Back in February, I was entering EVERY. SINGLE. First Reads giveaway. Mostly just because I loved the emails in my inbox saying I was a winner. I mean, I think I’m a winner (sometimes), but it was nice to have outside validation, y’know? Anyway, one of the books I won was On Celestial Music: And Other Adventures in Listening by Rick Moody. I was actually pretty interested in reading it, because I saw from the blurb that there was an essay on Magnetic Fields.
Now, in case you aren’t aware – Magnetic Fields is one of my very favourite bands of all time. Their 1999 release 69 Love Songs is one of my Desert Island Albums, no joke. Moody’s essay talks about when he was invited to open for Magnetic Fields during one of their tours, but at the end, he breaks down 69 Love Songs into his 31 essential tracks.
I had a few problems with that. Mostly, if you’re trying to divide this album to fit essential tracks onto one disc, let’s divide by 3, ‘kay? Also, I disagreed with some of the songs he listed, and he had 8 MORE than I gave myself! In case you’re wondering, this is the definitive MUST HEAR list of TWENTY THREE songs (what, divide 69 by 3, dur) from what is one of my all-time favourite albums:
Tangentially, if you’re at all interested I think you should definitely check out How Fucking Romantic, where they’re attempting to illustrate each song on this album. It’s pretty fun.
MOVING ON!
The only other essay in the book that moved me to speak of it was about musical guilty pleasures. Mr Moody is a member of a record club that meets semi-regularly to play songs for each other. Srsly, that’s the kind of club I would be interested in. It was proposed at one meeting that the next meeting be devoted to songs each member considered guilty pleasures. A flurry of emails (which are in the book) were sent between everyone about what constitutes a guilty pleasure song. Eventually, a decision was reached that it must be a song that you love, but that you’re ashamed to admit that you love. None of this “zomg, it’s so bad it’s amazing” crap here.
I’ve spent a long time thinking about what I’d consider my two guilty pleasure songs. Well, like two days, but you know what I mean.
The problem here is that I’m not really ashamed of any of the music I listen to. I like what I like, and just because I may judge you for what YOU listen to, doesn’t mean you get to make me feel bad about the stuff I listen to, you know?
With that in mind, I’ve decided on two things that I think most people will be pretty surprised that I listen to on a regular basis and that I LOVE BEYOND REASON.
Ready?
First up:
I have a softness for hair ballads. What can I say? Plus, this song reminds me of a really good friend of mine from junior high. We loved Steelheart. Shut up.
Second:
Okay, so – I have never played this game. I only know this song from the commercials, but this video is FANTASTIC and I can’t stop giggling when I watch it. Oh, and there’s the line “You will do the dance of sorrow,” which makes me think of this (and therefore makes it that much better):
NUMFAR, DO THE DANCE OF JOY! Hee!
Okay, so…what are your guilty pleasure songs?
Well, this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXheuEUgg8U
Hee! I approve.
They are guilty pleasures… ehehe,. except for Numfar and the dance of joy.
I embrace my guilty pleasures as part of me, and show them off to the world. Laugh they will, but little do I care. I love’em!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNzsYKjIchg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl3XMrK9nF0&feature=plcp
great post, btw!
Thank you for the compliment, and I unabashedly LOVE the Girl from Ipanema!
I used to do guilty pleasures. Then I realised the very concept was rather defunct. This was largely thanks to Stuart Maconie, who pointed out that there’s not really any such thing as a guilty pleasure. There’s simply good music and bad music. And while there is such a thing as standards (Keith Moon was a technically more accomplished drummer than Ringo Starr: fact), there’s also subjectivity – Moon’s drumming ability doesn’t make Pinball Wizard a better song than I Want To Tell You. It’s enough, surely, that a song is catchy and pleasing to the ear, and if it fulfils this criteria the fact that it may be ‘culturally unacceptable’ is irrelevant. It’s as if the majority voice can impose their views on what’s ‘appropriate’ listening material for a man of, say, thirty-four, and what isn’t. And Channel Four get a three-hour documentary out of it, fronted by sneering has-beens. These days I’ll listen to what I want when I want, and I don’t care if anyone thinks it’s any good or not. And that includes the Jerry Springer album I have on my shelves…
This makes sense to me, and I like it considering under the best of circumstances I probably don’t have very good (or at least refined) taste in music when you look at the irrelevant standard of being culturally acceptable. But for me, a guilty pleasure is something that I consider bad music but that I still enjoy listening to. Can both concepts exist, or because I enjoy it, does that make the music subjectively good?
It’s a tricky one. You can critique on a technical level – there’s nothing wrong with that. (For example, Every Breath You Take is an immaculately crafted song, and it sets a benchmark. Craig David, on the other hand, writes utterly insipid lyrics.) But the question of whether the quality of music is to do with enjoyment or accomplishment…well, I refer you to this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL9k2pTFYrE
Specifically from 2:30 onwards. You’ll see what I mean.
Precisely. I was looking through my iTunes, trying to find things that I was ashamed of liking, or that I’d have a hard time admitting to liking, but there isn’t much in there. Sure, people might be surprised to see that the Shangri-las are sandwiched between Seu Jorge and Silver Jews, but I’m not ashamed of my affinity for 60s girl bands.
The three in a row that make me laugh the hardest are probably Public Enemy, Puffy AmiYumi and Puscifer. Hee.
Bye Bye Bye. I am ashamed.
I have a friend with what (I consider to be) impeccable taste in music (meaning we like all the same things), but she still fell into that trap. Don’t feel bad.
My guilty pleasures are Patsy Cline and Queensryche (Silent Lucidity).
