Post by slf on Nov 2, 2014 9:58:24 GMT -5
For the week ending November 1, 1975:
40. I Wanna Do Something Freaky To You/Leon Haywood--The songs in this show's first hour were, for the most part, disappointingly mediocre or downright bad. This tedious, repetitious, boring song is perfect case-in-point.
39. Letting Go/Paul McCartney & Wings--A lackluster, boring followup to his dynamic chart topper "Listen What The Man Says".
38. Peace Pipe/B. T. Express--Another mediocre followup to bigger, better hits.
37. Let's Do It Again/The Staple Singers--The quality of the music improves somewhat with this this rather sweet, groove-driven soul number.
36. The Agony & The Ecstasy/Smokey Robinson--It was somewhat nicely smooth and Smokey's vocals were as sweet as always, but I still found it rather boring. Neither agony nor ecstasy.
35. Operator/Manhattan Transfer--It had an interesting gospel, dixieland jazz arrangement. (The singers even mention Jesus as the One they want to be connected with.)
34. Just Too Many People/Melissa Manchester--Among so many mediocre songs, this one stands out nicely. Although I was previously unfamiliar with it, I very much enjoyed its sharp, sunny arrangement.
33. Ballroom Blitz/Sweet--I have always loved this frenetic, downright spastic rocker, from the driving guitars to Brian Connolly's campy, Tiny Tim-inspired vocals.
32. Eighteen With A Bullet/Pete Wingfield--He delivers a somewhat intriguing vocal performance, but I'm otherwise unimpressed with this song and somewhat repulsed by some of the lyrics.
31. Fame/David Bowie--The only interesting thing about this song is the part towards the end where the title is repeated multiple times, starting at a high pitch and gradually bottoming out to a low bass.
30. My Little Town/Simon & Garfunkel--I have never liked this song. The arrangement, at least in the chorus, is sharp, but the lyrics paint such a blah, dreary picture of one's life and one's home town and reach a wretched low point with the line "twitching like a finger on the trigger of a gun." (I hope they weren't glorifying suicide!) This duo should have just stayed apart and left their splendid legacy in tact and not defiled it with this mess!
29. Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain/Willie Nelson--A snoozer. Sounds like Willie smoked one too many before the recording session.
28. That's The Way (I Like It)/KC And The Sunshine Band--After nearly dozing off, I needed KC and company to bring me back to life with this fun, sing-a-long bundle of energy.
27. Rockin' All Over The World/John Fogarty--His singing voice, IMHO, is inherently annoying, but sometimes delightfully so. Not so in the case; in fact, it's more abrasive than usual.
26. I Only Have Eyes For You/Art Garfunkel--Although it's only a so-so remake of the Flamingo's doo-wop classic, it's far superior to the miserable comeback hit he and Paul did earlier in the countdown.
25. Fly, Robin, Fly/Silver Connection--It has a fairly nice string-laden disco arrangement, but it's far from a great disco song.
24. Dance With Me/Orleans--Slightly above average. It has a somewhat pretty arrangement.
23. Born To Run/Bruce Springsteen--All the hype surrounding this artist at the time, with his photo on the cover of Time and Newsweek, is understandable, for this is one groundbreakingly splendid rock song. From that opening drum roll and that "Boss" (pun intended) guitar riff, to that dominating piano, to that massive build-up before the third verse, to Bruce's emotional, urgent vocals, this is one classic rock staple that truly deserves it hyped status. Sadly, IMHO, most of his later hits, especially those in the '80's, don't come close to rising to the level of this masterpiece.
22. Nights On Broadway/The Bee Gees--I love the tension-filled vocals and arrangement of this song.
21. What A Difference A Day Makes/Esther Phillips--Granted, her voice is rather abrasive, but the fine disco arrangement makes this song more than palatable.
