(Plus, I somehow manage to work in a nearly two page rant at the midpoint on why the closing scene of my favorite movie ever is so unrealistic, so completely illogical in real life, that it leads me to throw beer cans, whiskey bottles, and whatever else I can get my hands on at the TV every time it’s on … even if I have it on because I’m playing the DVD! See, who says I so am not going to wind up like “Honorable Mention Rant after Number 37 on this countdown!!!” …)
I haven’t done a list post in a while. So, here are my 50ish favorite songs of all time. And God bless it, keeping this to 50ish … ok 60ish … ok, fine, there’s at least 70 in this damned thing, was one helluva difficult assignment. (And to the very end, I waffled on 1 and 2. I’m still not sure of their ranking. But … for now, we go with it.)
Let’s start by ensuring this thing tops 50 with the first “Honorable Mention”.
The Honorable Mention: “Don’t Give Up On Me” by Solomon Burke. The words pretty much sum up my life. “If I fall short / If I don’t make the grade / If your expectations aren’t met in me today / There’s always tomorrow / Or tomorrow night / Hang in there baby, sooner or later, I know I’ll get it right / Please don’t give up on me / Oh please, don’t give up on me …”
50. “I Don’t Remember Last Night” by Sunny Ledford. A minor hit back in 2005, 2006, that The Spectrum kept playing. The chorus about sums it all up: “I Don’t Remember Last Night / Did I fall in love, or did I get in a fight / I don’t remember last night / Not a God Damned Thing! / I don’t remember last night / I was down and out, I was high as a kite / I don’t remember last night / Not a God Damned Thing!” Uum, not that those words can apply to me on any random Thursday.
49. “Are You Ready for the Fallout” by Fastball. You couldn’t be a kid in college in the state of Texas in the late 1990s without loving Fastball. “The Way” being their biggest hit. But this one is my favorite by them, off the “Varsity Blues” soundtrack. Great song.
48. “Endless Summer Nights” by Richard Marx. And the first “hey, let’s make total fun of Stevo’s musical tastes!” selection appears in the countdown! Well screw you. I absolutely LOVE this song. I actually enjoyed my first mini-makeout cession to this song back in the summer of 1989. (I was 12. Now, I’m 34 and am more awkward around girls I like, than I was 22 summers ago. Man, I p*ssed away my early potential.) Plus, as someone who lives for this time of year, when it’s hot as hell, humid as hell, and not a cloud in the sky, when you start sweating by just walking out the door … yeah, I love those “endless summer nights”. Especially the ones spent on my favorite deck in Raytown.
47. “Skin” by Rascal Flatts. One of at least three songs in the top 50 guaranteed to bring me to tears. (This one, though, in a good way, unlike the upcoming other two.) I’m not a huge country fan*, but I like Rascal Flatts, and this song just gets to me. Especially the video, when the kid shows up with the shaved head to take her to the prom, that just kills me -- with emotion, on the computer screen, by the Mr. Clean wannabe, to haul out the now run-into-the-ground Clue reference. This song just gets to me. Love it. (Oh, and if that kid didn’t get lucky at the end of that night, he has no hope. I gotta say it -- that was a total sweet move, to shave the head. That deserves many Tommy Points!)
(* -- this countdown will make you think otherwise.)
46. “Mr. Telephone Man” by New Edition. Come on, my love of sh*tty R&B from the late 80s / early 90s had to make its presence known somewhere.
45. “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems” by Kenny Chesney. It’s not my “official” life anthem – that’s coming up a long ways later. (As in “top 2” later.) But this one just about sums me up: “No shoes? No shirt? No problems! / Blues? What blues? Hey I forgot ‘em! / The sun and the sand and a drink in my hand, with no bottom! / No shoes? No shirt? No problems!”
44. “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers Anymore” by Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand. Laugh all you want, make fun of me all you want, I don’t give a sh*t. This song rules. One of the great breakup songs ever recorded, if not the greatest. Or a great love song, if you think the two stay together when this thing ends. (I don’t.) And it’s arguably the greatest performance in the history of the Grammy’s. Awesome stuff. (Their sendoff at the end is why I argue this is THE greatest breakup song ever. Although I can see how some would read it as THE greatest makeup song ever. Either way, it knocks your socks off.)
