Friday, March 23, 2018

Weekend Listomania: Special It's Nice Out -- Might as Well Leave It Out! Edition

[I originally posted this one back in -- gasp! -- 2009, when both the world and this blog were young. But for obvious reasons, or perhaps reasons that shall become obvious, I thought it was newly relevant to our national discourse. I have, of course, rewritten some of it, and swapped out some of the songs, just to prove that I'm not the total slacker that so many of you, with justification, suspect I am. In any case, enjoy. -- S.S.]

Okay, gang -- here's a fun project for us all to contemplate in the wake of this week's nor'easter on the Right Coast:

Most Memorable Post Elvis Song or Record Referencing Atmospheric Phenomena, i.e. Weather, In the Title or Lyrics!!!

Self-explanatory, I think, so no arbitrary rules this time.

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

7. Terry Anderson -- Weather or Not




If truth be told, the entire original version of this Listomania proceeded from the fact that I had wanted to post this song -- to my mind, the absolute best Rolling Stones/Keith Richards-style guitar rocker that the Stones or Keith never did -- for what seemed like ages. (Catchiest goddamn chorus in the world, n'est-ce pas?). In case you're wondering, Anderson comes out of the Georgia Satellites axis (he co-wrote that group's semi-hit "Battleship Chains") and this derives from the early 90s solo album seen above. I should add that said album is still available over at Amazon, and you should hie there toot sweet and snag a copy.

6. The Beatles -- Rain



Depending on my mood, either this or "And Your Bird Can Sing" is my favorite of the bunch of guitar-driven, vaguely metallic pop gems that the Beatles recorded around this time in late 65-early 66. This one has Ringo's most inventive drum performance, of course.

5. The Weasels -- Beautiful Day



A recent track by my old high school garage band. I'm doing most of the guitar stuff, including the solo, but it's written and sung by our multi-instrumentalist secret weapon Glenn Leeds. In any case, I love it. "It may be freezin' but I don't feel cold...it's a beautiful day."

4. Lou Christie -- Rhapsody in the Rain



"In this car, our love went much too far..."

The followup to the equally apt "Lightning Strikes," this one got banned by most 1966 radio stations; I wonder why.

3. Yoko Ono -- Listen the Snow is Falling



"The only reason no one likes her music is because she's a woman and an Oriental" -- John Lennon to Jann Wenner, 1971

2. Steeleye Span -- One Misty Moisty Morning



Probably the oldest song ever featured on a Weekend Listomania, i.e., this probably dates back to Shakespeare's day. BTW; the word goddess is overused in some circles, but I think Maddy Prior's vocal on this qualifies her for consideration as one.

And the number one ill wind that blows nobody good song, it's so ridiculously apt given what's going to be broadcast on 60 Minutes this Sunday that I can't believe we're even having a discussion, obviously is ---

1. Classics IV -- Stormy



Who knew somebody had written a hit tune about her decades ago? Amazing.

Alrighty, then -- what would your choices be?

27 comments:

Blue Ash Fan said...

I just sent the link to Terry Anderson. He'll get a kick out of it.

steve simels said...

Cool -- thanks!

Mistahblik said...

Every artist on the list, except DEEP STATE DARLINGS the Beatles, snubbed by the so-called Rock n roll Hall of Fame. Crooked elite in Cleveland can’t handle the FACT that the Weasels are the most listened to band in the world! SAD!

Anonymous said...

"Stormy" as no. 1 is genius.

Yes - South Side of the Sky
Ida - Blizzard of 78
Johnny Nash - I can see clearly now
Simon & Garfunkel - Hazy Shade of Winter
Grateful Dead - Box of Rain

Shriner said...

The ones that jumped to mind immediately:

Stevie Ray Vaughn -- Couldn't Stand The Weather

"Ballet for a Rainy Day" by XTC

and rain walking (or not) themed songs:

"Walking In the Rain" by the Ronettes (or Jay & The Americans, or the Walker Brothers) -- man, that's a great tune no matter who does it...

"Walkin' In The Rain With the One I Love" -- Love Unlimited (which I have to think "Kung-Fu Christmas" was taken directly from now that I think about it...)

"You Don't Have to Walk In The Rain" -- The Turtles

Gummo said...

