TS: The Only Ones' "Another Girl, Another Planet" vs. the Flamin' Groovies' "Shake Some Action" vs. Big Star's "September Girls"

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Three cult band anthems, each a masterpiece in its own right. Currently I'd give the nod to the Groovies, for being so damn mysterious, muddy sound and all.

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 21:26 (twenty years ago)

Talk about a battle of the titans! Very, very close, but I'd probably go with the exact order as listed in the question (though the choice between 1 and 2 is tougher than the choice between 2 and 3).

― s woods, Wednesday, 23 November 2005 21:29 (twenty years ago)

Personally, I'd reverse the order, giving Big Star the nod, though there are times when I need to hear "Shake Some Action."
Right now, for example.

― Binjominia (Brilhante), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 21:46 (twenty years ago)

Three great songs indeed. But there is a clear winner...

1. Shake Some Action
2. September Gurls
3. Another Girl Another Planet

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 23:19 (twenty years ago)

kornrulez OTM.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 23:21 (twenty years ago)

"another girl" by a nosehair.

― 'you' vs. 'city hall' FITE (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 23:26 (twenty years ago)

'another girl' by TWO nosehairs, then 'shake some action' then 'september gurls'

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 23:27 (twenty years ago)

I've never listened to the Flamin' Groovies because their name sucks. Am I wrong?

― THIS IS THE SOUND OF ALTERN 8 !!! (noodle vague), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 23:28 (twenty years ago)

Yes.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 23:32 (twenty years ago)

i used to have no use for anything past the first 3, but heard 'shake some action' for the first time in god knows how long on the radio a lil while back and it just slayed me. you should definitely check it out.

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 23:33 (twenty years ago)

Both Flamin' Groovies periods have plenty to recommend them, but the Teenage Head-era is probably my favorite as well.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 23:36 (twenty years ago)

I can't choose between all 3. All classics!

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 23:37 (twenty years ago)

I agree with the other posters who talked about how hard this choice was. Nevertheless, I think "September Gurls" is my clear favorite. It gets the nod by virtue of its association with a real-life "September Gurl" who broke my heart. The other two are merely songs that I enjoy.

― John Fredland (jfredland), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 23:43 (twenty years ago)

'another girl' by TWO nosehairs, then 'shake some action' then 'september gurls'

otm. big star are the best of the three bands (uh, i think... i should listen to more only ones), but "september gurls" is the least best song listed.

― 'you' vs. 'city hall' FITE (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 23:49 (twenty years ago)

Okay, I done research, I may've been wrong about the FGs. Mainly cos I thought they were from a differnt decade. I'll still vote for the Only Ones tho but, cos I like the guitar solo better and they did drugs more stylishly.

― THIS IS THE SOUND OF ALTERN 8 !!! (noodle vague), Thursday, 24 November 2005 00:01 (twenty years ago)

Another Girl, Another Planet

The idea, songwriting, and execution on 'Another Girl' transcends. Then again, if you never happened to hear it after starting up with a new girfriend, you might disagree.

― bkjj40a (bkjj40a), Thursday, 24 November 2005 00:08 (twenty years ago)

Another Girl Another Planet

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Thursday, 24 November 2005 00:38 (twenty years ago)

1,2,3 - just as s woods sez.

― D.I.Y. U.N.K.L.E. (dave225.3), Thursday, 24 November 2005 01:04 (twenty years ago)

Another Girl Another Planet. By a light year.

― hobart paving (hobart paving), Thursday, 24 November 2005 01:06 (twenty years ago)

all songs are great, but 'another girl' is just a little greater

― Sym Sym (sym), Thursday, 24 November 2005 02:07 (twenty years ago)

Groovies, didn't have to think about it

― Tea Are Gee, Thursday, 24 November 2005 02:15 (twenty years ago)

Shake Some Action > September Gurls >>> AG,AP [so-so chorus, some hackneyed metaphor in otherwise great verses, awesome guitar though]

― Aaron A, Thursday, 24 November 2005 03:00 (twenty years ago)

jbr and j blount otm: AGAP, SSA, SG

― k/l (Ken L), Thursday, 24 November 2005 03:52 (twenty years ago)

1. September Girls
2. Shake Some Action
3. Another Girl, Another Planet

Although were I to listen to Shake Some Action right now, I'd put it at number one.

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Thursday, 24 November 2005 15:38 (twenty years ago)

They're all so tremendous. Too hard to decide, for now.

