Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Cream Marquee Moon: 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die
Posted by Steve Haruch on Wed, Oct 22, 2008 at 10:13 AM
Just got a copy of Tom Moon's 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die. Needless to say, I haven't gotten very far yet, and it's not the kind of book you read cover to cover.
The first thing I did, after flipping through and randomly stopping on a few entries, was to scan the index. I went straight to "s." No Superchunk? No Seam? Surely, Moon was drinking heavily when he included Skinny Puppy and Stone Temple Pilots instead of Foolish and The Problem With Me.
And where is Brainiac's Hissing Prigs in Static Couture? I mean, it's no American Idiot, but come on. And where is Spiderland? Had to make room for Tortoise, I guess. What can you learn from listening to TNT? Aside from the fact that Chicago has never produced a great rock band, nothing.
What can you learn from this book? A lot. It's big (1,007 pages), there's a lot of stuff I've never heard (of) and the writing is good. I'm glad to have it. But seriously. Mother Love Bone is in this book. And Velvet Revolver. Velvet Revolver! Not to mention utterly minor albums like Death Cab for Cutie's Transatlanticism. And The Decemberists' The Crane Wife being mentioned in the same thousand breaths as Live at the Harlem Square Club is certainly a "perfect crime."
Anyway, I'm starting my own book. It's going to be called 1,000 Recordings to Die Before You Hear, and so far it includes Jeff Leppard, every band I was in during my teens and early 20s, anything by The Sea and Cake or The Doors and Check Your Head.
Tom Moon will be at Davis-Kidd Booksellers on Nov. 17.
Comments (43)
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I should mention that although Jeff Leppard's music is not "good," "Motherfucking Large Orange Motherfucker" is one of my favorite song titles of all time.
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"Aside from the fact that Chicago has never produced a great rock band, nothing."
Seriously dude? What about Naked Raygun, Ministry, Screeching Weasel, Urge Overkill, Big Black or My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult?
though I totally agree that Tortoise and the Sea and Cake are bullshit.
I love 'Check Your Head'.
The Doors are seriously the most overrated band of all time, though.
Screeching Weasel! Fond memories.
I like Tortoise. They are not what I would call a rock band by any stretch, but I like the music they make. Admittedly I was very stoned during the years in which I really got into them.
I agree about the Doors being overrated. Liked the band, hated Morrison.
Admittedly I was very stoned during the years in which I really got into them.
'Nuff said.
Screeching Weasel were from Elgin or Downers Grove or some shit.
My book is called 1,000 Records You Don't Want to Hear Before You Die.
High Times said they would publish my book 1,000 Songs to Get Stoned to Before You Cough.
Looking at the genre list on the cover, I wonder what example of Juju music he picked. King Sunny Ade maybe? And I wonder what someone who likes Velvet Revolver would choose in the dub catagory. Could be scary, or he'll play it safe and pick Scratch.
say what?! a music blogger doesn't agree with all 1,000 entries?
if there's one thing i hate more than music lists, it's the predictable differing opinions that attack said lists.
yes, he forgot your favorite bands and included bands you hate.
in other news, the sun rose in the east this morning.
I have heard of the bands that the author of the BOOK mentions but never heard of the bands that the author of the ARTICLE mentiones
hmmmmmmmmm
i wonder why that is???
jesus.
it's not like Steve is railing about Cambodian crust punk or out-of-print Bollywood soundtracks from the '60s or something.
The Sea and Cake, Braniac, Slint, and Superchunk are all pretty text book indie/college rock bands. well, at least if you're over 25. but it doesn't take a music geek to dig this stuff up. sounds more like the pot calling the kettle pretentious to me.
The book doesn't list "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" but I do give it a little credit for listing thirteen(that's 13) Miles Davis albums. One recording that was notably missing is Thomas Edison's "Mary Had a Little Lamb."(Thanks Irons)
Also, of all the crap he put in there, you point out Tortoise??? I just don't get it.
Zach: I haven't read this book, but I agree that omitting "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" is a crime.
The more I think about it, the more I might agree with this no great bands come from Chicago thing.
No great Chicago bands?????
RED RED MEAT
CALIFONE
not to mention a fucking sick underground jazz scene.
and god damn it, Wilco.
Bring it.
Regardless of the merits of Tom Moon's book, I'm just glad it prompted a shout out to "Hissing Prigs." Braniac at Lucy's back in (hey)day was insane.
you damn right Wilco!
"in the aeroplane over the sea" is the most consistently strong selling title in all of Grimey's inventory and that's been the case since we started this store. it still outsells TONS of hipster titles of the moment week in and week out. I jokingly refer to it as the "dark side of the moon of indie rock" and it's almost exclusively word of mouth that keeps it moving. it certainly belongs in the book.
and the Doors are the most overrated band in all of classic rock. sorry, Rollum.
i can't stand the doors, but you have to admit that morrison was rock star in every possible way. you could have put that dude in a band that continually featured ten-minute, migraine-inducing organ solos, and they still would have...oh, wait...
Why does Dayton keep coming up on this blog this week? GVB, Brainiac...let's talk about the Ohio Players next.
Dude, if you want to talk about some Ohio Players, we can talk about some Ohio Players...damn, I love me some Ohio soul...
Thirteen must hear Miles Davis albums? Come on. I'd say if you had about five, you'd get the best of all his various periods.
Second on the Jesus Lizard. One of the best bands ever, from anywhere.
Also, the Doors are second only to Styx in worst band of all time status.
I'm glad you guys straightened out that misconception about Chicago rock bands. I was coming on here to yell about Naked Raygun & Big Black, but it turns out I did't have to. LOL @ "Rock, Rot & Rule" reference.
I second the Ministry addition. Man, "With Sympathy" was sick!!!
All kidding aside, Skinny Puppy deserves its spot. The Jesus Lizard deserves one as well.
Cheers!
Don't forget that Chi-town also blessed us with the core of the "black rock" movement of afro-centric psychedelia that include such mind blowing acts as Pharohs and Bosco, not to mention the phenomonal soul/funk of the Chi-Lites, Syl Johnson and The Rotary Connection. And they gave us Apocalypse Hoboken...all pretty fuckin rockin if you ask me.
We didn't forget you "Billy", we were just talking about GOOD bands - which is why your name hasn't come up.
Hey all you Doors haters, The music the Doors created was top notch of the time combining rock, samba, soul jazz, folk, vaudeville, and R & B. Nobody on the LA scene except for Love was doing music like this. I am not a big fan of Morrison's lyrics. But I don't think, Jeff Tweedy's lyrics are really all that monumental either.
"combining rock, samba, soul jazz, folk, vaudeville, and R & B."
and creating...poop.
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