And they better have plugged the damn hole (that's not a metaphor) before the weekend's over.
In any case, since things will be a little quiet around here for the forseeable future, here's a fun little project for us all:
Best or Worst Post-Elvis Pop/Rock/Soul Record or Song With the Word(s) Sorrow or Pity (or Variants Thereof) in the Title or Lyrics!!!
Self-explanatory, I think, and no arbitrary rules whatsoever, you're welcome very much.
And my totally top of my head Top Seven are:
7. Otis Redding -- Mr. Pitiful
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5. Gene Pitney -- Town Without Pity
Here rendered as "Bleib Bei Mir," because frankly this one could only sound more over the top melodramatic in the original German.
4. Faith No More -- Last Cup of Sorrow
To be honest, I thought these guys were kind of overrated back in the day, and I don't even much care for the song. But the homage to Hitchcock's Vertigo in this video has always kind of tickled me.
3. The Lovin' Spoonful -- Only Pretty What a Pity
An uncharacteristically nasty song from the group that practically invented the concept of Good Time Music. Written and sung by Spoonful drummer Joe Butler, presumably about a real woman of his acquaintance. "Everyone except a baby/answers for the face they wear" has always struck me as one of the most chillingly poetic lines in rock history.
2. The Merseys -- Sorrow
The sadly better known David Bowie cover of this is one of the only things on Pin-Ups I can tolerate, but the original is still the greatest.
2. Weezer -- This is Such a Pity
Because, as you know, we like to have something recorded in this century. A pretty cool song in any case.
And the Numero Uno miserabilist song of them all, please let's not quibble about this, is --
1. Warren Zevon -- Poor Poor Pitiful Me
The live version, which, although spirited, omits the great line about the girl at the Rainbow Bar who asks Zevon to beat her -- "I don't want to talk about it." Although the bit about Jesse James is now relevant in a way Zevon couldn't have predicted but I suspect would have appreciated.
Alrighty then -- what would YOUR favorites be?
[Shameless Blogwhore: My parallel Cinema Listomania -- theme: best or worst WWII-themed movie -- is now up over at Box Office. As always, it would help get me in good with management if you could kindly see your way to going over there and leaving a comment. Thanks!]
20 comments:
I'd like to put in a plug for the great guitar instrumental version of "Town Without Pity" by Ronnie Montrose. Not sure where you can find it, but if you come across it, give it a listen - it's great!
Isn't It A Pity by George Harrison.
BTW -- I've decided to change the time frame to post-Elvis.
The Beatles (+ many covers) - "Across the Universe". The link is to an interesting take from Fiona Apple.
Sinead O'Connor - "You Cause As Much Sorrow", from I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got. I still like this album quite a bit, although it's a bit of a downer.
The Pretenders - "Kid" from their first. "All my sorrow, all my blues..." (acoustic version at the link)
R.E.M. (+ Patti Smith) - "E-Bow the Letter" from New Adventures in Hi-Fi. The last R.E.M. album that I really like. This particular song certainly doesn't qualify for power pop - "I can smell the sorrow on your breath..."
oh, and for fun (?) -
Toni Basil - "Mickey", from Billboard's Top Cheerleading Songs. Gotta be a prime candidate for 'Songs that Scream 80's' - "What a pity you don't understand..."
Sorry - The Easybeats
ROTP(lumber)
I Pity The Fool- Ann Peebles
And though I never cared for Devo as a whole, I can think of about 10 songs I really love and one of them is "Pity You."
And Dave, that Ronnie Montrose version is a killer. Always loved it.
Here it is:
http://www.divshare.com/download/11515166-3ca
One of the catchiest of all mid-60s folk tunes, "Pack Up Your Sorrows" by Mimi and Richard Farina. And "Don't Pity Me", where Peter and Gordon growl their way into Righteous Brothers territory.
Sunshine on Leith by the Proclaimers, just for the gorgeousness of the line:
Sorrow, sorrooow, Sorrrrrroowww, SORROOWWWW!
Oh, Jon beat me to it.
Here's a link to "Sunshine on Leith."
The Pretty Things "S.F. Sorrow Is Born"
I Pity the Poor Immigrant
by birthday boy bob dylan
I get it! "The Sorrow and the Pity"
So, next week: "The Agony and the Ecstacy"?
Sorrow's Child: Nick Cave
Blogger dave™© said...
So, next week: "The Agony and the Ecstacy"?
Hell no.
The Pride and the Passion.
:-)
"Don't interrupt the sorrow", Joni Mitchell
Isn't It a Pity to Say Goodnight by Les Paul with the Andrews Sisters
Sorrow by David Bowie (yes, I know it's a cover)
Streets of Sorrow by The Pogues
Richard and Linda Thompson - Calvary Cross ("this is your first day of sorrow")
There's a U2 song called "Wave of Sorrow" that was recorded during the "Joshua Tree" sessions ... left off the original album, but included in the re-mastered version issued in 2007.
Johnny Winter did a Cynthia Weil/Barry Mann tune called "Lay Down Your Sorrows" on the LP "John Dawson Winter III."
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