Guilty Pleasures
I don’t usually go in for the “list” meme stuff, but both Phil Ulrich and that guy who got fired for taking G5 pictures at Microsoft have done posts answering LISTblog’s call for lists of “five songs you hate to admit you like,” and, as a closet pop music fan, I can’t resist holding forth on my own favorite guilty pleasures. So, here they are:
- Don’t Fear the Reaper (Blue Öyster Cult)
It was the brilliant (and now famous) Saturday Night Live bit featuring Christopher Walken as a cowbell-loving record producer that turned me onto this little gem. At first I liked it only ironically, but, after purchasing it from the iTMS, I found myself enjoying it with increasing sincerity.
Admittedly, “Reaper” can often come across as a bit excessive (the big prog-rock instrumental break in the middle always seems to sort of kill the song’s groove for me) and melodramatic (Romeo and Juliet are together in eternity—we can be like they are!). Nonetheless, I’ve always been intrigued by how easily its sound would fit into the repertoire of a lot of the jangly, “C86-ish” indie bands I tend to admire. As a matter of fact, according to the Covers Project, R.E.M. has actually covered it (I’d love to hear it if anyone knows how to get a hold of a recording)!
- Millennium (Robbie Williams)
Robbie’s cred is, of course, irrepairably compromised by the fact the he got his start in a boy band, and I honestly can’t claim to be a huge fan of his, but this song has always resonated with me. It reminds me of a particularly happy time in my life: my first trip to the UK with my family in 1999. I’m pretty sure it was the first song I heard on the radio after landing at Gatwick, and, anglophile that I am, its lilting ostinato and cynical lyrics (Overdose at Christmas/And give it up for Lent) have always held a special place in my heart.
(Update: Denver friend Michael Allen emailed me with an interesting factoid: the “ostinato” I refer to above is actually a sample from the Nancy Sinatra song “You Only Live Twice,” which is from the movie of the same name. Another interesting fact, gleaned from You Only Live Twice’s IMDB entry is that the movie’s screenwriter was none other than Roald Dahl—who you may remember as the author of James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and other children’s novels!)
- Smooth Criminal (Michael Jackson)
It’s interesting—I think I’m less ashamed to admit I like this song because of its connection to Michael Jackson than because of the awful cover by Alien Ant Farm. Corny though it may be in all of its noirish seriousness, Jackson’s original gets by on its raw intensity. By contrast, the Ant Farm aim for knowing irony, going out of their way to let us all know they’re not actually, like, into Michael Jackson or anything, and in doing so succeed merely in sucking the life out of what should be a fun song.
- Sweet Child O’Mine (Guns N’ Roses)
I’ve been advised that I’m not actually supposed to be embarassed about liking this song, since it was on Appetite for Destruction (apparently Appetite is one of the GNR albums it’s OK to like). Nonetheless, it represents a departure for me, and I’ve certainly been mocked for listening to it by people like my brother Ben, who tends to roll his eyes when the grandiose guitar solos come around.
Whatever your opinion of the song’s excesses, you have to admit that it contains one of the great guitar riffs of all time. If I had to explain the concept of a “riff” to an alien, I would probably use “Sweet Child O’Mine” and The Beatles’ “Daytripper” as examples.
- Dancing Queen (ABBA)
I’ve been fascinated with ABBA ever since my brother Ben and I first encountered the quartet’s bizarre vanity project, the rarely seen ABBA: The Movie, on cable years ago (I seem to recall hearing that they showed the ABBA film at All Tomorrow’s Parties once as well!). Both of us have always loved both music and bad movies, so we were immediately in awe of ABBA’s film, which portrays the quest of a harried journalist as he attempts to get close to the band.
Of all the songs listed here, I would say that this is the one I appreciate most ironically. It’s got a nicely constructed melody, and would be fun to cover in a band, but any enjoyment of the song itself is very rapidly overwhelmed by images of the band photographed through those cheesy starburst filters that were so popular in the 70’s. Still, you’ve got to admit: it sticks in your head!
(Update: The aforementioned Michael Allen, who is also a native Australian, has upbraided me for not mentioning that ABBA: The Movie was filmed in his homeland—though I would say that being associated with such a film is a dubious honor for any country!)