Various Artists - Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day, Vol. 4 (1990)

Disc 4 of 25. This disc contains singles that peaked on the charts between August 1970 - September 1971. I wasn't listening to much radio back then, so I either learned of the songs later or I was introduced to them through this disc. Lots of country and folk influences on this one. This isn't one of my favorite volumes of this series, but I'm awarding bonus points for the photo of 8-track tapes on the cover. With my middle-aged eyes, I can make out tapes from Seals & Croft, Jethro Tull, Bread, and Dueling Banjos.

Tracks:

• Yellow River - Christie (#23 in November 1970)
  Not as big in the US as it was worldwide, this is easy pop, but I can take it or leave it.
• Rose Garden - Lynn Anderson (#3 in February 1971)
  A #1 country hit, it could easily have been a '60s girl group hit. One of those great songs where the meaning of the lyrics are masked by the bouncy pop accompaniment.
• For The Good Times - Ray Price (#11 in January 1971)
  Another #1 country hit, this ballad was written by Kris Kristofferson. The bland verse is saved by the strings/vibes accompaniment and a catchy chorus. I prefer the Al Green version, but that's just me.
• Help Me Make It Through The Night - Sammi Smith (#8 in March 1971)
  Yet another #1 country hit and another Kristofferson composition. I never cared much for this one, but that's probably because I never slow danced with a pretty lady while it played. To my ear, this song bears more than passing resemblance to Stand By Your Man.
• Mr. Bojangles - The Nitty Gritty Birt Band (#9 in February 1971)
  A familiar, catchy waltz that makes for a great sing-along. Written by country artist Jerry Jeff Walker. Without this accordion-laden song as a precedent, there probably wouldn't have been a Piano Man.
• Sweet Mary - Wadsworth Mansion (#7 in February 1971)
  Who put a rock song on this disc? And who is Wadsworth Mansion? Needless to say, this one was new to me. I was indifferent to the song until they get a little funky at the 1:20 mark, and that completely changed my opinion of it. I'm digging the cowbell part, but then again I dig most cowbell parts.
• One Toke Over The Line - Brewer & Shipley (#10 in April 1971)
  A hippie anthem about smoking pot, this is another one that doesn't do much for me, probably because the Brewer & Shipley attempt isn't the definitive version, this is:
  
  
  
  (2:19 in, Welk calls the song a "modern spiritual" proving how hip he was.)
• Put Your Hand In The Hand - Ocean (#2 in May 1971)
  Faithful readers of this blog know that I'm a preacher's kid. As you can probably guess, we sung this song ad nauseam at church in the '70s. It's not a bad folk song, I just can't take any more of it.
• Stay Awhile - The Bells (#7 in May 1971)
  This duet soft-rock ballad is almost too precious, so of course I like it, especially the mournful harmonica solo and the wispy, close-miked vocals of Jacki Ralph.
• Woodstock - Matthews' Southern Comfort (#23 in May 1971)
  Not a fan. Written by Joni Mitchell about the legendary 1969 rock festival, this song was a bigger hit for CSN&Y, who hit #11 the previous year (I don't care much for their version, either).
• Silver Bird - Mark Lindsay (#25 in August 1970)
  Lindsay is best known as the lead singer for Paul Revere & the Raiders. I like this song because of its over-the-top arrangement/production sounds ready made for a TV variety show (which it very well could have been).
• I Ain't Got Time Anymore - The Glass Bottle (#36 in September 1971)
  A less-than-average pop song, which seems like a fitting way to close out this CD.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Other than wearing bell-bottoms and singing Put Your Hand In The Hand with other church kids, nothing comes to mind. Keep on truckin'.

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

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 20	Volume 21	Volume 22
Volume 24	Volume 25

Various Artists - 104 KRBE New Music Sampler (1995)

A 14 track promotional CD from a Houston radio station. At the time of release, most of these were emerging artists. Doesn't make for a bad retro mix tape, though, particularly if you listened to this station at the time (which my wife and I did). If I recall correctly, the station's tagline in 1995 was "Hits without the hype!" which is an oxymoronic tagline - hype that claims no hype.

