So, in order to make good on my New Year’s resolution to cut down on my Netflix binge-watching time, I thought it might be an idea to instead explore some of those channels that reside in the upper numbers of my cable package. As luck would have it, I stumbled upon a station hosting a marathon of wild animals fighting for supremacy (and tasty snacks) out in the various remote backwoods areas of the world. Which of course leads to: Rock ‘n’ Roll Animals, a special edition of musical Odd Couples …
“I RAN” by FLOCK OF SEAGULLS vs. “I’M A BELIEVER” by THE MONKEES: The first time I heard this song by a Flock of Seagulls, I was sure the key line to the hair band’s mega-hit was “Iran’s so far away.” These, in context, made for some interesting interpretations of other lines in the song like “A beam of light comes shining down on you.” Turned out the lyrical reality was much more mundane.
No such confusion with the Monkees’ “I’m A Believer,” a straight-up 60’s power pop hit, complete with Micky Dolenz performing his usual vocal rave up during the fade out.
Winner: The Monkees. Lesson learned – never let your haircut get in the way of your metaphor.
“‘CAUSE I’M A MAN” by TAME IMPALA vs. “JEEPSTER” by T. REX: Back in 1971, Marc Bolan served up “Jeepster,” the second T. Rex single from the Electric Warrior album, which offered up more of the usual T. Rex glam-trash lyrics over the usual T. Rex groove. It wasn’t nearly as successful as the previous single, the all-powerful “Bang a Gong (Get It On).” Who knows why? Maybe it was just a case of too much of more of the same.
Many moons later, the Aussie band Tame Impala scored a modest hit with “‘Cause I’m a Man,” the second single from their 2015 album Currents. It was a pretty straightforward composition, but at some point leader Kevin Parker had to deal with backlash over the lyrics, which were mistakenly deemed sexist by those that didn’t listen closely enough. Interestingly, the band Haim released a slowed-down remix/cover of the song soon after, with Danielle Haim on lead vocals.
Winner: Tame Impala. The chorus of “‘Cause I’m a man, woman” is a much more intricate concept to mull over than wondering how much the band spends on eyeliner and glitter.
“AFRICA” by TOTO vs. “HERE I GO AGAIN” by WHITESNAKE: Not a whole lot of common ground here, but there’s something to be said for the visual of Dorothy’s little pal taking a bite out of a big ol’ snake.
Winner: Toto, of course. It can’t be helped: sometimes it’s just about the visceral appeal more than the music.
“DON’T LET ME BE MISUNDERSTOOD” by THE ANIMALS vs. “NOBODY BUT ME” by THE HUMAN BEINZ: Well, why not? The planet’s most dominant species already seems to be succeeding at the expense of all others, so it’s not unreasonable to give everything else at least a musical fighting chance while there’s still time – or is there?
First consider the Animals, an English band playing American-influenced blues and R&B-based pop music. “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” is a heartfelt plea for love, forgiveness and compassion in a relationship; in other words, an appeal to very human qualities. So far, very un-animal-like.
In the meantime, the Human Beinz immediately set up a distraction based on their band name alone: Is it Human Beings? Or maybe Human Beans; or even Human Bines (rhymes with Heinz, like the ketchup)? Soon after that, they proceed to dig in deep on what’s left of the dance floor. Their choice to sandbag their position with the lyrical overuse of the words “no” and “nobody” have led some to jokingly call this the most negative song of all time. Nothing could be further from the truth; the singer is merely bragging about his ability to keep up with the local dance crazes of the 1960s. Typically human: Keep on dancing while the world falls apart.
Winner: As much as I’d like to give this to the Animals (the band) or even more so to the animals (the assorted species), this is going to the Human Beinz. There’s something to be said for the monomaniacal ability of humans to pursue an idea to its logical end. Too bad we don’t apply that ability toward saving the planet.
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