Various Artists - Radio Daze: Pop Hits of the '80s, Vol. 1 (1995)

Earlier this year, following a post about a disc in Rhino's Have A Nice Day series, I received the following tweet from a dedicated blog reader:

I had never heard of this series, so I clicked on the link. That simple action started an expensive 5 month quest to purchase all 5 discs. These compilations focus on one- and two-hit wonders and lesser-known adult contemporary and crossover songs. Music in this series was on the radio when I was in 8th and 9th grades when my bedside Marantz clock radio was my most faithful friend. I listened to the radio so much that, at the time, I seriously considered a career in radio. My project for the jr. high science fair was about how AM radios/airwaves work (won 6th place). I even recorded Casey Kasem's AT40 every week straight from radio to cassette. I still love radio, but back then I was in a committed relationship with it. A series titled "Radio Daze" is perfectly named; they're discs I could have compiled.

Looking over the track lists on these discs, I saw a few songs that I hadn't heard since they were on the radio (e.g., Rubert Holmes' Him on volume 2) but I didn't recognize most of the song titles. Curiosity piqued, I ordered the discs anyway. The discs are long out of print which makes them collectable which makes them a little pricey. I'm too embarrassed to tell you how much I spent on these 5 discs, but let's just say it was quite a bit more than I normally pay for used CDs. Quite a bit.

When I finally received the discs, I found I was wrong about not recognizing the songs. I didn't recognize the titles or artists, but that didn't mean I had forgotten the music. I remembered almost every track and, even though I hadn't heard some of them in 30+ years, was able to sing along with many of them. I haven't had these discs long and I'm still listening to them with a cheesy teenager grin on my face.

What surprises me most about these minor soft rock hits is how many were country crossover hits. I always picture myself in the late '70s and early '80s as a disco guy, but now I need to reconsider that image. I gladly ate up whatever the KILT AM 610 programming director threw at me. So in addition to loving Donna Summer, I was also very much a soft rock kid:

Don't f**k with the soft rock kid.

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Disc 1 of 5. I find the allmusic review to be hilariously candid:

Not much to recommend on this weak collection of mostly one-hit wonder throwaways (who have more to do with the '70s than the '80s). Tellingly, the worst songs here -- Rupert Holmes' "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" and Captain & Tennille's "Do That to Me One More Time" -- were also the biggest hits. Frightful.

While I agree there are some frightful tracks, I would disagree with the "not much to recommend" part. Despite the compilation's title, this CD's tracks are mostly from 1979, but we won't let that slow us down.

Tracks:

• Escape (The Piña Colada Song) - Rupert Holmes, released October 1979, Pop #1, AC #8.
  A huge hit and the last U.S. #1 song of the '70s. I liked it at the time, not so much now. For some reason, it reminds me of playing basketball after lunch in 8th grade. At that age, just singing a song that included lyrics about an alcoholic drink made us feel more grown up.
• You're Only Lonely - J.D. Souther, released August 1979, Pop #7, AC #1, Country #60.
  A great homage to Roy Orbison (complete with falsetto) with help from Jackson Browne and members of The Eagles. The song is so true in style that I originally thought this song was from the '60s. This is one of those songs that runs through my head from time to time for no apparent reason. Souther dated both Stevie Nicks and Linda Ronstadt, so props to him for that.
• Heaven Must Have Sent You - Bonnie Pointer, released May 1979, Pop #11, R&B #52.
  A cover of a Holland-Dozier-Holland soul song that was a 1966 hit for The Elgins. Sounds a lot like The Supremes' Where Did Our Love Go (another Holland-Dozier-Holland song). It's a harmless cover, but the decision to add disco strings and have Pointer attempt some Al Jolson-like scat singing are confusing to me. There's a more popular disco version that's better than the version included here.
• This Night Won't Last Forever - Michael Johnson, released July 1979, Pop #19, AC #5.
  I was a big fan of Johnson's 1978 hit, Bluer Than Blue and I also enjoy this follow-up. The liner notes claims this song has a "midtempo, country-shaded sound." That hits the nail on the head. Although I enjoyed Johnson's soft rock hits on the radio, the thought of purchasing any of his releases never occurred to me.
• Rolene - Moon Martin, released August 1979, Pop #30.
  I don't remember this one. Sort of a rockabilly meets power pop thing with a little Ray Charles' What'd I Say thrown in for good measure. For me, it just doesn't work.
• An American Dream - The Dirt Band, released November 1979, Pop #13, Country #58.
  A radio favorite, I liked this one when it was released, particularly the Linda Ronstadt harmonies. It blends country with tropical, à la Jimmy Buffet, with great success.
• Do That To Me One More Time - Captain & Tennille, released October 1979, Pop #1, AC #4, R&B #58.
  My sister was a huge C&T fan and, because she was older than me, she got to choose what LPs we listened to. As a result, I know the words to every C&T song released between 1975-1980, including this one. I recently gave my sister the DVD compilation of the 20 episodes of C&T's variety show that aired from '76 to '77. The gift was a big hit - I even watched a few episodes with her. I'm not wild about this song, but I do believe that Toni Tennille is a very underrated singer. She had some chops and could really belt it out.
• Romeo's Tune - Steve Forbert, released November 1979, Pop #11.
  I remember singing along with this one when it was on the radio. I don't think it as a catchy melody, but I like the way the alliterative "meet me in the middle of the day" rolls out of my mouth.
• Set Me Free - Utopia, released January 1980, Pop #27.
  Like most Todd Rundgren songs, this is well-written yet under-appreciated. I don't recall hearing this one on my radio; I have no memory of Utopia before I saw the video for the group's 1982 single, Feet Don't Fail Me Now, which prompted me to buy their eponymous album.
• Pretty Girls - Melissa Manchester, released September 1979, Pop #39, AC #26.
  Fortunately, I don't think I've ever heard this lame attempt at disco prior to purchasing this disc. I can do without this one although I'm a fan of Manchester's 1982 dance hit, You Should Hear How She Talks About You.
• Gee Whiz - Bernadette Peters, released March 1980, Pop #31, AC #3.
  I've been hopelessly infatuated with Peters ever since I first laid eyes on her in the late '70s. However, I much prefer the Carla Thomas 1961 original to this cover.
• Please Don't Leave - Lauren Wood, released August 1979, Pop #24, AC #5.
  This is a smooth little West Coast ditty and just as you're thinking "this sounds like it could be a Doobie Brothers song," here comes Michael McDonald with some vocals to seal the deal. Doobies producer Ted Templeman also produced this track with members of Toto in the backing band. A must for any yacht rock playlist you're putting together.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: see above

