Thursday, February 14, 2008

More Videos

I posted four more videos:

Mark Knopfler - "What It Is"
I was reminded of this song when reading Jess's last post. It's a beautiful song. Subtle, understated, and the guitar just kills me.

White Spirit - "Watch Out" and Persian Risk - "50,000 Stallions"
Two songs I first heard on a compilation of obscure NWOBHM bands. I bought it on cassette in about 1989, and I'd love to find it on CD. These two songs are among my favorite, and a good idea of what heavy metal was in 1980.

Trouble - "At the End of My Daze"
Somewhat late in the heavy metal heyday, this song is deep into Trouble's doom-metal career, when they started going psychedelic (inventing stoner metal in the process). Great stuff, though. Enough bottom end to satisfy Sir Mix-a-lot.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree that "What it is" is one of those understated songs that Mark Knopfler is so proficient at. Even if you listen to old Dire Straits songs like "Wild West End" you hear the same kind of spare, soulful guitar work that is underappreciated these days. The guy says more with less picking than just about anyone.

That is why "money for nothing" is such an aberation, because its so in your face in comparison, with the "faggot" vocal and everything. I like the song, but I would rather listen to a song like "Down to the Waterline" of "Six Blade Knife". FWIW.

Jason said...

I actually couldn't stand "Money for Nothing" for years. Knopfler's vocals sound lazy in that song, it's a pretty pedestrian rock song, and it came at a time when Sting irritated me, so his backing vocals were the icing on the turd.

I've always hated falsetto vocals, so Sting's part in that would have irritated me whether it was him or not.

Anonymous said...

Yeah it always struck me as wierd having Sting in the background singing "I Want My MTV" in the same voice as "Don't Stand So Close to Me". I know that the whole song is kind of parody/sarcasm and I am sure that it was fun for them at the time, but you know, a lot of things were fun for us in the past that we look back at and think "How stupid was that". And yet, still I like the song, not just as much as I could have without some annoyances.

By the way, in case there is any confusion, the "faggot" vocal I was referring to previously was the following lines from the song:

That little faggot got his own jet airplane
That little faggot he’s a millionaire


Not any commentary on the voices themselves ;-)

Jason said...

I regret nothing from the 1980s. Except my hair. And those ridiculous shorts I wore that went below my knees. And the . . .

Okay, so I regret some of the '80s.