TS: Whiter Shade of Pale vs. Hazy Shade of Winter

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I love the organ sound of "Pale" beyond imagining. But I find the plodding pace of the song a problem. The "sixteen Vestal virgins" line redeems it somewhat. But overall it becomes a somnolent track after the first fifteen or however many minutes.

Simon's early lyrics are often embarrassingly overblown ("clothed in crinoline," "the dangling conversation," and, yes, "weaving time in a tapestry."). Even he thinks so. And I say this as a pretty solid Simon booster; I'm with him up to and even well past "The Obvious Child."

I had no particularly strong feelings about the Bangles until I saw them perform "HSoW" live on SNL. I have shlurped that performance onto an MP3, and I will maintain to my grave that it proves the Bangles could rock. They could rock as much as the Go-Gos ever rocked at their rockiest, and that is saying a very great deal in my book. I am telling you that it is one badass track.

― The Mad Puffin (The Mad Puffin), Tuesday, 31 October 2006 22:26 (seventeen years ago) link

The Bangles always maintained that it was the last time they proved they weren't producer's puppets.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 31 October 2006 22:28 (seventeen years ago) link

I voted for "HSoW" and I like the Bangles version, but when I saw them at Radio City back in the day they didn't quite rock as much as I would have liked- they were certainly outrocked by opening act The Hoodoo Gurus.

― The Redd 47 Ronin (Ken L), Wednesday, 1 November 2006 00:43 (seventeen years ago) link

hazy all the way, for either version

― electric sound of jim [and why not] (electricsound), Wednesday, 1 November 2006 01:27 (seventeen years ago) link

well i just listened to them both, and i enjoyed 'whiter shade of pale' more. this experiment probably could use some more controls, but i think that i could reproduce the same or similar results with little difficulty.

― sublime frequency (sublime frequency), Wednesday, 1 November 2006 04:12 (seventeen years ago) link

i definitely like "whiter shade of pale" a lot better. it is sorta corny, but only more effective for it.

― ZR (teenagequiet), Wednesday, 1 November 2006 04:23 (seventeen years ago) link

three months pass...

SimeGarFunk for me. "Hazy" has a certain lusty energy.

"Whiter Shade of Pale" has been previously, and accurately, described as the aural equiv. of tea and biscuits in a funeral parlour.

― Phil Knight (PhilK), Sunday, 4 February 2007 19:43 (seventeen years ago) link

Good times vs being vaguely angry when it's cold out

― def zep (calstars), Sunday, 4 February 2007 19:52 (seventeen years ago) link

roffle

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Sunday, 4 February 2007 20:22 (seventeen years ago) link

Has to be "A Whiter Shade Of Pale". The latter is nice enough, but the former is a classic.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 4 February 2007 21:57 (seventeen years ago) link

i actually really like the Procol Harum version of Whiter Shade of Pale. Otherwise, Hazy Shade of Winter would totally pwn.

― the table is the table (treesessplode), Sunday, 4 February 2007 23:09 (seventeen years ago) link

The best "Whiter Shade of Pale" I ever heard was when I saw Psychic TV perform for the first time at Revival in Philadelphia, and while the keyboardist played that melody, Genesis P-Orridge was saying, "They say, just say no to drugs, but I say I want some drugs," over and over.

― Rockist Scientist, Hippopoptimist (RSLaRue), Sunday, 4 February 2007 23:17 (seventeen years ago) link

So Whiter Shade of Pale.

― Rockist Scientist, Hippopoptimist (RSLaRue), Sunday, 4 February 2007 23:18 (seventeen years ago) link

I like "Hazy" (and the Snuff version is awesome, if you can find it).

― Saxby D. Elder (Saxby D. Elder), Sunday, 4 February 2007 23:20 (seventeen years ago) link

I'm a fan of the transition between "Hazy" & "At The Zoo" on the Bookends LP.

― billstevejim (billstevejim), Monday, 5 February 2007 07:25 (seventeen years ago) link

Pale "pales" in comparison.

― billstevejim (billstevejim), Monday, 5 February 2007 07:26 (seventeen years ago) link

five months pass...

OH MAN. ELLIOTT YAMIN'S "WHITER SHADE OF PALE" COVER!!!!

― Tape Store, Tuesday, 31 July 2007 05:22 (sixteen years ago) link

http://jarsonic.net/imagenes/art023-susanna_hoffs.jpg

― gershy, Tuesday, 31 July 2007 06:24 (sixteen years ago) link

YOUTUBE THIS SONG NOW

― Tape Store, Tuesday, 31 July 2007 06:36 (sixteen years ago) link

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b361/tapestore/elliott_mom.jpg

― Tape Store, Tuesday, 31 July 2007 20:47 (sixteen years ago) link

This is the new "High Life," amirite?

― Tape Store, Wednesday, 1 August 2007 03:37 (sixteen years ago) link

DAMNIT.

― Tape Store, Thursday, 2 August 2007 03:44 (sixteen years ago) link

twelve years pass...

Whiter Shade rules but I just discovered Lennox's version of it

― When I am afraid, I put my toast in you (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 22 October 2019 16:22 (four years ago) link

Sentence is wrong.

― Mark G, Tuesday, 22 October 2019 19:43 (four years ago) link

lol

― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 22 October 2019 19:46 (four years ago) link

My sentence is THE HAGUE.

― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 22 October 2019 19:46 (four years ago) link

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