Song of the Day: "Enjoy the Silence"

ARTIST: Depeche Mode
TITLE: "Enjoy the Silence"
YEAR: 1990

"Enjoy the Silence" is one of Depeche Mode's biggest and most well-known hits. I'm sure fans and non-fans alike have heard it at least a couple times as it even gets decent replay. It's in my head today, and my only verdict is that it's still an awesome song.

You can hear the song here.

Mix CDs Galore

My listening is now being dominated by mix CDs I've received from some of my favorite people around, all of whom have fab taste in music. Rather than review them, which would be silly as A) they're all going to be loved and B) they're not available for purchase, I'll just be listing one or two highlights from each so they can be immortalized as part of my '08 in music, or something.

Art Brut: "People in Love"
Badfinger: "We're for the Dark"
Brent Barrett: "Love Can't Happen"
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: "The Mercy Seat"
Crowded House: "She Called Up"
The Glories: "I Stand Accused (Of Loving You)"
Hunters & Collectors: "Throw Your Arms Around Me"
Jill Jackson: "I'll Love You for a While"
Lotta Lenya: "Pirate Jenny"
Tony Middleton: "Paris Blues"
Giorgio Moroder: "Looky Looky"
The Munx: "Our Dream"
Gilbert O'Sullivan: "Out of the Question"
Robert Palmer: "Not a Second Time"
Procession: "Adelaide Adelaide"
Brenda Russell: "Piano in the Dark"
Barbra Streisand & Kim Carnes: "Make No Mistake, He's Mine" (a guilty pleasure I heretofore had not owned)
The Supremes: "Going Down for the Third Time"

Song of the Day: "(I Don't Want to Love You But) You Got Me Anyway"

ARTIST: The Sutherland Brothers and Quiver
TITLE: "(I Don't Want to Love You But) You Got Me Anyway"
YEAR: 1973

"You Got Me Anyway" is an excellent song from '73 about which I had completely forgotten, but hearing a friend sing a version reminded me just how much I love this song. I've been playing it to death today, and the more I listen, the more I have to wonder what kept it from becoming a huge hit.

You can hear the song here. It's available for purchase on the hits compilation The Very Best of The Sutherland Brothers and Quiver as well as the various artists disc Super Hits Of The '70s: Have a Nice Day, Vol. 17.

The Very Best of The Lightning Seeds

Since I've been on a Lightning Seeds kick, I went ahead and ordered The Very Best Of, a compilation of their work through the years. I really like the music on there and I would definitely recommend the compilation. The song selection isn't everything you'd ever want by them, but it's most of it.

Tracks:
1. Lucky You
2. The Life of Riley
3. Change
4. Feeling Lazy
5. Life's Too Short
6. Pure
7. Song for No One
8. You Showed Me
9. Be My Baby
10. Sugar Coated Iceberg
11. Ready or Not
12. Lucifer Sam
13. What If...
14. If Only
15. Perfect
16. What You Say
17. Tables Have Turned
18. Sense
19. Marvellous
20. Three Lions '98

Song of the Day: "Please Help the Cause Against Loneliness"

ARTIST: Sandie Shaw
TITLE: "Please Help the Cause Against Loneliness"
YEAR: 1988

While Sandie Shaw didn't get much respect in the States, this British female of the 60s sang many a great song in her career that would last multiple decades. In 1988, she released the Morrissey-penned "Please Help the Cause Against Loneliness," and it's an awesome song in both of their canons. I think it's a true testament to her as a performer that she could take on a song by someone whose style is as unique and delicate as Morrissey's and end up with such a wonderful rendition. It's also evidence of the diverse material Shaw could do well when this is compared to, say, "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me," a hit for her a couple decades earlier by the also great but stylistically very different from Morrissey songwriter, Burt Bacharach.

The song can be heard here. It is available for purchase on the Sandie Shaw box set Nothing Comes Easy, or the remastered version of her 1988 album Hello Angel, which also contains as a bonus track her take on The Smiths' "Hand in Glove."

Song of the Day: "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye"

ARTIST: The Vogues
TITLE: "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye"
YEAR: 1970

Leonard Cohen's "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye" has been performed by many an artist. The version of the song I've been listening to a particular lot of late is that released as a single in 1970 by The Vogues. I love harmony performances like this, and their take on this sad song is absolutely beautiful. The way the song builds is also awesome. Why this wasn't a bigger hit for them (or someone, at least) is absolutely beyond me.

A special mention goes to the Claudine Longet version, which I listened to thanks to its streamability at last.fm. Also pretty, although I prefer the Vogues rendition simply for the harmonies. Another rendition I've never heard but would love to is that by Ian McCulloch. I'm sure many other versions are out there as well.

To hear the Vogues version (my personal pick), click here. It is available on CD on a 2-albums-on-1-CD set entitled Memories/Sing the Good Old Songs as well as a decent hits package titled Greatest Hits.

To hear the Leonard Cohen version, which is also great, click here. It's available on almost any given Cohen collection on CD.

The Longet version can be found on the 2-on-1 disc We've Only Just Begun/Let's Spend the Night Together. The McCulloch version is on the various artists tribute album I'm Your Fan.

Song of the Day: "Cross My Broken Heart"

ARTIST: Sinitta
TITLE: "Cross My Broken Heart"
YEAR: 1988

I'm a sucker for Stock-Aitken-Waterman productions and very dated 80s music videos, so "Cross My Broken Heart" was pretty much a surefire hit with me. Eh, what can I say? It's dancepoptastic fun. I checked out Sinitta a month(?) or so ago after watching an episode of Never Mind the Buzzcocks on which she'd appeared, and this song in particular has stuck with me.

