The Manhattan Transfer - Extensions (1979)

Note: this release was originally purchased as an LP, later replaced by a CD.

I don't listen to this much these days, but it got a lot of play when I was in high school (I think my LP was obtained through one of those Columbia House record club scams). At the time I thought this music was jazz fusion-ish, but really it's just adult contemporary. The inconsistency of styles didn't bother me back then, but now I can see what a mixed bag it is: some jazz vocalese, some pop tunes, an avant garde track, a doo-wop number, an attempt at electronic big band music, and the interesting inclusion of a Tom Waits song. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy listening to this, if only for the memories.

Press of the time:

• CashBox: "with the aid of the Toto gang and producer Jay Graydon they move forward into a kind of space-bop groove."
• Billboard: "its most well-balanced album"
• Stereo Review: "trendies without a trend"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #55
• CashBox: #63
• Rolling Stone: #50

Tracks: The best tracks are the covers of Weather Report's Birdland and Spyro Gyra's Shaker Song. Birdland, now considered a jazz standard, was a minor hit for the group and has become their signature song. When I had the LP, I'd skip the last two tracks on side one (Coo Coo U and Body And Soul) and the last track on side two (Foreign Affair). 30+ years later, I still want to skip the same tracks.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: This was my introduction to the quartet, which became one of my favorite groups in high school and college. In high school jazz band, we played arrangements of both Birdland and Twilight Zone/Twilight Tone.

Previously revisited for the blog:
The Christmas Album (1992)
Brasil (1987)
Bodies and Souls (1983)

Nick Heyward - Tangled (1995)

UK Import (album inexplicably never released in US)

This record has been described both as Oasis-lite and great lost Britpop music of the mid-’90s. I think it sounds like Oasis with better songwriting; ofttimes you shouldn't confuse popularity with quality. I've been a fan of Heyward since he was with Haircut 100, and while he has adapted his styles to current trends, his singing and songwriting have been consistently strong (his low point was in the late '80s, but made a strong comeback in '93). I've already reviewed two CD singles from this release (here and here), and while there are tracks I like better than others, I listen to this CD often. Heyward is one of those few artists whose music I always buy before ever hearing it. Unfortunately, he hasn't done much lately except for a Haircut 100 live reunion album (yes, you know I've got it and will blog about it later). I don't know if he doesn't have a label or he's just not writing anymore. Shame. An expanded edition of this album was released in 2011; not sure there's enough new stuff to warrant a purchase.

Tracks: My favorite track is the opener, Kill Another Day followed closely by She's Another Girl. Other highlights are Believe In Me, along with the Beatleseque tunes She Says She Knows and The Breadwinner. The other tunes are solid; I don't skip any tracks.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I wasn't working in 1995 (by choice) and this album was just what I needed at the time.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Stars In Her Eyes (1998)
Today (1997)
A Hard Days Nick (1996)
The World (1995)
He Doesn't Love You Like I Do (1993)
I Love You Avenue (1988)
Postcards From Home (1986)

Various Artists - Baseball: Original Soundtrack Recording (1994)

Baseball season is gearing up, so I figured this is as good a time as any for this CD. Ken Burns is a master filmmaker and I've enjoyed all his work that I've seen. But I didn't buy this as a souvenir of the Baseball series. This CD was purchased solely because it has Branford Marsalis and Bruce Hornsby performing our national anthem. I prefer the Star-Spangled Banner to be performed in a straight ahead manner with little ornamentation, which has become more and more rare. But for unconventional performances, it doesn't get any better than the Marsalis/Hornsby version. If only they'd had mp3 purchases back in '94.

Tracks: 31 tracks including 6 versions of Take Me Out To The Ballgame, 3 versions of the Star-Spangled Banner, 8 spoken word tracks (quotes and famous radio calls), and numerous period pieces from the early and middle parts of the 20th century. Other than the Marsalis/Hornsby track, the only piece that makes me want to listen to it more than once is a wonderful solo piano rendition of The Minstrel Boy performed by Jacqueline Schwab.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: When my sons were very young (maybe ages 9 & 5), they put together a baseball field in our front yard complete with bases, pitcher's mound, and a very complex set of ground rules. They played out there all the time. One day, I walked out the front door and they had a game going with some of the neighborhood boys. On a nearby bench, they had placed a CD boom box and this CD was providing background music for their games. Adorable stuff like you've never seen. Disney screenwriters couldn't have drawn it up better.

Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Welcome To The Pleasuredome (1984)

Embarrassingly juvenile disco/arena rock with lots of covers and I love it - well, every so often. I didn't own this album in the '80s, but I dubbed a cassette copy of a friend's 2 LP set in early '85. I'm sure the group members must have contributed something during the recording, but this is a Trevor Horn album from start to finish. From what I can tell, the backing band were really studio aces from Horn's camp, including Art Of Noise bandmates Anne Dudley and JJ Jeczalik, and two former bandmates from Yes: Steve Howe and Trevor Rabin. As a result, it closely resembles an Art of Noise album. From what I read, the group was a much bigger deal overseas than in the US. Only the single Relax cracked the US Top 40, peaking at #10; with Two Tribes peaking at #43 and the title track at #48. My CD is the 2000 issue with 2 bonus tracks and excellent liner notes.

Here's info that I've cobbled together concerning the band's unique name: Singer Holly Johnson claims the group's name was derived from a page from The New Yorker magazine, featuring the headline "Frankie Goes to Hollywood" and a picture of Frank Sinatra. In actuality, the magazine page Johnson referred to was a pop art poster by the late Guy Peellaert:

Press of the time:

• Billboard: "a marriage of slick, old-line disco with tribal rock primitivism"
• Rolling Stone (★★★): "a work of extraordinary studio imagination and perverse commercial ambition dedicated to the elevation of hip agitprop and homoerotic self-absorption"
• Smash Hits (7 out of 10): "A pretty thin package at times, but it still seems a real adventure."
• Stereo Review: "the most absorbing new rock album of 1985"
• Robert Christgau (C): "on the whole Frankie are a marginally competent arena-rock band who don't know how to distinguish between effeminacy and pretension"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #33
• Billboard Pop CD: #29
• CashBox: #20
• Rolling Stone: #19

Tracks: I like the originals Welcome To The Pleasure Dome, Relax, Two Tribes and Wish The Lads Were Here. The covers are good because they're all so campy: War, Born to Run and Do You Know The Way To San Jose? The band had a power ballad-type hit in the UK with The Power Of Love, but that song (like most power ballads) doesn't do anything for me. The rest are filler and average filler at that. Skip the bonus tracks.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: This reminds me of early 1985 and college friends, particularly Buffalo Tom and Larry, who were roommates in the dorm room next to mine. The hype surrounding this group was rather limited in the US and I would imagine even more so in rural East Texas where we were living at the time, but we got caught up in it a little bit, probably because of the videos on MTV. I didn't have a "Frankie Say Relax" t-shirt, but I still own a button (below) which is beginning to show some age.

Around that time, in a Freshman English course, we were assigned to read Coleridge's poem "Kubla Khan" which begins:

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree

I'm sure that was just serendipity because I doubt the professor was listening to FGTH and had probably been assigning that poem for 20+ years. (I'm giving myself bonus points for a Xanadu reference)

Lee Ritenour - Festival (1988)

This was Ritenour's second album on acoustic guitar, and, as such, it's more or less a sequel to 1979's Rio. This is one of those rare cases where the sequel is better than the original. The most obvious difference is the inclusion of Portuguese vocals on three of the nine tracks, provided by MPB veterans João Bosco and Caetano Veloso. Ritenour put together an all-star crew for his backing band here: Ernie Watts on saxophone, Dave Grusin or Bob James on keyboards, Marcus Miller or Anthony Jackson on bass, Omar Hakim on drums, and Paulinho Da Costa and Carlinhos Brown on percussion. If you're looking for highly polished, Latin-favored jazz featuring acoustic guitar, you could do much worse. I find it, along with Rio, a very relaxing pairing.

