My Brain is Apparently Taking a Vacation Day
Posted on June 24, 2013 Posted by John Scalzi 179 Comments
And I’m not going to argue with it about the fact.
So, to keep you amused, a question for you to answer and discuss in the comment thread:
Name a favorite “deep cut” from a band you like. A “deep cut” meaning a track that was never a single or radio/video hit and wouldn’t generally be known to people who are not already huge fans of that particular band.
This is in my head today because earlier in the morning I was discussing this particular track from Electric Light Orchestra, which is apparently obscure enough at the moment that you can’t even find chords for it online, which is pretty weird for a band as well-known as ELO was in its day. Nevertheless:
So that’s my deep cut for the day. What’s yours? If you want to include a link to it (youtube or elsewhere) in your comment, that would be groovy. Rickrolls will, of course, be looked askance upon. Dig deep!
NACL by Kate and Anna Mcgarrigle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPPJCQAQXyo
“Dialogue with the Stars” by In Flames. Instrumental-only track from their utterly brilliant 1997 album “Whoracle.”
Wow. How tricky of you to get us to think on a Monday! :)
I cannot think of anything…except maybe “The Came Back”.
Ugh…see what I mean?
It’s “The Cat Came Back”.
A deep track?
Probably “Rats” by Pearl Jam, mostly because I’m ridiculously in love with the bass line of that song.
“Every Time I See Your Face” by Live, from the album Birds of Pray. Can’t find a link just now, but suffice it to say I am still absolutely baffled as to why that wasn’t released as a single.
That’s my personal favorite Live “deep cut,” though I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention “Pillar of Davidson” from Throwing Copper.
Doe “I Remember You” by the Eurythmics count? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l945va5zCQM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enaXYTUGJFY
Styx – Krakatoa/Hallelujah Chorus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTrSOQFUS9c
Styx – As Bad As This
both from the Styx album “The Serpent is Rising”.
Natural Science by Rush. That song still gives me chills 30 years after I first heard it.
The Horse is Alive by Sense Field. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb-UvyMKz_s
That was never even a single? Tricky. Well, there are a few Warren Zevon songs that qualify; I’ll choose “If You Won’t Leave Me, I’ll Find Somebody Who Will” (no video available).
“’39,” off of “A Night at the Opera” by Queen. Brian May’s ode to relativistic space travel.
“Julie Don’t Live Here”, also from Electric Light Orchestra.
It’s hard for me to figure out how to tell whether something was ever a radio hit or whatever. The obvious easy candidate is Echoes, by Pink Floyd, which was the single-song second half of Meddle. And I’m just assuming it wasn’t a single or a radio hit because it’s 23 minutes long. EMI appears not to want anyone putting it on the Internet, though. It’s the thing I listen to if my internal coherence isn’t working and I need to reset my sense of self.
^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7W0Nm8iHwk
“Reminisce Part 2,” Dexy’s Midnight Runners.
Set the Ray to Jerry by the Smashing Pumpkins
“All She Said” by Toad the Wet Sprocket, originally the B-side from their well-known single “All I Want”. Although really Toad is the best band ever and most of their songs rock (One of my favorites being “Desire” off of Coil, which is one of their more obscure ones as well). All She Said: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSBknUolwbc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok4z1-IGIo0
Muse- Hyperchondriac music.
This has been my fav track since they released it. How cool is it to have two completely different tunes for the same lyrics
‘Johnson’s Airplane’ by INXS
Instantly came to mind, don’t know why.
I have an advantage here…virtually any Nightwish song is going to be unknown to people who aren’t Nightwish fans. But this one is both lesser-known (i.e. not a single) and epic: “Ghost Love Score,” from the Once album. Here’s a live version of the song, featuring Nightwish’s interim lead vocalist, Floor Jansen (of After Forever and ReVamp):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3brcfttchzA
As a side bonus, here’s an international “collaboration cover” of the song, featuring a keyboardist, violinist, and choir from Brazil, a Norwegian bassist, a Canadian guitarist, and a French vocalist:
Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict.
Because… Pink Floyd. I was going to grab a Judas Priest deep cut but I’m not seeing a trend there (“Run of the Mill” if you must know)
I was going to say “Autumn” by The Strawbs (1974), but apparently portions of this lengthy medley were released as singles in the UK. Here’s a link anyway: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKkCKxWiwNM
So instead I’m going with “Marionette” by Mott the Hoople (also 1974 – what can I say? It was a good year.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIUE9weDY8M
Led Zep: “Sick Again”
KMFDM’s remix of Rammstein’s cover of Depeche Mode’s “Stripped”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPPbnSFQTOM
Dethklok has a track where the drummer, Pickles, took over vocals for the lead singer Nathan Explosion. It is a very different Dethklok song, but still has that Dethklok DNA underneath. The song is called “Kill You” and is pretty awesome.
Will – thank you for reminding me about Brian May on 39. He’s one of my two major guitar heros, the other being Jimmy Page. Accordingly, I offer “White Mountain/Black Mountain Side” from Led Zeppelin’s Coda album. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLN_rrXZ2Xw
However, if you want to hear one of the most melodic examples of drumming there is, check out John Bonham’s “Bonzo’s Montreux” from the same album http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoY2QIwaqxA
Old stuff here. For Rush, I’d go with “Freeze (Part IV of Fear)” from Vapor Trails. Opens with uncharacteristically driving, dissonant guitars, ends with one of the most epic choral refrains they’ve ever done. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nqk7xOgWHJ0
For Genesis, “One from the Vine” from Wind and Wuthering. For Yes, I’ll go with “The Gates of Delirium” from Relayer, which at 21 minutes is half the album, but can’t actually make a good radio track. For The Church, I’d pick “Tranquility” from Hologram of Baal. I’m sure there are zillion others I could come up with if I took the time.
