We Built This City [On Rock an' Roll]

What a lengthy and enjoyable piece of exuberance it is.

WTF is Ma Coley anyhoo? Byron's mother?

Ken Bruce plays some spectacularly great records sometimes. It's one of the things I may enjoy about being unemployed.

Well if you got the toco, oh, then we just lost the beat

Translation anyone?

I didn't know that wee Ailsa like me enjoyed the Scots dryness of the Bruce.

and

Who counts the money underneath the bar
Who writes the wrecking ball in two wild guitars
Don't tell us you need us, 'cos we're just simple fools
Looking for America, coming through your schools

surely this wins the Assinane, Hypocritical, And Just Really Fucking Awkward lyrics award of some kind.

My God, that could've been the finest couplet Grace Slick ever wrote. If only!

but that all adds to the secret, guilty, marvellous pleasure. the musical equivalent of masturbation - cheap, tawdry and best enjoyed when there's nobody around to look...but kinda fun...

the 80s were full of such hidden delights. they were crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy nights.

Agreed, but "Knee Deep In the Hoopla" was the name of the record.

Now that I think about it, "We Built This City" just might be the ULTIMATE corporate rock song.

It is indeed, if only because of the band's infamous gambit of sending it to radio stations with a blank spot where the DJ spiel goes (near the bridge), so each town's "rockinest" DJ could insert his own name and the station's call letters into the song.

• 1) Pompous, self-congradulatory lyrics by the withered husk of an overrated also-ran burnout hippee band who used...
  
• 2) The most overcooked, lowest common denominator "new wave" (cough cough) productuion that was
  
• 3) Inexpertly done by someone who obviously didn't give a shit and didn't warn the band that
  
• 4) The song was monotonously played and repetitively arranged in a way that doesn't cover up
  
• 5) the hopelessly cheesy guitar work or
  
• 6) the vacuous synth/keyb or
  
• 7) the lobotomized drumming or
  
• 8) the lackluster singing or
  
• 9) the dreadful lyrics (yes, I mentioned the lyrics already, but there is such a thing as bad lyrics and pompous lyrics. I already dealt with the pomposity of the lyrics, now I deal with the overall badness of the lyrics.) But the four worst things about this godawful song are
  
• 10) That they actually kept recording even after any sane person would've realized that it deserved to be deleted.
  
• 11) That they actually put in on the album even after any sane person would've realized that it didn't even deserve to be an obscure B-side.
  
• 12) That they actually put plugged it as a single even after any sane person would've realized that it didn't even deserve to be on the radio at all. and absolutely worst of all....
  
• 13) That it actually became a fluke smash hit and will forever be immortalized on every Sounds of the 80s Compilation until the end of time. Probably between a track by Toto and a track by REO Speedwagon.
  

Almost got kicked out before the show started for no real reason other than the fact that we were nearly 20 years younger than the next youngest person.

So basically it sucked but it was f'n hillarious. They were tight on sarah and we built this city - almost like they've been playing it for 30 years.

not reccomended

The M.W.U.A. (I can't remember exactly, If I'm wrong someone else might be able to give me the correct union) features stickers with the southern cross flag and 'We Built This City!' down the bottom.

Also, some of you will be pleased to know this song got voted the worst song ever.

Contrary to what's listed above, I'm pretty sure the lyric goes "Marconi plays the mamba listen to the radio".

I dunno, it's just always crossed my mind.

Very grudging respect for that one. But who remembers the part in the video where the guy made up like the Lincoln Memorial stands up and pumps his fist and mime-shouts along to the chorus?

just think, a slight change in cultural history and the quintessential prepunk anthem would have been "marconi on!"

"you turn me on I'M a marconi"

(sounds like a porn film for those with a fetish for italians)

Suckas on my jock when I walk down the block
I really don't care if you're jealous or not
Cos I make the songs, you sing along
And your marconi's def when my record's on
So get off the wall, become involved
All your marconi problems have now been solved
My treacherous beats make ya ears respond
And my marconi's loud like a fire alarm
The floor vibrates, the walls cave in
The bass makes my eardrums seem thin
Def sounds in my ride, yes the front and back
You would think it was a party, not a Cadillac
Cos I drive up to the ave, with the windows closed
And my bass is so loud, it could rip your clothes
My stereo's thumpin' like a savage beast
The level on my power meter will not decrease
Suckas get mad, cos the girlies scream
And I'm still gettin' paid while you look at me mean
I'm the leader of the show, keepin' you on the go
But I know I can't live without my marconi
I'm the leader of the show, keepin' you on the go
And I know I can't live without my marconi

