The Beatles - Free As A Bird (1995)

CD single

I didn't really need this thing as I already own Anthology I, but I simply couldn't pass it up when I saw it in the used bin. Or so I thought. Had I checked the track listing before purchasing, I would have seen that I did not already own tracks 2-4 on this disc. And while I'm usually only interested in hearing alternate takes once or twice, I was intrigued by the remixed Christmas tune when I first heard it.

But first, the "new" Beatles single, Free As A Bird. Here's what I've written previously about the song promoted as the "first new Beatles song in 25 years:"

Free As A Bird turns out to be a really good song (even though there's something about Jeff Lynne's production that just isn't quite right); I put value any song by these guys, no matter how it is pieced together.

ABC televised The Beatles Anthology specials here in the US in six parts between November and December 1995. I watched all of it, of course, being most excited about the premiere of the song and video for Free As A Bird. The video cleverly depicts, from the point of view of a bird in flight, many references to The Beatles' songs.

I still like it after all these years, but I still prefer their earlier output. Despite not getting the greatest reviews (the biggest complaint was that it simply plodded along), the single was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

As for the Christmas single, there's not much to it, but it does illustrate that these guys could put a hook anywhere, even into throwaway pieces like this. Like the Anthology series, I'm glad I picked it up but I won't be adding this track to any of my Christmas playlists.

Singles chart peaks:

• US Billboard Hot 100: #6
• Billboard Adult Contemporary: #19
• Billboard Mainstream Rock: #8

Tracks:

Previously revisited for the blog:

Love (2006)	The Beatles (1968)
Let It Be... Naked (2003)	Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
Anthology 2 (1996)	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
Anthology 1 (1995)	Revolver (1966) & (2022)
Live at the Hollywood Bowl (1977)	Rubber Soul (1965)
1967-1970 (1973)	Help! (1965)
1962-1966 (1973)	A Hard Day's Night (1964)
Abbey Road (1969) & (2019)	Please Please Me (1963)

Various Artists - Jazz To The World (1995)

Fantastic compilation of Christmas tunes from the Blue Note label, benefitting Special Olympics. That fact, along with the Keith Haring artwork, suggests this CD is a (unofficial?) part of the Very Special Christmas series. Many of my favorite smooth jazz/instrumental pop/r&b artists of the time make an appearance.

Entertainment Weekly was dismissive, writing

For John Tesh lovers ready to try something new: Jazz To The World brings together such jazz-lite masters as Anita Baker, Stanley Clarke, and Herbie Hancock for an album only one notch above Muzak. C-

I disagree. If you like these artists and what they bring to the table, this is one of your better - if not safer - bets for a jazzy Christmas mix. Plus it's charity benefit disc ferchrissakes! Press release (via Billboard magazine) can be found here.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard Top 200: #95
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #5
• CashBox Contemporary Jazz: #2

Tracks: Don't skip any - but I've checked off today's favorites.

Song	Artist
Winter Wonderland	Herb Alpert & Jeff Lorber
Baby, It's Cold Outside	Dianne Reeves & Lou Rawls	✔
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear	Fourplay	✔
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas	Diana Krall
O Tannenbaum	Stanley Clarke, George Duke & Everette Harp	✔
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!	Michael Franks
The Christmas Waltz	The Brecker Brothers with Steve Khan	✔
The Little Drummer Boy	Cassandra Wilson
I'll Be Home For Christmas	Herbie Hancock & Eliane Elias	✔
O Come O Come Emmanuel	John McLaughlin
Christmas Blues	Holly Cole	✔
Angels We Have Heard On High	Steps Ahead
The Christmas Song	Anita Baker
What Child Is This?	Chick Corea
Winter Wonderland	Dave Koz	✔
Il est Ne, Le Divin Enfant	Dr. John	✔

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Dan Siegel - Hemispheres (1995)

I picked up this album a few years ago based on other work I'd heard from Siegel. I paid a dollar. I paid too much. To me, the album sums up everything that was wrong with smooth jazz/world music/new age/instrumental adult contemporary in the mid-'90s. Yawn. I guess I'm missing something because allmusic gave it ★★★★½: "one of his most original and intriguing discs. A smorgasbord of worldbeat sounds, beats, and textures..." Jazziz Magazine also loved it, calling it "one of the most original and intriguing discs of this or any other year." Ah well, the clearance bin is always a crap shoot - you win some, you lose some.

