Season 128 - Uppity Music Snob

thunderflea

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The theme for Season 5 was to play a song by one of Chrimess' favorite bands in the "modern-alternative" genre. I thought that was a neat idea, where Chrimess got to hear his favorite bands covered by all you awesome ukulele players. This week's contest is similar except I am opening it up to my favorite bands of all genres (minus modern-alternative). But because I am an uppity music snob, my list can be quite selective about which albums or songs by a band are eligible. Some bands/artists may be difficult to cover, but I think there should still be something here for everyone.

My background: I grew up in the mountains with not a lot to do but play in the woods and listen to music in my room. Luckily my three older sisters (up to 10 years older) liked good music and for some reason left all their albums behind when they moved out of the house. Growing up in the middle of nowhere with few friends and no TV to speak of, at an early age I listened to all those records (in addition to my parents' records) over and over with plenty of time to learn for myself what kind of music I really liked or didn't care for. We also received very good public-access radio stations and I would record and re-listen to other genre shows (i.e. Blues, Reggae, Bluegrass, Jazz, and so on) that I otherwise would not have been exposed to. The internet was a long way off at this time....

I saw an unfortunate pattern as a got older: many of my all-time favorite bands (or members of bands) became super-famous after I already liked them for a long time. In almost every such case (except Peter Gabriel and the Talking Heads), I did not enjoy the music that made them really popular. For example, I used to really like ZZ Top. Then they put out the Eliminator album (where they introduced pre-programmed keyboards tracks) and became the smashing success that everyone now thinks of. The ZZ Top I knew and loved was a quirky, hard-rockin' bluesy band, quite different from the synthesizer-driven music everyone knows them for today. At that point I thought they had "jump the shark" to use an overused phrase. Bands such as these are denoted with a double asterisk (**) and they have qualifiers as to which specific albums/songs are/are not allowed for the contest due to my musical snobbery. Other songs may be denoted as off-limits, not because I don't like them but because they are too obvious or overplayed (example: "Ghost Riders" for Sons of the Pioneers).

  • All the typical season rules apply (a uke in there somewhere, up to three entries, don't post anything until 12 am on Sunday, yada yada)
  • You will be judged by the uppity music snob (who likes to talk in the third person) on the following criteria:
  • Song choice
  • Quality over quantity--your score will be the average of the song(s) you submit, meaning if you nail a song, don't follow it with a stinker, it will lessen your final score. One good song could win you the season.
  • That pleasant quality that is hard to describe unless speaking French.
  • Creativity
  • A band may transcend genres beyond the one for which it is listed. For instance Fishbone plays ska, funk, metal, punk, reggae, jazz, etc.. If a band/artist is listed with no qualifiers, all songs by that band/artist are free game, no matter which genre the band is listed under.
  • If you can avoid it, refrain from low-hanging fruit (the most obvious or easy song). For instance, if I said Jimmy Buffet was a favorite (I won't), don't play Margaritaville unless you can cover it so convincingly that no one can fault you for doing it yet again. But if the band/artist is already somewhat obscure or hard to play (say, The Fixx), give any of their songs—even their most popular song—a shot if you dare, because heck, I'd love to hear One Thing Leads to Another or Saved By Zero covered on a uke.
  • Extra credit for songs/bands denoted with a single asterisk (*), which means I was extra fond of that album/band/genre when growing up.
  • Multi-tracking is great and extra points for effort. However if you can cover a song well with just a single uke, the more power to you and duly noted.
  • All instruments must be acoustic and played by hand (no electronic keyboards, drum machines, click tracks, etc.). Another pet peeve of the uppity music snob.
  • If you have submitted a song for a previous season, try another.
Let me know if you have any questions. I will comment on all vids but please note that I will be away from Thursday until Sunday camping. I will finish commenting on vids when I return.

First prize: IMG_1057.jpg
This approximately two-foot tall wooden wall hanging that has adorned my wall for the past ten years. I think it is time to pass it on to someone else. I will dust it before I send it. I will probably come up with some other prizes, as well.

