Song of the Day: "Freedom"

ARTIST: Wham!
TITLE: "Freedom"
YEAR: 1985


"Freedom" is my favourite Wham! song. I really don't have much to say about it except that it's been in my head so prominently today that it even got a lip synched performance in the shower. Scary on so many levels, I know. An 80s pop classic, this one is.

Click here to hear it. Buy any Wham! hits collection or the Make It Big album if you'd like to own it on CD.

Employment (Kaiser Chiefs)

From the "it's about effin' time" department, I've purchased the Kaiser Chiefs album Employment.
As much as I love "Everyday I Love You Less and Less," it took me forever to actually get this album. I even managed to pick up Yours Truly, Angry Mob before this.

Anyway, I'm glad to have finally gotten this. It's a great album. My memory had dimmed of "I Predict a Riot," so I'd forgotten that it, too, is a rather kickass track. Besides the awesome singles (also including "Oh My God" and "Modern Way"), many of the album tracks are also highly enjoyable, including "Na Na Na Na Naa," "Born to Be a Dancer," and "What Did I Ever Give You?" I'd definitely recommend this album.

Tracks:
1. Everyday I Love You Less and Less
2. I Predict a Riot
3. Modern Way
4. Na Na Na Na Naa
5. You Can Have It All
6. Oh My God
7. Born to Be a Dancer
8. Saturday Night
9. What Did I Ever Give You?
10. Time Honoured Tradition
11. Caroline, Yes
12. Team Mate

Rocket (Primitive Radio Gods)

I got the Primitive Radio Gods' album Rocket. It's the one that has their big song, "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money in My Hand." Good tune. The album itself is nothing groundbreaking, but it's decent 90s rock. Other good tracks include "Women," "Are You Happy," and "Rocket."

Tracks:
1. Women
2. Motherfucker
3. Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money in My Hand
4. Who Say
5. The Rise and Fall of Ooo Man
6. When the Monkey Meets the Man
7. Are You Happy
8. Chain Reaction
9. Skin Turns Blue
10. Rocket

Why We Fight (John Wesley Harding)

On a whim, I picked up a copy of John Wesley Harding's 1992 album Why We Fight today. I hadn't really known his music before, but it's pretty cool. Sort of like a slightly more folk, depressed Elvis Costello. Good lyrics for the most part. My favourite track on first listen was "Ordinary Weekend," but I liked most of them well enough.

Tracks:
1. Kill the Messenger
2. Ordinary Weekend
3. The Truth
4. Dead Centre of Town
5. Into the Wind
6. Hitler's Tears
7. Get Back Down
8. Me Against Me
9. The Original Miss Jesus
10. Where the Bodies Are
11. Millionaire's Dream
12. Come Gather Round

Song of the Day: "Another Nail in My Heart"

ARTIST: Squeeze
TITLE: "Another Nail in My Heart"
YEAR: 1980

While Squeeze has many ace tunes, I'm fairly certain "Another Nail in My Heart" is my favorite, edging out "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)" for the title. Both of those songs have great tunes and lyrics, as can be said of so many Squeeze songs, but "Another Nail in My Heart" just catches my fancy ever-so-slightly more.

Anyway, this song is great and I've been giving it a spin or two fairly regularly of late. I'm only now realizing just how great the lyrics actually are, perhaps explaining the more frequent play than usual; however, discovery aside, the song definitely stands as one of the greats.

Click here for a listen. Many Squeeze compilations have been issued containing this track should you want to own it.

Song of the Day: "Right Next Door (Because of Me)"

ARTIST: Robert Cray Band
TITLE: "Right Next Door (Because of Me)"
YEAR: 1987

I just saw today that tickets will soon be going on sale for a Robert Cray concert in Nashville after my classes end but before I'll actually be going home. Haven't decided if I'll be buying a ticket yet, but right now I'm leaning toward that.

More about that later, perhaps, but the reason I share that is it was that announcement that made me want to spin one of his hit singles, "Right Next Door (Because of Me)." This is one great song. For starters, Robert Cray is one helluva guitarist. His blues-rock, his smooth vocals, the great lyrics ... damn, it just comes together well here.

If you'd like to hear the song, click here. If you'd like to own it on CD, there are several options, including the album on which it originally appears, Strong Persuader, and such compilations as Definitive Collection.

"What Hurts the Most" single (Cascada)

When Rascal Flatts remade "What Hurts the Most," I thought it was horrid. Worse still was that it became a big hit.

Thankfully, now there's yet another remake out that I do like, and that is the danceable Cascada one. Would I call this my favorite version? Probably not, but I like it enough that I wanted the single, and now I've gotten it.

