"A Call to Arms" - A Compilation Album for the Downtrodden
Posted by badger | Filed under: News
One day Lou, Matty Milner and myself decided that what the world really needed was a compliation album featuring those songs that could be considered a “call to arms”. The tunes that make people want to get together and start a revolt. The music that stirs the blood and brings crew together into some kind of mass rally. The songs that never say die. So, new from KLM-tel comes the power and the passion of A Call to Arms.
—–EXTENDED BODY:
A Call to Arms
Song/Artist
*Something in the Air/Thunderclap Newman
("we gotta get together sooner or later, because the revolution's here" - however, the lack of urgency expressed here is a tad disappointing)
*Won't Get Fooled Again/The Who
(Title, plus the line "Meet the new boss - same as the old boss!" - mmm political)
*We gotta get outta this place/The Animals
("We" - implies more than one person and is an integral part of many CTA songs to generate a rallying fervour.)
*Spice Girls/Spice up your Life
(Every gender and every nationality is encouraged, nay demanded to spice up their lives)
*Jailbreak/ACDC and Thin Lizzy
(Put them back to back on the album so the punters can compare and contrast the Antipodean and the Irish take on escaping from punitive institutions.)
*You're the Voice/John Farnham
(Pompous, full of tired cliched rhetoric, bagpipes - ah yes the ultimate
CTA)
*Power and the Passion Midnight Oil
(See above but minus bagpipes)
*Big Country/Big Country
(The bit after one of those bagpipe-emulating guitar solos where the dearly departed Stuart Adamson goes 'Ha!' - just makes one want to assemble collectively in a public space)
*Run to the Hills/Iron Maiden
(All in the title - those in Lesmurdie need not run as far as others)
*Walls Come Tumbling Down/Style Council
(From the get-go "You don't have to take this crap, you can actually fight back". With some bad ass fringes and pencil thin microphones. Presumably.)
*The Wall/Pink Floyd
(A wonderful yet belated attempt to get the kids to rally {to buy their
records} by a bunch of portly balding, superannuated rock dinosaurs.
Respect)
*Bound for Glory/Angry Anderson
*Holy Grail/Hunters & Collectors
(Both granted automatic inclusion due to the fact that they were mimed unconvincingly by their respective composers before AFL Grand Finals
*It's a Long Way to the Top/AC/DC
(Again with the Bagpipes and guitars emulating Bagpipes)
*It's Because I Love You/Master's Apprentices
("Do you want to do, be what you want to be" - plus a YEAH for
some positive reinforcement. Plus, it was used in a jeans ad and our Eastern Bloc Komrades know all about the revolutionary significance of denim.)
*We're Not Gonna Take It/Twisted Sister
(A shouted chorus, again the use of the word 'we' implying collective
empathy - Dee Snider, how did we overklook thee?)
*We Built this City on Rock n Roll/Starship
(Perhaps, perhaps not. Regardless, concrete may have been a more sensible foundation)
*Eye of the Tiger/Survivor
(Admittedly, one eyed tigers are not as scary as their fully complemented counterparts, however the name of the band is also inspirational.)
We'd like to hear any suggestions that we may have missed. But remember that we have a stringent selection policy.
B-Diddy DubSac says:
"Never Say Die = Fighting Songs!"
How can you not pick up an air guitar and strum out all 14 power chords in "God Gave Rock'n'Roll To Ya!" (KISS) - compels all who listen to it to pick up an axe and start chopping heads in time to the beat!
"One" (Metallica) - makes me feel like picking up an axe and taking to all those bigots out there who don't believe in euthanasing (sic) a dude with no arms or legs! Highly emotive..
"Real American" (Rick Derringer/ Hogan Theme Music) - even I wanna stand in front of a George Dubbya shrine, with one hand on my uzi and the other on my cock, and proclaim "Godd Bless This Kooky Old Country"
"You're The Best" (?? Karate Kid 2 Theme) - Simply Inspirational! Title says it all…
"You've Got The Touch" (Dirk Diggler/ Transformer: The Movie Theme) - little known fact that Dirk was in fact singing the title track from, IMHO, a Top 5 Movie Of All Time - Transformers! "You're nobody's fool!" Uplifting!
"Argh!" (Billy Bragg) - That uber-obscure song, worth hundreds on the black market, where Billy was actually smoked 100 times in a drive-by incident…in the recording studio!!! Sends me to a happy place!
