Middle Aged Dummies - Artist - Round 3 - #1's have been posted! (7 Viewers)

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#31’s​

I have written about every artist this time. Ive struggled with how to do these run throughs and all my previous attempts have failed.
Lets try again with just listening to a full playlist.

I will do a minimum of 10 each time or maybe I just change it up as i go along. Who knows?

Blue October - An artist I didn’t know anything about. All their commercial success has been in North America only. Interesting that the #31 is their only top 40 hit. Looking forward to see what else comes next

Fanny - Wasn’t sure what to expect with this artist. I’m sure Pips covered this somewhere in his posts, but I was curious to read what Bowie said.
They were extraordinary: they wrote everything, they played like mother****ers, they were just colossal and wonderful, and nobody's ever mentioned them. They're as important as anybody else who's ever been, ever; it just wasn't their time.
— David Bowie

A nice introduction and I am curious where this list heads.

The Tea Party - Interestingly their only chart action has been in Canada and Australia. I had never heard of them. They have a couple of gold albums in the 90s in Australia too. This song is distinctly interesting. Can’t put my finger on the influences, but this one really hit me. Not for the song itself, but the style.

Oingo Boingo
Unlike the first 3, I knew this artist but not very well. Danny Elfman to me is more known for his fantastic film scores. Oingo Boingo is one of those bands that immediately hit you as distinct and unique. Will look forward to see whats coming ahead

Belle and Sebastian
I missed the boat on this artist in the 00s when a co-worker was obsessed with them. She travelled everywhere to see them, played them non stop and i couldn’t remember one song if you paid me lol. I put this song and nope…hadnt heard it lol. But it was only released two months ago. Looking forward to reliving some memories soon here.

Mitski
Lovely change of pace here. Not sure where we will head with this artist, but I am in for the long haul. Beautiful voice and pleasant song to start with.

The Slambovian Circus of Dreams
With a name like that I was spurious, but then again my favourite band started out as Hitlerz Underpantz before settling on the commercially suicidal name of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark.
Onto this song, with low expectations, I was pleasantly surprised. Vocalist sounds familiar. And i actually liked it quite well. There are little intricacies in this song that hint at real talent.

Moody Blues
Takes me back to the days I borrowed Cassette tapes from the local library. They had at least 5 of their tapes I rotated through and enjoyed a lot. I expect to like this list a lot due to familiarity and im not disappointed with the opener.

Stone Temple Pilots
Had several mates who really loved this band, but I sort of missed the boat. Looking forward to getting through the material. This is a nice gentle opener compared to what i expect coming soon.

Brian Setzer
I am familiar with a few Stray Cats and some of his latter work. This is a nice introduction to a song familiar to everyone in western civilization. Looking forward to the unfamiliar material.

Curtis Mayfield
A name I am familiar with but without looking struggling to name songs. This song has a lot going on from the layers of music to the sweet vocals. Very impressive. So smooth.

Bryan Ferry
I know this song well. It’s from the period after Roxy when his new albums had high expectations. Incredible cost involved in making these records and quality just oozes out. Love it

Strand of Oaks
Another artist I am unfamiliar with. Let’s see. Nice and relaxing. Sometimes less is more. A cool start. Not sure where this is heading, but it has a good vibe

Dave Matthews Band
I was expecting weird vocals from my limited exposure, but this is quite a mellow tune and a good flow on from the Strand of Oaks. Very pleasant.

Mazzy Star
The name is familiar but another one Im struggling to think of a song. Might be one, after the voice and style triggered a memory. Nice. I would need to @Eephus to explain the difference between this and shoegaze like Lush

Kenny Chesney
Country just isn’t my thing, but I go into this with an open mind. Chugs along nicely and does as advertised. Be interested to see where we head with this artist.

Beach Boys
I am generally only familiar with greatest hits and Pet Sounds, so will be looking forward to learning some new stuff. I have heard this somewhere before. Almost sounds Four Seasons ish. Sloop John B is still better lol

Susanna Hoffs
Looking forward to hearing the stuff I don’t know here. We start with a cover. So a nice introduction. Sounds like Susanna Hoffs doing a Rolling Stones song. It will be interesting to hear some original material and see the difference from material I know.

Judas Priest
Odd that the only Judas Priest song I know well is Turbo Lover, their gay bj song. Not sure how many other artists have one lol. I know I am going to like some of their stuff. This one is more restrained than i was expecting. I expect to like this list a lot. A nice start.

The Cure.
I know the Cure well, but not that well. So this should be a fun list. Starts with the opener to their ninth and most commercially successful album. I don’t think kts their artistic peak though, but its a comfortable opener to a list that will get much better. It always fascinates me to see how others construct their lists and how they open them up.