And speaking of hair bands.. The husband was teasing me about my hair last week in the extreme humidity. Apparently I looked like all 5 members of Whitesnake rolled into one. Attractive, I know.
1. Patsy Cline is awesome.
2. Apparently my husband sang Silent Lucidity at a karaoke night before we knew each other. I am NOT SUPPOSED TO bring it up, and I’m sure he’ll leave me when he founds out I’ve announced it in the comments.
Oops.
I’m sure that will never happen. And I agree, Patsy Cline is awesome, but not all people do. My 8 year old knows all of the songs by heart.
Are you kidding? That rules.
Looking like Whitesnake! Unless, of course, that’s not what you’re going for.
Not really, but if it ever comes back as an actual “look”, I know Ive got it covered.
I laughed SO HARD when I saw “Oh No You Didn’t” on there. I heard that in my car a while ago, and was all “What is THIS?” and laughed all the way through it (especially at the ‘dance of sorrow’ part) and then went home and downloaded it and immediately included it on the mix I make every year for my BFF of my favorite music of the year, because it makes me laugh so hard. (The rules of the mix are simple: it doesn’t have to be good music. Just music I think he’ll get a kick out of listening to.)
I think a lot of what I listen to would be considered by most to be guilty pleasures, because I kind of have weird taste in music. I listen to a lot of showtunes. And I love the albums from “Glee.” And I very seldom meet a cover song I don’t like. Something about cover songs makes me very happy.
zomg, Amy. This guy went on THE LONGEST RANT about showtunes. I am not the showtuniest person, but it made me uncomfortable and want to punch him in the junk. Mostly because I thought of you and was all “YOU DON’T INSULT MY AMY LIKE THAT!”
And, yes. I love Oh No, You Didn’t. It makes me laugh EVERY SINGLE TIME.
(so does Joss/Numfar)
Wait, who went on a showtune rant? Someone I know? Jerky. I’m a theater person, I’m allowed to love all the showtunes ALL I WANNA.
So there, neener neener.
No no, in the book!
Oh, well, too bad for them. Showtunes are AWESOME.
Amy, have you ever heard the Scorpions’ version of “Tainted Love”? It has to be one of the weirdest band/song pairings I’ve ever heard, but it’s GREAT.
No, I haven’t, but I’ll look it up. I love “Tainted Love.” I’m a total child of the 80s.
Me too! I was never a huge Scorpions fan, but this cover sounds like a forgotten single from 1987.
“The book of love is long and boring…”
Hahaha! I had completely forgotten about Magnetic Fields. My bestie used to make mixed CDs for me, and that song is on one of them.
A friend of mine and her (now) husband used the lyrics to that song as part of their wedding vows.
That’s awesome.
Ohh, I have some good ones, once I can find YouTube links. And by “good” I mean “most people will laugh or cringe when they hear them.”
I look forward to them!
OK, here’s the first one: “I Won’t Forget You” by Poison. Even though they hit it much bigger with über-hair-balled “Every Rose Has Its Thorn,” I always like this one more.
hahahaha, apparently, I’m the one in Narnia this time.
NUTS! Sorry.
Wait! Numfar’s dance of joy looks kind of a lot like my “Oh, my gosh. I still have one more Moon Pie in the box!” dance. Parallel universe?
Do you REALLY want to know my guilty pleasure songs?
Hee! I think you and Numfar must have gone to the same dancing classes (that’s Joss Whedon doing the dancing).
You know I want to know them.
You will disown me forever and ever.
Tell meeeeeeeee!
Wait, is it that Christmas Socks song?
I am so going to call you up and sing the whole stinking “Christmas Shoes” song.
I HAVE AVOIDED HEARING SAID SONG, so there’s no problem with that, unless you sing and hang up, cos then I’ll be sad you didn’t stay to talk.
Okay, here’s my guilty pleasure. But you have to listen to the WHOLE THING.
You are SUCH A JERK. <.<
You sound surprised. Like it so far?
The other one of mine is this. I first heard it in a darkened gymnasium at a high school dance where the DJ was projecting old Danger Mouse cartoons onto a huge screen. Bizarre to say the least. This one still makes me smile.
I’m trying to figure out why I listened to 4 minutes of that. >.<
LOL clearly my guilty pleasures more toxic than most.
Hmm… I haven’t heard “Toxic” by Britney Spears in a while, but I liked it the last time I did. I also like the Rod Stewart/Dolly Parton version of “Baby, it’s cold outside,” even though I know that song almost encourages date rape and I feel so wrong for finding it catchy…. And all the songs from Disney’s Tarzan. Oh, and the “Hellfire” sequence from Hunchback of Notre Dame. *hides head in shame*
Um, how did I miss this comment for the last three months? Don’t feel bad. Meg loves the Hunchback soundtrack, too!
Heh heh, you mean the Hunchback of Notre Dame? I can definitely see that — the Hellfire scene is one of my big guilty pleasures. Dang it, Frollo, you’re an evil bastard…why do you get such an awesome musical number that almost makes me sympathize with you for a fraction of a second?
*facepalm* Of course you mean Hunchback of Notre Dame, since that’s exactly what I was talking about in my original comment, which apparently I didn’t re-read completely, resulting in me sounding like a total dork just now. Um, it’s late and…yeah, I have no other excuse ^_^;;;
HA! I read your response and was all “wait, didn’t she mention Hunchback? WHY WOULD I HAVE SAID THAT IF SHE HADN’T?!”
I don’t have guilty pleasures. I just have at least one thing in my collection that everyone hates. “Oh my God! You listen to that?”
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