Reviews/ratings:

• Stereo Review: "One of his best"
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #156
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #3
• CashBox Contemporary Jazz: #2

Tracks: For me, the better tracks are Night Rhythms, Waiting For You, Linda, and The Inner Look. Rio Sol and New York/Brazil, while somewhat enjoyable, are the only tracks that sound dated.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Larry & Lee (1995)
On The Line (1983)
Rio (1979)

Tom Petty - Highway Companion (2006)

Contrary to the title, this is not music for driving on the highway. For me, anyway. One critic described the album as "reliable" which isn't exactly a compliment. I was hoping for Full Moon Fever again or, at least, a great highway single like Runnin' Down A Dream. I need something more upbeat for driving. You're better off buying Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers' 1993 greatest hits package. Awesome cover art by Robert Deyber, though. Curiously, a "special edition" of this CD with 4 additional tracks was released in 2007, less than a year after the initial release. Classy move, Warner Bros.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #4 (Aug 12, 2006)

Tracks: The opener, Saving Grace, is promising, but things gear down quickly. There are a couple of good songs scattered throughout: Down South and Jack. I also like Night Driver, not because it's a great road song, but because it sounds like a Zero 7 track. The rest? Reliable, just not very memorable.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I was on the road much more than usual in the fall of 2006, so I bought this CD literally as a highway companion. I think I listened to it once in the car before putting it away, unsatisfied.

Jon Nakamatsu - Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1997)

I recently watched a 2008 documentary about the International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, entitled They Came To Play. The competition is hosted by the Van Cliburn Foundation and often uses past Van Cliburn medalists as adjudicators. In this context, Nakamatsu appeared in the documentary and reminded me of this CD, which consists of recordings from his performances in the 10th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, held in Ft. Worth, May 23 - June 2, 1997.

Tracks: There's no need to comment on performances that won a Van Cliburn gold medal, so I'll just say that my favorite selections are the Brahams Sonata in C Major, Op. 1, and, even though I'm usually indifferent to Chopin, the Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise in E-Flat major, Op. 22. The final tracks are William Bolcom's Nine bagatelles, commissioned for the competition. The competition has required competitors to perform a newly-composed work since its inception in 1962.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: In 2001, I hosted Jon as he played in Bay City for the now-defunct Festival Arts Association. I've never met a nicer professional musician. The night before the performance, he wanted to practice for a few hours and asked if that would be possible. I couldn't get him to the Steinway he would be using for his performance, but I did offer him use of a baby grand in my church's sanctuary. Even though I'm sure that piano was far below his standards, he thanked me and got about his work. I told him he wouldn't be disturbed and he wasn't, but I have to confess to sneaking into the church balcony and just listening to him practice without his knowledge. Imagine a private performance by a Van Cliburn winner. What a wonderful experience. The next evening (Tuesday, November 13, 2001) he gave a beautiful public performance. Sadly, there were only about 200 in attendance.

Up until he won the Van Cliburn competition, Nakamatsu was a high school German teacher. Being a teacher myself, I was aware of how time-consuming that job can be. I asked him how he managed to be a teacher and still practice 5-7 hours a day in preparation for the competition. His reply: "I didn't get a lot of sleep for about a year." He probably played 100 dates in 2001 and most likely doesn't even remember Bay City, but I fondly remember his two days there. My autographed CD isn't just a souvenir from that time, it's one of the best classical CDs I own.

George Benson & Al Jarreau - Givin' It Up (2006)

Not only a first-time collaboration between Benson and Jarreau, they bring along friends such as Herbie Hancock, Chris Botti, Marcus Miller, Jill Scott, Patti Austin, and Paul McCartney. The album is mostly covers with some originals. Instead of letting Jarreau simply sing, some arrangements lean heavily on him trying to sound like Bobby McFerrin which often sounds just like low groaning, not scatting. That's the only downside to the album, though. Benson sounds great, as always. A better-than-average crossover album.

Billboard, October 28, 2006, p. 79

 
Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #58

Peak on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums chart: #1

Tracks: The disc starts off with the duo redoing two of their signature songs, Benson's Breezin' and Jarreau's Mornin'. Breezin' fares better than Mornin', and while neither comes close to the originals, they're enjoyable enough. The stand out tracks are All I Am, and the covers of Seals & Croft's Summer Breeze, John Legend's Ordinary People, and Miles Davis' Four. I've never enjoyed Every Time You Go Away (let's blame Paul Young) and the cover here makes me want to hit the skip button, but it's the material, not the performance.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
George Benson - Best Of: The Instrumentals (1997)
Al Jarreau - L is for Lover (1986)
George Benson - 20/20 (1985)
Al Jarreau - High Crime (1984)
The George Benson Collection (1981)

Boston - Greatest Hits (1997)