Included are twelve mixes of the title track and a remake of Wham!'s "Last Christmas."

My favorite mixes: Topmodelz (full and radio mixes), Club Mix, Flip & Fill mix, and the Darren Styles mix.

"Last Christmas" is okay. It's nothing wowing, but it's listenable. Hard to top Wham! anyway.

Tracks:
1. What Hurts the Most (Radio Mix U.S.)
2. What Hurts the Most (Spencer & Hill Radio Edit)
3. What Hurts the Most (Topmodelz Radio Edit)
4. What Hurts the Most (Yanou's Candlelight Mix)
5. What Hurts the Most (Club Mix)
6. What Hurts the Most (Spencer & Hill Remix)
7. What Hurts the Most (Topmodelz Remix)
8. What Hurts the Most (K-Klass Remix)
9. What Hurts the Most (Flip & Fill Remix)
10. What Hurts the Most (Fugitives Megura Remix)
11. What Hurts the Most (Darren Styles Remix)
12. What Hurts the Most (Spencer & Hill Dub Mix)
13. Last Christmas

"I Thought It Was Over" single (The Feeling)

Just got the single for The Feeling's "I Thought It Was Over." It's the lead single from their sophomore album, Join With Us, which debuts at number one on the current UK Albums chart. I still need the album, but for now I'll content myself with this single.

Tracks:
1. "I Thought It Was Over"
Thanks to Youtube, I've been playing this one quite a bit anyway, but it's good to finally own it. Good track. Energetic.

2. "Don't Make It Easy"
Pretty solid b-side. If this is the material they chose to pull from the album, I hope that bodes well for the tracks which did make it.

3. "Colombia"
Another good tune. I like the vocal tracking on this one.

Unfortunately I'll have to wait a bit before I can spring for the album, but if this single is any indication, it will at least be worth the wait.

Song of the Day: "Buffalo Stance"

ARTIST: Neneh Cherry
TITLE: "Buffalo Stance"
YEAR: 1989

Neneh Cherry's big 1989 hit "Buffalo Stance" has some of the most quotable lyrics ever. And I don't know why, because most of them don't seem like they should make sense out of context - but they're perfect. Don't have an answer to a question or need a witty retort? Quote "Buffalo Stance." Need some material for a good text or voicemail? Quote "Buffalo Stance."

Okay, perhaps I'm exaggerating here; but, whether it be the quotable lyrics or just its sheer awesomeness, something caused "Bufffalo Stance" to recently enter my head and stay there, and I have since listened several times. The song just doesn't get old.


If you'd like to hear the song, click here. If you'd like to own it on CD, it's available on Cherry's 1989 album Raw Like Sushi.

Jesus of Cool (30th Anniversary Edition) (Nick Lowe)

Jesus of Cool (retitled Pure Pop for Now People with a slightly altered track list in the United States) was Nick Lowe's 1978 debut album. Thirty years later, Yep Roc Records has remastered the album, including all tracks from both of its incarnations, as well as several bonus cuts, and issued it on CD.

The result? Musical rapture. This album is about as diverse as it is amazing, and it is hugely both. There's not a bad track on here. If that wasn't enough reason to enjoy the album, also included are great liner notes, both textually and pictorially. Still not cool enough for you? The case itself is also a work of art, folding out into a cross-shaped Nick Lowe with his guitar. The folks at Yep Roc really went all out with this one to ensure one amazing musical experience.

In summary: This is amazing. Highly recommended.

Tracks:
1. Music for Money
2. I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass
3. Little Hitler
4. Shake and Pop
5. Tonight
6. So It Goes
7. No Reason
8. 38 Inches High
9. Marie Provost
10. Nutted by Reality
11. Heart of the City (live)
12. Shake That Rat
13. I Love My Label
14. They Called It Rock
15. Born a Woman
16. Endless Sleep
17. Halfway to Paradise
18. Rollers Show
19. Cruel to Be Kind (original version)
20. Heart of the City
21. I Don't Want the Night to End

Imaginary Kingdom (Tim Finn)

I've wanted Tim Finn's Imaginary Kingdom album for a while on the strength of the amazing lead single, "Couldn't Be Done." However, funding kept preventing me from actually investing. I finally picked it up at a good price when I went to his concert the other day.

