Trollheart's Theme Park

Trollheart · 12-14-2016, 12:45 PM

Title: “Killers”
Format: Album track
Written by: Paul Di'anno/Steve Harris
Performed by: Iron Maiden
Genre: Heavy Metal
Taken from: Killers
Year: 1981
Acclaim: A real fan favourite and the only song written by Di'anno on the album.

I could of course go on at length about this song, one of my favourites, not only from the Di'anno era, but overall (I'm pretty sure it made it into the top ten of my alltime Maiden tracks last year). However you've read it all before, so instead I'll just go to the list.

Things I like about this :

1. The chunky bass intro
2. Di'anno's voice changing from mad scream to gutteral growl
3. The solo
4. The lyrical idea
5. The idea of the narrative turning from third person to first, ie “He walks in the subway/ His eyes burn a hole in your back” becoming “He walks in the subway/ My eyes burn a hole in your back.”

Things I don't like about this:

Nothing

Rating:

Trollheart · 12-14-2016, 02:14 PM

That's enough from killers, so on we go to the next theme, which is

Trains. Songs with the word train in them, or about trains, or bands who have train in their name. (Note: the "train" has to be the vehicle, so songs about training, trainers or training a gun on someone will not be eligible).

Tristan_Geoff · 12-14-2016, 02:43 PM

Oh please don't review Train.

Trollheart · 12-14-2016, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tristan Geoff

Oh please don't review Train.

Tristan_Geoff · 12-14-2016, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Trollheart · 12-16-2016, 03:49 PM

Title: “Downbound train”
Format: Album track
Written by: Bruce Springsteen
Performed by: Bruce Springsteen
Genre: Rock
Taken from: Born in the USA
Year: 1984
Acclaim: n/a

The kind of song that could possibly have found a place on Nebraska, this is a dour ballad recounting the breakup of a relationship and the downward spiral into which the protagonist falls in its aftermath. I don't personally believe there are any bad tracks on Born in the USA, my initial introduction to Springsteen via the lead single “Dancing in the dark”, but I count this as definitely one of the top five.

Things I like about this :

1. The simple guitar intro
2. The percussion coming in
3. The lyric
4. The midsection and the return via the percussion
5. The melody

Things I don't like about this:

Nothing

Rating:

Trollheart · 12-17-2016, 06:21 AM

Which, anyone who knows me will expect, brings us to “Downtown train”, but I'm not using the Waits version, as I have other plans for him. Instead, the man who popularised and had a hit with the Tom Waits song, and is now so identified with it that many people think he wrote it.

Title: “Downtown train”
Format: Single
Written by: Tom Waits
Performed by: Rod Stewart
Genre: Rock
Taken from: Vagabond Heart
Year: 1991
Acclaim: Reached no. 3 in the charts; seen as one of Stewart's biggest songs from the nineties and even almost a signature tune now for him. "Tom who?" people ask...

As I say above, and as most of you will probably know, this is a song originally written by Tom Waits and released from his 1985 opus Rain Dogs as a single, where it did ... precisely nothing. Fast forward five years and our man Rod is releasing a cover version that gets him very close to the number one spot, but does at least rekindle some interest in Waits' work, so it can't be that bad.

Things I like about this :

Everything, particularly the way Stewart stays relatively faithful to the original, without being a carbon copy of it. A very good cover.

Things I don't like about this:

Nothing.

Rating:

Trollheart · 12-17-2016, 06:23 AM

Title: “Train long-suffering”
Format: Album track
Written by: Nick Cave
Performed by: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Genre: Post-punk
Taken from: The Firstborn is dead
Year: 1985
Acclaim: n/a

I'm a big Nick Cave fan, but I have to admit I don't like this album. I actually thought it was his debut, and was prepared to forgive him for what I consider its unremitting bleakness and starkness, which was toned back on later releases such as The Good Son and The Boatman's Call, but I see now it was his second, so I have to withdraw my dispensation towards him. This is a dark, dark record, very sparse, and I think there's only one track I really like on it, and that's a cover of a Dylan song. Anyway, from the yelled “Woo-woo!” it gets going in a very punk vein and comes across to me as very barebones, but then what do I know? There's a lot of energy in it, that's for sure. Actually, listening back to it now it's not half bad.

Things I like about this :

1. The rhythm is good
2. There's good powerful energy in it

Things I don't like about this:

Meh, I thought I didn't remember liking it but I kind of do now. Like it, that is.