Also on the blog:
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4
Volume 5

Various Artists - Radio Daze: Pop Hits of the '80s, Vol. 3 (1995)

Disc 3 of 5. Songs here peaked on the charts during the spring and summer of 1980 as I transitioned from junior high to high school. This CD is the first of this series that I obtained and is the strongest compilation of the five.

Tracks:

• Tired Of Toein' The Line - Rocky Burnette, released April 1980, Pop #8.
  It's not quite rockabilly, but it certainly has a '50s feel and the basic rock-and-roll I-vi-IV-V⁷-I chord progression. I had forgotten about this gem until I came across the book 99 Red Balloons and 100 Other All-Time Great One-Hit Wonders which included this song at #46. It's not a great book, but when I read about this song, I couldn't remember it just from the title. Thank goodness for YouTube - I found the song and immediately remembered listening to it during that summer on the radio. That was the summer of Glass Houses and this song fit right in.
• Steal Away - Robbie Dupree, released March 1980, Pop #6, AC #5, R&B #85.
  Yes, it's a complete rip-off of The Doobie Brothers' What A Fool Believes, but no matter. Still a sweet tune. I had the 45.
• Take A Little Rhythm - Ali Thomson, released May 1980, Pop #15, AC #4.
  Another song I didn't recognize by title alone. Driven by relentless acoustic guitar chugging, it's a catchy little thing. Just enough country influence to remind me of Pure Prairie League or England Dan & John Ford Coley.
• Fire In The Morning - Melissa Manchester, released January 1980, Pop #32.
  I either don't remember this or I've blocked it out of my memory. It's not bad, there's just not much to it. The record company must have agreed as it didn't appear on Manchester's 1983 greatest hits compilation.
• Only A Lonely Heart Sees - Felix Cavaliere, released January 1980, Pop #36, AC #2.
  Yet another song I didn't recognize by title alone. I remembered the intro and chorus, but since it peaked at #36, it probably wasn't on the radio for long. Sounds like Olivia Newton-John's mid-70s œuvre and fits perfectly here. Recently, Cavaliere has recorded a couple of albums with Steve Cropper. I've got the first one, Nudge It Up A Notch.
• Into The Night - Benny Mardones, released May 1980, Pop #11, AC #20.
  I always thought this was Steve Perry! Go figure. The rare ballad about a grown man hitting on a 16 year old girl (the video is particularly disturbing in a child predator kind of way). In 1989, a "Where Are They Now?" radio show played the track, curiously putting the song back onto the national charts, peaking this time at #20. This additional chart run makes this song the record holder for the longest-charting single of the '80s by a solo artist. I like it fine, but also expect Mardones to break into Oh Sherrie at any moment.
• Let Me Love You Tonight - Pure Prairie League, released April 1980, Pop #10, AC #1.
  Now that there is one hook-filled pop/country shuffle. With David Sanborn on alto and Vince Gill on vocals, no less. Right in my soft-rock wheelhouse.
• Midnight Rocks - Al Stewart, released August 1980, Pop #24, AC #13.
  I wouldn't consider myself a Stewart fan, but there's something about his smooth, laid back vocals that made me like all three of his top 40 hits, including this one (although my favorite is Time Passages). The saxophone tone is grating, but not so much that I'd hit the skip button.
• Why Not Me - Fred Knoblock, released June 1980, Pop #18, AC #1, Country #30.
  And here we have the true treasure of this CD. It's a sad-sack, self-pity country ballad sung from the point of view of a man attending the wedding of his former girlfriend, wondering why he's not the groom. But it reminds me of Michael Johnson's Bluer Than Blue and I loved it back in '80. Somehow I forgot about this plum until this CD showed up in my mailbox a few weeks ago. Since then, I've listened to this track an embarrassing number of times. I can't believe how many lyrics I remembered.
• Who'll Be The Fool Tonight - Larsen-Feiten Band, released June 1980, Pop #29.
  A poor man's Toto. Meh.
• Angel Say No - Tommy Tutone, released May 1980, Pop #38.
  So I guess this group wasn't a one-hit wonder. I don't remember this power pop song, but it sounds enough like The Cars and The Knack that I'm surprised it didn't hit bigger.
• You're The Only Woman (You & I) - Ambrosia, released June 1980, Pop #13, AC #5.
  Loved this smooth blue-eyed soul song then, love it still. Complete with Hammond organ solo. I always enjoyed hearing this band on the radio; I'm surprised I've never picked up a greatest hits package.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  I played a lot of tennis and water skied in the summer of 1980. I also swam for the local summer team (I'll spare you the pics of me in a Speedo. You're welcome). That was also the summer of "who shot J.R.?" I had fun, but I sure was nervous about moving up to high school. There were guys there with facial hair who smoked, drove Trans Ams, and could legally buy beer. Too much for the soft rock kid.