43. “Same Auld Lang Syne” by Dan Fogelberg. The second “guaranteed to reduce Stevo to tears” song on this countdown. It’s the single saddest song I’ve ever heard in my life. And sometimes, you just need to cry. When that moment arrives, just pull this song up, and try not to start sobbing.
42. “Regulate” by Warren G and Nate Dogg. My brother used to drive my dad bat sh*t crazy by playing the “Above the Rim” soundtrack in the car non-stop when this first came out. This song was the best thing on it. Plus, you have to love its wholesome, uplifting, winning message – namely, that even if you drive past a couple hookers on the side of the street to save your buddy from getting jacked in a dice game, you can always go back, they’ll still be there, and “next stop is the Eastside Motel …” Plus the opening, the line “Regulators!!!! Mount up!” never fails to make me laugh. Music should make you laugh. Or at least have fun. Which I’m guessing “Warren to the G” and his “homey Nate” did with those girls at said Eastside Motel …
41. “Fooled Around and Fell In Love” by Elvin Bishop. Always said this should be the personal anthem of DJ. I stand behind that statement. Plus it’s a really neat song. The original version though – Rod Stewart damned near roo-eened this song for me with his “remake” a couple years ago.
40. “Down With the Sickness” by Disturbed. Bar none, THIS is my favorite song on the tailgating CDs at Arrowhead. The second the opening drum beats start, I always start “playing” the drums with my hands. And once the full on sound kicks in, I start nodding the head like I’m in a f*cking mosh pit or something. I absolutely LOVE this song. If you aren’t fired up and ready to kick some ass when this thing hits the first chorus, then check your pulse, you probably don’t have one.
Honorable mention: “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off” by Joe Nichols. Another tailgating staple that never, ever gets old. God help me if I ever date someone who that song applies to. It’s bad enough vodka, shiraz, beer … hell, insert liquor here, makes my t-shirt magically disappear at a moment’s notice if it’s a nice, sunny, humid afternoon …
39. “The Best of What’s Around” by Dave Matthews Band. Another “should be the personal anthem of my life” song, but my “personal anthem” is just that much better. “Whatever tears at us / Whatever holds us down / And if nothing can be done / We’ll make the best of what’s around”.
38. “Get It Like You Like It” by Ben Harper. Hey, my favorite artist’s first appearance! Don’t worry, he’s got at least one more coming up. Down 0-3, down 4-3 in the bottom of the 9th, to the Evil Empire … and then Dave Roberts happened. Then David Ortiz kept happening. Then the Bloody Sock happened. And finally … “But Johnny Damon swung a bat / Grand slam! That was that! / 86 years and the Curse was gone!” It also doesn’t hurt that one of the two or three best concerts I’ve ever attended was Ben Harper in a monsoon at Starlight in support of this cd, “Both Sides of the Gun”.
37. “God Only Knows” by the Beach Boys. Entertainment Weekly hails this as the greatest pop song ever recorded. I honestly can’t argue with that assessment. Love this song. “God only knows what I’d be without you.” Hopefully I someday (soon?) find someone I can truly say that about.
Honorable mention: “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” by the Beach Boys. There’s a fantastic scene about ten minutes into “Roger and Me”, before you meet Sheriff Fred and The Rabbit Lady and the Color Lady and that crazy tourism director who, for a brief moment, actually makes you root for GM -- right after GM chairman Roger B. Smith (voted by Fortune as the “worst CEO of the 20th Century”, and I’m guessing there was NO competition for that title) announces he’s shutting down over 200,000 jobs in Michigan (and most of those were in Flint) and shipping them to Mexico. Anyways, a plant friend of Michael Moore’s named Ben describes why he voluntarily committed himself to a mental institution. Basically, he got the layoff notice, realized life as everyone knew it in Flint was over, so he walked off the job, got in his car, is driving along crying and depressed, and then this song came on. That’s when he knew he was crazy and needed help. The moral? I have no idea. Other than every time I hear this song, I think of that guy Ben, and begin to wonder if maybe today is the day I check myself into Two Rivers over there on Raytown Road. You know, “voluntarily”.
