There, I said it: I like the song IN THE BIG HOUSE by Pop Evil. And in talking to my Michigan friends, they like it, too.
But that can't be. The dean of Michigan bloggers, Brian at MGoBlog, who judging by his posts on the subject would prefer somebody dig up Woody Hayes and place the rotted corpse at his kitchen table, recently declared that "everyone hates" IN THE BIG HOUSE.
Really?
The votes on the two most watched YouTube videos for the song (one with 136K views, the other with nearly 60K) are overwhelmingly "thumbs up" (875 likes vs. 30 dislikes on one, 462 vs. 15 on the other). It received a 5 star rating from listeners on iTunes thus far. And, probably most importantly, apparently the players like it.
Yet Brian likens IN THE BIG HOUSE to, uh, things like...this from ND. Now, you can not like IN THE BIG HOUSE. You can even dislike it. But to compare it to that...song? Seems like comparing apples to orange-colored musical vomit.
I wonder if Brian's
Hey, I agree with Brian on most matters Michigan: I'm not really a fan of the numbers on the side of the helmet, but whatever; I loathed the "halo" around the stadium; I absolutely hate the idea of some dude in a fuzzy suit roaming the Big House sidelines calling himself "Michigan's mascot"; and I also went to Bo's gravesite to give thanks when Rich Rodriguez got canned (okay, three out of four).
But I totally disagree with him on this one.
So what do MZone readers think? I'm curious. I know this isn't a scientific poll, but I'd love to know how our readers feel. Below is the song via one of the YouTube videos and in the upper righthand corner of the main page is a place to vote yea/yeah/yay or nay on the song. So cast your ballot then leave your thoughts in the comments section.
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24 comments:
I like it. It won't make it to my iPod, but I don't have a problem with it. The song could, however, benefit from reworking or removing the bridge sections. The lyrics and structure interrupt the good vibe for me. But it's what it should be: pro-Michigan, upbeat, and infectious.
I love it. I watch the video at LEAST once a week and I have downloaded it from itunes. The past 2 weekends we have had company come to go to the games and I made them watch it too. I should mention that I have to wear my headphones now when I watch it if hubby is home, he isn't a fan of it and he thinks that the video could be better as well. I think that he thinks it is TOO much all around. But, I think it is awesome. We are both homers too, so I was surprised that he didn't like it.
I could not get the voting button to work but I like it, at least in small doses. I am not sure I would want to listen to it as much as Catie but they play a shorter version in the pregame at the stadium and the crowd seems to enjoy it. It gets me pumped up a bit. Compared to the ND song this is much much better.
The song blows. I am sure that Brian, like the rest of us, heard the song before knowing anything about the band. It was in a very well done hype video which, like most hype videos, would have been awesome if not for the shitty music. The mascara came later.
Obviously there's no accounting for personal taste. The players may like it and that's their right. They're also 18-23 years old and have unfortunately grown up in a time when there has been hardly any decent music to listen to. I imagine most Michigan students like the song, too.
Brian is employing a healthy dose of skepticism because they appear to be a band that simply wants to leverage the Michigan fan base to create a career. I can see why a Michigan traditionalist would be pissed off about this. Of course, all would likely be forgiven if the song didn't blow.
Just as a counter-point, I seriously doubt anyone was upset when the Red Hot Chili Peppers put out "Magic Johnson" because the song showed how they were clearly fans of the Lakers. I don't see anything resembling that from these schmoes. They just threw the words "Hail" and "Big House" into their song as often as possible.
I don't like the song at all, but whatever - different strokes for different folks - that's not my problem.
I was looking for a good way to describe it and Reed hits it on the head: Pop Evil is attempting to leverage Michigan football fans' crazy fanaticism to create some sort of post-dog grooming neo-hair metal career.
Because it's about Michigan football, the Big House, etc etc, of course they're going to get people that blindly love it. I'd much rather listen to the MMB with classic rock occasionally in-between. Or Detroit/Michigan based artists - I'm not the 'get off my lawn'-type that would have a problem with Kid Rock, Eminem, Ted Nugent, Bob Seger, etc.
If anything, 'In the Big House' only sounds decent because Special K spends all week finding the worst top-40 songs of the past 5 years and putting them on his gameday playlist.
Hate the song but actually didn't mind the band before this song came out - not that they're on any of my playlists, though. The song is way too forced and manufactured and like was said above, seems like they wanted to play off one of the largest fanbases in the country to make a buck or get their name out more. I do enjoy watching the hype video accompanying it on mute, however.
I don't mind the song so much but what I think Brian is getting at is I don't like the fact that they play the song at the games. Last weekend was my first game this year with the new scoreboards and such and the new "traditions" (read shitty music) and I didn't like the atmosphere one bit. It smelled of carnival and tasteless food.
