Sunday, September 23, 2018

The Year In Music 2017: My Mix CD Selections & Review


Year In Music 2017 (Disc 1 of 2)

(By Richard Goodman, April & September 2018)


Fats Domino -Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except for Me And My Monkey

As you may have heard, Fats Domino died this year.  The week that it happened, I heard a few of his songs played on the radio.  Not a lot unfortunately, but a few, and the one I liked most was one I had never heard before.  It was this cover of a Beatles tune that honored the Beatles arrangements but still managed to sound entirely like Fats Domino.  I like the enthusiasm of the piano playing and how lively the whole record sounds.  I don’t know why this didn’t become a hit.


Grass Roots - I'm Living For You Girl

One of my travel agents forwarded me an email from a client and in the client‘s signature box was a link to a blogsite of his.  Just in case I ever needed to converse with that client, I decided to check out his blog since it was about music.  One of the posts was a group of studio musicians known as “The Wrecking Crew”.  I’d heard the name but didn’t know much about them so I decided to watch the documentary mentioned in the post.  The documentary was mind-blowing because it explained so much to me about why I liked some of the diverse stuff I liked.  It was because the same group of musicians was used as the backing band for all these great songs. 

The studio musicians used on the Simon & Garfunkel album “Bridge Of Troubled Water” played on the Beach Boys “Pet Sounds” and on songs like "The Lonely Bull" - Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, "He's a Rebel" - The Crystals, "Be My Baby" - The Ronettes, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" - The Righteous Brothers, "Mr. Tambourine Man" - The Byrds, "Monday Monday" - The Mamas & the Papas, "Never My Love" - The Association, "Up, Up and Away" - The 5th Dimension, "The Beat Goes On" - Sonny & Cher, "(They Long to Be) Close to You" - The Carpenters, "I Think I Love You" - The Partridge Family, and so on.  That is just a very tiny sample of the songs they played on.  The list goes into the hundreds of songs.  Heck, just one of the drummers in the group, Hal Blaine, played on seven consecutive “Record Of the Year” Grammy winners.  This group of studio pros is the connecting link between all the different 1960’s and early 1970’s songs I liked as I was growing up (and still like today.)  I just came across this forgotten track by the Grass Roots as I was re-listening to their stuff once I learned that The Wrecking Crew also played on their big hits. This song was not a hit and I’d never heard it before, but I love the drive and energy of it and it is a solid as their more well-known songs.


The Killers - The Man

This song is brash, and bold, and braggadocios but has a knowing wink.  They aren’t really as boastful as the character in this song but ironically, the song is so entertaining that it justifies the hubris.


Arcade Fire - Everything Now

I loved Arcade Fire’s “The Suburbs” album so much that I’ve gotten all their other stuff but unfortunately that was their peak.  The last two albums have been okay, but only one or two songs cut through the clutter and stay lodged in my brain.  I might have to start cherry-picking songs from them instead of buying whole albums in the future. 


Shania Twain - Life's About To Get Good

When I heard that Shania’s husband, Robert “Mutt” Lange, had cheated on her and was having an affair with her friend’s wife, I was sad and worried for several reasons.  Why would someone cheat on Shania, an incredibly beautiful woman, and by all accounts a good person?  What is that going to do to her career, since Lange was essential to her signature sound?  Would she start writing sad breakup songs now?  Would this delay her next album?  It turns out that yes, we would have to wait 15 years for Shania to release a new album, and it lacks the bite and catchiness of her previous work, and it has many sad breakup songs.  She eventually found love again, and talks about that long, frustrating search in this song and several others so I feel bad saying that I was very underwhelmed by the album.  I hope this song is an indication that her new songs were just a first tentative step back into the game and she will find her musical footing again and puts out more classics instead of dull, mid-tempo breakup tunes like the other songs on the new album. 


