Here's my Take

I've been wishing that I wasn't such a parasite ...

"Take a Look Around," Phil Keaggy
"Take It With Me," Tom Waits
"Take Me (Back) to You," Cracker
"Take Me Back," Van Morrison
"Take Me Back to Love Canal," Chagall Guevara
"Take Me Down to the Infirmary," Cracker
"Take Me Out to the Ballgame," The Hold Steady
"Take Me to Aruanda," Astrud Gilberto
"Take Me to Mars," Milla
"Take Me to the River," Annie Lennox
"Take Me to the River," Talking Heads
"Take Me With U," Prince and the Revolution
"Take My Heart Away," Johnny Clegg & Savuka
"Take No Prisoners," Vigilantes of Love
"Take the Skinheads Bowling," Camper Van Beethoven
"Take You There," G. Love & Special Sauce

David Lowery likes this word for song titles.

For those unfamiliar with the world of "Christian rock," let me briefly introduce Phil Keaggy: Very skilled guitar player; does uncanny McCartney impression; wrote some very good songs; wrote some awful songs; may or may not himself realize which are which.

That link for "Take It With Me" isn't to Tom Waits, but to a rendition by a woman named Solveig Slettahjell from the Norwegian TV show "Beat for Beat," which seems to be some kind of battle of the bands show. Apparently Norway's idea of reality TV involves lovely piano versions of Tom Waits songs, while we have "Fear Factor" and "Flavor of Love." Makes sense, I guess, when you consider that this is their idea of a prison.

Comments

[David no longer in Maine]

"Take It Out On Me", Civillian, AKA "Cochise", Audioslave

When the demos were leaked, no one knew what the song titles were, or, for that matter, what the band would be called. There are still some songs from the first Audioslave album whose titles I can't remember. I know they called one of them "Exploder", but which one? Is that "If You're Free"? Was that song even ever released?

[mcc]

Take 5 - Dave Bruebeck
Take It Away - Smoosh
Take Off Your Cool - Andre 3000 feat. Norah Jones
Taking People - Cat Power*

* If I
was a photographer
picture taking
beautiful people
I guess I'd make a mistake because
I'd probably take a
picture of you

[MikeJ]

I would have guessed you to be of the age where in college the most foolproof album to put on when a girl came back to your dorm room was Squeeze Singles, which of course has "Take Me I'm Yours". The magic of course would happen when she giggled at the way you sang along with "a scrubbing brush lahnding crahhft" on "If I "Didn't Love You".

[MikeJ]

And you have both Talking Heads and Annie Lennox and no Al Green?

[Tonio]

I have a scratchy 45 of a song I've never seen anywhere on CD or on iTunes - "Take Me With You" by Honey Cone, put out by Holland-Dozier-Holland's Hot Wax label in 1969. (The title's similarity to the Prince song is coincidental.) It's a good song, but lacks the funkiness of the group's hits "Want Ads" and "Stick Up."

I've only heard of Phil Keaggy from guitar magazines. Years ago, one reader excoriated a magazine for featuring so few Christian guitarists. The editors replied that its only standard was artistic merit, not religious belief, and a guitarist's beliefs were none of the magazine's business unless he mentioned them as a source of artistic inspiration.

[MikhailBorg]

"Take A Chance On Me" - Erasure (some nice Abba drag, there)
"Take It Away" - Paul McCartney
"Take Me To The Pilot" - Elton John
"Take My Breath Away" - Berlin

The bits in the aircraft boneyard for the last video always move me somehow.

[Ray]

I have the Talking Heads, and Andre 300 has been mentioned. Also in there -

Take A Chance On Me - ABBA
Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
Take Me To Broadway - Gonzales
Take Me To Your Leader - Add N To X
Take off your shoes to feel the setting sun - Wolfgang Dauner
Take The Glory - Badly Drawn Boy
Take Your Carriage Clock And Shove It - Belle & Sebastian

The Franz Ferdinand is probably the standout track there.

[cminus]

"Take A Chance On Me," ABBA
"Take A Chance On Me," Erasure (ABBA cover)
"Take A Look," Liz Phair
"Take A Ride," Luscious Jackson
"Take A Trip," Toots & The Maytalls feat. Bunny Wailer
"Take A Walk," Urge Overkill
"Take Away," The Urge
"Take It Easy," The Eagles
"Take It Or Leave It," Jet
"Take Me Away," Blue Oyster Cult
"Take Me Bak 'Ome," Slade
"Take Me Down," Smashing Pumpkins
"Take Me Home Tonight," Eddie Money
"Take Me Out," Franz Ferdinand
"Take My Hand," Dido
"Take On Me," a-Ha
"Take The Devil," The Eagles
"Take The Gold (But Don't Touch The Idol)," The Boogie Knights
"Take The Long Way Home," Supertramp
"Take The Money And Run," The Steve Miller Band
"Take The Power Back," Rage Against The Machine
"Take Your Carriage Clock And Shove It," Belle & Sebastian

Most recommended: "Take Your Carriage Clock And Shove It," by Belle & Sebastian. I'm not ordinarily a Belle & Sebastian fan, but anybody who's worked in a company below the level of "president's son-in-law" can appreciate this song. Also receiving votes: "Take A Walk," Urge Overkill; "Take Me Out," Franz Ferdinand; and "Take On Me," a-Ha.

