"The Taste Of Ink" is from the band's 2002 self-titled debut record and remains one of my favorites.
Showing posts with label David Bowie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David Bowie. Show all posts
Thursday, September 17, 2020
"The Taste Of Ink" by The Used
The Used are an alternative rock band from Utah that formed in 2001. They teamed up with My Chemical Romance in 2005 to score a chart hit with their cover of David Bowie's "Under Pressure," which peaked at #41. It remains their only Top 100 appearance, but the band has released eight studio albums to date that have sold very well.
"The Taste Of Ink" is from the band's 2002 self-titled debut record and remains one of my favorites.
"The Taste Of Ink" is from the band's 2002 self-titled debut record and remains one of my favorites.
Friday, March 1, 2019
"Serve The Servants" by Nirvana
Nirvana, the groundbreaking band from Seattle, did not score a lot of chart hits, but will forever be remembered in music history for ushering in a new genre of music. The trio of Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl, and Krist (Chris) Novoselic achieved crossover success with the landmark song "Smells Like Teen Spirit" in 1991. Most people figure it was a #1 smash, but it topped off at #6. It would remain the band's only top 10 hit.
Nirvana would see the top 40 three more times with "Come As You Are" (#32), "About A Girl" (#22), and "The Man Who Sold The World" (#39, a David Bowie cover). There is little doubt Nirvana would have remained a chart staple and influential band, but everything ended when Cobain committed suicide in 1994 at the age of 27. By 1995, Dave Grohl founded the Foo Fighters and has had a hugely successful post-Nirvana career. Despite their truncated career, Nirvana was inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame in 2014.
"Serve The Servants" kicks off "In Utero," the 1993 follow-up record to "Nevermind." Arguably one of the more accessible tracks from the record, it surprises me that it did not get more attention.
Nirvana would see the top 40 three more times with "Come As You Are" (#32), "About A Girl" (#22), and "The Man Who Sold The World" (#39, a David Bowie cover). There is little doubt Nirvana would have remained a chart staple and influential band, but everything ended when Cobain committed suicide in 1994 at the age of 27. By 1995, Dave Grohl founded the Foo Fighters and has had a hugely successful post-Nirvana career. Despite their truncated career, Nirvana was inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame in 2014.
"Serve The Servants" kicks off "In Utero," the 1993 follow-up record to "Nevermind." Arguably one of the more accessible tracks from the record, it surprises me that it did not get more attention.
Thursday, January 10, 2019
"Honaloochie Boogie" by Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople was an English rock band that broke onto the American charts in 1972 with their classic, "All The Young Dudes." The tune, written by David Bowie, reached #37 and is now in the R&R Hall of Fame. Their name is taken from a 1966 comic novel by Willard Manus, whose protagonist (Norman Mott) is an independent rebel.
The band poked their head onto the bottom of the chart twice more, when "One Of The Boys" and "The Golden Age Of Rock 'N' Roll" both peaked at #96.
When they weren't doing covers, the songwriting was primarily driven by singer Ian Hunter and guitarist Mick Ralphs. The pair wrote some intriguing and influential material, but most of it failed to connect with popular radio. Hunter left in 1976 and moved onto an equally inconsistent solo career, while Ralphs found fame and fortune as a member of Bad Company. You can hear some of his Hoople riffs and songs (including "Ready For Love") in the Bad Company catalogue.
If the boys wrote more tunes like the catchy "Honaloochie Boogie" from 1973, they might have stood a better chance of becoming a more permanent fixture on US radio. The tune features Andy Mackay of Roxy Music on saxophone (he also played sax on their other classic tune, "All The Way From Memphis").
The band poked their head onto the bottom of the chart twice more, when "One Of The Boys" and "The Golden Age Of Rock 'N' Roll" both peaked at #96.
When they weren't doing covers, the songwriting was primarily driven by singer Ian Hunter and guitarist Mick Ralphs. The pair wrote some intriguing and influential material, but most of it failed to connect with popular radio. Hunter left in 1976 and moved onto an equally inconsistent solo career, while Ralphs found fame and fortune as a member of Bad Company. You can hear some of his Hoople riffs and songs (including "Ready For Love") in the Bad Company catalogue.