Also on the blog:
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 4
Volume 5

Various Artists - Radio Daze: Pop Hits of the '80s, Vol. 2 (1995)

Disc 2 of 5. These hits (and I'm using that word loosely in some cases) were on the charts in the first half of 1980 when the soft rock kid was a top dog 8th grader at his middle school. A decent compilation, heavy on the country flavor, it loses steam near the end.

Tracks:

• With You I'm Born Again - Billy Preston & Syreeta, released November 1979, Pop #4, AC #2, R&B #86.
  In 1980, I wouldn't have normally liked a song without some sort of backbeat, but there was something about this song I liked. I wish I could tell you what it was, but I can't put my finger on it. It still holds up today.
• Pilot Of The Airwaves - Charlie Dore, released February 1980, Pop #13, AC #4.
  I've already told you how I love radio, so it shouldn't surprise you to read that this country-tinged ode to a disc jockey was a favorite of mine, particularly the a capella intro/outro.
• Him - Rupert Holmes, released January 1980, Pop #6, AC #4.
  I hadn't heard this one in years. There's nothing special about it, just a solid 3½ minutes of soft rock if you ignore the strange vocal solo. As an 8th grader, my gym classmates and I would mockingly sing this song (with slightly altered lyrics) to our first year teacher/coach, weakly trying to imply that he was gay. I'll chalk that up to 13 year old ignorance, but it's embarrassing now to think I ever acted that way. Belated apologies to that coach as well as Mr. Holmes and anyone else I offended.
• Three Times In Love - Tommy James, released December 1979, Pop #19, AC #1, Country #93.
  This doesn't do much for me, but it doesn't bother me enough to skip it. Sounds like a mid-'70s song to these ears.
• I Still Have Dreams - Richie Furay, released September 1979, Pop #39.
  Don't remember this country rock song. Furay has a fantastic falsetto voice, it's just wasted on bland material here.
• Do Right - Paul Davis, released February 1980, Pop #23, AC #4.
  Had the 45 and wore it out. The music is smooth and the vocal bridge is catchy. What bothers me is the lyrics that can't decide if this wants to be a contemporary Christian song or a love song to a woman. Plus I disagree with the basic theology here: if we have to 'do right' before God will be our guiding light, then we're all in big trouble. But I'm not much of a lyrics guy, so that's not going to keep me from liking this one.
• Biggest Part Of Me - Ambrosia, released March 1980, Pop #3, AC #3, R&B #35.
  Had this 45, too. I liked this song from the get-go. Tight harmonies, Fender Rhodes, lots of hooks - that's the ticket.
• Stomp! - The Brothers Johnson, released February 1980, Pop #7, R&B #1, Dance #1.
  What a great showcase for the bass player. This song seems out of place on this disc. Previously reviewed here. Here's what I wrote then: "I always liked this post-disco single, but it's easy to see why. The song was co-written by Rod Temperton and produced by Quincy Jones - the team that would later make Thriller. As a result, it sounds like something from that album or Off The Wall."
• We Were Meant To Be Lovers - Photoglo, released March 1980, Pop #31.
  Since I remember the words and melody to the chorus, I'm going to guess I remember this one from radio play. I'm sure it must have disturbed my mother to her young son singing this around the house.
• I Pledge My Love - Peaches & Herb, released December 1979, Pop #19, R&B #37.
  I don't remember this 6/8 fifties-flavored ballad at all. It's no Reunited, is it?
• Lost Her In The Sun - John Stewart, released November 1979, Pop #34.
  I don't remember this song, but I recognize that voice from his earlier hit Gold. Produced by Lindsey Buckingham, this sounds like a bad Fleetwood Mac track.
• Wondering Where The Lions Are - Bruce Cockburn, released December 1979, Pop #21.
  This fun nonsense song is a strange mix of folk rock over a bouncy reggae beat. It actually works, though. Reminds me of Joe Scruggs (if you had children in the '90s, you probably catch that reference).

