For week ending August 29, 1970:
Finally, I'm getting the opportunity to critique a countdown from 1970! This was indeed as enjoyable as I expected it to be; there were so many amazing songs (although there were two or three clunkers, as well). It's also fascinating to hear a relatively young Casey in his inagural year.
40. Cracklin' Rose/Neil Diamond--It's a solid, well-produced number, but the inspiration for the song is rather sad. I've read that it was based on a practice of some Indian tribe that passed out bottles of alcohol to all the men in the tribe who had no wife or girlfriend, as if getting drunk is a sufficient antidote for loneliness.
39. Big Yellow Taxi/Neighborhood--It's a respectable cover of Joni Mitchell's classic, but nobody does it like Joni herself.
38. It's A Shame/The Spinners--Of all the stellar songs this group cut, this was their best. It opens with that crystal-clear chiming guitar riff, arguably the greatest riff in R&B history. Then two solid vocal verses. Then that amazing, dramatic bridge, featuring a sweet tenor vocal, then the others joining in with "Aaah-ah-ah-ah-ah" to create the song's masterful high point. (Repeated later in the song.) Indeed, "It's A Shame" this debut single and only major hit for Motown didn't reach #1.
37. The Sly, The Slick, & The Wicked/The Lost Generation--A smooth, somewhat haunting, but great old school number. I especially enjoy the echo effect on the word "wicked".
36. Rubber Duckie/Ernie (aka Jim Henson)--Hey, kiddies, let's play a game called "Which of these is not like the other". Here we have forty hit songs. Thirty-nine of them are pop, rock, soul, or ballad releases of varying degrees of quality that at least make an attempt to have lasting appeal to those older than five. And one of them is so juvenile, it can't even cut it on a campy level. Can you guess that song?
35. Summertime Blues/The Who--A solid remake, but not nearly as good as their releases from "Tommy" or "Who's Next" (BTW, if songs 37-35 were a sandwich, it would consist of two slices of hearty, delicious whole wheat bread surrounding generic brand pickle-pimento loaf
.
34. I Wanna Take You Higher/Ike & Tina Turner--Like the above entry, it's a fine cover of a fine song, but not quite as good as the original.
33. Candida/Tony Orlando & Dawn--A polished, well-produced ray of musical sunshine that always puts a smile on my face. It makes me feel that it's 1970 once again and I'm back in Mrs. Richardson's first grade class.
32. I've Lost You/Elvis Presley--I was unfamiliar with this latter-day Elvis release, but I remember it being delightfully dramatic.
31. I Know I'm Losing You/Rare Earth--It's a pretty good psychedelic Motown cover song, but it's still no match for the Temp's original, with David Ruffin's gloriously gruff delivery and the Funk Brothers' dramatic backup.
30. Ball Of Confusion/The Temptation--Speaking of the Temps, this is a lyrically fun, fascinating song, full of pithy, ironic lines.
29. I (Who Have Nothing)/Tom Jones--I was unfamiliar with this number as well, but was somewhat touched emotionally by this tale of unrequited love, a subject that especially hits home with me.
28 O-o-h Child/The Five Stairsteps--I've always somewhat liked this song, but one thing happened years ago that greatly increased my appreciation of it. One Sunday morning I was listening to a religious or public affairs show on the radio when someone was recounting his history of battling clinical depression. He finally was able to triumph over this mental demon and, in his words, permit himself to enjoy life again. At that point in the show, a COVER version of this very song (by who, I don't know) started playing. From that point on, I have embraced not only the beautiful melody and production of this song, but the profound, hope-filled lyrics, as well.
27. Mama Told Me Not To Come/Three Dog Night--Although this group had some fine songs, this is definitely NOT one of them. The chorus is OK, but whoever sings the verses (Is it Corey, Danny, or Chuck?) does it in such an annoying, slobbering manner that it's very hard to listen to.
26. Snowbird/Anne Murray--This is still another example of an artist who had a killer debut hit, but nothing afterward that was nearly as good. This debut song has a wonderful melody (bouncy yet smooth), sweet vocals by Ms Murray, and a heavenly-sounding arrangement, courtesy mainly of those strings. If Anne's followups had been this great, I'd rank her catalog of hits right up there with that of the Carpenters.
25. Groovy Situation/Gene Chandler--Boy, talk about your forgotten gems. Not to knock "Duke Of Earl", but THIS is what Gene Chandler should be remembered for. It starts out with a muted, kiddie-themed horn riff that explodes wide open to introduce the song and Gene's jazzy vocals. He then delivers exceptionally fine, soulful vocals in the chorus, with an amazing band backing him up. But it's when the chorus is repeated at the end (following a reprise of that unique opening) is when Gene and the band reach stratospheric heights of souful drama.
24. Solitary Man/Neil Diamond--This is one of my favorite Neil Diamond songs. I especially like the dramatic, horn-infused chorus.
23. Everybody's Got The Right To Love/The Supremes--Another song that I had never heard before. But it was pleasantly smooth and soulful, sounding somewhat like the Marvelettes circa 1966.
