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Post by mga707 on Apr 4, 2015 23:31:04 GMT -5
Just though of an interesting coincidence in the two 'A' shows this week (1972 and 1985): Both shows had a record in them that was on it's way down from a #10 peak position. Both of these records were the only US top 40 hits for British bands that were, at their respective times, the absolutely hottest acts in Great Britain. I mean, of course, "Bang a Gong" by T.Rex and Hervards fave, "Relax", by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Nice catch! It's a shame T. Rex wasn't huge over here, but as for Frankie - I was in Germany from '84 - '86 & Frankiemania hit there at least as hard as it did in the UK. The saturation airplay got old very fast, so I'd say the U.S. dodged a bullet there. Thanks! Yes, I assume that the shelf life of a "Frankie Say Relax!" T-shirt was pretty short! Another parallel between the two songs is that each was about a year old when they finally peaked in the US. Shades of "Love Me Do"/"Please Please Me"/etc., without the staying power or lasting influence.
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Post by ivanzero on Apr 5, 2015 17:01:38 GMT -5
Alright, here goes April 1, 1972. I stared at the 1985 chart for quite awhile and couldn't work up much enthusiasm. This one, on the other hand ...
40 – King Heroin – James Brown That deadly drug that go in your vein! I love the Godfather's spoken-word raps, & this is the (ahem) king of them all. The slow-burning groove underneath suits it to a T. It's just a shame he didn't have the same misgivings about Queen Cocaine 15 years down the line.
39 – Slippin' Into Darkness – War This is where out-and-out War really started spreading (couldn't resist), and a perfect companion to the first track on our countdown. Strong, passionate group vocals carried along by a tough, bleak, heavy groove.
38 – No One To Depend On – Santana The original group's last hit record before Carlos found his guru & moved into a decidedly non-Top 40 direction, & a great track to go out on. Has all the fiery elements that made those first few albums such beasts. Covered in 1999 by the luscious Vitamin C.
37 – Could It Be Forever – David Cassidy I'm not well-versed on Davey's solo ouevre, but $150 to hear him croon this seems outrageous. That's in 2015 dollars. Paying it in 1972, as some desperate parents in NYC apparently forked over to scalpers, is beyond mind-boggling when you consider that's almost nine hundred bucks adjusted for inflation.
36 – The Family Of Man – Three Dog Night Not as overly familiar with this one as many of their others, nor as impressed – maybe I was still a bit sleepy this morning, but towards the end it seemed to turn into a mass of undifferentiated sound.
35 – Vincent – Don McLean Sorry, but I wasn't killed softly by this song. Didn't quite make me want to cut off my ear, but it's just too preciously verbose for my taste. I absolutely love the flip side, “Castles in the Air”.
34 – Glory Bound – Grass Roots As a lad (probably in '74), I found a battered but playable copy of their Golden Grass at the dump & was quickly hooked. In fact, I was a Grass Roots guy before I was a Beatles guy. This is one of their lesser known later tracks, but still a solid gold keeper. Unfortunately, there are way too many cheapo “re-recorded hits” Grass Roots albums on the market. I hate those things!
33 – Hurting Each Other – Carpenters One of the best of the classic 20 or so singles they released in the first part of the decade. Few things in music life are finer than Karen's voice in your ears on a set of good headphones with all the lights out.
32 – Suavecito – Malo A real gem! I love the “East L.A. / Low Rider” sound, and this is one of it's big landmarks. Anyone else remember when XPRS used to play those classics every night in the early '80s? I was 500 miles away, but lucky enough to pick up their signal after sundown. Wish I'd have taped those shows! (Also wish I hadn't been too young to tune in to the Wolfman back in their XERB days).
31 – Do Your Thing – Isaac Hayes From the Shaft soundtrack. A groove that glows & rolls as smooth as the new ride Casey described in his intro. Goes for almost 20 minutes on the album, which is a bit too much of a good thang.
30 – Take A Look Around – Temptations One of the more overlooked “socially conscious” soul singles from the era. It's a joy whenever all the Temps get a turn on lead. The album cover (Solid Rock) is dreadful, even by Motown's usual standards.
29 – Every Day of My Life – Bobby Vinton Zzzzz … sorry, must've nodded off there. I do admire Bobby for hanging in there & hitting the 40 for so many years after his contemporaries faded.
28 – Runnin' Away – Sly & the Family Stone I've listened to There's A Riot Goin' On so many times that hearing any of it's songs other than “Family Affair” out of the album's context is just too strange. Amazing things happen when you set such desperate words to a deceptively peppy tune.
27 – We've Got To Get It On Again – The Addrisi Brothers A song I didn't know I knew. Funny how those pile up over the years. A pleasant pop ditty that for some strange reason reminds me of Lobo. From what I can tell, they're not using “get it on” in the carnal sense.
26 – Taurus – Dennis Coffey Listenable, but definitely not close to the level of it's predecessor (by chart action, it appears the listeners of 43 years ago agreed). The scorpion stung the bull.
25 – Crazy Mama – J.J. Cale Another artist who's been in my “must investigate further” file for ages. Clapton idolized & emulated him, so that's quite an endorsement. A solid sleepy shuffle sets up a casual environment for Cale's laid-back vocal. Stellar slide guitar!
24 – The Day I Found Myself – The Honey Cone “You know, men are full of schemes / and they're masters of getting control of our minds and making us dependent on them”. Ouch! Nothing else about the song made much of an impression on me. Carolyn Willis would later do a 180 & sing on “Get Closer” with Seals & Crofts.
23 – Ain't Understanding Mellow – Jerry Butler & Brenda Lee Eager For ages, I thought this was called “Aint MISunderstanding Mellow”. How ironic. Either way, the title doesn't make that much sense. Great vocals from the soul veteran and his young sidekick.
22 – Give Ireland Back to the Irish – Wings Was Paul sincere, or was he just saying “see, I can be as political as John!”? His immediately subsequent gooey trifles (“Mary Had a Little Lamb”, Wild Life) tends to support the latter. In any event, it felt very weird hearing this on Easter Sunday.
21 – Bang A Gong (Get It On) – Tyrannosaurus Rex Using the full handle as a tip of the top hat to the early hippie phase. It's really a shame they weren't as big here as at home, and that Marc never saw his 30s (and we never saw the music he'd have made in the '80s), but he left some killer stuff behind – including this, their sole U.S. hit. The lyrics are nuts.
20 – Precious & Few – Climax My critique comrade slf rhapsodized about this one a few weeks ago, and I tend to agree. One of those “mellow gold” classics that absolutely never gets old. Still kinda can't believe it's the same guy who sang “Time Won't Let Me”.
