Monthly Archives: August 2011

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Song of the Day #1,131: ‘Everytime I Follow’ – Ron Sexsmith

He’s baaaack!

Just when you thought he was out, I pull him back IN!

Don’t worry, anti-Sexsmith heathens, this is just a bit of housekeeping. I haven’t posted a review of Ron Sexsmith’s latest album, Long Player Late Bloomer, and this post will serve in that capacity.

Despite the Sexsmith antagonism I heard from the more vocal segment of my readership, the Ron Sexsmith Weekends actually did quite well traffic-wise, and toward the end generated some of my most impassioned comments from a fan base that discovered the series too late.

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Song of the Day #1,130: ‘Set Fire to the Rain’ – Adele

Over the next two weeks, I’m going to feature songs from albums I’ve purchased this year. Most were released this year as well but a couple are 2010 albums that I’m just getting around to now.

These write-ups will also serve as reviews for the albums I haven’t yet featured on the blog. I’m way behind on both my movie and album reviews this year so I’m using these SOTD posts as a shortcut to catch up on at least the musical side of that equation. The movie reviews will come in due time.

First up is a track from Adele’s smash hit 21, which has dominated the charts and airwaves since its release in February.

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Song of the Day #1,129: ‘Mr. Policeman’ – Brad Paisley

‘Letter to Me’ is one of Brad Paisley’s most heartfelt songs, but 5th Gear features plenty of his trademark smart-ass tunes as well.

‘Online’ is a hilarious send-up of people who hide behind the anonymity of internet message boards (and it was accompanied by another funny video performance by Jason Alexander). ‘Ticks’ is a mischievous come-on in which the singer offers to take his date on a walk through the wildflowers so he can take her home and check her for ticks.

My favorite of the fun songs in ‘Mr. Policeman,’ in which Paisley taunts law enforcement while hot-rodding around the city.

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Song of the Day #1,128: ‘Letter to Me’ – Brad Paisley

In 2007, Brad Paisley released his fifth album, 5th Gear. This album has the same structure and sensibility as his previous two but it doesn’t quite live up to their standard. If I were ranking his albums best to worst, 5th Gear would come in fifth (appropriately), ahead of his first two more cautious efforts but behind the string of stellar LPs he kicked off with Mud On the Tires.

Earlier this week I wrote about how Miranda Lambert hooked me right out of the gate. Paisley wouldn’t have. If his first two albums were my introduction to him, I would have recognized the talent but not been grabbed the way I was when I heard American Saturday Night and Mud On the Tires. He’s one of those artists who keeps getting better with each release.

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Song of the Day #1,127: ‘A Pirate Looks at Forty’ – Jimmy Buffett

I own one Jimmy Buffett album, and it’s my most dreaded type of record — a greatest hits collection.

It’s called Songs You Know By Heart, and chances are you have a copy as well. Doesn’t everybody? It’s up there with Bob Marley’s Legend in the ranks of albums that represent the only thing you really need to own by a prolific artist.

Parrotheads will find that sacrilegious, of course. They find treasures on every one of the man’s 20-something albums and the idea of narrowing that discography down to 13 songs must seem asinine. Same way I feel about a Bob Dylan Greatest Hits.

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