Trollheart's Theme Park

Trollheart · 12-18-2016, 06:14 AM

Title: “Last train to Transcentral”
Format: Single
Written by: Jimmy Cauty, Bill Drummond, Ricardo Lyte
Performed by: The KLF
Genre: Electronica
Taken from: The White Room
Year: 1990
Acclaim: No. 1 hit single in the UK

This is generally not the kind of music I like, or certainly liked, back then in the early nineties, and yet when it hit on Top of the Pops I fucking loved it. Still can't tell you why, but listening back to it now I love it all over again.

Things I like about this :

1. The “All aboard! All aboard!” refrain
2. The train sound made by the backing singers
3. The vocoder
4. The basic beat and energy

Things I don't like about this:

Nothing

Rating:

Trollheart · 12-18-2016, 06:17 AM

Title: “Runaway train”
Format: Single
Written by: Dave Pirner
Performed by: Soul Asylum
Genre: Rock
Taken from: Gravedancers Union
Year: 1993
Acclaim: No. 7 in the UK, no. 5 in the US

The first time I heard this (and subsequent times, before I found out who was singing) I could have sworn it was by Tom Petty. It's so like the kind of song he would write, and sing, and the vocal sounds uncannily similar to Petty's, so much so that I, in my naivete when I found out it was by Soul Asylum, thought it might be some pseudonym for Petty or some other project he was working on. It also didn't help that Petty also has a song called “Runaway trains” (although this one is pluralised), which I thought was this song. Great song in the end though, and a powerful video accompanying it about runaway children who have yet to be found, alive or dead.

Things I like about this :

Everything

Things I don't like about this:

1. Just the fact that he sounds so much like Petty, and I wasted time listening to Petty's “Runaway trains” before I found out who this was by. Gah!

Rating:

Trollheart · 12-19-2016, 10:51 AM

Title: “Long train runnin'”
Format: Single
Written by: Tom Johnson
Performed by: The Doobie Brothers
Genre: Pop/Soul
Taken from: The Captain and Me
Year: 1973
Acclaim: No. 8 in the US and again no. 7 in the UK on its re-release twenty years later.

I was never a fan of the Doobie Brothers, but for some reason I still can't remember I bought a double-live album by them when young. I can't remember if I liked it – probably bought it for “Minute by minute” or “Listen to the music”, and probably second hand at that – but this was on it and I do remember it. Apparently worked out from a jam they used to do on stage, it became one of their biggest hit singles. Does it even feature the title in the lyric? Don't think so. Not surprising as it was called various things before it finally became a proper song.

Things I like about this :

1. That funky guitar opening and recurring riff
2. That vocal harmony
3. Then the percussion kicks in
4. That sweet blues harmonica!
5. The sudden slowing down near the end

Things I don't like about this:

Nothing

Rating:

Trollheart · 12-19-2016, 10:52 AM

I really wanted to do something by progressive rockers Big Big Train, but they seem to have a very tight rein on what's allowed onto YouTube. The only one I could get that wasn't live is from their official channel, and comes from an EP.

Title: “Wassail”
Format: Album (EP) track
Written by: David Longdon
Performed by: Big Big Train
Genre: Progressive Rock
Taken from: Wassail
Year: 2015
Acclaim: n/a

I've never even heard this, so let's give it a go. Isn't “wassail” an old English word, something to do with Christmas, or hunting? Has a very medieval sound alright, almost minstrel-like. Odd. I know BBT are all about going back to the good old English countryside, tea with the vicar and all that, nature and the Garden of England, but this seems a little forced perhaps. It's okay, but I have a feeling at seven minutes plus it's going to feel way too long. It was.

Things I like about this :

1. Good rhythm
2. Violin
3. Organ runs
4. Nice midsection on cello (maybe violin, never really sure)
5. Nice reel or something there near the end

Things I don't like about this:

1. Not mad about the Olde English idea here, bit Tullesque?
2. Way too long
3. Bad ending

Rating:

Trollheart · 12-19-2016, 10:53 AM

Title: “Train song”
Format: Album track
Written by: Tom Waits
Performed by: Tom Waits
Genre: Rock
Taken from: Franks Wild Years
Year: 1987
Acclaim: n/a

If I had to pick my least favourite Waits album it would not be Franks Wild Years, however it is far from my favourite. In fact, of the six albums released by him between 1978 and 1992, this would definitely be the one I play least. It has some great songs, but I feel some of them are a little below par, and this is not helped by the fact that two of the songs come in two different versions, which, though there are seventeen tracks on the album, for me cuts down on the original songs. There are some ones I enjoy though, and this is one of them.

