Is there a song worse than China Grove?

[sonicsmitty]

That second one is a Paul Simon tune. The "Red Rubber Ball" line in it and title is corny but the rest of the lyrics are okay. At least they're singing and harmonizing, which is more than I can say for some other more revered songs. Hey, I'm not ashamed to admit I like some old sixties pop. I even got their CD. They were managed by Beatles manager Brian Epstein.

A spot of trivia. The two guys singing went on to successful careers as ad jingle writers with the Alka-Seltzer "Plop plop, fizz fizz, oh what a relief it is" and the Seven-Up "Uncola" jingles.

 

[MarkieMark]

Though it is totally 70’s guitar-riff-ilicious, Ram Jam’s Black Betty, is a little over-ripe, IMO.
I admire the arranging, and execution, BUT, there’s something fishy about it.

Always thought that was about the jammin' tonez more than the song quality.

It's a "banger" as the kids say.

That second one is a Paul Simon tune... <snip>

I recall a Paul Simon quote from some time long ago- went something like "I don't care if the song makes no sense, as long as it sounds good" or something like that..

I don't totally disagree, but one can go to extremes.

 

[sonicsmitty]

Very sorry for your loss.

Thanks. A very long time ago. My Dad went until 11 days short of his 94th birthday last fall. We're all going someday. Hope it's not too soon. I'm still working now, but I'd like to be able to enjoy some retirement before I go.

 

[sonicsmitty]

Here, this will clear it out.

WHOA!!! I almost clicked on that until I realized it was that crap I switch my radio off for every time it comes on. Almost as irritating as the umpteen thousand repeated "We buy any car" ad on the Nashville stations. Ugh!

 

[sonicsmitty]

Honestly, I could hear Walk the Dinosaur once a month and be ok, but WOW that Beatles song is AWFUL! If there was a Bill Shatner cover it could only be better than the original.

Now that gave me a huge laugh. Thanks!!

 

[sonicsmitty]

Boy, I think I may be the only one on TDPRI that actually LIKES Steve Miller ( though it's more the Livin' in The USA, Space Cowboy era, that I heard first), but I liked the '70's pop stuff too, what the heck- part of my HS/music nostalgia

I think "The Joker" is a fun song, which our trio will play once in a while

I kinda liked Your Cash Ain't Nothin' But Trash for the humorous lyrics.

 

[sonicsmitty]

Actually, I think it was Les Paul? ( but he may have played with Chet too)

I think Steve M. may have played some Blues too, with Jimmy Reed

I thought it was T-Bone Walker. At least I think I read it somewhere.

 

[Toto'sDad]

Gee, I thought Toto's Dad nailed it with Disco Duck, but I think you have outdone him.

This must be some sort of evidence used in some sort of trial.

 

[Kiwi_Neil]

Strange how things that we love and hate embed themselves in our memory. This falls into the latter group.....

 

[Jakedog]

I used to like that when it first came out. 'Course I was only around ten years old then. All that bubblegum music was good back then. I guess I just wasn't cool.

Dude, I ain’t never been cool. It’s all good.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

. . . Cum on feel the noize. Dude couldn't even sing in key on a studio recording. Awful.

Never heard it. Hope he can sing better than he can spell.

 

[sloppychops]

Though it is totally 70’s guitar-riff-ilicious, Ram Jam’s Black Betty, is a little over-ripe, IMO.
I admire the arranging, and execution, BUT, there’s something fishy about it.

Beg to differ. They did the best rock version of Black Betty ever recorded. And the video is so laughably low budget that you have to like it.

 

[AAT65]

And now that I think about it, any song about "partying" is bound to be trite garbage. Rock and Roll All Nite by KISS, Im looking at you. Actually I hate everything that I've heard by KISS.

I think I would put every KISS song on the crappy song list - except Detroit Rock City. For some reason I quite like that one.

I don't think I'd heard China Grove till last week when it came on the radio... more meh than ick, IMHO. And I've never heard Wagon Wheel in my life AFAIK.

 

[skunqesh]

I think I would put every KISS song on the crappy song list - except Detroit Rock City. For some reason I quite like that one.

I don't think I'd heard China Grove till last week when it came on the radio... more meh than ick, IMHO. And I've never heard Wagon Wheel in my life AFAIK.

Last year, I had the privelege of seeing a local rock-star play KISS's "I wanna R&R all nite" in a cover band at a dingy little bar.
they played it three times over the course of the nite, each time drunker than the last go around.
The song itself is horrible, I cringed at it when I was a teenager, and I agree with the above post, every kiss song with the exception of DRC harphs donkey gonads.
But watching a true celeb slowly sink into the floor and butcher it, repeatedly. Priceless.

 

[radtz]

Gee, I thought Toto's Dad nailed it with Disco Duck, but I think you have outdone him.

I'm sorry but I draw the line here. Yoko Ono did not record songs or music. I have a CD of recorded samples of industrial equipment (for using in industrial music... duh). The recording of the "hammer stamper" is more musical than Ms. Ono's caterwauling.

 

[AAT65]

Born in the USA. Repetitve and inane. Were it not for the patriotic theme, it would have barely gotten played anywhere.

I am a patriotic person and love my country but that is the stupidest song ever written.

Well I'm not sure it's really even very patriotic is it, even if certain politicians try to adopt it? The verses tell the story of a veteran from a tough background who is further brutalised by war and then finds nothing for him when he gets home. It's arguably an attack on a country that exploits its soldiers and then does not support them. As the Wikipedia page says, "The song addresses the economic hardships of Vietnam veterans upon their return home, juxtaposed ironically against patriotic glorification of the nation's fighting forces". And boy is it boring!!!

 

[Marc Morfei]

Well I'm not sure it's really even very patriotic is it, even if certain politicians try to adopt it? The verses tell the story of a veteran from a tough background who is further brutalised by war and then finds nothing for him when he gets home. It's arguably an attack on a country that exploits its soldiers and then does not support them. As the Wikipedia page says, "The song addresses the economic hardships of Vietnam veterans upon their return home, juxtaposed ironically against patriotic glorification of the nation's fighting forces". And boy is it boring!!!

Right. Born in the USA has been mis-appropriated as a patriotic anthem. But any patriotism you might find in there is ironic. It's told from the perspective of someone whose country has let him down, big time. Still might not be a good song, but for musical reason, not thematic (IMO).

 

[Telekarster]

30 pages.... not gonna read all that but there can't possibly be anything worse than this LOL!!!

 

[Jazzcaster21]

Don't know that there is. But I suspect there is not.

both Africa and Rosanna by Toto. I could go on but I won't

 

[boris bubbanov]

I think I would put every KISS song on the crappy song list - except Detroit Rock City. For some reason I quite like that one.

I don't think I'd heard China Grove till last week when it came on the radio... more meh than ick, IMHO. And I've never heard Wagon Wheel in my life AFAIK.

I don't care to ever hear another KISS song, and I'm not sure I'd even give Detroit Rock City a thumbs up, but KISS (whatever lineup) is clearly more competent than The Ramones. Except Deedee, of course, and yet we let The Ramones pass as a decent, quality band when they're not only not that, but they pretended to be the inspiration for a bunch of young players (some quite good) when the thought (if any) was "Surely I can do better than that".

Imagine you're being interviewed, and you want the interview to just hurry up and end without hurting the feelings of the professionally injured (those who practice their offense at anything and everything). What to say, to just get the interview over? My inspiration? Why, The Ramones of course. It is just a conversation stopper, folks.