Well, it's Friday and you know what that means. Yes, my Oriental flunky Hop-Sing and I are off to one of the many homes of Sen. John McCain (R-pathetic loser) for a weekend long pity party. Supposedly some talk radio personality will be stopping by with goodie bags full of Oxycontin, so it's quite possible that posting by moi will be somewhat fitful for a few days.
But in my absence, here's a fun project for you all to contemplate:
Most Memorable Post-Elvis Song or Record Whose Title or Lyrics References High Temperatures or Combustion!!!!
No arbitrary rules this time. Unless you don't have AC, in which case just have a drink.
In any case, my totally top of my head Top Six would be....
6. A tie:
Jimi Hendrix -- Fire
and
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown -- Fire
I personally prefer the Arthur Brown "Fire," but that's mostly because he wore a bunsen burner on his head when he sang it.
5. Another tie:
Dwight Twilley -- I'm on Fire
and
Bruce Springsteen -- I'm on Fire
Funny that both of these are rockabilly-inflected. I have no idea if that has any larger meaning, I just think it's interesting.
4. Smashing Pumpkins -- Tales of a Scorched Earth
Proving once again that there's no Listomania subject too specific for us to find some tortured connection to Billy Corgan and his pretentious cueball noggin.
3. Bubble Puppy -- Hot Smoke and Sassafrass
The first heavy rock band in Texas, and a surprisingly good song if you can get past the really dopey lyrics and the awful group name.
2. Sly and the Family Stone -- Hot Fun in the Summertime
The political irony of this song is less apparent in 2008 than it was back in the day, but on its other, less fraught, level it remains as joyous and uplifting as ever.
And the number one "Is it warm in here or is it just me?" song, don't contradict me because frankly I'm dying here and I don't have the energy to smack you, is....
1. The Beach Boys -- The Warmth of the Sun.
Brian Wilson has said this was inspired by the Kennedy assassination, although I've never really gotten the connection if truth be told. In any case, there are days I think it's the most beautiful song he ever wrote, regardless of what prompted it.
Awrighty then -- what would your choices be?
[Shameless Blogwhore: My parallel Cinema Listomania (theme: overlooked thrillers!) is now up over at Box Office. As always, if you could see your way to go over there and post a comment, an angel has its testicles descend.]
Ring of Fire isn't technically post-Elvis, is it?
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, I'll go with the Cure's "Fire in Cairo."
geor3ge said...
ReplyDeleteRing of Fire isn't technically post-Elvis, is it?
Actually it is.
"Great Balls of Fire" - Jerry Lee (preferably "Live at the Star Club")
ReplyDelete"Hearts on Fire" - Gram Parsons
"Paper in Fire" - JC Mellencamp
"Fire Engine" - Roky Erickson (although I prob. favor the Richard Lloyd version...)
And, of course, "Hot Blooded" ("C'mon Simels, you can do more than dance...) :)
- bill buckner
And, of course, "Hot Blooded" ("C'mon Simels, you can do more than dance...) :)
ReplyDelete- bill buckner
Ah, Foreigner.
Not for nothing did Robt. Christgau refer to them back in the day as "the world's most useless group."
:-)
FIRE -SPRINGSTEEN
ReplyDeleteSUNNY AFTERNOON -- KINKS
HOT IN THE CITY - BILLY IDOL
HEATWAVE - MARTHA REEVES & THE VANDELLAS
SUMMER IN THE CITY - LOVIN SPOONFUL
Fire On the Mountain - greatful dead
ReplyDeleteBurning Down the house - talking heads
Ring of fire- johnny cash (think thats post elvis)
Great Balls of fire-- jerry lee lewis
Too Hot.
ReplyDeleteThis town is
Too Hot.
Wow, great story about Warmth of the Sun. Matthew Sweet and Suzanna Hoffs did a killer version too. I have both on the music I put on for my kids to go to sleep.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it was Brian's hope, his turning away from despair after the assassination. I do not understand how Brian thinks, but man he makes music that touches my heart.
Benjamin Franklin said that beer was a sign that God loves us and wants us to be happy. Too bad he never heard Brian.
Trey
Who did that song that started out with some dude saying "I am the god of Hell fire and I bring you . . . Fire" and the singing started? I think I saw it on Beavis and butthead or something!
ReplyDeleteTrey
Put your hand on the heat. I like Rolling Stones: She's so cold.
ReplyDeleteFire & Rain - James Taylor
ReplyDeleteIn the Summertime - Mungo Jerry
Coveted, thanks for not making the early clue contest the last couple of weeks. It gives the rest of us a chance!
