Category Archives: random weekends

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Song of the Day #3,921: ‘Melancholy Mood’ – Bob Dylan

Here’s Bob Dylan sounding better than any man of his age and limited vocal range has a right to on a cut from his 2016 album of standards, Fallen Angels.

Before those vocals kick in, we get a full minute of sublime instrumental work. One element of Dylan’s recent covers albums that goes underappreciated is how amazing his backing band sounds. This handful of rock musicians — the same group who back him up on tour — bring nuance and grace to standards that were often recorded with full orchestras.

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Song of the Day #3,915: ‘Bought For a Song’ – Fountains of Wayne

When my Decades series gets around to 2003 (probably in a year or so), there’s no question one of my top albums from that year will be Fountains of Wayne’s Welcome Interstate Managers.

This is a great album to give anyone looking for an introduction to the band. From great power pop (‘Stacy’s Mom,’ ‘Bright Future in Sales,’ today’s SOTD) to beautiful acoustic tracks (‘Hackensack,’ ‘Valley Winter Song’) to charming love songs (‘Hey Julie’), this album serves up a little bit of everything.

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Song of the Day #3,914: ‘Barbarism Begins at Home’ – The Smiths

‘Barbarism Begins at Home’ is a track from The Smiths’ sophomore studio album, 1984’s Meat is Murder.

It concerns corporal punishment, three years before the United Kingdom banned the practice in state-run schools. It seems many an English schoolboy who grew up before the ban went on to write songs about their experiences on the wrong end of the cane.

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Song of the Day #3,908: ‘I’m Crying’ – The Animals

I was shocked to discover that, before today, not once in nearly 4,000 Songs of the Day have I featured The Animals. It’s not that they’re a favorite of mine, but you’d think through years of Random Weekends and the fact that they do have a handful of very special songs, they would have made the cut at least once.

‘I’m Crying’ was a top ten hit for the British band in both the U.K. and Canada, and a top 20 hit in the U.S. It was their second U.S. hit after ‘The House of the Rising Sun’ reached #1 earlier the same year.

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Song of the Day #3,907: ‘Stand Up’ – Al Green

Today’s random selection is the third track from Al Green’s 1973 album Call Me. I’ll get around to 1973 in my Decades series pretty soon, and this album will definitely make an appearance.

One interesting aspect of this soul classic is that two of its nine tracks started as country tunes: Hank Williams’ ‘I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry’ and Willie Nelson’s ‘Funny How Time Slips Away.’

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