The Best/Worst Moments of last night's show

[Myles]

the Kevin Smith Oscar acceptance speech killed me

[andrew in philadelphia]

The whole "Scott Caan's hair looks like a seashell" thing was especially funny.

[betheboy]

"Ratt dip"

This one killed me.

[scratchbomb]

I love Chestnut Mare. One of my favorite choruses ever. I loved Tom's critique though but I hate it when he gets someone on the phone and they feel they have to automatically think everything is as stupid as he says it is. Viva la Byrds!

I'm not all that familiar with it or deep Byrds cuts in general. I found myself liking it musically, particularly in the chorus, but the weird spoken word "verses" were so odd that they're jarring. There's something enjoyable about the song that, in a strange way, makes dumping on it seem almost necessary. If that makes sense.

[Mr. Spacely]

Haven't listened yet, but just saw synopsis of last night's show. Another Newbridge Monroe brother calls in? 

To quote the Superchunk drummer, "I think my pants just tightened."

[masterofsparks]

I liked the "Chestnut Mare" talk, especially the fact that Tom used the John McCain voice to read the lyrics.

[Chrissy in MN]

My favorite moments: 

Pet Sounds Lyrics
"French Spanish Reggae. Sign me up."
"How many friends do you have? 0 or -1?"
"We're like America's Kennedys."

[Dan of Orange]

Tom's a real nice crooner.

[Lawrence Orbach]

The Pet Sounds meets Lou Reed/New York album was so hilarious. 'ate a sandwich (or 2)'

And yes, I hope 'Rat Dip' enters the 2011 lexicon in a big way.

[Greggulator]

The Pet Sounds stuff was a high-water mark.

Spanish/French reggae... that's the genre of music playing in my personal version of hell.

I never heard Chestnut Mare until the show. I can't stop listening to it. I like The Byrds but I somehow didn't get anything by them in my music buying prime. Like it was said before -- I like the jangly music and the chorus but the lyrics are absolutely terrifying. I never thought there would be creepier verses than Is That All There Is? or Macarthur Park. Chestnut Mare is way beyond those. A literal interpretation is crazy enough. But if the mare is some sort of weird metaphor for a woman... ugh.

[Greggulator]

The Byrds - Chestnut Mare

The Byrds performing Chestnut Mare on a weird German television show. There's a strange floating woman prominently involved in the beginning.

[cavorting with nudists]

Fun Fact about "Chestnut Mare," from Joey: The Violent Passionate Saga Of Joey Gallo, The Most Legendary Mobster Of Our Time by Donald Goddard:

Gallo's ex-wife, remembering his opinionated reactions to some of the pop music that had come out during one of his prison stints:

He got especially mad over a Byrds song called "Chestnut Mare" that I wanted him to hear. "Listen to the lyrics," I told him. "They're so pretty, and so well done." "I don't want to hear any fags singing about any fucking horse," he says--and he's really venomous. "It's not about a fucking horse," I said. "If you'll listen, it's about life." But he doesn't want to hear about life, either...Next thing I know, he jumps out of the bathtub, snatches the record off the machine, stomps out in the hall stark-naked and pitches it down the incinerator.

(Not claiming any deep acquaintance with mobster lit here; this comes via Lester Bangs)

[masterofsparks]

I never heard Chestnut Mare until the show. I can't stop listening to it. I like The Byrds but I somehow didn't get anything by them in my music buying prime. Like it was said before -- I like the jangly music and the chorus but the lyrics are absolutely terrifying. I never thought there would be creepier verses than Is That All There Is? or Macarthur Park. Chestnut Mare is way beyond those. A literal interpretation is crazy enough. But if the mare is some sort of weird metaphor for a woman... ugh.

It's gotta be among the best ever songs about horse-stalking.

[cavorting with nudists]

That TV version of the song is quite abridged. It even skips over the part about the sidewinder, so you have no idea why they're suddenly falling down a crevice.

To my mind, the "give her my brand" bit is not beyond the normal range of traditional chauvinist rock-n-roll metaphors--it's not worse than, say, "Tire tracks all across your back, I can see you've had your fun," not to mention any song that mentions "using my gun" where an actual firearm is not meant. And the jumping-on-top-of-her stuff is just playing out the seduction-object-as-wild-horse metaphor.  For me, the one really skeevy moment is the way McGuinn says ". . . a fahhn lady."

[Senator Gothman (D-OR)]

I have not finished listening to the show yet BECAUSE I'M BUSY ALRIGHT, but I want to register my deep disgust at the seemingly arbitrary decision to cast All-Star Brian Wilson of the World Champion San Francisco Giants into The Hate Pit while a real menace like Roger Moore is allowed to roam the world free unfettered. This is indeed a heinous act!

The Pet Sounds stuff was the best.