Iron and Wine
Interestingly they/He has a Billboard #2 album so obviously a strong and dedicated fan base. Folk Rock is another genre I tend to struggle with. Pleasant enough and I can listen to it without a problem. So far.

Jerry Jeff Walker
Love a humorous introduction to a song. Fascinating reading his wiki page. Not sure I will be fully on board with this, but its a great start to a list i will pay attention to.

The Doors
I hope I dont get too biased in my assessment of The Doors. It wasnt cool to like the Doors in the mid to late 80s. They were a popular punching bag for my group of friends. Not helping was a couple of hippies in a record shop I frequented being stereotypical aging hippies talking about the Doors non stop. Oh how we laughed. Thing is I have enjoyed what music I have heard, although my love of aussie indie band TISM had a brutal take of Jim Morrison and all the posers that followed his lead called Morrison Hostel off their Great Truckin Songs of the Renaissance LP

TISM - Morrison Hostel

TISM - Morrison HostelJimbo, boy, you're a crock of **** You're a boozed selfish thug Why don't you give your mouth a go And in the other hole put a plugBy C...

m.youtube.com

I think of this track everytime I hear a Doors song.

Anyway, Roadhouse Blues. Great start to the list. Well known. Often imitated, never bettered.

Earth, Wind and Fire
I do have a couple of greatest hits of theirs and the interplay between Maurice White and Phillip Bailey is fascinating.
Such a dynamite opening here. They are so fresh. I am gonna enjoy this list a lot.

Destroyer
Not familiar with this at all, but what a great opener. I enjoyed this a lot. Has an early to mid 70s sound from the Glam era with a distinct Bowie vibe. Looking forward to whats coming next

Andrew Bird
I have seen the name in music reviews, but couldnt name anything. This is a promising start. Indie Rock can go anywhere and this is interesting enough to make me tune in for more.

Steve Albini
Opens with a very menacing bassline and the drums soon make it almost scary. What a mood setter. Not sure I can handle this level of intensity all the time, but a definite statement i enjoyed a lot. 12 mins is a bit rough lol. It did test my endurance.

Dio
Such a fun track and absolutely does what I expected. It rocked. Looking forward to some fun here. Dont know a lot of his material, but should be an enjoyable ride

April Wine
My only knowledge of this band was their contribution to the Fright Night Soundtrack in the mid 80s. “Every Night I Rock Myself to Sleep”. My girlfriend at the time loved this soundtrack and we would make out to it every track and argue about which tracks were the best. Very fond memories. For the Record Ian Hunters song is much better than Evelyn “Champagne” Kings lol.

Anyway, this song. Similarities to the Sweet who i have been absorbed in for a month. Moves along nicely and if this is #31, portends to a good list.

Top 5 New Stuff
Destroyer - The Very Modern Dance
The Tea Party - Sister Awake
Mitski - Two Slow Dancers
The Slambovian Circus of Dreams - The Trans-Slambovian BiPolar Express
Shellac (Steve Albini) - Didn’t we Deserve a look At You the Way You Really Are

Top 5 Stuff I know
Earth Wind and Fire - Can’t Let Go
Bryan Ferry - Limbo
Doors - Roadhouse Blues
Beach Boys - Break Away
The Cure - Open

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Lol, the international FFAers making the playlists difficult this time around. Both the Sweet and April Wine tunes were greyed out in the links.

For April Wine there is a 2002 remaster that works here. Sweet had a version from Detroit Rock City that worked as well as a couple others.

Are you talking about the 31s or 30s?

 

[KarmaPolice]

Lol, the international FFAers making the playlists difficult this time around. Both the Sweet and April Wine tunes were greyed out in the links.

For April Wine there is a 2002 remaster that works here. Sweet had a version from Detroit Rock City that worked as well as a couple others.

Are you talking about the 31s or 30s?

30s. I was just working on the playlist

 

[zamboni]

#31. "Can't Let Go" - EWF

This is basically a rewrite of a bigger hit that will show up later. Earth, Wind, & Fire's lyrics could make Norman Vincent Peale's writings seem like Cormac McCarthy's. This record is typical of their approach. Honestly, lyrics are the last thing I go to EWF for - most of them are cliches (partly because they made them cliches) and non sequiturs. But that's not a negative these days, in my eyes.

What attracts me are the vocal arrangements and the way the band interacts - blink-and-you'll-miss-them horn lines, swirling keyboards by the great Larry Dunn, and the percussion. All of that's here. They'll do it better in records to come, but not more honestly.

I don't remember this song, but I like it. I'm going to see them and Chicago on Aug.12th. I know both bands have lost some original members, but I expect a nostalgic good time and lots of horns. My bathroom break will be during a Chicago 80s sap song. Ya know they are gonna play at least one.

