4/20 Songs and DVD Contest!
4/20 Time
Since National High Five Day falls on the Third Thursday in April, which this year happens to be 4/20, we have received a good deal of emails alerting us to this coincidence. Most are related to the presence of the word "high" in our holiday's name, but many fail to even reach a level of comprehensibility to achieve that most basic and obvious realization. Well in yet another instance of giving the masses what they want, I think I'm going to attempt to break down the topic of weed music here on the blog. To make it even more interesting, this will also mark the first CONTEST that I've ever had on this blog. For details on the CONTEST you can go ahead and skip down to the end of the entry.
The influence of drugs, and namely marijuana has had on music is incalculable. It is depressing to imagine what music woudl sound like if be like if Coltrane hadn't had his smack, Syd hadn't taken all that 'cid, Bob Marley never toked the sweet sweet ganj and Johnny Cash hadn't taken whatever those nameless painkillers he was out of his gourd on for 70% of Walk The Line. But out of all of them, weed is probably given the most credit regarding promoting creativity and artistic achievement, (maybe credit is legitimately due, but it could just be because it doesn't make you end up penniless on the street, or make you kill yourself in a torrent of angst driven despair.)
So let's break down the influence of weed on the music world:
The Chronic
-Most obviously, we have Weed Rap. Exemplifed by Dr. Dre's The Chronic
-Then there is insane electronic music. Designed ostensibly to make people dance, but more often consumed in a dorm room with your MP3 players visualization in full gear, it's the rare track from this genre that is actually tolerable without the influence of drugs. Genre Definer: Josh Wink - Higher State Of Consciousness
The Flaming Lips On-stage Posse
-We also have wierd rock, designed to make noises that freak you out. Utilizing every production trick in the book, especially layering sounds, surround sound pans, vocal effects and in general just freaky shit, Pink Floyd would fit in here, so would latter day Radiohead or Wilco circa YHF. Nowadays, the term "Psychedelic" is used to describe lengthy, aimless, boring songs by bands who can't write anything catchy, but The Flaming Lips, with releases like The Soft Bulletin
-There's Stoner Rock, with bands like Kyuss, but I don't know anybody who actually listens to this genre of music
-Crazy improvisational music is an obvious favorite of the stoners, but its rare that these songs can prove tolerable to people on the outside. If a song has a catchy hook, different movements, and most importantly builds towards an amazing climactic conclusion, it will undoubtedly be touted as "The greatest thing I've ever heard." I think that Santana's performance of "Soul Sacrifice" at Woodstock, especially when seen with the accompanying video, featuring scenes of naked men holding sheep, is a wonderful example of a crazy jam that everyone can agree on.
Ever really heard Automatic For The People?
-But songs need not have crazy builds or be laden down with fancy studio effects to prove enjoyable to the slack jawed couch dweller. Though those types of songs may prove to sync up better with a TV playing the Cartoon Network on mute, there are also songs that weren't written with the average pothead in mind, but that are good enough that they can prove revelatory when heard under the right circumstances. This is stuff like Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska
So that brings us to the first ever San Diego Serenade contest! In celebration of 4/20, I'm going to be giving away a copy of "Reefer Madness" on DVD, courtesy of San Diego's own Legend Films! Legend Films has restored Reefer Madness for DVD and has colorized it for the first time ever. If you've never seen it before, it's a ridiculous example of unintentional comedy from the 1930's, and it benefits greatly in the visuals department from the colorization. For example each character has their own color of smoke as they engage in their dreadful illicit activities. To top it off, exclusively on this DVD, Michael Nelson of Mystery Science Theatre 3000 fame has recorded an audio commentary for the film MST3K style, pointing out all the hilarious comments that you'll undoubtedly be rendered far too incoherent to make yourself.
To win a copy of the DVD, as well as a nice "Got Reefer?" shirt, just post a comment detailing your ideal 4/20 song, or your best related experience. I'll pick one at random and send the winner the DVD and the shirt, hopefully in time for Thursday's festivities. The Contest will end at 3 PM California time on Tuesday the 18th.
Comments
Has to be the Butthole Surfers Sweet Loaf only because they were so stoned at Reading Festival that they opened with that song got a great reception and then smashed all their instruments up, thinking it was the finale... cue: lots of wandering around the stage and confused looking out into the crowd trying to figure out what to do before a few sound guys ran on and sorted out the drums, amps and someone from the crowd offered a guitar...
Posted by: loki23.blogspot.com | April 14, 2006 11:51 PM
Wang Chung Tonight. You have not heard music until you've listened to this song on repeat for an entire evening. Or until your housemate has.
Posted by: Greg | April 15, 2006 04:09 PM
Toots and the Maytals' "Time Tough". I was once so wrapped up in this song (while stoned off my nuts) that I forgot how to pour milk.
Posted by: Brad | April 16, 2006 05:44 AM
Every stoner mix I made in college began with America's "Horse With No Name". My Mom (who told me very seriously about the one time she'd seen marijuana) listened to it all the time when I was little. Same thing with my Dad's favorites, CCR and The Beach Boys, I couldn't stand them when I was little either.
That's a good hint to the parents out there, when your kids start enjoying your music, they're on weed.
Posted by: ike | April 16, 2006 02:00 PM
Hmmmm. Put The Lime In the Coconut In the Coconut, Harry Nilsson
Posted by: Jim | April 16, 2006 06:38 PM
I always think of the anthem refrain from Little Feat's "Willin'" where the late great Lowell George sings, "and if you give me weed, whites, and wine, and you show me a sign, I'll be willin' to be movin'."
