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Carl

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Everything posted by Carl

  1. Just a quick defense of The Rock Hall and the city of Cleveland. If you love music and are looking for a good, low cost, low maintenance trip, Cleveland is your town. The Rock Hall is great, and Cleveland has a lot to offer with wonderful people and lots to do.
  2. Catherine is absolutely right about Eddie being able to live a normal life in Seatle. He can go wherever he wants and only the tourists bother him. This goes for every rock star who lives there. It's kind of refreshing to see a place where celebrities are treated like regular people. If the sun came out more than 3 times a year, that would be an amazing city.
  3. Beefheart seems to be one of those bands that many musicians claim as an influence, but not many people listen to. The Velvet Underground and Iggy Pop are others in this category. I think you need a very open mind to enjoy it.
  4. What would you guys think of an alphabetical artist browse like we have for the song titles? The browse box was a breakthrough when we put it up, but it has gotten a little unruly.
  5. I see huge differences between Rush and Kiss, but I think they should both be in. Here's why: Kiss- They're famous. That's why they belong in the Hall of Fame. You can criticize their music all you want, but everyone knows who they are and what they do. You can look at Nolan Ryan's stats and say he wasn't the greatest pitcher, but the guy had the stuff of legends. As years go by, the legend grows because he was famous. A baseball hall of fame needs Nolan Ryan, a music hall of fame needs Kiss. Rush- This one is much more questionable than Kiss, but Rush should be in because of quality and consistency. I'm not a drumming aficionado, but every drummer I've asked lists Neil Peart in their Top 5. Geddy and Alex also have remarkable talent. Rush is more like Don Sutton, a funny looking hall of fame pitcher who won at least 15 games every year. You could count on him to deliver a strong performance, even if you might not pay money to see him. I didn't know Rolling Stone was so far up the Rock Hall's atrium. I'd like to learn the details.
  6. You know your band name is a winner when people are still talking about it 12 years on. Pearl Jam used to be called Mookie Blaylock because they liked a basketball player with the same name - he wore number 10, the name of their first album. "Pearl" was not only Eddie's grandmother, but also the nicknames of both Janis Joplin and another basketball player - Earl Monroe (There was also an outstanding point guard at Syracuse University in the '80s called Dwayne "The Pearl" Washington). Like Meat Loaf, they often make up stories about how they got their name, so it's hard to tell for sure.
  7. Just as many Rock songs are meaningless but fun (think AC/DC), a lot of Rap songs have a great beat and no real message. Over the years, the production value of Rap has gotten incredibly good, but the writing hasn't. There are still some clever lyrics, but there are way too many rappers with nothing to say. It's not like the '80s when Rap was, as Chuck D called it, "The Black CNN." There are surprisingly few rap songs that take aim at George Bush, who you would think could provide endless material. Rap has become more about entertainment and less about enlightenment, but I'll agree with Denmark that it is still the most anti-establishment music out there. In response to the original post, a lot of radio stations are lumping Hip-Hop and R&B together, when they are very different forms of music. R&B has been around a lot longer, and has not improved much over time. For proof, listen to Luther Vandoss' version of "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" and compare it to William Bell's original. R&B is more heartfelt, and improvements in technology have not improved the quality of the music.
  8. I'm with you - and add .38 Special to the list. I think The Eagles have a much more distinctive sound that the others, so I can always tell them apart. Especially on songs Don Henley sings. Those bands on the list are not bad, just not particularly distinctive. Every now and then, one of them will let loose a really good song. I'm a big fan of Marshall Tucker's "Heard It In A Love Song" and The Outlaws' "Green Grass And High Tides."
  9. I can confirm that Mr. Derringer is alive and well. Hopefully we'll talk to him soon to discuss some of the songs he's worked on. In addition to his work as a guitar player and singer, he is also a prolific producer.
  10. Our multiple winners are: Susan from Atlanta, Georgia Emma from Palm Beach, Australia Mandee from Huntington, WV Even our tiebreaker couldn't break the tie, with Susan, Mandee and Emma all coming within 1 fish, so they will each receive a clean and comfortable Songfacts T-shirt. Here are the answers: Who has the best-selling greatest hits album of all time? - The Eagles Their album Greatest Hits 1971-1975 racked up huge sales, especially from catalogs where you got a bunch of discs for a penny when you signed up. Some of the hits on the album include "Desperado," "Already Gone" and "Tequila Sunrise." What singer launched a successful career by playing free shows at shopping malls? - Tiffany It was great exposure for her and gave DJs something to say about her. Years later, she got a different kind of exposure when she appeared in Playboy. What song did Michael J. Fox play in the movie Back To The Future? - Johnny B. Goode He goes back in time and inspires Chuck Berry - even the duck walk. A few people got their Michael J. Fox movies mixed up and guessed Light Of Day. What musician released an album that opened like a school desk and contained a pair of paper panties? - Alice Cooper This is one of the reasons we miss albums. His 1972 School's Out album was the one. What famous group had an album with a 3-legged dog on the cover? - Alice In Chains Their self-titled 1995 album is known as Tripod. Note the Alice theme of the last 2 answers. What rap duo had their own Saturday morning cartoon? - Kid 'n' Play Kid was the one who looked like he had an eraser growing out of his head. He can now be seen on Showtime At The Apollo. Their cartoon was on in 1990, a year before the MC Hammer cartoon Hammerman. Kid 'n' Play went on to star in the Houseparty movies. Our favorite wrong answer was Tom And Jerry. What pop singer released an album with a title based on the year the US National Anthem was written? - Janet Jackson We had this up before the boob incident, but claim no responsibility for the "Wardrobe Malfunction." The album was Rhythm Nation 1814. What famous band used to appear on stage wearing nothing but socks? - The Red Hot Chili Peppers They didn't wear them on their feet. What musical couple appeared naked on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in 1981? - John Lennon and Yoko Ono What group released a million-selling album in the '80s with a cover containing just the name of the album and symbols representing the 3 band members? - The Police Those funky symbols on Ghost In The Machine represented the band members. Tiebreaker: How many fish are in the Songfacts aquarium? - 4 (R.I.P. Clarence) Thanks to everyone who took the quiz, and be sure to take the new one here.
  11. Carl

