Creep to Cruel

Hey remember this? I think we were on the letter C ...

Now it's hard to say now if he's only stupid or smart
When he crawled through the door
And poured out more
of his creeping-Jesus heart

"Creep," Radiohead
"Crescent City," Emmylou Harris
"Cricket," Thee Spivies
"Crimes of Paris," Elvis Costello & The Attractions
"Criminal," Fiona Apple
"Criminal World," David Bowie
"Crimson and Clover," Tommy James & The Shondells
"Crimson and Clover," Joan Jett
"Criticism as Inspiration," Pedro the Lion
"Cross That Line," Randy Stonehill
"Crucifixion Cruise," The Hold Steady
"Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World," Johnny Clegg & Savuka

"Cross That Line" is D-grade Randy Stonehill. It's the sort of song that seems like it was written to gain the approval of evangelical youth ministers looking for an unthreatening "CCM" soundtrack for the kids they've been hired to keep safe within the bubble. I can't complain too much about that tactic, since it seems to have worked. Thanks to songs like that one, we kids had permission to listen to his other, better music. I wore out the vinyl on my copy of Uncle Randy's Equator and despite (or because of) the dueling bagpipes and Ethel Merman impressions, I caught a glimpse there of something subversive. In that setting, of course, the threshhold for "subversive" was pretty low, but I'm still grateful. And if boilerplate, disposable CCM tracks like "Cross That Line" somehow helped to allow for that, then I suppose I'm grateful for those songs as well.

Comments

[Theo]

I'm first??

Cretin Family, the Ramones
Cretin Hop, the Ramones
Crime in the City (60 to 0, Pt 1), Neil Young
Crimson Ballroom, the Hellacopters

[wanderingoutlaw]

"Criminals" - T-Bone Burnett
"Cripple Creek" - Roger McGuinn
"The Crooked Beat" - The Clash
"Cross Road Blues" - Robert Johnson (2 versions--take 1 and take 2)
"The Crowd" - Roy Orbison
"Crucifixion" - Phil Ochs
"Cruel To Be Kind" - Nick Lowe
"The Cruel War" - Roger McGuinn

[Noah Ramon]

"Cross My Fingers" - John Hiatt
"Crosseyed and Painless" - Talking Heads (I can't believe this one got missed!)
"Crowded Room" - XTC
"Crime Don't Pay" - Joe Jackson
"Creepy Doll" - Jonathan Coulton
"Cruel Summer" - Bananarama
"Cruel" - Thomas Dolby
"Cross Wires" - XTC

Guess what era of artists I'm kinda tied to...

[Steve]

Any body else see Thee Spivies (RIP) in concert. Flash in the pan, but a fun flash in the pan.

[Tonio]

"Cruel Summer" - Bananarama

The video had a scene at the end were a police officer takes off his hat and dances for the crowd. The actor had the lanky physique of a professional dancer. Personally I didn't buy that he was a police officer - the ones I've encountered in my career have all had some muscle bulk.

"Crimson and Clover," Tommy James & The Shondells

An old "Dick Clark Picks the Oldies" collection had a long version of that song. It switches keys in the middle to include some pedal steel, and then goes into to an extended wah-wah guitar solo. I've never heard that version on radio. Also, the young Tommy James looked like John Cleese wearing a frizzy wig - there was a strong resemblance in the eyes and in the chin.

[Mark]

Creep - Radiohead
Creep (live) - Radiohead
Creep (acoustic) - Radiohead
Crooked Teeth - Death Cab For Cutie
Crosstown Traffic - Jimi Hendrix
Crowd Noise - Radiohead (Not a song, just part of a very comprehensively labelled live bootleg)
Cruel - Kate Rusby

[MikhailBorg]

Since I linked to YouTube videos of everything, TypePad thinks I'm comment spamming. Sigh.

Without links (feel free to delete this if the linked version gets approved):

"Creatures Of Levania", Mannheim Steamroller
"Creeping Death", Apocalyptica
"Crescendolls", Daft Punk
"Crimson Rose and Gin Tonic", Katamari Damacy Soundtrack
"Crocodile Rock", Elton John
"Cry Baby Cry", The Beatles

Apocalyptica was a cello quartet that covered Metallica songs. Their version of "Enter Sandman" is excellent. Daft Punk is my latest "Discovery", ahem... through an anime music video, no less!

[twig]

MikhailBorg

The music video is actually an entire anime accompanying the 'Discovery' album called 'Interstella 5555.'

It is awesome, as Daft Punk is awesome, and their 'Alive 2007' album is triumphant beyond levels of mortal ken.

