Back to Bad

Could completeness still appeal,
To one who thinks what he should feel?

Because my iTunes library is a living document (and because I'm getting so many great recommendations doing this), another alphabetical list:

"Back of Your Head," Julie Miller
"Back on Board," Aztec Camera
"Back on the Chain Gang," The Pretenders
"Back to Back," The Replacements
"Backstreets," Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band
"Backwards and Forwards," Aztec Camera
"Bad Diary Days," Pedro the Lion
"Bad Fruit," Randy Stonehill
"Bad Liver and a Broken Heart," Tom Waits
"Bad Reputation," Freedy Johnston
"Bad Reputation," Joan Jett
"Badlands," Bruce Springsteen.

Yeah, I like those first two Aztec Camera albums. You got a problem with that?

The Julie Miller track is a tune by Christian Celtic pop-punksters The Electrics, who sound in concert like a cross between the Pogues and Green Day. (One more reason that Greenbelt is cooler than Cornerstone.)

The real wild card in there is the old-school Uncle Randy, produced by a pre-TBI Larry Norman. Some day I'll have to write something exploring my fondness for those old Solid Rock records, including the first-century-style crisis that '70s Jesus rockers like Randy, Larry and DA faced due to the delayed parousia.

Some day, also, I'll have to get around to upgrading from vinyl for all the pre-Don't Tell a Soul stuff from the 'Mats.

And but so anyway, what I am I missing here?

Comments

[Josh]

this is my first time commenting on your stuff...but you're definitely missing "bad things to such good people" by pedro the lion

[Tim Walters]

"Back In Judy's Jungle", Brian Eno
"Back In The Saddle Again", Gene Autry
"Back Of A Car", Big Star
"Back Street Slide", Richard & Linda Thompson
"Back To Africa", The Dictators
"Back To The Family", Jethro Tull
"Back To Zero Now", Tommy Keene
"Backward Century", The Loud Family
"Bad Alchemy", Slapp Happy/Henry Cow
"Bad Moon Rising", Creedence Clearwater Revival
"Bad Year At UCLA", Game Theory

All excellent, or from generally excellent albums, or both.

[James Stewart]

While I agree in every possible way that Greenbelt is cooler than Cornerstone, and I first saw the Electrics at Greenbelt, it's worth mentioning that lately (and by lately, I mean in the past decade) you're much more likely to see them at Cornerstone...

That aside, will we be seeing you at Greenbelt for Uncle Randy's set this summer?

[James Stewart]

Going a little further down the alphabet, but not far...

Backstairs Down - Po' Girl (s/t)
Backwoods Nation - Dave Bazan (ex Pedro The Lion) (Fewer Moving Parts)
Bada Bing - Danger Doom (The Mouse and The Mask)
Badhead - Blur (Parklife)
Badlands Flashback - Bruce Cockburn (Dancing In The Dragon's Jaws)
Banking On A Myth - Andrew Bird (& The Mysterious Production Of Eggs...)
Banquet - Bloc Party (Silent Alarm)
Banquet For King Ludwig II Of Bavaria - Matmos (The Rose Has Teeth In The Mouth Of A Beast)
Barrio Viejo - Ry Cooder (Chavez Ravine)
Bass Baby - Mr. Scruff (s/t)

[Jessica Guilford]

I second the Richard & Linda Thompson: "Shoot Out the Lights" is maybe overhyped in some circles, but it's still damn good.

[Thlayli]

"Back To Life", Soul II Soul
"Bad", U2

[Jason]

Picking up at "Badlands"....

Badlife, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult
Bag's Groove, Thelonius Monk
Bag O' Nails, The Who
Balboa Park, Bruce Springsteen
Ball and Biscuit, The White Stripes
Ballad in Plain D, Bob Dylan
Ballad of a Teenage Queen, Johnny Cash
Ballad of a Thin Man (x3), Bob Dylan
Bandit, Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Bands with Managers, Pedro the Lion
Bang and Blame, R.E.M.
Banging Camp, The Hold Steady
Banks of the Ohio, Johnny Cash

Hmmm, not a terribly interesting selection. But Fred, THANK YOU for your recommendation a few months back of The Hold Steady; I haven't even cataloged the Separation Sunday CD since it's been sitting on my stereo since I bought it.

[Linkmeister]

Insert "Bad Company" in there. Paul Rodgers is/was good.

[cjmr's husband]

"Bad is Bad", Huey Lewis and the News. It's not bad. Or it's Bad. Or something.

[cminus]

I've only ever been exposed to the Electrics via compilation CDs of Celtic music -- I had no idea they were explicitly Christian. Huh. "The Grass Is Greener" is an instant classic, but I don't hear a religious component. And, while there's nothing wrong with Aztec Camera's first two albums, IMHO their best album is "Stray."

