Classic Rock Song of the Day (Deep Cuts now being featured!!)

[jjrock88]

I don't like alot of Genesis, but this is a standout track to me.

[KevShmev]

The Guess Who - Undun

This is one of those I remember hearing here and there when I was young, while never paying much attention to it, but years later when I heard it, I was like, "Oh yeah, I know this song." Good song, and this is another one of those songs that every time I hear it, I think of a film scene - it is featured in Tarantino's Jackie Brown when Louis is bugging Melanie to get ready so they can get to the job (without giving anything away to anyone who hasn't seen it yet and plans to).

[Podaar]

My older brother had a The Guess Who compilation album in the early 70's that he played quite a bit. When I left home in 1978 was probably the last time I heard this song. I didn't like it then, and while I'm more tolerant of it now, I can't say I'd leave the channel button alone.

[Jaq]

American Woman.

That's it. That's all local radio plays by the Guess Who.

 

[jingle.boy]

I always found the Guess Who material I have/hear to be lacking in something.  It's ok, but nothing that ever cranks my engine.  This song is no exception.  I'm just as likely to turn the dial and search for something new, as I am to listen through it.  Of course, as a Canadian band, we get/got our fair share of them so stations could get their Canadian content requirements, but overall, I find them to be rather mediocre.

[jjrock88]

I've heard more then my fair share of Burton Cummings; not a fan

[King Postwhore]

Toq oute a famous line, "Stay away from me."

[hefdaddy42]

American Woman.

That's it. That's all local radio plays by the Guess Who.

 

[KevShmev]

Rush - The Spirit of Radio

An obvious Rush classic, I still remember being blown to shreds the first time I heard this song (at my first Rush concert in November 1991).  Hundreds of listens later, I still love it to death.  It's catchy as hell, musically and vocally, and manages to sound both technical as hell and like an effortless rock song at the same time, if you know what I mean.

[King Postwhore]

I hate this song.  I hear it and it puts me in a coma.

[Podaar]

This came on my truck stereo just the other day and a huge smile sprung to my face within the first three seconds. It's always a joy to hear. I will randomly get the urge to play this album and I will go out of my way to make sure I get a fix when the mood strikes.

An obvious Rush classic, I still remember being blown to shreds the first time I heard this song (at my first Rush concert in November 1991).  Hundreds of listens later, I still love it to death.  It's catchy as hell, musically and vocally, and manages to sound both technical as hell and like an effortless rock song at the same time, if you know what I mean.

Well said, and I do know what you mean! 

[jingle.boy]

When I was first diversifying myself into classic rock in the mid 80s, for some reason, I was only exposed initially to Rush through the radio hits.  At the time, I don't recall Spirit of Radio getting a lot of radio airtime around here ... it was Fly By Night, Closer to the Heart, Tom Sawyer, and Limelight that were the big 4.  Throw in some of the synth era songs (New World Man, Big Money and Time Stand Still were still pretty current).  So, when I first started going deeper and wider with Rush, and came to Spirit of the Radio, I was so .  What a perfect blend of classic, prog, and hard rock - all in a nice, sub five minute, commercially accessible package.

Great tune... despite the overplay it gets on radio and concerts.  Still love it.

[Orbert]

Okay, time for true confessions.  I'm a Rush fan, have been since 1976.  All the World's a Stage, baby.  We had a falling out during the 80's, but came back together in the 90's and have been tight ever since.  Plus, 80's Rush and I have come to an understanding, we've both admitted our faults, and we now get along pretty well.

But I've never liked this song.  Catchy as hell?  Yep.  Wacky guitar lead that's supposed to evoke radio waves or something?  Yep.  Classic Rush crazy time shifts and inside references, all executed flawlessly?  Yep.  On my Rush playlist?  No fucking way.  It just doesn't work for me.

No tard.  I'm dead serious.  This ones bugs me.

[Orbert]

Oh yeah, and while I'm being a cranky old bitch, I hate it when people get the name of this song wrong.

It's "The Spirit of Radio", not "Spirit of the Radio".  I don't like the song, but I can at least get the title right.

[jingle.boy]

It's "The Spirit of Radio", not "Spirit of the Radio".  I don't like the song, but I can at least get the title right.

Alright, alright... brain fart on my part throwing in that extra "the" where it doesn't belong.  Lighten up you crotchety old fart

[Orbert]

Hey, I wasn't naming names, but it's good that you owned up to it.

[Kwyjibo]

It's an ok song, maybe even more but it has never grabbed me as being great. But then I'm not the die-hard Rush-fan.

