"TALK SHOW HOST" RADIOHEAD (1996)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

The story of Romeo + Juliet is a complex one, filled with every human emotion — from pure ecstasy to torment. The soundtrack, as good as it was, was filled with tracks that erred on the happier spectrum, and gave us some great ones from Des’ree, Garbage and, of course, The Cardigans. But “Talk Show Host” steered the backend of human emotion, and did it the Radiohead way. It also has the distinction of being the b-side to the Radiohead anthem, “Street Spirit”.

For casual fans, “Talk Show Host” is a bit of a forgotten track. But for Radiohead fans, it’s considered one of the more memorable songs in their catalog. Playing second fiddle to “Street Spirit”, “Talk Show Host” demonstrated Radiohead’s ability to create more than music. They created a mood. Everything is unexpected here: the vocal delivery, the drumming, the bass line, the arresting sparseness of Jonny’s guitar. “Talk Show Host” felt more like a film score than a single, which made it a perfect addition for the Romeo + Juliet soundtrack, bringing out emotions no other song on the album cared to explore.

“I want to be someone else or I'll explode.”

"THE DOWNEASTER 'ALEXA'" BILLY JOEL (1989)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

This song will always be a fond memory for me as a music fan. The Storm Front tour show at Giants Stadium, NJ was my first rock concert. Being outside in the spring air with my high school buddies to see the Piano Man play classic after classic was an unforgettable experience. I still remember our seats. I remember the air. I remember the songs that made our bodies move. And then there were songs that we preferred to enjoy in our seats. “The Downeaster Alexa” was one of them.

As a master storyteller, many of Billy Joel’s songs are gripping, novel-like narratives. “The Downeaster ‘Alexa” is one of his finest songs, recounting the plight of a fisherman—with local references like Block Island Sound, Nantucket, Montauk and Gardiner’s Bay. The song is named after Joel’s own boat. But more strikingly, the story sounds like his own as well. Seeing Billy perform it live, I felt like my very hands were on the wheel of the Alexa. A visual song is a powerful one.

“But I've got people back on land who count on me. So if you see my Downeaster Alexa and if you work with the rod and the reel, tell my wife I am trolling Atlantis.”

"ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL, PT. 2" PINK FLOYD (1979)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

The Wall was my introduction to Pink Floyd. While I never gravitated toward the band’s earlier prog-driven catalog – save Dark Side Of The Moon and a handful of anthems, of course – The Wall played a pivotal role for me as a music fan. It’s when I truly recognized the power and breadth of albums, not one-off singles and tracks. As a concept album, The Wall is one of the most complete efforts of its era and seems to live under the shadow of Dark Side. It’s a shame because even a mainstream hit like “Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2” is a fantastic song in spite of its accessible sound.

The second track in the “Another Brick” series, this is the one that rails against abuse in the school system. It’s yet another brick in Pink’s wall. And musically, it pulls out all the stops to place the brick just right – Gilmour’s guitar solo, just the right bit of disco, the samples (“If you don’t eat your meat, how can you have any pudding”) and the kicker: the epic children’s chorus. “Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2” is that rare combination of chart topper, social commentary platform and music melting pot.

“We don't need no education. We don't need no thought control. No dark sarcasm in the classroom. Teacher, leave them kids alone.”

"STATE TROOPER" BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (1982)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

In today’s cess pool of slick, over-produced albums, Nebraska stands as a beacon of all that’s good. The purity of the songwriting. The rawness of the performance. That’s it. I can appreciate a good synth flourish or extra guitar part like the next guy. But sometimes I just want to hear a great song, unencumbered and untangled. That’s the entire Nebraska album, including the brooding “State Trooper”.

Recorded in his house on a 4-track, “State Trooper” has the sound of genius emanating on the fly. Springsteen’s gift of songwriting lies in his ability to step inside someone else’s shoes and tell their story. Tell their story is what he does on “State Trooper”. It feels authentic and just the right amount of tension and anxiety to make you believe every word. It’s just his words and two chords on his guitar.

“Hey, somebody out there, listen to my last prayer. Hi ho silver-o, deliver me from nowhere.”

