So This Is Christmas
4 days ago
Friday, January 30, 2009
Question: Why does a man ask me to kill him and lie about dying when he's not really dying he asks me to kill him? Question:
How am I to feel when the Chasids spot me and peg me on the street?
Ranking the Beatles my damn self: Dallas 24, Miami 3
So somewhere in today's list we hit the point where I genuinely like all the songs. I thought it might be instructive to tally composer credits up to that point, for comparison with composer credits past that point. Unfortunately, I lack the time, energy, and other resources to research who truly wrote each song, so I'll just pretend whoever wrote it sang it. John deserves credit for singing Please Mr. Postman, doesn't he? So, the results for the lesser material:
Paul: 28
John: 26
George: 13
Ringo: 9
And now? On with our countdown.
135. She's Leaving Home (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band)
I know this song is revered, but I would probably skip over it if not for John's vocal.
134. Mother Nature's Son (The Beatles)
I don't know how this is different from some of the Paul songs that bother me, but it is. I think he's hurt by how insincere he seems. Not that he isn't allowed to play characters. But his all seem fakey, where John put some of himself -- or at least some of his craziness -- in his songs. When he's singing about someone creepy, he's exposing his inner creep. Paul is exposing his inner 4-year-old girl playing dress-up.
Or is that too harsh?
By the way, if you haven't caught it, seek out Colbert's interview of Paul. I've never seen someone seem so feeble-minded and so quick at the same time.
133. Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill (The Beatles)
Likes: When John tells us children to sing. Dislikes: Yoko.
132. Only a Northern Song (Yellow Submarine)
Well, we're in. I genuinely like everything from here on in, and probably as far back as Bungalow Bill. Tha's amazing. Ten discs' worth. I couldn't make 10 albums of material that I liked, much less anybody else.
131. For You Blue (Let It Be)
I always had a soft spot for this and for Old Brown Shoe, which also maybe had something to do with discovering them relatively late. But I dig 'em.
130. Hold Me Tight (With the Beatles)
So much to love here, from Paul's energy in the vocals to the descent in the "chorus," to whatever effect he's going for in the bridge; we don't have to know what it is to laught at it. I'll be candid, a song can be helped some by the album it's on, too. With the Beatles didn't have so many standouts, so if I liked a song on it, I maybe liked it more than you might.
129. Kansas City/Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey (For Sale)
More for the Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey part. The vocals by everyone on that couldn't be better.
128. I Want You (She's So Heavy) (Abbey Road)
You might be thinking I've ranked this a little low. Well, I might be thinking I could have used a little less of it. To be honest, Ringo really saves it from a worse fate.
127. Thank You Girl (Past Masters vol. I)
Harmony. I remember listening to this disc whenever I drove to job interviews in the mid-1990s. Maybe I ranked this song higher because I remember listening to it en route to interviews, but maybe I listened to it en route to interviews because I liked it so much.
126. Any Time at All (A Hard Day's Night)
Another way a song can benefit from the record it's on: I like this album enough that I'm disinclined to skip much. It's a very even disc. If you graphed it, it'd make for an almost straight line.
125. I Call Your Name (Past Masters vol. I)
John's vocal -- not the melody, just his vocal -- saves this from a lower ranking.
124. The Inner Light (Past Masters vol. II)
I like George's vocal here. And I know I said I don't give much extra credit for lyrics, and I don't here, but there's an effect from them, something you get from them subconsciously without even having to process them on the surface. Am I making any sense here?
123. Things We Said Today (A Hard Day's Night)
I like the harmonies, and I like the bridge, Paul's melody in it. Otherwise, not my favorite song from this album.
122. Another Girl (Help!)
The verses and chorus are fun, and possibly even funny. But I really love where it goes in the first half of the bridge.
121. You Really Got a Hold on Me (With the Beatles)
This was once a favorite of mine. I probably would like it again if I listened to it more. I'm pretty sure I was singing George's part in the harmonies; he really was given some fun parts.
* * *
Join us on Monday, when I'm almost certain to ask "Can you believe this isn't in my 100 favorite songs by them?"
Paul: 28
John: 26
George: 13
Ringo: 9
And now? On with our countdown.
135. She's Leaving Home (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band)
I know this song is revered, but I would probably skip over it if not for John's vocal.
134. Mother Nature's Son (The Beatles)
I don't know how this is different from some of the Paul songs that bother me, but it is. I think he's hurt by how insincere he seems. Not that he isn't allowed to play characters. But his all seem fakey, where John put some of himself -- or at least some of his craziness -- in his songs. When he's singing about someone creepy, he's exposing his inner creep. Paul is exposing his inner 4-year-old girl playing dress-up.
Or is that too harsh?
By the way, if you haven't caught it, seek out Colbert's interview of Paul. I've never seen someone seem so feeble-minded and so quick at the same time.
133. Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill (The Beatles)
Likes: When John tells us children to sing. Dislikes: Yoko.
132. Only a Northern Song (Yellow Submarine)
Well, we're in. I genuinely like everything from here on in, and probably as far back as Bungalow Bill. Tha's amazing. Ten discs' worth. I couldn't make 10 albums of material that I liked, much less anybody else.
131. For You Blue (Let It Be)
I always had a soft spot for this and for Old Brown Shoe, which also maybe had something to do with discovering them relatively late. But I dig 'em.
130. Hold Me Tight (With the Beatles)
So much to love here, from Paul's energy in the vocals to the descent in the "chorus," to whatever effect he's going for in the bridge; we don't have to know what it is to laught at it. I'll be candid, a song can be helped some by the album it's on, too. With the Beatles didn't have so many standouts, so if I liked a song on it, I maybe liked it more than you might.
129. Kansas City/Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey (For Sale)
More for the Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey part. The vocals by everyone on that couldn't be better.
128. I Want You (She's So Heavy) (Abbey Road)
You might be thinking I've ranked this a little low. Well, I might be thinking I could have used a little less of it. To be honest, Ringo really saves it from a worse fate.
127. Thank You Girl (Past Masters vol. I)
Harmony. I remember listening to this disc whenever I drove to job interviews in the mid-1990s. Maybe I ranked this song higher because I remember listening to it en route to interviews, but maybe I listened to it en route to interviews because I liked it so much.
