tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31655651464704393462024-03-28T09:44:27.028-05:00Ceremonial TuskoutJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.comBlogger214125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3165565146470439346.post-59358700514758385482024-03-06T16:33:00.000-06:002024-03-06T16:33:31.840-06:00Dad's Movies: "Genevieve"<p> Next, we have <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genevieve_(film)" target="_blank">Genevieve (1953)</a></p><p>A charming light comedy road movie with that distinctive post-WW2 British style. The setup wasn't exactly what I was expecting. The race, such as it is, isn't the entire focus of the film, but the climax of a story about the main characters and their relationships. The show isn't afraid to take its time on the characters, even with its lean 83 minute running time. The feel is kind of like an Ealing Studios comedy but more sweet in nature. </p><p>The leads are all very good with lots of brief appearances by colorful characters. It's fun to see Kenneth Moore in something besides a war film or his great performance in "A Night to Remember". Dinah Sheridan is great here with a charming performance as the sometimes frustrated wife. This makes me wish Sheridan had done more film work. </p><p>The movie is also fun to watch as you get tons of location footage across the 1950s English countryside and then there are the antique cars which are almost characters themselves. </p><p>Dad really liked these old British comedies and I specifically remember him trying to track down a copy of this movie when other movies of this era were being reissued on DVD. Not everything Dad bought from the "old days" was a gem, but this one was a keeper.</p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3165565146470439346.post-18775898914228100402023-11-21T15:25:00.000-06:002023-11-21T15:25:54.263-06:00Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 39)<p> Time to dust this thing off for another batch of old stuff.</p><p><i>"Happy" by Pharrell Williams (2013)</i></p><p>One of the most un-ironically catchy songs I can think of and it was EVERYWHERE a decade ago (yikes). </p><p><i>"Foot Stomping, Pt. 1" by The Flares (1961)</i></p><p>The one hit by this surprisingly long-lived doo-wop group. </p><p><i>"5 O'Clock in the Morning" by The Donnas (2002)</i></p><p>At my current age, this song is truly aspirational. </p><p><i>"Just My Baby" by Rickie Lee Jones (1989)</i></p><p>A nice tune from an album produced by Walter Becker while Steely Dan was on its extended hiatus. </p><p><i>"Gold" by Prince (1995)</i></p><p>It's great to re-hear such a good Prince song now and then to remind me just how much great music he cranked out over his too-short career. The B side for this single was called, "Rock 'N Roll Is Alive (And it Lives in Minneapolis!)". If you say so...</p><p><i>"Give Me More Time" by Whitesnake (1984)</i></p><p>A good "take me back" 1980s rocker.</p><p><i>"Say Goodbye" by Cheap Trick (1997)</i></p><p>A somewhat modern Beatles-esque song but it's just fine.</p><p><i>"A Taste of Honey" by The Beatles (1963)</i></p><p>And of course an <i>actual</i> Beatles song appears. This is a close, if well done, cover of what was a very popular tune from a Broadway play in the early 1960s. The song seems to have long outlived the show.</p><p><i>"Just a Little Lovin'" by Ray Charles (1962)</i></p><p>Speaking of covers, this is from Ray's fantastic album of Country AND Western songs. </p><p><i>"Can We Still Be Friends" by Todd Rundgren (1978)</i></p><p>The song by the band, War, with a similar name is a lot more fun.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VGQO02d2Ixi3ABKTwBZwNYEwP9jwWKVbIFDdCxyyGk9ahpwmgxvi9gxCbQ97ft5wxYmTXB6P1i4-s2M8T8u1DGWpFQ_kNvza_-DkH0tXrxLiaRjyh5LF-NwoAP6-hlM_Dsv-a-ZeH2aXuB18eyj2nvEiEaLbgy3TJnLm-gM1OBxEkMLBBXH1RAdAbH29/s317/Music_for_Lovers_Only.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="314" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VGQO02d2Ixi3ABKTwBZwNYEwP9jwWKVbIFDdCxyyGk9ahpwmgxvi9gxCbQ97ft5wxYmTXB6P1i4-s2M8T8u1DGWpFQ_kNvza_-DkH0tXrxLiaRjyh5LF-NwoAP6-hlM_Dsv-a-ZeH2aXuB18eyj2nvEiEaLbgy3TJnLm-gM1OBxEkMLBBXH1RAdAbH29/s1600/Music_for_Lovers_Only.png" width="314" /></a></p><i>"A Taste of Honey" by Jackie Gleason (1967)</i><p></p><p>Just-a by accident, this OTHER cover of "Honey" popped up. And yes, it's the Jackie Gleason from "The Honeymooners" (he should have called the LP, "A Taste of The Honeymooners") and apparently he made a lot of easy listening albums in the 1950s-60s. </p><p>The guy didn't read or write music so obviously others did most of the work but I'm sure they match Gleason's tastes. Others must have agreed since Capitol released 58 (!) albums between 1952 and 1972. </p><p>This cut is obviously performed by studio pros with serious chops but it's very "White Bread Basie" in its arrangement. </p><p><i>"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" by Michael Jackson (1979)</i></p><p>Now *this* is Peak Disco!</p><p><i>"Rox in the Box" by The Decemberists (2011)</i></p><p>An American alt-rock band has its UK Folk phase. I heard someone say recently that mono, as a format (as opposed to stereo) is dead but this is damned close to these ears. Dang hipsters and they're olde tyme monophonics!</p><p><i>"Talk to Me Baby" by Barry Mann (1964)</i></p><p>A choice lyric: "Girls get mad at such little things. How can a guy ever think of them all?"</p><p><i>"Little Sister" by Elvis Presley (1961)</i></p><p>I just love the sound of this track; it's just FAT. And that guy from the Jordanaires singing along with Elvis puts it over the top.</p><p><i>"Heathaze" by Genesis (1980)</i></p><p>A deep track from one of the band's earlier forays into pop that actually holds up pretty well. A song that seems to be about apathy and has some very good bass work by Mr. Rutherford.</p><p><i>"True" by Spandau Ballet (1983)</i></p><p>One of those songs they put into TV shows or movies set in the 1980s to create easy atmosphere. </p><p><i>"Somebody's Watching Me" by Rockwell (1984)</i></p><p>A pretty funny song from a guy who's dad was Berry Gordy. Oh yeah, and some rando named Michael Jackson is here for some reason.</p><p><i>"Longview" by Green Day (1994)</i></p><p>A great 90s punk bass line. </p><p><i>"Willing and Able" by Prince and the New Power Generation (1991)</i></p><p>A great classic R&B inspired tune with the usual Prince polish. </p><p><i><br /></i></p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3165565146470439346.post-59356135582313384712023-09-22T14:24:00.001-05:002023-09-22T17:05:47.486-05:00Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 38)<p> Here ya go, kids!</p><p><br /></p><p><i>"The Great Curve" (live version) by Talking Heads (1982)</i></p><p>Six+ minutes on one chord: edgy!</p><p><i>"Black and Blue" by Van Halen (1982)</i></p><p>I guess this would be considered a "ballad" for this band.</p><p><i>"I'm Still in Love With You" by Al Green (1972)</i></p><p>In the same groove as, "Let's Stay Together" with that dry, boxy horn sound.</p><p><i>"Persuasion" by Santana (1969)</i></p><p>A cookin' second tier Santana song...still Santanic!</p><p><i>"Michael" by Franz Ferdinand (2004)</i></p><p>Another good example of 20-year old alternative rock and roll.</p><p><i>"Hey, Good Lookin'" by Hank Williams (1951)</i></p><p>I love the Ray Charles cover but the original version still gets the job done.</p><p><i>"Angel of the Morning" by Juice Newton (1981)</i></p><p>Despite its overuse in TV/movies, I had to laugh at how this was hilariously used in the opening of the movie, "Deadpool".</p><p><i>"White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane (1967)</i></p><p>A classic that became shorthand for drug trips, it's still a great hallucinogenic bolero of a song.</p><p><i>"Chimes of Freedom" by The Byrds (1965)</i></p><p>We stay in the land of the hippies with this Bob Dylan cover. I'm guessing the Dylan version is more well known today. </p><p><i>"Fortress Around Your Heart" by Sting (1985)</i></p><p>The passage of time has reinforced the notion that Sting was smart to launch his solo career with an album featuring heavy-hitting jazz/session musicians which made his music sound familiar and yet distinct from his work with The Police.</p><p><i>"People Are Strange" by The Doors (1967)</i></p><p>I've become less fond of The Doors as I've gotten older but this song is still great. The 80s Echo and the Bunnymen cover is good, too but doesn't top old Jimbo's version.</p><p><i>"Revolution" (Esher demo version) by The Beatles (1968)</i></p><p>Like some, I grew up listening to the single/non-album version of this song find the slower version from "The White Album" the be inferior. This demo/acoustic version for me beats the LP version as it's a little peppier. The LP version seems to run out of steam.</p><p><i>"A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamara'd Into Submission)" by Simon and Garfunkel (1966)</i></p><p>The longest song title on this list!</p><p><i>"P.Y.T." by Michael Jackson (1982)</i></p><p>This was VERY Disco for 1982. </p><p><i>"Knives Out" by Radiohead (2001)</i></p><p>Radiohead around this time had passed its peak (OK Computer, IMO) but this is still good.</p><p><i>"Smoke Rings" by k.d. lang (1997)</i></p><p>Lang's version of a very old song mostly seems to pay tribute to the Les Paul/Mary Ford version but has its own coolness to it. There's a "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corinthian_leather">real Corinthian leather</a>" feel here.</p><p><i>"Don't Mess With Doctor Dream" by Thompson Twins (1985)</i></p><p>I think I have managed to hit every TT song in my library.</p><p><i>"The Things We Do For Love" by 10cc (1976)</i></p><p>This is pretty heavy on the cheese but it's still a catchy pop song.</p><p><i>"Arthur's Theme" by Christopher Cross (1981)</i></p><p>Huh, so the core lineup from Toto is on this track and the song credits Burt Bacharach as a co-writer. Does this make Bacharach, Yacht Rock???</p><p><i>"Funkytown" by Lipps Inc. (1979)</i></p><p>I hear musicians around here (Minnesota) talk about how the people who were hired to play on this song, recorded in Minneapolis, were offered a flat fee or a percentage of the profits. Needless to say, the flat fee wasn't NEARLY enough. </p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3165565146470439346.post-15616624396322949912023-09-06T12:48:00.003-05:002023-09-06T12:51:14.147-05:00Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 37)<p> If this goes on much longer, this series might have to be renamed, "Songs I Was Too Lazy to Skip (Part 1,834)". </p><p><i>"West of Hollywood" by Steely Dan (2000)</i></p><strike>This closing track to SD's comeback LP kind of reminds me of the old single, "F.M." in that it's just okay but ends with this long-ass (but good!) tenor sax solo. Wait, there are actually two versions of FM and it's the "alternate" version (if you care enough to read about all the variations, the series of tubes can assist) that has the sax solo on the end. Never mind.</strike> <div><br /></div><div><i>"Born Again" by Badly Drawn Boy (2002)</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Does this, a 20+ year old song, sound dated today? Not in the way that an old A-Ha song might but it does have that early-2000s alt-rock, post-90s (would you like a side of cliche' with that?) combo of sparse, synthesizer-less (but often piano) guitar rock that is still smoothly produced. Smooth Grunge? </div><div><br /></div><div><i>"The Diary of Horace Wimp" by Electric Light Orchestra (1979)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Think Beatles tribute band song with some crazy <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vocoder">Vocoder</a> going on. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>"We Are the People" by John Mellencamp (1987)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>A vague, lumpy anthem for the working people. JM does it again.