Song In My Head

I went to a play last night -- actually, a one-man show written and performed by the Brooklyn artist Mac Premo (full disclosure: My brother-in-law). It was an autobiographical piece of performance art, and it closed with a song I hadn't heard or thought of in many years: Camper van Beethoven's version of "Pictures of Matchstick Men", which was originally a hit for Status Quo back in 1967.

The CVB version came along 22 years later, just prior to the band's dissolution. Frontman David Lowery went on to form Cracker, a more straightforward rock outfit that largely did away with many of the folk, psychedelic and world music elements that made Camper van Beethoven so good. The track starts with a fiddle part -- vintage CVB -- before launching into something sounding more like what Lowery would go on to do in Cracker. 

Song In My Head

I always liked this track from under-rated Philly hip hop trio Three Times Dope.

Yep, it's "Funky Dividends". And it features some unintentionally funny lyrics like "The new wave 80s has everything reversible/Instead of walks, you drive a Cadillac convertible." Keep in mind, this was 1989, so the 80s were hardly "new wave" at that point. And back then, no one drove Cadillac convertibles, did they? (Allante anyone?)

Song in My Head

Can't figure out why this is... but it is. And it's far from their best...

Song in My Head

There are only a few more days left in September, and the song in in my head (for a few days now) is "September Gurls" by the great Alex Chilton and Big Star.

Song In My Head

U2's "One Tree Hill", their wrenching-yet-uplifiting tribute to roadie and good friend Greg Carroll, who was killed in a motorbike accident in Dublin. Carroll was a native New Zealander -- a Maori -- and his death inspired The Joshua Tree.

I probably haven't thought about this song much since high school, but it was the default entry on Wikipedia the other day (go figure). And reading about the composition and production of this song made me realize 1) how good a song it is and 2) how good a band U2 are. From the opening guitar riff -- inspired by West African highlife -- to the electroacoustic Raad strings that were designed and commissioned for the song by a group of Canadians under the auspices of Daniel Lanois, to the subtle fuzz guitar solo the Edge plays at the end, to Bono's vocals, which he did in one take because he was too emotionally distraught to sing them a second time.

It's simply an exemplary track on an outstanding album. And it still gives me chills 26 years later. I've said it before: U2 are the band that has stayed relevant longer than any other rock history. And here they are at their creative zenith.

Song In My Head

"Out of Control" by U2. It came on Sirius this morning and it instantly flashed me back to high school, when I got really into early U2. Here's a 1981 live performance from a concert in Belfast -- where they were the opening act and actually had to introduce themselves. And they sound phenomenal. By the way, has there ever been a band who has stayed relevant for as long a time as U2 has? They were still doing great stuff well into the 2000s -- I noticed that VH1 ranked "Beautiful Day" as one of the top songs of the decade. What a run from the boys from Dublin.

Song In My Head

OK, you can knock me for this one. It's "A Good Heart" by Feargal Sharkey. I probably haven't thought about this song since 1984. So why is it in my head? I'm reading Shadowplayers, James Nice's incredibly dense book about Factory Records. And in a passage about an early Happy Mondays' track called "Delightful", Shaun Ryder is described as having a great voice in his pre-drug years, a voice reminiscent of the Sharkey's. For the uninitiated, Sharkey led the band The Undertones during the 1970s. In the 80s, he was employed briefly by Depeche Mode founding member Vince Clarke, who had formed The Assembly after disbanding Yaz with Alison Moyet. The Assembly had a big hit in the UK with the rather schmaltzy "Never Never", which is vintage Clarke and sounds just like everything else he's ever done from "New Life" era Depeche Mode, to Yaz, to Erasure. Which is to say it's pretty good. (Here's more.)

Anyway, enjoy "A Good Heart" on me!

Song In My Head

"Promises, Promises"  - Naked Eyes

I heard this song yesterday and it hasn't left my head.  Very 80's, yet strip the layers, it's pretty funky.  A grooving guitar riff with a loose base line.    Plus, to me the marimba is what sticks out.  It's the song that keeps them from being another 80's one hit wonder.Never one of my favorite songs, but hey, here it is in my head and it should slowly move out. 

Song In My Head

Japan - "Quiet Life"
The title track from Japan's 1979 album was a departure for the previously glam-punk outfit, and it set in motion much of the new wave sound of the 1980s. It's pretty clear Duran Duran liberally borrowed from this track for their entire catalog (but at least they gave credit where credit is due.)

Song In My Head

It's "Rip It Up" by the seminal Scottish post-punk band Orange Juice. Check out a youngish Edwyn Collins fronting the band on their highest-charting UK single, a track which lent its name to the classic Simon Reynolds book. "Rip it Up" was released in November of 1982. Years later, Collins would have a solo hit with "A Girl Like You".

