Interesting that Stand By Your Man consists of two verses followed by one and a half choruses, or three choruses if you consider every stanza that starts with the title phrase as its own separate chorus. It's almost like a song with two halves, except it doesn't sound like one, and the latter stanzas definitely sound like a chorus. Obviously I've heard this one before, most people my age have. I've never been a huge fan of country music, although I like some '60s country songs and this song is from the '60s. I think it's passable, again a notch above "lukewarm" like yesterday's selection, but I'm not sure how it became a "classic" as it is widely regarded. Sure, the vocals are more than competent, but I don't think vocals count for more than five to ten per cent of a song's overall value. The music is fine, but not particularly exciting or original. And no, the lyrics aren't especially good advice, in this day and age or indeed at any time. It you're in a situation where "he'll have good times, Doin' things that you don't understand", then perhaps the wiser course of action is not "you'll forgive him", but rather to go A - S - A - P for that D - I - V - O - R - C - E
Stand By Your Man She's one of the best female singers of all time, but I just find this song a little bit hokey. Not because of it's theme, but because of the production and arrangement. I like her being a little more soulful like this ... Still, she sings the hell out of "Stand By Your Man". Put on my list just to change it up a little. 3/5 So What - Miles Davis You're So Vain - Carly Simon Without You - Nilsson Oye Como Va - Santana I Can't Help Myself - Four Tops Baby Love - Supremes Move On Up - Curtis Mayfield Cross Road Blues - Robert Johnson Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper Stand By Your Man - Tammy Wynette
My favorite song with Tammy Wynette is by far The KLF - Justified & Ancient. Now THAT could be Top 500 material for me:
“Stand By Your Man” is good, but not something I particularly interested in. I ranked it 17 out of 28
#472. Peter Gabriel, “Solsbury Hill” (1977) Written by Peter Gabriel Wikipedia says: “Solsbury Hill" is the debut solo single of English musician Peter Gabriel. He wrote the song about a spiritual experience atop Little Solsbury Hill in Somerset, England, after his departure from the progressive rock band Genesis, of which he had been the lead singer since its inception.The single was a Top 20 hit in the UK, peaking at number 13, and reached number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1977. The song has often been used in film trailers for romantic comedies. Gabriel has said of the song's meaning, "It's about being prepared to lose what you have for what you might get ... It's about letting go." His former bandmate Tony Banks acknowledges that the song reflects Gabriel's decision to break ties with Genesis, but it can also be applied in a broader sense to situations of letting go in general. Producer Bob Ezrin placed some restrictions on the session musicians to give the song its distinctive sound. While earlier versions of the song featured more prominent electric guitar, Ezrin instructed guitarist Steve Hunter to instead perform the main riff on a 12 string guitar, an instrument "he hadn't played in a long time". However, Hunter states that he instead borrowed a Martin acoustic guitar, and Travis picked the voicings with a capo on the second fret. As Ezrin wanted the acoustic guitar to be tripled, Hunter was required to provide three satisfactory takes, all of which had to be aligned with one another. Bob Ezrin used the variable speed oscillator on guitar tracks to achieve the chorusing effect. Rather than employing a full drum kit, Allan Schwartzberg made do with a shaker in one hand and a drum stick in another, which he used to strike a telephone book. For additional rhythmic textures, Larry Fast constructed a fake drum kit on his keyboard, which he dubbed the "synthibam", although the liner notes credit percussionist Jimmy Maelen with the instrument. After all of the session musicians departed, Fast also overdubbed some additional electronics, including the synth horn orchestration. From verse two onwards, a subdued four note flute riff, played by Gabriel himself, sounds-off the beginning of each section of the lyrics.
Solsbury Hill B I’m a pretty big Genesis and Peter Gabriel fan, so it might come as a surprise that I’m not a big fan of this, but I just never found there to be all that much to it. It’s got a pleasant, sing-sony melody, but since the vocal melody is pretty close to the instrumental backing, it’s the kind of thing that can get repetitive if it’s not over quickly. And it’s not - it it goes on for 4.5 minutes. It’s clunky use in films I generally despise does not affect the rating, but maybe it should.
There are several songs in the list so far I like, and know (although I prefer other people's interpretations, in some cases) but this is the first song so far I can truly say I love and is one I've listened to a a thousand times and surely will do so as many times again. By my own personal definition, truly a great song.
