Category Archives: random weekends

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Song of the Day #1,477: ‘The King Must Die’ – Elton John

I’d like to be a bigger Elton John fan. Silly thing to say, I know, because there’s certainly nothing holding me back from further exploring his catalog — nothing but the lack of time and the presence of hundreds of other artists vying for it.

John is one of those artists, like Prince, who has released so many albums that I can’t fathom being the kind of fan who owns everything he’s done. Bob Dylan and Elvis Costello are similarly prolific, but I started following them long ago and added many of their albums as they were released. With John I’d be starting almost from scratch.

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Song of the Day #1,471: ‘Hablemos El Mismo Idioma’ – Gloria Estefan

Gloria Estefan’s 1993 solo album (her third) is one of the only Spanish-language albums I own that isn’t by Shakira. Technically, it belongs to my wife (who can actually understand the lyrics).

This is a great example of an album — and a kind of music — that I’m perfectly happy to listen to live but I have no patience for over my speakers.

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Song of the Day #1,464: ‘Crystal River’ – Mudcrutch

I love Tom Petty, and I love how he reunited with his early band Mudcrutch to release an album in 2008. But nothing can excuse a song like this one lasting nine minutes, especially given that there are about 12 words in the whole song.

I am a vehemently anti-jam band man (say that five times fast). You can take your Phish, your Dead, your Dave Matthews Band and put them on mute. I have no interest in swaying for five minutes while a bearded man noodles away on his electric guitar.

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Song of the Day #1,463: ‘The Further I Slide’ – Badly Drawn Boy

Badly Drawn Boy is another artist — like Jude and Jump, Little Children on recent Random Weekends — who once upon a time seemed like somebody who might be a long-time favorite.

His first album, The Hour of the Bewilderbeest, was a left-field surprise, marrying solid pop hooks to sonic experimentation and a poetic sensibility. His soundtrack for About a Boy captured the film’s tone and featured a couple of memorable singles.

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