36. “Into the Night” by Benny Mardones. For three reasons. (1) my former boss at “former employer”, this was her favorite song, and I heard it so much, it just grew on me. (2) it’s the theme song to the only sports talk show I listen to. And (3) when Benny appeared on said sports talk show, and told the background story to this song, it was beyond inspiring. I stopped regretting that I love this song after hearing the background.
35. “Gallery” by Mario Vasquez. The great “what could have been” on “Idol”. How screwed up was season five? So screwed up that the three best artists didn’t even reach the Finals (Vasquez quit in the top 12; Daughtry went home 4th, Elliott Yamin went home 3rd.)
34. “Dancin’ on the Ceiling” by Lionel Richie. Track 59-14 on the jukebox in the basement. Yes, I know it by memory. Love this song. Four fun minutes of “screw it, just sing along and have fun!” entertainment.
33. “The Jazz Singer (America)” by Neil Diamond. You have no soul if this song doesn’t affect you.
32. “Anthem of Our Dying Day” by Story of the Year. Wow, I thought this one would be much higher. Love this song. One of my favorite cd’s ever released. And yet, there’s 31 I like better. Unbelievable. “From up here the city lights burn / Like a thousand miles of fire / And I’m here to sing this anthem / Of our dying day!”
31. “(I Hate) Everything About You” by Three Days Grace. I’ve had a few of these relationships with people. “I hate everything about you! / Why do I love you?” Plus, this is one of THE best live bands you’ll ever see. Along with …
Honorable Mention: “Falling Away From Me” by Korn. I hated, I mean HATED, Korn with a passion for a long time. And then came August 24, 2004. Projekt Revolution. I’ve detailed how sh*tty that time in my life was elsewhere on this site (scroll down to the answer for number 16 on the Quiz Answers from July 2008.) Their set that night was one of the best 45 minutes of my life. Could not believe how awesome these guys are live. I can say with no doubt whatsoever that the main three of us there that night (me, Gregg, DJ), this was the band we were least looking forward to. And they delivered the best set of the night. I’d absolutely pay top dollar to watch these guys again, just tell me when and where.
30. “Hands Held High” by Linkin Park. Hey, another band there that magical night in late August 2004. They brought the house down to close the night out. This isn’t their best effort, but as a political lefty, it pretty much summed up exactly how I felt about the previous administration. (The irony? You can absolutely use this song to describe the current administration.)
29. “Come On Get Higher” by Matt Nathanson. Matt was on The Pulse during the drive into work Friday, and he performed this live. “Yeah, the song about getting naked with someone you like to have fun with!” Cracked me up. To be fair, the Sugarland version is very good, but Jennifer Nettles can’t sell what makes this song great like Matt does, “I miss the pull of your heart / I taste the sparks on your tongue / I see angels and devils and God / When you COME … on”, the way he accentuates the word “Come”, it just totally sells the song, totally puts you in the, uuh, mood to “get naked with someone you like to have fun with!”
28. “Lawyers, Guns and Money” by Warren Zevon. I blame my dad for this one – he is a huge Zevon fan. But this song did give rise to one of the greatest catch phrases in history. “I was hiding in Honduras / I’m a desperate man. / Send lawyers, guns and money / (wait for it … wait for it …) The Shit Has Hit the Fan!!!” Any song that created that magical six word phrase, has to rank somewhere in my top 50.