Two from one album, the 1969 debut of It's A Beautiful Day --

Hot Summer Day (self-explanatory); and

White Bird (White Bird/in a golden cage/on a winter's day/in the rain)

Pompous, pretentious, somewhat ridiculous ... but still rather lovely.

Jim H. said...

You asked for it: (Rain first)

No Rain - Blind Melon
Rain - The Chills
The Rain Song - The Continental Drifters
Justify the Rain - Cosmic Rough Riders
Here Comes the Rain Again - Eurythmics
Happy When It Rains - JAMC
Summer Rain - The Lackloves
Plastic Moon Rain - The Mop Tops
Rainmaker - Sparklehorse

Jim H. said...

Snow:

Snowshine - Colfax Abbey
Through the Snow - The Depreciation Guild
Snowstorm - Galaxie 500
Snowflakes Are Dancing - Kurt Vile
Snow - The Pernice Brothers
Snowblind - Popinjays

Anonymous said...

Hello all...no, please remain seated,

Feels Like Rain by John Hiatt is in my list of top-tier songs and is also something of a right of passage for slide guitar players.

Sonny Landreth played the slide solo on Hiatt's original. Ry Cooder played it on Aaron Neville's version which is, of course, also gorgeously sung. And Buddy Guy's version features Bonny Raitt with her long, sustained Strat tones. Think you've got slide chops? This is the song for you.

Regards,
RichD

Jim H. said...

Wind:

Idiot Wind - Bob Dylan
Blowin' in the Wind - Bob Dylan
The Wind - Cat Stevens
Wild Is the Wind - David Bowie
Catch the Wind - Donovan (also Tommy Keene cover!!!)
Windy - The Ladybug Transistor
Let the Wind Blow - Mystic Eyes
Runaway Wind - Paul Westerberg
Mandolin Wind - Rod Stewart
Windfall - Son Volt

cthulhu said...

The Who, Love Reign o’er Me - “Oh God I need a drink / of cool cool rain” still chokes me up.

John Hiatt, Feels Like Rain - Hiatt is an American treasure. Unfortunately I missed the recent tour where he played the whole album (and had slide magician Sonny Landreth back in the band) but I heard it was marvelous; they played here at a 300-seat venue and it sold out in a flash.

Chris Whitley, Clear Blue Sky - from his criminally underrated third album “Terra Incognita”

And another Whitley song, Dust Radio, from his first album “Living With the Law” - yeah, I’m stretching it a bit, but gotta give a shout-out to “my secret Jesus / and the good red road”

A Nazz doubleheader - Under the Ice and Rain Rider, both from their second album “Nazz Nazz”, which apparently is not in print ANYWHERE in either physical or digital form - what a travesty! Drummer Thom Mooney sounds like he O.D.’ed on a combination of Keith Moon and Mitch Mitchell before recording these two songs, both of which are fantastic.

The Eagles, Hotel California - “cool wind in my hair” - I’m not an Eagles fan (I am a Joe Walsh fan though), but I do like this song a lot; it is extremely well put together, played, and produced, and I think it holds up. And I definitely have a soft spot for Big Daddy’s sendup done in spot-on Del Shannon style.

On the “worst” side of the ledger...well, there’s always “Ice Ice Baby”...

Jim H. said...

Sun (too numerous, but here's some good one)L

Who Loves the Sun - Velvet Underground
Circling the Sun - Velvet Crush
Staring at the Sun - Ultra Vivid Scene
Sun - The Toms
Setting Sun - Swervedriver
Hello Sunshine - Super Furry Animals
Brighter Than the Sun - The Summer Suns
Holidays in the Sun - Sex Pistols
Underground Sun - Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3
Sun - Popinjays
The Sun Goes Down and the World Goes Dancing - The Magnetic Fields
Forever Through the Sun - LMNOP
To Try for the Sun - Lindsey Buckingham
Don't Look Back into the Sun - The Libertines
Love Me Till the Sun Shines - The Kinks
Sunshine Changes Everything - The Early Hours
California Sun - The Dictators
Silver Sun - Crystal Stilts
Super Sun - Cloud Eleven
Sunny Day - Chris Richards & the Subtractions
Sunshine - The Chevelles
Watch the Sunrise - Big Star
Another Sunny Day - Belle & Sebastian
Here Comes the Sun - Beatles (OBVS)

Jim H. said...

