "Mother In Law"
A few more by Dylan: John Brown, Tombstone Blues, Obviously Five Believers, Ballad in Plain D, One More Cup of Coffee
And by others:
Little Sister (and Look at Little Sister)
Sister Morphine
Teach Your Children
Your Mama Don't Dance (sorry)
Oh, and one more, mostly by Dylan (the rest by Old Crow Medicine Show): Rock Me Mama.
Papa Legba from David Byrne's True Stories by Pop Staples
Cousin Dupree" by Steely Dan, from this century.
SISTER SLEDGE -- WE ARE FAMILY
KIDS ARE ALRIGHT - The Who
Elvis Presley - Little Sister
Cat Stevens - Matthew & Son
Cat Stevens - Here Comes My Baby
He Ain't Heavy, He's my Brother- The Hollies
hate this one but : Let Em In'- Paul McCartney (("sister Susan, brother Michael, uncle Ernie)
Mother & Child Reunion - Paul SIMON
The Band - Rag, Mama, Rag
Shirelles - Mama Said
Cher - Pygmies, Lamps and Jeeves (what -- that's not right?) ... "My mama used to dance for the money they'd throw, Papa would do whatever he could"
Sister Golden Hair - America (sorry for this one )
STRAY CAT BLUES - ROLLING STONES
"Bet your mama don't know you scream like that
I bet your mother don't know you can spit like that.
The Senator's Daughter and Stacy's Mom by some group from Jersey.
Trey
My Old Man - Ian Dury
I Wish I Was Your Mother - Mott The Hoople
Aunties And Uncles - The Jam
You And Your Sister - Chris Bell
Bo Diddley, "The Great Grandfather"
Stones, "Mother's Little Helper"
Fairport Convention, "Genesis Hall"
Kinks, "Two Sisters"
Ramones, "We're A Happy Family"
Stephen Malkmus, "Mama"
MGMT, "Time To Pretend"
jeff
Jeff reminded me of a GREAT old Fats Waller song, "My Old Grandad."
Not for the list, but it will make you smile!
Trey
MOMMA SAID--THE SHIRELLES
Jan and Dean's "Little Old Lady from Pasadena" -- Go, Granny, go Granny, go Granny, go!"
Oy, "Sister Golden Hair." Thanks a lot for that.
Cripes! I forgot about the "Mother" of them all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmhRm_92L_8
NRBQ's polka-riffic "Daddy-O," from "Grooves in Orbit" (highly recommended):
"Well just the other night
He came home very late
He could hardly walk
So he staggered through the gate
Just then I saw him
Comin' round the house
He's got apples, and peaches,
And a kiss or two!
Who do you love? It's your Daddy-O."
They later covered Tommy Duncan's "Daddy-O Loves Mommy-O" as sort of an answer record.
surrender - cheap trick
"Mommy's alright, Daddy's alright, they just seem a little weird"
Second Cousin - Flamin Groovies
"I Wish I Was Your Mother" - Mott the Hoople (although you haven't lived 'til you've seen Alejandro Escoveo cover it live.)
"I'm Bugged at My Old Man" - Beach Boys ("darn my daadd..")
"Brother John" - Wild Tchoupitoulos
"Dad's Gonna Kill Me" - Richard Thompson (although the "dad" in this case is "Bagdad.")
"Sister Midnight" - Iggy Pop
And, of course, "He's Your Uncle, Not Your Dad" - Elvis fracking Presley - bill buckner
And RE the previous post:
Steve, do you have Sundance channel? Caught the first episode of Elvis Costello's "Spectacle" talk show last night - a full hour of EC and the aforementioned Mr. Reg Dwight talking shop, trading stories, expressing musical heroes, and whatnot. They are both really funny, and cover a David Ackles song, amongst others. David Ackles! I thought that I was the only one hip to him! Really worth your while, if the opportunity presents itself.... - buckner(slight return)
A power pop site and not one mention of Solar Sister by The Posies?
The Velvet Underground - "Sister Ray"
The Young Fresh Fellows - "Two Brothers"
5 Chinese Brothers - "My Dad's Face" (a great song about slowly morphing into your old man)
Tommy Keene - "My Mother Looked Like Marilyn Monroe" (actually, my mother looked a little like Kate Nelligan in Eye Of The Needle, which made the sex scene with Donald Sutherland kind of disturbing)
10,000 Maniacs - "Everyone a Puzzle Lover" (Natalie Merchant recalls a conversation with her grandfather)
My favorite family song, though, is the lullaby Richard Thompson wrote for his first child, "The End of the Rainbow":
I feel for you, you little horror
Safe at your mother’s breast
No lucky break for you around the corner
‘Cos your father is a bully
And he thinks that you’re a pest
And your sister, she’s no better than a whore
Life seems so rosy in the cradle
but I’ll be a friend, I’ll tell you what’s in store
There’s nothing at the end of the rainbow
There’s nothing to grow up for anymore
>> Anonymous said...
>>
>> A power pop site and not one mention of Solar Sister by The Posies?
Yeah that one has a killer hook.
Also would add "Your Beautiful Daughter" by The Move
"End of the Rainbow" is one of my Top Ten favorite songs.
Obviously, I have a dark side the size of Montana.
:-)
Jeez, people!
Just from the Warren Zevon catalog:
Lawyers, Guns, and Money ("Dad, get me out of this!")
Mama Wouldn't Be Persuaded
Play It All Night Long
"Don't Hurt My Little Sister," the Beach Boys.
Better late than never:
Father and Son - Cat Stevens
Fisherman's Daughter - Every Mother's Son (a twofer)
Slip Kid - The Who
Uncle Albert and Admiral Halsey - Paul McCartney
I lurve Slip Kid.
Just saying...
Warren Zevon- Play it all night long
(Grandpa's pissed his pants again
He don't give a damn
Brother Billy has both guns drawn
He ain't been right since Viet-Nam
Daddy's doin' sister Sally
Grandmaw's dyin' of cancer now
The cattle all have scrofulocis
We'll get through somehow)
The Why Store "Father" (also the title of the only madonna song I ever found interesting)
Bad Religion, Sorrow (Father can you hear me? How have I let you down?)
Suzanne Vega, "Oh Mom, I'm tired of sleeping"
Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean, by Ruth Brown
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