19 – Day Dreaming – Aretha Franklin Just perfect. The Queen puts me on cloud nine every time with this one. Even more perfect on the album, and it ascends right into nirvana for “Rock Steady”. I'd put her '71 - '72 right up there with her '67 - 68 as an artistic peak.
18 – Down By The Lazy River – The Osmonds One of their upbeat “razzamatazz” numbers that does absolutely zero for me. I'd rather crank their fantastically gonzo “Crazy Horses” any day of the week.
17 – Roundabout – Yes Played to death on classic rock radio. I'm one of those who's never really gotten much past Fragile (“Heart of the Sunrise” cranked up to 10 is one of my favorite highs), but still mean to get around to it. (I've been advised not to start with Tales of Topographic Oceans). The lyrics make absolutely no sense, but I hear they aren't supposed to.
16 – A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done – Sonny & Cher We'll hear Cher solo a bit later, but here she's joined by her less vocally-gifted partner. The song is well-fitted for Sonny's particular style of “singing”, and the track has an agreeably weird feel. The beat sounds more Greek or Gypsy than “Western”, however.
15 – Rock & Roll Lullaby – B.J. Thomas Again, I'll point out that B.J. has one of the most “comfortable” voices ever. This time, it's fitting, as he's singing us a lullaby. A wonderful track that doesn't really rock & roll all that much, except for Duane Eddy's classic twangy guitar licks & the Beach Boys styled backing vocals.
14 – Betcha By Golly Wow – The Stylistics These guys get me every time with those velvet vocals wrapped in that lush Philly sound. Beyond classic, despite that corny title.
13 – The Way of Love – Cher Caesar & Cleo were in the midst of a career resurgence, partly because they “went Vegas” with their music. I have a LOT of nostalgia for the old Strip of the '70s, but there was a LOT of schmaltz coming out of those showrooms – this is a prime example. Cher does really belt this one out.
12 – Everything I Own – Bread These guys fall into guilty pleasure territory for me. One of my exes once called David Gates a “whiner” & stormed out of the room when this song came on - I can see her point, but the dude IS sincere about it.
11 – In The Rain – The Dramatics These guys should've been a lot bigger than they were, but alas, Stax/Volt was imploding just as their career took off in '72. This immortal slow jam is a fitting monument to what could've been. Does rain really make it look like you aren't crying? A lot of songs sure claim it does.
10 – The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face – Roberta Flack One I really have to be in the right mood for. At times it's just slow & plodding, at others it can be spellbinding. Today must've been one of the former, because the Wolverine popped into my head (the song is used prominently in the latest X-Men flick). Of course, it originally became a hit from prominent use in Play Misty For Me, & I shudder to think of Jessica Walter's character with Wolverine's claws. Look out, Clint!
9 – Rockin' Robin – Michael Jackson I probably knew this at the time. Too sugary for my adult tastes, but more palatable than Donny's line of remakes. I suppose the two lads & their respective clans had a friendly rivalry. The only “early Michael” solo single I truly love is “Got to Be There”.
8 – Jungle Fever – Chakachas This one skates the line between amusing & annoying. Definitely one of the classic “overstimulated” female vocals. I wonder how many parents freaked out hearing these moans & groans coming from their kids' radios.
7 – Without You – Nilsson Too overplayed to rate. What struck me today, as often happens, is just how great an instrument Harry had, & what a colossal pity it was that he would soon destroy it via booze & his infamous “scream-off” with John Lennon.
6 – I Gotcha – Joe Tex Joe famously had a long-running feud with James Brown, so it's funny that this flat-out “sampling” of the JB style charted higher on the pop charts than any of Mr. Dynamite's own singles. The track is a real barn-burner, and Mr. Tex just tears it on up.
5 – The Lion Sleeps Tonight – Robert John I probably knew this one at the time. It's enjoyable, & interesting to pick out the sonic elements that were “modernized” for the time, but it doesn't quite come close to the version by the Tokens.
4 – Mother & Child Reunion – Paul Simon Interesting. We just heard a South African folk tune, and here's the guy who in 14 years would go to South Africa to make a huge Soweto-flavored album. He went to Jamaica to make this huge Kingston-flavored hit single. That flavoring, by the way, is delicious.
3 – Puppy Love – Donny Osmond Ugh. I'm sure the teenyboppers of 1972 wet themselves at the sound of Donny yelping “help me!”, but … ugh. It's astonishing how many of these inferior remakes this clan were able to sell by the truckload.
2 – Heart of Gold – Neil Young I was once miffed that this is Neil's only big hit, but found out I was hard-pressed to name another track in his massive catalog that would've tapped into the proper “top 10 aura” at the time it was issued. 1972 is also probably one of the few years where a 26-year-old could credibly complain about “gettin' old”.
1 – A Horse With No Name – America Cool! Neil Young replaces himself at #1! No, it's Dewey Bunnell! Yet another set of “stoned” lyrics, fitting in this case, as they make “Neil” sound like he's suffering from fatigue / heat stroke. Classic song, nonetheless.
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Post by mga707 on Apr 5, 2015 17:34:26 GMT -5
37 – Could It Be Forever – David Cassidy I'm not well-versed on Davey's solo ouevre, but $150 to hear him croon this seems outrageous. That's in 2015 dollars. Paying it in 1972, as some desperate parents in NYC apparently forked over to scalpers, is beyond mind-boggling when you consider that's almost nine hundred bucks adjusted for inflation. Listening to Mr. Cassidy's singles today, solo or group, I'm always struck by the fact that he did have a decent 'rock singer' voice. I can see why he felt constrained by his image, which led later this same year to his rather infamous "Rolling Stone" risque cover and interview in which he admitted to much behavior that was not tenny-bopper friendly, along with an attempt to sound more grown-up, "Rock Me Baby". It always cracks me up that "The Office"s Creed Bratton was the Grass Roots' guitarist from 1967 through 1970 (roughly from "Let's Live For Today" through "Temptation Eyes")! I love the "Booze Cruise" episode where he rocks out on electric guitar and then shrugs as though it's nothing . If you ever visit the Stax Museum of American Soul in Memphis--a great museum, right up there with Hitsville USA in Detroit--you will be able to gaze upon the abovementioned customized '72 Eldorado in all it's pimpmobile glory! Attached to the velvet ropes corraling it are black and white images of Mr. Hayes' glowering visage with the command "Don't Touch My Ride!" Classic! Paul supposedly quickly whipped out "Mary..." as a protest of the BBC's banning of this song. The "Wild Life" LP actually predates this single, having been released in December of 1971, just six months after "Ram". His idea was a simple, basic, 'no frills' band LP, kind of like his original plan for "Let It Be". Enjoyable read, as always!
