1. Lady Madonna-The Beatles 1967 For the material girl who turned
fifty this week. Reminds me of the Moody Blues song, don't it make you
feel small, it happens to us all. So I might be getting off topic, I'm
approaching fifty too in a couple years so quit bothering me...
2. He Don't Love You (like i love you)-Tony Orlando And Dawn 1975
Shows you the mindset of Crabby; I had this on a scratchy forty five in
my collection. I think I got it at Rock N Bach when he had his store in
the flooded Time Check area way back when they opened up and instead of
studying at Kirkwood on my off breaks, I'd go over to RnB and waste a
few hours there. Anyway, you all know the history of Tony Orlando and
Dawn, big hit with Candida and then had the runaway hit Tie A Yellow
Ribbon to which everybody recorded but they did signed to Elektra in the
mid 70s and had a top ten hit with this Curtis Mayfield remake.
Although they did record for the big E label, I don't recall any other
singles making the top ten or maybe I didn't pay too much attention to
them after that. It is a pretty good song I think. And no, I don't
have any other Tony Orlando and Dawn in my collection, why do you ask?
3. Jupiter Child-Steppenwolf 1969 B-side to Rock Me. The great
thing about growing up in the 60s was that Woolworth's would have those 4
for a dollar specials on forty fives and the Webster City Woolworth's
was no exception. Fact was they had a pretty big selection of 45s
considering they were a small town. I remember going up there and
picking Rock Me/Jupiter Child with Richard Harris' Yard Goes On Forever
and one other song I can't remember (after all it has been forty years
since that day). But Steppenwolf was one of those bands that if you saw
their singles in the 29 cent bins, you picked it up regardless.
Steppenwolf bascially made great singles, but spotty albums just like 3
Dog Night but I do have all their albums likewise. BTW, Dunhill/ABC
records were so inept that they threw out most of the single mixes of
singles. The forty five version of Jupiter Child starts out drums only.
I'd be happy to play you my copy but I think I wore the grooves off it.
But then again, there's more to Steppenwolf than Born To Be Wild or
Magic Carpet Ride. Too fucking bad that classic oldies radio don't play
any other ones (such as Jupiter Child).
4. Keeps Me Wondering Why-Steve Miller Band 1982 I like Rock N Me
but am sick of hearing it on the radio. Likewise Take The Money And
Run and Some People Call Me The Space Cowboy. Don't need to hear it
from the Pompoustous Of Love himself so I dusted off Abracadaba and
played this power pop song from the Jokerman himself. Anyhoo, this
backup band of Gary Mallaber and company helped out Gerard McMahon and
made the classic Blue Rue of a year before, to which Miller was so
impressed by that album that he got the guys back and they helped co
write Abracadaba. The album bombed but at least you won't get to hear
these songs like you do The Joker or Fly Like A Eagle. Entertain me but
don't bore the hell out me with the same old songs.
5. Singing Man-The Roots 2008 It's hard typing this top ten out at
work, cuz the damn computer is so fucking slow and I have to watch out
for snooping seniors. I know I should be doing my work and everything,
but the damn cutters so far this week have chopped off six jobs and had
to redo them all over again. Plus I still can't remember much of the new
Hold Steady album but do remember this number from Rising Down from the
Roots. Sing your song singing man indeed.
6. Belinda-The Stabilizers 2007 This band remembers The Buzzcocks
and good old pub rock of that era. Plus it's off The Coolest Songs In
The World Volume 6. To which you can get at FYE for 8 bucks. Get in
quick before the help there bothers you.
7. Horse And Crow-Peter Case 1987 Nice of somebody to remind me of
this song from Peter's first Geffen album and they brung up his old band
The Plimsouls whose shining moment was A Million Miles Away to which it
did reach all the way up to 87 on the Billboard's singles chart of
1983. I did buy the single when it came out but never did see the movie
Valley Girl to which Peter and company played in that movie till TBS
showed it a few years later. Peter Case has been mostly a folk artist
and most of his albums after Blue Guitar tend to lose me anyway (his
last album was a snoozer) but I think his Geffen albums is where I go to
when I want to hear his music. Or the Plimsouls.......Probaly The
Plimsouls more befoer PC.
8. Good Pain-Live 1991 They got way too preachy and too pompous on
me which each new album they did after Mental Jewelery but I still love
their first album and it still gets played on regular rotation here at
Crabb Radio. Pennsylvania's answer to U2.