It's worth noting that a version of the rhythm guitar riff in this song is reminiscent of Captain Sensible's awful-yet -irresistible "Wot?" which came out the same year -- and both songs pretty much owe their existence to Chic's "Good Times".

Song in My Head

I realize I'm running the risk of turning this blog into a platform for 80s revivalists, but the new song from Simple Minds really is quite good. I'm not keen on nostalgia for nostalgia's sake, but "Blood Diamonds" is a stunningly beautiful track that will make you think it's 1983 all over again. Maybe it's the synths or the fact that -- unlike most guys his age -- Jim Kerr's voice hasn't lost a step. Either way, these guys lost their way in America after the success of Once Upon a Time -- but this song pretty much eliminates the intervening 30 years (yikes).

Song in My Head

Today I couldn't get the Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love" out of my head.  It really was ahead of it's time in certain ways with the digital samples, and the hip hop beats.  Yet, the song also reminds me of the awesome 60's tune, "Spill the Wine" with the random foreign female voice speaking. 

Too bad Mariah Carey had to use it.

Song in My Head

Man, it's a ghost town around here.  Anyway, I woke up with Split Enz "Six Months in a  Leaky Boat" in my head.  I have no idea why.  It's not their best song, nor have I listened to it in a while.  Oh, well.

Stuck In My Head

"That Lady, Pt. 1 & 2" by the Isley Brothers.

I blame this completely on some stupid commercial I keep seeing when my wife is watching HGTV.

That said, there is an upside to all of this. That Isley Brothers riff was used in the fabulous 
"B-Boy Bouilliabaisse" sub-track "A Year and a Day" from Paul's Boutique, on which the late, great Adam Yauch cruises through his lyric with a smooth yet aggressive style.And he manages to name checks black and tans when he sings "I'm fishing in my boat and I'm fishing for trout../Mix the Bass Ale with the Guiness Stout." I always love that line.

Song in My Head... Song of the Year?

Maybe I'm pushing it a little too hard. But the new song from Bob Mould proves the ex-Husker Du and Sugar frontman is back at the top of his game. It's called "The Descent" and even my kids like the video.

Song In My Head

I'm going on the second day now with "Golden Brown" by The Stranglers stuck in my head. And while it's a great song, it's a highly unusual one. For starters, it's built around a harpsichord riff... AND it's in a really weird time signature: it's waltz-like, but with an extra beat so it ends up being 6/8 for one measure and then 7/8 for the next (which makes it impossible to dance to).

The song was released as a single in England in 1981, and it was a huge hit -- peaking at #2 (while The Jam's "A Town Called Malice" locked down the top spot.) It was tacked onto the Stranglers' 1982 album Feline in this country and I distinctly remember listening to it in my family's Cadillac Coupe De Ville (what a car) as we drove to look at colleges for my older brother. I'm quite sure we were the only ones on the entire length of Interstate 81 listening to Feline back in those days, or any days for that matter.

I went back and listened to some of the other tracks from Feline -- "Blue Sister" (which still holds up), "The European Female (In Celebration Of)" and "Midnight Summer Dream" (which don't). And I'm truly astounded at the change in direction the album represents for The Stranglers, who had a gritty edge with classic post-punk tracks like "No More Heroes" (which was later ripped off by Elastica's "Waking Up").

Song In My Head

It was in my head...and yes, I'm back!

Song In My Head

Simple Minds' sublime instrumental "Somebody Up There Likes You" from 1982's New Gold Dream. It's a perfect respite between harder driving (and better-known) songs like "Promised You a Miracle" and "New Gold Dream". I just got the somewhat misleadingly titled X5 collection (it's actually the first six studio albums if you separate Sons and Fascination from Sister Feelings Call, as was originally intended) and I'm enjoying it immensely. Before John Hughes movie "The Breakfast Club" pigeonholed them, Simple Minds were an interesting and artistic band.

Song In My Head

Today it's "The Metro" by Berlin -- I can't get this synth-pop gem out of my head today for some reason. I'm not sure when I first heard this track -- I'm sure I was pretty young -- but I remember instantly liking it. And the video as well. And despite the worldwide success of Berlin's "Take My Breath Away", it's this song that remains Berlin's signature achievement in my mind. And if that statement sounds funny -- and I'll admit, it does -- don't take it from me: Take it from John Frusciante and System of a Down.

Song In My Head

"Red Hill Mining Town" by U2.

For some reason, I started humming this song at the grocery store late last night. It always reminds me of high school -- the whole Joshua Tree album does -- and coming to realize I wasn't a kid anymore and that the wide world had risks and rewards I hadn't considered up to that point. Enough about that. Musically, I don't know if I should love or hate The Edge's obvious fret squeals -- I can't think of another song where they're as over-pronounced as they are here -- but the more I think about them, the less I like them. The Edge famously once said that he always tried to come up with new guitar sounds and never use the same sound twice. I'll let you judge whether it works in this case.