Check out the video here. I'm not positive as far as which Sinitta CDs have original recordings and which use re-recordings, but there's a SAW compilation called Gold that contains this track if you'd like to own it on CD. If you'd prefer a Sinitta disc, just do some legwork to make sure you're getting the original recordings.

Song of the Day: "That's Not My Name"

ARTIST: The Ting Tings
TITLE: "That's Not My Name"
YEAR: 2007/2008

I don't know much about the duo known as The Ting Tings. Don't like their name, and not a fan at all of the first song I heard from them, "Great DJ." However, I rather like "Shut Up and Let Me Go," which is currently being featured in an iPod advert. Now, "That's Not My Name" is looking to hit #1 on the UK Singles Chart, and I have to say, I love this song despite myself. Part of it is the hand claps and part of it is the vocal style on the "Are you calling me darling" part, but there's something else that I can't quite pinpoint. I suppose the song just works. It certainly has worked well enough for me to play it several times today.

You can hear the song here. It can be found on the album We Started Nothing (to be released) or the "That's Not My Name" single.

The Essential Johnny Mathis

The Essential Johnny Mathis is a nice, two-disc, multiple-decade-spanning overview of Johnny Mathis's music. Obviously, when you're dealing with somebody with a lengthy career and large output level like Mathis, two discs will omit loads of hits and other tracks; therefore, I won't look at this in terms of what was left off, because it would take a box set to even begin assembling Mathis's various hits and whatnot. I'll focus on what is included, and that is a very good collection of Mathis's tunes that takes one through the years with some of his 50s favorites ("It's Not for Me to Say," "Chances Are") and 60s ("What Will Mary Say," "Gina") and 70s ("I'm Coming Home," "Life Is a Song Worth Singing") hits, some show tunes ("What I Did for Love," "Memory") and some Christmas classics ("When a Child Is Born," "Sleigh Ride.") Basically, you get a little bit of everything, rounded out with some of Mathis's later recordings ("Unbreak My Heart," "Because You Loved Me"). Overall, I rate this set highly for achieving what it sets out to do: representing in two CDs the many facets of the versatile Johnny Mathis.

Tracks:
1. Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)
2. When Sunny Gets Blue
3. It's Not for Me to Say
4. Wonderful! Wonderful!
5. Chances Are
6. No Love (But Your Love)
7. The Twelfth of Never
8. Wild Is the Wind
9. Teacher, Teacher
10. A Certain Smile
11. Sleigh Ride
12. My Funny Valentine
13. Misty
14. Small World
15. Maria
16. Dancing on the Ceiling
17. Stairway to the Stars
18. Gina
19. What Will Mary Say
20. The Sweetheart Tree
21. On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
22. The Look of Love
23. A Time for Us

Disc 2
24. I'm Coming Home
25. Life Is a Song Worth Singing
26. 99 Miles from L.A.
27. What I Did for Love
28. When a Child Is Born
29. Too Much, Too Little, Too Late (with Deniece Williams)
30. Begin the Beguine
31. Memory
32. Friends in Love (with Dionne Warwick)
33. Brazil (Aquarela do Brasil)
34. Prelude to a Kiss
35. What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?
36. Let Your Heart Remember
37. Unbreak My Heart
38. Because You Loved Me
39. Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries (featuring Forever Plaid)
40. On Broadway

No Vacancy: The Best of The Motels

No Vacancy: The Best of The Motels is a 19-track collection compiling songs from 1980s group The Motels. I've decided to do this review in two sections.

The music itself gets a grade of B+ from me. Most of the songs are good, some are great, but a few are a tad fogettable. The standout tracks: "Danger," "Only the Lonely," "Suddenly Last Summer," "Icy Red," "Total Control," "Take the L.," "Remember the Night," and "Bonjour Baby."

The song selection, however, gets a grade of B- from me. While generally good, some of the less interesting album tracks could have been passed over for some of the omitted hits. For example, "Forever Mine" is the set's most glaring omission, but its B-side, "So L.A.," made the cut. Other fairly popular Motels tracks which are not included (in my subjective order of importance): "Footsteps," "Shock," "Days Are OK," and "Mission of Mercy." However, I do understand that the space constraints of a single disc set would have made it hard to include all of those along with some of the quality album tracks that are here. Perhaps a Best of, Vol. 2 would have done the trick?

Despite some quibbles with song selection, this set is generally good and probably deserves a solid four out of stars on a rating scale.

Tracks:
1. Danger
2. Only the Lonely
3. Celia
4. Shame
5. Careful
6. Suddenly Last Summer
7. So L.A.
8. Cries and Whispers
9. Icy Red
10. Apocalypso
11. Total Control
12. Take the L.
13. Trust Me
14. Remember the Nights
15. Bonjour Baby
16. Little Robbers
17. Annie Told Me
18. Kix
19. Whose Problem?

The Age of the Understatement (The Last Shadow Puppets)

The Last Shadow Puppets' The Age of the Understatement is a surprisingly great album. I didn't expect to be enjoying it as much as I am. The music is ace and I'm quite keen on the case and disc design as well. Some of the songs hearken back to older times, but incorporate those influences in such a way as to not simply be a retread of what's happened, but rather to advance them in a modern and enjoyable way.

Tracks:
1. The Age of the Understatement
2. Standing Next to Me
3. Calm Like You
4. Separate and Ever Deadly
5. The Chamber
6. Only the Truth
7. My Mistakes Were Made for You
8. Black Plant
9. I Don't Like You Anymore
10. In My Room
11. The Meeting Place
12. Time Has Come Again

Song of the Day: "Don't Ask Me Why"

ARTIST: Eurythmics
TITLE: "Don't Ask Me Why"
YEAR: 1989

Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart released a lot of great material, but this is the song currently in my head. While this wasn't as big of a hit as some of their other songs, it still features some great lyrics and awesome delivery.

The song can be heard here. It is available for purchase on various Eurythmics discs, including We Too Are One and Greatest Hits.

