Friday, September 19, 2014

Weekend Listomania's Greatest Hits: Special Carpe Diem, Bitches! Edition

[I first posted this one back in 2008, which is apparently four centuries ago in dog years. In any case, I've substituted a couple of new entries and done some minimalist re-writing, just so you won't get the idea that I'm resting on my well-apolstered laurels in my old age. Enjoy! -- S.S.]

BEST OR WORST POST-ELVIS POP/ROCK SONG OR RECORD WHOSE TITLE REFERENCES TIME -- THE 4th DIMENSION!!!!

Completely arbitrary rule: The word "season" is allowed. Also days of the week.

Okay, that said, here's my totally top of my head Top Ten.

10. Six O'Clock (The Lovin' Spoonful)



For my money, their best record -- a great song, stunning production, and the crack in Sebastian's voice is almost a metaphor for their good time vibe running headlong into the heart of darkness of the late 60s.

9. Time of the Season (The Zombies)



I know, I know, I've never posted this song before.

8. Quarter to Three (Gary US Bonds)



Some of our younger readers (by which I mean those born between the invention of the blowdryer and the premiere of the television series Manimal) may not believe this, but back in the day, my buddies and I killed hours playing the opening few seconds of this over and over again in a fruitless quest to discern the rumored dirty words. Think of that as a sort of hormonal adolescent version of the myth of Sisyphus.

7. Midnight at the Oasis (Maria Muldaur)



I have from time to time over the years been surprised by the intensity of the loathing this song evinces in so many of even my most mild-mannered friends. I gotta say, I don't quite get it -- to me, it's always been just a mildly annoying Adult Contemporary novelty tune, almost rendered listenable by a spectacular guitar solo from the underrated Amos Garrett. On the other hand, after re-hearing it, for the first time in ages, for the purposes of this post, I have to admit I have no desire to ever fucking hear it again ever.

6. A tie:

Yesterday (The Beatles)



IIRC this is the world's most covered song. No further point to make about that; I just think it's interesting.

and

Yesterday's Gone (Chad and Jeremy)



I should add that I was surprised to learn Chad actually played the cool acoustic guitar stuff on their records. Hey -- it was a big deal for me!

5. Good Times (Jimmy Barnes and INXS)



The great and often covered Easybeats classic, obviously. None of the covers has ever come close to the original, IMHO, and I was never particularly an INXS fan, but finding this clip on YouTube the other day reminded me that the late Michael Hutchence really was one charismatic SOB.

4. Monk Time! (The Monks)



Pussy Galore is coming down! Fifty years later the world STILL hasn't caught up with what these crazed ex-GIs stranded in the land of the Hun were doing to the noble muse of Music.

3. Time Has Come Today (Chambers Brothers)



More cowbell!!! True sad story: My skinny tie band had a sort of year-long residency at a club in the Village in the 80s. It was several weeks before I realized that the maƮtre d' was the guy singing this song.

2. Business Time (Flight of the Conchords)



For NYMary, obviously, but also because I wanted something recorded in this century. Plus it's a great song.

And the absolute coolest 4th dimensional ditty, it's so obvious why the frick are we even arguing about it, is --

1. She Don't Care About Time (The Byrds)



Genius songwriting by Gene Clark and Roger (nee Jim) McGuinn playing "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring" on the break. It doesn't get any better.

Awrighty then -- what would your choices be?

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello all...no, please remain seated,

Ah...good one. Ok, I'm not the world's biggest Lynyrd Skynrd fan, but I've always loved - LOVED, I say - Tuesday's Gone with the Wind. A big, ballsy southern rock power ballad. Ya know, come to think of it...those guys were pretty good.

regards,
RichD

geor3ge said...

I always thought Paul should have kept the original "Scrambled Eggs" title.

Anonymous said...

Hello all...no, please remain seated,

Good one, geor3ge!

OK...slow morning, so here's another. Stretching the rules just a tad (if we can mention the word season, then surely we can mention A season).

Winter by the Stones. Mick rather shamelessly, um, gets inspired by Van the Man on this one but ultimately it leaves you (well, me) thinking...what a cryin' shame Mick Taylor left that band. An age old argument, I know.

RichD

Dave said...

I haven't heard "She Don't Care About Time" in eons, and I forgot how great it is.

But I have to admit the first two songs to pop into my mind are two soul classics:

"What Time Is It?" by the Jive Five. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmD1sCEeR5o

And Alvin Cash & the Crawlers' immortal "Twine Time" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4OtMMq0v_s

Dave F.

Anonymous said...

The shame about "Midnight at the Oasis" is that Maria Muldaur can't make a bad album, nevertheless you see that album ditched in the dollar bins a lot.

thought for sure you were going to take this opportunity to plug the Kinks' "Days" again.

Anonymous said...

