stoutfellow (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
stoutfellow) wrote2012-05-06 12:50 pm
stoutfellow) wrote2012-05-06 12:50 pm
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Sunday Music: The Best of Gene Pitney
Album Title: The Best of Gene Pitney, vols. 1-3
Why I Bought It: I grew up with three older sisters, all of whom liked Gene Pitney. Naturally, I grew attached to his music, and eventually began searching for the songs of my childhood. It took me a long time to get everything I was looking for; this set was the first step on that path.
What I Like (Movie Tie-in): "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance". Great movie. Great song, with a subtle nod to the twist ending. "Everyone heard two shots ring out / One shot made Liberty fall"....
What I Like (Stiff Upper Lip): "I'm Gonna Be Strong". This was one of the first rock songs whose lyrics I committed to memory.
What I Like (It's a Lie But I Love It): "Looking Through the Eyes of Love". I like the alternation of verses between the subdued ("in the eyes of the world") and the triumphant ("but in the eyes of my woman").
What I Like (Sure Sounds Good): "Town Without Pity". Probably his biggest hit; the specific line that sells me on it is "before this grand granite planet falls apart". Dunno why that appeals to me so.
What I Don't Like (Self-Pity): "Backstage". Grow a pair, willya? If you're that upset, cancel the tour, go home and apologize! Dishonorable Mention: "Billy You're My Friend" and "I Must Be Seeing Things". Basically the same song twice, about seeing "his girl" with "his best friend". There was a lot of that going around back then, I guess.
Overall: This is a fairly good collection; it also has several others of his classics, but it really doesn't show his range. I'll talk more about that when we hit some of the albums I collected later.
Why I Bought It: I grew up with three older sisters, all of whom liked Gene Pitney. Naturally, I grew attached to his music, and eventually began searching for the songs of my childhood. It took me a long time to get everything I was looking for; this set was the first step on that path.
What I Like (Movie Tie-in): "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance". Great movie. Great song, with a subtle nod to the twist ending. "Everyone heard two shots ring out / One shot made Liberty fall"....
What I Like (Stiff Upper Lip): "I'm Gonna Be Strong". This was one of the first rock songs whose lyrics I committed to memory.
What I Like (It's a Lie But I Love It): "Looking Through the Eyes of Love". I like the alternation of verses between the subdued ("in the eyes of the world") and the triumphant ("but in the eyes of my woman").
What I Like (Sure Sounds Good): "Town Without Pity". Probably his biggest hit; the specific line that sells me on it is "before this grand granite planet falls apart". Dunno why that appeals to me so.
What I Don't Like (Self-Pity): "Backstage". Grow a pair, willya? If you're that upset, cancel the tour, go home and apologize! Dishonorable Mention: "Billy You're My Friend" and "I Must Be Seeing Things". Basically the same song twice, about seeing "his girl" with "his best friend". There was a lot of that going around back then, I guess.
Overall: This is a fairly good collection; it also has several others of his classics, but it really doesn't show his range. I'll talk more about that when we hit some of the albums I collected later.
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My childhood music ran more to the Beatles and the Doors [g].
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Personal knowledge bases are unpredictable. Pitney was a more clean-cut type than the Doors, or even the Beatles; think Ricky Nelson - if you remember him. (Son of Ozzy and Harriet?) Oddly, it turns out that he and Mick Jagger were good friends....
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