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>"We Got the Beat" by the Go-Gos (1981)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>I could have sworn this is later than 1981; it sounds more like mid-1980s. Great retro-surf song.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>"23rd Chromosome" by The Honeydogs (2003)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>A Minnesota band that broke through (briefly) twenty or so years ago. A nice, pseudo Bossa Nova song. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>"Help Me Make It Through the Night" by Willie Nelson (1980)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Willie does a good cover of this Kris Kristofferson original in that it does kind of sound like a Nelson song.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>"La Bamba" by Los Lobos (1987)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Another cover! This must have been the one song that got Los Lobos into the mainstream. This track is good although their original material is better. I like the little coda on the end of the tune, something that almost certainly wasn't on the Ritchie Valens original. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>"I Appear Missing" by Queens of the Stone Age (2013)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Wait, what's a song from 2013 doing here?! Nice to see Dave Grohl in something other than a Crown Royal ad. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>"The Truck Song" by Lyle Lovett (2003)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Not your typical country song about a pickup.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>"Out of Control" by The Rolling Stones (1997)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>There's a pretty decent groove here for a 90s Stones song.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>"Jump in the Line" by Harry Belafonte (1961)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>RIP, Harry. One of his great songs: "Somebody help me!" </div><div><br /></div><div><i>"Ain't That Asking For Trouble" by Stevie Wonder (1966)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Stevie in wiiiiide stereo!</div><div><br /></div><div><i>"C'est le Vie" by Robbie Nevil (1986)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>In the 1980s, there was a lot of synth bass and a lot of actual electric bass that *sounds* like synth bass (see also: drums). I think this is an actual bass that's been processed to sound like a synth but I'm not 100% sure. If it's from a keyboard, it's really good. Wikipedia does list a bassist for the album but who the hell knows (cares?). </div><div><br /></div><div><i>"Miserlou" by The Trashmen (1964)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>A convincing cover/knockoff of this famous tune by everyone's favorite Minnesota surf rock band.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>"Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix (1967)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Speaking of covers, I once heard a string quartet do a version of this song and it really works!</div><div><br /></div><div><i>"Whatever Gets You Through the Night" by John Lennon (1974)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>This is a classic song but man, I have a hard time with the intonation on this one. Lennon was probably fucking with us. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>"Hungry Like The Wolf" by Duran Duran (1982)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Keywords: Deeply silly lyrics, 80s Disco, heavy breathing. Yeah, that's it.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>"Diamonds Are Forever" by Shirley Bassey-Mantronik 007 Remix (1971/2000)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Not every track on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Remix_Album...Diamonds_Are_Forever">this compilation of remixes</a> is a winner but this one was fun and perhaps preferable to the original. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>"Another Day" by Paul and Linda McCartney (1971)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>More interesting musically than lyrically with a cool middle/bridge section in 3/4 time.</div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3165565146470439346.post-26170701223530065732023-08-14T14:07:00.001-05:002023-08-14T14:07:12.722-05:00Dad's Movies: "Hopscotch"<p>And now I get around to watching, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hopscotch_(film)">Hopscotch (1980)</a>. </p><p>This mid-late career Walter Matthau movie is a lot of fun. Matthau's near-retirement CIA agent character, who has would could be described as a Cold War Spy code of ethics, refuses to eliminate his Soviet counterpart in an operation which draws the ire of his bureaucratic political boss at the agency who decides to put the old goat out to pasture. </p><p>Matthau, rather than wait out his years sitting in an office, decides to burn his bridges on the way to retirement by writing a "memoir" where he reveals the dirty secrets from his years as a spy. This doesn't go over well the boss, played with oily relish by Ned Beatty, who begins a hunt to take our guy out before he can embarrass them all too much. This begins a fun and clever chase around multiple countries where Matthau's spy always keeps one step ahead of his old co-workers with the help of his old lady friend.</p><p>Everyone is very good here and the plotting is clever and funny without going to stupid extremes. Some of the things Matthau's classical music-loving character does might be a stretch but it's all played so well that I didn't mind, really. Walter Matthau played in the same range most of the time but he doesn't do this in a cartoonish over-the-top way which prevents this from being, "The Odd Couple with spies". </p><p>The supporting cast does well with Beatty handling the thankless boss role well. Glenda Jackson is great as the very capable friend who also fools the CIA people easily. Sam Waterston is fine though he doesn't get a ton to work with. I also enjoyed seeing Herbert Lom who is always good, no matter how silly the part. </p><p>Dad no doubt enjoyed the use of classical music in this show and it doesn't hurt that this was directed by Ronald Neame, who did "Whisky Galore" which was a favorite of his.</p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3165565146470439346.post-43503988578638746322023-08-01T10:41:00.003-05:002023-08-01T10:41:56.181-05:00Dad's Movies: "Mister 880"<p> Today, we have <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mister_880" target="_blank">Mister 880 (1950)</a></p><p>A somewhat early Burt Lancaster movie, written (based on a true story apparently) by frequent Frank Capra writer, Robert Riskin. The plot revolves around a kind old man who counterfeits dollar bills and the US Treasury agent who is trying to bust him. Riskin's sentimental style is evident here but the show plays a bit more on the subdued side than Capra would have done it. The film opens with what reads as a rouser for US Government agents who protect the nation but thankfully, this is dispensed with early on. </p><p>Lancaster is his usual charming handsome self even if he lays the "tough G-Man" act on a bit much at times. Dorothy McGuire is fine as the friend Skipper, the counterfeiter, and love interest. McGuire's character even has a job at the UN; nice touch. This film must have been intended as a vehicle for Edmund Gwenn (Skipper) who became famous as Kris Kringle in the 1947 version of "Miracle on 34th Street" and he doesn't disappoint. Gwenn still does a similar act but with subtle differences. Skipper comes off as sweet but a little foggy in the mental department. The fun is noticing how Skipper is more sharp and aware of things than people think. Gwenn would go on to play a similar character (in tone, not a counterfeiter) in Hitchcock's 1955 "The Trouble With Harry" (he's perfect in this). Also kudos to Skipper's Benji-like shaggy dog.</p><p>The movie seems to use a fair amount of NYC locations which gives it a more substantial feel. While I wouldn't describe this show as a comedy, it's fairly light. If it wasn't for the charm of the cast, the show would feel a bit slow at times but this is one of those cases where just spending time with these folks is nice.</p><p>I don't know what Dad thought of this movie, which I'd never heard of before I found it in his collection, but I do know he was a fan of the '47 "Miracle" so perhaps that was the connection.</p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3165565146470439346.post-13636887154912122202023-07-14T15:52:00.002-05:002023-07-15T08:13:17.067-05:00Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 36)<p>There's still some musical gold in them thar old iTunes hills!</p><p>I started a new Spotify playlist for this installment <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5pcnD66W9hxPnYz7qvET92?si=22443caff99e46d5">here</a></p><p><i>"Missionary Man" by Eurythmics (1986)</i></p><p>A couple of things came to mind here. It's interesting to me how Lennox/Stewart pivoted from a synth/pop/whatever early-80s duo into more of a rock and roll band with guitars and drums (shoot, there's even a real electric bass on this track!). Also, they feature another vocalist doing backgrounds on this song; interesting, given Annie Lennox's vocal chops. </p><p><i>"A Slow Song" by Joe Jackson (1982)</i></p><p>The ending track from Jackson's very good "Night and Day" LP where he channels his inner old man. </p><p><i>"Let's Go Crazy" by Prince (1984)</i></p><p>Another rippin' guitar solo from Mr. Genius. </p><p><i>"When I Need You" by Leo Sayer (1977)</i></p><p>A pop ballad deserving of its popularity. "Fun" fact: the film composer James Newton Howard played keyboards on this song. I also like how they use little rhythmic breaks in the chorus. Jeff Porcaro's drumming pushes this into real Yacht Rock territory. </p><p><i>"Shiver" by Maroon 5" (2002)</i></p><p>One of the more rockin' songs from this now (gulp) 20+ year old album.</p><p><i>"You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) by The Beatles (1970)</i></p><p>I used to listen to this when I was a kid and found it just too goofy to resist, preferring it to "Let It Be", the A-side of the 45. An amusing toss-off.</p><p><i>"Still Fighting It" by Ben Folds (2001)</i></p><p>Yeah, yeah, pop singer becomes a parent and writes a song about the experience. This one is better than that. "It sucks to grow up". "You're so much like me. I'm sorry". </p><p><i>"Too High" by Stevie Wonder (1973)</i></p><p>A really solid opening track to one of his best LPs.</p><p><i>"Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford (1955)</i></p><p>There are some jazzy coal mining musicians hanging out there in the background. Seriously, this is still great.</p><p><i>"Someday, Someway" by Marshall Crenshaw (1982)</i></p><p>The year 1982 is strong with this list. </p><p><i>"Houdini" by Kate Bush (1982)</i></p><p>Wow, it really is! A deep Kate track with another killer/odd Eberhard Webber double bass line.</p><p><i>"Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" by Billy Joel (1977)</i></p><p>This is pure, distilled, Joel, complete with engine revving sounds at the end! One of his best.</p><p><i>"It's a Miracle" by Roger Waters (1992)</i></p><p>The line about Andrew Lloyd Weber still makes me laugh. </p><p><i>"Dream Weaver" by Gary Wright (1975)</i></p><p>A camp classic from the 1970s that I somehow couldn't pass up this time around. </p><p><i>"She Blinded Me With Science" by Thomas Dolby (1982)</i></p><p>1982 strikes again. There's nothing quite like this 80s classic.</p><p><i>"I Got the Feelin'" by James Brown (1968)</i></p><p>There's a lot going on, rhythmically, in this one. </p><p><i>"Long Haired Lady" by Paul McCartney (1971)</i></p><p>The music on this song does well in hiding the fluffiness of the lyrics. Paul was certainly good at this.