Well I’m a long time Tull fan. Being so I would like to nominate Fires at midnight from Jethro Tull’s Songs from the wood album. In fact that cut is so deep it’s the last cut on the album. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_Ha_JhWdfE
George
Mirror Mirror by Def Leppard. My favorite Def Lep song – never released as a single and there isn’t even a real video for it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZvtKJquwVA
R.E.M. West of the Fields
“Heroes” by David & David (the guys who did “Welcome to the Boomdown”). Great album as a whole, too, but I’m always sorry they didn’t do more.
Hey, great one.
Don McLean, The Pride Parade: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZolrgptRJA
Cathy Chamberlain (and the Rag and Roll Revue), Cement Dry: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9JUrZ3Ui10 While you’re at it, find everything else she ever recorded (there’s not much, but she’s still alive; just one of those artists that walked away after giving it a try, as far as i can tell).
Phil Ochs. Yeah. Great protest song writer, far better as a polemicist than Dylan or any of the others. Yep, phenomenal art song writer later on, fully on par with Leonard Cohen. But also adapter of some classic poems into folk forms, so here’s two:
For those of you that like bloody highwayman ballads along the lines of Whisky in the Jar…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9fWjzYiRUE
And for those of you who just love yet another sea chanty … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RC9pGOKv02U
Porcupine Tree’s “Dark Matter” From their Signify album gets the week going for me. I don’t think it was ever a “single.” Though they’ve never been popular enough in the States to be noticed. http://youtu.be/TMc-75oLgU8
Some good stuff up there already. Here’s my old guy picks:
Def Leppard – “Switch 625 (Instrumental)”
Dire Straits – “The Man’s Too Strong”
Eagles – “Pretty Maids All in a Row”
ELO – “Mr. Blue Sky”
The Kings – “Switchin’ to Glide”
Manhattan Transfer – “Birdland”
The Moody Blues – “Gypsy (of a Strange and Distant Time)”
Night Ranger – “Reason to Be”
Poe – “Wild”
Queen – “Headlong”
Tom Petty – “One Story Town”
Triumph – “Writing on the Wall”
Zucchero & Mana – “Baila Morena”
Actually, that’d make a pretty good mix-tape. Might have to change the order up a little…
High Water (for Charlie Patton) by Bob Dylan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fdqF4XIUsE
Can’t Let Go Lucinda Williams
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mlp7N3t1fs
Rough God Goes Riding Van Morrison
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shfIU9C3KZ4
Oh, forget it, there’s just too many
Now ELO is my soundtrack of the day. I needed this. Thank you.
I have an inexplicable love for “The Grain Kings” The Legendary Pink Dots off The Maria Dimension.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11ROnpHHMbE
Even if it ever did have a single, I’m guessing most people have never heard of the band, much less the song.
Since I just learned that “Love Circles” was a single, I’ll go with B-side “Splitting Into Three” from Squeeze.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMGZvtIk2Z4
And from one of my other favorites, Genesis, I’ll offer the instrumental combo “Unquiet Slumber For The Sleepers….”/”….In That Quiet Earth”:
Deep cut, hey ….
Moody Blues “Gypsy”. This is from 1970 and they still had Mike Pinder and his Mellotron. The ‘Tron was a pretty amazing instrument in that day and gave, IMHO, the best version of the song.
Soundgarden, “4th of July”
My very favourite Wolfstone song is the title track of their 1993 EP, “Burning Horizons”. Everybody who knows Wolfstone knows “Battle”, the *second* track … but plaintive, thoughtful “Burning Horizons” got buried, and didn’t even make it to the “Pick of the Litter” compilation.
“If Only” by Hazel O’Connor
Neko Case, “If You Knew”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-2my_0p7nE
But there’s so many Neko Case tracks that should get radio play that don’t, it’s difficult to pick one. I could make a huge case for Hold On, Hold On … in ALL it’s wonderful versions … being a radio single. She seems to prefer to keep it for concert play. And Behind The House. And The Needle has Landed…
My two favorite They Might Be Giants “deep cuts” are
Lie Still, Little Bottle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPOAQ5Gp2os
Your Racist Friend
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow-nuHCTA5E
:-)
La Villa Strangiato, an instrumental by Rush. Here’s a live version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK1hmDpa8bo&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Oh, and “Padre Fear” or “Control” by Poe.
Rush’s “Vital Signs,” the final cut off “Moving Pictures.” Love the track.
Cheesy (and probably shot on the cheap – it was 1981) “video” here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yh5RSv52g6U
“Put Your Big Toe in the Milk of Human Kindness” by Elvis Costello and Rob Wasserman.
http://youtu.be/r7BijbEQdMg
Dominated Love Slave by Green Day.
True story: A friend of mine was upset that she wouldn’t be able to see them when they were scheduled to play in Chicago. Her mother tried to console her by saying that there would probably be another concert next year. My friend admitted to her mother that she probably wouldn’t like the band anymore after a year.
Another one by ELO that is similar to the one you posted is “Twilight” from the “Time” album. Yours would have fit in nicely there on that album.
Have to give another vote for “39” by Queen. Just an awesome song, and when you understand what it’s about it’s even better. The line “Your mother’s eyes/from your eyes/cry to me” gets me every time.