"NEW YORK CITY COPS" THE STROKES (2001)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

Timing is everything, isn’t it? When 9/11 happened, everyone remembers everything changing. But if you’re a New Yorker, you can amplify that sense ten-fold. For months on end, New Yorkers were different. Kinder. More human. We were in it together. Anyone who lived in NYC at the time can attest to this. It’s why an up-and-coming band scouring Lower Eastside bars and venues decided to remove “New York City Cops” from their groundbreaking debut album U.S. release. It was just the right thing to do.

“New York City Cops” doesn’t put officers in the best light to say the least. In the chorus, Casablancas espouses, “New York City cops, but they ain’t too smart”. It’s a great song, but it was just bad timing because the cops, firefighters and first-responders were mega heroes in our eyes at the time. The song has taken on a life of its own as part of the double a-side single “Hard To Explain / New York City Cops”. Decades later, it’s hands down one of the great, early Strokes anthems that seems almost better for not being on the debut album.

“I got to come clean but the authorities they've seen Darling, I'm somewhere in between.”

"DON'T YOU WANT ME" THE HUMAN LEAGUE (1981)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

The casual music fan in the U.S. knows The Human League by one song: “Don’t You Want Me”. Sure, there were other singles during their pop phase that were better – “(Keep Feeling) Fascination”, “The Lebanon”, “Love Action”, among others. More serious fans realize that the early years were the best. Darker and more experimental – “Being Boiled” and “Empire State Human” were some of the standouts. When you look at what the band accomplished early on, it’s easy to make fun of “Don’t You Want Me”. But I like to think of it as my guilty pleasure.

Cheesy Casiotone-like synth riffs. Cheesy lyrics. Cheesy vocal baton pass. And I love every second of it. “Don’t You Want Me” is a time capsule of “such good times”. It dominated on MTV, turning eighties kids like me on to The Human League. These days, it’s a song that carries so much nostalgia with it because it has not stood the test of time at all. We crank it up in the car & queue it up on the karaoke list because it brings us back.

“I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar, that much is true.”

"EVERYTHING COUNTS" DEPECHE MODE (1983)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

It wasn’t until 1986’s Black Celebration that Depeche Mode truly cemented their dark, ominous brand of synth pop. It’s the era that I gravitate toward the most – and it’s the start of the band’s imperial phase. The rest of the catalog preceding it was a little spotty in my opinion. But that doesn’t take away the fact that there were some real gems in the early days, including the standout single from Construction Time Again: “Everything Counts”. Aside from “Just Can’t Get Enough”, “Everything Counts” is really the only song that still remains on the band’s setlists. That’s a full 40 years after it was released as a single.

As one of the standouts on the album, “Everything Counts” showcased the iconic persona of Depeche Mode: hook-laden, danceable, infectious, and, often at times, dark. Written by Martin Gore, the song went on the offensive, calling out corporate greed with a somewhat satircal approach. The bass synth part is utterly sinister, lurking with precision from beginning to end. Wilder’s synth hook – sometimes played on a xylophone – sounds like a music toy possessed by an evil spirit, which is flanked by quirky instruments that go beyond DM’s typical keyboard decks, including a melodica. Then there’s Gahan. With his signature bass vocals, Gahan is the narrator and antithesis of Gordon Gekko.

“The handshake seals the contract. From the contract, there’s no turning back.”

"POLICE ON MY BACK" THE CLASH (1980)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

From the late seventies into the early eighties, three bands made some noise as disruptors. They achieved this distinction by experimenting with various genres, never content to stay within a single genre. They are Talking Heads, The Police and The Clash. With the latter, we heard a cross-section of different sounds and styles on the band’s previous release, London Calling. Sandinista ended up being a far greater melting pot, using a triple LP format to experiment with funk, reggae, disco, rockabilly, folk, rhythm & blues, among others. This experimental rigor on songs like “Police On My Back” is what makes The Clash a fun band to listen to.

The song was written by Eddy Grant, who showed us how it take it higher with “Electric Avenue”. While The Clash often dabbles in bigger socio-political commentary, these lyrics felt more deeply personal – and still seem like quintessential Clash. The song smacks of rebellion, recklessness and abandon. The chorus is iconic, but my favorite part is still the guitar riff that mimics a police car siren.

