A sure sign of things returning to normal here, I'm back talking
tunes and putting out a top ten of tunes of the week. Due to all the
wet weather, basement etc I missed out on National Record Store Day but
I'm sure I'll will visit the ones in Iowa City eventually, but then
again I found a couple twentys in a old pair of ripped pants so maybe
that'll give me the gas money to do Madison. But first it's GOTTA STOP
FUCKING RAINING!!!!!
Songs you heard from me this week.
1. Love And Lonelieness-The Motors 1980 These guys were pub rock
till they caught up with future major head Jimmy Iovine and stuck a 1001
keyboards on this song and managed to get their highest charting hit in
the US at a balmy 72. Local charts had it much higher but when I hear
this song I think this gave the forthcoming of Asia. Not such a bad
thing if you're into Asia.
2. Having A Blast-Green Day 1994 Does it seem like yesterday that
this album was the big event of the mid 90s after Kurt Corbain saw the
future and then took it in his hands to exit? The one thing different
Green Day offered than the grunge that was fading faster than flannel in
hot water was their music rocked a little harder and had more melody.
14 years later Dookie still remains a good listen.
3. Cross Tie Walker-Creedence Clearwater Revival 1969 I was going
to include a CCR song for last week till my brother took the CD to work
and forgot to get it back till this week. A lesser known song from the
Green River album that has a bass hook that makes it memorable. As for
what I think about the other band Creedence Revisited....well sidemen
need to make money too.
4. Dice Beneath The Shades-Paul Westerburg 1993 After the implosion
of the Replacements, Paul actually made a album better than the last
two Replacements records but keeping it simple and rocking a bit more. I
always perfer Husker Du in terms of who was the better Minneapolis band
but the Huskers never made a more fun album than Let It Be. 14 Songs, I
bought at Relics after Mr Scott stuffed a copy in my collection of used
CDs that he didn't want at that time and I have admit I listen to this
whenever I see it. I think this is the most Replacements sounding song
of this album although I like the more punkier numbers. BTW, Rhino has
re reissued the Twin/Tone albums with bonus tracks and will follow suit
with the Sire albums later in the year. As for Mr. Westerburg, he
hasn't made a listenable album since 14 Songs. Your opinion might
vary.
5. This Time-Waylon Jennings 1974 Uh no, this is not a repeat of
last week's song This Train which came out twenty years later but one of
Waylon's bigger country hits of the 70s. Diggy, our favorite Cali
punker/rocker/troubador sent me a whole bunch of Waylon albums that I
didn't have. With all these CDs to listen to, I can pretty much not
have to go the music store this week.
6. My Life's Story-MXPX 2001 Ten years later a lot of these guys'
early stuff has sound dated, after all they were mere teenagers when
they did Life In General but four years and four hundered tattoos later
they did managed to make an album that sounded lot like Green Day since
they used his producer on The Ever Passing Moment and was their best
effort for Interscope/A n M. Inspirational lyrics: Don't Hate Me
Forever/I'm Better Late Than Never/I Failed You/I'm Sorry/That's simply
My Life Story.
7. Can't Explain-Long-View 2005 Another song that means a lot to me
from a band that made one album for Sony and then disappeared. Somewhat
Coldplay sounding but with more guitars. It also reminds me of
somebody that was special but I don't hear much from nowadays.
8. Too Late-Asia 1985 Ya didn't think I wasn't going to leave a
Asia song off after mentioning them did ya? This was the follow up to
Go, their last top twenty hit but in reality when they made Astra, Steve
Howe left, replacing by whammy bar specialist Mandy Meyer. The album
got slammed by critics but I liked it better than than the Alpha
recording that came out before. John Wetton must have gotten his heart
stomped on quite a bit when they made this album. Love, oh careless
love.
9. Just What I Need-Big Back Forty 1997 I'll continue to say that
their Bested album was the best that the 90s had to offer from the last
three years of that decade. And it was the best of times kiddies, 99
cent gallon gas, VH1 still played videos, music stores in town, no oil
men in the white house.
10. Forever Came Today-The Backsliders 1999 And we conclude this
with a remake of Roscoe Gang's song that pretty much, like the majority
of the songs on this chart deals with the same subject that we all know
so well. Of love and loneliness. The Backsliders came from North
Carolina and made two fine albums for Mammoth that got lost in
distribution disasters that never did promote their albums at all. This
comes from Southern Lines, an album of great Americana value. Later
members would find their way to Son Volt to which they would contribute
on the first two albums before moving on.
And so it goes.
If you're keeping score. The total still remains at 16 for new
albums reviewed this year. Last year at this time we had 27 reviewed.
The latest was Bo Deans Still. To which I have yet to play the whole
album. I'll try to put the review up when I'm more objective and not so
selective.
The Top Ten Of The Week-Sponsored by Villa's Patio in Marion.
http://24hourdorman.wordpress.com/2008/04/21/grub-villas-patio/
What's on your mind Diggy Kat?
you're right Dookie is still a good listen! Having A Blast is a great
song, i love Green Day but well i have all the Green Day albums =P
you're right! i don't even know Cross Tie Walker! 0.0
ah "THIS TIME"! that sure is a calm sounding album lol
i have to say i was a little disappointed upon first listen because i'm
used to Waylon "tearing shit up" here and there lol and i was like
"ok...maybe the next song will be a rocker....ok...maybe the next song
will be a rocker....ok...maybe the next song will be a
rocker....ok...maybe the next song will be a rocker...." LOL