27. “Mr. Tamborine Man” by the Byrds. You know what I hate the most about modern music? Other than the auto-tuner that every damned song seems to employ? Its that there’s no creative wording anymore. You don’t have to come up with codes or word embedding to say what you’re singing about. This song is about a freaking junkie praying his supplier gets him another fix. And yet, if you aren’t looking for it, you’d never know. Our folks music was so much better than 99.99% of what passes as “hip” now. And what the hell, one more by Bob:
Honorable Mention: “Just Like a Woman” by Bob Dylan. His last major hit, and man, it’s a classic. If, you know, you think the absolutely ridiculous, stupid, petty sh*t your girl makes you do to make the relationship work is absolutely ridiculous, stupid, and petty. (Should probably note: with two glaring exceptions? (And out of about 20 options, that ain’t bad.) None of my friends are married to (or dating) someone like that. Thank God. There’s nothing more annoying than having to put up with the know-it-all who’s roo-eening … I mean, running, my buddy’s life straight into the ground. Nobody wants to be around that girl. Especially me.)
26. “Let’s Live for Today” by The Grass Roots. This is one of my mom’s absolute favorite songs. And it’s really good. I mean, really good.
(Hey, we’re give or take a couple honorable mentions, halfway home! And I just started page 7 in Word! I’d have lost that over/under prop. Of course, I haven’t come completely off the rails yet with a timely “wait, where’s he going with thi … oh, I see” rant yet. And next up on the countdown … oh boy, here we go …)
25. “How Deep Is Your Love” by the Bee Gees. What, it’s the love theme from my favorite movie of all time. It plays over one of the coolest final moment (yet absolutely unbelievable final scene) ever filmed. I could write a paper on why “Saturday Night Fever” is the best movie ever made. (Wait, I have done that, never mind. And I got an A on that winning effort, thank you very much.) This song perfectly nails the ending to that movie. Even if, as noted, said ending is so completely unrealistic, it nearly roo-eens the previous 145 minutes.
(And allow me to rant on that point for a second. Come on, we’re 30 plus songs in, and I haven’t ranted yet, I am LONG overdue.
Look it, I love “Fever”. It is truly the best movie ever made. And if you don’t believe me, please remember that the late, great Gene Siskel so loved this movie, that he owned Travolta’s white polyester suit from the “finale” to the movie. Because as he freely admitted, this movie got to him. As it does me, for much the same reason: it’s the life you’ll never enjoy … and yet, as much as you’d want to live Tony’s life, you’re grateful to every diety known to man that you’ll never have it.
If you’ve never seen the movie, and someone asks you about it, you instantly know three scenes off the top of your head, because it’s so ingrained in pop culture: (1) Travolta’s strut back to the paint store in the opening credits (to “Stayin’ Alive”), (2) Travolta’s dance sequence on the checkerboard disco floor (that sadly introduced the nation to a then unknown Fran Drescher. Although she does get off one of the ten best lines in the movie: “are you as good in bed as you are on the floor?” Slays me every time.) And (3) the final dance competition with Stephanie and Tony, where Tony wears the famous white suit.
(Also cool? Here’s your random trivia fact of the post. The Bee Gees never officially released “More Than a Woman” as a single, even though it charted into the top 5. Their version is used in the final dance showdown mentioned above … but the released single was the Tavares version. Radio stations and fans loved the Bee Gees version better, so they decided “screw it, we’re playing this” instead of Tavares’ effort. And that’s today’s Stevo “Good Call of the Column!”, because the Tavares version is AWFUL. As in “haul out the Chuck Barkley voice “TURRIBLE!” awful.)
The movie spends 140 minutes building to that final competition. It’s the only thing it seemingly builds toward. Then you hit the dance competition, in a stunner to no one, Tony and Stephanie win it, it’s a rewarding conclusion … only psych! It’s not the conclusion, it’s the catalyst! The three most important scenes in the movie occur AFTER the scene the entire movie builds towards!