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

Tracks: There's ten of them, ranging in length from 2:56 to 5:40.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Dan Siegel (1982)

Lonnie Smith - Live At Club Mozambique (1995)

Recorded live at Club Mozambique, Detroit, on May 21, 1970, finally released in 1995.

Best known for his work in the bands of George Benson and Lou Donaldson, master of the Hammond B-3 Lonnie Smith leads his own group on this release. A hot live session of solid jazz-funk-soul grooves (heavy on the funk) featuring a great band:

Smith - organ
Dave Hubbard - tenor saxophone
Ronnie Cuber - bass
George Benson - guitar
Joe Dukes - drums
Gary Jones - conga
Clifford Mack - tambourine

Sounds like everybody was having a great time and I'm sure the crowd in attendance couldn't hold still. Complete liner notes available here.

Focusing on soul-jazz reissues, Blue Note introduced its Rare Groove Series in 1995 as a somewhat belated response to the acid jazz scenes in England. Of this initial bunch of releases, CMJ New Music Report labeled this album as "the best of the bunch." I'm not in the market for the other releases in the series, but ya never know.

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

Tracks: 6 of the 8 tracks are credited to Smith, plus two covers of familiar tunes. I don't believe the credits are entirely accurate because the lead track is a James Brown tune, but writing credits don't concern me much as a listener. Most grooves are reminiscent of Brown or The Meters. Of the originals, my top picks are I Can't Stand It and Scream, while Benson's best solo is on Track 5, Love Bowl. Track 2, Expressions, is more bebop than funk, but the band certainly cooks. My least favorite track is Peace Of Mind, partially because of the misogynistic lyrics and partially because Smith sings when he should stick to organ. The album closes with a great cover of Sly Stone's Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) followed by a frantic take on Miles Davis's Seven Steps to Heaven.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Evolution (2016)

Stanley Turrentine - T Time (1995)

I recently rescued this CD from the $1 clearance bin. It's an enjoyable effort from the veteran saxophonist in which he mostly re-records some tunes from earlier releases, including a take on his signature tune, Sugar, re-titled A Little Sweetness. My only complaint concerns the choice of using synth pads instead of bringing in a real string section, but that's a minor quibble.

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

Tracks:

1. Don't Mess With Mr. T (original Turrentine version on the 1973 album, Don't Mess With Mr. T)
2. A Little Sweetness (1970 album, Sugar)
3. I Haven't Got Anything Better To Do (1971 album, Salt Song)
4. Impressions (1970 album, Sugar)
5. Terrible T. (1989 album, La Place)
6. The Island (cover of an Ivan Lins tune)
7. Touching (1989 album, La Place)
8. Side Steppin' (original composed by guitarist Dave Stryker)

The previous owner of this disc had indicated their favorite tracks by writing on the disc itself in red pen: "1, 2, 7, 8" and while I prefer track 5 to track 8, I'm pretty much in agreement with that opinion (except the writing on the disc. Don't do that, folks.). However, there's nothing to skip here - while the album concept/theme of re-recordings gets a bit redundant, the performances here are first-rate and everything swings.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
The Best of Stanley Turrentine (1990)

Dianne Reeves - Quiet After The Storm (1995)

Produced by George Duke, this was Reeves's 8th album release. It's a mixed bag; sometimes trying to be a straight-ahead jazz vocal album, sometimes a smooth jazz/pop album, sometimes a world music album. Don't get me wrong - if you want to tackle those genres, by all means do it - but maybe on different albums. If you take each song on its own, however, the performances are fantastic, even if the material doesn't always work.