[vanya]

"Creep"- Radiohead. This seems to be pretty popular.
"Crepuscule with Nellie (Live)" Thelonius Monk
"Crescent" - John Coltrane
"Cripple Creek Ferry" Neil Young
"Crisis" Bob Marley
"Crocodile" XTC
"A Crocodile Cries" Midnight Oil
"The Crooked Beat" The Clash
"Cross The Breeze" Sonic Youth
"Crosseyed And Painless" Talking Heads (3 versions - studio and 2 live)
"The Crossing" Big Country
"Crossroads" 3 versions (1. Cream, 2. Eric Clapton & the Powerhouse, 3. Rush)
"Crosstown Traffic" Jimi Hendrix
"Crown Of Love" Arcade Fire
"Cruel To Be Kind" Nick Lowe

Definitely a few real standouts here. "Crosseyed and Painless" is an essential track, the whole album Remain in Light has to be one of the top 50 rock albums of all time. I'm surprised no one else has yet mentioned "Crossroads" - it's such a classic rock standard, and an eye opener for younger people who think of Eric Clapton as the "Cocaine" or (god forbid) the "Tears in Heaven" guy. When he was young he really was a fantastic guitarist.

[MikhailBorg]

twig: I picked up the Interstella video not long after seeing the clip :)

My anime roots are back with Space Battleship Yamato and Captain Harlock - how could I pass up new Matsumoto work with cool music?

[twig]

The second after I posted I re-read your list and was like "Katamari Damancy Soundtrack? Yeah, definitely already knows about I:5555" I saw a few of the smaller videos years before I heard they'd done an entire DVD. That was a good day.

Pick up the live album if you don't have it. Seriously, it's distilled epic win.

[cminus]

As always, leaving out what Fred already has, but leaving in what other people have already said so's we can make use of peer pressure if need be:

"Creepy Crawling," Chumbawamba
"Crime Spree," MC Frontalot
"Cross Out The Eyes," Thursday
"Cross-Eyed Mary," Jethro Tull
"Crossroads," Cream
"Crosstown Traffic," The Jimi Hendrix Experience
"Crow Call," Harold Zimmerman
"Crowds," Bauhaus
"Crown," The Connells
"Cruel Summer," Bananarama

Recommended: words alone cannot say how good "Crown" is, but it currently occupies the #9 position on my "Most Played" list if that helps. "Crime Spree" is a marquee example of nerdcore hip-hop, for people who like (or think they might like) nerdcore hip-hop. And it's available for free on-line, too. The Hendrix, Tull, and Cream tracks are deservedly essentials, in about that order.

As for the rest, the Chumbawamba track is better than the band's reputation would indicate, which can be said about pretty much every Chumbawamba track. The remaining songs are pretty rank-and-file; not bad but nothing special.

[Robb]

(from my work iTunes)

The Cabinet Opens - Cicada
The Cabinet Closes - Cicada
Calm like a bomb - RATM
Can't Do It Today - Gary Allan
The Clockwork Promenade - Cicada
Cochise - Audioslave
Country Trash - Johnny Cash
Cowboy Rides Away - George Strait
Cowboys Like Us - George Strait
Crab - Weezer
Cry, Cry, Cry - Johnny Cash
Crying Over - Patty Griffin
The Curious-and still missing-little girl - Cicada

Since there's a few Daft Punk fans out there, I feel compelled to mention Cicada (or tettix as he is now known), who is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. - I'm hesitant to use the words "electronica" or "techno", because that's selling his excellent music short, but almost everything he's ever done is available on his site for free, and it's very much worth a listen.

*****

Any body else see Thee Spivies (RIP) in concert. Flash in the pan, but a fun flash in the pan.

OMG YES!!!!! They were amazing! I saw them back in high school during. . . I think it was winter HS youth group camp. Everyone was like "who the hell are these guys?" - until they started playing. Dear lord, I don't think I've ever done so much dancing. Tried to make it to a few other shows, but they disappeared not to long after that. Yeah, quite a fun time.

[twig]

Robb, duly noted to check out later. If you're not listening to Amon Tobin, I cannot reccommend him highly enough.

[Vermic]

"Cruel To Be Kind" - Nick Lowe

When I listen to this song, I sing along with the chorus, except instead of the title lyrics I sing "Scoob Scooby-Doo." Because I think it's funnier that way.

Um, I guess that was the only point I had to make.

[Robb]

Bah, the link to Cicada got messed up above.

twig - thank you! Just the few seconds of Amon Tobin's music has already made me a fan, not to mention the way awesome (if perhaps a tad confusing) site design.