GREATEST HITS FORTNIGHT (FEBRUARY 6-19, 2012)

Most Boston music sounds the same and that's fine if you like that music (and I do). Great writing guitar playing by Tom Scholz and incredible singing from the late Brad Delp, who had one of the best rock voices in history. I know there's lots of drama and infighting in the band's history and I could care less. Growing up in the '70s, these songs were all over the radio. All these years later, these songs are still getting their fair share of playing time on the classic rock stations. Since they didn't include We're Ready, the only song I liked from the band's third album, I probably would have been better off just buying the group's first two albums instead.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #47 (June 21, 1997)

Tracks: There are three new tracks (four if you count both versions of Higher Power) and none are any good. The best songs are the ones you've heard many, many times: More Than A Feeling, Peace Of Mind, Don't Look Back, Party, Foreplay/Long Time, Rock & Roll Band, and Smokin'. I'm really not interested in much of the later stuff, including Livin' For You and Amanda. The completely unnecessary rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner offends me both as a musician and as a US citizen.

Song	Year	Hot 100
Tell Me	1997	-
Higher Power	1997	-
More Than A Feeling	1976	5
Peace Of Mind	1977	38
Don't Look Back	1978	4
Cool The Engines	1986	-
Livin' For You	1994	-
Feelin' Satisfied	1979	46
Party	1978	-
Foreplay/Long Time	1977	22
Amanda	1986	1
Rock & Roll Band	1976	-
Smokin'	1976	-
A Man I'll Never Be	1978	31
Star-Spangled Banner/4th Of July	1994	-
Higher Power (Kalodner Edit)	1997	-

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Anytime I hear Boston music, I'm back in Odessa in the '70s: Winwood Mall, UTPB, summers at the country club pool, Permian football games, the Ector movie theater, etc. The picture below is of my childhood home, taken in August 1978, weeks before my family moved from West Texas to the Gulf Coast. That's my mother's 1975 Pontiac Catalina in the carport.

James Taylor - Greatest Hits 2 (2000)

GREATEST HITS FORTNIGHT (FEBRUARY 6-19, 2012)

Even though this is more of a "best of" compilation than a greatest hits CD (only 4 of the 16 tracks cracked the Top 40), it's still a good overview of Taylor's career from 1977-1997. There's not many artists who can release 2 completely different greatest hits albums 24 years apart. Those that don't like adult contemporary music need not bother, but I've always enjoyed listening to Taylor's voice. In spite of his battles with depression and addiction, he's aged gracefully and in that regard should probably be grouped with singer/songwriters like Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #97

Tracks: My favorites here include Your Smiling Face, That's Why I'm Here, Only A Dream In Rio, Never Die Young, and the covers of The Drifters' Up On The Roof and Buddy Holly's Everyday. It's one of those things I can't explain, but I just can't stand Taylor's 1977 hit, Handy Man. I've never liked that song.

Song	Year	Hot 100	AC
Secret Of Life	1977	-	-
Handy Man	1977	4	1
Your Smiling Face	1977	20	6
Up On The Roof	1979	28	7
Her Town Too	1981	11	5
That's Why I'm Here	1985	-	8
Only A Dream In Rio	1985	-	-
Everyday	1985	61	3
Song For You Far Away	1985	-	-
Never Die Young	1988	80	3
(I've Got To) Stop Thinkin' 'Bout That	1991	-	28
Copperline	1991	-	13
Shed A Little Light	1993	-	-
Another Day	1997	-	-
Little More Time With You	1997	-	3
Enough To Be On Your Way	1997	-	-

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: a few brief memories today: 1) I bought this CD very soon after it was released at the then-new Best Buy on the SW Fwy in Sugar Land, 2) When Up On The Roof was being played regularly on the radio in 1979, I had a strong desire to climb on the roof of my family's house at night and stargaze (that never happened), and 3) the song Your Smiling Face was included on the soundtrack to the 1978 movie FM ("A now movie with now music!"). Some junior high friends who lived down the street had that soundtrack (which is better than most '70s music compilations you'll find) and we would listen to it at their house. Even though that soundtrack has 20 tracks, it is usually that JT track that makes me think of those good times.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Greatest Hits (1976)

Erasure - Pop! The First 20 Hits (1992)

GREATEST HITS FORTNIGHT (FEBRUARY 6-19, 2012)

There's absolutely no irony in that bold title. 20 of the band's singles in chronological order of their release, almost every number a top 20 placer at home in the UK, more than half hitting the Top Ten. The duo has an enjoyable synthpop sound (Vince Clarke has no problem writing synth hooks), but, judging from the few full-length releases I've heard, they are definitely a singles band. Because of that, this is easily the best Erasure album I own and I'm really not feeling the need to pick up anything new at this time. The liner notes are minimal. Don't these guys know any writers to write the obligatory self-promoting essay? (In the future, guys, give me a call. I'm available and my rates are reasonable).

