That's all well and good, but right after coming across that link, I received clear confirmation from another source that I did not need to take the quiz.
Although I had not heard Mitch Myers's story on All Things Considered yesterday about the place of the cowbell in rock music of the 1970s, I caught the listener letters this afternoon, a couple of which responded to that story. One listener pointed out that this NPR bid for younger listener was alienating a large part of their base--after all, who gives two rips about cowbells in music?
But my response to hearing about the story was different: Finally! I thought, I will be able to finish my cowbell tape. Because back when I was a sophomore in college, and was all about thematic mixtapes, I thought I should make such a thing. (Dear reader: do not be fooled by this furious attempt to distance myself from this tendency. In fact, I still tend to compile such things at the most inappropriate of moments.)
It turns out that Mitch Myers's story hinged on a link to The Cowbell Project, sponsored by Geek Speak Weekly. I was all ready to click the "Submit a Cowbell Song" link, but first I looked at what they had already.
A#1 on my list was "Hey Ladies" from Paul's Boutique, so I searched on that. They've got it. And "Grazing in the Grass" by Hugh Masekela, which may be one of the alltime best cowbell songs ever. And then the B-52s. And AC/DC. And "Jive Talkin'." And Love and Rockets. And "Camel Walk." And "Groove Is in the Heart." But--I bow to you, Cowbell Project--they had all of them already, and of course more.
In fact, right there on the Cowbell Project site, is a furious wetdream, an amazing list of cowbell songs. And despite what the NPR story made it sound like, they are not all '70s big rock songs. No no no, they go all over the place: look for yourself!
My only complaint is that the link to "Songs That Should Have a Cowbell" elicits a tantalizing list of songs to which they have added a cowbell--but none of them will play! Oh cruel cruel world, that has such dead links in it!
2 comments:
Well, as they say, everything is better with more cowbell.
And yes, I wouldn't mind a copy of that mix...
I wish the list categorized them by a song's emphasis on The Bell. For example, in Hey Ladies the Beastie Boys acknowledge the primacy of The Bell with an actual Cow Bell solo. Sweet. Honky Tonk Woman draws us in by starting with that wonderful bell. However, Dancing Queen sports the bell? If one is not consciously aware of It being used, can it actually be counted?
Horvus Callithumper
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