(Why “Saturday Night Fever” kicks ass and takes names 101. If you haven’t seen it, you need to. It’s ok, this column will still be here two hours and twenty some odd minutes from right now, if you wanna divert yourself to Netflix for that long and finally watch it. Just be prepared for gratuitous female nudity, an obscene amount of foul language, recreational drug use wide out in the open, casual sex about every fifteen minutes, horrendous racial stereo-typing that ultimately results in a racial brawl, and (actually, my favorite yet saddest plot line) the absolutely sh*tty way Tony treats Annette, and how that relationship ultimately gets “resolved”. It’s why I hate all but the last 30 some odd seconds of the final scene so much … hang on, we’re getting to that, I’m ahead of myself again …)
The final three scenes are by far and away the best, or at least the most important, ten minutes of the movie. Each in its own way. The scene in the car, the scene on the “Brooklyn Bridge” (anyone who’s ever spent time in New York, and God knows I have thanks to my dad’s side of the family, knows that’s the Verrazano heading out to Staten Island, not the Brooklyn headed into Manhattan, that they film Bobby’s big scene that comes out of nowhere in a “holy sh*t!!!” kind of way on. Way to insult everyone’s intelligence there, producers), and the final scene in Stephanie’s brownstone that makes me hurl empty beer cans at the TV every time it’s on.
And then that final scene. Sorry, but there isn’t a shot in hell Stephanie would have let Tony into her brownstone given the events of the night before. Let alone reached détente in the windowsill. Not a shot in holy hell. I will grant you, had Tony been up front at the door about the events leading to his arrival at her brownstone, then maybe, just maybe, the final scene is believable. But he wasn’t. “Nuthin. I’ll tell ya lata.” And still she let him in. She even questions her own sanity in doing so: “letting a known (won’t reveal it) into my apartment?” And she even verbally throws down with him: “really? Be friends with a girl? Can you actually be friends with a girl?” (The rebuttal, which saves the scene: “Honestly? I dunno. But I wanna find out.” From that point on, the scene is cool with me. But the 90 seconds leading into that final huddle in the windowsill of the absolutely gorgeous brownstone (that there isn’t a shot in hell Stephanie could afford on her secretary salary, even in 1976) on the East Side, is so utterly unbelievable, requires such a suspension of reason, that it cheapens the brilliant closing moment. End rant, back to the countdown, if I can remember what the hell number I’m down to.)
24. “All or Nothing” by Theory of a Deadman. Hey, a song released in the last 12 months finally appears! (There’s at least two more coming up, I’m not completely against modern pop music …)
23. “Somewhere Only We Know” by Keane. I love the stripped down version of this that The Coffee House plays, and it’s the version Blake did on “Idol” four years ago. Even the main version of this though is so good, that I never turn the channel when it’s on.
22. “Yeah!” by Usher, Lil’ Jon, and Ludacris. How this wasn’t voted the 2000s best overall song, I have no idea. How Rolling Stone didn’t even include it in the TOP 100, is an outrage that the feds should be investigating.
21. “Burn One Down” by Ben Harper. Life flows by so much more peacefully, relaxingly, and pleasantly when you enjoy “the gift from the earth”. Because “what’s from the earth is of the greatest worth”. Or something like that.
20. “Bye Bye Bye” by NSYNC. My one dance move guaranteed to bring the house down.
19. “You Never Even Called Me By My Name” by David Allen Coe. Dear God, do I love this song! Yes, Mr. Coe, it IS the perfect “country and western song”. Along with another one your good buddy Steve Goodman wrote …
Honorable Mention: “City of New Orleans”, by Willie Nelson. Come on, even ALF knew the lyrics! “Good mornin’ America, how are ya? / Pleased to know you, I’m your native son! / I’m the train they call the City of New Orleans! / And I’ll be gone 500 miles when the day is done!”
18. “Come Monday” by Jimmy Buffett. My favorite Buffett song. Although I love his cover of CSN’s “Southern Cross” that he closes down every concert with almost as much.
17. “Fantasy” by Earth, Wind, and Fire. I will be seeing these guys in less than two weeks, and I am beyond ecstatic. “Every man has a place / In his heart, there’s a space / And the world can’t erase his fantasy …”
16. “Sinners Like Me” by Eric Church. Another song that could be a perfect anthem for my life … if only it had been released before said actual anthem of Stevo’s life. (It’s at most 15 numbered selections away … although hell, anyone who knows me or has read this site knows what said “anthem” is …)
15. “More Than This” by Matt Nathanson. I keep changing what my favorite by this guy is, it veers between this, “Come On Get Higher”, and the two honorable mentions coming up right about now …
Honorable Mention: “Answering Machine” by Matt Nathanson, and
Honorable Mention: “Heartbreak World” by Matt Nathanson.
