Chris Isaak "Wicked Game"

This one's some kind of mix between a "Dismissive One Sentence Reviews By Friends" post and a "Let Me Ruin This Song For You" post . . .

My college girlfriend claimed to have heard parody of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" as sung by a Scooby Doo imitator.  (Though I have never been able to find proof of this, via The Google)

Whenever it came on (the song was hugely popular during the time we were together), as it got to the chorus instead of singing "No I don't want to fall in love with you . . ." she'd sing in a Scooby voice, "Rooby Rooby Roooooooooooooooo!!!"

And yes, 20+ years later, that's still what I hear in my head when I hear this song.


Hear the song on Youtube.

The Hold Steady "Constructive Summer"

I've launched a variety of post features on this blog.

Some have been fruitful (Hello, "Let Me Ruin This Song For You"). 

Some have not (Goodbye "Random Ridiculous Songs That Have No Business Being Played In Public Again But I Heard In The Grocery Store Today").

I'm not sure how far I can go with this latest one, but, Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome:

"Dismissive One Sentence Reviews By Friends."

Have you ever had a friend, co-worker, or family member say something critical of a song or band, and, from there forward, are never able to hear it/them, without hearing their slight?

My friend Martin has been good for several of these.

When I once suggested he listen to The Hold Steady, his two word review was "townie rock."

At first, I thought this was a shallow and dismissive view.

But upon further thought, it's actually a pretty succinct and accurate assessment. 

The Hold Steady's songs ARE pub ready.  And the characters in the lyrics ARE often like the guys and girls you went to high school with.

But where Martin was saying it as a slight, I think those characteristics are what I enjoy about The Hold Steady and songs like "Constructive Summer."


Hear the song on Youtube.

Vampire Weekend "Diane Young"

I was going to write a post about how its almost become not worth it to post new music on the blog, because by the time you do, 10,000 folks have already done the same.

This Vampire Weekend track was digitally released on Monday afternoon, and my initial thought was that I'd write about it for my Tuesday entry.

But with barely more than 12 hours on the web, it's already all over the place, on music sites and blogs and your Facebook feed and such.  It's not even worth trying to be first, as it gets lost in a sea of sharing.

As I was dismissing the idea of just posting this because it's new and exciting, deciding instead to hold it back until I had a specific idea to write about . . . a specific idea to write about made itself evident.

Please, "Let Me Ruin This Song For You."

While bumping into this tune on radio and your social media feeds and television and your friend's playlists, try not to think of "Footloose."

That is all . . .


Hear Vampire Weekend on Youtube.


Hear "Footloose" on Youtube.

Ryan Adams "Nuclear"

Welcome to another segment of "Let Me Ruin This Song For You."

(If you missed the first entry, you should probably read this)

Every time I hear the very beginning of this Ryan Adams song, I half-wish that a Looney Tunes episode was about to start . . .


Hear Ryan Adams on Youtube.


Hear the intro on Youtube.

Joey Ramone "What Did I Do To Deserve You?"

I hate to do this to the late Joey Ramone, but I have to play "Let Me Ruin This Song For You" with his new single.

Before reading any further, you might want to read the "Let Me Ruin This Song For You" guidelines, so you can bail on this post, if you don't wish to think ill of the dead.

Yes, sadly, it's been over a decade since Joey Ramone (born Jeffry Ross Hyman) passed away, after a 7 year battle with lymphoma.  Within a year of his death, the record he'd been working on, "Don't Worry About Me" was released.  And that was the last I'd expected to hear from Joey Ramone.

But this Spring, a project guided by Ramones' producer Ed Stasium and Joey's brother Mickey Leigh was released.  Stasium and Leigh found a host of Joey's demos, stripped out everything but Joey's vocals, and then rebuilt the tracks.  The project includes load of Joey's personal friends, like Joan Jett, Steven Van Zandt and members of Cheap Trick.

I guess I have some reservations about anyone but the artist himself/herself completing a record, but I can appreciate that this was guided by family and friends.  And I loved Joey Ramone, so I'm rooting for this record.

But check out the single.  Musically, does it not sound a more than a little like The Traveling Wilburys?


Hear Joey Ramone on Youtube.


Hear The Traveling Wilburys on Youtube.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse "Oh Susannah"

Barbara and I were having our usual conversation about the arrival of a new Neil Young track.

