1,001 songs to listen to before you die...

[VerbalPuke]

Yeah, lots of interesting stuff in the last few friends. I like Captain Beefheart quite a bite, Safe as Milk is my favorite album because I think it's a bit more accessible than stuff like Trout Mask Replica and Lick My Decals Off Baby. I personally love Zig Zag Wanderer off of that one, but the whole album is a cleaner.This also leads me to wonder, when/what will Frank Zappa be on this list? He has an extensive catalog so it could be from anywhere, maybe nowhere? I don't know. 

Velvet Underground is brilliant of course. I grew up sort of indifferent to them but I'd say in the last 10 years they've gotten significant playtime from me. 

I actually grew up as a huge fan of the Doors. I still like them a lot, they're an interesting band, you have a flamenco guitar player, jazz drummer, just a great keyboardist (whatever his style was, he was special), and of course Jim Morrison the poet to tie it all together. They seem to be a bit polarizing, they seem to have fans that are just fanatical, and then some people think they are very overrated, but I think they did a lot of very cool stuff that kind of gave them their own odd vibe. Kind of blues, kind of psychedelic, kind of poppy, kind of rock and roll. 

[Liam]

226..      

‘I’d Rather Go Blind’, Etta James (1967)

Having fought a heroin addiction and spent time in a psychiatric ward, this was Etta James’ comeback album and the standout track from it. It is achingly beautiful in its simplicity; the simple drumming and strumming allowing James to pour her heart out about a lost love. Though the song itself wasn’t a hit as it was a B Side to another song from the album, it helped to carry James back into the public conscious and it isn’t hard to see why.

227.      

‘(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher’, Jackie Wilson (1967)

There are probably very few songs that will end up on this lift that can match up to the outright joy and exuberance on record here. Another song (after the last one) that aimed to see the singer break out of a slump, this did end up being a hit as it went to No.1 in the US R&B Charts. Apparently Wilson originally tried to sing this as a ballad, but once Carl Davis (the producer) told him the way he thought it would work better, Wilson went back in and did it in one take. Pure joy in musical form.

228.      

‘Strawberry Fields Forever’, The Beatles (1967)

Influenced by: Mr. Tambourine Man • Bob Dylan (1965)   

Influence on: Rainy Day, Dream Away • The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1968)   

Covered by: Richie Havens (1969) • Todd Rundgren (1976) • The Runaways (1980)

Whilst this is not my favourite Beatles song, it does have one of my favourite introductions. Not actually on a Beatles album, this was paired with ‘Penny Lane’ in a double A side and was the first Beatles single since ‘Please Please Me’ to miss out on the top spot (coming in No. 2). This is John Lennon with time on his hands and a metric fucktonne of weed, leading to the psychedelic sound and introspective lyrics. The Beatles continued experimentation with instruments is also clear here as you get to hear some mellotron and swordmandal across the four minute running time.

[GoGo Yubari]

"Strawberry Fields Forever" is I think my personal favorite Beatles song. It's the perfect intersection of Sentimental John Lennon and Surrealistic John Lennon, with Idealistic/Sanctimonious John Lennon, who drags down a lot of his post-Beatles output, nowhere to be seen.

[Liam]

229.      

‘White Rabbit’, Jefferson Airplane (1967)

Influenced by: Sketches of Spain • Miles Davis (1960)   

Influence on: Where Is My Mind? • Pixies (1988)   

Covered by: George Benson (1971) • The Damned (1980) • Sanctuary (1988) • The Murmurs (1995) • Shakespear’s Sister (2004) • Lana Lane (2006) • Patti Smith (2007)

One of the best things about this whole project is finding out the names of songs you’ve heard somewhere, someplace before, but have never really sought out the name or even the band. Jefferson Airplane are a group I only really know due to Jim Carrey and ‘The Cable Guy’, so to be able to put them to another song I know is pretty cool. Mixing an exploration of the effect of psychedelic drugs with Alice in Wonderland earned them their second top 10 single. It is a song that continues to build momentum through Grace Slick’s strong vocals which help to create an eerie tone, yet the song also retains an element of soul/rhythm coming from the percussion and bass. A solid outing for the band and a solid song on the list.

