Thursday, August 19, 2010

The 30-Day Music Meme: Day Two

Day Two: Your least favourite song.

I'm going to be whiny and complain that again, there is NO WAY I can choose one single, solitary song. Maybe I'm just wishy-washy and non-committal.

But let me give it a go: When I was a kid, I pretty much only listened to oldies radio stations and children's music (The Smurfs! Sharon, Lois & Bram!). When my parents felt I was old enough and responsible enough to handle the record player, they showed me how to carefully and lovingly place the needle onto a spinning record with minimal crackle.

And thus began my love for the Beatles (and vinyl).

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was an album I grew to love. Of course, the early Beatles catalog is much more pop-driven and accessible; Sgt. Pepper was lesser so. The album had belonged to my mother in her younger days and it, unlike my dad's records, was in pristine condition.

"Within You Without You" was (and still is) a song I could not stand. I cringe at the sound of the sitar (though, I will grudgingly concede that minimal use is tolerable) and I find the tone of the song just... creepy. To me, it's the song equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. (I'm cringing as I write this, as I'm previewing the song right now on Grooveshark.) I'm sorry, George. I've probably been listening to this album for over 15 years and I still hate this song.

My parents always warned against skipping songs on records ("Picking up the needle while the record's still spinning can scratch the record and ruin the needle!"), so I was extra thankful that side 2 began with "Within You Without You." No muss, no fuss, let's just skip right to "When I'm Sixty-Four."



Just say no to the sitar!

EDIT: Dammit, looks like the track was removed from Grooveshark. =(

10 comments:

  1. For years I felt the same as you about this song and almost everybody I know has declared it the album's definite skipper. But I guess I've gotten strange in my old age, because I've grown to really love this song. It's totally creepy, but while that used to be what bugged me about it, I find that these days it's creepiness kinda sucks me in, especially when I listen to it in headphones. I also discover something new about it every time.

    Continue to stay away from it for a good 7 or 8 years, and then one day as your musical tastes continue to evolve (as they generally do for any music lover) give it another listen with an open mind. You might just find yourself marginally drawn to it.

    Or maybe not :)

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  2. haha, well, as a beatles fan, i feel terrible about hating any song of theirs. it literally used to frighten me as a kid, and now i 'only' cringe. so i expect in 20 years time, it's possible i might even learn to like it! =)

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  3. Song is so rubbish that Grooveshark took it off?! It's possible... I know how you feel though, I feel guilty hating any songs by The Beatles as well as I love them so much

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  4. haha, i suspect it was more a copyright thing... i searched again on grooveshark and it looked like ALL beatles songs were removed...

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  5. Its an amazing tune I believe. :-) Yay for sitar!

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  6. Let's pretend it wasn't about the copyright but more for Sitar related music crimes ;)

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  7. heehee, ilu too Wini! I will admit though I do like Norwegian Wood, which has the sitar.

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  8. yes, i like norweigian wood too - the sitar is much more subtle.

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