A Break in the Weather - David Kilgour & the Heavy Eights
Sitting on a Cloud - Anderson Council
Teenage Cloud - Baby Shakes
Rainclouds - Dot Dash
Hurricane Judy - Future Clouds and Radar
Judy Staring at the Sun - Catherine Wheel
Rise Above the Clouds - Jeremy
Cloudbusting - Kate Bush (I get shivers...)
Clouds - Nilon Bombers
Get Off My Cloud - The Rolling Stones (OBVS)
Black Cloud - Semion
Rain - The Shambles (from Clouds All Day)
Dark Clouds - Teenage Fanclub

Jim H. said...

Like a Hurricane - Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Tornado - The Darkside
Laredo Tornado - ELO
G-Spot Tornado - Frank Zappa
My Tornado - The Raveonettes
Sun, Hail and Rain - Flyying Colours (trifecta!)
Sleet and Snow - My First Tooth
Blue Sky Day - Died Pretty
Up to the Sky - The Bats
Sky Ghosts - The Depreciation Guild
Road Meets Sky - The Fauns
Sky Burn Down - Greg Pope
When the Sky Comes Falling Down - The Pursuit of Happiness
Calm Before the Storm - The Bats
Shelter from the Storm - Bob Dylan
Storm in My House - Minutemen
Catastrophic Storm - The Parties
Big Bad Storm - The See See

... I'll stop now. Thanks!

M_Sharp said...

A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall - Leon Russell
The Rains Came - Sir Doulas Quintet
Yellow Snow - Frank Zappa
Sour Snow - The Skeltons
Morning Dew - Jeff Beck Group
Emotional Weather Report - Tom Waits
Diamonds On My Windshield - Tom Waits
Lovely Day - Bill Withers
Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers
Howlin' Wind - Graham Parker
Cold, Cold, Cold - Little Feat
Lightnin' Strikes - Lou Christie
Thunder Road - Bruuuuce
I Wish It Would Rain - The Temptations

Shriner said...

How could I forget "The Rain, The Park and Other Things?"

Jim H. said...

Sorry, one more. Lightning/Thunder, Blue Skies/Rainbow Coda:

Await Lightning - Amusement Parks on Fire
Lightning Never Strikes Twice - The Move
1952 Vincent Black Lightning - Richard Thompson (technically not about weather, but damn y'all!)
Flash Lightning - Tom Verlaine
Call Me Lightning - The Who
Remember the Lightning - 20/20
Thunderstruck - AC/DC
This Thunder - The Ghost Is Dancing

Blue Skies - Charlie Fawn
Keep the Blue Skies - Cliff Hillis
Blue Suburban Skies - Even As We Speak
Clear Skies Above the Coastline Cathedral - Manual
Rainbows - Even
Quick As Rainbows - Kitchens of Distinction

steve simels said...

"How could I forget "The Rain, The Park and Other Things?""

Shriner -- that was actually in the original post.

pete said...

I think favorite Ringo performances might be a good Listomania in the future. "Rain" its usually cited as his best and even Sir Ringo himself has called it his favorite but it never moved me nearly as much as the solid rock grooves on things like "Drive My Car," "The Word," or "Ticket to Ride."

"Sir Ringo" - sounds like a new kind of hot sauce.

Anonymous said...

Then there's the other "Stormy" by garage teens the Jesters of Newport. Covered by the mighty Lyres who take it for a nice spin, as usual. Link won't work, (not Mr. Wray), investigate and google away!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I believe it was included n the first go-round of this column but how can we leave out The Kinks "Rainy Day in June".

Captain Al

Anonymous said...

PS: I love John Lennon but he was a moron when it can to his opinion of his wife's musical abilities except "Walking on Thin Ice" which was great.

It may take the human race many years until we catch up with her musical genius. Many years.....

"SMILE!"!

Captain Al

PPS: Now Maddy is great.

MJConroy said...

Graham Parker - "If it Ever Stops Rainin'" from his brilliant Deepcut to Nowhere lp. But the live version on 103 in June, Live in Chicago is one of my favorites.

elroy said...

Continental Drifters - Rain Song

Jim H. said...

Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

steve simels said...

Elroy — Love, nay lurve, that , Continental Drifters song.

neal t said...

forgive if above I didn't see it; Riders on the Storm The Doors