Various Artists - Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day, Vol. 20 (1993)

Disc 20 of 25. With the exception of the Mac Davis tune which was released in 1972, songs on this compilation peaked on the charts in 1975-77. Of the twelve tracks here, only about half are good, but the good ones are some of my '70s favorites.

Tracks:

• Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me - Mac Davis (#1 in September 1972)
  As a child, I mistakenly grouped Davis in with C&W singers and therefore didn't give him a chance. Elvis liked Davis' writing; I could easily hear Elvis recording this one in Muscle Shoals.
• The Last Game Of The Season (A Blind Man In The Bleachers) - David Geddes (#18 in December 1975)
  I'd never heard this before and now I'm a blubbering mess. As a father who has been to hundreds of his sons' ballgames, I don't think I'll ever voluntarily listen to this one again because it gets to me.
• Get Closer - Seals & Crofts (#6 in July 1976)
  A soft rock classic. Everything works with this one: the vocal harmonies, the background strings, and the guest vocals of soul singer Carolyn Willis.
• Devil Woman - Cliff Richard (#6 in September 1976)
  At the time of its release, I had no idea what Richard was singing about, but I knew a great hook when I heard it. I would sing along loudly, trying my best to figure out the lyrics: "She's just a devil woman! with evil ottomans!" The cowbell in the chorus is fantastic.
• Judy Mae - Boomer Castleman (#33 in June 1975)
  I don't remember this one, probably because its a forgettable, vague crime narrative disguised as a song that might have charted better if it had been released 5 years earlier.Pass.
• Disco Duck (Part I) - Rick Dees & His Cast Of Idiots (#1 in October 1976)
  Dees gets credit for having a disco hit that shamelessly pokes fun at disco. This is the kind of novelty song that would seemingly only appeal to 10 year kids (which I was when this song was released). It's 100% cheese and I love every bite. Quack.
• Angel In Your Arms - Hot (#6 in July 1977)
  A two-timin' C&W song done up R&B style and somehow it works. The verse has a smooth, soulful feel (belying the lyrics) while the chorus has more of a country-crossover feel (belying the tasty disco guitar part on top). Reading that description, I shouldn't like it, but I do.
• Living Next Door To Alice - Smokie (#25 in February 1977)
  Another story song, another pass. I think the stalker/creeper lyrics were intended to be romantic, but to me, they come across as disturbing.
• Do You Wanna Make Love - Peter McCann (#5 in August 1977)
  I remember this country-tinged tune being all over the radio in West Texas as a kid. Much to my mother's dismay, I would sing along loudly with the song on the radio. No worries, Mom, I didn't have any idea what I was singing about. While that's a fun memory, I really don't care much for this song these days.
• After The Lovin' - Engelbert Humperdinck (#8 in January 1977)
  I always liked this one (then again, I was always a smooth, romantic ladykiller). Much like the previous track, I would sing along with this lush ballad while having no idea what I was singing. I'm sure the sound of me singing along with the female back-up singers was particularly disturbing for moms.
• Ariel - Dean Friedman (#26 in June 1977)
  For a derivative knock-off of the Four Seasons, this isn't bad, but it's no Uptown Girl.
• Smoke From A Distant Fire - The Sanford/Townsend Band (#9 in September 1977)
  A great way to end this disc. Hall & Oates meets The Doobie Brothers. The liner notes characterize this song as "a crackling mix of blue-eyed soul and high-energy pop/rock." What they said.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: see above

Previously revisited for the blog:

Volume 1	Volume 2	Volume 3	Volume 5
Volume 6	Volume 7	Volume 8	Volume 9
Volume 10	Volume 11	Volume 12	Volume 14
Volume 15	Volume 16	Volume 17	Volume 18
Volume 19	Volume 21	Volume 22	Volume 24
Volume 25