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Song of the Day #4,811: ‘Waiting for a Dream’ – Rufus Wainwright

Hearing today’s random selection drift out of my headphones immediately put me back in 2004, when Rufus Wainwright’s Want Two was released. I remember lying on the floor of the same room where I’m writing this post now, lyric sheet in hand, taking in the newest release by one of my favorite artists.

Want Two was Wainwright’s fourth album, and the second part of the Want suite. Want One had quickly become one of my favorite albums and cemented Wainwright’s position in my personal pantheon. This album delivered on the promise of its predecessor while exploring new musical territory.

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Song of the Day #4,810: ‘Midnight Rider’ – The Allman Brothers Band

Today’s song is a great example of one of my favorite kinds of Random Weekend selections — a classic tune with an interesting backstory.

The Allman Brothers Band’s ‘Midnight Rider’ is one of the band’s most popular and beloved tracks. It has been covered by a host of other artists, including Gregg Allman on a solo release. His version reached Billboard’s Top 20, the highest showing for the song.

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Song of the Day #4,809: ‘Going, Going, Gone’ – Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan’s 1974 Planet Waves was released between the album widely considered his worst (1973’s Dylan) and one widely considered his best (1975’s Blood on the Tracks).

Planet Waves definitely falls closer to the Blood on the Tracks side of that continuum, even if it doesn’t come close to the heights of that classic. Its songs are thoughtful meditations on love and death with rich backing music provided by The Band, and it fits nicely just below the top tier of Dylan albums.

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Song of the Day #4,808: ‘Rednecks’ – Randy Newman

The best 1974 album I’ve written about so far, Randy Newman’s Good Old Boys was his fourth studio album and the follow-up to 1972’s brilliant Sail Away.

Good Old Boys started as a concept album about the Deep South, following a character named Johnny Cutler. Newman eventually broadened the focus to the South in general, though bits of Johnny’s story show up throughout the tracklist.

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Song of the Day #4,807: ‘Diamond Dogs’ – David Bowie

I haven’t done a full-career deep dive of David Bowie, but I did spend three weeks in 2016 exploring his catalog following his death.

Among the albums I featured was 1974’s Diamond Dogs, an ambitious record that paired Bowie’s glam rock style with a grungier aesthetic inspired by the Rolling Stones. Best known for ‘Rebel Rebel‘ and the title track, the album sold well despite mixed reviews.

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