Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 42)

 Part 42?! I keep thinking I'm going to get too many repeats or run out of tunes I linger on, but no.

"Blue Jean" by David Bowie (1984)

This was described by a critic as one of Bowie's best second-rate hits. Second-rate it may be, but it's still a banger.

"High on Sunday 51" by Aimee Mann (2002)

Mann does well with the drug metaphor here!

"Murder by Numbers" by The Police (1983)

This was a bonus track on the original release CD/cassette that wasn't on the vinyl. It's not a great Police song and I don't think it's better or worse of a song to close the LP with than, "Tea in the Sahara". As an album, "Synchronicity" doesn't quite hold together in the second half--the first half is very strong.

"Another Star" by Stevie Wonder (1976)

Could this be the one SW song done as a Samba???

"In the Shadows" by The Rasmus (2004)

Early-aughts alt/pop from...Finland?

"Ooh Baby Baby" by Linda Ronstadt (1978)

Another great cover by Linda who did a lot of great covers!

"Poor, Poor Pitiful Me" by Warren Zevon (1976)

Oh, this is funny. Ronstadt did a cover of this song a year later!

"Tip of My Tongue" by John Hiatt (1987)

From one of the best albums of the 1980s that few people think of when they think of 80s music.

"Ruby Baby" by Donald Fagen (1982)

Wow, a lot of covers on this installment.

"Year of the Cat" by Al Stewart (1976)

This has Alan Parsons and his over-the-top production written all over it. Lyrically, this song is kind of like "Margaritaville" but less fun.

"S.I.B. (Swelling Itching Brain)" by Devo (1987)

Classic paranoid Devo energy.

"Mean Mr. Mustard" by The Beatles (1968, demo version)

It can be revealing to hear these early versions of songs that are so familiar.

"Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" by Elton John (1973)

I don't really have much to add to this classic but I'm reminded just how tight EJ's backup band was in those days.

"One Tongue" by Hothouse Flowers (1993) 

Today, this band kind of comes across as "U2 with horns". Nice enough.

"Rose Garden" by Lynn Anderson (1970)

A lyrical masterpiece:  "I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden."

"Communication Breakdown" by Led Zeppelin (1969)

These guys were so good, right out of the gate.

"Signed, Sealed, Delivered" by Stevie Wonder (1970)

The Motown groove is strong with this one. James Jamerson!

"James and the Cold Gun" by Kate Bush (1978)

Speaking of James...this is a good one but it goes on a bit too long. Kate gets a pass, however.

"Change of the Guard" by Steely Dan (1972)

A very un-Yacht Rock-like Steely Dan tune as they were mostly a just a rock band then.

"Save a Prayer" by Duran Duran (1982)

There's a lot of heft in this ode to a one-night stand.

"A Place in the Sun" by Stevie Wonder (1966)

Another cover! This is a pretty straight country-style song but SW still nails it.

Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 41)

 Every once in a while, I remember I was doing this thing.

"15 Step" by Radiohead (2007)

From perhaps a second-tier Radiohead album...which is still really good! The other notable thing I recall from this one was the publicity it generated when the band released it as an mp3 download where you could name your price (including zero). It was still the age of CDs and digital music downloads (this album would not show up on Spotify until 2016); an interesting time for the music business.

"The Party's Over" by Willie Nelson (1967)

Nelson really knew how to shame a drunk.

"Fixing a Hole" by The Beatles (mono, 1967)

I'm sure I've gone on about the Beatles mono mixes before but this is another example of their overall superiority. 

"Your Sister Can't Twist (but She Can Rock and Roll)" by Elton John (1973)

A deep cut from the monster LP, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". 

"Rhiannon" by Fleetwood Mac (1975)

I don't have much to contribute to this monster hit of the 70s that remains one of Nicks's strongest songs.

"Rocks Off" by The Rolling Stones (1972)

Mick sounds a little drunk on this one but Charlie Watts pulls him along.

"One of the Millions" by XTC (1989)

A great bass line on this 3/4 time track. The back story of this band is an extended bummer.

"Waltz Across Texas Tonight" by Emmylou Harris (1995)

Hmm, another song in 3! I do find the album this came from to have aged pretty well. Sure, it still sounds a tad weird with its ice-cold, reverb drenched production, but I still think it's great, nearly 30 years later(!).

"Learnt My Lesson Well" by Kaiser Chiefs (2007)

This would mash up well with ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky", don't you think?

"High and Dry" by Radiohead (1995)

Oh yeah, now this is peak Radiohead.

"Baby I'm A-Want You" by Bread (1972)

I'm a-not sure about the grammar on this one!

"Ain't That a Shame" by Pat Boone (1955)

I can picture Pat taking time between Chevrolet ads to make this recording. No one but Boone could make an R&B song sound this white.

"Rest Your Love on Me" by Bee Gees (1978)

It's fun to hear these guys do a Country song in the middle of their Disco Glory Years.

"Getting In Tune" by The Who (1971)

Have I hit every song from the album this song came from ("Who's Next") yet? There's one I would probably skip but the rest are genuine classics.

"Sara Smile" by The Bird and the Bee (2010)

A great Hall & Oates cover. 

"The World Isn't Fair" by Randy Newman (2003)

Another one where Newman performs a piano/vocal-only version of one of his songs. This version works better than the original, which is a bit over-orchestrated (shocking, I know).

"Tired of Your Jive" by B.B. King (2005)

How can you skip a song with that title???

"Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" by Willie Nelson (1975)

Willie tackled an old 1940s Country tune and found himself with a hit record, which boosted his career at the time. 