Another one from the Moody Blues is “Never Comes the Day” from back in 1969.
Finally, “Waiting in the Weeds” off of the Eagles last album, “Long Road Out of Eden.” The best sadly nostalgic song about lost love to come down the pike in a long, long time. Love him or hate him, Don Henley has a way with words.
I’ve been beaten to ’39 by Queen. I’m going to cheat a little with ‘Soul To Squeeze’ by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, it was a single/video but doesn’t appear on any of their albums as it was part of the Coneheads soundtrack. It is still a track that is only usually recognised by serious fans though.
A track I used to love listening to when going to sleep was ‘The Burning Down’ by King’s X from Gretchen Goes To Nebraska.
I’ve never been a radio listener, so I’m not at all sure what really counts as a deep cut.
The New Pornographers, “All the Old Showstoppers”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpDcUHC8bbc
And, since I’m not sure if that one counts, Savatage, “Awaken”:
Steve Goodman’s version of “The Dutchman”
I think either “Light Up” or “Put me On” by Styx. I think the former did receive some air play (and who’da thunk Styx would have a song glorifying pot smoking… the mind boggles…. NOT!), so probably the latter, which is a pretty cool and rockin’ song, IMHO. Of course, I wasn’t listening to the radio when that album came out, but I think only “Crystal Ball” was a really big hit on it. Then again, some of my favorite Styx songs are deep cuts – “Eddie” and “Boat on the River” from Cornerstone are other good examples. To me, they are just other cool Styx songs, since I was too young to enjoy Styx’s heyday…
Two consecutive tracks from XTC’s Nonsuch, if you please:
“Rook”
“Omnibus”
Another Pink Floyd fan here. Although much of their later stuff is considered rubbish, I still like ‘Terminal Frost’ and ‘Learning to Fly’.
‘Lucifer’ from the Alan Parsons Project album Eve. If you have a radio show, it makes great bumper music.
Mustafa by Queen, which is on Jazz.
There’s just something about the track that I love and I will play it over and over when I dig out that album.
… which I do not do often enough, since I usually listen to New Order or Nine Inch Nails, but this is worth having another listen to.
… and of course I immediately mis-spelt the song title. It’s actually “Mustapha”.
There appears to be enough of us old folks out there to enjoy this bit of news … Earth Wind and Fire are putting out a new album. First in way too long. And if the single is any clue, it’s gonna be excellent.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/24/earth-wind-and-fire-album-september-10_n_3489405.html
“Helpless Automaton” by Men At Work — from their huge “Business As Usual” album, but written and sung by Greg Ham, rather than Colin Hay, so it sounds like something from a completely different band:
“Spider” by Oingo Boingo.
Charlie don’t Surf – The Clash’s Sandinista.
Robert Duvall agrees.
Quicksilver Messenger Servic: The Fool. Although I suppose it’s obscure mostly because I expect QMS is obscure to most of the readers here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1WnBy4z5Jc
Those were the days, man, those were the days!
“One of Those Days” by Weird Al Yankovic
Radioactive Sandwich’s Electrostep Remix of Kelly Sweet’s “Sirens” is pretty good:
https://soundcloud.com/radioactive-sandwich/kelly-sweet-sirens-radioactive?in=radioactive-sandwich/sets/kelly-sweet-vs-radioactive
I put this on a CD for my daughter with their other remixes of her songs and she hasn’t taken it out of the CD player in the car yet…
For obvious reasons, “Journey of the Sorcerer” by The Eagles.
Sting’s version of “LIttle Wing” on …Nothing Like the Sun
Khetzal’s “Djaningar”: http://youtu.be/uMnC4z41hZY
Grammatik’s “Illusion of Choice”: http://youtu.be/NzArlTkwCN8
For retro 80’s electropop sound: Information Society’s “Run Away”: http://youtu.be/NzArlTkwCN8
What I thought of immediately was ’39, and I’m sticking with it, even though it’s not at all an original choice among this crowd. I should also say that it doesn’t surprise me that it’s popular amongst the denizens of Scalzi’s comment threads. Great song.
“Two Knights and Maidens” by Crash Test Dummies
“5ive Gears in Reverse” by Elvis Costello, off “Get Happy.” Why? Because you can’t help but get happy to this Motown-infused Hammond B3-pumping, wry-lyric short song. And because it was off one of the first LPs I ever bought.
Fun! I’m going through these and discovering some gems.
I give you Radiohead’s “Give up the Ghost,” live, because they’re wonderful live.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFjoVggLw_4
I wanted to point you at Seasick Steve’s Doghouse Boogie, but it’s been a single. Oh, what the hell, it’s obscure enough. This was his debut.
Damn. This is kind of hard. Nearly my entire musical lexicon revolves around “deep cuts,” because I’m that kind of music nerd. I could name deep cuts from a metric fuckton of bands that I really dig.
Screw it. I’ll name five. That should work.
Metallica – The Outlaw Torn. Okay, haters, I know it’s a track from Load. It’s still one of the few gems from that album, and it’s freakin’ awesome.
Rush – Bravado. Definitely one of my top three favorite 90s era Rush tunes.
Dream Theater – Afterlife. I know plenty of people shit on When Dream and Day Unite. This song is one HUGE reason not to. And the live version from the Score album is bloody AMAZING.
Frank Zappa – Watermelon in Easter Hay. One of the most amazing guitar instrumental pieces, period. THE reason to own the Joe’s Garage album.
