FMD – Blitzkrieg Bop

Russell Hammond: But… it’s not what you put in, is it? It’s what you leave out. Listen to… listen to Marvin Gaye…
A song like What’s Going On.”That single “woo” at the end of the second verse – you know that woo – that single “woo.”

William Miller: I know that woo.

Russell Hammond: That’s what you remember. The silly things, the little things… there’s only one, and it makes the song.
It’s what you leave out. That’s rock and roll.

What I think is funny about this line of dialogue is that RH describes something that Marvin Gaye “puts in” not leaves out of What’s Going On. That single woo is just an added flourish, but it wasn’t something he left out.

I think I might use my five week FMD slot to go over other songs where the band/singer puts something simple in… and it just makes the song.

Let’s kick off the list with Blitzkrieg Bop by The Ramones. First of all the song is just a perfect little 2:13 of pop/punk joy. From the Hey Ho, Let’s Go chant, to the surf guitar sound, to the 3x repeated 2 versus about kids going crazy over a new dance craze. But what I love about the song is the Hey Ho Let’s Go chant. The first two times it’s chanted with just a drum beat. The next chant adds a bass, and the final chant has the guitar coming in. It’s a great build up to the verses (and song ending).  I think the song would be missing something if they were just blasting all instruments during the chant, or conversely, having no guitars.  It's what they put in.  That's Rock and Roll.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYh1lRR1m6Y

Drop your lists.

19 thoughts on “FMD – Blitzkrieg Bop”

  1. Most of you guys know that I saw music in a new way after I went through my divorce several years ago. Well, now there's a girl that I've got a real good feeling about, and one of the things we have shared is a love for music (Spotify has been great for that). That has been just one of many fun things. It also has impacted my listening habits. I'm pulling random from my whole collection, but what I've actually been listening to would skew more towards the pop ballad and Christian variety (we did meet at church) - probably not in the run for "rad list" but I'm okay with that.

    1. Vampire Weekend - "One (Blake's Got A New Face)" - Vampire Weekend
    2. The Decemberists - "On the Bus Mall" - Picaresque
    3. Eels - "Friendly Ghost" - Souljacker
    4. Johnny Cash - "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" - The Man Comes Around
    5. Sun Kil Moon - "Ben's My Friend" - Benji

    6. Third Day - "Take My Life" - Offerings II
    7. Kendrick Lamar - "Untitled 04|08.14.2014" - untitled unmastered
    8. Alabama Shakes - "Heavy Chevy" - Boys & Girls
    9. Jason Isbell - "Children of Children" - Something More Than Free
    10. Arcade Fire - "Black Mirror" - Neon Bible

  2. 1. We Are the Willows “A Funeral Dressed as a Birthday” A Collection of Sounds And Something Like the Plague
    2. They Might Be Giants “The Vowel Family” Here Come the ABCs
    3. Underworld “Ring Road” Oblivion With Bells
    4. Merle Haggard “I Think I'm Gonna Live Forever” Big City
    5. David Rose “Little House on the Prairie (Theme)”

    6. D*Note “Iniquity Worker” Criminal Justice
    7. Peter Tosh “Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised)” Legalize It
    8. Solid Doctor “Holy Roller” How About Some Ether: Collected Works 93-95
        a. Sharp-shinned Hawk “Alarm Calls” (Cornell Master Set)
    9. Leon Vynehall “Beyond This...” Rojus
        b. Grasshopper Sparrow (Eastern Subspecies) “Song” (Cornell Master Set)
    T. Linton Kwesi Johnson “Reality (Dub)”* Dubmission

