Share with me please your "Holy shit!" moments in music

[Bossy Monkey]

Whether it be a song you heard on the radio, experienced through MTV, or first listened to upon the purchase of a new record by one of your favorite artists, what songs made you sit up, take notice, and holler (or at least think): "Holy shit!"?

Mine include:
Sugar: The Act We Act
Living Colour: Open Letter (To A Landlord)
Cops: Synchronicity II
X: Country at War
Jerry Douglas: We Hide and Seek
Too Much Joy: That's a Lie
Bob Dylan: Shelter from the Storm
Simon & Garfunkel: For Emily Whenever I May Find Her (yes, I know I'm a wuss)
Bob Mould: It's Too Late


and...


I'm not sure I know you well enough to admit this...


I can't even think of any extenuating circumstances...


oh what the hell:
Eagles: Life in the Fast Lane

Yours?

[deutsey]

1. I am the Walrus

Blew my 15-year-old mind when I listened to it for the first time (on headphones, no less).

Also, "I am the Resurrection" by Stone Roses

Something about songs that begin with "I am" seem to rattle me, for some reason. :-)

[Bossy Monkey]

16. How about "I'm the"s? You could check out "I'm the Ocean" off "Mirrorball"

by Neil Young. I ought to add it to my list above, actually, as it more than qualifies.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

2. On a Sugar tip - Changes.

[Taverner]

3. Phish opening up a Utah second set with Harpua -> DSOTM

I remember being there and thinking..."OH MY GOD THEY'RE DOING DARK SIDE!!!"

[XNASA]

4. "Paranoid Android" on MTV

I had a copy of "The Bends", the previous Radiohead album, in my collection....but only gave it a couple of listens and put it back on the shelf.

Two years later, I saw Paranoid Android on MTV, then ran out and purchased OK Computer....revisited the Bends and never looked back.

That was probably my most recent experience. That was 1997.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

7. I was the same with the My Iron Lung EP

That's where they stopped being a generic indie band and became Radiohead.

[Richardo]

5. The Impression That I Get - Mighty Mighty Bosstones

First song I ever saw on MTV that actually made me want to buy a band's CDs.

Ska, dude! :smoke:

[mac56]

56. Hey Richardo! One of mine too!

One of the only songs that made me pull the car over, find a pay phone, and call the station.

To quote Mr. Westerberg:

"What's that song?
I'm in love
With that song..."

[Richardo]

62. ;-)

I need to broaden my ska horizons, but MMB really hooked me on the genre.

:thumbsup: mac56!

[KurtNYC]

6. Only a Northern Song

by the Beatles for its controlled cacophony and more recently,

Fuzzy Math by the Compassionate Conservatives (google fuzzymath.mp3 for your free copy).

[Beware the Beast Man]

8. Beast Man's "Holy Shit!" moments

1. Slayer- Reign in Blood- back when I thought it couldn't get any more evil than Dio...
2. Hearing "Nevermind" for the first time- I was a pretty big fan of the whole Seattle thing for a while before this came out. This disc just totally broadsided me.
3. "Whole Lotta Love"- turned me into a Zeppelin fan
4. Beatles- "Helter Skelter"- turned me into a Beatles fan

[tigereye]

12. Sid Vicious version of My Way

late 70s. It was a revelation. My friend and I jumped around going, "Oh my God what is this?" And things have really never been the same. :)

[Bossy Monkey]

24. Yeah, I think "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is another one I could have added

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

9. Many many MANY

Don Henley-- Sunset Grill (saw him perform it live at Starwood in Nashville)
Bruce BecVar-- Rhythms of Life
Michael Jones -- Pianoscapes
Uriah Heep-- Stealin'
Zebra-- Who's Behind The Door

and my favorite-- the song I was listening to the very first time I ever got flat-out stoned (I'm talking 1974 here)-- Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon.

Many others, but that's a good short list on a moment's notice.