[King Postwhore]

Bob, take two aspirin and text me in the morning.

[Orbert]

Nah, I don't do drugs.



I know a lot of people like this one, and I can even hear that it's a great song.  I just don't like it.  Too many weirdass bits and pieces thrown together.

[King Postwhore]

 

It's funny but reading all the books of Rush's early years a lot of the earlier fans hated this album.  I looked at it like the Black album for Metallica.  More mainstream but still essentially the band.  I got into Rush with Moving Pictures and going back in their catalog, I loved this album and song.

[jjrock88]

Rush Rules

[Big Hath]

Rush Rules

[masterthes]

Rush Rules

[KevShmev]

While I don't agree with Orbert, his dissenting opinion about this song is why I love this thread.  It'd be boring if all of us classic rock fans agreed that every classic rock staple was great, and seeing reasons why this poster or that poster doesn't like this song or that song is always interesting.   

[hefdaddy42]

I think the song is fantastic, and is one of the reasons I got into Rush in the first place.

[KevShmev]

Peter Frampton - Show Me the Way

Another good live rendition from the hugely popular Frampton Come Alive! live record.  In fact, like some of the others we all know, I don't think I've ever heard the studio version of this song, and I probably don't want to.  I like the way he uses the talk box in this song; very innovative.

[Jaq]

If what I have heard about Frampton Comes Alive is true, you are hearing a studio version 

But yes, I don't think there is anyone on the planet who can say, with a straight face, that they've heard the original studio versions of the songs on this album. Goes without saying that I like it, since it's from the Year of Our Lord Nineteen Hundred and Seventy Six. 

[Orbert]

Incorrect.  I checked out some of the Frampton's Camel albums after the massive success of Frampton Comes Alive.  And yes, this was back in the 70's, before most of you were born.  The original studio versions aren't actually that different, but they sound really dry compared to the live versions.

"Show Me the Way" is one of the songs we do in my band, and our basic rule is to learn all original studio versions, so we all have the same starting point.  But this song is an exception because it's the live version that everybody knows, so that's the version we do.

Useless anectdote #2:  I was in a restaurant just a few weeks ago, and this song was on the piped-in music.  But it was some weird version.  It was hard to pin down the problem.  Sounded like Frampton, there's the talkbox, but the solos are different.  After far too long, it finally struck me that I was hearing the studio version of the song.  Why?  Nobody knows that version.  That's like the local radio station playing the studio version of "Rock and Roll All Night" by KISS.  With some songs, the live version is the definitive version.

[King Postwhore]

Seen Frampton play this song live 5 times and he never disappoints.

[hefdaddy42]

I am a large fan of this album, and this song in particular.  Great stuff.

No, I've never heard the studio version either.

[King Postwhore]

I have an it lacks the jump of the live version.

[KevShmev]

Pink Floyd - Have a Cigar

Okay, I know some of us just recently talked about this song in the Pink Floyd Discography thread, but it still deserves a feature here, right?  RIGHT?

Anyhoooo, yeah, I love the hell out of this song.  Because Roy Harper sounds like a combination of Waters and Gilmour, I didn't realize that it was someone not in Pink Floyd who sang it until I looked more closely at the liner notes of my copy of Wish You Were Here I bought back in late 1990/early 1991.  This is one of my favorite Floyd songs lyrically.  "Oh, by the way, which one's Pink?" is quite possibly the most well-known Floyd line ever.  Awesome solo by Gilmour at the end, and I love the keyboard flourishes throughout this song.  Yep, I love this song a lot.

[Orbert]

I like this one a lot, too, though it took a while.  I always liked the dual keyboard hook, but for a long time, that was pretty much all I liked.  Well, that plus the fun line "Which one's Pink?"  Apparently that was something an actual suit asked them once in a meeting.  They knew the band was Pink Floyd but for some reason thought that that was the name of one of the members.

Anyway, the more I listened to the words, the more I realized what great satire it is, great commentary on the music biz, much like "Welcome to the Machine" from the same album.  And my appreciation grew.  Still probably my least favorite from the album, but as was said in the Pink Floyd thread, that's like fourth place in the Miss Universe contest.  All awesome, but someone had to take fourth.

[hefdaddy42]

Great, great, great.

[jingle.boy]

Not a damn thing about this song that isn't A+.  Great vocals, keys, killer bass... it's the total package.  Surprisingly my third favorite song the album though.  Shows you how godly WYWH is.