As for the rest, "Take The Money And Run" is a fun song to listen to, marred only by one very-badly-rhymed stanza, and "Take The Gold (But Don't Touch The Idol)" is a well-done filk about treasure hunters to the tune of "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)." The ABBA, Toots & The Maytalls, Blue Oyster Cult and Supertramp songs fall into the "the sort of thing that people who like this sort of thing will like" category (in other words, if you like reggae, you'll want to listen to "Take A Trip" post-haste, but if you don't like reggae it won't change your mind).

[Vermic]

"Take'm to the Water (featuring Duddy Ken)" - Bubba Sparxxx
"Take a Chance on Me" - ABBA
"Take a Look" - Skankin' Pickle
"Take Care of Me" - Jonathan Coulton
"Take Me to the Specialist" - The Dead Milkmen
"Take Off (Intro)" - Bubba Sparxxx
"Take the Long Way Home" - Bloodhound Gang
"Take the Skinheads Bowling" - Camper Van Beethoven

Yay CVB!

[Tom]

Take Five -- Dave Brubeck
Take Me Away -- Blue Oyster Cult
Take Me To The Backseat -- The Donnas
Take Me With U -- Prince

Of these, the first and last are the best.

[wanderingoutlaw]

Only one in my itunes not mentioned so far:
Take Me Back - Randy Newman

[mmack]

Wow, given the interview thread right below this, I'm surprised nobody has mentioned "Take This Job and Shove It" by either Johnny Paycheck or The Dead Kennedys.

Because really, at one time in their life, who hasn't wanted to tell their boss that?

[Geds]

"Take Back," Green Day
"Take It Easy," The Eagles
"Take It Easy," Travis Tritt
"Take My Anthem," Live
"Take the Skinheads Bowling," Refreshments cover

"Take It Out On Me", Civillian, AKA "Cochise", Audioslave

I don't know about "If You're Free," but I have a copy of a Civilian demo called "We Got the Whip." It's awesome, but never got released.

[cjmr's husband]

Take It Easy - the Eagles
Take It Easy On Me - Little River Band
Take It On The Run - REO Speedwagon
Take Off! - Bob & Doug Mackenzie with Geddy Lee, eh?

[Kristy]

Fred, I consistantly adore you. I don't know anyone else who listens to Johnny Clegg and Savuka.

[coffeedryad]

"Take Five", Dave Brubeck
"Take This Waltz", Leonard Cohen
"Take Your Mama", the Scissor Sisters

[LDWheeler]

Not too many, but more than I'd thought:

"Take Advantage of Me" (Seanan McGuire)
"Take Five" (Dave Brubeck Quartet)
"Take Me Back to Tulsa" (Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys)
"Take Me for Longing" (Alison Krauss & Union Station)
"Take Me to the River" (Talking Heads)
"Take These Chains From My Heart" (Ray Charles)

I consider Keaggy's What a Day album to be among the most joy-drenched recordings ever made ... and Sunday's Child to be worthy of the Beatles that inspired it. Heh, even Phil on his bad days (the Christian power-pop in the True Believers" album, e.g.) is superior to the vast majority of CCM.

[cjmr's husband]

Italici Delendo!

[Chris Koeberle]

84, after removing tracks already mentioned, down to 63. ("Take The Long Way Home," by Supertramp is one of my favorite songs; I also like the Dido and a-Ha tracks.) Other pleasant tunes:

"Take 'em Away," Old Crow Medicine Show
"Take a Chance," Mr. Flagio (Röyksopp remix)
"Take a Deep Breath," Saelynh
"Take Five," Jimmy Johnson
"Take Me Back," The Ataris
"Take Me to the Mardi Gras," Paul Simon
"Take My Love With You," Eli "Paperboy" Reed & The True Loves
"Take Stuff From Work," King Missile
"Take the Money and Run," Run-D.M.C. featuring Everlast
"Take Warning," Operation Ivy
"Take Your Big Hands Off," Alberta Hunter

I offer "Take Stuff From Work" as an alternative to "Take This Job and Shove It." ("Take stuff from work. It's the best way to feel better about your job!")

[straight]

Keaggy's later instrumental albums are my favorites - Beyond Nature and Acoustic Sketches.

Also, I love Vigilantes of Love & Chagall Guevara.