Posted by: Steve Fingerett | April 17, 2006 09:44 AM
You can't really go wrong with anything on HST's compilation CD, "Where Were You When the Fun Stopped?". But not all of that music was made by explosively talented drug sponges.
I think that nothing can touch Nick Drake, especially the Pink Moon album, when it comes to somebody who saw the dark side of drugs and lept through rings of truth to find a musical answer that was as powerful and vibrant as you can be with the disturbing subject matter of the downward spiral of existentialism.
Iron & Wine probably is not a product of drugs, but I have yet to find a more soothing sound when you need something to relax or come down to.
Regina Spektor...if she hasn't done massive quantities of drugs then she's a meta-genius. Either way, lots of fun and great social jabs. Put on her CD and you'll feel like she's rapping with you on the couch.
Neutral Milk Hotel...as many instruments and odd sounds as the flaming lips with slightly less electronica and even more humanity. Untitled could be an instrumental anthem for drug nation.
Btw, I like your blog. Keep it up.
-Owen
Posted by: Owen O'Brien | April 17, 2006 02:51 PM
My favorate song about weed would have to be Let's go smoke some pot by Reel Big Fish. But the psychadelic music of the band LOVE is also amazing.
Posted by: James Cavanagh | April 17, 2006 03:34 PM
My personal favorite song to listen to while toking is Eric Burdon & The War' "Spill The Wine". Just enough strange sounds and rhythms but great lyrics to ease you into the matrix.
Posted by: neil | April 17, 2006 09:48 PM
My personal favorite song to listen to while toking is Eric Burdon & The War' "Spill The Wine". Just enough strange sounds and rhythms but great lyrics to ease you into the matrix.
Posted by: neil | April 17, 2006 09:49 PM
The first time I got stoned in my mid-teens, I found myself disheveled and half naked, spending an entire night listening to the Cure, masturbating, and crying.
Posted by: alec | April 18, 2006 08:42 AM
Although I'm not a smoker....anymore, you gotta love Weezer's "We are all on drugs." That's just good stuff, and worthy of consideration for the official 4/20 song.
Posted by: D Austin | April 18, 2006 08:50 AM
The ideal 420 song I'd have to say is "Take Two and Pass" by Gang Starr. No song provides such detailed insight into the sub-culture of rolling and smoking blunts like this song. The song's title emphasises the simple etiquette of smoking blunts and even provides good advice on differences between blunts: "We got at least five head so I rolled a white owl.
Itâs the break of dawn and weâre awake like night owls.
Phillies are cool but they burn much quicker..."
Posted by: Scott | April 18, 2006 09:59 AM
I also have a follow up: 'Pass the dutchie to the left' by Musical Youth -- the young rascals from Jamaica that probably didn't know they were singing about the proper clockwise rotation of passing said dutchie
Posted by: alec | April 18, 2006 10:06 AM
Black Sabbath's Sweet Leaf. The echoing cough at the start of the song is a true testament to the effects of the "reefer" on rock and roll as we know it.
Posted by: Buttusde | April 18, 2006 12:48 PM
Well, if I wanted to state the overly obvious (albeit fantastic song), I'd go with NRBQ's "Wacky Tabacky". But I think the best mind-tweaking song has to be "Third Stone From the Sun", by the immortal Jimi. Man, that song puts me into a hazy drift whether I'm chilling out in my bomb-shelter (there is an authentic one in my backyard) or just driving my miserable ass to work in the morning. Love it.
Posted by: Jason | April 18, 2006 04:23 PM
I would have to say that the perfect 4:20 is "I want to get high" by cypress hill. I mean seriously, is any explanation needed for this one?? And if anyone should know the perfect 4:20 song it would be me, because i was born on 4/20
Posted by: Jay | April 18, 2006 08:14 PM
I would have to say that the perfect 4:20 is "I want to get high" by cypress hill. I mean seriously, is any explanation needed for this one?? And if anyone should know the perfect 4:20 song it would be me, because i was born on 4/20
Posted by: Jay | April 18, 2006 08:15 PM
SUBLIME - "Let's Go Get Stoned" has to be up there as one of the best. Any Sublime song is just so chillin, especially when hittin the reef. Gimmie that damn dvd!
Posted by: Fresh | April 20, 2006 07:47 AM
Some of my favorites, besides the classic examples like Hendrix, the Beatles and Sublime, include anything by Radiohead, Cypress Hill's "I Wanna Get High", Yo La Tengo's "Beach Party Tonight", "How Soon Is Now?" by the Smiths, and most songs by Gorillaz.
Posted by: Jack C | April 20, 2006 03:20 PM
Some of my favorites, besides the classic examples like Hendrix, the Beatles and Sublime, include anything by Radiohead, Cypress Hill's "I Wanna Get High", Yo La Tengo's "Beach Party Tonight", "How Soon Is Now?" by the Smiths, and most songs by Gorillaz.
Posted by: Jack C | April 20, 2006 03:20 PM
Have you seen this before? It's a number guessing game: http://www.amblesideprimary.com/ambleweb/mentalmaths/guessthenumber.html. I guessed 21088, and it got it right! Pretty neat.
Posted by: Merideth Carleton | May 16, 2006 02:42 PM