This album was definitely worth the wait. Tim Finn proves once again that he is a truly masterful craftsman of words and music, and I say this as someone who knows much less of his work than I should. There's really no track on here I dislike, although I do like some more than others. One of the beautiful things about the album as a whole is that all of the songs work together. This never sounds like a mere collection of songs, but rather shows itself to be a work of art in that respect. Given the unhealthy state of the album, I very much appreciate artists who take the time to craft it in such a way, even those whose music I don't like as much as this.

Anyway, here are the tracks:
1. Couldn't Be Done
2. Still the Song
3. Astounding Moon
4. Midnight Coma
5. Salt to the Sea
6. Horizon
7. Dead Flowers
8. Resting (Your Hand Lightly)
9. Show Yourself
10. Winter Light
11. So Precious
12. Unsinkable

Party Dress EP (Eileen Rose)

At the Tim Finn concert, I picked up opening act Eileen Rose's Party Dress EP. It's got some decent music on there. If you're into the sort of female singer-songwriter-guitar scene, you might enjoy hearing her. My favorite of the four tracks is "That's No Way to Say Goodbye."

Tracks:
1. Party Dress
2. That's No Way to Say Goodbye
3. Booze Talkin' (I Ain't Listenin')
4. New Penny

Song of the Day: "Run Runaway"

ARTIST: Slade
TITLE: "Run Runaway"
YEAR: 1984

I don't know what's up with me being taken with random songs and feeling the need to play them repeatedly, but this seems to be a trend with me recently. The latest lucky tune is Slade's "Run Runaway." I've always liked the little bit of Slade I know, particularly "Mama Weer All Crazee Now," so I suppose it shouldn't surprise me too much that I was so susceptible to the lure of another of their songs. I heard this one over the weekend and it has planted itself firmly in my head.

If you'd like to hear the song, click here. If you'd like to own it on CD, I would recommend The Slade Box, a lovely four-disc career-spanning set over which I've been salivating. However, if you've not committed yourself to Slade to the degree where such a large purchase is your thing, there are many cheaper alternatives out there, including the single disc Gets Your Boots On: The Best of Slade.

"Seeeee chameleon lying there in the sun..."

Song of the Day: "Standard Lie Number One"

ARTIST: Stella Parton
TITLE: "Standard Lie Number One"
YEAR: 1977

For whatever reason, I became quite taken with Stella Parton's 1977 country hit "Standard Lie Number One" tonight. I played it quite a bit, yet it's a song I've had around since April 2007. I guess it's because tonight was the first time I really listened to the lyrics and Parton's powerful delivery. The song isn't just a cheating song, as I'd first thought of it, but also a powerful display of the sort of psychological abuse endured by people in relationships when a partner is unfaithful. It's really rather clever.

If you'd like to hear this song ... well, good luck. The hit version has never appeared on a CD and I'm not seeing any copies to which I can link for Internet listening. Your best bet is to find it on vinyl, either the 45 or the album on which it was included, Country Sweet.

If you were wondering, Stella is Dolly Parton's younger sister.

---

UPDATE: I see now that there's a live performance video posted here. Enjoy!

Set lists: Tim Finn with Eileen Rose

Instead of doing my homework, I used tonight to seize the opportunity to see Tim Finn in concert. I do not regret it at all. He put on a great, great show. There's a reason he's lasted so long in this business.

I'd not heard of his opening act, Eileen Rose, before, but she also had a good set. Apparently, Tim Finn actually contacted her via Myspace and invited her to tour with him. Pretty cool, eh?

Anyway, here are the set lists:

Eileen Rose
1. "sink right to the bottom" is one of the song's lyrics
2. "I need a prophet" and "forget about me" are phrases in the song
3. "pale yellow sun" is a lyric... and I believe the chorus talked about rain ... can you tell I don't know these titles? Sorry this is such a useless set list
4. Shining - one actual title for ya!
5. I'm the Only One - woohoo, two!
6. "it doesn't mean a thing" is in the lyrics
7. "Simple Touch of the Hand" - 3 actual titles!

Tim Finn
(In case it's helpful, I'll mention the songs that were originally by Split Enz or Crowded House, even though they're all basically his songs)
1. Couldn't Be Done (this shows you how out of touch I am. I was sure he'd be saving this for his closing number)
2. Poor Boy (Split Enz)
3. Weather With You (Crowded House)
4. Six Months in a Leaky Boat (Split Enz)
5. Winter Light
6. Saw to the Tree
7. How Will You Go (Crowded House)
8. Dirty Creature (Split Enz)
9. Salt to the Sea
10. So Precious
11. Persuasion
12. Horizon
13. I See Red (Split Enz)
Encore
14. Not Even Close
15. Parihaka
16. It's Only Natural (Crowded House)

Song of the Day: "Do the Conga"

ARTIST: Black Lace
TITLE: "Do the Conga"
YEAR: 1984

"Do the Conga" by Black Lace. Yes. Exactly. I don't know what to say. It's been kind of a running joke for the weekend with a friend of mine. The good thing is, as a result of that, it makes me laugh. Every freaking time. Good thing I find it so funny, because it sure does get stuck in one's head, doesn't it?