I was really hoping to catch them this time around when they played near me, but unfortunately I can’t make that date(s). Heard they both still really bring it, even without many of the key originals.

 

[The Dreaded Marco]

#31’s​

Destroyer
Not familiar with this at all, but what a great opener. I enjoyed this a lot. Has an early to mid 70s sound from the Glam era with a distinct Bowie vibe. Looking forward to whats coming next

He has released 13 proper albums between 1998 and 2022. The first 4 all have that "Bowie vibe" and all were compared to him at the time of their release. He moves away from that over the course of the next several albums. Like I said in the intro, he has a wide range of styles from album to album.

There are 7 or 8 more songs coming from those first 4 albums, though, so hopefully you'll enjoy those as well.

 

[simey]

#31. "Can't Let Go" - EWF

This is basically a rewrite of a bigger hit that will show up later. Earth, Wind, & Fire's lyrics could make Norman Vincent Peale's writings seem like Cormac McCarthy's. This record is typical of their approach. Honestly, lyrics are the last thing I go to EWF for - most of them are cliches (partly because they made them cliches) and non sequiturs. But that's not a negative these days, in my eyes.

What attracts me are the vocal arrangements and the way the band interacts - blink-and-you'll-miss-them horn lines, swirling keyboards by the great Larry Dunn, and the percussion. All of that's here. They'll do it better in records to come, but not more honestly.

I don't remember this song, but I like it. I'm going to see them and Chicago on Aug.12th. I know both bands have lost some original members, but I expect a nostalgic good time and lots of horns. My bathroom break will be during a Chicago 80s sap song. Ya know they are gonna play at least one.

Good news (but bad if you need a lot of bathroom breaks): The setlists of the current tour indicate they are only playing three 80s sap songs. All are in the second half of the show and two are back-to-back. So there's your sweet spot if you can make it that long!

You got my curious so I looked at their setlist for three different nights, and it appears they are sticking to the same sets, so the "Hard habit to break/You're my inspiration" two'fer is a great time to go pee. When I was waiting in line for the ladies room (which is always long) at the Outlaw Festival a couple weeks ago, a girl standing in front of me told me that she only has one phobia in life, and that is using public restrooms. I told her to get ready for some high anxiety, cause the restrooms are not air conditioned (it was in the high 90s that day), and there are lots of stalls in there. I told her just remember the golden rule of to not sit on the stool. She said, "I'd rather die than do that." The restroom was hot inside, but there was a bathroom monitor in there "directing traffic" in and out of the stalls. I heard some woman shout that she was out of toilet paper. Can you spare a square? Enough toilet talk!

 

[simey]

How long have EWF & Chicago been touring together? Seems like it's been at least 15 years. I bet the show is a blast. Those folks are pros and fantastic musicians. I've never seen them in concert together on these legacy tours, but have seen video clips. What I saw was both bands supporting each other - say, Chicago's horns playing on an EWF song. Is that how the show works, or are they mostly separate performances?

I never saw Chicago live in its prime, but I did see EWF in '79 or '80. To this day, the best stage show I've ever seen.

I wonder who takes the stage first, or if they switch it around during their tour.

About 3 years ago, I saw an EW&F cover band that was so good. North Carolina Central University has a summer concert series in Durham, and it was part of their free Friday night shows. This little boy in front of me wore his lit up boogie shoes, and he put those shoes to work for the whole show. It was a good time.

I looked up how close the EWF/Chicago show is to you, and they are playing in Bristow, Va on Friday August 2 at Jiffy Lube Live. I saw a Farm Aid there. I tried to get you to take our spare ticket to that, but you had to work. All work and no play...

 

[simey]

The Trans-Slambovian Bipolar Express - The Slambovian Circus of Dreams

I like the slide guitar in this song. The singer's voice sorta reminds me of Jon Bon Jovi.

 

[Raging weasel]

Kinda wish we waited until Sun/Mon to start this. I'm out of town at a friend's house for the holiday weekend and haven't even started listening to the first playlist

 

[Yambag]

The Trans-Slambovian Bipolar Express - The Slambovian Circus of Dreams

I like the slide guitar in this song. The singer's voice sorta reminds me of Jon Bon Jovi.

I have had a few friends say that Joziah sounds a bit like Dylan, which might be more apparent with more song reveals. The next song has a great slide mandolin solo...

 

[MAC_32]

Kinda wish we waited until Sun/Mon to start this. I'm out of town at a friend's house for the holiday weekend and haven't even started listening to the first playlist

It's summer- gonna be a lot of that. I might be able to start Sun morning, but more likely Mon, then I'm out again Thu - Sun. Although my last experience with this is stressing me out a lot less about it as there were two separate times I fell ~10 playlists behind.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Kinda wish we waited until Sun/Mon to start this. I'm out of town at a friend's house for the holiday weekend and haven't even started listening to the first playlist

Your friend doesn't like music??

