Monday, August 07, 2006

Number 935 - Dread Zeppelin


Number 935

Dread Zeppelin

"Misty Mountain Hop"

(1991)
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................Genre: Rock...............

You really have to listen to this version of "Misty Mountain Hop" by (Drum Roll) .................... Why?
Because imagine this, if you can that is, a 300lb Elvis singing "Stairway" with Bob Marley & the Wailers with Jimmy Page on lead guitar as the backing group, and worst of all? They get away with it ! (cut to people fainting)
I know what your saying right now....GET THE FRAG OUT OF HERE!!!
Just remember this Led Heads...... They were given permission by Led Zeppelin! And an even more worst of all fact....They LOVED It.
Yanno.... Ya gotta love Rock and Roll sometimes. (crack up)
Dread Zeppelin channeled the musical spirits of Led Zeppelin, Elvis Presley, and Bob Marley to create tongue-in-cheek novelty rock heartily endorsed by no less an authority than Robert Plant himself. Led by one Tortelvis -- a 300-pound Elvis impersonator born Greg Tortell -- the lineup also included guitarists Jah Paul Jo (Joe Ramsey) and Carl Jah (Carl Haasis), bassist Butt-Boy (Gary Putman), percussionist Ed Zeppelin (Bryant Fernandez), and drummer Fresh Cheese (Paul Masselli); playing their debut live gig on January 8, 1989 (the 54th anniversary of the King's birth), the Pasadena, CA-based group performed reggae-influenced renditions of classic Led Zep anthems capped off by Presley-like vocals, an approach perhaps best exemplified by gene-spliced songs like "Heartbreaker (At the End of Lonely Street)." Growing local buzz soon earned Dread Zeppelin a deal with IRS Records, and in 1990 the group issued their debut LP Un-led-Ed; in addition to surprisingly strong sales, the record's cover of "Your Time Is Gonna Come" also earned high marks from former Led Zep frontman Plant, who admitted he preferred their updated rendition over the original.

Dread Zeppelin's second album, 5,000,000*, followed in 1991, but already the joke was growing stale, and the following summer Tortelvis, Ed Zeppelin, and Fresh Cheese left the band; Butt-Boy rechristened himself Gary B.I.B.B. and assumed vocal duties for the follow-up, 1992's It's Not Unusual, a disco record which effectively alienated much of their core audience as well as executives at IRS, who dropped the group immediately after. Tortelvis and Ed Zeppelin returned for 1993's Hot & Spicy Beanburger, a return to past glories issued on Jah Paul Jo's own Birdcage label; shortly after Dread Zeppelin made a cameo in the 1994 film comedy National Lampoon's Last Resort, Carl Jah and Ed Zeppelin then left the lineup, with the latter's brother Bruce and bassist Derf Nasna-Haj signing on for 1995's No Quarter Pounder. Jah Paul Jo's subsequent departure preceded 1996's The Fun Sessions, the group's lone recording for the Imago imprint; both the live The Song Remains Insane and the rarities collection Ruins soon followed. Deja Voodoo was released in late 2000, marking a return to the Led Zep tributes that constituted the group's bread and butter. The band soon started their own label and website, creating a cottage industry selling music direct to their fans. Live DVDs and CDs plus their first all-original album, Spam Bake, kept hungry Dread Heads satisfied. The music/video hybrid CD Chicken and Ribs from 2005 included the band's version of "Kung Fu Fighting". ~ Jason Ankeny
For Led Zeppelin see Number 957 & Number 577
For Elvis Presley see Number 840
For Kung Fu Fighting see Number 598
Rolling Stone Top 500 Songs ranked this song at Number (Nope, They dreaded it) and the Album ranked at Number (Rolling Stone are still in shock how dare they do led zep yade ya etc)
This song has a crowbarred rating of 54.1 out of 108
(and yes....i did enjoy this one ~ smirk)
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1-2-3-A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P-Q-R-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z
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posted by crowbarred at 8:34 pm 0 comments

Number 934 - Eric Johnson


Number 934

Eric Johnson

"Cliffs of Dover"

(1991)
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................Genre: Guitarist...............
is a guitar God, critics say is almost one too, lets find out why.....