ReplyDeleteTrey
Graham Parker - Heat Treatment
ReplyDeleteSouthside Johnny - The Fever
Roxy Music - Both Ends Burning
Brian Eno - St. Elmo's Fire
Elton John - Burn Down the Mission
Peter Gabriel - In Your Eyes
And the Dregs of this Catagory...
Kiss - Too Hot to Handle
Rod Stewart - Hot Legs
Nick Guilder - the excretable Hot Child in the City
The Boardwalk-The Drifters
ReplyDeleteWarren Zevon - I Was In The House When The House Burned Down
ReplyDeleteTalking Heads - Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) - this just popped up on iTunes shuffle, so I had to throw it in
Midnight Oil - Beds Are Burning
Carl Perkins - Dixie Fried
Little Village - She Runs Hot
Kiss - Too Hot to Handle
ReplyDeleteDidn't the Black Crowes do that, too?
Who did that song that started out with some dude saying "I am the god of Hell fire and I bring you . . . Fire" and the singing started? I think I saw it on Beavis and butthead or something!
That's the Arthur Brown song noted above.
Fire, and The Unforgettable Fire- U2
Light My Fire - The Doors
Burned - Buffalo Springfield
Fire in the Hole - Steely Dan
Streets of Fire - Springsteen
Funny how the Smashing Pumpkins make it onto every list. ;)
ReplyDeleteHot chili peppers in the blistering sun … Dylan; Romance in Durango
ReplyDeleteBurns my feet as they touch the ground … Beatles; Good Day Sunshine
FeralLiberal said...
ReplyDeleteAnd the Dregs of this Catagory...
Nick Gilder - the excretable Hot Child in the City
God, I was hoping somebody would nominate this.
:-)
It is about time that Dwight Twilley appeared on a Weekend Listomania. I've been listening to a bunch of Twilley rarities over at the excellent Power Pop Criminals site. Bill Pitcock IV lays down a killer riff on I'm On Fire. Yet another 70's power pop act to bite the dust at the hands of an incompetent record company.
ReplyDeleteGotta give you props for The Warmth of the Sun at the top of the list. As it should be.
A couple of additions:
Fire Brigade The Move
Summer's Cauldron XTC
(just discovered this blog!)
ReplyDeleteHere's a few more:
Fire in the Hole, Tragically Hip
Indian Summer, the late and very lamented Chris Whitley. Lyrics: "I pray to the burning tires / wrap my beauty in rags..."
Lying in a Bed of Fire, Little Steven
Soul's on Fire, from Southside Johnny's criminally overlooked early '90s disc Better Days
Too Cool to Be a Christian, Tonio K. Lyrics: "I don't wanna swim no lake of fire, not me / don't have no asbestos swimming attire..."
And finish up with a Who trifecta:
Glow Girl: "The wing of the airplane has just caught on fire"
Water: "The whole world is blazin' " (this song wasn't that great in the studio version, but the live versions from '70 and '71 are awe-inspiring)
Sparks: I recommend the version on the expanded Live at Leeds.
A Question of Temperature - The Balloon Farm, later remade by Brownsville Station
ReplyDeleteHey, Steverino - the reason you don't "get" the connection of how "Warmth of the Sun" was inspired by the JFK assassination is because you're one of them Noo Yawk Jews! Remember the "Star Trek" episode where they went to the Roman planet and the "Romans" were persecuting the "sun worshippers"? Remember how Uhura had to hit Kirk over the head about what they were REALLY worshipping?
ReplyDelete(Also, in an interview I read with Brian once, he said he and that prick Mike Love started work on the song the evening of Nov. 22, 1963...)
And speaking of Dwight Twilley, I was lucky enough to live in a small town near a bigger small town where they had an AM radio station that had one of the greatest music directors in the world, and he put Twilley's "I'm On Fire" in heavy rotation. It was a Pick Hit to Click, and I think it made the local top ten!
ReplyDeleteOhio Players - Fire
ReplyDeleteHeart - Cook with Fire
Not songs, but Flamin' Groovies, Flaming Lips
Paul McCartney - Hot as the Sun (not surprised no one dug up this gem yet)
ReplyDeleteJonas Brothers - Burnin Up (courtesy of my daughter)
Rolling Stones - Play With Fire (Can't believe no one mentioned this yet, but I didn't see it in the posts).
Rolling Stones - Play With Fire (Can't believe no one mentioned this yet, but I didn't see it in the posts).
ReplyDeleteGood one.
Hot House of Omagararshid - Yardbirds (okay, the vocal is nothing more than "Ya-ya-ya, ya-ya-ya" but Beck's solo at the end is as hot as it can get).
Fire With Fire - Paul Carrack