Don't touch that dial, I'll be upset
Might go into a fit and rip off your neck
Cos the marconi's thumpin' when I'm down to play
I'm the royal chief rocker LL Cool J
Let your big butt bounce from right to left
Cos it's a actual fact this jam is def
Most definitely created by me
Goin' down in marconi history
I'm good to go on your marconi
And I'm cold gettin' paid cos Rick said so
Make the woofers wallop and your tweeters twitch
Some jealous knuckleheads might try to dis
But it's nuthin', ya frontin', ya girl I am stuntin'
And my marconi's loud enough to keep you gruntin'
My name is Cool J, I'm from the rock
Circulating through your marconi non-stop
I'm lookin' at the wires behind the cassette
And now I'm on the right, standing on the eject
Wearin' light blue Pumas, a whole lotta gold
And jams like these keep me in control
I'm the leader of the show, keepin' you on the go
And I know I can't live without my marconi

Your energy level starts to increase
As my big beat is slowly released
I'm on the marconi and at the jam
LL Cool J is who I am
Imma make ya dance, boogie down and rock
And you'll scratch and shake to my musical plot
And to expand my musical plan
Cut Creator, rock the beat with your hands

That's right, so don't try to front the move
As you become motivated by the funky groove
You can see me and Earl chillin' on the block
With my box cold kickin' with the gangster rock
See people can't stop me, neither can the police
I'm a musical maniac to say the least
For you and your marconi I made this for
Cool J's here to devastate once more
Pullin' all the girls, takin' out MCs
If ya try to disrespect me, I just say Please!
Here to command the hip-hop land
Kick it live with a box inside my hand
I'm the leader of the show, keepin' you on the go
But I know I can't live without my marconi

Yes, compared to shroomadelica (but it's early days yet)

well, this explains why the lyrics are so effing awful then

i was in an urban outfitters (i know, right) and they were playing this!!! i don't even know any more. maybe carles can explain.

I appreciate this song completely and unironically.

Owned the cassingle!

Bernie Taupin's lyrics, and songwriting input from that guy who wrote "In The House Of Stone And Light," "These Dreams" by Heart and "King Of Wishful Thinking" by Go West. .. A winning combination.

Taupin also write the lyrics for "These Dreams!" I had no idea..

We Built This City On REALLY BAD 80's SONGS

Wait - what? Taupin wrote the lyrics for These Dreams? Ha, what a trip. I didn't know that.

The great Kenny Loggins anthem to the 80s action-comedy that never was.

back when it came out i always professed to hating this song, while secretly kinda liking it.

Family Guy was funny the other night when Chris was complaining about the rock station bragging about how they play the greatest rock songs of all time before segueing into "We Built This City".

There were two versions of the single, one with the DJ patter in San Francisco and one without. I guess radio listeners outside of the Bay Area were just getting too confused.

Owned the cassingle!

These were already on sale in 1985? Wow.

I appreciate this song completely and unironically.

― Johnny Fever, Sunday, May 3, 2009 11:04 PM (3 days ago) Bookmark

Me too.

As somebody who grew up in Marin County in the 80's, there is not a single song by Journey or Starship that doesn't set my teeth on edge. I think I went to high school w/Slick's daughter but I can't recall her name.

Oil Slick.

I think her name was China. I shall, of course, name one of my daughters China, too.

Starbucks version for the win

Was Grace's daughter's first initial R?

No, her name is China. I looked it up.

i really like the album cover

http://wtf.juhe.ee/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/b000002w8q01lzzzzzzzgif.jpg

would look better if they had omitted the bottom text and just called the album "Starship", though

This is actually pretty great, isn't it?

This song makes me want to murder people

It is wonderful and djp agrees case closed.

"Hey guys, I've been thinking...remember how we appeared in The Star Wars Holiday Special? I actually think we have it in us to do something more embarrassing and potentially damaging to our already-shaky legacy! Whaddya say?"

Wait, there's no Ma Coney on the internet (vs. Marconi or even Mascone).

mascarpone lady mumble, obv

wretched song. a friend brought it up the other day as a guilty pleasure, and i was utterly appalled.

