“Animals Medley” – David Johansen

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Here’s David Johansen’s famous Animals medley from the stellar 1982 live album “Live it Up.” This is a medley of the Animals’ “We’ve Gotta Get Out of this Place,” “Don’t Bring Me Down,” and “It’s My Life” and Johansen and his band pulls it off damn well.

Trivia note: I remember going to a (now-defunct) used record store in Norfolk, VA in 1989 and discussing the New York Dolls with a clerk or the owner (I can’t remember). The guy admitted a disdain for Johansen because of this Animals medley, because allegedly, his band did an Animals medley before Johansen did it, Johansen saw his band perform it when his band opened for Johansen, and then Johansen did the same thing and gained notoriety for it. OK, maybe this guy at the record store deserves a cheeseburger for Johansen’s alleged steal … but even then I thought, really? Your entire reason for “not making it” was because Johansen stole some idea of doing a medley of covers of some other band from you? Sweet lord, that’s THEE most single pathetic celebrity grudge I’ve ever witnessed. Johansen, God bless you for turning a medley of covers into a minor hit. Even if you allegedly stole the “original” idea of doing covers from another band.

“Go Right Ahead” (Live Broadcast from RMV) – The Hives

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The hardest rocking Scandanavians in recent memory (Norwegian death metal excluded) returned in 2012 with the album “Lex Hives.” “Go Right Ahead” was the single and it’s kind of a louder, crunchier version of ELO’s “Don’t Bring Me Down.” This is a killer live version and, like most Swedish pop bands, the band is still rocking the matching suits.