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: During the spring of 1980, I regularly attended forensic meets with the school speech and drama team (my specialty was prose interpretation). I remember some of these songs blasting from the boom boxes on the bus trips to the meets. There also seemed to be a lot of Kenny Rogers played on those trips (The Gambler, She Believes In Me, Coward Of The County, etc.).

Also on the blog:
Volume 1
Volume 3
Volume 4
Volume 5

Various Artists - Arista's Perfect 10 (1984)

EARLY CD WEEK* (APRIL 18-23, 2022)

Similar to the Hear The Light compilations, but from the Arista label instead of PolyGram. Sure, there's ten tracks, but don't think for a minute that the packaging here wasn't influenced by the 1979 movie 10. Spoiler alert: while there may be ten tracks, this compilation is hardly perfect.

For what it's worth, the portable CD player on the cover is the Sony D-5, which notably didn't include headphones with purchase.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart
Peak on the CashBox Top CD chart: #22

Tracks:

1. Making Love Out Of Nothing At All - Air Supply, released 1983, #2 pop, #2 AC
   Also on the Billboard Top Hits 1980 - 1984 box set.
2. Eye In The Sky - The Alan Parsons Project, released 1982, #3 pop, #3 AC, #11 rock
   Also on the Billboard Top Hits 1980 - 1984 box set.
3. You Should Hear How She Talks About You - Melissa Manchester, released 1982, #5 pop, #10 AC, #8 dance
   Glad to finally have this one on CD. A longtime favorite, this was one of my first legitimate, paid downloads (via iTunes) back around 2005. That syncopated chorus never fails to put me in a better mood.
4. Tell Me I'm Not Dreamin' (Too Good To Be True) - Jermaine Jackson, released 1984, #1 dance
   I don't remember this duet between Jermaine and brother Michael. Not properly released as a single because of the Arista (Jermaine) and Epic (Michael) labels, but later covered by Robert Palmer who charted with it in 1989. A good dance tune, written by names I normally associate with soft rock/adult-oriented rock: Michael Omartian, Bruce Sudano, & Jay Gruska.
5. Living Inside Myself - Gino Vannelli, released 1981, #6 pop, #5 AC, #45 R&B
   Also on a greatest hits compilation and Radio Daze: Pop Hits of the '80s, Vol. 5. Sweet mama, that's good stuff. You damn right I had the 45 with picture sleeve, purchased at the local Radio Shack on Avenue G. The highlight of this compilation.
6. Heartbreaker - Dionne Warwick, released 1982, #10 pop, #1 AC, #14 R&B
   Background vocals by the BeeGees, who wrote the thing. A great soft rocker that sounds strongly resembles a later Gibb duet, Islands In The Stream. This became Warwick's 28th of her 31(!) Top 40 hits.
7. Baby Don't Break Your Baby's Heart - Kashif, released 1984, #108 pop, #6 R&B, #40 dance
   New to me, but a solid dance tune - great groove, but no real hook.
8. Games People Play - The Alan Parsons Project, released 1980, #16 pop
   Also on Rock of the 80's, Vol. 12.
9. Hi, How Ya Doin'? - Kenny G, released 1984, #23 R&B
   Also on ftg Presents The Vaults, Vol. 2.
10. Hold Me Now - Thompson Twins, released 1983, #3 pop, #8 AC, #1 dance, #9 rock
    The seventh time this hit song has appeared on the blog (ninth if you include cover versions). Also on a greatest hits compilation, Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the '80s, Vol. 13, Casey Kasem presents America's Top Ten Through The Years: The 80s, Rock of the 80's, Vol. 2, Rock On 1984, the Billboard Top Hits 1980 - 1984 box set, and the Original Album Classics box set. When I saw Tom Bailey in concert back in 2018, he closed the show with this tune and we were all pleased with that choice, including the two ladies in front of me who drunkenly danced and sang along at the top of their lungs. Normally, that kind of thing would bother me, but these women seemed so genuinely elated that I couldn't hold their behavior against them. They probably don't remember it, anyway.