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Post by bestmusicexpert on Apr 5, 2015 18:28:09 GMT -5
Always loved 1972. Some amazing music! Precious & Few, Taurus, Runnin' Away, We Got To Get It On Again etc...
Always loved the Caravanserai album by Santana... Largely instrumental.
As for Yes, I would agree with not starting with Tales, a double album, 4 songs, shortest is 18:35!
Fragile and The Yes Album are their best, followed by Close To The Edge.
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Post by ivanzero on Apr 5, 2015 19:10:43 GMT -5
37 – Could It Be Forever – David Cassidy I'm not well-versed on Davey's solo ouevre, but $150 to hear him croon this seems outrageous. That's in 2015 dollars. Paying it in 1972, as some desperate parents in NYC apparently forked over to scalpers, is beyond mind-boggling when you consider that's almost nine hundred bucks adjusted for inflation. Listening to Mr. Cassidy's singles today, solo or group, I'm always struck by the fact that he did have a decent 'rock singer' voice. I can see why he felt constrained by his image, which led later this same year to his rather infamous "Rolling Stone" risque cover and interview in which he admitted to much behavior that was not tenny-bopper friendly, along with an attempt to sound more grown-up, "Rock Me Baby".It always cracks me up that "The Office"s Creed Bratton was the Grass Roots' guitarist from 1967 through 1970 (roughly from "Let's Live For Today" through "Temptation Eyes")! I love the "Booze Cruise" episode where he rocks out on electric guitar and then shrugs as though it's nothing .If you ever visit the Stax Museum of American Soul in Memphis--a great museum, right up there with Hitsville USA in Detroit--you will be able to gaze upon the abovementioned customized '72 Eldorado in all it's pimpmobile glory! Attached to the velvet ropes corraling it are black and white images of Mr. Hayes' glowering visage with the command "Don't Touch My Ride!" Classic!Paul supposedly quickly whipped out "Mary..." as a protest of the BBC's banning of this song. The "Wild Life" LP actually predates this single, having been released in the December of 1971, just a six months after "Ram". His idea was a simple, basic, 'no frills' band LP, kind of like his original plan for "Let It Be". Enjoyable read, as always! Would've loved to have been in junior high when David Cassidy blew up his image! I got stuck watching my female classmates mooning over innocent little Shaun (and endlessly debating who was the foxiest between him, Leif & Andy). Shaun sorta made a tiny move in that direction by eventually making an "edgy" new wave album with Todd Rundgren, but the girls had moved on by that time. Creed Bratton! Yeah! It was interesting to learn why he left the band - over what was basically a Monkees situation. I have indeed stood before that amazing Eldorado - Stax is always a stop on my too-infrequent Memphis pilgrimages, and am beyond happy they finally gave it it's propers. Had the misfortune of seeing the old building not long before it was torn down, and it was heartbreaking. I've even actually had a dream where Elvis & Isaac were street racing in their respective Caddies. Argh, that was a timeline flub on the McCartney entry, but I still think he was just dabbling. He started Red Rose Speedway soon after, & there's nothing remotely political on that. On his 1980 interview LP, McCartney himself denied "Mary Had A Little Lamb" was a response to the ban.
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Post by Hervard on Apr 5, 2015 19:25:59 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - April 4, 2015
This week's presentation - April 5, 1976
Well, I could have sworn I made a critique about this show when it originally aired back in 1976, but I guess not. So here goes...
DROPPERS: INSEPARABLE - NATALIE COLE (32) - wtf did this sound like again? SLOW RIDE - FOGHAT (31) - Good song - one I remember from back in the day. 50 WAYS TO LEAVE YOUR LOVER - PAUL SIMON (29) - Great song! I did, however, prefer his next Top 40 hit, "Still Crazy After All These Years". THEME FROM S.W.A.T (28) - Good song. Unbelievable how many TV show themes charted in 1976! CUPID - TONY ORLANDO & DAWN (22) - This wasn't bad, but I preferred the original by Sam Cooke, as well as the Spinners' remake from 1980.
40: HIT THE ROAD JACK – THE STAMPEDERS (debut) - The original was mediocre at best, but this remake was horrible! Thank God it didn't get any higher than #40! 39: SARA SMILE – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (debut) - Good song, though definitely not their best. 38: WE CAN’T HIDE IT ANYMORE – LARRY SANTOS (debut) - Great song! I've heard this one plenty of times on my Barry Scott's Lost 45s CD, which contains many great songs that are sadly ignored by radio today (of course, if they weren't ignored, they wouldn't be on the CD, now would they?) EXTRA: I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE – MARVIN GAYE - Good song. Interesting how this song was a hit for Gladys Knight & The Pips, who were relatively unknown at the time, and then Marvin Gaye charted with it and it was his biggest hit ever. This song was played as the first Optional Extra. 37: FOPP – OHIO PLAYERS (40) - Not a fan of this one. 36: HE’S A FRIEND – EDDIE KENDRICKS (38) - Good song - one I'd never heard before. 35: LORELEI - STYX (39) - Great song! One I remember quite well (as this was played on WLS all the time back in the spring of 1976). 34: SHANNON – HENRY GROSS (debut) - Ah, the dreaded "death dedication" song! It was a great one - and it came after an uptempo GD number - then again, it wasn't a LDD on this week's show. 33: YOU’LL LOSE A GOOD THING – FREDDY FENDER (35) - This song was pretty good - and at least he didn't sound like he was singing into a bottle, like he did on his songs from the previous year. 32: LOVE HURTS - NAZARETH (27) - Great power ballad! 31: LIVIN’ FOR THE WEEKEND – O’JAYS (37) - This one was pretty good - a great song to listen to on Friday! I do, however, prefer a few others from them (including "Love Train" and "Use Ta Be My Girl". 30: LOVE FIRE - JIGSAW (33) - This song was pretty good - sounded sort of like "Sky High", but I liked that song a lot better. 29: LOOKING FOR SPACE – JOHN DENVER (34) - Great song, like most of his Top 40 hits. 28: ONLY LOVE IS REAL – CAROLE KING (30) - Good song - sounds a lot like "It's Too Late". In fact, when Casey was talking about how her Tapestry album had been on the album chart for five years, leading into the song, I thought they were playing that song as an extra. 27: FOOLED AROUND AND FELL IN LOVE – ELVIS BISHOP (debut) - Great song! One I remember quite well from back in the day! 26: I DO, I DO, I DO, I DO - ABBA (36) - It's okies, but I preferred quite a few others by them. 25: GOOD HEARTED WOMAN – WAYLON & WILLIE (26) - This was a pretty good song. Interesting story about how Waylon gave up his plane seat to an ailing Big Bopper, and avoided being killed in the infamous crash. 