Gavin DeGraw

Gavin DeGraw's self-titled album is quite good. I'd originally not planned to buy it, but I heard the first few songs play in a store and I was convinced to give it a shot. I think I'd actually be quite excited about it were I not in such a crappy mood. Perhaps I'll revisit it when I'm in a better one in, say, July.

Tracks:
1. In Love with a Girl
2. Next to Me (Wait a Minute Sister)
3. Cheated on Me
4. I Have You to Thank
5. Cop Stop
6. Young Love
7. Medicate the Kids
8. Relative
9. She Holds a Key
10. Untamed
11. Let It Go
12. We Belong Together

Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael

Technically, Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael isn't really a new set for me. A friend of mine made me a copy of this set at some point in time, and I did enjoy listening to it. However, while it was cool having the tunes (which are great), I wanted to buy the actual set, which also includes two nice booklets with lyrics (one per disc) and photos of George Michael. Good stuff. I'm glad to have the actual set.

Those of you who noticed my recent entries for the extensive Twenty Five collection and the album Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1 may be wondering what advantage there is to purchasing this compilation. Well, in addition to the aforementioned booklets and art, this set contains the Astrud Gilberto duet "Desafinado" from the Red Hot + Tango album. It also contains "Star People '97," the single version of the track "Star People" from the Older album, and "I Can't Make You Love Me," an excellent, excellent remake which was included on the "Older" single. Also included are the two singles from the Five Live EP, "Killer/Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" and "Somebody to Love." Since I don't have Five Live, those are nice additions. It is also, I believe, currently the only George Michael album to contain his big hit duet with Aretha Franklin, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)." You also get the very pretty "A Moment With You," which is exclusive to this set. This is my case for why Michael fans (or at least, why I) would want to own both sets. If forced to choose just one, I would recommend Twenty Five, which contains a more complete representation in that it spans his career even after this set was released.

Let me reaffirm that all of the music included here is great, lest you think I'm ignoring or forgetting it. I thought I'd take a more discographic approach to this one since I already did a bit of musical commenting on the previously mentioned Michael entries. Just for fun, after the track list, see my recommendation for what would give one a George Michael collection that contained all the essentials. This is just my opinion, of course; others could opt for a more or less sparse version.

Tracks:
Disc 1 (For the Heart)
1. Jesus to a Child
2. Father Figure
3. Careless Whisper
4. Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me (with Elton John)
5. You Have Been Loved
6. Kissing a Fool
7. I Can't Make You Love Me
8. Heal the Pain
9. A Moment With You
10. Desafinado (with Astrud Gilberto)
11. Cowboys and Angels
12. Praying for Time
13. One More Try
14. A Different Corner

Disc 2 (For the Feet)
15. Outside
16. Fastlove
17. Too Funky
18. Freedom
19. Star People '97
20. Killer/Papa Was a Rollin' Stone
21. I Want Your Sex (Pt. II)
22. Monkey
23. Spinning the Wheel
24. Waiting or That Day
25. I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) (with Aretha Franklin)
26. Hard Day
27. Faith
28. Somebody to Love (with Queen)

And here's what will net you a good George Michael collection:
*These studio albums: Faith (The killer "Look at Your Hands" is never on any compilations), Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1 (The awesome remake of "They Won't Go When I Go" is a must, as is "Mothers Pride"), Older (taking this based on advice and acclaim - have not heard the album tracks to be able to point to what make it worthwhile), Songs from the Last Century (Awesome interpretations of a cool selection of tracks, based on the tracks I've heard)
*These compilations: Twenty Five (3-disc edition), Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael, Wham!'s The Final
*These singles: "You Have Been Loved" (for "The Strangest Thing '97"), "Round Here" (not necessary if you own the Patience album, as I do, but you get every other track from that album on the 3-disc version of Twenty Five, so it's just as well to buy the single and get the mixes), "If I Told You That" (a duet with Whitney Houston released to promote a compilation of hers)
*Another Lost Decade: The '80s Hard to Find - this disc contains the Deon Estus and George Michael hit "Heaven Help Me," as well as some other cool 80s tunes, some of which are rarer than others. There are other albums that contain this track, but this is the only one I can find which is still in print.

Did I really just type all that out? I sure do entertain easily.

Set list: Johnny Mathis

On 11 May, I went to see Johnny Mathis in concert at the beautiful Louisville Palace Theatre. For those unfamiliar, the Palace is a gorgeous venue, and it's definitely worth attending something there if ever you're in town. Mathis's voice has held up amazingly well after all these years. It's rare that anyone can continue performing for six decades, but it's rarer still that they can give the caliber of performance Mathis gave. My only regret is that we didn't get even more of his songs, but his beautiful voice and performances made up for any disappointment in that respect, and for any awkwardness caused by being notably younger than 99% of the crowd. Before the intermission, we were treated to the comedic stylings of Gary Mule Deer, which were amusing enough, although his set mainly consisted of old jokes which I've heard several times or been forwarded via the Internet. Eh, whatever. Mathis made up for any of his shortcomings too.

Some of these I'm labeling as medleys, but it's not so much that as the end of one complete song segueing into the beginning of another in some cases. This should still give the basic idea, anyway.

