Shine Over Babylon - Sheryl Crow

I listen to way too much music to ever get obsessed about a horribly bad song (and there are too many of them) but once in a while there comes along a real turkey. A song so insidious, so terrible that I am amazed at the mind that might have come up with it. I obsess on these for the same reason that I cannot take make eyes of a truly awful TV show (Office?)

I have never had strong feelings about Sheryl Crow. I found her a mediocre artists that tries to make up by being a part-time socialite and trophy wife. Never had strong feelings until I heard a song called 'Shine Over Babylon' from her latest album called 'Detours.' Initially, I found the song just mildly irritating because it seemed to have a really bad tune. However, as I started getting some of the lyrics is when I started to get appalled. What the hell was this woman saying? What the hell did she mean? Here is a sample:

If there's a god where is he now
The precipice is slipping further out

Sanskrit message from the mounts
Leave your possessions, hope abounds
There's nothing here for you to cry about
We're all just followers from here on out

I wonder if the world would be a better place if at least some cliche were retired forever. Take the first sentence for example. "If there is a God where is he now?" I mean how could you get worse than that? Who writes this kind of drivel? Good she is taking the credit for writing this hackneyed garbage. "Singer-songwriter', my ass.

Also, anyone using precipice from now on to communicate some kind of newly discovered tipping point should also be put out of their misery.

But what took the proverbial cake for me was the damn Sanskrit message from the mounts and the next couple of sentences that seem to be some sort of a hyper-condensed Bhagvad-Gita for the twitter generation.

There are slant references to oil-driller (Bush) and the war and some hifalutin bullshit all amidst a noisy, cantankerous tune.

Who is keeping score of the bad art being bred by the war?

And just to drive the point further, here is another gem. You are welcome to revel in the genius of Ms. Crow's songwriting talent.

I found my way to Alexandria
Where gurus bubble up on Ganges
Scavengers, they run up and hand ya
All the junk that should have damned ya

You Know My Name

As a rule it is almost impossible for me to sit through the same song a second time. There are a very few exceptions. I remember listening to 'Lithium' over and over again about 15 years ago and I cannot remember there being to many others. "You Know My Name" is one of those songs that I can hear repeatedly without a problem. The thumping beat and Cornell's tortured voice and amazing association with the dark and violent Bond Film Casino Royale for which the song was originally written by Chris Cornell and David Arnold (composer of the film's soundtrack.) It is easily one of the best Rock songs to have come out in recent years for me. It is difficult to follow or sing along and has the usual jitter that Cornell's songs generally do (Day I tried to Live, Black hole Sun, Outshined) but the burst of angry but remorseful energy and power is inescapable. There is something mysterious and sad about the song that underplays the momentum. An underlying tone of despair. That of power that is not being enjoyed but but merely being practiced with self-loathing but not self-pity.

Cornell has lately languished with Audioslave whittling away and his solo career never really taking off but he will live -- not only for the unabashedly good Soundgarden but now for this one amazing song.

(Of course there is a Wiki page just for this song)