And, because if you don’t like this song, I’m pretty sure you don’t have a soul, and I think it’s a good bet most people here would agree with me….’39 by Queen. Holy SHIT is that an amazing tune.
Pirates by ELP
“Human on the Inside” by the DiVinyls http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJn_zVnXXkQ is kind of an easy pick, given that all anyone in the US knows of them is “I Touch Myself.” I came to this when trying to find the theme song from the early 90s show “Cupid,” which used a Chrissie Hynde cover of it. But Chrissy Amphlett’s version is better. RIP lady.
So who’s going to take care of making the Spotify playlist of all these?
Chris Farlowe and Jimmy Page: Prison Blues (nasty lyrics and dirty guitar) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMkBSbjpEFk
Journey of the Sorcerer – Eagles One of these Nights was the album.
Wow – talk about stirring up memories! – I’ve gotta add 2 more:
“Just One Victory” by Todd Rundgren (can’t believe this wasn’t a single!)
“The Man in the Jar” by the Sensational Alex Harvey Band (yes, I’m from Cleveland :-)
@Joseph Paul: AWESOME song, dude. If for no other reason than the BBC used it as the intro to every episode of the Hitchhiker’s Guide radio series. :)
Good to see a lot of people digging ’39, but as a variation on the Queen theme, I’d have to go for Ogre Battle from Queen II. Epic.
Seems like just about anything by Nick Lowe would qualify, as he’s never gotten a lot of radio or video play. But I keep coming back to “The Rose of England.”
Canary in a Coalmine by The Police always get me up and moving (you can’t call what I do dancing). I’ve no idea why this wasn’t a Greatest Hit.
The Golden Floor by Snow Patrol. This has to be my favourite song by them and I it discovered on an author’s playlist for one of her novels.
Oh John.
My guilty pleasure – shame that I like it movie is Xanadu.
I like the ‘Dancin” West Side Story The Tubes punks verses big band swing sing and dance off.
“Werewolves of London” covered by the Grateful Dead
“I Hope That I Get Old Before I Die,” the song that made me a fan of They Might Be Giants.
“Last Day of Summer” by Skillet. Beautiful song that was cut from their third album and only released on a random charity album that almost no one has heard of, turns out to be nearly my favorite song they have done.
There’s no such thing as an obscure Radiohead song, but “Myxomatosis” is one of my favorites, and it’s never gotten any sort of special attention.
Agreed about 39, but my choice would be The Prophet’s Song, from the same album. OTOH, Seaside Rendezvouz stil gets stuck in my head from time to time, so what do I know?
My absolute favorite deep cut is by the Goo Goo Dolls, and — wait! Where are you going! I promise it is worth your punk rock-lovin’ time! It’s called “Up Yours!” It’s from the ’80s! IT’S REALLY GOOD I PROMISE.
I’ve also got to go with Rush, but The Fountain of Lamneth III: No One at the Bridge from Caress of Steel. Amazing guitar solo, and a lovely song.
“Are Everything” by Heaven 17:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2LGXAUaU64
Only a b-side for decades before being added as a CD bonus track. Random acoustic guitar strum makes the whole song.
The a-side’s great, too, about a guy seeing his relationship in terms of a business merger: “I’m offering you the post of wife.”
Their best 80s greed song was probably “My Key to the World,” possibly the first song that’s a cautionary tale about overextending yourself on your credit card:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7hdust7RbY
“I want a better life, and I’d like to buy one if I could!”
Also possibly the only song to have “Liquidity don’t bother me” in the chorus.
As far as I know, only one song by Bel Canto was every released as a single in the US (Rumour – which is a perfectly good song) but this track from an earlier album is one of my fav’s:
Shimmering, Warm and Bright
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWWj8nIvAfc
In direct contrast to that would be One of These Days, by Pink Floyd
(live version) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTrNQCYh70Y
And I totally second Echoes as well as Charlie Don’t Surf
The Police, Masoko Tanga https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOXcka7Yo84
Just to name a very small few.
All the Rush aficionados over here have called to mind another really groovy blast from the past – Rush by Big Audio Dynamite:
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/sy-14208484/big_audio_dynamite_rush_official_music_video/
Crank ‘er up!
Genesis – “Undertow” from And Then There Were Three
Yes – Tales From Topographic Oceans (yes, the whole bloody thing)
Jethro Tull – “Slow Marching Band” and “Seal Driver” from Broadsword and the Beast
James McMurtry – “Song for a Deckhand’s Daughter” from Too Long in the Wasteland
Eagles, “Last Resort.” http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3shyv_the-eagles-the-last-resort_music#.UciwgflBWSo
This is Chicago back when they were still Chicago Transit Authority, and it’s the first track off their first record, aptly titled “Introduction.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOlgh46o0e4
Another favorite deep cut is off their third album, the suite “An Hour in the Shower.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9tyKZYyCj0
R.I.P. Terry Kath
Anything off “Selling England by the Pound” but this is one of my favorites from a contemporaneous group: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3ozXQNsQYs
Applause for the choice of ELP’s “Pirates,” which I got to hear live on the “Black Moon” tour. Complete with cannon. It was just as awesome as I’d hoped it would be.
But my deep cut choice is “One Slip,” by Pink Floyd. It’s not my favorite track from Momentary Lapse (although it is, in a sense, the title track) — that would be Sorrow by a mile — but it’s probably my second-favorite.