Guest artists abound: Joshua Redman, Roy Hargrove, Kevin Eubanks, Cannonball Adderley (through the miracle of technology), Hubert Laws, and, of course, Duke.

Reviews/ratings:

• CashBox
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★½
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★

Album nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Performance Grammy award, her second nomination.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Jazz: #6

Tracks: My picks are the tasty swing of Hello Haven't I Seen You Before, the MPB smoothness of Smile, and the joyous nostalgia of Nine (the age, not the time signature as the piece is actually in 7. Also includes a tasty acoustic solo from Eubanks). The only track that truly falls short is a cover of Joni Mitchell's Both Sides Now, but most Mitchell covers fail so that's not a surprise.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Dianne Reeves (1987)

Dwight Yoakam - Dwight Live (1995)

I have no idea how this CD ended up on my shelf (gift? part of a group of discs I bought from eBay? friend messing with me by slipping it in while I'm not looking?). No matter - let's give it the requisite spin.

...

Despite living in Texas since 1966, twangy country music just isn't my thing (see story from my childhood here if you're interested). I can tell it's well-written and performed, though, and from what I read it was successful for a live album, so good for Dwight.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #56

Peak on Billboard Country Albums chart: #8

Tracks: The album is bookended by some nice takes on a couple of Elvis tunes: Little Sister and Suspicious Minds.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
This Time (1993)

Various Artists - Living In Oblivion: The 80's Greatest Hits, Volume 5 (1995)

The fifth of five volumes from EMI Records Group. I didn't buy any discs in this series upon release but now they're appearing in the used CD stores I frequent - I've come across three volumes within the past year. 12 of the 20 tracks are new to my CD shelves - including 3 or 4 that I would have sworn I already had - making this a worthwhile acquisition.

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

Tracks, with both US and UK chart peaks and links to previous appearances on this blog:

Song	Artist	Year	US	UK	Prev.
Major Tom (Coming Home)	Peter Schilling	1984	14	42	1
Hyperactive	Thomas Dolby	1984	62	17	1, 2, 3
Promises, Promises	Naked Eyes	1983	11	-	1
The Promise	When In Rome	1988	11	58
Vienna	Ultravox	1981	-	2	1, 2, 3
Enola Gay	OMD	1980	-	8	1
King In A Catholic Style (Wake Up)	China Crisis	1985	-	8
Steady	Jules Shear	1985	57	-
Our Lips Are Sealed	Fun Boy Three	1983	-	7	1, 2
Pleasure And Pain	Divinyls	1986	76	-
Birds Fly (Whisper To A Scream)	Icicle Works	1984	37	53	1
The Honeythief	Hipsway	1987	19	17
Souvenir	Rubber Rodeo	1986	-	-
I Wanna Be A Cowboy	Boys Don't Cry	1986	12	-
The Captain Of Her Heart	Double	1986	16	8
When Your Heart Is Weak	Cock Robin	1985	35	-
Love Changes (Everything)	Climie Fisher	1988	23	2
More Than Physical	Bananarama	1986	73	41
Vanity Kills	ABC	1986	91	70
We Close Our Eyes	Go West	1985	41	5	1

Here's my thoughts on those 12 first-timers:

• The Promise: While my sons are more familiar with this song's inclusion in the movie Napoleon Dynamite, I'll always associate it with the Summer of '88. It's highly danceable, catchy as hell, and I liked it from the get-go. It was almost enough to make me pick up a copy of the group's self-titled album, but I thought I'd wait until the second single hit. It didn't, I didn't, and there ya go. But I was surprised I didn't have this on another compilation somewhere.
• King In A Catholic Style (Wake Up): New to me here and you coulda knocked me over with a feather when I discovered this track was produced by Steely Dan's Walter Becker. If I'd heard the thing in '85, I would have loved it. Classic New Wave sounds: bouncy synths, choppy phrasing, peppy style that belies the lyrics, etc. Not sure if the songwriters meant 'catholic style' with a lower-case c, but that's the way I'm interpreting it.
• Steady: Co-written with Cyndi Lauper, this thing just sort of steadily plods along, punctuated with synth horns and gated snare. It's not all bad, though, I like how it builds to the brief chorus.
• Pleasure And Pain: Written by Michael Chapman and Holly Knight, and while I usually enjoy their work, this bland piece really ignores the group's more aggressive traits. They've got many other songs more fitting of the title "pleasure and pain."
• The Honeythief: Sounds like Jim Kerr of Simple Minds singing an unabashed pop cut, so of course I dig it (is it a coincidence both bands are from Glasgow?). I had completely forgotten this track over the past 30+ years, but it's got me up and dancing today. Maybe it's the chord progression, maybe the bass line, but for some reason, it is reminding me of Madonna's Express Yourself.
• Souvenir: Not terrible, but I won't remember it five minutes from now. I like the band's Western New Wave hybrid gimmick - very '80s.
• I Wanna Be A Cowboy: My mind always groups this track with Timbuk 3's The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades, another novelty-ish song from '86. Harmless fun, but doesn't bear repeated listening.
• The Captain Of Heart: This little bit of smooth sophistipop has hooks for days and, like The Promise, I dug it from the get-go. Very happy to have a copy now. Unlike The Promise, however, I did buy the full album on this one and was quickly disappointed that all the tracks weren't as good. Ah well. Just recently discovered that the group used the French pronunciation of their name (doo-BLAY), but I'm not sure I'll ever switch over to that - old dogs, new tricks and whatnot.
• When Your Heart Is Weak: Yawn.
• Love Changes (Everything): Man-oh-man this is a fantastic pop single. This description from Allmusic is better than anything I could possibly write:

  "The U.S. hit single 'Love Changes (Everything)' is saccharine enough to have been an Archies song; nevertheless, in limited doses it's as tasty as a chocolate sundae. But be forewarned: 'Love Changes (Everything)' has a chorus that adheres to the brain like glue."

  Consider it adhered to my brain for the rest of the day.
• More Than Physical: New to me here but very characteristic of Bananarama's period of collaboration with the Stock Aitken Waterman team. As such, I'm currently trying to type these words while manically dancing around the room.
• Vanity Kills: You would have thought a single that hit the Hot 100 would have been included on the Absolutely greatest hits compilation, but you'd be incorrect. It's very repetitive but catchy enough; I'd complain about the over-production, but it was '86 so it's just the sound of the time. Bonus points for the trumpet solo.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, but here's to finding the remaining two volumes.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Volume 1 (1993)
Volume 4 (1994)

James Brown's Funky Christmas (1995)

A mid-'90s compilation of the best songs from James Brown's three earlier Christmas albums: James Brown Sings Christmas Songs (1966), A Soulful Christmas (1968), and Hey America It's Christmas (1970).

I purchased this disc for two reasons: 1) it's the freakin' Godfather of Soul, and 2) the album's appearance at #3 on Rolling Stone's The 25 Greatest Christmas Albums of All Time:

It's a welcome change-of-pace from the usual strings and sleigh bells.

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

Tracks: Here are the funky grooves that made it on my Xmas playlist: Go Power At Christmas Time, Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto, Soulful Christmas, and Merry Christmas I Love You. I dig Tit For Tat (Ain't No Taking Back) but it's not very Christmas-y. However, the album is well-sequenced and has a good mix of funk and soulful ballads, so it's an pleasant listen from top-to-bottom.

The final track - the title song from the Hey America It's Christmas - was named one of the "Weirdest, Darkest Christmas Songs" by Spin Magazine in 2012. I wouldn't go so far as to place the song on such a list, but I don't really see the point in creating such a list in the first place.