I used to love it as a kid. Now I hate it.

The defunct magazine Blender's ranking of the song as the worst song ever was in conjunction with a VH1 Special of The 50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs...Ever.[7] In order to qualify for the distinction, the songs on the list had to be a popular hit at some point, thus disqualifying many songs that would by consensus be considered much worse. Blender editor Craig Marks said of the song, "It purports to be anti-commercial but reeks of '80s corporate-rock commercialism. It's a real reflection of what practically killed rock music in the '80s."[8]

However, an article in the Sydney Morning Herald pointed out that "Blender's list - compiled via an arbitrary and anecdotal data collection process and ranked by Marks - included several whimsical criteria. One was to go easy on novelty songs." In a discussion with the band's manager, Bill Thompson, he was surprised at the ranking, but also "thrilled" because of the other high-profile groups on the list, saying, "I wish Blender had called us for a group shot. I'd love to have my picture taken with Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney."[9] Mickey Thomas, one of the singers of Starship, stated in regards to the review from the, by then folded, Blender magazine, "From what I heard, they got so much flack about it that they sort of retracted their statements in a way about the song. And not only that, but Blender's folded, and we're still here."[10]

ah sixties survivors:

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2011/5/18/1305716093730/We-built-this-city-on-roc-007.jpg

Stay gold, Jefferson Wheelchair

I really want to hear the whole track of the version they did for Milken - "We built this city - on high yield bonds!"

WE BUILT THIS CITY ON FEED YOUR HEAD

The only thing missing from that picture is Pat St. John.

(For reference: Can we be shown weirdos + Mike Love?)

http://static.nme.com/images/gallery/StarshipWeBuiltThisCityGb071011.jpg

Thurs Mar 8 2012: Jefferson Starship @ Reggie's

Jefferson Starship, created by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Jefferson Airplane founder Paul Kantner, embarks on tour in 2011 marking 40 years since the release of their first album "Blows Against the Empire." "Blows" was the first ever rock music recording nominated for literary science fiction's prestigious Hugo Award and represented a pinnacle of collaboration for Kantner's "Airplane camp". Jefferson Starship takes flight again in 2011, reprising a 40 plus year repertoire that is the soundtrack to a generation. Paul Kantner's music has appeared in numerous films including "Forrest Gump" and "A Serious Man" and his plans include producing, composing and touring well into the future. In 2011 he will be 70 years young. The version of the Starship features Kantner, David Freiberg, Cathy Richardson, Chris Smith, Slick Aguilar and Donny Baldwin.

Thu, March 8, 2012
7:00 pm
Reggies Rock Club
Chicago, IL
--> $30.00 - $80.00 <--

This Reggie?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjy3rr7J_yQ

Different Reggie, in Chicago
Books all kinds of stuff, nice venue, a lot of mid level metal shows are there afaik (never cost more than $12 ime)...and also 2012 Jefferson Starship, at those prices!

Unbelievable.

Well, believable, but give me 1 break pls

I pulled it out after it was referenced on both How I Met Your Mother and New Girl. It's really crammed full of hooks and the production is uber-gloss. Nice synths.

I remember the first time the local FM rock station played this. Jefferson Starship records were always in heavy rotation (especially "Jane" and "Miracles"), so expectations were high. As the song ended, the DJ hilariously slipped out of his DJ Voice and said, "What the hell was that?!" and went straight into a commercial.

Sorry--I've been called in to perform an exorcism on this thread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxA3Q96a8XE&feature=related

(Btw, I listened to Surrealistic Pillow and Red Octopus before I got around to this one, if that makes anyone feel better.)

It's really crammed full of hooks and the production is uber-gloss. Nice synths.

This track has been stuck in my head for days at a time. It probably could have used fewer hooks - the outro alone has three or four songs' worth of ideas. The lyrics really are horrible though. They were obviously overly proud of the "knee deep in the hoopla" lyric and the corporation segment is pathetic.

The drum program has no bottom. The best synth is Grace Slick's imitation on the line CUZ WE'RRRRE DE SHIP OF FOOOOOOOOOOLZ

Sand is a safer foundation

DID NOT remember Willie Brown being in this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8Hy873B78M

The best part of the video is Mickey and his punk army singing to the Lincoln Memorial, Abe standing up, no one reacting, Abe turning back to stone.