9. Slapped Actress-The Hold Steady 2008 Rock n roll today. They
have the Springsteenisms in them, but which album is it? I say Born To
Run, Rolling Stone sez Wild, Willing and the E Street Band, and All
music guide compares this to Darkness On The Side Of Town. Martin
Daniels, the tiebreaker gives it to Human Touch. Smartass. Critics are
mixed on this album and no, Stay Positive isn't album of the year here
but I'm sure Jim Musser will disagree with me on that one. I do know
Thom Jurek agrees with me from his review at AMG. I tend to enjoy John
Cafferty better although The Hold Steady wins out over Mariah by a
eyelash, or a soulpatch.
10. Till The Rivers All Run Dry-Pete Townsend/Ronnie Lane 1977
Perhaps the only song that Don Williams ever sang that was covered by a
band that featured Pete, Ronnie, Eric Clapton and John Entwhisle. And a
perfect way to close out yet another award winning top ten. From the
Rough Mix album that is in print (and on Hip O if you care).
COOLEST SONGS IN THE WORLD Volume 6 (Wicked Cool)
Little Steven's 16 picks totaling a Ramoneslike 40 minites and half
the songs are 2 and half minites or less. Best song is a Andrew Oldman
theme song, 2nd best is a track from last year's Record Of The Year.
Obscure song comes from The Cake, a girl band that was too late for the
Phil Spector years. Turds include a acoustic song that is the longest
on the album and overstays its welcome, The Maggots' King Of The Freaks
with a feedback ending that's guaranteed to clean out any maggots in a
pile of poo in a three mile radius and Turd number three comes from a
Sire Records band that got bounced after one record and it must have
been a secret, even I didn't hear of it. The Go Gos make a apperance
with a track off their God Bless The Go Gos flop of 2001, The Stooges
make a nice new song done in a very bad Albini mix and the Pretty Things
are still around just to let you know they are the second oldest band
that's still plugging away. Plus the usual Little Steven pickings from
garage bands all over the world that mostly miss than hit but you gotta
admire him for at least giving them a chance to shine. Better than
Volume 5 although repeat listenings doesn't quite hold up as well as I
originally thought but I'll wait for Volume 7 when it comes out.
Certainly better than the Corporate explotitation That's What I Call
Music garbage.
Grade B plus
Suggested cuts: 365 Rolling Stones-Andrew Loog Oldham Orchestra, The
Paybacks-Stranger In This House, Stabilizers-Belinda, The Stooges-Free
and Freaky
Candlebox-Into The Sun (Silent Majority Records)
Hard to figure these dudes to be geezer rock although fifteen years
ago, Candlebox was lumped in with all the Seattle bands in the short
lived Grunge scene. But along with Stone Temple Pilots, these guys were
more straight ahead rock and roll than the screamfest that was
Soundgarden, or the three chords and a bash Nirvana. Certainly more
melodic with an eye on radio, they did made three rockin but uneven
album. Never did hear their soul selling Happy Pills which lost me on
the songs but Into The Sun, Candlebox returns to a more rock and roll
sound that was on their first two albums. Fact is they never rock as
hard as they did on the first two songs Stand and Bitches Brewing. For
no bullshit RnR, Candlebox can't be beat in this day and age. They have
more hooks in their songs then Hinder or kOrn or what passes for "real
rock" anymore but like their Maverick albums Candlebox can't decide if
they want to be a No Bullshit band or going for the prissy ballads that
hinder their albums and Into The Sun is no exception. Perhaps they
should have ended the album on a high note with the Zeppelin sounding
Beathe Me In (courtesy of Dave Krusden guesting on drums). With album
enders Lover-Come Back To Me and Consider Us they go into Matchbox 20
territory and the wheels fall off. But if nothing else Into The Sun
does have more hooks and memorable songs than on The Black Crowes last
album. Consider that a small victory.
Grade B-
Suggested cuts: Beathe Me In, Stand, Underneath It All
STEVE CROPPER/FELIX CAVALIERE-Nudge It Up A Notch (Stax)
Interesting pairing of the voice of The Rascals and the guitar behind
the MGs, helped by power poper Jon Tiven but with uneven results and
not helped by overbearing David Z mix that is tailor made for the MP3
player and not the CD. You gotta like the concept though, nobody has
made this soulful music since Michael McDonald tackled Motown. Although
Felix is in fine form, his hippy dippy lyrics which has hampered his
solo career is still there and one could only wish that these guys would
have up it a notch instead of playing everything at mid tempo beat.
Chester Thompson (Genesis) plays drums.
Grade C+
Suggested Cuts: Make The Time Go Faster, Love Appatite