[Jack Bishop]

"Take a Look Around", by The Temptations
"Take Five", by the Dave Brubeck Quartet
"Take Good Care of Your Feet", by the Beach Boys
"Take It Out On Me", by Steely Dan
"Take Me Girl, I'm Ready", by Junior Walker and the All-Stars
"Take Somebody Home", by Lili Haydn
"Take the A Train", as performed by Duke Ellington

[vanya]

"Take 5, D*" - The Minutemen
"Take A Chance with Me" - Roxy Music
"Take a look at that Baby" - John Fahey
"Take Five" - Dave Brubeck (good to see this on so many lists)
"Take Good Care of The Poor Boy" - Sloan
"Take It or Leave It" - the Strokes
"Take Me I'm Yours" - Squeeze
"Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand
"Take Me To The River" - Talking Heads 1 studio, 2 live versions
"Take Off" - Bob & Doug McKenzie
"Take Our Test" - The Minutemen
"Take The Bench" - Sloan
"Take the Skinheads Bowling" - Camper Van Beethoven
"Take, Take, Take" - The White Stripes. Does this song get extra credit this week>
"Take Your Carriage Clock And Shove It" - Belle & Sebastian

The Franz Ferdinand track is certainly not the standout track here. I may even delete it now that I listen to it, it sounds like lame Strokes, and the Strokes are already fairly lame. The Camper track is the standout, followed by Take Me to the River. The Sloan tracks are also good. While the Minutemen are probably the most talented band here (excluding Brubeck) these tracks need to be heard in context of the albums.

[Josh D]

I'm going to go to Norway and commit heinous crimes so I can live in one of their prisons. I think it's nicer than my apartment!

[Linkmeister]

Take Me Home, Country Roads -- John Denver
Take That Look Off Your Face -- Marti Webb
Take The Money And Run -- Steve Miller Band

[Indiana Joe]

"Take A Whiff On Me," Woody Guthrie
"Take Another Road," Jimmy Buffett
"Take Her In Your Arms," Andy M. Stewart & Manus Lunny
"Take It Easy," The Eagles
"Take It Off," Dick Dale
"Take It To The Limit," The Eagles
"Take The 'A' Train," Duke Ellington
"Take the Money and Run," Steve Miller Band

Everyone else seems to have, "Take It Easy" but not, "Take It to the Limit". It's definitely my favorite of the two. Once I listened to it 10 times in a row - and I'm still not sick of it.

[Karen]

Oh, YAY! For once I'm both home where I can comment on the Friday music post and I actually have something that fits and that doesn't embarass me to disclose:

Take a Giant Step -- The Monkees
Take a Message to Mary -- The Everly Brothers
Take My Hand, Precious Lord -- Elvis
Takes These Chains From My Heart -- Hank Williams
Take Your Time -- Buddy Holl

Also, even though it's not in the range, Marlene Dietrich's and Frank Sinatra's versions of "Takin' a Chance on Love."

[Karen]

Ugh, that's Buddy HOLLY.

[borealys]

Take a Chance - The Magic Numbers
Take a Picture - Filter
Take it Or Leave It - The Strokes
Take Me Anywhere - Tegan and Sara
Take Me Away - Avril Lavigne
Take Me Away - Fefe Dobson
Take Me Away - Lifehouse
Take Me to the Ballroom - Moonbabies

Well, the embarrassing stuff in there is, I think, more than compensated for by the Tegan and Sara track and the Magic Numbers one. Both fantastic songs.

[Linkmeister]

I was wondering why "Take it to the Limit" hadn't shown up (I've got it, but on vinyl only).

[Cowboy Diva]

A Take 5 story:
The basketball pep band at my college had this song in their repertoire during the '70s (per the director). They would rehearse in the gym and so the team got used to the 5/4 rhythm and take it in stride (as it were). The visiting teams, on the other hand, would lose their rhythm on the court whenever the band played the song.
Only one visiting coach ever figured it out, but couldn't figure out why it was happening. He just walked over to the director and told him to knock it off, whatever it was.

[Theo]

Take a Chance - Jerry Nolan
Take a Chance on Me - Johnny Thunders
Take a Message to Mary - Bob Dylan
- Billy Bragg
Take It - the Jesus & Mary Chain
Take It or Leave It - the Runaways
Take It on the Run - REO Speedwagon
Take Me Down to the Hospital - the Replacements

[Theo]

The missing one there should be "Take Down the Union Jack" by Billy Bragg.

[DP]

Hmmm, excluding repeats, only CCM:

Take Me to Your Leader - Newsboys
Take My Hands - Newsboys
Take You Back - Jeremy Camp

[Nicole J. LeBoeuf-Little]

So we already got "Take Me To The River" (not my favorite Talking Heads song, and yes I know it's a cover) and "Take On Me" (yay! a-ha!)...

We got "Take It Out On Me" by Cowboy Mouth yet?

Now we do.