Wednesday 14 November 2012

My Top Ten L.A. Songs


The next stop on my Top Ten Tour of the USA... it's La La Land.


10. Patsy Gallant - From New York To L.A.

Ironically never a hit in America. But we'll return to Americans and irony in a moment...

9. Elliott Smith - L.A.

Sadly, it was to be his last stop.

8. Billy Joel - Los Angelenos

As I keep telling you: if you don't dig Billy, you don't dig music.

7. The Fall - L.A.

A song with about 30 words in total, yet they're all ace. Not sure whether the best line is this...

Uncanny bushes are in disagreement with the heat

...or this...

They have filled boulevards with white snow, scum-ball.
Gotta love Mark E. Smith.

6. Glen Campbell - Country Boy (You Got Your Feet in L.A.)

Livin' in the city
Ain't never been my idea of gettin' it on

5. Art Brut - Moving To L.A.

Eddie Argos: a less L.A. rock star it would be hard to find. And yet...
When I get off that plane
The first thing I'm gonna do is
Strip naked to the waist
And ride my Harley Davidson
Up and down Sunset Strip
Hmm, I might even get a tattoo
My problems are never gonna find me
I'm not sending one letter or even a postcard back
I'm drinking Hennessy with Morrissey
On a beach out of reach somewhere very far away

4. Meat Loaf - Los Angeloser

Post Jim Steinman, Meat Loaf has released some pretty duff records, even I can't argue with that. However, every now and then he brings out something like this that, while not in the Jim leagues, still brings a huge smile to my face. I love rockstars who don't take themselves too seriously. I like to think that if Elvis was still alive, he'd be releasing stuff like this... even at 77.

3. Bran Van 3000 - Drinking In L.A.
Hi, my name is Stereo Mike.
A record that owes much of its existence to Beck, even though he had nothing to do with it.

Oh, and if you think this was the only decent record BV3000 released, can I respectfully direct you towards Speed? It's even better.

2. The Doors - L.A. Woman

Mr. Mojo Risin'.

1. Randy Newman - I Love L.A.

Next time some idiot tries to tell you Americans don't understand irony, point them towards Randy Newman.




Those were my L.A. loves... which one gets you going lalala?


12 comments:

  1. Hurrah! Patsy Gallant - there is no need for any more songs in the world.

    As a kid - like most people in a monochrome industrial northern England - I had no real idea where America was. Yet, songs about places with wild exotic names like: Cincinnati, Massachusetts, Galveston, San Jose & Amarillo (which no one could find) were floating in the sooty air around us. They sounded wonderful, magical places; the stuff of dreams ...

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    1. Yes, you'd struggle to write a similar song about Huddersfield or Barnsley, wouldn't you?

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  2. I have to admit I like Rachel Stevens LA Ex and for a man the video is worth a watch with the sound turn off if necessary!

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    1. I reckon that's the only way I could watch a Rachel Stevens video.

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  3. On Kellogsville's advice I have just watched Rachel Stevens with the sound down. She still doesn't do it for me.'s still rubbish.

    Oh my word...you should look on Wikipedia under songs about L.A....hundreds and hundreds of the blighters. I'm sticking to Patsy Gallant

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    1. That's why I rarely research these things on wikipedia - I've usually got more than enough songs to go at in my own music library!

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    2. OMG next you'll be say you didn't like S Club 7, it's sooo totally not fair *storms out and slams door*

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    3. S Club 7... was that some horrific KGB gulag in the Cold War?

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  4. The Doors is all I know. But that sounds kind of cool.

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  5. I have From New York to LA on a CD somewhere - it could even be a one hit wonder CD LOL

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    Replies
    1. Despite having a Number 1 in Australia with a song about America (where she never had any hits), she apparently was far more successful in her native Canada.

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