Rod Stewart - Please

This is another sob story album that I bought out of pity.  Rod has talked about having writer’s block for a decade, which explains all those Great American Songbook covers albums he did.  He just recently started writing again and the album got some good reviews so I decided to try it, since I have liked several of his albums.  Overall, it was a decent effort, a promising fresh start.  I pick this song for my 2017 mix CD because it is a solid, catchy tunes and because it has that bonkers scream in the middle of it – “Ppplllleeeeaaasssee!!!”  So bizarre to just drop that in a song, but I have to respect his passion so Rod makes it through the first cut here.  (And the two references to other Rod Stewart songs in that sentence were intentional.)


Jaime Nair - Sob O Mar

Just a lovely, soothing song I heard while scanning through channels on SiriusXM.


Jack Nitzsche - The Lonely Surfer

This is another song the showcases The Wrecking Crew.  The composer brought them all in to play on his song and I think it is an offbeat instrumental that draws you into the groove and evokes a trippy 1960’s vibe.  I got the 4-CD soundtrack to the documentary partially because of this song, partially because I wanted hear the bass part on Sonny & Cher’s “The Beat Goes On”, partially because I wanted good sounding recordings of some songs I already had on cheap sounding compilations, and also because I was unfamiliar with some of the songs and thought I might find some hidden gems, which I did.


Chris Isaak - Reverie

It has been awhile since Isaak put out anything, but he always does solid work so I got this album.  What I like best about his stuff are the little side bits that aren’t an essential part of the song but are what elevate the song from ordinary to unique.  Like on this one, the song is okay but his vocal phrasing on the chorus is what makes it distinctive to me.


Weezer - Happy Hour

Weezer has been trying to make another great album ever since Maladroit, back in 2004.  Sometimes they will get three or four really good songs at once but never quite enough for a cohesive, stellar album.  The closest they have come is with the “Red” album, Death to False Metal, and this one here (Pacific Daydream).  This is one of the better songs on the album, along with the wonderful “Beach Boys”, “Feels Like Summer” and “QB Blitz”, so if you like it then it may be time to give Weezer another try after their long run of bad albums.


Tears For Fears - I Love You But I'm Lost

T.F.F. is a group I didn’t “LOVE” initially.  I liked them in the 1980’s but mostly just the singles and not even all of them- for instance I don’t like Woman In Chains or The Working Hour or I Believe.  They were a big whiney in my opinion although I bought the greatest hits album mostly because I loved the song Sowing The Seeds Of Love.  About ten years ago, every few months I would hear the song Everybody Wants To Rule The World and it just struck me as a perfect song- it immediately puts me in a lazy, nostalgic mood where everything feels okay and there are no worries and the there is nothing I would want to change about the song or the feelings it evokes.  It has become one of my ten all-time favorite songs.  Over time, as that song and their other big hits kept getting airplay I grew to appreciate them more and started buying the individual albums and more often than not enjoyed just listening to the whole album and not worrying about the hits.  I got all the albums that no one else bought, like Elemental, Raoul And The Kings Of Spain, Everyone Loves A Happy Ending, even Roland Orzabal’s solo album Tomcats Screaming Outside.  Each one had several songs that created a mood and vibe that resonated with me and I would play the albums regularly.  They have now become one of my favorite bands even though I wouldn’t have said that about them in their heyday.  A new greatest hits compilation came out and included two new songs and this is one of the two songs and is the most “Tears For Fears’-y of the two.  Supposedly, there will eventually be another new album so that is something to look forward to but in the meantime, I can keep going back to my two favorites- Songs From The Big Chair and Everyone Loves A Happy Ending


The xx - Dangerous

This trio started out great with a low-key atmospheric sound that was somehow hooky and catchy as well.  Their next album, and the solo album Jamie XX lost the groove and were mostly just ambient background noise.  Their third album got back on track with a couple of nice numbers, particularly this one, and the lead single On Hold.


Charlie Puth - Attention

I just loved the bass sound and thought it had a great groove.