At the end of the day, I probably go with “More Than This” because man, the lyrics are that good. But they are with “Heartbreak World” as well, that was released at a time I was living that song in real life. And if you don’t get the urge to get at least a little frisky hearing the bridge in “Come On Get Higher”, then it’s probably time to start taking some pills to get the sex drive engaged.
14. “Sydney” by Brett Dennen. Hey, a song actually released IN THIS CALENDAR YEAR!!! (kazoo voice) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Absolutely love this effort out of him. The other song released this year I am totally and completely digging …
Honorable Mention: “Start a Fire” by Ryan Star. Give this song a chance, ditto his “Breathe” debut single that came out before this. This kid’s got a bright, bright future in front of him. (And yes, I am fully aware he is the exact same age as me. I used the term “kid” for a reason dammit.) He’s got a really Daughtry sounding voice and sound to his stuff. His 11:59 cd is well worth the download on iTunes.
13. “Jesus of Suburbia” by Green Day. “American Idiot”, for all of its overhype and (predictable) backlash against said overhype, is a truly great cd. And this is by far and away the best song on it.
12. “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi. Of course this song is making my top 20. I don’t think it stopped playing in my car cd player from the day it was released until about 3 years later. I absolutely LOVE this song. Well hell, I absolutely LOVE every song on this countdown, I just happen to love it a little less than 11 others, plus whatever honorable mentions I sneak in between now and the (possibly) predictable numero uno.
Honorable Mention: “You Give Love a Bad Name”, originally by Bon Jovi, but so cleverly and amazingly remixed by Blake Lewis. His version is pure genius. “Idol”’s finest hour.
11. (Three Way Tie). Come on, I hadn’t done a tie yet!
11a. “I Think the World Needs a Drink” by Terri Clark.
11b. “I Like Beer” by Tom T. Hall.
11c. “Mas Tequila” by Van Halen.
I can’t disagree with a word in any of these winning efforts. Other than I do like wine, unlike Tom T. Hall.
Well, we’re here, the top 10! Let’s get it started! (And nope, that craptacular tune by the worst band in America that has a recording contract is not appearing anywhere on this post.)
10. “Wherever You Will Go” by the Calling. This song’s always kind of struck me the right way. Love the sound, love the words, hey, what can I say, I’m a sucker for sappy stuff sometimes.
9. “I and Love and You” by the Avett Brothers. Another great breakup song, only far more modern than the others listed so far (and the one still to go at number 7). It’s just a great listen.
8. “Tyler” by the Toadies. “Possum Kingdom” might be my favorite cd of all time. (It’s damned close. Get me in the right mood, I’d vote it number one.) Texas’ finest alternative band of the 90s, and this was their best effort. Plus, one of the last nights I spent in college, and in Texas, was an impromptu “let’s hit up the Hard Rock, what the hell” night (my brother had just come in for my graduation, it was a Thursday in mid December). So me, Drew, my roommates, Mike and Niko, a couple others, head on over to that amazing converted chapel on Pearl Street and McKinney, walk in the door, and wouldn’t you know it, Frank had set me up! God I loved that guy, co-best roomie ever with Vineet, “The Voice of Reason” and “The Champ”. (I ain’t picking; you four all rock.)
Apparently he knew the Toadies were doing a concert at the Hard Rock that night for that “Hard Rock Live” show VH1 used to air. I will never forget how awesome this night was. Especially when they closed the set with “Tyler”. Plus the song itself, it’s so freaking perfect, especially in the second half. At the risk of offending any single religious people who read this that take that whole “don’t screw until you’re married” idea to heart, uuh, if you have never been in the position of the dude the song is singing about, especially as it hits its finale, you haven’t lived buddy, you freaking haven’t lived.
