That riff is so basic and feels so primal that it's hard to believe nobody ever built a song around it before.
It owes a lot to the piano riff of "Hey Bulldog".
― Halfway there but for you, Friday, 14 June 2024 16:18 (three weeks ago) link
This song (and really this whole album side despite my caveats) is well-done, but my mind tells me "you should be enjoying this" rather than "you are enjoying this".
― Halfway there but for you, Friday, 14 June 2024 16:21 (three weeks ago) link
"it just had this directness and clarity which made it sound so potent, and it had the air of a comeback, like a genuine pro coming in and reasserting themselves in an arena full of fly by night amateurs."
this was also the time of Neil's Freedom and Ragged Glory. i remember those albums seemed refreshing at the time even if they were built on Neil's trusty rusted chassis of the 70s. they just seemed like something that i really needed at that moment. maybe they were just preparing me for the onslaught of grunge to come.
― scott seward, Friday, 14 June 2024 17:31 (three weeks ago) link
hmm i guess “rockin in the free world” is probably the last classic rock song
― the defenestration of prog (voodoo chili), Friday, 14 June 2024 17:37 (three weeks ago) link
good thread idea, that, it's an interesting question
― I painted my teeth (sleeve), Friday, 14 June 2024 17:46 (three weeks ago) link
my fave classic rock song from 1989 was probably "sowing the seeds of love".
― scott seward, Friday, 14 June 2024 18:05 (three weeks ago) link
"sowing the seeds of love" will forever remind me of the dream academy's classic rock cover of john lennon's "love". the "love" cover had whales on it i think. though now that i look the "love" cover came out in 1990. and also featured Junior Vasquez remixes.
― scott seward, Friday, 14 June 2024 18:08 (three weeks ago) link
Oh yeah! I remember that one.
― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 14 June 2024 18:27 (three weeks ago) link
World Party and XTC too. All that psychedelic stuff.
― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 14 June 2024 18:28 (three weeks ago) link
last classic rock song? Probably some of that early '90s Clapton. Maybe Layla unplugged. the sound of three million people nodding off on the couch, after dinner.
― omar little, Friday, 14 June 2024 18:32 (three weeks ago) link
the sonic depth and scope of these songs, and the lyrics feeling a lot more immediately lived in, hit pretty hard.
Sonically it definitely stood out — not a particular Lynne fan myself as noted above, but it had a warmth and intimacy to it that was quite different from the peak '80s Mutt Lange powerhouse sound we were still immersed in. (Which I love fwiw for its own sake.) The album I think it's probably most in line with in a lot of ways is Tunnel of Love — also a solo album by a band leader, also with warm acoustic strumming, also stripped of previous big-boom bombast. Also full of self-doubt and looming middle age.
As for "last classic rock song," you can draw that line a lot of ways but on a visit to my hometown recently I checked out the rock station I used to listen to in high school and the most recent song that I noticed was "Black Hole Sun."
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Friday, 14 June 2024 18:37 (three weeks ago) link
to me, clapton unplugged feels more like nostalgia for that era (“layla” did come out in 1970 after all) than anything “of” the era
anything post nevermind feels ineligible
― the defenestration of prog (voodoo chili), Friday, 14 June 2024 18:37 (three weeks ago) link
not to derail further but grunge and everything after does not feel like part of the same era at all
― the defenestration of prog (voodoo chili), Friday, 14 June 2024 18:38 (three weeks ago) link
It wasn't part of the same era, but also it was a sort of return to the era right? A selling point of grunge was that finally we're getting back to long-haired guitar heroes after the synthpop '80s. So even though we all have associations that make us draw a line between Soundgarden and Zeppelin, "Black Hole Sun" sounds right at home in a classic rock setting.
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Friday, 14 June 2024 18:43 (three weeks ago) link
Idk Layla is both a throwback bit of nostalgia but also sort of the last gasp
― omar little, Friday, 14 June 2024 18:46 (three weeks ago) link
Audioslave's "Like a Stone" is the last classic rock song.
― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 14 June 2024 18:50 (three weeks ago) link
Completely disagree. The willingness of classic rock radio programmers to assimilate a few grunge and post-grunge songs into their format isn't about Soundgarden sounding like Led Zeppelin (they didn't, at all); it was about them needing to maintain/reassert AOR's relevance after almost losing their grip — remember that hair metal was not accepted into the pantheon; you'll never hear Poison or Ratt or even Bon Jovi on classic rock radio, except for one NY station that used to play "Runaway" a lot when I was a kid. Classic rock radio programmers grabbing Pearl Jam and Soundgarden and Nirvana is them saying, "Yeah, this is our thing too, because we still matter, goddammit!"