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #112

Tracks:

Song	Album	Hot 100	Dance	UK
Who Needs Love (Like That)	Wonderland	-	8	55
Heavenly Action	Wonderland	-	8	100
Oh L'amour	Wonderland	-	3	85
Sometimes	The Circus	-	4	2
It Doesn't Have To Be	The Circus	-	4	12
Victim of Love	The Circus	-	1	7
The Circus	The Circus	-	-	6
Ship Of Fools	The Innocents	-	-	6
Chains Of Love	The Innocents	12	4	11
A Little Respect	The Innocents	14	2	4
Stop!	Crackers International	97	4	2
Drama!	Wild!	-	10	4
You Surround Me	Wild!	-	-	15
Blue Savannah	Wild!	-	44	3
Star	Wild!	-	4	11
Chorus	Chorus	83	14	3
Love To Hate You	Chorus	-	17	4
Am I Right?	Chorus	-	-	15
Breath Of Life	Chorus	-	-	8
Take A Chance On Me	Abba-esque	-	10	1

My all-time favorite Erasure tune is Sometimes. Other top Erasure songs for me are Who Needs Love Like That, Chains Of Love, A Little Respect, Stop!, Chorus, and the cover of Take A Chance On Me. The other tracks are easy enough to listen to, although I'll usually skip The Circus and Am I Right? and Breath Of Life.

For more information on the brief life of the CD longbox,
go visit The Legend of the Longbox.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Songs from the band's 1988 album, The Innocents, remind me of driving around the Hurst-Euless-Bedford area during that long, hot summer (a.k.a. "The Lost Summer of  Mark").

I remember playing this greatest hits CD constantly in my Ford Explorer once I purchased it (that Explorer was my first car with a CD player in it). My oldest son should know all the lyrics to these songs since they were among the first he ever heard in his life as he listened to this CD while strapped in an infant car seat in that SUV.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Other People's Songs (2003)
Cowboy (1997)

Prince - The Hits 2 (1993)

GREATEST HITS FORTNIGHT (FEBRUARY 6-19, 2012)

I was a Prince fan early on because my friend Jim had the 1980 album, Dirty Mind. This album covers material from those early days right through his heyday in the mid and late '80s. In my opinion, if you've got this compilation and the Purple Rain album, you've got all the Prince you really need.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard Top 200: #54
• Billboard R&B: #23

Tracks: 18 tracks. My favorites are Controversy, Dirty Mind, I Wanna Be Your Lover, Head, I Would Die 4 U, Raspberry Beret, Kiss (although I much prefer the extended version), U Got The Look, and Sexy MF (which would make an attention-getting ringtone fo sho). I usually skip Do Me Baby, Little Red Corvette, and If I Was Your Girlfriend.

Song	Year	Hot 100	Dance	R&B
Controversy	1981	70	1	3
Dirty Mind	1980	-	5	65
I Wanna Be Your Lover	1979	11	2	1
Head	1980	-	5	-
Do Me, Baby	1982	-	-	-
Delirious	1983	8	-	18
Little Red Corvette	1983	6	61	11
I Would Die 4 U	1984	8	50	11
Raspberry Beret	1985	2	4	3
If I Was Your Girlfriend	1987	67	-	12
Kiss	1986	1	1	1
Peach	1993	-	-	-
U Got The Look	1987	2	-	11
Sexy M.F.	1992	66	-	76
Gett Off	1991	21	1	6
Cream	1991	1	-	-
Pope	1999	-	-	-
Purple Rain	1984	2	-	3