I'm not a huge Peter Gabriel fan, but I've always really loved his singles and this is one of my favorites. Genuinely stirring stuff, great production, too!
"Solsbury Hill" Most of the song is in the unusual time signature of 7/4, like most of "Money" by Pink Floyd or, arguably, the verses of "All You Need Is Love" by the Beatles (though most sheet music I've seen writes it as alternating measures of 3/4 and 4/4). It gives the feeling of hesitation, which, at least for me, happens any time I make big changes in my life, which are usually thrust upon me rather than made completely voluntarily. The 45 was edited to 3:26, basically by trimming the intro to three measures and fading the end early. On U.S. Atco, 45s exist with either the edit or the full-length LP version; the latter is rarer. The song wasn't a big hit, as it peaked at only #68. Later, the version from the 1983 album Plays Live was released by Geffen as an edited single (3:58), but it failed to chart. --- The first Peter Gabriel song I ever heard was "D.I Y.," the only single from his second album (1978), which I used to call "The Atlantic Album" for the label on which it was released. (In the U.S., the original editions of his first four albums came out on four different labels -- Atco, Atlantic, Mercury, and Geffen, respectively.) I didn't like it very much. I first heard "Solsbury Hill" later in my college years, though at this late date I'm not sure if it was before or after "Games Without Frontiers" became the inescapable first single from the Mercury album (1980). That song was all over FM-rock radio in Philadelphia that summer. "Solsbury Hill" didn't really resonate for me until I had moved back to Pennsylvania after several mostly frustrating years living in South Bend, Indiana. Not long after I came back home, Gabriel became a superstar with the So album, and FM stations started to explore some of his back catalog. At first, I wasn't sure how to spell the older song's title, which made it hard to search for. I think I saw the title on a list of WYSP's top 1000 rock hits of all time, a survey it did twice in the late 1980s around the time it became America's first classic-rock station, and thought to myself, "So that's how the song is spelled." I briefly had a Holy Grail list of 45s I would like to own, and the Atco 45 of "Solsbury Hill," either edit or LP version, was one of them. I still don't own it. I finally got the song for my collection on the Shaking the Tree compilation CD. --- It is interesting to read Peter Gabriel's meaning behind the song -- of letting go. I guess I dwelled on the part about going back home, because that's what I get out of it. In recent years, "home" has been an elusive concept. I mean, yeah, I live in a house, but even though I've spent eight years in central Virginia, it doesn't feel like home to me. The two places that feel most like home are where I grew up and later spent my young adulthood (eastern Pennsylvania) and where I spent the most productive years of my life (central Wisconsin). I have only rarely been back to the former since moving away in 1995, and I still haven't been able to go back to the latter since leaving in 2013. I have no idea if where I currently live will ever feel like home. I've just been mostly drifting through. Perhaps this is why I love "Solsbury Hill" so much. If it isn't my favorite Peter Gabriel song, it's because "Don't Give Up," his duet with Kate Bush, is. For only the second time so far, two consecutive entries are part of A Few of My Favorite Things. "Solsbury Hill" is on Volume 3, track 1.
