Author: Joe Parker

365 Day Song Challenge: Day 80 – “Maybe Monday”

Posted on by Joe Parker

Day 80: A song you like with Monday in the title.

“Maybe Monday” – ‘Til Tuesday

'Til TuesdayMost people know one song from ‘Til Tuesday—”Voices Carry.” Most people (at least of my generation) know who Aimee Mann is, maybe not by name, but because she starred in the video for “Voices Carry” and that hair is hard to forget.

Despite the hit song and the hair, ‘Til Tuesday never got the attention they deserved, and that’s a shame, because they were a very good band.

It’s hard for me to gauge the actual reaction to their debut album, also called Voices Carry and also good, because ‘Til Tuesday was a Boston band, and, as you might expect, Boston bands got a lot of play on Boston radio. So I heard ‘Til Tuesday all the time when the album came out. Not only “Voices Carry,” but “Love In A Vacuum” and “Looking Over My Shoulder” (a personal favorite) as well. So to me, it seems like ‘Til Tuesday should have been more popular than they ended up being. But this apparently wasn’t the case in other areas.


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So, as I mentioned, Voices Carry was a good album. Not as good as some of the band’s later work, but I like it a lot more than most of Aimee Mann’s solo material. (Um, Aimee, there are other speeds besides mid-tempo, somber ballads. You remember that, right?) It was classed as “New Wave” but to me it never truly fell in to that group. There were always hints of something much broader than the mid-80s New Wave genre there. And, that hint came to fruition as Aimee Mann’s songwriting skills matured.

At any rate, “Maybe Monday” was another song on that album (and there was a song called “On Sunday” on the follow-up Welcome Home; seems they had a thing for days of the week). It was never destined for stardom. It was definitely an “album track.” But I like it just the same. There’s something vulnerable in the lyric which describes someone desperately waiting for the phone call from the person they like; a call that will never come. (This was something I could relate to in the mid-80s, when my luck with girls was, well, none.)

As the band’s work moved farther and farther away from New Wave (while the band simultaneously moved farther and farther from being an actual band and more toward a solo project) the interest from the record company waned. To the point where they barely acknowledged the third album Everything’s Different Now. (Another shame, because it’s probably the best of the bunch, despite having no songs with days of the week in the titles.)

After that, Aimee went solo, fought with record companies (yes, plural), toned down her hair, and married Michael Penn (whose “No Myth” is the only song most people know of his; the two-hit wonder couple).

She’s continued to write and record, with lots of critical success (and, as mentioned, many mid-tempo songs), but nothing approaching the commercial success of “Voices Carry.”

My advice: bring back the hair and the days of the week, that’s the key. Oh, and crank the metronome beyond 70…

365 Day Song Challenge: Day 79 – “Dogs Are Talking”

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Day 79: A song by your favorite band beginning with the letter A.

“Dogs Are Talking” – The Angels

Dogs Are TalkingI seem to have an affinity for songs about dogs. Not the cute, furry kind but the horny, human kind.

Both today’s song and “Who Let The Dogs Out” have lyrics dealing with guys that are just out for a good time. It’s a little odd, because I don’t tend to like people who are like that. This particular song’s lyrics are about nothing more than a guy trying to get lucky with a virgin.

While the lyrics are despicable, the music simply rocks. Hard. So hard, in fact, that many people who know me would probably be surprised that I like this song at all. But, much like the situation with “Who Let The Dogs Out” where I can’t help but dance, for this song, I can’t help but head-bang.


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I was first introduced to this song by my host-sister (she hates the term) Megan, who came to the US to stay with my family after I’d stayed with hers in Australia (and also before I stayed with hers in Australia). She was much more of a head-banger than I would ever be, but she did manage to introduce me to some really good stuff I’d have never been exposed to otherwise. There’s a line in this one that goes “Heartbreaker, heartbreaker, with the jelly roll skin.” She used to poke my spare tire every time that line came on. It used to embarrass the crap out of me at the time, but now I look back on it with amusement. Apparently I’ve come to terms with my GoodYear.