Oddly, my CD only included 16 tracks instead of the 17 listed on the cover. The missing track? Track 4, Merry Christmas Baby. With cover art that bad, I shouldn't be surprised at an incomplete package. Looks like my full-retail-price CD is nothing more than a CD-R produced 'on demand' and someone at Chronicles didn't check all the boxes before burning:

Tsk tsk. For shame, Polydor. Shame on you too, Amazon, for not listing the fact that it's a CD-R. Ok, ok - rant over. Merry Christmas, everybody. And please, please, please 2021 - don't let me down.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
The CD of JB: Sex Machine & Other Soul Classics (1985)

General Public - Rub It Better (1995)

I had no idea this album even existed until I saw this CD sitting in the used bin. Sure, it was marked down from $4.99 to $3.99 then $2.99 and finally $1.99 but I threw caution to the wind (I didn't even pay $1.99 as I got it in a 3-for-$5 deal). If Dave Wakeling is involved in the songwriting there should be a fair share of hooks here. Let's spin this thing.


Produced by Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads. Hmmm. I wouldn't have put them together but who knows? It just might work.

CashBox, June 17, 1995, p. 9

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

Tracks: It's more of a Ranking Roger album than a Dave Wakeling album and I gotta admit that I enjoy almost all of Roger's contributions. Plus it's nice to hear the tones of Saxa again. I like Rainy Days (#93 pop, #40 modern rock), Handgun, and Warm Love. I also dig Friends Again, It's Weird, and Never Not Alone although none of those three sound like anything General Public or The English Beat had ever done before. Kinda-reggae-ish cuts like Big Bed simply come off like UB40 filler. Skip that one and the one-chord Punk.

Overall, it exceeded my (admittedly low) initial expectations. And even though it is "scattered" as written in the above review, this album will getting more listens.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
All The Rage (1984)

Various Artists - Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon (1995)

In which alternative rock groups cover John Lennon's solo catalog; the "classic rock" tribute album being a common occurrence in the mid-90's (see also: Two Rooms, Encomium, Common Thread, among many others).

Billboard, October 21, 1995, p. 79

Billboard liked it better than me. I'm more aligned with the AllMusic review: "the album is an incoherent jumble...an unqualified mess." It goes without saying that you should stick with Lennon's originals, but there are a couple of decent covers near the end of the disc.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #94

Tracks: My picks are from artists that don't fit the "alternative rock" designation: Cheap Trick's take on Working Class Hero, George Clinton's Mind Games, and the delicate cover of Grow Old With Me by Mary Chapin Carpenter (which may or may not have brought a tear to the eye of your humble blogger - I admit to nothing).

Song	Artist
I Found Out	Red Hot Chili Peppers
I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier	Mad Season
Steel and Glass	Candlebox
Imagine	Blues Traveler
Working Class Hero	Screaming Trees
Power to the People	The Minus 5
How Do You Sleep?	The Magnificent Bastards
Nobody Told Me	Flaming Lips
Well, Well, Well	Super 8
Cold Turkey	Cheap Trick
Jealous Guy	Collective Soul
Isolation	Sponge
Instant Karma!	Toad the Wet Sprocket
Grow Old With Me	Mary Chapin Carpenter
Mind Games	George Clinton

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None.

Various Artists - Atlantic's Year in Review: 1995 (1995)

Promotional CD

Atlantic's top money makers of 1995. And I know most all of them! I thought I stopped listening to Top 40 radio around 1993, but it looks like I was wrong (again). This is a can't miss CD to use in 2025 at any high school's 30 year reunion.