― Instead of create and send out, it pull back and consume (unperson), Friday, 14 June 2024 18:53 (three weeks ago) link
as far as classic rock goes, TP still hadn't recorded "into the great wide open" or "learning to fly". maybe those are his last classic rock songs.
― scott seward, Friday, 14 June 2024 19:04 (three weeks ago) link
you'll never hear Poison or Ratt or even Bon Jovi on classic rock radio
erm I heard all of those on the same station where I heard Black Hole Sun. Maybe WCMF is a classic rock outlier idk, but viewed from the current distance without the sense of grunge as this big game-changer, it isn't at all illogical to basically draw a line of guitar rock from say 1969 to 1996ish.
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Friday, 14 June 2024 19:07 (three weeks ago) link
unperson is wrong on Bon Jovi, et al., those absolutely do get played now on CR stations... but right overall. voodoo chili was talking about the core of the Classic Rock format that came out of AOR, and specifically disincluded the later updating of playlists to bring in more 'modern' songs.
we've definitely explored this on other threads, but a key thing to bear in mind is that the addition of Bon Jovi, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, etc., happened wayyyyy later. Like, circa 2010-ish, maybe in an effort to keep up with "Dave FM" type stations. It was definitely something that stood out when it started happening --- for 20+ years those playlists had all stopped around 1990, the classic rock canon was locked. They didn't even fold in new songs by the old artists, except maybe some token airplay when they first dropped (with unplugged Layla being the very rare exception).
With all this in mind, I do think "Mary Jane's Last Dance" is actually the right pick for this slot. Feels good thematically too - "this rock block weekend, we're bringing you everything from Aerosmith to Zeppelin --- one more time to kill the pain."
― not the one who's tryin' to dub your anime (Doctor Casino), Friday, 14 June 2024 19:50 (three weeks ago) link
The last time I was a serious radio listener was in the 80s, junior high and high school, and there were two NYC-area stations I listened to - one was absolutely "classic rock," which basically meant white rock bands from 1969-78. Zeppelin, Stones, Who...I don't even remember them playing that much Beatles. The other was "rock," too, but broader - I used to hear REM's "Superman" and "Can't Get There From Here" alongside Petty, the Cars, and Zep/Stones/Who, and there was one DJ who would occasionally scream "Ramones attack!" and play, like, five Ramones songs in a row.
― Instead of create and send out, it pull back and consume (unperson), Friday, 14 June 2024 19:59 (three weeks ago) link
Sure, but I mean that that era is NOW safely folded in. And it makes sense! Much more through-line than disruption from ‘70s dude-led guitar rock to ‘90s dude-led guitar rock. And it’s pretty specific to the big early ‘90s bands, afaik classic rock stations never added Hole or even Smashing Pumpkins, nothing too “alt-rock.”
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Friday, 14 June 2024 20:01 (three weeks ago) link
Which is to say, "classic rock" is a mutable construct, so if you wanted to identify the last classic rock song you'd need to set some parameters around it. Is it "only boomers"? People who released their first album before 1980, or 1985? There's certainly a know-it-when-you-hear-it dimension to it, but it's not really that easy to define.
Anyway, Tom Petty obviously qualifies no matter how you frame it.
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Friday, 14 June 2024 20:25 (three weeks ago) link
Unperson,
Here's the 1987 Top 1027 of All Time Listener Poll from that "broader" rock station -- WNEW:
The 1987 WNEW-FM Top 1027 Songs of All Time Listener's Poll
Pre-Wilburys and Full Moon Fever, there's 8 Petty tracks on the list:
-- #232 - REFUGEE-- #321 - BREAKDOWN-- #358 - AMERICAN GIRL-- #385 - THE WAITING-- #458 - HERE COMES MY GIRL-- #559 - DON'T DO ME LIKE THAT-- #859 - EVEN THE LOSERS-- #881 - LISTEN TO HER HEART
― Hideous Lump, Friday, 14 June 2024 21:57 (three weeks ago) link
feels like Lynne auditioning to produce Bob's next album
BOB DYLAN:I don’t compromise and I don’t pretendI don’t even care if I ever see her againMost of the time
TWENTY HARMONIZING JEFF LYNNES:Most of the TIIIIIIIME
― Halfway there but for you, Saturday, 15 June 2024 01:11 (two weeks ago) link
Wow you guys are still doing this
― calstars, Saturday, 15 June 2024 01:16 (two weeks ago) link
local classic rock station played Whitesnake into Pearl Jam the other day
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Saturday, 15 June 2024 01:17 (two weeks ago) link
Here I go again, picking on the boy
― omar little, Saturday, 15 June 2024 01:34 (two weeks ago) link
I have listened to Face in the Crowd like 5 times a day since it came up here. Feels like it could have been on Tunnel of Love but at the same time I can hear a killer Leonard cohen version. The opening verse is so foreboding, like it creates an openness that is frightening but so simple that it feels almost inevitable.
