38. "Missing You" by John Waite
Can you lie to yourself? So can John Waite. Repeatedly.
This is another song I think pre-Buster Phil could have sung. It's got everything Phil likes in a post-break up song--depressing lyrics, high notes that can be screamed out, and...yeah, that's pretty much it.
Sunday, January 20, 2019
39. The Feeling of March 1984 to January 1985
39. "Drive" by The Cars
A song so depressing pre-Buster Phil could have sung it.
Fun Fact: This song may hold the record for the number of different Who questions asked in a song. Of course, the record for asking the same Who question over and over in a song is held by "Who Are You?" by The Who.
A song so depressing pre-Buster Phil could have sung it.
Fun Fact: This song may hold the record for the number of different Who questions asked in a song. Of course, the record for asking the same Who question over and over in a song is held by "Who Are You?" by The Who.
40. The Feeling of February 1985
40. "One More Night" by Phil Collins
Because no one captures the hopelessness of unrequited love as well as pre-Buster Phil.
The perfect song to celebrate a year of emotional misery after slow dancing to this song with a girl that you love but that doesn't love you back.
Because no one captures the hopelessness of unrequited love as well as pre-Buster Phil.
The perfect song to celebrate a year of emotional misery after slow dancing to this song with a girl that you love but that doesn't love you back.
41. The Feeling of February 1984
41. "Against All Odds" by Phil Collins
Because no one captures the misery of unrequited love as well as pre-Buster Phil.
And if you ever want to make yourself as emotionally miserable as possible, try slow dancing to this song with a girl that you love but that doesn't love you back.
Because no one captures the misery of unrequited love as well as pre-Buster Phil.
And if you ever want to make yourself as emotionally miserable as possible, try slow dancing to this song with a girl that you love but that doesn't love you back.
Saturday, January 19, 2019
42. Fruit Basket Upset
42. "The Promise You Made" by Cock Robin
Many a year ago, I received a collection of taped music entitled, "The Best Songs You Ain't Never Heard." Since then, I've thought that name would be great concept and slogan for a radio station, or at the very least a weekly radio show. This song would be on the first hour's playlist for a number of reasons.
First, it never hit the charts in the USA, although it did very well in Europe, so I don't think I've ever heard it played on one of those radio stations that play hits from the 80s, including Bob, which is supposed to be willing to play anything. (Liars!)
Second, it's a damn good song. The music, the lyrics, the singing, the echoey guitars, the synthesizer, the electric drums--all done about as good as it could be done in 85. When I listen to it, I feel transported to mid-eighties Sweden, which is mostly a very good feeling. I also get a whiff of my freshman year of college. I can't believe it didn't get played at the one dance at Ricks that I went to in 85, as the lyrics have kind of a religious overtone while still being mostly romantic. You know--stuff like relying on someone else's faith to be strong or carrying someone to the far edge of time, which I guess you'd have to be pretty strong to do that without ever dropping the person.
Third, I would get to say "Cock Robin" on air. A lot. I'd probably just yell it out Tourette's style at random times during the rest of the program just because I could. Go ahead and try it. You know you want to.
Cock Robin!
Now for the video.
The video for the song is pretty goofy in parts and raises many questions. Why are all these people walking by a red phone booth in England? Why is this phone booth shown so many times in this video? Is it Dr. Who's tardis? How lazy is the drummer to let the girl haul those big drums into the tardis while all he's got in his hands are a couple of sticks? And why would anyone try to start a fight right outside a tardis with a fruit stand between you and the person you're trying to hit? I mean, if they started throwing fruit at each other, it would then make total sense. I loves me a good melon hurl! (I once hit Heath Clark with a rotten cantaloupe when he was following behind the Arimo garbage truck on his motorcycle.)
But in spite of the doofy parts of the video, I kind of like the way Anna LaCazio dances. VERY 80s. Also, there's a rather enjoyable kid yanking scene at about 35 seconds into the video. You know what I bet the mom shouted at the kid when she nearly ripped his arm off?
Cock Robin!
Many a year ago, I received a collection of taped music entitled, "The Best Songs You Ain't Never Heard." Since then, I've thought that name would be great concept and slogan for a radio station, or at the very least a weekly radio show. This song would be on the first hour's playlist for a number of reasons.
First, it never hit the charts in the USA, although it did very well in Europe, so I don't think I've ever heard it played on one of those radio stations that play hits from the 80s, including Bob, which is supposed to be willing to play anything. (Liars!)
Second, it's a damn good song. The music, the lyrics, the singing, the echoey guitars, the synthesizer, the electric drums--all done about as good as it could be done in 85. When I listen to it, I feel transported to mid-eighties Sweden, which is mostly a very good feeling. I also get a whiff of my freshman year of college. I can't believe it didn't get played at the one dance at Ricks that I went to in 85, as the lyrics have kind of a religious overtone while still being mostly romantic. You know--stuff like relying on someone else's faith to be strong or carrying someone to the far edge of time, which I guess you'd have to be pretty strong to do that without ever dropping the person.