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

Tracks, with Billboard chart peaks:

Artist	Title	Pop	Rock
Waterlillies	Never Get Enough	-	-	✔
Toad The Wet Sprocket	Fly From Heaven	-	-	✔
The Wolfgang Press	Going South	-	33
Blues Traveler	Run-Around	8	13	✘
Portishead	Sour Times	53	5
Jeff Buckley	Last Goodbye	-	19	✔
Letters To Cleo	Here And Now	56	10	✔
The Flaming Lips	Turn It On	-	-
Duran Duran	Thank You	-	-	✘
Dave Matthews Band	What Would You Say	22	5	✔
Deep Forest	Marta's Song	-	-	✘
Sleeper	Delicious	Pop	-	✘
Massive Attack	Karmacoma	-	-	✔
The Murmurs	Carry Me Home	-	-

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  This sampler got some playing time on a trip to the beaches of South Padre Island in 1995. Also got me hooked on Dave Matthews Band for the next decade or so.

Talk Talk - Natural History (1990)

A "best of" compilation of songs from the group's four albums released 1982-1988, plus a b-side and two live bonus tracks. Talk Talk worked in moody, minor key synthscapes; sometimes it works for me, sometimes not. Over time, the band moved from New Wavish synthpop to straight ahead pop to prog rock. When you do stuff like that, it's hard to develop a following - those moves are more fulfilling for the artist than for fans. Singer/group leader Mark Hollis never really liked the business end of the recording world so he naturally didn't like the EMI label profiting from re-releasing his work as a compilation:

A compilation album is not my idea of an album. I don't like compilation albums and I didn't like that one. It certainly wasn't the selection of tracks I would have liked even if there had to be one. But, at the end of the day, they had every right to do it so…

(from Melody Maker, September 7, 1991)

Nonetheless, Talk Talk only released five studio albums but have released no fewer than 14(!) compilations. Hollis may be a contrarian after my own heart, but he's also got one of the more distinctive voices of the eighties - I always enjoy his vocals. In any case, only about half the songs here have been ripped to files.

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

Tracks:

	Year	UK	US
Today	1982	14
Talk Talk	1982	23	75
My Foolish Friend	1983	57
Such A Shame	1984	49	89
Dum Dum Girl	1984	74
It's My Life	1984	46	31
Give It Up	1986	59
Living In Another World	1986	48
Life's What You Make It	1986	16	90
Happiness Is Easy	1986
I Believe In You	1988	85
Desire	1988
Life's What You Make It (Live bonus track)	1990
Tomorrow's Started (Live bonus track)	1990

It's My Life is not only my favorite Talk Talk song, it's one of my favorite eighties songs (it's also the group's only US Top 40 single). Other top picks are Talk Talk, Dum Dum Girl, Give It Up, Life Is What You Make It, and I Believe In You.

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

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  I had a cassette dub of the group's debut album, The Party's Over, and I bought the LP of It's My Life. Not long after I had purchased the album, I was at a high school pool party near graduation. They had a Houston rock radio station playing (probably 101 KLOL) and I was stopped in my tracks when I heard the single It's My Life played alongside Ozzy and AC/DC. Never heard it again on that station, but I was pleasantly surprised that afternoon.

I had this very bumper sticker (with metallic skull) on the back of the Markmobile, circa 1984.

The Doobie Brothers - Takin' It To The Streets (1976)

The Doobies' first album with Michael McDonald, who immediately turned the band in a more soulful direction. However, as long as the hits kept coming, I'm sure neither band nor record label minded much. Strong performances throughout, both vocally and instrumentally. The material has its up and downs which is to be expected during a transition period. It's no Minute By Minute, but you can hear the band was headed in that direction.

Press of the time:

• Rolling Stone: "this is, melodically, the Doobies' best record"
• Record World: "jazz-tinged rock with carefully blended vocals"
• Billboard: "Over-all, an easier sound than previous LPs"
• Robert Christgau (C+): "You can lead a Doobie to the recording studio, but you can't make him think."

