Author Archives: Steve Moyer

Can’t Help It

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More former Dil Tony Kinman from the really good read Left Of The Dial:

“I would not compare the Ramones album to what I consider the single greatest moment of rock ‘n roll history. It’s in Little Richard’s recording of Lucille. Little Richard is screaming so loud that he overdrives his mic. On the hit version, there’s actually distortion recorded on that. I don’t care if you are even recording for a shitty indie punk rock label. Punk rockers would not let that happen, nowadays. That was a major hit song by a major hit performer of the time. I am speechless just thinking about it. To me, that is the single greatest moment because of what it is, which is incredible, how it sounds is great, and because of the context. He’s overdriving the mic, but the way things were back then was, ‘C’mon Richard, that sounds good enough. We’re done here. Let’s go, man, I’m thirsty, or whatever, or we better get to the gig.’ The era, the primitive rock era and the way those guys worked back then. . .And to this day, that song still has more truly astonishing passion and emotion in it, real terrible energy in it, than anything that has come since.”

I can’t hear distortion in this, but I think I know what he means. Maybe it’s shitty youtube or something. I especially like watching the drummer here. He amuses me:

Then, it occurred to me that Little Richard reminded me a lot of a character out of my childhood. Cesar Romero’s Joker (always will be my favorite Joker). The wild eyes, the hair, the maniacal smile. If Romero’s Joker wasn’t at least partially influenced by Little Richard, it’s a helluva coincidence. Even the moustache (which I always loved that Romero kept even under the Joker makeup).

Long Time Coming

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I’ve been listening to Graveyard’s Hisingen Blues for the last month and it’s a dandy of an album. Definitely my Summer of 2014 album for sure, even though it’s from 2011.

Random thoughts:

1) Was gonna post a couple other more “grab you right off the bat” songs but never got around to it. This one turns out ultimately to be my fave. Once it creeps in, it doesn’t go away.

2) Hisingen Blues has been such a wonderful album experience for me. I now enjoy the whole thing entirely and know the flow. I anticipate the next song. It’s a wonderful thing, baby. If any of you guys can pull your heads out of shuffle-land, I highly, highly recommend this selection.

3) These guys STILL EXIST believe it or not. They were in the states not too long ago playing Coachella, but I missed the boat. Please God, let them survive as a band for another trip to the US. (Who wants to go with?)

4) Tell me who they remind you of. Obviously, this song is pretty Zeppy, but there’s other stuff there. I can’t pinpoint it.

5) I usually favor the Gibson/Marshall guitar sound, but this isn’t that. These guys are Orange (the latest thing in hard rock, I guess) men, but I love it.

6) This song’s about heroin, no? Bonus points.

7) The voice as an extra instrument: When the singer belts out the melodic scream immediately following “Tonight a demon came into my head” (yes, a demon came into his head), it hits me as hard as any lyric.

8) Checked out some reviews and stumbled upon this: “Earlier this year, the much-anticipated Hisingen Blues topped the Swedish album chart, outselling even the ballyhooed return of Britney Spears.”

Sure must be nice to have the masses care about quality music, huh? (Maybe I wouldn’t like it, kind of like everyone screwing your girlfriend.) Anyway, maybe I need to move to Sweden. Something’s definitely different there musically.

OK, here goes:

100 Greatest Riffs?

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This came out a couple days ago and I felt compelled to document it here. The list could be better, could be worse. I’m actually OK with Whole Lotta Love at the top. For me the best part of my favorite rock doc It Might Get Loud starts with Jack White, Edge and Jimmy Page sitting around with guitars. I kind of forget the order of the first two but, let’s just say Edge plays something crappy, then Jack White plays something decent. Then Jimmy Page launches into the Whole Lotta Love riff. The other two look at each other with expressions best defined as, “Holy Shit!” or “That’s what I’m talkin’ about.”

1) I could do a Steveslist on Best Five Riffs Not On The List.

2) Gene will be mad at the omission of 90 percent of the old blues guy riffs that are either better than these or ripped from the old blues guys.

3) Peter? Who knows? One day he’s frustrating me with his fifth Not Rock article in a row. Then, out of thin air, he declares he’s been listening to The Hellacopters.

4) Lawr has run away.

Enjoy. Or enjoy getting mad:

The 100 Greatest Riffs Of All-Time:

