Monthly Archives: August 2009

by

Song of the Day #394: ‘I Hear a Symphony’ – The Supremes

supsymphI know Wikipedia gets a bad rap, but I love it. It’s definitely been a valuable resource when compiling a lot of these Song of the Day posts, especially the Motown ones. The wealth of information about Billboard charts, authorship and behind-the-scenes drama (all meticulously footnoted) is extraordinary.

For instance, the entry on the 1965 Supremes hit ‘I Hear a Symphony’ details how the band had hit a slump (comparatively speaking) when their previous release, ‘Nothing But Heartaches,’ peaked at #11 on the Billboard charts. This upset Motown guru Berry Gordy and prompted him to write the following memo:

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #393: ‘Down Under’ – Men at Work

menatwork20 Best Songs of the 80s – #12

My father used to confuse Men at Work with The Village People. His argument, which admittedly makes a lot of sense, was that a group made up of men dressed in the garb of various occupations — including a construction worker — should almost certainly be named Men at Work. Still, the thought of a gay-themed disco concept band being confused for Australian rockers is pretty funny.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #392: ‘Jessie’s Girl’ – Rick Springfield

rickspringfield20 Best Songs of the 80s – #12

I’m not proud of this, but I have a vivid memory of the first time I heard of Bruce Springsteen. It was in the early 80s, probably around the time Born in the U.S.A. was released. A DJ mentioned that Bruce Springsteen had a new album coming out and I thought to myself… “Ha! That guy totally said Rick Springfield’s name wrong.”

Yes, my musical knowledge was limited for a 12-year-old boy.

Continue reading →

by

2009 Fall movie preview

seriousmanThe year in movies so far has been quite solid. We’ve had an instant Pixar classic, the thrilling reinvention of a beloved series, a thought-provoking sci-fi thriller, a charming showcase for the industry’s finest actor and one of the most inventive romantic comedies I’ve seen in years — and that’s just my top five.

But if the lineup of movies yet to come comes close to living up to its promise, we ain’t seen nothing yet. The list that follows is a veritable roll call of my favorite directors (only Paul Thomas Anderson, Steven Spielberg and Alfonso Cuaron seem to have taken the year off), with a few Jason Bateman appearances to boot.

Here are the ten films I’m most looking forward to, in order, followed by an alphabetical list of runners-up:

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #391: ‘She Drives Me Crazy’ – Fine Young Cannibals

fyc20 Best Songs of the 80s – #13

Fine Young Cannibals isn’t a one-hit wonder, but a one-album wonder. Several songs off their 1988 album The Raw and the Cooked charted, including #1 positions for today’s song and the jaunty ‘Good Thing.’ The album also featured such gems as ‘Don’t Look Back,’ ‘Ever Fallen in Love,’ ‘I’m Not the Man I Used to Be’ and ‘As Hard As It Is.’

Continue reading →