The Primal Scream
This article on rock's primal screams was provided by a reader who goes by ghelove. These are "THE TOP 20 SCREAMS, YELLS, GRUNTS AND GROANS AND UNINTELLIGIBLE SOUNDS IN ROCK IN ROLL."
The Primal Scream
by ghelove
The other day, at work, while passing by the workstation of my friend and coworker who happen to be blasting out Pink Floyd's ' The Wall'; I casually commented to him that the yell during the interlude of tracks 1 and 2 was indeed my most favorite scream in Rock and Roll.
Almost immediately, the profundity of what I had said started to dawn on us both. We decided that screaming, yelling, nonsensical sounds and other creative utterances are indeed an art form in themselves. We therefore concluded that such a chronicling of outbursts would make excellent fodder for the hipster's countdowns and rankings.
The yell, grunt, groan or even yodel is a unique artistic expression and not everyone, no matter how prolific an artist otherwise, should attempt to perform such, Thank God. And those who can do it in perfect pitch send shudders throughout the Uni-Verse (one- yell, this definition slightly modified for the purposes of the pitch).
We would like to offer you an abbreviated sample of how we think you could proceed. Therefore with no further ado, I give you a sampling of Mine, My boyfriend's Brian and friend and co-worker, G-Love's list of our favorites:
THE TOP 20 SCREAMS, YELLS, GRUNTS AND GROANS AND UNINTELLIGIBLE SOUNDS IN ROCK IN ROLL.
BETH'S (I shoulda been the lead singer in a punk band) LIST
1. Revolution-The Beatles, single version
2. The Happiest Days of our Lives/Another Brick in the Wall part 2 Pink Floyd, interlude between the two songs
3. Piece of My Heart-Janis Joplin
4. Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)-the Raconteurs, performed live
5. Immigrant Song-Led Zeppelin
6. Won't Get Fooled Again-The Who
7. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots part 2-The Flaming Lips
8. The Great Gig in the Sky-Pink Floyd
9. Monkey Wrench-Foo Fighters
10. Bullet with Butterfly Wings-Smashing Pumpkins
11. Dream On-Aerosmith
12. Rape Me-Nirvana
13. The End-The Doors, performed live
14. Turn on Your Love Light-Grateful Dead, version from Skeletons from the Closet
15.Sabotage-Beastie Boys
16. Don't Come Around Here No More¡-Tom Petty
17. Closer-Nine Inch Nails
18.All I Want is You-U2
19. Gimme Shelter-The Rolling Stones
20. Run to the Hills-Iron Maiden
P.S. Just to honor the initiator of this proposal, I really think my selections are truly the best and undoubtedly I should be honored by having my selections grace the number one picks but, to keep it fair and exercise diversity I offer you the entries from these two Bozos:
(Beth's Boyfriend and a DJ legend... in his own mind, that is)
BRIAN'S LIST
1. Doppelganger - I just got this Symphony going - Fall of Troy - (u mean to tell me this guy is able to talk the next day?)
2.Sly and the Family Stone - Sing a Simple Song -(just play it, youngsters).
3.Ani DiFranco -Dilate -OK here's the deal, I am not even going to pick a song off this CD cause this is one mean chick and quite frankly she scares me, so I don't want no trouble. The whole CD is full of high quality Yells, Groans, Grunts' Creative Curses and Yelps.
4. Talking Heads - PschoKiller
5. Sinead O'Connor - Never Grow Old
6. Simply Red – Holding back the tears – (if u tell anyone, I will have to kill ya)
7. Peter Gabriel -In your eyes- (unfortunately the volume needed, to fully benefit from the beauty of the background wailing performed by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, can only be obtained if you have forgiving neighbors.
8. Ike and Tina Turner -Proud Mary (Any Live Performance will dose ya out a good yelling at and you'll ask for more)
9. AC/DC - Back in Black
10. Phish - Suzie Greenberg
11.Raw Hide Theme - (now if you are really about your bizness you can put this song to real good use, on fantasy night, in the privacy of your own home, of course).