“Temptation Greets You Like Your Naughty Friend” by the Arctic Monkeys. Excellent B-side to the “Brianstorm” single. And how can you not love that title?
Billy Joel, “Summer, Highland Falls” from the “Turnstiles” album.
I’d second whoever said, “The Man’s Too Strong” from Dire Straits, although I think that I’d go with “Brothers In Arms,” unless it was released as a single thus making it ineligible.
“The Core” from “Slowhand” by Eric Clapton, and the titular “Madman Across the Water” by Elton John.
Marc Cohn, “The Things We’ve Handed Down,” from “The Rainy Season.”
Screw it, you want deep, I’ll give you a whole album that’s deep
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpko7c3hte0
The Raven got a little bit of air play, but none of the other cuts came close.
I think you would enjoy The fall the house of Usher. It has some great mandolin music.
Great for Halloween background music.
Another mindbender: this group had a monster hit a few years later with “Cry”:
Although I’ve mentioned it before on the Bujold mailing list, I suspect more than a few readers of Whatever have read the Vorkosigan series as well, and will get the references. In one of her earliest novellas, “Borders of Infinity”, Lois has Miles organizing a POW camp prison break by posing as a “spiritual adviser”, and couching his plans in religious metaphor. Those of us “in the know” would understand that when “Brother” Miles says that “All will be uplifted”, he’s not talking about heaven, but seats on the escape shuttles. What does this have to do with today’s topic?
Well, my deep cut is the Indigo Girls’ song “Secure Yourself”, which I’ve always thought of in my mind as “Brother Miles’ Hymn”, because nearly all of the lyrics can be parsed as Miles using his metaphorical language to describe the events in the novella.
Plus, I like the close harmonies:
Couple of 80s-ish ones here:
Phil Collins, Face Value: The Roof is Leaking / Droned; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFXgPasXXuo
Shriekback, Big Night Music: Pretty Little Things; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs_ClYseYBg
Sinéad O’Connor fans usually go for “Troy” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hnjntu-JzsY), but I’ve always been in love with “Jackie” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_neyVvE0XU).
As a side note: the picture in the first video is the cover of the US release of the album; the one in the second video is the european cover. We europeans got the better deal this time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mv0vaCU1vsg
Duckworth Lewis Method – Test Match Special
Only a deep cut compared to their single (Meeting Mr Miandad) but mostly unknown in the US. No knowledge of cricket is necessary to enjoy the catchy riffs. New album out in July.
“Go Back Home” by Stephen Stills, includes one of Clap[ton’s best-ever guitar solos.
“Song of the Wind” by Santana. Better than anything ever played on ‘classic rock’ (gag) stations.
“Starless” by King Crimson (3rd lineup).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9IQnDRYIYU
You could say it was a deep cut even for the band – originally called “Starless and Bible Black” and intended to be the title track of the 1973 album of the same name, it was dropped, reworked and shorter-named to “Starless” for 1974’s Red, according to Wikipedia, after which King Crimson disbanded for seven years. To me it sums up the first five years of Crimson.
Hah! I know the song, as much because I like ELO as because I uh. May have watched Xanadu more times than most people should. Couple of my favorites: Judgement Day – Steve Winwood, or Tears – Rush :)
Speed Home California by Sugar Ray. You know, back when they were still an alt-metal band? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8UA95r2xUY
Ultravox, Mr X. That is all. But only because someone has already mentioned 39. Oh, and ******* in Heaven by Fatboy Slim. Imagine a radio-safe version of that! :)
What’s with all the Prog rock and Rush fans here?
This is the shit.
“A Man For All Seasons” by Al Stewart
“Swan Swan H” by REM
“Miami 2017” by Billy Joel – sometimes called “Lights go out on Broadway”. The only version that really does it for me is the one from Songs In The Attic. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnp8I6RDXJ0
“Blame It On Bad Luck” by Bayside. Reminds me of my salad days, when I was a snot-nosed brat blaming all my problems on anyone but me.
http://open.spotify.com/track/6WNeKAwkjn17pcmTVgXeD3
“Gold Dust” by Tori Amos (the Scarlet’s Walk version). It’s the ringtone for my mother.
http://open.spotify.com/track/0UxGJ0eyqOdcPrOWCNJtmp
Nagasaki Neuter by Slickee Boys
@Don Whiteside – you malign some of us in the US! DiVinyls “Pleasure and Pain” does not belong on this list only because it was released as a single here and some of us do remember it!
“Tired of Sex”, by Weezer. It once got stuck in my head for eighteen straight hours (REALLY good bassline).
“Corpus Christi Carol (For Roy)”, by Jeff Buckley. It really shows off what a tenor with good falsetto can do.
Deeply Dippy, by Right Said Fred
Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream
Audio at the link isn’t great — the original actually has some bass — but it’ll give you the idea.
Aretha Franklin, You’re a Sweet Sweet Man
Green Day, She
Don’t know if that last one is really as obscure as these are supposed to be, but it’s not one of the songs you hear all the time and for my money it’s the best song about young love that has ever been recorded.
Queen’s In The Year of ’39. Bonus points for SF content
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpkgFkkL0Qw
“Beatles Zebra Crossing” by Shriekback — one of the best meditations I know of on the uses and misuses of history.
