It'd be hard to beat any choice that had Los Lobos in it, and so it is here. The Skip Bifferty number woulda been more of a contender had they stuck to one or two of the hooks in their over-busy song. The Como number was pretty catchy, I must say (I still chuckle to think of SCTV's take on Perry Como back in the day). Ratt signifies everything I hate about hair metal, which to me is the most abominable thing ever tied to rock 'n' roll, with the fake attitude, fake hair, fake everything and no sense of humor or adventure -- it was Trump before Trump (Yes, I know Trump was around in the hair metal years, but not like he was in the last 5 years). C in California
And I love...nay...LURVE...Los Lobos. But "Round & Round" is not one of their best by a long shot and it's my least fave of the four I posted.
As for Ratt and hair metal, well I understand the aversion. But if you never knew what Ratt looked like, "Round & Round" is a pretty great, hook-filled, rock record.
And what C In Cali said about both Perry & Skip. My sentiments exactly.
So, I'll be the dissenter here -- I'm not a big hair-band/pop-metal fan.
But that Ratt song -- is fabulous. It's got riff-upon-riff-upon-riff and it's got a dynamite dual-guitar solo. Nothing else by the band ever interested me even *half* as much, but this song is locked in my favorites play list for many reasons.
The Skip Bifferty would be #2 here. First time hearing that one.
I had forgotten about the Perry Como song, so that brought up a smile of memories so #3
The Los Lobos -- didn't do anything for me so a distant #4.
So are we voting for Los Lobos because the other three are Perry Como, weird psych and hair metal, or because Los Lobos'"Round & Round"is the best record? I'm starting to believe it's the former.
"But that Ratt song -- is fabulous. It's got riff-upon-riff-upon-riff and it's got a dynamite dual-guitar solo. Nothing else by the band ever interested me even *half* as much, but this song is locked in my favorites play list for many reasons."
Personally, I opted for Lobos not because it merely wasn't the other three, but because I really like the song -- its languid ramble, it featuring one of my favorite singers in David Hidalgo, the flutey solo reminding me offhand of Traffic's 'John Barleycorn'.....all good things. So it woulda been hard to beat, for me, regardless of its competition. My brother, another who loathed hair metal, always spoke up for Ratt's 'Round And Round' as a good'un, but I never heard anything in it that I didn't hear in the million other crappy copycats that plagued that era (Relatedly, I tried for just shy of a decade to get him to try Los Lobos, but he didn't come on board til Kiko). T'each his own, I reckon. C in California
Fair enough, C. I wasn't singling YOU out, as much as having a feeling ahead of creating the post. This is a very tough crowd regarding heavy metal, or even just harder rock. I anticipated Ratt getting trashed, even though I think it's the best of the lot.
I initially thought that any choice other than Ratt was over thinking it. However, when I listened to all four selections (thru headphones), Ratt was less impressive and fell to last place. Might be a victim of over-familiarization and context. And that their not Los Lobos. And ‘Good Morning Aztlan’ is one their best albums.
I'm with C in California, just always happy to hear David Hidalgo sing. The Ratt tune has a pretty good hook, as was pointed out. While I am no hair metal fan, I don't mind that one. But give me a good Los Lobos tune from a great album any day.
Oh, no no no. I thought I'd be joining a chorus of people all agreeing that the Perry Como record is outstanding, by a country mile. Not even close. I too really like Los Lobos. (Why have I never seen them in concert?) I couldn't even name another song by Ratt, so I guess Round and Round would be my "favorite" by them but that's a low, low bar. That said, it IS a fun song. The Skip Bifferty tune is a fun one I'd have to live with; an enjoyable nugget.
4. Bifferty. Fun. 3. Los Lobos. Good song off a great album. 2. Ratt -- it's their one bit of glory. 1. Perry Como. Timeless.
His single is such a great pop tune. Plus it has a marvelous arrangement and production perfectly supporting a killer melody that does indeed go round and round. The lyrics are just wonderful. That shuffling brush work, then comes the bass (?)and then the guitars chime in and the voice rises and rises and then calms down and the whiter than white back up vocals join in. It just builds and builds without ever quite overwhelming the essentially simple tune. All in 2 1/2 minutes. It's a pop GEM and ranks alongside Como's "Catch A Falling Star" as the peak recorded singles of a not terribly interesting career. (I'd be happy to be proven wrong on this if anyone has a Como album to recommend. He's no Johnny Mathis.) And such an assured vocal. It just slips in builds to a dueling guys and gals chorus climax and then slides back down again so smoothly you are run over before you know what happened. Back in the day, I would have fed nickels in the jukebox again and again just to soak it up. Give this one another listen.
Aside: last night my phone randomly played "I Am The Walrus" and my mind was blown again by the Beatles. It's such a funny, uproarious, brilliantly produced tune...and then it scares the hell out of you (that trip turns dark!). And yet it's also a sing-along bit of nonsense any kid can shout at the top of their lungs and enjoy just for the sheer silliness of it all. What a record.
20 comments:
Los Lobos
Captain Al
Round and Round - Paul Weller. The Modfather at his finest.
Los Lobos. Every day and twice on Sunday.
