Now That's What 411 Calls Music Volume 10: The One Made By Mogan
Posted by Stephen Mogan on 04.24.2006
We're gonna rock & roll all night...
Hell everyone, thought it was about time I threw my $0.02 in on this whole mixtape issue. Like pretty much everybody who'll be posting one of these things I've had a longstanding affinity towards mixtapes. I've never quite gone down the High Fidelity road and tried to woo a woman with one (do people say "woo" anymore? I've been out of the game a long time. Do people still say "in the game"?), but I usually make them as a source of personal amusement. There's nothing funnier than finding a mixtape you made a couple of years back and just thinking "What the hell…?". Whether it was my incredibly brief "punk" phase, the more extended "rap" phase (aka "Eminem" phase, God I was a stupid kid) or whatever the hell it is I like now (that's a mystery to even myself), there's always at least one song on those old things that makes me cringe with embarrassment. I've gotta admit I'm no expert at this, so if what follows is the worst thing you've ever seen then I won't be surprised. I'm still learning the "art of the mixtape", if you will. Past follies include opening with the Black Eyed Peas ("Pump It". I like the song, but anyone who listens always thinks it's gonna be that song off "Pulp Fiction" and can't hide their disappointment when they realize it isn't. Learn from my mistakes people) and finishing off a relatively gentle, stoney mixtape for my girlfriend with a live version of "No One Knows" by Queens of the Stone Age. I still don't know why I did either of these things, and they both occurred only months ago so I can't even blame the ignorance of youth. Anyway, this is the CD I'd want with me if I was stranded on a desert island with no other source of amusement. I've put a limit of one song per artist to stop it turning into a David Bowie best-of, but apart from that there's no rules; it's a musical free-for-all. Let's get it on!
01. Guns ‘n' Roses – Welcome To The Jungle
Appetite For Destruction (1987)
I can't think of a better way to open an album than this track. Considering the fuss I caused by bad-mouthing this band a short while back, you might be surprised that I chose this. Or you might not know what I'm talking about and just be confused. Still, this is one of the best rock songs ever recorded and it's the perfect track to get the blood flowing. If I'm feeling lethargic I'll throw this on and rock out in the most embarrassing fashion (usually before becoming completely lethargic once again). It also reminds me of watching a GNR concert on the TV as a youngster and seeing the giant monster thing that they had on stage with them when they performed this (I think it had daggers for teeth, I dunno why but that impressed the hell out of me at the time). I may also remember that so clearly because I also saw my first pair of boobs whilst watching that gig; they belonged to a flasher in the crowd. Ahhhh, memories. This merits inclusion just for "Cha-na-na-na-na-na knees KNEES!" really, doesn't it? You bet your peachy ass it does.
02. The Rolling Stones – Street Fighting Man
Beggars Banquet (1968)
The second of about four tracks I have at the start of this thing that could/should have been the opener. This is The Stones at the top of their game, and it's definitely my favorite track by them. The intro is fantastic, I defy anybody to not bang along on a table/dashboard/steering wheel/loved one when the drums kick in. A great riff, some awesome lyrics and the "Get Down!", what more do you need?
03. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Purple Haze
Are You Experienced? (1967)
I'm sensing a theme with all the songs I've picked here; they all have intros that I like to sing or play or make noises along too, and of course this is no exception. This is just Jimi being Jimi; flat-out fucking cool. The riffs are excellent as you'd expect, but so are the lyrics: "Is it tomorrow, or just the end of time?", "Excuse me while I kiss the sky" are both classic lines for me. And the way the music drops out as Hendrix delivers them is just masterful. It was a tough choice between this and "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)" here, and "Purple Haze" wins out because it includes those lines, which are among my favorites of all time. And also because it's about drugs, hur-hur.
04. Rage Against The Machine – Freedom
Rage Against The Machine (1992)
The best song Rage ever recorded, for my money. I know it's odd to have it fourth on the disc, when it really should be the closer, but I feel it works well between Jimi and the next track. This song has so much power; I don't know how they managed it. The quiet/loud dynamic the band employs here is just perfect. The "Your anger is a gift" line is just perfect, and the dazzling array of riffs Tom Morrello pulls out of his bag of tricks is, guess what? Perfect. This is the song that got me out of bed every morning for about a year. Being a lazy bastard, I'd say that's praise enough for this one. It's so intense it's unbelievable. The feedback at the end of the song also lets the listener know that we're done with the opening "heavy rock" section of the mixtape, ready to move onto something different…
05. MOP – Ante Up (Remix)
Warriorz (2000)
…and this is certainly something different. I told you I had a rap phase. This is, in my opinion, the best rap song of the 1990's. I'm sure a lot of people would disagree, but this one does it for me every time. The beat is awesome; it gets you jacked up before the first verse even begins. And when it does, it's something pretty special. Busta Rhymes brings the heat every time, but even he sounds more amped-up than usual here. Everybody else on the song follows suit and the result is a track that makes you wanna go and start a riot, in the best possible way. I always wonder how the hell they got into the right mind-set to record this one, possibly by having a giant Royal Rumble-style fight in the middle of the studio. Whatever they did, it worked. Simply phenomenal; the energy of this song is something else.