If the boys wrote more tunes like the catchy "Honaloochie Boogie" from 1973, they might have stood a better chance of becoming a more permanent fixture on US radio. The tune features Andy Mackay of Roxy Music on saxophone (he also played sax on their other classic tune, "All The Way From Memphis").
Monday, January 11, 2016
"Heroes" by David Bowie (RIP)
The music world was shocked to lose another icon today: David Bowie. Unbeknownst to many, he had been battling cancer for the past 18 months. The news came upon the heels of his latest release, "Blackstar", which bowed Friday of last week. That Friday also marked his 69th birthday.
David Bowie was a prolific and influential songwriter, but is perhaps equally known for his envelope-pushing performances. Never one to stay in one musical place for long, Bowie was constantly changing styles...not adapting to fads, but instead bucking the trends. He's had a long line of hits and awards, earning him a ranking of #140 all-time best artists in Whitburn's 12th Edition of Top Pop Singles.
Bowie began his chart career with a reissue of his classic song, "Space Oddity", which hit #15 in 1973 (it originally bubbled under the chart in 1969). His first #1 smash would be "Fame" in 1975. His famous duet with Queen, "Under Pressure", hit #29 in 1981 and ushered in a major comeback that included a second #1 smash with "Let's Dance" in 1983. Quite the departure from his 80s pop, his final charting single was the industrial track, "I'm Afraid of Americans", which hit #66 in 1997.
Incredibly, one of Bowie's most well-known songs, "Heroes", never charted. It stands as proof that you must go off the charts to find new musical gems that were criminally ignored for one reason or other. Bowie was a hero to so many...
David Bowie was a prolific and influential songwriter, but is perhaps equally known for his envelope-pushing performances. Never one to stay in one musical place for long, Bowie was constantly changing styles...not adapting to fads, but instead bucking the trends. He's had a long line of hits and awards, earning him a ranking of #140 all-time best artists in Whitburn's 12th Edition of Top Pop Singles.
Bowie began his chart career with a reissue of his classic song, "Space Oddity", which hit #15 in 1973 (it originally bubbled under the chart in 1969). His first #1 smash would be "Fame" in 1975. His famous duet with Queen, "Under Pressure", hit #29 in 1981 and ushered in a major comeback that included a second #1 smash with "Let's Dance" in 1983. Quite the departure from his 80s pop, his final charting single was the industrial track, "I'm Afraid of Americans", which hit #66 in 1997.
Incredibly, one of Bowie's most well-known songs, "Heroes", never charted. It stands as proof that you must go off the charts to find new musical gems that were criminally ignored for one reason or other. Bowie was a hero to so many...
Thursday, December 10, 2015
"Looking For A U.F.O." by Adrian Belew
I'm willing to bet many of you never heard of Adrian Belew, but I bet you've heard him perform in some capacity. Discovered by Frank Zappa, Belew was an accomplished singer and guitarist as a sideman for the likes of Talking Heads, David Bowie, and Paul Simon. He was also a member of the prog rock band King Crimson.
Belew's only chart appearance as a solo act was for the song, "Oh Daddy", which made it to #58 in 1989. In 1990, he released his 5th album, "Young Lions", which is filled with a mix of melodic and experimental rock. There is a duet with David Bowie ("Pretty Pink Rose"), a cover of the Traveling Wilburys song, "Not Alone Anymore", and even a broadcast from an evangelist called Prophet Omega.
Among the more accessible cuts is this snappy little number, "Looking For A U.F.O." Not just a great commentary on world affairs, the song also features a pretty obvious nod to the Talking Heads.
Belew's only chart appearance as a solo act was for the song, "Oh Daddy", which made it to #58 in 1989. In 1990, he released his 5th album, "Young Lions", which is filled with a mix of melodic and experimental rock. There is a duet with David Bowie ("Pretty Pink Rose"), a cover of the Traveling Wilburys song, "Not Alone Anymore", and even a broadcast from an evangelist called Prophet Omega.
Among the more accessible cuts is this snappy little number, "Looking For A U.F.O." Not just a great commentary on world affairs, the song also features a pretty obvious nod to the Talking Heads.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)