The 1960s Song of the Day (currently featuring: The Animals)

[TAC]

Hell yes, Riot!!! First thing I thought of. Narita is such an amazing album.

It really is. The title track is my favorite song ever, by any band. That melody is perfect.

Not to derail the thread or anything........

The day Piece Of Mind was released I bought that AND Narita. Both are classics.

[Kwyjibo]

Born To Be Wild might be the most overplayed song in my book. It's nice but nothing more.

[hefdaddy42]

Born To Be Wild is a solid classic rock gem. Very nice.

Substitute: not my favorite.  Don't really care for it very much.  But to be fair, I'm not the biggest fan of the Who under the best of circumstances.

Not a fan of the Doors at all.

I think I'm caught up now lol

[Orbert]

I like "Born to Be Wild".  It's totally overplayed, of course, as all "rock anthems" are, but it's still a fun song.

"Magic Carpet Ride" is also good (since others have mentioned it), but while I like the break, it always seemed completely awkward how it just jumps back to the chorus for a repeat and fade.  Maybe the album version is different, with the transition less jarring; I don't know.  But the version I always hear on the radio bugs me.  Cool concept, not well executed.

[TAC]

Born To Be Wild has a great pre-chorus.

[Prog Snob]

Born To Be Wild might be the most overplayed song in my book. It's nice but nothing more.

I can almost agree. I can think of numerous Zeppelin songs that are more overplayed.

[KevShmev]

Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone

I am not much of a Dylan fan, largely because his voice annoys me, but this is a pretty good song.  It always seems to be his most popular and highly-regarded song, which I guess I understand.  Or maybe I don't. 

[TAC]

 


Seriously. I don't get it.

[King Postwhore]

I love his lyrics but his voice turns me away from his music.

[Orbert]

His voice bugs me a bit, but by now I'm used to it.

A lot of Dylan's songs seem very repetitive to me.  I guess if you're into the song, then you dig it, and they're easy to sing along with, but mostly they just seem repetitive.  But it was the 60's.  You couldn't stray too far from the mold and expect any level of popularity.  It wasn't until later that people even realized that you could write songs that weren't supposed to be popular.

[Prog Snob]

I love his lyrics but his voice turns me away from his music.

He has a couple of good songs that are good enough to overlook his voice, but for the most part it's hard to listen.

[sneakyblueberry]

I went through a Dylan phase.  Funnily enough, I never gushed over his lyrics, nor despised his voice.  There are some great songs out there though.  Although I don't feel as though LARS is one of them!

[senecadawg2]

I like Dylan much in the same way that I like poetry: in small, focused bursts. Nothing to do with his voice (which I actually enjoy pretty well) and more to do with a lot of his music feeling somewhat repetitive.

Anyways, I really like this song.

[KevShmev]

I'm sure most big Dylan fans would strongly object, but the covers of his songs are always better than his original versions.  Take, for example, All Along the Watchtower, which would have been a forgettable Dylan song, except that Hendrix made a monster classic.  Sure, Dylan wrote the original, but Hendrix took that simple melody and did so much more with it.   Granted, there is nothing wrong with a simple melody, but it seems like that always happens when his songs are covered.  Like a Rolling Stone is a rare example, to me anyway, of a Dylan song being more than just a simple melody.

[Kwyjibo]

Seriously. I don't get it.

That's me for the most part. Some of his songs are good, but mostly when they are covered by other artists. It's not really his voice that's offputting, though it's annoying sometimes, but more the whole package that doesn't interest me. Most of the songs I know are simple (nothing wrong with that) but also boring. And the constantly praised lyrics aren't saving them either.

/rant

[Stadler]

Dylan's a weird one.  I had a friend I used to work with that was on a mission to get me to appreciate him.  And I do; he's legend, there is no question.  Odd duck, probably his idiosyncracies are tolerated more than they should, but the guy delivers (he did a legendary show at a local club here in CT that Mike and DT have played countless times - Toad's Place - that was four sets over five hours.  For a 700 person club, I think there's about 45,000 people that claim to have been there). 

Having said that, unlistenable to me.  There are maybe five songs in his catalogue (including the great "Tweeter and the Monkey Man" from the Traveling Wilbury's) that I would willingly listen to (the mentioned song isn't one of them).  But his influence is undeniable.

(By the way, in the "great Dylan cover" series is a song called "Wanted Man", as performed by Big John Cash). 

[hefdaddy42]

I love his lyrics but his voice turns me away from his music.

This.

the covers of his songs are always better than his original versions.

Also this.

