Ocean Colour Scene: “The Day We Caught the Train” (1996)
Britpop band OCS wear their devotion to 70’s music on their sleeves. Like counterparts Pulp (Songs You May Have Missed #101) and Stone Roses (#121) they were part of a wave that never really washed ashore in America. But they carry on, having released an album as recently as 2010. They make highly listenable–if unfashionable–stuff.
“The Day We Caught the Train” is from their most successful album, the 1996 UK triple platinum Moseley Shoals. From the sound of it, I’m thinking they’re fans of Big Star.
Here’s a nice live TV performance of the same song with a little more guitar snarl. They sound more like Jellyfish (another unheralded British band) here:
Vocal group Naturally 7 livening up the commute on a Paris subway car. Takes a while but the Parisan commuters eventually warm up…except for that guy in the black jacket.
Alex Chadwick presents a concise (12 minute) history of Rock ‘n’ Roll, including the Beatles, Stones, Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and…St. Vincent? It’s all the riffs that’ll get you kicked out of the guitar store wrapped up in one performance.
The video is sponsored by the Chicago Music Exchange, a store specializing in vintage gear, like the $32,995 1958 Fender Strat played in the clip.
Here’s a full list of the songs:
1 Mr. Sandman – Chet Atkins
2 Folsom Prison Blues – Johnny Cash
3 Words of Love – Buddy Holly
4 Johnny B Goode – Chuck Berry
5 Rumble – Link Wray
6 Summertime Blues – Eddie Cochran
7 Pipeline – The Chantays
8 Miserlou – Dick Dale
9 Wipeout – Surfaris
10 Daytripper – The Beatles
11 Can’t Explain – The Who
12 Satisfaction – The Rolling Stones
13 Purple Haze – Jimi Hendrix
14 Black Magic Woman – Santana
15 Helter Skelter – The Beatles
16 Oh Well – Fleetwood Mac
17 Crossroads – Cream
18 Communication Breakdown – Led Zeppelin
19 Paranoid – Black Sabbath
20 Fortunate Sun – Creedence Clearwater Revival
21 Funk 49 – James Gang
22 Immigrant Song – Led Zeppelin
23 Bitch – Rolling Stones
24 Layla – Derek and the Dominos
25 School’s Out – Alice Cooper
26 Smoke on the Water – Deep Purple
27 Money – Pink Floyd
28 Jessica – Allman Brothers
29 La Grange – ZZ Top
30 20th Century Boy – T. Rex
31 Scarlet Begonias – Grateful Dead
32 Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd
33 Walk This Way – Aerosmith
34 Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
35 Stranglehold – Ted Nugent
36 Boys Are Back in Town – Thin Lizzy
37 Don’t Fear the Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult
38 Carry on My Wayward Son – Kansas
39 Blitzkreig Bop – The Ramones
40 Barracuda – Heart
41 Runnin’ with the Devil – Van Halen
42 Sultans of Swing – Dire Straits
43 Message in a Bottle – The Police
44 Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) – Neil Young
45 Back in Black – AC/DC
46 Crazy Train – Ozzy Osbourne
47 Spirit of Radio – Rush
48 Pride and Joy – Stevie Ray Vaughan
49 Owner of a Lonely Heart – Yes
50 Holy Diver – Dio
51 Beat It – Michael Jackson
52 Hot For Teacher – Van Halen
53 What Difference Does It Make – The Smiths
54 Glory Days – Bruce Springsteen
55 Money For Nothing – Dire Straits
56 You Give Love a Bad Name – Bon Jovi
57 The One I Love – REM
58 Where the Streets Have No Name – U2
59 Welcome to the Jungle – Guns N’ Roses
60 Sweet Child ‘O Mine – Guns N’ Roses
61 Girls, Girls, Girls – Motley Crue
62 Cult of Personality -Living Colour
63 Kickstart My Heart – Motley Crue
64 Running Down a Dream – Tom Petty
65 Pictures of Matchstick Men – Camper Van Beethoven
66 Thunderstruck – AC/DC
67 Twice as Hard – Black Crowes
68 Cliffs of Dover – Eric Johnson
69 Enter Sandman – Metallica
70 Man in the Box – Alice in Chains
71 Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
72 Give it Away – Red Hot Chili Peppers
73 Even Flow – Pearl Jam
74 Outshined – Soundgarden
75 Killing in the Name – Rage Against the Machine
76 Sex Type Thing – Stone Temple Pilots
77 Are You Gonna Go My Way – Lenny Kravitz
78 Welcome to Paradise – Green Day
79 Possum Kingdom – Toadies
80 Say it Ain’t So – Weezer
81 Zero – Smashing Pumpkins
82 Monkey Wrench – Foo Fighters
83 Sex and Candy – Marcy Playground
84 Smooth – Santana
85 Scar Tissue – Red Hot Chili Peppers
86 Short Skirt, Long Jacket – Cake
87 Turn a Square – The Shins
88 Seven Nation Army – White Stripes
89 Hysteria – Muse
90 I Believe in a Thing Called Love – The Darkness
91 Blood and Thunder – Mastadon
92 Are You Gonna Be My Girl – Jet
93 Reptilia – The Strokes
94 Take Me Out – Franz Ferdinand
95 Float On – Modest Mouse
96 Blue Orchid – White Stripes
97 Boulevard of Broken Dreams – Green Day
98 Steady As She Goes – The Raconteurs
99 I Got Mine – Black Keys
100 Cruel – St. Vincent
File under: All the best band names are taken. Right next to The Shore, The Bills, Air and other extremely un-Googlable musical collectives. Remember when bands went to the trouble of naming themselves with a combination of words you’d never heard in any other context–Fleetwood Mac, Aerosmith, Steely Dan, Procol Harum, Mott the Hoople?
Well, that’s a myth too, because back in the day we also had The Cars, The Doors, The Police, Kiss, Queen, Camel, Spirit, and of course Chicago, Boston, Kansas, Asia and America. But at least those bands had the excuse of not anticipating online searches.
Anyway, unfortunately-named British pop band The School have nailed the 60’s girl group sound of the Ronettes, Little Peggy March, etc. They’re clearly steeped in early Motown and Phil Spector arrangement. But other acts have accomplished as much in recent years–imitation is relatively easy. What sets The School apart is that they’ve written some really catchy original songs, raising their act above mere homage. Their sound captures that teen melodrama, their lyrics put across that wide-eyed innocence. But the surprise is that their hooks nearly match those of their source material. And they know, as Brian Wilson did, the value of the nonsense syllable–the “Ba-ba-ba-ooo” and the “Wa-ah-oh-ho” the backup singers coo in harmony. This stuff really does feel 1963.
Fresh songs with nostalgia built-in. It makes for great summer road trip music. Now that school’s out, head for the beach with…The School.
Every Moment Has A Song 