24: JUNK FOOD JUNKIE – LARRY GROCE (20) - Funny song, about his split personality diet. 23: FANNY (BE TENDER WITH MY LOVE) – THE BEE GEES (12) - Great song! One of their best ballads! 22: LOVE MACHINE PART 1 – THE MIRACLES (21) - Good song - interesting how, the week before, they were adjacent in the countdown with this song and an extra, "Shop Around" (which the Captain & Tennille would chart with later in the year). 21: ACTION – SWEET (23) - This song wasn't bad. It sounded a little like late-90s Alternative rock music. 20: TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT – THE EAGLES (16) - Great song. IIRC, this was their only hit that featured Randy Meisner on lead vocals. 19: ALL BY MYSELF – ERIC CARMEN (4) - Great song! Definitely one of his best, as was his other Top 20 hit from 1976. 18: TANGERINE – THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA (19) - This wasn't anything I'd go out of my way to listen to - I preferred their other hit, "Nice 'N Nasty". 17: THERE’S A KIND OF HUSH (ALL OVER THE WORLD) – THE CARPENTERS (15) - Great song - I actually prefer this over the original. 16: BOOGIE FEVER – THE SYLVERS (25) - Good song. This was my favorite of their two Top Ten hits. 15: BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY - QUEEN (17) - SCHWING! Great song! One of their best songs ever! 14: DEEP PURPLE – DONNY & MARIE OSMOND (14) - Great song! Definitely one of my favorites from them! OPTIONAL EXTRA: WELCOME BACK - JOHN SEBASTIAN - Great song! One of my favorite TV show themes of all time! 13: SHOW ME THE WAY – PETER FRAMPTON (18) - Wow, we're on a roll with great songs! This was my favorite song from the Frampton Comes Alive album! 12: SWEET LOVE – THE COMMODORES (15) - This was OK, but I preferred most of their post-1976 hits. 11: ONLY SIXTEEN – DR. HOOK (13) - Good song, but, of course, we all know I prefer "Better Love Next Time". EXTRA: WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW – THE SHIRELLES - Great song. Joe Walsh did a decent remake of this on an album of his from 1992 (title escapes me at the moment). 10: GOLDEN YEARS – DAVID BOWIE (11) - Meh, mediocre at best. 9: MONEY HONEY – THE BAY CITY ROLLERS (10) - As was this. The only song I really liked from them was "You Made Me Believe In Magic". 8: DECEMBER 1963 (OH WHAT A NIGHT) – THE FOUR SEASONS (1) - Wow, what a huge drop! It would, however, drop much more slowly over the next month - there was just a tight Top Ten this week. 7: DREAM ON - AEROSMITH (7) - Great song! One of their best and yet another song I remember from back in the day. As usual, they butchered the hell out of this song. 6: RIGHT BACK WHERE WE STARTED FROM – MAXINE NIGHTINGALE (9) - This one was pretty good, but somewhat overplayed. I preferred her other hit, "Lead Me On" from 1979. Too bad that one doesn't get much recurrent airplay. 5: SWEET THING – RUFUS FEATURING CHAKA KHAN (6) - Not a fan of this song, or Rufus in general. 4: LET YOUR LOVE FLOW – THE BELLAMY BROTHERS (8) - Great song! One I remember quite well. 3: LONELY NIGHT (ANGEL FACE) – THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE (3) - This song wasn't bad, but I preferred other hits from them, including the aforementioned "Shop Around" (I do, however, prefer this over "Muskrat Love" - by far! 2: DREAM WEAVER – GARY WRIGHT (2) - Good song, but my least favorite of his three Top 40 hits. 1: DISCO LADY – JOHNNY TAYLOR (5) - This was OK, but nothing exceptional.
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Post by dukelightning on Apr 5, 2015 19:32:22 GMT -5
^That a test to see if anyone is paying attention Hervard? You were what 3 years old when this aired in 1976? Maybe just continuing that theme from the 1985 show critique where you did something similar! Oops I was not paying attention enough either. The date of the show is wrong.
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Post by Hervard on Apr 5, 2015 19:38:30 GMT -5
^That a test to see if anyone is paying attention Hervard? You were what 3 years old when this aired in 1976? Maybe just continuing that theme from the 1985 show critique where you did something similar! Oops I was not paying attention enough either. The date of the show is wrong. Wups - I must be REALLY tired tonight to have made two mistakes like that, both of which have been corrected (and for the record, I was four back in 1976)
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Post by slf on Apr 7, 2015 21:52:17 GMT -5
For the week ending April 1, 1972: Man, even for an early '70's countdown, this one was exceptionally enjoyable (although there was one sore-thumb-shaped clunker that I railed against last year). And, once again, I have the unenviable chore of following a superior critiquer. (incredible job, ivanzero!) So, here goes: 40. King Heroin/James Brown--A very sobering, powerful spoken-word warning about one of the most seductively deadly street drugs ever, authoritatively delivered by Soul Bro #1. As this drug has made a major comeback in recent years, this release, sadly, is just as relevant today. (In the late '70's, Dear Abby published an anti-drug poem with this same name, only it was a rewrite of the 23rd Psalm. I was eager to hear this record last Sat to see whether James Brown was reciting that poem. Obviously, that wasn't the one.) 39. Slippin' Into Darkness/War--It's mostly mediocre, but I do enjoy the harmony parts where they sing "Whoa-Whoa-Whoa-WHOOOOOAAAAA!" (very goosebump-inducing) 38. No One To Depend On/Santana--I was not familiar with this song, but I found it a rather energetic Latin rocker, like most of this group's hits. 37. Could It Be Forever/David Cassidy--The second of two songs I didn't know, it similarly impressed me. It had a sharp, sunny arrangement. 36. The Family Of Man/Three Dog Night--It's a fairly fun TDN release, with a sharp arrangement and fine keyboard work. However, the overly preachy, heavy-handed environmental message almost ruins the song for me. (And I happen to like big cities with billboards and four-level highways, so much so that almost 30 years ago, I moved to one of them--Indianapolis.) 35. Vincent/Don McLean--It's a somewhat pretty ballad, but I'm almost surprised that it wasn't banned by some stations, being that it seemed to condone a famous person's suicide. 34. Glory Bound/The Grass Roots--I think I have a new favorite song by this legendary group. When I heard it last Sat, I seemed to have a deja vu moment upon hearing Rob Grill belting out "to that everlastin' feelin!" over and over, as if I loved the song back in the day and had forgotten all about it. The electrifying arrangement and powerful vocals got to me so much that I had to listen to the 1st hour of the countdown again on Sunday, mainly to hear this fantastic song again. 33. Hurting Each Other/The Carpenters--And the ear candy continued with this masterful Carpenters release. The arrangement goes from mellow to powerfully lively, Karen's vocals are as pure and sweet as ever, and the lyrics are very intriguing, giving an account of a couple who paradoxically love each other yet are abusive to each other. 