Image courtesy of Long Island Oddities
TANGENTO'S TOP 1000
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Search Boxes at the Bottom of this Page)
This is where I will relay to the reader which songs have been AMPing me out this month.
I will keep adding to it until the end of time, so it will eventually be
"The Top 1000"
If you are unfamiliar with ANY of these tracks, E-mail me. We can help you.
(* denotes a track which you may NEVER FIND on the internet, but I can help your ears find their way to it.)
(**Denotes an artist who is Featured here on the site.)
Songs which can be found on my Downloads page are directly linked there. How cool is that?
BUT PLEASE REMEMBER:
These artists deserve to be compensated for their hard work!
Always BUY the OFFICIAL copies (from a store, remember that?) of the stuff you really like WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
Better yet, use the CD Universe search at the bottom, and help support this site!
Additionally, request this stuff on whatever worthless local radio station you are stuck with.
This provides the artists with royalty revenue and gets them much-needed exposure.
If you need to know which releases contain a certain track, e-mail me for the info
or try the CD Universe Search at the bottom.
Here WE GO:
1. Magnum Opus - Kansas
This is one of the quintessential "Progressive" rock compositions of all time.
It weaves in and out of different emotional plateaus, and is found to be BRILLIANT and INVIGORATING throughout.
It is basically an instrumental, with a short vocal prelude.
2. Wake Up Dead - Megadeth
This is similar in structure to "Magnum", but this is good, old fashioned THRASH.
I normally leave out highly popular mainstream bands on this page, but this tune CRUSHES and MUST be mentioned.
Excellent for driving at speeds in excess of 80 MPH.
3. Tigermoth - Steve Hackett **
What an Absolutely INTENSE song!
It is a tough one to describe, but it has to do with a WW1 fighter pilot and his ghost.
There are live versions of this which take the intensity to a whole new level.
To hear one of these, go to "Downloads" (or click the song title).
The first half of this particular live version of the song is UN-fucking-REAL.
You should, however, seek out the studio version from Spectral Mornings to get the whole scope of the tale.
4. Moment of Truth - S.O.D. **
The highlight of "Bigger Than the Devil" for me, anyway.
It sounds like maybe a certain ScottNot was hearing a bit of The Accused in the extended time off.
This should be heard LOUD during the "wrestling" portion of my proposed pre-punishment on the "Updates" Page.
5. *Inhaling Green - Nick Magnus
This one may be a little tough to find, but this is some SERIOUSLY cool music.
This is the former and sometime keyboardist for Steve Hackett. (see "Features")
He has a really cool website, found on the "Various" page, where I believe you can purchase his awesome releases.
6. * No Hope For Relief (Close Insight) - The Accused **
Man, this one just HITS you like a FUCKING FREIGHT TRAIN. This has got to be their finest moment.
It can (not easily) be found on the "Straight Razor" release.
But why just read about it when you could be listening to it? Click the song title!
7. Pre-Ignition - Voivod **
This tune is all twisted up.
It takes all the tired old rock cliches and smashes them into a billion meaningless bits.
This was Voivod at their best, defying worn-out traditional rock trappings, and achieving Musical Escape Velocity.
I used to have this up for your downloading pleasure, but, alas, no donations.
Just go & BUY Nothingface, one of the Greatest Prog-Thrash albums of all time.
8. Dark as a Dungeon - Wall Of Voodoo **
What a moody, skull-pounding interpretation.
I believe this was originally a traditional, as well as a fine Johnny Cash tune.
This is certainly one of the best WoV songs of the Post-Ridgway era.
Back in the day, they would open their shows with this one;
Bruce Moreland pounding away with Hammer & Anvil
...and his brother Marc just Brutalizing that Flying V of his...
Great Memories
9. *Little Neutrino - Klaatu
This is one of the strangest, most unique songs EVER.
It ponders the smallest of things in the universe, the Neutrino,
which passes through all of us and all we see on a daily basis.
This is truly cosmic music, mechanized vocals and all. Very highly recommended.
This track is the April 2003 Pick of the Month.
Get it while you can on the DOWNLOADS PAGE
10. Black Blade - Blue Öyster Cult **
If you don't know this song, SHAME ON YOU.
It is right up there with "Magnum Opus" as one of the all time progressive rock masterpieces.
This one deals with a tale originally spun by Michael Moorcock about a powerful and
diabolical sword which posseses its wielder with tragic consequences.
If you are going to hear this song for the first time, try your best to do so on a quality pair of headphones.
11. Gutter Cat vs. The Jets - Alice Cooper **
Here is a prime example of the endless amount of creativity this man has.
He takes a song/ concept from a broadway musical, and transforms it into an unparalelled, irresistable rock classic.