[jpgray]

10. Here's a couple

'Leave the Capitol' by the Fall
'All I Wanna Do' by the Beach Boys (off Sunflower)
'Oh Yeah' by Can

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

11. Live version of "Serves You Right To Suffer," J. Geils Band

Before they turned into a "novelty act" with songs like "Centerfold" and "Love Stinks," The J. Geils Band was a hard, dangerous blues-based powerhouse straight outta Beantown. Strap yourself in when you reach the 5:52 mark on the track...the band frigging EXPLODES. One of the very, very few John Lee Hooker covers worth listening to.



Runner-up: the completely unexpected orchestral / slide guitar bombastic coda of Chris Rea's "Set Me Free" from his "Auberge" album. If you're a Pink Floyd fan (more specifically, a David Gilmour fan) and don't have this one, you're really missing something. It's reminiscent of the coda to Floyd's "High Hopes"...just as sweet, but a little louder / more aggressive. Even if you aren't a Floyd fan...if you're a GUITARIST...check it out.



Gilmour acknowledged the "sympatico" bond between Floyd and Rea on the short-lived Paul Rodgers-Kenny Jones project "The Law" with his solo on Rea's "Stone"...beautiful, another "lost Floyd" essential nugget...search the used stores for The Law's one and only CD, I believe it's out of print.

:toast:

[tridim]

13. Beck's 'Mutations'

I was a Beck fan even before "Mellow Gold" exploded, saw him live 3 times in the early 90's before he became a star. All his albums are great, but "Mutations" just blew me away because it was so different than his past stuff. It's probably my favorite single album in the past 20 years. It's also technically perfect, so it calls for a listen with high quality, closed-ear headphones for the full effect.

[DS1]

14. Orion - Metallica

War Ensemble - Slayer
RATM - whatever I heard first :shrug:
NIN - Closer
Vulgar Display of Power - all of it
Ferry Corsten - most of it
Stinkfist - Tool
Animals - Pink Floyd

others :shrug:

[Donkeyboy75]

18. With you on Orion,

probably one of my favorite all-time instrumental. NIN-Ringfinger was mine. Going through a bad relationship at the time.

[Richard D]

15. 1971

Ravi Shankar, Ustad Allah Rakah, plus acid. Need I say more?

[demon67]

17. Seeing The Polyphonic Spree live for the first time

Never heard of them before wandering into a performance at a music festival. Absolutely blew me away.

[mark11727]

19. Michael Torke's "Color Music"

Track 5 Bright Blue Music



It's out of print, but worth hunting down one...

[Donkeyboy75]

20. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart

Led Zeppelin - Kashmir
Camper Van Beethoven - Borderline
Gary Numan - Down in the Park
Beatles - Martha, My Dear (OK, I'm a wuss)
Robert Johnson - Hellhound on My Trail

[Screaming Lord Byron]

44. Yeah. It's the shimmer of Barney's first chord. Stellar.

[asthmaticeog]

47. That there's a fine list. n/t

[Bertha Venation]

21. The first song I played on my guitar by ear -- HOLY SHIT!

Although since I was a good little fundamentalist Christian, I didn't use bad words. Naughty, naughty.

It happened thus: I was lying in bed, age 13, listening to the radio. "Sister Golden Hair" came on and before I knew what I was doing, my fingers were forming the chords as the music came to me more clearly than it ever did from the page. I jumped out of bed, got my guitar, and played the whole thing through with the radio.

:wow:

My second "holy shit" moment was when I heard "I Know How The River Feels" while in the heady first days of being in love with Mrs. V. It still makes me cry (here I sit, :cry:!) whenever I think of it or hear it.

[LowerManhattanite]

22. Listening to Jerry Butler's seminal "The Iceman Cometh" Soul album...

...in 1970. Why? because this lushly produced gem of about-to-change-R&B Philly Soul was the very first thing played on our then new "Stereo". We'd had record players and consoles before, but this thing was "Stereo"! I still remember hearing the individual instruments; jazz guitar and strings from the left channel, bass, drums and percussion from the right, and Jerry's voice dead center.

It was a sonic revelation...soon followed by hearing Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" on the same system. Wow!