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: There's quite a few, but today I'm reminded of a end-of-year crawfish boil I helped host one year for some of my students and their parents (2003, maybe?). We had music playing and I just had a funk mix going when I suddenly heard the opening measures of Sexy MF. I bolted to the stereo and skipped the track as quickly as I could. I was in my mid-30's, but I don't think I've ever moved faster.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Musicology (2004)
N.E.W.S. (2003)

Pearl Jam - Rearviewmirror: Greatest Hits 1991-2003 (2004)

GREATEST HITS FORTNIGHT (FEBRUARY 6-19, 2012)

I have no idea why I have this compilation. I'm not much for grunge, much less two disc's worth. I never owned any of the band's albums and have only heard 6 or 7 of the 33 tracks here. I'm not saying it's a bad album (I've read nothing but good reviews with occasional valid complaints about compression/clipping), it's just not my thing. I can tell you that the liner notes are nonexistent, which is inexcusable for a greatest hits compilation.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #16

Tracks: I like most of the songs I remember from the radio in the '90s: Alive, Even Flow, Jeremy, Daughter, and Betterman. Some I remember, but I'm not wild about, including Yellow Ledbetter and the cover of Last Kiss.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, but for some reason, I want to watch Singles again (was that movie really released that many years ago?!?).

Al Green - Greatest Hits (1975)

GREATEST HITS FORTNIGHT (FEBRUARY 6-19, 2012)

Note: this CD is the 1995 reissue containing 5 bonus tracks.

This compilation is consistently listed among the best greatest hits albums in history (e.g., Yahoo #6), even placing at #52 on Rolling Stone's 2003 list of the Greatest Albums of All Time. I would imagine there are many people that are on this earth as a result of this album. The music is smooth, romantic, and showcases Green's strength: he isn't belting out these songs at the top of lungs, he's almost whispering to the lady laying beside him in bed. Sure the songs are all mid-tempo and formulaic, but when you've got Green singing, they aren't redundant or derivative, they're consistent. On today's listen, I've been drawn to his amazing sense of phrasing - just listen to how he takes the Temptation's I Can't Get Next To You and completely transforms it into an Al Green southern soul song.

Update: In its 2020 list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, Rolling Stone ranked this album at #456.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #17
• Billboard R&B: #3
• CashBox: #21

Tracks:

Song	Year	Hot 100	R&B
Tired Of Being Alone	1971	11	7
Call Me (Come Back Home)	1973	10	2
I'm Still In Love With You	1972	3	1
Here I Am (Come And Take Me)	1973	10	2
Love And Happiness	1977	104	92
Let's Stay Together	1971	1	1
I Can't Get Next To You	1970	60	11
You Ought To Be With Me	1972	3	1
Look What You Done For Me	1972	4	2
Let's Get Married	1974	32	3
Livin' For You	1973	19	1
Sha La La (Make Me Happy)	1974	7	2
L-O-V-E (Love)	1975	13	1
Full Of Fire	1975	28	1
Belle	1977	83	9

They're all great, but the stand outs for me are Tired Of Being Alone, I'm Still In Love With You, Love And Happiness, and, of course, Let's Stay Together. But don't you dare skip any tracks. Let's Stay Together easily earns a spot of my list of top ten songs of the '70s.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Not specifically related to this particular album, but I was in Memphis last December and, on a rainy Sunday morning, drove by Royal Studios where these songs were recorded. Originally the Royal Theater at 1320 S. Lauderdale St., that stretch of Lauderdale was renamed "Willie Mitchell Boulevard" in 2004 in honor of studio owner and Green's long-time producer, Willie Mitchell (1928-2010).

Previously revisited for the blog:
Everything's OK (2005)
I Can't Stop (2003)
Greatest Gospel Hits (2000)

Thompson Twins - Greatest Hits (1996)

GREATEST HITS FORTNIGHT (FEBRUARY 6-19, 2012)