“I been running Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.”

"THE MESSENGER" JOHNNY MARR (2013)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

While Morrissey has carved out a prolific solo career and catalog, Marr initially went the route of guitarist for hire following The Smiths’ demise, augmenting bands like The The, Modest Mouse and The Pretenders. But in 2013, everything changed. And it started with his first solo venture, “The Messenger”. I wanted more of The Smiths, but I ended up hearing something far closer to Interpol. And I’m not complaining.

Marr’s jangle pop obsession hits a more angular stride on “The Messenger” and other songs on the album. There’s an interesting evolution of guitar styling here, with a sound that feels like a rebirth of early Interpol and Daniel Kessler’s grating, hypnotic guitar playing. While the lyrics are far from Morrissey-level, the unexpectedness of Marr’s guitar sound is what made this track all the more delightful.

“My time's for taking if you want.”

"HEAVY METAL DRUMMER" WILCO (2002)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

One of Wilco’s hallmark sounds as a band is the intermittent cacophony that comes in the middle of several of their songs. It’s a technique that I’ve heard a lot in jazz as well as with experimental bands like Velvet Underground. The intro to “Sweet Jane” transcends the accessible to the experimental. In the early 21st century, Wilco created an identity doing this their own way – often involving guitars and pedals. On “Heavy Metal Drummer”, the cacophony is handled mainly by the drums and synthesizers.

In the cacophony, we catch an audio glimpse of the heavy metal drummer themselves. An innocent, nostalgic and irresistible look back at a summer. Love. Music. And KISS covers. Lots and lots of KISS covers. What’s not to like? “Heavy Metal Drummer” is one of the more accessible tracks off the legendary Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but that’s not to diminish any of its merits. The lyrics, in particular, are superb. A story that puts you there on the boardwalk under the hot, scorching sun. I can picture it and I feel like I vicariously experienced it.

“SHINY, SHINY PANTS AND BLEACH-BLOND HAIR. A DOUBLE KICK DRUM BY THE RIVER IN THE SUMMER.”

"ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER" JIMI HENDRIX (1968)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

As legendary as Bob Dylan is, I understand that he’s not for everyone. Some people just can’t listen past Dylan’s nasal-infused vocal delivery. Jimi Hendrix wasn’t exactly the most vocally gifted musician either. But whatever he lacked as a singer he more than made up for as a guitar player. The thing about his rendition of the Dylan classic “All Along the Watchtower” is he lit every strand of folk and Americana roots from the song on fire, burned those elements to the ground and then made the fire rise even higher with an electric reboot.

Throughout my middle and high school years, I lived next door to a Jimi Hendrix fanatic. My brother introduced me to Jimi’s impressive catalog, which was incredibly prolific given his short life span. The thing that immediately drew me in to his music was a guitar playing style that almost sounded otherworldly. It wasn’t rock. It wasn’t blues. But it was this crazy blend of the two that seemed to be so effortless to Jimi but impossible for others to emulate. You can’t simply play the same notes that Jimi played and expect it sound the same. It was the way in which he navigated back and forth between those two genres so easily that makes “All Along the Watchtower” one of the greatest cover songs of all time.

“Business men, they drink my wine. Plowmen dig my earth.”

"THE SCIENTIST" COLDPLAY (2002)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

The first two Coldplay albums are easy to forget. They seem like so long ago. Remnants of a band that made unique and fantastic rock music. We all know what happened after that. The songwriting and production became contrived. The band drifted further and further away from originality. And, at times, their songs began sounding like corporate conference hype music. It was a sad turn. But Parachutes and A Rush Of Blood To The Head were phenomenal records, led by the slow tempo track, “The Scientist”.

It all starts and ends with those iconic minor chords on piano. Notes that cut to the heart. “The Scientist” made piano relevant again and did it as well as any song in the 21st century. Soon after, bands like Spoon, Keane and The Fray started experiencing their own success by putting the black and white keys in the foreground of their songs. Lyrically, “The Scientist” is brilliant with its metaphorical approach, complementing Chris Martin’s falsetto vocals perfectly.