1. Medley: Two for the Road/Charade/The Days of Wine and Roses/Moon River
2. It's Not for Me to Say
3. Chances Are
4. Gina
5. It's All in the Game
6. Medley: Let Me Be the One (the Nichols-Williams one)/Let Go (a song I'd not known before that I greatly enjoyed)
7. I'm on the Outside Looking In
8. When I Fall in Love
9. Misty
10. To the Ends of the Earth
---Gary Mule Deer, Intermission---
11. Pure Imagination
12. Medley from Kismet (his first Broadway show): Sands of Time/Baubles, Bangles, and Beads/Stranger in Paradise
13. Secret Love
14. You Make Me Feel Brand New
15. Walk On By
16. 99 Miles from L.A. (didn't expect this, but he did an amazing job with it)
17. The Twelfth of Never
18. A selection of Portuguese songs - couldn't say what, but it ended with an English rendition of "Brazil"
19. You'll Never Know

Nest (Odds)

Canadian alternative band Odds's album Nest was released in 1997. It features the excellent singles "Make You Mad" and "Someone Who's Cool." The former was the only one I'd heard before listening to the album, but the latter is also quite good. The album overall makes for a fairly enjoyable listen. It isn't wowing, and there aren't many other tracks that stand out from the pack, but there are some good tunes here, such as "Tears & Laughter." It's kinda power poppy alt stuff, for the most part, which is a good thing.

Tracks:
1. Someone Who's Cool
2. Make You Mad
3. Hurt Me
4. Heard You Wrong
5. Tears & Laughter
6. Nothing Beautiful
7. Say You Mean It Wondergirl
8. Out Come Stars
9. Night's Embrace
10. Suppertime
11. At Your Word

"Let Me Kiss You" single (Nancy Sinatra)

This was an exciting find for me. The single for Nancy Sinatra's version of Morrissey's "Let Me Kiss You" for $1! Moz does backing vocals and Sinatra does a fine job with the song. It's not easy to remake Morrissey, but she does a great job. The disc is designed to look like a vinyl single, which is an oft-used design, but I enjoy it every time I encounter it. The single even comes in a little slip to accompany its outer picture sleeve. The b-side is another nice track entitled "Bossman." Sinatra's voice sounds good on this, and it's a track that I think could be considered slightly more characteristic of her than the Moz tune. Either way, she performs both well.

Tracks:
1. Let Me Kiss You
2. Bossman

"Circles" single (Adam F)

The last of my trio of quarter purchases is the 1997 single for Adam F's "Circles." I'm ill-equipt to describe it, so I shan't. Research tells me this falls under the drum and bass genre. The only thing I can say is that the track itself is pretty awesome and the included mixes are all enjoyable. Have a listen and judge for yourself.

Tracks:
1. Circles (7" edit)
2. Circles (Andy C mix)
3. Circles (Roni Size mix)
4. Circles (original mix)

"I Know" promo CD (Dionne Farris)

A slightly more interesting cheap promo disc find comes in the form of Dionne Farris's "I Know." It contains four mixes of Farris's huge hit: the single edit, the NY Reprise mix, the acoustic roots extended edit, and the album version. The NY Reprise mix and album version are both available on Farris's album Wild Seed, Wild Flowers, which I picked up about a year ago in a bargain store hunt and found quite enjoyable. The single edit is basically the version radio played, which was shortened by about 21 seconds but otherwise is basically unchanged from the album version. The true reimagining of the song comes in the acoustic roots extended edit, which is an acoustic, somewhat bluesy, somewhat soulful, very rootsy rendition. It's pretty cool. Definitely worth a listen.

Tracks:
1. I Know (single edit)
2. I Know (NY Reprise mix)
3. I Know (acoustic roots extended edit)
4. I Know

"Envious" promo CD (Dawn Robinson)

If you're a fan of Dawn Robinson (of En Vogue fame), or this song, there's no compelling reason to seek out this particular disc. It contains the album version of "Envious" and three album snippets. I bought it because I like the song fairly well and it was priced at $0.25. That's a better price than I could even get at digital retailers (and, if this blog isn't an indication, I'm pretty much against digital purchases), so I decided it was worth it, especially since it's not like I particularly need more than this, her hit. That's really about all I can say. It's a good song, similar to some of the stuff En Vogue was putting out.

Tracks:
1. Envious
2. Still (snippet)
3. Meaning of a Woman (snippet)
4. I Don't Know Why (snippet)

Song of the Day: "Buzzin'"

ARTIST: Shwayze
TITLE: "Buzzin'"
YEAR: 2008

I listened to this song once or twice a few days ago and it really stuck in my head. It's nothing wowing, but it's a nice, smooth summertime sort of song. I wouldn't be surprised if it really caught on and blew up, though I would also not be surprised if it failed to do so. Anyway, I refer you to Concreteloop (warning: popup ad) for a stream of the song and a little info on Shwayze. There's a video for the song viewable here as well. I can't find any information at this time about CDs on which this will be appearing should you desire to purchase it.

"What I Go to School For" single (Busted)

Has it really been several years since Busted broke up? This makes me feel old. While Busted only lasted two albums, they certainly made a big impact while they were around... in the UK, at least. Perhaps not so much in the U.S.; however, they certainly got to me. Before they started promoting anything here, I managed to secure a copy of their sophomore disc, A Present for Everyone, and got to jam to such selections as "Crashed the Wedding." Okay, I'm not gonna lie, Busted should be classed as a guilty pleasure, but I really feel no guilt here. Just nostalgia. Anyhow, Busted did eventually get some promotion in the States, and "What I Go to School For," their original debut single, was the song chosen to attempt to break them here. Their U.S. album (titled Busted) conveniently acts as a greatest hits, in that it compiles all of the singles they released during their two album run as well as an album track or two.

The "What I Go to School For" single contains two versions of the track: the radio version and the album version. The radio version is not particularly different to my ears (with the censorship of the word "ass" being the obvious contrast), but given that this was priced at $0.01, I couldn't resist it. It's also good nostalgia, as it's been a while since I've listened to Busted, and this song is one of my favorites. The enhanced content on the CD includes the music video, which I haven't seen since it was in rotation, so that's a cool feature.

