200 Lost Gems & Forgotten Diamonds:-->Pt 11




"Music expresses that
which cannot be said...
and on which it is impossible to be silent."
~ Victor Hugo

(A reminder...songs will be from the 70s decade...but not exclusively.)

I strongly encourage everyone to purchase the albums for an even better understanding.

Part 11 - Let's Begin...

100:-->John Mellencamp --"To M.G. (Wherever She May Be)" (4:50) --Nothin' Matters... (1980)
"Hope you didn't lose that innocent laughter.
Oh, God, I hope time didn't take that away."
Everything about the song is perfect...from John's weary vocals to the melancholic piano. A sadly sweet memory.

99:-->ELO --------------"Laredo Tornado" (5:30) ----------------Eldorado (1974)
"Cold wind blows cool...
so cold to make you die."
A funnel of funky Jeff Lynne tweakery makes this one a keeper.
One F5 twister that does NOT blow.


98:-->Van Morrison -------------"Wavelength" (5:44) -------------Wavelength (1978)
"You are everywhere you're supposed to be.
And I can get your station...
when I need rejuvenation."
Van tears it up on this soulful rockin' love song. Just snatch on to the groove and "...come back baby, come back".


97:-->Ten Years After ------"Working On The Road" (4:20) ------Cricklewood Green (1970)
"I've been working on the road about fifteen years.
Been blowing my mind, I've been blasting my ears.
Don't you know, babe?"
Excellent rocker...filled with devilish organ runs and gnashing Alvin Lee guitar riffing.

96:-->Elton John -------"Grey Seal" (4:00) ----------Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)
"On the big screen they showed us a sun...
but not as bright in life as the real one."
Awesome bass work and over the top piano makes this a killer jam. John gettin' his heavy on.

95:-->Tommy Bolin -----------"Dreamer" (5:10) ---------------Teaser (1975)
"So take the train today, and don't look back again.
Live the dreams you have, don't dwell on what has been."
This 5 minute ballad/rocker only improves with age. Powerful dog-on-a-leash guitar foreplay borders on orgasmic. Should've broke large.



94:-->Warren Zevon -"Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner" (3:47) -Excitable Boy (1978)
"Roland aimed his Thompson gun...he didn't say a word.
But he blew Van Owen's body from there to Johannesburg."
An epic song one would swear has been around for centuries. Unbelievably catchy chorus that begs real men of all ages to raise their grog and join in song. Fantastic.

93:-->Jim Croce -------------"Box #10" (2:27) --------------You Don't Mess Around... (1972)
"I was gonna be a great success.
Things sure ended up a mess...
but in the process I got messed up too."
Warm chicken soup vocals with an open-faced honesty seldom heard in music. With partner Maury Muehleisen wielding his guitar like a heart surgeon...Jim sings of early-goin patches of bad luck and delivers a head-nodding sing-a-long tour-de-force.

92:-->The Cars ----------------"Double Life" (4:14) ----------------Candy-O (1979)
"When you idle at the stop light...
you better get the signal right."
Lots of ear-candy textures abound with especially nice guitar work from Elliot Easton. Criminally underrated.

91:-->Wishbone Ash ----"No Easy Road" (3:47) -----Wishbone Four (1973)
"Rock 'n roll keeps dragging me...
Where, I don't know and you can't see."
A trippy little boogie jam from the 'Ash'. Very catchy with some tasty and surprising horns thrown in the mix. Delicious mayhem.


All good stuff!  ...to be continued.

Casey Chambers
Follow Me On  FACEBOOK  &  TWITTER

Comments

Anonymous said…
Ah... more great stuff! I've always been partial to "Wavelength" and Jim Croce is the first non-Beatles music I remember liking.

(I think the numbers are messed up, though -- seems like you already used those numbers in part 10.)
January 12, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Casey said…
Alex...
Thanks for catching my numbers gaff! Totally oblivious, til now.
And I especially like hearing what you like...or don't.
btw...I corrected the mistake and thanks again!!
January 12, 2009 at 2:59 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Interview:-- Joan Staley (Actress - Classic Movies & Television)

Image
  "Elvis,  do you really want me to slap you?"  ~ Joan Staley ~     So my friends and I were talking about first crushes. First tv and movie crushes.  For me, it was easy.  It was Alma. (Joan Staley)   I broke into the double-digit age of 10 in 1993.  That was the summer I discovered my favorite Don Knotts movie while flipping thru cable one Saturday morning... "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken." Everyone has seen it.  It was a funny haunted house story similar to an episode on Andy G. with a cast of familiar characters, trippy organ music, and the prettiest girl I had ever seen...Alma. She was beautiful alright.  I was love-stung so bad, I swear I could smell flowers coming out of the TV set.  And best of all, she was nice.  She didn't like the smart alec, the wise guy, or the show-off.  Alma was digging Luther (Don Knotts) and that just made her that much prettier.  And from then on... But unfortu...
Read more

Interview -- Henry Lee Summer (Singer/Songwriter)

Image
"I just always have played music.  For better   or worse, I banked my whole life on it." ~ Henry Lee Summer ~     It's strange how music lets you travel through time as if there truly was no time.  I played the shit out of this album growing up.  Nothing deep or complicated.  Nothing outta bounds.  Nothing to get hung about.  It's deceptively simple.  But here's the thing... Henry Lee Summer  is serving aces all over this heartland square. This is the 35th anniversary of Henry Lee Summer's self-titled album and this one falls under that sweet spot between raucous and chill.  It's a large cup of iced coffee with a nice soulful blend.  Not usually my type of go-to and yet this album easily fills a void I didn't know I had.  Let this spin be your own private Idaho.  " Check it out, Leroy!"   Henry Lee Summer... Go get you some. Henry Lee Summer Interview -- August 2023 Henry Lee Summer Casey Cha...
Read more

Interview -- Elliot Lurie (Looking Glass)

Image
"...Your eyes could steal a sailor from the sea." ~ Looking Glass ~ Elliot Lurie was a singer/songwriter for the 70s band Looking Glass . The band recorded two albums and had a couple of hits along with a handful of deep-track FM cuts.  And as many bands are wont to do... Looking Glass called it a day and handed over the keys.  However, before cutting out, Looking Glass did leave us with the #1 hit song... "Brandy (You're A Fine Girl)."   Now there have been plenty of #1 songs that have climbed to the top spot faster.  And plenty of #1 songs that have stayed at the top spot longer.  But the list begins to thin when it comes to #1 songs that have had some real staying power years and years after their run.  And as the 50th anniversary draws to a close, the song  "Brandy..." still remains an ageless and endearing wonder. A song of unrequited love without all the drippy, maudlin sadness that often stains so many other attempts.  Every boy dreams ...
Read more