(That you will NEVER FUCKING HEAR on a "Classic Rock Station")
Alice & the band have created a masterpiece of imaginative rock music here.
The sequence beginning with:
"...Midnight/ Catfight/ Neckbite/ Die! "
...and the following interlude leading up to the
Street Fight; and including the Jets Chant
is one of my favorite pieces of music EVER, by ANYONE.
Inspires chills to this day.
12. Reptiles and Samurai - Oingo Boingo **
Wacky stuff, this is.
This is an almost indescribable concoction of rowdy, ghoulish, haywire havoc and wily, hotshot musicianship.
Tricky riffs and syncopated rhythms abound.
Elfman prowls around as both Reptile and Samurai, with dodgy little narratives in between.
Someone REALLY needs to produce an animated video for this.
A "must hear"to be sure.
13. Lost Weekend - Wall Of Voodoo **
Classic Stan Ridgway storytelling here, complete with whistling and whiffs of fleeting harmonica.
...A man and his wife are returning from Vegas after losing it all.
We hear their tale in a typically morose, yet oddly sympathetic tone.
"...'Pull over soon,' she said, 'it's no big deal/ You can take any exit that you happen to feel is The right one/ The right... one'..."
Boy, do I miss this band...
14. Candide Overture - Leonard Bernstein**
This is a song-length piece of modern (20th Century) composer brilliance.
There are sections of this that give me a shiver and a gaggle of goosebumps EVERY time I hear it.
Intense Music of the Best Kind.
For more on Leonard, and other great Composers, see my new Composers Section
15. Affixed By Disconcern - Napalm Death **
Absolutely BRUTAL and RELENTLESS.
Those words will ALWAYS apply to this BEHEMOTH, but never more so than here.
ND has increasingly incorporated complexity and maniacal shifts in tempo and rhythm
into their arsenal of Blast Beats and The Stomping Out of the Weak and The Wussified.
An endurance test for YOU.
16. I Don't Need Society - Dirty Rotten Imbeciles **
Looking back, this really is an Anthem for a historic little chunk of rock music history.
D.R.I. hits the mark HARD with this brash, acceleratory Middle Finger to all that is "The Establishment".
"FUCK YOU!!"
17-18. Golem II: Bionic Vapour Boy/ Holy Filament - Mr. Bungle **
"Radically distinctive and without equal" is the definition of "Unique" in my dictionary.
THAT is Bungle in a nutshell.
These two songs are forever linked together because of the order in which
they appear on the CD, but they couldn't be more disparate in style.
One is impish, robotic, and cartoonish; the next is retro, ethereal, and damn near rapturous.
Both need to be heard.
And now for an added treat, here is a music video inspired by "Golem":
Bionic Vapour Boy Music Video by Geoff Moses, Sam Hewitt and Edward Fransisco 2010
from Geoff Moses on Vimeo.
19. Where Your Eyes Don't Go - They Might Be Giants
"Where your eyes don't go a filthy scarecrow waves his broomstick arms and does a parody of each unconscious thing you do..."
How many songs have this much to say in just the very first line?? This is typical of the twisted tales this duo often doles out.
Musically, the song caroms off the walls of offbeat influence, turning a new trick at every corner.
The backup vocals seem to be provided by a barbershop quartet escapee.
20. *Battle of the Leaves - Pictures **
I would have to say it is a safe bet that if I don't put this song up for download, your deprived ass will never hear it.
My feature on this obscure duo of Stennett and Rocca explains why.
This track is a dark, ambient, ghostly journey.
An anthem to desolation and wind-whipped loneliness.
I have personally listened to it while traveling down a forgotten highway somewhere in the middle of Nevada
at 3:00 AM, and it sent Chills through my very Being
...I will work on getting this one up for d/l
21. Argh... Fuck... Kill! - Day Glo Abortions
This is as Blatantly Obnoxious as music can possibly get, and God, I love this song!
The lyrics are kept simple:They are the same as the title.
(Except for the brilliant verses of "BLAH BLAH BLAH blah blah blah blah..." etc.)
Between that and the 4-chord progression, this is Pure Genius, I tell 'ya.
Highly Recommended.
22. *The Puppet - D.I. **
This is Top Ten material here, folks. One of the coolest damn songs ever written.
D.I. was one of the great Orange County Punk bands, and this track
concerns itself with Part 3 of the truly frightening for-its-time T.V. movie "Trilogy of Terror".
In it, Karen Black is relentlessly pursued & assaulted by a rampaging, evil,
murderous, maniacal, spear-wielding, oven-proof little voodoo troll doll in her apartment.
The song is even better than the show.
Essential Psych Music.
23. White China - Ultravox
Wicked cool Humanized Electronic tune, one of UV's best.