If you'd like to hear the song, click here. If you'd like to own it on CD, it's available on Black Lace's Action Party: 25 All-Time Favorites.

Choo choo choo

Set list: Rick Springfield

I saw Rick Springfield perform and let me just say that he is not only awesome in concert, but seems like a very cool person. He also did a lot of cool guitar theatrics. Here's the set list:

(Thanks to Amy for the comment letting me know what #11 was)

1. Who Killed Rock and Roll
2. Will I
3. Affair of the Heart
4. Kristina
5. I've Done Everything for You
6. Rock of Life
7. Fire (the Jimi Hendrix song)
8. Living in Oz
9. Crossroads (as popularized by Cream)
10. Saint Sahara (this is a new song that he performed for the first time. It was written for a young girl who recently died of brain cancer. Her mother was in the audience.)
11. Red House (the Jimi Hendrix tune)
12. Don't Talk to Strangers ... this one went on for a long time as he entered the audience and kept having random people sing the title, as well as other forms of interaction with the people (e.g., coaxing a shy guy into singing by telling him ladies love guys who sing, inviting a 12-year-old birthday girl on stage to dance and sing with him, etc. What an awesome 12th birthday, eh?)
13. Medley: Bop 'Til You Drop / Celebrate Youth / Calling All Girls / Don't Walk Away / State of the Heart / What Kind of Fool Am I / I Get Excited / Bop 'Til You Drop
14. Intro to Saturday Night (the BCR tune) / I Can't Explain (the Who song). He also took this opportunity to mock his movie Hard to Hold and tell a story about Keith Richards (with a guitar lick from "Satisfaction" to accent it)
15. Love Somebody
16. My Generation (The Who song) ... he at this point had a guy from the audience give him his cell phone and used it to play guitar... then had a woman give him her cell and randomly called someone.
17. Human Touch ... this was the song where he went through most of the audience, including people (like me) on the second floor. I was within inches of Rick Springfield!
18. Jessie's Girl
Encore
19. Perfect
20. Love Is Alright Tonite

The Squirts opened. I don't really know their song titles, but here are a few lyrical snippets from each song they sang which may or may not be helpful in identifying them:
1. "I am left here barely breathing"
2. "The Way I See You" - I think that's an actual title
3. "worst of times" "i'd do it all again"

"Rosé" single (The Feeling)

Experiencing a renewed Feeling vigor, I picked up the CD single for "Rosé."

"Rosé" is the version found on Twelve Stops and Home. It's not one of my favourite tracks on the album, but it is good.

Dan's original version of "Sewn" is an interesting, more sparse arrangement of the track from Twelve Stops and Home. Pretty cool. Worth a listen.

"Video Killed the Radio Star" is a live remake of the song originally performed by Bruce Woolley & The Camera Club and more popularly done by The Buggles. It's a cool version of it and was the main attraction of this single for me.

"Fill My Little Fanfare" is an interesting little rework of the chorus of "Fill My Little World." The harmonies are actually quite cool on this and make it a worthwhile listen.

Tracks:
1. Rosé
2. Sewn (Dan's original version)
3. Video Killed the Radio Star
4. Fill My Little Fanfare

Song of the Day: "Here, There, and Everywhere"

ARTIST: Emmylou Harris
TITLE: "Here, There, and Everywhere"
YEAR: 1976

Many are likely familiar with "Here, There, and Everywhere," a track from The Beatles' 1966 album Revolver. Fewer (though still a good many) are familiar, however, with Emmylou Harris's beautiful remake. It was released as a single in 1976. The flip side, a version of Buck Owens's "Together Again," is nice, but there I prefer hearing Owens do it. However, hearing Harris sing "Here, There, and Everywhere" is quite the experience. Known for her strong vocals in general, Harris outdoes even herself on this one. It's a truly amazing rendition and lately I've been spinning it quite a bit.

If you'd like to hear her version, you can do so here. If you'd like to own it on CD, you have several options. I have not examined them thoroughly, but my recommendation would be Anthology: The Warner/Reprise Years. It's a two-disc set containing 44 tracks, including many of her hits from this period. It isn't perfect, and I wish it included the single version of "Mister Sandman" instead of the LP version, but it looks like a good set. If you'd prefer a less comprehensive set that includes the song, the album on which it originally appeared, Elite Hotel, is available on CD as well.