7. “Silver Springs” by Fleetwood Mac. Late summer 1997: I’m entering my junior year in college. (And yes, this is “the semester”, when I went from a solid 3.8 student to a barely scraping a 2.0 because that damned 007 game came out on the N64. Between that and Mario Kart, coupled with one roommate now being legal, and the other one loving an herbal remedy, I think I pulled off a minor miracle at getting a 2.0.) MTV stages the Fleetwood Mac reunion concert, and “The Dance” cd of its recording is a huge hit. I’m already a huge fan – after all, I grew up in a family where dad’s radio never leaves 101 the Fox, mom’s rarely left Oldies 95, and as even back then a “way too into politics for his own good” liberal, of COURSE I loved The Mac, they did Clinton’s election theme song after all!
So, this is the cd in my Discman. (Fine, fine, stop yelling – a Discman was a very bulky iPod predecessor that played cd’s, only it skipped so much as you walked along from class to class that you eventually just gave up trying to listen. Although once you got to lab or class, and could set that thing on solid footing, it was golden.) And my roomies Vineet and Frank just give me all kinds of sh*t for the first week. (My favorite? “Dude, how can you listen to sh*t our folks love?” And that was from the guy I went to an Eagles concert with on his dime. Uuh, yeah. We didn’t have a combined 4.3 GPA between the three of us for nothing that semester! I kid, I kid, I think it was 4.8.) Anyways, one night, we’re sitting around doing what we do best (aka “enjoying a couple cold ones and burning one down”), they start in again on the cd, and I’ve had it. In a rare show of spine, I’m like “fine, here, listen to the god d*mned thing, and if you still hate it by song six, I’ll never listen to it again!”
We went to the reunion tour concert at (ironically enough) Reunion Arena not even six weeks later. This song is the cd’s best effort, it’s Stevie Nicks finally, after years of having to hear Lindsey rip her every day via “Go Your Own Way”, FINALLY, she gets revenge. And man, the last 90 seconds, the final chorus, you can literally taste the hate in this song. It takes her a solid 15 seconds to calm down enough just to end the song, she’s waited so long for this moment. Awesome stuff.
6. “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey. If I have to explain why this is in my top ten, just start clicking various links on the side of the page. Particularly anything having to do with Top 4 Idol night this past season, or “The Sopranos”, or KU Football from 2007.
5. “One Step Closer” by Linkin Park. Quite possibly the best five minutes of my life that didn’t involve me (a) being high, (b) being drunk, or (c) having some fun with a member of the opposite sex. Oh wait, I was two of the three, and son of a b*tch, you can probably guess the one that wasn’t happening. Linkin Park closed down Projekt Revolution in 2004 at Sandstone with this song, and I gotta say, this might be the highlight of my life musically. I’ve mentioned elsewhere on this site why that night and that concert meant so much to me, but man, I actually am sitting here shaking my head, with a big goofy grin on my face, fighting back tears, remembering that moment from that night. “Cause I’m One Step Closer to the edge / And I’m about to break!!!” I can still see myself head-slamming, pounding the fist, jumping up and down … and I wasn’t the only one. (Sorry “Champ”, you know you were too. Ditto “The Voice of Reason”.) The best concert I’ve ever been to, and I’d do it again tomorrow if I had the chance. What a night. And what a song.
Honorable Mention: “Work” by Jimmy Eat World. “Futures”, for anyone who cares, is my favorite cd of all time pretty much any time you ask me. “Work” for years and years and years (ok, six or seven years) was always fourth on my top four songs, behind three of the next four about to appear. But as time goes along, one of these remaining four just keeps growing more and more on me. So now “Work” is an honorable mention, somewhere in the top 10 if I’m being honest, but why start now, I am a Democrat after all.
4. “Perfect Memory” by Remy Zero. The next two songs, you probably have never heard of the artist performing said song, and even odds you’ve never heard the song itself. So do yourself a favor and Youtube! it. This was my late buddy James’ favorite song, and you’re damned right I cried when they played this at his funeral mass. It’s sadly, a perfect description of his life. Rest in peace buddy.
