1. "The Luckiest" by Ben Folds [Video: nope.]
I like Ben Folds. I really do. I'm a bit surprised that this is the only song by him to make the HondoJoe Top 200. He has a lot of great songs that are certainly worthy of consideration, like "Army," and "Zak and Sara," "Fred Jones, Part 2," "Gracie," and many more.
His work on William Shatner's album "Has Been" is remarkable. Who would have thought anyone could have turned a William Shatner musical album into an actually enjoyable listening experience? (Not me!)
His album "Rockin' the Suburbs" is my second favorite album of this century! Only "No Rewind" by The Orchestra rates higher on my list, and that's probably because of all the profanity on "Rockin' the Suburbs."
You see, Ben Folds is a very talented man. Unfortunately, he is also a foul-mouthed little troll. I swear (figuratively speaking) that Ben Folds drops the "f-bomb" in about half of the songs he sings. I don't understand it, because it is so unnecessary.
This song, "The Luckiest," is from that "Rockin' the Suburbs" album. It, fortunately, does not contain any profanity. The reason it has landed as the #1 song on the HondoJoe Top 200 is pretty simple. For my wife and I, this is "our song."
Back when I was single, I wasn't one to cry or wrap myself up in self-pity very often. Yes, I was lonely, but I had a pretty good life. But, there was one time when I remember listening to this song and I started to cry, because I knew I was never going to have someone to sing this song to. I knew I was going to be alone forever.
So, when some crazy, beautiful woman decided that she actually wanted to spend the rest of her life and beyond with me, I was beyond flabbergasted. I was, literally, "The Luckiest."
I hope you have enjoyed this stupid countdown. I'm sorry that it took so long to write. But, if you enjoyed reading it at least 34.7% as much as I enjoyed writing it, I'll consider it a massive success.
Thanks!
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
2: Sitting Here On Top of Everywhere
2. "Eldorado/Eldorado Finale" by Electric Light Orchestra [Video: nope.]
Why do I like this song so much? I'm not exactly sure. There are several factors in its favor. Here are a few of them:
1) It's not a well-known song. The fact that not many people have heard the song or know it makes it seem like it's my song and not everybody else's.
2) It's one of those "flying, floating" songs that I like so much.
3) It's a bit over-dramatic in places. That can be fun occasionally.
D) I love the classical orchestration of the "Eldorado Finale" portion of the song. (It's a reprise of the "Eldorado Overture" that comes before "Can't Get It Out of My Head.")
E) I don't know why I like it, I just do!
The album "Eldorado" was ELO's fourth album, and its first real hit. It went to #16 on the album charts, whereas the album before it, "On the Third Day" (known around these parts as "The Bellybutton Album") couldn't crack the Top 50.
I think, from top to bottom, that "On the Third Day" is a better album. Almost all of its songs are great. The album "Eldorado" has three phenomenal songs that act as tent poles to prop up all the mediocre stuff between them. It starts with "Eldorado Overture/Can't Get It Out of My Head" at the beginning of the album, then "Mister Kingdom" holds the tent up in the middle, with "Eldorado/Eldorado Finale" finishing things off with a high note at the end.
I like Jeff Lynne's vocals. "Sitting here on top of everywhere. What do I care?"
COMING UP NEXT: Finally, The End. The #1 Song on the list. (And it's not from ELO, Billy Joel, They Might Be Giants, Queen, or Midnight Oil!)
Why do I like this song so much? I'm not exactly sure. There are several factors in its favor. Here are a few of them:
1) It's not a well-known song. The fact that not many people have heard the song or know it makes it seem like it's my song and not everybody else's.
2) It's one of those "flying, floating" songs that I like so much.
3) It's a bit over-dramatic in places. That can be fun occasionally.
D) I love the classical orchestration of the "Eldorado Finale" portion of the song. (It's a reprise of the "Eldorado Overture" that comes before "Can't Get It Out of My Head.")
