I used to drink a lot. A lot. I drank nightly for roughly 10-15 years. And it wasn't really what you'd call casual drinking. A twelve pack a night was not unusual, it was the norm. At my worst, I closed my favorite watering hole every night for two weeks straight, unintentionably. (I mean, really, if a streak was intended, I'd still be there at last call tonight.) It is with an abundance of drinking experiences, combined with a lifelong obsession with music, that I feel qualified to critique a list of "Top 100 Drinking Songs" posted on the blog Barstool Mountain.
Let me start by saying that I don't mean to look a gift horse in the face. Overall, the list is excellent. If you like drinking songs (and you know you do), then you really should check it out. He's going to be posting mp3s of the songs periodically, and there's some real gems in there. (Digitized "Six Pack to Go"!?! I've got my finger on the "Save as" button now!), But there is one thing...
Wait, before I go further I should add that I can't really fault the host. The list, originally posted on his other blog, Big Rock Candy Mountain, was culled from a vote, by whom I'm not sure (and don't really care). Apparently even some of the his favorites missed the cut. So, he's not to blame for the travesty of which I'm about to inform you. Please, steady yourself. I really don't want to be the one telling you this. But, fraught with worried caution, I must.
Jimmy Buffet is on the list.
Worse, Gang Green is not.
Contrast and compare:
Buffet's "Margaritaville": "Blew out my flip flop, stepped on a pop top"
Gang Green's "Alcohol": "I'd rather drink than fuck!"
Okay, you claim, I'm citing unrepresenative lyrics, selected to support my argument. Alright then, let's use the harshest lyrics from Margaritaville: "Wasted away again in Margaritaville"?!? That's it? That's all you've got? No goddamn self-respecting (or self-loathing for that matter) drunk is going to sing about some fantasy place called "Margaritaville."
"Free Beer City" maybe, but "Margaritaville"?!? I don't think so. Poseur.
Gang Green, on the other hand, seem focused. They've dedicated practically their whole existence to drinking. From the omni-present Budweiser logos, to their succinct nü-Foster Brooks lyrics, just about every thing they've touched has drink stink on it. And, their lyric, "I'd rather drink than fuck!"? Hard to find a more declarative drinking statement.
Gang Green's MySpace page with four downloads:
Gang Green's MySpace page with four downloads:
2 comments:
erm...thanks for the...errrr...writeup. tell you what, "six pack to go" will be next up. hopefully that will make up for the fact that I was one of the ones who voted for Margaritaville. yep, i did it. it was low on my ballot, but on there nonetheless. i'll even give you another offer: write a post on the gang green tune, and i'll post it and host the mp3. You can also make a case for why charles bukowski isn't the worst writer of all time. cheers!
Hope you didn't take offense at my comments, that wasn't my intent. I calls 'em as I see 'em and it did seem pretty remarkable that Gang Green didn't make the cut and Jimmy Buffet did. More on that when I accept your invitation by writing a post for the suggested tune.
I've been a visitor to Big Rock Candy Mountain for over a year and really appreciate your passion for sharing music, particularly the overlooked. Though I may post my own mp3s on Trastos at some point, I started it to bring attention to the plethora of music that's being shared and written without the outside influence of advertising dollars or editorial restraints.
Oh, and about Bukowski's writing: Would you beleive that I've never read anything of his? I just put the link there because it was drinking related. I guess I was too busy drinking during my prime "look into all things counter culture" years to get to everything. He's like classical music: I know his stuff will still be there if I every feel the need. That said, I really do like the way he talks, kind of a slow, relaxed "fuck y'all".
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