230.      

‘Purple Haze’, Jimi Hendrix (1967)

Influenced by: The Times They Are A-Changin’ • Bob Dylan (1964)   

Influence on: Hey Dude • Kula Shaker (1996)   

Covered by: Soft Cell (1983) • Kronos Quartet (1986) • Frank Zappa (1991) • The Cure (1993) • Paul Rodgers and Company (1993)

At the risk of getting some less than popular responses, I’ve never been the hugest of Jimi Hendrix fans. It is rare that I’ve ever note enjoyed a song when I’ve heard it, but I’ve never felt the need to go out and really explore beyond the classics. The book talks about this song being one of the earlier proponents of an overdriven guitar (I’ll be honest – I have no idea what that means), but what is clear is how punch the wailing and crunching guitar is. Add in lyrics that also explore drugs and it isn’t surprising that Hendrix was lauded as highly as he was by a certain subculture that existed around this time. Hendrix’s guitar playing is his thing, yet it is worth mentioning that he had a decent voice as well.

231.      

‘I’m A Man’, Spencer Davis Group (1967)

For ‘I’m a Man’, read ‘White Rabbit’ – another song I knew of, but had never really put a name/band to it. Lively from the opening, this is primarily a great showcase of Steve Winwood’s vocal stylings. At only eighteen when this was produced, his Ray Charles-esque high tenor (apparently) stood out compared to other bands of this ilk during this time period. He quit three months later to form the band Traffic, leaving this also as a slice of history as much as anything else. Other props should go to the spooky vocalising that accompanies the verses, as well as Spencer Davis’ intermittent rhythm guitar.

[MalaCloudy Black]

HELL YEA WHITE RABB --
 

Quote

never been the biggest of Jimi Hendrix fans

 

the fuck out, now.

[VerbalPuke]

8 hours ago, Liam said:

229.      

‘White Rabbit’, Jefferson Airplane (1967)

Influenced by: Sketches of Spain • Miles Davis (1960)   

Influence on: Where Is My Mind? • Pixies (1988)   

Covered by: George Benson (1971) • The Damned (1980) • Sanctuary (1988) • The Murmurs (1995) • Shakespear’s Sister (2004) • Lana Lane (2006) • Patti Smith (2007)

One of the best things about this whole project is finding out the names of songs you’ve heard somewhere, someplace before, but have never really sought out the name or even the band. Jefferson Airplane are a group I only really know due to Jim Carrey and ‘The Cable Guy’, so to be able to put them to another song I know is pretty cool. Mixing an exploration of the effect of psychedelic drugs with Alice in Wonderland earned them their second top 10 single. It is a song that continues to build momentum through Grace Slick’s strong vocals which help to create an eerie tone, yet the song also retains an element of soul/rhythm coming from the percussion and bass. A solid outing for the band and a solid song on the list.

230.      

‘Purple Haze’, Jimi Hendrix (1967)

Influenced by: The Times They Are A-Changin’ • Bob Dylan (1964)   

Influence on: Hey Dude • Kula Shaker (1996)   

Covered by: Soft Cell (1983) • Kronos Quartet (1986) • Frank Zappa (1991) • The Cure (1993) • Paul Rodgers and Company (1993)

At the risk of getting some less than popular responses, I’ve never been the hugest of Jimi Hendrix fans. It is rare that I’ve ever note enjoyed a song when I’ve heard it, but I’ve never felt the need to go out and really explore beyond the classics. The book talks about this song being one of the earlier proponents of an overdriven guitar (I’ll be honest – I have no idea what that means), but what is clear is how punch the wailing and crunching guitar is. Add in lyrics that also explore drugs and it isn’t surprising that Hendrix was lauded as highly as he was by a certain subculture that existed around this time. Hendrix’s guitar playing is his thing, yet it is worth mentioning that he had a decent voice as well.

231.      

‘I’m A Man’, Spencer Davis Group (1967)

For ‘I’m a Man’, read ‘White Rabbit’ – another song I knew of, but had never really put a name/band to it. Lively from the opening, this is primarily a great showcase of Steve Winwood’s vocal stylings. At only eighteen when this was produced, his Ray Charles-esque high tenor (apparently) stood out compared to other bands of this ilk during this time period. He quit three months later to form the band Traffic, leaving this also as a slice of history as much as anything else. Other props should go to the spooky vocalising that accompanies the verses, as well as Spencer Davis’ intermittent rhythm guitar.