The corniness factor which sometimes plagued these guys is more than
overcome by this transcendent track's sheer emotional and purposeful musical presence.
I think Midge Ure should try to re-discover some of this energy.
If you can, find the "Razormaid" remix. All of the coolest parts are made longer.
24. Chubby Meets Fats - Co kla coma **
Ohhh Kay... NOW we are getting into some of the Really Weird Shit.
This offshoot of Severed Heads is right on the mark with this one.
It starts out kinda bouncy and fluffy with all that jumpy fun stuff... (is that a Buddy Holly sample?)
Then Ellard kicks it into "Nardoo Flagoon Mode", and we are treated to a sort of "De-ascension" into musical pugatory.
The remainder of the "song" cannot be described in any sort of spoken or written form.
Just let me know whether it kicks up the goosebumps or just plain scares the hell out of 'ya.
25. Krafty Cheese - The Residents **
Oh yeah... more of that sweet Weirdness, eyeball-style.
Quite catchy and gregarious, this one, but as strange as can be.
What are they singing about?
Well... I believe it has something to do with the finer points of Botany and
the Lack of Carelessness required for such green-thumbed tasks.
It really doesn't matter much when you are this wonderfully demented.
26. Waitin' On the Cards to Fall - Guy Davis
Now I don't pretend to be any sort of expert on the Blues, as 99% of it bores me to tears.
But I do know the Real Deal when I hear it. This guy has got it DOWN, and this is one Damn Fine tune right here.
"Don't you raise your voice at me, for I am the boss of ALL you see..."
A rare combination of youthful fire, and a cat that has a voice thirty older than his own years.
Hell yeah, Guy... you da man!
27, 28. Drug Me - Dead Kennedys ** & Sepultura
To me, the greatest Punk song ever.
The DK's actually combined elements of Progressive music into their already manic hardcore style.
We are treated to quick stops & starts, off-meters, wild changes in tempo and dynamics. Awesome.
Sorry to all you DK purists, but Sepultura pulled this song off in a MORE than
brutal and admirable fashion, so their version certainly makes the list.
29. Wiggly Worm - No Means No
This one could easily share much of the above description. These frenzied bastards is all over the friggin' place.
Superbly Chaotic, this track seems to be a sort of homage to both DK and (even more so) DEVO.
Another highly recommended track.
30. Guests - Severed Heads **
Chills... The hair on the back of your neck stiffens...
The shapeless, eyeless spectre wafts and hovers...
Sorrow and languishing can be sensed in the vague sounds and distant voices...
Guests? Unsettled and Uninvited, indeed.
31. * The Birth of Sporting (Aphid Soup) - 5 UU's**
Another rare one. This instrumental was my fist introduction to this
slightly bonkers communal of ridiculously talented musicians.
Driving, odd-metered beats, cacophonous background noises, smoothly-transited
tempo shifts and stunning guitar work make this track an Avant/ Prog-Music fan's Wet Dream.
The band's official site can be accessed from their Feature here.
...There you will purchase ALL of their releases.
This is the closing track of Bel Marduk and Tiamat, an early, brilliant release.
32. Bottle of Blues - Beck
Here we are back on that ol' "Blues" kick. But I refuse to classify this as such; Exhibit A:
"...holdin' hands with an impotent dream /in a brothel of fake energy /put a nickel in the graveyard machine /i get higher and lower..."
The last time I checked, "Blues" numbers did not contain punch-drunk, cockamamie lyrics like that.
Gotta love it.
Bottom line: This is a very cool, laid-back tune with just enough off-the-wall behavior to keep the listener thinking and guessing.
33. Reconquering the Throne - Kreator **
This song couldn't possibly be more accurately titled. This is Kreator's return to form;
they have fully re-captured the blazing intensity of their releases of the mid-to late 80's.
Mille shreiks and barks, just like the good old days,
while displaying the crunching, precision riffage which made Kreator true legends of thrash.
~Hypnosis Begins~
~You will now BUY "Violent Revolution".
You will go HERE to do so.~
~END of Hypnosis Session~
34. Forbidden Zone - The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo **
This stuff is as fun as it gets. The wacky, cartoonish mania that was Oingo Boingo was just starting to hit its peak here.
Composed as a soundtrack for his brother Richard's delightfully horrible film of the same name, this Danny Elfman project far outdid his bro's film.
This Title track starts out with some mostrous havoc:
WHOOOOAH LORDY Lemme OUTTA HERE Whoa-HA Whoa-HA waaaaooowooooaAHHHHoh!!!
Then it hits classic Boingo realms of Musical Mayhem & Erratic Precision.
Richard Elfman has the video available (signed!) for sale: HERE, but HURRY!! This is a true rarity.
35. *Joan Fan Club - Skafish
This is like an anthem to cruel pranks and the intolerance to obesity in the barbaric realms of high school.