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I looked up how close the EWF/Chicago show is to you, and they are playing in Bristow, Va on Friday August 2 at Jiffy Lube Live. I saw a Farm Aid there. I tried to get you to take our spare ticket to that, but you had to work. All work and no play...

I remember that. I was pissed at having to miss the show and not see you again. Jiffy Lube Live is the most convenient "big" concert place for me - it's about an hour ride on a good day and almost all highway.

I may see if my brother is interested.

 

[The Dreaded Marco]

Andrew Bird

Mister CIA

Opposite Day

For some reason, this reminds me of The Presidents of the USA. I'm looking forward to more of this.

I liked the live post CIA put up. I've seen Andrew Bird twice live, once with Belle and Sebastian and then again with Tift Merritt. I only know two albums by him, though, so a lot will be new to me. I didn't realize until seeing him live how multi-talented he is. I also didn't realize (until CIA mentioned it) that he had a stint in the Squirrel Nut Zippers.

He is so talented and it becomes very evident when you see him play in person---violin, guitar, violin played as guitar, voice, whistling, all looped together at times. Incredible to watch.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Another MAD31, and another great mix of music. I forgot my usual method and just listened to the mix in order. There are not many artists in here that I am well versed in, and even by that I mean I have listened to multiple albums and could tell you several songs off the top of my head. Even then most are artists that I haven't listened to for a long time like STP, The Doors, or DMB. Besides mine, I knew only 6 of the other 30 songs, so I am looking forward to a lot of new music for my KP5 playlist and others. I've been trying to stay off the computer more and more, so I am probably not going to do as much posting during the playlists besides some random thoughts or surprises and focus more on the artists at the end like last time. Just like the last two I am sure I will connect with some artists more than I thought I would over the course of the playlists.

We all have our tastes and leans, and it's no surprise I had randomly already started on some Priest and Dio research. Not them, but I have also been listening to a bit similar music to EW&F and Mayfield. The Cure is another I had slowly been listening to a couple albums during research. I also realized that MAD31 I really forgot to mention was that last month my wife and I saw @tuffnutt's artist. Pre-concert I knew about 3 songs, but really liked the show so I had also started a playlist for Iron & Wine in the background. Chvrches is a favorite and we have seen them a few times as well. I was already looking forward to all these.

After listening to the first playlist, there is no artist that I don't want to hear more of and I am even more interested than I was when I scanned the list of artists. Great music top to bottom as usual, but here were a few thoughts on stuff that grabbed my ear the most or surprised me the most -

Fanny - In Pip's we trust again. You going to go 3 for 3 in having artists that surprise me the most? I am going to go back and read intros after a couple playlists like last time. I like going in as cold as possible, with my ignorant expectations in place. Here I was expecting more cheesy rock, less hippie psych.

Belle and Sebastian - yep, that bass line hooked me. I have this dumb habit of thinking that if I don't know the music, but know the artist name it's probably folkish music that my wife clicks with more and I haven't gotten to it. I try not to, but sometimes when I am doing the next playlist the songs start up, and I heard a bit of the song for #30 and it solidified this reaction.

Mitzki - Fantastic voice. I THINK I've listened to a Mitski album, but still thought it was something different. One of my favorite things about these MAD31s is we start to get the feel of people's music and tastes and as I listened I thought to myself that it sounded very Ilov80s.

Strand of Oaks - One of my favorite tunes on the playlist. This very much feels like an artist I wouldn't have listened to a decade ago, but very much like now. I couldn't think of a song by them when I saw the name but in my head I had them in a The Decemberists/Iron & Wine type category.

Mazzy Star - I am sure in the 90s I had an album and might have even listened to it. Of course I know and love the hit. After my Dino playlist, one area I've been digging around on my own has been 90s bands that slipped through my radar or I was too cool or metal to listen to then. When Mazzy Star was posted by you, it got my biggest "ooh, nice one!" reaction. Loved the mix of the guitars at the end with her voice.

Kenny Chesney - Yes, you read that right. No surprise this was my biggest groan of the bunch when I read the names. But credit where credit is due: that song kicked *** and the guitars were great. Biggest surprise of the playlist for me, and you have my attention.

 

[simey]

The Cure - Open

I love The Cure, but I didn't pay a lot of attention to their albums in their entirety after Disintegration. I really like this song from Wish.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Here I was expecting more cheesy rock, less hippie psych.

There's gonna be some of that too.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Strand of Oaks - One of my favorite tunes on the playlist. This very much feels like an artist I wouldn't have listened to a decade ago, but very much like now. I couldn't think of a song by them when I saw the name but in my head I had them in a The Decemberists/Iron & Wine type category.