20. You/George Harrison--I was unfamiliar with this song, but was impressed with its energetic, shimmering arrangement.
19. Sky High/Jigsaw--This is one of the best songs of the countdown. The opening is delightfully attention-grabbing and this well-sung number, in general, glides along smoothly yet with a lot of energy.
18. It Only Takes A Minute/Tavares--Although it's not quite the greatest disco song of all time, the masterful string-and-horn driven arrangement is the perfect example of what makes a great disco song.
17. SOS/ABBA--A fine song with great harmonies and an intriguing synthesizer riff before the chorus. BTW, it's the only Billboard chart hit in which both the title and artist are palindromes (i. e., the same forwards and backwards.)
16. Low Rider/War--I can take it or leave it.
15. Lady Blue/Leon Russell--OK, I must confess that I fell asleep during the above song and didn't wake up until after this song had ended. And, being that I am not familiar with this song, I have no opinion to give.
14. The Way That I Want To Touch You/Captain & Tennille--A mildly enjoyable love song. It has a lush arrangement and it has powerful lyrics.
13. Something Better To Do/Olivia Newton-John--It's a cute, catchy song with cute, clever lyrics.
12. Do It Any Way You Wanna/People's Choice--Not this person's choice, actually, as it's a rather lackluster dance song.
11. Brazil/The Ritchie Family--On the other hand, this is one great disco song. The lead trumpet carries the main melody wonderfully and the flute interludes are a nice contrast to the rest of the song.
10. This Will Be/Natalie Cole--Best known as the "Eharmony" theme, this is a fine soul dance song in general, with a great piano opening and nice vocals by Natalie.
9. Heat Wave/Linda Ronstadt--Like most of her hits, I can take it or leave it.
8. Bad Blood/Neil Sedaka--It's a somewhat catchy song, but it is rather unsettling to hear a clean-cut teen idol, who sang such innocent songs like "Calendar Girl" and "Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen" years earlier, brazenly belt out the B-word twice.
7. Feelings/Morris Albert--This ranks up there with "You Light Up My Life" as the quintessential sappy, cheesy mushfest of the decade, except that Debbie's song is actually halfway good. Does anybody remember the episode of the "Gong Show" where every contestant sang this song? It's one of that show's many high points (or low points, depending on your opinion of the show.)
6. Who Loves You/The Four Seasons--A very sharply produced, powerful song. My favorite parts are at the end of each verse, where they sing "oo-oo-oo-oo come to me-e-e-e-e, baby, you'll see." That's where the drama reaches its climax.
5. They Just Can't Stop It The (Games People Play)/The Spinners--Another great number by the legendary soul group who, hopefully, will finally be inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame next year. (They are in the running this time.)
4. Lyin' Eyes/The Eagles--Also known as "The Anna Nicole Smith Theme", this is an intriguing, yet rather dreary, story song about a pathetic golddigger.
3. Miracles/Jefferson Starship--Over the years, I have grown to love these early mellow Jefferson Starship songs fronted by Marty Balin. They have enchantingly gorgeous arrangements and Marty has a clear, soulful voice. This particular song, although not the very best of those songs, is still great.
2. Calypso/John Denver--This is John Denver's masterpiece. It has a glorious string opening (complete with ship bells), fine vocals by Denver, a grand yodeling sing-a-long chorus, and a beautifully bombastic ending. It's understandable that this former B-side kept this double-sided song in the top 10 after the mediocre "I'm Sorry" went to #1.
1. Island Girl/Elton John--Musically, this is one of Elton's best song. It has a powerful, dramatic arrangement, especially in the chorus, when he sings the title in triplicate. However, in 1975, the music buying public must have had a fascination with prostitutes, as this is the second chart topper of that year to sing about one ("Lady Marmalade" being the first).
And my favorite song of the countdown (drum roll):
For once, I'm siding with the musically correct crowd and selecting their beloved Bruce Springsteen and "Born To Run". (although I still love many songs on this countdown they would turn their arrogant nose up at.)
