Weekend Listomania: Special "How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?" Edition

Well, it's Friday, and you know what that means.

Yes, my irrepressibe and highly-paid Asian belle du boink Fah Lo Suee and I will be heading to beautiful downtown Bedminster, New Jersey for a few, er, holes of golf (heh heh -- he said holes) and then a shower. (And then, tomorrow, an after-dinner dramatic reading of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion by Republican theological consultant and Speaker of the House Michael Johnson).

So regular postings here will necessarily be sporadic until next week.

That being the case, and in the meantime, here's a fun little project to help us wile away the hours until either we or our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ™ return. To wit:

Best or Worst Post-Elvis Pop, Rock or Soul Song/Record Inspired or Influenced in Some Way by Western Classical Music!!!

No arbitrary rules here, and obviously by classical music we mean everything from the Baroque period up through the 20th century and all that minimalist Philip Glass shit. So don't give me any of that Gregorian Chant mishegass, 'cause I don't want to hear it.

And that said -- my totally Top of My Head Top Five is:

5. B. Bumble and the Stingers -- Nut Rocker

Like dig, man, Tchaikovsky! Actually, considering that Emerson Lake and Palmer later covered this, you can make a convincing case for the proposition that these guys invented prog rock, in which case, of course, may they roast in hell. I should add that up until yesterday I had no idea that this was credited to the notorious Kim Fowley.

4. The Toys -- A Lover's Concerto

The Brill Building meets Bach's "Minuet in G Major" and then they all go out to Lindy's for a piece of cheesecake.

3. The Byrds -- She Don't Care About Time

The B-side of "Turn! Turn! Turn!", better known as the one where McGuinn plays Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" for the middle guitar break. Sublime on every level.

2. The Floor Models -- Enough's Enough

Written by the late great Andrew Pasternack, who also plays Rickenbacker 12-string on the Bach-ian second guitar solo.

And the Number One classical gas, there's no arguing this and if you even try to suggest something else I'm gonna come to your house and ring the doorbell and run, absolutely has to be...

1. Annie Lenox -- Walkiing on Broken Glass

I seriously think, no kidding, that this is among the greatest pop records ever made.

Oh! that tinkling piano! Oh! those pizzicato strings! And Oh! Lennox's (non-auto-tuned) vocal!

Hell, let us not mince words -- it's one of the best songs written and recorded in the English language in the last several decades, and if Lennox had done nothing else, she would still deserve respect from mere mortals like us as a result. Also: can we please give it up for John Malkovich and Hugh Laurie in the video? Thank you.

Alrighty, then -- what would YOUR choices be?

And have a great weekend, everybody!!!

[h/t Tim Page -- this one's for you, pal, and feel better ASAP!]