Listen to It Loud Hall of Fame Inductee

I was thinking of an elaborate post about this song, but now that I’m sitting down to write it, never mind.  I’ve never listened to Johnny Cash.  Thanks to Olivia I heard this song for the first time today and I’m now on a desperate search to listen to Mr. Cash, as much of him as I possibly can.

As for this song … WOW is really the only way to describe my reaction to it.  And, yes, in one day, it’s in the Hall of Fame.

[Edited to Add:  Seriously, through the wonder that is Spotify, I’m stunned at what I’ve missed all these years.]

Listen to it Loud — HOF

Here’s the fourth inductee.

Years ago, we went to Day at the Zone, a local summer concert, featuring several different bands.  The headliner was INXS.  Marty Casey and the Lovehammers and Five for Fighting was also there.  And, then there was this guy.  His name was Mat Kearney.  I’d never heard of him before.  He only played a few songs, being one of the earlier acts.  I was hooked and have loved his music ever since.

This song is in my Listen to it Loud Hall of Fame for reasons unlike the other songs so far listed.  It’s about the sound, the mood, and the lyrics on this one.  He paints a picture and tells a story with this song that just blows me away and matches it with the quality of his vocals and the mood.  Love this song and could listen to it over and over and over again and still get chills down my spine.

 

 

Listen to it Loud Hall of Fame — Third Inductee

One of my first favorite bands was Queen.  The safe bet here would be that I’m going to pick Bohemian Rhapsody for their selection into my Listen to it Loud Hall of Fame.  But I’m not.  That’s a no-brainer.  Who doesn’t listen to that song at full volume.  There are a lot of songs that should be considered.  All Dead, All Dead; Bohemian Rhapsody; Don’t Stop Me Now; Fat-Bottomed Girls; Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy; The Prophet’s Song; Somebody to Love; Teo Torriate; You Take My Breath Away.  And more.

My selection is The Millionaire Waltz.  Much like Bohemian Rhapsody, it’s somewhat operatic — a sound unique to Queen.  I’m not sure anybody else has ever quite produced the combination of vocals, piano, guitars and sound.  They perform some incredible songs.  Here’s the studio version.  And a live version.

Listen to it Loud — Second Inductee

More than 10 years ago, I was at work when a co-worker brought his guitar in.  A colleague encouraged him to play something on it.  After initial hesitation, he did.  He played this, primarily the part that starts at about the 1:08 mark.  I heard it and had to play it.  I embarked on an effort to learn how to play classical, or flamenco, guitar.  Self-taught — which was my mistake.  I have this grand desire to learn an instrument, but neither the time or money to take lessons.  As a result, I keep trying an instrument and not getting too far.  I spent a couple of years learning this style.  I could even play a version of the song linked to above, as well as 10 or 15 others, but I had a limitation in how I held the guitar that made more difficult chords and pieces just too, well, difficult.  I haven’t played much lately.

However, there was a song in one of my books that just hit me in the solar plexus.  It was the song that I wanted to learn to play more than anything else.  And, it is the second inductee in my Listen to it Loud Hall of Fame (which now has a tab at the top of this blog, including the criteria for selection, which, yes, this song violates, but it’s my HOF).  Here’s the song.  Zapateado as played by Juan Martin.  I can play pieces of it, but never got to the point where I could play a passable version of the entire thing.  Some day.  Some day.

Bet you didn’t expect me to go from Rush to classical guitar.

 

 

 

Listen to It Loud — Hall of Fame

I was driving to work this morning when 10,000 Years (Peace is Now) by Live came up on my IPod.  As the first notes were played, I cranked the volume up as loud as possible.  There are some songs that are just like that.  You have to listen to them loud.  And, frequently over and over again, no matter how long those songs have been in your life.  So, today’s new feature on King Midget’s Ramblings … the Listen to it Loud Hall of Fame.  (I’m gonna have to find a spot somewhere on the blog for this to be a permanent feature.)

Although 10,000 years provided the impetus for this feature, it can’t be the first inductee.  That honor goes to a song that has been a part of my life’s soundtrack for 30 years.  There simply cannot be a better song for absolutely cranking up the volume than Spirit of the Radio by Rush.  Click on the link and turn it up.  (Yes, I know, that Rush is a taste enjoyed by few people, but give me this one, would ya?)  For about ten years of my life, I thought Rush was the most incredible band ever.  They’ve pretty much sucked for the last 10-15, but there are a series of albums they put out that as a group represent some of the greatest rock music.  Other Rush songs that could be added to this list … Workingman, the entire first side of 2112, Red Barchetta, Xanadu, Tom Sawyer, One Little Victory, and probably a few others.

That’s the first one.  Let’s see what I add over the weeks.

Got any nominees?