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

Tracks:

1. Only Wanna Be With You (LP Version) - Hootie & The Blowfish (#6 pop, #2 Album Rock, #22 Modern Rock, #3 Adult Contemporary). My favorite Hootie song, if that means anything.
2. December (Edit) - Collective Soul (#20 pop, #1 Album Rock, #2 Modern Rock, #14 Adult Contemporary).  Not a bad tune, I just wish singer Ed Roland had a better voice. But, hey, it was the nineties.
3. Missing (Remix Edit) - Everything But The Girl (#2 pop). Love it. I not only bought the album and the CD single, I consider the album to be one of the top ten albums of the decade.
4. I Can Love You Like That (LP Version) - All-4-One (#5 pop, #2 AC, #40 R&B). To me, this plays like a '90s update of Gregory Abbott's Shake You Down. Nice performance, though.
5. Solitude (Radio Edit) - Edwin McCain (#72 pop) No memory of hearing this in '95 and, in about 30 minutes, I'll have no memory of hearing it today.
6. Brokenhearted (Radio Edit) - Brandy (#9 pop, #2 R&B). Another one I don't remember. And I'm okay with that. However, it does make me want to listen to some Toni Braxton.
7. The Bomb (These Sounds Fall Into My Mind) (Radio Edit) - The Bucketheads (#49 pop, #1 dance). This song is the bomb. (Too easy. Apologies.) If this disco cutup tune never appeared on a Jock Jams CD, it should have. For all the samples, click here.
8. Let Her Cry (Radio Edit) - Hootie & The Blowfish (#9 pop, #9 Album Rock, #34 Modern Rock, #6 AC). Not my thing from the get-go.
9. Hold On (LP Version) - Jamie Walters (#16 pop, #9 AC). And now I remember what TV show I was watching in 1995: Beverly Hills 90210. SMH. And now I'm reminded of Jeremy Jordan's The Right Kind Of Love (which isn't half bad - if it sounds like a Robbie Nevil song, it's because it is). Wow, that took a left turn, huh?
10. Runaway (Radio Mix) - The Corrs (#68 pop, #20 AC).  Another 90210 connection (The Corrs were once the New Year's Eve headline act at The Peach Pit After Dark). Loved this tune and bought the album (produced by David Foster). Good stuff. I should get out that CD this afternoon.
11. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me (Edit) - U2 (#16 pop, #1 Album Rock, #1 Modern Rock). Haven't heard this since '95 and it's better than I remember.  Certainly better than the movie it's from.
12. Time (LP Version) - Hootie & The Blowfish (#14 pop, #3 AC). More Hootie! They seemed to be Atlantic's meal ticket in '95. This isn't a bad tune, just lyrics that are depressing as hell.
13. The World I Know (Edit) - Collective Soul (#19 pop, #31 AC). This song always had me scrambling to switch the radio station.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: In 1995, I was a stay-at-home dad and I miss every minute of that experience. I remember listening to a lot of Erasure around that time.

Various Artists - Friends (1995)

I doubt there was ever a time when I would have purchased this CD on impulse. However, this one was included in an inexpensive, large lot of CDs I recently won on eBay and has been sitting on the shelf taunting me ever since. Here's hoping it's better than the other Friends CD on my shelves.

Will "Must See TV" translate into "Must Hear CD" decades later? Let's find out:

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #41

Tracks: ("live" blog as I listen to the first time)