126. Any Time at All (A Hard Day's Night)
Another way a song can benefit from the record it's on: I like this album enough that I'm disinclined to skip much. It's a very even disc. If you graphed it, it'd make for an almost straight line.
125. I Call Your Name (Past Masters vol. I)
John's vocal -- not the melody, just his vocal -- saves this from a lower ranking.
124. The Inner Light (Past Masters vol. II)
I like George's vocal here. And I know I said I don't give much extra credit for lyrics, and I don't here, but there's an effect from them, something you get from them subconsciously without even having to process them on the surface. Am I making any sense here?
123. Things We Said Today (A Hard Day's Night)
I like the harmonies, and I like the bridge, Paul's melody in it. Otherwise, not my favorite song from this album.
122. Another Girl (Help!)
The verses and chorus are fun, and possibly even funny. But I really love where it goes in the first half of the bridge.
121. You Really Got a Hold on Me (With the Beatles)
This was once a favorite of mine. I probably would like it again if I listened to it more. I'm pretty sure I was singing George's part in the harmonies; he really was given some fun parts.
* * *
Join us on Monday, when I'm almost certain to ask "Can you believe this isn't in my 100 favorite songs by them?"
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Ranking the Beatles my damn self V: one for the thumb
I highly recommend this exercise for every avid Beatles fan. Not the blogging; I certainly wouldn't steal the first guy's idea so blatantly if I thought more than two people were watching. No, just the ranking. It's very fun to see both the sliding scale -- the way you can go from a song you'd never think to listen to purposely up 20 songs to one you listen to a lot but don't love without even noticing the jump -- and the gradations: Starting with this song, I never skip, or this song marks the beginning of where I start having emotional attachments for songs.
150. Piggies (The Beatles)
Be honest; were you waiting for it? Were you thinking Man, he likes Piggies better than Eleanor Rigby? (Answer: yes.) This song has some charm for me, but doesn't cry to be heard more than a couple times a year. What's funny is how many better songs he was working on, and even demo-ing for the band, at the same time. Instead of this, we could have had half of All Things Must Pass, or even Sour Milk Sea, which I like a lot.
149. I Me Mine (Let It Be)
Has its moments, but too whiney. Why you gotta be such a downer, man?
148. In My Life (Rubber Soul)
Probably you saw this coming too. It's a good song, no doubt, but it must be composed around some scale that doesn't do much for me. It should be obvious by now, too, that I am not factoring lyrics in very much for this countdown. I like a nice pair of lyrics, and they can definitely add a lot to a song that's also otherwise strong, like Strawberry Fields Forever. But to the people who say the lyrics make this a good song, I say no, the song isn't good enough to be helped that much by the lyrics, which I don't think are so groundbreaking anyway.
147. Dig It (Let It Be)
I guess for some of these, I need to start justifying why I've ranked them this high, rather than so low. I'm kind of a sucker for late-period stuff where the guys, especially John, seem to be having fun. Hell, I'd put Los Paranoias higher than In My Life.
146. Oh! Darling (Abbey Road)
Could have used one less run through the bridge and verse. The Beatles were who taught me you don't need three verses. I wish they had followed their own example here.
145. Maggie Mae (Let It Be)
*Sigh.* Yes, higher than In My Life. See the notes for Dig It.
144. I'll Cry Instead (A Hard Day's Night)
There are a lot of songs like this on this album; they're so similar in tone, it's remarkable I didn't rank them all next to each other. This is one of the weaker of the bunch, but still eminently listenable.
143. Dig a Pony (Let It Be)
Very strong vocal performance here. Did John play the solo? I'm not good with that stuff. A nice George solo would have lifted this even higher.
142. Maxwell's Silver Hammer (Abbey Road)
OK, so between you and me, I kind of like this song. But the backstory of how many takes of it Paul forced the band through drains something from it for me. Also, this isn't so involved a song. Why were so many takes desired? I don't think I've heard them; were they significantly different, like the ones for Lady Madonna and Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da?
141. Slow Down (Past Masters, vol. I)
I'm serious; before 1964 or '65, all I really require is John singing like his scrotum was on fire or something. I'm simple like that.
140. Her Majesty (Abbey Road)
Silly, but admittedly catchy.
139. Little Child (With the Beatles)
Seriously, I'd like to talk to George Martin about this. What were they doing to his voice, beyond double-tracking it? And could they still do it to mine?
138. When I Get Home (A Hard Day's Night)
Early Beatle funk, and if I knew more theory, I could tell you what John was doing with the melody that was so effective. I also enjoy the last three track titles on this record: When I Get Home, You Can't Do That, and I'll Be Back -- all kind of menacing, even if only the middle one follows through on the threat, lyrically.
137. Till There Was You (With the Beatles)
Surprisingly fun to sing. I would never skip this.
136. Honey Pie (The Beatles)
On the one hand, harmless. On the other, catchy. This is maybe my saturation point for Paul's hokier stuff. I think this is how other people feel about ALL his stuff.
* * *
We'll pass another marcation tomorrow, as we take on more of the great middle.
150. Piggies (The Beatles)
Be honest; were you waiting for it? Were you thinking Man, he likes Piggies better than Eleanor Rigby? (Answer: yes.) This song has some charm for me, but doesn't cry to be heard more than a couple times a year. What's funny is how many better songs he was working on, and even demo-ing for the band, at the same time. Instead of this, we could have had half of All Things Must Pass, or even Sour Milk Sea, which I like a lot.
149. I Me Mine (Let It Be)
Has its moments, but too whiney. Why you gotta be such a downer, man?
148. In My Life (Rubber Soul)
Probably you saw this coming too. It's a good song, no doubt, but it must be composed around some scale that doesn't do much for me. It should be obvious by now, too, that I am not factoring lyrics in very much for this countdown. I like a nice pair of lyrics, and they can definitely add a lot to a song that's also otherwise strong, like Strawberry Fields Forever. But to the people who say the lyrics make this a good song, I say no, the song isn't good enough to be helped that much by the lyrics, which I don't think are so groundbreaking anyway.
147. Dig It (Let It Be)
I guess for some of these, I need to start justifying why I've ranked them this high, rather than so low. I'm kind of a sucker for late-period stuff where the guys, especially John, seem to be having fun. Hell, I'd put Los Paranoias higher than In My Life.
