Taking Sides: Ronettes- Be My Baby VS. Johnny Boy- You Are the Generation That Bought More Shoes And You Get What You Deserve

Johnny Boy vs the Guillemots' "Trains to Brazil" would be a tough TS, though.

While I hesitate to doubt the sincerity of any of the posters who picked "Generation", it does strike me as falling in the ilxor tendency to repudiate anything remotely established -- i.e. "Elvis Costello sucks" or "I h8 Morrissey." Not that these couldn't be valid positions (an opinions an opinion), but I wonder if we are too eager perhaps to stake out our own unique piece of the pop culture landscape, and in doing so, trashing seminal artists for the sake of pissing in the Louvre.

No, on second though, if you answered "Generation" over "Be My Fucking Baby" you should have your ears punctured with kebob skewers.

1) Better production value (not that this is, on its own, a deal-maker/-breaker, I'm just mentioning it for the sake of inclusiveness);
2) Better melody in the verse;
3) Better instrumentation, what with the horns and the big guitars and all; and
4) Better lyrics, IMO (again, somewhat irrelevant within the context of a pop song, but you know).

I think it's MORE an issue of the "bitter old bastard" tendency to repudiate anyone who repudiates anything remotely established, as though there is no reasonable excuse for liking Scott Walker (or who-the-heck-ever) more than Dino or Ol' Blue Eyes. Maybe I'm just being contentious.

1) Better production value

that is absolutely and utterly ridiculous. maybe i am a bitter old bastard but 'be my baby' is one of the greatest songs in the history of recorded music. the production on it makes me cum. i must have heard it ten thousand times and it still does it to me every time. for the record i do like 'you are the generation....' but, but, but......

First off, Biondi is right and tell him to fuck off in that regard just shows your relative immaturity.

Secondly, that you admit to liking the Johnny Boy album. That thing is a stinker. You take "You're The Generation..." off there and you're really in trouble.

Then your accomplice, Owen states that Johnny Boy "has better production, etc."... yeah no shit, they were made 40 years apart. There would have been no "You're The Generation..." without the Ronettes in the first place.

Blogs are fanzines, not academic treatises.

This is the last time I attempt to inject a little levity into the proceedings. GOD, okay? I'm sorry, now you can go back to hugging your turntable or hard drive or whatever.

BTW Dirty Dancing Sndtrk WAY BETTER than Johnny Boy album. J/K LOL...perhaps.

this is OTM.

on another thread someone compared the rest of the album to Chumbawumba. that's OTM as well.

http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1739547,00.html
'The English audiences had never seen anything like the Ronettes. We looked innocent and wild, that was our thing. We played a show for the American troops in Germany and the guys were having orgasms on the floor. I was like, "What are they doin'? Ain't no dance I recognise." Then it was, "Oh my God! Get me out of here!"'

http://www.chachacharming.com/article.php?id=26&pg=4
I have to tell you a funny story, and don't get offended by this. When "Leader Of The Pack" was running on Broadway, the fans would wait outside the stage door with albums for me to sign. And one night I come walking out and this guy is standing there — very sweet with his Raindrops and Ronettes albums. And he goes, "I'm so happy to have met you, and I want to thank you thank you thank you for all your music." He's going on and on, and then he says, "I just want to tell you, I had my first blowjob to "Be My Baby." And I'm standing there, stunned. Totally. I didn't know what to say, and I'm trying to cover myself on this one thinking, "Okay Ellie, let's see how quick you can be on this one." So I answered, "Did it happen during the verse or chorus?"

Somebody please show me another song this year as good as "15 Minutes" and I'll start considering your viewpoint…

I think the Chumbawumba ref is a bit off, though - if you're looking for a stick to beat them with, the Manics are a better bet, and not just because of Bradfield's involvement in the single; the whole album reeks of "Generation Terrorists" filtered through a Kenickie filter.

(I'd say that "Springer" and "Formaldehyde" are the only two songs on there that aren't fantastic, but seeing as how it took almost two years to make, that leaves you with only six or so new songs, so I can understand if people found it a little disappointing that way).

And surely, Matthew, Mean Streets rather than Dirty Dancing!

Oh, so popularity wins all, does it?

I'm not even sure if I've heard that. My little sister had a copy of the Dirty Dancing soundtrack and played it all the time, and "I've Had The Time Of My Life" and "Hungry Eyes" are lite-FM staples, and that's basically what I grew up on in my parents' cars.

Secondly, that you admit to liking the Johnny Boy album. That thing is a stinker. You take "You're The Generation..." off there and you're really in trouble.

This is extremely incorrect. "Generation" isn't even in my top 4 on that record, that's how wrong you are!

well i think it means that there was all this war and bad stuff going on and this generation, instead of protesting, bought more shoes or something.