“Nobody said it was easy. No one ever said it would be so hard. I'm going back to the start.”

"SPACE ODDITY" DAVID BOWIE (1969)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

Songwriter. Performer. Artist. Cultural icon. Like his characters, David Bowie has taken on many different forms through his career. One of my deepest regrets is not seeing him live. I read somewhere that when his debut album bombed, he redid everything. Found a new manager and found new ways to create, promote and perform. One of the ways Bowie has distinguished himself from his rock & roll peers is by expanding beyond music and exploring different art forms, most notably fashion and film. A perfect example of this is “Space Oddity”, a song that I’m featuring for the second time on Mental Jukebox.

Bowie was always a master at creating characters – even embodying them at times – from Aladdin Sane to Ziggy Stardust. On “Space Oddity”, we met Major Tom, a fictional astronaut who launched into space with much promise, but ultimately faced his own demise by the end of the five minute song. “Space Oddity” was an imaginative story that pointed us to a universe where electric guitar rock can co-exist with a string symphony. It’s also a song that extended beyond sound wave through a promotional film, an unusual approach at the time. It was Bowie constantly innovating even as a relatively new artist.

“Ground Control to Major Tom. Take your protein pills and put your helmet on.”

"THE HEADMASTER RITUAL" THE SMITHS (1985)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

Throughout the entire Smiths catalog runs a consistent tension between the upbeat, jangly guitar riffs of Johnny Marr and the bleak, dismal musings of Morrissey. Perhaps one of the most unusual pairings in rock history – and the paradox has not only served The Smiths well, it has helped them to become one of the most important bands of the eighties. “The Headmaster Ritual” is a microcosm of this beautiful tension.

The beginning of the song reminds me of how The Cure opens many of their songs. Letting the instruments do the introductions. Extremely uncharacteristic for the band, Morrissey doesn’t start singing until the :50 mark, allowing Marr’s Rickenbacker to set the tone. Like on many Smiths songs, the guitar riffs lift you up. When Morrissey finally enters the picture, he drags us down with an awful commentary on school life in Manchester. It’s this up-and-down tension that makes “The Headmaster Ritual” such a gem of a track.

“Belligerent ghouls Run Manchester schools. Spineless swines. Cemented minds.”

"THE BOXER" SIMON & GARFUNKEL (1970)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

Bridge Over Troubled Water is the final studio album from Simon & Garfunkel, an album so good it prompts the listener to greedily beg for more. Simon carried the songwriting duties, but the harmonies are just as much a part of those songs as the melodies. The album spawned iconic songs that have made an indelible impact on the musical landscape: “Bridge Over Troubled Water” which features Art Garfunkel on lead vocals, “Cecilia” which has a persona driven mostly by its memorable percussion elements, and then there’s my favorite of the bunch: “The Boxer”.

The song is autobiographical, a rare treat inside the mind of the songwriter. The theme of being misunderstood and only remembered for what people want to remember are prevalent in the song. “The Boxer” is a masterpiece from a lyrical perspective. It bends words like poetry (“Such are promises. All lies and jest. Still, a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest”). It paints images like prose (“Asking only workman's wages I come looking for a job. But I get no offers. Just a come-on from the whores on Seventh Avenue.”). And it goes beyond coherent words using syllables as expressions with the iconic refrain “Lie-la-lie”. There are simply few songwriters as gifted as Paul Simon.

“Asking only workman's wages I come looking for a job. But I get no offers. Just a come-on from the whores on Seventh Avenue.”

"WATCHING THE DETECTIVES" ELVIS COSTELLO (1977)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

When Costello’s debut album My Aim Is True was released, there was nothing else like it. His biggest strength has always been his songwriting, the way he strung clever lyrics through captivating melodies. But his musical ingenuity is also a huge strength. While you can hear several types of genres in his music – new wave, blues, pub rock, power pop – it’s his own amalgamation of those sounds that is so unique. The US release of My Aim Is True includes the snapping single, “Watching The Detectives”.