146. Oh! Darling (Abbey Road)
Could have used one less run through the bridge and verse. The Beatles were who taught me you don't need three verses. I wish they had followed their own example here.
145. Maggie Mae (Let It Be)
*Sigh.* Yes, higher than In My Life. See the notes for Dig It.
144. I'll Cry Instead (A Hard Day's Night)
There are a lot of songs like this on this album; they're so similar in tone, it's remarkable I didn't rank them all next to each other. This is one of the weaker of the bunch, but still eminently listenable.
143. Dig a Pony (Let It Be)
Very strong vocal performance here. Did John play the solo? I'm not good with that stuff. A nice George solo would have lifted this even higher.
142. Maxwell's Silver Hammer (Abbey Road)
OK, so between you and me, I kind of like this song. But the backstory of how many takes of it Paul forced the band through drains something from it for me. Also, this isn't so involved a song. Why were so many takes desired? I don't think I've heard them; were they significantly different, like the ones for Lady Madonna and Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da?
141. Slow Down (Past Masters, vol. I)
I'm serious; before 1964 or '65, all I really require is John singing like his scrotum was on fire or something. I'm simple like that.
140. Her Majesty (Abbey Road)
Silly, but admittedly catchy.
139. Little Child (With the Beatles)
Seriously, I'd like to talk to George Martin about this. What were they doing to his voice, beyond double-tracking it? And could they still do it to mine?
138. When I Get Home (A Hard Day's Night)
Early Beatle funk, and if I knew more theory, I could tell you what John was doing with the melody that was so effective. I also enjoy the last three track titles on this record: When I Get Home, You Can't Do That, and I'll Be Back -- all kind of menacing, even if only the middle one follows through on the threat, lyrically.
137. Till There Was You (With the Beatles)
Surprisingly fun to sing. I would never skip this.
136. Honey Pie (The Beatles)
On the one hand, harmless. On the other, catchy. This is maybe my saturation point for Paul's hokier stuff. I think this is how other people feel about ALL his stuff.
* * *
We'll pass another marcation tomorrow, as we take on more of the great middle.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Ranking the Beatles my damn self: IV
Eleven more albums' worth of material to go. You can expect frequent observations like "10 albums of material better than While My Guitar Gently Weeps!" out of me the rest of the way.
165. Yer Blues (The Beatles)
I am suspect of people who defend this song too vigorously. Although maybe they're just big Lennon fans; this was kind of the precursor to his early solo work, no?
164. Your Mother Should Know (Magical Mystery Tour)
Sometimes I eye this song rather suspiciously, like another McCartney track I detest on this album, but it seems harmless enough.
163. Wait (Rubber Soul)
Not bad for end-of-the-record filler. Good chorus, and I admire that they tried to do something different with the verse, but it didn't work for me.
162. Birthday (The Beatles)
Too dumb.
161. I Need You (Help!)
I usually won't skip this song. Harmonies save it.
160. Mr. Moonlight (For Sale)
I have a soft spot for any song where John is wailing like he is on this song. It's not the greatest-constructed song, but his voice could be a powerful weapon on the first few albums. If you think I've overrated this one, wait 'til you see where I put Please Mr. Postman.
159. Julia (The Beatles)
Ooh! Sacrilege! Just a little too long. Also, for a Beatle to play a song himself -- just his voice and accompanying himself on one instrument, with no overdubs -- well, the material's got to be pretty strong. The main 'riff' of this song is great, but I've been there and done that four seconds into the song. Everywhere else the song goes, I don't feel much urge to follow it.
158. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (The Beatles)
Ooh! Sacrilege! I know it's good; I'm not arguing that it's not good. I mean, Mr. Kite, I could argue that it's not good. Not the case here. I just don't seem to want to listen to it much. Dreary. By the way, right about here is the cutoff; anything higher than this, I'll pretty much never skip when listening to the album it's on.
157. I Should Have Known Better (A Hard Day's Night)
This seems kind of like a bizarro I Want to Hold Your Hand; it has the same structure, the same number of twists and turns, but what works in I Want to Hold Your Hand doesn't here. Obviously, at this point, and for a little while now, my criticisms have been expressed to justify low placement, not to say the song isn't any good.
156. From Me to You (Past Masters vol. I)
A stronger song, I think, than Please Please Me, or even Love Me Do. I like it largely because of the bridge. I think if I had been alive and listening to music at the time, it would have seemed like more of the same formula, but in retrospect, it rises in stature.
155. Tell Me What You See (Help!)
Great harmonies, but this song really avoided a worse fate because of the humming at the end. Sometimes four seconds like that can make a song.
I don't listen to this one so much because the bottom of this album is a little skip-around-worthy. But holy crap, what about side 1? I include Ticket to Ride, which I'm sure kicked off side 2 of the LP, but with the magic of CD and mp3, that's seven straight songs without any real temptation to skip. If you can stomach Act Naturally, you can just about make it through the whole album if you want, but those first seven ... I'll have to keep an eye out whether any other album has a stretch that impressive.
154. Anna (Go to Him) (Please Please Me)
Another one from the era where you would listen to John sing the proverbial phone book if they put it on record. Fun to sing.
153. Octopus's Garden (Abbey Road)
Might've overrated this. Doesn't do much for me. But that transition between the verse and chorus is a nice touch -- well arranged.
152. Long, Long, Long (The Beatles)
I wasn't even sure how to rank this. I think I like it, but I never listen to it. Does that make any sense?
151. Eleanor Rigby (Revolver)
Ooh! Sacrilege! I'll skip this every time, although I certainly listened to it enough when I was younger. I'm not saying that this is a great song, and that I'm just burned out on it. I did like it a lot, and I did listen to it plenty, but I think this song's overrated. Good production, but not what I'm looking for in a Beatle song. I'm pretty sure I'm harder on Paul's missteps than John's. Also, looks like I lied about never skipping anything ranked higher than While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Let's say on the greatness scale, this is probably 151, but on the me-likey scale, it'd be lower.
* * *
Join us again tomorrow, when we knock off half of Let It Be and half of Paul's stuff from Abbey Road.
165. Yer Blues (The Beatles)
I am suspect of people who defend this song too vigorously. Although maybe they're just big Lennon fans; this was kind of the precursor to his early solo work, no?
