First released in 2004 on the original version of Colour The Small One (Bullz-Eye Review of the ’05 version), this track was used during the memorable final scene of the “Six Feet Under” series finale. It starts off with Sia’s somewhat raspy vocals set against subtle piano, and eventually morphs into moody songstress pop. Sia’s sincerity drives the track, making it one of the best songs of the last couple of years.
Listen to a song clip here.
After changing their name (from Caesar’s Palace) and releasing the iPod commercial single “Jerk It Out” on three consecutive albums, one must admire the Caesars’ persistence. Released on their third album, Paper Tigers, the up-tempo “Soul Chaser” features an addictive organ riff and a catchy chorus, making it one of my 5-star songs from 2005.
Listen to a song clip here.
Ok, he’s not my hero, but after listening to him sit in on the Howard Stern show this week, I realize there is a lot more to Mr. Sulu than first meets the eye. I know it sounds like an odd combination, but Takei fits in well on the show. He has a great sense of humor, a velvet radio voice and surprisingly good timing.
But his best characteristic is that he’s a good sport. An Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonator called into the show and, despite the fact that the Governator talked about how he’d like to take drivers’ licenses away from Asians just before asking George for a reach-around, Takei was blissfully naive, happy to have the opportunity to question Fake Arnold about his decision to veto the same-sex marriage bill in California. Fake Arnold finally agreed to sign the bill. After the segment, Takei was excited about the fact that history had been made that day. Howard let George go on and on, but before the show was over, he finally let Takei in on the joke. Takei took it in stride and admitted that he can be quite naive at times.
Howard has already mentioned having Takei back on the show after his week-long stint is over. He was set to be the show’s announcer (from Los Angeles) but having him in the New York studio has helped the satellite version of the show get off to a great start.
The Howard Stern show premiered on Sirius satellite radio yesterday. For those that have been living under a rock, Stern made the move to satellite because he was fed up with the restrictions of traditional terrestrial radio. The thought of uncensored Stern might frighten some people, but after listening to the first show, it really isn’t all that much different. Sure, instead of saying “the F-word,” he throws in the occasional “f*ck,” but Stern himself said that he doesn’t want the format to revolve around curse words, which just get boring with overuse.
The show’s new announcer is George Takei (Mr. Sulu on the original Star Trek), who will be serving as the “voice of the Howard Stern show.” Aside from being openly gay, Takei has a pretty good sense of humor and seems to fit in well with the rest of the cast.
The show had some technical difficulties early on, feedback and such, but after a few minutes, the show sounded fine. The content was traditional Stern – the highlight being the “revelations” – each member of the show admitted to one shocking thing they’ve done (or had done to them). Stern read the revelations and, in a week, he’ll reveal which revelation applies to which cast member. Considering some of the subject matter (cheating on your wife and getting caught, masturbating in a closet while family members go to the bathroom, waking up in the hospital after having your stomach pumped, only to find a same-sex acquaintance fondling your genitals) the revelations should provide some good material next week.
All in all, it’s good to hear Howard with the freedom he’s always wanted. Only time will tell if this move will be a good one for Stern, but so far, it sounds like he’s rejuvenated and energized, and ready to conquer a new medium.
My love affair with the music of Tom Petty began in 1989 when I saw his video for “Free Fallin’” on MTV. Like many in my generation, the song really struck a chord with me and I ran out to buy Full Moon Fever, which goes down as one of the best CD purchases I’ve ever made. Much like U2’s The Joshua Tree, which I talked about as part of my U2 Deep Cuts article, Full Moon Fever has absolutely no weak spots – every song is good. Two years later he and the Heartbreakers released Into The Great Wide Open, and after hearing “Learning To Fly,” I knew I was hooked. I started to explore Petty’s back catalog a bit more and found familiar Heartbreaker tunes like “American Girl,” “Breakdown” and “Refugee.” Luckily for me, in 1993 the group released its first Greatest Hits compilation, which still serves as a fantastic introduction to the band.
As time went on, Petty released the terrific Wildflowers and contributed all of the tracks to the She’s The One soundtrack, which was completely overlooked. It was during these years that Petty cemented himself as one of my all-time favorites, a moniker that he and his band will continue to hold as long as I draw breath.
1) “The Wild One, Forever” – Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
This Springsteen-esque track was actually written with the Rascals in mind during a break in the recording of “Breakdown.” It has a great melody over the initial guitar riff that carries the song until the chorus, which really shows how much potential Petty had in 1976.
2) “Insider” – Hard Promises
Producer Jimmy Iovine wanted Petty to write a song for Stevie Nicks’ Bella Donna, which Iovine was also producing. But after Petty finished “Insider,” he said “it really hurt me when I did the track” and he couldn’t give the song up. Nicks understood and even sang harmony on the beautiful ballad. Nicks ended up using the Petty’s “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” instead.
3) “A Woman in Love (It’s Not Me)” – Hard Promises
The Heartbreakers’ usual bassist, Ron Blair, was drifting away from the band during recording sessions for Hard Promises, so Petty brought in one of his heroes, Duck Dunn (Booker T & the MG’s), who plays an exquisite bass line while Petty moves through the vocals. The song then explodes from the soft verse into the chorus. Petty feels that the single would have received much more airplay if not for the Heartbreakers’ appearance on his duet with Stevie Nicks, “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” which was released as a single at the same time.
4) “Change of Heart” – Long After Dark
When asked about this track, Petty has said, “I was trying to write an ELO kind of song. I think the inspiration was ‘Do Ya.’” This influence is obvious as the track starts off with a crunchy guitar. While Petty only refers to “Change of Heart” as a “good rock song,” the track shows Petty’s considerable versatility within the rock genre.
5) “Straight into Darkness” – Long after Dark
This track didn’t really work in the studio until Petty decided to turn it over to the piano. Once the Heartbreakers heard the pretty piano intro, they knew how to play the track. Even though it wasn’t released as a single, Bruce Springsteen once pulled Petty aside and told him what a great song it was.
Be sure to check out Bullz-Eye.com’s full list of Tom Petty Deep Cuts, and then read more about the aritst with their list of Tom Petty Essentials, an entertainer page, and a book review of Conversations with Tom Petty.
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