Music Blogs

In order to celebrate this greatest of holidays, I've decided to follow in a great tradition and offer up "Five Great Halloween Songs" and then tomorrow "Five More Great Halloween Songs." Because I can't ignore so many of the great possibilities this great holiday affords me. Did I mention how great it is that Yahoo! is giving me this extra room to celebrate after the great job I did on WOLF APPRECIATION WEEK or whatever it was called?

So with my silly Kiss make-up on, I soldier into the den of ghouls or whatever you pagan worshipping slobs call it and I seek out the sorcerer's apprentice and brew my potion and sit back and kick out the jams for this very orange holiday.

Remember, Halloween, it ain't just a series of movies anymore!

The Shaggs--"It's Halloween": What was I thinking when I left these ladies off my "Best Sister Acts" list? I wasn't thinking, that's just it. My dad was right. I don't think. I just drive the car into the garage wall and...well, that's another issue entirely.  Anyhow, the Wiggins sisters from New Hampshire (Dot, Betty and Helen) initially had a sound only a father could love and he made them record this album Philosophy Of The World and it was considered pretty horrible. That is, until people who didn't care that they couldn't play in time or sing in tune discovered it and hailed it as a masterpiece, giving hope to every talentless punk band of the past 30 years.

King Diamond--"Halloween": Any chance to mention King Diamond is welcome here. Once the lead singer for Mercyful Fate, a talented group of metal practitioners, Mr. Diamond went solo and one imagines traveled the world telling people, "Look at me, I'm King Diamond." To which most people probably thought, "Man, this guy's a pest!"

Dave Matthews Band--"Halloween": Who better to convey the horrors of Halloween than the horrific Dave Matthews himself? This guy smells of horror. Who hasn't been to a Dave Matthews concert and thought, "I wonder when he's going to spit blood and breathe fire? When's the drum riser going to levitate 30 feet into the air and when are the fireworks going to start? And when are they going to perform without their make-up?" According to my notes, the Dave Matthews song "Halloween" lasts 5:07. That's good time in traffic.

Dream Syndicate--"Halloween": Back in the 1980s, long time ago, bands wanted to sound like the 1960s, much like the way today cool new bands like Joy Division want to sound like old bands like She Wants Revenge, or something like that. While this guy Steve Wynn insisted on writing all the songs for this group, he did let another guy named Karl Precoda write this one. And then he had him killed.

Sonic Youth--"Halloween": Children's music was never the same after Sonic Youth. They introduced mescaline to pre-schoolers and insisted everyone vote communist and for bigger school lunches. This was one of their "hits." They didn't actually ever have any "hits," but then they came of age at a time when the idea of a hit was something by Rod Stewart or Don Henley or even Whitney Houston, so it was probably a good idea that they stayed in the basement and made noise. If they had worked for the post office like their parents wanted them to, they could've retired by now with a really good pension.