Given my confessed love for '80s synthpop, I'm sure many of you are surprised that I have only a greatest hits compilation for this group; you were expecting that I had their entire '80s catalog on CD. I had cassette copies of 1984's Into The Gap and 1985's Here's To Future Days and those were mixed bags at best, so I bought this CD instead of replacing those albums. I think Tom Bailey has a very distinctive voice and the production is good (bump that up from "good" to "great" when you talk about their recordings with Nile Rodgers). The songwriting is a little uneven, with the band trying to adopt world music styles which really didn't have much place in British synthpop. To be honest, I quickly lost interest in the band after 1985 so I'm not familiar with any of their music after that time, but I still enjoy their early '80s stuff. Fortunately, 13 of the 16 tracks here are from the years 1982-85. Overall, a better-than-average compilation from a mostly forgotten band.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: The first song by Thompson Twins I remember hearing was Lies when the bizarre video came on MTV. I'm not much of a fan of that song, so I'm surprised that I stuck with group. My favs here are In The Name Of Love, If You Were Here, Love On Your Side, Hold Me Now, Doctor Doctor, Lay Your Hands On Me, and King For A Day. I usually skip We Are Dectective, The Gap, and the final three tracks.

Song	Year	US	UK
In The Name Of Love	1982	-	-
Lies	1982	30	67
We Are Detective	1982	-	7
If You Were Here	1983	-	-
Love On Your Side	1983	45	9
Hold Me Now	1984	3	4
Doctor! Doctor!	1984	11	3
You Take Me Up	1984	44	2
The Gap	1984	69	-
Sister of Mercy	1984	-	11
Don't Mess With Doctor Dream	1985	-	15
Lay Your Hands On Me	1985	6	13
King For A Day	1985	8	22
Nothing In Common	1986	54	-
Get That Love	1987	31	66
Long Goodbye	1987	-	89

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Any child of the '80s associates If You Were Here with the final scene of Sixteen Candles and hearing it today makes me want to pull out my Sixteen Candles DVD for a viewing. That's a great song and John Hughes knew how to use it.

Songs from Here's To Future Days always take me back to my dorm room in Berry Hall during my sophomore year in college. Somehow I talked my parents into paying the extra $100/month so I could have a private room that year. That was the group's best album and I'd probably buy a CD copy if I saw it cheap in a used bin.

The band is named after bumbling detective characters from the Tintin comic strip/books (below). I've been a fan of Tintin ever since my parents bought me the book The Shooting Star on a trip to the UK in 1973.

The Allman Brothers Band - A Decade of Hits 1969-1979 (2000)

GREATEST HITS FORTNIGHT (FEBRUARY 6-19, 2012)

If I'm in the right mood, I like Southern rock, I just can't take it for extended periods of time. Bret Adams, writing for allmusic.com, states that "no self-respecting rock & roll fan should be without a copy" of this disc. That may be stretching it a bit, but there's still some great blues-based rock music here. I'm not ready to go out and buy Lynyrd Skynyrd or Molly Hatchett CD's; when it comes to this genre, I'll stick with the Allmans. They seem to blend in more elements of pop and jazz than most Southern rock bands (Duane was often known to listen to Miles Davis' Kind Of Blue as inspiration). Maybe they were simply better songwriters or performers. If geography really had anything to do with this kind of music, I should be a die hard fan - I was born in the Mississippi delta and have lived in the South all my life.

Much to my surprise, I discovered that this band only had 2 Top 40 hits in the decade covered by this compilation: Ramblin' Man reached #2 in 1973 and Crazy Love (which I honestly don't remember) peaked at #29 in 1979. My favorite Allman Brothers tune, Midnight Rider, was never released as a single but you wouldn't know it from the airplay it continues to get on classic rock stations.

On a completely unrelated note, wasn't Gregg Allman married to Cher for a while in the '70s? And didn't that put an end to the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour? I'm sure that upset me at the time.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: Of the 16 tracks compiled here, my favorites are Statesboro Blues, Ramblin' Man, Midnight Rider, Melissa, the full 7+ minute version of Jessica (a good cover has already made an appearance on this blog), In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed, and Whipping Post. There's nothing worth skipping - most of the songs would be a welcome addition to a lengthy "hot-summer-night-by-the-pool" playlist.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, but I bought this CD after hearing the song Melissa used in an AT&T/Cingular television ad 6 or 7 years ago.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Live at Fillmore East (1971)

ZZ Top - Greatest Hits (1992)

GREATEST HITS FORTNIGHT (FEBRUARY 6-19, 2012)

If you grew up in the Houston-area in the late '70s/early '80s, you know all these songs from "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". I did and I do with the exception of songs from 1990's Recycler album, which I was unaware of until I bought this compilation. Of course, I did live in the Dallas area at the time of that release. This is great blues-boogie-rock. Sure, most of the band's stuff from 1983's Eliminator and 1985's Afterburner all sounds the same, but it sounds great.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #9

Tracks: 18 tracks and, with one exception, I like everything here from the years 1973-85. I'm not fond of Rough Boy; this band is not suited to power ballads. I'm guessing the decision to record a power ballad was made by the band's label. The "newer" (post '85) stuff, including the two previously unreleased tunes, is okay, but I'm unfamiliar most of it except for their version of Viva Las Vegas which is a decent enough cover.

