Bestest Songs Involving Photography Ev-ar
Because Songs About Cars Suck
Scott (aka
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) recently groused that I hate Def Leppard in response to my article about the most overrated bands ever. Wait, I says, I really enjoy the song Photograph. But I also enjoy Ringo Starr’s Photograph. And Kodachrome. This begs the most important question we might confront in these modren times:
Are songs involving photography more gooder than songs involving other objects and processes?
As great as Gary Numan’s Cars is, there are few other car songs that are as good; a quick listen to the bumpers for Car Talk on NPR proves that. And I know of only one song about furniture that excites me: Harry Nilsson’s excellent Good Old Desk. In fact, Good Old Desk touches on photography.
So listen to the songs using the link below, read on to see what I’ve got to say about them, and let me know what you think.
Note: Because Livejournal does not allow embedded Flash, CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THESE SONGS.
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Photograph – Ringo Starr (every live Ringo All-Starr Band album)
How could anyone not love this song? First, it’s Ringo and his delightful Mr. Conductor voice. Second, it’s totally infectious. After the Beatles split, the members pursued their independent interests. Paul continued making smart pop songs, George continued making spiritual music, and John continued fighting against his pop sensibilities with pretention and artiness. Ringo? Well, he continued to be the most affable and likable member of the Beatles, and this song proves it.
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Kodachrome – Paul Simon (There Goes Rhymin’ Simon)
My friend Alex hates this song, and I can’t possibly fathom why. Perhaps it’s overplayed, but in every respect this is a superlative tune. Excellently crafted pop, smart lyrics, and that somethin’ that makes you want to play it twice in a row. Then again, maybe I’m just remembering liking this song as a child….
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Photograph – Def Leppard (Pyromania)
Scott’s right, I think Def Leppard sucks. However, the overrated band list was about overrated bands, and not bad ones–otherwise Dream Theater would have been on it. But I forgive Def Leppard and all their egregious incursions into bad taste because of Photograph.
There are two types of photograph songs, it seems: 1. The photograph brings back memories and 2. The photograph makes you want to pleasure yourself. This tune sits squarely in the latter category, and I say good on them for that.
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Distant Camera – Neil Young (Silver & Gold)
God frickin’ bless Neil Young. Sure, the critics like to point out that his music is all over the map, but why should that be a complaint? The diversity of Young’s music is part of its charm–doesn’t Trans make Ragged Glory a better album somehow? Or maybe it’s vice-versa. Regardless, this recent song by Neil Young fares with his best. No one makes sentimentality as painful.
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Girls On Film – Duran Duran (Duran Duran)
Right behind Def Leppard is Girls On Film. Instead of focusing on one chick, Duran Duran presciently rhapsodize about Sports Illustrated models. I’d like to take this moment to repeat an old joke by your’s truly:
Girls on me! (Two minutes later) Girls off me!
A-thankyou….
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Pictures of Matchstick Men – Status Quo (The Technicolor Dreams of Status Quo)
What the heck are matchstick men? I have no idea, but they whipped the Kodak out to get a shot of them. I don’t even know if this song is actually about photography, but they do have “pictures” in the title. Honestly, I have no idea what this song is about, and I doubt that Status Quo did either. On the other hand, they ominously refer to the constant presence of the matchstick men. I’m guesing they’re purple and kind of blobby in spite of their name.
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Pictures of Me – Elliot Sharp (Either/Or)
I feel bad for not paying enough attention to Elliot Sharp–his stylistic contemporaries like Aimee Mann and Rufus Wainwright are big faves of mine. But for some reason, it is only this song that I really pay attention to. Could it be because the power of photography makes this song so strong? If this were called Pontiac Trans Ams of Me would I want to listen to it? Doubtful.
Maybe I should rush out and buy his next new album assuming he hasn’t offed himself or something….
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Camera One – The Wiggles (Whoo Hoo! Wiggly Gremlins!)
Ironically, for many mothers across the world, this song by the Wiggles also induces the desire to manually entertain oneself. I can’t say I understand the sex symbol status of the Wiggles, but I will say that Camera One is a strong entry on this list simply due to the inclusion of Captain Feathersword on camera three. And really, are not the Wiggles performing a valuable service to children by introducing them to the jargon and terminology of a live three-camera shoot?
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Penetration In The Centerfold – Devo (single)
Have any bands written better songs about self-love than Devo? This song is filthy and severely twisted, yet the energy and paranoia are so overwhelming it’s spectacular. My friend Rich (aka
) and I used to play Devo very loudly at Subway to make our customers leave. That is music power, my friend.