164. Your Mother Should Know (Magical Mystery Tour)
Sometimes I eye this song rather suspiciously, like another McCartney track I detest on this album, but it seems harmless enough.
163. Wait (Rubber Soul)
Not bad for end-of-the-record filler. Good chorus, and I admire that they tried to do something different with the verse, but it didn't work for me.
162. Birthday (The Beatles)
Too dumb.
161. I Need You (Help!)
I usually won't skip this song. Harmonies save it.
160. Mr. Moonlight (For Sale)
I have a soft spot for any song where John is wailing like he is on this song. It's not the greatest-constructed song, but his voice could be a powerful weapon on the first few albums. If you think I've overrated this one, wait 'til you see where I put Please Mr. Postman.
159. Julia (The Beatles)
Ooh! Sacrilege! Just a little too long. Also, for a Beatle to play a song himself -- just his voice and accompanying himself on one instrument, with no overdubs -- well, the material's got to be pretty strong. The main 'riff' of this song is great, but I've been there and done that four seconds into the song. Everywhere else the song goes, I don't feel much urge to follow it.
158. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (The Beatles)
Ooh! Sacrilege! I know it's good; I'm not arguing that it's not good. I mean, Mr. Kite, I could argue that it's not good. Not the case here. I just don't seem to want to listen to it much. Dreary. By the way, right about here is the cutoff; anything higher than this, I'll pretty much never skip when listening to the album it's on.
157. I Should Have Known Better (A Hard Day's Night)
This seems kind of like a bizarro I Want to Hold Your Hand; it has the same structure, the same number of twists and turns, but what works in I Want to Hold Your Hand doesn't here. Obviously, at this point, and for a little while now, my criticisms have been expressed to justify low placement, not to say the song isn't any good.
156. From Me to You (Past Masters vol. I)
A stronger song, I think, than Please Please Me, or even Love Me Do. I like it largely because of the bridge. I think if I had been alive and listening to music at the time, it would have seemed like more of the same formula, but in retrospect, it rises in stature.
155. Tell Me What You See (Help!)
Great harmonies, but this song really avoided a worse fate because of the humming at the end. Sometimes four seconds like that can make a song.
I don't listen to this one so much because the bottom of this album is a little skip-around-worthy. But holy crap, what about side 1? I include Ticket to Ride, which I'm sure kicked off side 2 of the LP, but with the magic of CD and mp3, that's seven straight songs without any real temptation to skip. If you can stomach Act Naturally, you can just about make it through the whole album if you want, but those first seven ... I'll have to keep an eye out whether any other album has a stretch that impressive.
154. Anna (Go to Him) (Please Please Me)
Another one from the era where you would listen to John sing the proverbial phone book if they put it on record. Fun to sing.
153. Octopus's Garden (Abbey Road)
Might've overrated this. Doesn't do much for me. But that transition between the verse and chorus is a nice touch -- well arranged.
152. Long, Long, Long (The Beatles)
I wasn't even sure how to rank this. I think I like it, but I never listen to it. Does that make any sense?
151. Eleanor Rigby (Revolver)
Ooh! Sacrilege! I'll skip this every time, although I certainly listened to it enough when I was younger. I'm not saying that this is a great song, and that I'm just burned out on it. I did like it a lot, and I did listen to it plenty, but I think this song's overrated. Good production, but not what I'm looking for in a Beatle song. I'm pretty sure I'm harder on Paul's missteps than John's. Also, looks like I lied about never skipping anything ranked higher than While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Let's say on the greatness scale, this is probably 151, but on the me-likey scale, it'd be lower.
* * *
Join us again tomorrow, when we knock off half of Let It Be and half of Paul's stuff from Abbey Road.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Ranking the Beatles my damn self: return of the king
No idea what that means. Anyway:
180. Boys (Please Please Me)
Easily Ringo's best vocal performance, what with his wobbly start to Yellow Submarine. The backing vocals in the chorus are pleasingly manic. I think George really added a lot to the Beatles' early backing vocals, before he got all serious. I mean, he added a lot after that, too, but the early stuff was different, and he stands out on more of it, I think.
179. I'll Follow the Sun (For Sale)
I kind of liked this when I first started getting really into the album, but now I can't remember why.
178. What Goes On (Rubber Soul)
Thought it was on Help! And yup, that's about the most interesting thing I have to say about it.
177. Matchbox (Past Masters vol. I)
What do I enjoy about this song? Um ... Ringo calling himself a puppy dog? Ah, I got nothing.
176. For No One (Revolver)
I didn't like this song before I heard 30 takes of monitor mixes of it.
Which brings us to a point I probably should address. I wanted very much to limit the criteria to the LP performances. But the list measures how much I like each song, and sometimes I like a song a little more because I've heard some alternate version or multiple takes of it. I'll mention it when applicable, to try to support my case for liking the song more than the one preceding it, but I also try not to weight that too much. For No One would probably be here no matter what.
175. You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) (Past Masters vol. II)
Another factor for some of these songs: scarcity. Now, of course, anyone serious about the Beatles can hear this song. But back in the day, you might have come late to Past Masters II. It seems incomprehensible to me now, given how many great songs are on it, but I didn't buy the disc until college, or maybe even afterward, so this song was still a little fresh. And, given how infrequently I listen to it, it still is.
174. Girl (Rubber Soul)
I'll be honest; I don't like any of the three slow hits on this record very much.
173. What You're Doing (For Sale)
Wow, this album really tapers off at the end, doesn't it? First record that doesn't end with something exciting.
172. Act Naturally (Help!)
Back when I still listened to albums all the way through, I did not skip this one. I'm looking over the track listing now, and I'm wondering if there's an album I would skip through less of than this one. A Hard Day's Night and For Sale would also probably be high on that list. This song is this high solely because Paul's backing harmony is superfun to sing alone in the car.
171. Dizzy Miss Lizzie (Help!)
I think at this point the Beatles were still trying to pace their albums as if they were concerts, which is why Twist and Shout, Money, and this song are closers. This would seem to be the last time they did so.
170. Think for Yourself (Rubber Soul)
Another song that makes me skip for the first time for that disc. This might be the last song by George (chronologically, I mean, not on this list) that I didn't like at least a little. OK, fine, I looked; I'm not so crazy about I Want to Tell You, either.
