the sunday superlative - 11/23/08

First off, let's get this out of the way.



Today wasn't the best day ever. It wasn't horrible and I'm still alive and all, but a convenient series near-cataclysmic events has more or less stripped me of all energy for today. (For example, it is my professional duty on Sunday nights to close the bookstore I work at. Tonight as I was doing so, the store's database inventory program decided to screw shit up bad while self-reindexing. It shut itself down and refused to reopen due to "corrupted files." When you're afraid you've just lost your store's entire inventory -- the sum of all employees' work since 2003 -- you REALLY don't want the emergency hotline guy to say things to you like, "Hmm. Well, that's interesting" as he's walking you through a so-called recovery process. So, that happened. I eventually got everything up and running again, thank god, but it wasn't fun. At all. And then please understand that this wasn't the only not-good thing to happen to me today. So, yes.)

What I'm trying to say is, today's regularly-scheduled Sunday Superlative on old-school prog-rock is being postponed to next week. I evidently have enough energy to write this, but pounding out a whole "official" post seems a bit beyond my capabilities tonight.

But I will not leave you empty-handed, oh faithful reader. To reward your kindness and understanding, I have left you the following song. I know you'll see it my way. Enjoy, and I'll catch you folks next week!

Wesley Willis - Rock 'n' Roll McDonald's (mp3|2.23MB)

friday five - 21.11.08 - it's all a myth

Whether we realize it or not, ours is a culture founded on mythology. Or, I suppose more to the point, ours is a culture founded on a culture which founded itself on mythology. Following? Good. There will be an exam at the end. This foundation has led to a near-ubiquitous supply of mythological nods in popular culture, from motifs in literature to homages in film and references in music. Here, of course, we're concerned with that third and final medium. This week I've gone ahead and pulled out five songs of various musical styles and mythological origins (two Norse, one Roman, one Biblical, and one that -- from what I can tell -- is about staying home and watching movies), just for your listening pleasure.

Some I Didn't Include: "Wrapped Around Your Finger" by The Police, because Sting blatantly mispronounces one of the mythological creatures' names and I'd like to pretend I'm sophisticated enough to care; "Rhiannon" by Fleetwood Mac, because I figure everyone's heard it (so I included Led Zeppelin instead); "Louie Louie" by the Kingsmen, because it might be about mythology but I can't be too sure.

Oy-oh, let's go!



!!! - "Myth Takes" (mp3|3.29MB)
Yeah, I have no idea if this has anything to do with mythology. Probably not. I don't care. !!!'s most recent title track is just the kind of short, impossibly infectious song that I can't help but fall hard for (it's that spaghetti-western guitar riff. It has to be). It's so boogietastic that even those with the most stringent inhibitions would probably have to fight the urge to get up out of their chairs and shake a little booty. I only wish it was a little longer. Like, I really wouldn't mind a 20-minute extended groove version of "Myth Takes." Oh well. I guess I'll just have to play this ten times back-to-back. Not that I've ever done that or anything. *shifty eyes*

Jethro Tull - "Cold Wind to Valhalla" (mp3|5.95MB)
Jethro Tull is a band that has been through the whole spectrum. They were popular, they were completely underground. They were great, they were amazing in their suckitude. Without exception, the really popular stuff was great. The extremely recognizable "Locomotive Breath" is a classic for a reason. The underground portion of their output, however, is wildly varied in quality: some of it rocks, some of it ... really doesn't. One of the best (read: only good) songs from 1975's Minstrel in the Gallery is "Cold Wind to Valhalla." What starts off as a chilly acoustic ballad quickly becomes a full-fledged electric rocker, underpinned by Ian Anderson's always passionate vocal delivery and his signature flute-blowing (which contrasts the acoustic guitar very well, actually). Maybe it's not one of Tull's career-best efforts, but it's a decent song that slipped through the cracks. That alone makes it worth checking out.

