My Favourite Songs - Part I

I've been thinking about writing a post on My Favourite Songs for quite a while now, but it's a daunting task. I mean, it's far easier to list fave albums... it's not so difficult to rhyme off some of the most important ones in your life, you know? At least when you've consumed music mostly in album format your whole life, like I did. Kids today probably wouldn't have a clue about albums; the ones I've talked to only know songs, and as for their source, well, forget it. They've grown up on Spotify, Google Play, and other services where the individual song is the rule. Yeah, load up the playlist.

Kick up yer heels with some vintage ZZ Top

So... to boil down all the music I've listened to in my life to a handful of favourite tunes... okay, I can do this.

The best way for me to hone in on fave songs is to consider the nostalgic, influential, and inspirational aspects of the music. For example, if I think back to my earliest memories of music listening, I recall The Monkees and The Partridge Family on TV. Then when I started buying records a little later, The Beatles figured into the picture. Then Kiss, and so on. There are fond memories but there are also traces of influence on where I went from those beginnings. The Monkees led me to more pop music. The Beatles were my introduction to rock... in the 70's, at least, since that was when I was at the right age to appreciate it. And Kiss opened the door to heavier music that would come a bit later.

Instead of just listing all my song choices, I thought I'd select a few tunes for this first post and talk a bit about each one. Then next time around, I'll cover a few more songs. And so on. This way, you get my thoughts on how each track affected (and still affects) me, and why I like it so much, and maybe a bit more.

So in no particular order, here are some of my favourite songs:

Jane, by Jefferson Starship - I bought the album Freedom at Point Zero back in 1979, having never heard the whole thing before. This was just the way it was done back then, before the internet and its ability to give free advance access to music. I might have heard Jane on the radio beforehand, but my memory fails me on that now. But I really dug that album, especially the lead single Jane, with its heavy metal guitar, powerful vocals, fun melodic hooks (that bridge section!), and memorable lyrics. And that guitar solo... wow! It's among my fave solos of all time. Even today, if I hear this tune somewhere, I experience a flashback to my basement bedroom in my parents' house with the headphones strapped on, rockin' out... maybe even air-guitaring. 

The Boys of Summer, by Don Henley - I heard this in constant rotation on the radio and saw its video repeatedly on MuchMusic (Canada's answer to MTV). I didn't immediately buy the single or its album, Building the Perfect Beast (1984), but I did dub a copy from a tape at the college library. And I played the hell out of it. Great summery music, my faves being Boys of Summer and Sunset Grill. But this one somehow resonated very strongly with me. I'd known Henley's distinctive voice on Eagles tunes previously, and this brand new, more pop-oriented direction worked even better for me. The interplay of the tight, intricate percussive rhythm, lush dreamy guitars and synths evoked a California beach vibe. I get a warm feeling when I hear Boys of Summer. I can almost feel the ocean breeze and the Cali sun on my face and hear the surf.

70's Elton mania

Philadephia Freedom, by Elton John - in my early years of music collecting (mid-to-late 70's), I bought a nifty K-Tel 8-track tape called Music Express. I played it endlessly, groovin' to the selection of the latest and greatest tracks by various artists. One song that stood above the rest was Philadephia Freedom, and I believe that was my first exposure to Elton. The combination of funky rock band with an orchestral string section gave this an almost, but not quite, disco feel. Funny how that gritty heavy-ish guitar fit perfectly with the lush production. Elton's piano played a minor role here, the drums and strings really driving the tune. Cool lyrics captivated me (though I didn't understand all of them at the time), and the song's strong dance rhythm contrasted nicely with the rock instrumentation. Lots going on here, including backup vocals that add colour in just the right places. Again, major nostalgia washes over me when I hear this and I can't help but smile.

La Grange, by ZZ Top - I heard this only on rock radio for many years, until I finally grabbed a solid ZZ compilation album with La Grange on it. As much as I have always liked Cheap Sunglasses and Tush, it's this almost entirely instrumental jam that has been a timeless favourite for me. That up-tempo boogie blues rhythm is impossible to ignore... a sort of fast shuffle that provides an energetic driver for the track. And over top of that is the incredible Billy Gibbons guitar work, which becomes a three-minute solo, bluesy licks and bends galore. The whole rockin' vibe here is irresistible, fun good-time music with a southern flavour. Cheers!