Song of the Day: "NW5"

ARTIST: Madness
TITLE: "NW5"
YEAR: 2007

I've been going through a bit of Madness madness lately, and it was sparked when I heard their recently-released tune "NW5." Madness is truly a great band, and this is an awesome song they've put out. I don't know if it was released to any radio formats in the United States, but were there any justice, it would be all over radio.

If you'd like to hear the song, you can do so here. If you'd like to own it, it got released as a CD single in the UK and Europe. It will also be appearing on Madness's forthcoming album, but presently I find no information as to that album's title or date of release.

Song of the Day: "Supernatural Superserious"

ARTIST: R.E.M.
TITLE: "Supernatural Superserious"
YEAR: 2008

I'd meant to write about this over the weekend, but life goes and interferes sometimes. "Supernatural Superserious" is the lead single from R.E.M.'s forthcoming album Accelerate. It's a great piece of work from them, maintaining the classic R.E.M. sound as well as their usual high quality of release. It took a few listens to really grow on me, but overall it's another fine release from the guys, and one to which I listened a lot on Saturday and Sunday.

You can hear the song here. Accelerate is due to be released 1 April 2008.

A Place in the World & Stones in the Road (Mary Chapin Carpenter)

Having thoroughly enjoyed my first round of Mary Chapin Carpenter acquisitions, I went ahead and got two more albums from her catalogue: A Place in the World (1996) and Stones in the Road (1994). While I wouldn't call either quite as consistent as Come On Come On, they're both solid albums worth owning. I would recommend trying COCO first, and should you find you enjoy it, then continue with more of MCC's albums.

Standouts from A Place in the World include "Keeping the Faith," "I Want to Be Your Girlfriend," "Let Me Into Your Heart," and "What If We Went to Italy." Standouts from Stones in the Road include "House of Cards," "A Keeper for Every Flame," "Shut Up and Kiss Me," and "The Last Word."

Track listing for A Place in the World:
1. Keeping the Faith
2. Hero in Your Own Hometown
3. I Can See It Now
4. I Want to Be Your Girlfriend
5. Let Me Into Your Heart
6. What If We Went to Italy
7. That's Real
8. Ideas Are Like Stars
9. Naked to the Eye
10. Sudden Gift of Fate
11. The Better to Dream of You
12. A Place in the World

Track listing for Stones in the Road:
1. Why Walk When You Can Fly
2. House of Cards
3. Stones in the Road
4. A Keeper for Every Flame
5. Tender When I Want to Be
6. Shut Up and Kiss Me
7. The Last Word
8. The End of My Pirate Days
9. John Doe No. 24
10. Jubilee
11. Outside Looking In
12. Where Time Stands Still
13. This Is Love

Soul & Inspiration (The 5th Dimension)

Recently, many albums in The 5th Dimension's catalogue saw release on CD. Now, for those of you who are looking for just one good 5th Dimension package that collects the hits, I would recommend Up-Up and Away: The Definitive Collection. It's a 2-disc set that does an awesome job of collecting the hit singles as well as some key other cuts. I've given this set many a play since I acquired it years ago, and it's an awesome purchase. Do yourself a favor and get it.

My appreciation for the group only grew over the years as I kept returning to the aforementioned set, so when I saw that their albums were appearing on CD, I got excited at the opportunity to dig deeper into their repertoire. The album I selected to purchase is Soul & Inspiration. This album was originally released in 1974. It contains the track "Harlem," which is a song written and originally recorded by Bill Withers. The group had released it as a single, but it failed to make much of an impact. That's a shame, because they do an awesome job with it. Anyway, that tune was one of the major draws to this album for me. Some other familiar songs remade here are "The Best of My Love," which was a #1 hit for The Eagles, and "Soul and Inspiration," better known in its Righteous Brothers version. I had never heard The 5th Dimension's versions of these, but they're very good. I was particularly impressed by the remake of "The Best of My Love." It's amazing just how well this song fits Marilyn McCoo's vocals, especially with the flourishes provided by Florence LaRue's additional vocals.

