Author: Joe Parker

365 Day Song Challenge: Day 120 – “Joey”

Posted on by Joe Parker

Day 120: A song with your name in it (middle names count if your first name is like Brunhilde or something).

“Joey” – Concrete Blonde

JoeyPerhaps the obvious choice for today’s song would be “Hey Joe” by Jimi Hendrix. But I’ve grown tired of the joke, so I don’t want to acknowledge the song. You know what I mean. Someone will walk up, and quite innocently perhaps, say “Hey Joe.”

And then there’s the pause. And the slight change of facial expression. Then you know.

You know that their brain has made the connection. You can see it coming like a freight train down the tracks, but you know you can’t get out of the way. You do the mental equivalent of Bruce Willis in Die Hard, diving out of the way of the explosion, but physically you’re stuck. And then there it is: “Where you goin’ with that gun in your hand?” Read More

365 Day Song Challenge: Day 119 – “Calypso”

Posted on by Joe Parker

Day 119: Your favorite song by a band/artist whose name begins with “D”.

“Calypso” – John Denver

CalypsoIf it weren’t for my friend Jenny, today’s post would probably not be John Denver.

Back in the day (and we’re starting to get to the point where it’s way back in the day), we were an item. Insofar as you can be an item in the second grade. I guess in reality, we were close friends. As a result, our moms became good friends, too.

Jen’s mom liked John Denver, and as sometimes happens, she turned my mom on to his music, at least a little bit. Not that John Denver, with his country-boy charm and folksy image was really that far out of my mother’s usual taste range. But, to my knowledge, before Jenny’s mom, my mother showed no interest in John Denver. Read More

365 Day Song Challenge: Day 118 – “Candy”

Posted on by Joe Parker

Day 118: A song by a lead singer you think is too homely for words.

“Candy” – Iggy Pop (with Kate Pierson)

CandyIggy Pop is a scary-looking dude. Not literally frightening, but just really difficult to look at.

And thus, the subject of today’s post. (Well, as you’ll see, he’s not really the subject of today’s post, but anyway…)

I don’t have a lot of Iggy Pop’s music. I have “Real Wild Child.” And “Funtime” (but I only know about it because The Cars covered it once upon a time). And “Candy.”

This was recorded in 1990, when Kate Pierson (of the B-52’s) was all over the place. The B-52’s album Cosmic Thing seemed to put her on the map, and she ended up recording with Iggy Pop, R.E.M. (The B-52’s and R.E.M. were both from Athens, Georgia) and a little bit with Matthew Sweet. Read More

365 Day Song Challenge: Day 117 – “Hallelujah”

Posted on by Joe Parker

Day 117: A song by a male singer you think does not have a very good voice.

“Hallelujah” – Leonard Cohen

I originally wrote most of this post on a plane. (A plane that was delayed over 45 minutes once we were boarded and on the tarmac.) And the problem with planes is that you don’t have Internet access. Well, this plane did, but to get it you had to pay handsomely for it. So, like I said, I didn’t have Internet access. Which meant that my means of fact checking was not available to me. And this led to some problems. Which I will point out as we go along.

Some time ago I was summarily scolded in a comment that Jeff Buckley’s version of “Hallelujah” was the best cover song. Ever. Bar none. There was even a mic drop. Virtual, yes, but a mic drop nonetheless. Read More

365 Day Song Challenge: Day 116 – “Do Ya”

Posted on by Joe Parker

Day 116: Your favorite song beginning with “D”.

“Do Ya” – Electric Light Orchestra

Do YaMy long-term memory is generally pretty good. But, it is unclear to me when I first heard “Do Ya.”

I was aware of “Telephone Line” from A New World Record for many years. And probably “Livin’ Thing,” as well. (Once again, I have my brother to thank for this.) Based on the strength of these two songs, I picked up the CD sometime in college.

And I’m very glad I did. While ELO had more than its share of hits (for those who don’t remember, they were one of the most popular bands of the 70s) this album plays almost like an ad hoc greatest hits album of its own (minus the Bastard Child song). The whole album seems to have, at some point, gotten play on Classic Rock radio. It’s got “Tightrope” and “Rockaria!”

And “Do Ya.” Read More