169. Michelle (Rubber Soul)
Yup, take this and Girl off the record and it would have been a lot better. Fine, I'll spill it; the third song I'm not a big fan of is In My Life. Please don't tell anyone.
168. Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band)
I mean, does this make me a bad person? Does it? A dreary song. I respect the experimentation, but that doesn't mean I have to listen to it, does it? There's only one song on the whole countdown that I'll rate higher out of respect to the production rather than solely based on how the song goes.
167. Words of Love (For Sale)
Got the album on the second try. This would actually be an excellent drinking game. I don't think this song really does anything, or even really tries, but the harmonies are kind of pleasant, nu?
166. If I Needed Someone (Rubber Soul)
I think this song suffers for having such a cool opening riff. The guy who did the rankings that inspired these posts here felt the same way about Day Tripper. I don't; I think there's enough going in that song to justify the cool riff. But I get his point; Paperback Writer and I Feel Fine are similar riff songs, and both benefit from good melodies. (In fact, when I sing them in my head, those two songs have very similar melodies.) If I Needed Someone is too pedestrian for its opening, the singing too chromatic and unspecial.
* * *
Tomorrow we get to the good stuff, as well as half of the White Album. We'll also turn at least one more sacred cow into hamburger.
180. Boys (Please Please Me)
Easily Ringo's best vocal performance, what with his wobbly start to Yellow Submarine. The backing vocals in the chorus are pleasingly manic. I think George really added a lot to the Beatles' early backing vocals, before he got all serious. I mean, he added a lot after that, too, but the early stuff was different, and he stands out on more of it, I think.
179. I'll Follow the Sun (For Sale)
I kind of liked this when I first started getting really into the album, but now I can't remember why.
178. What Goes On (Rubber Soul)
Thought it was on Help! And yup, that's about the most interesting thing I have to say about it.
177. Matchbox (Past Masters vol. I)
What do I enjoy about this song? Um ... Ringo calling himself a puppy dog? Ah, I got nothing.
176. For No One (Revolver)
I didn't like this song before I heard 30 takes of monitor mixes of it.
Which brings us to a point I probably should address. I wanted very much to limit the criteria to the LP performances. But the list measures how much I like each song, and sometimes I like a song a little more because I've heard some alternate version or multiple takes of it. I'll mention it when applicable, to try to support my case for liking the song more than the one preceding it, but I also try not to weight that too much. For No One would probably be here no matter what.
175. You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) (Past Masters vol. II)
Another factor for some of these songs: scarcity. Now, of course, anyone serious about the Beatles can hear this song. But back in the day, you might have come late to Past Masters II. It seems incomprehensible to me now, given how many great songs are on it, but I didn't buy the disc until college, or maybe even afterward, so this song was still a little fresh. And, given how infrequently I listen to it, it still is.
174. Girl (Rubber Soul)
I'll be honest; I don't like any of the three slow hits on this record very much.
173. What You're Doing (For Sale)
Wow, this album really tapers off at the end, doesn't it? First record that doesn't end with something exciting.
172. Act Naturally (Help!)
Back when I still listened to albums all the way through, I did not skip this one. I'm looking over the track listing now, and I'm wondering if there's an album I would skip through less of than this one. A Hard Day's Night and For Sale would also probably be high on that list. This song is this high solely because Paul's backing harmony is superfun to sing alone in the car.
171. Dizzy Miss Lizzie (Help!)
I think at this point the Beatles were still trying to pace their albums as if they were concerts, which is why Twist and Shout, Money, and this song are closers. This would seem to be the last time they did so.
170. Think for Yourself (Rubber Soul)
Another song that makes me skip for the first time for that disc. This might be the last song by George (chronologically, I mean, not on this list) that I didn't like at least a little. OK, fine, I looked; I'm not so crazy about I Want to Tell You, either.
169. Michelle (Rubber Soul)
Yup, take this and Girl off the record and it would have been a lot better. Fine, I'll spill it; the third song I'm not a big fan of is In My Life. Please don't tell anyone.
168. Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band)
I mean, does this make me a bad person? Does it? A dreary song. I respect the experimentation, but that doesn't mean I have to listen to it, does it? There's only one song on the whole countdown that I'll rate higher out of respect to the production rather than solely based on how the song goes.
167. Words of Love (For Sale)
Got the album on the second try. This would actually be an excellent drinking game. I don't think this song really does anything, or even really tries, but the harmonies are kind of pleasant, nu?
166. If I Needed Someone (Rubber Soul)
I think this song suffers for having such a cool opening riff. The guy who did the rankings that inspired these posts here felt the same way about Day Tripper. I don't; I think there's enough going in that song to justify the cool riff. But I get his point; Paperback Writer and I Feel Fine are similar riff songs, and both benefit from good melodies. (In fact, when I sing them in my head, those two songs have very similar melodies.) If I Needed Someone is too pedestrian for its opening, the singing too chromatic and unspecial.
* * *
Tomorrow we get to the good stuff, as well as half of the White Album. We'll also turn at least one more sacred cow into hamburger.
Food for thought
... he suspended the writ of habeas corpus, so that obstreperous Marylanders could be arrested and held without trial. ...
On other occasions and in other places he authorized his generals to make arbitrary arrests. Before the war was over, tens of thousands of citizens had been thrown in jail, to stay for weeks and months without written charges or a chance to be heard. Many of these inmates of the "American Bastille" were quite guiltless; comparatively few ever were proved guilty of crime or criminal intent. ...
Richard N. Current, The Lincoln Nobody Knows
On other occasions and in other places he authorized his generals to make arbitrary arrests. Before the war was over, tens of thousands of citizens had been thrown in jail, to stay for weeks and months without written charges or a chance to be heard. Many of these inmates of the "American Bastille" were quite guiltless; comparatively few ever were proved guilty of crime or criminal intent. ...
Richard N. Current, The Lincoln Nobody Knows
Friday, January 23, 2009
Ranking the Beatles my damn self II: the not-as-bad-er-er-ing
We're back at it, counting up to the Beatles song I like best. Embarrassingly, I found a song I missed during the rankings, which conveniently would be ranked in this grouping (No. 195). I'll be changing the total and ranking in the first post accordingly.