"Very few musical artists achieve a true signature style -- one which makes comparisons to other musicians impossible. But Texas guitarist arguably comes as close to this echelon as any musician from the past quarter-century. Like fellow Lone Star State guitarists Johnny Winter, Billy Gibbons, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Johnson blends the rock style of Jimi Hendrix and the blues power of Albert King. Yet Johnson's wide array of additional influences (from the Beatles and Jeff Beck, to jazz and Chet Atkins) make for a guitar sound as unique as his fingerprints. "When I first heard Eric," Winter recalls, "he was only 16, and I remember wishing that I could have played like that at that age."

Former Doobie Brothers guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter says, "If Jimi Hendrix had gone on to study with Howard Roberts for about eight years, you'd have what this kid strikes me as." The Austin prodigy appeared on the cover of Guitar Player magazine while working with Texas jazz/fusion band the Electromagnets and as a session player (, Carole King, Christopher Cross), and a 1984 performance on the TV show Austin City Limits set his recording career in motion. Johnson's 1986 debut album, Tones, certainly proved that the hype was warranted. Playing with the ace rhythm section of bassist Roscoe Beck and drummer Tommy Taylor, Johnson mixed blazing instrumentals ("Zap," "Victory") with Beatles-influenced vocal tunes like "Emerald Eyes" and "Bristol Shore." Johnson used the same half-and-half format on the 1990 follow-up, Ah Via Musicom; but a trio of the album's tunes surprisingly made him the first artist to have three instrumentals from the same album to chart in the Top Ten in any format (with "Cliffs of Dover" earning Johnson a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental" [Source:ArtistDirect]

For Jimi Hendrix see Number 718
For Stevie Ray Vaughan see Number 592
For the Beatles see Numbers 947, 894 & 587
For Jeff Beck see Number 636
For Doobie Brothers see Number 868 & Number 776
For Carole King see Number 808
For Christopher Cross see Number 850 & Number 604
For ZZ Top see Number 647


Rolling Stone Top 500 Songs ranked this song at Number (Nope, They hated it) and the Album ranked at Number (Nup, Still clutching their Hendrix records)
This song has a crowbarred rating of 54.1 out of 108
Maungawhau
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posted by crowbarred at 9:07 pm 0 comments

Number 936 - Savage Garden


Number 936

Savage Garden

"I Knew I Loved You"

(1999)
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Genre:Pop
Gasp and shock horror, after compiling my "Definitive 1000" list i learnt that one half of Savage Garden was, well, er different..........

"Darren Hayes, one-half of defunct Australian pop duo , said he married his boyfriend in a recent civil ceremony in London.

The announcement, made to fans Monday on Hayes' web site, offered a rare insight into his private life, which he has long kept under wraps.

"As so many of you have given me your heart and soul over the past 10 years I thought it only fitting that I too return the respect and inform you of the most significant event in my life," Hayes wrote. "On June 19th 2006 I married my boyfriend of two years, Richard (Cullen), in a civil partnership ceremony in London. I can honestly say it was the happiest day of my life."

Erm, happiest day? Anyway, moving right along.... (Does this mean that he is joining the Village People? Queen? ?) Oh shhhh!

What does Grandmaster Stone think about Savage G?
Australian pop duo savage Garden scored international multiplatinum success with their hit-packed debut ("I Want You," "Truly Madly Deeply") as singer Darren Hayes' marriage collapsed. Coming after that career breakthrough and personal loss, Affirmation strikes an uneasy balance between sunny pop and dusky emotional truths. Megamainstream producer Walter Afanasieff (Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Michael Bolton) sweetens a set of mostly sad, soul-searching songs. Although Afanasieff's all-American production gloss is often at odds with the duo's New Wave essence, Hayes' wounded tenor and Daniel Jones' poptastic tunes kick boy-band butt when they're not trying to kiss it. The current single, "I Knew I Loved You," clones 98 Degrees' tepid turds, yet galloping rockers like "The Best Thing" and "Chained to You" still pack a cherry-cola buzz, and the numerous melancholic ballads ache with melodramatic bliss. Moral: Tears should never be feared. ~ [source: Rolling Stone - 827]
For Mariah Carey see Number 916
For Celine Dion see Number 910 & MM Vol 1 #130
Rolling Stone Top 500 Songs ranked this song at Number (Nope, They hated it) and the Album ranked at Number (They just sent flowers instead)
This song has a crowbarred rating of 54.1 out of 108
Search Artist here:1-2-3-A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P-Q-R-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z