They need to go back to the band and thats it. If you want to play some piped in music during long timeouts or whatever that's fine but don't blast it over the speakers and don't use it to faux hype up the crowd. It's just terrible. Many of you have already heard of my displeasure for the "Ooohohohohohhhhhhh" song whatever the F that is. That's the very first thing that needs to go. You can turn on any college football game anywhere and they are all doing it. This is Michigan God dangit we don't need to copy people.
On the copying note the entire idea of a "maize out" is bleeding retarded as well. We're not Penn State or any of these other schools that do that and by god maize is the worst color choice for that anyway. Last I checked it gets cold in October and November and I don't know anyone who has maize sweatshirts stocking caps and jackets. If you want to do something then everyone should be in blue except the student section which should be in maize. That would look spiffy. If and when you could get the student section to actually show up for a game.
Alright the local kid is here to take back his soap box he's got a race coming up.
As a blue-haired alumna (not really blue), I really like the song. I heard it at the ND game for the first time and thought it was fabulous! It is our song and it really stirred the crowd up.
I am a MMB fan and feel like there is room for some recorded music so long as there is plenty of time for the band.
I agree with the comments about maize-out in the cold months. Why not have the yellow pom-poms? They were incredible in the stadium and on TV.
Song is weak sauce
GO BLUE!!
GO PHILLIES!!
Pop Evil might as well be Freak Bass because I think they are both about as good as the other. I dont like the idea of a Nickelback wannabe being celebrated at Michigan Stadium and a piss-poor song being played for me to have to listen to over and over again.
If the song was better than it is I might not dislike it the way that I do but thats just not the case. The song sucks and therefore should be banned from all Michigan sports events.
Well, it's no Hang On Sloopy. :)
I see it in the same vein as We Are ND. The video is a bit better and it doesn't have Freak Bass, so it has that going for it. Also it isn't funk it is a harder rock sound which makes a difference.
If I was a Michiagn fan, I wouldn't love it, but I would like it. Though I might fins myself in the camp that says we are better than this.
I have to agree with BAH about piped in music. I dislike it at the Horseshoe as well. When I lived in DC I let friends who had kids use my alumni tickets so their kids could experience a game. I was shocked a couple years ago when we moved back and I started going to the games and they were piping in Hell's Bells for defensive third downs and Seven Nation Army (which I think is what you are calling the ooohohohohohhhhhhhhhhh.) My 8 year old likes the ooh part, my wife hates it with a passon, so Sergei has now found a new way to annoy Mom. I would prefer the marching band because that's the way it always was for me. I don't hate the piped in music, but at this point I only barely can tolerate it.
Not opposed to a hype song, but ITBH is lame, lame, lame. Nickelback sounding lame. Kill it with FIAR!
Not a huge fan. While I have never written a song and feel somewhat sheepish in hammering someone else for their creative effort, but if you "listen" to the "lyrics" it's not so much a song as a sales pitch, a list of Michigan things. It's like Parker and Stone's "America, F*ck Yeah" except that Parker and Stone were making parody and this seems to be somewhat serious.
Plus, you cannot convince me this isn't some astroturfing my the Michigan Athletic Department's marketing arm.
i like it.
but even if i didn't, i'd see it as art someone made to show their pride in michigan.
if it had been a rap video, i would not be a fan, but i'd still appreciate the effort.
I love the song; I bought the song; and instead of whining about not liking the song, we should be encouraging more creativity and more songs.
Mike Martin put this hype video together using the song in question.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88BbCEqykGY&NR=1
No way in #$%^ I'm going to tell Mike he can't like it.
(Can you imagine having to line up against this guy?)
I'm 43 and while I'm not downloading it for personal use, I - like Bob - enjoy it in limited fashion at the games.
They played it after the ND game, and everybody was shaking the pom poms to the beat. Doubt many people at that point knew the lyrics, but it was a pretty cool way to send ND out the door.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNb_BLNjXWE&feature=related
OFF TOPIC from my question a few posts back. I did through much searching on the rivals board fine an alabama fan is getting 1.8 million to play michigan next year. Remember we are getting 4.7 million. I was really curious and that is the closest I have come. Why would an alabama fan lie about that?
* that woud be find an alabama fan that states alabama is getting 1.8 million to play michigan. I think I need a drink.........
I think the song sucks. Most irritating to me is that it doesn't pump me up...which I'm pretty sure is the point.
If I'm just listening to the song alone I'm not a fan. But it's cool with the video.
I like it!
And the poll results slowly change.
BAH,
Well, it was waaaay positive, and then we got linked to on MGoBlog for the Toilet-loving Tosu fan. Then the numbers started changing, lol.
I don't like it. To me it sounds like one of those jingle songs that you would hear on one of those college commercials. But to each his own....
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