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #8
• CashBox: #9

Tracks:  Of course, the McDonald-penned singles stand out (Takin' It To The Streets and It Keeps You Runnin'), that's why they were the singles. Also good are Wheels Of Fortune, Rio, and Turn it Loose. The weaker tunes are Losin' End and For Someone Special.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  A relatively recent impulse buy out of the bargain bin.

Previously revisited for the blog:
The Very Best Of (2007)

The Corrs - Forgiven, Not Forgotten (1995)

The Corrs are a sibling pop band from Ireland; this was their debut album. I've heard the group's music described as "Celtic Pop" but I think that description is somewhat off the mark. Adding traditional instruments (tin whistle, fiddle, bodhrán) for an Irish twist to mid-tempo adult contemporary songs, the group dented the US charts, but were far more successful overseas. As is common with siblings, the vocal harmonies blend together beautifully. For this album, the group worked with producer David Foster, so I like the overall sound of the album (it's not a stretch to compare the sound to Chicago 16 with a fiddle taking the place of the horn section). There are a few traditional Irish tunes (Erin Shore, The Minstrel Boy) that seem to have been added to remind the listener that this family is Irish, but they perfectly showcase the talents of violinist Sharon Corr. This CD doesn't get as much playing time around here as it did when it was first released, but it's a solid AC release. Even so, I've never heard any subsequent releases by the band.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #131

Tracks:  It's all harmless but enjoyable soft rock. My top songs are the title track, Someday, Runaway, Secret Life, and the instrumental Toss The Feathers. The reggae bounce of The Right Time doesn't quite fit.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  I can't remember if I bought this album because the single Runaway got a lot of airplay on Houston radio or because I caught the band promoting the album on The Today Show. Aww, who am I fooling? I bought it because The Corrs were the New Year's Eve headline act at The Peach Pit After Dark.

Big Star - #1 Record/Radio City (1972/1974)

Big Star was a short-lived power pop group that hailed from Memphis in the early '70s. They never had any great chart success and, quite frankly, I had never heard of the group until the 1990's. That's when I noticed that many groups to which I listened were listing Big Star as an influence. Then it was one of those situations where, once you know a name, you become aware of its appearance everywhere. So I picked up this two-fer CD to see what the fuss was all about. Admittedly, I didn't get it at first, but upon repeated listenings I finally began to hear what everybody was talking about. The group didn't receive proper marketing support, leading to one of the biggest "what if" questions in rock n roll history.

#1 Record was the band's debut album and the songwriting duties were handled by Alex Chilton and Chris Bell and there's a definite complimentary difference between the two. I'd compare the two to Lennon & McCartney, but that's been done to death. Bell's songs rock harder than those of Chilton, but both were good songwriters and harmonizers. I listen to it and think, "Ah, so that's were R.E.M. lifted that." As Allmusic states: "The problem with coming in late on an artwork lauded as 'influential' is that you've probably encountered the work it influenced first, so its truly innovative qualities are lost." Ah, well. It's not like I could have appreciated this music when I was 5 years old. So the alternative scene of the eighties pinched much of their sound from groups like Big Star, just as Big Star pinched much of their sound from the British Invasion of the sixties - so what?

Bell left the group after #1 Record, so Chilton is the clear leader of the Radio City album. The most obvious differences are Bell's vocal harmonies, but I also notice that this album doesn't sound as good as #1 Record, so I have to conclude that Bell was very involved in the production/engineering of that first record.

I understand there's a recent documentary on the band. I'll need to check that out.

Update: In its 2020 list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, Rolling Stone ranked #1 Record at #474 and Radio City at #359.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Neither album charted

Tracks:
#1 Record: The review from the September 9, 1972 issue of Billboard magazine puts it best:

To that, I'll add that I think the hidden gem on #1 Record is The India Song.