Picking two cuts from Alan Parsons is a little lazy, even though I like both tracks. How about some Barry Manilow, Heaven 17, Haircut 100, or Nick Heyward, Arista? Bah!

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

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*I recently compiled complete chart data for compact disc charts from both Billboard and CashBox magazines. While doing so, I saw the names of a number of very early sampler/demonstration discs with which I was completely unfamiliar. I found a few early CDs that charted, as well as similar discs from 1983-85, and am featuring those this week.

Various Artists - Radio Daze: Pop Hits of the '80s, Vol. 5 (1995)

Disc 5 of 5, covering songs that peaked on the chart between November 1980 and June 1981 (my freshman year in high school). Complete with great liner notes, this is one of the stronger volumes in the series with 8 of 12 good tracks.

Tracks:

• Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes, released March 1981, Pop #1, AC #15, Dance #26, Mainstream Rock #5.
  A huge hit in 1981, winning Grammys for both record and song of the year. Nine weeks at #1 and the Billboard #1 hit of the year. A great blend of synth and guitar arpeggios, I think the real hook is the synth hand claps which were novel at the time. I really like the sexy growl of Carnes' voice.
• Somebody's Knockin' - Terri Gibbs, released September 1980, Pop #13, AC #3, Country #8.
  I wasn't wild about this song when it came out and hadn't heard it in more than 30 years before buying this CD. While its simple bass line is sort of catchy and Gibbs sounds like Anne Murray, this is one of the weaker tracks on the disc.
• Just The Two Of Us - Grover Washington, Jr., released January 1981, Pop #2, AC #2, R&B #3.
  Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout! I had the 45 in 1981, later bought Grover's 'best of' LP and replaced that with a CD. Bill Withers was the perfect vocalist for this song. While the 4 minute version is featured on this disc, I encourage you to experience the full 7½ minute version.
• Just Between You And Me - April Wine, released January 1981, Pop #21, Mainstream Rock #11.
  One of the early power ballads, this probably would have been a bigger hit had it been released a few years later. The French lyrics are needless, but the group is Canadian so I can forgive that. The song isn't bad, but power ballads haven't been my thing since I stopped going to school dances and trying to get girls to pity me and accept my invitation to a slow dance.
• If You Should Sail - Nielsen/Pearson, released August 1980, Pop #38, AC #35.
  I don't remember this yacht rock tune, but it is West Coast/AOR that is right up my alley. I'd recognize a Jerry Hey/Chuck Findley flugelhorn anywhere. Good enough to have me searching for a copy of the album it came from.
• Precious To Me - Phil Seymour, released December 1980, Pop #22, Mainstream Rock #34.
  Power pop with a definite '50s sound to it. Sounds like it should have been on the Fast Times soundtrack.
• Living Inside Myself - Gino Vannelli, released February 1981, Pop #6, AC #5, R&B #45.
  Another childhood favorite. I had the 45. That electric piano part is fantastic. As if that weren't enough, the simple upward stepwise base line in the chorus grabs me every time. In fact, I usually sing the bass line instead of the actual melody. I never tire of listening to this one.
• How 'Bout Us - Champaign, released January 1981, Pop #12, AC #1, R&B 4.
  While this isn't the greatest slow jam of all time, this soul ballad is certainly in the top 5 along with Love Won't Let Me Wait by Major Harris. Classic.
• Hearts On Fire - Randy Meisner, released December 1980, Pop #19, Mainstream Rock #14.
  I don't remember this tune and it's not grabbing me now.
• Ah! Leah! - Donnie Iris, released November 1980, Pop #29, Mainstream Rock #19.
  A classic hook-filled power pop song that I thought hit higher than #29. It was higher than 29 in my house. If I had known who sung it back in 1980 (where was the Shazam app when I needed it?), I probably would have bought the 45. Catchy guitar riffs and great harmonic vocal overdubbing. I like this one so much it was one my first iTunes downloads. Another great Iris song is Love Is Like A Rock.
• Love You Like I Never Loved Before - John O'Banion, released March 1981, Pop #24.
  More catchy AOR rock. O'Banion has a great rock voice. Sounds more than a little like Toto's Hold The Line. Could that be Steve Lukather on the guitar solo?
• Sweetheart - Franke & The Knockouts, released February 1981, Pop #10, Mainstream Rock #27.
  And we close with still more infectious AOR Toto-esque goodness with a touch of Daryl Hall's blue-eyed soul thrown in for good measure. A great way to end the series.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Riding around town on my Sears 10 speed bike. I had a yellow handlebar-mounted AM radio which blasted songs such as these as I rode to the store to purchase comic books and candy. I must have been as annoying as all get out.

Also on the blog:
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4

Huey Lewis & The News - Sports (1983)

Note: the CD I listened to was not the expanded 1999 reissue.