Rating:

Trollheart · 12-17-2016, 06:24 AM

Title: “City of New Orleans”
Format: Single
Written by: Steve Goodman
Performed by: Willie Nelson
Genre: Country/Folk
Taken from: City of New Orleans
Year: 1984
Acclaim: Number one Country song for Nelson in 1984 and also secured a posthumous Grammy for writer Steve Goodman the following year.

I used to hear this on the radio and the bloody DJ would never say who it was by, but even before I knew that it conjured up visions of the old steam railway (yeah, yeah, railroad, whatever!) as the trains cut their way across America in the heyday of the birth of the railroad, and I loved the song. I like some Country, and who doesn't like Willie Nelson, though this is not his song. Like many train songs, it anthropomorphises the train, and chorus of the song is essentially sung “by” the train as it contemplates being decommissioned as progress overtakes it.

Things I like about this :

1. Great melody
2. Love the Country rhythm
3. The way the percussion and the jews harp (?) sounds like the progress of the train
4. Great piano
5. Great vocal
6. Love the steel guitar
7. Great lyric

Things I don't like about this:

Nothing

Rating:

Trollheart · 12-17-2016, 06:26 AM

Title: “Train in the distance”
Format: Album track
Written by: Paul Simon
Performed by: Paul Simon
Genre: Pop
Taken from: Hearts and Bones
Year: 1983
Acclaim: n/a

There really is something about the sound of a train in the distance. It has that sort of idea of going new places, seeing new cities, travelling free and unfettered. Of course, it's a romantic notion: you're probably listening to the nightly coal train heading down from Newcastle or the cattle freight express bringing livestock from Montana, or any of a million ordinary trains packed with ordinary, bored or uncaring or sleeping commuters who couldn't really give a toss about the joys of being on a train and would rather be at home, but like listenign to the rain is relaxing while being out in it may not be, you can certainly ascribe certain feelings to the shunt and trundle of a train passing along the tracks. I used to live near a railway bridge and there is no doubt that the sound of night trains passing over from Fairview heading into the city, or the other way, was a sound that tended to lull me to sleep and set my mind dreaming.

Things I like about this :

1. The electric piano (is it) that carries most of the melody
2. The hummed chorus
3. The way the percussion makes the sound of a train engine. It's not the only song to do this, but it works very well here.
4. The fact that it's basically a love song with little real reference to trains, but still gives you the idea.

Things I don't like about this:

Nothing

Rating:

12-14-2016, 12:45 PM	#111 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Title: “Killers” Format: Album track Written by: Paul Di'anno/Steve Harris Performed by: Iron Maiden Genre: Heavy Metal Taken from: Killers Year: 1981 Acclaim: A real fan favourite and the only song written by Di'anno on the album. I could of course go on at length about this song, one of my favourites, not only from the Di'anno era, but overall (I'm pretty sure it made it into the top ten of my alltime Maiden tracks last year). However you've read it all before, so instead I'll just go to the list. Things I like about this : 1. The chunky bass intro 2. Di'anno's voice changing from mad scream to gutteral growl 3. The solo 4. The lyrical idea 5. The idea of the narrative turning from third person to first, ie “He walks in the subway/ His eyes burn a hole in your back” becoming “He walks in the subway/ My eyes burn a hole in your back.” Things I don't like about this: Nothing Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

12-14-2016, 02:14 PM	#112 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	That's enough from killers, so on we go to the next theme, which is Trains. Songs with the word train in them, or about trains, or bands who have train in their name. (Note: the "train" has to be the vehicle, so songs about training, trainers or training a gun on someone will not be eligible). __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

12-16-2016, 03:49 PM	#116 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Title: “Downbound train” Format: Album track Written by: Bruce Springsteen Performed by: Bruce Springsteen Genre: Rock Taken from: Born in the USA Year: 1984 Acclaim: n/a The kind of song that could possibly have found a place on Nebraska, this is a dour ballad recounting the breakup of a relationship and the downward spiral into which the protagonist falls in its aftermath. I don't personally believe there are any bad tracks on Born in the USA, my initial introduction to Springsteen via the lead single “Dancing in the dark”, but I count this as definitely one of the top five. Things I like about this : 1. The simple guitar intro 2. The percussion coming in 3. The lyric 4. The midsection and the return via the percussion 5. The melody Things I don't like about this: Nothing Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