― Heez, Sunday, 16 June 2024 15:22 (two weeks ago) link
Feel A Whole Lot Better
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZxHLkA5EcU
― scott seward, Monday, 17 June 2024 11:52 (two weeks ago) link
respectable.
― Thus Sang Freud, Monday, 17 June 2024 12:23 (two weeks ago) link
We needed an interval after this killer run.
― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 17 June 2024 12:37 (two weeks ago) link
same key, same tempo as the byrds classic. suffers only from "every hair in its place" perfectionism.
― Thus Sang Freud, Monday, 17 June 2024 13:20 (two weeks ago) link
the gap between "i'll feel a whole lot better" and full moon fever: 24 yearsthe gap between full moon fever and now: 35 years
― the defenestration of prog (voodoo chili), Monday, 17 June 2024 14:28 (two weeks ago) link
Fine version of a great song. Does this make the Byrds the only artist he covered twice, at least as far as released recordings goes? (Reminds me, we didn't do the live album — maybe should have at least hit on "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star.")
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Monday, 17 June 2024 14:39 (two weeks ago) link
and "Needles and Pins," an actual top 40 single.
― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 17 June 2024 14:43 (two weeks ago) link
i did mention at the appropriate time that people should feel free to post anything from the live album that they wanted to post or talk about. but nobody took me up on it. and we moved on. like thieves in the hollywood night.
― scott seward, Monday, 17 June 2024 15:17 (two weeks ago) link
listening to this it struck me that TP actually sounded a little LESS like roger mcguinn on it than he does on some of his own songs.
― scott seward, Monday, 17 June 2024 15:19 (two weeks ago) link
also i feel like a shout-out to songwriter Gene Clark is in order. always say hi to gene when the opportunity arises.
― scott seward, Monday, 17 June 2024 15:22 (two weeks ago) link
hell yeah
― I painted my teeth (sleeve), Monday, 17 June 2024 15:42 (two weeks ago) link
Clark is the best rock songwriter most people have never heard of
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 17 June 2024 15:54 (two weeks ago) link
i did mention at the appropriate time that people should feel free to post anything from the live album that they wanted to post or talk about.
oops, missed that. But as we're on a Byrds cover, I'll just drag the other one in here. Got a fair amount of rock radio airplay at the time. (The band's 32nd-most-played song in concert, at least per setlist.) As with this one, I don't think they improve on the original, but they do show an unsurprising affinity for it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q3dXiQJukM
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Monday, 17 June 2024 17:21 (two weeks ago) link
God, that sounds great despite the trumpet. Stan and Howie were such necessary improvisers.
― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 17 June 2024 17:23 (two weeks ago) link
*harmonists, sorry
gene clark is the best but so so sad lol
― he/him hoo-hah (map), Monday, 17 June 2024 17:37 (two weeks ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ0KRApU-pI
― Heez, Monday, 17 June 2024 17:52 (two weeks ago) link
Ai yi, was just reading that the royalty infusion from Petty's cover sent Clark on a relapse binge that more or less continued til his death a few years later. Feel a whole lot better indeed.
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Monday, 17 June 2024 18:13 (two weeks ago) link
ha, i remember reading some blog post a while ago that was like "TOM PETTY KILLED GENE CLARK", which felt a little over the top.
― tylerw, Monday, 17 June 2024 18:27 (two weeks ago) link
Clark was 46 when he died, wow. I remember it and it felt (was) pretty old to me at the time. sad lol, R.I.P.
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Monday, 17 June 2024 19:07 (two weeks ago) link
Did not realize this was a cover on my previous handful of listens to this album - just figured it was a tribute, or an attempt to rewrite "Needles and Pins," lol. It's pleasant, certainly not essential. Gives me that vibe of rounding out the album with something that everybody knows how to play and can enjoy running through --- a reminder that they didn't necessarily set out to craft a blockbuster comeback album.
― not the one who's tryin' to dub your anime (Doctor Casino), Tuesday, 18 June 2024 11:30 (two weeks ago) link