Sunday, February 28, 2010

Fuzzy wuzzy lovin' cup explosion

Ok, happy music today. The Guess Who might seem an odd choice, but I love that Canuck bunch of beer-chugging prairie hosers. And today's song-o-the-day is none other than Hand Me Down World. From their hippy aesthetics period, it is a little environmental ode with all of the hit single accoutrements necessary to make me quite happy. At about 1:32 Kurt Winter lays down a very fine solo, followed by a Beatle-ish "la la la la" reintro to the next verse. A fine listening experience to be had by all!

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Letting Go

OK, so maybe this isn't the happy song I promised to post next. But Who Am Us Anyway had a post up today about the Hollie's exquisite rendition of Chip Taylor's I Can't Let Go. And that reminded me that it was originally written for Evie Sands. Her slower, blue hot soulful version is one of those "should have been a hit" situations that was not meant to be. A situation echoed in the lyrics, for as uplifting as the music may be, the words describe a passionate love which is just a bit too desperate for its own good.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Goon Squad

Seems that Mr. Costello / MacManus and I share some sentiments. As with the last posting there is a subtext here that will remain private, but the song title rings so true I could not resist. The Attractions have to be one of the tightest, most dexterous bands ever, and this live performance of I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea gives a glimpse at the mighty power they wielded in their heyday.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

No Valentine's Day This Year

Not much to say - it is a sad day around Pleasant Valley Sunday. I am not going to write about it here. But Elvis Costello pretty much hits the nail on the head with High Fidelity. Great to see the rarely broadcast promo video.

Even though you're nowhere near me
And I know you kiss him so sincerely now
Even though the signal's indistinct
And you worry what silly people think

Who just can't wait to feel frozen out
I bet he thinks that he was chosen out of millions
I suppose he will never know about... High Fidelity

Monday, February 1, 2010

Sixty More

As I mentioned in the comments in the previous post, several singles were omitted from my top 100 list due to my negligence/ forgetfulness. Definitely Photograph should have been there, along with at least a couple of Jeff Beck-era Yardbird's singles. The opening chords to Evil Hearted You remain as shocking today as upon first listen in 1965, and Shapes of Things blows a hole in the atmosphere at 1:35 with Beck's psychedelic interlude.

Here is an unordered list of sixty songs that were all contenders, and if I could fit 164 into 100(+4) entries I would. Maybe a year from now I will revisit and refine the original list, but for now I think these 164 entries are a fine collection of the lost art of the 45rpm single.






























































A-Side B-Side Artist Year Link
Carpet Man The Magic Garden The 5th Dimension 1968Video
Earn Enough For Us(Australia only) The Man Who Sailed around His Soul XTC 1986Video
Grass Extrovert; Dear God XTC 1986Video
O, My Soul Morpha too-I'm in Love With a Girl Big Star 1974Video
September Gurls Mod Lang Big Star 1974Video
Say Goodbye Yeah Yeah Cheap Trick 1997Video
Stop This Game Who D'King Cheap Trick 1980Video
Surrender Auf Wiedersehen Cheap Trick 1978Video
Homburg Good Captain Clack Procol Harum 1967Video
Heroes V-2 Schneider David Bowie 1977Video
Golden Years Can You Hear Me David Bowie 1975Video
Changes Andy Warhol David Bowie 1972Video
#9 Dream What You Got John Lennon 1974Video
Mind Games Meat City John Lennon 1973Video
Stand by Me Move Over Ms L John Lennon 1975Video
Photograph Down and Out Ringo Starr 1973Video
It Dont' Come Easy Early 1970 Ringo Starr 1971Video
Back Off Boogaloo Blindman Ringo Starr 1972Video
When We Was Fab Zig Zag George Harrison 1988Video
Blow Away Soft Touch George Harrison 1979Video
Hi, Hi, Hi C Moon Wings 1972Video
The Back Seat of My Car Heart of the Country Paul McCartney 1971Video
Shangri-La This Man He Weeps Tonight The Kinks 1969Video
See My Friends Never Met a Girl Like You Before The Kinks 1965Video
Wonderboy Polly The Kinks 1968Video
Days She's Got Everything The Kinks 1968Video
Sleepwalker Full Moon The Kinks 1977Video
Dead End Street Big Black Smoke The Kinks 1966Video
Nutbush City Limits Help Him Ike and Tina Turner 1973Video
Help Me Just Like This Train Joni Mitchell 1974Video
Killer Queen Flick of the Wrist Queen 1974Video
Past, Present and Future Paradise The Shangri-Las 1966Video
Remember (Walking in the Sand) It's Easier to Cry The Shangri-Las 1964Video
Anarchy in the U.K. I Wanna Be Me Sex Pistols 1976Video
God Save The Queen No Feeling Sex Pistols 1977Video
See Emily Play Scarecrow Pink Floyd 1967Video
Arnold Layne Candy and a Currant Bun Pink Floyd 1967Video
Laughing Undun The Guess Who 1969Video
No Time Proper Stranger The Guess Who 1969Video
These Eyes Lightfoot The Guess Who 1969
Turn! Turn! Turn! She Don't Care About Time The Byrds 1965Video
So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star Everybody's Been Burned The Byrds 1967Video
Chestnut Mare Just a Season The Byrds 1970
Walk Away Renee I Haven't Got the Nerve The Left Banke 1966Video
The Little Girl I Once Knew There's No Other (Like My Baby) Beach Boys 1965Video
Wild Honey Wind Chimes Beach Boys 1967Video
White Rabbit Plastic Fantastic Lover Jefferson Airplane 1967Video
Little Games Puzzles Yardbirds 1967Video
Evil Hearted You Still I'm Sad Yardbirds 1965Video
For Your Love Got To Hurry Yardbirds 1965Video
Shapes of Things You're a Better Man Than I Yardbirds 1966Video
Happenings Ten Years Time Ago Psycho Daisies Yardbirds 1966Video
Over Under Sideways Down Jeff's Boogie Yardbirds 1966Video
It's My Life I'm Going to Change the World The Animals 1965Video
We've Gotta Get Out of This Place I Can't Believe It The Animals 1965Video
Stand! I Want to Take You Higher Sly and the Family Stone 1969Video
Hot Fun in the Summertime Fun Sly and the Family Stone 1969Video
I'm Free We're Not Going to Take It The Who 1969