32. Suavecito/Malo--Now here's a fascinating hit song unlike anything I've ever heard before or since. It has the same stirring Latin drum rhythm and horn blasts of other Latin pop/rock band's (including Santana, led by Carlos, the brother of Malo's leader Jorge). What makes this song delightfully original is the unique guitar licks throughout. Too bad Jorge's band couldn't have been as successful as his brother's; his sound was just as inventive and breathtaking. 31. Do Your Thing/Isaac Hayes--It's somewhat funky, but otherwise just so-so. (It's no "Theme From Shaft", if you can dig it.) 30. Take A Look Around/The Temptations--Another so-so R&B release, despite an important message. 29. Every Day Of My Life/Bobby Vinton--Except for his lush, sweet "Blue Velvet", I've never been a big fan of Bobby Vinton. But I did enjoy this song's exquisite arrangement and grand intro. 28. Runnin' Away/Sly & The Family Stone--It had a nicely sparse, but cute arrangement, with intriguing guitar & trumpet. And the near-falsetto vocals were intriguingly unique, also. 27. We've Got To Get It On Again/The Addrisi Brothers--The sharp arrangement and fine harmonies give this release a sunny, lively feel. 26.Taurus/Dennis Coffey & The Detroit Guitar Band--Like its predecessor "Scorpio", the exhilarating wall of guitars and horns makes THIS Coffey almost as stimulating as a cup of ..... 25. Crazy Mama/J. J. Cale--mediocre, at best 24. The Day I Found Myself/The Honeycone--Although it had fine vocals, a good message, and a fine arrangement, it paled in comparison to the three previous explosive singles: "Want Ads", "Stick Up", and "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show" 23. Ain't Understanding Mellow/Jerry Butler & Brenda Lee Eager--This amazing R&B release is indeed mellow, but the strings, piano, and the duo's dramatic vocals create an intriguingly dramatic undercurrent, which gives it a delightfully restless feel even before the tempo picks up at the end. 22. Give Ireland Back To The Irish/Wings--Although lyrically significant, it was musically dull. I was appalled, however, that the song was banned over all the British airwaves, as I understand, not just the BBC. I guess the UK doesn't have widespread freedom of speech guarantees in their version of our Constitution. 21. Bang A Gong (Get It On)/T. Rex--With its understated opening bass riff, mysterious feathery vocals by Marc Bolan, and that driving, explosive chorus, this is one of the all time classic one hit wonders. (In this country, that is; T. Rex was HUGE in their native UK, with eleven Top 10 hits and four charttoppers.) 20. Precious And Few/Climax--As I said many weeks ago, this is one of the most stirring, gorgeous soft pop hits of all time. The soft piano tinkling serves as bookends to a sharp, string and horn-laden production accompanying pleasant, sincere vocals by Sonny Geraci (ex-Outsiders from the '60's) (BTW, ivanzero, thanks for the shoutout. Man, another reason you outdo me: I would have never thought to use the word "rhapsodized" ) 19. Daydreamin'/Aretha Franklin--A fairly interesting song, mainly because of the intriguing flute-playing. 18. Down By The Lazy River/The Osmonds--A very catchy, enjoyable bundle of energy I remember well back in the day. 17. Roundabout (aka Brainard's Theme)/Yes--A highly enjoyable classic rock standby. All the musicians are in top form, with the keyboardist's sonic contributions particularly interesting. And the overall driving rhythm just grabs you and doesn't let go. (BTW, my above name drop is referring to Jim Brainard, the long-time mayor of the upscale Indpls suburb of Carmel, IN. For years, he's been on a mostly successful mission to rid his city of 50,000+ of all stoplights and replace those intersections with...wait for it...ROUNDABOUTS.) 16. A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done/Sonny & Cher--Except for the fun, if cliche-ish western arrangement, this song is mediocre, at best. 15. Rock And Roll Lulluby/B. J. Thomas--I can take it or leave it. 14. Betcha By Golly Wow/The Stylistics--Of all of this group's smooth-as-silk love ballads, this is their best. The song's high points are the two bridges, where they dramatically warble "You're a genie in disguise" and "Write your name across the sky", leading into that stirring chorus. 13. The Way Of Love/Cher--A very intriguing solo release, with a dramatic, yet restrained first verse, followed by a bombastic, no-holds-barred second verse (both verses, ironically being lyrically identical.) 12. Everything I Own/Bread--A very sharp, catchy, yet melancholy song that's full of regret. Another poster weeks age (I forget who) stated that David Gates had written this not for a girl, but for his deceased father. And, after re-examining the lyrics, they do seem appropriate for a parent as well as a romantic interest. 11. In The Rain/The Dramatics--Rarely has the name of a group been more fitting for the song they would record and release. The storm sound effects, the lush strings, the powerful brass, the authoritative harmony vocals and, of course, that amazing, ubiquitous wah-wah guitar all combine to create one glorious, masterful R&B ballad. 10. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face/Roberta Flack--Although it's so slow and sparse as to be coma-inducing, there's an inescapable dramatic undercurrent that makes it hard to completely ignore. 9. Rockin' Robin/Michael Jackson--Too cutesy and juvenile for me. I'll pass. 8. Jungle Fever/The Chakachas--The infectious groove and the erotic, but laughable moaning make this release both catchy and campy. 7. Without You/Harry Nilsson--This sweetly sad love ballad starts out slow and restrained and gradually builds up to an explosive display of despair in the second chorus and closes with a lush orchestral outro. All in all, a splendid single worthy of multiple weeks at #1. 6. I Gotcha/Joe Tex--On the other hand, this repellent, misogynistic piece of &@!#$ (that's how profanity used to be spelled) didn't deserve even one week in the anchor spot (#40), let alone two weeks at #2! 5. The Lion Sleeps Tonight/Robert John--Infinitely better than the above song, but still somewhat jarring and annoying. 4. Mother And Child Reunion/Paul Simon--A very enjoyable release, with a nice melody and powerful steel drums BTW, I once heard that Paul's inspiration for the song, at least the title, came from a chicken and egg item on some restaurant's menu. (Mother/chicken and child/egg reunion, get it?) 3. Puppy Love/Donny Osmond--While Donny and his brothers were at their best at #18, this was an Osmond performance at its worst. I guess Donny felt that, since he was singing "Puppy Love" he should whimper "Someone help me, help me" like a little whipped pup, also. 2 Heart Of Gold/Neil Young--I can take it or leave it. Gimme "Cinnamon Girl" anyday over this. 1. A Horse With No Name/America--This debut hit by America has grown on me over the years. It has a top-notch acoustic guitar performance and masterful harmonies. And my favorite song of the countdown (drum roll): I'll have to go with that amazing, haunting "Suavecito" by Malo Thank you and good night!
