10 Favourite Title tracks of all time!

[Zzzptm]

Pretty major gear change, going from Al Green to Jon Oliva's Pain, but I liked both tracks. Al Green I knew well, Jon Oliva's is new to me, glad to hear something new.

***

Here's hoping my choices aren't blocked in other countries because of Bastard Music Group or something like that...

For funk and soul, hardly anything touches the staying power of this track...

FIRE by The Ohio Players

These session players got together and jammed out on their records like few other bands could. This track of theirs stands the test of time, hands down 100% absolutely. Love it.


***

Along the lines of Vyn's "quiet storm" selection, I recall the savvy wisdom of more than one young swain on the powers of Steely Dan. While I had already been married for several years at the time their virtues were extolled, it did make me curious about investigating their back catalog. While they have many a title track, the one that really speaks to me with its unsweetened dark chocolate urban hellscape majesty is...

The Royal Scam - Steely Dan

The sparse syncopated processional underlying the etching acid lyrics provides the drive in this track, building a mood that would have been lost had there been any more notes in the main line of the song. The bridge is a brilliant respite, then they break it all down and get right back to work. This one, this brooding, dreaming, quietly violent one, this is my favorite Steely Dan title track, without hesitation.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

I need to watch a few of those videos... but later.

Pick 10

Rush - Fly By Night

A simple 3-minute song that just works so well, catchy, rockin' who could ask for more!


I'll post my honourable mentions tomorrow

[Charger]

My 10th pick is the number one for me here there was never any doubt in my mind that this wouldn't be the top dog.

TENTH DIMENSION by BLAZE BAYLEY

This is one of my all time favourite albums and the title track is just an absolute monster of a song. This is pure perfection right here from start to finish.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

Ha! So predictable... a bit like me and Rush!

[Zzzptm]

Good choices all around!

My number one funk-soul title track is...

(Theme from) Shaft by Isaac Hayes.

I've never seen the film, but I know this tune and I know it well. Considering the full range of musicians contributing layers to the composition, hats off to Isaac Hayes as the master arranger.

***

And for the rock and roll side of things, I got the best for last...

Power & the Glory by Saxon!!!

Aaaaaaaand I got the goosebumps playing it, get 'em just about every time for the last 40 years when I put this one on.

Story time... I'd gotten lots of stuff from 70s hard rock and metal acts in my collection up to this point, but wasn't totally sure about whether or not to get into the NWOBHM acts showing up on our shores. This was my first test - buying an album solely on the basis of its cover and what it communicated. Big ol' axeheads in the S? Good sign. Evil lookin' badass in the frame? Cool cool cool cool cool. And he's got pew pew molten metal lookin' things shooting out of his fingers? OK, this is the one to try out.

AND DAMN IF THE MUSIC DIDN'T JUST SOUND LIKE WHAT THE COVER SAID IT WOULD SOUND LIKE!!! 

And now you will understand my complete and utter disappointment with Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell album... But Saxon delivered the goods and I'm glad to have been able to get back into them with their current brand of top-shelf heavy rock and metal.

[Vyn]

I have always liked Fly by Night and feel it is sorely under rated as a great song.

Another great song is that song from Saxon and cool story. Yeah, the awesome album art of Bat Out of Hell in no way prepares a person for the actual music inside!

I intentionally stayed away from Blaze Bayley knowing he'd pop up on Charger's list for sure Great tune!

I can't really put my all time fave as my last offering - since it belongs to a verboten band But, this one has always been a lyrically awesome tune that I think if more people would internalize would stop a lot of bullshit in people's lives. A real poem it is:

Full disclosure, though: this is kind of a cheat, because being the abnormal person I am, I always liked the original version better and thought the added instrumentation took away from it. But it sure made it a hit, and allowed it to be a title track for our purposes here today

[Charger]

Ha! So predictable... a bit like me and Rush!

Sometimes it's good to be predictable!



Power & The Glory was a bit of a surprise pick! Didn't see that one coming! Makes me wanna listen to that album again...well heck...why not!


I've got a few honorable mentions myself that I'll be putting out there for tomorrow...

[Charger]

Title tracks that didn't quite make the list but could have easily.

DREAM CALLS FOR BLOOD by Death Angel

Brilliant piece of thrash metal, Mark's vocals here are rather brilliant!


CARNIVAL BIZARRE by CATHEDRAL

Cathedral's third album is widely considered as their best, I quite enjoy both that came after as well...hell I don't think they've done a weak album. But this is doom metal at it's finest for sure.

BURDEN OF TRUTH by Circle II Circle

Honestly could have been any CIIC title track as they are all quite brilliant but this one is the most epic of them all I think!



I left out bands like Megadeth and Anthrax and Iron Maiden and Alice Cooper as I have included them on so many lists already...it was time to shine some light on stuff that was bit more rare....I think I somewhat succeeded...

[Zzzptm]

My honorable mentions...

Superfly by Curtis Mayfield

Feel the Need by the Detroit Emeralds (1977 version)

American Woman by The Guess Who

Lights Out by UFO

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

And here's my honourable mentions...

Saxon - Wheels of Steel

Bruce Dickinson - Chemical Wedding

Slayer - Seasons In The Abyss

[Charger]

3 Different Saxon tracks for the list now! That's super cool indeed!

Honestly Chemical Wedding for me is one of the weaker songs on that album that's why it wasn't even in consideration for me.

I was thinking about Slayer too but my pick would have been South Of Heaven. Or Hell Awaits but luckily Vyn took that one so it's awesome that it got represented here as it is one epic song...especially the almost doom metal style intro...love that part of the song the most.

I know very little UFO (the band...the aerial phenomena I know much more!) but that track I have heard before and it is a good one indeed!



I need to add one more but this one had to be left out as techincally it's not a title track...and it's off of an EP.


ALL HELL IS BREAKING LOOSE DOWN AT LITTLE KATHY WILSON's PLACE by Wolfsbane

The song is titled just Kathy Wilson on the EP but the official title of the was the title of the EP but they thought it would have been too long for a song title.
This is based on the old sci-fi classic Invaders From Mars. A very campy movie that deserves a very campy song and ofcourse the Wolfies deliver! Blaze delivers one hell of a preformance here playing several different characters in the song! Brilliant stuff!

But basically this did not tick all the needed boxes on the rules so it got left out but I'm adding it here as a Bonus track just because it is that Awesome!

[Zzzptm]

Yay! Bonus tracks!

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

What to next...  What, to, do, next!


I've got a couple of ideas:

1)  Our favourite bands before we turned 16

2)  Songs we like which aren't on an album (subsequent cash-grab compilation asides!!)


Anyone else have any ideas

[Charger]

Oh gosh....I can't really remember much about bands I liked before I was 16 (other than the ones I like now!)


Non album tracks might be interesting...but do we include japanese edition bonus tracks and/or limited edition bonus tracks or do we talk about songs that are only featured on lets say movie soundtracks and single b-sides and such?

[Zzzptm]

I'd like to do the bands of our younger days. We had lots of music in my house, and I'm glad to say I'm still into many of those artists today.