Songs like this make me crazy. It’s only 3 minutes long. I wish it was at least twice that. The title cut of their second album defines The Police at their best. The playing is immaculate, with each member shining equally. And, it proves that there was only one band like The Police – instantly identifiable, especially with Stewart Copeland’s phenomenal opening. That’s not to say that Sting and Andy Summers don’t deliver the goods. In fact, it is such a team effort, it’s one of the very few Police songs with all three members getting a writing credit. It even won a Grammy® for “Best Rock Instrumental Performance.” It’s pretty close to perfection. If only they hadn’t faded it so darn early…
Rocking it up today is Triumph.The Canadian rockers give you “Lay It On The Line” and that’s what the power trio does.Known for the incendiary guitar of Rik Emmett, the incredibly melodic harmonies and the hard rocking rhythm section of Mike Levine and Gil Moore, Triumph has given us all that throughout their career.This is just one of many great tunes from their catalog that get us through our days.Thanks Triumph!
With Jerry Brown back in the political scene, it’s time to revisit this controversial Dead Kennedys track. He is referenced in the opening line here, “I’m Governor Jerry Brown,“ though it’s far from an endorsement. 1979 was a great year for California punk. Dead Kennedy’s lead singer Jello Biafra ran for S.F. mayor that same year. “California Uber Alles” was actually the band’s first single and a early example of the menacing sound that the Dead Kennedys would popularize over the next few years.
Following up their mega-hit eponymous debut, The Cars struck back in 1979 with the Roy Thomas Baker produced Candy-O.While “Let’s Go” and “Dangerous Type” were more present on radio at the time, the title track remains a favorite and is something that always puts this writer in a good mood.
Jazz guitarist, vocalist, and Washington D.C. icon Chuck Brown is commonly referred to as the “Godfather of Go-go”.For those unfamiliar with this genre that was given birth in our nation’s capitol, Go-go is a blend of funk and soul driven by heavy percussion and shuffle syncopation. Brown’s music has influenced artists such as Jill Scott, Amerie, and Wale, to name a few, and his song “Bustin’ Loose” was sampled by rap star Nelly for his chart topping smash hit “Hot in Herre” in early 2002.Although Brown never fully realized mainstream success, he attained local legend status in his neck of the woods, so whether it’s old or new to you, we now invite you to get up and groove to the sound of DMV (D.C., Maryland, and Virginia).
Tusk was not exactly the album the public expected. Its first single (the title cut) was about as far away from their previous one (“You Make Loving Fun”) as you could get. History has proven Tusk to be the gem it always was, and while it’s largely known for being Lindsey’s amusement park, it isn’t like the other 4 band members were just carnies. Christine McVie’s “Over And Over” starts the record off with a whisper, but – as you know – a whisper can be much more powerful than a scream. It builds like the first hill of a roller coaster. Taking you up – safely, slowly, but surely. After Mick’s fill around the 4:00 mark, you close your eyes, smile, raise your hands and anxiously await the twists and turns to come. And, it’s a hell of a ride. Happy 30th Anniversary to a great album.
This month marks the 30th anniversary of Leeds quartet Gang Of Four’s sea-changing debut, Entertainment! In just under 40 minutes, the band declared their political and transformative post-punk statement, which was thought-provoking yet herky-jerky danceable (and that’s the way a lot of us liked it then). Not only were they one of the first band of white guys to dose their punk with funk and reggae, but they were also responsible for many a young iconoclast finding refuge in the bass guitar. The album is just as of-the-moment as it ever was. Check out Track 3.
Among the most distinctive groups to emerge from the disco era, Chic made music that was as sophisticated as it was danceable. Risqué, released 30 years ago today, is arguably Chic’s peak; its massive hit, “Good Times,” made Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers (the band’s bassist and guitarist, respectively) the hottest producers in pop. The third single from that album, “My Feet Keep Dancing,” is a textbook example of their craft. It’s got the steady rhythm and exuberant chorus needed to keep clubgoers gyrating for six minutes, but there are also weirder elements mixed in that reward a closer listen. The staccato strings that keep the beat add a tension that’s manifest in the verse—these aren’t exactly “happy feet”; the singer sounds like she had a tough time growing up. And this has got to be the only record to make the Billboard chart with a tap dance solo in it (by Fayard Nicholas of the renown Nicholas Brothers).
