Friday, March 30, 2007

Just like Tango & Cash

This month's Spin has a feature on the team-up of Johnny Marr with Modest Mouse and in support of that, lists the 25 greatest team-ups in popular music history. Starting chronologically with the Million Dollar Quartet (Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins) and ending with Modest Mouse's latest, the list is full of great albums that prove egos can mesh.

Playlist: Spin Magazine's 25 Greatest Team-Ups

There are a few team-ups missing that are pretty glaring. While they included one great Brian/David team-up (Eno/Byrne's My Life in the Bush of Ghosts) they missed the most important one with the album Low, where Eno teamed up with David Bowie to change the underground music landscape forever.

Other more recent oversights include the debuts from Gorillaz, New Pornographers, and The Raconteurs. I'd even include Robert Palmer's debut Sneaking Through the Alley, which featured the team-up of Lowell George (Little Feat) and The Meters.

What are some of the less memorable team-ups? HSAS (Hagar, Schon, Aaronson & Shrieve,) Planet Us (Hagar and Schon again,)Asia, GTR, and really, for that matter, the other Robert Palmer team-up The Power Station.

Think of any other great and forgettable team-ups?

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1 comment:

Shawn Anderson said...

Spin Magazine's 25 Greatest Team-Ups

# "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" - Million Dollar Quartet, Million Dollar Quartet (1956)
# "Tears Of Rage" - Bob Dylan & The Band, The Basement Tapes (1967)
# "Hickory Wind" - The Byrds, Sweethearts of the Rodeo (1968)
# "Layla" - Derek and the Dominos, Layla and Other Sorted Love Songs (1970)
# "Carry On" - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Deja Vu (1970)
# "Rhiannon" - Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac (1975)
"Heart To Hang Onto" - Pete Townshend & Ronnie Lane Rough Mix (1977)
# "Help Me Somebody" - Brian Eno/David Byrne, My Life in the Bush of Ghosts(1981)
# "I Will Refuse" - Pailhead (Ministry + Ian MacKaye,) Trait (1988)
# "Only in 3s" - The Breeders, Pod (1990)*
# "Raspberry Beret" - The Hindu Love Gods (Warren Zevon + REM) Hindu Love Gods (1990)*
# "Don't Touch My Bikini" - The Halo Benders (Doug Martsch + Calvin Johnson,) God Don't Make No Junk (1994)
# "Downtown - Neil Young (w/ Pearl Jam,) Mirror Ball (1995)
# "Blue Flowers - Dr. Octagon (Kool Keith + Dan the Automater,) Dr. Octagonecologyst (1996)
# "God Give Me Strength" - Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach, Painted From Memory (1998)
# "California Stars" - Billy Bragg & Wilco, Mermaid Avenue, Vols 1 & 2 (1998/2000)
# "First It Giveth" - Queens of the Stone Age (w/ Dave Grohl,) Songs for the Deaf (2002)
# "Such Great Heights" - The Postal Service (Ben Gibbard + Jimmy Tamborello,) Give Up (2003)
# "Portland, Oregon" - Loretta Lynn (w/ Jack White, The Greenhornes) Van Lear Rose (2004)
# "99 Problems" (mashed with "Helter Skelter") - Jay-Z & The Beatles (Danger Mouse) The Grey Album (2004)*
# "Figaro" - Madvillain (Madlib + MF Doom) Madvillainy (2004)
# "Goat And Ram" - Matt Sweeney & Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Superwolf (2005)
# "Just A Thought" - Gnarls Barkley (Danger Mouse + Cee-Lo) St. Elsewhere (2006)
# "What Goes Around Comes Around" - Justin Timberlake (w/ Timbaland) Futuresex/Lovesounds (2006)
# "Florida" - Modest Mouse (w/ Johnny Marr) We Were Dead Before the Boat Even Sank (2007)

*Not digitally available