Tracks:
1. What I Go to School For (radio version)
2. What I Go to School For

From Crayons to Perfume: The Best of Lulu

From Crayons to Perfume is a Lulu compilation assembled for the U.S. market. It selects twenty tracks which represent the span of time from about 1964-1981. Obviously, with an artist as prolific as Lulu, this isn't enough to give one the complete Lulu, even in this time period, but it certainly is a good overview and a nice starting place. This CD is long overdue for my collection. For a long time, many Lulu songs have been amongst those that I love, and some (including "Me, The Peaceful Heart" and "Best of Both Worlds," plus radio favorite "To Sir With Love") I've been loving long enough that they can truly be called personal classics. It's unfortunate that compilation albums tend to be so much more expensive than normal ones, especially good ones for older artists, because I can't think why else I would have delayed starting a Lulu collection for so long.

Anyway, this album does a very good job of selecting Lulu's American hits during this time. This is in fact the only collection to date to include minor hit single "After the Feeling Is Gone," a soulful track recorded with The Dixie Flyers. Her other U.S. chart hits are also basically represented, although one notable and regrettable exception is "If I Were You," her awesome rendition of the song originally performed by Toby Beau. This, however, is a minor complaint, as the music that did make the cut is great.

Hopefully it won't take me quite as many years to continue growing my Lulu collection.

Tracks:
1. Shout (with The Luvvers) (1964 version)
2. Leave a Little Love
3. To Sir With Love
4. The Boat That I Row
5. Dreary Days and Nights
6. Best of Both Worlds
7. Me, The Peaceful Heart
8. Boy
9. Sad Memories
10. Morning Dew
11. Without Him
12. Oh Me, Oh My (I'm a Fool for You Baby)
13. Hum a Song (From Your Heart) (with The Dixie Flyers)
14. After the Feeling Is Gone (with The Dixie Flyers)
15. Everybody's Got to Clap
16. Watch That Man
17. The Man Who Sold the World
18. The Man With the Golden Gun
19. Don't Take Love for Granted
20. I Could Never Miss You (More Than I Do)

Spotlight: Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (George Michael)

My recent acquistion of Twenty Five caused me to break out my copy of Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1, his 1990 album. This was, as I recall, the first Michael album I ever purchased. It had been a while since I'd listened to it, so this was a bit of a rediscovery for me as far as just how great it is. I've fallen in love with "Heal the Pain" all over again, but that's just one of the love-worthy tracks on the album. Also included are the major hits "Praying for Time" and "Freedom," both of which the general public seem to remember fondly. Then there's "Waiting for That Day," the song which should have been way bigger than it was. There're also the haunting "They Won't Go When I Go" and the great "Something to Save," the latter of which probably could have been a single in its own right. "They Won't Go When I Go" is a remake of a Stevie Wonder track from his 1974 album Fulfillingness' First Finale. I must admit to being unfamiliar with the Wonder version, but I love Michael's version, and it works very well in the context of the album. "Cowboys and Angels" was a single in the UK that inexplicably underperformed, but it's a cool track in its own right. "Mothers Pride" is a beautiful track and ended up garnering unsolicited airplay as many looked to it as musical comfort during wartime. The closing tracks, "Soul Free" and "Waiting (reprise)," leave one (or me, at least) with the feeling that one hasn't just heard a great album, but that one has just been taken on a sentimental journey. The exact sentiment isn't the same each time, but the album never fails to evoke strong feeling, which I believe is one of its greatest strengths. It may not be as fondly remembered as the megasmash Faith, but Listen Without Prejudice is an album which, if ever I endeavored to make a list of "essential albums," would definitely be included.

Tracks:
1. Praying for Time
2. Freedom
3. They Won't Go When I Go
4. Something to Save
5. Cowboys and Angels
6. Waiting for That Day
7. Mothers Pride
8. Heal the Pain
9. Soul Free
10. Waiting (reprise)

Too Shy: The Singles and More (Kajagoogoo / Limahl)

On a whim, I bought a copy of Too Shy: The Singles and More. This disc collects Kajagoogoo's UK hit singles, as well as the majority of Limahl's. The titular "and more" refers to a few extended mixes and 12" versions also included, which make nice additions. As I am far from knowledgeable about Kajagoogoo or Limahl, I'm none too qualified to comment on song selection, but from what I can tell, this collection does a good job of collecting all the essential tracks. The music included is some enjoyable 80s pop. As of right now I'd say I probably prefer the Limahl solo singles to the Goo tracks, but both sets are pretty cool. I think my favourite of the tracks I'd not previously heard (which is most of them) is Limahl's "Inside to Outside. Of the Kajagoogoo tracks that aren't "Too Shy," I think "Turn Your Back on Me" gets my vote. The fact that I can't choose easily does indicate that there are some quality tunes included on this disc, and overall I'm pleased with it, especially since I wasn't too sure what to expect.

The included liner notes consist of a Kajagoogoo discography and many pictures of the band, as well as some of Limahl in all his mulleted glory. The discography is cool but nothing special, but it's fun to look at the pictures at least.

Tracks by Kajagoogoo unless otherwise noted:
1. Too Shy
2. Ooh to Be Ah
3. Hang On Now
4. Big Apple
5. The Lion's Mouth
6. Turn Your Back on Me
7. Shouldn't Do That
8. Only for Love (Limahl)
9. Too Much Trouble (Limahl)
10. Never Ending Story (Limahl)
11. Love in Your Eyes (Limahl)
12. Inside to Outside (Limahl)
13. Too Shy (Midnight mix)
14. Hang On Now (extended mix)
15. Turn Your Back on Me (extended mix)
16. Only for Love (12" mix) (Limahl)
17. Never Ending Story (12" mix) (Limahl)

Twenty Five (George Michael)

I've had trouble writing this, and the reason is, I can't even be remotely objective when it comes to George Michael. So I'm not gonna try. Twenty Five is a compilation set spotlighting some of his music throughout his illustrious career, and I love it. Michael's catalogue is large and stylistically diverse, and to my ears he pulls all those styles off well.

