Monday, October 28, 2013

So scary it's good

Last week I totally messed with Jen and the Spirits. This week her directions were quite clear:

This week's topic for our Halloween week is Scary songs. You may take full liberty with this topic my friends. Scary because of the content? The appearance of the performer or the song is just that darn bad. Or maybe you have some definition I haven't thought of yet. Get on it. I wanna know why those songs scare you!

Full liberty? HA! I am so taking her up on that and not reading the rest of the directions. Scary got me to thinking how the kids of today have no idea what music is, and that is freaking scary. They are too involved with how the look or sound. Personally I don't even think they listen to the lyrics.

If they did they would realize that all Rhianna does is repeat the same verse over and over again. Say Nah Nah, what's my name....

But my friends who are not teeny-boppers, we know music that would scare the pants back onto Miley Cyrus. Singers that wrote their own music and it made sense. The fact that they also could never be featured on Teen Beat adds to their cred. Is Teen Beat still a magazine?

These are the scary artists that should make the "artists" of today shake with fear.

The ULTIMATE Harry Chapin.



Let's face it, he had the face only a mother could love. Or a gold digger. But his songs? They moved you. They made you think. He was the ultimate storyteller. And you were willing to listen to the story over and over again even though you knew that Harry would leave Sally at her door.

The INCREDIBLE Jim Croce


You never messed with Leroy Brown and you didn't mess around with Jim. His song Operator still brings chills to my arms. Can you see Justin Timberlake making a song that could last over 4 minutes and you didn't change the station?

The BODACIOUS Heart. Can you imagine Nancy or Ann Wilson on the cover of a teen magazine? Those girls could kick Lady GaGa's bare butt on the powerhouse Nancy's vocal ability. Added to Ann's guitar playing? In an era when girls really didn't play instruments (yes, before the dawn of time I am that old).  They are Scary Women indeed and they could go crazy on your Baracudda. Rich would probably enjoy that....


The POWERFUL Crosby, Stills & Nash (and sometimes Young). Look at David Crosby. Yes, I know he is rumored to be the father of Melissa Etheridge's children. Stephen Stills, um so not the handsome man. Neil Young? That is one scary dude. The saving face of CSN was John Nash. But that aside can you see the tweens swooning to Southern Cross or understanding the impact of their lyrics? That Chicago was more than a city and Ohio more than a state. These men believed in their words and used it to educate us all.



 
 
The LARGER THAN LIFE Queen. I'm going to say it here. Freddie Mercury was a ROCK GOD. The fact that Fat Bottom Girls would be a rap or country song today is just some of the magic that is Queen. Yes, their music is often used in movies and music today. But only because it is incredible. It lives on. But if Queen started out today? They kids just wouldn't appreciate the talent. Trust me on this one. As I am writing this post Allie looked over my shoulder and asked: Who's that? I explained, she said yeah I don't really like that song. You can't dance to it.

Kids, no appreciation. Yes, dancing music is nice. But songs are supposed to be more than a manufactured dance. They are supposed to move you.





Lastly in the spirit of Halloween (and probably Jen's true intent) the DIABOLICAL Alice Cooper. Not only did he scare the crap out of my parents when I went through a "phase" he could probably make Bieber crap his pants. Although I remember him on the Muppets so I will always have a soft spot. Hmmm maybe he wasn't so scary after all!



This mix to scare young people was brought to you by the ultimate DJ Jen and her crazy cohort in music crime Kristi.



18 comments:

  1. First one out of the gate and already I know it will be my favorite. it'll be hard to beat because I love all of these artists. Okay, maybe Alice Cooper is not in my top 10, but who can resist anyone who sings with the muppets? ;) "...scare the pants back onto Miley Cyrus..." hahaha! That's great! That Harry Chapin song gives me chills. The best kind. It is a haunting, lovely song. I miss him.

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    1. Since you scare the crap out of me with Walken I will take the compliment :)

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    2. I totally agree with everything Linda wrote, so instead of cutting and pasting, I will just say "ditto"!!!

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  2. Can't dance to Queen? Whaaaat? Awesome list of songs!!

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    1. Thanks. I need to reeducate the girl child for sure

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  3. Well done with the liberties! I love that this hop allows people to take an idea and make it fit to something that can become completely theirs.

    I don't understand what you mean by not being able to dance to Fat Bottomed Girls. There was a house band at an Irish Pub I went to for years in my 20s that use to play it and trust me. Very danceable.

    And I listened to Heart straight through - though the guitar bit at the beginning is the truly inspirational part :)

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    1. The 9YO has not taste in music. I blame the Disney channel

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  4. My friend, you've said it all here! Of course, the kids of today will disagree, but really, they have little common sense anyway! lol I think the only powerhouse singer that you omitted that could have cemented the deal would have been Janis Joplin. Still, so many giants were listed. Hell, I'd be scared sh**less to go up against any of them ... even in Spider Solitaire! Great job!

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  5. Love this list... Like the Theme you chose a lot. Fat Bottom Girls is a personal Fave!!! And yes, we both chose Alice. Sweet!!!

    Thanks, Slu

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  6. I loved your take, it's very creative and perfect. Chapin, Croce, Heart, oh be still my heart. Love em all!

    thanks for such a cool list

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  7. I like the liberty you took. And there's Alice Cooper with puppets. There's only love for this list.

    Now, I
    m going to play Heart over and over.

    Happy Halloween

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  8. I love that you used a clip of Alice Cooper on the Muppets. My list has a Muppet, too!
    Great take on scary.

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  9. I have Alice Cooper too, but a very different Alice Cooper than you have here. As for Queen and dancing? SMH. Dancing has changed too because you CAN dance to Queen. Great list.

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  10. Ho ho, you are so right, Kerry....the list has some scary peeps. Especially Queen and Cooper!

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  11. I love your take on this, Kerri. It pays to take liberties!

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  12. I know SO many kids who LOVE Queen! Neff, for one, who gets a MASSIVE grin on his face when he hears 'I want to break free' or 'Crazy little thing called love' and he BOOGIES HARD :D He calls it 'Man Music' and he's amazing.

    Also, have you seen this mash-up? Queen vs The Beatles - Fat Bottomed Girls Come Together Over Me - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMGo7H5-a0A

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  13. Haha to having a face that only a golddigger could love! Great list, Kerri! Tucker LOVES Bohemian Rhapsody, by the way. Like loves.

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  14. I love you so much that I forgive every one of your wackadoodle lists. And this one was really perfect. And you know what? You are right, the crap kids listen to is scary! And these songs are PERFECT. My husband sings Taxi all the time on Karaoke he does a really awesome job. I really love all of these songs, isaiah sings Fat Bottomed girls and thinks it is so funny. Hmmm.... Thank you also for your forgiveness. I look forward to you messing up next week too!

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Thanks for stopping by and letting me know what you think!