It'd be hard to beat any choice that had Los Lobos in it, and so it is here. The Skip Bifferty number woulda been more of a contender had they stuck to one or two of the hooks in their over-busy song. The Como number was pretty catchy, I must say (I still chuckle to think of SCTV's take on Perry Como back in the day). Ratt signifies everything I hate about hair metal, which to me is the most abominable thing ever tied to rock 'n' roll, with the fake attitude, fake hair, fake everything and no sense of humor or adventure -- it was Trump before Trump (Yes, I know Trump was around in the hair metal years, but not like he was in the last 5 years).
C in California
Let me weigh in early here.
First, I like all four songs.
And I love...nay...LURVE...Los Lobos.
But "Round & Round" is not one of their best by a long shot and it's my least fave of the four I posted.
As for Ratt and hair metal, well I understand the aversion. But if you never knew what Ratt looked like, "Round & Round" is a pretty great, hook-filled, rock record.
And what C In Cali said about both Perry & Skip. My sentiments exactly.
Los Lobos! Will be giving that album another listen today.
For your consideration: Aerosmith from ‘Toys in the Attic’ -
https://youtu.be/OA7711eRE-A
So, I'll be the dissenter here -- I'm not a big hair-band/pop-metal fan.
But that Ratt song -- is fabulous. It's got riff-upon-riff-upon-riff and it's got a dynamite dual-guitar solo. Nothing else by the band ever interested me even *half* as much, but this song is locked in my favorites play list for many reasons.
The Skip Bifferty would be #2 here. First time hearing that one.
I had forgotten about the Perry Como song, so that brought up a smile of memories so #3
The Los Lobos -- didn't do anything for me so a distant #4.
So are we voting for Los Lobos because the other three are Perry Como, weird psych and hair metal, or because Los Lobos'"Round & Round"is the best record? I'm starting to believe it's the former.
"But that Ratt song -- is fabulous. It's got riff-upon-riff-upon-riff and it's got a dynamite dual-guitar solo. Nothing else by the band ever interested me even *half* as much, but this song is locked in my favorites play list for many reasons."
That's how I feel.
Personally, I opted for Lobos not because it merely wasn't the other three, but because I really like the song -- its languid ramble, it featuring one of my favorite singers in David Hidalgo, the flutey solo reminding me offhand of Traffic's 'John Barleycorn'.....all good things. So it woulda been hard to beat, for me, regardless of its competition.
My brother, another who loathed hair metal, always spoke up for Ratt's 'Round And Round' as a good'un, but I never heard anything in it that I didn't hear in the million other crappy copycats that plagued that era (Relatedly, I tried for just shy of a decade to get him to try Los Lobos, but he didn't come on board til Kiko). T'each his own, I reckon.
C in California
Fair enough, C.
I wasn't singling YOU out, as much as having a feeling ahead of creating the post.
This is a very tough crowd regarding heavy metal, or even just harder rock. I anticipated Ratt getting trashed, even though I think it's the best of the lot.
I initially thought that any choice other than Ratt was over thinking it. However, when I listened to all four selections (thru headphones), Ratt was less impressive and fell to last place. Might be a victim of over-familiarization and context. And that their not Los Lobos. And ‘Good Morning Aztlan’ is one their best albums.
I'm with C in California, just always happy to hear David Hidalgo sing. The Ratt tune has a pretty good hook, as was pointed out. While I am no hair metal fan, I don't mind that one. But give me a good Los Lobos tune from a great album any day.
shouldn't neil young tune from 'everybody knows this is nowhere' be a contender here as well?
There are 3754 songs called "Round & Round." I chose these four.
Round and Round by the Edgar Winter Group. They're stab at stab at powerpop!
Oh, no no no. I thought I'd be joining a chorus of people all agreeing that the Perry Como record is outstanding, by a country mile. Not even close. I too really like Los Lobos. (Why have I never seen them in concert?) I couldn't even name another song by Ratt, so I guess Round and Round would be my "favorite" by them but that's a low, low bar. That said, it IS a fun song. The Skip Bifferty tune is a fun one I'd have to live with; an enjoyable nugget.
4. Bifferty. Fun.
3. Los Lobos. Good song off a great album.
2. Ratt -- it's their one bit of glory.
1. Perry Como. Timeless.
His single is such a great pop tune. Plus it has a marvelous arrangement and production perfectly supporting a killer melody that does indeed go round and round. The lyrics are just wonderful. That shuffling brush work, then comes the bass (?)and then the guitars chime in and the voice rises and rises and then calms down and the whiter than white back up vocals join in. It just builds and builds without ever quite overwhelming the essentially simple tune. All in 2 1/2 minutes. It's a pop GEM and ranks alongside Como's "Catch A Falling Star" as the peak recorded singles of a not terribly interesting career. (I'd be happy to be proven wrong on this if anyone has a Como album to recommend. He's no Johnny Mathis.) And such an assured vocal. It just slips in builds to a dueling guys and gals chorus climax and then slides back down again so smoothly you are run over before you know what happened. Back in the day, I would have fed nickels in the jukebox again and again just to soak it up. Give this one another listen.
Aside: last night my phone randomly played "I Am The Walrus" and my mind was blown again by the Beatles. It's such a funny, uproarious, brilliantly produced tune...and then it scares the hell out of you (that trip turns dark!). And yet it's also a sing-along bit of nonsense any kid can shout at the top of their lungs and enjoy just for the sheer silliness of it all. What a record.
Ratt, of course, but they all sound pretty amazing played LOUD!
Dinosaur Jr's Lou Barlow's acoustic version of Ratt's Round & Round is amazing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVdz6APJNXY&ab_channel=RauqueStarr
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