100.Get Lucky – Daft Punk
99. Unbelievable – EMF
98. Loser – Beck
97. Are You Gonna Be My Girl – Jet
96. Rocks – Primal Scream
95. Bohemian Like You – The Dandy Warhols
94. Jack & Diane – John Mellencamp
93. Lonely Boy – The Black Keys
92. September – Earth, Wind & Fire
91. The One I Love – R.E.M.
90. Wheels – Foo Fighters
89. C’mon Everybody – Eddie Cochran
88. Ma-Ma-Ma Belle – Electric Light Orchestra
87. Eye Of The Tiger – Survivor
86. That Lady – The Isley Brothers
85. Mr Tambourine Man – The Byrds
84. Words of Love – Buddy Holly
83. Bo Diddley – Bo Diddley
82. Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll – Rainbow
81. Boom Boom – John Lee Hooker
80. I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll – Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
79. Born To Be Wild – Steppenwolf
78. Cannonball – The Breeders
77. Runnin’ Down A Dream – Tom Petty
76. A Girl Like You – Edwyn Collins
75. My Sharona – The Knack
74. Block Buster! – Sweet
73. Rumble – Link Wray
72. Every Breath You Take – The Police
71. Oh, Pretty Woman – Roy Orbison
70. Boys Don’t Cry – The Cure
69. There She Goes – The La’s
68. Theme From Shaft – Isaac Hayes
67. Shakin’ All Over – Johnny Kidd & The Pirates
66. Pride (In The Name Of Love) – U2
65. Need You Tonight – INXS
64. Are You Gonna Go My Way – Lenny Kravitz
63. Marquee Moon – Television
62. Song 2 – Blur
61. Misirlou – Dick Dale
60. Take Me Out – Franz Ferdinand
59. Good Times – Chic
58. Peter Gunn – Duane Eddy
57. Mannish Boy – Muddy Waters
56. Sharp Dressed Man – ZZ Top
55. Walk This Way – Aerosmith / Aerosmith & RUN-D.M.C.
54. Don’t Believe A Word – Thin Lizzy
53. Beat It – Michael Jackson
52. Killing in The Name – Rage Against The Machine
51. Should I Stay Or Should I Go – The Clash
50. Spoonman – Soundgarden
49. Milk & Alcohol – Dr. Feelgood
48. Life In The Fast Lane – Eagles
47. Atomic – Blondie
46. Stay With Me – Faces
45. Run To You – Bryan Adams
44. Apache – The Shadows
43. Fools Gold – The Stone Roses
42. Born To Run – Bruce Springsteen
41. Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love – Van Halen
40. Under The Bridge – Red Hot Chili Peppers
39. I Can’t Explain – The Who
38. No One Knows – Queens of The Stone Age
37. Cigarettes & Alcohol – Oasis
36. Hocus Pocus – Focus
35. No Surprises – Radiohead
34. Don’t Fear The Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult
33. Pretty Vacant – Sex Pistols
32. She Sells Sanctuary – The Cult
31. One Vision – Queen
30. Alive – Pearl Jam
29. The Riverboat Song – Ocean Colour Scene
28. Day Tripper – The Beatles
27. I Can’t Get No (Satisfaction) – The Rolling Stones
26. Paranoid – Black Sabbath
25. Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes
24. Sunshine Of Your Love – Cream
23. Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd
22. Oh Well – Fleetwood Mac
21. All Right Now – Free
20. Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
19. Livin’ On A Prayer – Bon Jovi
18. The Spirit Of Radio – Rush
17. Johnny B. Goode – Chuck Berry
16. Enter Sandman – Metallica
15. Do I Wanna Know? – Arctic Monkeys
14. 20th Century Boy – T. Rex
13. Motorcycle Emptiness – Manic Street Preachers
12. Purple Haze – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
11. Ziggy Stardust – David Bowie
10. Money – Pink Floyd
9. You Really Got Me – The Kinks
8. Money For Nothing – Dire Straits
7. Down Down – Status Quo
6. How Soon Is Now? – The Smiths
5. Layla – Derek And The Dominoes
4. Smoke On The Water – Deep Purple
3. Back In Black – AC/DC
2. Sweet Child O’ Mine – Guns ‘N’ Roses
1. Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin

The 17 Commandments Of Great Songs

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1) Agreed that one knows a great song when one hears it, as at least a couple others have suggested. This overrules anything else (except #17).

2) A great song makes one bob one’s head, shimmy one’s shoulders or purse one’s lips. Multiples are best.

3) Melody is good. The voice should be considered an extra instrument. The better the voice and the better the melody, the better the chance the song is great. A melody that adds to the song is better than one that simply mimics a riff. To use Black Sabbath as an example, War Pigs is a great song, Iron Man is not. The vocal melody has a lot to do with this.

4) Speaking of riffs, they are good.

5) Good harmony is good. Weird, innovative harmony that is still good is best.

6) At this point I’m reminded of something I once heard about The Smithereens. Their goal was to be The Beatles and AC/DC at the same time. They never came close, but it was a noble goal.

7) Hooks are good. A great musical hook is felt somewhere between the belly and balls.

8) Fast is good. There are great slow songs, but they are few.

9) Heavy is good. Most great slow songs make up in heaviness what they sacrifice in tempo.

10) Mellow is bad.

11) Great music demands attention. One cannot multitask in the presence of great music.

12) Good lyrics help, but good lyrics are not essential. If everything else is there, who cares what the band is singing about? By the same token if everything else is there, who cares whether one can decipher what the band is singing about? Misogyny and profanity are good when used properly.

13) Lyrics ideally take the listener to a fantasy world the average Joe will never experience. Songs about screwing exotic women while high on smack are better than songs about admiring one’s wife as she drives the kids to the soccer game (see pop country).

14) Electric guitars are good. Keyboards and synthesizers not so much. There are exceptions.

15) Musical proficiency sometimes helps, but is never a deal breaker. There are many great three-chord songs. Musical talent alone never makes a great song (not even a decent song).

16) Drums. Let me tell you a little story. I was at a birthday party for a relative last fall. As I sat with my brother at the beginning of the party, the DJ was playing Frank Sinatra, etc. I hate that stuff. My brother detected my displeasure and eventually exploded with something like, “This is the American Songbook! How can you call yourself a musician if you don’t at least appreciate the American Songbook?” While the American Songbook was playing, folks were milling around, generally socializing, not really paying attention. Eventually, the DJ bagged the American Songbook. He began with Hang On Sloopy. As dippy as Hang On Sloopy is, the floor immediately filled with people dancing. Drums.

17) The dark side of dancing is modern choreographed dancing. Modern choreographed dancing has been the worst thing to happen to pop music in the past 20 years. Any sniff of greatness a modern song may possess is negated by choreographed dancing. The two cannot coexist. There are surely great songs that include great choreographed dancing, but none since 1980.