Friday, January 23, 2015

Weekend Listomania's Greatest Hits: Special We Are All Of Us in the Gutter Edition

[I originally posted this one back in 2009, or as we here at Casa Simels refer to it, Year Two of the Justin Bieber Era. As is my wont, I have done some re-writing and added an entry, just to keep my hand in. And also, of course, so as not to be accused of one of the entry's myriad bad things. -- S.S.]

Most Memorable Post-Elvis Pop/Rock/Soul Record Referencing One of the Deadly Sins in Either Its Title or Lyrics!!!

Okay, just so you don't have to look them up -- said sins are Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Anger, Greed and Sloth.

I think I've probably mentioned this somewhere down the line, but one of my great regrets in life is that I never had seven kids so that I could name one after each of them. I think "Sloth Simels" really has a ring to it, don't you?

In any case, my totally top of my head Top Six (I know -- how ironic) is:

6. X-Ray Spex -- Junk Food Junkie



Gluttony, obviously. And NOT, I hasten to add a cover of that stupid Larry Groce novelty hit from the 70s. I think this is hilarious, BTW, but I basically think everything this band did was hilarious.

5. MC5 -- Teenage Lust



One of my favorite songs from what is, despite horrific production by that idiot Jon Landau, on balance the 5's best album.

4. Billy Bremner -- Green With Envy




From the Rockpile guitarist's 1999 solo album, which deserves to be better known. Bremner, of course, deserves immortality for his playing on The Pretenders' "Back on the Chain Gang," but I did not know (until I looked him up today) that he began his career in the 60s as a member of Lulu's back-up band.

3. The Bonzo Dog Band -- Suspicion



Anger + envy + lust = jealousy, which of course is what the song is about. The Bonzos version is the definitive one, of course, and included mostly for that priceless monologue in the middle. "If you have been deceiving me...well, it's a neat bit of jiggery-pokery."

2. Elvis Costello -- I'm Not Angry



Uh...yes, he was, actually. Pissed as hell, if truth be told.

And the numero uno ode to les septs classical no-nos quite obviously is...

1. Fairport Convention -- Sloth



For fairly obvious reasons, I think.

Alrighty then -- what would your choices be?

12 comments:

Anonymous said...


Ellen Foley - Young Lust
Underneath What - Eggs, bacon, coffee and suicide
David Bowie - Look Back in Anger
Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride

M_Sharp said...

The Jealous Kind - Bobby Charles, also Delbert McClinton

Jealous Guy - John Lennon

Lazybones - Hoagy Carmichael, also Jeff Muldaur & Amos Garrett

Home Is Where The Hatred Is - Ester Phillips

Drunk - Jimmy Liggins

OD'd In Denver - Hank Williams Jr.

Drunk By Noon - The Handsome Family

Too Drunk To Fuck - The Dead Kennedys

batguano said...

The Flying Lizards - Money

John F said...

my nominations, all great tunes:
Envy
Liz Phair - "Jealousy", off of WhipSmart.
Pride
The Ramones - "Swallow My Pride", off of Leave Home.
Sloth
Beatles - "I'm Only Sleeping", off of Revolver.
Lust
Go-Go's - "Lust to Love", off of Beauty and the Beat.
Greed
Randy Newman - "It's Money That I Love", off of Born Again.

Only missing gluttony...

John F said...

how about - Gluttony
Talking Heads - "The Big Country", off of More Songs About Buildings and Food.

Anonymous said...

Buckcherry - Gluttony (I suppose it kinda covers anger and lust at the same time).

Anti-Nowhere League - So What (covers more than a few deadly sins and adds bestiality)

Tie: Lazy - Deep Purple; Kinks - Sunny Afternoon - for sloth

Buckcherry - Envy (I know, second choice by this band, but they got the 7DS down)

Queen - Death On Two Legs for greed

Merle Haggard - Okie from Muskogee (for pride)

Vickie Rock

Peter Power Pop said...

Considering you're tickled by the phrase "Jiggery pokery," you may enjoy:

http://youtu.be/4YH738B9VdE

Anonymous said...

For gluttony-
ROCKPILE's- A Knife And A Fork (from their 1980 album "Seconds Of Pleasure")

For greed-
DON HENLEY- Gimme What You Got (from "The End Of The Innocence", 1989)

I may be back...

J. Lag

cthulhu said...

Proud Mary, CCR
The Env(o)y, Warren Zevon (couldn't resist)
Life in the Foodchain, Tonio K (there's gotta be gluttony in there somewhere)
Lust for Life, Iggy Pop
H-A-T-R-E-D, Tonio K
Lawyers, Guns, and Money, Warren Zevon
Can't top Fairport's Sloth

Dave said...

My favorite sloth song: Brian Wilson's brilliant "Busy Doin' Nothing." Hilarious and sad at the same time:

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

ESciGuy said...

C'mon, folks! How could "Mr. Bad Example" by our man Warren Z not be mentioned yet? He runs the entire gamut here, with the possible exception of envy (although I'm sure it's in there somewhere).

Anonymous said...

Kinda related:

http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/a535/VanessaStone/To%20the%20Nth%20Degree/TheSloths_zps2b1b1331.jpg

Cheers, Vickie Rock - Fixin' Saturday Chili Loco Moco