Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 34)

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!

"Missing You" by John Waite (1984)

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. 

"Birthday" by The Beatles (1968/2018 mix)

I'm sure I've said this on the blog somewhere before, but The White Album 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. 

"Maneater" by Hall & Oates (1982)

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.

"Strange Pursuit" by Devo (1978)

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.

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

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.

"A View to a Kill" by Duran Duran (1985)

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.

"Prove It All Night" by Bruce Springsteen (1978)

There's not much to say except it's Peak Bruce.

"Urgent" by Foreigner (1981)

A pretty good Foreigner song with some goofy synth programming by Thomas Dolby.

"Get Your Hands off My Woman" by The Darkness (2003)

A funny, retro-metal sounding cut with some Freddie Mercury inspired vocals. 

"Twist in My Sobriety" by Tanita Tikaram (1988)

An unusual and memorable debut from a 19 year old singer/songwriter that also features an oboe!

"Dancing with Myself" by Billy Idol (1981)

Idol, in his early retro rock and punk period before he discovered keyboards.

"(Love Is) Thicker Than Water by Andy Gibb (1977)

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!

"Sleep to Dream" by Fiona Apple (1997)

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.

"Mr. Roboto" by Styx (1983)

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.

"Think" by James Brown (1960)

A cover of an earlier R&B hit, but differently done with the funky JB grooves.

"Refugee" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1979)

We had some Peak Bruce, now some Peak Tom. One of his best, for sure.

"What Is Love?" by Howard Jones (1984)

This one just screams, "EIGHTIES",  however, it's one of Jones' best songs.

"I Know There's an Answer" by The Beach Boys (1966)

Classic, amazing album, etc, etc but this track has Glen Campell playing the banjo!

"Radar Love" by Golden Earring (1973)

A fun classic rock staple that has this great, extended instrumental break/bridge.

"Rose Darling" by Steely Dan (1975)

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. 

Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 33)

 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. 

"Girl from the North Country" by Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan (1969)

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.

"Roll On" by The Living End (2000)

It's like if The Clash did a union anthem.

"Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straits (1985)

I somehow didn't know this was about the Falklands war.

"Super Freak" by Rick James (1981)

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.

"Lithium" by Nirvana (1992)

For a song in a genre called "grunge", this song (and the entire album) is awfully well and cleanly recorded.

"Oddfellows Local 151" by REM (1987)

A great name for a song which is (probably) about some bums and kind of catchy for an REM song.

"Straight for the Heart" by Toto (1988)

Oh yes, guys, a sex worker will often "walk the streets in the name of romance".

"25 or 6 to 4" by Chicago (1970)

Whether the song is about drugs or finishing the writing of a song in the wee hours, it has a killer guitar solo.

"Country Road" by James Taylor (1971)

JT's songs often sound alike at first but they're so damned easy to listen to...oh crap...EZ!

"Diamond Girl" by Seals and Crofts (1973)

I kind of dig the smooth-jazzy instrumental breaks on this one...bongos and flute!

"The Mayor of Simpleton" by XTC (1989)

This may be the "pop single" of this album but it's good and has a great bass line.

"Me and Sarah Jane" by Genesis (1981)

Wait, Genesis did a song about a Doctor Who character???

"Lonesome Loser" by The Little River Band (1979)

Another perfectly crafted '70s pop tune with tight, Australian vocals.

"Paper in Fire" by John Cougar Mellencamp (1987)

The critic Robert Christgau wrote (about the album this came from), "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-". 

"Murder Incorporated" by Bruce Springsteen (1995)

Speaking of pop singer populists, this one takes on the topic of guns. Go Bruce!

"State Trooper" by Bruce Springsteen (1982)

From "meh" Bruce to MasterBruce. This track is so great with its raw, desperation. 

"Imagine" by John Lennon (1971)

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 church service)?

"Careless Whisper" by George Michael/Wham! (1984)

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.

"O Valencia!" by The Decemberists (2006)

Wait, this is 17 years old?! Crap. It still sounds pretty fresh. 

"The Bertha Butt Boogie" by The Jimmy Castor Bunch (1975)

This is a hilariously EPIC funk track. How do I know? One of the characters is named, "Bathsheba Butt". No question.

Songs I Didn't Skip (Part 32)

 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 here

"Season of the Witch" by Donovan 

Hmm, how many words can he find that rhyme with "witch"?

"Like the Weather" by 10,000 Maniacs (1987)

This track sounds way later than its year and looks ahead to the onslaught of college rock in the 90s.

"Portable Television" by Death Cab for Cutie (2011)

There may be some irony behind what passes for an upbeat song by this band.

"Action" by Freddy Cannon (1965)

Freddy really does want to take you places...and whoa there on the "whoo"!

"Heaven is 10 Zillion Light Years Away" by Stevie Wonder (1974)

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. 

"Couldn't Get It Right" by Climax Blues Band (1977)

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.

"Turn Your Lights Down Low" by Bob Marley & The Wailers (1977)

Now this is a sexy groove.

"It Makes No Difference" by Ray Charles (1962)

Another great cut from the LP of Ray covering country songs.

"Soul Suckin' Jerk" by Beck (1994)

A funny song that weaves in Beastie Boys, if I am hearing this right.

"Kings" by Steely Dan (1972)

I read that this song was about Nixon, but really, couldn't you say that about most things in '72?

"How Long" by Ace (1975)

A classic 70's FM radio hit with a killer chorus. 

"Lessons in Love" by Level 42 (1987)

This one manages to be more smothered in keyboards than usual and, from a review I read, "reeks of 1987". Yup. 

"Soul Man" by Sam & Dave (1967)

It's hard to pass on this classic, though I've probably heard the version from "The Blues Brothers" more often. Sad.

"Wilderness" by Archer Prewitt (2005)

Definitely some John Lennon influence with some tight bass playing weaved in.

"The Winner Takes it All" by Abba (1980)

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.

"Hey You" by Pink Floyd (1979)

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.

"Need You Tonight" by INXS (1987)

"...that makes me sweat."  Yeah, that's one of the classic all-time pickup lines.

"That's All" by Genesis (1983)

Another entry in the Phil Collins "Breakup Songbook".

"Love Ain't For Keeping" by The Who (1971)

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.

"Burn You Up, Burn You Down" by Peter Gabriel (2003)

A groovy second-string PG track. 

Dad's Movies: "Everybody Does it"

 Classic movies meet classical music in this installment:  Everybody Does It (1949).

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. 

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 sang, "You were born to rock, you'll never be an opera star."

Dad likely saw this when it came out and was undoubtedly amused by the digs and references to classical music. 

Dad's Movies: Father Goose

 And now, it's Father Goose (1964)

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. 

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. 

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.  

Dad's Movies: The Fallen Idol

 Today, I get into The Fallen Idol (1948)

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.

"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. 

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. 

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). 

The score is very good, if a bit on the busy side, and pretty appropriate for the era.

Dad's Movies: Von Ryan's Express

Today, I take on Von Ryan's Express (1965).

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". 

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). 

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?) .

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.