Grace Slick's leaning over the side from 3:51-3:55 is the gif I want played at my funeral, it is a thing of profound beauty and limitless meaning

Another example (think: Mr Mister, Heart) of a song sold as a band performance when no one except the singers showed up to sing over an engineer's programming.

There should be a 33-1/3 book about this. Not the album, just the single. From inception to writing to recording to video shoot to legacy. It would be amazing.

I agree - there is something vast about it. I remember where I was the first time I heard it - at a youth AIDS awareness meeting SE Portland

a guy whose face I remember super-clearly was casually lipsyncing the bridge while the speaker told us about condoms

Another example (think: Mr Mister, Heart) of a song sold as a band performance when no one except the singers showed up to sing over an engineer's programming.

I can't think of any time in the last half century when this wasn't a common practice for pop records

oh sure (hey we're the Monkees!) -- this is the eighties edition, during which Emulators replace session men.

One of many reasons why the '80s sucked, musically and otherwise

http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/starship-lead-guitarist-mark-abrahamian-dies-of-heart-attack-after-concert-in-nebraska/2012/09/03/0843a824-f62c-11e1-a93b-7185e3f88849_story.html

Abrahamian joined Starship 11 years ago. Starship’s history goes back to the 1960s with Jefferson Airplane and in 1980s Jefferson Starship.

"The stage was now set for the Alan Parsons Project, which I believe was some sort of hovercraft."

Jefferson Starship just played a gig here two nights ago. I just learned Starship and Jefferson Starship are now two completely different bands.

It's easier if you just categorize it all under Jefferson Wheelchair and leave it at that

The less you think about it, the easier it is

jefferson airplane ended up the anti-fleetwood mac somehow, like FM floating on a cloud of awesome despite constant changes for decades after their founding and JA watering down into starship.

Marconi plays the mamba

The greatest article ever:

http://www.gq.com/story/oral-history-we-built-this-city-worst-song-of-all-time

Martha Davis (vocalist, the Motels): As best I remember—and we're talking about the '80s, so I don't remember much—[Elton John lyricist] Bernie Taupin sent me the lyrics to “We Built This City” so I could write music to it. I called Bernie and said, “My artistic muse won't let me finish the song.” Regrets? Oh, hell no.

Will read, but this remains my favourite piece of writing on the song:
https://web.archive.org/web/20080221011559/http://www.epinions.com/content_4818706564

wtf is with all of these unfunny fake gq oral histories

Stay gold, Jefferson Wheelchair

― Janet Snakehole (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, January 22, 2012 8:38 PM (four years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Chaquico: I do the song with my band—sometimes as a full-on power trio, like if Cream or Jimi Hendrix were to do it, but we also do a reggae version of it, when we're in the mood. Imagine Bob Marley singing “We Built This City.”

wait that was fake? Pretty good read -- I'm sure a ton of bands and artists start to hate their big hits, either at the time, or after performing them a 1000 times.

yeah it could've fooled me

I dunno, quite a fair few of those look like actual quotes to me.

Far from the very worst song ever, let alonea tune with Taiping writing the words. I hear unintended compositional irony: The song validates synclaviers as worthwhile foundation stones in this city of rock 'n' roll.

er Taupin

it's a tacky song, not a terrible song. the lyrics always confused me.

I think as a song it's absolutely fucking wank.

Genuinely perplexed as to why this gets to the top of US lists for worst songs ever - surely it's just a fairly typical 80s mainstream rock hit, nothing more, nothing less. Maybe everyone was expecting another 'White Rabbit' or something.

as a good songwriter once wrote, but in that it's not charmless.

xpost

wasn't actually aware of this song's worse standing until this article -- it's certainly a really dated 80s production, and the sentiment is also really dated. Even unaware of this song, I can't imagine anyone uttering this phrase or writing this song today. On top of that, it's a fantastic example of what 60s and 70s people look and sound like 80s-ized. Does that make it bad? Of course not. (but I think it's pretty bad myself, and did in the 80s too)

ZZ Top managed to pull a similar feat in the 80s, but somehow retained their basic identity.

wtf is with all of these unfunny fake gq oral histories

― who is extremely unqualified to review this pop album (BradNelson), Wednesday, August 31, 2016 8:03 PM (three hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

the smooth one was fake but this is real. i think? there are definitely real quotes in there.

