Saturday, April 28, 2007

Top 5 - Quick Three Minute Ditty

JJ Cale - the master of the demo


Let's try a Top 5 a little more academic, because you gotta be able to mix opinion with fact if you're gonna get any where in this blog. But, don't worry, it's not too tricky. Everybody's got their favorite little ditty they can hum along with. Sometimes if a song gets too long and too complicated, it loses all its meaning. Plenty of artists out there can say all they need to in an easy melody and a few short minutes. I figure most songs are between 3 and 5 minutes long. So, what about those quick three minute ditties? Let me have em - what are your Top 5 Song Under 3:00? I'm sure there are plenty of them.

Here's a great example, just to get you started. Blues songs can be really simple and get their point across pretty quickly. I particularly like this Spencer Davis Group song (Steve Winwood singing). Hopefully, it'll get you started.

Spencer Davis Group - The Hammer Song (2:16)
[buy Spencer Davis Group here]

AG

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is pretty hard, but here are a few I love.

1. The Byrds - One Hundred Years From Now [2:43] Gram Parsons was a country-rock legend and this is probably my favorite of his songs. A simple point is made with this song, IMO: The more things change, the more they stay the same and rarely do we learn. The pedal steel here is also kick ass.

2. Pavement - Kennel District [2:56] Rutledge is right, fuzzy guitars kick ass! I also have a recent affinity for songs about hard luck lovers.

3. John Prine -- Please Don't Bury Me [2:51] A morbid sing-a-long favorite. Prine's got the right idea of how to dispose of his body, including giving his stomach to Milwaukee if they run out of beer. Thankfully we know that'll never happen.

4. Son Volt -- Windfall [2:58] Jay Farrar is one of the great living songwriters and with Windfall he might've written the perfect song. Uplifting lyrics about music and the road, complimented with a perfect pedal steel guitar. Americana imagery abounds!

5. Uncle Tupelo -- Still Be Around [2:44]
One of the first songs I loved with this band. If I may, allow me to lift this from, surprisingly enough, The Onion's AV Club:

"One of the alt-country group's most affecting songs glimpses the
aftermath of loss with an almost palpable sense of longing. "Still Be Around," which consists of Tupelo co-leader Jay Farrar singing with a 12-string guitar, opens with him on a search: "I don't see you through the windshield / I don't see you in faces looking back me."
Unsuccessful, he turns to alcohol, which leads to a self-destructive
routine where "the Bible is a bottle and the hardwood floor is home / When morning comes twice a day, or not at all." Farrar needs help out of the muck, but worries that the only person who can help is gone forever."

Anonymous said...

Excellent call on "Still Be Around", that is a fantastic song. I certainly appreciate the John Prine as well. All your picks are pretty close to the 3:00 mark, but certainly all fair game. Well done.

Anonymous said...

I had no problem coming up with more than 5 for this list. I'll stick to the cinco though, and here they are:

1) JJ Cale - After Midnight (2:23)
His picture's on the main page, so I had to put up on of his songs. He is the master of the stripped down demo song. Nothing fancy, just good song writing. That's evidenced in how many times this song has been covered by everybody, most notably Eric Clapton.

2) Cat Stevens - Trouble (2:47)
I was shocked to find that this song was under 3:00. How can he cram so much into so little time? Its a sweet song that begs trouble to let us slide by, leave us alone.

3) Robert Johnson - Me and the Devil Blues (2:35)
Like I said, the blues riff lends pretty well to succinct songs. Just unadorned song-writing. Robert Johnson is a classic blues man and this is a great song, again, covered by many (excellently by Widespread Panic)

4) Ricky Skaggs - Uncle Pen (2:25)
Bluegrass pickers are also great at the quick ditty. The move quick and get out of the way. This is a Bill Monroe tune, but Ricky does a fine job with it as well.

5) Uncle Tupelo - I Wanna Destroy You (2:30)
That's pretty much all this song says - I wanna destroy you. I'm surprised it takes 2.5 min to convey that...

Anonymous said...

Ahhhh, Top 5. I've missed you dearly. You're like an old friend I haven't seen in ages....it's so very good to have you back.

Top 5 songs under 3:00 in order of length.........GO.

1. Counting Crows - Walkaways [1:12]: They end every concert with this song. Its probably their shortest, but also my favorite. Its one of those songs that you end up listening to like three times in a row, just so it feels like its longer (that's what she said, HEYO!).

2. Nick Drake - Pink Moon [2:06]: The master of the "under 3:00 song". Pink Moon, albeit the most famous, is also my favorite. This song always puts me at ease.

