Hello, partygoers! Welcome to another fabulous episode of Sneaky Dragon Listening Party
This week we present a collection of Dave’s famous “Top 5 Songs” lists as we emulate in podcast time the four month break Dave took as a breather before tackling the next set of mix tapes and just have some good, dumb fun.
So join Dave and an “over-song-ed” Mary as they spin some loosely themed songs in the always welcoming rumpus room. Come on in !!!
Top 5 “I’m So Mad at My Label” Songs:
- Nick Lowe – “I Love My Label” – A Bunch of Stiffs, 1977 – 13:08
- Graham Parker – “Mercury Poisoning” – Squeezing Out Sparks/Live Sparks, 1979 – 22:58
- Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Working for MCA” – Second Helping, 1974 – 29:37
- Mojo Nixon – “Bring Me the Head of David Geffen” – Gadzooks! The Homemade Bootleg, 1997 – 43:51
- Sex Pistols – “EMI” – Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols, 1977 – 52:17
Top 5 Christian-Psych Songs:
- The Advocates – “Blind Eyes” – The Advocates, 1973 – 1:14:23
- Vindication – “Money Window” – Vindication, 1974 – 1:23:30
- The Holy Ghost Reception Committee #9 – “Magnificat 70” – The Torchbearers, 1969 – 1:31:03
- Lora Lee & Jana Lyn Stewart – “So Far to Go” – Have You Heard the News?, 1972 – 1:43:51
- Wilson McKinley – “It’s Up to You” – Spirit of Elijah, 1971 – 1:53:45
Top 5 Satan Songs:
- Black Widow – “Come to the Sabbat” – Sacrifice, 1970 – 2:02:43
- Bonzo Doo-Dah Band – “11 Mustachioed Daughters” – The Doughnut in Granny’s Greenhouse, 1968 – 2:20:17
- The Louvin Brothers – “Satan Lied to Me” – The Family Who Prays, 1956 – 2:25:46
- Morrissey – “Satan Has Rejected My Soul” – Maladjusted, 1997 – 2:30:37
- Butthole Surfers – “Sweat Loaf” – Locust Abortion Technician, 1987 – 2:35:50
Top 5 Oscure-ish Prog Songs:
- Wigwam – “Fairyport” – Fairyport, 1971 – 2:49:26
- Stackridge – “Everyman” – B-side of 7” single “Dora the Female Explorer”, 1971 – 3:00:33
- Egg – “Wring Out the Ground (Loosely Now)” – The Civil Surface, 1974 – 3:06:09
- Pete Brown & Piblokto! – “Broken Magic” – B-side to “Can’t Get Off the Planet”, 1970 – 3:18:59
- Caravan – “In the Land of the Grey and Pink” – In the Land of the Grey and Pink, 1971 – 3:30:14
Also on the old Victrola – a bonus prog song (!):
- Genesis – “Stagnation” – Trespass, 1970 – 3:40:38
Thanks for listening.
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Hi guys. I listened to the Sneaky Dragon Listening Party today for the first time. I liked everything except for the music. I listened to about half of the songs, (and none of the Prog Rock!), and fast-forwarded through the rest. The discussion and banter was very interesting. Dave, you have an amazing mind for music trivia, and Mary was very funny to listen to. Maybe you could do a podcast without the music. Just call it Party. Or maybe make Mary the third dragon (Nina gets demoted). Anyway, I look forward to listening to part of your listening party podcasts from now on.
Brent Tannehill,
Winthrop WA
That was a really entertaining show, folks – great conversation between the two of you as always, and a nice idea to shake up the format for a while.
So many personal memories were rekindled with the ‘So mad at my label’ list. Graham Parker (solo) was the support act at the very first rock gig I attended – Thin Lizzy at Glasgow City Halls in 1976. And my next gig was… Lynyrd Skynyrd! I liked this top five a lot.
Christian-psych is a new genre for me. I confess (father) that it will be a while before I give it another go, but thanks for the introduction. The Advocates’ bassist was pretty good, and I liked Vindicates – agree about the drums. On this evidence, though, I guess there can’t be many Christians who converted for the rock songs.
Satan songs: I quite enjoyed the Bonzos and the Butthole Surfers. I’m with Mary on Black Widow, although I guess it takes some sort of talent to make a song about Satanic rituals so boring. 🙂
Backstory on the Louvin Brothers was very interesting. I hadn’t heard the Morrissey song before and thought it was one of his weaker efforts, with surprisingly lazy lyrics. Maybe I’m just tired of Moz these days, what with, you know, the racism and all…
Highlight of this section of the show was the first sign that Mary’s patience with Dave’s song choices might be starting to wear a bit thin. Her comment ater being informed that Viv Stanshall of the Bonzos also mentioned the ‘Sabat – ‘Oh, does he?’ – was pitched perfectly with a tone chilly enough to freeze a lobster at ten paces. Take that, Dad!
Prog: Oh, man, I feel a little guilty writing this, but Mary’s growing irritation as the list, er, progressed, was wonderful to hear. Her rant after Egg was so good I had to write it down.
‘What? THESE guys? Egg? You mean a band named Egg didn’t sell very well? A band named Egg that made songs that were eighty minutes long and had, like, lasers going piu piu piu at the end?’
More memories: Steve Hillage was another artist I caught in Glasgow in my youth. This was in his more poppy ‘Motivation Radio’ phase when he’d stopped taking himself quite so seriously and it was a fun gig.
Genesis was definitely the best of the prog tracks, and Dave’s line that ‘a lot of inexperience went into this song’ was astute as well as funny. I also enjoyed the Pete Brown track – a good song well played, with a fantastic rhythm section.
Since you asked, Dave, I had a go at putting togher a top five, picking the theme of heaven / paradise for no reason other than it was the first idea that popped into my head. This list falls way short of your laser-like focus and is more a set of songs loosely related to the topic, but I hope you enjoy it.
Joan Armatrading – Heaven
One of her lesser known songs, but a real favourite. I love how she keeps everything really spare almost too long, which makes the beautiful chorus all the more uplifting when it finally kicks in.
Eliza Gilkyson – Paradise Hotel
Eliza is one of my all-time favourite singer-songwriters. Why she isn’t a megastar is a mystery to me.
Randy Newman – How great our lord
From ‘Faust’, and featuring James Taylor having a lot of fun personifying a God who enjoys the adulation of angels perhaps a little too much.
Pixies – Monkey gone to heaven
Okay, it’s an obvious choice, but what a song!
Michael Marra – Heaven’s hound
The final song issued by my favourite Scottish singer-songwriter, accompanied by the band Hazey Janes, which included his son and daughter. I’m sure some would find it over-sentimental, but the emotion packs a punch that gets me every time.
Here’s an evil Spotify playlist, which I hope you can access: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1RtGASFn3HmTAw2WPAl8xJ?si=_a-5vQFJTTS135FOphb9SQ
Thanks Chris!! I love new playlists, Thanks for sharing.
Still working through this episode, they’re taking the better part of the week but I jumped in to give you my support and to whisper, “I don’t like the Eagles either.” I too had a guy at work who was constantly trying to win my approval of that over-rated wannabe hillbilly band.
I’ll have to abide by The Dude on this one.
https://youtu.be/-JlmvtAHhnc
Off-putting Satan songs, yuck.