Monday 30 November 2015

Doobie Brothers (1977) It Keeps You Runnin

 It Keeps You Runnin begins with a funky, syncopated keyboard rhythm, an unusual sound with a bouncy, fuzz synth part that then ends in a abrupt belch then repeats.We would hear this plodding rhythm in other McDonald tunes such as 'Losin End' on the next album which has similar synth belches. It is an interesting music idea to use this keyboard line to symbolise the dull mundaneness of life a theme soul music usually is based around. Sounding like Starbuck, it displayed the jazzy qualities of McDonald's music which had a more original approach than the previous synths parts on songs such as Natural Thing.  This locked in, plodding keyboard groove feels like a Super Mario theme, it matches the running of that character and the clean guitar licks that cut through sound like the sound of an energy boost; not to mention the fact this song is also based around running. 

 But it's purpose here is to imitate the heart beat of someone in love but continually running away from it in fear. The bouncy fantasy video-game opening is overlaid with dark, intoning backing vocal refrains of the title during the chorus  reminding us of this songs' savage reality of sabotaged love. In marked contrast the verses give way to a more gospel organ work that matches McDonalds' irresistibly sensual lyrics. It's a dark song that bridged the more grittier blues of the Johnson era into the smooth, romantic soul of the McDonald version of the band.


Sunday 29 November 2015

Sweet (1978) Dream On‏

From their legendary Level-Headed album probably their best marking a late career maturity in its eclectic set which included renaissance instrumentation,  brass and disco it was a weird and wonderful collection by the former glam rockers. This touching piano ballad sung by Brian Connolly is the albums most toned down subtle piece. It's also pretty short but features underrated melodies in the piano and vocal work.


Thursday 26 November 2015

Sammy John (1973) Chevy Van

A little heard country rock hit, this ballad with its hooky chorus about hippie take of a girl sexually dominating a guy in his van as "she took control". There is no wordplay it's pretty straightforward, what attracted me to the song was it's melodic chorus and the airy guitar strum giving it a dream like feel.


Tuesday 24 November 2015

Bread (1970) Look What You've Done‏

David Gates and Bread are like Marc Bolan and T Rex; it's not quite a solo artist with a backing band but they are easily more than the front man of a popular group they are their respective band's creative core. They are irreplaceable and behind a lot of the success and responsible for the sound. Gates however was not the only singer songwriter in Bread though he wrote and sang all the singles. Bread being a singles band to an extent made Gates too much the face of the band while Jimmy Griffin, a talented singer songwriter had his gems relegated to album fodder. 
 This gem still remains my favourite Bread song and Griffins best contribution.  The fact it was still not a single in favour of Gates lethargicly mellow pop tunes is disgraceful.  The song has some dynamic hooks with Griffins' paced melody over a original guitar strum. The breathless delivery of Griffins' worn down lover serves the exasperated tone of this bitter breakup song in a complex way that Gates often did with his deceptively romantic love songs.







Saturday 21 November 2015

John Henry Kurts (1972) Drift Away

The song Drift Away was a soul and rock classic when sung by Texan Dobie Gray. But this was the first released version and this more country rock version has a better guitar arrangement. And while JHK dose not possess the same vocal chops as Gray his vocals fit the melody better. A smooth less forced delivery that traces this soul number back to its laid back roots, which match the laid back lyrics that are the most crucial element of all versions of this song.


Friday 20 November 2015

Rush (1976) Lessons

Starting with a frenetic jangly acoustic rhythm before devolving into giant distorted power chords,  from the slick to the crunch yet not sounding like many other Rush songs it's even got those Zeppelin dynamics not surprising considering their first album was a direct rip off of Zep's style, it was when they developed a sound of their own a heavy prog style. With the tight rhythm section and Geddy Lee's shrill vocals they proved they had their own personality and identity of their own before their early 80s success.


Monday 16 November 2015

The Commodores (1974) Assembly Line

An album track from their Motown debut, Machine Gun, the album is an underrated funk rock gem in itself and differs greatly from Lionel Ritchie slow piano ballads which would later dominate the band. Co-written by Gloria Jones who originally sang Tainted Love in the 60s and was a part of T Rex in the 70s though her boyfriend Marc Bolan this song features musically a nice mix of a catchy chorus, dirge organs, ecstatic vocals and horns and a great drum break that has been sampled quite a bit. All about the social concious lyrics of Motown acts like the funkier Temptations, with lyrics about the assembly line and fixed route of people in terms of careers, discrimination and  about following their dreams. It's fun with an important message; "From the moment you're born you're on the assembly line, keeps on messing with your mind.". The song is packed with great memorable lyrics such as "To save our future children, the ones we haven't made" or "From the moment they're born, you know.. from the moment they're wrong, they're wrong". It's shame there weren't more songs like this from them as they entered the disco era.


