Coming Around Again - Happy Thursday

Sorry I missed posting yesterday but the universe just seemed to be against me.  I was having major computer issues and couldn't get the damn thing to do anything I wanted it to.  My apologees!  But I am back and the computer seems to be coming around again, so keep your fingers crossed. 

I chose today's title because when I picked up Barry's new album I also picked up Carly Simon's latest release.  It is called, Never Been Gone and it is Carly's re-imagening and re-working of some of her biggest hits and favorite songs.  I was nervous about this album because, quite frankly, why mess with perfection right?  Well, she and her son Ben Taylor, sat down, planned things out and created an amazing album. I never thought You're So Vain or That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be could be better than the originals but man, she comes damn close to topping herself.  The album is fresh and quirky and as original as she is.  Do yourselves a favor and pick this one up!

As for yesterday's missing 10 Tunes, I will make that up as the week goes on so we can stay on track here but for now, it is Thursday and we do have that Bonus song thing going on!

So, here are Today's 11 Tunes....Another great mixed bag with one song I am not sure that I even remember! Here they are folks.

(click here to listen to clips of these songs)

1.  Kyrie - Mr. Mister 4:10 (RCA Records) Purple translucent vinyl folks!!  Woohoo!  Geek Alert!  Geek Alert! Gary O. Geek?  Party of one? Yes Sir, that would be me!  This song means absolutely nothing but who cares.  They even printed out the lyrics to this song on the back of the sleeve. "My body burns a gem-like flame/somewhere between the soul and soft machine" HUH?  WHA?  It still means nothing. Well, I am sure it has great meanig to the writers, but its meaning is lost on me.  But man oh man, what a great sound!  The lead singer has such a great and interesting voice and the pounding drums and synths.... perfect, especially when one would possibly mix this with the translucent blue single of Starship's Sara, just sayin'!

2.  Stayin' Alive - Bee Gees 3:29 (RSO Records) Ahh The Bee Gees!  Saturday Night Fever being filmed in our old hood, Bay Ridge, brings back such amazing memories.  I can remember seeing a film crew outside of Fisherman's Corner on 4th Ave and being fascinated!! The Bee Gees truly created a sensation with this new sound.  I hate the expression "It took the world by storm" but it really did.  They were everywhere and the whole SNF look was everywhere!  Listening to it again now, it really was a great sound, but not one I would want to hear over and over again.  I think this is part nostalgia making me enjoy this so much right now! (the pressing of this single is weird and has a fuzz sound going through it.  Maybe his voice was too high to capture on vinyl?)

3.  I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love - Rita Coolidge 3:28 (A&M Records) Oh such a beautiful song! Heartbreaking but beautiful. It was written by Carole Bayer-Sager and Peter Allen, which would account for much of the greatness of the song but it is Rita Coolidge's simple, almost conversational approach that really hit home for me.  "I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love/while I still believe/the meaning of the word"  Get out before it gets ugly Rita!!  Schmart lady!

4.  Bang The Drum All Day - Todd Rundgren 3:32 (Bearsville Records) Sorry, Rita, I needs to do me some chair dancin'!  You should too sweety, you'll feel better. Oh yeh!!!!!  Another song that just hits you in the face with happy as soon as it starts!  The combination of Todd Rundgren's rough, rockin' voice against the Jamaican sounds and back-up singers is amazing!  LOVE that bass line in the break! "I can bang that suckah" And let's be honest, who hasn't wanted to bang their bosses head like a drum?  Such a good happy song!!!

I hate to do this to you but you may want to get some Kleenex ready for the next 2 songs!  Just sayin'.

5.  Rocky - Austin Roberts 3:34 (Private Stock Records) Here is another tragic story song folks and another one that was on a K-Tel Album. Crap!  I remember every word of this song! Basically, here is a young couple that "got it on together in such a super way" and she is unsure of everything.  Rocky, I've never been in love before! Rocky, I've never had a baby before! And ultimately, Rocky, I've never had to die before (duh)! The music to this song is ironically very happy, bouncy and has great guitar work going on with a minimal amount of tragic violin work (and thankfully, no choir of angels)! I love this song and I love the way the lyric turns around to her guiding him when he is unsure.  NEXT......