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posted by crowbarred at 8:07 pm 0 comments

Sunday, June 07, 2009

Number 386 - Bob Marley


Number 386

Bob Marley

"Buffalo Soldier"

(1983)
.
.
................Genre: Reggae...............
art by antiemo
Times are tough, the recession in short, has been a bitch. Now that i don't have employment anymore after 28 years of making other people rich, I find myself in jeapoardy of loosing my house and by living in the small town where i live .... the outlook is bleak. So, dear Mr Sting, Dylan, Bono and Gates [or anyone really] here is my bank account number if you feel the urge to save "Definititive 1000" 03 0179 0264849 025 it's a real bank account number and a note to the hackers ... you're welcome to get my $9.25. In the meantime, rest assured, i will think of something to save this motley roof above my head! By the way if anyone makes a donation, I will let you know because i think, i would be absolutely dumbfounded and shocked if anyone would.
Now quick! Lets get back to the music before they take my computer away or worse cut the power!
A posthumous collection produced by Rita Marley, based on work left behind by Bob upon his death. Some of his best post-Wailers work is here, with songs like "Buffalo Soldier," "Chant Down Babylon," and "Blackman Redemption." Given that he wasn't alive to do the production that he usually helped in, this album seems remarkably true to the general vision of Bob Marley's albums. Other somewhat lesser-known tracks also help to fill in all of the cracks with some remarkable material. Case in point: "Jump Nyabinghi," a nice danceable groove with perhaps less of the usual politics mixed in, but with just as much musicality. Overall, any Bob Marley fan ought to own this album. For the uninitiated, Legend is always the starting point, but, after that, this may not be such a bad choice for additions to the collection. [The 2001 reissue offers a remix of "Buffalo Soldier"] ~ [Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide]
What is a Buffalo Soldier?
art by chaos-420 [+ click to expand]
The title and lyrics refer to the black U.S. cavalry regiments, known as "Buffalo Soldiers", that fought in the Indian Wars after 1866. Marley likened their fight to a fight for survival, and recasts it as a symbol of black resistance. The lyrics cannot be interpreted literally due to historical inaccuracies. References to "Stolen from Africa, brought to America, Fighting on arrival, fighting for survival" conflict with the fact that importation of slaves to the United States was banned from 1808 onward, so that the youngest person "stolen from Africa" would have been 58 years old when the Buffalo Soldier regiments were first formed in 1866. Likewise the opening line "Buffalo soldier, dreadlock rasta" is historically inaccurate since the Rastafarian movement was not founded until the 1930s and centers around the person of Haile Selassie, who was not born until 1892. The song's bridge, with the lyrics woy! yoy! yoy!, is similar to the chorus of the Banana Splits' "The Tra-La-La Song", the 1968 theme from their TV show; The Dickies had a #7 hit in the UK in 1979 with a cover of the song. Scholars disagree on whether the complexity of the section is strong enough to be considered plagiarism; the melodic run of 8-6-5 is common on the simple pentatonic scale. There has never been any litigation connected to the similarity. ~ [Source: Wikipedia]
For Bob Dylan see Number 491, #841 & #929
For U2 see Number 661, MM Vol 1 #038 & MM Vol 1 #129
For more Bob Marley see Number 482
What does RS think about Bob?
Tremendously popular in their native Jamaica, where Bob Marley was regarded as a national hero, the Wailers were also reggae music's most effective international emissaries. Bob Marley's songs of determination, rebellion, and faith found an audience all over the world. Marley was a pioneer not only because he single-handedly brought reggae to the world, but because his passionate, socially observant music has become a yardstick against which all reggae will forever be measured. ~ [Source: The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll -Simon and Schuster, 2001]
Rolling Stone magazine deemed their '386th Song of all Time' was "I Know You Got Soul" by Eric B & Rakim. Eric B & Rakim have not appeared in The Definitive 1000.
Other songs with reference to Bob Marley #427, #443, #453, #590, #643, #935
Rolling Stone Top 500 Songs ranked this song at Number (Not this song) and the Album ranked at (AND we are not donating to you crowbarred:p)
This song has a Definitive 1000 rating of 79.3 out of 108
Search Artist here:1-2-3-A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P-Q-R-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z

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posted by crowbarred at 3:06 pm 2 comments