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Post by bestmusicexpert on Apr 8, 2015 9:50:21 GMT -5
Geez Ivanzero, why the hate for Joe Tex? I'm not a big fan of this song but his 1977 hit Ain't Gonna Bump No More is a great tune!
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Post by slf on Apr 8, 2015 18:45:35 GMT -5
Geez Ivanzero, why the hate for Joe Tex? I'm not a big fan of this song but his 1977 hit Ain't Gonna Bump No More is a great tune! I'm confused. Were you meaning to respond to Ivanzero's critique or mine, since he liked the Joe Tex song. If you meant to address me, I wasn't hating on Joe personally, just this obnoxious, lyrically-detestable song. I assume Joe Tex was a decent person and some of his other songs (like "Hold What You've Got" and "Skinny Legs And All") were OK songs.
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Post by bestmusicexpert on Apr 9, 2015 4:38:34 GMT -5
Yeah, I meant you, slf. On my phone and guessed the wrong critique person.
Yeah, lyrically its not great, but beats the crap outta a lot of todays "brilliant" lyrics!
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Post by Hervard on Apr 10, 2015 13:28:31 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - April 11, 2015 This week's presentation - April 9, 1983 DROPPERS: YOU AND I - EDDIE RABBITT & CRYSTAL GAYLE (37) - Great song! Shame that it fell out, but it sure got a lot of mileage on the chart! It had been on AT40 since before Thanksgiving, and entered the Hot 100 way back in early October! Yet it totally missed the R&R chart. Strange... ALLENTOWN - BILLY JOEL (35) - Great song! One of my favorites from him! DOWN UNDER - MEN AT WORK (32) - Meh, no big loss. It's not like you won't hear it within an hour of the broadcast anyway BABY COME TO ME - PATTI AUSTIN & JAMES INGRAM (31) - Great song! Glad this one got a second chance on the chart (Ironically, one of the lines in the song is "Ain't no second chance", LOL!) LW#1: BILLIE JEAN – MICHAEL JACKSON 40: RIO – DURAN DURAN (debut) - This used to be my favorite song in the world by them, but now, not so much. I do still prefer it over "Is There Something I Should Know" and "The Reflex", though. 39: I DON’T CARE ANYMORE – PHIL COLLINS (39) - This song was pretty good, though it sounded a lot like an African Rain dance. I was shocked that this peaked so low, considering the preceding hit was a Top Ten. Then again, Collins wasn't really an established act yet (as a solo artist, that is). 38: SOME KIND OF FRIEND – BARRY MANILOW (debut) - Good song; quite different from his usual ballad style. 37: STRAY CAT STRUT – THE STRAY CATS (22) - Great song! My second favorite from them behind the obscure "I Won't Stand In Your Way". 36: MAKE LOVE STAY – DAN FOGELBERG (29) - Great song! I felt this song was underrated, as it only got as high as #29 on the Hot 100. It did hit #1 at AC radio, though, so that's something. 35: BREAKING US IN TWO – JOE JACKSON (23) - Great song! One I definitely associate with the early spring of 1983! As usual, they butchered this one by cutting out half of the instrumental bridge, as well as the second vocal bridge, where he sings "they say two hearts should beat as one..." 34: WHIRLY GIRL – OXO (36) - Great song! One that I just can't help but turn up the radio and sing along with! 33: WELCOME TO HEARTLIGHT – KENNY LOGGINS (40) - Good song, though I preferred the other two High Adventure singles. 32: IT MIGHT BE YOU – STEPHEN BISHOP (38) - Great song! I saw the movie back in 1983, but can't really remember much about it. 31: I LIKE IT - DeBARGE (34) - Good song, but not quite their best. OPTIONAL EXTRA: MY LOVE - LIONEL RICHIE - This was pretty good, but I preferred the other two songs from Lionel's debut LP. As I've said before, this one sounds like a watered-down version of his 1977 hit with the Commodores "Easy". 30: LIES – THE THOMPSON TWINS (30) - Great song. I used to have the 45 of it but, unfortunately, it met an ill fate. 29: LET’S DANCE – DAVID BOWIE (debut) - Good song. Sounds like he just might have been inspired by "Twist And Shout" for the intro to the song. 28: OVERKILL – MEN AT WORK (debut) - Great song, and interesting story about how this song made the highest debut on the Hot 100 since 1971. The #20 debut of John Lennon's "Imagine", by the way, would be matched nearly a year later with Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and, just like "Imagine", the high debut was on account of the delay of the single release of "Thriller". 27: ALL RIGHT – CHRISTOPHER CROSS (19) - And what do you know - 1983's Top 30 debut is one step above the one that bests it by one position! This was a great song and, given its healthy start, it's quite a surprise that it only got as high as #12. 26: SOLITAIRE – LAURA BRANIGAN (33) - Good song, though I preferred "Gloria" and "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You" (though those songs aren't from the same album). 25: POISON ARROW – ABC (25) - Good song. Not sure if I prefer this or "The Look Of Love". LDD: SHIPS – BARRY MANILOW - Great song! Interesting that the writer of the LDD was from South Bend. I wonder what station ran AT40 back then? 24: FALL IN LOVE WITH ME – EARTH, WIND AND FIRE (17) - Good song, but definitely not my favorite song from them. 23: I WON’T HOLD YOU BACK - TOTO (28) - Great song! One of my favorites from them, and my favorite song from the Toto IV album. 22: EVEN NOW – BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (27) - Great song! This would be my favorite release from The Distance. 21: CHANGE OF HEART – TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS (21) - Great song - one that had a very erratic move up the chart. OPTIONAL EXTRA: AFFAIR OF THE HEART - RICK SPRINGFIELD - It's okies, but definitely not his best. 20: LITTLE TOO LATE – PAT BENATAR (20) - Great song, though I prefer a few others from her. 19: LITTLE RED CORVETTE - PRINCE (24) - Great song! This would be the first of many Top Ten hits by this musical royalty. 18: I’VE GOT A ROCK ‘N’ ROLL HEART – ERIC CLAPTON (18) - Good song - much better than his overplayed 90s hits. 17: SHAME ON THE MOON – BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (16) - Good song, but, as mentioned earlier, I preferred his other song on the countdown. 16: SHE BLINDED ME WITH SCIENCE – THOMAS DOLBY (26) - Great song - as long as it's the album version. The single version is more or less a remix. 15: TWILIGHT ZONE – GOLDEN EARRING (10) - Good song. I've only heard a few songs from them, but this is their best. 14: BACK ON THE CHAIN GANG – THE PRETENDERS (5) - Great song! One of my favorites from them, along with "Brass In Pocket". 