(I should have posted a link! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhMrkasmUEA )
For my favorite group, The Crystal Method (with such hits as Name of the Game and Born Too Slow) has a lesser known song called “Weapons of Mass Distortion”.
http://youtu.be/V69tdkl5l7M?t=15s
Similarly, while most of Evanescence’s recognition was for Fallen and other works past that, their prior album Origin had an instrumental track called Eternal that is a very deep cut:
Wow, tons and tons of Rush up above already. My favorite Rush deep cut (I had to check because Rush released a lot of songs as singles that many people have forgotten were singles) is Witch Hunt from Moving Pictures. I like the way it shifts between eerie atmospherics in the verses and the slow, grandiose theme that sort of serves as the song’s chorus. And it has one of my favorite lyric verses Neil Peart wrote during that era of the band:
Quick to judge, quick to anger
Slow to understand
Ignorance and prejudice
And fear walk hand in hand
Here’s a live performance from 2007 that is at least as good and arguably better than the album version: http://youtu.be/5XYMi9wzjjA
So many to choose from….but these two came to mind first:
“The Blue Sky,” by a-ha
“Tea in the Sahara,” by The Police
Here’s a couple. Jethro Tull’s The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles. Very strange, even for a Tull song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-wT6fkDg8k
And Billy Joel’s original version of Shameless, from his ’89 release, Storm Front. Long before some cowboy singer came along and ruined it.
I have a few:
Ani DiFranco – “Out of Habit” or “Both Hands”
U2 – “The Sweetest Thing” (it got some minor play in the late 90s, but it was a B-side that never made it to the radio in the 80s – so I feel justified in fudging a little)
Rolling Stones – “She Smiled Sweetly”
“Mother’s Lament” arranged by Cream. It’s apparently a traditional tune, stuck onto the back of the “Disraeli Gears” album. My father used to sing it to me at bathtime, which made me giggle:
http://youtu.be/ZX06inW2hK4
My mom’s “My baby slipped down the drain!” tune of choice was called “Emmaline,” but it’s so obscure that I can’t find it at all. “Oh my goodness, oh my soul! There goes Emmaline down that hole! Emmaline, Emmaline. Pooooor Emmaline. Glub.” Wish I knew more about the song.
Eurythmics.
In “1984”. From Wikipedia: Two versions of the film were released, one featuring Eurythmics’ music, and the “director’s cut”, which replaced most of Eurythmics’ music by the orchestral score.
Doubleplusgood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t7MVXKzYYg
Rather apropos in these times.
Third Week in the Chelsea, on Jefferson Airplane’s album Bark
Was (Not Was), featuring Leonard Cohen, “Elvis’s Rolls Royce.”
http://youtu.be/PzrPDHt5bu4
“Home” by Nine Inch Nails. It’s a bonus track on the non-US releases of the album With Teeth, and has become one of my favorite NIN songs. Also, perhaps not ironically, it’s located in the middle of the “Deep Cuts” playlist that Trent Reznor himself curated.
“In My Tree” and “Love Boat Captain,” both by Pearl Jam.
“General Store” by Don McLean
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCsx3CmKFDo
This song stick in my head far more than “American Pie”
As always, interesting food for thought.
Bowie’s “Teenage Wildlife” is a major favorite — off of Scary Monsters.
Aimee Mann’s The Forgotten Arm has “Video” and “Little Bombs”
Elvis Costello’s King of America has “Suit of Lights”
Probably one of my favorite’s is Glen Philips, ‘Drive By” off Abulum.
I realize that these are niche-y. But…so I am I.
Metallica- Dyer’s Eve. It’s almost like the band knew they had gone as far as they could with thrash metal, and made this the last song off of …And Justice For All as kind of their “Drop mic, walk offstage” moment before they transitioned to their 90s sound with the Black Album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6kb5fvv6_A
Yes- Parallels. One of the heavier songs they ever did, due almost entirely to CHURCH ORGAN. It just gets such a huge sound that I love.
Ass _Ponys_ from Grim: ‘No Dope No cigarettes.’
Doesn’t seem to be e-vailable.
Perhaps they are one of the groups that got sued for having a name. Or Perhaps not.
(I seem to recall a DJ saying something like ‘And that’s the last time we can play this.
There are lawsuits about mumble mumble and mumble.)
http://www.lyrics.az/ass-ponys/grim/no-dope-no-cigarettes.html for the lyrics.
About getting sued. Book. The Art of Joseph Michal Linsner Uh, page 59.
Here for a thumbnail of it http://www.1zoom.net/big2/23/126101-avallonist.jpg
“Texarkana,” “Half a World Away,” “Untitled 11th Song,” “Hairshirt,” “Binky the Doormat” and a whole raft of others by REM.
The entire album “Mosquitos” by Stan Ridgeway — New Wave Noir.
Another obscure ELO track is Drum Dreams, whcih also appeared in the film Xanadu but wasn’t included on the soundtrack album (it did appear as a B-side on a single). It was basically an extended drum solo for ELO’s drummer, Bev Bevan. Here it is on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7w5k28-pN3c
Night Swimming by REM though I’m not sure it was never a single. That’s what I got.
Almost everything I listen to could be called deep track; it’s definitely too obscure to hit radio. And I often don’t know what, if anything was planned to be radio released.
Streamline -VNV Nation (because future pop inspired by Norman Bel Geddes’ _Horizons_ deserves to be heard.) http://youtu.be/ISMyCIsrxPc
Sentinel – also VNV. I am in love with the counter-melody and keep hoping for an orchestral remix. http://youtu.be/EUdYhkgPfcc
Otherness – Assemblage 23 (because I like koans with my techno.) http://youtu.be/azr7c5a_x9c
Spark – A23 http://youtu.be/DqAqaAcCI4M (and a full serving of hope…)
We Don’t Go to God’s House Anymore – Chumbawamba (not so much for the song, which is pretty darn nifty and Fun With Theology, but for the tone poem at the end of the album version.)
