Middle Aged Dummies!! Artists #1's have been posted!! (13 Viewers)

[New Binky the Doormat]

So, about the Electric Light Orchestra / ELO

I picked them for two reasons:

1) I really like them, and they were the first band I liked that my parents didn't know. 1976, I was 10 years old, heard Livin Thing on the radio, and was hooked. I bought my first album (a New World Record) with Xmas money later that year, and played the heck out of it. Became a major fan, and still am.

2) I always felt they were a little underrated. That's partly their fault - they were not a "personality" band in any way, and really, aside from Jeff Lynn (who to this day always hides behind those sunglasses) there's no other member that's even close to being well known.

Their strength is their songs, which they have a TON of. In the mid to late 70's they were a radio staple, with a dozen-plus songs that are pretty recognizable to anyone from the time period. I had read somewhere that they held the record for most top 40 songs without a #1 hit.

I saw them in concert in 1981, and then 3x over the past decade - the recent shows were the happiest crowds I have ever seen, joyfully singing along to every song. They are almost nobody's "favorite" band, but people just love their songs.

They have a weird trajectory - their early stuff sounds very different, with loud sawing cellos and some pretty weird arrangements that border on progressive rock (although they always had a bit of an odd side, even with the hits). But it started changing in 74/75, and their output from 76-81 became very radio-friendly. But then they kind of just burned out - their last 3 albums were pretty forgettable, and the band was at that point just Jeff Lynn and whoever. Then Jeff went on to become a major producer, working with Petty and Harrison amongst others, and became a Wilbury as well.

My list is pretty random - there's no worst to first or anything like that. You'll hear all the hits, and hopefully some cool stuff you don't know.

My 31 songs by album:

No Answer – 1
ELOII – 1
On the Third Day – 4
Eldorado – 2
Face the Music – 5
A New World Record – 6
Out of the Blue – 5
Discovery – 3
Xanadu Soundtrack – 2
Time – 2
Secret Messages – 0
Balance of Power – 0
Zoom - 0

way under appreciate back then and now.

but always solid - they gotta have at least 10 songs that HAVE to be included in a 70s-80s playlist ...and don't get me started with the 10538 Overture ...no matter my love for Todd ...this will be a lead part of my funeral

ETA: 30 years from now ...

 

[Mister CIA]

In case I have forgotten, thanks @Zegras11 .

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Switched my band at the last minute to Hanson. Sorry if that’s causing the delay.

I guess I'm now looking forward to this one. I was thinking of picking them the next time out.

 

[Zegras11]

Many thanks to everyone and thanks for your patience in getting this started and working with me on this Google Form thing!

I hope you all really enjoy these lists and dive deep into all of them

@Ilov80s and @KarmaPolice You both mentioned you would help with spotify lists each day. I'll start a PM with us 3. Will be send you the list a day in advance if you like.

Here are all the #31's. Might be a few that didn't list 31.