Basically answered your own question there. 

An overdriven guitar is just saying the guitar has distortion. In Hendrix case he was an early proponent of fuzz distortion, using the Fuzz Face pedal. I think he was may have been an earlier user of the Big Muff (which became really popular during the grunge days). I love Hendrix, he's just a great artist that wrote great songs, and was just a really great guitar player (neverminding the soloey shit, he really had great sound). He's one of my all-time favorites, definitely shaped my taste in music and a rock act I've always maintained the same level of appreciation for. I'd be surprised if he doesn't appear again. 

[Liam]

232.      

‘Venus In Furs’, The Velvet Underground (1967)

The second song from ‘The Velvet Underground and Nico’ and the one that I know significantly better than ‘Heroin’. The books spent time here talking about the importance of Andy Warhol; not inasmuch as any real involvement with the songs, but that he scared off label executives who might have otherwise requested changes. Considering the screechy viola, the dirgy guitar and the constantly bleak-sounding lyrics, it wouldn’t necessarily have been the album it was without someone putting their foot down. Although there is a lot of what might be considered less than nice sounds thrown together, the song is surprisingly melodious and the chorus sections in particular invite some singing along.

233.      

‘Fire’, Jimi Hendrix (1967)

Influenced by: The Red Rooster • Howlin’ Wolf (1961)   

Influence on: Sex on Fire • Kings of Leon (2008)   

Covered by: Five by Five (1967) • Red Hot Chili Peppers (1988) • Trick Bag (1990) • Kingston Wall (1992) • Nigel Kennedy (1993) • The New Mastersounds (2001) • Joan as Police Woman (2009)

Perhaps I wasn’t looking in the right place, but I could only find a live version of this song in my extensive searches (…on Youtube and Youtube alone). Whilst his last song on the list may have been extolling the virtues of drugs, ‘Fire’ is all about sex. Within that is a raucous tempo, some excellent drumming and Hendrix’s solo taking it to all the way to the climax. Sometimes a song is just fun; ‘Fire’ is that song.

234.      

‘Waterloo Sunset’, The Kinks (1967)

Influenced by: Penny Lane • The Beatles (1967)   

Influence on: For Tomorrow • Blur (1993)   

Covered by: Affairs of the Heart (1983) • Cathy Dennis (1996) • Fastbacks (2001) • David Bowie (2003) • David Essex (2003) • Scrabbel (2005) • Def Leppard (2006) • MiG (2007) • The Rushes (2007)

They love the Kinks it would seem. Having debated writing a song called ‘Liverpool Sunset’, Ray Davies eventually changed his mind to write about Waterloo, a place that held special meaning to him as a Londoner from the region. This is a great slice of pop-rock as Davis’ manages to conjure up a slightly melancholy tone that also alongside the love story that is being told. As with many songs, it’s the chorus that really makes the song and this one is no exception: a catchy lyric, some simple yet effective guitar – it becomes a hard chorus to shake.

 

[Bobfoc]

Waterloo Sunset is one of my mother's favourite songs. She used to live in London for several years and the lyrics reflected many of the things she saw on a daily basis. I think it has a nice, soothing quality to it, but it still has elements of the sound you'd normally expect from The Kinks.

[Colly]

Another startling omission in the list of covered by's, Crucial Taunt for "Fire".

[METALMAN]

I love Fire, his live versions are almost always best. Also one of my favourite solos.

I usually like Waterloo Sunset but I have to be in the mood for it.

[Liam]

235.      

‘Ode to Billie Joe’, Bobbie Gentry (1967)

A song that seemed to get lot of traction primarily due the narrative it tells, Gentry was from Mississippi and channelled that into her debut single. This was another example of a B side that got more interest than the intended single as it got eight Grammy nominations. A casually re-told story of Billy Joe’s suicide, there is a sinister tone interwoven into the simple singer/songwriter setup. Nothing stands out musically for me, but sometimes people just really like a song that tells a dark story.