"All The Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star)" by REM (2001)

This is okay but I don't the band's keyboard-heavy later material has aged as well.

"She's a Lady" by Tom Jones (1971)

Speaking aging well...or not.

"Advice for the Young at Heart" by Tears for Fears (1989)

I find it interesting how much the sound of this group changed album to album, at least through the first three. From sorta-edgy synth pop, to new wave or something (whatever you'd call the style of "Songs From the Big Chair"), to openly riffing on The Beatles with big production values.

Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 40)

 Okay, so it's been a while but it's freakin' Part 40 for crying out loud! 

As usual, I've posted these in the form of a Spotify playlist which you can find here with the usual caveat that once in a while, a song I reference isn't available on the service. 

"Here Comes Your Man" by The Pixies (1989)

It's the most mainstream song from this band by a long shot but still has a tiny bit of an edge to it with a catchy guitar lick.

"Reva's House" by Los Lobos (1992)

Another good track from a really solid album. The opening really hits with a "wall of sax" and a great Country Swing (?) feel. Sure, it's no Elmo and the Lavender Moon but what is?

"Not Now John" by Pink Floyd (1983)

I may have let this track play through due to a certain name being in the title but damn, this was the *single* from this album? Fun stuff.

"Monkey's Paw" by Laurie Anderson (1989)

This song seems to have been influenced by the musical feel of Paul Simon's "Graceland" album and even features the same South African bassist who played on that 1980s staple. 

"Green Flower Street" by Donald Fagen and the New York Rock and Soul Revue (1991)

A live version of a song from Fagen's first solo album that manages to mostly outshine the studio version with one exception. Fagen really likes to play this odd instrument called the Melodica. I've seen him play this thing at Steely Dan shows and he pulls it out for this tune. Needless to say I am not a fan but you may feel differently.  The "Revue" was a short-lived group of hot shots that made one live album. The NYRSR wasn't really a group as they mostly performed their own songs but it did include Fagen, Phoebe Snow, Michael McDonald, Boz Skaggs, and others. The album is very good and should be, given the talent involved. 

"Fido, Your Leash Is Too Long" by The Magnetic Fields (1999)

An amusing alternative song packed to the rafters with fun retro, super analog-y synths. 

"Stop Loving You" by Toto (1988)

This is one of the stronger tracks from this LP. It's kind of hard to believe that this was released only 11 years before the previous Magnetic Fields song which sounds like it's from a different musical planet (at least within pop music, let's not get too pedantic).

"Jenny Wren" by Paul McCartney (2005)

A very good late-period McCartney song from one of his better albums, period. Better than I remember.

"Your Dictionary" by XTC (1999)

Pretty good but it leans a bit too much into Beatles territory. 

"Racing in the Street" by Bruce Springsteen (1978)

Another Springsteenian Epic.

"What's in the Middle" by The Bird and the Bee (2009)

One reviewer called this, music "for the NPR crowd". Guilty as charged.

"Not About Love" by Fiona Apple (2004)

I think I talked about the album this song is from, the one that had its earlier version leaked on the Internet before but this is another example where the earlier attempt with a different producer and the arrangement is better, in my opinion. There's a good, sort of long article here about the whole saga around this album that's worth a read. Needless to say, this track is not on the streaming services but seems to be on YouTube.

"Broken" by Tears for Fears (1985)

This almost sounds like an extended introduction to the song that comes up next on this album, the big hit, "Head Over Heels". 

"God Put a Smile upon Your Face" by Coldplay (2002)

Is this the best song by this band? I have no idea but it is catchy as hell. 

"Working My Way Back to You" by The Spinners (1980)

Another example of the later cover version surpassing the (still good) original. 

"Well..All Right" by Buddy Holly and The Crickets (1958)

This is one of my favorite Holly tunes. It's a perfect, stripped to its bare essentials, pop song. I also love the way that the drummer plays the whole track on one cymbal which gives the song an unusual sound.

"Means to an End" by Traffic (1968)

This feels a bit like a throw-away song from this LP but it's short!

"Po' Boy" by Bob Dylan (2001)

A great later-period Dylan song with lyrics that seem random but somehow come together. It may not be profound but it has...an easy-going depth...whatever that means.

"Right Now" by Van Halen (1991)

That Hagar fellow is starting to grow on me.

"Lady" by Styx (1973)

With all due respect to "Mr. Roboto", this is one of the band's earliest and best hit songs. I have yet to plumb the depths of all Styx LPs so I may have to remain ignorant of the band's deeper cuts. The song has a great interplay between the instruments in the early part of the song with a massive buildup with what I assume is some kind of organ to get us to the Power part of the Power Ballad. 

Silly details:  My copy of this song is from an old CD box set of 1970s hits called, "Have a Nice Decade". The CD box had a strip of green carpeting that reminds me of the carpet that was in my high school which was built in 1978 and also featured a lot of orange painted railings. Neat. At the end of some of the tracks, you hear clips of audio from events that happened the year the song was released.  At the end of "Lady", there is audio of Gerald Ford announcing the pardon for Richard Nixon. Ah, good times! 

Styx re-recorded this song in 1995 for a greatest hits compilation when the original record label, I assume, wanted too much dough to license the original. The re-do is a pretty faithful facsimile of the '73 version but the analog synth or whatever it was doesn't sound quite right and of course Dennis is, well, old. Hold on to your master recordings, kids (just ask Taylor)!

Dad's Movies: "Genevieve"

 Next, we have Genevieve (1953)

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.