But this time, adding a layer of bizarreness/hiliarity, is the fact that it is/purports-to-be a cover song.

Young's forthcoming "Americana" album is a collection of traditional roots and public domain songs, with the sonic-attack of a traditional Crazy Horse album.

That's the information I had going into my first listen of the song.

I know the song "Oh Susannah" from my childhood.  And I have to say, on my first listen, I wondered if my understanding of what this record was, was wrong.

The second time I listened to it, I could hear some lyrics that I recognized, but it still seemed like he was only grazing the original.

Maybe if I keep listening to it, it will sound like the same song that they used to sing in grammar school.

Anyway, what do you think?


Hear the song on Youtube.

Pete does it like I remember it.

Hear the Seeger version on Youtube.

James does it like James and Johnny does it like Johnny, but they're closer to Pete than they are to Neil.

Hear James and Johnny on Youtube.

PS.  Does this song seem like a future candidate for "Let Me Ruin This Song For You?"  If you'd like to have it ruined, so that you'll never hear this song without thinking of a completely different one, then by all means, click here.

Rickie Lee Jones "Youngblood"

Welcome to another segment of "Let Me Ruin This Song For You."

(If you missed the first entry, you should probably read this)

I know that "Youngblood" isn't a widely known tune.

In fact, I'm not sure that I've ever heard it on a station other than mvyradio. And even we only play it occasionally.

Maybe that's why it's only recently that I make this connection . . .

For years, I've had the nagging sensation that "Youngblood" sounded like another song I knew. But I couldn't place it.

Until now.

Uh, does it not share a riff (and I use the term "riff" lightly here), with the theme to the TV show "Golden Girls"?

Yeah, sorry.


Hear Rickie Lee Jones on Youtube.


Hear the "Golden Girls" theme on Youtube.

Dave Stewart "Can't Get You Out Of My Head"

Welcome to another segment of "Let Me Ruin This Song For You."

(If you missed the first entry, you should probably read this)

Let me give credit where credit is due. I'm not the one who is going to ruin this song for you. You can blame Jess.

It was she, who asked:

"Why are we playing two songs that sounds so similar?"

Which two songs?

"'Can't Get You Out Of My Head' and 'She Walks In So Many Ways'"

Those two songs don't sound anything alike!

So of course, she got out both CDs, and played the opening riffs, back to back.

Go ahead a listen below on the videos, from the beginning of each song, until the singing starts.

Then try not to think of the first song, whenever you hear the second one. Or vice-versa.

Thanks for ruining two songs, Jess!


Hear Dave Stewart on Youtube.


Hear The Jayhawks on Youtube.

Nickel Creek "This Side"

Welcome to another segment of "Let Me Ruin This Song For You."

(If you missed the first entry, you should probably read this)

You, perhaps, remember this as the song that brought Nickel Creek from the bluegrass scene to a more eclectic, beyond-Americana stage. The kind of folks who say they don't like country music, but listen to Lyle Lovett and Lucinda Williams.

You remember it as a great leap forward to a wider audience from a promising young, forward-thinking band who had an exciting vision.

Let me ruin this song for you.

I saw Nickel Creek in concert around the time this album came out, where they sheepishly explained that the lyrics of this song were written after a viewing of "The Matrix."

Dude, this song is, like, totally about an alternate reality.

Whoa . . .


See the video on Youtube.

Wilco "Outta Mind Outta Site"

Let me introduce a new segment on the blog, called, "Let Me Ruin This Song For You."

Why don't we pause right there for a second.

I promise, in any blog post where I plan to ruin a song for you, that I will alert you at the beginning of the post.

So if you see "Let Me Ruin This Song For You" and you look back at the artist and title in the header, and you think, "Hey, I'd rather you didn't ruin this song for me. I like this song," then don't read any further.

That said . . . let me ruin this Wilco song.

Every time I hear this the opening of tune, I can't help but be reminded of the opening of the classic version of the Sesame Street theme song.

Sure, Wilco's tune is a little more rocking, but listen to the electric guitar tutorial, and you'll hear it even clearer.

Sorry.

Hear the original "Outta Site (Outta Mind)"

See the very fun video that Wilco's old label won't let you embed.


Hear the song on Youtube.


Learn how to play the song on Youtube.