"Boyz N Tha Hood"/ "Gangsta, Gangsta" (Eazy E/ NWA) - When you hear the low-key 2-note keyboard inspired riff kick in, you too can smell the stale 40 ounce, see the burnt out crack pipe, and feel the oppression of 400 years! "Life ain't nuthin but bitches an money" should be used more frequently at rally's….
"William Tell Overture" (Gioachinno Rossini) - EVERYONE knows this one, its the one that sounds like a race, or could be perversley transcribed as (really fast) "titty-bum, titty-bum, titty-bum-bUM-BUM,titty-bum, titty-bum, titty-bum-bUM-BUM…" Pure Fire-Up Song that will have you reaching for your musket (with optional poker), sniffing from a powderbox and yelling "TALLY HO MUTHAFUCKAS!!!"
:@ :@ Fire UP! :@ :@
killer says:
[size=2][b]We’re Not Gonna Take It: Songs To Quit By.[/b][/size]
*[url=http://www.kilbot.net/mp3/twistedsister.php]We’re Not Gonna Take It – Twisted Sister [/url]
(“Oh you're so condescending, your gall is never ending, we don’t want nothin’, not a thing from you.” Pretty easy to see why this baby is the title track, I don’t care if you’re in an office, in the physics lab or in a library, turn your computer speakers up to 11 and start smashing the monitor with you keyboard.)
*Born To Run – Bruce Springsteen
(“We gotta get out while we're young, `Cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run.” For the romantics, grab the secretary, throw her on the back of the motorbike and flee this two-bit town.)
*Uncle Remus – Frank Zappa
(“I'll take a drive to Beverly Hills, Just before dawn, An' knock the little jockeys, Off the rich people's lawn.” Grab some mates on a Tuesday night, crank this on the car stereo and then go egg the boss’s house.)
*I Will Not Go Quietly (Duffy’s Song) – The Whitlams
(“I was the best you all knew it, On the days I cared at all… Yeah I was my own man, I was the shit.” Nuff said.)
*Jump – Van Halen
(For no reason really, but this song should be on every compilation album.)
*What About Me – Moving Pictures
(“Take a step back and see the little people, They might be young, but they're the ones that make the big people big.” Great line… and so true.)
*Take Five (extended version) – Dave Brubeck
(For those that take a lunch break and never come back.)
*Minimum Wage – Weird Al Yankovik
(Sung to the tune of Smashing Pumpkin’s Bullets With Butterfly Wings “Despite a measly raise, I’m still on minimum wage.” We were on minimum wage at Rehame, they would have liked to pay us less, but they couldn’t legally… so they started outsourcing.)
killer says:
look out for future compilations,
[b]I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself: Songs For The Unemployed[/b] and
[b]Take On Me: Songs For The Desperately Unemployed[/b]
KL says:
DubSac:
Inspirational ain't enough, buddy. Check out Kilbot's contributions, much more in the true call to arms style.
The music and/or lyrics must actually incite a group rising up and fighting the junta. or the individual trumphing over adversity. Or a bunch of bagpipes wailing.
It can't just be patriotic or angry or niggaz shooting shit. I think you are close with the Karate Kid one, maybe even the Dirk Diggler/Transformers anthem.
Think harder and see what you can come up with.
Kilbot, you are on da money.
killer says:
I think the [b]Never Say Die = Fighting Songs![/b] and [b]We’re Not Gonna Take It: Songs To Quit By[/b] compilations would be available in the series of [b]A Call to Arms[/b] albums for the downtrodden.
B-Diddy DubSac says:
That's why I call my compilation "Hit and Miss" - hey, they can't all be ARIA winners!!
"Against All Odds" (Phil Collins)?
Although I appreciate your comments in the context, I'd like to take your qualifications literally for a minute, and debate my stance (as per norm!):
"One" - how much more overcoming the odds do ya want? Dude overcomes speech and body language to convey his real feelings on the matter of having no arms or legs = KILL ME NOW!!
"Real American" - like i said, just the first four chords of this song usually has 93,000 people stand to attention, coz they know HULKAMANIA IS ABOUT TO RUN WILLLLLD!!