RS #472 Peter Gabriel – “Solsbury Hill” [from Peter Gabriel (“Car”)] Second 1st tier artist on the list for me—Gabriel being there as part of the Genesis family. Every single Gabriel solo album from the self-titled debut, colloquially known as “Car,” which is the source of the “Solsbury Hill” single, through Passion (minus the Birdie soundtrack, but plus Plays Live) would be a candidate for my top 500 list, though obviously it wouldn’t really do to have seven Peter Gabriel albums in a top 500 list, lol. At any rate, so I love “Car.” I love every track on it, including “Solsbury Hill” (and yes, including “Excuse Me,” too). “Solsbury Hill” was a great choice as a single. Not only is it extremely catchy, but it has a very odd but effective blend of airiness, deep melancholy and cheery optimism, all at the same time. It’s also unusual in that it’s in 7/4, it has a prominent talking drum groove (reflecting Gabriel’s early interest in world music), and it has a very interesting chord progression and arrangement, where the chord progression gives the impression of not being strictly diatonic thanks to some very craftily placed suspensions, including via the melodic ostinato, but it is straightforwardly diatonic. I don’t want to say that “Solsbury Hill” would without a doubt be on my top 500 song list, because again, it’s not like I could have 50 Peter Gabriel tracks on such a list, but it’s definitely a candidate, and it’s easily my favorite song of those we’ve done so far. I’m not sure what else is on the list (again, I prefer to be surprised as we go through it (though I’m keeping a few days ahead with my reviews)). It could take some time before “Solsbury Hill” is knocked off of its perch. Top 15 tracks so far, also factoring in particular arrangements/performances. 1. “Solsbury Hill” – Peter Gabriel 2. “Move On Up” – Curtis Mayfield 3. "Time After Time" - Cyndi Lauper 4. “Rhythm Nation” – Janet Jackson 5. "Without You" – Nilsson 6. "You're So Vain" - Carly Simon 7. “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” – Four Tops 8. “Oye Como Va” - Santana 9. "Baby Love" – Supremes 10. “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” – Kris Kristofferson 11. “Bad Romance” – Lady Gaga 12. "So What" - Miles Davis 13. "Welcome to the Jungle" - Guns N' Roses 14. “Cannonball” – The Breeders 15. “Just Friends” – Biz Markie
More familiar with this than most immediately preceding songs here, but no fan of Peter Gabriel and “Solsbury Hill” has been close to annoying when I have heard it on the radio. It only reached number 45 on the Kent Music Report chart, but charted in the 20s on Melbourne’s 3XY.
We're finally there, the first non-Northamerican song! Of course, it might be more interesting how the ratio is at the top of the list, but it took almost 30 songs to get some more geographical variety. Though I'm not a huge Peter Gabriel fan I generally do like his singles. So yeah, Solsbury Hill is certainly a nice song. Its mood/tempo does have some restlessness in it, making it stand out from other songs. Deserves to be in my current top 10. 1. Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up 2. Lady Gaga - Bad Romance 3. Robert Johnson - Cross Road Blues 4. Miles Davis - So What? 5. Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation 6. Peter Gabriel - Solsbury Hill 7. Supremes - Baby Love 8. The Four Tops – I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) 9. Pixies - Where is My Mind? 10. Kanye West - Stronger
“Solsbury Hill” 2/5 – This song has never made much of a dent in my consciousness. It has an amiable sound, and I have no concrete objections to it. Peter Gabriel has never appealed to me much outside of Genesis, so it might be an artist thing. I’m not particularly fond of any of his solo work. Top 10: 1. Cannonball – Breeders 2. Our Lips Are Sealed – Go-Go’s 3. You're So Vain - Carly Simon 4. Move On Up – Curtis Mayfield 5. Oye Como Va - Santana 6. I Can’t Help Myself – Four Tops 7. Where Is My Mind? - Pixies 8. Baby Love - Supremes 9. Without You – Nilsson 10. Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down – Kris Kristofferson
Peter Gabriel Good start of Peter Gabriel's solo career, "Solisbury Hill" was a bigger international hit than any Genesis single up to that point. It's not the best thing he's ever done, Gabriel was still developing his sound before he hit his stride in the '80s, so lots of wonderful music still lay ahead. But the inclusion of this song is at least a nice change of pace on this extremely US-centric list. 3,5 / 5
Solsbury Hill I really like the Peter Gabriel era of Genesis, so this isn't too far off from what he was doing on The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. His music would quickly change, though, with mixed results. 4/5 Poor Tammy, she only lasted one day on my list. So What - Miles Davis You're So Vain - Carly Simon Without You - Nilsson Solsbury Hill - Peter Gabriel Oye Como Va - Santana I Can't Help Myself - Four Tops Baby Love - Supremes Move On Up - Curtis Mayfield Cross Road Blues - Robert Johnson Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper
472. Peter Gabriel, “Solsbury Hill” I love this song. Easily one of the best singles of 1977 and one my favorite Gabriel solo songs. Could well be part of my Top 500. For now, it's going in third place on my list. 1. Pixies - Where Is My Mind? 2. Carly Simon - You're So Vain 3. Peter Gabriel - Solsbury Hill 4. Breeders - Cannonball 5. Supremes - Baby Love 6. The Go-Gos - Our Lips Are Sealed 7. Four Tops - I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) 8. Robert Johnson - Cross Road Blues 9. Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time 10. Santana - Oye Como Va 11. Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up 12. Weezer - Buddy Holly 13. Nilsson - Without You 14. Biz Markie - Just A Friend 15. Kanye West - Stronger 16. Solange - Cranes In The Sky
Solsbury Hill is a nice little ear worm, but I'm not sure it deserves any more respect than any other such.
