In Praise Of: "Bang a Gong"

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C'mon, best song ever or what?!

― Bryan Moore (Bryan Moore), Monday, 28 March 2005 01:48 (twenty-one years ago)

"Bang a Gong" vs "Bang on the Drum All Day" (i actually didn't realize this was todd rundgren, of whom i'm a big fan, until a few months ago)

― The JaXoN 5 (JasonD), Monday, 28 March 2005 02:01 (twenty-one years ago)

In that context, "Bang A Gong" by a million kajillion fafillion points.

God I have the Todd song in my head now fuck you in hell forever for that argh

― miccio (miccio), Monday, 28 March 2005 02:04 (twenty-one years ago)

are you not a Todd fan at all or is it just that song, Anthony?

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Monday, 28 March 2005 02:17 (twenty-one years ago)

I'll take the Todd original over the gazillion crappy covers of that song anyday...(many of which have been done by bands that should know better)

― donut debonair (donut), Monday, 28 March 2005 02:29 (twenty-one years ago)

but Bolan wins that one easily.

Pendantrymania! Actually, the song is officialy called "Get It On", but had to be retitled "Bang A Gong (Get It On)" in the U.S., because the U.S. didn't want to hit it.

― donut debonair (donut), Monday, 28 March 2005 02:30 (twenty-one years ago)

there was another song called "Get It On" in the chart at the time, actually--that's why they retitled it for America

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Monday, 28 March 2005 02:37 (twenty-one years ago)

It's the song I can't stand. I'm in the dark about the other 99.9% of Rundgren's ouvre.

― miccio (miccio), Monday, 28 March 2005 02:40 (twenty-one years ago)

andy taylor's guitar solo kicks fuckin ass

― dave q (listerine), Monday, 28 March 2005 02:41 (twenty-one years ago)

boo

― miccio (miccio), Monday, 28 March 2005 02:42 (twenty-one years ago)

My least favorite T. Rex track.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Monday, 28 March 2005 02:54 (twenty-one years ago)

It's a prettygood song, but best song EVAH is the one I'm listening to right NOW: "If You Don't Like The Effects, Don't Produce The Cause".

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Monday, 28 March 2005 03:48 (twenty-one years ago)

OMG OMG Myonga!! I just totally dug this album out this week! What a crazy mind-meld! I seriously hadn't listened to it for a couple of years. "ain't you deep / in your semi-first-class seat" is the most biting line ever!

I seriously think this just might be my favorite Funkadelic. Isn't "Everybody's Gonna Make It" the most beautiful song?? And god the intro to "You Hit the Nail on the Head" is so awesome. And "Joyful Process". ARRRGHHH so good!!!

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Monday, 28 March 2005 03:58 (twenty-one years ago)

but um, "Bang A Gong" rules of course. and Dave q otm. I totally need to pick up a copy of that Power Station lp from the dolla bin sometime. I used to listen to that thing constantly as a kid. TONY THOMPSON

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Monday, 28 March 2005 03:59 (twenty-one years ago)

I admit I first heard the Power Station cover before the original.. and the best part about the cover is that buzzing guitar sampling and noise that's the prequel.. once the drums kick in, it's over.. although Dave Q has a point re: the solo.

― donut debonair (donut), Monday, 28 March 2005 04:06 (twenty-one years ago)

YES YES YES America Eats Its Young!!! Is it just me or is "That Was My Girl" totally cute and catchy as fuck? I never hear anyone say anything about that one - Worrell's keys are so great!

And yeah "Get It On" is of course super, but it ain't even the best T. Rex song on Electric Warrior.

― Zack Richardson (teenagequiet), Monday, 28 March 2005 04:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Bang a Gong good, Metal Guru better x 100

― -rainbow bum- (-rainbow bum-), Monday, 28 March 2005 04:33 (twenty-one years ago)

ZACK --- you are the man!! congrats on the good taste.

I am listening again to America Eats Its Young, and fuck that pussyfooting I showed upthread. This IS the best album under that Funkadelic moniker, no question.

"OUR COUNTRIES, / AND OUR CITIES / HAVE BEEN BETRAYED"

deal with THAT SHIT motherfucker.

George Clinton. this fuckin guy should have fucking monuments constructed to his badself in Washington DC. but of course this is a Bush america.

yeah Zach, "That Was My Girl" is cool .. not quite sure its exactly my favorite track on the album or anything (if i *DID* have a criticism of AEIY it would be the slightly front-loaded nature of the whole affair), but you are totally correct, Worrell rules on this one.

Hell, Worrell ALWAYS rules!! what else is new. guy was the Monk of the synth.

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Monday, 28 March 2005 06:46 (twenty-one years ago)

I loved Andy Taylor's hair in the video.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 28 March 2005 13:16 (twenty-one years ago)

"20th Century Boy" shits all over "Bang a Gong".

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 28 March 2005 14:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Most of the '70-'73 era Bolan shits over "Get It On" really... oddly enough, the songs most covered by other bands tend to be the more banal singles (banal compared to T. Rex, outstanding compared to almost any other band at the time). "20th Century Boy", "Children Of The Revolution", "The Groover", "Ride A White Swan", "Metal Guru", and "The Slider" were all far more excellent A-sides, IMHO. Other superior songs on albums or B-sides: "There Was A Time/Raw Ramp", "Mambo Sun", "Rip Off", "Ballroom Of Mars", "Electric Slim And The Factory Hen", "Mad Donna", "Think Zinc", "Celebrate Summer", and many others...

― donut debonair (donut), Monday, 28 March 2005 18:06 (twenty-one years ago)

While we're at it, Tanx is very underrated.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 28 March 2005 20:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Tanx is for sure undrrated it definitely gets lost between slider and ex. I praise banga gong because the chicks love it and it doesn't hurt your chances if its playing.

― jmeister (jmeister), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 06:06 (twenty-one years ago)

EW that is

― jmeister (jmeister), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 06:14 (twenty-one years ago)

I was at a bar tonight where they play these crappy mix CDs that the staff/owners made all night long -- tons of typical bar music crap, you know the drill -- but at one point "Born to Boogie" came on! It was like an oasis in a desert of despair. God did it sound great.

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 06:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Boogie Chew and a oh ohhhh

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 11:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Reason 324325443243 why "Bang a Gong" is great -- dig how quietly and perfectly Flo and Eddie add to the verses.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 14:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually, I just remembered that "Children Of The Revolution" was covered by both Violent Femmes *and* Baby Ford. So I should rethink my "bands covering the more boring A-sides" theory.

― donut debonair (donut), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 19:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Dead C. covered it (sort of), too.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 19:14 (twenty-one years ago)

's funny: The radio's right now playing the Power Station version, and it reminded me of something that I hadn't thought about in years. That my first awareness of "Get It On" wasn't T. Rex's original or even the Power Station's, but the '79 discofied version:

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000059O3D.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

But anyway, yeah, indestructible song, great no matter who does it!

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Monday, 4 April 2005 19:08 (twenty-one years ago)

not even the best song on its album

― Von, Monday, 4 April 2005 23:43 (twenty-one years ago)

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