Top 5 intros
Yes, another one of those North Downs and beyond posts that goes off-piste. This time I give you my favourite song intros, apropos of nothing other than celebrating the great music that is out there. At the moment, these are my top five:
5) Powderfinger - Neil Young
One lazy chord strum and then, unaccompanied, the great man himself - "LOOK OUT, MAMA, THERE'S A WHITE BOAT COMIN' UP THE RIVER!" - cue Crazy Horse. Enough said.
4) Heroes - David Bowie
A beautiful swagger of synth and guitar, forged by the hands of Carlos Alomor and Robert Fripp, promising the grandeur about to be let go by the Thin White Duke himself - "I, I will be King" Goosebumps kick in.
3) Pyjamarama - Roxy Music
A stuttering chord forged from guitar and Eno synth, repeated four times with dramatic pauses, a simple drum roll, repeat said chords and then enter a dreamy Bryan Ferry who "Couldn't sleep a wink last night", See, some good did come out of the early 1970s!
2) Public Image Ltd - Public Image
A grumbling Jah Wobble bass line, urgent drum tattoo, Mr Lydon's sardonic ''Allo, 'allo" followed by a demonic chortle and then over to Keith Levene's violent jangling guitar. Should be number one, but...
1) I Feel Fine - The Beatles
Way ahead of its time. It's 1964 and tracks just don't start with a feedback guitar that meanders its way to a jaunty 10 note guitar riff before John Lennon leaps in with "Baby's good to me you know..." I associate this with my Father, who played the single incessantly - I would have been five at the time, but even then was bewitched by the musical trickery used to produce it. Timeless and personal.
(Another Girl, Another Planet by The Only Ones missed the Top 5 by a whisker. On another day it might have made it...)
5) Powderfinger - Neil Young
One lazy chord strum and then, unaccompanied, the great man himself - "LOOK OUT, MAMA, THERE'S A WHITE BOAT COMIN' UP THE RIVER!" - cue Crazy Horse. Enough said.
4) Heroes - David Bowie
A beautiful swagger of synth and guitar, forged by the hands of Carlos Alomor and Robert Fripp, promising the grandeur about to be let go by the Thin White Duke himself - "I, I will be King" Goosebumps kick in.
3) Pyjamarama - Roxy Music
A stuttering chord forged from guitar and Eno synth, repeated four times with dramatic pauses, a simple drum roll, repeat said chords and then enter a dreamy Bryan Ferry who "Couldn't sleep a wink last night", See, some good did come out of the early 1970s!
2) Public Image Ltd - Public Image
A grumbling Jah Wobble bass line, urgent drum tattoo, Mr Lydon's sardonic ''Allo, 'allo" followed by a demonic chortle and then over to Keith Levene's violent jangling guitar. Should be number one, but...
1) I Feel Fine - The Beatles
Way ahead of its time. It's 1964 and tracks just don't start with a feedback guitar that meanders its way to a jaunty 10 note guitar riff before John Lennon leaps in with "Baby's good to me you know..." I associate this with my Father, who played the single incessantly - I would have been five at the time, but even then was bewitched by the musical trickery used to produce it. Timeless and personal.
(Another Girl, Another Planet by The Only Ones missed the Top 5 by a whisker. On another day it might have made it...)
Comments
2) Voodoo Child, Slight Return (Jimi Hendrix)- Who hasn't whipped out an air-guitar to that riff?
3) Riders on the Storm (The Doors)- A bassline that genuinely sounds like a rolling thunderstorm, partnered with some seriously psychadelic keyboard action. Oh, Jim Morrison...
4) The Real Me (The Who)- Instantly hit in the face by a raging drum solo, and an electric guitar that can only provide moral support to a show-stealing bassline.
5) Reckoner (Radiohead)- A hodgepodge of percussion (rather Stone Roses-esque) instantly cured at 0:12 in a beautiful way that only Radiohead could pull off.
Enjoyed your selection by the way, Steve.
Bill - a fine list there, proper music by proper artists
Paul - I'll look out for that song by Al Stewart - just about to go onto Spotify...