(Second random trivia note of the post: Remy Zero only had one minor hit … and this song wasn’t it. Nope, they did the theme song to “Smallville”! When your biggest “hit” is scoring the theme song to the what, 110th, 111th rated show, uuh … and yet, an even LOWER rated show’s theme song is still to come!!! And you bet your sweet ass it’s “Stevo’s Anthem in Life”!!! Oy …)
3. “Second Place Victory” by This Day and Age. And here’s a band that had zip, zero, nada major hits. They had a minor one (apparently) in New England and the upper East with this one.
And I can totally understand why. There’s nothing wrong with a “Second Place Victory” in life. Someday, I hope to win one.
And now, the toughest part of the post … and we’re only on page 13, so I am well short of “longest post ever” status.
On the one hand, is the song that I have said is my “personal anthem in life”, is the theme song to (arguably) the worst show still on network television (even if, as I freely admit, I totally love the show, am absolutely addicted to it, and I have seen every second of every minute of every hour of every episode of said television show between original airings and SoapNet reruns …), and it’s one of my favorite artists signature songs, if not THE signature song by him.
On the other hand, you have a song that only one “Idol” contestant has ever performed on that show, and the second David Cook launched into it, I feared DJ and “deadbeat ex roomie” were about to evict me, I was so totally digging it. Plus, it’s the song that for years I listened to walking into Arrowhead to get me into the proper mindset for GameDay, and it’s just one amazing rock anthem to boot. So, your top two Stevo Favorite Songs are …
2. “I Don’t Wanna Be” by Gavin DeGraw. From the second you see Lucas Scott dribbling the basketball on the railroad bridge as the three opening piano notes hit, you’re f*cking hooked on this song. (Yes, it’s the theme song to “One Tree Hill”, although, in my defense … well, I have no defense, I’ve seen every moment “One Tree Hill” has ever broadcast. Not even “Unfrozen Cave Man Lawyer” could get me off for this offensive of a television pleasure. But in my defense – I loved this song before it was “Tree Hill”’s theme song. Because Gavin DeGraw is that damned good.)
I don’t wanna be anything
Other than what I’ve been
Trying to be lately,
All I have to do
Is think of me
And I have peace of mind.
I’m tired of looking around rooms,
Wondering what I’m supposed to do,
Or who I’m supposed to be.
I don’t wanna be anything other than … me.
Perfection. Only, not quite, because my favorite song from when I launched this site, is still at the top of the charts …
1. “Innocent” by Our Lady Peace. Some people I know, enter Arrowhead listening to “Lose Yourself” by Eminem. Some entered to “Boom!” by POD. Some get fired up by “Down With the Sickness” by Disturbed. (OK, I cop to that too. Wait, I already did. It’s wickedly inspiring.)
But THIS … THIS is THE fire you up anthem in life. Or at least to me it is. The story of a struggling musician offered the break of a lifetime – sell out and record a pop hit, over staying true to your principles. You’ve got your dreams, your vision … but now you have a sick girl, you’ve got bills, you’ve got pressures … “and I remember feeling low, and I remember losing hope, and I remember all the feelings …”
And the day they stopped.
We are.
We are all innocent.
We are all innocent.
We are, we are.
The artist didn’t sell out. He stuck to his guns, so to speak. Ignored the advice. Made it happen on his terms.
“Remember losing hope? Remember feeling low? Remember all the feelings and …”
The day they stopped.
We all got something to contribute to this life. I’ll be damned if I know what my contribution is, other than horrendous dancing to “Bye Bye Bye”, 15 page countdowns on my 50 favorite songs that somehow reach 70 plus songs, and ensuring potato farmers everywhere can at least hawk their product on the secondary market as the beginnings of a vodka crop. But man, I love this song. We are all “innocent”. We all have our shot to make it. It’s up to us to do it. God knows I’ve failed many a time or 1,938,538,562. But I’m still “innocent”. I can still make it happen. As can anyone else.
As always, questions, comments, thoughts, or angry grizzley-bear like reactions -- unlike some people, I don’t censor or block your thoughts. You can hit the comments below, or hit me up at Facebook or Twitter or Yahoo IM! at teamtito15. It might take me a while to reply, but eventually I do ...
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