Led Zeppelin - "Immigrant Song" (mp3|2.19MB)
I've gotten flack for this before and I'm sure I will get flack for it again, but Led Zeppelin is probably among the five or so most overrated bands in rock history. I won't argue that they were good, and on a couple occasions even great ("Stairway," anyone? "Whole Lotta Love"?), but calling them one of the best rock acts ever is so hyperbolic it's almost amusing. But I won't even begin to deny that "Immigrant Song" is really awesome. Steeped in Norse mythology (as lots of Zep was), this is a veritable Viking war cry: pumped up, energetic, and rockin'. And while I usually find Robert Plant irritating, I've got to admit that "aaaaAAAAAAaaa-AH!" gets my blood pulsing every time. Also: the Viking kittens, 'nuff said.

Shearwater - "Leviathan, Bound" (mp3|3.95MB)
If nothing else, Shearwater's tremendous "Leviathan, Bound" will go down as one of 2008's finest vocal performances. It turns out that Jonathan Meiburg, ex-not-singer for Okkervil River, has one of the best sets of pipes in all of indie-rock. His melodramatic Scott Walker-meets-Morrissey croon can take any song and instantly make it sound three or four times bigger, lending it an epic quality both surprising and refreshing. "Leviathan, Bound" is so huge-sounding that it's hard to imagine it only takes up 2:52. With its keen sense of melody and dynamic, it's not hard to wish it wasn't all over so soon, but the punch it packs is something to behold.

The Shocking Blue - "Venus" (mp3|2.86MB)
They couldn't speak English. The Shocking Blue, that is. They were Dutch, you see, and none of them ever formally learned this language. So what you're hearing is actually a really good phonetic pronunciation. It didn't hinder the song any. Perhaps more famously covered by Bananarama in the 80s, the original 1969 track remains the one to beat in my book. It's certainly stood the test of time. There's no arguing it's just as memorable 40 years later as it must have been then. Overflowing with hooks and upbeat vibes, it's just a great pop song. And when I'm in the mood for that sort of thing, I daresay "Venus" suits me just fine.

And we have reached the end of yet another edition of Friday Five Radio. And here's some great news for those of you who can't stand me: my stint as substitute is over. Barring any unforeseen future complications, Lea will be back at the helm a week from today with more great music and less dumb jokes (maybe). As for me, I'll catch you guys back at my regular position as Sunday DJ. 'Til then!

As always, send lovemail/hatemail/anymail related to the Friday Five to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. Requests are always considered and welcomed. See you next week!

the sunday superlative - 11/16/08

This Week: Artist Spotlight: The Moody Blues.



I've been trying to figure out how to do this. Let's face it, we all have bands we like a whole lot more than others. As a direct result, these bands will produce more "omg favorite" songs. If I am going to remain true to the concept of the Sunday Superlative (and I am!) and stick to the whole "all-time favorite songs" thing, this issue must be addressed. Either I present a disproportionate amount of songs by a certain band or artist week by week, or I clump 'em all together. The solution has been reached. I'm clumping 'em all together. Or, in more poetic terms, I'm doing an Artist Spotlight.

The Moody Blues are my favorite band. At least, they're my favorite band insofar as someone who listens to as much music as I do can ever have a favorite. They were the band that got me into music, they were the first band I remember liking, and they are the only band I have seen in concert three times. They mean a lot to me. And I know they're not "cool" in the way that bands like The Beatles or The Who or Led Zeppelin are; in fact, they're the very epitome of uncool. But I don't care. I will defend them to the ends of the earth, because in my opinion they are responsible for some of the most sublimely beautiful pop music ever recorded. As far as I'm concerned, if you can write a gorgeous pop song, you've won my heart forever. In the case of The Moody Blues, they've been writing them inexhaustibly for forty years.