To be perfectly honest, even though I love this song, I never sought out any more music by The Angels. They are an Australian band and they are not well-known here in the US. (In fact, at the time of this post, “Dogs Are Talking” is ranked #1,223,009 in MP3 Downloads at Amazon. We need to remedy that…) Back when I was first exposed to the song, the band’s stuff had to be released in the US under the name “Angel City” (but, based on the Amazon links, this is no longer the case.). It was never easy to find. Maybe that’s the reason I didn’t dig deeper. Maybe I’m just lazy and never got around to it. But as I think about it now, it’s a little odd. It’s not my usual MO when I find a song that I like. Especially in this day and age of free song samples.

So I’m going to have to do that. I’ll report back in once I’ve done some research.

That, and I’ll have to find more songs about dogs. (Not the cute, furry kind but the horny, human kind.) Because I’m sure it’ll come up in some other day’s challenge. And, apparently, each one makes me do things spontaneously. Hmm… I hope “combust” is not the next thing on the list…

365 Day Song Challenge: Day 78 – “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”

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Day 78: A favorite song with a color in the title.

“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” – Elton John

Goodbye Yellow Brick RoadI couldn’t quite figure out if I should do “Yellow Submarine” or this song today. (Although, apparently, inclusion of the word “yellow” was required no matter what.) “Yellow Submarine” and I have a long history dating back almost 35 years. But in the end “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” won out.

Maybe because it’s less silly. Maybe it because I have fond memories of listening to it. Maybe it’s just been on my mind. The 40th anniversary of the album was last year, and I read just recently that Island Records (Elton’s current label) is re-releasing it. And of course, they aren’t just re-releasing it. They’re remastering it (again) and to cash in to the greatest extent, it will be available in something like 62 different packaging options. Regular Edition, Deluxe Edition, Super Deluxe Edition, Super-Duper Mega Ultimate Deluxe Edition. (That last one is rare and very hard to find.) You get the picture.

But, I can’t blame people for being capitalists.

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Anyway, I may have before mentioned that prior to my student exchange to Australia I taped a whole slew of albums to take with me. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was one of them. I’d been aware of the album for quite a while (and had varying levels of familiarity with some of the songs, like the title track, “Bennie And The Jets,” and “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting”), but I’d never really listened to the album as a whole. Well, albums really, since it was released as a double. (I had, though, always been fascinated by its cover. It has to be one of the best album packages ever.)

Once I started listening to this album, I couldn’t stop. And although I love the album as a whole, there’s a lot to be said for the title track. It uses the Oz story to describe a love affair gone sour, where the once-attractive trappings of “the good life” is no longer preferable to the more boring “Kansas.” Elton’s melancholy, understated music and longing vocal is befitting Bernie Taupin’s sad lyric.

So goodbye yellow brick road
Where the dogs of society howl
You can’t plant me in your penthouse
I’m going back to my plough
 
Back to the howlin’ old owl in the woods
Huntin’ the horny-back toad
Oh I finally decided my future lies
beyond the yellow brick road.

Before the discovery of the Abacab and Genesis albums, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was well on its way to becoming the soundtrack for that trip. It’s far and away my favorite Elton John album (and I have a lot of them). The songwriting duo were at their peak and the breadth of musical styles on the album is amazing. Nearly every song is a gem (although to be honest “Bennie And The Jets” has never been one of my favorites). Maybe one of these days I’ll talk about “Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding,” the amazing suite that starts the album off. (And also has a Genesis connection. Imagine that!)

To my knowledge, Elton doesn’t sing this one anymore. After his throat surgery in 1987, he cut way back on the falsettos and really high notes. And lord knows this one has some high notes. But it’s a shame. It really is a pretty song.

For the record, you didn’t read that picture sleeve above incorrectly. The B-side was, indeed, “Screw You.” However, Elton’s US record company at the time, MCA, thought the title was a little too risky, so they named it “Young Man’s Blues” for US release instead. Which is ironic, because if anyone remembers MCA’s packaging in the early days of CDs, you’d have thought “Screw You” was their theme song. “Ha! You paid full price. You get nothing! Screw you!”

So, yes, I will be a schmuck and buy the re-released album. And I’m sure I’ll enjoy it all over again.

And if you don’t like it, then Young Man’s Blues.

365 Day Song Challenge: Day 77 – “I Know There’s Something Going On”

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Day 77: A song you like with a female vocalist.

“I Know There’s Something Going On” – Frida

I Know There's Something Going OnIt’s funny how you can have a lot to say about a song you hate, but very little to say about a song you really like.

This is one of those cases. I don’t have a story to go with this song, per se, so what I do have is more along the lines of trivia and observations.