1. TV theme by The Rembrandts - as to be expected. Oh jeez there's dialogue from the show on this thing. And its attached to the previous track and bleeds into the next one. Bad move.
2. I Go Blind by Hootie and the Blowfish - didn't the gang go to a Hootie concert? Admittedly, this is one of the group's better songs - got some airplay but didn't crack the Hot 100. Very '90s (I may be writing that a lot within the next hour). No dialogue!
3. Good Intentions by Toad The Wet Sprocket - Nothing special about this one. I'd rather have had All I Want or Fly From Heaven, but this it's not making me want to push the ffwd button. Dialogue.
4. You'll Know You Were Loved by Lou Reed - Lou Reed contributed an original to a TV soundtrack? Go figure. Maybe he was on the show? And it's not a bad little tune. No dialogue.
5. Sexuality by k.d. lang - a fantastic, moody thing. I've liked every k.d. lang song I've ever heard and for some reason have never picked up any of her releases. I'll fix that soon. Dialogue.
6. Shoe Box by Barenaked Ladies - dadgummit, I'm liking the music on this thing more than I had thought. Another song as catchy as this and I'll hoisting the white flag. No dialogue.
7. It's A Free World Baby by R.E.M. - In which the boys from Athens unsuccessfully try to channel Peter Gabriel. I was done with this group after the Out Of Time album (pun unintentional but funny nonetheless). This song is the worst on the album yet. Dialogue.
8. Sunshine by Paul Westerberg - Alt/lo-fi cover of the Johnathan Edwards hit from 1971-72. Not terrible, but I prefer the original. No dialogue.
9. Angel Of The Morning by The Pretenders - Another cover. Basically Chrissie Hynde's vocals backed by percussion and strings with intermittent guitar. And the thing works. White flag hoisted. Dialogue.
10. In My Room by Grant Lee Buffalo - Third cover in a row. I had to look up this band because I'm unfamiliar with that name. This alternative group from Los Angeles completely ruins one of the most beautiful pop songs ever written with their guitar arrangement. I can't hate it because the writing is so good, but these guys should be punished for ruining the thing. No dialogue.
11. Big Yellow Taxi (Traffic Jam Mix) by Joni Mitchell - Same punishment for whoever remixed this classic. As with the previous track, stick with the original. Dialogue and singing from the Phoebe character (no Smelly Cat).
12. Stain Yer Blood by Paul Westerberg - The former leader of The Replacements gets two songs on this one. Very '90s, but not doing much for me. Dialogue.
13. I'll Be There For You by The Rembrandts - the full length version of the first track. This one hit #17 on the pop chart. Has a TV show theme charted since then? And because it's the '90s, there's a hidden track: the instrumental version of the show theme that usually plays over the closing credits. But the last thing we get here is more dialogue, of course.

Evidently there were sequels to this thing.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I'll admit to watching this show every week with my wife and being infatuated with Jennifer Aniston. I caught a rerun the other day and couldn't even watch ten minutes of the thing.

Mariah Carey - Daydream (1995)

"MY WIFE BOUGHT WHAT?!?" FORTNIGHT* (JULY 1-14, 2016)

Easy to see why my wife picked up this pop/R&B-lite album: the lead single/lead track Fantasy samples that great groove from Tom Tom Club's Genius Of Love. My wife isn't the only one who liked it (I do, too), but it hit #1 on the pop, dance, adult top 40, R&B, mainstream top 40, and rhythmic charts. Let's see if the rest of the album measures up. 5 singles were released from the album in the US, so I'm guessing I'll know a lot of this album. Carey has been gifted with an amazing vocal instrument - my only complaint would be her overuse of melisma, a malady that has afflicted many a singer over the past quarter century, most likely in an attempt to be Mariah or Whitney. Someone with as much control over her voice as Mariah should use it more sparingly and more effectively like Aretha. But I'm picking at nits; this is a solid album for what it is. Allmusic, which seemingly uses a 3-to-5 star rating system, gives it 4.5 stars while rateyourmusic has it at 3.17 out of 5. I'm closer to the latter than the former.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #1 (6 non-consecutive weeks)
• Billboard R&B: #1

Tracks: Overall, I likes. Fantasy is the best track; the cover of Journey's Open Arms is the worst track. Also good are Underneath The Stars, I Am Free, Melt Away, and the Daydream Interlude. Other skippable tracks are Always Be My Baby and Long Ago.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Nope.

---

*I recently unearthed a CD carry case that my wife used to carry in one or more of our three former minivans. This month, in the spirit of this blog's mission, I'll be listening to that case's contents.

Blog post #1300

The Rembrandts - L.P. (1995)

Remember that time your wife had you buy a CD because she liked a TV show theme?

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #23

Tracks: Pass.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: This is most likely the first time this CD has ever been played from start to finish. And the last.