E) I don't know why I like it, I just do!
 |
| There's no place like home! (No bellybuttons were exposed in the making of this album cover.) |
The album "Eldorado" was ELO's fourth album, and its first real hit. It went to #16 on the album charts, whereas the album before it, "On the Third Day" (known around these parts as "The Bellybutton Album") couldn't crack the Top 50.
I think, from top to bottom, that "On the Third Day" is a better album. Almost all of its songs are great. The album "Eldorado" has three phenomenal songs that act as tent poles to prop up all the mediocre stuff between them. It starts with "Eldorado Overture/Can't Get It Out of My Head" at the beginning of the album, then "Mister Kingdom" holds the tent up in the middle, with "Eldorado/Eldorado Finale" finishing things off with a high note at the end.
I like Jeff Lynne's vocals. "Sitting here on top of everywhere. What do I care?"
COMING UP NEXT: Finally, The End. The #1 Song on the list. (And it's not from ELO, Billy Joel, They Might Be Giants, Queen, or Midnight Oil!)
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
3: Here We Are Waving Brenda and Eddie Goodbye
3. "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" by Billy Joel [Video: Scenes From an Italian Restaurant.]
Yes, this is my favorite Billy Joel song. But it wasn't always.
The very first music I purchased as a kid was the 8-track of Billy Joel's album "The Stranger." (My brother had already purchased ELO "A New World Record," ELO "Out of the Blue," and Queen "News of the World," but "The Stranger" was the first I purchased with my own money.) (It was also the only 8-track I ever purchased. I saw the writing on the wall, and when "52nd Street" came out, I bought it on cassette. My brother was still buying 8-tracks for a while longer.)
When I first listened to "The Stranger," I thought of "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" as "that long song." I didn't really care for it. Why? Well, it was a long song, it starts off kind of slow, and, unlike most of the other songs on the album, I wasn't familiar with it.
But, given some time and some maturity, by the time I reached high school my opinion of the song had changed. While I still wasn't a huge fan of the slower "Bottle of Red" opening and closing to the song, but found the "Things Are Okay with Me These Days" and "Brenda and Eddie" parts of the song incredible.
Really, it's the "Brenda and Eddie" part that carries the song. The big waterbed. The paintings from Sears. The deep pile carpet. The Parkway Diner. (They can never go back there again.) Ah, the summer of '75! It's too bad Brenda was so lazy and Eddie couldn't afford that kind of life.
Of course, now I look at it as a bit of masterful songwriting by one of the best of all time. I think it certainly helps that the song wasn't a hit. Yes, it's a very well-known song, but it's only well-known to true Billy Joel fans. It's a song that very, very rarely gets played on the radio. It's like the great secret song you have to really search to know. It's not for everybody, just for me and the other really smart people with good taste. (Yes, I'm a really smart person with good taste.) (If you don't believe me, just ask me.)
Yes, here we are waving Brenda and Eddie goodbye!
COMING UP NEXT: Orchestral maneuvers (in the dark.)
Yes, this is my favorite Billy Joel song. But it wasn't always.
The very first music I purchased as a kid was the 8-track of Billy Joel's album "The Stranger." (My brother had already purchased ELO "A New World Record," ELO "Out of the Blue," and Queen "News of the World," but "The Stranger" was the first I purchased with my own money.) (It was also the only 8-track I ever purchased. I saw the writing on the wall, and when "52nd Street" came out, I bought it on cassette. My brother was still buying 8-tracks for a while longer.)
When I first listened to "The Stranger," I thought of "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" as "that long song." I didn't really care for it. Why? Well, it was a long song, it starts off kind of slow, and, unlike most of the other songs on the album, I wasn't familiar with it.
But, given some time and some maturity, by the time I reached high school my opinion of the song had changed. While I still wasn't a huge fan of the slower "Bottle of Red" opening and closing to the song, but found the "Things Are Okay with Me These Days" and "Brenda and Eddie" parts of the song incredible.