[samplegirl]

23. Here are a just a few

Los Lonely Boys..........How far is Heaven
Jude Cole................baby its tonight
Norah Jones.........Painters Song
Jimmy Thackery and the Drivers...Gonna sell the Bitches Car!

and an all time fav............Van Morrison......Into the Mystic

[trof]

25. First time I ever heard the 4 Freshmen.

OK, I'm a Geezer.
A COG. (Cantankerous Old Geezer)
But I heard what they did with harmonies on all my favorites and thought "Jesus Effing Christ! This is MUSIC!"
Still my all time favorites.
If you've never heard them, go get "4 Freshmen and 5 Trombones".
Jazz at its coolest.

[FrankBooth]

39. My Dad is the biggest Four Freshmen fan in the world

He loves them and I think owns every album they've ever put out, which is a lot.

Brian Wilson learned a thing or two from the Freshmen.

[NightTrain]

26. So many....

Here's what comes to mind right now:

ARTHUR ALEXANDER: Anna, Soldiers of Love
THE BEACH BOYS: Surfin' U.S.A., Don't Worry Baby, God Only Knows
THE BEATLES: She Loves You, Ticket To Ride, Paperback Writet, Revolution (and many more!)
BODY COUNT (ICE-T): Cop Killer
CHUCK BERRY: Maybellene, Johnny B. Goode
JAMES BROWN: Papa's Got A Brand New Bag
RAY CHARLES: What'd I Say, Georgia On My Mind, America The Beautiful
THE DAVE CLARK FIVE: Glad All Over, Any Way You Want It
PATSY CLINE: Crazy, I Fall To Pieces, She's Got You
SAM COOKE: A Change Is Gonna Come
CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL: Fortunate Son
DICK DALE & THE DEL-TONES: Mierslou
BOB DYLAN: Like A Rolling Stone
EN VOGUE: Free Your Mind
ENYA: Caribbean Blue
ARETHA FRANKLIN: Respect
FUNKADELIC: One Nation Under A Groove, (Not Just) Knee Deep
THE GETO BOYS: Mind Playing Tricks On Me
AL GREEN: Love and Happiness
JIMI HENDRIX: Purple Haze
BUDDY HOLLY: Rave On, Oh, Boy!
THE HONEYCOMBS: Have I The Right?
MICHAEL JACKSON: Billie Jean
JOAT JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS: I Love Rock and Roll
THE MANHATTANS: Kiss and Say Goodbye
THE MARCELS: Blue Moon
PARLIAMENT: Tear The Roof Off The Sucker (Give Up The Funk)
THE PHANTOM: Love Me
ELVIS PRESLEY: That's All Right, Good Rockin' Tonight, Hound Dog, Jailhouse Rock (among many others!)
OTIS REDDING: I Can't Turn You Loose
THE ROLLING STONES: Satisfaction, Jumpin' Jack Flash, You Can't Always Get What You Want, Brown Sugar (among many others!)
RUN-D.M.C.: Rock-Box
EDWIN STARR: War
THE SURFARIS: Wipe Out
LINK WRAY: Rumble

[Bossy Monkey]

41. I kind of tried to stick to ones I heard as they came out, but yeah,

most of these, too :)

[Merrick]

27. Neurosis - End of the Harvest, Tool - Pushit, Third Eye

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

28. First time I heard Green Grass and High Tides Forever

and the first time I listened to Sea Level's first album all the way through.

And the first time I heard Prince's Sign O the Times

[FrankBooth]

29. First day of 8th grade

when my neighbor's Senior in high-school brother dropped us off for first day of school - he was playing Van Halen 1 - needless to say, I'd never heard anything like "Eruption" before that, and I was blown away.

[Westegg]

30. Zeppelin. "Immigrant Song" as heard on WDVE...

...Pittsburgh, the summer of 1976. Nothing's been the same since. For better and for worse.

[bigwillq]

31. "My name is...

Slim Shady"

--Eminem

First time I heard it and saw the vid, I knew he was going to be huge.

[FrankBooth]

32. I love that song

from an almost 40 white guy, I think that says something.