“Frida” for those who aren’t in the know, is actually singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad. This might normally mean nothing, but Anni-Frid is, in turn, one of the “A”s in ABBA. (For those that don’t know, each of the letters in “ABBA” stands for the first name of one of the four members. I could name all the others, but I wouldn’t want to show off. Okay, I can’t name all the others.)

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The song (and the album Something Going On from whence it came) was produced by Phil Collins and came on the heels of his unexpected success with his debut album Face Value and a little single called “In The Air Tonight.” (I’m not kidding. It may seems unbelievable now, but no one expected Phil’s solo stuff to do much of anything at the beginning.) He also played drums on the song, giving it his trademark gated drum sound.

To me, right from the get-go, the drums infuse the song with a bit of a sinister feel. The rest of the instrumentation does nothing to change that. And, I suppose if you’re writing a song about someone sneaking around doing naughty things, that’s kind of what you’re going for. Even Frida’s vocals seems less angry than it does accusatory, which still all plays into the mood.

I think the song is well done.

And that’s all I got.

I have no specific memory associated with the song; no story. I like the song quite a bit, and it’s not just because of the Phil Collins connection. (I liked it long before I even knew who Phil Collins was.) It’s a good song to listen to loud, thanks to the driving drumbeat. But an anecdote that does not make.

Tomorrow will be better. I promise. Okay, I can’t promise.

365 Day Song Challenge: Day 76 – “Rio”

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Day 76: A song by a band/artist you used to dislike but you have come to respect for their talent or hard work.

“Rio” – Duran Duran

RioI went out for the football team to prove that I’m a man;
I guess I shouldn’t tell them that I like Duran Duran.
                                   —”Grade 9″ – Barenaked Ladies

In some ways, Duran Duran in the early 80s were like Justin Bieber (without the idiocy) and One Direction (without the Taylor Swift drama) are today. They were good-looking, the girls all swooned over them and they were on the cover of every teeny-bopper magazine. Because of that, they had a harder time being taken seriously, I think. Sure, they had lots of Top-40 success, but no self-respecting “rock” guy could like them. Scratch that, guys in general simply could not like them.

I was a “rock” guy, and I know I wouldn’t have admitted to liking Duran Duran, even if I did. It was a moot point, though. Of course I didn’t like them, I wasn’t a pre-pubescent girl.


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But I’ve got a secret… Come closer so I can whisper… Make sure no one’s listening… The problem was, despite my denials, I really did like “Rio” and a lot of the other singles. There, I said it.

Yes, any time the “Rio” video came on, I’d watch it. It was my guilty pleasure. And it was so damn catchy!

So, let’s be honest: “Rio” was (and is) a very well-done pop song. And while we’re being honest, let’s admit that there’s really nothing wrong with a pop song. No, it may not be cool to like it if you’re a “rock” guy, the music may not be “epic” or complex, but there’s a craft to writing (and recording) a well-done, successful pop song. (And by “successful” I don’t necessarily mean a “hit” but rather a good representation of the genre.) There are some really talented guys out there in “pop” bands. To be sure there are many more mediocre ones who have to rely on producers to make them sound good. But let’s not forget that The Beatles started life as a pop band.

If you listen to songs like “Hungry Like The Wolf” and “Girls On Film” it’s pretty obvious that “Rio” wasn’t a fluke. So where Duran Duran differ from Bieber and One Direction is that they’re actually good musicians. And they wrote their own music (and I mean really wrote it, not this “co-written with <insert slick producer name here>,” which means someone hummed a melody or threw a lyric line in and got credit). These guys were all talented.

As a keyboard guy, I can’t finish the post without mentioning my admiration for Nick Rhodes. “Rio” is one good example, but “Save A Prayer” is a textbook example of how the right keyboard sound (or sounds) can set the tone for an entire song. You can’t listen to these songs and tell me that Nick Rhodes is not ridiculously creative. Yes, he goes way overboard with the makeup (for crying out loud, Nick, you’re in your 50s, you can stop with the eye-liner and eye shadow), but he knows how to get a sound.

So, I’m sure there were a lot of guys out there who, like me, secretly did like Duran Duran, even if their music collection wouldn’t have hinted at it. Barenaked Ladies nailed this one.

As much as we tried in 1983, their talent can’t be denied. But you didn’t hear it from me…