Styx - The Outpost

It has been 14 years since Styx put out an album of original material.  Part of the reason for that is because they kicked out founding member, de facto leader and primary songwriter Dennis DeYoung because they didn’t want him deciding what the band would do and disliked the more pop and Broadway tendencies of his songs because they wanted to be a Rock, with a capital “R”, band.  They weren’t happy that he kept wanting them to do concept albums like “Brave New World” and “Kilroy Was Here” so they booted him.  Once they ditched their main songwriter/lead singer/producer/keyboardist, they had a hard time writing new material and were too busy opening up for REO Speedwagon and Journey and playing at state fairs to go into the studio.  Eventually, they buckled down and teamed up with a songwriter for hire to create their new album The Mission, which is, um, a concept album about a trip to Mars that features pop-leaning songs about space exploration.  So how exactly is this different from the type of stuff Dennis DeYoung was doing?  Many of the songs are pretty good- they hired a good hired gun songwriter but they could have stuck with Dennis DeYoung and saved a lot of wasted time.


Ambrosia - Rock N' A Hard Place

Unlike some people, I have not been using Spotify mainly to look for new music and repeat play my old favorites.  I have been using it to explore unfamiliar old stuff from bands I never really paid attention to the first time around.  As a kid in the 1970’s and 1980’s, I was listening to radio and heard lots of hit songs but being a kid I didn’t have lots of disposable income to spend on full-albums from now-forgotten artists like Rupert Holmes (Escape: The Pina Colada Song), Walter Egan (Magnet And Steel), Seals & Croft, Thompson Twins, Flock Of Seagulls, Firefall, The Alarm, and this band.  Now that Spotify basically makes it free for me to test out a bunch of different things without throwing away money on a potentially bad album, I’m going back to artists that had hit singles I liked but whose full albums I had never heard before.  You may know Ambrosia from their big soft rock hits Biggest Part Of Me, How Much I Feel, and You’re The Only Woman.  I forget why I decided to give them a listen, but once I did I was surprised to found out that 1) They started as a progressive rock band, 2) Those “yacht rock” hits were the exceptions on their albums and didn’t sound like the other stuff, and 3) They had a lot of great songs I had never heard before.  I picked this one as a more representative song of theirs than the ones you may be familiar with.


Tennis - Ladies Don't Play Guitar

I know a lady who is learning guitar so the title caught my attention and since I kinda like the band, I got this song.  The title is ironic by the way.


Washed Out - Feel It All Around (Portlandia theme)

Now that the often excellent TV series Portlandia is ending, I wanted to be able to hear the moody, sorrowful, offbeat theme song whenever I wanted so that is why it is on my list this year. 


Spoon - Shotgun

Similar to what I wrote about Tears For Fears, Spoon has crept up on me and is now a favorite band.  This is a typically spiky, catchy song from their most recent album.


U2 - The Blackout

I go through periods of loving U2 and thinking they are over-rated and too self-important.  Their last album leaned towards over-rated but this song, and a couple others, were welcome detours towards “good U2”.  I’ve also started appreciating some of the smaller flourishes, like a guitar riff or a vocal twist, that they put on various songs even though I still might not be wild about the overall song itself.  This song has a nice funky bass riff that naturally flows into the next selection on my 2017 CD which is….


Bootsy Collins - Hot Saucer (w/ Musiq Soulchild)

You might not know it but I really like funk, in the vein of Prince, George Clinton, Cameo, etc…  Bootsy used to be in Parliament Funkadelic but lately has kept busy with his solo stuff since P-Funk has been inactive for a while.  He put out a really good album last year where he collaborated with various singers, musicians and writers who complemented his own playing, singing and writing.  This is a typical bonkers Bootsy song.

           

Year In Music 2017 (Disc 2 of 2)


Queens Of The Stone Age - Feet Don't Fail Me

I think Mark Ronson is a great producer and has brought out the best in artists like Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Bruno Mars, and now hard rock outfit Queens Of the Stone Age.  Ronson also co-writes songs as well as producing them, so he is more like a collaborator than a producer, kind of like what Danger Mouse does.  The partnership worked since I like this album more than any other QOTSA albums I’ve heard.  I’m hoping that the rumour that he is working with Miley Cyrus either doesn’t pan out or else he helps her create her best album ever because I don’t want him wasting his talents creating mediocrity. 