</p><p><i>"That'll Be the Day" by Linda Ronstadt (1976)</i></p><p>This has to be one of the best Buddy Holly covers ever made. </p><p><i>"China Girl" by David Bowie (1983)</i></p><p>About halfway through the song, Bowie sounds kind of drunk. Brilliant. </p><p><i>"Chrome Plated Heart" by Melissa Etheridge (1988)</i></p><p>This song really sounded *different* in 1988 when I first heard it on the radio. Bonus: some good bass lines. </p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3165565146470439346.post-4247835765587992532023-05-24T12:29:00.001-05:002023-05-24T12:29:50.247-05:00Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 35)<p>Perhaps this is getting silly but there are apparently more crusty old songs to not skip.</p><p><i>"Queen of Clubs" by KC and the Sunshine Band (1974)</i></p><p>An early KC single that falls much more on the R/B side than their later Disco hits. Nice.</p><p><i>"Sundown" by Gordon Lightfoot (1974)</i></p><p>A 1974 double feature! This came through on the rotation before Lightfoot's death. The song might have been his most well known one if it hadn't been for a certain epic song about a boat. RIP, Gordo. </p><p><i>"Women & Men" by They Might Be Giants (1990)</i></p><p>The album this, well...sea shanty...(?) came from was the first TMBG I was exposed to. Pop music extreme nerds, extraordinaire.</p><p><i>"Wichita Skyline" by Shawn Colvin (1996)</i></p><p>A song about running away from your problems that goes down smooth. </p><p><i>"Iron Hand" by Dire Straits (1991)</i></p><p>Now this is one I hadn't heard in a long time. It turns out to be about a labor uprising. Sneaky. </p><p><i>"Empty Heart" by The Rolling Stones (1964)</i></p><p>What can I say? Sometimes you have to let a Stones song, er, roll.</p><p><i>"(Nothing But) Flowers" by Talking Heads (1988)</i></p><p>A funny twist on retaking the land from urban sprawl. Will no one think of the Pizza Huts?</p><p><i>"The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac (1977)</i></p><p>One of the better tracks from this ultra/mega/uber pop LP. I'd linger on any of them except perhaps "Don't Stop..." as it still reminds me of the Bill Clinton campaign.</p><p><i>"The Ghost of Tom Joad" by Bruce Springsteen (1995)</i></p><p>You just couldn't resist actually quoting Mr. Joad, could you Bruce?</p><p><i>"Green Book" by Steely Dan (2003)</i></p><p>I don't think, in retrospect, that the material these guys wrote after the re-formed the band was as strong but it was just so damned good to have more of Becker/Fagan after years of drought. I'd even listen to the occasional Becker-sung track once in a while.</p><p><i>"Rio" by Duran Duran (1982)</i></p><p>This may be peak-Duran with its noodling synths and almost comprehensible lyrics.</p><p><i>"Every Time I Think of You" by The Babys (1979)</i></p><p>This might be what you'd get if Phil Spector and Meat Loaf collaborated. </p><p><i>"Private Universe" by Crowded House (1994)</i></p><p>A good, perhaps second rung CH track that feels anything but, um, <i>Crowded</i>.</p><p><i>"Lovely Rita" by The Beatles (mono mix, 1966)</i></p><p>I don't think I've heard the newer stereo remix but the mono version of this song works better for me than the ultra-wide 1966 stereo version, even though I grew up listening to it. The mono holds together better BUT it's amusing to hear the old stereo version where the right channel is just Paul; his vocals and bass. He got the whole channel to himself!</p><p><i>"Heartbreaker" by Pat Benatar (1979)</i></p><p>This one, with its quiet vocal breaks in the chorus, still packs a punch.</p><p><i>"Drivin' With Your Eyes Closed" by Don Henley (1984)</i></p><p>Buried in the gated or synth drums is...a cowbell.</p><p><i>"Space Oddity" by David Bowie (1969)</i></p><p>Bowie missed out on a real marketing opportunity: Major Tom's Protein Pills!</p><p><i>"Brilliant Disguise" by Bruce Springsteen (1987)</i></p><p>What's with all the Bruce on these lists? This song, and the other tracks from "Tunnel of Love", hold up better than I would have expected.</p><p><i>"Let's Go" by The Cars (1979)</i></p><p>You don't want to "break her crown"???</p><p><i>"Down With Disease" by Phish (1994)</i></p><p>This is probably an example of a song that people who aren't into Phish think is good. Well, it is and I am not. And no, I don't know what the hell the song is about. The most amusing thing on the album this song came from is the 30 second instrumental track, "Riker's Mailbox". Go look it up.</p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3165565146470439346.post-62279763006284253792023-03-30T16:14:00.001-05:002023-03-31T12:41:53.733-05:00Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 34)<p>Here we go with another batch tunes that seem to be mostly pop songs from my youth with (hopefully) a few oddities for good measure. Never mind, kids, just go out and play with your screens!</p><p><i>"Missing You" by John Waite (1984)</i></p><p>This is the epitome of mid-1980s pop songs. It's just good enough to stand up to a little scrutiny but goes down easy while cruising the aisles of your favorite big box store. </p><p><i>"Birthday" by The Beatles (1968/2018 mix)</i></p><p>I'm sure I've said this on the blog somewhere before, but <i>The White Album</i> was the first Beatles LP I got to know well in my youth, with all its glory and weirdness; a lumpy masterpiece. This song was always such a solid opener of Side 3 on the original LP with its almost throwaway lyrics. However, the song just drives so hard and gets the job done in an economical two and a half minute length. The Giles Martin remix is very good and adds some clarity on the vocals, though I still like the old mono mix for its rock muddiness. </p><p><i>"Maneater" by Hall & Oates (1982)</i></p><p>As usual for the duo, the song is really catchy with a Motown-esque bass line. Oates claims the song wasn't really about a woman but about life in the big city. Yeah, okay.</p><p><i>"Strange Pursuit" by Devo (1978)</i></p><p>A deep cut from the band's second album that has fun with the vocoder. I also dig the ending fade over the arpeggiated keyboard line.</p><p><i>"Rest Your Love on Me" by Bee Gees (1978)</i></p><p>Barry Gibb does it again. In 1978, at the peak of his band's disco power, Gibb does a Country song. You've got to respect that.</p><p><i>"A View to a Kill" by Duran Duran (1985)</i></p><p>One of the only Bond themes that overshadows its film, which isn't tough given the weakness of this particular 007 movie, but it IS one of the best themes with a good groove and the right amount of over-the-top in the John Barry arrangement. The lyrics are...oh never mind, just dance into the fire.</p><p><i>"Prove It All Night" by Bruce Springsteen (1978)</i></p><p>There's not much to say except it's Peak Bruce.</p><p><i>"Urgent" by Foreigner (1981)</i></p><p>A pretty good Foreigner song with some goofy synth programming by Thomas Dolby.</p><p><i>"Get Your Hands off My Woman" by The Darkness (2003)</i></p><p>A funny, retro-metal sounding cut with some Freddie Mercury inspired vocals. </p><p><i>"Twist in My Sobriety" by Tanita Tikaram (1988)</i></p><p>An unusual and memorable debut from a 19 year old singer/songwriter that also features an oboe!</p><p><i>"Dancing with Myself" by Billy Idol (1981)</i></p><p>Idol, in his early retro rock and punk period before he discovered keyboards.</p><p><i>"(Love Is) Thicker Than Water by Andy Gibb (1977)</i></p><p>Yeah, it's sung by Barry's brother but it might as well be a Bee Gees single. You can't escape the OG BG!</p><p><i>"Sleep to Dream" by Fiona Apple (1997)</i></p><p>A rude awakening (ahem) or perhaps a palette cleanser after the previous song. Apple can be a bit on the pretentious side with the lyrics but she gets a pass since she's doing this as a singer-songwriter, age 19. The production has a real heft with the bass/drums matching the emotions of the song; subtle it ain't. I'll bet Apple has gone on to more mature material since then but this is outstanding for a debut.</p><p><i>"Mr. Roboto" by Styx (1983)</i></p><p>Mr. DeYoung was quite the prophet: "...too much technology." Indeed. It's kind of a sad end of a run of huge albums for this band. This track and maybe the other single, "Don't Let It End" (hmm), are solid, and in the case of this track, FUN, but does anyone really remember or care about the rest of this LP? Styx seems to have forgotten its core strengths were the singles. Whatever concepts their earlier albums had didn't go much beyond the cover art.</p><p><i>"Think" by James Brown (1960)</i></p><p>A cover of an earlier R&B hit, but differently done with the funky JB grooves.</p><p><i>"Refugee" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1979)</i></p><p>We had some Peak Bruce, now some Peak Tom. One of his best, for sure.</p><p><i>"What Is Love?" by Howard Jones (1984)</i></p><p>This one just screams, "EIGHTIES", however, it's one of Jones' best songs.</p><p><i>"I Know There's an Answer" by The Beach Boys (1966)</i></p><p>Classic, amazing album, etc, etc but this track has Glen Campell playing the banjo!</p><p><i>"Radar Love" by Golden Earring (1973)</i></p><p>A fun classic rock staple that has this great, extended instrumental break/bridge.</p><p><i>"Rose Darling" by Steely Dan (1975)</i></p><p>This could be considered second-string "Dan", if barely. The sweet sound of the song is underlined by some typically sour and sarcastic lyrics. This has to be one of the earliest appearances by Michael McDonald on a Steely Dan record. </p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3165565146470439346.post-56725555008776871062023-03-15T16:06:00.004-05:002023-03-15T23:28:26.327-05:00Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 33)<p> I keep thinking I'll run out of tunes from this playlist but so far I am not consciously listening to songs I previously skipped. </p><p><i>"Girl from the North Country" by Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan (1969)</i></p><p>It's cool to have the two of them on a song but the singing here is...rough. Bob does better on the earlier solo version.</p><p><i>"Roll On" by The Living End (2000)</i></p><p>It's like if The Clash did a union anthem.</p><p><i>"Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straits (1985)</i></p><p>I somehow didn't know this was about the Falklands war.</p><p><i>"Super Freak" by Rick James (1981)</i></p><p>According to James, this was recorded so "white folks would have something to dance to". In retrospect, it seems like this song had slightly more reach than that.</p><p><i>"Lithium" by Nirvana (1992)</i></p><p>For a song in a genre called "grunge", this song (and the entire album) is awfully well and cleanly recorded.</p><p><i>"Oddfellows Local 151" by REM (1987)</i></p><p>A great name for a song which is (probably) about some bums and kind of catchy for an REM song.</p><p><i>"Straight for the Heart" by Toto (1988)</i></p><p>Oh yes, guys, a sex worker will often "walk the streets in the name of romance".</p><p><i>"25 or 6 to 4" by Chicago (1970)</i></p><p>Whether the song is about drugs or finishing the writing of a song in the wee hours, it has a killer guitar solo.</p><p><i>"Country Road" by James Taylor (1971)</i></p><p>JT's songs often sound alike at first but they're so damned easy to listen to...oh crap...EZ!</p><p><i>"Diamond Girl" by Seals and Crofts (1973)</i></p><p>I kind of dig the smooth-jazzy instrumental breaks on this one...bongos and flute!</p><p><i>"The Mayor of Simpleton" by XTC (1989)</i></p><p>This may be the "pop single" of this album but it's good and has a great bass line.</p><p><i>"Me and Sarah Jane" by Genesis (1981)</i></p><p>Wait, Genesis did a song about a Doctor Who character???</p><p><i>"Lonesome Loser" by The Little River Band (1979)</i></p><p>Another perfectly crafted '70s pop tune with tight, Australian vocals.