236.      

‘The Dark End of the Street’, James Carr (1967)

My first (and probably only) involvement with this song was the cover that appears in ‘The Commitments’. That is a great film with a great soundtrack, yet this song was one of the lesser lights for me. An oddly proud delivery of a lyric admitting to adultery, it has since become a soul classic. The writer set out to write the best song about cheating ever – I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether you think they succeeded or not.

237.      

‘Suzanne’, Leonard Cohen (1967)

Outside of checking out the original version of ‘Hallelujah’ a few times, I’ve never actually listened to anything by Leonard Cohen. A song for Suzanne Verdal, a woman that he had a ‘meaningful spiritual connection’ with (according to the book), this is an ode to her beauty alongside a wider exploration of nature and philosophical ideas. I’d always been of the idea that Cohen was more about the lyrics than the delivery, but I think his delivery, coupled with the lyrics and the rising intensity of the melody add together to create a real thing of beauty. I guess somewhat like Suzanne, if the story is true.

Edited April 8, 2020 by Liam

[METALMAN]

Dark End of the Street is a really nice song. I like the James Carr version but I’ve always associated it with the Flying Burrito Brothers because that’s the one I heard first. Probably my favourite too.

I’m not a huge fan of early Leonard Cohen. I only really started enjoying him when he teamed up mad rants with synthesisers in the 80s. Suzanne is good though. I only recently found out that Judy Collins recorded and released her version before Cohen, so there you go.

[Liam]

238.      

‘Respect’, Aretha Franklin (1967)

Is there going to be a more powerful vocal on this list? It is debatable but Franklin puts in her claim with ‘Respect’. According to the book, this was the song that practically invented a Grammy category as Franklin won the inaugural Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1968. As a black woman in a time of upheaval in the US, Franklin delivered this cover song from the heart and it has understandably gone down in history as an absolute classic.

239.      

‘Montague Terrace (In Blue)’, Scott Walker (1967)

A song from Walker’s first album since his split from The Walker Brothers more than likely spurred on by the uninspiring musical direction of the trio, this is a lush arrangement of a song written by Walker himself. This was around the time that Walker was into the music of Jacques Brel and this wider experimentation that moved away from the pop stylings of his original work with the Walker Brothers spoke to this interest. The cinematic nature of this song is something that really stands out; the instrumentation pulsing whilst Walker croons sonorously over the top. Excellent.

240.      

‘A Day in the Life’, The Beatles (1967)

The more I go down this list, the more I realise how little of the Beatles’ really interesting work that I’ve heard. That isn’t to knock the rest of what they’ve done, and I have definitely heard this before, but I don't think I’ve ever heard it to completion. An odd mix of two songs (if I believe the Youtube comments I read, it was indeed two unfinished songs slung together) that somehow works, though it is Lennon’s sections that do most of the legwork for me. The orchestral surge to lead into the middle eight and repeated towards the end is really intense, involving a forty piece orchestra playing every from lowest to highest over twenty four bars. That’s a lot of noise by the end and an interesting inclusion into what is ostensibly a pop song.

241.      

‘Alone Again Or’, Love (1967)

Influenced by: Lieutenant Kije Suite • Composed by Sergei Prokoviev (1933)   

Influence on: Nantes • Beirut (2007)   

Covered by: UFO (1977) • The Damned (1987) • Sarah Brightman (1990) • The Boo Radleys (1992) • The Oblivians (1993) • Calexico (2003)

There is a driving intensity during the vocals to this song that I just love, whilst what is there not to enjoy about a mariachi horn section? This was apparently a contentious song as the writer, Bryan Maclean, had his vocals remixed and replaced with Arthur Lee’s harmony vocal, something which Maclean unsurprisingly didn’t like. This also picked up much more traction in the years after its release considering it was 99th on the Billboard charts as a single. There is a bleakness within the psychedelic flourishes that is just great.

242.      

