Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 25)

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. 

"Magneto and Titanium Man" by Paul McCartney and Wings (1975)

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?

"Lay Your Hands on Me" by Thompson Twins (1985)

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"). 

"Cold Weather Blues" by Muddy Waters (1964)

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. 

"King for a Day" by XTC (1989)

Even though this is one of the "lighter" songs from this album, there's a lot going on here. Also, great bridge. 

"(Ghost) Riders in the Sky" by Johnny Cash (1979)

No wonder those riders were so scary:  they were playing French Horns!

"Only the Children" by Toto (1988)

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.

"Universal Traveler" by Air (2004)

Another cool atmospheric song from this duo but what's up with the way they pronounce "universal traveler"? You've gotta love the French. 

"Pearl of the Quarter" by Steely Dan (1973)

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. 

"Piano in the Dark" by Brenda Russell (1988)

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?

"Drivin' My Life Away" by Eddie Rabbitt (1980)

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.

"Shoot High Aim Low" by Yes (1987)

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.  

"Say It Ain't So" by Weezer (1994)

 SO 1990s.

"Downstream" by Supertramp (1977)

A nice, pared back piano/vocal song from the sometimes forgotten co-lead of this band, Rick Davies.

"Am I Going Insane (Radio)" by Black Sabbath (1975)

I swear I hear Daffy Duck laughing during the fade-out of this song.

"Campfire Song" by 10,000 Maniacs (1987)

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". 

"Cars" by Gary Numan (1979)

An early new-wave staple. Gotta love all those expensive Moogs.

"Somebody" by David Byrne (1992)

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.

"Emily" by Joanna Newsom (2006)

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. 

"What in the World's Come Over You" by Jack Scott (1960)

Funny choice there, oh random mode.

"Warlocks" by Red Hot Chili Peppers (2006)

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.

"Where The Hell is Bill?" by Camper Van Beethoven (1985)

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!

"Invisible Sun" by The Police (1981)

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. 

"Hell Yes" by Beck (2005)

At one point I made an inside joke that you "can't make love to no Beck". I take it back. 

Dad's Movies: The Eagle Has Landed

 We go back to the WW II well with the 70s (somewhat) star-studded movie, The Eagle Has Landed (1976)

This film, the final one directed by John Sturges (The Great Escape and other action classics), feels more like a movie from ten years earlier with its collection of English and American stars playing Germans. For a twist, we have an American playing an Irishman, complete with a dodgy accent and red hair.  I read that Richard Harris was originally set to play this character which would have been better, I'd think, Michael Caine sounds like he always does and is occasionally allowed to chew the scenery.

Donald Pleasence does a slimy Himmler and Treat Williams even shows up. Robert Duvall is almost convincing as a German officer. I don't know what kind of accent he was trying to do. Top cheesy honors, however must go to Larry Hagman as the cartoonish American army commander. I was rooting for the Germans to blow his annoying character up. 

The whole thing comes together well in the last third but has periods where the movie gets borderline boring. A wartime heist movie, even one as ridiculous as this, needs to have more pop. However, it was satisfying to see the priest throw a punch at Donald Sutherland's Devlin character. I have to suspect that this was just a money gig for Sturges who by all accounts just wasn't into directing movies any longer. Still, decent fun for a WW2 movie.