</p><p><i>"Paper in Fire" by John Cougar Mellencamp (1987)</i></p><p>The critic <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Christgau">Robert Christgau</a> wrote (about the album this came from), "<span style="font-family: inherit;">In which Mellencamp's confused conscience and self-serving defeatism become so single-minded they take on the force of truth." He gave the LP an "A-". </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"Murder Incorporated" by Bruce Springsteen (1995)</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Speaking of pop singer populists, this one takes on the topic of guns. Go Bruce!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"State Trooper" by Bruce Springsteen (1982)</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">From "meh" Bruce to MasterBruce. This track is so great with its raw, desperation. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"Imagine" by John Lennon (1971)</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I've heard this one SO many times but it's still great. I wonder what Lennon would think of this song being embraced both by atheists and religious folks (I have literally played this in a </span>church<span style="font-family: inherit;"> service)?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"Careless Whisper" by George Michael/Wham! (1984)</i></span></p><p>George may not have considered this his best work but it's pretty much a perfect 1980s ballad. The sax line, which took forever to get right, sells it right up front.</p><p><i>"O Valencia!" by The Decemberists (2006)</i></p><p>Wait, this is 17 years old?! Crap. It still sounds pretty fresh. </p><p><i>"The Bertha Butt Boogie" by The Jimmy Castor Bunch (1975)</i></p><p>This is a hilariously EPIC funk track. How do I know? One of the characters is named, "<b>Bathsheba Butt</b>". No question.</p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3165565146470439346.post-49269087192174442972023-03-02T15:58:00.002-06:002023-03-02T16:11:36.929-06:00Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 32)<p> I took a bit of a break from actively tracking my music listening and am now ready to resume this ill-considered journey of musical navel gazing. I started a new Spotify list <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6mYeb97gEKen481u3vfRHH?si=9d083276d31949c6">here</a></p><p><i>"Season of the Witch" by Donovan </i></p><p>Hmm, how many words can he find that rhyme with "witch"?</p><p><i>"Like the Weather" by 10,000 Maniacs (1987)</i></p><p>This track sounds way later than its year and looks ahead to the onslaught of college rock in the 90s.</p><p><i>"Portable Television" by Death Cab for Cutie (2011)</i></p><p>There may be some irony behind what passes for an upbeat song by this band.</p><p><i>"Action" by Freddy Cannon (1965)</i></p><p>Freddy really does want to take you places...and whoa there on the "whoo"!</p><p><i>"Heaven is 10 Zillion Light Years Away" by Stevie Wonder (1974)</i></p><p>A lesser-known track from this classic SW album, it's still great and I love the vocals, though the instrumentation is a bit cluttered. </p><p><i>"Couldn't Get It Right" by Climax Blues Band (1977)</i></p><p>This hit by an English rock band was on the radio a lot when I was growing up. Such a great groove with a good helping of cowbell. The song is supposedly about the band not being able to find a Holiday Inn while on the road. Deep stuff.</p><p><i>"Turn Your Lights Down Low" by Bob Marley & The Wailers (1977)</i></p><p>Now <b>this</b> is a sexy groove.</p><p><i>"It Makes No Difference" by Ray Charles (1962)</i></p><p>Another great cut from the LP of Ray covering country songs.</p><p><i>"Soul Suckin' Jerk" by Beck (1994)</i></p><p>A funny song that weaves in Beastie Boys, if I am hearing this right.</p><p><i>"Kings" by Steely Dan (1972)</i></p><p>I read that this song was about Nixon, but really, couldn't you say that about most things in '72?</p><p><i>"How Long" by Ace (1975)</i></p><p>A classic 70's FM radio hit with a killer chorus. </p><p><i>"Lessons in Love" by Level 42 (1987)</i></p><p>This one manages to be more smothered in keyboards than usual and, from a review I read, "reeks of 1987". Yup. </p><p><i>"Soul Man" by Sam & Dave (1967)</i></p><p>It's hard to pass on this classic, though I've probably heard the version from "The Blues Brothers" more often. Sad.</p><p><i>"Wilderness" by Archer Prewitt (2005)</i></p><p>Definitely some John Lennon influence with some tight bass playing weaved in.</p><p><i>"The Winner Takes it All" by Abba (1980)</i></p><p>One of the things I like to listen for in most Abba tracks is the bass playing by their usual bassist, Rutger Gunnarsson. There's a lot going on and he was part of the signature sound of the band, right up there with the vocals and the jangle pianos. This song, which someone dubbed, "divorce pop" has the right amount of overwrought metaphors that still sounds personal. Happy times.</p><p><i>"Hey You" by Pink Floyd (1979)</i></p><p>Speaking of happy, this track works well on its own and I am not sick to death of it like I am with "Another Brick". I always liked the bass playing on this one and then learned that Gilmour played it. Sorry ,Roger.</p><p><i>"Need You Tonight" by INXS (1987)</i></p><p>"...that makes me sweat." Yeah, that's one of the classic all-time pickup lines.</p><p><i>"That's All" by Genesis (1983)</i></p><p>Another entry in the Phil Collins "Breakup Songbook".</p><p><i>"Love Ain't For Keeping" by The Who (1971)</i></p><p>Pretty much everything on "Who's Next" is great (okay, maybe not "My Wife") so this song, about getting down with your lover on...a picnic, gets the nod.</p><p><i>"Burn You Up, Burn You Down" by Peter Gabriel (2003)</i></p><p>A groovy second-string PG track. </p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3165565146470439346.post-68831935713656173512023-02-08T16:21:00.002-06:002023-02-08T16:22:21.439-06:00Dad's Movies: "Everybody Does it"<p> Classic movies meet classical music in this installment: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everybody_Does_It">Everybody Does It</a> (1949).</p><p>One sure sign of how much more visible classical music used to be in American culture is the way it was sometimes made the subject of farce in Hollywood mainstream movies. This was apparently a remake of a very similar 1939 film made by the same studio so the idea must have had appeal. </p><p>The whole setup is pretty silly and is yet another example of the old, "those ladies are better off staying home" idea of marital happiness. It's pretty eye-rolling but the whole thing is played for laughs and the cast manages to sell it well enough. Paul Douglas is funny and seems in on the joke but Linda Darnell has to be the straight woman who wants to make Douglas' character into a singing star. As Neil Young <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Re·ac·tor">sang</a>, "You were born to rock, you'll never be an opera star."</p><p>Dad likely saw this when it came out and was undoubtedly amused by the digs and references to classical music. </p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3165565146470439346.post-60290028998819895792023-01-23T17:35:00.000-06:002023-01-23T17:35:52.459-06:00Dad's Movies: Father Goose<p> And now, it's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_Goose_(film)">Father Goose</a> (1964)</p><p>I grew up in a pro-Cary Grant home so this movie was on rotation but I'd managed to avoid watching the whole thing until now. </p><p>The whole thing is pretty light with cute interactions between Grant, Caron, and the kids but I wasn't sure I bought the romantic chemistry between Caron and Grant. Sure, there's a huge age difference but this IS Cary Grant we're talking about so if anyone can make that work, it's him. In this case it was kind of lukewarm. The situation (and this is kind of a situation comedy) is fun and I got a kick out of all the back-forth between Grant's character and Trevor Howard's Royal Navy commander. </p><p>The show could have used some tightening up but it gets the job done. This was one of Grant's last films and while this one is fine, it's perhaps a bit of a shame he didn't do something more interesting. </p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3165565146470439346.post-18659557597469952672023-01-22T10:35:00.001-06:002023-01-22T10:35:30.579-06:00Dad's Movies: The Fallen Idol<p> Today, I get into <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fallen_Idol_(film)">The Fallen Idol</a> (1948)</p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(153, 170, 187); line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One of three classics that Reed made with author Graham Greene at the time, the other two being The Third Man and Odd Man Out. This is the one of the three I hadn't gotten around to watching and while it doesn't loom as large as the others, it's really good.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(153, 170, 187); line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Idol" isn't much of a suspense story but more about telling a story about how a child learns about the adult world of secrets, lies, and murky morality. </span></p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(153, 170, 187); line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The production, dialogue, and cast are all great as I expected with Richardson giving a very nuanced performance. I'm generally of a mind that child actors are overall much better today than the old days but this kid is actually good here. The kid can be annoying, especially in the opening scenes, but he's also playing the part fairly realistically as he's supposed to be a spoiled entitled son of an ambassador. </span></p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(153, 170, 187); line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are some future bigger names in British cinema who make appearances here like Jack Hawkins and future Bond director Guy Hamilton is in the credits (he was an assistant director in the industry for some time). </span></p><p style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(153, 170, 187); line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The score is very good, if a bit on the busy side, and pretty appropriate for the era.</span></p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3165565146470439346.post-41198090890763098382023-01-17T22:46:00.001-06:002023-01-17T22:47:23.678-06:00Dad's Movies: Von Ryan's Express<p>Today, I take on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_Ryan's_Express">Von Ryan's Express (1965)</a>.</p><p>A popcorn movie from the 1960s that borrows a stack of entertaining WW2 movie cliche's from "The Great Escape", "Bridge on the River Kwai", and the far superior 1964 movie, "The Train". </p><p>Trevor Howard has little to do but hang out and give a few speeches as it's really Sinatra's show. The rest of the cast does as well as it can with the cardboard characters. Sinatra seems a bit bored and, ahem, frankly too old for the part of an action hero (he was 50 at the time). It's just assumed that his character inspires the men without the screenplay or acting doing the heavy lifting to bring the audience along for the ride (oops, sorry). </p><p>The effects are decent and there is lots of good looking location work. The show improves once we get to the train heist part of the movie. The score isn't one of Goldsmith's best with a fair amount of jokey musical cues (slide whistles and trombones, anyone?) .</p><p>I'm guessing Dad saw this when it came out and got a kick out of it as WW2 entertainment fluff. Deep, it ain't, baby. </p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3165565146470439346.post-35743341300827894312022-12-12T13:35:00.002-06:002022-12-12T20:01:38.945-06:00Songs I Didn't Skip (Holiday Edition)<p> At the suggestion of a reader, I present this entry of holiday songs I didn't skip or downright flee from. This installment will be a little different as I don't have nearly enough holiday pop standards in my music library to write anything interesting about. It would be limited to jazz and lounge Christmas tunes and where's the fun in that? Instead, I pulled up a few playlists of popular tracks on Spotify and worked my way through. Here's the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1rqsGB3LDyanenKIMMDNW2?si=84b2a515f0ca4d95">Spotify playlist.