The Revivalists - Wish I Knew You

I heard this on Sirius XM and liked it.  Nothing else on the album jumped out at me but this song is solid.


Alice Merton - No Roots

Also from Sirius XM- it has a unique song that made me stop on it when I was scanning through channels.  She only has an EP out with this great song, another really good one and two other okay tracks.  I’m hoping this coming year brings a full-length from her.


The Fortunes - Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again

This is an old song but is one of those that I love every time I hear it and just want to plat it on repeat.  I’m including it because some people may not have heard it and it would be a shame to deprive them of that pleasure.


Gary Numan - My Name Is Ruin

I debated putting this song on the mix CD because it is a bit of an abrasive style and has a long running time but I like the sound it creates and not everything is a happy feel good song.  Plus, when is the last time you heard a new Gary Numan song?  Speaking of which, I might have to go explore his back catalog next on Spotify – prior to his new album I’d only heard his single Cars and never a whole album.


First Aid Kit - My Silver Lining

I first heard this a couple years ago and loved the haunting vocal sound.  I listen to it occasionally and when I checked to see which year’s mix CD I had put it on, I was surprised to see that I hadn’t put it on any so I’m rectifying that now.  


Shakespears Sister - Hot Room

When Siobhan Fahey left Bananarama, she created this short-lived but stellar duo/group.  They put out two fantastic albums before breaking up.  12 years later, Fahey released the album that she had been working on before the dissolution of the group.  It was interesting- it had both some forward looking songs and some songs that fit in with prior work.  Then nine years ago and seven years ago, she released two more albums under the Shakespears Sister moniker.  Both of those were good, but still nothing like the first two albums.  This song is from the fourth album.


Juliana Hatfield – Rhinoceros

Juliana thought she was done with music because she was running out of ideas she wanted to pursue.  Then something happened that pissed her off so much that an entire album (Pussycat) just flowed out of her in response.  Not only did she come back with new music that ranks among her best, but she has since put out another album, a covers album of Olivia Newton John Songs as an antidote to the anger and loudness of Pussycat, and is working on more original material.  I’m very glad that she got pissed off!  What caused her to get mad?  That would be Donald Trump’s election and his behavior in office.  If you are a Trump fan though, you can still enjoy the album- she never addresses him by name or position.  Most references are oblique, such as “Short Fingered Man”, “When You’re A Star”, “Kellyanne” and “Heartless”.  The closest she comes to directness is this song, which has so many clues that you know it is about our current president.  It is also the most brutal song on the album.  Unlike The Hulk, I like her when she is angry.


Bleachers - Don't Take the Money

Heard on Sirius XM and loved it.  Nothing else on the album was equal to this song though. 


Fleetwood Mac - Ooh My Love

I’ve always loved Fleetwood Mac, mostly because of Lindsey Buckingham (and also Bob Welch in their earlier incarnation) so when they released a deluxe edition of the Tango In The Night, I had to get it because of all the rare and unreleased material.  This song was one of those unreleased extras but I like it better than some of the songs on the album.  If Seven Wonders was a single, then this song should have been too.


Kylie Minogue - Nothing Can Stop Us

Gotta have a Kylie song.  I love the little tweeting riff here and everything she does is exemplary.  Except for her most recent album, but that is a 2018 mix CD discussion.


Ennio Morricone - A Fistful Of Dynamite

In 2017 I was listening to instrumentals quite a bit.  I went through a lot of back catalog stuff for Henry Mancini and Ennio Morricone and found some great stuff.  I think what was appealing to me was the craftmanship of the songs and how they relied on great musicians and great melodies instead of auto-tune and studio tricks to turn a dull beat into a hit.  This is a good one that I wanted to share from Morricone since I shared a Mancini one last year.