Discogs + Flea Market Haul = Sagging Record Shelves

I've been notorious for walking away from record sales and then regretting it later... sometimes for months. Anyway, today I decided to quit that crap and if I see something I am pretty sure I'd like, I will get it (my wallet withstanding). I never really had good reasons for leaving behind great records (at reasonable prices) - I just felt like I should deny myself something to make up for what I did get. This is probably behavior a therapist could explain.

This morning I hit the local flea market, which always has a handful of tables of used records. The guy with the small but well-kept selection of LPs had exactly what I hoped for... the same two Van Halen records I left behind last month... and moped over ever since. These were Van Halen II and Women and Children First. I am now just one album (Diver Down) shy of having all of the David Lee Roth-era records. And that's all I want - the DLR music. Nothing against Sammy (Hagar)... it's just that the music that came after Roth left just never cut it for me.

So anyway, those two Van Halens are now happily nestled on my "To Play" stand near the hi-fi. Heh, I said "hi-fi". Both in really nice condition in appearance and Side One of VH II (all I've checked so far) sounds pristine. From their screeching version of You're No Good to the chugging Outta Love Again, not a pop or crackle to be heard. 

No more regrets.

Then I headed directly for the vendor with many crates full of vinyl goodies. Some was a bit pricey, or had a scratch that bothered me, so I skimmed his wares less thoroughly. I did notice some Steppenwolf oldies, though, and after a little discussion with the seller, I decided on the band's very first, self-titled album. I've never owned this before, but have for decades had a 16 Greatest Hits on tape and later on CD, so I recognized a handful of key Steppen-songs... Sookie Sookie, Born To Be Wild (duh), and The Pusher. Great classic biker rock anthems.

Among the tables and tables of vintage collectibles of all sorts, I eye-balled the odd stack of records. I wormed my way into tight spots to flip through them. Lots of crap, some funny stuff (a yoga instructional LP!), and the odd thing of interest. I noted two Kris Kristofferson albums in one bin, but didn't recognize any song titles on them. Since these were so cheap - only three bucks each - I figured I should get at least one of them. The one without scratches was Spooky Lady's Sideshow, released back in 1974. Both the record and its jacket look to be in nice shape. I know next to nothing about ol' Kris, other than his Bobby McGee song, so this'll be an adventure. After a quick internet search, I learned this is the album (his fifth) that signaled a decline in Kristofferson's career. Apparently he was celebrating the rock'n'roll lifestyle a bit too much at the time, and that affected his music. Anyway, when I give this a spin, I'll see what I think.

A very early - and stripey - The Who, a few years before the Tommy rock opera would appear

Oh, and not long ago, I got in the mail an album I ordered off the Discogs website - Tommy, by The Who. This is the 1969 (well, this is a 1980 reissue) studio album by the band, not the orchestral version from '72, and not the soundtrack from the 1975 movie adaptation, which is significantly different.

Full disclosure here... I'd never heard Tommy in its entirety until just months ago. I've long been a Who fan, owning a variety of greatest hits collections on tape and CD, plus some of their other biggest successes, like Who's Next, Who Are You, Quadrophenia, etc. So I knew only a few bits and pieces of Tommy, like See Me Feel Me, Tommy Can You Hear Me, I'm Free, and Pinball Wizard. When I finally gave the rock opera a full listen on Youtube several months ago, I couldn't believe I'd missed out on this for so bloody long. Anyway, better late than never. Of course, I really like the album and am happy I held out long enough to find a very good deal on it. The LP(s) are very gently used and look and sound almost like brand new. 

So - lots of great "new" old music. Some I knew well already, some new to my ears. This weekend I'll put the turntable through its paces as I give my new albums some attention.

Unwatchable, Bad Movies

The other day I was listening to a movie podcast that included discussion of the hosts' examples of films that they walked out of. This made me think hard about movies that I attended that simply could not hold my attention. I am pretty sure that I've only walked out of two movies in all my life, and both were decades ago. And the funny thing was that in both instances, I was with my gang of rowdy friends... you'd think we'd relish the idea of joking around and heckling the actors on the screen. But no, we just couldn't stomach the first ten or fifteen minutes of what we were seeing, so up we got and wandered into another cinema for a different flick.

No way, Chuck... I'm walkin'.