At least one more No. 1 hit in this group, and one song I've listened to in the last month:
196. Roll Over Beethoven (With the Beatles)
No, not this one.
195. Devil in Her Heart (With the Beatles)
There really isn't anything here.
194. Hello Goodbye (Magical Mystery Tour)
Goodbye. I really detest this song. It's definitely possible I'm letting public opinion affect my ranking of this one, meaning maybe I should have ranked it lower, but I'd just as soon listen to this as Roll Over Beethoven, so I guess I'm staying true to the concept.
193. Misery (Please Please Me)
Fun to sing. Should never be right next to Hello Goodbye. I must be doing this wrong. Good Day Sunshine, you got lucky this time.
192. Ask Me Why (Please Please Me)
I mentioned that I wouldn't always have something to say, right?
191. Do You Want to Know a Secret (Please Please Me)
If I had to guess what is my second-least favorite album right now, I'd say Let It Be, even if we've only had one song from it so far. I think it says something about their growth between their first and second records that not nearly as much of With the Beatles has been on here.
190. I Want to Tell You (Revolver)
No.
189. Good Day Sunshine (Revolver)
If it's any consolation, we're not far from where I start actively liking songs. We won't have to wait very long before we see For No One, either -- surprising, considering how strong the strongest material on this album is.
188. Don't Pass Me By (The Beatles)
I am trying to remember if I ever liked this song. Further updates as developments warrant.
187. Why Don't We Do It in the Road (The Beatles)
The song didn't say anything. Why should I? Tonto, you better keep reading anyway ...
186. Honey Don't (For Sale)
Hey, I said I like the album. I didn't say it was perfect.
185. Flying (Magical Mystery Tour)
OK, it was this one; I listened to this a week ago. What can I say? It's whimsical.
184. You Like Me Too Much (Help!)
Hey, I said I like the album. I didn't say it was perfect.
183. Please Please Me (Please Please Me)
So obviously, these aren't bad songs. I just tend to skip them. This made No. 2 in the UK.
182. I'm Happy Just to Dance with You (A Hard Day's Night)
I swear, I was just about to say 'You know what album we haven't seen yet?'
181. And I Love Her (A Hard Day's Night)
There was a time when I really liked this song.
* * *
Join us again tomorrow, as we get more chaff out of the way. We'll even start gunning for Sgt. Pepper.
At least one more No. 1 hit in this group, and one song I've listened to in the last month:
196. Roll Over Beethoven (With the Beatles)
No, not this one.
195. Devil in Her Heart (With the Beatles)
There really isn't anything here.
194. Hello Goodbye (Magical Mystery Tour)
Goodbye. I really detest this song. It's definitely possible I'm letting public opinion affect my ranking of this one, meaning maybe I should have ranked it lower, but I'd just as soon listen to this as Roll Over Beethoven, so I guess I'm staying true to the concept.
193. Misery (Please Please Me)
Fun to sing. Should never be right next to Hello Goodbye. I must be doing this wrong. Good Day Sunshine, you got lucky this time.
192. Ask Me Why (Please Please Me)
I mentioned that I wouldn't always have something to say, right?
191. Do You Want to Know a Secret (Please Please Me)
If I had to guess what is my second-least favorite album right now, I'd say Let It Be, even if we've only had one song from it so far. I think it says something about their growth between their first and second records that not nearly as much of With the Beatles has been on here.
190. I Want to Tell You (Revolver)
No.
189. Good Day Sunshine (Revolver)
If it's any consolation, we're not far from where I start actively liking songs. We won't have to wait very long before we see For No One, either -- surprising, considering how strong the strongest material on this album is.
188. Don't Pass Me By (The Beatles)
I am trying to remember if I ever liked this song. Further updates as developments warrant.
187. Why Don't We Do It in the Road (The Beatles)
The song didn't say anything. Why should I? Tonto, you better keep reading anyway ...
186. Honey Don't (For Sale)
Hey, I said I like the album. I didn't say it was perfect.
185. Flying (Magical Mystery Tour)
OK, it was this one; I listened to this a week ago. What can I say? It's whimsical.
184. You Like Me Too Much (Help!)
Hey, I said I like the album. I didn't say it was perfect.
183. Please Please Me (Please Please Me)
So obviously, these aren't bad songs. I just tend to skip them. This made No. 2 in the UK.
182. I'm Happy Just to Dance with You (A Hard Day's Night)
I swear, I was just about to say 'You know what album we haven't seen yet?'
181. And I Love Her (A Hard Day's Night)
There was a time when I really liked this song.
* * *
Join us again tomorrow, as we get more chaff out of the way. We'll even start gunning for Sgt. Pepper.
Ranking the Beatles my damn self
Well, when I saw this, my first thought was "Preposterous." My second: "I've gotta do that." And so I did.
This is a ranking of my favorite Beatle songs, in reverse order. Obviously subjective. I'll be candid: A big factor is how much I like to sing each song, which is why I score the great harmonies higher than some might. I also give some weight to historical significance, by which I mostly mean musical innovation. Both of these factors -- singability and breakthroughability -- tend to favor the earlier and middle songs, I think. I also will occasionally vault a song due to a great moment in it. But ultimately, the point is that it's totally subjective -- which songs I enjoy most. I can like No Reply more than Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite if I want to.
So, in reverse order, here we go. The guy whose idea I'm stealing ranked 185 songs, but I have no idea where he got that number. I count 211, not including the German versions of She Loves You and I Want to Hold Your Hand. I'm dividing them into 'albums,' with the worst record first. We'll do a disc each (week)day, and then maybe see if we can learn a little more (about me) from the data. I suspect that we'll learn that I like the For Sale, Help, and Rubber Soul albums more than most people do, and that John is my favorite. He's the dreamiest! I'm eager to hear where you disagree with the rankings, so join the conversation! Both of you!
211. Revolution 9 (The Beatles)
Nothing else really had a chance.
210. Fool on the Hill (Magical Mystery Tour)
More listenable than Revolution 9, but just barely. I know some people like this song, and it's probably insane to list it here, but I will never ever willingly listen to this song.
209. The Long and Winding Road (Let It Be)
Paul's vocal = unintentional comedy = better than Fool on the Hill.
208. Wild Honey Pie (The Beatles)
Higher on the list than the songs before it largely because it's shorter.