6. Cat's In The Cradle - Harry Chapin 3:29 (Elektra Records) Absolutely timeless song that always gets me choked up! Harry Chapin was one of the greatest story-tellers of all time, whose time was also cut way too short. I really don't know what to say about this song.  It is perfect and Harry really encapsulated a sad but true "circle of life" story here.

7.  Gold - Spandau Ballet 3:54 (Chrysalis Records) Boy this song starts off kinda creepy! Listen to the synth line behind these GOLDen lines..."Thank you for coming home/I'm sorry the chairs are all worn/I left them there I could have sworn/These are my salad days" Thank gawd he mentioned his salad days cause now it all makes sense! (Dave is here with me for these last few songs.  Everybody say "HI DAAAVE!"  He says, "Hi and save your strength"!) We love this guys voice, right?  D: Oh yeh! Dave wants to know if he is still talking about the chairs being "indestructable".  G: Um, I believe he said "Indestructabow"!  Dave?  Dave? Get off the floor! (He is laughing really hard, I didn't push him if that's what you're thinking!) So, does "soul" really rhyme with "Gold"?  Just curious?  It is a great sounding song, non-the-less!  Moving on.....

8.  The Politics Of Dancing - Re-Flex 3:55 (Capitol Records) G: I love the sound of this song!!! D:  Me too but it is sooo stupid! G: Um, was "Gold" Mensa worthy? Ok, we are trying desperately to figure out what this song means.  We have politicians on the airwaves, "station to station", spreading their message to the dance floors.  You can't stop it when it starts to play. D: I'm sure it has some deep meaning. G: And you can dance to it!  We both agree that there is some great drum programming going on in this song!

9.  The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em) - Greg Kihn Band 2:50 (Beserkley Records) Tandom Chair Dancing!!!  (Jealous?) G: I love, love, love this song! D: They just don't write em like that anymore?  Amen.  Look at the titles above!  How long do you think it took them to write the "unnn-uh-unnn-un-un-un-unnn-un"s?  G: Who do you think signed off on that?  D: the whole Greg Rockihnroll Band, of course.  G: Ok, the best hook in the song is the "No they don't.  No no!" at the fade! 

Ok, folks, you really should be here.  Somehow we just broke out in the Libbys jingle.  Remember that?  "If you have Libbys Libbys Libbys on the label label label, you will like it like it like it on your......"  Ok, now that we have lodged that song in your heads....we will move on!  Here is the song that I am not sure I even remember. 

10.  You Can't Change That - Raydio 3:17 (Arista Records) Oh OF COURSE I remember this song! (NOW I hit Dave off the chair) D: Good Lawd.  Is that a long chorus or is it just me? G: No, it's not just you.  It is way too long.  And I remember now why I have forgotten this song!  Now, how many people can say they remembered why they forgot something! (singing softly to myself - Libbys Libbys Libbys on the label label label)  Sorry, that was more interesting than this song!  D: This song is not even good bubblegum.  It is like "The New Bubblegum", you know like "The New Coke"? Horrible.  I mean, gleen from my comment what I said. G: "you will like it like it like it on your table table table"  Oh, I'm sorry.  Were you talking, Dave?

Here's the bonus song!!!  Drum roll.  Dave?  Dave?  You can stop now.  STOP! thank you

11.  Does Your Mother Know - AbbA 3:13 (Atlantic Records) Man, I love the beginning of this song!!!  I love all the stuff that is going on in the background of this song, too! D: I know! That is true of alot of their songs. Especially at the time, when people were not going that far.  It was amazing!  G: I also love that this is one of the only hits singles that the guys sang the lead! I think AbbA was so far ahead of their time! D: Yes they were!

Well, that went by way too fast!!!  I had such a fun day today.  Got to see some of my favorite people and spend some quality time with them.  Dave, naturally, Scott came over for a little while and then Dave and I went out to eat and surprised Mom at line dancing!  A very fun day! Dave would like to have the last word?  (Like I don't already knowthe answer to that question.  Ha) D: Word!