[Robb]

Ok, I don't know what's up with this computer (I'm a different machine, and using IE instead of my beloved Firefox), but it's cicadacom.com

[yagowe]

Creep - Frank Bennet (a cover of the Radiohead song in a Sinatra-esque style)
Creep - Radiohead
Creepy - Mono Puff

[Tonio]

I'm surprised no one else has yet mentioned "Crossroads" - it's such a classic rock standard, and an eye opener for younger people who think of Eric Clapton as the "Cocaine" or (god forbid) the "Tears in Heaven" guy. When he was young he really was a fantastic guitarist.

Excellent point. The first Clapton song I ever heard was "Wonderful Tonight," and I was shocked when I later heard "Layla." Cream was good but suffered from too many extended solos. Clapton declared after Cream that he wanted to play "good funky songs," but from my listening much of his post-drug-recovery work lacks that funky spirit. Do you find that to be the case?

[coffeedryad]

The Crooked Beat, The Clash
Crows Bring the Spring, Korpiklaani

Got to say, I'm quite liking the Daft Punk.

[borealys]

Creep - Radiohead
Creepin' Up the Back Stairs - The Fratellis
Crestfallen - Smashing Pumpkins
Criminal World - Danny Michel
Crooked Teeth - Death Cab for Cutie
Crown of Love - The Arcade Fire
Cruel Summer - Bananarama

[hapax]

A thousand thanks for the Daft Punk link! I've already put it on top of my I CAN HAS? list.

[hapax]

Oh, and utterly out of alphabetical and any other context, but a friend sent me this link from a recent NPR story. Scroll down and click on the "We Are BioEngineers" link.

[Geds]

"Creepin Up the Back Stairs," The Fratellis
"Crock of Gold," The Saw Doctors
"Crooked Halo," Candlebox
"Cropduster," Pearl Jam (4 versions)
"Crossroad," Bone Thugs 'N' Harmony
"Crowing," Toad the Wet Sprocket
"Crown," Collective Soul
"Crown," The Waterboys (no relation)
"Crown of Thorns," Mother Love Bone
"Crown of Thorns," Pearl Jam (cover)
"Cruel," Kate Rusby
"Cruel and Pretty," Over the Rhine
"Cruel Man," Bering Strait

[JM]

"Crescent Moon," by the Cowboy Junkies, is a gorgeous song. I bet you'd like Cat Power too ("Cross Bones Style" is the one in this range), or you already do and just don't have that song at the moment.

Oddly, I don't have "Creep." Could have sworn I did. Will download.

[Noyatin]

"Crown of Creation" - Jefferson Airplane
"Crazy" - Patsy Cline
"Crazy Fingers" - Grateful Dead
"Cream Puff War" - Grateful Dead
"Cream" - Prince
"Cripple Creek" - Traditional

[Jack Bishop]

"Creeque Alley", by The Mamas and the Papas
"Crime and Punishment (Tsumi to Batsu)" by Shiina Ringo
"Cringemaker", by Walter Becker
"Cropduster", by the High Llamas
"Crossroads", by Don McLean
"Crosstown Traffic", by Jim Hendrix
"The Crowd", by the Cat Empire
"Crown of Creation", by Jefferson Airplane
"Cruel Sea", by the Ventures

[damnedyankee]

Whee! Joan Jett!

[DBEllis]

"Creeps Like Me" -- Lyle Lovett

[Boze]

Randy Stonehill! Excellent

[cjmr]

Several 'CR' songs, but nothing between 'creep' and 'cruel'.

Oh well.

[Tonio]

Thee Spivies

I know of at least three other Thee bands: Thee Katatonix, Thee Hypnotics, and Thee Headcoats. Any significance to the spelling?

[David no longer in Maine]

Creep - Eddie Vedder & The Birdman Combo (a cover of the Radiohead song)
Creep - Stone Temple Pilots
Cropduster - Pearl Jam
Crown of Thorns - Mother Love Bone

[Kristy]

Hmm, for all my "C" songs, I think all I got here is "Cruel Mistress," by Flogging Molly.

Although I fell off my chair to see Fred has "Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World." Love it. I wish I still had some Johnny Clegg somewhere.

[Omorka]

"Crow on the Cradle," Ceili's Muse.

[Joe]

• Cruel, by Tori Amos

“I can be cruel
I don't know why.
Why can't my ba-l-l-oon stay up,
in a perfectly windy sky ?”

[victoria]

Some titles I don't think have been noted yet:

"Criminals" - T-Bone Burnett
"Criminals" - Uncle Tupelo
"(The) Cross"- Prince
"Crow Jane" - Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
"Crucify" - Tori Amos

[Luke]

"Cream of Gold" Pavement
"Criminal" Fiona Apple
"Crooked Teeth" Death Cab for a Cutie
"Cross My Heart" Bruce Springsteen
"Crossroads" Tracy Chapman
"Crown of Love" Arcade Fire
"Cruel and Pretty" Over the Rhine
"Cruel Angel's Thesis"-Unknown.