22. Get Up I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine/James Brown--Although there's no arguing over the power of this and most of his funky R&B riffs, it's hard not to think of James Brown as being a borderline novelty act, given the song's title, not to mention other legendary titles (Care to "Let A Man Come In And Do The Popcorn" anyone?)
21. Don't Play That Song (You Lied)/Aretha Franklin--I can take it or leave it.
20. Julie, Do Ya Love Me/Bobby Sherman--Although Bobby Sherman was dismissed as a bubble gum lightweight, he released some very fine songs, this being one of them. The horn-laden arrangement gives the song quite a punch.
19. Hand Me Down World/The Guess Who--It's OK, I guess. But can somebody answer me this: What the heck is a "Fuzzy-wuzzy loving cup explosion"? I think I missed it (the explanation, that is)
18. Lay A Little Lovin' On Me/Robin McNamara--It's OK, but a tad too bubblegum for me.
17. Tell It All Brother/Kenny Rogers & The First Edition--A fine song with a powerful, convicting message that Kenny delivers with such authority it's almost scary.
16. Overture from "Tommy"/The Assembled Multitude--Back in 1979, my late father, an avid record collector (of mainly AC, country, and big band records), purchased and started playing a copy of this then nine-year old release. It took me awhile for me to warm up to it, but when I did, I was overtaken by the tremendous beauty and grandeur of it. I eventually discovered the great Who songs from the actually "Tommy" rock opera album, but not even those wonderful songs quite rise to the overwhelming heights of this instrumental gem. In fact, this just might be the greatest instrumental hit of all time, and that's saying a lot.
15. Tighter, Tighter/Alive And Kicking--An above-average song, nicely-produced by none other that Tommy James.
14. Hi-De-Ho/Blood, Sweat, & Tears--It has a powerful, assertive horn opening, and gently soulful vocals by David Clayton-Thomas.
13. Band Of Gold/Freda Payne--A punchy, soulful old school classic. The subject matter is intriguing, almost to the point of being comical. Is there any other Top 40 hit dealing with the subject of a man being unable or unwilling to consummate a marriage on his wedding night?
12. Looking Out My Back Door/CCR--A mildly cute number. This record accomplishes what "Rubber Duckie" fails to do: be amusing and enjoyable to adults as well as preschoolers.
11. I Just Can't Help Believin'/B. J. Thomas--This is one of his best songs. I like the tension-and-release in the chorus, when he sings "This time the girl is gonna stayyyy (pause) for more than just a day". I especially like the way the rumbling piano replaces the first part of this phrase in the third, mostly instrumental verse.
10. 25 Or 6 To 4/Chicago--Although this magnificent release is not quite my absolutely favorite Chicago song (That honor goes to either "Questions 67 & 68" or the album cut "Someday"), this release, among their hits, is the most delightfully frenetic and energy-packed, the musical equivalent of a can of Red Bull. From that classic opening guitar riff (borrowing from Zeppelin's "
Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You") to the punchy steroidal horns, to Peter Cetera powerful vocals, to the instrumental break that jams incessantly but quits at just the right time, this ranks up there with the greatest classic rock anthems of all time. (Alas, Casey played the edited version; fortunately, I have the REAL version on CD.)
9. Ain't No Mountain High Enough/Diana Ross--Although it's not quite as good as Marvin & Tammi's stellar version, this bombastic rendition is still very enjoyable, especially the intro, where Diana belts out "Aaaah, aah, aaah, aaaah".
8. (If You Let Me Make Love To You Then) Why Can't I Touch You/Ronnie Dyson--It's a somewhat fine song with a pleasant arrangement. But what's up with the title? Aside from the fact that it's too darn long, it's nonsensical. I mean, how can you make love to someone without touching him or her?
7. Patches/Clarence Carter--In a way, it's hard to knock this sentimental story song, but, man, Clarence's whiny, sappy delivery is pretty hard to take. It's a shame, too; because the arrangement is quite good.
6. Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours/Stevie Wonder--It's OK, but for a Stevie Wonder song--or a Motown song in general--it's far from exceptional.
5. Spill The Wine/Eric Burdon & War--It's somewhat amusing, but far from great. I can't believe the production crew found the time to play the album version of this song, but not the time to play the album version of the infinitely superior "25 or 6 To 4".
4. In The Summertime/Mungo Jerry--Mediocre, at best
3. (They Long To Be) Close To You/The Carpenters--This legendary duo's debut hit is very good, but they wouldn't reach greatness status, IMHO, until their followup, "We've Only Just Begun".
2. Make It With You/Bread--This group's debut song is typical of their delightfully mellow style: an acoustic and slide guitar backing David Gates smooth vocals.
1. War/Edwin Starr--Here we have, IMHO, the most overrated song ever released by Motown Records. It has an annoyingly jarring and angry arrangement, but that's not the half of it. It relays a very Polly Anna-ish point of view. Like any decent human being, I agree that war is a terrible tragic thing and that it was never God's will for war to ever take play. But because we have had evil people in power (Adolph Hitler) and bloodthirsty terrorist groups run amok (Al-qaeda, ISIS), war is sometimes a necessary evil to vanquish worse evils.
And my favorite song of the countdown (drum roll):
Although it's almost another tie, the glorious "Overture from Tommy" barely edges out "25 or 6 to 4".