Todd Rundgren	New Binky the Doormat	Be Nice To Me - YouTube Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. www.youtube.com
Jorge Ben Jor	Don Quixote	O Telefone Tocou Novamente - YouTube Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. youtu.be
Brandi Carlile	JB Breakfast Club	O Holy Night - single O Holy Night Brandi Carlile · Song · 2014 open.spotify.com
The Police	Zegras11	Too Much Information Too Much Information The Police · Song · 1981 open.spotify.com
Modest Mouse	The Dreaded Marco	3rd Planet - YouTube Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. www.youtube.com
Genesis	Yo Mama	That's All That's All - 2007 Remaster Genesis · Song · 1983 open.spotify.com
Stevie Ray Vaughan	Sullie	The Things That I Used To Do The Things That I Used To Do - Stevie Ray Vaughan - Couldn't Stand the Weather - 1984 (HD) lyrics : The things that I used to do Lord, I won't do no more The things that I used to do Lord, I won't do no more I used to sit and hold your hand darlin'... www.youtube.com
The Decemberists	kupcho1	Ben Franklin's Song Ben Franklin's Song The Decemberists · Song · 2017 open.spotify.com The Decemberists ft. Lin-Manuel Miranda - Ben Franklin's Song (live Central Park, NYC - 8/23/2022) youtu.be
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead	plinko	Taken by the Hand XI: Bleed Here Now (2022) Taken by the Hand ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead · Song · 2022 open.spotify.com
The Kinks	Galileo	Alcohol (1971 - Muswell Hillbillies) Alcohol - Live The Kinks · Song · 1972 open.spotify.com
Rush	higgins	Double Agent Double Agent (2004 Remaster) Provided to YouTube by Atlantic RecordsDouble Agent (2004 Remaster) · RushCounterparts℗ 1993 Atlantic Recording Corporation and Anthem Entertainment for the ... www.youtube.com
Sigur Rós	Scoresman	Sæglópur (A Lost Seafarer) - Takk - 2005 Sæglópur Sigur Rós · Song · 2005 open.spotify.com
Donald Fagen	Charlie Steiner
Green Day	MAC_32	Misery Misery Green Day · Song · 2000 open.spotify.com
Big Thief	Ilov80s	Shark Smile- Edit Shark Smile - Edit Big Thief · Shark Smile (Edit) · Song · 2017 open.spotify.com
Daft Punk	rockaction	Robot Rock/Oh Yeah Daft Punk - Robot Rock / Oh Yeah (Live 2007 - Official Audio) “Robot Rock / Oh Yeah" is taken from “Alive 2007”available on all platforms: https://daftpunk.lnk.to/Alive2007Subscribe to the official Daft Punk YouTube cha... youtu.be
Taylor Swift	Jpalmer
Elliott Smith	Tuffnutt	Talking To Mary Elliott Smith - Talking to Mary Lyrics:Talking to MaryYou know you don't have to shoutShe can hear what you're thinking Like you were saying it right out loudShe sees behind That dirty look... www.youtube.com
Chicago	Pip's Invitation	Hideaway Hideaway Chicago · Chicago VIII (Expanded & Remastered) · Song · 1975 open.spotify.com
The Stranglers	John Maddens Lunchbox	Walk on By - YouTube Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. m.youtube.com
Ryan Adams	Dr. Octopus	Magnolia Mountain Magnolia Mountain Ryan Adams & The Cardinals · Song · 2005 open.spotify.com
Stevie Wonder	Uruk-Hai	Where Is Our Love Song Stevie Wonder - Where Is Our Love Song feat. Gary Clark Jr. (Official Audio) Official audio for Stevie Wonder “Where Is Our Love Song” feat. Gary Clark Jr. Available everywhere now: https://StevieWonder.lnk.to/WIOLS www.youtube.com
Slade	Mrs. Rannous	We'll Bring The House Down Slade - We'll Bring the House Down (Log Fire Edition) The Official Log Fire Video for Slade - 'We'll Bring the House Down'Taken from the 1985 album 'Crackers', Slade's smash recording of 'We'll Bring the House D... www.youtube.com
Phish	shuke	The Lizards The Lizards - Live at The Clifford Ball, August 17, 1996 Phish · The Clifford Ball (Live, August 16 & 17, 1996) · Song · 2022 open.spotify.com
Electgric Light Orchestra (ELO)	jwb	Showdown Showdown Electric Light Orchestra · Song · 1973 open.spotify.com
Frank Black	Mister CIA	Wheels Black Francis - Wheels NonStopErotik (2010) Original song by Flying Burrito Brothers www.youtube.com
Clutch	Raging Weasel	Careful With That Mic... Careful with That Mic... Clutch · Song · 2001 open.spotify.com
Dinosaur Jr.	KarmaPolice	Feel the Pain Feel The Pain [2019 Remaster] Provided to YouTube by Absolute Marketing International LtdFeel The Pain [2019 Remaster] · Dinosaur Jr.Without a Sound℗ 1994 Cherry Red RecordsReleased on: 1... www.youtube.com
Warren Zevon	worrierking	Tenderness on the Block Tenderness on the Block Warren Zevon · Song · 1978 open.spotify.com Jackson Browne and Waddy Wachtel produced Excitable Boy. They had a disagreement at the very end of the sessions. Browne thought the album was finished, while Wachtel felt it was too short and a couple of songs didn't fit. Zevon went to Hawaii and wrote "Lawyers, Guns and Money," then Browne and Zevon got together and penned this one.
Alice in Chains	Mt. Man	All I Am All I Am Alice In Chains · Song · 2018 open.spotify.com
Queen	snellman	The Show Must Go On The Show Must Go On Queen · Song · 1991 open.spotify.com
AC/DC	falguy	For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) AC/DC · Song · 1981 open.spotify.com
The Hold Stead	scorchy	Hornets! Hornets! Hornets! Hornets! The Hold Steady · Song · 2005 open.spotify.com
Damon Albarn	Eephus	Blur --- There's No Other Way Blur - There's No Other Way (Official Music Video) The official music video for Blur - There's No Other Way Taken from Blur’s debut studio album ‘Leisure’ released in 1991, which featured the hit singles 'She... www.youtube.com
Ray Charles	simey	A Song For You · Ray Charles Could this be the definitive version of this classic song penned by Leon Russell? The Carpenters and Donny Hathaway both had great versions...but this almost... www.youtube.com A Song for You Ray Charles · Song · 2021 open.spotify.com
Doves	landrys hat	Firesuite Firesuite Doves · Song · 2000 open.spotify.com
Spoon	Hov34	Anything You Want Anything You Want Provided to YouTube by Beggars Group Digital Ltd.Anything You Want · SpoonGirls Can Tell℗ 2001 Spoon under exclusive license to Matador RecordsReleased on: 2... www.youtube.com
Foo Fighters	Just Win Baby	Iron Rooster Iron Rooster Foo Fighters · Saint Cecilia EP · Song · 2015 open.spotify.com
Simon & Garfunkel	zamboni	"Bleecker Street" - YouTube Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. www.youtube.com
Bruce Springsteen	DrIanMalcolm	Jack of All Trades Bruce Springsteen Jack of All Trades with strings 8/23/16 MetLife Stadium, NJ Performed with string section at Bruce's longest show ever in the USA last night www.youtube.com
The Prodigy	titusbramble	Weather Experience Weather Experience The Prodigy · Song · 1992 open.spotify.com
Bauhaus	otb_lifer	Party of the First Part Party of the First Part Bauhaus · Song · 1982 open.spotify.com
Heart	Doug B	Allies Allies Heart · Song · 1983 open.spotify.com
The Tragically Hip	Northern Voice	My Music at Work My Music At Work The Tragically Hip · Song · 2000 open.spotify.com
deadmau5	zazale	Strobe Strobe deadmau5 · Song · 2009 open.spotify.com
Elton John	timschochet	Western Ford Gateway Elton John - Western Ford Gateway (1969) With Lyrics! From Elton John's first album "Empty Sky". It was released in Great Britain in June 1969, but wasn't released in America until after Elton's superstar status... www.youtube.com