[bigwillq]

33. See, Em did do something right

He appealed beyond his base!

[FrankBooth]

37. I first heard it on an NFL commercial

And then some of my musician friends were playing it over and over, so I got to know that and his second album - both are great, the guy can write.

I laugh thinking about it now ... did the NFL not know what the lyrics to the song really were? Not exactly wholesome family entertainment.

[bigwillq]

38. But after the Super Bowl

is the NFL really family entertainment anyway!?

[MrSlayer]

34. Slayer - Angel of Death

In fact the entire Reign In Blood album just does that to you. Blown completely away doesn't begin to describe the feelings this great album inspires. If you are feeling particularly murderous there is no better way to get it out in a positive manner than with some really hard, really fast Heavy Metal music. This album is the pinnacle of hard/fast and I believe it has kept me out of serious trouble with the law.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

35. Tomorrow Never Knows - the Beatles

You know what I'm talkin' 'bout!

[Mara Steele]

36. Todd Snyder "East Nashville Skyline"

Just bought it today, nearly started crying when I heard it in the store, was so beautiful...

[Twillig]

40. Hearing 'Foxy Lady' by Hendrix

for the first time. The heaviest guitar-as-a-weapon song I've ever heard.

Listening to VH I for the first time was cool, too.

[ProfessorGAC]

42. The First Time I Heard Monk

I was about 11 years old, and had been playing piano seriously for 6 years. My dad was a cool jazz fan (Getz, Brubeck, Randolph, et al), but he had some bop that he never listened to.

I put on one of his records by some guy named Thelonious and listened to it. I ran out of the room, and to my dad, and said "This is how i want to play!"

That was it. No more classical. No more pop. My dad found me a jazz teacher and my style was defined. Changed my musical life.
The Professor

[tigereye]

52. Monk is really amazing

there is nothing else quite like it.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

43. First time I heard Bruce Springsteen

Living in the heart of the midwest, I'd heard about this guy from New Jersey (he'd been on the cover of Newsweek in 1975) but hadn't heard one of his songs because we didn't have a decent version of "Radio Free Europe" that would play something other than K.C. and the Sunshine Band.

Several of us were drinking all night down on the banks of the Mississippi River when one of the guys produced an eight-track that his brother had brought back from a trip to New Jersey. The first song to come over the car stereo speakers was "Rosalita" and in those sequin-and-satin days of disco, it was like having a born-again religious experience.

Been listening every since.

[slutticus]

45. TOOL...... Aenema

The first time I heard "Stinkfist" on the radio. Me and my roommate from college both looked at each other and said "Holy Shit!!!" I swear.....then we listened to the rest of the album...........holy shit indeed.....

[VelmaD]

48. nodnodnod

For me it was "Forty-six & 2" from that same album. But only because I heard it before I heard "Stinkfist. :)

Danny Carey is GOD.

[asthmaticeog]

46. Man, I've had a bunch.

Late '70s - "Whip It" by Devo. I was 9. I was attracted to their goofy cartoony image, but as I got older, I caught on to the nature of the complex joke behind their work and saw what an amazing thing it was that something so genuinely subversive could be a pop hit that a 9-year-old would embrace. Go Devo!

Early '80s - Seeing the video for REM's "Radio Free Europe." Being used only to hearing radio hits, I couldn't believe something so cool and different seeming existed. Paper route money bought me a copy of "Murmur" that week.

Mid '80s - Hearing Einstuerzende Neubauten, a German band who made their music with power tools and shopping carts and suchlike. Blew my peabrain wide open to all kinds of possibilities. I soon started sportin' a tattoo of their logo, which to this day I still don't regret.

Late '80s - "Two Nuns and a Pack Mule" was released by Rapeman, a band made up of folks from the rather extreme underground bands Scratch Acid and Big Black, but outdoing both for raw energy and sheer sickness. The Jesus Lizard would evolve out of this group, but as awesome as JL were in their day, they never touched "Two Nuns and a Pack Mule," IMO.

Early '90s - "Loveless" by My Bloody Valentine and "Spiderland" by Slint. If you don't know, you don't know.