I don't need to say too much about Solsbury Hill, except that it has displaced Nilsson's Without You at the top of my list here, which in turn bumps the Supremes' Baby Love down to third. Great song!
Solsbury Hill (Peter Gabriel) A decent single. Not his best song or biggest hit. I'm OK with it in the top 500, but I wouldn't have it on my own list. "Games Without Frontiers", "Biko", or "Sledgehammer" would be my top three. (3/5) Rating the songs so far: 1. You're So Vain - Carly Simon 2. Buddy Holly-Weezer 3. Cannonball-Breeders 4. I Can't Help Myself-Four Tops 5. Move On Up-Curtis Mayfield 6. Oy Como Va-Santana 7. Baby Love - Supremes 8. Without You - Nilsson 9. Our Lips Are Sealed-Go Go's 10. Sunday Morning Coming Down-Kris Krisofferson 11. Cross Road Blues-Robert Johnson 12. Solsbury Hill-Peter Gabriel 13. Pancho And Lefty-Townes Van Zandt 14. Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper 15. So What-Miles Davis 16. Stand By Your Man-Tammy Wynette 17. Just A Friend-Biz Markie 18. Bad Romance-Lady Gaga 19. Rhythm Nation-Janet Jackson 20. 212-Azelia Banks 21. Cranes In The Sky -Solange 22.Where Is My Mind?-Pixies 23. Welcome To The Jungle-Guns N' Roses 24. Old Town Road-Lil Naz 25. Truth Hurts-Lizzo 26. House Of Balloons-The Weeknd 27. Stronger-Kayne West 28. Back That Azz Up-Juvenile 29. A Milli-Lil Wayne Once I get to a top 40 I'm not going to drop the bottom songs if a new song places higher. RS still hasn't included a top 500 songs from the 2000's in my opinion. Only #1-#3 are definite top 500 with 4-12 contenders were I making my own list. #20-#29 would not even be considered for my top 50,000 songs!
“Solsbury Hill” is probably my favorite Peter Gabriel song, but I’m not a big fan. Good track and good production. Without You - Nilsson Move On Up - Curtis Mayfield So What - Miles Davis Baby Love - Supremes Solsbury Hill - Peter Gabriel I Can’t Help Myself - Four Tops You're So Vain - Carly Simon Where Is My Mind? - Pixies Our Lips Are Sealed - The Go Go’s Oye Coma Va - Santana
#471. The Animals, “The House of the Rising Sun” (1964) Written by Alan Price Wikipedia says: "The House of the Rising Sun" is a traditional folk song, sometimes called "Rising Sun Blues". It tells of a person's life gone wrong in the city of New Orleans. Many versions also urge a sibling or parents and children to avoid the same fate. The most successful commercial version, recorded in 1964 by the British rock band The Animals, was a number one hit on the UK Singles Chart and in the US and Canada. As a traditional folk song recorded by an electric rock band, it has been described as the "first folk rock hit". The song was recorded in just one take on May 18, 1964, and it starts with a now-famous electric guitar A minor chord arpeggio by Hilton Valentine. According to Valentine, he simply took Dylan's chord sequence and played it as an arpeggio. The performance takes off with Burdon's lead vocal, which has been variously described as "howling", "soulful", and as "...deep and gravelly as the north-east English coal town of Newcastle that spawned him". Finally, Alan Price's pulsating organ part (played on a Vox Continental) completes the sound. Burdon later said, "We were looking for a song that would grab people's attention". As recorded, "The House of the Rising Sun" ran four and a half minutes, regarded as far too long for a pop single at the time. Producer Most, who initially did not really want to record the song at all, said that on this occasion: "Everything was in the right place ... It only took 15 minutes to make so I can't take much credit for the production". He was nonetheless now a believer and declared it a single at its full length, saying "We're in a microgroove world now, we will release it".
This is the first unreservedly, no qualifications, just plain great one for me. A great song from way, way back; a great rendition by all concerned (they should've split the 'arranged by' credit amongst the whole band); and arguably the Animal's finest. And a massive hit.
Hate it. Just blows. Eric Burdon blows his load on the second line and the band has to supply the build.
