"Welcome to the Occupation" by REM (1987)
Apparently written about the US Government's "activities" in Central America in the 80s, the song could pretty easily be adapted to today's situations.
"Hold On, Hold On" by Neko Case (2006)
A really good song from what is likely her best solo record.
"World Leader Pretend" by REM (1988)
OK, so this did in fact pop up shortly after the last REM song and if I were trying to be more even-handed, I'd have omitted this one but it's a song I like well and I did in fact let it play so here we are with an REM-heavy list. Like I've said before, this whole exercise is about re-hearing things I wouldn't always pick out of my music library to listen to. I suspect that the song isn't in fact about war or politics but more personal isolation but with this band, who the hell knows.
"It Ought to Be Easier" by Lyle Lovett (1996)
There's a lot of truth in this song about breakups.
"Let Me Roll It" by Paul McCartney and Wings (1973)
This was only a B side but it's one of the best tracks from "Band on the Run" if you ask me.
"Tombstone Blues" by Bob Dylan (1965)
In which Bob rambles on for six minutes about being out of frozen pizza. A seriously funny song, really (much funnier than my joke here) with a lot of great BD turns 'o phrase.
"The Heart of Rock & Roll" by Huey Lewis and The News (1983)
Classic 80s retro-pop. From one of the first albums I bought when I got a CD player in 1985. It's good but there weren't exactly a ton of choices on CD at the local Musicland store that year. Someone described Huey Lewis and The News as the world's greatest bar band. I've got to agree.
"Stomp!" by The Brothers Johnson (1980)
Another hit that landed near the end of the reign of Disco. I sometimes wonder when I hear songs like this if the Disco era was a golden age for string players. So many of these hits have strings (and other 70s pop) so life must have been good if you did that kind of work. Also notable, the bass playing on this song by Louis Johnson who was one of the earlier bassists who really nailed slap playing on electric bass. Funky!
"Jigsaw Falling Into Place" by Radiohead (2007)
A good track from one of their better LPs which I mainly remember for the way in which it was initially released. You could go on their website and "name your price" to get an mp3 download which was a big deal at the time and served mostly as a Fuck You to their record label.
"The Pope" by The Men of the Robert Shaw Chorale (1962)
This is such a goofy little song that I need to link to a YouTube video of it since it's unsurprisingly not on Spotify. "Oh no, I would not be the Pope!"
"The Penguin" by Dave Harris and The Powerhouse Five (1960)
A cool little instrumental tune that came from one of those "bachelor lounge" compilation CDs from that brief time in the 90s when this music became hipster bait.
"Lazy Flies" by Beck (1998)
As a friend of mine once said, "you can't make love to no Beck!"
"Too Hot" by Kool & The Gang (1980)
Sounds a bit more 80s than 70s and hats off to Kool and his "Gang" for adapting to the times between the decades.
"I Love Her All the Time" by Camper Van Beethoven (1986)
The song doesn't quite match the title. And apparently I needed more Camper Van Beethoven in my rotation.
"While My Heart Is Still Beating" by Roxy Music (1982)
A good slow-burn track from the band's final (best?) album.
"The End" by The Beatles (1969)
There's so much to say about anything from this album but nearly nothing that hasn't been said before, better put, by others, but I will add two things. I still find it amazing that this band did an album this good at time where they were right on the edge of breaking up. The chaos and unevenness of "Let It Be" (so well illustrated in the recent Peter Jackson documentary) just reinforces what they could do if they pulled it together for one last hurrah in the studio. Also, it's a little weird to hear this song by itself without the rest of the bits that flow together in the final 15 or so minutes of the LP. So much that long ago, I made an edit of the whole thing so it would play on my (likely iPod at the time) in its entirety. And: RINGO!!!
"Knock on Wood" by Eddie Floyd (1966)
Another classic R&B song that I became familiar with, not by the original version, but with a later cover. The 1979 Amii Stewart disco version was probably the first one I heard. This one is of course better.
"Heart of Gold" by Neil Young (1972)
This one gets a pass for its use of harmonica as it's such a good song (well recorded, too) and yes, I'm sure Neil got tired of playing it since it got so mainstream but I still like it. It's one of those songs that sounds good in the grocery aisles as well as the headphones.
"Porcelain" by Moby (2000)
Speaking of grocery store music, this one was all over the place back in the early aughts (man, that sounds dumb). Even NPR used it on their music breaks, FFS. However, years later I find this to be a good listen if the mood strikes. I guess it did here where it made picking up some dog poo go very smooooooothely.
"So Nice to Be with You" by Gallery (1972)
Ok, so this band's name has to be in the running with Bread for having the world's most generic rock band name. There had to have been a better name for a band than something a line of home appliances was called, guys.
"I Don't Wanna Go Home" by The Alan Parsons Project (1980)
From a concept album about gambling that is one their better ones. I still can't hear the name of this group without hearing Mike Myers, as Dr. Evil, saying "I'm calling it The Alan Parsons Project".
"Human Touch" by Bruce Springsteen (1992)
From Bruce's solo years, it sounds more like an 80s song but whatever, Boss.
"Same Old Saturday Night" by Frank Sinatra (1955)
It sounds like a sequel/companion piece to "Saturday Night is the Loneliest Night of the Week". Typical 50s Sinatra/Capitol sound. It's all good.
"Haitian Divorce" by Steely Dan (1976)
I was once at a 'Dan concert where the drunk person sitting near me yelled out, several times, "PLAY HAITIAN DIVORCE!" Who the hell has this song as their favorite Steely Dan song? Personal meaning, I guess.
"Car Wheels on a Gravel Road" by Lucinda Williams (1998)
Another good alt-Country song I hadn't heard in a long time.
"I'm a Loser" by The Beatles (1964)
I love the way Lennon just barely gets down to that low note at the end of the verses.
"Out of Time" by The Rolling Stones (1966)
Beatles followed by Stones. Yep, that's the order! Tell me I'm wrong here.
"Message in a Bottle" by The Police (1979)
This remains one of my favorite Police songs and it really doesn't sound like something from 1979.
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