Sunday 15 November 2015

The Doobie Brothers (1972) White Sun

This is an bewitching fingerpicked number by Tom Johnston it has an engrossing quality in its distinct rhytmm. A raw song with a minimalist feel that you wouldn't hear from the Mcdonald era.


Friday 13 November 2015

The Doobie Brothers (1975) Neal's Fandango

A fast paced country number with a folksy almost nursery rhyme feel. It's catchy and name checks their hit song China Grove. 


Thursday 12 November 2015

Richie Furay (1979) Headin South

If Richie Furay wasn't as well known as his superstar former band mates Stephen Stills,  Neil Young,  Randy Meisner and Jim Messina it's because his style is probably too restrained though he has a melodic vocal and guitar style.  Unfortunately his solo songs never had the hit power of Young, Stills, The Eagles or Loggins & Messina but were equally valid. A solid soft rocker, Headin South is an excellent example of a Furay composition with some interesting guitar licks mimicking a pedal steel as well as the belter of a chorus, it is equally as satisfying as his contemporaries and is a skill he has possessed since the Buffalo Springfield days when he sang Do I Have To Come Right Out and Say It: no Ritchie you don't.



Wednesday 11 November 2015

ELO (1979) Midnight Blue

An 80s sounding song but with a 70s level of subtlety and seriousness,  this was shockingly never even a single. But it's easily ELO's best track with it's icy atmosphere and it's cool and clear synths while Jeff Lynne's dialed down voice is somewhere deep in the middle.  It's a heartfelt song that once again displays ELO'S criminally underrated production skills, just listen to the phased strings of Strange Magic. Their songs  each have their own  beguiling effects and emotions with the high pitched glam backing vocals ala Sweet and Queen as heard here and in Mr Blue Sky. I'm just glad it was released just before the 70s ended so I could write a post on it though it still sounds like the best 80s pop song I've ever heard.




Tuesday 10 November 2015

Eagles (1974) Ol 55

A cover of a Tom Waits song it is often derided by many for being made into a slick commercial SoCal song lacking Waits' trademark soul baring gin soaked croak. Though I feel the raw emotions are still in this pop version in Glenn Frey's wounded vocals yearning for more time with a woman who has kicked him out early; the hurt and regret so palpable in his sweet voice. He sings along with Henley as he did on my favourite Eagles gems such as Doolin Dalton, After The Thrill is Gone, What Do I Do With My Heart and Teenage Jail.  Henley is on the more upbeat bridge, while the classic Eagles harmony stacks on the final refrains are a marked improvement on Waits original. 
A song I listened to almost daily basis when I was 22 and 23 it is very melodic and listen-able to the point of being timeless and being an ear worm.  This is also in part to the great consistent production of Eagles songs since their start with the clean pedal steel in the background and the marching band beat it's flawless in my biased opinion.




Chi Lites (1970) To Change My Love

Starting with a slinky beat administered by guitar strikes this song has a Heard it Through the Grapevine feel (a song they did a upbeat cover of on their album). As with all the Chi Lites songs Eugene Records yearning tenor is always engaging with great lyrics "There is a shortage of love, that's how they feel within" and "the world is coming to an end". The fantastic melody of the chorus with its descending down to earth rhythm and message means for me this is the most underrated soul gem I have come across. Undoubtedly a classic from the first listen that could stand with some of the best of Motown as well as Chi Lites early 70s hits.


Friday 6 November 2015

Ned Doheny (1978) Think Like a Lover

A nice acoustic disco song heightened by Doheny's sultry r'n'b falsetto and soul backing singers and belchs of wah wah which places it in a certain time. Also featuring powerhouse saxophones it is far from Doheny's start as the first artist signed to David Geffens Asylum records a haven of folksy LA singer songwriters. Doheny like many of his label mates wrote songs for others like Dave Mason Average White Band and even Chaka Khan revealing his grounding was more in jazz and soul over folk and country.  His funky disco tunes always sounded great and melodic particularly with the prominent acoustic guitar which didn't appear often in disco.


Monday 2 November 2015

The Hollywood Stars (1974) Escape‏

A great example 70s Glam Rock with this polished sound from an unknown group from The Hollywood Stars, Glam rock band with an arena sound similar to other proto-glam metal bands like Kiss and Starz. Ironically this band originated the song King of the Night-Time World that would be appropriated by Paul Stanley of Kiss for their landmark Destroyer album. Kiss are a band in heavy debt to their similar sounding, contemporaries The Hollywood Stars, who have probably more in common with the New York Dolls. The band included Kim Fowley who would later manager The Runaways. 'Escape' the song I have chosen displays a more ambitious song structure than the rote Kiss tune with a sparkling mellow bridge. With its call and response vocals and tight guitar crunch this is a memorable gem.