What Are You Listening To Right Now? #25

The O'JAYS - "Back Stabbers"








You Tube, being what it is, also offered me this other option: a group I did not know-- The Backstabbers. As I always like to make musical discoveries, I gave a listen to some of their stuff and, even though it's not typically what I'd call my cup of tea, found that they're All Right. I would think it is considered Metal, but there are also elements of especially Hard Rock, but also definitely Alternative, and even Punk, mixed in. It's the singer's voice, I think-- even though this is not a technical determinant-- that most distinctly signals, the style is "Metal."

Here are a few, worthwhile examples, provided along with a caution, to those who don't like to hear songs in which the singer is "shouting at you (Lemmiwinx)."
@pitbull and @Talon might enjoy it, though.







.

 

Enjoy a little True Grit from Glen Campbell on the Johnny Cash Show. Who knew Johnny Cash had a TV show?

 

All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray. And I'm still here waiting on my Uber to show.

 

Elton John in one of his less faggy moments.

 

Elton John in one of his less queer moments.

 

Heard this on satellite

I cannot really think of any of his songs that really promote homosexuality

the BBC claimed this did, and no doubt the late great Pete Shelley was gay and the song insinuates gay love.

 

That's rockin' alright. Hard for me to make out the lyrics due listening to too much good music too long and too loud on good headphones.

 

Stop me if you've heard this one. It's Bonnie Tyler think.

 

I hope you're referring to Sir Elton's wardrobe--
"Rocket Man," clearly, seems to be about (or that it could be about) being gay.

 

A song can't make anybody gay.

But if lameness were a psychosomatic condition...

 

This is probably my favorite Elton John song. Also-- while I have come across, especially among his later performances, a lot of half-assing it-- he delivers the song well, here.

 

As long as we're doing Elton John here's the song that hooked me back in 1970.

 

Still among my top 3. It may be quite simple but-- it's earnest, touching, makes you feel good, and is hard not to sing along with.

I actually posted the same song, earlier, and had it ignored: no likes.

 

How about these guys, who's heard of Blues Traveler in the last few years?

 

the BBC banned that song for "homo superior in my interior".

seriously

 

Funny. Who knew, the BBC was so homophobic?
Of course, this is not the same as the song being banned by the British State. It just means that the BBC isn't going to show, or play it, right? Maybe they are simply concerned with potential reaction from the Right, in the U.K., directed at their studios?
I mean, we're seeing armed response, over here, to drag shows, for Cripe's sake.

 

I will be honest-I don't know if the BBC was taking orders or doing on its own. IIRC "God Save the queen" by the Sex Pistols met a similar fate

 

Anything insulting, or tarnishing the reputation of, the British monarch, is a whole other kettle of fish.

 

Oh! Are you saying that this song implies that King Charles is really gay? If so, then it hardly seems surprising, that the BBC would not play it. I'm not sure exactly how it works, over there, but doesn't the state have a bigger role in running the BBC, than our government has, in funding Public television, for instance?

 

Another wonderful, and stirring performance from Jennifer Nettles-- now on the Broadway stage! What she puts into a song, really makes all the difference. Better keep the tissues handy-- just sayin'.

 

When you have the Royal Philharmonic as your backup band you know you've made it.

 

I may have posted this earlier. How many times can you post the same video in a calendar year?

 

I guess I'm just leaning toward inspirational messages, at the moment.

Here are a bouquet of variations, from a song that was popular in 2006. The first is an abbreviated version, giving a rhythmic new musical backdrop, to the original vocals:






Then a nice live version, with a little more accent on the refrain's Latin flavor.





A cover version, by "My Ugly Clementine," truly evoking the appropriate energy, for the song .





And I'll end with the Official video, for some of its visual imagery.

 

I prefer the Rock version, but this is nice, as well. It obviously held the crowd mesmerized.

 

Metallica can no longer play this live and neither do I. But it was the best guitar riff sound in the history of metal music.