    Big Fish

    Oops. I should have never condemned Tim Burton. I heard "Man Of The Hour" yesterday on an Internet radio station. There's a chance it's going to get some decent airplay.
  12. Carl

    Big Fish

    Sara and I saw this last night. We both really liked it. It's taken me a while to forgive Tim Burton for Batman And Robin (I saw it on my one trip to Mann's Chinese Theater), but the dark, lyrical style worked very well in Big Fish. The music was great, making a big difference in many important scenes. Danny Elfman knows his stuff. Of course, I waited through the credits to see the music, and there was an excellent Pearl Jam song that played over them called "Man Of The Hour." Even if you're not a Pearl Jam fan, you might like this song. It's really beautiful and I think it was written for the movie.
  13. Chaff- Just to clear some stuff up - Cat Stevens did write the song. I checked it in a very reputable discography. I was surprised too. Patty Smyth was lead singer of the group Scandal ("The Warrior"), and did well as a solo artist singing ballads like "No Mistakes" and the duet with Don Henley "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough." Not sure about her playing sax (Candy Dulfer, maybe?), and also not sure where Patti Smith fits into this picture. We're all learning.
  14. A deeper meaning to the Milkshake song - interesting. I think that info came from Entertainment Weekly, but it's entirely possible there is more to it. If you get a chance, send us what you got and we'll add it. Thanks
  15. Including our pick for Record Of The Year - Hey Ya, although Clocks is also a great song. There's some great new Rush, more Fleetwood Mac, and The Milkshake Song. We'll send out the newsletter soon and list a bunch more. Thanks, Carl
  16. Not sure I understand - you're location is posted in your profile.
  17. That's a song called "Zoom Zoom Zoom" which was done by a Brazilian group called Centro Cultural Senzala De Capoeira in 1999. You can probably find it now that it's been in a commercial.
  18. We added optional boxes for the album and date when you add Songfacts. This should help us out when we process the song information. Thanks for the suggestion folks. Carl
  19. Wow, Cat Stevens did write this. I knew Stewart didn't, and assumed it was one of his covers written by a fairly obscure folk singer (see "Reason To Believe.") Rod does a great version, and Sheryl Crow's isn't bad either. I haven't heard about any Patti Smith connection - I'd be interested to hear if there is one. I love the imagery in the song of the first love leaving a scar. Everyone remembers their first love, and it definitely leaves a mark. Smokey Robinson, who I consider a master songwriter, did the same thing with "Tracks Of My Tears," where emotional pain manifests in physical harm as the tears leave tracks down the face of the heartbroken lover. It's no wonder songs like this last forever. And please check out the Bill Withers stuff- I promise "Ain't No Sunshine" will make you cry.
  20. Carl