‘Tin Soldier’, Small Faces (1967)

Influenced by: Little Girl • John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers (1966)   

Influence on: Would You Believe • Billy Nicholls (1968)   

Covered by: Quiet Riot (1977) • The Hypstrz (1979) • Todd Rundgren (1983)

Written by Steve Marriott in an attempt to impress a girl that would eventually become his wife, this is a loud and noisy offering that stands the test of time. More interestingly, Marriott’s vocals (1.35 onwards in the posted video) speak to the style of 70s and 80s rock/metal bands to come. A song that the book described as a return to their mod-soul routes, it isn’t difficult to see the influence this might have had as we headed into the next decade.

243.      

‘See Emily Play’, Pink Floyd (1967)

Influenced by: Strawberry Fields Forever • The Beatles (1967)  

Influence on: Shine On You Crazy Diamond • Pink Floyd (1975)  

Covered by: David Bowie (1973) • The Grapes of Wrath (1994) • Martha Wainwright (2008)

Another band I perhaps should have spent more time listening to in the past, this is admittedly Pink Floyd at a point in their career where they were still pitching their music somewhat more at a pop-based audience. Outside of being a fun pop song, this seemed mainly put on the list as it gave Floyd some success at a point where they were already choosing to play music that was worlds away from ‘See Emily Play’. Live crowds were unhappy when they realised pretty quickly that the rest of their set was a much more experimental sound.

[Skummy]

Montague Terrace (which is admittedly brilliant) making the cut makes me think that's not the last we've heard of Scott Walker on the list. I can see him showing up again, either for the final Walker Brothers record, or something from Tilt, at least.

I'm not a big Pink Floyd guy, but I love See Emily Play, and Arnold Layne from the same period. 

[METALMAN]

Let me see here. I'm not too sure about Aretha Franklin in general, or this song. She's obviously very good, but her tendency to oversing things annoys me a little bit. I'm not sure Respect works particularly well as a big in your face song roaring at you. I prefer the original, quietly defiant, version by Otis Redding. There's just a bit more to it. And it doesn't have the alphabet bit or the sock it to me bit which is just annoying.

The Scott Walker one is excellent. Not much else to say there.

I used to be a bit dismissive towards A Day in the Life but there is certainly something about it. It's definitely a special song, encapsulates an era and all that and is much better than I remember it. The drums are a lot of fun, lots of good fills and skips. The orhcestral sweep at the end is fine but it drags on a bit. I guess the massive piano chord at the end makes it all worthwhile. Some mighty sustain there.

The Love song is very nice. It's one of those albums people always claim to be an all-time classic. I'm not sure if I've ever been that into it but Alone Again Or is definitely a highlight.

The Small Faces were a hell of a band. Not a huge number of good songs, but they made a good noise. Tin Soldier is a lot of fun. For a moment I got it confused with Tin Soldier Man by the Kinks, which is a bit rubbish, and was thinking what on earth that was doing on the list. But the Small Faces one is good.

See Emily Play is pretty good. Much of the early Pink Floyd music (and indeed much of the later Pink Floyd music) is a lot of turgid shit. But See Emily Play, Arnold Layne and I guess also Bike and Jugband Blues are decent little pop tunes that don't outstay their welcome.

[Liam]

244.      

‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’, Procol Harum (1967)

A perfectly good song, though one that found its way onto the list perhaps more for its inauspicious beginnings and eventual lawsuits about who wrote it in the first instance. It was only when the song was leaked to pirate radio that the record company even deemed it worthy of putting out as a single. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the odd lyrics mixed with the organ playing confused them as to whether it was worthwhile to release. The response was huge; the single was pressed; it went to No. 1 in the UK. This stands out as a crazy song to even be considered ‘pop’, but underneath it all it is very catchy – the wail into the chorus and the chorus itself perfect examples.

245.      

‘The Tears of a Clown’, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (1967)

A perfect example of a song that I was aware of and liked what I’d heard, but had no idea actually what it was about until this project. With music written by Stevie Wonder that he couldn’t quite find the words for, Smokey Robinson pointed out its ‘circus’ sound and a classic was born. Like several songs on the list, it was only a few years after its release on an album that it really took off beyond that. Thanks to a secretary at EMI in the UK, it went to No. 1 in 1970, whilst a changed version ended up hitting the US top spot three months later. Lyrically interesting, with great delivery by Robinson and the hooky introductions that is reprised multiple times, it is a great slice of sound.

