Tamworth Bands

[Cukrowski]

I suppose a lot of good songs have been written by good songwriters so I think mine are the following (again in no order):

1. I Am The Walrus - Lennon / McCartney (John Lennon's lyric)
The Beatles a huge influence full stop.... I can remember hearing this for the first time after being told of it's genius by my English teacher... When I brought The Beatles 1967-70 Blue Album and heard it I wore the track out.... The weirdest song I had heard....cracking Sir George Martin Score/Production and lyrics so loopy that the rythmn and sound of Lennon's words combined with his sneering, carry this jazzy poetic rant....

2. Lola - (Ray Davis)
Great comic storytelling by possibly the best English lyicist of the mid 60's. As songs go it teases you to want to know the sexploits of the first person narrative and Lola....only to find that you probably didn't want to know, suspecting something isn't quite what it seems: "girls will be boys and boys will be girls/ it's a mixed up muddled up shook up world....now i'm not dumb but I can't understand/ why she walks like a woman and talks like a man..." so many great bits to this dark comedy.

3. (Read it in) Books (McCulloch/Cope)
I ve got several versions of this song including Echo and the Bunnymen's John Peel Session, Teardrop Explodes: Zoo single version, Kilamanjaru LP version, plus Julian Cope's Version featuring Donald Ross Skinner on guitar.
Arrogant, agressive new wave song... I like all versions but the repetative piano note in Copey's I think is a cracker.

4. Good Vibrations (Wilson)
I heard The Beach Boys via a tape player at work in Birmingham in 1986 all in one week because my boss enjoyed working to it.... I was put off by this early over exposure of them but noted the brilliance of Good Vibrations as sounding amazing for the time it was written....Genius.

5. Waiting for the Man (Lou Reed Velvet Underground)
I needed some songs to build up atmosphere in an Edward Albee Play I was in (The Zoo Story) which was set in the seedier side of New York. This song captures the mood of the play perfectly. The almost lustful sadness of the adict because he can't get a fix/ or comunicate without having to pay for it.

6. Raining In my heart (Buddy Holly)
I know it's soppy .... but I love the strings..... and well... I couldn't put all of Mr Holly's stuff in here so it's this one....

7. God Save the Queen (The Sex Pistols)
The first Sex Pistols song I heard that I can remember was F***in in the rigging
Which I thought was funny at age 9/10years old and still manages to raise a smile.....But I just love the guitars crashing with Rotten's sneering....and because they dared..... And won.

8. Everybody's Talkin' (Harry Niellson ....not sure if he wrote it though?)
Because it is beautifully sung, played and drifts.... oh yeh and it is in the truly great film Midnight Cowboy....or is that just "the echoes of my mind" ?

9. People Are Strange (The Doors)
Love the piano sound... love the cutesy intoxication of the lyrics and Jim Morrisons delivery. Cracking stuff my dad used to play me The Doors records which I haven't wanted to escape from... quite an influence on All Before Them and Pepperland if you ever heard Butterfly Mind or Degenerate...

10. Babies (Jarvis cocker/Pulp)
Well it's Jarvis at his geeky storytelling best.... great repetitive guitar hook, along with some lovely synth sounds..... classic and original.

[RobMaddison]

It's a very difficult list to compile, as music can be quite transient. I mean by this that when I was 12, I nearly wore a hole in my vinyl (obviously) copy of "Sound Affects" listening to "Dreamtime" and "Monday", but although I still love these songs they'd maybe not make my list. Conversely, new music by Metric, The Automatic, and even Coxon is difficult to assess for an all time list as I don't know if I'll still get that feeling, like Peel did with "Teenage Kicks", in 5 years or even 5 months! Here's a list, but it might change...(Not in any order)

1) The Clash, Complete Control. "This is the Punk Rockers", Strummer shouts. And still my fists clench and my hackles go up every time I hear it.
2) Radiohead, Let Down. Music and Lyrics that belong together. Another one to raise the old arm hairs!
3) The Jam, In The Crowd. The best song on a great album and it's got a backwards guitar solo. Weller could (and still can) play with real poise. Still looking for baked beans on toast in tins, tho!
4) Manics, A Design For Life. Great socialist words and nearly as uplifting as music can get after the Richie thing...Brilliant.
5) Grandaddy, Now It's On. The only song I've ever heard that warms me up when I listen to it. Really uplifting and optomistic lyrics too...
6) Foo Fighters, All My Life. I don't know quite what Dave Grohl has to be angry about, but bloody hell, he certainly isn't happy in this masterpiece! One of the most violent songs I've ever heard, an equal to "Bloody Sunday" by SLF.
7) X Ray Spex, Germ Free Adolesents. Anything by this band must be considered the dog's T's.
Sex Pistols. See (7). Except for post-Rotten sh*te.
9) Blur, Beetlebum. Rubbish title, great song from genuine inovators.
10) The Ruts, West One (Shine on Me). Sad end to a truly great band.
11) Any Ash single. The most under-rated band I can think of...

There you go, it's a Spinal Tap Amp 11 on this list but come next week I'll want to change it! Rob Kinson- Post your top 10....

[Cukrowski]

I agree with you about Ash and I had missed Blur's Beetlebum... Tender is also a cracker of same period... and as for the Manics well, La Tristesse Durera had such a great build running through the bass hook.... a lot of good ones to choose from. Yeah all pretty innovative.

[RobMaddison]

I'm gald that people are agreeing with me about Coxon, and you're quite right in saying that "Tender" is a great song. I missed Radiohead's "Lucky", too, which should have been in my top 11. In fact, a top 10 is ridiculously restrictive, a top 100 would be better!

[mick rutherford]

Oh dear. This will show my age I think.

1. For the Benifit of me Kite (Lennon/McCartney) The words just taken from an old fairground poster - Genius)

2. Needle and the damage done (Neil Young) Just such a powerful vocal,

3. Lola (Ray Davis) So English with a nice twist in the tail.

4. Tales of brave Ullyses (Clapton/Bruce ?) Just perfection and using the same riff as White Room Oh Joy.

5. With a little help from my friends (Lennon/McCartney) BUT the Joe Cocker version. He goes for the high note, nothing comes out of his mouth but YOU CAN HEAR IT IN YOUR MIND.

6. Trick of the tail (Genesis) A whole story wrapped up in one song.

7. Run to the hills (Iron Maiden) Based on a book called 'I buried my heart at wounded knee'.

8. In my own time (Family) Leicesters' finest. Such a great song - and they only ever done it as -AN ENCHOR.

9. War (Edwyn Starr) He used to live in Polsworth. This was, perhaps the ultimate anti-war song of all time.

10. It must be love (10 cc) One of the great ballads of all time - and very iritating as once you heard it you bloody well sang it.

Long tall sally, Twist and Shout, I am the wallrus, Working Class Hero so many and I havn't even mentioned Blues.
_________________
Keep the Faith

[RobMaddison]

Mick/ Adam
In total agreement about Lola by the Kinks. And Sunny Afternoon is a bit tasty, too. And while we're on this topic, Small Faces' Lazy Sunday Afternoon isn't half bad either! Also agree with Needle and the Damage Done, although for awsome power and sheer greatness Like a Hurricane is my favourite Neil Young song.