12. The Surfaris - Wipe Out
13 5,6,7,8's - Woo hoo (remember the Japanese Girl Band performing in Kill Bill and whose song is also sampled on those annoying Vonage Commercial)
14.Jesus Christ Superstar Soundtrack - The Temple and Damned for All Time.
15. Run-DMC / Aerosmith's - Live Collaboration of Walk This Way
17. U2 -Hawkmoon 269
18. Meatloaf - Paradise by the Dashboard Light (well he got what he asked for- so why the screaming)?
19. Baltimora- Tarzan Boy (If Tarzan yelled like this, let just say that Jane would have had issues and probably the only animals to respond to the call of wild would have been a couple of bunnies)
20. Little Richard - Tutti Fruiti (OK you been acknowledged now go home)
(I must apologize for my friend G-love' list. He fancies himself a musicologist, is long winded, loves to babble and also is currently without a girlfriend, a very combustible mix)
G-Love's LIST
1. Prince - When Doves Cry (I would actually like to put Prince songs in the list 5 times but I will exercise E.O.E restraints). U go Bird.
2. Screaming Jay Hawkins- I put a spell on you (for God sakes look at the man's name- nuff said?)
3. Led Zeppelin - Black Dog (take a forceful falsetto and sit him on a chair full of thumbtacks and this is what you get) I love it.
4. James Brown- Please-Please-Please (Although a screamer supreme, to which he demonstrates in most all his songs, I actually selected one of his lower decibel screeches to cite, because of the deep soulfulness that accompanies the screeching.
5. The Beatles- Hey Jude (I never was much of a Beatles fan even I can't deny them their yell credits on this one?)
6. Janis Joplin - Take another little piece of my heart baby (if u were there, and can still remember -u know what I-m talkin about).
7. The Who - Won't get fooled again (more than a yell or a scream it's almost an anthem echoed in a single note).
8. Bruce Springsteen- Drive all Night (How in the world did a man learn to scream-wail and gargle coffee grinds at the same time? Must have leaned it from Tom Waitts, and speaking of Tom.)
9. Tom Waits- Temptation (here is a song whose guttural Arabic- like wailing screams have driven my co-workers from the premises and has generated threats to inflict on me bodily harm if I play it in the presence of others therefore, sadly to say, I can only enjoy the artistic mastery of this song in the comfort of my own home- and even there, not without the use of headphones).
9. Prince- Little Red Corvette - (Imagine him as a car salesman- "you must need a limousine)
10. Bjork - Sensuality - (That little sexy yeh-ha of hers during the course of the song could probably entice a cowpoke back down from Broke back mountain, I'm sure, whereas the hostility shown towards a guy in...
11. Sinead O'Connor - Troy (might just send him back up to Broke back mountain) this little ditty starts off as a whisper and ends up a banshee's lament.
12. Tina Marie- If I were your bell ( I don't think she is implying just a vowel sound when she slips out the letter "O" and lets it ephemerally escape her lips in this lover's ballad. Vanna! I would like to buy ten of those vowels..
13. Donna Summers- Love to Love you baby (better have a pack of cigarettes handy after listening)
14. Howard Dean- Rebel Yell (OK so it ain't really from a song, it will undoubtedly be preserved in the historic record and furthermore, why the Hell hasn't someone sampled it yet and put it to music?)
15. Ben Harper - The Woman in You
16. Bob Marley- Those Crazy Bald Heads (What the hell is that sound that starts the record? I love it however; I guess those bald heads didn't take kindly to it)
17. Jane's Addiction - Jane Says [live Version] (just imagine Perry teaching grammar school "1, 2, and 3 and..." what the heck is that sound that comes next)?
18. Queen -Bohemian Rhapsody (hey! screaming or operatic- what's the difference other than at least Queen makes it sound great? And speaking of Queen-)
19. Queen Ida - Zydeco (any song or album- I just can't believe all those fantastic utterances can originate and for the most part be contained to such a small area of the country. Queen Ida you have done one heck of a job, take note, Mr. Bush, her not Brownie.)
