U2 – Fiver

After a long hiatus, the blogging habit is back.

U2 has just won a Grammy for its album “How to Dismantle an Atom Bomb”. Here’s a fiver on U2

1. Complete the following

_______, Feedback, ________, U2

2. This song reflects the Christian beliefs of all the U2 band members and is a rallying call to all Christians to stop fighting each other (with specific reference to Northern Ireland of course). When it was released, critics called it a song in support of the Provisional IRA. In response, Bono at a concert said, “This song is not a rebel song, this song is ____ ____ _____ (3 words)

3. Which experimental album (their fourth) gets its name from a collection of paintings made by survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atom bombings?

4. Who wrote the lyrics for the opening song recorded by U2 featured in the film “The Million Dollar Hotel”, a film based on a story written by Bono?

5. Connect James Bond with U2

Answers tomorrow

Stairway To Heaven

First, a big thanks to all those who participated in this exercise of gfinding the greatest rock and roll song. With over 80% of the votes, the title goes to “Stairway to Heaven”

Recorded exactly 35 years ago in December 1970, Stairway To Heaven became one of the most frequently requested songs in America. The lyrics are partly inspired from the book “Magic Arts in Celtic Britain” by Lewis Spence which mentions “May queens” and “bustling hedgerows”

As a tribute to Robert Plant’s lyrics and vocals, Jimmy Page later on never performed this on his own. He would only do his guitar bit as an instrumental piece during his live shows.

The other songs that came close

Money for Nothing – Dire Straits
Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd
Sweet Child Of Mine – Guns N Roses
Pinball Wizard – The Who
Smoke on the Water – Deep Purple
Layla – Derek and the Dominoes
Paranoid – Black Sabbath
Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd

Music that shaped Rock Music – II

Have started getting the personal lists of various people. Thanks to the efforts of Gulu Dubaiwala, the number of voters are fast increasing. So here’s the update on this project. For reference, here’s the earlier post

Today, we look at bands. In all lists, the bands or artistes mentioned are the usual suspects. Starting in alphabetical order, we have A for AC/DC down to W for Whitesnake (Surprisingly no one seems to have thought of Yes or ZZ Top)

Here’s the top 25 so far

1. Layla: Originally performed by Derek and the Dominoes with lead guitar by guest artist Duanne Allman
2. American Pie: Don McLean’s magnum opus
3. All Along the Watchtower: We are talking of the Jimi Hendrix version, song orignally written and performed by Dylan
4. Free Bird: Lynnard Skynnard tribute to Duanne Allman
5. Stairway to Heaven: Considered to have broken all records in terms of requests on radio
6. Comfortably Numb: Pink Floyd, The Wall of course
7. Bohemian Rhapsody: All time favourite by the Mad Bawa of Rock
8. Highway to hell: AC/DC is the fourth biggest selling rock band of all time
9. Horse with no name: Haunting ballad from America
10. Piano Man: All time Pub favourite
11. Mr. Tambourine man: Bob Dylan’s tribute to Woody Guthrie. The best cover of this is by The Byrds
12. Times they are a changing: Legend has it that Steve Jobs sang this at the Macintosh launch (Unverified)
13. Paranoid:
14. Highway Star: First time they came to India in 1995, Gillan still had a voice to do this. Second time round in 2002, he gave up leaving most of the vocals to the crowd
15. Smoke on the water:
16. Money for Nothing: Mark Knopfler’s diatribe on pop culture
17. Sultans of Swing: Cult stuff
18. The End: Opening title song for the movie Apocalypse Now
19. Cocaine: JJ Cale’s classic covered by Eric Clapton and many others
20. Sweet Child o Mine: Heightened overkill (read everyday at Toto’s) has reduced its charm but it’s a favourite
21. Purple Haze: Love the Pepsi ad on this
22. Me and Bobby Mcgee: “Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose”
23. Black Dog: Cult album
24. Smells like teen spirit: Wierd Al Jankovic went ballistic with this
25. Shine On you Crazy Diamond: Nothing much to say for this one

Some songs to think about
1. Norwegian Wood: The Beatles introduced Eastern music (read Indian) in rock music creating a market for people like Ravi Shankar and Zakir Hussain
2. Substitute: The Who are pioneers of punk rock and their early songs including My Generation launched this new genre. They later went progressive with Quadrophenia, Baba O’Riley and the entire Who’s Next album
3. The Boxer: Simon and Garfunkel

Gulu has put a lot of metal in his list – Iron Maiden, Sabbath, etc but not many takers for that. Guess, as more votes come in, these songs will make their way.

Till the next update then, ciao

Music that shaped Rock

Well the votes are in, the essential ones any way.

The Top Ten

1. All along the watch tower
2. Stairway to Heaven
3. Knocking on Heaven’s Door
4. Bohemian Rhapsody
5. American Pie
6. Cocaine
7. Mustang Sally
8. Norwegian Wood
9. Imagine
10. My Generation

What’s with these songs?

A. Look at the number of covers they have generated
B. At least three of those songs have launched new genres in rock
C. Besides the original artist/writer, these songs have boosted the careers of many other artists
D. Each of these songs represent or have started a new movement

The Next Ten

1. Layla
2. Smoke on the Water
3. Locomotive Breadth
4. Freebird
5. Bad Medicine
6. Me and Bobby McGee
7. Echoes
8. The End
9. Sultans of Swing
10. Woodstock

Iconic songs they all are.

The full list is getting compiled. Send in your list asap

Songs that have had the greatest influence on pop culture

The Americans elected Dubya twice. The same Americans selected Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 songs that have shaped Rock and Roll. Like their choice for president, we don’t like their choice of songs. Run DMC, LL Cool J, Dr. Dre, Arrested Development do not rock and roll make, racial emancipation may be.

So we take matters into our own hands. Here’s calling out to non-Americans and by implication like minded gentry to help build this list.

Send me the rock and roll songs that you feel have done any of the following

1. The greatest influence on culture
2. That you identify yourself the most.
3. That you would wish you had with you when you get marooned in a desert island

Right here on my blog, we would be building the list vote by vote. So write in using the comments section and keep checking on the final list that gets built.