The other tracks here also make for good listens. In addition to some cool selections from the original album (including the Billy Davis, Jr. vocal tunes "My Song"and "I Don't Know How to Look for Love," and the McCoo-Davis vocal duet single (with wonderful group harmonies as well) "No Love in the Room," which is also present on the Up-Up and Away set), there are many bonus tracks included. These include a couple more good remakes (Three Dog Night's "Out in the Country" and a masterful vocal by Ron Townson on "Love Story.") Also included is an alternate version to the album track "Somebody Warm Like Me." The one that ended up on the album has lead vocals supplied by Billy Davis, Jr. While his version is good, the alternate one, which has McCoo doing vocals, is absolutely stunning. Billy Davis, Jr. turns in an outstanding performance on one of the other bonus tracks, "Rusty Hands of Time."

As an additional perk, Gene Sculatti's liner notes are concise but effective, leaving one with a fairly good picture of the state of the group at the time this album was released and a bit of commentary about the tracks, including some quotes from personnel involved on the album.

To summarize, I'm very happy with this purchase overall and would recommend it. It makes a great supplement to any 5th Dimension collection.

Tracks:
1. Soul & Inspiration
2. Harlem
3. The Best of My Love
4. My Song
5. Hard Core Poetry
6. No Love in the Room
7. House for Sale
8. Somebody Warm Like Me
9. Salty Years
10. I Don't Know How to Look for Love (all following this track are bonus cuts)
11. As Long As There's an Apple Tree
12. Out in the Country
13. Rusty Hands of Time
14. Somebody Warm Like Me (Marilyn McCoo version)
15. Love Story
16. Back Together

Rain (Joe Jackson)

Joe Jackson's Rain hit stores 29 January 2008. As this album returns him to some of his more vintage styles of the late 1970s and 1980s, I was excited for it and had to pick it up. It's a good album. I wouldn't say it's revolutionary in Jackson's catalogue, but it's definitely very enjoyable and worth a listen. If there were justice in the music industry, "Invisible Man" would be a huge hit single, but alas. Other standouts include "Citizen Sane," "Solo (So Low)," and "Good Bad Boy."

The CD comes packaged with a DVD of some live performances and behind-the-scenes footage, but I've not gotten a chance to watch that yet.

Tracks:
1. Invisible Man
2. Too Tough
3. Citizen Sane
4. Wasted Time
5. The Uptown Train
6. King Pleasure Time
7. Solo (So Low)
8. Rush Across the Road
9. Good Bad Boy
10. A Place in the Rain

Pocketful of Sunshine (Natasha Bedingfield)

I bought the U.S. version of Natasha Bedingfield's sophomore album. I'd already purchased the import edition, entitled N.B., and I love it, so Pocketful of Sunshine had a lot to which it needed to measure up. Unfortunately, in my opinion, this version of the album just doesn't quite have the charm and spark of the other. N.B. was adventurous and overall a great listen. The only tracks that were iffy were "Smell the Roses" (which is okay but nothing special ... it got cut from the U.S. release) and "Backyard" (which I don't really like ... it didn't get cut, of course.) Some of the tracks I love, however, were excised: "I Wanna Have Your Babies," "When You Know You Know," "Tricky Angel," etc. Still, I wouldn't have minded these omissions if the replacements were awesome. While some of the new tracks are top-notch, like "Pocketful of Sunshine" and "Piece of Your Heart," others are good but just not the caliber of what they're replacing, like "Love Like This" and "Happy." Overall, this is still a decent album, but if one had to choose just one of Bedingfield's two second albums, I would go with N.B.

Tracks:
1. Put Your Arms Around Me
2. Pocketful of Sunshine
3. Happy
4. Love Like This (featuring Sean Kingston)
5. Piece of Your Heart
6. Soulmate
7. Say It Again
8. Angel
9. Backyard
10. Freckles
11. Who Knows
12. Pirate Bones
13. Not Givin' Up

Song of the Day: "Careful What You Wish For"

ARTIST: Jonatha Brooke
TITLE: "Careful What You Wish For"
YEAR: 2007

I heard this on the radio a few days ago and it's really stuck with me. This is a powerful song by singer-songwriter Jonatha Brooke. Brooke possesses a unique, very moving voice which she uses to full effect on this tune. I'm not very familiar with her oeuvre, but if this song is representative, then it's certainly worth checking out.

You can hear the tune here. If you'd like to own it on CD, it's available on Brooke's album Careful What You Wish For.

The Essential Mary Chapin Carpenter

At the same time I bought Mary Chapin Carpenter's Come On Come On, I also picked up The Essential. I might not have done so had I know just how much I'd love that album as a whole. Anyway, the tracks on here are awesome, as I'm quickly determining is a good word for MCC. However, while it may contain some essential tracks, I would say that I (and others) would be better off just buying her albums. This is a nice stopgap until I can get around to getting the actual albums from which these tracks come, but it's not a complete enough collection. Just knowing the tracks it left off from Come On Come On is enough for me to determine that.

