One of my favorite psychedelic hard-rock soul songs from the 1960s, here’s the Chambers Brothers’ “Time Has Come Today.” One of the most brilliant uses of rock music in film was when Hal Ashby used this song to underscore a long and intense scene in his 1978 Vietnam drama “Coming Home,” the one where Bruce Dern confronts Jon Voight over Voight’s affair with Dern’s wife, played by Jane Fonda.
As a bonus, I’ve also included the Ramones’ kick-ass punk-metal cover from 1983’s “Subterranean Jungle”:
Awesome! Someone finally posted this beyond smokin’, show-stopping cover of “Bo Diddley’s a Gunslinger” by Warren Zevon from his classic 1980 live album “Stand in the Fire,” recorded during some legendary concerts at the Roxy in Los Angeles that same year. Way heavier than most music that calls itself heavy metal. Some very sick electric guitar. This album was dedicated to fellow survivor Martin Scorsese. What are you waiting for? Play extremely f–king loud!!!!!
I realize discussing this song is like discussing “Like a Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan. It’s a song that so epitomizes the artist, yet has become so commonplace that there’s nothing more that can be said about it that hasn’t already been said better.
All I will add is that no matter how many times it turns up on compilations, films, and classic “alternative” mixes, I still can’t turn this song off. It’s a song that completely epitomizes the Smiths, yet is so much better than most of their catalog.
From the 1990 album “Goo,” this is Sonic Youth’s non-ironic tribute to Karen Carpenter. I can’t say for sure whether this was inspired by Todd Haynes’ legendary underground short “Superstar,” but the spirit is the same. Both “Superstar” and “Tunic” may seem snarky considering that the artists involved came from the underground, but the sentiment is anything but. Which is why the song still packs a punch nearly 25 years later.
I can’t find the incredible Elvis Costello original on You Tube, so this totally kick-ass cover by the Bangles will have to do instead. However, please note this is no consolation prize by any stretch of the imagination.
A really beautiful, Neil Young-style cover of the Replacements’ classic “Bastards of Young,” recorded live at Atlanta’s Criminal Records in 2008 by former D Generation lead singer Jesse Malin. The studio version can be found on the stellar 2007 album “Glitter in the Gutter.”
I remember seeing this really cheesy ad for a 4-record set of 1960s songs (starring Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees) when I was about 4 or 5 years old and asking for the album for either my birthday or Christmas. I remember playing it constantly and it was my first introduction to so-called pop music back in the day.
Unfortunately, the person who uploaded this vintage commercial decided to have some words in red font annoyingly travel across the screen while you’re watching the clip.
My first introduction to the music of James Brown came from this 1978 TV commercial for a Brown “best-of” album. While I remember being impressed with how “hard” this music sounded, I think what I most remember about this ad was the cartoon scene of two female butts in short shorts doing the bump while Brown shrieked “Hot Pants!!!!” over and over again. There are some other interesting “special effects” in this spot as well. This is 1970s advertising cheese at its finest.
From the transitional 1992 EP “Broken,” “Wish” was the first Nine Inch Nails song that made me say “F–K YEAH!” A lot of my friends loved Nine Inch Nails already, but while I liked the attitude of 1989’s “Pretty Hate Machine,” it had too many synths and not enough guitars for my taste. Well, be careful what you wish for, because Trent Reznor added some guitars all right. Gobs of them. Even over 20 years later, the result is still one of the heaviest songs ever recorded. And I’ve since come around on “Pretty Hate Machine” as well.
Placebo’s “Pure Morning” is a nice updating of Jimi Hendrix’s “Are You Experienced?,” albeit with a 1970s British glam-rock feel. This was originally supposed to a be a B-side, but was released as an A-side instead. It’s Placebo’s best-known song in the US, but lead singer/songwriter Brian Molko allegedly hates it and rarely performs it these days.
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