Third, I would get to say "Cock Robin" on air. A lot. I'd probably just yell it out Tourette's style at random times during the rest of the program just because I could. Go ahead and try it. You know you want to.
Cock Robin!
Now for the video.
The video for the song is pretty goofy in parts and raises many questions. Why are all these people walking by a red phone booth in England? Why is this phone booth shown so many times in this video? Is it Dr. Who's tardis? How lazy is the drummer to let the girl haul those big drums into the tardis while all he's got in his hands are a couple of sticks? And why would anyone try to start a fight right outside a tardis with a fruit stand between you and the person you're trying to hit? I mean, if they started throwing fruit at each other, it would then make total sense. I loves me a good melon hurl! (I once hit Heath Clark with a rotten cantaloupe when he was following behind the Arimo garbage truck on his motorcycle.)
But in spite of the doofy parts of the video, I kind of like the way Anna LaCazio dances. VERY 80s. Also, there's a rather enjoyable kid yanking scene at about 35 seconds into the video. You know what I bet the mom shouted at the kid when she nearly ripped his arm off?
Cock Robin!
Thursday, October 18, 2018
43. I Have a Name. It's Dorothy.
43. "It Might Be You" by Stephen Bishop
In the early 80s, someone somewhere came up with the idea to write a romantic comedy with the lead and supporting male actors being Dustin Hoffman, Bill Murray, Charles Durning, and Dabney Coleman. And as the female lead actors, they rounded up Terry Garr, Geena Davis, Jessica Lange, and...Dustin Hoffman?!
If I had been in that 80's writer's room, I would have yelled at the top of my lungs, "Where's the beefcake?!" And the only halfway believable answer would have been "Dabney Coleman's mustache, of course."
Fortunately, that insane casting decision to not have a single hunky man in the movie ended up giving us a fantastic movie. It is, without a doubt, in the top ten best comedies of all time. Right up there with "Groundhog Day," another comedy gem starring Bill Murray. So there was lots going on in the movie to make it a top-notch comedy--including the fact that Dustin Hoffman turned out to be more attractive in drag than in real man clothes, at least to Charles Durning. (Suddenly I'm wondering what a Charles Durning-Dustin Hoffman child would look like. It isn't pretty.) But what about the movie made it a ROMANTIC comedy? Two things--Jessica Lange's incredible looks and the theme song for the movie, "It Might Be You."
Yes, I readily admit that Jessica Lange did not age gracefully. That's probably one reason they cast her on American Horror Story, for which she won a truckload of awards.
But back in the 80s, the Jessica Lange's role in "Tootsie"--for which she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress--was the incredibly beautiful and vulnerable-turned-powerful nurse Julie Nichols, the "hospital slut" (her words in the movie, not mine).
Every single time I saw the movie, which was a LOT (Downey theater made a lot of money off me from buying peanut M&Ms and cherry nibs--the best movie candy combo ever), I fell deeper and deeper in love with Jessica Lange. Now, I don't know the full psychological impact of my movie-star crush on Jessica, but I did end up marrying a sexy nurse named Julie.
The other thing that gave the movie a romantic feel was the theme song. I couldn't find any videos that combined the theme song with clips of the movie that didn't have a strange Russian logo on them, so prepare to see a hammer and sickle along with all the other stuff. It may be part of the Russian interference in the upcoming election, but I don't think it's going to sway any voters. The old Tootsie voting demographic just ain't what it used to be.
This is the kind of 80s love song that is tailor made for those times when you realize that the person you're feeling an attraction toward just MIGHT be the one for you for all of your life (like Jessica Lange). But by the definition of "might," it can also be that moment just before you realize that person might NOT be the one for you (like Dustin Hoffman). When I listen to it, it reminds me of those moments just before you go for it and try to make the relationship happen--that moment of elation when you know you're falling in love and nothing bad has happened yet, like having that person reveal on live TV that they're not the gender you thought they were. Or worse, that the person hogged all the peanut M&Ms and cherry nibs at the movie.
In the early 80s, someone somewhere came up with the idea to write a romantic comedy with the lead and supporting male actors being Dustin Hoffman, Bill Murray, Charles Durning, and Dabney Coleman. And as the female lead actors, they rounded up Terry Garr, Geena Davis, Jessica Lange, and...Dustin Hoffman?!
If I had been in that 80's writer's room, I would have yelled at the top of my lungs, "Where's the beefcake?!" And the only halfway believable answer would have been "Dabney Coleman's mustache, of course."