Had no idea Taupin wrote this, suddenly all those odd nonsequitors make sense

pretty good song, absolutely epic pre-chorus

Yeah, I love this song. Always have. Looking forward to people moving on to another song they all agree is the worst ever.

It's considered bad because many critics remained (remain?) beholden to ideas of purity. I mean, the production doesn't sound anymore gimmicky than "Owner of a Lonely Heart."

"Sara" is far, far worse -- a candidate for worst '80s ballad.

Oh fucking hell...

This song always felt like pointless garbage, and time doesn't change that.

"I'll never find another girl like you", fuck you Mickey, you probably found one on the way back to the dressing room

does rock 'n roll negatively impact property values

"It complains about techno pop, but it's a techno-pop song. It exemplifies the problem it's protesting" -- there it is. Techno pop isn't a problem. Hippie farts essaying techno pop isn't a problem.

It reminds me of The Rod Stewart Problem, received wisdom for decades: somewhere in the mid '70s Stewart cared about gold albums and models, not art, maaan. Anyone who like me wasn't born at the time could hear the dude was always chasing tail and gold from Gasoline Alley onwards; the difference was he made slightly more consistent albums.

The ITT version referred to in the piece:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTvpikMIs3Q

like Dominique, I don't think it's a good song (I like the bridge though!) but 1985-1986 gave it competition in the worst sweepstakes.

ffs "We are the World" for one

Always remember that Grace and Paul reformed Jefferson Airplane again so they could make this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0gnnVcOLNc

Makes We Built This City sound like a masterpiece.

It always figured that Jefferson Airplane would celebrate Howard Hughes. Uh.

I'm...stunned by "Planes," particularly of the closeups of Grace Slick's teeth.

Put me down for "I don't necessarily like it, but I don't hate it" as well. I had thought its tenure as the Worst Song Ever had pretty much run its course by now, anyway. Didn't one of the recent EMP conferences declare (the infinitely worse) "Dear Mr. Jesus" the new "champion?"

omg that planes song holy shit

Other songs on that reunion album: "Panda" and "Common Market Madrigal"

was gonna say

"Sara" is far, far worse -- a candidate for worst '80s ballad.

ZZ Top's "Rough Boy" gets my vote. For both its innate badness and its legacy-befouling qualities.

so this is fake, right? besides the quotes with citations.

yeah it could've fooled me

― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, August 31, 2016 1:58 PM (four hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah but the smooth article DID fool you :P

It reminds me of The Rod Stewart Problem

this is something else:
(Bryan Adams feat. The Rod Stewart Problem and Sting)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofA3URC1wyk

lol @
bryan adams nervous laughter
rod stewart and his entourage of poodlehairs
sting making fun of rod's hair

It reminds me of The Rod Stewart Problem, received wisdom for decades: somewhere in the mid '70s Stewart cared about gold albums and models, not art, maaan. Anyone who like me wasn't born at the time could hear the dude was always chasing tail and gold from Gasoline Alley onwards; the difference was he made slightly more consistent albums.

We've gone over this before, and I realize it's not the right thread. But I can't just let that pass. Not only do I completely disagree with the qualitative judgement there, I'd say the way you characterize someone who loves the first few albums and hates much of what comes later (or is least indifferent to it) has become its own kind of conventional wisdom. I'm not under any illusion that Rod Stewart wasn't after gold records and women when he was doing "Gasoline Alley" and "Maggie May"--I mean, god, that's what Dylan was after when we made Highway 61, and what most artists are after all the time, sex and money and fame. But the truth of that and the truth that "Gasoline Alley" is exponentially better art than what came seven or eight years later are not mutually exclusive.

"when he made Highway 61," that should read...my own involvement was minimal.

so this is fake, right? besides the quotes with citations.

lol I assumed from the framing, and the audacity

and the short history of fake gq oral histories

I have no doubt Peter Wolf honestly thinks he helped create world peace with this song. (Not that he said that, but it's implied.)

"Genuinely perplexed as to why this gets to the top of US lists for worst songs ever"

I'd imagine the fact that it is such a sell out when the Airplane purposed to be revolutionaries of a political sense is part of the equation.

Boomer yawnsomeness.

"Genuinely perplexed as to why this gets to the top of US lists for worst songs ever"

I'd imagine the fact that it is such a sell out when the Airplane purposed to be revolutionaries of a political sense is part of the equation.