Anyway, this week Fred and I have a fair amount of overlap, so here's the entire list of songs between "Back Of Your Head" and "Badlands" that I have but Fred doesn't:

"Back On The Borderline," Midnight Oil
"Back On The Sun," Ednaswap
"Back Porch," Presidents Of The United States Of America
"Backdoor Love Affair," ZZ Top
"Backs Turned Looking Down The Path," Warren Zevon
"Bad," U2
"Bad Boy," The Beatles
"Bad Day," Juliana Hatfield
"Bad Habit," The Offspring
"Bad Karma," Warren Zevon
"Bad Luck Streak In Dancing School," Warren Zevon
"Bad Medicine," Bon Jovi
"Bad Moon Rising," Creedence Clearwater Revival
"Bad News And Bad Breaks," The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
"Bad Sneakers," Steely Dan
"Bad Stone," The Crystal Method
"Bad To The Bone," George Thorogood And The Delaware Destroyers
"Badfish," Sublime

Recommendation-wise, Warren Zevon was one of the underappreciated musical geniuses of the 20th century, and while the three songs above aren't his best efforts they're all very good and give some idea of his range. The Midnight Oil, CCR and Bosstones tracks are excellent examples of the bands' outputs, so may be worth a shot. "Back Porch" and "Bad To The Bone" aren't necessarily great music but they're fun listens, and the latter has a tie to Delaware. After that, um, I guess Steely Dan and Juliana Hatfield would round out a list of ten suggestions.

[Ray]

I've hardly anything in that range...
Backdrifts (Honeymoon is over) - Radiohead
Backward Sucking (Heat Miser) - Massive Attack vs Mad Professor
Bad - U2
Bad Cover Version - Pulp
Bad Dog - Chumbawumba

[Dave]

Those first two Aztec Camera albums were pretty good, but the best is their acoustic version of Van Halen's "Jump".

[Vanya]

More missing songs from in between:
"Back 2 The Base" - X
"Back to the Old House" - the Smiths
"Back Water Blues" - Bessie Smith
"Backwoods" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Backwoods" - Scissorfight
"Bad Card" - Bob Marley
"Bad Day" - Blur
"Badhead" - Blur

[Steve]

Okay, this is slightly outside your boundaries, but:
Baby, Baby - The Swirling Eddies (it was on in the car today)

[Steve]

Fred, your blog is like bad medicine, and bad medicine is what I need.

[Brent White]

"Back 2 the Base," X
"Back of a Car," Big Star
"Back on My Feet Again," Randy Newman
"Back to Schooldays," Graham Parker
"Back-Door Angels," Jethro Tull
"Bad Boy," John Prine
"Bad Brain," Ramones
"Bad Day," R.E.M.
"Bad Detective," New York Dolls
"Bad Light," Built to Spill

By the way, Fred, one never upgrades _from_ vinyl! Now that I have all these damn CDs, I'm trying to upgrade _to_ vinyl. Nice post, though!

[John E Thelin]

A problem with Aztec Camera? Anybody who has a problem with smart, quirky and literate Pop has really just given up on music. For me, the two Aztec Camera tracks *almost* make up for the two Springsteen ones.

And you should check out Aztec Camera's Dreamland, it's on par with High Land, Hard Rain (even if it doesn't sound much like it). Roddy Frame's solo debut The North Star is also quite sterling (even though going solo is an odd thing to do when he alone *was* Aztec Camera).

Circle Jerks - Back Against the Wall
Genesis - Back in New York City
Art of Noise - Back to Back
Bruford - Back to the Beginning
Baby Bird - Back Together
No-Man - Back When You Were Beautiful
Jethro Tull - Back Door Angels
David Sylvian - Backwaters
Lloyd Cole - Backwoods
Miles Davis - Backyard Ritual
The Divine Comedy - Bad Ambassador
Space - Bad Days
Aztec Camera (!) - Bad Education
Lee Scratch Perry - Bad Luck
Helmet - Bad Moon
Baby Bird - Bad Old Man
Big Black - Bad Penny
Marc Almond - Bad People Kiss
Steely Dan - Bad Sneakers
David Holmes - Bad Thing
Blur - Badhead
The Colourfield - Badlands
Dungen - Badsång

[Indiana Joe]

I was going to post my list, but there were only six songs - and four of them were Springsteen. :-)

[Steve]

Okay, I don't have an Ipod, but a quick search of my computer reveals:
Back In Stride - Maze
Back In The High Life - Steve Winwood
Back Of Your Head - The Electrics
Back On The Chain Gang - The Pretenders
Back Together Again - Hall and Oates
Backdrifts (Honeymoon is over) - Radiohead
Bad - Michael Jackson
Bad - U2
Bad Animals - Heart
Bad Boy - Miami Sound Machine
Bad Case of Lovin You (Doctor, Doctor) - Robert Palmer
Bad Girls - Donna Summer
Bad Indigestion - The Lost Dogs
Bad News - Johnny Cash
Bad News On The Radio - Adam Again
Bad Rap - Steve Taylor
Bad Things To Such Good People - Pedro The Lion
Bad To The Bone - George Thorogood
Badlands - Bruce Springsteen

Yeah, so there's lots of 80s music. You gotta problem with that?