I think I'm in love with the sundown

I really wish I had the time and skill to create mashups sometimes. Especially in this case, because I can't imagine too many other people making this admittedly tenuous connection.

When I first heard this catchy tune by Beck, there was a little phrase in the verse that sounded familiar, and I couldn't place it until I was listening to it on my way to work one morning. It was early in the morning, and for some ungodly reason, once it hit the chorus, I started to sing "Sundown" by Gordon Lightfoot.

See what you think:






Not a lot the same, but I'd really like to hear these two mashed up...

That sounds familiar!

OK, I noticed this the other day while perusing TV show openings on YouTube uploaded by my new hero, bobcnn.

Go to about 4:30, when you get to the theme song for Today's FBI. Listen to that song.



Then listen to the main theme for one of my favoritest movies ever, Stripes.



They sound more than just a little similar. They both came out the same year, 1981. And they were both the work of Elmer Bernstein, if IMDB is to be believed. I wonder why the themes are so similar. I mean, it's like the Stripes theme turned around a little, really.

Just struck me odd; thought I'd share. You're welcome.

That Sounds Familiar!

Today's entries into That Sounds Familiar are two songs that occupy a permanent spot in my brain's song rotation.

They don't really sound alike but for the same chord progression. So just to be weird, I like to sing the chorus of the older song during the chorus of the newer song.

And my wife already knows I'm a big, big freak, so I don't have to worry about looking weird when I do it.

First song: "Atlantis," by Donovan


My parents had this album, and they played it a lot when I was a kid. I liked the song fine enough, but the talking at the beginning bored me to tears. I already knew what happened to Atlantis. I read Aquaman, didn't I?

Donovan already got points with me for naming dropping Superman and Green Lantern in one of his other songs, so I sat through the talking.

Second song: Damn Good Times, by They Might Be Giants



I love They Might Be Giants. Love. Thanks to Here Come the ABCs, my son loves them, too. I can't wait for Here Come The 123s, which comes out next month.

I stumbled on to this when I was putzing around on the guitar trying to pick out the chords. Once I had the chord progression, I thought it sounded familiar. I started playing it slowly, and then I had it.

I should also mention that there is a really cool book by Tim English, called "Sounds Like Teen Spirit." Since this is a subject that I've been interested in for a long time, I was happy to get it for Christmas. If you like this kind of thing, I recommend you pick it up; it's a great read.

It also limits what I will cover with this feature, but that's OK; Tim is more thorough and informative.

That sounds familiar...

A new feature here at Siftin' is That Sounds Familiar, in which I pair up two songs that sound a little similar, whether it's the whole song, or just pieces.

First up, two songs that you probably have on a mix CD: "Top of the World" by the Carpenters, and "Pass the Dutchie" by Musical Youth.

In this case, it's the beginning of the verse of both songs. There's not much similar in the rest of the song, but I hear this in my head:

"Such a feeling coming over me (How does it feel when you got no food?)"






And that's how this works. Some will be shockingly similar, and some, I suspect, will only sound the same to me.