 

[Zegras11]

We wound up with 46 lists.

 

[Zegras11]

All lists had 31 , except one at 22m and one at 26

 

[plinko]

Nice! Well, here's a playlist. I better get some more sleep

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Slade #31 - We'll Bring the House Down

For some reason, the Slade Official Live recording is about 50% faster than their studio version. Must have been a high caffeine day.

This more amateur link shows the band in all its glory. If you want to reminisce about shiny glam pants, here's your chance.

For some reason, Noddy always looks like he escaped from somewhere. I figured this would be a good introduction to the band.

 

[Ilov80s]

It came over me at a bad time
But who wouldn't ride on a moonlit line?
Had her in my eye, 85 down the road of a dead end gleam

 

[plinko]

I moved some things around and then I fell asleep for a while and woke up to a godawful racket and it was my song

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Stranglers
#31 - Walk On By

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

m.youtube.com

Year - 1978
Album - At first on a free EP with Black and White LP, then as a standalone single
UK Chart position #21
Vocals - Hugh Cornwall
Key Lyric - Walk on by, just go for a stroll in the trees
Interesting Points
1) Yes its a cover of the Bacharach/David classic, made famous by Dionne Warwick
2) Has an excessively long keyboard solo by Dave Greenfield. Almost prog rock like or Doors’ish
3) As it was free with the Black and White album a lot of fans didnt buy the single when it was released.
4) It was the first notable departure from their punk beginnings as a single choice.
5) it was chosen as #31 due to its showcasing of all sides of the Stranglers music. The punk, the different style, the keyboard solos, the not afraid to take a risk etc

Summary to date
Year
1977 - 0
1978 - 1
1979 - 0
1980 - 0
1981 - 0
1982 - 0
1983 - 0
1984 - 0
1985 - 0
1986 - 0
1987 - 0
1988 - 0
1989 - 0
1990 onwards - 0

Where to find
Rattus Norvegicus - 0/9
No More Heroes - 0/11
Black and White - 0/12
The Raven - 0/11
The Gospel According to the Meninblack - 0/10
La Folie - 0/11
Feline - 0/9
Aural Sculpture - 0/11
Dreamtime - 0/10
All Live and All of the Night - 0/13
10 - 0/10
1991 onwards - 0
B Sides - 0
Greatest Hits - 0
Standalone Single - 1

Running Vocal Count
Hugh Cornwall - 1
Jean-Jacques Burnel - 0
Other - 0

 

[zamboni]

Simon & Garfunkel

zamboni

"Bleecker Street" - YouTube Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. www.youtube.com

Scary bit of irony here in the first three lines as New York City is currently covered in smoke from the Canadian wildfires:

Fog's rollin' in off the East River bank
Like a shroud it covers Bleecker Street
Fills the alleys where men sleep

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

I will talk about 5 songs from other lists later.
4 from songs I know, 1 I will pick at random that i do not know
I will cover each drafter at least twice during the 31 song rundown

 

[plinko]

If I was ranking Dino Jr I would have probably put “Feel the Pain” somewhere around 11-15, just out of obligation. It is overrated, but it pops here.

