In a new interview with “Mistress Carrie” Sarao of The Mistress Carrie Podcast, Skid Row bassist Rachel Bolan was asked to name a song from any other artist that he thinks is “perfectly crafted”.
He responded (as transcribed by blabbermouth.net), “There’s a couple. Lido Shuffle [by] Boz Scaggs. There’s nothing that isn’t amazing about that song as a body of work. Every time I listen to it, I’m, like, ‘Wow, where did this come from?’ I don’t know if I would be able to create something like that. And then the other is Breakdown by Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers. That’s just one of those songs, even though it has that false start which kind of makes it even more amazing and beautiful — the structure of that song is so bizarre. It’s almost like it’s unfinished. But it’s such an incredible song ’cause from the minute it starts, it’s like, ‘Yep, breakdown. Cool.’ And then, before you know it, it’s gone. But that’s one of those songs that I wish I wrote. Simplicity.”
After Mistress Carrie noted that the hardest songs to write are usually the simplest ones, Bolan concurred. “I agree,” he said. “I write simple. And I guess that’s just the stuff I listen to. Most of the stuff I listened to was three-chord rock: KISS, AC/DC, Ramones, Sex Pistols, for the most part. And so that is kind of in my wiring to write like that, I guess. And that’s the only thing I know…”
[Dana’s comment: I will have to think about this, since there are so many great songs, but as of my typing this, The Beatles were the kings of writing catchy, simple songs.]
22 Responses
“I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)” – Hall & Oates! So perfectly crafted, even Michael Jackson sampled the bass line for “Billie Jean!”
Doug R.,
That is hands down my favorite Hall and Oates song.
As stated, so many songs that are perfectly crafted in their own way they are written and composed. But one that sticks out for me is Bohemian Rhapsody/Queen. A six minute opus of 3 songs perfectly crafted together to make one.
Some just off my head, Ozzy– I Don’t Know, Judas Priest–You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’, Led Zeppelin–Black Dog, Van Halen–Panama, Blue Murder–Jelly Roll, Ratt–Round And Round, Mötley Crüe–Looks That Kill, etc.
Non hard rock/heavy metal: The Beatles-most anything from the A Hard Days Night and Help albums and Paperback Writer, Bryan Adams–Cuts Like A Knife and Run To You, Chris Isaak–Wicked Game, Somebody’s Crying, Pretty Girls Don’t Cry, Take My Heart, I Want Your Love and Always Got Tonight.
But as I previously wrote, there are just SO MANY great songs.
Love You to Death – WWIII, and they did this quiet to loud thing in metal before grunge did it, and they did it with style, musicality…and it’s one of the most pure metal songs ever created.
Strutter – Kiss: it is a Simmons/Stanley composition; very musical, and it has that 3/4 of the Barbershop quartet in the pre chorus then goes into this heavy riff that also is just a very catchy pop hook…Ace plays some amazing pure Blues lead guitar on it w/very musical power chord accents in the verses that sound like a horn part, which was his creative input…it bops, it’s got weight to it…
Pretty much any Buddy Holly Song
Rock Around the Clock – Bill Haley and the Comets
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) – maybe the greatest rock and roll song ever
Destroyer – The Kinks; you have to be in some class by yourself to plagiarize yourself the way the true greats do it…
Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
I had the songs listed properly, but then they got jumbled together in the comment