Ruby Tuesday - Rolling Stones [one of the best groupie songs ever - Sick Again may be the best]

Season of the Witch - Donovan

Good Times Bad Times - Led Zeppelin

No Time - Guess Who

Pleasant Valley Sunday - Monkees

Let the Good Times Roll - Shirley and Lee

Long Long Time - Linda Ronstadt

WORST - Friday - Rebecca Black

Time Won't Let Me - The Outsiders

Time Is On My Side - Irma Thomas

Right In Time - Lucinda Williams

Out of Time - Rolling Stones

My Dark Hour - Steve Miller (& Paulie)

In the Midnight Hour - Wilson Pickett

60 Minute Man - Dominos

Not a Second Time - Beatles

(Out of My Brain On the) 5:15 - The Who

Monday Monday - Mamas and the Papas

Friday On My Mind - Easybeats

Sleepy Time Time - Cream [live version]

Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues - Danny O'Keefe

Stormy Monday - T-Bone Walker/Allman Brothers/Bobby Bland etc.

Thank the Lord for the Night Time - Neil Diamond

Three O'Clock Blues - B.B. King

Bob Dylan/Fairport Convention - Tomorrow Is a Long Time

Beatles - Anytime At All

Bad Time - Grand Funk

Rainy Days and Mondays - Carpenters

Deep Purple - Child In Time

Kris Kristofferson/Ray Price etc - For the Good Times

Steely Dan - Black Friday

Sands of Time - Fleetwood Mac

Vickie Rock - On a Seven Day Weekend

BTW Time Wounds All Heels

Anonymous said...

And don't ever accuse me of googling! I have 25,000 LPs and 35,000 CD's in my collection to draw from. And a pretty sharp mind, all things considered.

Vickie Rock - Where Have All the Good Times Gone?

Anonymous said...

Beach Boys / Redwood - Time To Get Alone

Vickie Rock - I Just Wasn't Made For These Times

MJConroy said...

Smithereens _ Time and Time Again -
http://youtu.be/EyEsCs-6mto

Alzo said...

The Chords: Maybe Tomorrow
Robert Gordon: Someday, Someway
CCR: Someday Never Comes
Kevin Ayers: Day by Day
Badfinger: Day After Day
The Clash: Armagiddeon Time
Book T & the MGs: Time is Tight
Deep Purple: Child in Time
The Godfathers: If I Only Had Time
Ray Charles: The Night Time is the Right Time
Dr. John: Right Place Wrong Time
Secret Affair: Time for Action
Rolling Stones: Time Waits for No One
Bill Haley & His Comets: See Ya Later, Alligator
Sparks: Beat the Clock
Boomtown Rats: Like Clockwork
The Stranglers: 5 Minutes
The Kinks: Days
Chuck Berry: 30 Days
Humble Pie: 30 Days in the Hole
Dave Edmunds: Here Comes the Weekend
John Fogerty: Almost Saturday Night
Sam Cooke: Another Saturday Night
Velvet Underground: Sunday Morning
Boomtown Rats: I Don't Like Mondays
The Vibrators: Into the Future
Jethro Tull: Living in the Past
Free: All Right Now

Anonymous said...

Blondie 11:59

John Fowler said...

Nominees for Best:
The Smiths - "How Soon is Now?", off of Meat is Murder. I put this first, not just because the original is great, but also because I've been listening a lot recently to the version by Susanna Hoffs & Matthew Sweet, on Under the Covers, v.3.

Obvious, but not mentioned so far
The Beatles - "A Day in the Life", off of Sgt. Pepper's.
Big Star - "September Gurls", off of Radio City.

alternates:
Liz Phair - "Cinco de Mayo", off of WhipSmart. I still love her three first albums.
CCR - "The Midnight Special", off of Willy and the Poor Boys. My 9-year-old daughter like this one.
Joe Jackson - "Sunday Papers", off of Look Sharp!.
R.E.M. - "Gardening at Night", off of chronic town. This also closes out the excellent Live at the Olympia set.
Prince - "Sign o' the Times", off of Sign o' the Times.
Hanson - "This Time Around", off of This Time Around. Brought to my attention by the fine folks at this very blog.

and, some slower tunes:
Los Lobos - "A Matter of Time", off of How Will the Wolf Survive?. Why aren't these guys in the Rock Hall of Fame?
Randy Newman - "I Think It's Going to Rain Today", off of Randy Newman.
Cyndi Lauper - "Time After Time", off of She's So Unusual. I've confessed my soft spot for Ms. Lauper on this blog previously...
Ronnie Lane/Pete Townshend - "April Fool", off of Rough Mix. A lovely song off a fantastic album.
Portishead - "Sour Times", off of Dummy.

Worst:
Billy Vera & the Beaters - At This Moment
England Dan & John Ford Coley - I'd Really Love to See You Tonight
Captain & Tenille - Do That To Me One More Time

buzzbabyjesus said...

Don't count me as a Cure fan, but I've always liked a couple songs off their first lp. Especially "10:15 Saturday Night".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6_6oRUuSy0

Anonymous said...

25 or 6 to 4

senormedia said...

The Long Ryders - 10-5-60

tduke2200 said...

Cheap Trick - "Clock Strikes Ten"