Thursday, August 31, 2006

we may be hidden by rags, but we've something they'll never have

So here's what I was thinking.

The whistle is a very underrated musical instrument. People forget that it's not just for referees and traffic cops. It's a brilliant musical instrument. Sure, it can only play one note, but still it's cool. And under-used.

There are many examples of songs in which the use of a whistle solo made it that much cooler. Right now, I'm thinking of three.

Guns N Roses -- Paradise City
Supertramp -- The Logical Song
Led Zeppelin -- Fool in the Rain

What are some others?

now playing:

Mogwai Young Team

6 comments:

Hans said...

But the whistle in 'The Logical Song' is not the one-note traffic-cop-type, it's a multi-note pursed-human-lips-type. Or am I missing something?

Anonymous said...

"Don't Worry, Be Happy"

d-lee said...

Hans, you were thinking of a different Supertramp song that uses normal pursed lip-type whistling.

Don't worry, be happy features normal pursed lip-type whistling.

I'm looking for songs that have traffic cop whistles.

As Hans and I discussed in an IM conversation, the Logical Song whistle is more complicated than a traffic cop whistle. It's a simultaneous multi-note, multi-octave whistle. Like a tiny siren operated by the mouth.

Hans said...

Morrissey's "Speedway" uses a chainsaw. Sure, it's not the same as a traffic cop whistle, but imagine if a traffic cop was standing in the middle of the intersection with a chainsaw instead of a whistle! Boy, that would be something.

Anonymous said...

I was thinking more in the lines of a whistle used in sporting events. At work, one of the nurses - Colleen uses what she refers to as a "bitch wistle." When people start being bitches, she blows the whistle and hollers "STOP!" I know it's not a song, but it's pretty damn funny.

The Rhetorical Letter Writer said...

Dear David,

Don't forget "I'm Gonna Whistle My Ass All Weekend" by Joey and the Whistlers. It wasn't that big of a hit, but it's a hell of a great song.

Sincerely,

The Rhetorical Letter Writer