Shark Smile was the track where it was like, OK, apparently these dudes are for ****ing real. Shined 7 years ago and it still does.

Jorge will be a nice touch

That Chicago track is Sabbathy!

 

[otb_lifer]

Simon & Garfunkel

zamboni

"Bleecker Street" - YouTube Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. www.youtube.com

Scary bit of irony here in the first three lines as New York City is currently covered in smoke from the Canadian wildfires:

Fog's rollin' in off the East River bank
Like a shroud it covers Bleecker Street
Fills the alleys where men sleep

ya know how ya accumulate gadgets over the years, and when you run into one you're like "wtf posessed me?"

we got an air quality monitor for our new place when we moved coupla yrs ago ... i slapped it up in the yard and never paid it much mind.

anyways, it usually reads low-mid 90s ... but when i checked last night during my after dinner cig, it were a robust 67.

i'm commuting thru Jersey this morning, and here's the view

they ain't clouds ... it's thick up in here.

 

[zamboni]

Simon & Garfunkel

zamboni

"Bleecker Street" - YouTube Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. www.youtube.com

Scary bit of irony here in the first three lines as New York City is currently covered in smoke from the Canadian wildfires:

Fog's rollin' in off the East River bank
Like a shroud it covers Bleecker Street
Fills the alleys where men sleep

ya know how ya accumulate gadgets over the years, and when you run into one you're like "wtf posessed me?"

we got an air quality monitor for our new place when we moved coupla yrs ago ... i slapped it up in the yard and never paid it much mind.

anyways, it usually reads low-mid 90s ... but when i checked last night during my after dinner cig, it were a robust 67.

i'm commuting thru Jersey this morning, and here's the view

they ain't clouds ... it's thick up in here.

Picture of the NYC sunrise this morning - crazy.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

31. Hideaway
Album: Chicago VIII (1975)
Writer: Peter Cetera
Lead vocals: Peter Cetera
Released as a single? No

Hideaway is the only song in my top 31 that I was not expecting to consider when I began this exercise. But when I did my runthrough of Chicago VIII, I was blown away by it. I had forgotten its existence, to my detriment.
Hideaway, which has no horns, begins with a thumping riff that immediately grabs your attention. Surely this is the brainchild of Terry Kath? Nope, it's a Peter Cetera song, and it may be as aggressive as he ever got (as a writer). The opening also has some excellent fills from Danny Seraphine. The sunny, wistful lyrics Cetera sometimes wrote aren't here either; early on, the narrator says he wants "to get away from the human race." Things pick up even further at 1:20 when Cetera's voice soars with the title phrase and Kath takes a solo. Seriously, by this point you'd think this might be a Blue Oyster Cult song (Plinko: Sabbath works too) if it wasn't for Cetera's distinctive voice. After the solo concludes, the main riff continues and some extra percussion parts make the song sound even denser. At 3:30 the song kicks up yet another notch, as the tempo gets faster and Kath takes another solo, and every few measures the intensity from Kath's solos, Robert Lamm's piano riffs and Cetera's vocal trillings gets even higher. The last minute of the song is a triumphant blast that echoes the incredible codas of classic-rock warhorses like Dear Mr. Fantasy.
No live performances have been documented, which is a damn shame.

Binky: Not this.

I got the first three Chicago albums when I was in college but didn't listen to their other Terry Kath-era albums in full until much later. A few years ago, a friend pulled out Chicago V when we were having a drinking session at his house, and then not long after that, I went down a YouTube rabbit hole about Kath, found some mid '70s live shows I enjoyed, and decided to explore the studio albums featuring him that I hadn't heard before. I listened in chronological order, and Chicago VIII was the first album that felt like a serious decline from what had come before it. Part of this may be due to the great achievement that is Chicago VII, but there's no getting past that the band sounds tired and struggling for ideas at times on VIII. Many of the songs have to do with nostalgia, which is evocative at times but a crutch at others. It was also quite obvious by this point that Kath wasn't on the same page as the rest of the band, though some of the songs rock harder than the group usually did, and those aren't all his. Still, the band was capable of turning out excellent material, and the three songs from the record that made my top 31 are all of very high quality -- and all quite different from each other.

My #30 song is one of two on my list that I think really should have been released as a single, but wasn't.

 

[Galileo]

#31 Alcohol (1971 - Muswell Hillbillies)

Alcohol - Live

The Kinks · Song · 1972

open.spotify.com

This post will be a little longer than most I make. Like many others in this thread, I had a hard time finalizing a list. The ranking could change in a heartbeat. I actually put a list of 62 songs in my Spotify playlist (I will share a link when the reveal is done), and I regretfully eliminated several to get those 62. But, I knew eventually I would have to get to 31. It seems from about #18 and lower, whichever song I was currently listening to was better than the others ranked near it. I could literally replace the bottom half of my list twice with different songs and be completely content with those selections.

