Goldfinger, usually people have heard of this band, yet they have no recollection of it. Unless you are a fan of the Ska genera, songs like “Superman”, “99 Red Balloons”, and “Here in Your Bedroom”, will sound familiar to you.
Rush, Blink 182, NoFx, Minus the Bear, Everytime I Die, and the Beatles all are constantly battling for time making my ear drums vibrate most pleasantly. However, if I had to choose, Goldfinger would be my all time favorite band.
Why? Like all bands you grow to like, you remember the first song you heard that made you want to hear another and another and another. Then you have other people listen to them, maybe some catch on maybe others don’t. With Goldfinger every time I heard a new Goldfinger song I could not understand why they weren’t more popular than they were or are. Simply put, Goldfinger made the most sense to me, so I made them my favorite band.
Goldfinger will always lead the way as my favorite band. There popularity doesn’t matter. How other people feel about them doesn’t matter. What matters is, I think they sound awesome. The songs feel like they are made for me. When I listen to them I become happier to be alive and at the same time I am transformed to a more youthful version of myself.
Then to cap everything off I was finally able to see them play live and the combination of seeing the songs I love being played, and seeing them play with the same energy I would play them. There was no debate after that.
I can only hope that with my own aspirations of being a full-time professional musician in a band, that I could one day cross paths with at least one member so I can attempt to express my great appreciation for making the music they made.
So enough dribble drabble, here are MY TOP 10 favorite GOLDFINGER songs:
10. The Innocent
A tribute to 9/11, which at the time was nothing new, but it touched on one thing that I never heard in any other tribute song. “Hate has turned to others, for their religion or their skin, but hate can’t solve the problem it began.” Makes you question some of the quick decisions that were made in the following years.
9. Don’t Say Goodbye
A deep track that for some reason has always kept my head nodding and feet tapping. Good energy all the way through with a good interlude/breakdown to change things up.
8. If Only
An old time favorite that caught my attention with the breakdown that you never see coming when the song starts. The song flows very well from part to part that has a ska foundation and a heavy rock feel. The first times hearing it, I realized that this isn’t a one genre band. It sounds like they listen to the all the same different styles of music I listen to.
7. King for a Day
In my opinion of the best examples of a prog-ska song. The first half of the songs gets you in a good groove, then the second half comes along and turns the groove into a burst of built up energy. I remember one time getting very upset when someone turned off the song half way through. I guess that built up energy needs to be released no matter what.
6. Radio
Timing is everything and with Radio the timing was perfect. This deep track comes about 45 minutes into the CD. In junior high my morning bus ride usually took about 48 minutes, so Radio was that last bit of joy I had before walking into another day of school. It woke me up, put a smile on my face, and echoed around my brain for the first parts of the day.
5. Hand jobs for Jesus
Rebelling against 13 years of Catholic school at first glance, AWESOME! Then I listened to the song and was amazed by the three different parts, each with there own feel. Seemed like three different songs in one, it certainly kept my attention throughout. As my focus on an organized religion has diminished over the year, the message makes a little more sense to me, or at least it doesn’t feel “wrong” to listen to it. Every bodies faith is different and for some this song will widen eyes and drop jaws, but for me I choose to sing along.
4. Here in your Bedroom
Classic. The second Goldfinger song I ever heard, I get to play it every week and it’s still fun, and once in a blue moon it comes across the radio waves which turns a regular day into a great day.
3. Question
An anthem for the independent, humble and self-reliant. A much better way to say, “don’t judge someone until you have walked a mile in there shoes”. Also, the most honest way to get yourself or anyone else out of a slump, “Stop complaining, point your finger. I’ll tell you who to blame”.
2. Mable
The first Goldfinger song I ever heard. It was the first song I saw played on a drum-set that was right in front of me. At my one and only time seeing Goldfinger live I was singing with them up on stage. Countless other memories tied to this song as well. The intro drum riff remains a corner stone of my current drumming style today.
1. Superman
There is a simple reason why Superman edges out Mable. Yes, playing Tony Hawk as a kid is how everyone knows this song, I was no exception. However, Superman was the first ska song I can remember hearing. With the familiar ska guitar sound, at the time, that was all I knew. Down the road as I heard more and more ska songs (still not yet knowing that ska was a thing), my mind heard each one as, “Oh hey this songs has that Superman sound to it”. Till this day I haven’t heard a bad ska…..Superman song.
Got any personal favorites I left out. Let me know!! I’m always up for a Goldfinger discussion.
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