</a></p><p><i>"All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey (1994)</i></p><p>Despite this song being played absolutely to death each year, it's popular for a reason. The song manages to sound somewhat modern while paying tribute to classic acts like The Ronettes. I don't have much of a memory of this song prior to it being used in the 2003 film, "Love Actually". Carey's version is covered constantly and also works well on retail store sound systems. </p><p><i>"This Christmas" by Donny Hathaway (1970)</i></p><p>I'll bet I've heard this somewhere before but it sounded new to me. This is a good tune and Donny does some good bass playing on it. Nice. </p><p><i>"White Christmas" by Bing Crosby (1942)</i></p><p>The 800 pound gorilla of holiday songs, written by a Jewish immigrant. Now THAT's American! People forget that the version everyone knows/sings is just the chorus; there's also a verse that no one does that puts the point of view of the song to a Californian. <a href="https://www.kqed.org/news/83832/why-white-christmas-is-actually-a-california-song">This article</a> has some good background on why Irving writes about palm trees in this famous Christmas song. The song is also the big hit from that same year's film, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holiday_Inn_(film)">Holiday Inn</a>, which is IMO, superior to the later "White Christmas" film (yes, even with the blackface number).</p><p><i>"Baby, It's Cold Outside" by Dean Martin (1959)</i></p><p>If you're going to play this one, Deano seems like the ideal singer. Fun facts: Frank Loesser (Guys and Dolls) wrote this to perform at parties with his wife and the song was first featured in the 1949 Esther Williams movie, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neptune%27s_Daughter_(1949_film)">Neptune's Daughter</a>, sung by Ricardo Montalbán!</p><p><i>"The Christmas Song" by Nat King Cole (1961)</i></p><p>Yes, Cole deserves to be known for "Route 66" or "Unforgettable" over this but that's not how things pan out. It's also a great song and musically one of the best Christmas songs ever written (those chords!).</p><p><i>"Frosty the Snowman" by Ella Fitzgerald (1960)</i></p><p>Ella could have sung the phone book (what's a phone book, Gramps?) and it would sound great. If I never have to hear the TV special line, "Happy Birrrrthday" ever again, it'll be too soon.</p><p><i>"What Christmas Means to Me" by Stevie Wonder (1967)</i></p><p>Huh, I was not aware that Wonder did an entire Christmas album. Easy on the sleigh bells, there Stevie!</p><p><i>"Feliz Navidad" by José Feliciano (1970)</i></p><p>The autocorrect actually knew Jose's name which tells you all you need to know about this holiday staple. And yeah, I can't un-hear "and from Taco John's" even today from their old ad campaign that used this song.</p><p><i>"A Holly Jolly Christmas" by Burl Ives (1964)</i></p><p>The version from the old Rudolph special is better; less lethargic. I didn't realize that the song was intended to be sung by Yukon Cornelius. What would THAT have been like?</p><p><i>"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" by Andy Williams (1963)</i></p><p>Another monster holiday hit. Andy Williams is far from cool, but this over-the-top jazz waltz soldiers on year after year. From the lyrics of this song, I feel I missed out growing up in that I didn't have Christmas experiences that involved ghost stories or roasting marshmallows. Sad. </p><p><i>"Step Into Christmas" by Elton John (1973)</i></p><p>I'm not sure I'd listen through this one again but it's fun to hear an EJ song I wasn't familiar with. </p><p><i>"Jingle Bells" by Frank Sinatra (1957)</i></p><p>There really isn't very much to this song which makes it fun to hear what people do with it. </p><p><i>"Sleigh Ride" by The Ronettes (1963)</i></p><p>I maintain that this standard works better as an instrumental. The lyrics feel kind of wedged in, so to speak. However, this Spector-ized version is as good as any. </p><p><i>"Last Christmas" by Wham! (1984)</i></p><p>I don't really recall hearing this until maybe the 1990s and today it's of course everywhere with a ton of covers.</p><p><i>"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee (1958)</i></p><p>I forget that Lee was only 13 when she recorded this: crazy. </p><p><i>"Jingle Bell Rock" by Bobby Helms (1957)</i></p><p>This is of course a natural follow up to the Brenda Lee song. I remember singing this one in grade school wearing these white capes that my mom had to cut out of a sheet. Simpler times hahahaha.</p><p><i>"Blue Christmas" by Elvis Presley (1957)</i></p><p>We stay in the '50s for this, ahem, chestnut. The thing that always stands out about this version (like many of Elvis' songs, it was a cover) is the background singers that almost steal the show.</p><p><i>"Please Come Home For Christmas" by The Eagles (1978)</i></p><p>I had no idea this was a cover of a 1960 song. I was going to snark on Don Henley for writing the line, "friends and relations send salutations" but alas, Wikipedia steals all my fun. </p><p><i>"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" by Darlene Love (1963)</i></p><p>Phil Spector apparently liked a good baritone sax.</p><p><i>"Cool Yule" by Louis Armstrong and The Commanders (1953)</i></p><p>All those cats, warm as toast! "'Zat You, Santa Claus? " is also great, from this same session. <a href="https://dippermouth.blogspot.com/2008/10/55-years-of-louis-armstrong-and.html">This blog entry</a> does a deep dive into the sessions that produced these two Louis Armstrong classics.</p><p><i>"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by James Taylor (2002)</i></p><p>I cheated on this one as the OG Judy Garland version is what came up in the rotation but this version is too good to pass on. Taylor gets the sadness of the song's meaning across (not that Judy doesn't) from a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meet_Me_in_St._Louis">non-Christmas movie</a> where a family is NOT going to be spending the holidays together. </p><p><i>"O Tannenbaum" by The Vince Guaraldi Trio (1965)</i></p><p>Truly a staple of my childhood.</p><p><i>"Mele Kalikimaka" by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters (1950)</i></p><p>It's as if Bing's character from Holiday Inn sold out and moved to Hawaii.</p><p><i>"(Everybody's Waiting For) The Man with the Bag" by Kay Starr (1950)</i></p><p>The jazzy, give-me-my-stuff song.</p><p><i>"Santa Baby" by Eartha Kitt (1953)</i></p><p>Kitt's vocal (and the dudes singing backgrounds) get across the tongue-in-cheek aspect of this song; the best way to approach it.</p><p><i>"The Christmas Waltz" by The Carpenters (1978)</i></p><p>This is the top of the heap of the many versions of this classic.</p><p>Honorable mention: <i>"Joel The Lump of Coal" by The Killers and Jimmy Kimmel (2014)</i></p><p>As suggested by my brother in-law, this is pretty funny. And who knew a lump of coal could have knees? It truly is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Happy mistletoe-ing everyone!</p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3165565146470439346.post-58686228875269110292022-12-06T12:23:00.002-06:002022-12-06T12:23:21.099-06:00Dad's Movies: Emperor of the NorthI work my way into the "E" section with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_of_the_North_Pole">Emperor of the North (1973)</a><div><br /></div><div>I'm fairly confident that Dad sought out this title as it probably reminded him of his time riding the rails as a teenager (somewhat later than this movie depicts). I wonder if he ever saw 1933's <a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/wild-boys-of-the-road/">Wild Boys of the Road</a>?</div><div><br /></div><div>Action director, Robert Aldrich, takes on the Great Depression with an epic battle between veteran hobo "A No. 1 (Marvin) and savage train conductor, "Shack" (Borgnine). Lee Marvin's character also picks up the tramp, "Cigaret" played by a very young Keith Carradine who tags along.</div><div><br /></div><div>The plot is exceedingly simple: Shack really doesn't like hobos catching rides on his freight train and is willing to use very violent means to repel them. He frequently uses a large hammer or a chain to accomplish this bloody task. A No. 1 is determined to ride Shack's train to Portland, OR and a lot of money is bet on him making it. The stage is set for an action set piece and battle of wills.</div><div><br /></div><div>The characters and performances here are all caricatures and I feel like the best way to approach this show is that it's more of a fable of even a tall tale and not so much a documentary about life during the Depression. Marvin gives Kerouac-like speeches and Borgnine plays his villain very over the top. Borgnine plays Shack as if he was born angry. It's as if Borgnine's sadistic "Fatso" character in "From Here to Eternity" went on to have a career at a railroad. If you've only seen Borgnine from his TV roles, this part will surprise you. Carradine's tagalong character doesn't always work for me but it's a necessary part.</div><div><br /></div><div>The location and production look great. The parts of the film that weren't very effective were the interludes where we see Lee Marvin stealing poultry. These parts were surely meant to give the show some lightness but the clash of tones between the period-slapstick and the grim train scenes feel jarring.</div><div><br /></div><div>The music score and title song are pretty bad, as if they were intended for a different kind of movie. Fortunately, the action scenes tend to be free of an underscore which helps.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3165565146470439346.post-54287196624904812672022-12-03T09:22:00.001-06:002022-12-03T09:22:38.564-06:00Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 31)<p> I suppose one day I'll load all of these songs into a playlist and see how many I'd bypass a second time. At least I'm creating some long-ass road trip playlists for when I drive across the country.</p><p><i>"Don't Get Me Wrong" by The Pretenders (1986)</i></p><p>This very catchy song has a perfect ending at a time where it could have easily taken the easy way and faded out. It's also one of my favorite singles from this band.</p><p><i>"Rockaway Beach" by The Ramones (1977)</i></p><p>The Ramones do surf rock.</p><p><i>"You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want) by Joe Jackson (1984)</i></p><p>A fun, brass and slap bass-centered tune with a pretty awkward title.</p><p><i>"Honky Cat" by Elton John (1972)</i></p><p>I've always liked this track with its banjo and trombone instrumentation.</p><p><i>"Southern Nights" by Glen Campbell (1977)</i></p><p>The same year I saw "Star Wars" in the theater 12 times, this song was on the radio. Glen really had a way with the guitar hooks.</p><p><i>"Rockmaker" by Toto (1978)</i></p><p>Mid-tier Toto is just fine but it sounds like they couldn't come up with any lyrics for the chorus after singing, "Rockmaker...". Artistic license I suppose but it seems out of place for this band.</p><p><i>"Saved by Zero" by The Fixx (1983)</i></p><p>I now have BOTH hits by The Fixx on this list. </p><p><i>"Hot For Teacher" by Van Halen (1984)</i></p><p>Say what you will about the lyrics, this track is TIGHT with a Deep Purple-esque opening drum solo and none of the synths that people griped about on other tracks from "1984". I forget sometimes what chops this band had.</p><p><i>"You Dropped a Bomb on Me" by The Gap Band (1982)</i></p><p>On this funky tune, the character of the bomb is played by...the tympani. And props to these guys for resisting the temptation to not use the electronic "falling bomb" sound until midway through.