Radio City: Overall, this is a weaker album, but there are a few choice cuts: O My Soul, Back Of A Car, and September Gurls.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Various Artists - MOJO Presents Songs In The Key Of Paul (2013)

Free with the November 2013 issue of MOJO magazine, this compilation disc is promoted as "a collection of McCartney inspired power pop perfection." Perfection? That's a little much, but it does start out strong and only has a few skippable tracks.

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

Tracks:

Artist	Title
Robyn Hitchcock	Let Me Roll It
Redd Kross	Hazel Eyes	✔
Flamin' Groovies	Shake Some Action	✔
The Nerves	When You Find Out	✔
Nick Piunti	It All Comes Down	✔
Squeeze	Pulling Mussels From A Shell	✔
Jim Noir	Tea
Kelley Stoltz	I Am Your Singer	✘
Cotton Mather	Lily Dreams On
Kevin Tihista	On My Way	✘
Chris Stamey & Yo La Tengo	The Summer Sun
The Golden Dogs	Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five
Euros Childs	Good Time Baby (Talk To Me)
Nick Capaldi	First Of The Runaways	✔
David Ellis	Wake Up Smiling	✔

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  The magazine was an impulse buy in October 2013 for three reasons: 1) McCartney, and 2) I needed something to read on the plane, and 3) free power pop CD.

Squeeze - Play (1991)

Note: this release was originally purchased as a cassette tape, later replaced by a CD.

Upfront, I'm going to go out on a limb and call this my favorite Squeeze album (excluding the stellar compilation Singles: 45's and Under). Not necessarily because the songs here are stronger than their late '70s/early '80s singles (nothing could really compare to Tempted in my book), but because it's the band most consistent album. Glenn Tilbrook has never written a better collection of melodies. The band's ninth studio album, it was their only release on Reprise Records, which barely marketed the thing. IMHO, this album is underrated (Rolling Stone Album Guide gives it 2 stars, Christgau didn't even bother with it) and under-appreciated (I see it often in used bins), but that plays right into my contrarian nature. However, David Medsker over at PopDose knows where I'm coming from. Because lyricist Chris Difford wasn't in a good place at the time, the lyrics tend to be very dark.

Press of the time:

• Billboard: "superior examples of songcraft"
• Stereo Review: Best of the Month - "a high-water mark for Squeeze"
• CD Review: "a delightful disc designed to be absorbed, not just heard."

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

Tracks:  I always listen to all 12 tracks without skipping but my favorite tracks are Letting Go, The Day I Get Home, House Of Love, Wicked And Cruel, and There Is A Voice.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: My wife and I bought our first house in 1991 and, since we didn't have any children at the time, we had a spare bedroom. In that "junk room" were things like a seldom-used weight bench, boxes of books, and odd bits of furniture. Out of convenience, we left the ironing board set up in that room. On a small jam box in that room, I would listen to this tape while I ironed my shirts (Later, P.M. Dawn's The Bliss Album...? got a fair amount of playing time on that deck as well).

Three or four years ago, during a very depressed state (due to the wrong dosage of hypertension medication), I listened to the song There Is A Voice repeatedly. The chorus lyrics are "Each day is a night" which I'm guessing suggest that you're in such a funk you either don't know or don't care whether it's day or night. I never quite got to that state, but there's no denying the greatness of that lyric. I got the dosage worked out, but I still enjoy the song, grateful I've never been that down.

Previously revisited for the blog:
The Complete BBC Sessions (2008)
Domino (1998)
Ridiculous (1995)
Some Fantastic Place (1993)
Frank (1989)
Babylon and On (1987)
Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti (1985)
Difford & Tilbrook (1984)
Singles: 45's and Under (1982)
Sweets From A Stranger (1982)
East Side Story (1981)
Argybargy (1980) - 1987 reissue and 2008 Deluxe Edition
Cool For Cats (1979)
U.K. Squeeze (1978)

John Adams Conducts American Elegies (1991)

John Adams conducting the Orchestra of St. Luke's. Recorded at Manhattan Center Studios, New York City, August, 1989.

