“Hobo Humpin’ Slobo Babe”
by Whale
from the album We Care
1995
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I have no idea where I first heard this, probably either on a CMJ CD sampler, or a Video Music Monthly VHS magazine, but I just know I was hooked. It’s one of those songs that just rocks so hard from the very first note. Continue reading June Power Songs: “Hobo Humpin’ Slobo Babe”
“Back in Black”
by Living Colour (originally by AC/DC)
from the album Collideøscope
2003
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It’s hard to improve upon the AC/DC classic which was that band’s stake in the ground, telling the world know they weren’t going anyway following the death of original lead singer, Bon Scott. When Living Colour decided to include on their first album in over a decade, it took on some new significance.
“Physical”
by Nine Inch Nails (originally by Adam and the Ants)
from the album Broken
1992
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I still clearly remember buying Broken when it first came out. My friend Keegan and I went to our favorite indie record store in Littleton the day it came out to pick it up. This was when CDs were still coming in the ridiculously wasteful double-length cardboard sleeves (Broken may have been one of the sleeves I opened up and hung on my wall). I remember opening it in the car and having the little mini CD fall out, which we thought was so cool, and there was the additional (in our minds) coolness factor later when it became known that the mini CD was a limited item. A few years back when I sold all my CDs, that was one of the few that I had hesitations about getting rid of.
“Girlfriend”
by Matthew Sweet
from the album Girlfriend
1991
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“Girlfriend” is unskippable. If it comes up on shuffle, I’ll always stop whatever search I was on and listen. The entire album is an amazing collection of songs. It’s both timeless and very specifically early 90s.
I remember sitting at home on Sunday nights watching 120 Minutes and desperately hoping Dave Kendall would hint that this song was coming up after the break. The video featured clips from the film Space Adventure Cobra and it was just the perfect choice for the song. And who didn’t want that silver-haired, blue jumpsuited vixen as his girlfriend? Continue reading Karaoke Tuesday: “Girlfriend”
“Crazy Mary”
by Pearl Jam (originally by Victoria Williams)
from the album Sweet Relief: A Benefit for Victoria Williams
1993
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Following Lance’s example of a random Pearl Jam cover. When the benefit album this cover was part of first came out, I didn’t know anything about Victoria Williams, and I admittedly still don’t, but I used to always go for these types of compilation albums if there was at least one artist I liked. I don’t really do that anymore, partly because I never know about them, and partly because I finally realized I usually only liked one or two songs on them. This is one of three songs on this album that actually stuck with me.
Continue reading Cover Friday: “Crazy Mary”
“Violet”
by Hole
from the album Live Through This
1994
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I never got too into Hole, but I remember there used to be a commercial for a contest for some beer where you could win tickets to see Hole live, and they would show a clip of them playing this song in concert. I saw the commercial so many times that I got totally hooked on this song. It’s got that great loudquietloud thing going on.
“Three Days”
by Jane’s Addiction
from the album Ritual de lo Habitual
1990
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The first song that came to mind when Chris picked Power Songs as this month’s theme was “Three Days.” Last year, while prepping for my move to Texas, I found a big cache of MiniDisc mixes I had assembled back in the late 90s. One of the cover labels read Epix of Rök. At the center of that mix was this almost eleven-minute monster of a song. So I’m going on record and saying that “Three Days” is a Power Epic.
“Under the Milky Way”
The Church
from the album Starfish
1988
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I’ve never quite nailed this song to my satisfaction but it’s had a firm position in my karaoke song list for a few years. As to when it made its first appearance, it was almost assuredly a drunken addition one evening at a NYC basement karaoke bar. But the song weaseled its way into my heart a long time before that.
“Time After Time”
by QuietDrive (originally by Cyndi Lauper)
from the album When All That’s Left Is You
2006
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I’ve got an admitted weakness for cookie cutter emo and/or punk bands doing cover versions of songs I grew up with, and this is a prime example. I don’t need to say much about this – I’ve already talked about how much I love the original, and I really love this version as well.
Continue reading Cover Friday: “Time After Time”
“Cinnamon Girl”
by Smashing Pumpkins (originally by Neil Young)
from the album Pisces Iscariot (Remastered)
1994
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The Pumpkins again? Sue me. Billy picks great songs to cover and they do them up. Besides featuring a repeat artist, this song also qualifies for the popular I had never heard the original until I realized the cover was a cover lament. I wanna be a Neil Young guy, I really do. But I guess I’m just not ready for a one-to-one relationship with him. Sorry Neil, we’re gonna have have to connect via covers.