207. Not a Second Time (With the Beatles)
Had to look up which album this is on, which means we've left the land of hatred and reached the shores of indifference.
206. A Taste of Honey (Please Please Me)
Um ... I won't always have something to say about each one.
205. P.S. I Love You (Please Please Me)
You'd think a lot of the least faves would come from these first two albums; they were rushed, and had more covers than the others. Let's find out!
204. Don't Bother Me (With the Beatles)
I won't if you won't.
203. Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby (For Sale)
Stunned that this is on For Sale; it was my fourth guess. Needless to say, I stop listening a couple of tunes before this.
202. Chains (Please Please Me)
We've almost reached Neutral. I'll skip this one, but I don't dislike it.
201. I Wanna Be Your Man (With the Beatles)
I do like the madcap harmonies.
200. Here, There and Everywhere (Revolver)
Some people like this, I'm sure. Hey, maybe your mom likes this, huh? Your mom.
199. Good Night (The Beatles)
It's said John, who wrote this song, did a take with him singing, likely to guide Ringo. Unless I get to hear it, the song stays here.
198. All My Loving (With the Beatles)
Nothing wrong with this song. Wasn't it a No. 1?
197. There's a Place (Please Please Me)
Nice moment there on "And it's my mind" when they go someplace musically I'd never have thought of. John said this was the first time he tried to write about himself instead of I-Love-You, You-Don't-Love-Me.
* * *
So there you have it. If this had been their first album, regardless of its lack of coherence, it would have had All My loving, The Long and Winding Road, and Fool on the Hill, which were all popular songs. Plus one for Ringo.
Join us next time, when we'll disparage Paul a little bit and tell George to get his damn tongue out of our ear.
This is a ranking of my favorite Beatle songs, in reverse order. Obviously subjective. I'll be candid: A big factor is how much I like to sing each song, which is why I score the great harmonies higher than some might. I also give some weight to historical significance, by which I mostly mean musical innovation. Both of these factors -- singability and breakthroughability -- tend to favor the earlier and middle songs, I think. I also will occasionally vault a song due to a great moment in it. But ultimately, the point is that it's totally subjective -- which songs I enjoy most. I can like No Reply more than Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite if I want to.
So, in reverse order, here we go. The guy whose idea I'm stealing ranked 185 songs, but I have no idea where he got that number. I count 211, not including the German versions of She Loves You and I Want to Hold Your Hand. I'm dividing them into 'albums,' with the worst record first. We'll do a disc each (week)day, and then maybe see if we can learn a little more (about me) from the data. I suspect that we'll learn that I like the For Sale, Help, and Rubber Soul albums more than most people do, and that John is my favorite. He's the dreamiest! I'm eager to hear where you disagree with the rankings, so join the conversation! Both of you!
211. Revolution 9 (The Beatles)
Nothing else really had a chance.
210. Fool on the Hill (Magical Mystery Tour)
More listenable than Revolution 9, but just barely. I know some people like this song, and it's probably insane to list it here, but I will never ever willingly listen to this song.
209. The Long and Winding Road (Let It Be)
Paul's vocal = unintentional comedy = better than Fool on the Hill.
208. Wild Honey Pie (The Beatles)
Higher on the list than the songs before it largely because it's shorter.
207. Not a Second Time (With the Beatles)
Had to look up which album this is on, which means we've left the land of hatred and reached the shores of indifference.
206. A Taste of Honey (Please Please Me)
Um ... I won't always have something to say about each one.
205. P.S. I Love You (Please Please Me)
You'd think a lot of the least faves would come from these first two albums; they were rushed, and had more covers than the others. Let's find out!
204. Don't Bother Me (With the Beatles)
I won't if you won't.
203. Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby (For Sale)
Stunned that this is on For Sale; it was my fourth guess. Needless to say, I stop listening a couple of tunes before this.
202. Chains (Please Please Me)
We've almost reached Neutral. I'll skip this one, but I don't dislike it.
201. I Wanna Be Your Man (With the Beatles)
I do like the madcap harmonies.
200. Here, There and Everywhere (Revolver)
Some people like this, I'm sure. Hey, maybe your mom likes this, huh? Your mom.
199. Good Night (The Beatles)
It's said John, who wrote this song, did a take with him singing, likely to guide Ringo. Unless I get to hear it, the song stays here.
198. All My Loving (With the Beatles)
Nothing wrong with this song. Wasn't it a No. 1?
197. There's a Place (Please Please Me)
Nice moment there on "And it's my mind" when they go someplace musically I'd never have thought of. John said this was the first time he tried to write about himself instead of I-Love-You, You-Don't-Love-Me.
* * *
So there you have it. If this had been their first album, regardless of its lack of coherence, it would have had All My loving, The Long and Winding Road, and Fool on the Hill, which were all popular songs. Plus one for Ringo.
Join us next time, when we'll disparage Paul a little bit and tell George to get his damn tongue out of our ear.
Things I Get Away with at Work, Vol. 1
Coworker: "I think this document is about an internal argument over whether we should invest."
Me: "Well, I've got an internal argument going on in my pants right now, so let me go address that and then we can revisit this."
Postscript: I won. But just barely.
Me: "Well, I've got an internal argument going on in my pants right now, so let me go address that and then we can revisit this."
Postscript: I won. But just barely.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
'Thought' on 1.20.09
When it was over, I clapped briefly, not unlike when the national anthem finishes right before a Super Bowl in which the Patriots are playing. We made it this far; now it's time to finish it.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Thoughts before 1.20.09
With Mr. Obama's inauguration so close one can smell it, a much-commented-upon story recently was Bush's polling numbers: a 27 percent approval rating, up, somehow, from previous months. Many writers have deduced that 27 percent of the country are idiots, or some variant thereof.
Those people aren't idiots. Well, I mean, sure, they're idiots, but not because they approve of Bush's work. They don't, really. They're idiots because they voted for him (twice, separating them from the feebs who voted for him only in 2000). That they say they approve of his work doesn't make them idiots. It makes them utterly unwilling or -able to admit they were wrong. They're not alone in that. They're merely entrenched in the face of less controvertible evidence than the rest of us are when we're entrenched.