They had a song taken in the US MAD countdown, I believe by Eephus. Since it wasn't a cover I presume you have heard it.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Lol, the international FFAers making the playlists difficult this time around. Both the Sweet and April Wine tunes were greyed out in the links.

For April Wine there is a 2002 remaster that works here. Sweet had a version from Detroit Rock City that worked as well as a couple others.

Are you talking about the 31s or 30s?

30s. I was just working on the playlist

This is gonna happen a lot then.
Intended to go with the the same album where possible,
There should be US alternatives for every track moving forward.
I cant or dont know how to change the country. Maybe a vpn would work
Sorry for any inconvenience

 

[KarmaPolice]

Lol, the international FFAers making the playlists difficult this time around. Both the Sweet and April Wine tunes were greyed out in the links.

For April Wine there is a 2002 remaster that works here. Sweet had a version from Detroit Rock City that worked as well as a couple others.

Are you talking about the 31s or 30s?

30s. I was just working on the playlist

This is gonna happen a lot then.
Intended to go with the the same album where possible,
There should be US alternatives for every track moving forward.
I cant or dont know how to change the country. Maybe a vpn would work
Sorry for any inconvenience

"Difficult" for sure should have been in quotes. I am just clicking buttons, no apologies needed. More me having a laugh and making you to aware in case there is something version you'd rather have than what I put in. The Detroit Rock City version sounded too new/remastered so I went with another for yours.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Strand of Oaks - One of my favorite tunes on the playlist. This very much feels like an artist I wouldn't have listened to a decade ago, but very much like now. I couldn't think of a song by them when I saw the name but in my head I had them in a The Decemberists/Iron & Wine type category.

They had a song taken in the US MAD countdown, I believe by Eephus. Since it wasn't a cover I presume you have heard it.

I am guessing there are several like this which is why the name sounds familiar, and even if it's hazy I might have a better feel of their sound. Unfamiliar bands don't stick with me quite as much in those formats, more they get put in my weird mental buckets. It takes more dedicated listen to break through the resin build up.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Lol, the international FFAers making the playlists difficult this time around. Both the Sweet and April Wine tunes were greyed out in the links.

For April Wine there is a 2002 remaster that works here. Sweet had a version from Detroit Rock City that worked as well as a couple others.

Are you talking about the 31s or 30s?

30s. I was just working on the playlist

This is gonna happen a lot then.
Intended to go with the the same album where possible,
There should be US alternatives for every track moving forward.
I cant or dont know how to change the country. Maybe a vpn would work
Sorry for any inconvenience

"Difficult" for sure should have been in quotes. I am just clicking buttons, no apologies needed. More me having a laugh and making you to aware in case there is something version you'd rather have than what I put in. The Detroit Rock City version sounded too new/remastered so I went with another for yours.

Thanks. Yeah. Andy Scott does a ton of remastered, reimagined versions of Sweet songs unfortunately.
I trust yout judgement to make the right call. Just click away lol
The 70s versions will always be the preferred version. Fox on the Run was a one off.
I will have my write up for each song to have the exact version I want, but 90% of the time it should be the same

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Kinda wish we waited until Sun/Mon to start this. I'm out of town at a friend's house for the holiday weekend and haven't even started listening to the first playlist

You realise the playlist will still be there, right?

(This is the first time I've gotten through the whole list before the next round shows up.)

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Brian Setzer
I am familiar with a few Stray Cats and some of his latter work. This is a nice introduction to a song familiar to everyone in western civilization. Looking forward to the unfamiliar material.

You are going to be surprised by the next one. I doubt you've heard it, and yet you will know it very well.

 

[Tau837]

I listened to the #31 playlist.

Besides my own song, I already knew I liked these songs:

• Stone Temple Pilots - Plush
• Doors - Roadhouse Blues

Of the songs previously unknown to me, I liked these the best:

• Blue October - Hate Me
• The Tea Party - Sister Awake
• Strand of Oaks - End in Flames
• Mazzy Star - Still Cold
• Kenny Chesney - Beer in Mexico
• Chvrches - Bela Legosi's Dead

My BIL is about 10 years younger than me, and he used to send me mix CDs back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, which introduced me to a lot of music I wouldn't otherwise have heard in my post college working life. I thought I had one Blue October song he had sent me, which I won't name here in case it shows up later. But it turns out I have two, and this is one of them. I've played the other song 37 times in various mix playlists, according to the music app on my computer, but for some reason had only played this song once, and I didn't remember it. Looking forward to hearing more of their songs.

I knew nothing about Tea Party, Strand of Oaks, Mazzy Star, or Chvrches coming into this countdown. Looking forward to hearing more.