Fortunately, that insane casting decision to not have a single hunky man in the movie ended up giving us a fantastic movie. It is, without a doubt, in the top ten best comedies of all time. Right up there with "Groundhog Day," another comedy gem starring Bill Murray. So there was lots going on in the movie to make it a top-notch comedy--including the fact that Dustin Hoffman turned out to be more attractive in drag than in real man clothes, at least to Charles Durning. (Suddenly I'm wondering what a Charles Durning-Dustin Hoffman child would look like. It isn't pretty.) But what about the movie made it a ROMANTIC comedy? Two things--Jessica Lange's incredible looks and the theme song for the movie, "It Might Be You."
Yes, I readily admit that Jessica Lange did not age gracefully. That's probably one reason they cast her on American Horror Story, for which she won a truckload of awards.
 |
| This is what you end up looking like when you get hit by a truckload of awards. |
But back in the 80s, the Jessica Lange's role in "Tootsie"--for which she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress--was the incredibly beautiful and vulnerable-turned-powerful nurse Julie Nichols, the "hospital slut" (her words in the movie, not mine).
 |
| Jessica is the one on the left. |
Every single time I saw the movie, which was a LOT (Downey theater made a lot of money off me from buying peanut M&Ms and cherry nibs--the best movie candy combo ever), I fell deeper and deeper in love with Jessica Lange. Now, I don't know the full psychological impact of my movie-star crush on Jessica, but I did end up marrying a sexy nurse named Julie.
The other thing that gave the movie a romantic feel was the theme song. I couldn't find any videos that combined the theme song with clips of the movie that didn't have a strange Russian logo on them, so prepare to see a hammer and sickle along with all the other stuff. It may be part of the Russian interference in the upcoming election, but I don't think it's going to sway any voters. The old Tootsie voting demographic just ain't what it used to be.
This is the kind of 80s love song that is tailor made for those times when you realize that the person you're feeling an attraction toward just MIGHT be the one for you for all of your life (like Jessica Lange). But by the definition of "might," it can also be that moment just before you realize that person might NOT be the one for you (like Dustin Hoffman). When I listen to it, it reminds me of those moments just before you go for it and try to make the relationship happen--that moment of elation when you know you're falling in love and nothing bad has happened yet, like having that person reveal on live TV that they're not the gender you thought they were. Or worse, that the person hogged all the peanut M&Ms and cherry nibs at the movie.
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
44. Feels So Good
44. "Shine a Little Love" by Electric Light Orchestra
And how does it feel when you think that certain special someone has finally decided to come and get your love?
Like this.
What's to like about this song? Plenty!
To begin with, there's an exquisite disco gallop. If you can find a better disco gallop on any record, tape, CD, 8-track, or iTunes download, buy it.
There's a poppin' Kelly Groucutt baseline.
There's strings soaring up and down and round and round.
There's a repeated echoliscious downward scale run on the keyboard.
There's some excellently balanced rhythm guitar bits and drumming that make a pretty peppy wall of sound to hold up the singing.
There's lots of sing-along chorus-line words and phrases like "Remember!" and "You shine a little love on my life!" and "Yes, I understand" and "I know it is" and "I'll do it all again" and "Shine on me" and "Shi-i-ine" and "E.L.O." peppered throughout.
There's fun no-brain sing-along sounds like "Ooooooo!" and "Oo--oo--oo-ah-oo-ah-oo-ah-oo-ah-Ooooooo!" and "OowahOowahOowahOowahOowahOowah-Ooooooo!"
There's lyrics that put you in a helluva good mood and make you so happy about your love life that you can't believe there aren't more songs like this.
And don't forget the well-timed double handclaps.
Put all that together and you have a monster of a feel-good song that epitomizes that emotion you have when you are so sure the one you love loves you back that you think your skull might explode from the happy brain juices constantly flowing through it.
Oooooooo!
And how does it feel when you think that certain special someone has finally decided to come and get your love?
Like this.
What's to like about this song? Plenty!
To begin with, there's an exquisite disco gallop. If you can find a better disco gallop on any record, tape, CD, 8-track, or iTunes download, buy it.
There's a poppin' Kelly Groucutt baseline.
There's strings soaring up and down and round and round.
There's a repeated echoliscious downward scale run on the keyboard.
There's some excellently balanced rhythm guitar bits and drumming that make a pretty peppy wall of sound to hold up the singing.
There's lots of sing-along chorus-line words and phrases like "Remember!" and "You shine a little love on my life!" and "Yes, I understand" and "I know it is" and "I'll do it all again" and "Shine on me" and "Shi-i-ine" and "E.L.O." peppered throughout.
There's fun no-brain sing-along sounds like "Ooooooo!" and "Oo--oo--oo-ah-oo-ah-oo-ah-oo-ah-Ooooooo!" and "OowahOowahOowahOowahOowahOowah-Ooooooo!"
There's lyrics that put you in a helluva good mood and make you so happy about your love life that you can't believe there aren't more songs like this.
And don't forget the well-timed double handclaps.
Put all that together and you have a monster of a feel-good song that epitomizes that emotion you have when you are so sure the one you love loves you back that you think your skull might explode from the happy brain juices constantly flowing through it.
Oooooooo!
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