I bought this CD for two reasons: 1) I was a John Adams fan back in '91; gravitating towards whatever he was releasing, and 2) I had recently heard Ives' The Unanswered Question used to great effect as the soundtrack to a JFK assassination documentary (JFK: A Time Remembered, 1988).

We're treated to six works from the 20th century on this disc:

• Charles Ives: The Unanswered Question (1908)
• Ives: Five Songs (1922)
• Ingram Marshall: Fog Tropes (1981)
• Morton Feldman: Madame Press Died Last Week At Ninety (1970)
• Adams: Eros Piano (1989)
• David Diamond: Elegy In Memory Of Maurice Ravel (1937)

Not surprisingly, my favorite piece is The Unanswered Question (that's why I bought the CD, after all). Marshall's Fog Tropes is a haunting piece for brass sextet and tape. I wish I had heard it when I was in college because I would have tried to scrape together a reading or performance of it. These are some gorgeous pieces, but the elegiac nature of the works keeps me from listening to this CD much.

On a side note, this is one of my favorite CD covers simply because the image by photographer William Eggleston perfectly captures the mood of the music.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Chamber Symphony/Grand Pianola Music (1994)
Fearful Symmetries/The Wound Dresser (1989)
The Chairman Dances (1987)
Harmonielehre (1985)

The Lion King - Original Broadway Cast Recording (1997)

Music & Lyrics: Elton John & Tim Rice

Disney released The Lion King animated feature in 1994. Like most households that contained young children in the 1990's, we had a copy of the film on VHS (we might still have it around here somewhere). That tape got a lot of playing time in our home; so much so that every member of our family seemingly knew every lyric, bit of dialogue, and sound effect in this often sad, depressing show. I quickly grew tired of it, but that's just what we do for our kids - no regrets there.

In 1997, Disney staged a musical production of the show, following on the heels of their success with Beauty And The Beast. The producers had the great idea of hiring visionary stage/opera director Julie Taymor to direct. The result was nothing short of spectacular. Even the New York Times liked it. I saw it twice and was blown away by the impressive staging and costumes each time. This was one of the few times the show lived up to the hype. And don't forget that Elton John has written some catchy tunes here. The show won five Tony awards, including Best Musical and Best Director. This soundtrack album won a Grammy. As of this writing, the show is still running and is the 4th longest-running show on Broadway at over 6,770 performances. Like all Disney products, this is polished and professional.

So while the product is top-notch, I've grown tired of it. Like most cast albums in my collection, this one is more of a souvenir than a CD that comes off the shelf. I'd go see the show again, though.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #162

Tracks:  While there are quite a few new songs for the musical that weren't in the movie, my favorites here are the same ones I liked in the movie: Circle of Life, Hakuna Matata, and I Just Can't Wait To Be King.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  This CD was a gift from my friend Scott, with whom my wife and I saw the show in 2001 (I first saw it on a solo business trip to NYC in 2000).

Various Artists - Feeling High: The Psychedelic Sound of Memphis (2012)

An impulse buy that didn't work out for me. 24 tracks of psychedelic garage rock from Memphis, 1967-69. Stax/Volt soul and Elvis, it ain't. I'm not saying it's bad (Allmusic gives it 4 stars); I'm saying it's not my bag, baby.

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

Tracks:

Samples available here.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: purchased on a recent trip to Chicago at the wonderful Dusty Groove.

The Meters - Funkify Your Life: The Meters Anthology (1995)

Grooves for days. New Orleans' answer to Booker T. & The MGs (but funkier), The Meters worked as both as a backing band as well as releasing their own recordings. I was shamefully unaware of the group until their 1969 single, Cissy Strut, was used in the film soundtrack for Jackie Brown, but left off the soundtrack album release. I immediately liked it, wanted to hear more of the group, found out the good people at Rhino had put together a compilation and that was all the encouragement I needed. Turns out I made a good call - this stuff is quality southern funk. Which, of course, means these cuts are heavily sampled for hip-hop records. Sequenced in chronological order, we get the chance to see how the band's sound progressed through the years. Thorough, quality liner notes - a typical Rhino joint. Today's menu calls for jambalaya followed by some king cake.

