I was an early fan of the 1984 cult classic Streets of Fire with music by Jim Steinman, Ry Cooder, Bob Seger, Tom Petty, and Stevie Nicks. Also this catchy tune that Dan Hartman wrote for Hall & Oates but ended up recording himself. I don't care for the Hall & Oates update they did in the aughts, but I found this version from the ultimate Australian cover band that I kind of like.
(2 votes, average: 7.00 out of 10)
Loading... Metallica showing Elton and Bernie some heavy metal love at the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song concert. The original is great rock and roll, but this version puts a real hard edge on an old saw.
(4 votes, average: 8.25 out of 10)Loading... It was 1972 and I was almost 13 years old and my best friend and I talked the lady selling tickets at the movie theater into letting us in for an afternoon showing of the new James Bond movie with Sean Connery back playing 007 again. I'll admit that Jill St. John (Tiffany Case) and Lana Wood (Plenty O'Toole) made quite an impression on my adolescent self. So I have fond memories of this particular Bond theme, originally sung by the great Shirley Bassey with notes and melody and stuff by John Barry, lyrics by Don Black
(1 votes, average: 8.00 out of 10)Loading... Sure, the original by Waylon Jennings is canon, but these guys nearly do it justice.
(3 votes, average: 8.33 out of 10)Loading... Looking Glass scored a number one hit in the US and UK with this old favorite back in 1972. I remember it was on the radio quite a lot that summer. I like this update from 2020.
(4 votes, average: 8.50 out of 10)Loading... Happy Monday. Here's a new take on an all-time favorite of mine by John Hartford. Enjoy your work week, citizens. And don't forget, taxes are the price of living in a civilized society.
(1 votes, average: 7.00 out of 10)Loading... It was an unusually strong year for music. Several new (to me) artists that quickly became favorites, as well as a number of excellent releases from artists I already dug. Some years it’s tough to come up with a top 10. This year the competition was fierce and some really fine music was relegated to the honorable mentions.
Best of 2023 (in order)
Wednesday Rat Saw God. Album of the year. Great from start to finish. Also picked up all their earlier releases after realizing that Rat Saw God was their fourth album—-all of them terrific, I might add. Throw in Lenderman’s solo stuff and these youngsters from Asheville, NC were far and away my most listened to act(s) of 2023.
Hotline TNT Cartwheel. Plays like a classic from the first wave of shoegaze, yet completely contemporary. A heavy Ride influence with some Swervedriver and a pinch of Sugar thrown in for good measure. Fantastic album.
Squirrel Flower Tomorrow’s Fire. Muscular, brooding indie rock from Chicago transplant Ella Williams. (fwiw, Jake Lenderman plays in her studio band for Tomorrow's Fire, so you know the guitars are on point.)
Laurel Halo Atlas. Instrumental music that is simultaneously dreamy, yet slightly disorienting. Found it to be a great soundtrack for both painting and cooking. She is a frequent collaborator with Bootsy favorite Julia Holter.
Blonde Redhead Sit Down for Dinner. After nearly a decade on the sidelines, BRH return with a lovely, mellow release that grows and grows with repeated listens.
dusk Glass Pastures. Alt-country band from 'Sconi with more than a little late-60’s San Fran, rough-neck/hippy vibe. (Think Moby Grape, right down to the 3 guitar attack and multiple lead vocalists.)
MJ Lenderman and The Wind Live and Loose. Jake Lenderman and his crackerjack band blaze through 14 originals and close with a fabulous cover of “Long Black Veil.” Dude is only 24 years old. He is definitely one to watch.
Deerhoof Miracle Level. What can I say? These guys continue to deliver the goods. Entirely sung in Japanese.
Cory Hanson Western Cum. Like Foxygen covering the Eagles. lol Seriously, an axe-wielding tour de force from the Wand dude. Ridiculously horrible album title, though. (shout-out to Zach for turning me onto Pale Horse Rider a few years back in these same year-end best of's.)
Angel Olsen Forever Means EP. Two of the four songs rate amongst her finest work. I’m on board for whatever Angel wants to do
Honorable Mentions (in no particular order)
Ratboys The Window
Lana Del Rey Did You Know There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd?
Sufjan Stevens Javelin
Slow Pulp Yard
Mitski The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We
Feist Multitudes
feeble little horse Girl with Fish
(2 votes, average: 9.00 out of 10)Loading... Some Girls was probably the last great Rolling Stones album and being the Stones, it had a mix of standard rock, disco, and even punk with the song Shattered. This version absolutely rocks and really shows how much of a showman Jaggar was and that the Stones could still throw down. There’s a lot of crappy, drug addled live versions of this song (including on SNL which I remember watching) from this time period but this performance is sublime, I’m glad I found it.
That's a wrap on 1978, or at least a taste. Hope you all enjoyed.
(2 votes, average: 9.50 out of 10)Loading... Elvis Costello’s second album This Year’s Model and I’ve probably listened to this album more than any other (or close to Abbey Road and Bee Thousand). Pump it Up has a definite punk sensibility and showed that one can still rock out with an organ. I could have chosen from a dozen great live versions of this song.
(3 votes, average: 10.00 out of 10)Loading... The Police brought a reggae vibe to unabashedly punk songs and caused quite the stir. Maybe the genesis of the upcoming secondary ska second wave? But The Police were also influenced by rock and have a very 70s rock jam at the end of this song.
(2 votes, average: 8.50 out of 10)Loading...