3. Elliott Smith - Say Yes [2:19]: Played this on my first webcast. I love it. This is his plea for some girl to want him. I'm sure we all have known what he feels like.

4. Beatles - In My Life [2:28]: I never really weighed in on the Gerdon Anti-Beatles debate waged on our other posts, so here's my take. You can't choose two songs from a catalog of hundreds and extrapolate that the Beatles music "doesn't withstand the test of time" and therefore "is not some of the best music ever written." For every song that hasn't withstood time you come up with, I'll give 10 that do. In My Life is just one of those songs. This is an extraordinary song that, IMO, is about how once you meet someone that you truly love, almost everything that came before it becomes instantly less important. You become more excited about the future rather than spending time remembering the past. That's what i think its about at least. and on we go....

5. Smashing Pumpkins - Zero [2:40]: This song came out along with Bullet With Butterfly Wings when I was in the 9th grade. I can't remember ever rocking harder when a song first came out than I did to this song. I also remember being pissed off I had to spend $25 because it was my first experience purchasing a double-disc CD. Screaming guitars, whiny voices, and chick bass players. Just downright awesome.

It was fun catching up with you Top 5. We'll have to do this again sometime soon.

Anonymous said...

Ryan, I'm with you all the way on "Walkaways". I nearly put that on my list. Great song. And the Beatles debate continues, which is fine by me. I have orderd Sgt. Peppers and will give it a listen. I hope its as good as you say.

And, let me say it again, I am no master of the Top 5. Mr. Kendall actually started the Top 5 and I ruthlessly stole it. Let's continue this trend.

Anonymous said...

I don't want to take credit for this. It's clearly a knock-off of what they do in High Fidelity, but it sure has yielded some good songs from you folks.

Great selections from both you guys. I am pissed I didn't think of Trouble - your description is right on. Also thought about Say Yes as, since RR put it on his first podcast, I've been listening to it alot. Tell me about Elliot's From A Basement On a Hill. I just listened to A Fond Farewell -- great freaking song.

Brandon said...

Damn better put up my list before this topic drops off the front page. Got a few good songs to add, though many more were left off. Here goes.

1)Beachwood Sparks - Banjo Press Conference[2:23] The steel-banjo combo on this is just amazing.

2)Creedence Clearwater Revival - Lookin' Out My Back Door[2:33] A few CCR tunes fit the bill, but I had to go with this one. This is probably their best, but you know, that's just like my opinion man.

3)Hot Rize - Nellie Kane[2:58] This one just slipped in under the mark. Just one of many great Bluegrass tunes I could have listed. I love the little melody on this one.

4)Paul Simon - Me and Julio Down By the School Yard[2:43] Man I love this song. This song has everything, guitars, whistlin', and is that a monkey I hear?

5)Ween - I Don't Want to Leave You On the Farm[2:44] Another golden country classic from Ween. I think they pull it off pretty well on this track. Great fiddlin', a nice harp in the middle, and the steel takes it away at the end.

And just missing the cut is Medeski, Martin, and Wood - Note Bleu[3:01] cause, well, it's a couple seconds too long. But it gets mentioned anyway cause it's such a damn good tune. They get straight to the point on this one and blow your mind.

Anonymous said...

Brando, excellent pickup with Me and Julio - fantastic song.

Anonymous said...

I think of "ditties" as being fast little songs, so I stuck with upbeat, fast songs for my top five.

1. Here it Goes Again - Ok Go (most hilarious and awesome video ever)

2. Love Grows (Where my Rosemary Goes) - Les Fradkin (KQ used to play it for me all of the time in lab, so it always makes me smile)

3. One Week- BNL - (fun song to try to sing along to)

4. Ceclia - Simon and Garfunkel (great song like so many of theirs)

5. Girlfriend in a Coma - Smiths (incredibly stupid lyrics, but catchy somehow)

Cori said...

1. Bon Jovi- Everyday (3:00) The only Bon Jovi song in my library that comes in at 3:00 or less.

2. Buddy Holly- That'll be the day (2:14) His songs are all short and sweet.

3. Panic! at the Disco- The only difference between martyrdom and suicide is press coverage (2:55) My favorite driving cd for the past year or so.

4. Creedence Clearwater Revival- Bad moon rising (2:20) There were a few good Creedence songs to choose from.

5. AC/DC- Big Balls (2:38) Awesome song!

I probably could have found more (or better ones) but I'm lazy so there you go. It still freaks me out how this thing knows my name.

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