246.      

‘Sunshine Of Your Love’, Cream (1967)

I’ll be honest, I only heard of this song when I played it on Guitar Hero III. However, it was a clear standout track from that version of the game and it remains a powerful tune every time I’ve listened to it since. The book celebrates it as being an amalgamation of blues, jazz and rock, with a touch of the psychedelic sound that was prevalent at the time. Simple in some aspects, complex in others, its thrumming bass and crunchy guitar work (including a good solo in the midst of it all) are a platform upon which the dark overarching feeling of the song is allowed to thrive.

[Liam]

247..      

‘Cold Sweat’, James Brown and The Famous Flames (1967)

I pass this one over completely to the book as they link this step in Brown’s career to time he spent in Africa, incorporating polyrhythmic influences from music of that continent. This was apparently just a jam session more than anything and the focus was on the instruments rather than Brown’s lyrics or even really his delivery. The drums are the star, though there is an argument that every bit of instrumentation, percussive or not, aimed towards a more percussive sound. Blasts of the sax and the bass strumming make an interesting case for this.

248.      

‘The First Cut is the Deepest’, P.P. Arnold (1967)

Influenced by: Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood • Nina Simone (1964)   

Influence on: Back to Black • Amy Winehouse (2006)   

Covered by: Rod Stewart (1976) • Martin Simpson (1983) • Bad Manners (1993) • Bonfire (1998) • Sheryl Crow (2003) • David Essex (2003)

Signed to Mick Jagger’s Immediate label off the back of her performance as an Ikette (Tina and Ike’s backing vocalists), Arnold’s take on a song penned by Cat Steven’s was considered the definitive version by the songwriter. I really enjoy this song, though this is the first time I’ve ever heard the original…it worries me a little that it might be Sheryl Crow’s version I’ve historically enjoyed, but ah well. Arnold’s vocals are beautifully powerful, really selling the narrative of a woman who was trying to find the strength to love again, whilst this has a more up tempo sound than some covers, including strings, horns and harps.

249.      

'I Say A Little Prayer’, Aretha Franklin (1967)

Influenced by: How I Got Over • Mahalia Jackson (1961)   

Influence on: Close Your Eyes and Remember • Minnie Riperton (1970)   

Covered by: The Dells (1972) • Susan Cadogan (1975) • Al Green (1978) • Bomb the Bass (1988)

This must have been a tough choice as Dionne Warwick released the song a year earlier, yet the book declared that Franklin’s was the better version. That Burt Bacharach considered it the best interpretation of one of his songs probably speaks volumes. Considering the Warwick version to be too fast in terms of the tempo, Franklin’s changed melody and powerful pipes created another great take on the song. The dynamic shifts in terms of the chorus to verse have always worked for me no matter what version I listen to  - it is up to you as to whether the book got the choice right (spoiler: they did).

 

[MalaCloudy Black]

I love that Procul Harum song.

My parents had a Cream CD when I was a kid. It was one of those "best of" deals, and the only two songs we ever listened to off that album were "Sunshine of Your Love" and "White Room". Bangin' tunes.

[METALMAN]

A Whiter Shade of Pale is the most played record on British broadcasting. I think that's more likely to explain its presence than any lawsuit. In any case, I quite like it. It's a nice song, but it's never been one I've gone back to again and again. I've listened to other songs by Procol Harum. They are boring.

Tears of a Clown is excellent.

I really like Cream as a whole, but I've never cared too much about Sunshine of Your Love. But Cream were a great band, I think they're forgotten - to a certain extent - because of what Eric Clapton did afterwards. Which is a bit of a shame, because most of what Eric Clapton did afterwards was dire.

Cold Sweat is good. Kind of surprised to see it in the book, but why not. It's a good song.

I've never really cared for First Cut is the Deepest. The version that comes to mind for me is the Rod Stewart one, but I've never really liked any version I've heard.

I Say A Little Prayer is good. Both versions are good but I prefer Aretha Franklin's.

[Liam]

Ah yes, it is actually  Rid Stewart's version I think I mostly know it from now that you mention it.

As for Whiter Shade of Pale, it mentioned nothing about its popularity whatsoever, which is weird.