― earlnash, Thursday, September 1, 2016 12:40 PM (five hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah, get that, but - people actually factor *that* so highly into what makes the worst music? Not, you know, the actual music?

clemenza, the series from An Old Raincoat through, to my ears, Never a Dull Moment represents his best work, but sonically and from the pov of content I don't hear much difference between that work and Atlantic Crossing or Footloose and Fancy Free. If they boasted a couple more good tunes,these OK to pretty good albums would be better regarded.The first album that sounds legit horrifying is Body Wishes.

i.e. the spark flashed intermittently in the late '70s, no more or less than it did for the Stones, whose own mid '70s work is no more embarrassing than Rod's; they'remediocre albums, not betrayals of a legacy.

I think the difference here is that you're talking about albums--first four vs. later albums--and I'm talking about songs: best six or seven songs 1969-1972 vs. best six or seven from later on. There are lots of songs on those first four albums I don't care about, so maybe there isn't much difference when weighed song for song. The second comparison is lopsided. And I'll stand by the other point: I think the idea that people like me who do consider the second comparison lopsided, that we view early Rod Stewart as a deeply serious artist and the other guy as a trashy betrayal, I think that's a fabrication. Even in the Marcus Rolling Stone essay--which you might be alluding to, I don't know--he doesn't really say that; I believe it's something to the effect that "If Stewart had to spend a couple of years as a genius in order to fuck models, then that's what he'd have to do." In other words, he was no more serious then than he was later. Same guy.

I first saw the betrayal angle in that Guterman book, where "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" makes the list, and it's a common feature of listicles to ask "What happened?" whenever Every Picture Tells a Story, an album I love, gets cited.

Okay. As for "We Built This City" vs. "Blue from an Airplane" or "Mexico"...

Oh yeah. I should point out that "Sailing" hitting #1 in England is one of the decade's great wtfs.

I think I enjoy every major single by Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship/Starship.

if that article is fake, I would think it would be more obvious to avoid lawsuits. There's nothing in there I don't find completely believable.

yeah, there's no way that's not legit, c'mon guys

The most offensive thing about "We Built This City" are Grace Slick's clothes on the single cover. I despised this song in the 80's, now I think it's kind of awesome, strangely enough.

I missed the conversation yesterday so all I want to interject is that "Sara" is awesome and fuiud

Yes it is!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHJb87nNsGY

don't make me repeat myself

I like "Rough Boy"!

Jefferson Airplane's "Planes" is really something wow

1. Bernie Taupin has always been a not particuarly great lyricist.

2. Rod Stewart has never been interested in making "art" - neither with Faces and certainly not on his solo material. The reason that people enjoy his pre-Atlantic Crossing solo material is that the records felt like an extension of what he was doing with Faces, and had Faces members playing on them.

3. This song is utter shit.

I don't own any Faces material. I like Stewart's songs and how he sings them and the playing's good. Same as "Young Turks."

btw get ready y'all: we're doing a Rod Stewart listening thread next week.

His whole career?

I like some early Rod, but no matter how bad any other 60s/70s star got in their later years, I guarantee he got worse. The store I used to work in played those damn Great American Songbook CDs in the mornings when the clientele was mainly senior citizens, and those albums are pure evil.

What if Rod Stewart had died in 1976...

no matter how bad any other 60s/70s star got in their later years, I guarantee he got worse

Roger Daltrey
Pete Townshend
CSN
The Beach Boys

Stewart wins.

Rod Stewart's worst 80s hit is better than anything the Faces ever recorded. Christ, what an inexplicably beloved pile that band was.

looking forward to the Rod thread, I don't think I know any of his songs aside from Sailing, Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? and Young Turks (I like the second two and find the first unbearable which always made me doubt the "he used to be good then he totally lost it" narrative - but I've just looked and Sailing is on Atlantic Crossing which is supposed to be the beginning of the critically unacclaimed years, so maybe isn't representative of early Rod as I'd always assumed?)

Roger Daltrey
Pete Townshend
CSN
The Beach Boys

Stewart wins.

― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, September 1, 2016 2:38 PM (seven minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I'll take Endless Wire over Rod's The Great American Songbook Christmas Kidz Bop And What The Hell It's Almost Halloween, I Think part MCMVLXXXIII any day.