I once, somewhere around 2003-2004, spent an intellectually stimulating 40 minutes debating a teenage Bush supporter on the guy's job performance. That was the last time I'll do that. I have no interest in arguing the point; anyone who takes the other side of that argument is possibly a real-life troll, and at the very least will never be convinced. Don't waste your breath.
Those people aren't idiots. Well, I mean, sure, they're idiots, but not because they approve of Bush's work. They don't, really. They're idiots because they voted for him (twice, separating them from the feebs who voted for him only in 2000). That they say they approve of his work doesn't make them idiots. It makes them utterly unwilling or -able to admit they were wrong. They're not alone in that. They're merely entrenched in the face of less controvertible evidence than the rest of us are when we're entrenched.
I once, somewhere around 2003-2004, spent an intellectually stimulating 40 minutes debating a teenage Bush supporter on the guy's job performance. That was the last time I'll do that. I have no interest in arguing the point; anyone who takes the other side of that argument is possibly a real-life troll, and at the very least will never be convinced. Don't waste your breath.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
One thing this blog will not do
... is bemoan the state of the news media based on the frivolous stuff they publish. It's the internet, not a news hole, and it's a buffet, people. There's room for a little of everything. All the top stories of the day are covered in great depth somewhere, no space is taken away from them for Police Take Adolf Hitler From His Parents and Michele Bachman Not Planning To Kiss Obama.
*Disclaimer: Above heds taken from front page of huffingtonpost.com. Any suggestion that the Huffington Post qualifies as 'news media' does not necessarily reflect the opinion of management.
*Disclaimer: Above heds taken from front page of huffingtonpost.com. Any suggestion that the Huffington Post qualifies as 'news media' does not necessarily reflect the opinion of management.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Me either
People say the Beatles were great. They weren't so great. They were great in the way that leeches were great, back when leeches were cutting-edge medicine. Now we have thermometers and stuff, and leeches have been relegated to ... well, somewhere, which is where they belong.
So: the Beatles. Half their lyrics were inane and the other half were provably wrong. And since lyrics are half of music -- for half of the song, there's singing -- well, I don't know what percentage of the average Beatles song sucks. I mean, that's a lot of math right there. I didn't come here to do a lot of math. Equations aren't so great either. But it's a lot. From time to time, we'll take a look at a verse or chorus to support this hypothesis.
Today's song: Strawberry Fields Forever:
Living is easy with eyes closed
File this under 'inane'. With your eyes closed, you bump into a lot of crap, and any idiot can walk around bumping into a lot of crap. I wouldn't say we're off to an especially deep start.
Misunderstanding all you see
Misunderstanding is not all you see with your eyes closed. Oh, the great John Lennon never closed his eyes and pressed his hands against his eyeballs really hard until he started seeing stars and stuff? Wasn't he high half the time anyway? If he wasn't seeing stuff with his eyes closed, he was doing it wrong. Cat, you're a Beatle. Have some pride. Get your money's worth, OK? Also, hadn't he taken up with Yoko by this point? Because I would think he'd be an expert on living with his eyes closed by then, if you get my drift.
It's getting hard to be someone but it all works out
It doesn't matter much to me
Fine. If you can't be bothered, neither can I.
So: the Beatles. Half their lyrics were inane and the other half were provably wrong. And since lyrics are half of music -- for half of the song, there's singing -- well, I don't know what percentage of the average Beatles song sucks. I mean, that's a lot of math right there. I didn't come here to do a lot of math. Equations aren't so great either. But it's a lot. From time to time, we'll take a look at a verse or chorus to support this hypothesis.
Today's song: Strawberry Fields Forever:
Living is easy with eyes closed
File this under 'inane'. With your eyes closed, you bump into a lot of crap, and any idiot can walk around bumping into a lot of crap. I wouldn't say we're off to an especially deep start.
Misunderstanding all you see
Misunderstanding is not all you see with your eyes closed. Oh, the great John Lennon never closed his eyes and pressed his hands against his eyeballs really hard until he started seeing stars and stuff? Wasn't he high half the time anyway? If he wasn't seeing stuff with his eyes closed, he was doing it wrong. Cat, you're a Beatle. Have some pride. Get your money's worth, OK? Also, hadn't he taken up with Yoko by this point? Because I would think he'd be an expert on living with his eyes closed by then, if you get my drift.
It's getting hard to be someone but it all works out
It doesn't matter much to me
Fine. If you can't be bothered, neither can I.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Lotta "s in this one
'Joe the Plumber,' who earned those quotation marks in multiple ways, is in Israel 'reporting' on that war.
“I think media should be abolished from, you know, reporting,” Wurzelbacher said. “You know, war is hell. And if you’re gonna sit there and say, ‘well, look at this atrocity,’ well you don’t know the whole story behind it half the time, so I think the media should have no business in it.”
What's scarier? That he's not the only American to 'think' that, or that he is the only American to think that, and yet he's the one 'reporting' from Israel? I mean, I'm half-paranoid that I don't properly understand the concept of irony, but twenty bucks says whatever the real definition is, 'Joe the Plumber' reporting from war in Israel to say no one should report on war ... that's gotta meet it, no?
'Joe,' by the way, supports Israel in this fight. As if I weren't having enough trouble defending her ...
“I think media should be abolished from, you know, reporting,” Wurzelbacher said. “You know, war is hell. And if you’re gonna sit there and say, ‘well, look at this atrocity,’ well you don’t know the whole story behind it half the time, so I think the media should have no business in it.”
What's scarier? That he's not the only American to 'think' that, or that he is the only American to think that, and yet he's the one 'reporting' from Israel? I mean, I'm half-paranoid that I don't properly understand the concept of irony, but twenty bucks says whatever the real definition is, 'Joe the Plumber' reporting from war in Israel to say no one should report on war ... that's gotta meet it, no?
'Joe,' by the way, supports Israel in this fight. As if I weren't having enough trouble defending her ...
Question: Why does a man ask me to kill him and lie about dying when he's not really dying he asks me to kill him? Question:
If I walk into the men's room and there's an old guy at the urinal next to me having trouble getting started up, and I end up giving him the equivalent of a jumpstart, shouldn't he thank me? Or, you know, at least wash his hands after?
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Fox News hed: 'Palin Says New Parents Levi and Bristol "Working Their Butts Off" '
Dear Palin
Please go away.
Yer pal
troy
Please go away.
Yer pal
troy
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