Really, it's the "Brenda and Eddie" part that carries the song. The big waterbed. The paintings from Sears. The deep pile carpet. The Parkway Diner. (They can never go back there again.) Ah, the summer of '75! It's too bad Brenda was so lazy and Eddie couldn't afford that kind of life.
Of course, now I look at it as a bit of masterful songwriting by one of the best of all time. I think it certainly helps that the song wasn't a hit. Yes, it's a very well-known song, but it's only well-known to true Billy Joel fans. It's a song that very, very rarely gets played on the radio. It's like the great secret song you have to really search to know. It's not for everybody, just for me and the other really smart people with good taste. (Yes, I'm a really smart person with good taste.) (If you don't believe me, just ask me.)
Yes, here we are waving Brenda and Eddie goodbye!
COMING UP NEXT: Orchestral maneuvers (in the dark.)
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
4: I've Paid My Dues (Time After Time)
4. "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions" by Queen {#4; 10/77} [Video: We Will Rock You; We Are the Champions (with the iconic black and white leotard.)]
Boom-boom-clap. Boom-boom-clap.
The beat is iconic and unmistakeable. "We Will Rock You" is one of the most instantly recognizable songs ever. The beat, the clapping, the chorus. Everyone knows "We Will Rock You."
Everyone knows "We Are the Champions," too. Whenever your team wins the championship, a rendition of "We Are the Champions" is sure to follow. (Someday, Vikings. Someday.) (Someday, Jazz. Someday.)
Each song on its own is a powerhouse juggernaut. Together, they are more unstoppable than a juggernaut, if that is even possible.
I've only done karaoke in public once. My family and my brother's family were at a family pizza place in Orem, Utah. My oldest daughter, who was either two or three at the time, wanted to get up on stage and sing. She started off with "Old McDonald" and worked her way through a few other children's songs. With her inspiring us, everyone else eventually got up on stage for a song or two. (Even my father-in-law "delighted" us with a rendition of "16 Tons.")
My brother, John, chose "Piano Man" as his song. It's an excellent song, and it's fun to sing along with. But, one thing we all learned that day is that "Piano Man" is a long song. And when you are up there singing it by yourself, it seems to go on forever.
So, when it came my turn to go onstage to sing a song, I learned from my brother's mistake. I picked a very short song. I picked the exact two minute-long "We Will Rock You." And, to further assuage my possible embarrassment, I brought little Roni onstage with me to help me sing the chorus. (She may have been young, but she already knew the chorus of "We Will Rock You.") I may not have been the best karaoke singer, but I certainly wasn't the worst.
When it came time to make this list, it was a really close call between "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions" and "Bohemian Rhapsody." Both songs were really neck and neck. So, why did I eventually choose "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions" to be one notch higher than "Bohemian Rhapsody?" I think a lot of it has to do with when the songs came out. "Bohemian Rhapsody" first hit the charts in January of 1976, when I was still just 9 years old. I was still young enough that I didn't listen to too much radio and I never had control over what music I listened to.
"We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions" hit the charts in October of 1977. It may have only been a year and a half later, but there is a big difference between a 9 year old and an 11 year old. By late 1977, I was much more of a radio listener and much more of a fan of popular music. And "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions" was such an amazing song that it really ingrained itself into my brain and my psyche. (Although, in the deepest reaches of my memory, KRSP, Rock 103 from Salt Lake City, which for us in Arimo, Idaho was the coolest radio station we could ever find, played the songs in the reverse order. They played "We Are the Champions" first, then followed it with "We Will Rock You." Mind you, this could be my memory playing tricks on me. It wouldn't really make sense, because on the album they are in their traditional order. And yet, that's the way I think I remember it was.)
Anyway, they are two damn fantastic songs, and when you put them together: wow!
COMING UP NEXT: The softer side of Sears.
Boom-boom-clap. Boom-boom-clap.
The beat is iconic and unmistakeable. "We Will Rock You" is one of the most instantly recognizable songs ever. The beat, the clapping, the chorus. Everyone knows "We Will Rock You."