As a group, the Kinks may be one of the most dysfunctional bands to emerge from the 60’s. Onstage fighting, backstage fighting, hard partying lifestyle, management and promotion issues…the band was often in disarray. One onstage fight in ‘65 landed Dave Davies in the hospital and Mick Avory in jail. Dave once reported about the band to the New Music Express in 1965, “we hated the sight of each other. We would fly into a temper at the slightest provocation.” Dave and Ray Davies may be known for their confrontations as much as their music. The band had a disastrous tour in 1965 which ultimately ended with them being banned from playing live in the US when the American Federation of Musicians refused to issue them a permit. This ban would end up lasting 4 years, and is certainly a contributing factor to the band taking a back seat, especially commercially, to the likes of The Beatles, Rolling Stones, and others from the British invasion era. The dysfunction of the band was sometimes manifested in their music…Dave’s angry guitar riffs…Ray’s depressing lyrics. One of the fascinating things to me about The Kinks was their ability to take sad and depressing subject matter and somehow turn it into something rather pleasant and quirky sounding. The decline of English society, class warfare, struggles of the working man, evils of technology, mental illness, the trials and tribulations of the music industry, relationship issues or a simple yearning for times gone by are l regular themes throughout their catalog. Yet, no matter what he is singing about, something about Ray Davies' vocals just resonates with me. Ironically, it can evoke a feeling of happiness even with the frequent doom and gloom backdrop. Add in the innovative contributions of Dave Davies’ musicianship, and we have the core of something wonderful. The Kinks are one of a few bands that I can honestly say I have never heard a song I disliked.

The song, Alcohol, sneaks into the 31st spot of my rankings It captures the evils of women and booze or, more specifically, how being “mixed up with a floosie” can drive one to the bottle. In concert, Ray Davies would often spray the audience with beer during this song. Although this song is from the Muswell Hillbillies album, I have linked a live version to the list here as I find it to be more crisp and energetic. I love the horns from the Mike Cotton Sound who played with the Kinks on the Muswell album and frequently in concert during the early 70’s.

Here is a story about a sinner,
He used to be a winner who enjoyed a life of prominence and position,
But the pressures at the office and his socialite engagements,
And his selfish wife's fanatical ambition,
It turned him to the booze,
And he got mixed up with a floosie
And she led him to a life of indecision.
The floosie made him spend his dole
She left him lying on Skid Row
A drunken lag in some Salvation Army Mission.
It's such a shame.

Oh demon alcohol,
Sad memories I cannot recall,
Who thought I would say,
Damn it all and blow it all,
Oh demon alcohol,
Memories I cannot recall,
Who thought I would fall a slave to demon alcohol.

Barley wine pink gin,
He'll drink anything,
Port, Pernod or tequila,
Rum, scotch, vodka on the rocks,
As long as all his troubles disappeared.
But he messed up his life and he beat up his wife,
And the floosie's gone and found another sucker
She's gonna turn him on to drink
She's gonna lead him to the brink
And when his money's gone,
She'll leave him in the gutter,
It's such a shame.

Oh demon alcohol,
Sad memories I cannot recall,
Who thought I would fall,
A slave to demon alcohol.

 

[zamboni]

31. Hideaway
Album: Chicago VIII (1975)
Writer: Peter Cetera
Lead vocals: Peter Cetera
Released as a single? No

Hideaway is the only song in my top 31 that I was not expecting to consider when I began this exercise. But when I did my runthrough of Chicago VIII, I was blown away by it. I had forgotten its existence, to my detriment.
Hideaway, which has no horns, begins with a thumping riff that immediately grabs your attention. Surely this is the brainchild of Terry Kath? Nope, it's a Peter Cetera song, and it may be as aggressive as he ever got (as a writer). The opening also has some excellent fills from Danny Seraphine. The sunny, wistful lyrics Cetera sometimes wrote aren't here either; early on, the narrator says he wants "to get away from the human race." Things pick up even further at 1:20 when Cetera's voice soars with the title phrase and Kath takes a solo. Seriously, by this point you'd think this might be a Blue Oyster Cult song (Plinko: Sabbath works too)

Definitely hearing some Sabbath Bloody Sabbath vibes at the beginning - not sure if intentional or not.

Great song regardless.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Showdown is my #1 ELO and I took it in the British Isles countdown.

