The Top Ten Graveyard Songs

We have talked about Graveyard at great length here, because they are not only a great band, but they are one of the few that generates a consensus opinion. While I find myself listening to them fairly often, I do so with the albums in full. In my mind, I even tend to think of them strictly as 35-40 minute blocks of music, rather than as individual tracks that have been collected together. So for a change of pace, I'm going to look through their five album discography and pick out my ten favorite Graveyard tracks. Here they are, in no particular order:

The Siren

In no order, that is, except for this track. Without a doubt in my mind, this is Graveyard's magnum opus, the one song that most encapsulates everything they are. It is epic, yet focused. It is heavy as hell, yet gentle. It is the greatest classic rock song classic rock doesn't know about.

Slow Motion Countdown
Uncomfortably Numb
Hard Time Lovin'
Too Much Is Not Enough

Perhaps I am in the minority, but I love Graveyard when they are at their softest, playing their soulful take on ballads. From the slight grit in Joakim's voice, to the way their amps break up with just a hint of distortion, they are able to sound like they are giving it everything they've got, even when the songs are restrained.

Exit 97
Don't Take Us For Fools

The debut album doesn't get talked about much, but while it is a bit rougher around the edges, the band's sound was fully-formed from the get-go. That is especially true on "Don't Take Us For Fools", which features Graveyard's absolute best 'so simple it's genius' riffs, played with a guitar tone that shows that distortion isn't what makes a sound heavy. Hearing the chunk of those guitars is one of the absolute best moments of their entire career.

No Good, Mr Holden
Goliath
Thin Line

The other side of Graveyard is faster and more aggressive, and they are great at that as well. Short and sweet, they waste no time in delivering only the meat, with none of the potatoes. Their songwriting is so direct it might seem incomplete, but that's the entire point. When the starting point is so good, you don't need anything else.

You might notice there are only two songs from the two latest albums represented. That isn't a slight on their quality, but a reflection that the period encompassing the first three is one of the magical times in rock when a band couldn't miss. My tastes might be a bit in left-field, but those three records are as good as classic rock can be, so it is no wonder they make up the majority of my love for Graveyard. Maybe that will change the next time I revisit this project. We'll have to see.