Weekend Listomania (Special Land Ho! Video Edition)

Well, it's Friday and you know what that means. Yes, my Oriental in-house strumpet appointment secretary Fah Lo Suee and I are off to Washington, D.C., for the first annual Biblegate Conference at the private chapel of Fox News anchor Chris Wallace. Something to do with our president actually being the Great Horned Beast/Angel of the Bottomless Pit (whatever that means -- I'm vague on the details).

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 you all to contemplate:

BEST POST-ELVIS SONG REFERENCING TOPOGRAPHICAL FEATURES IN ITS TITLE OR LYRICS!!!

Self-explanatory, I think, so no arbitrary rules this time -- anything about naturally ocurring phenomena, i.e., streams, rivers, mountains, deserts, forests or whatever, should work just fine. But if you try to slip something man made by me -- like a highway or a dam -- I will come to your house and slap you silly.

Okay, here's my totally top of my head Top Seven:

7. Ike and Tina Turner -- River Deep, Mountain High



A two-fer, obviously, and Phil Spector's magnum opus. Incidentally, has there ever been a decent cover version of this? The two that spring immediately to mind -- Eric Burdon & the Animals and The Easybeats -- aren't their auteurs best work by any means. In any case, that video is to die for, don't you think?

6. The Bonzo Dog Band -- The Canyons of Your Mind



The late great Viv Stanshall on unctuous lead vocals, with Neil Innes performing The Worst Guitar Solo of All Time as a bonus. This clip is a new one on me, BTW, and a major mindblower.

5. Bruce Springsteen -- Meeting Across the River



Filmed live in 1978 at the Capitol Theater in New Jersey during Bruce's "South Passaic" tour.

4. The Beatles -- Rocky Raccoon



"Now somewhere in the black mountain hills of Dakota..." I don't know who's responsible for the vid, but it's pretty cute.

3. The Kinks-- I'm on An Island



One of the first of Ray's languid odes to genteel solipsism. Extra points to any reader who recognizes the album cover's relevance to a 90s indie rock icon.

2. Arcade Fire -- The Woodlands National Anthem



Just to have something recorded in this decade, obviously.

And the number one Stuff You Can See on a Map song of all time, it's not even close so just shut your festering gob, you tit!, obviously is --

1. Paul Simon -- Peace Like a River



I know I used this in another recent Listomania, but I've been kind of obsessing over it lately, so forgive me. From Paul's eponymous first solo album, which Graceland notwithstanding remains his masterpiece, I think. A perfect fusion of folk, blues and Brill Building romanticism -- just a gorgeous, gorgeous song. Simon's version seems to have disappeared from the intertubes, but this live cover by Spoon gets it just about right, I think.

Awrighty then -- what or who would your choices be?

[Shameless Blogwhore: My parallel Cinema Listomania -- theme: NYC flicks -- is now up over at Box Office. As always, if you could out of the goodness of your heart see your way to going over there and leaving a comment, it would definitely get me in good with management. I thank you.]