Things I like about this :

1. The desperate howl of Waits as he sings this
2. The accordion
3. The idea in the lyric
4. Sparse kind of melody; Waits' vocal definitely carries the song

Things I don't like about this:

Nothing

Rating:

Trollheart · 12-19-2016, 03:05 PM

Title: “Long twin silver line”
Format: Album track
Written by: Bob Seger
Performed by: Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
Genre: Rock
Taken from: Against the Wind
Year: 1980
Acclaim: n/a

Somewhat in the same vein as “City of New Orleans”, this song features a train indeed going from Chicago to California but whereas Goodman visualised the end of the railroad (literally, the end of the line) for the City of New Orleans, Seger exults in the speed and power of the train and it's almost like it's a living thing: indefatigable, indestructible, unstoppable. The exuberance he puts into the performance of this song really makes you wish you were there with the train “Rollin' into California, right on time!” Ooh yeah!

Things I like about this :

1. The big sharp happy guitar
2. The energy and enthusiasm in the song
3. The chopping riffs
4. The imagery conjured up by the lyric

Things I don't like about this:

Nothing

Rating:

Trollheart · 12-19-2016, 03:06 PM

Title: “Love train”
Format: Single
Written by: Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff
Performed by: The O'Jays
Genre: Disco
Taken from: Back Stabbers
Year: 1972
Acclaim: No. 1 in the US, no. 9 in the UK

Some songs just don't need much writing about. You listen to this, you feel happy and you want to move. It's that simple. A perfect dancing song with a joyous and very basic motif of everyone loving everyone else: how can that be bad? Listen to it, if you don't know it (or even if you do) and see if you can stop yourself clapping your hands, singing and smiling.

Things I like about this :

Everything

Things I don't like about this:
Nothing

Rating:

The Batlord · 12-19-2016, 04:26 PM

The Ojays album Back Stabbers? L.O.L.

Trollheart · 12-19-2016, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

The Ojays album Back Stabbers? L.O.L.

Yeah. You'd love to know the story behind that, wouldn't you?

And here it is. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_Stabbers_(song)

The Batlord · 12-19-2016, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Yeah. You'd love to know the story behind that, wouldn't you?

And here it is. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_Stabbers_(song)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._J._Simpson

12-18-2016, 06:14 AM	#121 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Title: “Last train to Transcentral” Format: Single Written by: Jimmy Cauty, Bill Drummond, Ricardo Lyte Performed by: The KLF Genre: Electronica Taken from: The White Room Year: 1990 Acclaim: No. 1 hit single in the UK This is generally not the kind of music I like, or certainly liked, back then in the early nineties, and yet when it hit on Top of the Pops I fucking loved it. Still can't tell you why, but listening back to it now I love it all over again. Things I like about this : 1. The “All aboard! All aboard!” refrain 2. The train sound made by the backing singers 3. The vocoder 4. The basic beat and energy Things I don't like about this: Nothing Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

12-18-2016, 06:17 AM	#122 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Title: “Runaway train” Format: Single Written by: Dave Pirner Performed by: Soul Asylum Genre: Rock Taken from: Gravedancers Union Year: 1993 Acclaim: No. 7 in the UK, no. 5 in the US The first time I heard this (and subsequent times, before I found out who was singing) I could have sworn it was by Tom Petty. It's so like the kind of song he would write, and sing, and the vocal sounds uncannily similar to Petty's, so much so that I, in my naivete when I found out it was by Soul Asylum, thought it might be some pseudonym for Petty or some other project he was working on. It also didn't help that Petty also has a song called “Runaway trains” (although this one is pluralised), which I thought was this song. Great song in the end though, and a powerful video accompanying it about runaway children who have yet to be found, alive or dead. Things I like about this : Everything Things I don't like about this: 1. Just the fact that he sounds so much like Petty, and I wasted time listening to Petty's “Runaway trains” before I found out who this was by. Gah! Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