Song	Year	Hot 100	Rock
Gimme All Your Lovin'	1983	37	2
Sharp Dressed Man	1983	56	8
Rough Boy	1986	22	5
Tush	1975	20	*
My Head's In Mississippi	1990	-	1
Pearl Necklace	1981	-	28
I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide	1979	-	*
Viva Las Vegas	1992	-	16
Doubleback	1990	50	1
Gun Love	1992	-	8
Got Me Under Pressure	1983	-	18
Give It Up	1990	79	2
Cheap Sunglasses	1980	89	*
Sleeping Bag	1985	8	1
Planet Of Women	1985	-	-
La Grange	1973	41	*
Tube Snake Boogie	1981	103	4
Legs	1984	8	3

*Billboard began a rock chart in March, 1981

For more information on the brief life of the CD longbox,
go visit The Legend of the Longbox.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: As a musician in college, I would often have to wear a tuxedo to performances. A friend in adjoining dorm room (who we called Buffalo Tom), would see me dressed in the tux and always quote from Sharp Dressed Man: "Looking sharp, looking for love." I've said that to my sons when they dress up, but of course they don't get it.

When I hear the band's '70s music, I'm taken back to my junior high days. That campus (pictured below) closed this past year, but I have many fond memories from my time there. [2021 update: the building pictured has been razed and a new elementary school erected on the property]

Eurythmics - Greatest Hits (1991)

GREATEST HITS FORTNIGHT (FEBRUARY 6-19, 2012)

I owned all Eurythmics releases between 1983-86, including their soundtrack to the movie 1984. I think that's a total of 5 albums, so I feel confident when I tell you that the band was a singles band, not an album band. They had a lot of filler in their releases. However, they were fairly reliable during the mid-80's, turning out at least a hit a year. It was both fascinating and frustrating to hear them slowly move from keyboard-driven technopop to guitar-driven rock/pop. Dave Stewart is a chameleon as a musician, but let's be honest, the star here is Annie Lennox's voice.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #72

Tracks:

Song	Album	Hot 100	Dance	Rock	AC
Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)	Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)	1	2	16	36
When Tomorrow Comes	Revenge	-	-	-	-
Here Comes The Rain Again	Touch	4	4	8	6
Who's That Girl?	Touch	21	-	-	-
Would I Lie To You?	Be Yourself Tonight	5	5	2	-
Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves	Be Yourself Tonight	18	10	-	-
There Must Be An Angel )Playing With My Heart)	Be Yourself Tonight	22	31	-	-
Missionary Man	Revenge	14	6	1	-
Don't Ask Me Why	We Too Are One	40	-	12	-
I Need A Man	Savage	46	6	32	-
Love Is A Stranger	Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)	23	7	-	-
Thorn In My Side	Revenge	68	-	-	-
The King & Queen Of America	We Too Are One	-	-	-	-
Angel	We Too Are One	-	44	-	-

Missing Top 40 hit: Right By Your Side (#29, 1984)

To have owned all those albums, I'm not wild about many of these songs. Hands down, my all-time favorite Eurythmics track is Would I Lie To You? I also like Sweet Dreams, Love Is A Stranger, and There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart) which features a wicked harmonica solo by Stevie Wonder that might be the best 30 seconds on the disc. The rest I can do without. Liking only 4 out of 14 tracks, I don't think this was the smartest buy I've made. I would have liked the inclusion of Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four), but I'm apparently in the minority since I actually like that dance track.

For more information on the brief life of the CD longbox,
go visit The Legend of the Longbox.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: When I see pictures of a suit-wearing Lennox from the early '80s with her short hair, it reminds me that she, along with Boy George, really schooled me on the subject of androgyny. I wonder if there were any social scientists during that time who researched the affects of MTV on the adolescent mind? If only I had graduate assistants to hunt down such things for me...