</p><p><i>"Foxy Lady" by Jimi Hendrix (1967)</i></p><p>I almost had to skip this one since it still reminds me of "Wayne's World". Curses!</p><p><i>"I Was Made For Dancin'" by Leif Garrett (1979)</i></p><p>My, this really was peak non-cool white Disco, wasn't it.</p><p><i>"Let the Four Winds Blow" by Fats Domino (1961)</i></p><p>"From the East to the West, I love you the best."</p><p><i>"Days Are Numbers (The Traveller)" by The Alan Parsons Project (1984)</i></p><p>From the sound of this song, it seems like this guy was doing a lot of traveling in elevators.</p><p><i>"Waterloo" by Abba (1974)</i></p><p>It's remarkable how fully-formed this group's sound was on their first single, the sax not withstanding.</p><p><i>"I Can't Get Next to You" by Al Green (1970)</i></p><p>The line, "I've been trying to call you all day but I don't have your number" gives me pause. How, Al, are you trying to call this elusive person? Do you pester the poor operator? So many questions. </p><p><i>"Heartbreak Hotel" by Elvis Presley (1956)</i></p><p>I love the bare-bones production of this track where you can really hear Bill Black and Chet Atkins.</p><p><i>"I'll Be Back" by The Beatles (1964)</i></p><p>In love, some of us are gluttons for punishment.</p><p><i>"Teahouse on the Tracks" by Donald Fagen (1993)</i></p><p>This album was kind of a soft opening for Steely Dan to resume making albums and touring again as Becker played on the album and toured with Fagen to promote it. It's not prime material but does have an extended trombone solo. </p><p><i>"You & Eye" by David Byrne (1994)</i></p><p>I listened to this album a lot when it came out as I had just moved to Minneapolis and this was one of the first CDs I bought while working at Musicland (during my misspent retail years). The song is one of the better ones on the album with Byrne's fondness for Latin styles and a killer bass solo.</p><p><i>"Things I Miss the Most" by Steely Dan (2003)</i></p><p>This may not be peak-Dan but it's very funny and of course musically impeccable. </p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3165565146470439346.post-2367914150045189982022-11-23T18:30:00.002-06:002022-11-23T18:30:28.374-06:00Dad's Movies: "The Ghost Ship"<p> Up today: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ghost_Ship">The Ghost Ship</a> (1943)</p><p>This is an interesting entry in the 1940s Val Lewton series of horror movies though it isn't really a horror show. I'd call it more of a psychological thriller, a term that possibly didn't exist in the 1940s or at least not in the way we'd think of them. </p><p>Really, this is about a mad sea captain and the relationships he has, particularly with his new third officer. There is an easy read of repressed homosexuality in this story though the film works on more levels than that which makes it far more interesting. </p><p>Richard Dix, who was nearing the end of his career as an action movie star, is really good in this and from what I can tell, plays a very different character than he had before. The performance is pretty subtle and menacing. It's so tempting in these kinds of movies for these characters to be played over the top: not here. The guy playing the third officer, Russell Wade, does the job but comes off as pretty stiff. There are some good character actors playing the crewmen, like the calypso singer <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Lancelot_(singer)">Sir Lancelot</a> (whom I recently saw in "To Have And Have Not" and "Brute Force"). The guy who plays the deaf crewman (don't fuck with this guy!) is great as well. </p><p>The other interesting part of this film is that due to a lawsuit, it was withdrawn from circulation for almost 50 years just after it was released so it appearing is very cool. Someone remembered it. Oh, and the title is pretty deceptive as it's not really a movie about a haunted ship. Sad.</p><p>I'm pretty sure Dad had a copy of this as it was part of a set that included the film "Bedlam" which he liked (another Lewton horror movie). As always, I wish I could talk to him about this one.</p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3165565146470439346.post-8333679211898292002022-11-18T11:34:00.000-06:002022-11-18T11:34:03.577-06:00Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 30)<p><br /><br /> 30? That's a LOT of sequels!<br /><br /><br /><i>"Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" by The Smiths (1987)</i></p><p><br />A great, if depressing song about shitty people and booze. I love the guitar sound on this track.</p><p><br /><i>"Rider in the Rain" by Randy Newman (1977)</i></p><p><br />If this sounds kind of like an Eagles song, it's because Frey/Henley are singing on it.</p><p><br /><i>"Mhórag 's na Horo Gheallaidh" by Clannad (1993)</i></p><p><br />Before Enya became the voice that launched a thousand cruise ships, she was in this Irish vocal group.</p><p><br /><i>"Sara Smile" by Hall & Oates (1975)</i></p><p><br />Even a "casual fan" like me can respect this 70s classic.</p><p><br /><i>"Sibella" by Richard Thompson (1998)</i></p><p><br />Another bitter flavored love song...I think.</p><p><br /><i>"La La La" by The Bird and the Bee" (2007)</i></p><p><br />This duo's songs really sound great with fun studio-produced music and I love the sound of Inara George's voice.</p><p><br /><i>"San Tropez" by Pink Floyd (1971)</i></p><p><br />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.</p><p><br /><i>"Even Better Than the Real Thing" by U2 (1992)</i></p><p><br />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.</p><p><br /><i>"One Bourbon, One Scotch, and One Beer" by John Lee Hooker (1966)</i></p><p><br />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.</p><p><br /><i>"IGY" by Donald Fagen (1982)</i></p><p><br />What kind of nerd writes a song about the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Geophysical_Year#IGY_representations_in_popular_culture">International Geophysical Year</a>? 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.</p><p><br /><i>"Can't Get Enough" by Bad Company (1974)</i></p><p><br />This song just screams, "BAR BAND".</p><p><br /><i>"Dream Operator" by Talking Heads (1986)</i></p><p><br />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.</p><p><br /><i>"The Big Money" by Rush (1985)</i></p><p><br />There's Geddy singing about our society again.</p><p><br /><i>"Dani California" by Red Hot Chili Peppers (2006)</i></p><p><br />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).</p><p><br /><i>"Easy Does It" by Supertramp (1975)</i></p><p><br />A short but sweet opening to one of the band's lesser-known albums.</p><p><br /><i>"Dear Prudence (Esher demo version) by The Beatles (1968)</i></p><p><br />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.</p><p><br /><i>"Rose of Cimarron" by Emmylou Harris (1981)</i></p><p><br />Harris has such a distinctive voice that cuts through this very retro Western song.</p><p><br /><i>"Run Through the Jungle" by Creedence Clearwater Revival (1970)</i></p><p><br />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.<br /> <br /><i>"Smokin'" by Boston (1976)</i></p><p><br />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.</p><p><br /><i>"Mr. Blue Sky" by Electric Light Orchestra (1977)</i></p><p><br />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 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooked_on_Classics">Hooked On Classics</a> albums. The universe is truly just.</p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3165565146470439346.post-91490186806513954202022-10-18T15:21:00.001-05:002022-10-18T15:50:18.147-05:00Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 29)<p> The tunes, they keep on rolling along. Something like that.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>"Catch a Star" by Men at Work (1982)</i></p><p>I don't think I ever lingered on this non-single before but it's pretty good! The song almost sounds like it's doing reggae. This is the kind of song I keep this list going for.</p><p><i>"Low Rider" by War (1975)</i></p><p>A classic bass line. I also feel like the horns are just barely behind the beat. Intentional or not, it works.</p><p><i>"Turn a Square" by The Shins (2003)</i></p><p>More early 2000's retro-alt-rock or whatever this is. Choice lyric: "Have I left my home to whine in this microphone?"</p><p><i>"Only the Lonely" by The Motels (1982)</i></p><p>The better of the two Motels songs I have. I feel like a band with "motel" in its name is obligated to do a song about loneliness. </p><p><i>"Get Lucky" by Daft Punk (2013)</i></p><p>This track deserves the popularity it has, is SO catchy, and has some great Nathan East bass lines woven in.</p><p><i>"Poison in the Well" by 10,000 Maniacs (1989)</i></p><p>This band wears its REM influences on its sleeve but manages to be more melodic. </p><p><i>"Watching You Without Me" by Kate Bush (1985)</i></p><p>One of the non-singles from "Hounds of Love", from the concept album-like second side of the LP. The song is a fun mix of strings, including a prominent acoustic bass line, and electronics. And it wasn't featured on a hit Netflix show.</p><p><i>"Take Me As I Am" by October Project (1993)</i></p><p>A little self-serious in the tone but a good cut from a band that's mostly forgotten now.</p><p><i>"The Boys of Summer" by Don Henley (1984)</i></p><p>The drumming, such as it is on this 80s hit album, pretty much proves that Henley was more of a singer than a drummer.</p><p><i>"Baba O'Riley" by The Who (1971)</i></p><p>This one needs no compliments from me but I always think of the great show, "Freaks and Geeks" when I hear this where Jason Segal keeps correcting one of the other guys who keeps referring to this song as "Teenage Wasteland". </p><p><i>"Wild Honey Pie" by The Beatles (1968)</i></p><p>It's far from the best track from The White Album but it may be the FUNNEST. </p><p><i>"It Keeps You Runnin'" by The Doobie Brothers (1976)</i></p><p>The one where the Brothers take a trip on the Yacht of Rock.</p><p><i>"Don't Cry" by Seal (1994)</i></p><p>Seal's over the top production strikes again!</p><p><i>"What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" by REM (1994)</i></p><p>An interesting contrast to the previous 1994 song. This one is supposed to be about Gen X'ers not being understood by the older folks. Hahahahaha.</p><p><i>"Steppin' Out" by Joe Jackson (1982)</i></p><p>Joe sure made a good pop song using his keyboards and Korg drum machine.</p><p><i>"Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson (1982)</i></p><p>I swear I didn't plan back to back same-year songs. This is one of Jackson's best songs, IMO. </p><p><i>"Only Human" by Human League (1986)</i></p><p>Another old hit recorded here in the Twin Cities (Flyte Time, now demolished).</p><p><i>"Fire in the Hole" by Steely Dan (1972)</i></p><p>This is the only Vietnam-referencing Dan song I can think of (it could be a killer trivia question). The earlier Steely Dan stuff has aged much better than I would have thought. The combination of jazzy chords/sarcastic lyrics with the almost country rock sound this first album had is unlike anything else.</p><p><i>"West End Girls" by The Pet Shop Boys (1984)</i></p><p>This is probably the one song I think of when I think of this group. An 80s classic.</p><p><i>"Rebel Prince" by Rufus Wainwright (2001)</i></p><p>Rufus has a very unique voice and musical style, very distinct from his Dad's.</p><p><i>"Supernatural Thing" by Ben E. King (1975)</i></p><p>One of the best and funkiest uses of "Supernatural" in a song, unless there's a Parliament song I'm forgetting about.