Thank you for reading. Have a great day.
40. I Wanna Do Something Freaky To You/Leon Haywood--The songs in this show's first hour were, for the most part, disappointingly mediocre or downright bad. This tedious, repetitious, boring song is perfect case-in-point.
39. Letting Go/Paul McCartney & Wings--A lackluster, boring followup to his dynamic chart topper "Listen What The Man Says".
38. Peace Pipe/B. T. Express--Another mediocre followup to bigger, better hits.
37. Let's Do It Again/The Staple Singers--The quality of the music improves somewhat with this this rather sweet, groove-driven soul number.
36. The Agony & The Ecstasy/Smokey Robinson--It was somewhat nicely smooth and Smokey's vocals were as sweet as always, but I still found it rather boring. Neither agony nor ecstasy.
35. Operator/Manhattan Transfer--It had an interesting gospel, dixieland jazz arrangement. (The singers even mention Jesus as the One they want to be connected with.)
34. Just Too Many People/Melissa Manchester--Among so many mediocre songs, this one stands out nicely. Although I was previously unfamiliar with it, I very much enjoyed its sharp, sunny arrangement.
33. Ballroom Blitz/Sweet--I have always loved this frenetic, downright spastic rocker, from the driving guitars to Brian Connolly's campy, Tiny Tim-inspired vocals.
32. Eighteen With A Bullet/Pete Wingfield--He delivers a somewhat intriguing vocal performance, but I'm otherwise unimpressed with this song and somewhat repulsed by some of the lyrics.
31. Fame/David Bowie--The only interesting thing about this song is the part towards the end where the title is repeated multiple times, starting at a high pitch and gradually bottoming out to a low bass.
30. My Little Town/Simon & Garfunkel--I have never liked this song. The arrangement, at least in the chorus, is sharp, but the lyrics paint such a blah, dreary picture of one's life and one's home town and reach a wretched low point with the line "twitching like a finger on the trigger of a gun." (I hope they weren't glorifying suicide!) This duo should have just stayed apart and left their splendid legacy in tact and not defiled it with this mess!
29. Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain/Willie Nelson--A snoozer. Sounds like Willie smoked one too many before the recording session.
28. That's The Way (I Like It)/KC And The Sunshine Band--After nearly dozing off, I needed KC and company to bring me back to life with this fun, sing-a-long bundle of energy.
27. Rockin' All Over The World/John Fogarty--His singing voice, IMHO, is inherently annoying, but sometimes delightfully so. Not so in the case; in fact, it's more abrasive than usual.
26. I Only Have Eyes For You/Art Garfunkel--Although it's only a so-so remake of the Flamingo's doo-wop classic, it's far superior to the miserable comeback hit he and Paul did earlier in the countdown.
25. Fly, Robin, Fly/Silver Connection--It has a fairly nice string-laden disco arrangement, but it's far from a great disco song.
24. Dance With Me/Orleans--Slightly above average. It has a somewhat pretty arrangement.
23. Born To Run/Bruce Springsteen--All the hype surrounding this artist at the time, with his photo on the cover of Time and Newsweek, is understandable, for this is one groundbreakingly splendid rock song. From that opening drum roll and that "Boss" (pun intended) guitar riff, to that dominating piano, to that massive build-up before the third verse, to Bruce's emotional, urgent vocals, this is one classic rock staple that truly deserves it hyped status. Sadly, IMHO, most of his later hits, especially those in the '80's, don't come close to rising to the level of this masterpiece.
22. Nights On Broadway/The Bee Gees--I love the tension-filled vocals and arrangement of this song.
21. What A Difference A Day Makes/Esther Phillips--Granted, her voice is rather abrasive, but the fine disco arrangement makes this song more than palatable.
20. You/George Harrison--I was unfamiliar with this song, but was impressed with its energetic, shimmering arrangement.
19. Sky High/Jigsaw--This is one of the best songs of the countdown. The opening is delightfully attention-grabbing and this well-sung number, in general, glides along smoothly yet with a lot of energy.