06. Sex Pistols – Submission
Never Mind The Bollocks… (1977)
This one has always been my favourite Pistols track, and the fact that it was never released as a single and burnt out through overplay makes it stand out more. I still can't figure out what the lyrics are exactly about, so if anyone can clue me in then send me an email using the link at the bottom of the page. The riff on this one is so simple, yet so addictive. It's the embodiment of everything punk stood for; no, it's not technically a great song, but the combination of the incessant riff and Rotten's delivery makes it a winner.
07. Super Furry Animals – Rings Around The World
Rings Around The World (2001)
You might be wondering how such a recent song made it onto the list, but the fact is that this is just a classic pop song. It'll still sound as great in 20 years as it does now. The mix of Velvet Underground-esque guitar and electronics is an intriguing one, but it's singer Gruff Rhys who steals the show. His delivery is so upbeat that you can't help be put right into a good mood when listening to him. A song like this really shouldn't make it onto lists like these; the lyrics are ridiculously simple and the song is over before you even feel like it's gotten started. Yet, Rhys manages to turn it into the most joyful celebration imaginable, without ever being twee or sickening. The perfect song for the happy times. If you haven't checked this band out yet then please do so, they're one of the most overlooked groups of modern times.
08. The White Stripes – Ball And Biscuit
Elephant (2003)
I couldn't help but put this one on here. I was unsure about where it would fit so I stuck it at number 8, the position it occupies on its parent album, "Elephant". This song was the exact moment when The White Stripes matured from indie noise-mongers to bona-fide rock superstars in my eyes. Whereas most of their previous material had been short and simple, this one clocks in at over 7 minutes. It's by far the longest thing they've ever done, and I'd contend that it's the best. There's such a swagger about the whole thing, it's pretty impressive. Jack White's delivery suits the rumbling drums and guitars down to the ground. Throw in some confident, bordering on cocky, lyrics and a few guitar freakouts and you have something very special indeed. If the song needed any further endorsement; Bob Dylan got up on stage to perform this with them at one of their shows a few years back. The man has taste.
09. The Ramones – I Wanna Be Sedated
Road To Ruin (1978)
A pretty obvious song to choose, really, but it's stood the test of time and is rightly thought of as one of the best songs ever not to make a chart breakthrough. The Ramones carried on for years despite achieving little or no commercial success, so it's good to see that the turn of the decade brought a new found respect for them (not to mention t-shirt sales going through the roof). This one straddles the border between their earlier punk work and Phil Spector-produced cuts like "Do You Remember Rock ‘n' Roll Radio?", which were quite blatantly engineered to give the band a "radio hit". Here, the band finds the right balance between pop and punk and produce one of my all-time favourite singles.
10. Sugarhill Gang – Apache
8th Wonder (1981)
God, this song is on here for so many reasons. Like Scott Rutherford said in his column, every mixtape needs a party song, and this is mine. The beat is a classic for a start, and the lyrics are mostly cringe-inducing garbage that make me love the song even more (Example: "I'll rock you out of your moccasins!" Er, will you?). The guy who does the second verse also sounds like a huge pervert; "I'll steal the squaws and run away: ‘Hi ho silver!' is what I say!". What a line. If that wasn't enough, Carlton and Will do an amazing routine to this song on the "Fresh Prince of Bel Air". Again, that's endorsement enough for me (Will Smith and Bob Dylan apparently deserve the same level of respect in my book. That's one fucked-up book). You simply cannot help but move to this song, whether it's just tapping your foot or going for the full-on "white man's funk face" (my personal favourite).
11. Run DMC – It's Tricky
Raising hell (1986)
This is another classic 80's hip-hop track. I've always loved this since I was young, even more than "Walk This Way". I feel this one complements the last track, and hey, I can have two party songs if I want to. This one always, unfortunately, makes me dance while drunk. Poor everyone else in the club. Great beat, great lyrics; a stone-cold classic. You gotta love Run-DMC.