</p><p><i>"Heard Somebody Cry" by Oingo Boingo (1985)</i></p><p>Danny's singin' about dead people again. </p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3165565146470439346.post-45385769236005271222022-09-27T14:14:00.003-05:002022-09-27T22:58:45.158-05:00Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 28)<p>This list begins a new <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3K1CJ9DAy5gmCyi6dKsfd6?si=722ed90eae3942cf">Spotify playlist</a>. </p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>"Don't Leave Me Now" by Supertramp (1982)</i></p><p>There's a quote from the 2000 film, "High Fidelity" (I don't know if it's in the original novel) that I sometimes think of when a song by this band comes around: "Just because she moved in with some Supertramp fan doesn't make me five grand richer." The funny thing is, I can relate with both Rob, the snobby record store owner AND Ian, the alleged Supertramp fan. Yes, our musical tasted can get complicated. This was the last song on the last album this band did with their original lineup (I suspect they got back together many years later to play some reunion casino gigs but I am not counting that) and it kind of sounds it. </p><p><i>"My God Is the Sun" by Queens of the Stone Age (2013)</i></p><p>I don't remember really listening to this song which comes from a band that always sounds larger than life (I'm sure partly thanks to Mr. Grohl). Really good. </p><p><i>"Sky Is Falling" by Ambrosia (1997)</i></p><p>So, you may be asking what this band, better known for its late-1970s soft rock hits, sounded like two decades or so removed from its heyday? A tune that reminds me of the more slickly produced "Christian Rock" stuff I've heard (don't ask) without the Jesus lyrics. The song is pretty meh, with a message that seems to say that stuff is bad but what 'cha gonna do? Oh, and SIX MINUTES LONG? Moving on.</p><p><i>"It Hasn't Happened Yet" by William Shatner (2004)</i></p><p>This track, along with the rest of the album, has the right amount of silly but the production and those involved still take the endeavor seriously. It somehow works for me. This song could be an alternate universe Shatner story where he never made it out of doing Shakespeare in Canada.</p><p><i>"Living in America" by James Brown (1985)</i></p><p>Brown may have been past his prime but this is still pretty fun. I mainly associate the song with my time in the McDonald's All American Marching Band back in 1986-87. A good chunk of the music we played in those parades was then-current pop hits, custom arranged by the staff who ran the band from Florida A&M (hardcore marching band folks). This was one of them.</p><p><i>"Clean" by Depeche Mode (1990)</i></p><p>The ostinato that runs through this song reminds me a lot of the opening of Pink Floyd's "Meddle" album. </p><p><i>"Human Rocket" by Devo (2010)</i></p><p>Devo performing a nostalgic tribute to...itself. </p><p><i>"The Rubberband Man" by The Spinners (1976)</i></p><p>I've loved this goofy song ever since I heard it on the radio back in the 70s. The lyrics are pretty damned funny too. How many songs have lyrics like, "How much of this stuff do he think we can stand?"</p><p><i>"Better Days" by Bruce Springsteen (1992)</i></p><p>Pretty good for 1990s Bruce.</p><p><i>"Every Night" by Paul McCartney (1970)</i></p><p>Sir Paul's first solo album holds up well today and it gets better for me each time I hear songs from it besides, "Maybe I'm Amazed" (always a classic, original version please). And the showoff plays everything on the album.</p><p><i>"Listen" by Chicago (1969)</i></p><p>This song has a really good bass line played by Peter Cetera and wow, a lot of cowbell!</p><p><i>"Accidents Will Happen" by Elvis Costello and the Attractions (1979)</i></p><p>A classic EC song that's apparently autobiographical. </p><p><i>"Pac-Man Fever" by Buckner and Garcia (1981)</i></p><p>Now THIS is a novelty song!</p><p><i>"In God's Country" by U2 (1987)</i></p><p>I love the guitar sound on this track that, in my opinion, is an underrated song. Take that with a grain of salt; U2 has never really clicked with me. </p><p><i>"Magnet and Steel" by Walter Egan (1978)</i></p><p>It's another one-hitter helped out by members of Fleetwood Mac. A catchy song and it has the toy piano sound on it that somehow works.</p><p><i>"Love Sick" by Bob Dylan (1997)</i></p><p>One of his better late period tracks that should outlive the Victoria's Secret ad it was associated with 20 or so years ago. </p><p><i>"American Idiot" by Green Day (2004)</i></p><p>A song that holds up pretty well, even without its early-Iraq War political context. </p><p><i>"Hey Joe" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967)</i></p><p>I didn't realize this was a cover. The Byrds also covered this blues song with lots of cowbell. Jimi really missed out on the whole cowbell thing.</p><p><i>"How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" by James Taylor (1975)</i></p><p>I play this tune on gigs regularly but it's been a while since I'd heard the OG JT.</p><p><i>"The Carpet Crawlers" by Genesis (1974)</i></p><p>One of the singles (this album had singles?!) from the group's last LP with Peter Gabriel, "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway". It's an album that has some really strong moments but is somehow less than the sum of its parts. I didn't realize that the band (with Gabriel) recorded a new version of this song in 1999. </p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3165565146470439346.post-7395566272435119882022-09-13T14:02:00.004-05:002022-09-13T16:24:20.078-05:00Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 27)<p> Sheesh, glad I didn't go with Roman numerals for this!</p><p><br /></p><p><i>"Jambalaya (On the Bayou)" by Fats Domino (1961) </i></p><p>Hank Williams wrote this one, which was new to me.</p><p><i>"Have a Heart" by Bonnie Raitt (1989)</i></p><p>Speaking of good covers, this one holds up fairly well though the keyboards place it firmly in the late-1980s. It would be cool to hear a version of this with a little less 80s production.</p><p><i>"I'm Looking for Someone to Love" by Buddy Holly and The Crickets (1957)</i></p><p>A very well-recorded track for 1957. I found it...funny(?) that this song came up while I was driving to play a gig at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surf_Ballroom">The Surf Ballroom</a>. </p><p><i>"For the Turnstiles" by Neil Young (1974)</i></p><p>Some good, old-fashioned bleak/scaled down Neil. </p><p><i>"Stay On" by BoDeans (1993)</i></p><p>This is the kind of thing that dominated what they called "adult contemporary" radio in the 1990s. Nice tune.</p><p><i>"La Petite Fille de la Mer" by Vangelis (1972)</i></p><p>A dense, keyboards and guitar instrumental that doesn't really sound like his more famous, later material.</p><p><i>"Time Passages" by Al Stewart (1978)</i></p><p>This isn't a bad song but the production is SO cheesy.</p><p><i>"(I Don't Want to Love You But) You Got Me Anyway by The Sutherland Brothers (1973)</i></p><p>What's with the parentheses in this song title??? And, another band from Scotland.</p><p><i>"I Don't Wanna Go On with You Like That" by Elton John (1988)</i></p><p>A so-so EJ song that sounds like it was whipped up fairly quickly. A long time ago, my great grandmother used to have one of those Hammond electric organs that were somehow "popular" in the 1970s. When we would go visit her in Iowa, we kids would play around on this thing and likely annoyed our parents greatly. One of things it had were some crude "rhythm" auto track things (proto loops?). The constant electronic beat on this song, which sounds like an electronic wood block or something, reminded me of the beats that thing would play when you were messing around "playing" it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtBj1UoB36DTD8UmxF4i6j8s9XZjV6t3uOWy9PZlCU94Li6Bd-6I-631WcFq_vOmHXhISzeDdTZGlGt4zDvO_n2nQft74QVCnmp82E79VEwjuqIniy_LEZOc6L1w3a2Q2caSf73agA7Ury1EvN0qnOB3jZtkETlvaoQ-TxxmOMQRJqXyUgHt7BRY6eQ/s2048/A15yBBO.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1529" data-original-width="2048" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtBj1UoB36DTD8UmxF4i6j8s9XZjV6t3uOWy9PZlCU94Li6Bd-6I-631WcFq_vOmHXhISzeDdTZGlGt4zDvO_n2nQft74QVCnmp82E79VEwjuqIniy_LEZOc6L1w3a2Q2caSf73agA7Ury1EvN0qnOB3jZtkETlvaoQ-TxxmOMQRJqXyUgHt7BRY6eQ/s320/A15yBBO.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><i>"We've Been Had" by The Walkmen (2002)</i></p><p>More early aughts alternative radio fodder. This song was apparently used in a car commercial. I like that. </p><p><i>"Vita Voom" by Ozric Tentacles (1993)</i></p><p>The Ozric Tentacles Groove rolls on!</p><p><i>"See Saw" by Aretha Franklin (1968)</i></p><p>Even by Aretha standards, this one is fantastic. I also love the bass line on this track.</p><p><i>"Pineapple Head" by Crowded House (1993)</i></p><p>This is up there with the band's best singles and has a definite "Norwegian Wood" feel to it. </p><p><i>"I'm Happy Just to Dance with You" by The Beatles (1964)</i></p><p>A great, early George Harrison song that holds up, even at a tidy 2 minutes long.</p><p><i>"Treat Her Like a Lady" by Cornelius Brothers (1971)</i></p><p>Another one of those songs which basically advises you to not be a jerk or someone like one of the Corneliuses will step in. </p><p><i>"Lies" by Thompson Twins (1982)</i></p><p>OK, I think I have made it through most of the TT hit singles on this list. Phew. </p><p>"<i>Allentown" by Billy Joel (1982)</i></p><p>Joel's records are often overproduced but that can't get in the way of this song, which is still great. I chuckled a bit at the cover for the single: </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxHUGuyzJHFhMIbeFvl1grKtIF-hD0Ap7wrZPAQX_l70NJuJ0VUW-4mSw9crrUhfEoPRfRx-1JQrZ53rP6AlSuluuoqNXIhWpVgiHuSNUe5TGFDPM1ogxKhseI4HRzzMvtdgrVHQNldbwHzFTcjqnM4yhJZh36Wn8oImRfofUlvQ-tipEoCVaniPHzEw/s300/Allentown_Billy_Joel.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="300" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxHUGuyzJHFhMIbeFvl1grKtIF-hD0Ap7wrZPAQX_l70NJuJ0VUW-4mSw9crrUhfEoPRfRx-1JQrZ53rP6AlSuluuoqNXIhWpVgiHuSNUe5TGFDPM1ogxKhseI4HRzzMvtdgrVHQNldbwHzFTcjqnM4yhJZh36Wn8oImRfofUlvQ-tipEoCVaniPHzEw/s1600/Allentown_Billy_Joel.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> Billy will be riding the rails soon!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><p></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><i>"The Scientist" by Coldplay (2002)</i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p>Wait, what is this about again?</p><p><i>"Lucifer" by The Alan Parsons Project (1979)</i></p><p>I love how a song like this, a pseudo prog rock instrumental, can be a hit. Only in the 70s.</p><p><i>"Runnin' with the Devil" by Van Halen (1978)</i></p><p>This was a hit around the same time and TWO SATAN SONGS IN A ROW!!!</p><p><i>"Touch and Go" by The Cars (1980)</i></p><p>This is a fun song and one their best.</p><p><i>"Forever Man" by Eric Clapton (1985)</i></p><p>Likely the best song from this dated 80s album that really has a lot of timbale going on!</p><p><i>"Feels So Good" by Chuck Magione (1977) </i>Now that is some smoooooth jazz. The cover for this album looks like Dr. Teeth hugging a flugelhorn. </p><p><i>"Steady, As She Goes" by The Raconteurs (2006)</i></p><p>Huh, I guess there's a good reason this sounds like a Jack White record.</p><p><i>"Oye Como Va" by Santana (1971)</i></p><p>All I can see when I hear this song now is The Dude cruising around after stopping at In and Out Burger. It's the perfect song for that.</p><p><i>"Take On Me" by A-ha (1985)</i></p><p>A 1980s classic that really must have owed some of its success to its music video.</p><p><i>"Don't Worry About the Government" by Talking Heads (1977)</i></p><p>One of my favorite TH songs that might just be the anthem for those who toil in the "Deep State"</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span> "Some civil servants are just like my loved ones. They work so hard and they try to be strong."