I have chosen for this blog my three all-time favorite Moodies songs, all of which are superb enough to be starred entries. If you've been around me long enough, chances are you've heard 'em. If not, give 'em a try. I can't guarantee you'll like 'em, though I've spent so many years in such deep love with them that I can scarcely see how disliking them could be possible, but I have a feeling you might. Just a hunch. (By the way, this isn't to say you'll never see these guys on this blog again. Oh no. There are definitely more favorites. Many more.)

*The Moody Blues - "Nights in White Satin" (mp3|7.00MB)
The Moodies' indisputable career best, and one of the pinnacles of recorded music. For my money, this song sits in constant rotation with about half a dozen others in competition for the title of Greatest Song Ever Written. And Justin Hayward was only 20 when he wrote it (so, uh, what have you done lately?). Also, any arguments against Hayward's position as one of rock music's finest vocalists can be laid to rest right here. Everything is perfect here. Everything. It's not a fantastic song; it's fucking earth-shattering.
(from the 1967 album Days of Future Passed)

*The Moody Blues - "The Voice" (mp3|4.92MB)
They didn't write rockers. Whenever they tried, they really just came out sounding like more uptempo pop songs. "The Voice" was the best of these. It doesn't rock at all, but man, it pops hard. It's catchy, energetic, and somehow it still manages to pack a melodic punch that blows 99% of its competition clear out of the water. I even hear this one on the radio from time to time, if you can believe that. The next time it happens, you'll know that the distant but intense glow is coming from me.
(from the 1981 album Long Distance Voyager)

*The Moody Blues - "Your Wildest Dreams" (mp3|4.44MB)
They never had a "big hit," per ce (other than "Go Now," which really isn't a very good song and was actually recorded by a completely different group of people than were responsible for what I consider the real Moody Blues), but I guess this was pretty successful for them back in the day. It should have been a hell of a lot bigger. This is yet another swoon-worthy creation, so overflowing with melancholic beauty that it's almost overwhelming. And it has one of my favorite lyrics ever: "When the music plays / When the words are touched with sorrow / When the music plays / I hear the sound I had to follow / Once upon a time." Indeed.
(from the 1986 album The Other Side of Life)

To reiterate: I really frigging love The Moody Blues. In case this was at all unclear.

Okay, I'm tired. It's been a long weekend, and it's going to be an even longer week. (No, really. Think about it.) I'll see you folks later!

friday five - 14.11.08 - end of the world

I love apocalyptic imagery. I'm not sure why. We all have things we're intrinsically drawn to; this is one of them. Believe it or not, I'm even taking a class this semester called The End of Days, which features as its main point of study ... well, you may have guessed it already. You're smart enough.

For better or for worse, most popular music isn't concerned with death, decay, and destruction. It's all about the party, right? The girls? The sex, drugs, and rock and roll? But what happens, as The Doors said, when the music's over? What's left? Let's take a look, shall we, at a few apocalyptic visions in popular music. For music is your only friend, until the end, until the end, until the end...



Godspeed You! Black Emperor - "The Dead Flag Blues" (mp3|22.61MB)
Forgive me. I keep posting these gigantic Godspeed You! Black Emperor tracks on this blog, and it's gotta be friggin' annoying. But honestly, when Lea sent me the topic for this week's entry, this was the first thing that popped into my head. Though, yes, it does run an epic sixteen-and-a-half minutes, it captures a certain mournful apocalyptic beauty I haven't been able to find anywhere else. This is dreary, gray, hopeless music, but there's something so alluringly gorgeous about it that, despite the overwhelming bleakness, I find myself listening to it perhaps more than I should. "The Cowboy," which lasts from roughly 10:10 to 14:25, is among my favorite stretches of music in any discipline.

The Gutter Twins - "The Stations" (mp3|6.27MB)
Speaking of bleak, few -- if any -- rock acts of 2008 have managed to equal the gloom and doom of The Gutter Twins. These are two guys with a dark, dark vision. Some would argue (and have) that it's too dark, that it gets oppressive listening to track after track of Judgment Day and Rapture-laden imagery. I respectfully disagree. Album lead-off track "The Stations" is as representative a track as there is and, once again, the apocalypse never sounded quite so inviting.