― billstevejim (billstevejim), Thursday, 24 November 2005 16:28 (twenty years ago)

1.Another girl, another planet
2.September gurls
3.Shake some action

― leigh (leigh), Thursday, 24 November 2005 16:41 (twenty years ago)

I love all three--the Only Ones are really underrated. I've always found "Shake Some Action" somewhat overrated, as I find most of their Edmunds-era stuff a bit not-all-that. But I sure love five-six of their Chris Wilson songs, "Yeah My Baby" and "First Plane Home" and "You Tore Me Down." It always struck me that "Shake Some" was one of those songs bruited as shoulda-been-a-hit that actually wasn't really all that much of a hit. I admit to buying into the power-pop orthodoxy that says a lot of songs in the style ought to have been more popular, in a more perfect world that respected that orthodoxy, etc. Anyway, for me the Big Star tune is the best of the three, by a nose--seems like maybe that song really should've/could've been some kind of hit, as could have "When My Baby's Beside Me." But maybe Big Star wasn't really hungry enough or something? I dunno. Still *sounds* best of all three to me, whatever John Fry did recording those Big Star albums sure worked, whereas "Shake Some Action" sounds a bit diffuse to me.

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Thursday, 24 November 2005 17:00 (twenty years ago)

life is so awesome because we don't really have to take sides and can enjoy all three songs.

― carly (carly), Thursday, 24 November 2005 17:40 (twenty years ago)

I didn't know that. After answering the question, I destroyed my Flamin' Groovies and Only Ones CDs.

― Binjominia (Brilhante), Thursday, 24 November 2005 17:47 (twenty years ago)

BTW, I feel dumb for forgetting it's "Gurls," not "Girls."

Anyway, for what it's worth the Replacements regularly covered "AG, AP" and "SG," but never to my knowledge "SSA." "SSA" just has such a great mix of minor and major. "SG" feels more, I dunno, wistful than the other two. "AG, AP" most exultant. I think I still give the nod to "Shake Some Action," since it sounds like it's been excavated from a cave somewhere. Then again, "Another Girl, Another Planet" has so much going on, it's a real rush. As for the sound of Big Star, edd s hurt OTM: that album was recorded impeccably.

Weird: Cracker cover "Shake Some Action" on the "Clueless" soundtrack (I think). Shockingly, has anyone recorded covers of either of the other two? Or do they know better?

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Thursday, 24 November 2005 18:03 (twenty years ago)

"another girl"

― The Brainwasher (Twilight), Thursday, 24 November 2005 18:20 (twenty years ago)

Starry Eyes by the Records.

I only say that because I recently made a mix CD with all those songs, and Starry Eyes deserves equal consideration.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Thursday, 24 November 2005 18:56 (twenty years ago)

I love "Starry Eyes," but something about it feels so Rhino comp-ready, whereas those other songs transcend all.

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Thursday, 24 November 2005 19:31 (twenty years ago)

Shockingly, has anyone recorded covers of either of the other two? Or do they know better?

There's of course The Bangles' "September Gurls" on Different Light, which notoriously changes "I was your butch and you were touched" to "And for so long, until we touched." Otherwise it's a serviceable cover with a wonky 12-string guitar solo.

― monkeybutler, Thursday, 24 November 2005 22:01 (twenty years ago)

After careful thought and listening:

1. Shake Some Action
2. September Gurls
3. Another Girl Another Planet

(in other words Aaron A and kornrulez OTM)

― xero (xero), Thursday, 24 November 2005 22:35 (twenty years ago)

september gurls is the clear winner, simply because it has the pop hooks and power of the other two, but the lyrics are far more complex. plus big star is the best band ever.

1. september gurls (actually made that strange rolling stone list of best songs of all time, remember that? i was pleasantly shocked...)
2. shake some action (delicious song, i love the beat that drives the chorus)
3. another girl another planet (havent listened to this one in a while but i remember putting it on a bunch of mixes freshman year--prolly the most "punky" of the bunch)

― rockaction (rockaction), Friday, 25 November 2005 17:57 (twenty years ago)

Although 'September Gurls' and 'Shake Some Action' deserve to be in the top three I think 'Another Girl' is some way ahead and is probably correctly hailed as the best pop song ever. I can't see how it can be improved upon and whilst googling for lyrics I reckon all the lyrics sites have it wrong......

― Ferg Ranson, Sunday, 27 November 2005 15:32 (twenty years ago)

September Gurls

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Sunday, 27 November 2005 16:44 (twenty years ago)

Sept Gurls
Shake Some Action
Another Girl, Another Planet

but overall oevre-wise

Big Star>Only Ones (by a hair)>>>>Flaming Groovies (though I like the songs Edd mentioned these guys were wildly inconsistent IMHO)

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Sunday, 27 November 2005 17:05 (twenty years ago)

three weeks pass...

Incidentally, MC5's "Shakin' Street" from Back In The USA trumps all three by some distance if we're talking flawless power-pop songs, and I think we are, or were. A rather atypical MC5 song, but Fred Sonic Smith would be immortal forever (to me at least) for this one even if he'd never done anything else.

― xero (xero), Friday, 23 December 2005 23:29 (twenty years ago)

nineteen years pass...

Some of you probably got word of this:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-chris-and-lori-avoid-homelessness?qid=7e45de0c5ede2c63d5782055aa29f237

These three songs are virtually impossible for me to rank, but I'd put the Only Ones at the top by some infinitesimal margin.

― clemenza, Monday, 20 January 2025 05:37 (one year ago)

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