For Those About to Rock is my #1 AC/DC and I took it in the worldwide countdown.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

31. Hideaway
Album: Chicago VIII (1975)
Writer: Peter Cetera
Lead vocals: Peter Cetera
Released as a single? No

Hideaway is the only song in my top 31 that I was not expecting to consider when I began this exercise. But when I did my runthrough of Chicago VIII, I was blown away by it. I had forgotten its existence, to my detriment.
Hideaway, which has no horns, begins with a thumping riff that immediately grabs your attention. Surely this is the brainchild of Terry Kath? Nope, it's a Peter Cetera song, and it may be as aggressive as he ever got (as a writer). The opening also has some excellent fills from Danny Seraphine. The sunny, wistful lyrics Cetera sometimes wrote aren't here either; early on, the narrator says he wants "to get away from the human race." Things pick up even further at 1:20 when Cetera's voice soars with the title phrase and Kath takes a solo. Seriously, by this point you'd think this might be a Blue Oyster Cult song (Plinko: Sabbath works too)

Definitely hearing some Sabbath Bloody Sabbath vibes at the beginning - not sure if intentional or not.

Great song regardless.

No idea. There is zero commentary about this song in the places I looked.

 

[zamboni]

31. Hideaway
Album: Chicago VIII (1975)
Writer: Peter Cetera
Lead vocals: Peter Cetera
Released as a single? No

Hideaway is the only song in my top 31 that I was not expecting to consider when I began this exercise. But when I did my runthrough of Chicago VIII, I was blown away by it. I had forgotten its existence, to my detriment.
Hideaway, which has no horns, begins with a thumping riff that immediately grabs your attention. Surely this is the brainchild of Terry Kath? Nope, it's a Peter Cetera song, and it may be as aggressive as he ever got (as a writer). The opening also has some excellent fills from Danny Seraphine. The sunny, wistful lyrics Cetera sometimes wrote aren't here either; early on, the narrator says he wants "to get away from the human race." Things pick up even further at 1:20 when Cetera's voice soars with the title phrase and Kath takes a solo. Seriously, by this point you'd think this might be a Blue Oyster Cult song (Plinko: Sabbath works too)

Definitely hearing some Sabbath Bloody Sabbath vibes at the beginning - not sure if intentional or not.

Great song regardless.

No idea. There is zero commentary about this song in the places I looked.

Guess you don't find too many crossover Sabbath/Chicago fans outside of us fine folks here.

 

[otb_lifer]

Slade #31 - We'll Bring the House Down

For some reason, the Slade Official Live recording is about 50% faster than their studio version. Must have been a high caffeine day.

This more amateur link shows the band in all its glory. If you want to reminisce about shiny glam pants, here's your chance.

For some reason, Noddy always looks like he escaped from somewhere. I figured this would be a good introduction to the band.

highlight of the playlist thus far - what a rowdy bunch they were ... Noddy & Dave epitomizing the ol' faces for radio axiom - motley, but more rockin' than the Crüe (yes, i went there).

speaking of Davey boy, i rate him over Mick Ralphs (Mott/Bad Co.) on that second tier behind Thunders & Ronson, as far as the glammy/shiny/boozy/bluesy cats of the early-mid 70s go.

he goodt.

 

[zamboni]

Slade #31 - We'll Bring the House Down

For some reason, the Slade Official Live recording is about 50% faster than their studio version. Must have been a high caffeine day.

This more amateur link shows the band in all its glory. If you want to reminisce about shiny glam pants, here's your chance.

For some reason, Noddy always looks like he escaped from somewhere. I figured this would be a good introduction to the band.

highlight of the playlist thus far - what a rowdy bunch they were ... Noddy & Dave epitomizing the ol' faces for radio axiom

Frightening introduction to Noddy and Slade on MTV

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Slade #31 - We'll Bring the House Down

For some reason, the Slade Official Live recording is about 50% faster than their studio version. Must have been a high caffeine day.

This more amateur link shows the band in all its glory. If you want to reminisce about shiny glam pants, here's your chance.

For some reason, Noddy always looks like he escaped from somewhere. I figured this would be a good introduction to the band.

highlight of the playlist thus far - what a rowdy bunch they were ... Noddy & Dave epitomizing the ol' faces for radio axiom

Frightening introduction to Noddy and Slade on MTV

The stuff of young nightmares right there.

 

[plinko]

Chicago, godfunkles of doom

 

[Mt. Man]

31. All I Am (off Rainier Fog, 2018)

In some ways, one could consider this a list of 30, with a bit extra thrown onto the end. I wouldn’t blame you for treating it that way.

Have another go my friend
You see I can't feel anymore
While you question, just who the hell am I?

More seriously, 31 was a spot very much in flux. Perhaps not surprisingly going through the most changes as my list got tweaked. Whatever the path, we end up on All I Am, the longest song in my list (which eliminates really one song, but still) and the last song on this album. Or any album to date. So when listening to the final playlist, you might reflect where you’ve been, but for now it serves as a start. A taste of who (the hell) this band is.