The collection isn't something to buy and expect to get every George Michael song you'd ever want, but it does contain a good selection, plus some great new material, like "An Easier Affair" and "Understand." I really like the picture of Michael that adorns the cover, also.

Tracks:
Disc 1 (For Living)
1. Everything She Wants (Wham!)
2. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (Wham!)
3. Freedom (Wham!)
4. Faith
5. Too Funky
6. Fastlove
7. Freedom
8. Spinning the Wheel
9. Outside
10. As (with Mary J. Blige)
11. Freeek!
12. Shoot the Dog
13. Amazing
14. Flawless (Go to the City)
15. An Easier Affair

Disc 2 (For Loving)
16. Careless Whisper
17. Last Christmas (Wham!)
18. A Different Corner
19. Father Figure
20. One More Try
21. Praying for Time
22. Heal the Pain (with Paul McCartney)
23. Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me (with Elton John)
24. Jesus to a Child
25. Older
26. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
27. You Have Been Loved
28. John and Elvis Are Dead
29. This Is Not Real Love (with Mutya)

Disc 3 (For the Loyal)
30. Understand
31. Precious Box
32. Roxanne
33. Fantasy
34. Cars and Trains
35. Patience
36. You Know That I Want To
37. My Mother Had a Brother
38. If You Were There (Wham!)
39. Safe
40. American Angel
41. My Baby Just Cares for Me
42. Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
43. Please Send Me Someone (Anselmo's Song)
44. Through

Greatest Hits (Morrissey)

For Morrissey's recent Greatest Hits release, I'm not going to comment too much on the music, because I love this guy's tunage. I think the songs are all ace and there's not a clunker on the set. What I will say, however, is that this set is ideal for two people: fans like myself who took forever to become the full-fledged, product-buying variety and older Moz fans who haven't kept up with his output this decade as closely as they did the rest of his career. The set contains his singles released in the 2000s, plus a few random early classics tossed in for good measure. There are also two excellent new tracks: "That's How People Grow Up" and "All You Need Is Me."

The disc itself emulates the look of a vinyl LP, which I always find to be an attractive design. The liner notes, while light on informative text, have two cool pictures: one of the backing musicians, as taken by Moz himself, and one of Morrissey's arse bearing a punny legend. The purple colour scheme of the booklet and other art is very attractive, focusing mainly on lilac.

Quality product, as is to only be expected, considering the artist. Rock on.

Tracks:
1. First of the Gang to Die
2. In the Future When All's Well
3. I Just Want to See the Boy Happy
4. Irish Blood, English Heart
5. You Have Killed Me
6. That's How People Grow Up
7. Everyday Is Like Sunday
8. Redondo Beach
9. Suedehead
10. The Youngest Was the Most Loved
11. The Last of the Famous International Playboys
12. The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get
13. All You Need Is Me
14. Let Me Kiss You
15. I Have Forgiven Jesus

Santogold

I don't know if I'm just in a good mood or what, but music has sounded really, really good today. Sounding particularly amazing is Santogold's eponymous release. I can't even find words for it. I don't know to what to compare it. At one point, it made me want to become a music snob, find some sort of job that made me rich and allowed me to be haughty, and start running with a crowd that drinks a lot of wine and frequently refers to things as "droll." Make any sense to you? Me neither, but then, my feelings rarely make any sense.

The liner notes are practically non-existent and the art is nothing too special, but the music itself... wow. It's still early, but I'd be willing to bet that this ends up one of the five 2008 releases that should be in everyone's collections.

My favourite track is "Lights Out," followed closely by "L.E.S. Artistes." Seriously, though, there's not a single track I dislike, I don't believe.

Tracks:
1. L.E.S. Artistes
2. You'll Find a Way
3. Shove It (featuring Spankrock)
4. Say Aha
5. Creators (vs. Switch and FreQ Nasty)
6. My Superman
7. Lights Out
8. Starstruck
9. Unstoppable
10. I'm a Lady (featuring Trouble Andrew)
11. Anne
12. You'll Find a Way (Switch & Sinden remix)

Robyn

Robyn's self-titled album has finally made its way over to the States. I am certainly glad it did, as it's an awesome album. It's hard to believe it's been years since I got my first taste of this album - the excellent single "Be Mine!" My next exposure to the material was the heartwrenchingly beautiful "With Every Heartbeat." From there, the release earlier this year of The Rakamonie EP really left me ready for this album, and now I am gratified.

Robyn brims with both personality and musicality. The moods are diverse, but the results are always the same - pop gems. Of the tracks I hadn't previously heard, "Who's That Girl" is the one that has made the most immediate impact on me. Excellent song. Other standout tracks not previously mentioned: "Konichiwa Bitches," "Handle Me" (both mixes), "Bum Like You," and "Dream On."

Tracks:
1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Konichiwa Bitches
3. Cobrastyle
4. Handle Me
5. Bum Like You
6. Be Mine!
7. With Every Heartbeat (with Kleerup)
8. Who's That Girl
9. Bionic Woman
10. Crash and Burn Girl
11. Robotboy
12. Eclipse
13. Should Have Known
14. Any Time You Like
15. Dream On
16. Handle Me (RedOne remix)

Song of the Day: "I Know Ur Girlfriend Hates Me"

ARTIST: Annie
TITLE: "I Know Ur Girlfriend Hates Me"
YEAR: 2008

"I Know Ur Girlfriend Hates Me" is the lead single from Annie's forthcoming album. It's a catchy tune with a great video, and it's left me anticipating the project more than I thought I would be. Here's to new Annie.

You can hear the song here. The song will be available for purchase on her album Don't Stop in July.

