Songs You May Have Missed #491

23 Oct 2013 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: ,

tracey

Tracey Ullman: “I Don’t Want Our Loving to Die” (1984)

Saccharine Alert! Tracey Ullman’s two mid-80’s albums may be too sweet for some, but for fans of bubblegum or 60’s girl group pop they are a treasure.

Despite Ullman’s dismissive attitude toward her short-lived career as a pop star, this may be the finest retro girl pop ever produced, making stuff by latter-day practitioners such as She & Him seem pale and watered-down by comparison. The first key element is the material: well-chosen, fairly obscure oldies mixed with more contemporary material by sympathetic writers such as titanic talent Kirsty MacColl. Then there’s the sparkling production, which takes the elements that made the original girl-group stuff so great and pushes it all over the top.

“I Don’t Want Our Loving to Die” was originally recorded by Peter Frampton’s pre-Humble Pie band The Herd (Pete’s at right in the below photo). Compare their version to Ullman’s and decide for yourself who sells the song more effectively. Even Tracey’s grunt (17 seconds in) trumps the boys. In fact it might just be the best girl singer grunt of all time.

the herd

The Herd

See also: https://edcyphers.com/2013/05/17/songs-you-may-have-missed-415/

Songs You May Have Missed #490

22 Oct 2013 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: ,

in between

Jack Johnson: “Never Know” (2005)

I have a weird relationship with Jack Johnson. I warmed very slowly to his laid-back acoustic surfer pop–or whatever it is–till a few albums into his career. After buying this 2005 album mainly because I was being asked to play “Banana Pancakes” at weddings, it sat on a pile of CDs on my desk for months before I actually forced myself to listen to it all the way through. Turns out the bad taste that “Banana Pancakes” had left in my mouth was at least somewhat misleading.

Although much of what he does still doesn’t light me up, certain of his songs knock me out. I think his 2010 album To the Sea is terrific, possessing hooks sharper than on previous albums. And “Never Know” just has an effortless-sounding cool about it. As if, unlike “Banana Pancakes”, this song isn’t trying so hard to get me to like it. Or something.

Songs You May Have Missed #489

15 Oct 2013 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: ,

linda

Richard & Linda Thompson: “Lonely Hearts” (1979)

No one can sing a sad song like Linda Thompson. And no one can write one like her one-time husband Richard.

It’s not that they were stylistic one-trick ponies: their albums showed them to be quite adept at political, comical or satirical material. And all resonated with a trademark passion and authenticity, and each brimmed with the tasteful guitar work of one of the instrument’s true masters.

But it’s the tear-jerkers that seem to stay with you once the needle hits the end groove–or what have you.

See also: https://edcyphers.com/2012/10/06/songs-you-may-have-missed-187/

See also: https://edcyphers.com/2013/03/09/songs-you-may-have-missed-355/

Songs You May Have Missed #488

11 Oct 2013 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: ,

sweet 2

Matthew Sweet: “Time Capsule” (1993)

In his excellent and devastatingly funny piece Give Me Centrism or Give Me Death! (reprinted here) Chuck Klosterman examines the most accurately rated artists in music. His evaluation of Mathhew Sweet is as follows:

Every Matthew Sweet album has only one good song, and this good song is inevitably the first single, and this single is always utterly perfect (“Sick of Myself” off 100% Fun, “Where You Get Love” off Blue Sky on Mars, “Girlfriend” off Girlfriend, etc.). He sells enough albums to live comfortably, and that seems reasonable.

Funny, and not so far from my opinion of Sweet. “Time Capsule” is most certainly the highlight of 1993’s Altered Beast. Sweet is an artist to compile a homemade compilation of; the highlights may not come as often as you’d like, but they certainly make it worth checking out each new release.

See also: https://edcyphers.com/2013/06/20/songs-you-may-have-missed-430/

See also: https://edcyphers.com/2025/03/17/songs-you-may-have-missed-768/

Songs You May Have Missed #487

11 Oct 2013 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: ,

girls

Girls: “Magic” (2011)

 

From the short-lived San Francisco duo’s swan song, 2011’s Father, Son, Holy Ghost. This is a band that will be missed. It seemed they were just hitting their stride.

girls

See also: https://edcyphers.com/2012/05/18/songs-you-may-have-missed-105/

Songs You May Have Missed #486

06 Oct 2013 1 Comment

by Ed Cyphers in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: ,

family of

Family of the Year: “St. Croix” (2012)

Los Angeles-based band Family of the Year offer a catchy, sunny-sounding Beach Boy-influenced brand of indie folk pop, splashed with a bit of a hippie vibe here and there.

Great summer–or Indian summer–listening.

See also: https://edcyphers.com/2014/01/29/songs-you-may-have-missed-510/

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