Mid '90s - Tortoise, live at the Euclid Tavern in Cleveland. Their debut album was full of really impressive ideas, but the show was a mindscramble. They used the compositions on the record as launchpads for some of the most intensely focused improvisatory playing I ever seen this side of Peter Brotzmann or Ken Vandermark. Ho. Lee. Fuck.

Late '90s - "Indivisible" by Lungfish. Again, if you don't know...

Early '00s - The Post-Punk revival. Amazing energy arising simultaneously from little unconnected scenes all over the country. NYC's the Liars, Cleveland's This Moment in Black History, Pittsburgh's the 1985 and zillions of other bands are re-exploring the Northen British funk-based scene that existed for about 10 minues in the '70s and using the ideas to truly exciting ends. Good on ya, kids!

Mid '00s - Still waiting. Anyone have any ideas? Call me - we'll start a band!

[Magrittes Pipe]

49. The drumbeat at the beginning of the Pixies' "Bone Machine"

"American Face" by V-3
Yoko's Plastic Ono Band
"Special Rider Blues" by Skip James
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks

[Screaming Lord Byron]

50. The first time I heard the intro to Debaser.

[mitchum]

51. Flamin' Groovies "Shake Some Action"

Echo and the Bunnymen "Rescue"
Velvet Underground "Heroin"
John Coltrane "My Favorite Things"
Kick Out The Jams" MC5

I can still distinctly remember the kick that I felt hearing these for the first time

[tigereye]

53. you inspired me to add a few more

Candle in the Wind Elton John
Roundabout Yes
Thunder Road Springsteen
My Way Sid Vicious
Rock And Roll Lou Reed
White Riot The Clash
Cherry Bomb The Runaways
Fear is a Man's Best Friend John Cale

all inspiring at the time

[Dukkha]

54. Seeing Pink Floyd Live

September 16, 1987 Cleveland Municipal Stadium

Best...concert...ever!

[Aristus]

55. Hearing Concrete Blonde's "Bloodletting" for the first time, on an

appropriately dark and stormy night. When I heard 'Tomorrow, Wendy', I sat up and said: 'Holy SHIT!"

Mindbogglingly good album by an astonishing group.

[mac56]

57. "Strangers When We Meet" by the Smithereens

"Something's Always Wrong" by Toad The Wet Sprocket
"That's What They All Say" by Graham Parker and the Rumour
"The Rose Of England" by Nick Lowe
"All For You" (live version) by Sister Hazel
"No Myth" by Michael Penn
"Rain King" by Counting Crows
and
"Here I Go Again" by the Spongetones

[catzies]

58. First single from the Strokes' EP, "The New Age"

And I got the CD the day it came out, and it didn't leave my car for MONTHS.

[bif]

59. "My Generation"-The Who and "My favorite Things"-Trane

Live version of "My Favoriite Things" from the double LP. I think it's cqalle dthe best of John Coltrane on Atlantic. Wow! McCoy and Trane take long and amazing solos.

[skypilot]

60. My most recent one...

...The Red House Painters have a song called "Void" on their "Old Ramon" CD. That song just slipped right into my bloodstream as I was listening to it. I have to hear that song at least once a day now.

[kmla]

61. Jeez - where do I start?

Peter Gabriel - Games Without Frontiers
Bob Marley - Jammin'
XTC - Makin' Plans for Nigel
ABC - The Look of Love (a bit weenie-ish, I realize)
REM - Radio Free Europe
U2 - I Will Follow
Plimsouls - A Million Miles Away
Dave Brubeck - Take Five
Chuck Mangione - Feels So Good
George Benson - Love Ballad
Sex Pistols - God Save the Queen
New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle

There's more, but I am running out of time...

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

63. Joe Farrell's sax solo on "Light As A Feather"

I'm a guitar fanatic but I listen to as many different jazz artists as I can. Joe Farrell's sax solo in Chick Corea's "Light As A Feather" is truly inspired by forces from beyond. I get high just listening to it (really).

