Tower of Song

Post by **spooky girlfriend** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 7:05 am

Well. . . .

I know this was supposed to end on Memorial Day, but since time went backwards that weekend the Tower has just been kind of floating around.

BWAP, who started the Tower, contacted me a few days ago to say that he will be out of town for business for two weeks and then a week or so of personal vacation - none of which will provide him access to the internet. Since he started the Tower, I think we should let him be the one to decide a new stop date. So, since he's gone, we can still play, if you guys want. . .

Who would have thought fate would have changed the date the Tower stopped?

This is the last post I found from the 1999 version, posted by stormwarning:

Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
Super Furry Animals - Golden Retriever
David Bowie - Aladdin Sane
Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band - Born To Run
The Clash - Rudie Can't Fail
The Beatles - Eleanor Rigby
Björk - Hyperballad
Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up
The Jam - When You're Young
Suzanne Vega - Penitent

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 8:48 am

I think the tower should die. There are some good artistes on there but hardly their best tracks because they already been used up. I find Born To Run nauseating these days, Eleanor Rigby is hardly one the fabs best, Rudie Can't Fail doesn't do it for me, When You're Young is way down the list of my favourite Jam tracks, Aladdin Sane is okay I suppose. Which leaves:
Curtis Mayfield & Suzanne Vega, neither of whom I totally familiar with, but what I have heard of them I don't like.
Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime. Great track which deserves a run on here.
SFA - Golden Retriever. Heard it for the first time last week and quite liked it.
Björk - Hyperballad. Great great track.

So it's bye bye Brucie
Hello hello to The White Stripes. Just got round to buying Elephant, and on first listen this track rocks.

Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
Super Furry Animals - Golden Retriever
David Bowie - Aladdin Sane
The White Stripes - Ball And Biscuit
The Clash - Rudie Can't Fail
The Beatles - Eleanor Rigby
Björk - Hyperballad
Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up
The Jam - When You're Young
Suzanne Vega - Penitent

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 6:54 pm

If you hadn't praised Hyperballad (my choice, natch), I would be getting at you for ditching BTR - just played the whole LP which I had never heard until Saturday, and it's fabulous. And When You're Young is one of my favourite singles ever, perfect to be 15 to. Aladdin Sane is so not Dave's best, but it's Dave, and it has been reissued, so there you go.

Out: Beatles (sorry PorP!)
In: Bob & Marcia

Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
Super Furry Animals - Golden Retriever
David Bowie - Aladdin Sane
The White Stripes - Ball And Biscuit
The Clash - Rudie Can't Fail
Bob & Marcia - Young, Gifted and Black
Björk - Hyperballad
Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up
The Jam - When You're Young
Suzanne Vega - Penitent

noiseradio · Post by **noiseradio** » Thu Jun 05, 2003 12:41 am

This tower will end at 6:00 am on June 6. (So that's at 6 on 6/6).

Its official. (Greenwich Mean Time).

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Thu Jun 05, 2003 1:30 am

Very beast-like!

2003 or 2004? Joking. I guess it's run its course...

This means a late night for the East Coasters and an early morning for the Brits and the Irish!

PlaythingOrPet · Post by **PlaythingOrPet** » Thu Jun 05, 2003 4:26 am

I love you even more for putting Hyperballad in Otis. Someone put a Dylan and Young song in quick!

OUT: Vega
IN: Beatles

Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
Super Furry Animals - Golden Retriever
David Bowie - Aladdin Sane
The White Stripes - Ball And Biscuit
The Clash - Rudie Can't Fail
Bob & Marcia - Young, Gifted and Black
Björk - Hyperballad
Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up
The Jam - When You're Young
The Beatles - Blackbird

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Thu Jun 05, 2003 8:08 am

OUT Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up
IN Ramones - I Wanna Be Sedated

Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
Super Furry Animals - Golden Retriever
David Bowie - Aladdin Sane
The White Stripes - Ball And Biscuit
The Clash - Rudie Can't Fail
Bob & Marcia - Young, Gifted and Black
Björk - Hyperballad
Ramones - I Wanna Be Sedated
The Jam - When You're Young
The Beatles - Blackbird

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Thu Jun 05, 2003 4:01 pm

OK, PetBunny, especially as you put in the immortal Blackbird.

