13 July 2008

Ranking Angels . . .

Perusing my song list, I just noticed I have ten different songs called "Angel" by ten different artists.

Here's how they rank.

1) Angel --- Aretha Franklin. 'Retha, 'nuff said (at her best).
2) Angel --- Gavin Friday. A sinuously (and sinfully) sexy song. Off of the great Shag Tobacco album.
3) Angel --- Eurythmics. The saddest Angel song, later Eurythmics, still powerful.
4) Angel --- Massive Attack. The creepiest Angel song. Pitch black (and pitch perfect) electronica.
5) Angel --- Happy Mondays. Ahhh, Pacifiers and Glow Sticks (and Eeeeeee) . . .
6) Angel --- Kirsty MacColl. No video, sorry, you'll have to make do with a live performance of Can't Stop Killing You on Conan from a million years ago. Great song, though (both Angel, and Can't Stop Killing You)
7) Angel --- Luscious Jackson. Another non-video, Naked Eye will have to do. They were a great band. Interesting mix of influences.
8) Angel --- Jimi Hendrix. Minor Hendrix song, a bit hippy-dippy, but enough blues to make it tolerable.
9) Angel --- Belly. I liked Belly. Recorded at the World Famous Santa Monica Pier (about a mile and half and 15 years from where I'm typing this from)
10) Angel --- Leona Lewis. Not sure why I haven't deleted this album yet, don't like it much.

Also, wouldn't "Ranking Angels" be a great name for a neo-Ska band? Someone needs to bring back two-tone, might as well be the "Ranking Angels".

I'm amazed 8 out of 10 were available on the Tubes. There's very little that's not on the internet.

4 comments:

bill said...

Only 4: Jack Johnson, Chaka Khan, Eurythmics, Kirsty MacColl

XWL said...

The two that I don't have on your list sound good, too.

(not sure why I never took to Jack Johnson)

No other song comes close to having as many different versions of completely different songs.

Have 3 "Automatic" (Prince, Go-Gos, Weezer)

Have 3 "The Walk" (Imogen Heap, The Time, Eurythmics)

Have 3 "Sweet Thing" (Van Morrison, Yaz, Marvin Gaye)

Have 3 "Steppin' Out" (Paul Revere & The Raiders, Joe Jackson, ELO, and all three use the apostrophe)

Have 3 "Stay" (Wendy & Lisa, Belly, Me'Shell NdegeOcello)

Have 3 "Butterfly" (Jason Mraz, Kylie Minogue, Supergrass), along with Butterflies (Sia) and Butterflyz (Alicia Keys)

Have 3 "Come On" (Jesus and Mary Chain, Zapp, The Atlantics)

Have 3 "Come Together" (Eurythmics, Primal Scream, MC5, only the Eurythmics is a cover of the Beatles tune)

Have 3 "Dog Eat Dog" (Fela Kuti, Adam & the Ants, Joni Mitchell)

Have 3 "Don't Look Back" (The Knack, Luscious Jackson, Remains)

Have 3 "Fire" (Jimi Hendrix, Ohio Players, Ladytron)

Have 3 "Ghosts" (David Sylvian, Ladytron, Nomeansno)

Have 4 "Goodbye" (Cannonball Adderly, Dusty Springfield, Alicia Keys, Prince)

Have 3 "Happy Birthday" (Altered Images, Stevie Wonder, Concrete Blonde)

Have 4 "Heaven" (Eurythmics, Golden Palominos, Me'Shell NdegeOcello, Talking Heads)

Have 3 "I Need You" (Remains & The Kinks doing the same song, plus Eurythmics, and Curtis Mayfield doing completely different songs of the same title)

Have 3 "Last Call" (OutKast, Brazilian Girls, Terry Bozzio)

Have 3 "Little Sister" (Concrete Blonde, Lou Reed, Souixsie and the Banshees)

Have 3 "Lullaby" (Sia, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Magnet)

Have 3 "Now" (Prince, Dresden Dolls, Nomeansno)

Have 3 "Precious" (The Jam, Eurythmics, Pretenders)

Have 3 "Resolution" (The Nazz, Prince, Thievery Corporation)

Have 3 "Runaway" (Ladytron, Deee-Lite, Lush)

Have 4 "Shame" (Eurythmics, The Motels, Evelyn "Champagne" King, PJ Harvey)

In other words, come up with new titles Eurythmics and Ladytron, y'all show up on this list far too many times.

Also, Angel is a serious outlier when it comes to multiple songs of the same title in my collection with 4 being the highest other wise.

(and the most popular "Angel" or "Angels" song, at least in the rest of the world would be this one, which I don't have in my collection, cause even though Robbie Williams is a fellow Santa Monican now, his music still sucks)

bill said...

The Chaka Khan is from last year's album and is one of the songs that isn't that good. It's easy to find on youtube.

The Jack Johnson is from his latest album. The song and album are ok, no big deal.

Leo said...

No Aerosmith? :)