    Miracle

    I saw a sneak preview of Miracle the other day. It's the story of the 1980 US Olympic hockey team, who won the gold in Lake Placid against some serious odds. As the Patriots have proven twice in the last 3 years, teamwork is a powerful force, and you will not forget this after watching the movie. I was pleased that Miracle did not cheese out on the hockey scenes by using quick, distracting editing to make up for the fact that actors cannot skate. From what I could tell, these guys were really skating and the action on the ice was quite realistic. This is refreshing after seeing a movie like Bend It Like Beckham where the soccer scenes show a girl kicking a ball followed by a quick cut of the ball going in the net. I'm still trying to figure out why people liked that one. Another great thing Miracle did to avoid a common cop-out was to give us an update on what the players are doing now. Here's where the music portion of this post comes in: as the closing credits start, "Dream On" plays, and they show each player in the movie with the credit for who played him and his current job title. It's really interesting because these are all guys who followed their dreams and managed to pull off a sports "miracle," and now many of them are financial advisors or consultants. They aren't what you would think of as "dream jobs," but it makes you consider a few things- Does your job define who you are? Can you follow your dreams and still end up selling insurance? I say yes. Can you follow your dreams within a mundane-sounding job, or is that reserved for firefighers, actors, athletes and musicians? Again I say yes. If you are passionate and dedicated to your job, that's what matters. I know someone who works in customer service and takes great pride in helping people solve their problems. This movie has to do with a lot more than hockey, and I really enjoyed it.
  21. There's a great scene in this movie that makes a lot more sense if you read the songfacts for Crossroads. It's been a while since I've seen it, but I think the character's name is Tommy Johnson, and he's clearly based on Robert Johnson, a Blues singer who supposedly sold his sold his soul to the devil in exchange for his musical inspiration (kind of like Led Zeppelin). Ken is right, this is a really good movie with great use of music.
  22. Carl

    Eve

    But all 41 artists have "eve" in the title, from Steve Miller to Everclear. It's because the computer is doing what I think is called a "contains" search. We thought it was the best option because otherwise, if you wanted The Steve Miller Band and typed in "Steve Miller," nothing would show up. And yes, this means a search for The Who will also bring up The Guess Who. Carl
  23. That is a good idea. We didn't do it in the past because so many people would get them wrong, and we figured it would be easier to dig through our trusy discographies for the info. As more and more Songfacts come in, it would definitely help us out, especially since many of the people who submit Songfacts have proven to be extremely accurate. We'll work on the code and see what we can do.
  24. Congratulations to Eric from Suffern, NY. He wins a clean and comfortable Songfacts T-shirt. Here are the answers: What musician used to be known as Romeo Blue? - Lenny Kravitz He wore blue contact lenses to get the look. Popular guesses were Prince, Billy Idol, and Lil' Romeo. What rock star was injured recently when he crashed his all-terrain vehicle? - Ozzy Osbourne He took a nasty spill, but is making a recovery. When he appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show campaigning for president, what song did Bill Clinton play on sax? - Heartbreak Hotel Our favorite wrong answer was "Play The Funky Music, White Boy." A lot of people thought it was "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow," which was his campaign song, but doesn't translate well to the sax. What famous pop singer has a best-selling children's book? - Madonna The book is called The English Roses. What R.E.M. song was used as the theme song for a TV show? - "Stand" It was the theme song to Get A Life, starring Chris Elliot as a middle-aged paper boy. It ran on Fox from 1990-1992. Fox was a new network, and willing to try just about anything. This didn't work so well, but another show that came on around that time did - The Simpsons. What famous singer got her start touring with Michael Jackson as a backup singer? - Sheryl Crow She had big hair and got to duet with him on "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" during the Bad tour. What singer filmed a part for the movie Spiceworld that was edited out when he got arrested? - Gary Glitter The guy famous for "Rock And Roll, Part 2" got arrested for having child pornography on his computer. What singer is named after an African word for "Fire"? - Chaka Khan Popular guesses: Ashanti, Shakira, Sade, Aaliyah and Erykah Badu. It's also clear that no one remembers how to spell India Arie. What band took their name from a group mentioned in the movie A Clockwork Orange? - Heaven 17 What famous song is based on a movie about a town that is destroyed by a hurricane? - "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival The movie was The Devil And Daniel Webster. Good guesses include "Galveston," "My Hometown" and "Key Largo." Tiebreaker: How many CDs did the Songfacts staff get for Christmas? - 5 Thanks to everyone who took the quiz, and be sure to take the new one here.
  25. I had a chance to listen to their CD. It's straight-up Rock, and very clean. Good production and you can understand every word. It sounds like they have something to say, but it might be a few more listens before I figure it out - that's not a bad thing. Another positive - the songs don't all sound alike. It's clear these guys have honed their skills and might be ready to (catch phrase alert) go to the next level.
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