It is an odd, jumpy, happy go lucky sounding song, but boy oh boy, are they being mean to poor Joan. You can't help but feel bad for the poor girl.
I mean shit, they wanna "push her down the stairs", they wanna "touch her little pizza-face", hell, they even wanna "stick some thumb tacks in her back".
Damn kids! What a great song this is, though. Catchy as fuck and plenty of instrumental prowess is displayed throughout.
...Looking at the Singer/ Frontman, Jim Skafish, you have to wonder what manner of sociological torture and ridicule he might have endured throughout his school days...
36. Los Angeles - Frank Black
Did you catch the short-lived VH1 show "Late World With Zach"?
If so, you have heard this KILLER fuckin' song. (Part of it was played during the opening credits)
If not, then FIND THIS ONE. It doesn't get any cooler than this.
It starts out with a sort of vagabond balladeer sounding thing,
then just RIPS into this awesome JAM, flows in and out of some cool progressive touches,
and ends with a killer John Lennon-esque acoustic section.
That's a lot of bang for your buck, my friends.
37. Serenade For Missy - The Residents **
This can only be compared to something like Retro-60's style, Emulated Escapist Big Band Elevator Muzak.
The thing is, if this were playing in an elevator, the people in there would certainly perform an odd ritual of alternately:
a. Merrily tapping their foot, and then
b. Looking up at the speaker, frowning and befuddled.
This is a song, which back in my partying days, was utilized as a soundtrack for the following activity:
We would put our tiny baby Alligator Lizard, Festus
(who was an inch long, head to tail, and smaller around than a pencil)
(not Festus, but a reasonable facsimile)
...we would put him on this cheap little multi-colored fiber-optic "fountain" and put the clear cube back over it.
We would then watch as this "fountain" would very slowly spin around, Festus aboard, with this completely absurd music playing.
This produced near-catastrophic laughter, because he would be looking up at you with this little tiny frown, as if to say;
"what the hell is wrong with you people?"
To this day, I cannot properly answer that question.
R.I.P., Festus.
38. Adventures In Modern Recording - The Buggles
A truly incredible song.
The Buggles managed to merge Prog influence with invigorating 80's "New Wave"
even before this duo of Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes joined the Progressive masters of Grandiloquence Yes, in May, 1980.
This one deals with Music's "Plastic Age" with an insider's perspective; "...He's not playing..."
The song mounts in Epic proportions, and pretty much remains there throughout, with flawless production.
While some music of this era has become dated, this remains fresh and vital.
Highly Recommended
39. The Black Page, Part 2 - Frank Zappa **
This one is also discussed briefly in my Zappa Feature.
Now, I want to clarify which version of this song I am referring to;
it is NOT the one introduced by FZ as the "Easy Teenage New York Version". This one just comes off a bit stiff and unnatural, in my opinion.
We want the Baby Snakes Version. Remember that.
This is when I feel Zappa was at his best, when he let the music flow from the depths of his twisted soul.
As stated in the feature, the audience's reaction is the key here. Listen to them as much as you do the music itself. Amazing stuff.
This weaving labyrinth of musical apexes and bursts is complex and difficult to tap out on the dashboard of the car, but folks, that is why we're here.
We need to learn to tap it out.
The only thing that sucks about this version is that it is quite short, (less than 3 min.) and it just abruptly ends, leaving you with only "Rewind" or " Track".
I usually just record it twice in a row.
40. Condition Yellow - Gamma
This was an example of two musical minds melding into one.
We have Guitarist Ronnie Montrose on one end, and Keyboardist/ Composer Mitchell Froom on the other.
This track is where it all came together for these two.
Oh GOD this just absolutely fucking KILLS.
The beat is kept simple; it is a backdrop for Froom's electronic wizardry and Montrose's searing, confoundingly brilliant soloing.
I just wish they would have made an entire album of instrumentals like this one, leaving vocalist Davey Pattison to his Lou Gramm-wanna-be support group.
(he wasn't that bad, it's just kinda frustrating)
These two need to hook up again.
41. Strange Brew - Severed Heads **
First of all, you bunch of Old Hippies, I am NOT referring to the original version of this by Cream.
I don't care how great you thought Clapton and Bruce were.
I don't give the smallest rat's ass whether or not Ginger Baker made the stage Tremble and Rise during his drum solo.
This is IRRELEVANT to this version of the song.
ONLY Tom Ellard is capable of transforming something so mundane into something so immoderate and outlandish.
42. Detox - Strapping Young Lad **
Yes, it's about fucking time I got a Devin Townsend project up here.
This is a blistering, raging, caustic little number, driven by the unforgiving blasting brutality of Drummer Gene "The Machine" Hoglan.