I was aware of Kenny Chesney but don't generally listen to country music, so wasn't expecting to like many of his songs, but I liked the first one.

Great start!

 

[krista4]

The Trans-Slambovian Bipolar Express - The Slambovian Circus of Dreams

I like the slide guitar in this song. The singer's voice sorta reminds me of Jon Bon Jovi.

I thought that, too!

 

[krista4]

#31’s​

I have written about every artist this time.

Impressive feat! simey-esque

 

[Eephus]

The Trans-Slambovian Bipolar Express - The Slambovian Circus of Dreams

I like the slide guitar in this song. The singer's voice sorta reminds me of Jon Bon Jovi.

I thought that, too!

The Slambovian guy has rocked considerably fewer faces though

 

[Zegras11]

So I'm thinking of posting Thursday night, Sunday AM, Tuesday night....

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

So I'm thinking of posting Thursday night, Sunday AM, Tuesday night....

Oh, dear lord. I just realised the Olympics are going to cut into this. I may have to clone myself.

 

[krista4]

So I'm thinking of posting Thursday night, Sunday AM, Tuesday night....

Oh, dear lord. I just realised the Olympics are going to cut into this. I may have to clone myself.

You just realized?! I plan my life around the Olympics beginning about two years in advance, when the last Olympics ends.

We even delayed our move to start on August 11.

 

[krista4]

I listened to the first playlist, but I know that my mood/exhaustion affected my enjoyment of it. Enjoyed many but didn't fall in love with anything off the bat. I didn't save any new favorites, but I remember liking Mitski, Bryan Ferry, Blue October, EWF, April Wine, and others. The Andrew Bird was an old fave I appreciated hearing again.

Heard EWF on the radio today, great song and I wondered if it might make the list. I won't name the song so as not to spoil, and mostly because I don't remember the name.

Looking forward to more!

 

[Eephus]

I thought I was going to finish up the #31s on Lou's before-dinner walk but then we ran into a 12 minute wall of Shellac

 

[krista4]

I thought I was going to finish up the #31s on Lou's before-dinner walk but then we ran into a 12 minute wall of Shellac

OH did not go with the "hook 'em with a banger out of the gate" strategy.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

So I'm thinking of posting Thursday night, Sunday AM, Tuesday night....

Oh, dear lord. I just realised the Olympics are going to cut into this. I may have to clone myself.

The announcers mostly suck so you can listen to the playlists while you watch the broadcast on mute?

 

[KarmaPolice]

I thought I was going to finish up the #31s on Lou's before-dinner walk but then we ran into a 12 minute wall of Shellac

OH did not go with the "hook 'em with a banger out of the gate" strategy.

I want to give it a special award of songs I hope I don't encounter while stoned. Not a song of theirs I have heard before, and it went from me nodding along and loving the beat to about 4mins later me losing track of the meaning of time. And I was sober.

 

[KarmaPolice]

It hadn't occurred to me the Olympics are thing year, either. I don't even know where it is.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

It hadn't occurred to me the Olympics are thing year, either. I don't even know where it is.

On a channel you won't be watching because you'll be viewing bad '80s movies instead.

 

[KarmaPolice]

It hadn't occurred to me the Olympics are thing year, either. I don't even know where it is.

On a channel you won't be watching because you'll be viewing bad '80s movies instead.

Nope. I moved on to the 90s for July. Thelma & Louise was first first the DotM tie in, Under Siege was next and I haven't decided on tonight's.

ETA: I also meant I didn't know what country was hosting, not where to watch it.

 

[Zegras11]

It hadn't occurred to me the Olympics are thing year, either. I don't even know where it is.

I didn't either until about a month ago, an old frat buddy of mine announced his daughter made the US Volleyball team. That's really insane if you think about it. She's 6'6", and was two time NCAA player of the year at Stanford.

 

[Zegras11]

I thought I was going to finish up the #31s on Lou's before-dinner walk but then we ran into a 12 minute wall of Shellac

OH did not go with the "hook 'em with a banger out of the gate" strategy.

LOL... So about 3.5 minutes in, and nothing had changed, I advanced it to like the 8 minute mark and I thought my spotify was broken

 

[KarmaPolice]

It hadn't occurred to me the Olympics are thing year, either. I don't even know where it is.

I didn't either until about a month ago, an old frat buddy of mine announced his daughter made the US Volleyball team. That's really insane if you think about it. She's 6'6", and was two time NCAA player of the year at Stanford.

That's awesome!

 

[Pip's Invitation]

It hadn't occurred to me the Olympics are thing year, either. I don't even know where it is.

On a channel you won't be watching because you'll be viewing bad '80s movies instead.