In Between Dreams (Jack Johnson)

Though I like the Jack Johnson tunes I've heard, I'd held off on getting his albums. Thanks to a decent sale at Best Buy, I finally took the plunge and got In Between Dreams from 2005. I already knew I absolutely loved two songs on the album: "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing" and "Good People." The first thing that struck me upon preparing to play it, however, is how cool the packaging is. I find the design of the album booklet and case very appealing and give it an A grade. The music itself is also strong overall. Besides the two previously mentioned, standouts include "Better Together," "Banana Pancakes," "Staple It Together," "Situations," "Breakdown," "Belle," "Do You Remember," and "Constellations." I'm so useless on albums I like...

Recommended.

Tracks:
1. Better Together
2. Never Know
3. Banana Pancakes
4. Good People
5. No Other Way
6. Sitting, Waiting, Wishing
7. Staple It Together
8. Situations
9. Crying Shame
10. If I Could
11. Breakdown
12. Belle
13. Do You Remember
14. Constellations

Song of the Day: "Only Fooling Myself"

ARTIST: Kate Voegele

TITLE: "Only Fooling Myself" (radio mix)

YEAR: 2007 (2008 for radio mix?)

Kate Voegele's "Only Fooling Myself" is a track on her 2007 debut album Don't Look Away and is the current single being promoted from that album. While it's a decent song in its album version, the radio mix for this song is killer! Incredibly catchy and sounds great. They should have put it on the album.

You can hear the song here. A slightly different mix is available on Voegele's album Don't Look Away.

Second First Impression (Daniel Bedingfield)

I finally got a copy of Daniel Bedingfield's second (and most recent) album, Second First Impression. I had fairly high expectations for this one, as I am a huge fan of many of the tracks on Gotta Get Thru This, his debut. Thankfully, this album meets my expectations. There's no one track on here that completely blew me away, but such songs as "Complicated," "Wrap My Words Around You," "Don't Give'r It All," "Nothing Hurts Like Love," "Holiness," "Draw You (demo)," and "A Kiss Without Commitment (demo)" prove that Bedingfield still had his flair in 2004. I just wish he'd come back soon!

Tracks:
1. Growing Up
2. Complicated
3. Wrap My Words Around You
4. All Your Attention
5. The Way
6. Sorry
7. Show Me the Real You
8. Don't Giv'er It All
9. Nothing Hurts Like Love
10. Holiness
11. All the Little Children
12. Draw You (demo)
13. A Kiss Without Commitment (demo) / I'm Not Dead (hidden bonus track)

Anthology (Carly Simon)

Anthology is the first Carly Simon set of my collection. Despite really liking the songs of hers I'd known, I never got around to buying her stuff. Therefore, her debut was long overdue.

Anthology succeeds in many ways. The two-disc set contains forty tracks that span a significant portion of Simon's career. The included liner notes booklet includes a good mix of text, pictures, and discographic information that should satisfy most.

The track selection is good, but could be better. I consider this set a starter set. It doesn't contain everything, but it contains many quality tracks. As to just what is missing that should be included, many people will disagree on that. For me, the answers include a selection of hit singles, like "Tired of Being Blonde" and "It Keeps You Runnin'." Still, I guess it's hard to complain too much about track selection for two reasons: 1) Carly Simon herself had a hand in picking them. 2) Simon's catalogue of albums is well-represented on CD and not too hard to find. Therefore, those of us wishing to supplement this collection have the ability to do so. Granted, that's not ideal - it involves more time and money. Still, it's better than just not getting the songs one wants. For those wanting a more detailed analysis of the songs I consider essential but absent, I have included it after the track listing.

The music that is included kicks ass. Carly Simon is a truly gifted singer-songwriter. Many of her hits have stood the test of time, and it's not hard to understand why. Others that don't get replayed as much (like the stellar "Attitude Dancing") are just as quality. Because so many of these tracks are so awesome, I will forego picking standout tracks and just say that there is no musical reason for avoiding this set.

I would be remiss not to mention that Carly Simon recently released a new album, This Kind of Love. I have not heard anything on it yet, but I imagine it's worth checking out.

Tracks:
1. That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be
2. One More Time
3. Anticipation
4. Legend in Your Own Time
5. Julie Through the Glass
6. You're So Vain
7. We Have No Secrets
8. The Right Thing to Do
9. Mockingbird (with James Taylor)
10. Haven't Got Time for the Pain
11. Older Sister
12. Waterfall
13. Attitude Dancing
14. In Times When My Head
15. Nobody Does It Better
16. You Belong to Me
17. Devoted to You (with James Taylor)
18. Boys in the Trees
19. Vengeance
20. Come Upstairs
21. Jesse

Disc 2
22. Not a Day Goes By
23. Why
24. It Happens Everyday
25. Orpheus
26. Come Back Home
27. Coming Around Again
28. Give Me All Night (single version)
29. The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of
30. All I Want Is You
31. Let the River Run
32. My Romance
33. Better Not Tell Her
34. Love of My Life
35. Like a River (single version)
36. Two Little Sisters (Theme from "Marvin's Room")
37. Film Noir
38. Scar
39. Actress
40. Touched by the Sun (live at Grand Central, 1995)

And for those of you wondering, here are the songs I would still like to own in some form or another:
*"More and More" was a single off the Playing Possum album. Incidentally, that album cover is a classic.
*"It Keeps You Runnin'" was a hit remake of the Doobie Brothers song included on her album Another Passenger. I can understand why she'd prefer including her own composition ("In Times When My Head") on this collection instead. Also included on the Another Passenger album is fan favourite "Libby."
*Minor easy listening hit "Spy" and stellar album cut "We're So Close" are both tracks from the Spy album.
*"Take Me As I Am" was a minor hit from the Come Upstairs album.
*"Hurt" was a minor hit from the standards album Torch.
*"You Know What to Do" was the hit from the Hello Big Man album. The album also includes a version of Bob Marley's "Is This Love."
*Spoiled Girl contains the underappreciated hit "Tired of Being Blonde."
*The minor easy listening hit "Holding Me Tonight" is on the Have You Seen Me Lately album.