The first movie was The Octagon, released in 1980, and starring that American karate hero, Chuck Norris. I was never a Norris fan (I'm all about Bruce Lee, baby!) but on a Saturday night in small town Canada back in '80, there weren't many other options. My buddies and I opted for the one action flick that was playing in our hometown's little three-screen "multiplex". Big mistake.

Wow, how incredibly stoopid... the echo-y whispers of Norris' character's voice-over - his internal dialogue - was so creepy and silly all at once. The guy was never a contender for even a Decent Actor Award, let alone an Academy Award, but man, this stuff was painfully bad. What was he... or they (the director, screenwriter, whoever) thinking? That super-cheesy voice-over plus the generally bad acting put us over the edge. Even the promise of ass-kicking ninjas wasn't enough to keep us in our seats. My friends and I had no qualms about walking out of that one early. 

Decades later, I pulled The Octagon up on Youtube to give it another try, but nope, still too lame to endure. Click. Even the online movie critic sites gave this dud low, low ratings.

A few years later, in '84, again with my posse (can't remember if it was the same group of guys), I saw the first few minutes of the sci-fi horror movie called C.H.U.D. (Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dweller) at the local cinema. I seem to recall us firing some popcorn up in the air and joking around a bit, but we quickly decided this wasn't worth our time. We were out of there.

Other than those two duds, I don't think I've found myself in movie theatre situations where I wanted to leave that badly. There might have been a few flicks that were underwhelming, but I stuck it out to finish them. And if you're there with someone else, you need unanimous agreement in order to walk out. I guess I was sort of stuck at those times. One that comes to mind was The Great Outdoors (1988), an unsuccessful attempt at comedy starring the likes of John Candy and Dan Aykroyd. I remember not enjoying that one, but I saw it through to the bitter end. Not terrible, but pretty disappointing. 

I also recall Event Horizon, a bizarre sci-fi horror from '97. My brother-in-law and I wolfed down pizza and a fair bit of beer right before the movie. You'd think the booze would have helped the "fun factor", but no, we were bored out of our skulls. We sat like stone effigies, occasionally casting disbelieving glances at each other. We made it through that mind-numbing experience, but ever since, we mention that far-from-fun outing. The movie was a corned-beef-hash of The Shining, Alien, and Hellraiser: Bloodline. But too derivative and unsatisfying. Meh.

Now, in this age of online streaming video services, it is so much easier and cheaper to bail out early on what looks like a crappy movie. Especially in recent years, I've stopped countless flicks due to extreme awfulness. Sometimes it only took five or ten minutes, other times I might make it halfway through, but in those cases, there were never any regrets about shutting it down. Sooo many bad movies out there, so little time. Well, we make the time for the dreck we watch, don't we? It depends on your mood, I guess. I've finished films that truly were not worth my time, yet occasionally I'm in a state of mind that can accept that. A listless Sunday afternoon can do that to me. 

Oh, and there were a couple of Lars von Trier films, Antichrist and Nymphomaniac, that crossed a lot of lines and simultaneously earned kudos and derision from critics and viewers. Me, I found at least Antichrist engaging, but they were both (especially Antichrist) very tough to watch and finish. Not necessarily bad, just subject matter that bothered me a lot. Wait, I didn't finish Nymphomaniac... I just found it dull. Anyway, I didn't see either of these in theaters, just at home on borrowed DVDs. I wish I could un-see some of those scenes in Antichrist. Forever burned into my brain. Ack!

Do you have any hard to watch/hard to finish movies? Movies you've walked out of early? It's interesting to discuss since one person's art may be another person's garbage. A fellow movie fan friend absolutely loves von Trier's work, while I wish I'd never seen something as extreme as Antichrist. But we movie fans take our chances, not always certain of what we're in for. It's not all popcorn fare.

New and Used Vinyl on the Record Shelf

It's been a slow summer for record-buying, though I've found the odd thing that picked up my spirits. About a month ago, I received my pre-ordered Step Back In Time: The Definitive Collection career retrospective by the Aussie songbird Kylie Minogue. It's a brand new release and since I'm an uber Kylie fan, I bought the CD and vinyl record bundle. The double-LP record set has loads of great songs on there, though one conspicuous omission was Come Into My World, the first Grammy-winner by Minogue. And that is why I also got the CD set... it includes that and many more important tunes from Kylie's vast musical catalogue.