12. The Beta Band – The House Song
The Three EP's (1999)
I realize that putting a Beta Band song on here is very "High Fidelity" of me, but if that song is the only one you've heard by the band then you should hear this baby. It's almost impossible to describe really, but that's my job so here goes. We start off with a multi-layered a cappella that lasts a minute or so, whilst all the instruments and samples are brought in around it. Next, a semi-pumping dance beat kicks in, before the song breaks down and the singer delivers a rap that is either in a foreign language or is simply made-up noises. After this the stunning bassline kicks in and the whole song turns into a kind of rave-up without the use of any electronics. The drumming is fantastic and the whole track is wonderfully weird. Well worth checking out if you've never heard it.
13. Led Zeppelin – Bron Y Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin III (1970)
I had to have a bit of Zeppelin on here, but the choice of song may surprise some people. This probably isn't one of their better known tracks, at least among non-fans anyway. It eschews the heavy guitars that the band usually favoured and goes for an acoustic, well, stomp. The song sees Jimmy Page being just as awesome as he is on the electric guitar on an acoustic and Robert Plant delivering a heat-felt ode to his beloved…er, dog. Yeah…his dog. Bizzare, but fantastic; and all at the same time. Another song that it's impossible no to tap your foot along to.
14. The Velvet Underground – Heroin
The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
I thought I needed to bring it down a little after all the upbeat tracks on here. I wrote about this song in my first Untouchables column and can't think of a better way of describing it than I did then. So, take it away, me:
"The title is pretty self-explanatory, and the song sees Reed singing about the rush he experiences on the drug as the rest of the band attempt to simulate it musically. The song starts slowly and speeds up rapidly, before slowing back down again and repeating the process as Reed's vocals vary from placid to frantic. Cale's viola features, and combines perfectly with the guitar to create something that's absolutely spell-binding. Best part: the viola-led freak-out towards the end that sounds like a cat being strangled, but somehow manages to remain compulsive listening."
Well said, me. Classic song, classic band; this track just edged out "White Light/White Heat" to make it onto my mixtape.
15. David Bowie – Life On Mars?
Hunky Dory (1971)
I had to limit myself to one Bowie song so it came down to either this or "Queen Bitch"; the epic classic or the punchy rock number. In the end I went with this one because it's one of the most dramatic sing-a-long tracks in existence. The way the song builds from the sole piano to the dramatic swoops that precede the chorus is magic. The chorus itself is, of course, one of the greatest of all time and if I can only have one Bowie song, I'll have the one that has him at his most majestic.
16. The Stone Roses – I Am The Resurrection
The Stone Roses (1989)
I couldn't choose any other song to finish with. This is, in my opinion, the best album closer ever. I also believe it has one of the best instrumental sections ever, as well. Maybe I'm overstating it. Let's see what I wrote about this song in my column:
"I Am The Resurrection" begins with a simple drum beat and bassline, giving no indication of what's to come later in the track. Minimal guitars too. The song slowly chugs along before unleashing its killer chorus of "I am the resurrection/and I am the light...", which feels like a gigantic release at the end of the record, a celebration if you will. This would probably be enough to close us out, but just when you think the song has finished, it carries on. For another 5 minutes. This instrumental jam session, apparently recorded live in the studio, is possibly the best thing committed to record by any British band ever. Everyone is on point, every beat is perfect; it's an incredible feat. Squire's amazing guitar solo is backed by some incredibly tight drumming from Reni. When I eventually learn to play guitar I'm going to spend the rest of my life learning to play this solo. I don't care about chords (I'll give them my own names. Jeff, for example), I don't care about playing anything else, if I can ever master this before I die I'll be happy (I doubt I will, but it's worth a shot). Just amazing, you'll rewind it and play it again immediately after it's finished, it feels like the shortest (and best) 8 minutes of your life. Could I gush any more?"
No, you couldn't, sir! As you can see, I fucking love this song. Plain and simple. One of the best non-Hendrix guitar solos ever is one thing, but the fact that the rest of the band keeps up as well just puts this one on another level. There was no other way for me to finish my mixtape than with this; if I could I'd put it on twice so I didn't have to hit rewind. Spectacular.
Well, that's it folks. I was really surprised by some of my choices, but on the whole it came out OK. I had to leave off some very good songs from artists as diverse as The Beatles ("8 Days A week"), Kings Of Leon ("Spiral Staircase"), Queens of the Stone Age ("Lost Art of Keeping a Secret") The Smiths ("How Soon Is Now?") and The Doors ("Riders On The Storm") but I'm happy with the choices I made. Hope you enjoyed reading about what's in my brain; if you have any thoughts of your own get in touch with us at 411 and share them with us. Take it easy,