Barry McGuire - "Eve of Destruction" (mp3|3.25MB)
Finally, I get a chance to post this song. While this easily could've fit in with last week's political post, and while it would certainly come very close to being a "starred entry" in my Sunday Superlative series, it just seems to fit best in a post about the end of the world. Simply put, Barry McGuire's impassioned folk-rant is perhaps my favorite protest song of all-time. Though written as an attack on Vietnam-era America, its themes are wonderfully timeless. The lyrics are the real star here. With the exception of a couple amusingly ill-conceived rhyme clunkers ("China" and "Alabama"? Really, Barry?), the observations here are so scathing and so undeniably true that the song leaves something of an indelible imprint. (That last verse from "You may leave here for four days in space" on is wonderful.) My hat's off.

R.E.M. - "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" (mp3|3.73MB)
You knew the instant you saw that title that this song would be included, didn't you? And well it should be: in their prime, R.E.M. could've easily stood among the very best in American alternative-rock. "It's the End of the World as We Know It" is R.E.M. in their prime: one of the most hypermanic, wryly amusing songs ever to find its way to FM radio waves. It's so smart, so catchy, so brilliant that it makes you wonder how they ever managed to record anything better. Little did they know that, in 1987, it wasn't the end of the world: the next five years were going to be very, very good to them.

Jeff Wayne - "The Spirit of Man" (mp3|9.27MB)
Plunge with me, for a moment, back into the realm of quasi-esoterica. In the late 1970s, some dude no one had ever heard of named Jeff Wayne somehow managed to get some really popular, talented people together and record a musical version of H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds (which is, as you know, as fundamentally an apocalyptic story as you're likely to get). While overflowing with great songs and brilliant musical ideas, my favorite song from the album has always been "The Spirit of Man," an intense, dramatic duet between singer Julie Covington and Thin Lizzy vocalist Phil Lynott. Maybe it just has something to do with the fact that I was hooked on this thing in third grade and therefore will hold it close to my heart always, but I think it's quite the powerful piece of music. Check it out.

While perhaps not the end of the world, this is the end of this week's Friday Five. With any luck, I shall be here again in a couple nights for three more all-time favorites from the Sunday Superlative. 'Til then!

As always, send lovemail/hatemail/anymail related to the Friday Five to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. Requests are always considered and welcomed. See you next week!

the sunday superlative - 11/09/08

This Week: Gotcha Covered



In general, the mere concept of the cover version doesn't make much sense to me. (1) If it was good the first time, what makes a person believe they can make it even better? It's like covering "Stairway to Heaven" or something. Do you really think that's gonna get you very far? Really? (2) If it wasn't good the first time, why even bother redoing it? I don't think even the godliest of musicians could salvage Limp Bizkit's "Rollin'." Though I'd like to hear Spencer Krug or Colin Meloy try.

Okay, yeah, I'd really, really like to hear Spencer Krug or Colin Meloy try.

But! Some artists have done the nearly impossible and managed to produce cover versions of songs that not only do justice to their originals, but actually surpass them in terms of quality. Though there are a few others (can we see a Gotcha Covered, Pt. II in the future? Ooooh!), I've chosen three I'm quite partial to. Let's see what trouble we can get into.

Wow. Low bandwidth this week. So, really, you have no excuse for not indulging.

