So this time I thought I would mash up my “Five Friday” themes and offer up a quintet of songs plowing through my head and from my stereo this week. The genres are varied, ditto for the vibes. The mind of Van Horn is a wild place to be, and I hop music styles on a dime at all times. With that caveat, I do hope you have a go and listen through.
The (International) Noise Conspiracy – “The Reproduction of Death”
Punk met ’60s Swinging London with political fang from Sweden’s The (International) Noise Conspiracy. They had something powerful and energetic to say before they toned their sound down over time. The raw exuberance of their few first albums is exactly what I’d hoped to have in a band of my own. Never happened, but when I’ve had a hard day, The (International) Noise Conspiracy is one of my go-tos. “Capitalism Stole My Virginity,” just sayin’
The Weeknd & Kendrick Lamar – “Pray for Me”
The Weeknd may be an upper strata R&B-hip hop megastar nobody saw coming until a few years ago, and a few of his more controversial songs push my tolerance. Overall, I dig the guy a lot and play his entire catalog in a full push whenever I dive into him. What did he for Avatar: The Way of Water is majestic, but nothing compares to his theme for Black Panther. No doubt Chadwick is shucking and jiving on the great delta beyond to this one.
The Church – “Reptile”
One of the singular masterpieces of classic alternative rock (going double for the album it’s found on, Starfish), Australia’s The Church dropped a piece you can’t help but studying for the dual melodies swimming overtop an already highly textured track. Every single instrument employed on “Reptile” counts, is mixed to the fore and that beat…Jesus wept.
Sia – “Breathe Me”
One of a bare handful of songs that’s ever pushed me to the brink of tears upon first contact. I may not be a fan of Sia’s pop stuff nor her mondo coif image, but “Breathe Me” is one of the most emotive songs I’ve ever heard from anyone in recording history. I’m not sure what impresses me more how this song has been used in visual media, the Polaroid parade of this video or its usage in the finale of the HBO series, Six Feet Under (my second favorite show of all-time), scoring what fates become of each of the show’s principal characters.
Tool – “Stinkfist”
Prog metal wizards Tool aren’t for everyone, though they are a former boss’ favorite band ever, to this chagrin of his wife, who used to complain to me in private how often she’s subjected to their music. Tool can go on and on in their heady music, but nobody engages their audience in multimedia fashion the way these guys have. Sink in with this one if you dare for its garish imagery and grinding rhythm. When the song climaxes, it climaxes, crikey. I hit my Tool section only when the mood really hits, mostly the Aenima album and this glorious intro song, my personal favorite from the band.
–Ray Van Horn, Jr.
Roads Lesser Traveled 
Breathe Me was the perfect song selection for the finale. Props to whoever made that decision to cut onions in all our houses.
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OMG, that was a fantastic way to put it! Greatest show finale of all-time. It’ll never be beaten. I remember sitting there gasping the entire time, at the song and what happens to the cast. One of the most visceral moments of my whole life.
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It was pretty incredible. A truly moving send off.
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Not very interesting bit of trivia. “Reptile” was filmed at Minneapolis’s original Guthrie theater with the famed “thrust stage”. I was there.
Long story, short… I hadn’t purchased tix until a few hours before the show (using panhandled cash from the streets of downtown). As it so happened, my rush tickets were reservations that had been cancelled, and they put me in row three, front and center of the thrust stage. If you watch the video very closely, you’ll see a guy in biker leather, a white button up shirt and curly black hair being rowdy in that area. That was me. Fifteen milliseconds of fame.
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WOW! Frigging epic, dude! I’ll have a look out for you next view. Panhandling to see The Church! Dude, you’re cracking me up and making me cheer you on. At least it wasn’t for pisswater booze, lol.
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Nah, I only rode the Night Train once. Ugh. Fortified “wine”…
I may be a nonpracticing alcoholic, but I was a snob about it when still partaking. I would usually turn my nose of a standard pilsners and box wine, but I would enjoy a stout or chewy Merlot any day (and night and…) of the week, then chase it with some Jamieson. I was young enough for that show that I hadn’t fully developed my drinking habits and was sober for it.
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As a teenager me and my friends used to ride the Night Train all the time and often we’d listen to the GNR song when we did. Gross stuff. My boyfriend called it bum juice, but he drank it anyway. Other than malt liquor and Cisco (the other bum juice) it was the strongest alcohol we could afford that didn’t burn our throats on the way down. My brother was always looking for the blackberry Night Train featured in the Blues Brothers but it turns out it never existed, it was just made up for the movie for some reason. We didn’t find that out until years later, when the internet was invented.
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“Fortified wine” is what we called it. Ugh. That and Boone’s Farm. I quickly graduated to Southern and soda mixers, mostly Mountain Dew.
Lol. And yes, GnR might have been played at the time. 😉
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GnR is so woefully overplayed on the radio and mainstream outlets that you have to go back and play Appetite in full to remember what a great fracking album it is. It was our punk friends who discovered it before anyone and I will never forget hearing, “Hey, metalheads, this one’s right up your alley and we’ve been playing the shit out of it.” I literally skip over the radio singles and rock the hell out to the rest of Appetite. “Night Train’s” dubious subject matter notwithstanding, it’s a massive rocker.
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I was one of those early folks, which surprised me more than anyone. It was Slash’s guitar that drew me in, but everyone was damned good on that album. Axl was the weakest link, although he had a sense of rhythm that was captivating.
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That was a one and done drink for me. Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it, knew its reputation. Worse is Mad Dog 20/20, lol, real bum juice. Malt liquor, Colt 45 around these parts…I have a soft spot for it now and then. More like then, lol.
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Yeah, we always got either a 40 of Colt 45 or Crazy Horse. Memoriiiieeees….
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LMAO! Yup!
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“Starfish” was of course the first album by The Church that I picked up, but it certainly wasn’t the last! I think my favorite song by them is “Field of Mars” …
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Oh, that’s a goodie too! I had a few of their albums and really dug them, but at least Starfish is still around!
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Thanks for turning me on the The Church. I hadn’t heard of them before, but I loved the “Reptile” video you shared. I will be watching more…
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Oh, nice! Glad it has verve for you! I think it’s one of the most sublimely layered songs ever conceived. I pick a different part to key in on every time I listen to it and it’s often!
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@MichaelRaven since I think my comments addressed to everyone seems to be spreading around. That was an accurate recap. Axl had a voice unlike anyone back then, so it was an instant grab for its cadence, but without a seismic eruption from the band behind him, Appetite would’ve been more like a Smashed Gladys of the time, good, rocking fun but forgotten by most.
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