Interactive Duos Poll: Heaven-Sent and Hell-Bent

Tancos:  Ry Cooder “Great Dream From Heaven”  A complete change of pace from Mila’s Liebach piece, here is Americana fingerpicked guitar (as expected from Ry Cooder, of course), a happy, simple, sweet melody.  The Pogues:  Boys From the County Hell”  I do know of The Pogues, but can’t say I’ve heard this is done in rousing Irish pub style with acoustic instruments and strident vocals.  Lots of tin whistle and concertina decorate the steady beat of the drums and strumming guitar.  Haystacks Balboa (love the name!) “The Children of Heaven”  Here’s a punk-rocker style song, with wailing guitars and a rapacious laugh accompanying a deep and strident vocal.  There’s semi-spoken, satirical verses interspersed with the laughing and some keyboards at the instrumental break, then lead guitar after the keys. Then back it goes to the general repeating theme of music/spoken-ish/music 13 Cats (another great name!)  “Hell Bop”  Twilight Zone theme done in surf style starts, then goes into a rapid punkabilly rave, after a brief spoken part with evil laughs.  Sounds almost like they are saying, “Hale Bopp,” which would be an entirely different song.  Fun song for a Halloween party.  Joe Satriani “Lights of Heaven”  I would be expecting some serious guitar riffs here.  Guitar and bass with light percussion starts it all out.  Then goes into full on rock band with soaring guitar arching over the bass and drums.  Tasty break near center, featuring bass and then guitar, then a searing lead commences, with the drums steadily keeping the pace.  Another tasty bass break, then to a more rhythmic section, that leads to more searing lead.  Song ends with a flourish from the guitar and last bash on the drums.   Mattias IA Eklundh “Midsummer Night in Hell”  A sort of keyboard Greek/Irish jig steps right up to the stage, guitars are doubled as it goes galumphing along.  Wonky guitar lead for a bit and then back to the main theme….and out.  Brave Combo “In Heaven There Is No Beer”  Another cwazy cartoon wabbit sort of piece, another fun pub sing sort of song, a very fast polka. Such a sad lament of so much fun lacking in heaven! 😉 Stuart Hamm “Country Music (A Night In Hell)”  Some wailing guitars and drums start, but it’s at the end of their song, sounding like a live large club setting, with audience wanting them to “play some country music.”  A wonky kind of cover versions of familiar country honky-tonk bluegrass motifs commences, all well played, yet still kinda tongue-in-cheek.  That audience guy wants them to play a polka after that.

The Anders:  Talking Heads “Heaven”  This one I do know, but I enjoyed this LP very much.  Unmistakably the Talking Heads, one of the best of the 80’s bands.  Kaizers Orchestra "Ompa til du dør"  As expected from the title, a wonky sort of oompah song. A very sarcastic vocal, with lots of muffle on the mic, while the music oompahs along unperterbably.  It gains in intensity and there is a quite enjoyable lead during the break about halfway in.  He doesn’t like this Sven Korner person, it would seem from the translation of the lyrics, who is doomed to hell.  Tune comes to an end fairly abruptly.

I prophesy disaster:  Of course I know of Todd Rundgren, I know some material and some I don’t.  Same with Alan Parsons.  Todd:  “Everybody’s Going To Heaven”  Begins right away with whacked out drums and guitars.  A little way in, effected and strident vocals enter.  Another sarcastic song about heaven, here, but there’s plenty of truth in it, too, as is the best sarcasm.  Fast and clean lead in the instrumental break, about center, that goes on for a bit, then goes into a sort of cacophonic (is that a word?) part with lots of phasing etc. and lots going on with the instrument.  Song comes to a long fade.  Alan:  “Can’t Take It With You”  The music starts with some keyboard/flute-y sound, kind of Spaghetti Western sound to it.  Moves into a very signature APP sort of sound, accessible, yet complex.  Very lovely, clear production, with great separation between all instruments and vocals.  There are some castanets sounds (again echoing that Spaghetti Western beginning).  Very apt guitar solo over steady drums, castanets are back, and the keys continue in their repeating phrase.  Then a break, back to the whistling sound on keys before the chorus fades out the song.

Mike:  Great idea, to present two with the same name, yet different.  The Muckers “New York Girls” Here is an Irish sound, with fiddle and tin whistle.  A sea shanty sort (there is a resurgence of interest in these lately), done apace and with humour.  Adept musicianship and sweeter in feel than, say, The Pogues.  A bit of a bawdy tune, which is also often heard in these types of pieces.  Angels of Light “New York Girls”  This has a much more sedate sound, which intrigues me from the start.  A deep-voiced, gravelly, whispery vocal.  Kind of a spooky, hypnotic, atmospheric piece.  Come hither, yet keep your distance, if you know what’s good for you.  Next part, heaven and hell.  Oceansize “Heaven Sent”   Vocal chorus, matching keyboard notes starts this all off, then goes right into drums and whangy guitar and keys.  The vocals are a bit obscured by the effect(s) on them, reminding me of early REM (although they didn’t use effects on the vocals).  The shimmering instruments continue on under, there is a feeling almost of being in bright light, although in an audio way, to me.   The chorus and keys matching each other comes back, with the main vocal now arching over the top.  The song gains in intensity and then dies out, with a wham and then a whisper.  Trophy Scars “Time in Heaven, Forever in Hell”  Almost a live sound to this at the opening.  Soaring electric guitar and expert piano, with percussive washes.  The vocals are fairly effected, layered with themselves.  Regret song, where he finally lets his anger loose vocally, toward the end, along with a driving electric lead, then drops back to his resignation.

tigerfeet:  Jacky “White Horses”  Soft horns and quickly trotting guitars and soft percussion enter the field with a horse-mad young girl cooing sweetly.  This girl was me as a girl!  I had to look up the tv show, it wasn’t shown in the US, but I certainly would have been an avid fan.  Just light and lovely 60’s style theme song piece, we had a tv show theme poll some time back and it would have fit perfectly there, too.  Tom Waits “Hell Broke Luce”  In complete contrast, this starts with very rough and nightmarish discord, Tom Waits’ distinctive voice and no-holds-barred lyrics.  There is an eerie vocal chorus here and there. Hell on earth sort of life for the person in the song, madness brought on by too much sad life.  This is one of the most divergent pairings here, certainly.