The Grim Reaper rarely takes a break these days...
WILLIAM FRIEDKIN
Mark Kermode tells us that The Exorcist is the greatest movie ever made. Not just the greatest "horror" movie, mind, but the greatest movie full stop. And who are we to argue with Mark Kermode?
When I was a kid, I devoured every horror film I could get my hands on from the local video shop. Not The Exorcist though, as it had been withdrawn in the UK as a "video nasty" by James Ferman of the BBFC. I had to wait till 1998 to see it, when it was finally re-released and re-appraised. It was a thrill to see such a notorious film after so long, and at the time it made quite an impression on me. But I wonder how much of that was the illicit hype? Years later, I still rate the movie highly (though not quite as highly as Mr. Kermode) but I don't find it shocking anymore. Has the world changed or have I changed?
I couldn't find any lyrics that mentioned Mr. Friedkin, so I had to go with the obvious tribute...
PAUL REUBENS
Pee-wee Herman is a children's TV character I'm largely unfamiliar with, so my only encounter with the actor Paul Reubens is from his role as The Penguin's father in Batman Returns. His career involved a certain amount of controversy, as it seems he was a little too interested in pornography (or "vintage erotica") for a prominent star of kids' TV, but he appears to have weathered the storm better than many of his contemporaries did.
I was very excited to find a song called Paul Reubens by Felt... but sadly, it wasn't that Felt. (I should have known.)
Reubens also crops up in this... protect your ears.
Grey rustic buildings Divided by cobblestone streets Pigeons flock on the pavement Candle-lit atmosphere in street side bars Paul Rubens rises in the hazy air As the cathedral glows in the night Flares of cerise and magenta stream Fading in the starry night sky Paul Rubens rises in the hazy air As the cathedral glows in the night
But my favourite reference comes from a band who describe their music as "Good vibes with a tropical twist". Here, Mr. Reubens features in a less than stellar list that includes Jon Benét, the Menendez Brothers, Orenthal James, Dodi Fayed and... Princess Di.
In the Darwinian Age Everyone is on their own front page Everyone's your friend But nobody cares They're all much too busy donning their airs
SIXTO RODRIGUEZ
As far as I can tell, nobody wrote any songs about Sixto Rodriguez. I did find a couple called Sugar Man, but they weren't about him...
Like most people, I only discovered Rodriguez after the documentary, Searching For Sugarman. I'm glad he found fame in later life, and I hope it treated him well.
This is Gal Gadot, the 21st Century Wonder Woman. Yesterday, we had Linda Carter, the 20th Century version. Wonder Woman is a superhero who traces her origins back to Greek Mythology. And here are ten songs that do the same...
10. Pucker up.
Pogue is an Irish kiss. As in Pogue Mahone, which tells you to kiss my... well, you know the rest.
So there's a TV show on Netflix called Sex Education. I haven't watched it, despite the fact that it features Gillian Anderson. Then again, I haven't watched The Crown either, despite the fact that also features Gillian Anderson. The very idea of her playing Margaret Thatcher break my heart... and stamps on other parts of my anatomy too.
Louise has watched Sex Education though. Make of that what you will. The other day, she was listening to the soundtrack when I recognised a familiar voice...
Yes, it's our old pal Chip 'Wild Thing' Taylor. Perhaps not the first person you'd imagined to be featured in the soundtrack to a hip, yoof-oriented Netflix show... nor the first person you'd imagine to find covering a song by Regina Spektor about listening to Guns 'n' Roses. Despite all those facts... this is a belter.
Welcome back to the Hot 100. And please be upstanding for Brian...
I will count on seeing American power-pop band 20/20 as the art on the top of the next post in this series... preferably from their first single or their first album. Don't let me down, Rol!
Now, I have to admit I'd never heard of this lot before, but I knew Brian wouldn't let me down.
Here's the thing, Alyson... nothing is for everyone, and the stuff that is (or is supposed to be) is usually rubbish. I liked all those, but I think I preferred the version by The Stargazers.
By this point, I'm starting to wonder if some of you have just made a list of artists who are frequently featured on this blog and then gone looking for appropriately numbered songs. Oh, wait, here's someone who has blatantly done just that. It's Douglas McLaren...
So the consensus above seems to put T-Rex in as front-runners and obvious favourites. And I admit I too, had I not been late to the game, would have suggested the same, with perhaps Elvis Costello as an outside chance and Pet Shop Boys as a dark horse.
T-Rex? Has someone suggested a T-Rex song? Not that one The Swede mentioned, surely? Sorry, Douglas, I interrupted your monologue...
