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Last week, the Internet cried as Franz Nicolay announced his departure from The Hold Steady. Sigh. Why must all good things come to an end?
At least this gives us an excuse to start a little online fight about which Hold Steady songs are the best. Here are a highly subjective eight to get the ball rolling.
8. Joke About Jamaica
It’s cool when bands write songs about other songs. It’s also cool when songs grind to a halt for skronky solos, like this one does around the 3:20 mark.
7. How A Resurrection Really Feels
The closing track to the band’s underrated second album, Separation Sunday, a loose song cycle about drugs and faith and redemption.
6. Sequestered In Memphis
The Hold Steady does its best E Street Band impression.
5. Knuckles
Another song that grinds to a halt. This one busts out of the silence with frontman Craig Finn shouting over a guitar and calling himself a liar.
4. Certain Songs
The power ballad Billy Joel would write if he were 20 years younger and hanging out in Brooklyn, as opposed to the Hamptons.
3. Citrus
Not a power ballad, just a ballad. A slurry ballad, but a real ballad nonetheless.
2. Multitude of Casualties
Some of Finn’s best lyrics, and a simple hammering riff that just won’t quit.
1. Chips Ahoy!
A joyous, erupting hook. Lyrics about horse racing. Crunchy guitar. A dizzy keyboard solo. It’s tight, raucous and fun — The Hold Steady, distilled.
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Your Little Hoodrat Friend must make any best of list. The way it expodes........come on.
I'm sure everybody has their own list, and I can't quibble with Chips Ahoy in the top spot, but I agree with Koschmarq, no Your Little Hoodrat Friend?
And I much prefer Slapped Actress to Jokes about Jamiaca
I'd go with
1. The Swish
2. Hornets! Hornets!
3. Banging Camp
4. How A Resurrection Really Feels
5. Stuck Between Stations
6. Chips Ahoy!
7. Constructive Summer
8. Sequestered in Memphis
I'm gonna have to go with:
8. Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night
7. Most People Are DJs
6. Southtown Girls
5. Your Little Hoodrat Friend
4. You Can Make Him Like You
3. Girls Like Status
2. Chips Ahoy!
1. Sequestered In Memphis
mmmmmm Hello? "First Night"
Especially in light of thinking about Fraz leaving. The keys are beautiful in that song.
Surprised "Stuck between Stations" hasn't been given much love either.
These guys came up with another list in response: http://ow.ly/10zcl
Here's my list in no particular order.
1. Cattle and the creeping things.
2. Most people are djs
3. Curves and nerves
4. Joke about jamaica
5. Banging Camp
6. Milkcrate mosh
7. 212-margarita
8. Killer parties
Stuck Between Stations is a necessity. It sums up Finn's entire life work in a succinctly awesome package. I'd also add Ask her for Adderall to my personal list, which looks something like this (most days):
1. Stuck Between Stations
2. Hoodrat Friend
3. Constructive Summer
4. The Swish
5. Citrus
6. How a Resurrection Really Feels
7. Adderall
8. Chips Ahoy
1. The Swish
2. Stuck Between Stations
3. Your Little Hoodrat Friend
4. Chips Ahoy
5. Lord, I'm Discouraged
6. Ask Her For Adderall
7. How A Resurrection Really Feels
8. Stevie Nix
Since you felt the need to do this and suck me in:
8. Most People Are DJs
7. Your Little Hoodrat Friend
6. Stuck Between Stations
5. Slapped Actress
4. How a Resurrection Really Feels
3. Girls Like Status
2. You Can Make Him Like You
1. Stevie Nix
Haven't found a list I agree with yet. Here is mine:
8. Positive Jam
7. Southtown Girls
6. Hot Soft Light
5. How a Resurrection Really Feels
4. Girls Like Status
3. Most People Are D.J.'s
2. Cattle and the Creeping Things
1. The Swish
I'd go
8. Certain Songs
7. First Night
6. Multitude of Casualties
5. Banging Camp
4. Constructive Summer
3. Slapped Actress
2. Chips Ahoy
1. How A Resurrection Really Feels
1. hoodrat
2. southtown
3. stations
4. chips
5. swish
6. banging
7. sequestered
8. party
Wrong!
"Most People are DJs"
"Magazines"
"Girls Like Status"
"Yeah Sapphire"
"Slapped Actress"
"Knuckles" is awful, if you ask me...
Thanks for making this list! The Hold Steady are the best band going now IMO. Here'smy top 8...
1. How a Resurrection Really Feels
2. Knuckles
3. Stevie Nix
4. The Swish
5. Stuck Between Stations
6. Stay Positive
7. Lord I'm Discouraged
8. First Night
As useless as I find these sorts of lists, I'll indulge simply because a couple of my least favorite Hold Steady songs made the cut.
Simply to offer another point of view and In no particular order:
Chillout Tent
Cattle & The Creeping Things
Southtown Girls
Stuck Between Stations
The Swish
Banging Camp
Charlemagne in Sweatpants
Magazines
Why does no one ever include Chillout Tent??
I was a bit shocked and dismayed that "One for the Cutters" was not mentioned on any of the lists. The lyrical story has so much relative meaning to growing up, unless you were raised in a protective bubble somewhere. I still get goosebumps when I listen to it sometimes. So come on some of you fellow "Townies" and speak up!
Yes, Mesawolff. My thoughts, precisely (though I'm not exactly a townie).
A little late, but personally:
8. The Swish
7. Slapped Actress
6. The Chillout Tent
5. Stevie Nix
4. Don't Let Me Explode
3. Chips Ahoy
2. Multitude of Casualties
1. How A Resurrection Really Feels/Killer Parties
When they play this live, hoo boy...it is mind bogglingly incredible.