[tigerbeat]

64. dupe

damn work computer. sorry for the dupe.

[tigerbeat]

65. most recently: "Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand

other hall of fame moments....

"I Zimbra" - Talking Heads
"She'll Be a Verb" - Game Theory
"OK Computer" whole album - Radiohead
"Senses Working Overtime" - XTC
"Harvest Festival" - XTC
"Talk About the Passion" - REM
"Waiting for Superman" - the Flaming Lips

i'm sure there are more. the Beatles always seemed to be in my life and i cannot remember the first "oh my god" moment....but i vividly recall hearing "strawberry fields forever" the first time i.....was in an *altered* state and that was pretty mind-blowing

oh and Copper Blue is a tremendous album.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

70. Woooahhh! I feel the same way about all those records.

[Atlas Mugged]

66. 'Midnight Rambler'

Especially the live version.

[Snow]

67. Buncha amateurs! Stand back now! Here's a 'holy shit' piece to top 'em all

the Misere by Gregorio Allegri. The church kept the score to this piece locked up - Young Mozart did an illegal download.
go here:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00000J9GR/qid=1091212642/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl15/102-2040461-9542523?v=glance&s=classical&n=507846

and you can listen to it, or better, buy the cd.

[LiveWire]

68. Ive never ever heard of most of those bands!

Are you sure they exist?

[Bossy Monkey]

72. Sure. Most people call the band I called the Cops The Police, however n/t

[kodi]

69. 1st hearing Kim Richey's music in a car on a long stretch of Texas Hiway

I was traveling out of Brenham Texas after a couple of weeks working in a textile bleachery mill, hotter than hell and was returning to Dallas to fly home to Atlanta, when I heard the drum beat sound of a song on "the world cafe" public radio show. first I thought it was U2 then the voice of an angel came out of the rental car speakers singing and I got the chills.

The only other time it has happened listening to music was the first time I heard Springsteen's Rosilita back in '73.

I waited until the song ended and stopped my car to get a pen and paper out of the trunk of the car and wrote down her name and song.

when I got back home from the airport to the big house I was sharing with three musicians, they had a guest I had known for years, a monster guitar player now in demand in Nashville. I told them about hearing Kim's music, and our Nashville buddy chuckled and told me a guy in his band had given Kim guitar lessons, and that her first album was done by his buddies, a top flight a list of studio artists playing with her on that album.

The next year I was in Charlotte NC on business and happened to stop by the Double Door bar (an old music bar i frequented when i lived there) and found out to my delight that Kim was playing there that night! I knew the owner from way back, who told me she was staying a local hotel, and as I was staying the night I drove to the hotel to get a room before her show... and there Kim was at the check-in counter as I walked in, I waited a moment and asked her if she was Kim Richey and she turned, amazed to be recognized......I had a bunch of my tie dyes I do as a hobby in the car with me and I gave her and her accompanist each a cool shirt I was keeping for friends. That night she was fantastic. ...and after the show she gave me a big hug and kissed my cheek, its 4 years now and I still haven't washed that side of my face...thank god for the beard!

the song was Every River

Once upon a time
Somewhere in your past
Someone said "Forever,"
But the promise didn't last
Now you don't believe
Love is ever true
You steel yourself against the day
When I stop loving you

When the day comes that I don't love you
Every star will fall out of the sky
And every mountain will tumble down
And every river run dry

For every drop of rain
That ever touched the ground
For every tear that ever fell
And never made a sound
I'll be there to hear you call
And I'll be there to catch you, baby
Should you ever fall

[AwakeAtLast]

71. System of a Down - Toxicity

Any of their stuff, really, but this one is epic for me.

[SiouxJ]

73. The first time I heard "Dear God"

by XTC.

Also the first time I heard "Sweet Jane" by Cowboy Junkies. And the odd part is, I don't even particularly care for Sweet Jane anymore after being exposed to and becoming hooked on their large body of original material.

Both times I had to run out and buy the albums immediately.

[livetohike]

74. The first time I heard Hendrix "Are You Experienced" album

and it never sounds old to me 36 years later.