10,000 Maniacs - "Because the Night" (mp3|3.40MB)
It must be kind of weird for a band's biggest hit to be not only a cover, but a live cover. Does that happen? Like, how many live cuts in general end up on FM airwaves? It's fascinating. In the case of 10,000 Maniacs, though, I'm glad it happened, or else most of us would never have gotten to experience their beautiful take on Patti Smith's "Because the Night" (which, incidentally, was written by Springsteen, though I don't think The Boss ever recorded it himself). They haven't really done too much to the song itself: they've changed a few words, smoothed out the sound, and replaced Smith's gravel-pit pipes with Natalie Merchant's much more mellifluous contralto, but aside from that it's very much the same song. But it just seems to work better in these guys' hands. It's pretty. It's passionate. It's vaguely haunting. It almost makes me want to dive deeper into the Maniacs' catalogue except, you know, I really doubt it'd be as good.
(from the 1993 album MTV Unplugged)

Johnny Cash - "Ghost Riders in the Sky" (mp3|3.39MB)
Probably the best country song ever. And not just the song overall, but Johnny Cash's version of it. Man. "Ghost Riders in the Sky," a 1948 cowboy epic, deals with some dark lyrical themes to start with (I'm a fan of this pictorial representation), but leave it to Mr. Cash to step in and turn it into one sinister, brooding piece of music. It's almost intimidating in its power, which of course is what gives it such a shattering effect. I've never fully embraced Johnny Cash as a "country musician" in the way that, say, Garth Brooks or all those other multitudinous "mah dawg got run o'er by a semi 'n' mah girl left me fer mah bud"-type singers qualify (which is probably why I like him; can you tell I'm not the biggest cuuuuntry fan?), but this song certainly gives plenty evidence enough that, given the right combination of ingredients, even this genre can be turned into something stirring and unforgettable.
(from the 1979 album Silver)

Jimi Hendrix - "All Along the Watchtower" (mp3|3.67MB)
Forgive me for being so unoriginal, but it has to be mentioned, right? This is arguably the cover version of all-time, which has always been something I've found highly ironic. Jimi Hendrix is widely considered the greatest rock guitarist who ever lived, so it seems peculiar that his finest moment should be a rendition of a fairly obscure Bob Dylan song. Because yes, not only is "All Along the Watchtower" a fantastic re-imagining, it's also the best thing Hendrix ever put to tape in his short time on earth. His secret is, instead of merely copying Dylan (which would've been, uh, weird), he truly makes the song his own. Though Dylan's signature "drugged-out literate whacko" persona is missing, Hendrix injects the affair with a vibrancy completely alien to the original. The central guitar solo is still one of the most exciting and "cosmic" I've ever heard, and the whole thing just rocks. Not to mention Jimi had a much, much nicer voice. Much nicer.
(from the 1968 album Electric Ladyland)

All right. I'm tired. I'll catch you all later. Right now, though, I'm going to go slip under the covers.

And no, I'm so tired I can't honestly tell if the pun was intended or not. If it was funny, yes. If it wasn't, heck no.

friday five - 07.11.08 - obligatory politics post

I don't know if you knew this, but there was an election earlier this week. Some guy won, some other guy didn't. It wasn't really a big deal, I'd say.

Pardon the sarcasm, if you will, but I -- like most people -- have become so tired of the affair that I'm just glad it's finally over. However, the election has provided an ideal opportunity to inject some heretofore absent political music into the Friday Five Radio bloodstream. Some of the most passionate and urgent music ever put to tape has come in the form of the protest song, and I'd like to take a few minutes to share a few with you today.

Before we go on, you may have noticed that I am not Lea. As I mentioned in my Sunday post, Lea currently has her hands full with stuff and has called me onboard to fill in for a little bit. So think of me as your substitute -- one of those days you got lucky and ended up with an actual teacher from the same school instead of one of those "professionals." So I'm not one of those weird subs who dresses in pink jumpsuits and makes you address them as Grandma Bunny (oh you think I am making this up). You know me; I'm a cool sub. I'm the dude who teaches next door. I'll write the class a good note.

That having been said, let's get political.



Arcade Fire - "Windowsill" (mp3|5.87MB)
I think it's safe to say that this would've been a huge highlight on a lesser album. As it stands, though, Arcade Fire's Neon Bible is so flabbergastingly good that "Windowsill" -- one of the most pointed commentaries on contemporary America in recent musical memory (and they're Canadian!) -- seemed to slip a little beneath the radar. This gives it a great buried treasure quality. Its melody is beautiful, Win Butler's lyrics and vocals carry their normal urgency, and its message is certainly well-taken. It's really not hard to see why these guys are beginning to acquire numerous Band of the Decade labels.