So, here are the uppity music snob-approved bands:

Blues
=====
Albert King
B.B. King
Bobby "Blue" Bland
Little Milton
Taj Mahal
"Big" Joe Turner

Country / Western
===============
Asleep at the Wheel
Dwight Yoakam
Sons of the Pioneers (anything except "Ghost Riders")

Disco / Funk
==========
Boney M
Earth Wind and Fire
The Gap Band
Joe Tex
Kool and the Gang
Tavares

Easy Rock (Yacht)
====
10cc
Little River Band (extra points for Reminiscing)
Bread

Eighties
=======
The Fixx
Missing Persons
Talk Talk

Jazz
======
Cab Calloway (but not Minnie the Moocher)
Count Basie
Clifford Brown
Duke Ellington
Dizzy Gillespie
Eddie Harris *
Thelonious Monk
George Shearing
Horace Silver

Hawaiian
=======
Ho‘okena
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole ("Facing Future" album only, except the song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow")
Makaha Sons
Pure Heart

Progressive Rock *
==============
Emerson Lake and Palmer (anything but the song "Lucky Man")
Genesis (anything before the "Invisible Touch" album) **
Yes
Jethro Tull
Boston (anything from first two albums only) **
Kansas (anything but the song "Dust in the Wind")
King Crimson
Peter Gabriel

Rock
=====
The Babys *
Blood Sweat and Tears
Blue Oyster Cult
David Bowie ("Let's Dance" album only)
Cream
Deep Purple
The Doors * (anything except "People are Strange")
Elvis Costello (any song from the "My Aim is True" or "This Year's Model" albums except the song Allison)
Heart (anything from 1980 and earlier) *
Joe Jackson (anything from 1984 and earlier)
Molly Hatchet
Montrose *
Phil Collins (anything from his first two solo albums, but not In the Air Tonight) **
Pretenders (anything except "Brass in Pocket")
Santana (anything before the "Supernatural" album only, but not "Evil Ways") **
Steely Dan (anything from "Pretzel Logic" or "The Royal Scam" only)
Talking Heads (anything except Psycho Killer) *
Triumph
The Who
ZZ Top (anything before the "Eliminator" album) ** *

Reggae
=======
Barrington Levy
Burning Spear
Eek A Mouse
Israel Vibration *
Lone Ranger a.k.a. Anthony Waldron
Peter Tosh
Steel Pulse
Desmond Dekker
Sugar Minott

Ska/Rocksteady
============
Aggrolites
English Beat *
Eric Morris
Fishbone *
Hepcat *
Jackie Opel
Let's Go Bowling *
Lord Creator a.k.a. Kendrick Patrick *
Lord Tanamo *
Prince Buster
The Selector
The Skatalites
The Specials

Misc
=====
Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks *
Ink Spots
Lou Rawls
Mills Brothers
Public Enemy

....and any song from the following albums:

Berlin - Pleasure Victim
Godspell soundtrack
Jefferson Starship - Earth
Oklahoma soundtrack
Rocky soundtrack
Rose Tattoo - Rose Tattoo
Royal Guardsmen - Snoopy vs the Red Baron (but not the title song)
 
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The key thought being quality over quantity...one song may win you the season and a second song could cost you the season if not up to par with the first. If you don't care about wining the season and just want to submit a bunch of songs, that's fine, too.
 
of course i might just come in with a really dreadful effort to start with (it has been known :cool:) and then have to chuck gazillions more songs at you in an increasingly desperate attempt to back-pedal from that initial rubbish-ness... is there a limit to how many songs we can do??????????
 
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The doors are kicked wide open enough for everyone to cover something of their fave genre........... great theme, I'm liking.

..........and Lynda, stop asking questions and leave the poor man alone !! Lol
 
Well, then. Looks like that one song that's been kicking around in my head for a few seasons now, looking for a good theme, has now found it's season. X3

Thank you for that. Now just gotta find some other songs to do that fit the theme. Really good one. Personal, and challenging. LOVE IT. X3
 
My quick take in Don't give up, by Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush recorded at home in the little time I had. We went home to pick up our son who was on a summer camp and then go on with our holiday. The uke is my Tenor tuned DGBE (so like a Bariton), this gave me a "singable" key with chords I found without using a capo.
 
I had considered this for war week but wasn't sure if Jarhead and Forrest Gump were tricking me into believing it was war related when in truth tis perhaps not..? But even so dug out an army green top and left the extreme bed head to add to the effect :) A rock song by The Doors* for the Uppity Music Snob



Sorry I didn't attempt the original solo but without using electronics and a keyboard or effect pedals it wouldn't have sounded right
(the distortion like sound you hear is purely my iphones poor audio recording of the cheap practice amp I have)
 
We know you want only acoustic instruments but how about an exception for a U-bass
Gah! I missed that, I read must be played by hand, no electronic keyboards, drum machines or click tracks and just blanked on the acoustic spec!
Long read and mind just didn't register that using my Risa meant not being acoustic.. In my head it meant nothing to enhance (Pedals etc.)
Does that now make my entry null and void?? If so, my mistake and bad times.. :/ aha.. Was rather proud of it too! Humph.
 
TF,

Ink Spots?? You may get three from me. My voice is about 9 octaves lower than Bill Kenney's but this may be the only Season where they are appropriate. I grew up listening to them. I think you are the first person under 107 I've known besides me who likes them.

FF
 
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