13: I KNOW THERE’S SOMETHING GOING ON - FRIDA (13) - This was pretty good, but I preferred her with Abba. 12: DER KOMMISSAR – AFTER THE FIRE (15) - Good song. LDD: (SATORIAL ELOQUENCE) DON’T YA WANT TO PLAY THIS GAME NO MORE – ELTON JOHN - Wow, both LDDs this week were from the Great Lakes area! That sure doesn't happen very often. As for the song, it was pretty good - one that gets absolutely no recurrent airplay. 11: YOU ARE – LIONEL RICHIE (4) - Great song! As I already mentioned earlier, I prefer this one over the one that was played as an extra earlier in the show. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SHE'S A BEAUTY - THE TUBES - This one was OK, but I preferred their other Top 40 hit, as well as their near-miss "Talk To Ya Later". 10: BEAT IT – MICHAEL JACKSON (14) - Great song! One of three #1s from him that have a rock sound to them. 9: JEOPARDY – THE GREG KIHN BAND (12) - Great song! My favorite of their three Top 40 hits. On the R&R chart this same week, it moved to #2, gearing up to spend three weeks at #1. 8: SEPARATE WAYS - JOURNEY (8) - And here is the song that "Jeopardy" would knock out of the top spot. This was sitting at its peak position, which it would hold for six weeks, on the Hot 100. I like this song, though it's not my favorites from them. 7: ONE ON ONE – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (9) - Great song! It was looking like this would be the next #1 on R&R after "Billie Jean", but Journey leapfrogged over it. 6: WE’VE GOT TONIGHT – KENNY ROGERS AND SHEENA EASTON (6) - Well, I do like this better than the original by Bob Seger, but that's not saying much, because this one was just OK. I prefer many songs by both artists. 5: MR. ROBOTO - STYX (7) - This song was so/so, but one of my least favorites from them. 4: COME ON EILEEN – DEXY’S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS (11) - After being stuck at #11 for two weeks, this song made up for it by making a huge seven-spot move. It would hit #1 two weeks later. As for my opinon about the song, it's not quite my cup of tea, mainly due to overplay (I did use to like it though, as I have the 45 of it somewhere). 3: HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF – DURAN DURAN (3) - Great song! My favorite of their two songs on the countdown this week. 2: DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HURT ME – CULTURE CLUB (2) - This song wasn't bad, but I prefer several others from them. They did play the version with the whiny intro, but at least it didn't contain the annoying bridge. 1: BILLIE JEAN – MICHAEL JACKSON (1) - Great song. One of the longest-running #1 songs of 1983. And now, for the first time in quite awhile, I'm able to post my predictions for next week's show, as it hasn't yet been posted on the boards. Someone mentioned the possibility of a two-fer, pairing 1981 with 1988. I'll go with that one as well, with April 18, 1981 and April 23, 1988. Not sure which will be the "A" show, however - hoping it's the 1981 show. If no twofer, then I'll predict the 1981 show by itself. EDIT: Well, it appears that next week's show HAS been posted over in the 80s topic. But I hadn't seen it yet - which should be evident, as I was wrong about the alternate show. I guess when predicting the B show, we should go with the year of the "A" show from two weeks before
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Post by ivanzero on Apr 11, 2015 10:50:50 GMT -5
Hervard, thanks for the nod to "I Won't Stand In Your Way". It's by far my favorite Stray Cats song, and deserved a heck of a lot more airplay than it got.
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Post by slf on Apr 12, 2015 9:04:50 GMT -5
For the week ending April 10, 1971: Thanks to a bout of mild insomnia, I'm running on less than five hours of sleep, so if one of my reviews looks like alfga'sljteo wijtg[aoijwegeojsdoaj, that means my head hit the keyboard . Seriously, I'm still driven to critique this fine early '70's countdown if for no other reason that one of my favorite songs of all time is represented this week. 40. Power To The People/John Lennon--But this first song isn't the one, that's for sure. Too abrasive and monotonous. 39. Chick-A-Boom/Daddy Dewdrop--It's mildly cute and catchy, but it still mystifies me that a pop tune with such provocative lyrics would be featured on the "Groovy Ghoulies", a Saturday morning kids' cartoon show I remember watching. I mean, if someone wants to release a suggestive record, it's his perogative, but it should never be so blatantly aimed at pre-teens. 38. Friends/Elton John--It's musically just so-so, but the lyrics promoting friendship are quite inspiring. 37. Free/Chicago--I was unfamiliar with this Chicago release because it has never gotten the exposure other early songs by this legendary horn band have gotten. But I still found it pretty exciting and energetic, and not worthy of its obscure status. 36. Amos Moses/Jerry Reed--Jerry's sharp guitar pickin' and magnanimous personality make this one fun release. 35. Baby, Let Me Kiss You/King Floyd--Even more mediocre than "Groove Me". 34. One Bad Apple/The Osmonds--From the peppy opening, to the almost jazzy chorus, this is one underrated pop gem. 33. Where Did They Go, Lord/Elvis Presley--Zzzzzzzzz 32. Dream Baby/Glen Campbell--Although not reaching the zenith of his stellar Jimmy Webb masterpieces of the late '60's, I still found this light, gentle cover song pleasant enough. 31. Cry Like A Baby/Bobby Sherman--Although I have always found the lyrics in the chorus to be so sappy as to be cringeworthy, I still love the sharp, lively, brassy arrangement. 30. I Play And Sing/Dawn--Another lively, brassy pop tune, almost as good as the preceding song. 29. Soul Power (Pt. 1)(Aren't all of this guy's songs two-parters?)/James Brown--Yeah, most of Soul Brother's release's sound alike, but the appeal of the guy's funky formula can't be disputed. 28. If/Bread--It's a pleasant enough song and I like the cosmic guitar riff throughout, but the final verse sounds downright apocalyptic, even creepy. I mean, if the world was to die, and the stars would all be extinguished, where, pray tell, would you fly away TO? 27. Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na Boom Boom)/The Staple Singers--Like "Glory Bound" from last week, this exhilarating, joyous song gave me feelings of deja vu, as if I remembered loving this rollicking number back in the day and forgetting all about it. But it was a joy and treat hearing it again yesterday morning; musically, it's far more interesting and fun than the better-known "I'll Take You There" and "Respect Yourself". 