    *Notes:
    T. Dub Version of "Reality Poem" from Forces of Victory

  3. Here's the final playlist from our reception if anyone's interested. Spotify Link

    Jason Isbell – Traveling Alone
    Rachel Platten – Stand By You
    Jason Derulo – Want To Want Me
    Sturgill Simpson – The Promise
    Alabama Shakes – I Found You
    WALK THE MOON – Shut Up and Dance
    Big Star – I’m In Love With A Girl
    Randy Travis – Forever And Ever, Amen
    OutKast – Hey Ya! – Radio Mix / Club Mix
    Neutral Milk Hotel – In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
    The Hold Steady – Massive Nights
    Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight
    Counting Crows – Mr. Jones
    Little Green Cars – The John Wayne
    Climax – Precious and Few
    Old 97’s – Question
    Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Home
    Mark Ronson;Bruno Mars – Uptown Funk
    Queen – Don’t Stop Me Now
    The Proclaimers – I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)
    Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Fishin’ In The Dark
    Zac Brown Band – Toes
    Darude – Sandstorm – Radio Edit
    Darude – Sandstorm – Original Mix
    Alison Krauss;The Union Station – When You Say Nothing At All
    Whitney Houston – I Will Always Love You
    Clint Black;Lisa Hartman Black – When I Said I Do
    Hunter Hayes – Wanted
    Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’
    Meiko – Stuck On You
    Sara Bareilles – I Choose You
    Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Home
    Train – Marry Me
    Michael Franti & Spearhead – Life Is Better With You
    Blake Shelton – Honey Bee
    Urban Coach – I Thought I Loved You Then
    Theory of a Deadman – Wait For Me
    Old Crow Medicine Show – Wagon Wheel
    Kelly Clarkson – Since U Been Gone
    Keith Urban – Making Memories Of Us
    Stevie Wonder – For Once In My Life
    The Lemonheads – Into Your Arms
    Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud
    Michael Franti & Spearhead Feat. Cherine Anderson – Say Hey [I Love You]
    Justin Timberlake – Rock Your Body

      1. A highlight was my brother and me alternating "DA DA DAT DA"s on "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" quite loudly. Our respective wives looked at each other like "God, we married dorks."

  4. Today's crate:

    Earlier: Gene Clark – Echoes
    Now: The Everly Brothers - It's Everly Time
    Next: Bill Evans Trio - Explorations, Van Morrison - Veedon Fleece, Horace Silver Quintet – Doin' the Right Thing (At the Village Gate), Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers - Hard Drive

    1. 'Summer Mix Nominations' SelectShow
  5. 01. “Remember Me (When The Candle Lights Are Gleaming) – Willie NelsonRed-Headed Stranger
    02. “Anything You Want Me To Do” – Stevie WonderSigned Sealed & Delivered
    03. “Viva Ultra” – Palace MusicViva Last Blues
    04. “Corrina, Corrina” – Bob DylanThe Freewheelin’
    05. “The Gold Chair Ate The Fire Man” – Le ButcherettesCry Is For The Flies
    06. “Good Arms Vs. Bad Arms” – Frightened RabbitThe Midnight Organ Fight
    07. “This Bouquet” – Ani DiFrancoNot A Pretty Girl
    08. “Weekend” – Smith WesternsDye It Blonde
    09. “Class of 2013” – MitskiRetired From Sad, New Career In Business
    10. “Dramamine” – Modest MouseThis Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About

        1. Mitski.
          The only Willie I have (so far) in my iTunes is from Pancho and Lefty.
          I'm probably just waiting to find a nice-looking and cheaply-priced used CD of one of those 1973-1982 albums,

          Also, has anyone ever done a Run DMC/Willie mashup of their albums Tougher than Leather? What's a Dangermouse for if not that?

          1. I don't have many hard and firm opinions about music, but you need more Willie.

  6. "Left of the Dial" - The Replacements
    "Lo Boob Oscillator" - Stereolab
    "New Age Girl" - Dead Eye Dick
    "Lodi" - CCR
    "Erotic City" - Prince

    "Promises" -Eric Clapton
    "A Face in the Crowd" - Tom Petty
    "Pleasant Valley Sunday" - The Monkees
    "Danger Zone" - Kenny Loggins
    "Dont Look Back in Anger" - Oasis

  7. I share some bird songs here from time to time. Here's something I found very interesting about the ubiquitous summer woodland sound: Red-eyed Vireo

    The related White-eyed Vireo rarely makes it to MN, but was found last summer in Flandrau S.P. (where I'll be spending the next four nights).
    I've never paid much attention to it in my birdsong libraries, but I think it may be my favorite. It samples other birds' songs, not P-Diddy style like Mockingbirds and Brown Thrashers, nor the Musique Concrete of Gray Catbirds, but it takes bits of their songs and works it in with their own song. It does have a neat sincopated beat.

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