This past week I received an email concerning my upcoming 30 year high school reunion. I was immediately swept into a nostalgic daze (granted, that doesn't take much). Such a daze usually means that I pull out the old high school annuals and listen to Simple Minds or Joe Jackson as I wistfully thumb through the pages. But for some reason I couldn't get the song If This Is It out of my mind so I figured I'd listen to Sports this time around. Sure the lyrics are silly, but most songs here come with at least one infectious hook. Add some top notch self-production to those hooks and the radio friendly songs become mindlessly enjoyable. So mindless that I've heard these songs hundreds of times yet don't know the lyrics when I try to sing along.

Guest critic Patrick Bateman claims that this album is when Huey Lewis & The News came into their own, commercially and artistically: "The whole album has a clear, crisp sound and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost." Years later, Lewis would take issue with Bateman's work.

Press of the time:

• Rolling Stone (★★½): "a few bricks shy of a load"
• Robert Christgau (B+): "I simply succumb to the stupid pleasures of his big fat rockcraft"
• Stereo Review: "who could ask for more?"
• Billboard: "Expect both mainstream pop and old guard AOR to take notice"
• CashBox: "anything but commonplace"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #1
• Billboard Rock: #2
• Billboard CD: #10
• CashBox: #2
• CashBox CD: #8
• Rolling Stone: #2

The fact that this album hit #1 in 1984 is quite a feat. Only 5 albums held the top spot that year. In addition to Sports: Michael Jackson's Thriller, the Footloose soundtrack, Bruce Springsteen's Born In the USA, and Prince's Purple Rain.

Tracks:  My favorite tracks are Heart And Soul and If This Is It. I'll usually skip Bad Is Bad, You Crack Me Up, and a too fast, below par cover of Hank Williams' Honky Tonk Blues.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  Because songs from this disc were in heavy rotation on MTV and the radio during the 1983-84 school year, music from this album played a large role in the soundtrack to my senior year of high school:

• Heart And Soul (single released August 30, 1983, peaked at #8. I actually bought the 45 - probably one of the last 7" singles I ever purchased.)
• I Want A New Drug (single released January 3, 1984, peaked at #6)
• The Heart Of Rock & Roll (single released April 10, 1984, peaked at peaked at #6)

After the band played Houston in 1984, a girl showed up at school with a concert tee that had "I WANT A NEW DRUG" printed in huge block letters on the back of the shirt. Since I lived in the Bible Belt, I felt positive the girl would get called to the office and told to change her shirt. I don't know if she ever did.

I also have a memory of The Heart Of Rock & Roll playing loudly at a senior pool party one evening. When the list of cities in the song finally got around to Austin, all my friends who were headed to UT that fall went crazy like they'd just won the lottery.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Greatest Hits (2006)

Blog post #850

The Roots - How I Got Over (2010)

I saw this in the used bin and picked it up since I'm a huge fan of this band's collaboration with John Legend: Wake Up! To be honest, rap and hip-hop aren't really my bag so I have no idea how this compares to other releases in the genre. Metacritic gives it a 86, so I'll defer to the collective judgement compiled there. This doesn't get much playing time as a whole even though I dig the neo-soul backing tracks. I'd rather hear some soul singing over those tracks rather than rapping, but I usually enjoy when a track from this CD comes up on my shuffle. As a band, The Roots don't take a back seat to anyone. I'll take ?uestlove over a drum machine or samples any day.

Tracks: My choice picks from this album are Dear God 2.0, Radio Daze, the title track, The Day. I'll usually skip Right On and the last 4 tracks. In other words, I prefer the first half to the second half.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Wake Up! (2010)

Various Artists - Radio Daze: Pop Hits of the '80s, Vol. 4 (1995)

Disc 4 of 5. These songs charted between July 1980 through February 1981 (my first semester of high school.) Not many good tracks here.

Tracks:

• One In A Million You - Larry Graham, released April 1980, Pop #9, R&B #1.
  Previously reviewed here. Here's what I said then: "I loved this song back in the summer of 1980 and it's great to hear it again. Graham was the bass player for Sly And The Family Stone and has a great voice that has similarities to Barry White. When I was 13 years old and trying desperately to figure out how to woo women, I would imagine myself singing One In A Million You to a girl in attempts to gain favor. I never tried it for reals, but I think it might have worked except for the fact that, at the time, I couldn't sing as low as Larry Graham."
• Jesse - Carly Simon, released July 1980, Pop #11.
  Carly has never been one of my favorites and this song isn't very good. It tries to be a lusty, seductive thing yet it has a children's sing-along chorus at the end? During my freshman year in high school, I was in drama class and was subjected to a classmate named Melissa earnestly lip-synching to this song for a "record pantomime" grade. It was so bad I clearly remember it 32 years later.
• Hot Rod Hearts - Robbie Dupree, released July 1980, Pop #15.
  1980 was a good time to be a yacht rocker. I always group Dupree with with fellow soft rock artist Michael Johnson, but this could just as easily be a Michael McDonald chart. I prefer his earlier hit, Steal Away (on volume 3 of this series), but this is still mighty smooth.
• Theme From The Dukes Of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys) - Waylon Jennings, released August 1980, Pop #21, Country #1.
  I have a love/hate relationship with this one. It's familiar and I sing along with it, but more than a little too country for my tastes. What I want to remember about that TV show isn't the theme, but its continuing contribution to fashion: Daisy Dukes.
  