So, as far as my conclusion: The music on here is all top notch. However, my recommendation would be to skip over this disc and go straight to collecting MCC's catalogue.

Tracks:
1. Stones in the Road
2. The Long Way Home
3. Shut Up and Kiss Me
4. I Take My Chances
5. I Feel Lucky
6. Almost Home
7. Halley Came to Jackson
8. I Am a Town
9. Quittin' Time
10. Down at the Twist and Shout
11. He Thinks He'll Keep Her
12. Only a Dream
13. Late for Your Life
14. The Hard Way
15. Passionate Kisses
16. 10,000 Miles

Come On Come On (Mary Chapin Carpenter)

Mary Chapin Carpenter's "He Thinks He'll Keep Her" is one of my favorite songs of all time, full stop. However, it was also about the only thing I really knew of her for quite a while. Therefore, I was overdue for picking up some of her material. The first of hers that I've bought is Come On Come On, the 1992 album that spawned "He Thinks He'll Keep Her."

Now, oftentimes, when I've built up lofty expectations for an album based on one great song, I'm somewhat disappointed by the actual album (e.g., my recent post about Kate Nash's Made of Bricks.) Therefore, it is somewhat surprising that I can say that this album actually exceeded my expectations. There is not a single track on here that I would remove. Mary Chapin Carpenter tackles a variety of material, yet she does it all flawlessly, and the album itself hangs together beautifully. It is a work of art in whole, not just a collection of individual songs that don't work with one another.

I know it sounds like a bit of a raving thing to say, but this is one of those albums that I think belongs on the list of essentials for all music lovers.

Tracks:
1. The Hard Way
2. He Thinks He'll Keep Her
3. Rhythm of the Blues
4. I Feel Lucky
5. The Bug
6. Not Too Much to Ask
7. Passionate Kisses
8. Only a Dream
9. I Am a Town
10. Walking Through Fire
11. I Take My Chances
12. Come On Come On

We Were Born in a Flame (Sam Roberts)

I picked up Sam Roberts's 2003 album We Were Born in a Flame on the strength of the single "Don't Walk Away Eileen." I'd never heard anything else he recorded, but that song is quite good and I was interested in hearing more from the Canadian singer-songwriter. It worked out well. The album is quite solid. A lot of great tracks, including "Don't Walk Away Eileen," "Brother Down," "On the Run," and "This Wreck of a Life."

Tracks:
1. Hard Road
2. Don't Walk Away Eileen
3. Brother Down
4. Where Have All the Good People Gone?
5. Taj Mahal
6. Every Part of Me
7. Higher Learning
8. Rarefied
9. On the Run
10. No Sleep
11. This Wreck of a Life
12. Dead End
13. Paranoia

New York Dolls

When I was at my school's bookstore, I noticed a copy of the eponymous New York Dolls album. The bookstore used to have a decent stock of CDs, but they stopped with that, more's the pity, so when I see anything remotely cool there, I buy it. Anyhow, this album is a classic for a reason, and it makes for a great listen. On first listen my favourite track was "Trash," but there's not a stiff on here. Bonus points because it makes Shangri-Las references.

Tracks:
1. Personality Crisis
2. Looking for a Kiss
3. Vietnamese Baby
4. Lonely Planet Boy
5. Frankenstein
6. Trash
7. Bad Girl
8. Subway Train
9. Pills
10. Private World
11. Jet Boy

Bring Your Own Stereo (Jimmie's Chicken Shack)

I finally bought a Jimmie's Chicken Shack album, and the lucky one is Bring Your Own Stereo, the 1999 release that contains the hit "Do Right." It's a pretty solid album. Stylistically you get a mix - not so varied as to be schizophrenic-sounding, but enough that one is kept on one's toes. Some of the styles work better than others, but as a whole it's a decent album.

Standout tracks for me were "Do Right" and "Trash"

Tracks:
1. Spiraling
2. Lazy Boy Dash
3. Do Right
4. String of Pearls
5. Ooh
6. Let's Get Flat
7. Trash
8. Fill in the Blank
9. Face It
10. Silence Again
11. Pure
12. Waiting
13. 30 Days

Song of the Day: "Nothing Compares 2 U"

ARTIST: The Family
TITLE: "Nothing Compares 2 U"
YEAR: 1985

For whatever reason, this song (written by Prince and later made into a huge worldwide hit by Sinéad O'Connor) entered my head today and I just had to hear it again. I'm not sure what it is about the delivery here - probably the "oh oh oh oh" parts - but I love it. Such a great song. All kinds of awesome.