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Exit Music (For A Film) – Radiohead (OK Computer)
I’m cheating a bit here since the only thing involving photography is the song title, and really it just name drops film. But gosh darn it, this is a great song and it deserves to be on almost any best of list. Heck, if there were a list of best songs about leaving theaters, this would be number one.
The version included here is Miranda Sex Garden’s excellent cover. It’s substantially the same as the original which is fine by me–the original is that good.
As a bonus, there a couple other great photograph songs on the player above as well as Harry Nilsson’s Good Old Desk:
Pictures of You – The Cure (Disintegration) – Great song, but I don’t like it any more than the others listed.
Picture This – Blondie (Parallel Lines) – Enjoyable, but it sounds too much like something that should have been in Shock Treatment.
Picture of You – The Vibrators (Fifth Amendment) – It’s about painting.
Turning Japanese – The Vapors (single) – Want to include it, really do, but just referencing a picture of a cervix just doesn’t cut it.
Think I missed something? Think this order sucks? Let me know!
Yr fthfl buddy,
Mike
Does this count?
Mike! You forgot the J. Geils Band’s classic “Centerfold!” Fore shame, fore shame…
Aztec Camera …. has camera in their name ……
that’s all I got 🙁
More J. Giles!
Freeze Frame.
Matchstick men: con men, typically small cons. The term comes from the time when matches were fairly expensive, and such folk would sell boxes of “matches” that were mostly just little sticks with one end painted red.
Or so says my friend, who’s something of an expert on all things con.
So now you know. Love the site!
Ooooohhh! That sorta makes sense now–I still don’t understand the lyrics to the song as a whole, but now I know what matchstick men are. Thanks!
Anytime 🙂
Coldplay soon to be over rated?
In the spirit of Mike’s list, I’m wondering if Coldplay is about to jump into the mix of over rated bands. Mind you, in keeping with Mike’s bent, Coldplay has done some fine music, but I wouldn’t call them innovative or genius by any means. However, according to a CNN article (http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/03/05/people.coldplay.ap/index.html), a song off their up-coming album is something everyone should hear “before we die” and Chris Martin described/joked “it’s basically genius.” OK, maybe there’s a healthy sense o’ humor in this and Coldplay has yet to exhibit the “we’re arrogant assholes” mentality of say Oasis. Is it possible that now that Coldplay has had some success and making their mark in free trade issues that they may be headed toward U2’s status of “we’re great and we’ll keep reminding you of that?”
Re: Coldplay soon to be over rated?
Interestingly, Geoff Lowrey (friend and roommate) argued quite strongly that Coldplay deserves to be on this list. So there’s someone who definitely agrees with you.
I would argue that Coldplay has gotten reasonably fair treatment from the press. Most reviews have said that they are very good (which is true) but haven’t been over the top in their press (which would be undeserved). On the other hand, what you point out may be an indicator that this is happening to Coldplay.
It is all yellloooo.
Re: Coldplay soon to be over rated?
Interesting…on a related note, there’s an MSNBC article (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17387055) claiming that Chris Martin is rude. I think he’s more a doofus than jerk, but it’s early in the fame game.
On a side note, why didn’t groups like Oasis, Starship (props to George 104.1 for the commercial “we hate Starship and ‘We Built This City’ just plain sucks and we’ll never play it”) and/or the Red Hot Chilli Peppers not make the list?
another omission
what about Flock of Seagulls – Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)
Kiddies with public tattoo ink
It seems to me that a lot of people with visible work put a lot of thought into it before hand.
Recently I discovered a rant on quite a respected figure in the tattoo community’s Myspace. I say rant, it was more like pure venomous hatred.
It would seem that some find young people with visible ink, impatient and disrespectful, and they must all just think it’s cool to have visible work.
I’m 23, My first tattoo was on my shoulder, then my wrists, then I got a full sleeve. Then I moved to my hands, then neck and I also have a large part of my leg tattooed.
It took me about two years to get the opportunity to get my hand tattooed by my idol, and then my neck by an artist I greatly admire, a lot of time, effort and thought was put into both of these.
Even though I’m somewhat older and do have a fair bit of coverage, I might still be classed as young and “under-tattooed” to have such visible work, and I can’t help but think that’s kinda crazy!
Sure I’ve seen some 18 year olds with kanji on their necks or poorly executed skulls on their hands, and you can almost tell they rushed into it, wanting everyone to see their new work as clearly as possible, and fine that to me is impatient and maybe even attention seeking.
Basically what I’m trying to say is that not everyone who has visible work is disrespectful to the art, some people invest a great deal of time, money and effort into getting that particular location inked with the highest standard work possible.
It’s kinda funny to find prejudice within a community that tries so hard to divert it away from itself.
Thoughts?