  
• How Do I Survive - Amy Holland, released June 1980, Pop #22.
  I don't remember this disco-ish tune from '80. Holland sounds a lot like Sheena Easton. Michael McDonald was behind this release and his hand is all over it - even the sax solo sounds like it was ripped from One Step Closer. Holland and McDonald eventually married.
• Sequel - Harry Chapin, released October 1980, Pop #23.
  Another one I don't remember. At almost seven minutes, this one is hard to take. I've never liked any of Chapin's work and I don't like his voice, so this song isn't doing anything to change my opinion of his musical work. His humanitarian work, on the other hand, demands my respect.
• Lookin' For Love - Johnny Lee, released June 1980, Pop #5, Country #1.
  As you can imagine, Urban Cowboy was huge in Houston and this song was probably played on every station in the Houston market at one time or another. I know all the words, but that doesn't mean I like it. This is so far from what I normally play, my oldest son just asked me what I was listening to.
• Empire Strikes Back (Medley: Darth Vader/Yoda's Theme) - Meco, released June 1980, Pop #18.
  Sci-fi disco? Oh, lawd, why? What might have been a good idea in 1977 had tarnished badly by 1980.
• King Of The Hill - Rick Pinette & Oak, released February 1980, Pop #36.
  I remember this one. It's an unfortunate melodramatic marriage of the styles of Barry Manilow and Styx. Let that sink in for a second.
• I'm Happy That Love Has Found You - Jimmy Hall, released September 1980, Pop #27.
  The disc makes a mild comeback with this soul-tinged southern shuffle. Another Michael McDonald sighting? That sure sounds like him on background vocals. I don't remember this one, but I probably would have liked it back in 1980.; It saves the second half of this disc, for sure.
• Killin' Time - Fred Knoblock & Susan Anton, released November 1980, Pop #28.
  Not my kind of ballad. Even though I have strange fondness for Knoblock's earlier hit (Why Not Me, on volume 3 of this series), I don't like this plodding waltz. For an actress/model, Anton isn't a bad vocalist.
• I Believe In You - Don Williams, released August 1980, Pop #24, Country #1.
  Even when this was popular, I thought it was just boring country pablum. An annoying earworm - I wish I had written it.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: see above

Also on the blog:
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 5

Monkey House - Remember The Audio (2022)

Monkey House make pop for people who aren’t afraid of jazz, and vice-versa.

When we went into lockdown in March 2020, I read several articles about how hard times produces great art and that gave me a glimmer of hope during some trying months. Last year, we were treated to Silk Sonic and the new-to-me retro stylings of Tom Shotton. So far this year, this CDP blog has already checked out new releases from Keb' Mo' and Mamas Gun with albums from State Cows and Chris Standring appearing in this space soon. And now add Remember The Audio to that list. Turns out those aforementioned articles were correct. Some great art is starting to emerge.

Remember The Audio is pretty close to a doomsday album and I think the lyrics underscore feelings many of us had during the pandemic, particularly in mid-to-late 2020. It seems band leader/songwriter/vocalist/keyboardist Don Breithaupt handled the pandemic isolation much better than me (I will neither confirm nor deny that I may have spent many daze during the pandemic curled in the fetal position while softly weeping before opening the bar at half-past The Price Is Right.) Lyrics aside, this album is a conglomeration of great melodies, complex harmonies, fantastic arrangements, and perfectly chosen guest artists. Most importantly, while my go-to comparison for this band has always been Steely Dan, I believe this is the album where Monkey House have fully realized their very own unique sound. About a year ago, Breithaupt told me Remember The Audio would be the band's best album yet and dude was right.

The album isn't on Metacritic, but here's some positive blurbs from other media:

 
Tracks:

