John Cusack in HIGH FIDELITY is always doing top 5 lists about certain situations. As this is a blog and I have no original thoughts, I thought I’d list the five songs that define me as a person.
5. “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant,” Billy Joel.
I actually lived behind an Italian restaurant for six months in my twenties (no, it wasn’t an Olive Garden, thanks). Ate there all the time as they were exceptionally good. Does admitting I love Billy Joel give me poser status? Well, fuck it. I really identified with the post-teen angst of this song, as at the time I discovered it I was swiftly learning that life after high school wasn’t what I expected it to be.
4. “Rainbow In The Dark,” Dio.
I karaokied the fuck out of this song a few years back. There’s nothing like a really bad song that’s written and performed with such passion that it makes it a cheeseball classic. Who knows what the fuck Dio was singing about, but he MEANT it, goddammit, and it demands attention. Or something.
3. “Rhinestone Cowboy,” Glen Campbell
My uncle owned a hamburger joint in Houston when I was just a little kid (Roznovsky’s Hamburgers, for any Houstonians out there – the original one) and I played this song over and over and over on the jukebox. I knew it by heart and would sing it to the patrons whenever it came on. I was a weird little kid.
2. “The Flowers Of Guatemala,” R.E.M.
Easily my favorite R.E.M. song. They’ve only performed it a few times live. Apparently Michael Stipe wrote it after his grandfather died and it has a special meaning to him. I love the soundscape of it, intimate one moment and epic the next. This is a video of someone’s missionary trip to the region, and the only one I could find on YouTube, sorry. I’m not too tech-savvy.
1. “Real Love,” The Beatles
Yeah, this ain’t nothing more than a mash-up, but it bears the significance of being the first song that I danced with my wife. It could have been worse… it could have been the goddamn “Macarena.”
What’s your Top Five?
6 comments
Ouch, Cerny! That's an awful, awful list! (Respect the honesty) Mine: 1. RUN'S HOUSE, Run Dmc(high school fun)2. Rain, The Beatles (greatest group ever, my fav. song) 3. Rock the Bells, L.L. Cool J(Uncle L, the future of the funk. He wasn't consistant, but when the man was on…greatest M.C. eva!) 4. Return of the Grievous Angel(Thanks for the rec., Dev.!)5. Higher Ground, Stevie Wonder(funk it up, Stevie!)
Oh my God, Nordling!!! Never ever admit to liking Billy Joel. Fail.
1. One Way Out-Allman Brother Band 2. Sounds of Science-Beastie Boys 3. Whiskey River/Stay All Night(Live)-Wille Nelson & The Family 4. Moonlight Mile-The Rolling Stones 5. Maggot Brain-Funkadelic
We're all Dio's little rainbows in the dark.
Huh. I guess there's not a lot of music lovers out in CHUD land. Here are my fazed cookies: "Hickory Wind"(Gram Parsons' vocal) The Byrds, "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'" The Rolling Stones, "Outlaw Blues" Bob Dylan, (Tie)"It's Yours" T La Rock, "Rock Hard" The Beastie Boys, "I Need A Beat" LL Cool J, "It's Tricky" RUN DMC
As good a time as any I suppose to give a shout out to Mr. Dave B. (I'm not a member of the messageboards-just a long time lurker). Dave is truly some kind of musical guru. Always enjoy his insightful posts & appreciate his shared knowledge. Thanks to him ,I bought "Odessey & Oracle" by the Zombies(a great, lost record!) Also, he forced a reavaluation of Bruce Springsteen(still no Dylan or Young, but I'm becoming a fan) and many others. So here's to you, Dave. A true Hall of Fame calibur chewer!
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