Everyone knows "We Are the Champions," too. Whenever your team wins the championship, a rendition of "We Are the Champions" is sure to follow. (Someday, Vikings. Someday.) (Someday, Jazz. Someday.)
Each song on its own is a powerhouse juggernaut. Together, they are more unstoppable than a juggernaut, if that is even possible.
I've only done karaoke in public once. My family and my brother's family were at a family pizza place in Orem, Utah. My oldest daughter, who was either two or three at the time, wanted to get up on stage and sing. She started off with "Old McDonald" and worked her way through a few other children's songs. With her inspiring us, everyone else eventually got up on stage for a song or two. (Even my father-in-law "delighted" us with a rendition of "16 Tons.")
My brother, John, chose "Piano Man" as his song. It's an excellent song, and it's fun to sing along with. But, one thing we all learned that day is that "Piano Man" is a long song. And when you are up there singing it by yourself, it seems to go on forever.
So, when it came my turn to go onstage to sing a song, I learned from my brother's mistake. I picked a very short song. I picked the exact two minute-long "We Will Rock You." And, to further assuage my possible embarrassment, I brought little Roni onstage with me to help me sing the chorus. (She may have been young, but she already knew the chorus of "We Will Rock You.") I may not have been the best karaoke singer, but I certainly wasn't the worst.
When it came time to make this list, it was a really close call between "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions" and "Bohemian Rhapsody." Both songs were really neck and neck. So, why did I eventually choose "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions" to be one notch higher than "Bohemian Rhapsody?" I think a lot of it has to do with when the songs came out. "Bohemian Rhapsody" first hit the charts in January of 1976, when I was still just 9 years old. I was still young enough that I didn't listen to too much radio and I never had control over what music I listened to.
"We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions" hit the charts in October of 1977. It may have only been a year and a half later, but there is a big difference between a 9 year old and an 11 year old. By late 1977, I was much more of a radio listener and much more of a fan of popular music. And "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions" was such an amazing song that it really ingrained itself into my brain and my psyche. (Although, in the deepest reaches of my memory, KRSP, Rock 103 from Salt Lake City, which for us in Arimo, Idaho was the coolest radio station we could ever find, played the songs in the reverse order. They played "We Are the Champions" first, then followed it with "We Will Rock You." Mind you, this could be my memory playing tricks on me. It wouldn't really make sense, because on the album they are in their traditional order. And yet, that's the way I think I remember it was.)
Anyway, they are two damn fantastic songs, and when you put them together: wow!
COMING UP NEXT: The softer side of Sears.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
5: Is This Just Fantasy?
5. "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen {#9; 1/76---#2;3/92} [Video: Bohemian Rhapsody.]
Rock opera. That's what they call "Bohemian Rhapsody."
Me, I've never been to an actual opera. (Unless you count Phantom of the Opera, which I don't think you should because I think it is a play and not an opera. Even though it has the word "Opera" right there in the title.)
This song is, of course, a big bombastic blast from the past. I remember, as a kid, hearing Casey Kasem on his "American Top 40" program, say that this was the most expensive song ever recorded. (That was a long time ago, though. I'd bet that these days it probably costs more to get Beyonce's fishnet wrangler into the studio than it cost to make "Bohemian Rhapsody.")
The thing that makes this song so good is that, well, it is so darn GOOD. For Christmas this year we got a karaoke machine. The kids love it. We got them some kid music for the machine (including the obligatory Frozen karaoke disc.) And, The Wife got me some 80s music and big four-disc set of party favorites, not by the original artists. "Bohemian Rhapsody" is on one of those discs. And, as soon as the kids heard the song, they glommed right onto it. They gravitated right towards "Bohemian Rhapsody!" Because it is such a great darn song! Even when sung by the "Karaoke Express Singers" or whoever the heck it is that sings the song on the karaoke disc. (I feel I must expose them soon and often to the real version by Queen, so they can enjoy the song in its full greatness.)
