Arts and Entertainment
Song of the Day 10/10: Marvin Gaye, “Too Busy Thinking About My Baby”
This was Marvin Gaye’s follow-up single to his No. 1 smash “Heard It Through the Grapevine,” and like that song it was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong — but not for that purpose. The tune was first released on a 1966 Temptation album, but was never released as a single. Whitfield retooled it […]
Song of the Day 10/9: Alan Kalter, “Send in the Clowns” [Updated]
OK, I can take a hint. Until I play some Sondheim I won’t be forgiven for polluting the blog with Andrew Lloyd Webber. So, in the spirit of El Som’s “stealth Sondheim,” here’s his best-known tune performed by someone you wouldn’t expect — Alan Kalter, the announcer on David Letterman’s late-night show for 20 years, […]
Song of the Day 10/8: Laurie Anderson, “Language Is a Virus”
The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington wanted to mount a Laurie Anderson career retrospective. She wasn’t interested, but she agreed to put together a new multi-media show instead. So through next July 31, you can see “The Weather,” billed as her largest-ever U.S. installation. The Hirshhorn is part of the Smithsonian, so admission […]
Song of the Day 10/7: Edwin Starr, “25 Miles”
Speaking from experience, I think this is a metaphor. I think they were days, not miles, and it wasn’t his feet that were hurting so bad. This 1968 release was Edwin Starr’s first hit for Motown, reaching No. 6, after Berry Gordy bought the Ric-Tic label and all its artists’ contracts. He had a much […]
Song of the Day 10/5: Eddy Grant, “Electric Avenue”
Has anybody in history lost in court more often than Donald Trump? He was at it again last week, when a judge ruled against his effort to dismiss a lawsuit brought against him by Guyanese-British singer-songwriter Eddy Grant over Trump’s use of “Electric Avenue” in a campaign ad. Such cases typically get settled, usually with […]
Song of the Day 10/4: Happy Mondays, “Step On”
I think Jason requested some Happy Mondays, so here’s the band’s biggest hit, from 1990’s “Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches,” considered one of the landmark albums of the Madchester scene of the late ’80s/early ’90s. For those who’ve forgotten, those were the days of rave culture, which began in Chicago but quickly spread, establishing its […]
Song of the Day 10/3: Elaine Paige, “Memory”
Stephanie Grisham’s tell-all tome about her time in the Trump White House contains lots of anecdotes that would be dismissed out of hand if they were about anyone other than Trump. They usually contain more than a kernel of truth, of course — for example, nobody doubts that Trump would go into towering rage tantrums. […]
Song of the Day 10/1: Gilbert O’Sullivan, “Alone Again (Naturally)”
I mentioned this song yesterday, comparing its opening verse to Paul Westerberg’s original version of “Can’t Hardly Wait” because the protagonists of both songs start their soliloquies by announcing they’re going to throw themselves off a tower. Sadly, Westerberg’s paean to despair never enjoyed the kind of commercial success that Raymond Edward “Gilbert” O’Sullivan achieved […]
My Fave Tunes For September 2021
And the months dwindle down to a precious few. September…: Will this be Nathan Arizona’s fave of the month? Maybe he’ll tell us…: Oh, snap! Personal to the Tubs: Please change your name. The Tubes pop up, but not the Tubs. Change the name of The Name Song. All I get is Shirleyshirleybobirley. Song’s on […]
Song of the Day 9/29: Son Volt, “Livin’ in the USA”
Son Volt’s 10th LP, “Electro Melodier,” released in July, continues Jay Ferrar’s turn toward political lyrics since Trump’s election. The music, though, fits right in with the Americana/roots furrow he’s plowed his entire career. I haven’t noticed any big market for this sort of thing, but the album has gotten some of Farrar’s strongest reviews […]
Song of the Day 9/28: Bob Dylan, “Tomorrow Is a Long Time”
Bob Dylan, now 80 years old, yesterday announced the resumption of his Never Ending Tour, which took its longest break since 1984 because of the pandemic. This probably won’t make the setlist this year — I’m not sure Dylan’s reduced vocal flexibility would do it justice, and the woman he wrote it for is now […]
Song of the Day 9/25: Devo, “Satisfaction”
When Devo hit the mainstream in the late ’70s, they espoused a philosophy that seemed as odd and silly as their electronica-inspired music: devolution, the idea that humans had stopped evolving and were now regressing, or “devolving.” Taking a look at this country’s recent history — or even just Marjorie Taylor Greene — I don’t […]
Song of the Day 9/24: The Electric Prunes, “I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)”
Judging by the hangover I definitely had too much of something yesterday, but I think it was Propofol. The Electric Prunes released this classic slice of psychedelia in late 1966. It was a moderate hit, reaching No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1967, but its place in rock history was cemented when […]
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