Tomorrow's selection hopefully isn't too hard to swallow.

 

[plinko]

So my “playlist closer” kinda sounds weary and out of place here but things will get better soon on the Trail. Not much else to say on that for now, I’m pleased with how this mix has managed to flow and looking forward to more of that, as long as I can manage the time and energy for it, though others are welcome to take their hacks

 

[zamboni]

Chicago, godfunkles of doom

Hairies wear boots

 

[Dr. Octopus]

31
Song: Magnolia Mountain
Album: Cold Roses
Artist: Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
Released: 2005

“It’s been raining that Tennesee honey so long I got too heavy to fly.”

A sad but beautiful song where Ryan stays true to his alt-country roots.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

#31 "Where Is Our Love Song" - Stevie Wonder ft Gary Clark, Jr

I can't figure out how to correctly copy individual selections from Zegras' post, so I'll do it the old fashioned way.

Most of my writeups will be short (also sporadic), as I can only do them from work since my home computer crapped the bed and trying from my phone is a fool's errand.

Note on my rankings: they aren't in any kind of order, really. I just started going "I want that one and I want that one" and put them on the list. I didn't try moving them around. The reveals are in reverse order of my choosing them, but that doesn't reflect what I think the quality of the records are in relation to each other.

This is by far the most recent selection I made from Stevie's discography. It came out right as COVID was ramping up. It's one of his "can't we all love each other?" songs. Wonder is in good voice and Clark's guitar riff is unique.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

I’m digging the Stranglers version of “Walk on By”, they surely make it their own. Never really pictured them as a “jam band” but they show some chops here.

 

[simey]

#31 - Ray Charles - A Song for You Spotify

This beautiful song was written by the magnificent Leon Russell. Ray recorded it in 1993, which he was in his early 60s then. His recording won him a Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal. A lot of people have recorded this song, but Ray's version for me is on a level of its own. Leon has been asked before what his favorite version of this song is, and he says Ray Charles. I love his elegant piano playing, the strings are just right, and above all I love his vocals. Ray sang from his soul, and I can't think of a more expressive voice. He has said he only recorded a song if he could feel it. He first sings it to himself and sees if there is a genuine feel there. He then messes around with the chords on the piano, and then tries to find a way to sing it in a way that makes him feel good inside. He was feeling this song, and he makes me feel it too.

I chose this song to bookend my 31 song playlist, because I love it, and also because this song was the last performance caught on camera by Ray before he died. Ray would only play twice more in public after this performance. He and Willie Nelson were buddies, and Willie wanted him to play at his 70th Birthday Celebration in April of 2003. Ray and Willie both loved and recorded this song. Ray's health was declining quickly, but he came to Willie's party, and Ray, Willie and Leon sung this song together on stage. Ray is not in his strongest voice, but he gave it his all to sing the song for Willie. The DVD of the show is clear, but this YouTube video is somewhat fuzzy. Willie is deeply moved by Ray, and some tears come down from his face as Ray is singing. It's hard to see on the fuzz, but you can see him wipe a tear. Anyway, it is a touching moment caught in time between musicians that loved each other.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

My ex-mother in law (RIP) was an old Vietnamese woman that never really embraced American culture. She mostly listened to Vietnamese music but for whatever reason loved “That’s All” by Genesis and would play it often.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

This beautiful song was written by the magnificent Leon Russell.

I love Russell’s version as well.

 

[simey]

This beautiful song was written by the magnificent Leon Russell.

I love Russell’s version as well.

His is good. Leon also said that he liked Donny Hathaway's version a lot.

 

[Raging weasel]

I won't be posting any commentary for most of my songs but just a tidbit about Careful With That Mic. It's a dis track of Fred Durst if that helps you enjoy it more.

 

[zamboni]

I won't be posting any commentary for most of my songs but just a tidbit about Careful With That Mic. It's a dis track of Fred Durst if that helps you enjoy it more.

Is that title an homage to Pink Floyd or just a coincidence?

 

[jwb]

heh, my ELO playlist/reveal is backwards from what I thought (my bad - I did put them in this way and selected chronological, which for some reason I thought mean 1-31 posting order and not 31-1.... I should know better because I did have a list in all the others).

But I didn't do worst to first anyway so it really doesn't matter - the hits are scattered in the list so it's all good. Will have some commentary on Showdown soon.

 

[Raging weasel]

I won't be posting any commentary for most of my songs but just a tidbit about Careful With That Mic. It's a dis track of Fred Durst if that helps you enjoy it more.

Is that title an homage to Pink Floyd or just a coincidence?

I don't think so

 

[falguy]

As mentioned previously my order is somewhat random. I did try to split up the Bon vs Brian tunes a bit and also split the "heavy hitters" so they aren't all bunched together. I found it impossible to rank them so gave up.