Scraping, harsh sonic mayhem, delivered in an exploding package.
Often following the detonations, we have Devin's trademark swirling and far out melodies:
...which are precisely what sets this guy apart from the rest of the heap.
43. (Ghost) Riders in the Sky - Johnny Cash
Oooh... I got me a case of the shivers!
An absolutely brilliant version of this Western Classic, in my opinion, the best one. The way that guitar solo comes in is Pure Magic.
I have a special treat for anyone who likes this killer twanger.
(and those who don't... forever you will be cursed... "...A-tryin to catch the devil's herd/ across the endless sky...")
The treat is, some "cowpoke" has decided that this is "The Best Song Ever", and who am I to argue?
Anyway, he has put together a page which reviews damn near every version of this song to date.
Not only that, there is a link for you to hear every single one!
Just click the Pic:
A note: Sadly, this very cool page has vanished;
I did manage to grab quite a few of the versions. If you are interested, e-mail me.
44. Shining Faces (I Am Nino) - Snakefinger
This guy is badly missed. This Often-Guitarist for the Residents was more than just that.
Snakefinger was a truly unique talent, with a totally unmistakable style.
This endearing track has been on my fave list for many years now.
It is just so happy. Not like sappy/ sticky/ make you sick happy,
but the kind of song that just kinda makes all the world's Bad-Craziness go away for a few minutes.
It is an instrumental, with a vaguely "boogie-woogie" bass-line, overlayed with
thick layers the strange & glorious musical idioms of the Smelly-Tounged One.
45. Bullet Brain and Cactus Head - Split Enz
Here is a band that was badly under-appreciated.
The Finn Brothers and their crew had one of the most distictive and original sounds of all 80's bands.
You could just hear all of that South Seas/ New Zealand atmosphere just bleeding into their music.
This song was easily one of their best.
Built around a very ODD concept, to say the least, the content matches the title;
...with clanging pianos, vocal effects, a bizzare set of lyrics and characters and just plain looniness.
Seek it out.
46. Nuclear Winter - Sodom **
I wouldn't want you to think I was wimping out on you Thrashers & Grinders.
FUCK
This is just a fierce, tempestuous, cataclysmic ball of fury.
Sodom, when at their best, will easily transform your Grey Matter into Mashed Potatoes and Gristle.
No weak-kneed namby-pamby human doormat should even attempt to endure this.
"...Causing the premature burial of nature/ With the spark to a powder keg/
Pining up their toys on the shoulders of the nation/ Turning death into universal heir..."
Every greedy, power-mad, war-mongering World leader in history
should be relentlessly exposed to this, and things of this nature;
made to understand consequences; Death on a Grand Scale... for all Eternity.
47. A Million Angels - Severed Heads **
This one always Creeps me out in all the right ways.
The things that Sevcom can do to a human mind are beyond description.
Whenever it comes time to describe one of their tracks, I just seem to lock up. (for a minute or so...)
This one brings conflicting feelings of tragedy and elation, and then maybe
provoking thoughts of The Angels, gathered upon the rim of this arena (our world) with tears in their eyes...
You must tune the mind into the sonically peripheral goings-on;
with much of Severed Heads' material, the background is where the heart of the music lies.
48. Baby/Death - Nightmare Lodge
Yes, the title is a disturbing one.
This is one of the most effective examples of the "Dark Ambient" Genre of Electronic Music.
Ivan Iusco Is a true master of this style. This, like most of their tracks, is a Musical Journey
...ideal for Road Trips, Out-Of-Body-Experiences, or just wandering through my Weirdness Section.
Look for a Feature (& maybe more) on Nightmare Lodge here soon.
49. Taste The Poison - Napalm Death **
Obstreperous: 1. "Boisterously and noisily aggressive" 2. "Noisily and stubbornly defiant"
The very day this became available, my best bro, Frank, ultra-enthusiastically described this to me as "Napalm Meets Hackett".
Needless to say, I nearly jumped out of the chair and shattered limbs on a quest to find it.
Nope, no question about it, this Virulent track Blisters the Skin and has Maniacal Prog Foundations as well.
Inexorable: "Not capable of being swayed or diverted from a course; unsusceptible to persuasion"
Man, these guys NEVER FAIL.
50. Jacuzzi - Steve Hackett **
A blissful instrumental.
This was the song that helped me temporarily recover from the reaction I was having
to the overwhelming intensity of his Nov. '81 show at the Roxy.
This experience is further detailed in my Hackett Feature
This piece is a perfect example of the unbelievable chemistry which had formed
between these two highly-imaginative virtuosos; Hackett and Keyboardist Nick Magnus.
Flawless note-for-note dual-soloing is a highlight here.
This would be an excellent starting point for potential Hackett fans.
