Hello, music fans! I’m back, ready to accept your challenge, and come up with a brand new Friday Flash Review!
You all know the drill:
mt58 randomly selects a genre, category, or some other musical common denominator for you all to think on… and then I talk about the song that you choose.
OK, mt, what’s up for this Friday?
“Here’s a category that sounds easy, but is sure to stir up the controversy:
Best Rock Song Featuring A Woman Lead Vocal
OK, we have a category!
In the comments below: nominate ONE favorite that you’d like to see in a Flash Review. Definitely chat and reply with each other about the choices, but remember:
The comment with the most upvotes get the nod for Jon’s FFR
See you Friday!
Let the author know that you liked their article with a “Green Thumb” Upvote!
13
Thank You For Your Vote!
Sorry You have Already Voted!
Freda: “Something Going On”
“Funnel of Love” – Wanda Jackson
Hole: “Violet”
I like Courtney Love. So don’t take this as a slam against her. But did you hear Babes in Toyland’s “Bruise Violet”? Kat Bjelland denied the song was about Love, but apparently, her former bandmate wasn’t buying it. Not when the chorus consists of one word: “liar”.
Before I suggest anything, do I understand correctly that we’re nominating a song rather than the performance? Is this a songwriter’s award or the singer’s?
“Best Rock Song Featuring A Woman Lead Vocal” to me means the vocalist is a woman. That’s the only constraint on candidates. Hope that helps.
That makes it even harder to narrow down!
OK, after very little consideration, I’ll go with “Respect” by Aretha Franklin.
“Crazy on You,” Heart
I would love a 70s era Heart review, and “Crazy on You” has about as good a vocal as any of theirs.
I’m all in for Heart. Not even gonna try another nomination myself…
Completely randomly, I nominate: “Oh Bondage Up Yours” by X-Ray Spex…
Are you taunting me for not supporting your Hole nomination (which was an excellent nomination btw)?
If we were to bring Poly Styrene and X-Ray Spex into this conversation, I’d put Oh Bondage! Up Yours! maybe 5th or 6th on the list. But then again, most of their other stuff isn’t widely known enough to garner substantial support.
No, just being silly. 🙂
Poly certainly crossed my mind for my initial pick, but I decided that no song would likely be popular enough to have a shot.
I have already voted for Frida because I like that song irrationally, but anything sung by Ann Wilson is great and I’m almost sure that this one is going to win.
If it can’t be “Black Velvet” by Alannah Miles or “I Love Rock n Roll” by Joan Jett, then yeah, “Crazy On You” by Heart it is.
“Bad Reputation,” Joan Jett
So the real question is “Best Rock Song” that is 1) not an instrumental and 2) has a single female vocal.
It’s hard not to look at Heart, as TLeo did. I’ve heard him share love of “Crazy on You” several times before (it is great), but I’ve always preferred “Baracuda“, so I think that’s my choice.
You’ve got my vote in the great Heart face off. Hearing Barracuda just a few years ago was the first time I realised they weren’t just part of the 80s hair metal scene. I was totally blown away by it. I’ve since discovered they’ve plenty more in the back catalog but Baracuda will always be the essential track for me.
Barracuda was my immediate thought, so I’m happy to upvote your nomination, link.
‘Hot Stuff.’ Donna Summer.
It did win the first ever Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
You’re right. I forgot. And now I find myself agreeing with the former NARAS. Yecchh.
Bikini Kill – Rebel Girl
One Way or Another by Blondie
Dangit, now I’ve got to pick something else.
Stop Your Sobbin’ by the Pretenders.
If you picked “Hangin’ on the Telephone”, wow. I love Parallel Lines.
Wait a minute, Sunday Girl is on that album too! (It’s a 9) Seriously stacked track list.
And “Heart of Glass” but Tom already reviewed that one
I wonder if somebody from the band saw Werner Herzog’s Heart of Glass. It came out in 1976.
According the Wikipedia, the record company decided that “One Way or Another” be released as a single in the states, and “Sunday Girl” in the UK. I guess the UK was more new wave friendly. “Sunday Girl” is very pop-ish, like Squeeze, so I kind of get the rationale. But they should’ve given “Sunday Girl” a chance to chart. Agree. It’s very 9. It’s a better song than “Hangin’ on the Telephone”, a cover. I was thinking strictly in vocal performance terms.
While it’s less ‘rock’ than what’s been mentioned so far, I’d like to hear Jon’s perspective on “Uninvited” by Alanis Morissette.
I haven’t upvoted any of the nominees yet, because there are so many good choices. You guys have great taste.
Pretenders: “Brass in Pocket”
Alanis Morrissette: “You Oughta Know”
“Be Good to Me,” Tina Turner
Nona Hendryx: “Through the Wire”.
“Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler
REMINDER: Polls close tomorrow (Wed) at 7PM ET!
Also, EDITORIAL NOTE: I’ll review anything, but if you prefer a glowing and gushing review, I suggest you vote up some submissions that are not in the lead right now. 🙂
I should have picked a different 50’s rockabilly number I guess. “Hoy Hoy” might have done better, or at least gotten a vote.