In my continuous effort to turn Jane into somewhat of a “punk appreciator” I bring this week to a close with another one of my punk favorites.
The Jam was popular in the UK but not in the US. I am starting to wonder why all this great music never arrived here. And is it true for the opposite? Did a lot of great music in the US never make it to the UK?
Anyway there is The Jam from 1979:
Have a good weekend everyone and I will see you on Monday. 
Jilted John was a character created by comedian, actor, and musician Graham Fellows from England. This is a bizarre song that was picked up by a major label and became a one-hit-wonder, reaching number 4 in the U.K. charts in 1978.
I loved it when I first heard this song about two years ago. A fun punk song. (Don’t be surprised when you are milling about and start singing “Gordon is a moron”.)
Watch the guy on the far right. His actions are hilarious.
I didn’t discover Kraftwerk until the mid to late 80s. I saw one of their albums in the music store and it had song titles dealing with computers, calculators and what not, so I thought “Why not.” and picked it up. (This was about the time I started the down the road to Geekdom.)
They have a unique sound and many consider Kraftwerk as one of the main forces behind today’s house and trance style music. This is a long song from 1978, but when you listen to it… just think that this type of music was out in the 70s!
Kraftwerk – The Robots from 1978:
I grew up on rock and roll. Mainly because my brother (who was five years older than me) listened to it. Kiss, Aerosmith, Foghat, Styx, Rush, Thin Lizzy and many others were almost a daily part of my life. As I got older and started to discover my own taste in music, Judas Priest has always been on the top of my list.
In the mid 80s, when I was into metal, new wave, punk and rock (I know weird mix) Judas Priest was one of my favorite bands and during that time they had become very popular in the states with songs like “Turbo Lover” and “Breakin’ the Law”. But I was always on the search for something different and when I heard their music from the 70s, it was vastly different.
I might post some of their heavier stuff at a latter time, but this is one of my favorites. This is a Judas Priest cover of Joan Baez’s song “Diamonds and Rust” from 1977.
What can I say? I love punk, so I am bringing you another punk band called Only Ones. Their song “Another Girl Another Planet” was released in 1978. It hit #44 in the New Zealand’s top 50 chart in 1981 and then again in hit #57 in the UK charts in 1992! (Over 10 years later!) It has since been covered many times and used in some commercials.
Only Ones – Another Girl Another Planet from 1978:
It is time for another fantasy song post. I can’t say that Steeleye Span is one of my favorite bands. There music is unique however and they do have several fantasy themed songs. I don’t always agree with their interpretation because, as you all know, I am a Tolkienist. But I do like the mix of modern and Renaissance style of music in this song. This is Seven Hundred Elves from 1974.
Chorus
Seven hundred elves from out the wood
Foul and grim they were
Down to the farmer’s house they went
His meat and drink to share
There was a farmer in the west and there he chose his ground
He thought to spend the winter there and brought his hawk and hound
He brought with him both hound and cock alone he begged to stay
And all the dear that roamed the wood had cause to rue the day
He felled the oak, he felled the birch, the beech nor poplar spared
And much was grieved the sullen elves at what the stranger dared
He hewed him baulks and he hewed him beams with eager toil and haste
Then up and spake the woodland elves: “Who’s come our wood to waste?”
Chorus
Up and spake the biggest elf and grimly rolled his eyes:
“We’ll march upon the farmer’s house and hold on him assize
He’s knocking down both wood and bower, he shows us great disdain
We’ll make him rue the day he was born and taste of shame and pain.”
Chorus
All the elves from out the wood began to dance and spring
And marched towards the farmer’s house their lengthy tails to swing
The farmer from his window looked and quickly crossed his breast
“Oh woe is me,” the farmer cried, “The elves will be my guests.”
In every nook he made a cross and all about the room
And off flew many a frightened elf back to his forest gloom
Some flew to the east, some flew to the west, some flew to the north away
And some flew down the deep ravine and there forever stay
In keeping with the “fantasy” theme of my last Not Your Top 40 post I decided to go with Rivendell from the band Rush.
This is often considered one of Rush’s worst songs ever. Unless of course, you are like me. I was enamored with anything that was “Tolkienesk” and so I enjoyed listening to this song. (Which was surprising since I considered mellow music to be evil during my teenage years. lol)
From the 1975 album Fly by Night the song Rivendell:
Sunlight dances through the leaves
Soft winds stir the sighing trees
Lying in the warm grass
Feel the sun upon your face
Elven songs and endless nights
Sweet wine and soft relaxing lights
Time will never touch you
Here in this enchanted place
I’ve traveled now for many miles
It feels so good to see the smiles of
Friends who never left your mind
When you were far away
From the golden light of coming dawn
Till the twilight when the sun is gone
We treasure ev’ry season
And ev’ry passing day
You feel there’s something calling you
You’re wanting to return
To where the Misty Mountains rise and friendly fires burn
A place you can escape the world
Where the Dark Lord cannot go
Peace of mind and sanctuary by loud water’s flow
We feel the coming of a new day
Dark gives way to light a new way
Stop here for a while until the world,
The world calls you away
Yet you know I’ve had the feeling
Standing with my senses reeling
This is the place to grow old till
I reach my final day.
You feel there’s something calling you
You’re wanting to return
To where the Misty Mountains rise and friendly fires burn
A place you can escape the world
Where the Dark Lord cannot go
Peace of mind and sanctuary by loud water’s flow
Since I loved playing Dungeons and Dragons as a child, I have a fondness for music that reminded me of medieval times or that had a fantasy theme to it.
Heart’s “Dream of the Archer” never fails to bring me an image of a human archer traveling thru Tolkien’s Mirkwood forest as the large spiders were about to descend upon him.
Wayfaring warrior Soul – still wild
The archer stands
Arrow measured to the goal – sing of
Strong and living man
In his mind there is a vision wand’ring
Through the forest town
Telling of riches only given if through
The woods the way is found
Crying “ah! Beautiful dancers …wake up
From your sleep!
Ahhh gentle romancers…drink of Love
So sweet!”
Treasure glowing in their eyes – Forest
Deepens dark their dream
“Keep to the pathway” he advise “the woods
Are more than they might seem”
“Heed you now the apparition bending never
Ending sounds
Call you into her mystery – are your eyes
Not sparkling now?”
Sighing “ahh! Take you no warning -
Make no foolish fight
Ahh, think not of morning – lie here
Through the Night!”
“Beauty take us!” they call “In my arms!”
They hear her say
Silken web falls – mist illusion rips away
“Helpless! Helpless!” now they scream
Helpless on the path he stands
And awakens from his dream singing string
Beneath his hand
Gentle archer ages old – release the aim
Free the goal
Roll your arrow to my Soul – release the aim
Free the goal