As were many of the groups that populated the storied Factory Records imprint, The Distractions hailed from Manchester, England, an outpost of urban blight that stood, in the late 1970s, at the edge of a cultural revolution. “Time Goes By So Slow,” one of the first Factory singles, hints at what was to come: the spiky guitars and hollow synth tones presage hundreds of U.K. indie bands to follow, though the earnest vocal work as singer Mike Finney pines over a lost love remains closer to traditional ’70s rock than the art school anomie with which the label would soon become associated. But like all the best Factory sides, it’s the tension between such strange musical bedfellows that makes the record work so well.
“Love will get you like a case of anthrax, and that’s something I don’t want to catch.” This refreshing sentiment was voiced by the Gang Of Four in 1978, a bracing corrective to the nauseating overabundance of syrupy love songs. In “Damaged Goods” they had compared love to a soul-destroying product; here they went a step further, likening it to a lethal disease. Rarely has sociological rigor been harnessed to such a combustible musical dynamic: The spare, cold-blooded rhythm section is quickly wiped away by a cruel onslaught of scraping, slashing feedback, while the singer chants his heartless message, and a deadpan voice in the background muses upon the curious dominance of romantic subject matter in popular song. Unfortunately, it didn’t have much effect, and thousands more lazy, uninspired love songs have been forced upon us since then.
Along with love and winning Lotto numbers, the greatest gift we can bestow upon others is our time. Face time. Quality time. “We had THE BEST time!” The company we keep defines us, as it has for Rickie Lee Jones. Days spent sharing her soul with Tom Waits and Chuck E. Weiss lead to Rickie’s 1979 debut, a captivating introduction to her streetwise witnessing with that remarkable voice. “Company” works on many levels: As a parting between friends, an eloquent requiem, and certainly as a glowing torch. Music writer Tom Moon said Rickie’s music has “brought blue notes to the brink of tears.” It’s a thought as timeless as “Company.”
With apologies to Ricky Skaggs and George Strait, this has to be the definitive cover of Guy Clark’s Texas-swing genius. For one, Rodney sounds a tad more battle-tested. Then you’ve got Emory Gordy’s bass and Hank DeVito’s steel guitar guiding and flavoring just right. And besides, neither George nor Ricky could bring themselves to sing the original phrase, “Pride is a bitch and a bore when you’re lonely,” which, of course, it is. Maybe that’s what caused Rodney to leave Emmylou Harris’ Hot Band and begin such a fruitful solo career. Given that the heart is a most resilient organ, it’s no surprise how sturdy Rodney’s version holds up after a mere 29 years.
Lowell George’s only solo album was released weeks before he died. Understated and with just a handful of originals, it confused Little Feat fans at the time but has proved to be an enduring work. “20 Million Things” is one of George’s finest songs, at once casual and regal. From the internal rhymes that open the first lines to the accidental noises that bring it to a close less than three minutes later, this song grows more resonant with the passing years. While some of his slide guitar work eases in during the second verse, the album focuses on Lowell George the singer. The immediacy of his voice gives emotional lift to the simple litany of tasks left undone while lost in thought. With this song, George gave shape and focus to a common human condition of longing, with grace, dignity, and a dash of humor to make it more real.
The Clash boast one of the greatest songwriting teams in music history. Watershed album London Calling covered many styles and themes, while the hefty number of songs allowed for some unsung gems. “Lost In The Supermarket” details the allure and pitfalls of consumerism—over a dancing beat. It usually fell to Mick Jones to handle the music, while Strummer would write the lyrics and sing most of the lead vocals. On this track Strummer wrote both words and music, then stepped aside and let Mick Jones sing. Jones gives the vocals a furtive yet pleasant sheen, which does right by the subject matter in a way that Strummer’s mangled wail may have trampled. It’s never wrong to serve the song.
Harrumphing open with kettledrum pomp atop Phil Lynott’s street-thug bass, “Do Anything You Want To Do” is vintage Lizzy at a time when the band’s vitality was all but sapped. Part of its appeal is, of course, the twin Irish lead guitars, here essayed by interim flogger and longtime Lynott pal Gary Moore (dig his sustain toward the end). “Do Anything” led what would prove to be the last consistently great Thin Lizzy joint, Black Rose: A Rock Legend, chock fulla rockers like “Toughest Street In Town,” “Waiting For An Alibi,” “Róisín Dubh (Black Rose),” and Lynott’s chillingly autobiographical “Got To Give It Up.” Sadly, the band would seldom sound this alive again.