1. The Future Is Almost Gone - That song title sets the tone for a post-apocalyptic album, doesn't it? However, it's a peppy shuffle that belies the almost apocalyptic lyrics: "Zero chance for a happy ending" - yikes! Fantastic guitar solo from Drew Zingg, who seems to be channeling Larry Carlton here.
2. Remember The Audio - Lyrically, my favorite cut on the album. A nostalgic look back at listening to pop/rock/soul music on the car's AM radio. As I've written many times, I'm not much for lyrics, nevertheless I can't help but follow along here. Lots of namechecking and '60s and '70s lyrical allusions which leads to some great rhyming couplets, e.g. "Stagger Lee/Booker T." Over 80% of posts on this blog deal with music from the previous century so this place is a nostalgia site in all but name. And this cut could easily be our theme song. It's also got the chorus hook that sticks in my brain for hours after hearing it. More good stuff from Zingg, too.
3. New York Owes You Nothing - Musically, my favorite cut on the album. A beautiful ballad that begins with solo piano and slowly builds from there. Nice muted trumpet work throughout from Michael Leonhart.
4. We Will Meet Again - This thing begins with an infectious eighth-note piano lick and is that a güiro? First time I heard the organ and handclaps on the chorus, I thought this was a great late '70s tribute tune and about that time Vern Dorge rips into a couple of sax solos just like David Sanborn used to back then and what a perfect fit.
5. Skin In The Game - white-boy funk via a New Orleans filter. I'm reminded of Harry Connick, Jr's '90s output. (Ok, ok - I'll stop with the comparisons with other artists after I said the band had its own sound.) Trombonist Chris Butcher just nails it.
6. Before You And After - This is the most Steely Dan-ish track on the album. (See what I did there? I said I'd stop with the comparisons and I just couldn't do it.) I love how our forlorn narrator goes from reminding the ex that there were "dreams, champagne, sunshine and rain" to "you're a maritime disaster" in a matter of seconds. 
7. Major Minor - This relaxed half-time shuffle moves along smoothly from the get-go but the hook in the chorus is what it's all about. There's some clever "major minor" word play here plus a little bonus cleverness if you have a basic understanding of music theory. 
8. Last Days of Pompeii - A bluesy allegory with a trumpet solo from Randy Brecker. If you're in a good headspace, the lyrics are humorous. If you're not, carry on with your doomsday prep. 
9. Do Whatcha Gonna Do - a pop song in the traditional sense with a great bridge followed by a sax solo from John Johnson from the legendary Boss Brass.
10. Let Jenny Be Jenny - I dig the Rhodes part, the syncopated chorus and the Chicago-esque horns (dadgummit, I just can't help myself). Parents can relate to the lyrics - tale as old as time.
11. Ever Since The World Ended - a great cover of a 1987 Mose Allison tune. Most of it is humorously timely and unfortunately appropriate today, but in typical Moses style, he ends the tune optimistically. Perfect ending to a great album. Note to self: pull out your old Mose Allison vinyl and spin it.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:

Friday (2019)
Left (2016)
Big Money: Singles, Remasters, Rarities, 1992-2005 (2005)

Also:
Just Passing Through: The Breithaupt Brothers Songbook, Vol. II (2014)

Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill (1972)

Debut studio album from Steely Dan, released while they were still in their full band rock phase, before narrowing down to a duo for more sophisticated fare. I prefer the latter, but that doesn't mean I don't like this stuff, too. I wasn't listening to this album when it was released (I was 6 years old and the parents probably would have frowned on an album cover that featured sex workers), but I can't remember a time when Do It Again and Reelin' In The Years weren't on the radio. And after all these years, I'm still not tired of either tune.

Like most Steely Dan releases, this album was out of time/ahead of its time and makes it on strong songwriting, impeccable musical technique, and signature Gary Katz production. It even sounds good when they don't seem to know what they're doing (Fire In The Hole). Kudos all around. This thing will put me in a '70s flashback daze faster than a trip to Putt-Putt.

Your humble blogger at the Odessa (TX) Putt-Putt
May 30, 1974.

Update: In its 2020 list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, Rolling Stone ranked Can't Buy A Thrill at #168.

Press of the time:

• Robert Christgau (A): "How about that--a good album with two hit singles attached." 
• CashBox: "Their future: about as bright as that of any of the year's new groups as this one is both musically refreshing and blatantly original."
• Billboard: "shows good hit possibilities for a group that should be around for some time"
• Rolling Stone: "distinguished by three top-level cuts and scattered moments of inspiration"
• Record World: "could turn out to be one of the most important records of the year."

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #17
• CashBox: #11

Tracks: In addition to the two aforementioned Top 40 singles, I also dig the FM staple Dirty Work, and Midnite Cruiser. The relatively weakest track is Change Of The Guard, but there's really nothing here to skip because they're all in the same groove. 10 songs, 41 minutes - perfect length.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, but I'm reminded what a great year 1972 was for pop/rock music: this album, No. 1 Record, Superfly, Something/Anything?, Talking Book, Pink Moon, Roxy Music, Ziggy Stardust, Let's Stay Together, Exile On Main St. to name a few.

There's not any CD liner notes to speak of, but I did get a kick out of this MCA ad on the back of the booklet because the whole art design screams 1980s, when I'm guessing this CD was issued:

Previously revisited for the blog:
Everything Must Go (2003)
Two Against Nature (2000)
Alive In America (1995)
A Decade of Steely Dan (1985)
Gaucho (1980)
Aja (1977)
Katy Lied (1975)
Pretzel Logic (1974)