Nope. I moved on to the 90s for July. Thelma & Louise was first first the DotM tie in, Under Siege was next and I haven't decided on tonight's.

ETA: I also meant I didn't know what country was hosting, not where to watch it.

I got that, I was being silly.

 

[KarmaPolice]

It hadn't occurred to me the Olympics are thing year, either. I don't even know where it is.

On a channel you won't be watching because you'll be viewing bad '80s movies instead.

Nope. I moved on to the 90s for July. Thelma & Louise was first first the DotM tie in, Under Siege was next and I haven't decided on tonight's.

ETA: I also meant I didn't know what country was hosting, not where to watch it.

I got that, I was being silly.

Deciding between Another 48 Hours and Universal Soldier...

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Oh, right, I forgot one bit:

Hear N' Aid - Stars

USA for Africa? Band Aid? Pfft, too soft. Let's round up a bunch of metal artists of the 80s and show them how it's done! I couldn't justify including this, as though Dio was one of the song's writers, he's literally one of many voices in this. Also with a small appearance from Rob Halford of MA-D Round 3 judas Priest fame!

Of COURSE it's 7 minutes long because they had to make room for a 12-bar guitar solo by literally every metal axeman of the '80s.

Also, is that David St. Hubbins of Spinal Tap that I see in the chorus?

 

[Yo Mama]

It hadn't occurred to me the Olympics are thing year, either. I don't even know where it is.

I didn't either until about a month ago, an old frat buddy of mine announced his daughter made the US Volleyball team. That's really insane if you think about it. She's 6'6", and was two time NCAA player of the year at Stanford.

A local kid from my son’s HS track team made the Olympic team. It’ll be fun watching him run. He set all kinds of records in HS and now in college.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

The Sweet - #32-36 First five out​

The top 3 were at various stages inside the top #31, but I ultimately couldnt find a place for them

#32 - Alexander Graham Bell

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This is a fairly ordinary song written for them by Chinn/Chapman and by far the biggest failure from the 5 singles released that the Sweet didnt play the music on. The redeeming feature is the chorus, especially the music. It only reached #33 in the UK and more notably, was their only song released in Germany to not make the top 20 in the Brian Connolly era. Stalling at #24. The other 18 Brian Connolly led singles from Funny Funny onwards, made the top 20 in Germany. 8 number 1s in Germany and a further 6 other songs making their top 5

#33 - No You Don’t

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Although Brian Connolly does a fair bit of vocals here, the lead is Steve Priest. This song was recorded while Brian was recovering from getting his throat stomped on so Steve had to complete the bits Brian hadnt. It’s a gritty rocker showing the harder sound the band was looking for.

#34 - Two Into One

Two Into One

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupTwo Into One · SweetIdentity Crisis℗ 1982 Polydor Ltd. (UK)Released on: 1982-10-01Vocals, Associated Performer, B...

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This is a new wave song and I was trying to find a place for it. It comes from the Identity Crisis album, which i thought was quite good. Sounds like Devo to me.

#35 - Co-Co

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One of two heavily reggaefied songs written by Chinny/Chap. The Calypso influence even flows through to the promo clip. It reached #2 in the UK and #99 in the US, but it holds up poorly and I didnt try that hard to squeeze it into the top 31

#36 - Lost Angels

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The lead single to the Off The Record album. All 4 singles off this album flopped in the US and UK, although the 4th one did reach #88 in the US

32 -- Twee and of its time, but pretty well-crafted.
33 -- Killer. I suspect I would rank this really high, but I'm more into hard rock than you are.
34 -- Agree it sounds like Devo. Could have been embarrassing but isn't.
35 -- This is pants.
36 -- Could pass for one of Queen's harder-rocking numbers.

 

[The Dreaded Marco]

It hadn't occurred to me the Olympics are thing year, either. I don't even know where it is.

I didn't either until about a month ago, an old frat buddy of mine announced his daughter made the US Volleyball team. That's really insane if you think about it. She's 6'6", and was two time NCAA player of the year at Stanford.

A local kid from my son’s HS track team made the Olympic team. It’ll be fun watching him run. He set all kinds of records in HS and now in college.

My daughter’s friend from college (Mathew Wilkinson) made the team in the 3000m steeplechase.

Not an event I typically watch but will this year.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

First (last?) five out for The Beach Boys, apropos on the 4th of July. You may have heard most of these before.

31. Sloop John B
32. Cabinessence
33. Catch A Wave
34. Little Deuce Coupe
35. Fun, Fun, Fun

ETA: the top 31 won’t be nearly as beachy

I said what I needed to say about SJB in the covers countdown. LDC and FFF are the kind of things that made the Beach Boys what they are and I don't have much to add. Catch a Wave is the same sort of thing but doesn't quite catch as much fire for me.