26. You're All I Need To Get By/Aretha Franklin--A fine remake of a dramatic, stirring Motown love ballad by Marvin & Tammi. 25. Stay Awhile/The Bells--Although I've been critical of some overt sexual songs on this board, I love this one. In addition to the haunting minor keyboard riff, I'm very intrigued by the way the woman and man, in each of their verses, set the scene for the impending night of love. If I can work on the assumption that they love each other (as Casey ascertained) and they are committed to each other, I can enjoy this song as a sweet celebration of good sex. (Oh, in response to earlier detractors, yes, they aren't great singers, but that doesn't take away from the song's charm) 24. We Can Work It Out/Stevie Wonder--The Motown legend puts his trademark funky groove on a classic Beatles charttopper. The crisp guitar is even a clue as to what was to come (sounding similar to the guitar riff in his groundbreaking "Superstition"). 23. Blue Money/Van Morrison--It was mildly catchy, mostly due to the punchy horns. 22. Eighteen/Alice Cooper--The guitar and pounding drums give this a powerful, ominous feel. I wonder how many people, upon hearing this artist for the first time, knew how controversial and shocking a performer he would become? 21. Loves Lines, Angles, And Rhymes/The Fifth Dimension--This sounds like a love song written by a geometry teacher . Seriously,though, this is my favorite of this fine group's '70's hits, after Marilyn McCoo became THE focal point. I love the dramatic buildup as she belts out "touching the heart in many directions; pulling the mind in silent reflections", then exploding with emotion in the stirring chorus. 20. Temptation Eyes/The Grass Roots--I change my mind; although I loved being reintroduced to the thrilling "Glory Bound" last week, "Temptation Eyes" is still my favorite Grass Roots song. The boundless energy and tension in that powerful chorus winds me up tighter than Archie Bell. 19. I Am, I Said/Neil Diamond--Well, maybe the chair can't hear him, but I can. And his vocals and the brassy arrangement of the bombastic chorus sound quite fine. 18. Oye Como Va/Santana--Fairly catchy, enjoyable Latin rock release. 17. No Love At All/B J Thomas--I was not very familiar with the release, but I found it smooth and pleasant, with a fine message. 16. Put Your Hand In The Hand/Ocean--It's a irresistibly cheery, sing-a-long gospel-pop song. 15. Never Can Say Goodbye/The Jackson Five--It has a nice, shimmering arrangement, and Michael and the boy's vocals are typically fine, but Gloria Gaynor's disco remake is far superior. 14. What Is Life/George Harrison--OK. Here it is! My favorite George Harrison song. No, my favorite solo Beatle song. No, actually this is my all-time favorite song any of the four Beatles, together or apart, had any thing to do with, and that's coming from a true Beatles fan. That aggressive opening guitar riff sets the perfect stage for the rest of that trememdous Phil Spector wall-of-sound opening, which chugs along like an unstoppable locomotive. The thrill continues as George's soulful vocals enter, particularly as he lets loose in that first heavenly chorus. But wait! The second and third verses are even more unbelievably glorious with the inclusion of that fanfare trumpet riff, a stroke of genius. And that mighty musical locomotive just keeps chugging along for one thrilling 30 second or so fadeout. All in all, three minutes or so of pure ecstasy! 13. Love Story Theme/Andy Williams--Rather soothing and pleasant, a necessary cool-down song following the preceding three minutes of musical nirvana. 12. Help Me Make It Through The Night/Sammi Smith--Musically, it's somewhat pretty, but as I've said before, I am put off by the dreary, fatalistic point of view conveyed in the lyrics. 11. Wild World/Cat Stevens--I can take it or leave it. 10. One Toke Over The Line/Brewer & Shipley--This is basically a very enjoyable song, with strong harmonies and a nice acoustic backing. But one thing about this song I find disturbing, and it's not the supposed pot reference (which Casey tried to debunk on the show). Did these guys really have to take Jesus' name in vain? Couldn't they just as easily have sung "my baby" or "my good friend" in its place? It would have musically fit in just as fine. 9. Proud Mary/Ike & Tina Turner--I'm not that big a fan of Tina Turner's abrasive singing style in general, but in this sassy, frenetic release, it seems to fit right in. 8. Another Day/Paul McCartney--Sorry, Paul, your top ten song this week is rather sweet and pretty, but your "baby brother" George outdid you by leaps and bounds back at #14. 7. Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted/The Partridge Family--A fine, sharp, well-produced pop song with strong vocals by David Cassidy, an unfairly underrated vocalist. 6. Me And Bobby McGee/Janis Joplin--Slightly above average. I'm not a big Janis Joplin fan, but her vocals on this massive hit are somewhat intriguing, as are the song's lyrics, penned by Kris Kristofferson. 5. For All We Know/The Carpenters--Although not quite as stellar as some of their other big hits of the early '70's, their harmonies, Karen's reliable vocals, and the oboe accompaniment are still quite fine. 4. She's A Lady/Tom Jones--Ah, yes, mga707's favorite song to housebreak a puppy to, so that "there's no messin" . Seriously, how can one not love a song with this much sass and adrenaline? 3. Joy To The World/Three Dog Night--I have always loved this fun, bouncy, sing-a-long megahit. But the boys, if they ever do become kings of the world, better not try to throw away MY car. They will have to pry it, to quote the late Charleton Heston, "FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS!" 2. What's Going On/Marvin Gaye--The smoldering, tense arrangement, the sincere sentiments, and Marvin's powerful delivery combine to create one legendary, groundbreaking soul release. Too bad the version that was played yesterday sounded so watered down. 1. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)/The Temptations--The subdued soul guitar intro provides just the right atmosphere for this sweet, sad Eddie Kendricks-fronted Temps classic. And my favorite song of the countdown (drum roll): I think you all can guess. I mean, what is the countdown without "What Is Life"? Thank you all for reading.
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