I just found out I hate this song

[Josh Bass]

Now, I know people don't necessarily agree with my musical tastes; perhaps people even hate everything I hold dear. Nevertheless. . .

I'd just like to say. . .

I hate. . .

"Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty.

This obnoxious, sax-flled, chorus-less, opus plays (I'm guessing) several times a day on the local "all 80's (and early 90s--go to hell, Alanis Morissette) station", and I never caught the name of it, or the artist, until a few days ago, though it's been assaulting my ears for at least 6 months now.

To hammer the ice pick even further into my toe, some bastard has gone and covered it, so it ALSO plays on the modern "alternative rock" station. Damn you. Damn you all.

[Peter Higginbottom]

Hi
I prefer Waylon Jennings version of Baker Street, check it out.


Regards


Peter.

[Josh Bass]

I think it's the song, not so much the artist.

[John Sandel]

Officially noted. I now feel ashamed and doomed.

[Josh Bass]

I'm sorry, I wasn't damning those who like the song, rather, the radio programming people, and any and all artists who've written or covered this ditty.

[John Sandel]

Josh, Josh, don't apologize. How often do you get to cast out a general damnation without

a) risking your standing in the afterlife
b) getting a Coke thrown in your face
c) worse ...?

Enjoy your newfound indignation! Someday I'll tell you about the day I heard Boz Scagg's "We're All Alone" covered on the radio by Steve Lawrence—and the things I said to the disc jockey when I called the radio station ...

[Josh Bass]

That's all well and good, but I really DIDN'T mean to come across as damning fans of the song. . .if I had, then I'd stand by it.

[Charles Papert]

As the Jerky Boys once said, "Sue everybody!"

A friend of mine that I occasionally play with in a band had a gig at Genghis Cohen on Fairfax, and he called me up to ask me to sit on his cover of "Baker Street" (since I'm a sax player, you can imagine what this would entail). I agreed, and dutifully listened to the song a few times and figured out that Bass-despised lick. When I arrived at the gig, I was horrified to discover that he was playing solo this time, no back-up band. I was to stand out there doing nothing for most of the song, except for wailing on that aforementioned Bass-reviled sax part, while the other guy did everything else. Like a sport I went through with it, but I was dying a little inside (although I can't say as I have loathing in my hear for the song, unlike a certain Bassified individual).

I thought it sounded sort of dumb without the rest of the band, but the audience seemed to like it. In fact, a really cute girl gave me the eye (doesn't happen often, folks) as I walked through the crowd back to my seat, up until the time when I sat back down next to my girlfriend. But we all know about the allure of musicians with the ladies--she probably would have lost interest if she knew I actually have a job, am responsible etc.

And speaking of Boz Scaggs--the next time I played with that guy, it was at a wedding (I just do this stuff for fun, sort of a life experience thing) and I had to learn the flute part on "The Lowdown". Haven't played flute since high school, and pretty badly then (it was part of the expected stage band troika of clarinet/sax/flute), but I bashed my way through it. Josh, how do you feel about that particular song?

[Josh Bass]

Have I mentioned my tastes are very narrow, very mainstream, very modern, uncultured, and very pedestrian? What I'm getting at is that I don't know the song to which you refer, so I can't give an opinion.

[Gary Chavez]

Wow, Baker Street reminds me of 8th-9th grade and the squirming everytime time it came on the radio.
Its dreary, moody, depressing, and kind of creepy. And the sax solo is the creepiest of all. I hope you were making crazy eyes while you soloed that line!

[Charles Papert]

Was it "Good Will Hunting" that had that song during the slow-motion street fight scene...?

[Josh Bass]

Yeah, because I'm a freak, I learn how to play songs I hate, sometimes, just to annoy people when I'm around them and there happens to be a guitar nearby. In doing so, I read the lyrics to that song. Not a happy song, not at all! Not that 80s kind of not happy either (I broke up with my girlfriend, etc.), but deeply disturbingly depressing. Doesn't seem to really fit on the 80s station.

[Robert Mann Z.]

the foo fighters did a great cover of that song...worth looking it up if you love or hate it

[Josh Bass]

Did it just come out? Maybe that's what's playing on the alt rock/modern rock stations. As I said "great cover of that song" is a contradiction in terms. . .you know, like "good Jennifer Lopez movie."

[John Plunkett]

My wife hates "Baker Street", but she likes Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl", so...

I'm a musician first and foremost so to me, music is really all that matters. I can understand how people wouldn't like the song because it's really against the grain when compared to most popular music. Even punk at it's peak was pretty formulaic. The great thing about Baker Street is that it's hard to listen to, like Jazz or Prog, but it's neither of those things. It's kind of it's own musical genre.

I'm a sucker for those memorable sax lines!