And Pete's playing now is light years beyond Rod's current voice (or anyone else's playing, for that matter).

We Built This City is a great single imo. I love the story that various radio stations in the US replaced the spoken word "the city by the bay" DJ spiel bit with a different spoken word spiel about their own city/radio station, are there any other hits that were similarly adapted?

Can't comment on Endless Wire but Rod's voice on those Songbook records is a menace. He seems to think that baby-talk is the same thing as crooning.

xxxpost:

All the good stuff is pre-Atlantic Crossing. His solo albums fro 1969-1974, plus everything he did with Faces, plus 'In a Broken Dream' = his best work.

no complaints on the Suckbook material, for which he has no affinity, philosophical or musical.

We Built This City is a great single imo. I love the story that various radio stations in the US replaced the spoken word "the city by the bay" DJ spiel bit with a different spoken word spiel about their own city/radio station, are there any other hits that were similarly adapted?

― corbynite, shite (soref), Thursday, September 1, 2016 2:50 PM (two minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

On the Pointer Sisters' "Fire" they overdubbed radio station call letters so that the line "I turn on the radio" was changed to (in Chicago) "I turn on WLS."

All the good stuff is pre-Atlantic Crossing. His solo albums fro 1969-1974, plus everything he did with Faces, plus 'In a Broken Dream' = his best work.

― the hair - it's lost its energy (Turrican),

No denying it but like we did with the Eagles we want to see how those late '70s albums hold up. I don't have any problem with Footloose and Fancy Free and A Night on the Town.

Oh, I'll be keeping an eye on the thread to see if anyone turns up any kind of forgotten gem.

We Built This City is a great single imo. I love the story that various radio stations in the US replaced the spoken word "the city by the bay" DJ spiel bit with a different spoken word spiel about their own city/radio station, are there any other hits that were similarly adapted?

Huey Lewis and the News did this for "The Heart of Rock and Roll." Maybe it's a mainstream SF thing.

xxpost:

Oh yeah, and the first two Jeff Beck Group LP's too... those can go on the "peak Rod" pile.

Also, anyone praising this song still as being 'great' is somehow defective, and I reserve the right to rip out your eardrums. I do this to save you from yourself, no need to thank me.

Second Jeff Beck Group record is meh, and the absence of Mickey Waller is largely why.

Truth is obviously all-time, and Zep wouldn't exist without it.

xp

The most offensive thing about "We Built This City" are Grace Slick's clothes on the single cover.

wtf are you talking about, her look is awesome!

Are "someone stole the stage" and "who rides the wrecking ball into our guitars?" supposed to be the lines that complain about techno pop? Like, I'm not even totally sure that this was unintended:

I hear unintended compositional irony: The song validates synclaviers as worthwhile foundation stones in this city of rock 'n' roll.

I meant musically.

Ha, so it was the guitarist from the band who was saying they were complaining? I'll defer to him then.

Another candidate (one I can support) is nominated.

Meanwhile in England...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GenPArDAdls

We Built This New Town (On Smack and Dole)

"The guitarist from the band" is Craig Chaqico and he was a total guitar stud from the day he joined JS as a 17 year old.

and I probably spelled his name wrong

He also seems to think that Guglielmo Marconi would have played or even listened to 'mamba' so I'm beginning to question my deference to his interpretation of the lyrical message.

Like, what I was trying to say earlier was that, before reading the article, I did not really think of the song as trying to make an anti-synth statement, ironic or otherwise. Did any psychedelic band explicitly object to synthesizers or electronic music technology in the 60s? (I know that some hard rock bands did later from the mid-70s onwards.)

Did any psychedelic band explicitly object to synthesizers or electronic music technology in the 60s?

No way, man, because in the '60s synths and electronic music were still totally far out and anti-establishment.

http://moreorlessbunk.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/tumblr_mjart3dSfz1qzhoqfo1_1280-1-2.jpg

^ Aw, sticking it to "The Man" with bleepy synths. How quaint.

yeah psych rocker attitude towards synths in the late 60s was probably like "whoa far out, man, look at all those wires.. listen to that shit, man, wow, groovy, where can i buy one?"

magic alex!

i could imagine jorma and jack from JA being hesitant about synths, though... just because for all their acid fried otherworldly shredding.. they had a pretty trad blues/folk background, iirc. i know they were taken aback seeing the Who destroy instruments on stage ("your guitar... that's a sacred totem, man, you gotta respect your instrument"). lots of weird noises all over airplane records, though.