Someday...

Mighty like a Rose (Elvis Costello)

There was no particular reason I had for purchasing Elvis Costello's 1991 Mighty Like a Rose album. I had heard two of the tracks before ("The Other Side of Summer" and "So Like Candy"), and while they're both great songs, I already had them on CD. Still, Elvis Costello is a pretty safe bet for great music, so I was happy to pop this album into my player and see how it worked out.

I have to say that this actually exceeded my expectations. The album is somewhat dark, but almost all of the songs are great. The only one for which I didn't really care was "After the Fall." Otherwise, it's hard to pick standouts. "The Other Side of Summer" is an awesome track, as is "Harpies Bizarre." "Broken" is sad but beautiful. "Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 4" makes a great closer.

Overall, this is quite a good album. Recommended.

Tracks:
1. The Other Side of Summer
2. Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)
3. How to Be Dumb
4. All Grown Up
5. Invasion Hit Parade
6. Harpies Bizarre
7. After the Fall
8. Georgie and Her Rival
9. So Like Candy
10. Interlude: Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 2
11. Playboy to a Man
12. Sweet Pear
13. Broken
14. Couldn't Call It Unexpected No. 4

Said and Done (Boyzone)

I'm not really sure what possessed me to buy Boyzone's Said and Done album. Don't get me wrong - I like the Boyzone boys and their tunes. That's why I got the singles box. Still, I'm not sure what I expected to find on an album.

Anyway, for whatever reason, I did buy this 1995 release. It contains such hits as "So Good" and "Coming Home Now." The new tracks for me were the unreleased album tracks. My favourite of these was the opening song, "Together." Also present is a remake of The Sutherland Brothers' "Arms of Mary" which, while nothing amazing, is decent and interesting to hear. I wouldn't call this album essential, but it is a decent pop album, and fans of the Boyzone lads will likely find a track or two worthwhile even if they already have the singles on disc in some form or another.

Tracks:
1. Together
2. Coming Home Now
3. Love Me for a Reason
4. Oh Carol
5. When All Is Said and Done
6. So Good
7. Can't Stop Me
8. I'll Be There
9. Key to My Life
10. If You Were Mine
11. Arms of Mary
12. Believe in Me
13. Father and Son

The Essential Clash

To complete my recent trio of Clash-related purchases, I got The Essential Clash. It's a decent two-disc compilation, and I would even venture to call as to call it all of the essentials if not for one glaring mistake. The track listing of disc two claims to have "This Is Radio Clash," a song I love that was a single-only release. Unfortunately, the compilers were obviously clueless. The song is actually "Radio Clash," the b-side of "This Is Radio Clash" that, while good, is not nearly as good, nor nearly as essential. Grrr.

Track listing:
1. White Riot (single version)
2. London's Burning
3. Complete Control
4. Clash City Rockers (original version)
5. I'm So Bored with the U.S.A.
6. Career Opportunities
7. Hate & War
8. Cheat
9. Police & Thieves
10. Janie Jones
11. Garageland
12. Capitol Radio One
13. (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais
14. English Civil War
15. Tommy Gun
16. Safe European Home
17. Julie's Been Working for the Drug Squad
18. Stay Free
19. Groovy Times
20. I Fought the Law

Disc 2
21. London Calling
22. The Guns of Brixton
23. Clampdown
24. Rudie Can't Fail
25. Lost in the Supermarket
26. Jimmy Jazz
27. Train in Vain
28. Bankrobber
29. The Magnificent Seven
30. Ivan Meets G.I. Joe
31. Police on My Back
32. Stop the World
33. Somebody Got Murdered
34. The Street Parade
35. Radio Clash
36. Ghetto Defendant
37. Rock the Casbah
38. Straight to Hell
39. Should I Stay or Should I Go
40. This Is England

Combat Rock (The Clash)

I also picked up The Clash's Combat Rock, which contains the popular singles "Rock the Casbah" and "Should I Stay or Should I Go." Both fine songs. The album shows a lot of progression from the first, although a couple of the later tracks weren't particularly to my liking. Still, it was overall a decent listen.

Track listing:
1. Know Your Rights
2. Car Jamming
3. Should I Stay or Should I Go
4. Rock the Casbah
5. Red Angel Dragnet
6. Straight to Hell
7. Overpowered by Funk
8. Atom Tan
9. Sean Flynn
10. Ghetto Defendant
11. Inoculated City
12. Death Is a Star

The Clash (U.S. version)

Just listened to the U.S. version of The Clash's eponymous album. Not much I can say except that there's an obvious reason why The Clash are so revered. This particular album has a lot of energy and is relatively less polished than some of their other songs I've heard.

Track listing:
1. Clash City Rockers
2. I'm So Bored with the U.S.A.
3. Remote Control
4. Complete Control
5. White Riot
6. (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais
7. London's Burning
8. I Fought the Law
9. Janie Jones
10. Career Opportunities
11. What's My Name
12. Hate & War
13. Police & Thieves
14. Jail Guitar Doors
15. Garageland

Song of the Day: "The Way to Your Heart"

ARTIST: Soulsister
TITLE: "The Way to Your Heart"
YEAR: 1989

I have a weakness for catchy crap pop, so I was excited to discover this hit single from Belgian duo Soulsister. It appears to be their only U.S. hit, peaking at #41 on the Hot 100 on the strength of decent airplay but weak sales. I think it probably would have done better just a couple years earlier, as it sounds like the fun pop that was hitting it off with the public then.

You can hear the song here. It is available on the Soulsister album It Takes Two.