Out: Super Furry Animals (sorry, Shabby!)
In: ONYS

Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
Neil Young - Harvest Moon
David Bowie - Aladdin Sane
The White Stripes - Ball And Biscuit
The Clash - Rudie Can't Fail
Bob & Marcia - Young, Gifted and Black
Björk - Hyperballad
Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up
The Jam - When You're Young
The Beatles - Blackbird

PlaythingOrPet · Post by **PlaythingOrPet** » Fri Jun 06, 2003 5:03 am

Is that it? Is it over? It went on for far too long if you ask me.

Officially the 10 greatest songs of all time according to the elviscostellofans.net/.com:

Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
Neil Young - Harvest Moon
David Bowie - Aladdin Sane
The White Stripes - Ball And Biscuit
The Clash - Rudie Can't Fail
Bob & Marcia - Young, Gifted and Black
Björk - Hyperballad
Ramones - I Wanna Be Sedated
The Jam - When You're Young
The Beatles - Blackbird

One or two are suspect, one or two are stonkers IMHO. But there's no Dylan, man!

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Fri Jun 06, 2003 2:43 pm

Which are suspect, oh Pet? Looks pretty cool to me. Actually, not far off its best. Only regret is some of the brilliant Bowie songs that could have been there instead of AS, but what the fuck, nice Mike Garson piano, and he's still playing with Bowie. Yeah, it was a good month too long.

noiseradio · Post by **noiseradio** » Fri Jun 06, 2003 7:46 pm

Yeah this was way too long. A tower of song game should only last a week or two at the most. I love the White Stripes, especially that song. But it's not one of the 10 best ever. But if the game had gone on much longer, the Bay City Rollers would have to have placed--all the really good stuff was gone.

Let's take a few days (weeks?) and do it again correctly.

stormwarning · Post by **stormwarning** » Fri Jun 06, 2003 7:58 pm

Count your blessings - at least Keanu Reeves didn't make an appearance.

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Sat Jun 07, 2003 5:21 am

The winners imo should be the tracks that survived the most posts.

Anyone care to start counting?

selfmademug · Post by **selfmademug** » Sat Jun 07, 2003 6:29 am

An excellent idea, SLL. But dang that'd be a task!

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Sat Jun 07, 2003 7:32 am

Anyone see Bob and Marcia sing that very song on Later last night? Weren't they cool. Such a great song. I was a bit disappointed by Martina Topley Bird. I wanted to be blown away after the Observer feature on her, and though I liked the voice, I was struggling to find anything interesting in it. apart from her amazing make-up and barely open eyes. Great show though, Radiohead (I wanted to be more excited by them than I was, though, am worried I will be bored by Hail To The Thief), Ibrahim Ferrer, a lovely Pat Metheny moment. It's been a very good series, hasn't it?

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Sat Jun 07, 2003 2:41 pm

Yeah, Bob & Marcia were good. Agree with you about Radiohead Otis, although I thought the closing track was good. The series has been really good and long may it live.
Rumour has it that Shane Macgowan is going to do a duet with Jules for Jules' next album, although I don't know if he is going to show up for one of the shows.
You never know, EC might yet make it, although he seems to be confined to North America at the moment. Last year's session was excellent.

Did anyone see the show a couple of weeks ago when that Romanian folky group were on? If so do know what they are called? I wouldn't mind getting something by them.

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Sat Jun 07, 2003 3:50 pm

So is the Tower over then? Anoraks come forth with all types of statistics about it -- longest lasting by the clock, most number of changes survived, shortest amount of time on, artists with the most songs....

PlaythingOrPet · Post by **PlaythingOrPet** » Sat Jun 07, 2003 3:58 pm

so lacklustre wrote:Did anyone see the show a couple of weeks ago when that Romanian folky group were on? If so do know what they are called? I wouldn't mind getting something by them.

They were called Taraf de Haidouks, sol. I like to think of myself as being very broad minded when it comes to music (anyone for Koray Oktay or Girma Beyene?!) but that group got on my nerves.

Here's the Later.... homepage

http://www.bbc.co.uk/later/

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Sat Jun 07, 2003 4:43 pm

Thanks Pet.