Fantaverse Top 100 Songs of All Time (THREAD #11): The #1s

[Geezer]

Ron, you're about 6 days late......

[Ron Burgundy]

sorry dude, i have a life, ill get to yours soon

[Geezer]

Just saying Ron, you were acting as if you arrived as he was posting it, when it was actually 6 days after. It was funny.

[silversurfer19]

It's taken a while due to family commitments, but I've finally found enough time to get round to finishing off my appraisals of the fantaverse's no.1's. I look forward to some great songs:

Buscemi - Derek And The Dominoes, "Layla"

One of the most recognisable riffs ever recorded I guess, and to be honest I do like the song quite a lot, though possibly not as much as his earlier work with The Yardbirds. I don't think I have ever actually listened to this song all the way through surprisingly enough, so it was pleasing to hear the second half of the track, though it doesn't entirely fit with the first. Maybe it could be seen as a progression of the song, but to me it just didn't quite gel as nicely with the first half as it could. Ultimately it sounds like two very good individual songs, but not quite genius as a whole. Still, great no.1.

Leestu - Nirvana, "Smells Like Teen Spirit"

One of the most awesome of awesomest songs ever, I wish I had space in my top 100 for it somewhere. Along with Something In The Way, probably my favourite from the group. I honestly was a little surprised to find it as your no.1, as I thought most likely of the group to have this at top spot would have been Geez, but I guess I shouldn't have dismissed your love of Grunge, having previously showcased Mudhoney, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr and The Pixies! Man, we have a lot in common besides our names! I remember when I was younger (probably about 11 at the time) a friend had warned me away from Nirvana and blasted them as just a lot of noise and heavy metal. Naturally I went straight out and picked up Nevermind, only to find that the record has so much more to offer. They were not heavy metal at all, but in fact one of the greatest rock bands ever with a diverse range of songs and styles, all the while stirring so much emotion within me with every track, and this is one brilliant way to get the album started. And a nice way to finish your own set list.

Great picks from your family too, and nice to see some else appreciate Nightswimming as much as I do.

Chienfantome - Nina Simone, “Ne me quitte pas”

Wow, was not expecting something as powerful as that, even from someone such as Nina Simone, and absolutely draining song, full of your trademark but with so much more on top of that. I imagine on film it may work even better, but I was more than happy to sit and just listen to it one its own a number of times. I really need to pick up a record or two of hers, I imagine on LP her voice can really just take you into another world for an hour or so.

W - Johnny Cash, “Folsom Prison Blues”

This song has really warmed on me during the length of the countdown, I think I had heard it a couple of times previously and never really taken much notice of it, but man is it catchy. It was actually the final straw in actually forcing me to pick up a Cash record, and one I haven't regretted. Is it my favourite of his? I'm not sure, but I'll be happy to listen to it many times again over the next year or so to make a conclusion!

Banks - Kanye West, “Spaceship”

I can actually completely agree with you, at least on this song, that Kanye is more than just a rapper. This was actually very soulful, and I certainly found myself tapping my toes throughout and even nodded my head a couple of times! So obviously I found something intriguing about the song. I may come back and listen to the lyrics further another time, but musically alone it was very pleasant. Definitely one of the better songs for your no.1 spot.

Becs - Queen, “Under Pressure”

Quite possibly the most obvious no.1 choice I could have expected. Not that its a bad thing, it's a great song, and interesting to hear the live version of it too. The less said about the MCR/ The Used cover the better though, it was really a struggle to get through that, and I'm not a disliker of either band but that just ruined the original for me. Anyway, overall a pretty decent countdown from you which was culminated very nicely. And your friend's picks were all pretty much excellent, a good mix of genres but all pretty awesome. Even some blues in there too which was nice to see, I don't know many who actually appreciate the blues nowadays so to see some Robert Johnson and Stevie Ray on there was nice.

Numbersix - Arvo Part, “Fratres”

Wow, got to say I was not expecting that AT ALL. I was very much expecting something very akin to what your partner picked, a very brilliant piece of alternative music, but instead we got some classical. It was a very intriguing piece, it peaked and troughed at numerous occassions, the harshness of the violin clashing at times with the piano, while at other times combining in perfect harmony with it. It was mellow, then aggressive, but at all times competely absorbing. An absolutelty stunning piece of music which I will certainly be revisiting. Is it worth looking into more of his work? As I particularly remember how powerful the climax scene of Dead Man's Shoes worked with the music in particular, so if those two pieces are to go by it sounds like a must have addition to my collection, despite me owning very little classical at all.

As for your partner's pick, I first remember hearing of Low a few years ago, and looked into them as they were due to be playing the Primavera festival the year I was going. The Great Destroyer is a great album but I need to get into more of their stuff. If this is an example of their earlier work then it is something I'm very intrigued to delve into further.

Undeadmonkey - Shakira, “No”

Did I enjoy it? No, I'm afraid not. Was it better than many of your previous picks? Without doubt yes. I could listen to it all of the way through without struggling to hold back the urge to press stop (which I was very close to doing on many occassions during your countdown). Unfortunately though, it just didn't really appeal to me without actually offending me either. It was just a little dull in the end. Where as Chien proved how a melancholic song can be totally powerful and absorbing, this merely just passed over me. It wasn't awful, her voice is certainly not bad (though she does warble a little), and the music was okay, there was just nothing that particularly grabbed me in this. I suppose though in the grander scheme of things, not wanting to tear my ears off can be seen as a success though, right? [wink]

Geezer - Blink 182, “Adam's Song”

Okay, I expected Nirvana from the offset to be your no.1, but I guess Blink would have been one of a list of five I would have expected also. Probably my favourite track from Enema Of The State, it sits nicely in the middle of the record and breaks up some of the power pop which preceeds and follows it. Shows a little (and I really do mean little) variety in their style, and if not for Stay Together For The Kids it would probably be my absolute favourite of theirs. Still, good to see you finish of the list with a pop punk song I actually don't mind!

