If someone asked you, “…I’ve never listened to any music by____________. What do they sound like?” could you play for them one song that encapuslates the band’s “sound”? The pacing, the instrumental work, the typical songwriting, the “feel” of it?
As I was driving my son to his swim lesson this morning, I played one of my compliation discs (not a member of the iPod generation, sorry). Flaming Telepaths, by the mighty Blue Öyster Cult came on. Yeah, I’m aware of the fact that I’m an old fart, but I thought to myself "…that one tune really captures the essence of B.Ö.C.; the quick tempo and pacing changes from hard rock/metal to sinister and gothic, Buck Dharma’s blazing guitar, Alan Lanier’s creepy keyboard work, Eric Bloom’s growling vocals and the signature weird, “UFOs, psychic stuff & horror” songwriting. B.Ö.C. in a nutshell, baby.
Rather than anything from “Born To Run”, I think Bruce Springsteen’s sound is more captured by songs off of “The River”. “The Price You Pay” is a good example. For some reason, that album has more of a sound of trying to make a Bruce Springsteen album than others do.
**Led Zeppelin: ** Communications Breakdown. It defined their sound (and, for that matter, most metal rock) from that point on. Bonzo Dog Band: The Intro and the Outro Steppenwolf: Magic Carpet Ride B-52s: Rock Lobster Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross: Charleston Alley Pink Floyd: Echoes Soft Machine: Moon in June
I started thinking about Springsteen and of course immediately thought of “Born to Run”, but he’s been through so many phases it’s really tough to pick just one song! Even if you say classic him with the E Street Band, there’s the funkier earlier stuff and then the anthemy Born to Run stuff.
Maybe Tenth Avenue Freeze Out – funky and with the anthemier part in there. I’m glad you mentioned The Price You Pay–man, I love that song.
The Eagles - “Hotel California”
Pink Floyd - “Comfortably Numb”
AC/DC - “For Those About to Rock…”
Fleetwood Mac - “Rhiannon”
BeeGees - “You Should be Dancing”
U2 - “Pride (In the Name of Love)”
Funny, but I guess everyone has a different opinion of blands that had a long run. When I read this thread’s title the first thing I thought of was Led Zeppelin and “The Ocean” off Houses of the Holy, or “Over the Hills and Far Away”.
For Rob/White Zombie I’d use “Dragula” off Hellbilly Deluxe.
That the thing, you get a band like, say Pink Floyd and their sound changed throughout their career. For a band like PF, I would have chosen something from the Wall (The Wall Part Two maybe) and something from DSOTM, but even then, you go back to Meddle or Animals it was different still.
The reason I chose those songs for Zep is because they have two different styles within the same song. Blues and rock.