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.

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.

Repercussions - Earth And Heaven (1995)

Japanese Import

Back in October, I posted about a CD by Raw Stylus titled Pushing Against The Flow. A faithful reader and friend o' the blog immediately responded with the recommendation of this CD so I picked up a copy of this CD and its 1997 follow-up on eBay. I was not disappointed. I've gotten to where I prefer this CD to the Raw Stylus. While the two albums are very similar (they share Gary Katz as a producer), this group's writing is much better. Instead of acid jazz, this is better described as jazz/R&B - more groove oriented than dance oriented and much more melodic. The band was a 6 piece collective from NYC closely associated with The Groove Academy. Standout performances by bassist Jonathan Maron. I was previously unfamiliar with the group, but they've got some guest artists whose names I recognize: Joe Sample, Don Grolnick, and a horn section led by the legendary Jerry Hey. That horn section gives certain songs a particular sound that reminds me of early '80s Al Jarreau (the horn section is almost identical to that on Jarreau and other West Coast classics). This album didn't sell well domestically, probably because the people at Reprise had no idea how to market this sound. Too bad, because it's good stuff.

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

Tracks:  The album is strong throughout so it's hard to pick favorites, but today I'm liking Find Your Way, Promise Me Nothing, and Keepin' It All Together. This import copy has a bonus track, Let's Do It Again, which is a pleasant surprise tacked on at the end.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, but whenever I post about a CD imported from Japan, someone usually emails me and asks if I have the obi strip (or spine card). This time, the answer is yes:

Raw Stylus - Pushing Against The Flow (1995)

Acid jazz that leans more towards funk than jazz. Indeed, in the album's introduction, the group calls themselves "Champions of Funk." That may be going a little far, but this album is fun in a '90s throwback kind of way; their sound is similar to Incognito, Down To The Bone, and, to a lesser extent, Jamiroquai. To be honest, I picked up this CD because it was produced by Gary Katz, who is best known from his production work with Steely Dan. Katz's connections enabled him to hire great backing musicians, including Bernard "The Hit Maker" Purdie, Lou Marini, Hugh McCracken, and even Steely Dan's own Donald Fagen. Some of the material isn't the greatest, but it always grooves and the vocals by Donna Gardier are fantastic throughout. Sadly, this disc was the band's only album release, although they were famous for their white label singles.

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

Tracks: My favorite track is 37 Hours (In The U.S.A.), but it's got competition for that title from Believe In Me and Cuban King Breeze. I also dig the heavy groove of Ridequake and the gospel-tinged (and oddly out-of-place) Hungry People. I usually skip Higher Love. The CD concludes with a bonus track remix of Believe In Me (E-Smoove's Essence Mix) that doesn't come close to adding anything to the original.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Various Artists - Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits (1995)

Back in the mid-'90s, somebody at a record company had the idea to stretch 45 second cartoon themes into 3 minute songs and have rock artists from the label record them. Not a great idea, but it was greenlighted nonetheless because screw art, we're here to make money. There's not much new here as the bands add absolutely nothing interesting to the themes. I generally regard myself as a nostalgic kinda guy, but bland and boring retreads isn't the way to go. Too bad; I would have loved to have heard a full-on funk version of the Fat Albert theme (I'm thinking George Clinton or maybe Prince). These days, if you want to hear Go Speed Racer Go, I suggest going over to YouTube. Evidently, a video starring Drew Barrymore was produced to accompany this compilation. I will not be seeking out that video. Ever. I will give credit where credit is due: the liner notes are fantastic.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #67

Tracks:

If I had to pick tracks to recommend, I'd go with the cover of Josie And The Pussycats by the beautiful Juliana Hatfield & Tanya Donelly and Sublime's version of Hong Kong Phooey.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: This was a gift from Scott, a close friend from high school. Before today, I probably haven't listened to it since 1995 and I'm not positive I got all the way through it then.