The Meters have been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times: 1996, 2012, and 2013. In a glaring oversight, they have yet to be inducted as of this writing. The group is still around in various forms today. Depending on the personnel, they go by either The Original Meters or The Funky Meters.

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

Tracks:

Disc 1: The Josie Years (1969-71)
The band released three albums on Josie Records before the label went bankrupt in 1971. The earlier tracks are instrumental with Art Neville's Hammond organ often taking the lead over Joseph "Zig" Modeliste's kickass drumming. Vocals are introduced in later songs, starting with track 17. Wonderfully inventive and funky, all the tracks are upbeat regardless of tempo (if that makes any sense). Much of the music has only a couple of chords and the same groove, but if you like that groove, there's really not a problem. 26 tracks over 74 minutes and I can't skip anything. In addition to Cissy Strut, don't miss Sophisticated Cissy, Look-Ka Py Py, Ride Your Pony, and Stretch Your Rubber Band.

Disc 2: The Reprise/Warner Bros. Years (1972-77)
17 tracks, 70 minutes.  Now on a major label, the band has a more commercial pop sound, with group vocals and guitar scratching. It's not bad at all, just drastically different from the first disc. More vocals and more varied styles, from a Stax-styled horn section to heavy studio effects to Caribbean island music. More of what I consider to be traditional New Orleans funk. My favorites are Cabbage Alley, Hey Pocky A-Way, Fire On The Bayou, (Doodle Loop) The World Is A Little Bit Under The Weather, and Funkify Your Life.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, but this CD set provides strength for my argument that you should buy CDs when you see them (especially Rhino stuff) because you never know how long they'll be around. Used sets are currently selling for around $70 on eBay; I paid $17.28 new on March 6, 2011. (How did I remember the exact price and date? Well, I don't keep meticulous records of my purchases, but big brother Amazon does.)

Barry Manilow - Tryin' To Get The Feeling (1975)

Note: the CD I listened to was the 1998 reissue which includes a bonus track.

I started my Barry Manilow purchases with the Even Now album, but for some reason I never delved into the back catalog of Manilow's four previous studio releases. In fact, I hadn't heard this complete album until I picked up this CD last year from the 3-for-$10 bin at the local Hasting's. It's all typical Manilow soft rock, so I'm of the opinion that was $3.33 well spent. If I had purchased this album back in 1975, I'm fairly certain I would have had the lyrics memorized within a matter of weeks due to constant listening. From Manilow himself on the CD's back cover:

The album follows a pattern Manilow would follow for much of his career: a few hit singles written by other songwriters and filler tracks written by Manilow himself. Clive Davis and Ron Dante sure knew what they were doing when they put together Manilow albums.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #5
• CashBox: #6

Tracks:  In addition to the #1 single, I Write The Songs, I was previously familiar with the other songs that appeared on Manilow's 1978 Greatest Hits package: New York City Rhythm, Bandstand Boogie, Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again, and Beautiful Music. I like those 5, plus the cheesy goodness of She's A Star and Lay Me Down. If I'm tempted to skip any tracks, it's A Nice Boy Like Me and the bonus track. The bonus track, Marry Me A Little, sounds just like you'd think Manilow singing Sondheim would sound.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  As I mentioned earlier, I had the 2 LP Greatest Hits package pictured below. That set got plenty of playing time from 1978 until about 1982, when I decided I was too cool for Manilow. Now that I'm middle aged, I can fully embrace my inner Fanilow and frequently do. Heck, I may even pull out my vinyl copy of the 1980 LP Barry and give it a listen today. [Update: it should surprise absolutely no one that I eventually bought CD copies of both the greatest hits album and Barry.]

Previously revisited for the blog:
Ultimate Manilow (2002)
If I Should Love Again (1981)
One Voice (1979)
Even Now (1978)