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

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Hm. For me it's "Pale" if you only count the originals, but the Bangles' version of "Winter" wins if covers are OK.

― The Mad Puffin (The Mad Puffin), Tuesday, 31 October 2006 17:02 (seventeen years ago) link

"Whiter Shade of Pale" by a mile over the turgid existentialism of "Hazy Shade of Winter"

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 31 October 2006 17:34 (seventeen years ago) link

wrong way round, surely?

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 31 October 2006 17:41 (seventeen years ago) link

God I hate a Whiter Shade of Pale more than any other song I think!

― nate woolls (napawo), Tuesday, 31 October 2006 18:24 (seventeen years ago) link

Hazy Shade of Winter by a million miles. Having just had to sit through the interminable replaying of Whiter Shade of Pale in Scorcese's "NY Stories" segment, I hate the song even more now...

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 31 October 2006 18:40 (seventeen years ago) link

Maybe "turgid" is the wrong adjective. "Whiter Shade of Pale" by a mile over the pallid existentialism of "Hazy Shade of Winter."

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 31 October 2006 18:49 (seventeen years ago) link

There's nothing turgid or existential about The Bangles' "Hazy Shade of Winter," which pisses on both of these from a complacent, simpering height.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 31 October 2006 19:22 (seventeen years ago) link

"Hazy"

― The Redd 47 Ronin (Ken L), Tuesday, 31 October 2006 19:37 (seventeen years ago) link

"Whiter Shade of Pale" is one of those psychedelic records too easily criticized for its corniness - too easy to ignore how grand it is. I'll be interested to see if anyone else expresses fondness for it.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 31 October 2006 19:42 (seventeen years ago) link

"~~"Whiter Shade of Pale"~~ INSERT RANDOM BEATLES SONG TITLE HERE is one of those psychedelic records too easily criticized for its corniness - too easy to ignore how grand it is. I'll be interested to see if anyone else expresses fondness for it."

― The Redd 47 Ronin (Ken L), Tuesday, 31 October 2006 19:44 (seventeen years ago) link

truedat!

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 31 October 2006 19:45 (seventeen years ago) link

"Whiter Shade of Pale," which has never really sounded corny to me, maybe just somewhat overwrought (but also incredibly gorgeous). I'm sick of the thing, of course, but I don't think I've ever interrupted the organ intro--I at least wait for the vocals to come in before switching the station. Don't care at all for the S&G or Bangles version of the other (don't care for much of anything by the Bangles, come to think of it)...but I think what's missing here is Urban Underground's "Deeper Shade of Soul," which is more surprising sounding than either.

― s w00ds (sw00ds), Tuesday, 31 October 2006 19:49 (seventeen years ago) link

truedat!
Um, Tim, I hate to break it to you, but...

― The Redd 47 Ronin (Ken L), Tuesday, 31 October 2006 20:17 (seventeen years ago) link

Early Bee Gees is an interesting comparison - way more corny, but, I'm sure, more widely loved on here than something like "A Whiter Shade of Pale." Maybe because they were so over the top. I can see that PH had a little less personality. In any case, I think "AWSoP" is a transcendent single. Certainly like it more than the singles from Days of Future Passed.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 31 October 2006 20:32 (seventeen years ago) link

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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