Cabinessence kind of sums up the whole Smile experience in three and a half minutes. It's the product of someone with innumerable gifts who can't quite figure out how to steer them. The layers of instrumentation and harmonies and the sudden tempo shifts add up to something that is brilliant but also the sonic representation of ADHD.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Below are some for last five out for Curtis Mayfield. As I mentioned in earlier post, I’m going to avoid listing songs that did not make the cut from Curtis, Roots, and Superfly. I limited my list to just 3 or 4 from each of those albums, and some fans may quibble with what I included and did not from those; so, will avoid what could be some spoilers.

I’ll start with a couple from The Impressions’ The Young Mods’ Forgotten Story. This album came out in 1969, and towards the end of Mayfield’s tenure with The Impressions before he started his solo career. It features the lush arrangements of Johnny Pate (who helped introduce the horns into his songs) in the creation of the Chicago Sound. Another arranger was a young Donny Hathaway, who worked for Curtom Records before setting off on his own solo career. (I’ll get a bit more into the other members of The Impressions when get into the countdown, as set up a couple of their early songs in the early going when the members underwent some change, although will start with something funky to kick things off at 31.)

Mighty Mighty (Spade and Whitey)
YouTube: Studio version from The Young Mods’ Forgotten Story (Spotify here)
YouTube: Live version from Curtis/Live! (Spotify here)

Some of the earlier The Impressions songs that will be included in my 31 are some of the uplifting anthems of the civil rights movement. The type of stuff that they would sing on the freedom rides. But this one has a different feel, and was written after the assassinations of MLK and RFK.

We're killing off our leaders
It don't matter none black or white
And we all know it's wrong
And we're gonna fight to make it right

As Todd Mayfield wrote in his biography of his father, “It was his most honest song yet. It wasn’t about hope; it was about reality. It seemed he couldn’t write about hope when no one around him felt any. He knew he had to start speaking a different truth—a harder truth—but he didn’t know if the Impressions were the right group to deliver the message.”

I’ve also included link above to version from the live album recorded at the Bitter End. A bit looser than the studio version. It is a great live album and feeds off the energy of the crowd.

My Deceiving Heart
https://youtu.be/ttZjT6QdG7k?si=E2jruG9em47twek9 (Spotify)

Songs about love and relationships definitely another feature that will see heavily in my list. This one features some beautiful singing and guitar work by Mayfield.

Check Out Your Mind
https://youtu.be/YiamtLrx1RU?si=RihPKmwL91GzYXe2 (Spotify)

This is the title track of the last album from Mayfield’s time with The Impressions. This is the start of the new direction in Mayfield’s music, as he brought in two new arrangers, Riley Hampton and Gary Slabo. Hampton was known for his string work. As Todd Mayfield wrote, “Hampton tended toward languid, pretty string lines. When those lines mixed with Slabo’s punchy, insistent horns, the effect became eerie and schizophrenic. It still had the Chicago Sound, but instead of the jazzy swing of Johnny [Pate]’s arrangements, it was more straightforward, funky, and gripping.”

Billy Jack
https://youtu.be/V0QX2aBbYTM?si=9bUUwDpEF_VVES58 (Spotify)

Moving on to something from his solo work. A funky groove and bass line for this one. There’s No Place Like America Today is next in line for me after the big three of his solo albums. Lyrics about gun violence, and have more of the bite that will see in some of his solo songs:

Too bad about him
Too sad about him
Don't get me wrong, the man is gone
But it's a wonder, he lived this long

Ms. Martha
https://youtu.be/MJ9UfxJskkA?si=Ri6PFrgUQcjWQoAh (Spotify)

This one is from Curtis Mayfield’s last album, New World Order, released in 1996. He recorded this one after the concert accident that left him paralyzed. He recorded the songs by lying on his back, as found he could project his voice better that way. This song features some incredible vocals provided by Mavis Staples. I decided to include another song from this album in my 31 instead, and separately have another song featuring Mavis Staples on my Mayfield list. So, will leave this one here instead.

Mighty Mighty (Spade and Whitey)
A stunning achievement musically and lyrically. The insistence of the wah-wah guitar is what really brings it home for me. I know yours is not a strict ranking, but if this was left out of the top 31, imagine the quality of the stuff that's in there.

My Deceiving Heart
Achingly beautiful ballad. The way the horns punctuate the song is aces.

Check Out Your Mind
Funky indeed. There is certainly a lot going on here but it works.

Billy Jack
Foreboding and murky, featuring freaky guitar, and concerning gun violence. Is this the R&B Down by the River*?

Ms. Martha
Amazing vocal interplay between two legends, backed by a hell of a slow groove.

* - notwithstanding Buddy Miles' actual R&B Down by the River.