Idolator: mother love bone

Crazy For Eight: Let's Make A Mix Consisting Of Albums' Eighth Tracks

Maura Johnston — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT

Today is the day to get all nutso about eights, or, maybe to just get nutso, if you have Olympic and/or Jonas Brothers and/or Boredoms-drum-extravaganza fever. (Woe to the person who's suffering from all three.) All the eight-related hoopla got me to thinking about how the eighth track on many an album is a hit-or-miss proposition; particularly on longer albums in the CD era, it serves as something of a midpoint, and albums become unfocused and maybe stick their not-as-good tracks in there. For example: track eight on Appetite For Destruction, for example, is the OK-but-not-great "Think About You," while track eight on Nevermind is the relatively irritating to my ears "Drain You." And not to be all lazy-Google-research about this, but the phrase "track 8 is my favorite" only has 22 hits on the search engine; spell out the word "eight," and you're down to four.) Anyway, I decided to root through my collection and find some outstanding examples of an album's eighth track—eight, in fact. They're unordered, although the last one on the list is probably my favorite (and I found an amazing live version of it, to boot). Feel free to add your own!

Michael Jackson - "PYT" (from Thriller, 1982)

Helium - "Superball" (from The Dirt Of Luck, 1995)

Love Is All - "Spinning And Scratching" (from Nine Times That Same Song, 2006)

Aerosmith - "Lick And A Promise" (from Rocks, 1976)

Mother Love Bone - "Captain Hi-Top" (Apple, 1990)

PJ Harvey - "50Ft Queenie" (from Rid Of Me, 1993)

Janet Jackson - "Miss You Much" (from the CD version of Rhythm Nation 1814, 1989)

Afghan Whigs feat. Marcy Mays - "My Curse" (from Gentlemen, 1992)

Seven Songs That Are Way More Fun To Drive Around To Than "Mr. Brightside"

Maura Johnston — Fri, 30 May 2008 10:00:00 EDT

Once again, we celebrate the last posting day of the month with Rule Of Sevens, in which I make a bunch of seven-item lists in an effort to wipe the slate of the past 30 or 31 days clean. Today's first installment is inspired by a UK car insurance company's rundown of great songs to drive around to, which is topped by the Killers' "Mr. Brightside" and somehow contains both Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out For A Hero" (which I swear is completely "borrowed" wholesale on the new Hold Steady album) and Survivor's "Eye Of The Tiger" (which seems more appropriate for stop-and-go traffic, but maybe that's just me). With gas prices soaring and the general crumminess pervading the world at large, the need for escapist music during routine, yet increasingly expensive, trips to the grocery store is higher than ever, so this perpetual passenger (who always kicks in for fuel) brings you her seven picks for songs you should crank up on your own personal radio after the jump.

1. Janet Jackson, "When I Think Of You"

This would also make a great "first dance at a wedding" song. I'm just saying.

2. Sissy Wish, "Float"

I put this on a "best of '07" mix that became the official CD that I toted along on every car trip I took last year.

3. Queen, "I'm In Love With My Car"

Bonus points if you can find the Mother Love Bone version. Speaking of:

4. Mother Love Bone, "Chloe Dancer/Crown Of Thorns"

5. New Edition, "If It Isn't Love"

That breakdown! I really need to get this on CD very soon.

6. Guns N' Roses, "Paradise City"

Also on the insurance company's list. Sometimes, the publicity-stunt-directed masses get it right.

7. Madonna, "Ray Of Light"

elephant.co.uk Ultimate Driving Songs [elephant.co.uk via ONTD]

Holy Crap: Green River Reunion Show Set For Next Summer

mjohnston — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 08:56:23 EDT

File under "pieces of news that I thought Jess was giving me in order to fake me out and get my attention": Green River—the Mark Arm-fronted Seattle band that the northwest rock historian behind lamestain pegged as "the first grunge rock stars"—is going to play a reunion show in honor of Sub Pop's 20th anniversary, according to former guitarist Stone Gossard.

Green River put out a few EPs and an album, Rehab Doll, during the mid-1980s; along with Arm and Gossard, the band's lineup included Steve Turner, Jeff Ament, Bruce Fairweather, and Alex Vincent, a collection of names that would later go on to dot the lineups of Northwest-rock titans like Mudhoney, Mother Love Bone, Pearl Jam, and Love Battery. Their music, particularly the fine Rehab Doll, straddled the line between glam and sludge in a way that was probably best epitomized by their winking cover of David Bowie's "Queen Bitch"; one of their songs, "Swallow My Pride," would go on to become a mini-classic, receiving the cover treatment from the Fastbacks and Soundgarden (it's streaming from the spam comment-filled MySpace page that someone's set up for them). The date for the show hasn't been announced yet, but rest assured that when it is, I will be booking my plane ticket straightaway.

Brad Regroups For NYC Benefit, New Album, Reissues [Billboard]
Green River [MySpace]