Date: 3/01
2. “Good Times”- Chic (5/5). Disco is definitely not my cup’o’tea. It’s always been commercial dance music that is stuck in the ‘70s. But I have a few exceptions, like this one, my favorite song of the entire genre. Sure, the words are breezy and nice, but they’re not the main attraction. It’s that killer combination: the famous bassline, the stuttering guitar, and the piano come together to make musical bliss. So special that Sugarhill Gang and others have sampled the bassline afterwards.
3. “Rock Lobster”- B-52’s (5/5). Were it not for “Love Shack” and such, this ‘79 song would have been their signature song. It still is, in my book. Big-time kitsch all around, with the surf guitar, cheesy organs, and Yoko Ono/dolphin wailings. And never has Fred Schneider sounded so danged effeminate. Well, he always kind of did, but the most on this song.
4. “Once in a Lifetime”- Talking Heads (5/5). Arguably the peak of the Heads career, with this paranoia-drenched track. Byrne’s lines have gone down in pop culture history (‘you may find yourself/living in a shotgun shack!’), and the odd video cemented its classic status for good.
5. “The Joker Went Wild”- Brian Hyland (3/5). The dude behind “Sealed With a Kiss” tries to restart his career in ‘66 by aping Gary Lewis and the Playboys.
6. “Break my Stride”- Matthew Wilder (4/5). I have no clue about this guy, but he comes up with a maddeningly idiotic but catchy number. Probably was a hit because the damn chorus was glued into everyone’s heads at the time. Even Piff Doody based one of hits of the chorus, “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down”!
7. “Set You Free This Time”- Byrds (3/5). A relaxing song, not drenched in harmony like most Byrds songs, but more folk.
8. “Somebody’s Baby”- Jackson Browne (3/5). This MOR staple was off of Fast Times at Ridgemont High? Sounds too docile and A/C to be so. Oh well, the world’s weird anway.
9. “Living in the Past”- Jethro Tull (4/5). Before they dove into the prog scene, Ian Anderson and JT had a few catchy pop-rock songs like this one. Somewhat hippy-dippy, the 5/4 time signature is pretty notable.
10. “Touch of Grey”- Grateful Dead (4/5). With this AOR song, the Dead finally got into the Top 10. Oh, it doesn’t represent their jam-rock style, I bet Deadheads will tell you. But I like the keyboards and the Skeletor video.
11. “Der Kommissar”- Falco (5/5). As I said before, I prefer Falco’s original to the ATF hit. Falco raps mostly in German, adding to the novelty, much like his later #1 “Rock Me Amadeus.” And the backing is more minimalistic.
12. “It Won’t Be Wrong”- Byrds (4/5). Ignore the words, they don’t mean much. Just let those immaculate harmonies wash over you like a cool shower!
13. “Let’s Go”- Cars. See my Odds and Sods page for the Cars review.
14. “Getcha Back”- Beach Boys (3/5). An attempted mid ‘80s comeback, this tune mixes classic
Brian Wilson falsetto with awful drums and ‘80s-nostalgia vibe. I still like it much better then stinkin’ “Kokomo.”
15. “Come Dancing”- Kinks (4/5). Despite the Kinks’ artistic and commercial success in the ‘60s, I think this nostalgic ‘80s tune was their highest charter in the States. The keyboard riff is cool, and the tune is not as corny as “Getcha Back.”
16. “People are People”- Depeche Mode (4/5). This is catchy in a minor-key sort of way. Depeche Mode tries to make a statement against racism, but I think ‘80s kids were more into the ‘people are people so why should it be’ chorus.
17. “Hourglass”- Squeeze (3/5). Long before I knew the best of Difford and Tillbrook, I saw this cute video and song. It was their biggest U.S. hit, but I like it less each time I hear another real Squeeze classic like “Tempted” or “Another Nail in my Heart.”
18. “Heartbreaker”- Dionne Warwick (2/5). What’s THIS doing on here? Like “Islands in the Stream,” this was written by the Gibb brothers in the early ‘80s, after their own career had dried up. And like “Islands,” I hum this against my will.
19. “Hush”- Deep Purple (5/5). I believe this was their first hit, an organ-drenched little pop number with hooks everywhere. Listen to those verses: ‘got a silly little girl she’s on my MIND/no doubt about it she looks so FINE.’ Can you not see the Beastie Boys rapping that????? The emphasis on the last word, you know.