Chambermaid – Emilie Autumn (because fairy tale grrl power violin punk *should* be a genre.) http://youtu.be/ZHVKXlSPq0g
New Model Army’s Liberal Education
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HF2LL3K0pmU
Jethro Tull’s Moth’s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EESgk34o19o
Yes Awaken
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abLSSb-jxMc&list=PL5664A414A4926A3F
Motorhead’s Step Down
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDwQ7VMg2Sg
Bauhaus Nerves
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mpQXs5Q4O0
Budgie Parents
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPMvj48uJiw
Billy Squier – Nobody Knows.
The song was a tribute to John Lennon and I loved to listen to it…but it frequently felt like I was the only person on the planet that knew that song.
Okay, this is reasonably obscure even for Australian stuff (which means you folks in the US have two chances of finding it, and one of ’em’s Buckleys).
“For Your Ears Only” from Difficult Loves by Weddings Parties Anything.
“Hug My Back” from The Big Don’t Argue by Weddings Parties Anything
“Keep Talking To Me” from King Tide by Weddings Parties Anything
“Walkerville” from Riveresque by Weddings Parties Anything
and a bonus track:
“Home and Broken Hearted” from Cold Chisel by Cold Chisel.
“When I Fall” by the Barenaked Ladies
@ Rob Wynne – possibly my favourite Al Stewart is “The Dark And The Rolling Sea”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhZFUCK-H8s
Hmm, just noticed my Al Stewart youTube url above has a Rudeness embedded within – appropriate enough as Al Stewart’s “Love Chronicles” from his 1969 album of the same name is credited with a first use of the f-word “in popular commercial music” according to Wikipedia, including printed in the sleeve lyric, where it rhymes with plucking.
ELO “Here is the News”
But if you want to go deep, there’s always Cake
Hmmm. Millionaire’s Waltz by Queen. Love, love love the bass line… Much harder song to play than you would think.
“Fighting Man” by Gillan – By no means the best track the band ever recorded but worth it for the vocals on the last minute and a half
– if you believed that Mr Gillan’s vocal range peaked on Deep Purple’s “Child in Time” you may want to cut along to 05.37 in the video…..
Santana, “Migra,” from the album “Supernatural”. Incredible example of the sort of Latin rock he’s known for…
‘The Rise And Dear Demise Of The Funky Nomadic Tribes’ by Thin Lizzy
Elvis Costelllo’s “Luxembourg” was the first thing that came to mind.
Here’s a link. http://youtu.be/AmjfJmbM6tM
I always found songs on the B side of the cassette more interesting than the stuff on the radio. The one that came to mind first is “We Are” by Vertical Horizon. Love that song.
This is why I like buying an entire album as opposed to a single. Because more often than not I’ll love the non-released stuff better than the popular over-played songs.
Dream Theater – Speak to Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS95mkit_Jo
A very a-typical Cure-influenced and straightforward track from the prog-metal giants.
—
Van Halen – Crossing Over
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6LwYFR_-Qc
Probably the most experimental song that VH ever did – and my all time favorite track of theirs.
I don’t think that any of my favorite bands are popular enough to have hit singles with the accompanying “deep cuts”, but if Murder City Devils count, then “Boom Swagger” would be my pick. Up second would be the White Stripes “We’re Gonna Be Friends.”
Boom Swagger: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goss2oulTi0
Lots of good stuff here.
I should note that there’s a bunch of stuff I listen to all the time that never got a single, but they don’t count as a deep cut because most lightweight fans know of it. For instance, Gang of Four’s “Natural’s Not In It” or Police’s “Tea In the Sahara.”
I have a long list:
The Police – I Burn For You (from the movie Brimstone & Treacle. MUST be The Police version; the Sting-only one isn’t as spooky)
http://youtu.be/NQtIRrmhvBw
Also The Police – Landlord
http://youtu.be/rPNQyyLglSQ
Depeche Mode – Two Minute Warning
http://youtu.be/YQERdMMlgfo
Blondie – Accidents Never Happen
http://youtu.be/qs5Zm2fFxjU
Gang of Four – We Live As We Dream Alone (the version from Return the Gift)
http://youtu.be/-dmaTtjTkHU
Also Gang of Four – Better Him Than Me
http://youtu.be/POifQWB0ttg
And while this doesn’t really count, since there’s an official video…
Gotye – Bronte (WARNING: hardcore tearjerker… I don’t advise wathcing if you’ve lost a pet)
http://youtu.be/le34ygtODfI
To @CZEdwards above – I’m particularly fond of Assemblage 23’s remix of Hypofixx’s “Shattered from the Inside”:
http://www.amazon.com/Assemblage-23-Remix/dp/B000QOEF56
To @drmeow above – Shoulder to the Wheel is my fave of theirs. For others who might be interested: http://youtu.be/RcZDL6dQA0M
I’ve always loved “The Chauffeur” by Duran Duran. It’s slow and soft and atmospheric. They were also good about recording songs on the b-sides of their remixes that were never put on the regular albums, so I would nominate their version of “Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)”, “Secret Oktober,” and “We Need You.”
Hi,
All About Eve. What Kind Of Fool. Was a single that was supposed to break them so I guess it doesn’t qualify.. but: there’s an obscurish version called the Autumn Rhapsody .. it has Dave Gilmore on guitar and an orchestra. I use it to test speakers.. and always hear something new. Lush as it comes. this is the youtube copy i found .. http://tinyurl.com/nmqmxpa but the audio is quite poor. It’s on the Winter words compilation if you find yourself needing it..