51. Fever Dream - Steve Vai **
Yet another superlative guitar instrumental. I just live for this kind of stuff.
Vai takes us on another journey, this time we venture to some "where" far away, with many melodic twists and turns;
while wonderfully unexpected notes are sought out and found by this Master-Guitarist.
The influence of Zappa, combined with Vai's already Super-Human Talents are an unbeatable combination.
Anyone with even a shred of adventurous musical taste will appreciate this work.
Hell, your Grandparents might even like this, with proper training.
52. Strange Universe - Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush
I just returned from an awesome Frank Marino Website, and many memories came flooding back.
This song is one of them.
This is a dreamy and fascinating trip, one of Marino's best.
Among many grooves, it has a timeless and trippy feel throughout, like serenely drifting through
the vast Cosmos and then suddenly pinballing between Galactic masses.
You are consequently sent weaving and twirling through luminous clouds of dust and gas... Stars are forming around you.
You now careen toward the Event Horizon...
only to be stretched like a noodle into the Singularity, ending up in a dimensional void;
left to share nether-space with abandoned photons and stored time.
You are not lost...
Frank's Guitar will get you safely earthbound, never fear.
53. Peaches En Regalia - Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention **
This song was a milestone in Zappa's career.
The Hot Rats album really set the notion in motion of FZ as Composer.
I remember as a child, seeing his band perform this on Saturday Night Live,
and how exciting it was to see Frank Zappa in action, and this band of virtuoso musicians tackling this delightfully complicated musical work.
In my opinion, the use of a horn section in rock music had always added an element of cheesiness, but with this song, it is a necessary element.
Besides, "Cheesy" was often Zappa's middle name, and nobody did it better.
He turned it into an art form.
The original version featured multi-instrumentalist Ian Underwood who along with his wife,
the infamous Ruth, became fixtures in Zappa's lineup in the years to come.
A classic and innovative track.
54. Tornado - Voivod**
Talk about your Intense Music...
This is no doubt under F-5 classification.
"...Cumulonimbus storms arrive
Lightning flashes a hundred miles around
Electrical collision course..."
Hell yeah... This is one raging bastard of a song, following no known structure;
...It just continues to build momentum and power.
Crashing and weaving/ while Piggy spews his towering dissonances,
invoking a musical vortex from which there is no escape.
All the while, pounding and grinding rhythms and blower-bass voids of chaotic consequence;
AWAY & Blacky rip livestock, trees, and hulking farm equipment; hurling them for miles in every direction.
Broomsticks through the hoods of cars.
55. Teach Us To Survive - Accept
Whoa! We are reaching way back here.
This is a prime example of great mainstream 80's Metal that nobody ever heard.
Accept, on this particular song, followed the track that Alice Cooper had laid down several years before.
A catchy, bass-driven twangy-yet-metal onslaught with above-average musicianship.
Now, I always thought of Accept as *Gay-Metal*, (i.e. the "Balls to the Wall" album cover) but really, who gives a crap?
This is a GREAT song. Slick spy-guitar work, and the Bass soloing is almost beyond Dunaway.
56. Eastern Intermezzo - Percy Grainger**
A brief, but infinitely magical little piece of music.
Admittely, I have not yet heard the full context of this, for it is the 4th movement of Grainger's 'Youthful Suite'.
You can bet that I am on a mission to find this work.
Grainger was a fascinating composer, who moonlighted as an inventor of musical contraptions later in his career.
I urge you to go have a look my new Composers Feature and follow the link for him.
While you are at it, FIND this sublime little chunk o' bliss.
57. Rock a Bye Bear - The Wiggles
Tease me all you want. This is one of my Daughter Kenzie's favorites, and mine too.
One day, we had burned some Wiggles songs for her onto CD, and when this came on,
she put her arms up in the air, and began to circle in place, smiling.
It was the cutest thing we had ever observed, but we didn't know where she'd picked this up.
Some days later, we saw the video for the same song on Playhouse Disney, and all was understood.
Toddlers have such incredible retention.
This song will bring a smile to my face and a tear to my eye as long as I shall live.
58. Sleepwalk - Santo & Johnny
Has there ever been a smoother, more engaging guitar instrumental?
This is the kind of song that needs no lyrics, for it speaks to us in ways that words cannot.
A bittersweet blend of nostalgia and slowdance, this song takes us back, back.
This is a great stress-reliever. Try it sometime.
HERE is a webpage dedicated solely to this classic.
59. End Credits - Buckaroo Banzai (Score by Michael Boddicker)
GROOOOOVY shit right here.
There seem to be elements of near-melancholy and heartfelt pathos here, serving to balance
the pure Sci-Fi Grandeur found in these 4 minutes of film-score perfection.