Green Day - "Holiday" (mp3|7.59MB)
I won't be the first to admit that Green Day isn't the best band in the universe, but back in 2004 the stars really aligned for them. American Idiot is indisputably the best album they've put out, and "Holiday" -- just one of four immensely successful singles the aforementioned album spawned -- is their finest song to-date. Although its anti-Bush America political agenda comes through loud and clear, what really makes it special is that it's just so dang catchy. I'm sure I lose indie cred points left and right for admitting I actually like this, but I can't help it. It's an excellent punk-pop song. That's all there is to it.

Paul Kantner - "Hijack" (mp3|11.4MB)
Blows Against the Empire was actually released in 1971 by principal member Kantner under the Jefferson Starship moniker (making it I guess the "first" JS album), but I think you'll find it bears little resemblance to either later Starship or, indeed, the more contemporary Jefferson Airplane. Basically, this is hippie music. Hardcore, drugged-out hippie music (just look at the list of people who play on it: David Crosby, Graham Nash, Jerry Garcia, Grace Slick ... the list goes on). The album's concept is intriguing: it tells the story of a bunch of then-futuristic hippies who hijack a government-built starship and fly it across the galaxy to the Promised Land. Yeah. So, like I said. Drugs. "Hijack" is, naturally, the album's centerpiece, and while the idea itself may seem a bit loopy, the musicianship here is quite good. The first couple minutes especially have a dark, ominous atmosphere that I'm absolutely in love with ("We sail out into the grasshopper night and we seek the righteous poison" -- nice). The whole affair is a bit of an acquired taste, but if yours are anything like mine, you'll find this an unusual but rewarding listen.

Tokyo Police Club - "Your English Is Good" (mp3|4.38MB)
If indie were more mainstream, all of the world's problems would be solved this would have been everywhere this election season. Perhaps as a fortunate safeguard to ensure I didn't get sick of it, it wasn't. From what I can tell, though, it is the anthemic political song of 2008. I'm not entirely sure what Tokyo Police Club is saying with it, mind you, but they've definitely got something on their plates ("You don't need to change; the future's with us"). Whatever it is, it tastes good enough to make this both the highlight of their debut album Elephant Shell, as well as one of my favorite songs of the year.

VNV Nation - "Kingdom" (mp3|8.05MB)
I suppose all of VNV Nation's Empires carries a fairly strong political undercurrent, but lead-off track "Kingdom" seems to possess the album's most direct and barbed commentary. On top of that, it's also a killer dance song that no doubt packs the floor when it comes up in rotation at goth clubs. So, wait. It's danceable and it's intelligent? I think I'm starting to see why they call this genre Electronic Body Music.

And that's it! I will see you all in my class next period for another dose of Sunday Superlative. Take care, now.

As always, send lovemail/hatemail/anymail related to the Friday Five to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. Requests are always considered and welcomed. See you next week!

the sunday superlative - 11/02/08

I agree with Lea. Peter Gabriel sounds hot. At least until you hear "Kiss That Frog." Then the illusion just kind of dies.

Anyway.

This Week: Grab Bag: 80s Pop



I'm tired. I didn't sleep last night, so I have actually been up for about 36 hours. (My father, as it turns out, makes some ridiculous snoring noises when he sleeps. After a couple hours of struggling with it, I just gave up, left the hotel room, and read/did homework in the lobby 'til morning.) If you've ever done this involuntarily, you know how not-fun it is, especially if ten of those 36 hours are spent in airline purgatory. So what I'm saying is, I apologize if I'm not witty or on my game this week. I'm frankly surprised I'm even conscious.