It kicks off with that trash can-sounding drum roll and chunky bass line. A cynical disposition and a reggae touch make “Watching The Detectives” an enthralling listen for me every time. Costello means every word he sings, highlighting his obsession for a girlfriend whose obsession is with a fictitious character on tv. I can picture her lying on the bed, doing her nails, watching the detectives with the lights off. And the boyfriend, sadly watching her watching them.

“They beat him up until the teardrops start. But he can't be wounded when he's got no heart.”

"LOOKING FOR ASTRONAUTS" THE NATIONAL (2005)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

Alligator was the first key turning point in The National’s evolution as a rock band. The layers of alt country were shedding away and being replaced by an edgier rock sound that would continue to bloom on Boxer. Unlike Boxer, Alligator was an album that I became acquainted with years after it was released. This sort of discovery is like flipping back at earlier entries in a journal. On Alligator, we see some of The National’s most brash lyrics (think “Mr. November” and “All The Wine”) as well as some of their most mysterious, including “Looking For Astronauts”.

While Berninger’s lyric writing has improved by leaps and bounds with each album, what strikes me most about “Looking For Astronauts” is how similar it is to current era National. Berninger’s vocal delivery is more or less the same. Bryan’s unexpected rhythms are there. And the intricate strumming is reminiscent of many songs from the band’s past ten years. What’s different, however, is Berninger’s lyrics seem more esoteric here. Is he speaking literally or figuratively, or both? I only discovered today that Berninger knew Neil Armstrong, a friend of his uncle. Coincidence? Maybe not.

“You know you have a permanent piece
Of my medium-sized American heart.”

"SYNCHRONICITY II" THE POLICE (1983)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

As a member of The Police, Sting was many things. A captivating frontman. An underrated bassist. And a sharp, witty lyricist. His lyrics were like poetry one moment, prose in another. And the words he used in “Synchronicity II” are some of the most memorable lyrics in rock history. They have the power to make you laugh just as they’re able to keep you settled in awe. It was always all about the words.

“Synchronicity II” is a rock song. And it’s not a rock song. It’s written and performed as if it came from an opera composer. Sting, Summers and Copeland were always intelligent rockers, but they made something here that elevated new wave, post punk and all the other labels that we wanted to attach to them. “Synchronicity II” cannot be categorized. It can just be appreciated for what it is. A brilliant commentary on a bleak, mundane suburbia with a sound we’d never heard before.

“The secretaries pout and preen like cheap tarts in a red light street.”

"SON OF A PREACHER MAN" ARETHA FRANKLIN (1970)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

In the last 10 -20 years, there has been a proliferation of cover songs. Bands that made careers out of writing original material have also turned to this trend. Now, the art of the cover has been around forever, of course. As long as great music has existed, bands have sought to recreate the magic in their own way. But it’s rare when the cover is better than the original. Aretha was a talent that achieved this not once, but multiple times – including her rendition of “Son Of A Preacher Man”.

The queen of soul gave us hundreds of memorable recordings, and her rendition of “Son of a Preacher Man” is one of my favorites. While she didn’t write it, it was written with her in mind. “Preacher Man” played perfectly to Aretha on two key fronts: vocal range and her soulful swagger. Not to take anything away from Dusty Springfield’s version, but Aretha sung it like she lived it. You can hear it in her delivery.

“Being good isn't always easy, no matter how hard I try.”

"DOCTOR! DOCTOR!" THOMPSON TWINS (1984)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

During the mid eighties, Thompson Twins seemed hell bent on one thing: getting us to dance. They did it fast-tempo, mid-tempo and slow. Their musical cocktails mixed catchy melodies, synth jams, three-part harmonies, drum machines and assorted percussion instruments to create the impulse to move. And that ability to do it with a variety of tempos might be the Thompson Twins’ sharpest skill. Everyone remembers the catchy, yet slightly campy “Doctor! Doctor!”.

Those far eastern-influenced synth riffs are etched into my brain, giving me the ability to instantly recall them after not hearing them for decades. “Doctor! Doctor!” is an eighties anthem that hasn’t exactly aged well into the current decade. Nonetheless, it’s a nostalgic look back at what pop outfits were able to do with an infectious melody when they combined the use of synthesizers and analog instruments.

“Dance with me across the sea.”