#31 For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)

One think Angus and the boys could do well was a song intro. How can you not be reeled in by the 75 second intro to this song? Pretty fine opener to Brian Johnson’s second album with the band. Still sounds great today, too. And canons!!!


I was 16 in December 1981 when they played 2 shows in Toronto in support of this album. This was my first out-of-town concert and my brother and a friend went via a tour company that went from London to Toronto. Funny thing about this is we went to the first show on Dec 10 only to find out that the tour company had provided everyone with tickets for the following day’s show! WTF! After some haggling they let us in and gave us (us being everybody that was on the bus) leftover ****ty seats at the upper side of the stage. Was still pretty amazing to get to hear my new favourite band.

 

[KarmaPolice]

I got an instant Mountain vibe from the Chicago song.

 

[simey]

This beautiful song was written by the magnificent Leon Russell.

I love Russell’s version as well.

I want to quickly shine a little more light on Leon. He said before he wrote the song, that he wanted to write a blues standard that he envisioned Ray or Sinatra singing. "A Song for You" is what he created, and he said it took him around 10 minutes to write.

I'm busy this morning, and I'll be back later to comment on other people's songs.

 

[jwb]

Stranglers
#31 - Walk On By

oh man I really like this version. Do not know much (or anything really) about this band. Looking forward to more.

 

[jwb]

31. Hideaway

I was looking forward to your Chicago dive, and songs like this are why. It's great.

My familiarity with Chicago are the hits, and I much favor the 70's sound over the 80's ballads. The last year or two I've seen some youtube concert stuff of lesser known songs and I came away really impressed. I like a band with a lot of "stuff" going on, and they definitely fit the bill.

 

[falguy]

Unfortunately I won't be able t listen at work today so will save it for the hot tub tonight under the stars. There should be a nice haze due to the smoke from the wildfires encompassing most of Canada it seems. (or maybe it'll be from my new neighbour. )

 

[MAC_32]

While I fumbled around with the order of songs 5-25 quite a bit the beginning and end of this journey through Green Day never veered. I was always starting with a left turn at #31 and there is only one track in their catalog that's as unexpected as this one. 'Misery' is a mariachi styled series of decisions have consequences tales full of organs, accordions, mandolins, and other noises that are not fast guitars. Some say this was their identity crisis stage of their career, but I think tracks like this are what led to the second act of their career.

Green Day is not a punk band; they are a rock show that grew up in a punk environment.

Well, hell hounds on your trail now once again, boy
It's gropin' on your leg until it sleeps
The emptiness will fill your soul with sorrow
Because it's not what you make, it's what you leave.

 

[Northern Voice]

Unfortunately I won't be able t listen at work today so will save it for the hot tub tonight under the stars. There should be a nice haze due to the smoke from the wildfires encompassing most of Canada it seems. (or maybe it'll be from my new neighbour. )

It's ridiculous. I've been running in the mornings but I'm afraid to right now with the ****ty air quality.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

31. Hideaway
Album: Chicago VIII (1975)
Writer: Peter Cetera
Lead vocals: Peter Cetera
Released as a single? No

Hideaway is the only song in my top 31 that I was not expecting to consider when I began this exercise. But when I did my runthrough of Chicago VIII, I was blown away by it. I had forgotten its existence, to my detriment.
Hideaway, which has no horns, begins with a thumping riff that immediately grabs your attention. Surely this is the brainchild of Terry Kath? Nope, it's a Peter Cetera song, and it may be as aggressive as he ever got (as a writer). The opening also has some excellent fills from Danny Seraphine. The sunny, wistful lyrics Cetera sometimes wrote aren't here either; early on, the narrator says he wants "to get away from the human race." Things pick up even further at 1:20 when Cetera's voice soars with the title phrase and Kath takes a solo. Seriously, by this point you'd think this might be a Blue Oyster Cult song (Plinko: Sabbath works too)

Definitely hearing some Sabbath Bloody Sabbath vibes at the beginning - not sure if intentional or not.

Great song regardless.

No idea. There is zero commentary about this song in the places I looked.

Guess you don't find too many crossover Sabbath/Chicago fans outside of us fine folks here.

Yep, the Venn diagram on that one has gotta be pretty small.

Most people, if you told them that the guy who sang "Glory of Love" and "You're the Inspiration" also sang a song that sounds like Black Sabbath, would react like this

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I’m digging the Stranglers version of “Walk on By”, they surely make it their own. Never really pictured them as a “jam band” but they show some chops here.

Definitely. Greenfield's keyboard solos also remind me of the ones in that 22-minute Caravan song I picked for the British countdown that some of you couldn't handle.