Robert Plant - Carry Fire

Every time Robert Plant puts out an album, I get excited.  He has a great track record as a solo artist.  There is always something to recommend from them and many of the albums are brilliant.  He is also a favorite artist of mine without even considering his Led Zeppelin stuff in the conversation.  This was one of his weaker entries but that still makes it better than most artists best stuff.  This is the title song for the album.


Randy Newman - Putin

When he played this on Saturday Night Live, I got a kick out of it and just had to get it.  It’s a nice companion to his 1970’s song “Short People”.


Juliana Hatfield - I Wanna Be Your Disease

Another track from her Pussycat album.  I told you I really liked the album!


Paul McCartney - Figure Of Eight

This is one of my favorite songs on a favorite McCartney album.  A reissue came out this year and I’m including this song since I wasn’t doing a CD when this album came out.  Heck- I was still in college at the time!


Paul Young - Slipped, Tripped And Fell In Love

I also listened to old Paul Young albums on Spotify but unlike Ambrosia, Young was correctly evaluated and correctly recognized during his period of fame.  There isn’t anything great but undiscovered on his old albums.  However, he put out a really good new album a couple of years ago.  There are four or five really good tracks that are worth a listen.  This one is my favorite.


Charlatans - Different Days

Just a good song from a journeyman band.


Lindsey Buckingham & Christine McVie - In My World

Linsey Buckingham and Christine McVie started writing songs for a new Fleetwood Mac album but when Stevie Nicks declined to participate in contributing any songs or vocals since she was too busy on her solo tour, they went ahead and released it as a duo album called Buckingham / McVie.  It just happened to include the other members of Fleetwood Mac, aside from Nicks, on bass and drums so really this was a Fleetwood Mac but wasn’t called that in deference to Nicks since she hadn’t participated.  If only they had known how 2018 would turn out, the duo might not have picked a title that poked a little fun at Stevie Nicks’ expense by referencing the Buckingham / Nicks album that the couple recorded before joining Fleetwood Mac.  I’m still flabbergasted at the unnecessary coup that happened in Fleetwood Mac as a result, but again- that is a 2018 CD discussion.  Let’s leave 2017 with this innocent, optimistic fun song and pretend that 2018 won’t happen. 




My Favorite Albums Of 2017               

1              Juliana Hatfield: Pussycat

2              Lindsey Buckingham & Christine McVie: Buckingham / McVie

3              Dennis DeYoung: One Hundred Years From Now

4              Wrecking Crew performers: Wrecking Crew, The

5              Dandy Warhols: The Black Album & Come On Feel…

6              Pixies: Doolittle: 25 (Deluxe Reissue)

7              Chris Rea: Still So Far To Go: Best Of Chris Rea

8              Fleetwood Mac: Tango In the Night (Deluxe Edition)

9              Spoon: Hot Thoughts

10           Queens Of the Stone Age: Villains

11           Bootsy Collins: World Wide Funk

12           Ambrosia: One Eighty

13           Shakespeare's Sister: Songs From The Red Room

14           Weezer: Pacific Daydream

15           Chris Isaak: First Comes The Night

16           Sheryl Crow: Be Myself

17           Paul Young: Good Things

18           Styx: The Mission

19           Animotion: Raise Your Expectations

20           U2: Songs Of Experience (Deluxe Edition)

21           Grass Roots: Leaving It All Behind

22           Shakespeare's Sister: Cosmic Dancer

23           Ambrosia: Ambrosia

24           America: Back Pages

25           Ennio Morricone: Collected


The 10 Most Disappointing Albums Of 2017

1              Ray Davies: Americana

2              Billy Squier: Signs Of Life

3              Poco: Blue & Gray

4              Gorillaz: Humanz

5              Aimee Mann: Mental Illness

6              Justin Hayward: Songwriter

7              Barry Gibb: In The Now

8              Donnas, The: Spend The Night

9              Demi Lovato: Tell Me You Love Me

10           Killers, The: Wonderful Wonderful