30? That's a LOT of sequels!
"Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" by The Smiths (1987)
A great, if depressing song about shitty people and booze. I love the guitar sound on this track.
"Rider in the Rain" by Randy Newman (1977)
If this sounds kind of like an Eagles song, it's because Frey/Henley are singing on it.
"Mhórag 's na Horo Gheallaidh" by Clannad (1993)
Before Enya became the voice that launched a thousand cruise ships, she was in this Irish vocal group.
"Sara Smile" by Hall & Oates (1975)
Even a "casual fan" like me can respect this 70s classic.
"Sibella" by Richard Thompson (1998)
Another bitter flavored love song...I think.
"La La La" by The Bird and the Bee" (2007)
This duo's songs really sound great with fun studio-produced music and I love the sound of Inara George's voice.
"San Tropez" by Pink Floyd (1971)
This is a bit goofy. If I'd heard this without knowing anything about it, I'd likely never guess it was a Pink Floyd track.
"Even Better Than the Real Thing" by U2 (1992)
Another good, basic U2 pop song. I tend to appreciate this band more when it's just a single catchy track like this which allows me to ignore their self-important image.
"One Bourbon, One Scotch, and One Beer" by John Lee Hooker (1966)
This song really gets to the point: your lover leaves you and you go to the bar to get pissed with the booze combo pack.
"IGY" by Donald Fagen (1982)
What kind of nerd writes a song about the International Geophysical Year? Oh yeah, the co-founder of Steely Dan. This, like much of the rest of Fagen's first solo LP (it's old so I am calling it an LP!) has a lot of the Dan style with a touch less of the biting sarcasm. The sound of the album has always been a bit flat to me. I used to chalk this up to it being recorded on early digital equipment but I think it's just the way Fagen and co. wanted it. It's a good song, even if the early 80s synths and "synth blues harp" are a bit much.
"Can't Get Enough" by Bad Company (1974)
This song just screams, "BAR BAND".
"Dream Operator" by Talking Heads (1986)
From one of the band's later and lesser albums. The album itself is uneven but this track and a couple of others are really great. It might be the only Talking Heads song done as a waltz.
"The Big Money" by Rush (1985)
There's Geddy singing about our society again.
"Dani California" by Red Hot Chili Peppers (2006)
Hey look, it's a song that references Minnesota AND the Badlands (though I gather they're talking about North Dakota but I'll take it).
"Easy Does It" by Supertramp (1975)
A short but sweet opening to one of the band's lesser-known albums.
"Dear Prudence (Esher demo version) by The Beatles (1968)
Hearing a song like this in its early, stripped down form, is usually interesting and in this case make me appreciate how much the rest of the band added to the album track. The song feels pretty empty without Paul's bass lines.
"Rose of Cimarron" by Emmylou Harris (1981)
Harris has such a distinctive voice that cuts through this very retro Western song.
"Run Through the Jungle" by Creedence Clearwater Revival (1970)
I'm sure there's a Big Lebowski line I should be quoting but the one thing I will say is that I always assumed this song was about Vietnam: apparently it's about gun control.
"Smokin'" by Boston (1976)
Gee Wally, I don't think they're talking about cigarettes! This rocks pretty well for what was mostly one guy recording everything but the vocals in his basement. He does play a mean Hammond B3.
"Mr. Blue Sky" by Electric Light Orchestra (1977)
One of the best of Jeff Lynne's musical creations. It's an epic. The strings were conducted by Louis Clark, who went on to get his fame with the Hooked On Classics albums. The universe is truly just.
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