But as I am late to the game, I am going to put forward not just another choice, but one which I am sure you will see has the power of research, reason, and persuasive logic behind it. For starters, I have observed a long running tendency for our esteemed blogger to shy away from obvious front runners to surprise with some surprise underdogs. Consider, for example, a couple weeks ago when all were putting heavy money on Gene Pitney for #24, and up came Half Man Half Biscuit. I argue that T-Rex supporters going all in for a dead cert face possible extinction if there is a meteoric rise of some new kid on the Cretaceous block. So who might that be? If you were thinking Elvis, the King (and who better than a King to dethrone the Tyrant-Lizard?) you are wrong. I have just the candidate for you: George Jones. Before you scoff, consider this: Research shows that George has been undergoing a slow and steady upsurge in popularity within the pages of this fine blog. The "Search" box at the top reveals that his first appearance ever here was as an 8th place finish on April 15th, 2013, with "The World Worst Loser", in a Top Ten about "Losers". Before you chortle indeed and mutter something about the title being prophetic, or get off a wry comment that losing in a contest of Losers doesn't really make you a winner, wait for what comes next. George had a comeback the following year by teaming up with Tammy Wynette, always a wise strategy. That time, on January 6th, 2014, it was a 7th place finish with "I've Seen Better"...marginal improvement, you say? Well, improvement nonetheless and it gave him the confidence to try again, and this time, with all in for a placing. It took him a few years (his age slowing him, I suppose) but it was worth it; on April 19th, 2018, it was "The Race Is On" (ironically in a Top Ten about Horse Racing) that landed him in the Winner's Circle with a strong 2nd Place showing in a Top Ten appropriately about the races. And that was it. George could smell victory, and there was no stopping him. He spent the next year in training, eating nothing but Wheaties and working out like a man half his age. It was Stallone in Rocky XIII (am I up to date???) all over again. Avid readers will know that the payoff came just last week. And this would be big...not just some local, "best of show" Top Ten victory. George had his sights set higher. He wanted a win in one of the big time circuits, and he had his hopes pinned on a Saturday Snapshots #1 placing, and, miracle of miracles, just a few days ago, he came through with "He Stopped Loving Her Today". You saw it with your own eyes. But having tasted victory, George now wants more. What, he asked himself, would be better that a Saturday Snapshot win? What giddy heights could he aspire to now with a fairy tale finish to his Cinderella story in these hallowed pages? It took some thought, but then...by George, he had it! He would take the first spot in the final 20 countdown of the Hot 100. Let the younger kids have the final weeks (by Gad, he hoped it would not be U2 with "One"!). But he would show there was life in the old boy by having #20 all to himself. It had to be. He was made for this. He shuffled through his back catalogue, his memory stirred by a half-forgotten title. He rummaged for a few moments, past the big shiny hits, under the sleeper successes, and yes, there it was! And out he pulled... George Jones - I've Aged Twenty Years in Five Take that, T-Rex. (mike drops)
Wow. What can I say, Douglas, except that if you've spent such a (scarily) long amount of time researching this blog, there's one thing you must know for sure... Bono doesn't stand a chance.
OK, before we get on to the rather obvious winner, I have a confession to make. There were so many 20 songs in my collection (many of them mentioned above, many not), I didn't even have time to listen to them, let alone link to them. Here are the edited highlights...
I'm starting with that one because I have featured it here before as a Mid-Life Crisis Song. In that post I mentioned how Mark Kozelek wrote the song about Johnny Saint-Lethal, the lead singer of a little-known American guitar band called The Show. And do you know what, JSL actually left a comment in return... although for some reason, that has disappeared from the blog. Fortunately, I have it saved in my inbox, so here's what he said:
"I took Mark's writing the song about my book and I as a stunning nod. I think, however, if you had read the collection (as Mark actually did... please see "1983 MTV Era Music...") you would see the honesty in which it was written. Not at all a know-it-all. Quite the contrary. If you can find a copy (there's only 1100), you might enjoy it and view me differently. I speak to you from the "grave" though. I put JSL to death a couple years ago. RIP. Next chapter. Be well. Bless you all."
Thank you for that, Johnny, and I wish you well. I'm genuinely sorry if it seemed like I was judging you though - the post was meant to be more of a judgement of miserable, middle-aged gits like Kozelek and myself and how we secretly miss being 20-something and are jealous of anyone who still is.
I think.
Anyway, back to a few more selected 20 Songs from my hard-drive...
However, sometimes you just can't deny the inevitable.
And so we have to give this week's prize to Charity Chic as he was first to suggest it.
Some guitar riffs are so powerful, they blow everything else off the field...
Of course, this does mean that CC has now won two weeks in a row. Can he make it a hat-trick? I mean, next week is 19. Shall we just skip that and call it too easy a win?
Or will we all be surprised by a rank outsider?
To be honest, I haven't even started looking yet. So feel free to surprise me...
UPDATE: NO 19 SONGS WILL BE ALLOWED WHERE THE 19 IS PART OF A DATE IN THE 20TH CENTURY.
3. How far would Tom & Bob run to see this band, mate?
Apologies to Brian, I should have gone with an international clue about Burt Reynolds... I'll try to remember that in future. Charity Chic helped out here too.