[senecadawg2]

the covers of his songs are always better than his original versions.

Also this.

Even the abominable Guns 'n Roses cover?

[Stadler]

the covers of his songs are always better than his original versions.

Also this.

Even the abominable Guns 'n Roses cover?

I think "abominable" is a little harsh; I could do without the "dow-woo-our!" on every line, and the "rank subjugation" dialogue was interesting the first time only, but live it's not a bad song at all. 

[KevShmev]

the covers of his songs are always better than his original versions.

Also this.

Even the abominable Guns 'n Roses cover?

Assuming you are talking about Knockin' On Heaven's Door, absolutely.  I am not a big G N' R fan, but their cover crushes the original.

[Orbert]

I'm not a big GnR fan either, and their version makes me want to vomit.  Multiple times.

[Prog Snob]

I'm not a big GnR fan either, and their version makes me want to vomit.  Multiple times.

This guy gets it.

[mikeyd23]

GnR's version of Knockin' is the best version of that song, easily.

[hefdaddy42]

There are no good versions of that song.

[Orbert]

Wow, I knew some people must like that version, but "the best"?  Whoa.  Axl Rose's whiny, strangled-cat delivery just ruins pretty much every GnR song I've ever heard.  Except "You Could Be Mine".  That song slays.  His voice, horrible and vomit-inducing as it is, is perfect for that song.

[mikeyd23]

Wow, I knew some people must like that version, but "the best"?  Whoa.  Axl Rose's whiny, strangled-cat delivery just ruins pretty much every GnR song I've ever heard.  Except "You Could Be Mine".  That song slays.  His voice, horrible and vomit-inducing as it is, is perfect for that song.

  Well since you clearly don't like the band, it makes sense you wouldn't like their cover!

For me, it's easily the best version of the song 

[Train of Naught]

There are no good versions of that song.

Exactly

[Stadler]

I think that's a little unfair; even the Dylan version captures the sentiment of a man in his last moments pretty succinctly.  It can't be covered THAT many times (it's one of his most covered songs) if it sucked that badly.

You want "abysmal", check out the Clapton version.  Now THAT song I can't stand. 

My problem is that it's a great song to do solo acoustic, but it's almost impossible for me to sing now without unconsciously doing Axl's "dow-woo-our" which I flicking hate.

[Orbert]

Wow, I knew some people must like that version, but "the best"?  Whoa.  Axl Rose's whiny, strangled-cat delivery just ruins pretty much every GnR song I've ever heard.  Except "You Could Be Mine".  That song slays.  His voice, horrible and vomit-inducing as it is, is perfect for that song.

  Well since you clearly don't like the band, it makes sense you wouldn't like their cover!

For me, it's easily the best version of the song 

And conversely, I understand someone who likes GnR preferring their version over the original.  I just don't hear anything in their version that I would consider an improvement over the original.  "Rocking out" the music doesn't add anything, and Axl doesn't convey anywhere near the same emotion as the original.  But different strokes for different folks.  And just to be clear, I don't even like the original, but I can't deny that it's a good song.

[KevShmev]

So, back to the 60s...

Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit

Fun little trivia about this song is that it was the first song ever played on KSHE-95, our major rock station here in St. Louis, back in 1967.  Good tune, but not one I have ever gone nuts over or even out of my way to hear.

[Orbert]

"Eh, they have better songs"

Man, I hate it when people do that.  But that is exactly what comes to mind when I think of this song.  I like a lot of Jefferson Airplane, and Jefferson Starship.  I always have.  But I've never gotten the love for this song.  Bores me to death.

To Death!!

[Progmetty]

One of my favorite songs of ALL TIME and I don't get to say that often. Timeless masterpiece and some of covers of this song have been great as well.
I enjoy the way Slick sings it live at Woodstock as well, some minor changes in vocal melody that are very effective and equally as cool as the studio version.
Because of that song I've always wondered what Grace Slick would have offered if she was the fifth member of 70's Pink Floyd, far fetched but just imagine her doing all of the female vocals from Shine On or Eclipse! Orgasmic..

[Prog Snob]

So, back to the 60s...

Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit

Fun little trivia about this song is that it was the first song ever played on KSHE-95, our major rock station here in St. Louis, back in 1967.  Good tune, but not one I have ever gone nuts over or even out of my way to hear.

Great song. One of their only songs I actually enjoy.

[hefdaddy42]

Never cared for the Airplane/Starship.

[Stadler]

Never cared for the Airplane/Starship.

Love that song "We Built This City".  It rocks.