</span><br /></p><p><span><i>"It Hurts to Be in Love" by Gene Pitney (1964)</i></span></p><p>'Ol Gene should have hired Buddy Holly's recording team. </p><p><i>"So Far Away" by Dire Straits (1985)</i></p><p>The opener for the 80s blockbuster album, "Brothers In Arms" that sounds a bit more like the material they were doing late 70s. It's interesting that this is followed on the album by what DOES sound of its time, "Money For Nothing". </p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3165565146470439346.post-27326149519902685602022-08-28T13:09:00.001-05:002022-08-28T13:09:58.221-05:00Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 26)<p> I took a short hiatus from this, mostly due to more podcast listening but it's time to get back on the musical horse.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>"Blackjack" by Ray Charles (1955)</i></p><p>I'm guessing Ray didn't open any of his Vegas shows with this one.</p><p><i>"Any Major Dude Will Tell You" by Steely Dan (1974)</i></p><p>I don't have much to add about this classic other than that it looks backward a bit from the style they adopted for the early albums and would seem rather out of place just one or two LPs later. </p><p><i>"People" by King Crimson (1995)</i></p><p>This album perhaps doesn't quite count as a "Supergroup" by hit-making pop group criteria but it really is from its complement of fantastic musicians. The lyrics are somewhat forgettable but the playing is stellar. </p><p><i>"Give Judy My Notice" by Ben Folds (1995)</i></p><p>Not my favorite track on the album (that is likely "Jesusland") but a solid Phil Collins-quality (if he'd been an alternative 90s artist) breakup song. </p><p><i>"Be Bop A Lula" by Gene Vincent (1956)</i></p><p>I know pop artist names aren't everything but you just don't expect a song like this, which just drips with early rock and roll teen energy, to come from someone named "Gene". Sorry dude. </p><p><i>"We Made It" by Toto (1982)</i></p><p>The classic movie director <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Hawks">Howard Hawks</a> once said what makes a good movie is "three great scenes, no bad ones" and you could make this argument about pop albums. <i>Toto IV</i> definitely fits this and while this song isn't one of the "great" ones, it's definitely not bad. Thanks Howard. </p><p><i>"Livin' in the Red" by War (1987)</i></p><p>I guess this is what happens when a band gets into middle age; songs get writen about too much debt.</p><p><i>"Greenbacks" by Ray Charles (1955)</i></p><p>What a great next-track after the War song. You could think of this as a prequel where we find out why the guy in the War song lost all his dough. </p><p><i>"Honky Tonk Blues" by Huey Lewis and the News (1983)</i></p><p>I had never bothered to look up whether this was an actual Hank Williams cover or a tribute. Score one for ol' Hank. An interesting cut to end the album with guest steel guitar player John McFee of the Doobie Brothers. </p><p><i>"Take a Chance" by Eric Clapton (1986)</i></p><p>Clapton's late 1980s material hasn't really aged well, even though this album had a lot of heavy hitters playing on it. This song is pretty blah overall but does have bassist Nathan East who manages to outplay Clapton. I often think he was best when playing others' material. </p><p><i>"This and That" by Michael Penn (1989)</i></p><p>This song does a 180 and manages to hold up very well now, for me at least. It helps that the songwriting is strong and that it manages to sound more like a 1990s song. Maybe collaborating with Phil Collins isn't always the best idea; right Eric?</p><p><i>"Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon (1980)</i></p><p>This is a live version which, on the plus side, adds some funny alternate lyrics. On the other hand, it's slower which I don't love. I give a slight edge to the original. </p><p><i>"Too Much Rain" by Paul McCartney (2005)</i></p><p>I would never have guessed that this album was produced by Nigel Godrich (of Radiohead). This is a really nice song that reminds me of his very first solo record. </p><p><i>"Flipside" by Kristin Harsh (2001)</i></p><p>A very good early aughts (doesn't that sound dumb?) alt-rock song. The "flipside" in this case is of a...molecule?</p><p><i>"White Shadow" by Peter Gabriel (1978)</i></p><p>A song I don't hear often from his "Scratch" album. It sounds a bit like his earlier Genesis stuff.</p><p><i>"Knockin' On Heaven's Door" by Eric Clapton (1975)</i></p><p>Yep, a LOT better when covering others. </p><p><i>"San Ferry Anne" by Wings (1976)</i></p><p>This is a cool little song and Paul manages to work in some fun jazz bits in a track that's barely over the 2 minute mark.</p><p><i>"You Belong to Me" by Patsy Cline (1962)</i></p><p>Another great Cline cover song with the usual Floyd Cramer/Jordnaires lineup.</p><p><i>"Nighttime in the Switching Yard" by Warren Zevon (1978)</i></p><p>Who knew that a train yard could be so...FUNKY!</p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3165565146470439346.post-70880685152133353632022-07-19T10:26:00.003-05:002022-07-19T10:26:56.173-05:00Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 25)<p>This has gone on so long now that I've had to abandon one of the "parameters" of this endeavor. Mainly, that I would stop when I hit a repeated track. Since phones are little computers, they do reboot now and again so the music app has reset and I've had to restart the tunes so now I just try to make sure I am not writing about a song twice. I knew you'd understand. </p><p><i>"Magneto and Titanium Man" by Paul McCartney and Wings (1975)</i></p><p>One of the more fun and stronger songs from the well-worn (I did in fact have a very well worn LP of this long ago) "Venus and Mars" album. How was this not sneaked into a Marvel movie?</p><p><i>"Lay Your Hands on Me" by Thompson Twins (1985)</i></p><p>If you're going to do a song with this title, you might as well go whole hog and hire a choir (see also: "Like a Prayer"). </p><p><i>"Cold Weather Blues" by Muddy Waters (1964)</i></p><p>The album this is from, "Folk Singer" is all Waters doing acoustic blues songs that don't sound like they would be heard at a BBQ restaurant. I also had to laugh when this one came up on the rotation as it was very hot outside. </p><p><i>"King for a Day" by XTC (1989)</i></p><p>Even though this is one of the "lighter" songs from this album, there's a lot going on here. Also, great bridge. </p><p><i>"(Ghost) Riders in the Sky" by Johnny Cash (1979)</i></p><p>No wonder those riders were so scary: they were playing French Horns!</p><p><i>"Only the Children" by Toto (1988)</i></p><p>This song comes off as a bit like a filler track with some vague references to what we would now call income inequality but even second rung Toto is still worth listening to. I keep harping on this but this album sounds more dated now for its thin 80s production sound than anything else. The earlier LPs sound better. But what do I know, that style sold a lot of records.</p><p><i>"Universal Traveler" by Air (2004)</i></p><p>Another cool atmospheric song from this duo but what's up with the way they pronounce "universal traveler"? You've gotta love the French. </p><p><i>"Pearl of the Quarter" by Steely Dan (1973)</i></p><p>A relatively sweet, by SD standards at least, song from a pretty sarcastic album. I dig "Skunk"s guitar playing on this track as well. </p><p><i>"Piano in the Dark" by Brenda Russell (1988)</i></p><p>You'd think there would be more, uh piano on this song but I guess a little goes a long way, doesn't it Brenda?</p><p><i>"Drivin' My Life Away" by Eddie Rabbitt (1980)</i></p><p>This is another one of those songs that I have this foggy memory fragment where I heard it on a radio growing up. During those times, I caught songs like this in cars or perhaps on the old clock radio, complete with a "Groundhog Day" style flip clock, that I had near my bed. A good song that, like a lot of country music, was well recorded.</p><p><i>"Shoot High Aim Low" by Yes (1987)</i></p><p>There is apparently a point to this song but I sure didn't pick up on what that was. Does it matter? No. The performances here are at the usual high level for this band but this album always sounded really cold and sterile (here we go again) to me, recording/production-wise. This wasn't that unusual for the 80s but this album still stands out for that quality. This is especially apparent in the drum sounds. I used to chalk this up to the increased use of digital recording equipment but I think now it was more of a deliberate choice. </p><p><i>"Say It Ain't So" by Weezer (1994)</i></p><p> SO 1990s.</p><p><i>"Downstream" by Supertramp (1977)</i></p><p>A nice, pared back piano/vocal song from the sometimes forgotten co-lead of this band, Rick Davies.</p><p><i>"Am I Going Insane (Radio)" by Black Sabbath (1975)</i></p><p>I swear I hear Daffy Duck laughing during the fade-out of this song.</p><p><i>"Campfire Song" by 10,000 Maniacs (1987)</i></p><p>Now this doesn't sound like a 1980s song and yes, that was Michael Stipe doing background vocals. Fun fact(s): This album was released with a cover of Cat Stevens' "Peace Train" on it but the song was removed from later reissues after the singer made comments that seemed to endorse killing author Salman Rushdie. Needless to say Rushdie was NOT popular with Muslims. I have to assume that this controversy has blown over by now since he is very much alive and doesn't bring up anything about this on his TV appearances. I somehow got the idea that the song was removed due to a rights dispute. Also, there is a credit on the album for "portraits of menfolk". </p><p><i>"Cars" by Gary Numan (1979)</i></p><p>An early new-wave staple. Gotta love all those expensive Moogs.</p><p><i>"Somebody" by David Byrne (1992)</i></p><p>Byrne finally goes all-in on the latin music style. I think most of not all of this album is done in this style. Really fun horn arrangements on this track.</p><p><i>"Emily" by Joanna Newsom (2006)</i></p><p>I was hesitant to add this to the list since it is a marathon, compared to everything else here, listen at 12 minutes long. However, I didn't skip it while I was cutting tree branches so here we are. Newsom (yes, related to Gavin) is one of those artists you either love or hate and while I wasn't sold on her odd vocal delivery at first, it has grown on me. When you combine the weird lyrics and delivery with the sumptuous musical arrangements, complete with a full orchestra AND the aforementioned Lee Sklar on bass, you get something extraordinary. I'd say give it a chance and listen to this or another track from the album, preferably not in a car or doing yard work. </p><p><i>"What in the World's Come Over You" by Jack Scott (1960)</i></p><p>Funny choice there, oh random mode.</p><p><i>"Warlocks" by Red Hot Chili Peppers (2006)</i></p><p>I couldn't really gleam anything meaningful from this typically funky Red Hot Chili Peppers tune but any song that has lyrics with, "a subterranean marching band" has my vote.</p><p><i>"Where The Hell is Bill?" by Camper Van Beethoven (1985)</i></p><p>This little project sure has gotten me to listen to a lot of CVB songs! As for this one, just what is a sideways haircut? This song also has an inside joke with some old friends that isn't worth repeating here but if they're reading this, they'll understand!</p><p><i>"Invisible Sun" by The Police (1981)</i></p><p>I'm pretty sure this was the Police album I got to know first. It's still great and on this song, the thing that stands out to me is the way Sting's vocals on the chorus sound: they're sung in octaves which gives them a strange sound to me, maybe it's something to do with the way the notes hit in his range? The bottom line sounds low for his usual singing and the top line sounds higher than normal. I don't know if that was intentional but it does make for a good effect. </p><p><i>"Hell Yes" by Beck (2005)</i></p><p>At one point I made an inside joke that you "can't make love to no Beck". I take it back. </p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359072603416559097noreply@blogger.com0