But! My devotion is to my craft, and I suppose my craft is blogcasting. This week I'm introducing something that'll pop up from time to time: the grab bag. It is exactly what it sounds like: a random selection of songs with a loose unifying theme. So really, it's more or less what I have been doing, except with a cooler-sounding name.

One of my favorite genres is 80s pop music. It's almost a guilty pleasure, except I have no problem admitting I love it. Lots of mainstream pop songs from that decade were exceptionally well written pieces of music. Over the years I have amassed a large stockpile of favorites, so you can expect to see many, many more in the weeks/months to come. Lucky you. Let's start with these three, all of which I might take over just about anything I've posted in the last couple weeks. Dead serious. I love this stuff.

The Fixx - "One Thing Leads to Another" (mp3|3.79MB)
There are songs that often completely unintentionally evoke a very specific time and place. For my high school graduation present, my dad bought me my very first car. As I was taking the car off the lot and driving it home, this song came on the radio. I cranked it way up and, feeling like a total badass, put the pedal to the metal. So, you see, this here song by The Fixx holds a very special place in my heart. It's one of those that can put me in a good mood pretty much no matter what. The unfortunate thing is that there's really not much to say about the song itself. It's an uptempo, energetic little ditty that's amazingly catchy, addictive, and easy to listen to. And while nothing can quite recapture that same emotional high I felt that fateful afternoon, the song works as a great flashback. I turn it on, take the volume up, and just let the dumb grin spread across my face. That's the way to do it, if you ask me.
(from the 1983 album Reach the Beach)

New Order - "True Faith" (mp3|5.37MB)
One of the unquestionable "holy trinity" of 80s New Order songs ("Bizarre Love Triangle" and "Blue Monday" rounding out the triad, of course), "True Faith" is really the only evidence necessary to cement these guys' importance in the budding synth/dance-pop scene. Rumor has it that the band just wrote this song so that they'd have something new to release as part of their singles-to-date collection Substance (which, together with the simultaneous Joy Division archival of same name, represents a pinnacle in compilation-making). This amuses me, because these made-specifically-for bonuses tend to be total throwaways. Perhaps inadvertently, New Order created arguably their best track ever (personally, there are a couple others I like more, but I know people who swear by this one -- and it is fantastic). The band's primary talent was twofold: they could either create an awesome dancefloor number or they could create a swoon-worthy pop song. Very rarely did they achieve both at the same time; "True Faith" still stands some 21 years later as the time they balanced both sides of the scale just right.
(from the 1987 compilation Substance)

*Tears for Fears - "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (mp3|3.83MB)
Everyone has a song that almost preternaturally seems as if it was written for them. No matter what is happening in life, that song's lyrics seem to morph perfectly to fit the myriad of new situations being experienced. For me, that song has always been Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," probably among my three-to-five favorite songs of all-time (no kidding). Though I've been exposed to the song my whole life, I first "noticed" it when I was in 8th grade, and I was struck even then by how the lyrics seemed to perfectly sum up what I was feeling. Six years later my life is not a thing like it was in 8th grade, but that sensation is still as strong as it ever was. Like the most loyal friend, those same lyrics seem to have shifted themselves such that they still mirror exactly my thoughts and emotions as I journey through life. That supreme connection, which is only strengthened by the wonderful vocal harmonies and the gorgeous, flawlessly written melody, is what the true power and beauty of music is made of. When people speak of music as a religious experience, it's responses this great they're referring to: extremely rare, perhaps, but spiritually moving in ways too profound to be adequately described. What a song this is.
(from the 1985 album Songs from the Big Chair)

That's all for this week's Sunday Superlative. However, it might interest you (or bore the crap out of you, depending) to know that Lea has beseeched me to fill in on Friday Five duties for the next couple weeks while she contends with Real Life Stuff. So you'll be seeing me again sooner than you might think.

Actually not. 'Cause I told you the Friday Five thing already. So it'll be pretty much exactly when you might think. My "ominous" needs work.