I think the technology for early synths was so rare and studio time so precious that coming across them was probably quite novel.

To me the band that seemed to make a big deal about not using synths was Queen.

The big deal in Queen's case was less anti tech and more "No really, Brian May's guitar does sound like that!"

had no idea Mickey Thomas got attacked by a bandmate in a bar and that's why he needed facial reconstruction surgery.

omg this video

lol at him singing at Lincoln Memorial about to cry. i haven't seen this since i was 5

man I had no idea Grace Slick was 47 at the time

still looked and sounded vibrant as hell. that's why of the Starship material I prefer the cheesy "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now". her voice is still sexy and powerful as hell on that, where it has no utility on We Built This City given how low in her register she has to sing it.

plus also Mannequin video lol

Everyone deserves a pop hit in their 47th year.

can't wait for my single about the Trump presidency to drop in 2028

“We Built This City” was written and recorded in stages, by an assembly line of songwriters. (Cancer, too, develops in stages.)

Fuck off, Rob Tannenbaum.

i am listening to this song right now and i like it

that "Planes" vid upthread is fucking hilarious

The song came on while I was eating at Taco Bell and it made the fact I was eating Taco Bell even more depressing.

We built this city on Taco Bell

Ma Coley drops the chalupa

Grace Slick = oldest woman to have a number one single, except for Cher ("Believe")

knee deep in the chalupa

Listen to the raving ho

I always hated this song.... until today.

That's good. You've taken your first step into a larger world.

Never too late.

Went to a big city festival in Bolzano, Italy and there were bands playing in every town square and one cover band tore into this and the locals went nuts and it was awesome.

Sorry folks, it’s a banger.

just the idea of going to a minor key and deciding that the line was 'Ma Coley plays the mamba' .. i need an oral history of this

I thought it was 'Marconi plays the mamba' (because it's followed by 'listen to the radio)? Though I guess that doesn't really make much more sense. Is there a person called Ma Coley?

I got a bunch of hoopla stuck to my shoe.

Also, a mamba is a snake.

The use of this song in the dead animal montage of Fall of the House of Usher was fantastic.

yeah i thought it was marconi!

it's Marconi. but it still doesn't make sense

Especially because he's playing a mamba.

a mamba can be an instrument, you can shake it and then emit a piercing yell when it bites the shit out of you

one of the all time great bullshit lines in pop history

xp That's metal

Thomas: Bernie didn’t say “mambo,” he said “mamba,” which is a snake. Marconi created the radio. Maybe Bernie meant to say “mambo.” Maybe it means: If you don’t like this music, some really angry snakes are gonna come out of the speakers. (...)

At one point I did start to sing “mambo,” to try and be more grammatically correct, and after a while I thought, “Fuck it,” and went back to “mamba.”

who knows what kinda weird shit marconi was into

people love to hate this song but I don't mind it. it's Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now that I hate

what's going on with the timing in the chorus? why does the second part of the refrain seem to slam into the first in a hilariously awkward way?

ultimately the song doesn't really hang together but it's trying its best and you have to respect that

Marconi played your mama
listen to the radio

Stuck a feather in his cap and called it marconi played the mamba

It's no "White Rabbit."

what's going on with the timing in the chorus? why does the second part of the refrain seem to slam into the first in a hilariously awkward way?

I might not be thinking of the same thing

at the time it was very punk

Police got the chokehold

we built this city, here's your invoice

https://dangerousminds.net/content/uploads/images/made/content/uploads/images/slicksynth1_465_471_int.jpg

Grace don't give two forks

Starship - We Built This City vs Jefferson Airplane - Planes

a popist and a malpropist

*mala

Speaking of punk, this reminds me of one of my favorite Creem moments. This guy otm. Kinda NSFW.

Speaking Of Boy Howdy!

https://gifer.com/en/BkdU

https://gifer.com/en/BkdU

what's going on with the timing in the chorus? why does the second part of the refrain seem to slam into the first in a hilariously awkward way?

This is the most clever bit in the song! They knew that it would be redundant to say the entire phrase "We built this city" four times in a row, so the third time they just say "built this city", but they sing "built" on the offbeat before the one where they usually sing "we", which keeps the chorus rolling nicely.

...before the one beat, that is.