As a foundation, we have this basic techno-beat, which is nicely overlayed with these wonderful, purposeful synth melodies.
As the piece moves along, it mutates much like the Alien Lifeforms in the movie.
(each named 'John Something'...do you remember it now?)
Thoroughly Brilliant Film Music, from a mostly obscure, but quirky and memorable film.
(With an insanely amazing cast, I might add)
The STORY behind this cult-classic.
The only way to GET this music in Flawless Digital Dolby Stereo:
BUY the DVD!
60. Don't Turn Your Back - Blue Öyster Cult**
This is one of Buck Dharma's intrinsically perfect gems.
Probably his best. I cannot possibly over-emphasize the coolness of this song.
A classic, flowing bassline, care of Joe Bouchard; slick synth accompaniment by Allen Lanier;
The Mystery Element of BÖC.
The song is FUCKING UNBEATABLE, folks. Smooth as silk and sinister as sublime.
Did I mention the Flawless Guitar Solo by the Buck-Meister?
Do me a favor: quit reading this crap and GO BUY THE ALBUM...
Fire of Unknown Origin
One of the best in the history of Rock Music as a Whole.
61. Owner's Lament - Scratch Acid
This band was just FUCKING TWISTED.
High Priest of Underground Musical Weirdness/ Vocalist/ Bulimic FREAK
David Yow
...wavers and semi~quavers his way through this muddy, convoluted, yet gorgeous, cathartic mess.
This song is like a conveyor belt of Yow's agony and trauma.
As great as Jesus Lizard is, I really wish these here guys would just put it all back together
for a new CD and Jaunt around the USA, just for old times' sake.
Think of the setlist! This Would be Bliss...
62. The Passenger - Wall of Voodoo**
Tension fills this cryptic classic.
The hijacking is NOT going as planned, and people are getting nervous.
As usual, Stan Ridgway conveys this sense of alarm and panic flawlessly and thoroughly.
This song was written in a more innocent time, comparatively, and would surely read differently if composed in today's world.
This, of course is as meaningless as Wall of Voodoo's music is Timeless.
This is one of those "Good Luck Finding It" deals, but never give up;
this is essential Psych Music of the Highest Degree.
63. Up From the Deep - The Tubes
This one follows one of my favorite song structure/ configurations.
A short vocal intro, followed by a memorable, progressive-tinged set of musical passages.
This has elements reminiscent of everything from early Alice Cooper jams all the way over to E.L.O. Pomp.
Fucking Brilliant musical goulash is the end product.
I just wish this incredible band had done more like this.
64. The Final Curtain - Destruction**
Yet another thrash icon of the 80's returns to put hardcore metal back where it belongs.
A typically Brutal Assault, with tight, grinding riffs and turbulent, rhythmic pounding.
This is one of Destruction's strongest tracks to date.
This entire genre of Metal is having a serious renaissance and resurgence these days.
The thing is, bands like Destruction, Kreator and Sodom have never sounded better.
With new albums on the way from Voivod, Celtic Frost, and many others, this is an exciting time for the Thrashers of the World.
65. Spook Perv Happenings in the Snooker Hall - Lawnmower Deth
This is absolutely intolerable music.
I fucking LOVE these guys.
LD was just a silly, self-mocking metalcore/ parody band, or so we might have thought.
In reality, these guys pumped out some very memorable jams, diverse influences and ridiculous song titles like this one.
(and Cobwoman of Deth Meets Mr. Smellymop ...LOVE that one!)
I just today found a used copy of Ooh Crikey... and 'Spook..' is the first track.
BRILLIANT, I tell ya!
I haven't heard it in years, since my CRACK-head half-brother stole my copy for more CRACK back in the mid-90's.
I am sure glad I found it, and I highly recommend you do the same.
66. Deep Blue Day - Brian Eno
It is so serene, so peaceful.
This piece also has an almost nagging bittersweeet nostalgia to it... yet it soothes the soul.
A highly ambient dream with steel guitars gliding, floating along.
Eno is one of the true masters and innovators of Ambient Music, and this is one of his finest moments.
This one is found on Apollo.
67. This Town Ain't Big Enough For the Both of Us - Sparks
Here is another one that is fun to learn to tap out on the dash.
Sparks, for those who don't know, is/ was one of the most idiosyncratic and original bands of all time.
Always eclectic, always interesting, sometimes a bit annoying. (at least to me)
Annoying or not, the Brothers Mael have been delivering quality quirkiness
to the masses and their highly rabid fanbase for over 3 decades, and are still going strong, I might add.
Some of you may have heard the dandy 1997 cover/ collaboration of this track from Sparks and Faith No More.
68. Travolta/ Quote Unquote - Mr. Bungle**
Call it whatever the hell you want to.
This is one of the most intense, dense, frightening and bizarre songs ever conjured up by members of the human race.
