SOTT 2019 Creamy Covers and Sticky Sweet Originals
1. “Head
Over Heels” by Throwback Suburbia
My New Favorite Band! I discovered Throwback Suburbia through the
new edition of Shake Some Action - The Top 200 Power Pop albums of All Time by
our own John Borack. The album Shotglass Souvenier showed up on the new edition
but not the old. (By the way - you should own both!). I hunted down the CD and was blown away. This first cut is a ELO-influenced gem. Later
you will hear another cut by this phenomenal band. This is the kind of music discovery I live
for. Thank You John!
2.
“Adrienne” by The Orion Experience
This band was brought to my attention years
ago by my good friend and fellow Power Pop geek Jeremy Morris. As I was leaving his home with a new batch of
Power Pop purchases (Jeremy runs Jam Recordings), Jeremy recommended The Orion
Experience as a band that had the same fun quotient as Teen Machine, a band
Jeremy knew I loved. He was right.
CosmiCandy is their standout album.
3. “Shine
On” by Heartsfield
A song I heard on the radio back in the
70’s. The mood and harmonies remind me
of America at that band’s best.
4. “All or
Nothin’” by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
This leapt back to my attention when a
friend sent me a bunch of mp3s of Jeff Lynne-produced tunes. I forgot just how
good and powerful it was. I had to find a spot in this year’s (now last year’s)
SOTT to showcase it.
5. “Stand By
Me” by Weezer
It’s no secret to anybody who read my last
post that I loved the Weezer covers album, “The Teal Album”. My only criticism
is that some of the covers are very close to the original versions. Weezer knocks
off a perfect rendition of “Mr. Blue Sky”, for example. It sounds great on the
disc, but given the choice on my own, I’d always pull out Jeff Lynne’s original.
Weezer’s punched-up version of “Stand By Me” stands on its own.
6. “Get Well
City” by Felix Hagen & the Misfits
Here’s a rowdy barroom piano stomper about
a damaged human seeking his own peculiar comfort. I’m not sure who recommended this band (maybe
Bruce Brodeen) but this one really hits the spot. Just try to keep your head
from bobbing when you listen to this.
7. “The
Sunny Side of the Street” by McFly
This is a B-side found on the Memory Lane
Best of {Special Edition}. It has a rhythmic guitar similiar to the one that
propelled “Alphabet Street” by Prince. Coming from me, that is definitely a big
compliment. The classic McFly harmonies are also here in spades. Side note,
Amazon has this 2cd set available used for $3.05. It is a steal!
8. “Wheels
of Fortune (single edit)” by The Doobie Brothers
Great guitar riff? Check! Quality Doobies
production? Yes. 15 minute instrumental
jam in the middle? WTF?? My Doobies CD has the album version where they
*really* stretch out. I had to hunt down the single version. Now it fits
perfectly.
9. “You Know
How Those Boys Are” by LeRoux
This hit my radio as I went to Michigan State
in 1981. I love the chorus and the
backing riff. The band was once known as
Louisiana LeRoux. I’m guessing they had
a similar band-name conflict as did “The London” Suede.
10. “I’m Not
in Love” by Mitch Easter
How do you improve on the 10CC original? Add
a touch of The Byrds and remove the “Big Boys Don’t Cry” interlude. I always
hated that part! You will think The Byrds themselves (or at least The Wrecking
Crew) stepped in and recorded this arrangement.
11. “If I
Had a Rocket Launcher” by Bruce Cockburn
A Canadian pacifist is pushed to the point
of violent retaliation. The atmospheric tune was deserved hit in 1984. A quick search turned up the fact that this
was written in response to a visit to a Guatemalan refugee camp that was
regularly shelled by government helicopters.
I think I would harbor the same fantasies.
12. “It
Never Rains in Southern California” by Chris Collingwood
Chris steps out from Fountains of Wayne to
record this for Volume 5 of Michael Shelly’s WFMU fundraising cover series
“Super Hits of the Seventies”. I don’t know why I love this version so much -
perhaps it’s the simple arrangement and a voice that evokes Glen Campbell at
his balladeering best. To learn more about the series, you can visit www.wfmu.org/superhits
13.
“Straight Up” by The Fainting Room
This came to my attention upon listening to
Brian Ibbot’s wonderful Coverville podcast. It was high on his best covers of
2018 list. It is a smoldering take on Paula Abdul’s bouncy hit. It builds to a
rocking crescendo. Nice!
14. “9 to 5”
by Tragedy
To consider Tragedy as simply a heavy-metal
Bee Gees cover band sells them short.
Their tounges are firmly in cheek, but their musicianship and production
values are undeniable. It takes a
certain kind of mind to merge Dolly Parton and “Unskinny Bop” and they pull it
off.
15. “Side
Effects” by Throwback Suburbia
This is the masterpiece that I fell head
over heels in love with. It’s the best song the Everly Brothers never wrote.
From a simple piano lead it builds to a perfect close. They stick the landing.
16. “There Goes My Baby” by Kelly Jones
Where do we find these perfect songs we
never heard before? Not on the radio. That’s
for sure. This one came to me via a
re-reading of a volume of Bruce Brodeen’s Power Pop Prime. That often starts a
new musical quest. Luckily this treat was waiting for me on Bandcamp. This is a
wonderful “60’s Girl Group” styled song sung innocently by Ms. Jones. It was one of the best things I have heard in
years!
17. “The
Impossible Past” by Nutty
Mission Impossible meets Jethro Tull in a
Jazz Lounge. ‘Nuff said!
18. “Be Not
Coy” by Vanilla
A lovely but simple string arrangement
compliments lyrics from Renaissance poetry.
It’s “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time” by Robert Herrick. The origin nagged at me. Why were those lyrics
so familiar? Then I found out that poem was quoted by Robin William’s character
in “Dead Poet’s Society”. Mystery solved.
19. “Physical”
by Juliana Hatfield
Another Coverville finalist off the album “Juliana
Hatfield does Olivia Newton-John”. Does
she ever! Each ONJ cover is as good as the last and this one beefs up the arrangement
nicely. I see that last year she did an
album of Police covers. I will have to
check that out.
20. “Super
Ultra Wicked Mega Love” by Gigolo Aunts
The rockingest tune they ever recorded
IMO. Back in the day the Auditeers on
the listserv were suggesting songs and cover artists for a future power pop
tribute to Alice Cooper. Most thought I
was nuts when I proposed that Gigolo Aunts would be a good choice to cover “No
More Mr. Nice Guy”. This song proves they have the chops. And what a riff!
21. “Reflections
of My Life” by Jeffrey Foskett
Off of the CD “Cool and Gone, Gone, Gone”. Jeffrey delivers a wonderful take on this
classic and naturally he nails the harmonies. It makes an excellent set closer
