Thursday, August 19, 2010

Weekend Listomania (Special Batshit Nuts Audio/Video Edition)

Well, it's Friday, and you know what that means. Yes, my Oriental groinal claims adjuster Fah Lo Suee and I will be off to...well, it's a damn secret, but let's just say that it involves us dressing up in burqas and ringing Pam "Atlas Juggs" Geller's doorbell and running.

That being the case, here's a fun little project to help us wile away the hours:

Best or Worst Post-Elvis Pop/Rock Song or Album That References Derangement of Some Sort in Either the Title or Lyrics!!!

No arbitrary rules whatsoever, you're welcome very much. And yes, it seems likely to me that we've done this dance before, although a stroll through the world famous PowerPop search engine proved fruitless when I tried to find a previous Listomania with the same theme. In any case, I figure if I can't remember it, you probably can't either. So let's simply proceed.

Incidentally, if I did put a list like this up at some earlier point, I'm pretty sure I would have nominated Napoleon XIV's "They're Coming to Take Me..." and The Vapors' "Turning Japanese." Which is why I'm not doing so now.

Of course, if YOU feel like doing so, go ahead; it's not like the blog police will come and arrest you.

And my top of my head Top Six is (are):

6. Alice Cooper -- The Ballad of Dwight Fry



His Nibs ode to the most consistently nutty B-actor in screen history.

5. Screaming Lord Sutch -- Jack the Ripper



Alice Cooper taught this guy everything he knew. Not.

4. Quicksilver Messenger Service -- Edward (The Mad Shirt Grinder)




It's an instrumental, so we have to take the song's title on faith, as far as our theme goes. Nevertheless, this is pretty much the best example of greatest rock piano man of them all Nicky Hopkins' prowess as a leader and composer; the track is his all the way, and I think its terrific even if it does get a tad too close to prog for comfort every now and then.

3. The Sonics -- Psycho




That opening scream says it all. Of course, just about everything frontman Jerry Roslie sang with these guys sounded demented.

2. Sonic Youth -- I'm Insane



You know what's insane? The idea that these guys are still avant-garde after thirty years. But I kid famed Woman in Rock Kim Gordon!!!

And the Numero Uno You So Crazy! ditty of then all, it would be bonkers of you to disagree, simply has to be...

1. H.P. Lovecraft -- At the Mountains of Madness




Not a terribly good song, although these guys were supposedly a pretty good live act if you'd imbibed the right chemicals. Bassist Jerry McGeorge was a founding member of garage rock gods The Shadows of Knight, however, so I'm willing to cut them some slack.

Alrighty then -- what would your choices be?