Radley Balko asks what five songs in my iTunes are my guiltiest pleasures. I take this to mean things I actually listen to--for some reason, I have Maroon 5 and a Tears for Fears album, but I'm not sure I've ever listened to them.
So here goes, try to not to shudder:
* Will Ye Go, Lassie by the Irish Tenors. I can't explain why I am so fond of what serious celtic musicians universally agree is the worst possible version of one of celtic music's worst songs. But my heart still goes pitter-pat for tenors soaring into the chorus.
* Closing Time I could defend this by saying I use it to shoo people out at parties. But this would be a lie. I just kinda like it.
* Mambo #5 by Lou Bega. Oh, stop snickering. It's cute.
* Satellite, by Dave Matthews. So many dreamy hours staring up at the stars from a decrepit front porch . . . how could I repudiate it?
* The Wall. This is the album that made me feel like I was <i>really</i> deep when I was a freshman in high school. Now it makes me feel like a freshman in high school. And sometimes, you just want to reclaim those days.
I tag Daniel Drezner, Tyler Cowen, and Freddie.
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I've been memed
21 Jul 2008 12:59 pm
Comments (23)
I'm not snickering. I'm sniggering.
That gets awfully close to the "igg" word, Lorenzo.
God Megan, you are really are a dork.
Speaking as a "serious celtic musician", surely there are many drastically worse songs than "Wild Mountain Thyme" in the genre. Though I can't say I'd be eager to hear the Irish Tenors sing it, cause I'm pretty sure they'd bring out the worst in it.
I love the Wall, too, but possibly only because I have had the wisdom not to listen to it all the way through since college. (It was always my roommates that owned a copy.)
Mambo #5 by Lou Bega is cute and sounds "sabroso". I like it.
Since I am Cuban ... you are just OK on that one.
* Satellite, by Dave Matthews.
Just shoot me now!! I love the song. Seriously, why is this a guilty pleasure? Is it because Dave Matthews isn't hip any more? This was the first Dave Matthews song I remember hearing. He's not great, but not bad either.
The Wall was the first album I ever purchased. Listened to it almost every day during the summer of 1980.
I don't think it is a "deep" album, but it is still just about my favorite.
I guess you coulda done a lot worse.....like picked Jessica Simpson, singing country......
Mambo #5 has to be removed.
Closing Time? Tom Waits? Or someone else's?
Satellite, by Dave Matthews
Interesting because my hubby, being a white boy from VA, loved DMB for a while, but never this song. This song he's always hated. I don't understand why. But I do find it interesting that you label it a guilty pleasure, indicating that it doesn't deserve your affection. Is there something about this particular DMB song that's so bad?
Satellite is not a bad song. DMB is actually quite a good band as long as they stay in the studio under the strict dicipline of an A&R man and producer. It is when they get on stage and start trying to be the 21st Century Grateful Dead that things go horribly wrong. I have never seen a band worse at improvisation and jamming than DMB. That is a forgivable sin. Very few bands can do it well. What is not forgivable is that they have no idea how bad they are.
Flash, I'm sure she refers to Semisonic's "Closing Time."
Mambo #5 - rather than snicker, I was going to go with an agog stare, then a bewildered head shake, then a long, deep sigh.
Satellite . . . how is that one different from any of the other DMB songs? Or are they all the same song? I can never tell.
Tears for Fears shouldn't be a guilty pleasure, and you should listen to the album.
Ooo, The Wall, such memories. Usually I would just leap up when a side ended so I could grab the tonearm and plop it into its cradle without having to sit through all the rigmarole of the arm plopping itself down. But side three, Comfortably Numb, I could only sit in awe at what I just heard.
Sorry Megan, the Wall is not a guilty pleasure. You may be ashamed that you still listen to music from close to 30 years ago, but that album still stands the test of time.
And DMB is fine - not sure why the recent hate for DMB. I agree that recently, they have begun to fall down in terms of output and quality, but this is because DMB has stuck with the same style music (even the Dead went through phases - from Bluegrass/Folk/Rock to Prog Rock). But unfortunately for DMB, the band is comprised of an instrument set that makes it very, very difficult to play alternative styles. Maybe SOUL?
Megan,
How can you have any pudding if you won't eat your meat?
Yes, it can't be the Leonard Cohen "Closing Time"
Yeah we're drinking and we're dancing
but there's nothing really happening
and the place is dead as Heaven on a Saturday night
And my very close companion
gets me fumbling gets me laughing
she's a hundred but she's wearing
something tight
and I lift my glass to the Awful Truth
which you can't reveal to the Ears of Youth
except to say it isn't worth a dime
because NOBODY would put that as a "guilty pleasure". You could be proud of that one.
I'm not sure what the deal is supposed to be with Mambo #5....yes, it would be kind of weird to listen to it with headphones on while studying topology, but it's an exceptional dance song.
Jason,
For the longest time I thought it was, "How can you have any pudding if you won't clean your feet?" A friend in college told me I was wrong, and, to this day, it still sounds like "clean your feet". I don't think I will ever hear it the right way.
Jason,
For the longest time I thought it was, "How can you have any pudding if you won't clean your feet?" A friend in college told me I was wrong, and, to this day, it still sounds like "clean your feet". I don't think I will ever hear it the right way.
Re Wild Mountain Thyme by the Irish Tenors, I just listened to a bit of it on You Tube. Yikes!
The best version ever has to be Joan Baez on the Farewell Angelina album. Great song, I can see why you like it, Megan.
As a guilty pleasure, I actually play and sing "Wild Mountain Thyme" fairly often, and enjoy every minute of it. I have never performed it for others, though.
DMB has never done much for me, I think I'd feel guilty if I liked them.
Don't tell anyone, but I also like "Closing Time."
"Mambo #5" is terrible, and you should be ashamed of yourself.
"The Wall" has some good tunes on it, but I don't think it actually works very well as a whole, or at least isn't compelling as such. All of the other Waters-Gilmore-Wright-Mason lineup albums are significantly better.
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The Wall's what made Roger Waters feel he was really deep, too, so don't feel bad. Instead, pick up this album: http://www.amazon.com/Rebuild-Wall-Luther-Wright-Wrongs/dp/B00006408J
and revel in trading in your teenage pseudo-depth for adult heartfelt irony.
Posted by Aaron | July 21, 2008 2:08 PM