12-19-2016, 10:51 AM	#123 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Title: “Long train runnin'” Format: Single Written by: Tom Johnson Performed by: The Doobie Brothers Genre: Pop/Soul Taken from: The Captain and Me Year: 1973 Acclaim: No. 8 in the US and again no. 7 in the UK on its re-release twenty years later. I was never a fan of the Doobie Brothers, but for some reason I still can't remember I bought a double-live album by them when young. I can't remember if I liked it – probably bought it for “Minute by minute” or “Listen to the music”, and probably second hand at that – but this was on it and I do remember it. Apparently worked out from a jam they used to do on stage, it became one of their biggest hit singles. Does it even feature the title in the lyric? Don't think so. Not surprising as it was called various things before it finally became a proper song. Things I like about this : 1. That funky guitar opening and recurring riff 2. That vocal harmony 3. Then the percussion kicks in 4. That sweet blues harmonica! 5. The sudden slowing down near the end Things I don't like about this: Nothing Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

12-19-2016, 10:52 AM	#124 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	I really wanted to do something by progressive rockers Big Big Train, but they seem to have a very tight rein on what's allowed onto YouTube. The only one I could get that wasn't live is from their official channel, and comes from an EP. Title: “Wassail” Format: Album (EP) track Written by: David Longdon Performed by: Big Big Train Genre: Progressive Rock Taken from: Wassail Year: 2015 Acclaim: n/a I've never even heard this, so let's give it a go. Isn't “wassail” an old English word, something to do with Christmas, or hunting? Has a very medieval sound alright, almost minstrel-like. Odd. I know BBT are all about going back to the good old English countryside, tea with the vicar and all that, nature and the Garden of England, but this seems a little forced perhaps. It's okay, but I have a feeling at seven minutes plus it's going to feel way too long. It was. Things I like about this : 1. Good rhythm 2. Violin 3. Organ runs 4. Nice midsection on cello (maybe violin, never really sure) 5. Nice reel or something there near the end Things I don't like about this: 1. Not mad about the Olde English idea here, bit Tullesque? 2. Way too long 3. Bad ending Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

12-19-2016, 10:53 AM	#125 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Title: “Train song” Format: Album track Written by: Tom Waits Performed by: Tom Waits Genre: Rock Taken from: Franks Wild Years Year: 1987 Acclaim: n/a If I had to pick my least favourite Waits album it would not be Franks Wild Years, however it is far from my favourite. In fact, of the six albums released by him between 1978 and 1992, this would definitely be the one I play least. It has some great songs, but I feel some of them are a little below par, and this is not helped by the fact that two of the songs come in two different versions, which, though there are seventeen tracks on the album, for me cuts down on the original songs. There are some ones I enjoy though, and this is one of them. Things I like about this : 1. The desperate howl of Waits as he sings this 2. The accordion 3. The idea in the lyric 4. Sparse kind of melody; Waits' vocal definitely carries the song Things I don't like about this: Nothing Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

12-19-2016, 03:05 PM	#126 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Title: “Long twin silver line” Format: Album track Written by: Bob Seger Performed by: Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band Genre: Rock Taken from: Against the Wind Year: 1980 Acclaim: n/a Somewhat in the same vein as “City of New Orleans”, this song features a train indeed going from Chicago to California but whereas Goodman visualised the end of the railroad (literally, the end of the line) for the City of New Orleans, Seger exults in the speed and power of the train and it's almost like it's a living thing: indefatigable, indestructible, unstoppable. The exuberance he puts into the performance of this song really makes you wish you were there with the train “Rollin' into California, right on time!” Ooh yeah! Things I like about this : 1. The big sharp happy guitar 2. The energy and enthusiasm in the song 3. The chopping riffs 4. The imagery conjured up by the lyric Things I don't like about this: Nothing Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

12-19-2016, 03:06 PM	#127 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Title: “Love train” Format: Single Written by: Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff Performed by: The O'Jays Genre: Disco Taken from: Back Stabbers Year: 1972 Acclaim: No. 1 in the US, no. 9 in the UK Some songs just don't need much writing about. You listen to this, you feel happy and you want to move. It's that simple. A perfect dancing song with a joyous and very basic motif of everyone loving everyone else: how can that be bad? Listen to it, if you don't know it (or even if you do) and see if you can stop yourself clapping your hands, singing and smiling. Things I like about this : Everything Things I don't like about this: Nothing Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018