12-17-2016, 06:21 AM	#117 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Which, anyone who knows me will expect, brings us to “Downtown train”, but I'm not using the Waits version, as I have other plans for him. Instead, the man who popularised and had a hit with the Tom Waits song, and is now so identified with it that many people think he wrote it. Title: “Downtown train” Format: Single Written by: Tom Waits Performed by: Rod Stewart Genre: Rock Taken from: Vagabond Heart Year: 1991 Acclaim: Reached no. 3 in the charts; seen as one of Stewart's biggest songs from the nineties and even almost a signature tune now for him. "Tom who?" people ask... As I say above, and as most of you will probably know, this is a song originally written by Tom Waits and released from his 1985 opus Rain Dogs as a single, where it did ... precisely nothing. Fast forward five years and our man Rod is releasing a cover version that gets him very close to the number one spot, but does at least rekindle some interest in Waits' work, so it can't be that bad. Things I like about this : Everything, particularly the way Stewart stays relatively faithful to the original, without being a carbon copy of it. A very good cover. Things I don't like about this: Nothing. Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

12-17-2016, 06:23 AM	#118 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Title: “Train long-suffering” Format: Album track Written by: Nick Cave Performed by: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Genre: Post-punk Taken from: The Firstborn is dead Year: 1985 Acclaim: n/a I'm a big Nick Cave fan, but I have to admit I don't like this album. I actually thought it was his debut, and was prepared to forgive him for what I consider its unremitting bleakness and starkness, which was toned back on later releases such as The Good Son and The Boatman's Call, but I see now it was his second, so I have to withdraw my dispensation towards him. This is a dark, dark record, very sparse, and I think there's only one track I really like on it, and that's a cover of a Dylan song. Anyway, from the yelled “Woo-woo!” it gets going in a very punk vein and comes across to me as very barebones, but then what do I know? There's a lot of energy in it, that's for sure. Actually, listening back to it now it's not half bad. Things I like about this : 1. The rhythm is good 2. There's good powerful energy in it Things I don't like about this: Meh, I thought I didn't remember liking it but I kind of do now. Like it, that is. Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

12-17-2016, 06:24 AM	#119 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Title: “City of New Orleans” Format: Single Written by: Steve Goodman Performed by: Willie Nelson Genre: Country/Folk Taken from: City of New Orleans Year: 1984 Acclaim: Number one Country song for Nelson in 1984 and also secured a posthumous Grammy for writer Steve Goodman the following year. I used to hear this on the radio and the bloody DJ would never say who it was by, but even before I knew that it conjured up visions of the old steam railway (yeah, yeah, railroad, whatever!) as the trains cut their way across America in the heyday of the birth of the railroad, and I loved the song. I like some Country, and who doesn't like Willie Nelson, though this is not his song. Like many train songs, it anthropomorphises the train, and chorus of the song is essentially sung “by” the train as it contemplates being decommissioned as progress overtakes it. Things I like about this : 1. Great melody 2. Love the Country rhythm 3. The way the percussion and the jews harp (?) sounds like the progress of the train 4. Great piano 5. Great vocal 6. Love the steel guitar 7. Great lyric Things I don't like about this: Nothing Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

12-17-2016, 06:26 AM	#120 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Title: “Train in the distance” Format: Album track Written by: Paul Simon Performed by: Paul Simon Genre: Pop Taken from: Hearts and Bones Year: 1983 Acclaim: n/a There really is something about the sound of a train in the distance. It has that sort of idea of going new places, seeing new cities, travelling free and unfettered. Of course, it's a romantic notion: you're probably listening to the nightly coal train heading down from Newcastle or the cattle freight express bringing livestock from Montana, or any of a million ordinary trains packed with ordinary, bored or uncaring or sleeping commuters who couldn't really give a toss about the joys of being on a train and would rather be at home, but like listenign to the rain is relaxing while being out in it may not be, you can certainly ascribe certain feelings to the shunt and trundle of a train passing along the tracks. I used to live near a railway bridge and there is no doubt that the sound of night trains passing over from Fairview heading into the city, or the other way, was a sound that tended to lull me to sleep and set my mind dreaming. Things I like about this : 1. The electric piano (is it) that carries most of the melody 2. The hummed chorus 3. The way the percussion makes the sound of a train engine. It's not the only song to do this, but it works very well here. 4. The fact that it's basically a love song with little real reference to trains, but still gives you the idea. Things I don't like about this: Nothing Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018