Shrykespeare - Depeche Mode, “Enjoy The Silence”

Ah, Patrick, I guess if I can take one thing away from your contribution to this thing (other than, y'know, orchestrating it all beautifully), it's that it has reignited a passion for some 80s synth music which I thought had long died in me. The likes of DM, Talk Talk and Gary Numan were a delight to hear once again, and this song in particular emphasises perfectly what the genre had to offer. I remember hearing this song a long, long time ago, it was a pretty big hit when it was first released and I remember being drawn to it's addictive beat, and while I may have lost DM to the mass of other music I have listened to over the years, listening to this again was just another reminder that I need to get back into them. A pulsating song which perfectly complements the best music you have offered us over the last few months.

Thanks again for running this all for us buddy, it's been a blast. Now to catch up with the Found Sounds page!

[numbersix]

Numbersix - Arvo Part, “Fratres”

Wow, got to say I was not expecting that AT ALL. I was very much expecting something very akin to what your partner picked, a very brilliant piece of alternative music, but instead we got some classical. It was a very intriguing piece, it peaked and troughed at numerous occassions, the harshness of the violin clashing at times with the piano, while at other times combining in perfect harmony with it. It was mellow, then aggressive, but at all times competely absorbing. An absolutelty stunning piece of music which I will certainly be revisiting. Is it worth looking into more of his work? As I particularly remember how powerful the climax scene of Dead Man's Shoes worked with the music in particular, so if those two pieces are to go by it sounds like a must have addition to my collection, despite me owning very little classical at all.

As for your partner's pick, I first remember hearing of Low a few years ago, and looked into them as they were due to be playing the Primavera festival the year I was going. The Great Destroyer is a great album but I need to get into more of their stuff. If this is an example of their earlier work then it is something I'm very intrigued to delve into further.

Thanks for the kind words, SS. You totally expressed what I love about the song. So yeah, I totally recommend picking up some of his records. Just watch out: some of the vocal stuf is hard to get into, as his his more experimental stuff, so pick the right album: Anything with Tabula Rasa should be worth getting, and other great tracks are Spiegel im Spiegel, Cantus in Memorium Benjamin Britten, Festina Lente, and Silouan's Song.

As for Low, I consider The Great Destroyer to be their weakest album. Check out Trust for the best of their later stuff, and Secret Name for the best of their earlier career.

[silversurfer19]

I imagine the music with vocals added could probably detract from the pieces, as I often find that with classical music. It's very rare that it actually complements them, so I'll probably listen to a few more on youtube and eventually get around to picking up a record of his (with tracks with vocals at a minimum). And if The Great Destroyer is Low's weakest record they must have one hell of a back catalogue, may start with some of their earlier stuff.

[NSpan]

Frendo's #1 song

The Cure, “Friday I’m in Love”
You could probably have guessed--I'm not a fan of the band, and I'm not a fan of the song. But what you said about it really allowed me a fresh perspective and an opportunity to hear it like-new. Knowing you originally disliked it but, ultimately, found some sort of catharsis through it was intriguing to me. I know how one, in troubled times, can find firm solace in art that is normally considered to be lacking gravitas. (The movie "Big" somehow helped me cope with some tough news recently... It doesn't compare to your story, but I think I can relate in some small way). Anyway, with all that in mind, I think I--for the very first time--can actually see some appeal in this particular track. I can't bear the video, but the melody really has something to it. I just listened to it about 5-6 times in a row, and (perhaps I'm delirious but) I found a smile on my face at the end. My feelings toward the Cure in general remain the same, but I enjoy the idea of this song providing profound relief to someone in pain. Thanks for sharing a personal song as your #1.

Cage, "Too Heavy For Cherubs"
Completely new-to-me. Much like Geezer, I have a tough time keeping up with rap lyrics and actually listening to the SONG at the same time. So, on first spin, I just listened to the music and the melody of the vocals. I kinda dug it. I feel like a lot of rap is intentionally amelodic--which I hate. But this song was carried by that surprisingly memorable dream-like riff. Overall, it reminded me of early Ween... perhaps something off of Pure Guava. If you haven't heard their first few albums, I recommend GodWeenSatan and The Pod. The early stuff is pretty inaccessible upon first listen, but they are incredibly rewarding once you get into 'em. Anyway, back to Cage. Not sure what I thought of the lyrics. Weird and disturbing. I'm not sure if he's even trying to SAY anything here... it's more like simply describing a surreal painting.

Cage, "Ballad of Worms"
Yikes. I think I was onto something with that "describing a surreal painting" thing... This was like listening to David Lynch pitch a movie-script.

T Rex, "Children of the Revolutions" (with Elton and Ringo)
T Rex, "Get It On (Bang a Gong)"
I think you know how I feel about T-Rex. I encourage everybody here to delve deeper into their catalogue. Great stuff.

Alice in Chains, "Got Me Wrong"
Alice in Chains, "Them Bones"
Alice in Chains, "Would?"
I absolutely loved AiC growing up. I thought they were the bee's knees--right up there with Primus, NIN, and Soundgarden. Though, to be honest, my interest in them has waned somewhat since then. Still great stuff upon listening... I just find myself listening to them far less nowadays.

Johnny Cash, "A Boy Named Sue"
Johnny Cash, "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
Pretty awesome that you had the opportunity to see him live!