Janes Addiction’s cover of “Sympathy for the Devil.” Ricky Nelson’s “I’ll Get You Yet.”
John Mellencamp – “Theo & Weird Henry” from his criminally overlooked Big Daddy album. This may be the best song about small town friendship ever written.
Barenaked Ladies – “Blame it on Me” from the Gordon album, if only for the lyric “You think you’re so smart, but I’ve seen you naked / I’ll probably see you naked again…”
R.E.M. – “Low Desert” from New Adventures in Hi-Fi. And “Hope” from Up.
T-Bone Burnett’s “Killswitch” from The Criminal Under My Own Hat.
Lyle Lovett – “Baltimore” from Joshua Judges Ruth. I want this sung at my funeral someday.
Digital Underground – “Packet Man” – A hilarious cautionary tale rrom the amazing Sex Packets album.
Van Morrison’s “In the Garden.” It will heal a case of the blues.
Hmm – would “Upon this tidal wave of young blood” by Clap Your hands Say Yeah count?
(Link for above – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A19mcCTooE)
Maybe not “deep cut”, but inspired by yours – may I present “Xanadu” from the film. It was a bomb in 1980. And I paid full price to see it 7 different times when it was in the theater. Yes, I’m both old, and apparently tasteless. http://youtu.be/Tsr4Onkkitc
Here is Genesis’s Silver Rainbow, from their self titled 1983 release:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUMy3BiD1Y8
It is the only song off that album that I’ve never heard on the radio, and I have no idea why. The entire album is very good, this song no less than the rest.
Florence + The Machine’s Howl from the album Lungs. When it comes on my mp3 player I turn the volume up to 11. I can’t understand why it wasn’t a single, except possibly that for the full effect you’re better off with headphones than speakers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_uYs7YOZKc
Tracks one and two from Del Amitri’s Twisted album are fantastic, and again, can’t understand why they weren’t singles. Well, maybe Food For Songs is a bit dour even for The Dels, but still… (For anyone who doesn’t know Del Amitri, they are masters at fitting depressing lyrics to upbeat sounding melodies. Usually.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rixp4i4jnCQ
“Push Comes To Shove”, Van Halen, Fair Warning
Sophisticated, melancholy, introspective, and a beautiful, beautiful lyrical guitar solo. It’s like a whole noir romance novel in 3:49.
Watching Me Watching You – Jethro Tull
Brilliant, evocative, paranoid lyrics that tell a brilliant story… giving you just enough information that you want to know how the story ends.
“The Sentinel” by Judas Priest, or anything by Nightwish or Within Temptation, since American rock stations are afraid to play anything that isn’t American Top Forty of some era.
@erbo…
Love me some “Ghost Love Score”… always makes me feel like I’m a pirate on the high seas, or on some old navy warship way back when.
I’m 33, and this may be the first time I’ve looked at a thing on the internet and thought, “wow, maybe I’m not so old.” Love the music listed here, but the pre-1990 selection bias is really strong. So, focusing on post-1995…
Soul Coughing, “Maybe I’ll Come Down” — http://youtu.be/sbUcupo43rk
Not a super popular band, but if you only know “Super Bon Bon” from the radio you may be pleasantly surprised. “I dreamed a great parade shooting all the guns in Brooklyn…”
Jay-Z/Beatles/Danger Mouse, “What More Can I Say” — http://youtu.be/O3VVykEt37c
Beatles heresy, I know, but the track lends an urgency to Hov’s lyrics that the original lacks. This isn’t standard hip-hop self-aggrandizement. This is about obsessive competitiveness. He *has* to be the best.
And for the 80’s children, Florence + the Machine, “Addicted to Love” — http://youtu.be/ycrhIpd4ZWU
Choosing a song by Florence is almost unfair. The consistent quality of her oeuvre is the highest of any artist I can think of. Sort of like trying to think of a Tom Waits song that *isn’t* a deep cut.
Neil Diamond’s “Holiday Inn Blues”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSNqf4HrgWc
Fascinating Aida “I Watched Two People Fall in Love”
The fourth Elvis Costello song – this may have been a B-side back in the day, but it’s still pretty obscure http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve5Gd7QCBiA
One of the Grateful Dead’s most beautiful songs, and i’ve never understood why they didn’t make more of it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4SqDx1vi4c
And this Bob Dylan song – so obscure that most people know it through the Fairport Convention version http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urup5PbX2Ic
Don’t know if anyone’s still reading this or if the song counts as a deep cut since it is from a reasonably well-known album. But I can’t pass up a chance to talk up “Shadow Stabbing” by CAKE, particularly on an author’s blog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6cb4Q0-nGY
It definitely doesn’t seem to have sunk into the culture to the same degree as songs like “Short Skirt Long Jacket” or “The Distance” but the opening lines are always inspiring to me as a writer.
Not only a deep cut, but a *SECRET* deep cut. Tacked on at the end of “As Bad As This” by Styx.. Go here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTrSOQFUS9c and fast forward to about 3:50 and listen to “Plexiglas Toilet” which is a humorous ditty that sounds like an impromptu jam session that was included on the track but was never listed on the discography.
The timestamp varies, on my iTunes track it is 3:44, but right around there is where you will find it.
Enjoy!
Heaven Tonight by Cheap Trick