You can hear the song as part of this podcast. If you'd like to own it on CD... well, good luck. It comes from The Family's eponymous album, and while that is available on a CD, it's rare. You can probably find a copy at various online sites, but expect to shell out a good amount of dough for it.

"Let It Slide" single (Joanna)

I'd never heard of Joanna or either of the tracks on this single ("Let It Slide" and "This Crazy Life") but while I was browsing through CD racks, I saw this priced at a penny, so how could I refuse? Both of the songs are listenable, but nothing special. Fairly generic. You can hear "Let It Slide" on her MySpace page if you so desire, as well as an odd remake of Dashboard Confessional's "Screaming Infidelities."

Made of Bricks (Kate Nash)

So I'm finally putting up an album from this year (well, technically I blogged about The Rakamonie EP before this, but I bought this first), only it's technically an album from 2007 that only got its U.S. release in '08. Eh, close enough. Kate Nash's Made of Bricks was a must-get for me thanks to lead single "Foundations," my #2 song of 2007. Other highlights on the singer-songwriter's debut include "We Get On," "Mouthwash," "Skeleton Song," and "Pumpkin Soup." I'm not gonna say I love the album, but I definitely like it. I'm content with the purchase.

Tracks:
1. Play
2. Foundations
3. Mouthwash
4. Dickhead
5. Birds
6. We Get On
7. Mariella
8. Shit Song
9. Pumpkin Soup
10. Skeleton Song
11. Nicest Thing
12. Merry Happy

An edit from the future: While I usually don't go back to these posts, which tend to be snapshots of first impressions, in this particular case, I have to say that this album grew on me with further listening. I would amend my standout tracks at this point by removing "Skeleton Song" (good but others are better) and adding "Merry Happy."

Song of the Day: "Calling You"

ARTIST: Blue October
TITLE: "Calling You"
YEAR: 2003

A recent song that's being repromoted now, "Calling You" has been running through my head all day. Blue October has put together some solid tunes, and this is one of my favorites.

The song is available on the soundtrack to American Wedding, as well as the recent re-release Foiled for the Last Time. Hear it here.

The Rakamonie EP (Robyn)

I picked up The Rakamonie EP, Robyn's first U.S. release in ages. It's been out for a while overseas, but it's nice to have it here. I had already been familiar with the first two tracks and the final one, but I like them and thought it'd be cool to hear the alternate versions of "Be Mine!" and "With Every Heartbeat," so I picked it up. The ballad version of "Be Mine!" is utterly heartbreaking. Robyn has developed her own style, especially since taking creative control, and it works well for her. Five solid tracks here.

Tracks:
1. Konichiwa Bitches
2. Cobrastyle
3. Be Mine! (ballad version)
4. With Every Heartbeat (with Kleerup) (acoustic version)
5. Jack U Off

Lovin' Her Was Easier / After All These Years (Tompall & The Glaser Brothers)

Inspired by recent events, I hurried up the process of getting the Lovin' Her Was Easier / After All These Years CD to supplement my previous spotlight album, The Best of Tompall Glaser & The Glaser Brothers. As mentioned there, this CD contains some of the hits absent from that one. Also present are some more great remakes as well as some original songs.

Highlights include the big hit, "Lovin' Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)," the beautiful Jimmy Payne-penned "Feelin' the Weight of My Chains," a great version of the Tom Paxton classic "The Last Thing on My Mind," the lovely Metcalf/Whipple composition "United We Fall," the amazing harmonies on "Tryin' to Outrun the Years," the pretty sentiment of "I Still Love You (After All These Years)," the Jim Glaser-penned "Happy Hour Blues," and a lovely rendition of Gallagher and Lyle's "Stay Young."

If you like good country music and good harmonies, you'll like this. Get it while it's in print.

Tracks:
1. Lovin' Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)
2. It'll Be Her
3. Busted
4. Feelin' the Weight of My Chains
5. Just One Time
6. The Last Ting on My Mind
7. United We Fall
8. Drinkin' Them Beers
9. Tryin' to Outrun the Wind
10. A Mansion on the Hill
11. I Still Love You (After All These Years)
12. Can't Live With 'Em (Can't Live Without 'Em)
13. Rosali
14. Naked Emotions
15. Happy Hour Blues
16. Oh, America
17. Can I Sleep Here Tonight
18. Stay Young
19. I Could Never Live Alone Again
20. Maria Consuela