somesongsconsidered:

“Radar Love” – Golden Earring
(Words/music: Barry Hay and George Kooymans, available on Moontan, MCA 1973)

The words in “Radar Love” detail a weary driver trying to find motivation for completing his long and arduous trip to his love.  It could also be about the song “Radar Love” itself – the main character finds himself driving faster and faster with thoughts of his love, his wish for his trip to end, and the music pumped out of the radio.  Aside from the time-space ramifications, “Radar Love” could be the song this guy’s listening to as he’s speeding off into the sunset.  Long regarded as one of the great “driving songs” of the classic rock era, I’m sure that plenty of us have had that same moment in the car where “Radar Love” comes on and the accelerometer slowly climbs.  Aside from being a song about driving fast, “Radar Love” feels perfect for those long stretches of open highway where the car stereo is our only company.

Radar Love achieves this “turbo boost” (or, as the song suggests, the “voice in my head that drives my heel”) by the way it builds up to the chorus.  Even though the song maintains the same galloping tempo the entire song, it feels like it’s speeding up as the song builds up to the free-wheeling chorus.  The prominent bass line helps to create this effect and makes the song sound like it’s constantly trying to catch up with the steady drumming.  Every time the song adds a new layer – whether it’s the horn section or the brief bits of lead guitar in the verses, it feels like another car pulling along side us threatening to pass in front of us.  Just as the song feels like it’s racing to the chorus, we steadily (and in my case at least, subconsciously) push our foot down just a little bit more.  Even once the chorus ends and the song starts building again, we’re never given the cue to slow down; instead, we start accelerating again as it builds back up.  By the time the chorus hits, I’m ready to sing along, paying little attention to how fast I’m speeding by the other cars.  I’m just not entirely sure why the song’s called “Radar Love,” as the radar gun will be the exact thing that ruins this party.

More on Golden Earring: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm

Yes. YES.

This isn’t too far off from what I wrote about the same song a few months ago.

I dedicate this reblog to thestoryofb and ladawn.  It’s a few days late - he intercepted the blip on his radar last night - but better late than never.

I’m going to start sharing specific songs from my life that hold a permanent place in my heart.  If I were to present a mixtape to everyone that will attend my funeral, it would likely contain these songs.  These won’t come in any particular order; I’ve got an ever-expanding playlist that I’ll be pulling from.

The first song that I’d like to share is: Golden Earring : Radar Love

I was 11 when my brother first shoved a guitar into my reluctant hands.  The first thing he taught me was the bass line from the verses of this song.  That simple bass line was the seed from which has sprung my undying love for making music and my lifelong goal of being a professional musician.

Beyond the fact that this song is what led me to the guitar, my love for it rests in the fact that it is just so damn good.  Most people can agree that there are few better songs to drive to.  The horn-breakdown in the middle comes out of nowhere - the blaring trumpets hit you like a thousand tiny needles piercing your skull - and just as quickly as it starts it’s over and the song returns to the thumping bass line.  Soon enough you’re rocking out through the big finish and then the song ends and you wonder why your hands hurt, so you look down and notice that your fingers and palms are red and you realize that you’ve just beat the living shit out of your steering wheel.  But was it not worth it?

Strangely, this isn’t the only Dutch band I’ve got on my list.  Stay tuned for more.