The record gets a lot more play time since I am much more enthusiastic about the vinyl medium, and though it's a condensed version of the CD edition, I am very happy with the pristine sound. It's now one of my favourite records in my collection, though I must admit I'm disappointed in the packaging. For a career retrospective of such a prominent artist, it's incredibly lean on extra info and photos... none at all, really. It's a single outer sleeve (outer jacket), which could have been a gatefold, with little more than the track listing on the back, and two inner sleeves - both blank besides song titles - tucked inside. A major missed opportunity there... they really could have beefed up this career-spanning collection with photos, graphics, and extra info and tidbits. Oh well, it's the music that counts.

And today, after much flipping through the bins at a local used record store, I came away with a very nice copy of the 1976 Best of the Doobies. I've always liked this set of prime rock/soul/pop tracks from the Doobie Brothers. I played - a lot - this same album on cassette tape back in the 80's. In fact, from that tape I learned the rockin' China Grove pretty well on guitar, which served me nicely in an impromptu jam session way back before I ever thought I was any good on the instrument. The record looks (and sounds) like new, as does the outer jacket. Very happy with that inexpensive (seven bucks) find.

S'all for now... it's a short post this week, but I'll make up for that soon. In the meantime, go buy Kylie records!

Cheers, mates!

Street Music, Anyone?

While merrily executing my daily duties at my workplace one day, my mind began to wander... pretty typical, actually. To avoid boredom, I like to keep my old brainium active by messing around with little games and trivia (often with other people) or just digging around my mental vaults for long-buried information.

I began to mentally compile a list of songs with the words street, avenue, or any kind of roadway in its title. I'll also include names of streets or roads (well-known ones, at least), even if the word street or road doesn't appear. Some of the first ones I thought of were Electric Avenue, Baker Street, Meanstreet, Highway Star, and Highway to Hell. Then I got to thinking that musicians spend a lot of time on the road, so I guess they often think about places they've travelled and even lived... which leads to songwriting ideas. Life on the road is standard for music artists, especially in their early years, before they make it big (if they do) and then fly by jet everywhere. 

I came up with a fair number of songs for this list. These are almost all straight off the top of my head; only a handful were helped by an internet search. But if you can offer any more suggestions, feel free to chime in in the comments section below... enjoy!


Electric Avenue, by Eddy Grant
Baker Street, by Gerry Rafferty
Meanstreet, by Van Halen
Tobacco Road, John D. Loudermilk (a 1960 tune covered by many, including David Lee Roth)
Penny Lane, The Beatles
Blue Jay Way, The Beatles
The Long and Winding Road, The Beatles
Why Don't We Do It In the Road, The Beatles
King's Road, Tom Petty
Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Al Dubin (a 1933 song covered by many artists over the years)
Hit the Road Jack, Percy Mayfield (also borrowed and performed by other musicians)
Highway Star, Deep Purple
Heading Out to the Highway, Judas Priest
Highway to Hell, AC/DC
Easy Street, The Collapsable Hearts Club
22 Acacia Avenue, Iron Maiden
Dancing in the Street, Martha and the Vandellas (many, including Van Halen (1982) covered this)
Road to Nowhere, Talking Heads
Route 66, Nat King Cole
Crossroads, Robert Johnson (later done by every blues band alive... plus rock trio Cream in '68)
The Road to Utopia, by Utopia
The Killing Road, Megadeth
Rockin' Down the Highway, Doobie Brothers
Takin' It To the Streets, Doobie Brothers
Life is a Highway, Tom Cochrane
Kings Highway, Tom Petty
Queen of the Highway, The Doors
Love Street, The Doors
Nights on Broadway, Bee Gees
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out, Bruce Springsteen
Thunder Road, Bruce Springsteen
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Genesis
Mainstreet, Bob Seger
Copperhead Road, Steve Earle
Sunset Boulevard, Kim Fowlie
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Elton John
Street Kids, Elton John
Blue Highway, Billy Idol
Moon Over Bourbon Street, Sting
Street Fighting Man, Rolling Stones
Where the Streets Have No Name, U2
Street Fighter, Triumph
Take Me Home Country Roads, John Denver
On the Road Again, Canned Heat
Telegraph Road, Dire Straits
A Hard Road, Black Sabbath
Ease on Down the Road, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson
(We Are) The Road Crew, Motörhead
King of the Road, Roger Miller
Old Man Down the Road, John Fogerty
Seven Bridges Road, The Eagles
Middle of the Road, The Pretenders