The very first track from the very first major-label release by one of the best bands EVER.
This little number emulates the cover art of this album perfectly.
If you haven's seen it, it is loaded with Nightmarish Clown Paintings.
The whole package: the Clowns, the Sick yet Engaging and Cartoonish music, the Musicianship...
I do NOT understand how this band EVER got lumped in with those Red Hot BLOWHARDS. (see Shitlist)
"...With his mouth sewn shut, he still shakes his butt/ Cuz he's Hitler & Swayze & Trump & Travolta "
For More
69. The Horror of Yig - GWAR**
The Mad Utterings of a Bald, Mud-buried Kurtz laced with Distant Bagpipes together swirl in uneasy melodies...
Tribal Pounding begins to Fluctuate Aggressively... Tension continues to mount.
Surely something Wicked This Way Comes...
Lovecraft on Steroids, perhaps?
A sudden explosion of power-chords and stutter-stepping Mayhem is unleashed.
YIG has Emerged. We saw Him/ He Saw us. You think GWAR is all show, no talent?
For any detractors of this band, listen to this, and forever eat your words.
This is one of Gwar's finest moments, without question.
Tight, High-Impact Musicianship and MY, Oderus - What a HUGE voice you have!
Behold the Incredible range and dynamics of (Dave Brockie) the vocalist.
"...Piles of maggots/ Clouds of flies/ Putrid breath And bulging eyes...
YIG and GWAR are Not to be Trifled with, Human Filth.
70. Timesteps - Wendy Carlos ** (From the Clockwork Orange Film Score)
"Viddy Well, Droogies... Viddy Well".
This grounbreaking electronic piece was a highlight of Carlos' stunning score
for this 'Ultra-Violent' Stanley Kubrick Masterpiece of Cinema.
If this were a 'Top 1000' or even a 'Top 10' albums list, this entire Soundtrack would certainly be here.
Wendy Carlos melded her electronic wizardry with Classical Masterpieces such as
Beethoven's 9th Symphony, and Rossini's 'William Tell Overture'.
Timesteps, however was one of the original Carlos compositions of the score.
Recently, the entire long version was released, although I have not heard it as yet.
Why don't we all go and buy it, and witness the splendor of Wendy's Musical Magic for ourselves.
Even if this brutal, over-the-top film is not your cup of tea, the score/ soundtrack is most definitely for everyone.
HERE is the corresponding page of Wendy's website, with a full description.
Click the cover below to preview and buy:
71. I'm An Agent - Gary Numan
A strange and haunting drama piece from an extremely idiosyncratic artist.
This is one of the best 'Driving late at night, Deep in the Middle of fucking Nowhere' tracks ever conjured.
Numan's nasaly whine actually blends quite well with all of the Surreal Synth Atmosphere and Cryptic Guitar Jams;
Most importantly, this song contains some dense and deeply stirring melodic breaks.
"...They are clean......"
And THAT is what I'm talking about.
This is from Telekon, which is one of Numan's finest.
72. Amoeba - OLD**
Not for the faint of heart.
Thumping, persistent rhythmic fluctuations and trippy sound effects highlight this outlandish departure.
With the term 'departure', I am actually referring to OLD's entire fourth album, Formula.
This was like a complete 180 for James Plotkin's clan and their previously Harsh-Core, Grinding, Grating, Screeching Mayhemic Output.
The proggish elements remained, but the atmosphere got much heavier and the emphasis on abrasive Guitarwork vastly subsided.
Some fans were disappointed with this CD, but for me the only disappointment was that it was the LAST.
This release showed a great deal of promise for this band, and opened so many new passageways.
A true pity, because Plotkin has yet to match anything he recorded under this name.
73. - 83. Trompe Le Monde - Pixies
Translated: Mislead The World
I know, this is cheating. At least I guess it is, although I don't remember posting any Rules or Regulations around here.
The fact is, that most of these tracks would have ended up here anyway, so I will count this as 10 songs.
(The other 5 just didn't make the cut)
Have you ever owned an album that just pefectly epitomizes a certain period of your life?
Trompe is just that, to me. (Long Story)
It has dynamics, power, strong melodic creations, and brilliatly skewed songwriting. (and a few filler tracks)
And it JAMS like a fucking bastard!
From the opening guitar interchanges and dissonances of the title track, all the way down to my favorite, The Navajo Know,
this delivers like no other rock album can.
My attempted description:
A fundamentally 'ne plus ultra' mainstream rock album,
planted directly before 100 differently-shaped funhouse mirror-like twisted configurations of reflection;
resulting in a completely off-kilter, oddly tuned, weaving and meandering depicted musical object.
I consider this album as the peak of the Pixies' strange, yet all-too-short career.