20. The Singing Nun- Dominique (we all know I am just kissing UP on this one but, when you know as many lyrics (to the devils music) as I do, its good to have some back up insurance for the hereafter, ya dig? Plus since I can't understand it, it qualifies in my mind as creative utterances.
____________________________________________________________
The Troubleshooter writes:
Your top ten is good. Being older, I remember some falsetto you never got to hear.
10. Lightning Strikes -- Lou Christie,
: A celebration of manwhoreism
lightly seasoned with Falsetto.
9. Rhapsody in the Rain -- Lou Christie,
bMDICE: Falsetto, with dirty lyrics your gymnastics team could sing on the
school bus driving to a meet.
8. Cruisin -- Smokey Robinson,
Speaking of dirty lyrics, "And if you want it, you got it forever.
Ah, I could just stay there inside you, And love you, baby, oh, ah!" just
about clinches it. If that song had come out when I was a teenager I would
have sprung a leak on the bus (probably sprung some other stuff too).
7. Two Faces Have I -- Lou Christie,
: Extra topical points because it can have 21st century relevance as a still-in-closet gay teenager.
6. Big Girls Don't Cry -- Four Seasons,
: Had a good beat, I think I can dance to it. The image of a 6'5" girlfriend is exciting, to say the least.
5. Sherry -- Four Seasons,
: The first, and still one of the best.
4. Liar Liar -- The Castaways,
:Haunting interplay between falsetto and normal, also contains a pretty good
scream. Debbie Harry did this song better, but since she's female that doesn't
qualify as falsetto.
3. Bread and Butter -- The Newbeats,
: Falsetto so high only dogs can hear it.
2. Run Baby Run -- Newbeats,
: This is actually a great song that just happens to have falsetto.
1. Walk Like a Man -- Four Seasons,
Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons- Walk Like A Man: Not as much falsetto, but great
Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons- Walk Like A Man
message.
On Tuesday 19 October 2010 16:12:32 you wrote:
I happened to take a tumble the other night. Slipped on an oil slick. busted up my knee, while stretching out my groin to a degree worthy of a yogi master. I let out a yelp, a few octaves higher than my Man; Union Membership Card would vouch for. Upon hitting the ground with full impact; and in the throes of gut retching agonizing pain, it caused me to ponder “Hey! Just what are the best, top ten songs, sung in…falsetto?”
My top ten songs, sung in….falsetto
2) Black Dog – Led Zeppelin [ During the Renaissance Young boys, wishing to maintain their positions in the various choirs would have to submit ’shall we say’ surgical modification] in order to hit these notes]
3) Adore (until the end of time) - Prince [Primped up cool]
4) Well, I dreamed I saw the silver spaceships flying ... Neil Young [Cosmic hippie meets social relevant folk]
5). REASONS- Earth Wind&Fire [ They sing so beautiful don’t you agree?]
6).Holding Back the Years – Simply Red [ This is actually beyond Falsetto, I demand a DNA test, Caution don’t karaoke this song while doing a stint in prison]
7)Betcha By Golly Wow – The Stylistics [ Perfect pitch and harmony]
8) Fa la la la la – The Delfonics [I can still smell their conk. You smell that young cap’n? I love the smell of - hair process- in the morning – smells like….. Hickory ]
9)Distance Lover – Marvin Gaye, Mar-vin Gaye [ nuff said?]
And my number 1 pick…
Hey there lonely girl -1970 song by R&B singer Eddie Holman
[ Prosecutor (confrontive): “Mr Holman, tell this court, is it true or not that You! are in fact, the alleged lonely girl that you are supposedly singing about?” [ Listen to the song and you'll see why.]
All joking aside, these songs are really great and complex in their artistry and delivery. So that’s my top ten.
What’s yours? Commentary: Optional