18. It Only Takes A Minute/Tavares--Although it's not quite the greatest disco song of all time, the masterful string-and-horn driven arrangement is the perfect example of what makes a great disco song.
17. SOS/ABBA--A fine song with great harmonies and an intriguing synthesizer riff before the chorus. BTW, it's the only Billboard chart hit in which both the title and artist are palindromes (i. e., the same forwards and backwards.)
16. Low Rider/War--I can take it or leave it.
15. Lady Blue/Leon Russell--OK, I must confess that I fell asleep during the above song and didn't wake up until after this song had ended. And, being that I am not familiar with this song, I have no opinion to give.
14. The Way That I Want To Touch You/Captain & Tennille--A mildly enjoyable love song. It has a lush arrangement and it has powerful lyrics.
13. Something Better To Do/Olivia Newton-John--It's a cute, catchy song with cute, clever lyrics.
12. Do It Any Way You Wanna/People's Choice--Not this person's choice, actually, as it's a rather lackluster dance song.
11. Brazil/The Ritchie Family--On the other hand, this is one great disco song. The lead trumpet carries the main melody wonderfully and the flute interludes are a nice contrast to the rest of the song.
10. This Will Be/Natalie Cole--Best known as the "Eharmony" theme, this is a fine soul dance song in general, with a great piano opening and nice vocals by Natalie.
9. Heat Wave/Linda Ronstadt--Like most of her hits, I can take it or leave it.
8. Bad Blood/Neil Sedaka--It's a somewhat catchy song, but it is rather unsettling to hear a clean-cut teen idol, who sang such innocent songs like "Calendar Girl" and "Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen" years earlier, brazenly belt out the B-word twice.
7. Feelings/Morris Albert--This ranks up there with "You Light Up My Life" as the quintessential sappy, cheesy mushfest of the decade, except that Debbie's song is actually halfway good. Does anybody remember the episode of the "Gong Show" where every contestant sang this song? It's one of that show's many high points (or low points, depending on your opinion of the show.)
6. Who Loves You/The Four Seasons--A very sharply produced, powerful song. My favorite parts are at the end of each verse, where they sing "oo-oo-oo-oo come to me-e-e-e-e, baby, you'll see." That's where the drama reaches its climax.
5. They Just Can't Stop It The (Games People Play)/The Spinners--Another great number by the legendary soul group who, hopefully, will finally be inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame next year. (They are in the running this time.)
4. Lyin' Eyes/The Eagles--Also known as "The Anna Nicole Smith Theme", this is an intriguing, yet rather dreary, story song about a pathetic golddigger.
3. Miracles/Jefferson Starship--Over the years, I have grown to love these early mellow Jefferson Starship songs fronted by Marty Balin. They have enchantingly gorgeous arrangements and Marty has a clear, soulful voice. This particular song, although not the very best of those songs, is still great.
2. Calypso/John Denver--This is John Denver's masterpiece. It has a glorious string opening (complete with ship bells), fine vocals by Denver, a grand yodeling sing-a-long chorus, and a beautifully bombastic ending. It's understandable that this former B-side kept this double-sided song in the top 10 after the mediocre "I'm Sorry" went to #1.
1. Island Girl/Elton John--Musically, this is one of Elton's best song. It has a powerful, dramatic arrangement, especially in the chorus, when he sings the title in triplicate. However, in 1975, the music buying public must have had a fascination with prostitutes, as this is the second chart topper of that year to sing about one ("Lady Marmalade" being the first).
And my favorite song of the countdown (drum roll):
For once, I'm siding with the musically correct crowd and selecting their beloved Bruce Springsteen and "Born To Run". (although I still love many songs on this countdown they would turn their arrogant nose up at.)
Thank you for reading. Have a great day.