"Boyz N Tha Hood" - maybe I shoulda gone with "Fuck Tha Police" which *did* incite riots, but I this song encapsulates The Struggle in all its gory goodness! Im thinkin its coz you're a white honky from the Burbs that you missed the subtleties…
As for your praise of Killer's "List", the phrase "Self Hi-Five" jumps to mind, as it seems nothing more than a replica of your fabled "List", with the questionable addition of "Jump"…(not a slight on The KilMan, rather, an outright slap in the face of KzzzzL)
Killer, methinks [b][S]he Works Hard For The Money: Prostitute Anthems [/b]could be workable…
KL says:
Wallbuxx
Anyone willing to justify their Call to Arms so strongly is in on my list of contenders. I had plenty of suggestions that were struck down by the one and only Matty Milzzner, the ultimate man of true music scholarship.
I think we have a few killer comps with very subtle differences here. There is BIG BUXXX to be made. Lets get on the road to K-tel/Dino Music glory.
I appreciate the debate. That's what creates great comps.
KiZZ-el
killer says:
… oops, I see that indeed Twisted Sister was included in KL's list, somehow I missed it, much apologies.
But as for the "questionable" inclusion of Van Halen's Jump… No question about it, this song is good enough to fit in any compilation, Love Songs, Riot Songs, even the upcoming [S]he Works Hard For The Money: Prostitute Anthems album.
KL says:
There is obviously room in the market for a Jump compilation all unto itself:
Jump/Van Halen
Jump/Kriss Kross
Jump Around/House of Pain
Jump Up/Elvis Costello
Jumpin' Jive/Joe Jackson
Jump/Pointer Sisters
Jump/Kylie Minogue
Jump/Loverboy
The Jump/Bobby McFerrin
Jump/Aztec Camera (cover of Van Halen)
Jump for Joy/Duke Ellington
Need I go on?
Mrs D says:
[S]he Works Hard For The Money: Prostitute Anthems
Glad to see the ladies represented …
Private Dancer / Tina Turner
Work it / Missy Elliot
Mrs D
KL says:
Luka/Suzanne Vega??
"My name is Luka…I live on the second floor…"
Check it: [url=http://www.lyrics.net.ua/song/38978]Luka[/url]
B-Diddy DubSac says:
KL you are a sick, sick sonovabitch! Goddam Luka's about child abuse, but
running with that theme…
[b][S]he Works Hard For The Money: Prostitute Anthems [/b]
"Are You Old Enough?" (Dragon)
"I Am Woman" (Helen Reddy)
"She Goes Down" (Motley Crue) *subtle*
"Wherever I Lay My Hat" (Paul Young) *think about it;*
killer says:
and some more…
"Roxanne" - The Police
"Girls Of Porn" - Mr Bungle
"Catholic Girls" - Frank Zappa
"Dinah-Moe Humm" - Frank Zappa
"Willie The Pimp" - Frank Zappa
in fact, most of Zappa's work
[url=http://www.songfacts.com/detail.lasso?id=1393]"Lady Marmalade" - Labelle[/url]
"Jenny From The Block" - Jennifer Lopez
KL says:
Ha ha J-Lo, thats classic. Then I suppose you can go further on the recent diva/slut theme:
Oops I Did it Again/Britney
Dirty/Christina
etc etc
badger says:
I can't believe this one was missed (unless it wasn't and I can't read properly) but a vital inclusion for the [b]Jump[/b] compilation would have to be
Jumpin' Jumpin' by Destiny's Child
badger says:
and now the ideas come flowing thick and fast -
I don't belive any call to arms compilation could be considered complete without at least one selection from Les Miserables - the musical. My suggestion would be "Do you hear the people sing"; the relevant verse/chorus being (from memory - I think I know the whole three hours by heart): "oh won't you join in our crusade, who will be strong and stand with me? Beyond the baricade there is a world we long to see. So join in the fight and fight for the right to be free! chorus - Do you hear the people sing, singing the song of angry men, it is the music of the people who will not be slaves again, when the beating of your heart matches the beating of a drum, there is a life about to start when tomorrow comes. WHEN TOMORROW COOOOOMMMMMEEEESSSS!"
Also Tom Waits could sit nicely on the working lady comp, considering most of his songs are about dwarf prostitutes who bang the tractor in the colluseum. But I'd go with the obvious "Christmas card from a hooker in Minneapolis" off Blue Valentine.
B-Diddy DubSac says:
"When Tomorrow Comes"…so that's where the Euythmics were coming from….
Useless stat of the day:
Did you know Motley Crue's "Girls, Girls, Girls" is the most overused strip club song *ever*? Well renowned "actress" Jenna Jameson was quoted as saying "If I ever hear Girls, Fucking, Girls, Girls again…."
James Quinton says:
I will survive: any version
I will always love you: Houston