Rock opera. That's what they call "Bohemian Rhapsody."
Me, I've never been to an actual opera. (Unless you count Phantom of the Opera, which I don't think you should because I think it is a play and not an opera. Even though it has the word "Opera" right there in the title.)
This song is, of course, a big bombastic blast from the past. I remember, as a kid, hearing Casey Kasem on his "American Top 40" program, say that this was the most expensive song ever recorded. (That was a long time ago, though. I'd bet that these days it probably costs more to get Beyonce's fishnet wrangler into the studio than it cost to make "Bohemian Rhapsody.")
 |
| Just four guys, singing a little tune. |
The thing that makes this song so good is that, well, it is so darn GOOD. For Christmas this year we got a karaoke machine. The kids love it. We got them some kid music for the machine (including the obligatory Frozen karaoke disc.) And, The Wife got me some 80s music and big four-disc set of party favorites, not by the original artists. "Bohemian Rhapsody" is on one of those discs. And, as soon as the kids heard the song, they glommed right onto it. They gravitated right towards "Bohemian Rhapsody!" Because it is such a great darn song! Even when sung by the "Karaoke Express Singers" or whoever the heck it is that sings the song on the karaoke disc. (I feel I must expose them soon and often to the real version by Queen, so they can enjoy the song in its full greatness.)
The song also follows the many-different-songs-in-one format that I like so much. There is:
1) The "No Escape from Reality" beginning.
2) The "Mama, I Just Killed a Man" ballad.
3) The "Scaramouch Fandango" opera part.
D) The "So You Think You Can" guitar rock-out part.
and E) The "Nothing Really Matters" ending.
Great, great stuff. I can't believe it only made it to #9 when first released back in 1976. (Songs that did make it to #1 in 1976? "Convoy." "Theme from S.W.A.T." "Theme from Welcome Back, Kotter." "Afternoon Delight." All wonderful songs, but come on, seriously?)
Of course, the song had a major renaissance when it was used in a scene from the movie Wayne's World, with the characters from the movie singing along whilst driving in their car. That scene, of course, reminded me of a time several years earlier when a couple of doofuses sat in the back seat of the high school band tour bus and sang this song into a tape recorder. We were Wayne and Garth long before Wayne and Garth were.
Party on, Garth! (Any way the wind blows.)
COMING UP NEXT: A song for the Vikings and the Jazz. (Someday.) (Maybe.)
Of course, the song had a major renaissance when it was used in a scene from the movie Wayne's World, with the characters from the movie singing along whilst driving in their car. That scene, of course, reminded me of a time several years earlier when a couple of doofuses sat in the back seat of the high school band tour bus and sang this song into a tape recorder. We were Wayne and Garth long before Wayne and Garth were.
Party on, Garth! (Any way the wind blows.)
COMING UP NEXT: A song for the Vikings and the Jazz. (Someday.) (Maybe.)
Friday, May 1, 2015
6: He'll Rip Your Lungs Out, Jim!
6. "Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon {#21; 3/78} [Video: Werewolves of London. (Nice werewolf. Thanks!)]
I cannot name one song by Warren Zevon other than "Werewolves of London." None.
Before sitting down to write this, I could tell you two things about Warren Zevon:
1) He sang "Werewolves of London."
B) He died of cancer, and shortly before he passed away he made a heartfelt, emotional appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman.
That's it. That's all I know.
Now, I get the feeling that I'm missing out. Zevon was well liked and well respected. He apparently put out a lot of excellent music. I feel like I should look into it more. Maybe I should listen to his other stuff. (If it's half as good as "Werewolves of London," it would certainly be worth it.) I might actually discover more great music to like.
So, no, I don't know much about Warren Zevon, but what I do know is this: This song is FANTASTIC!!!
It's fun, it's funny, it's clever, it's weird, it's bouncy, and it's certifiably sing-along-able!
The opening piano riff is jaunty and joyous, and puts a smile on my face every time. (The only problem with it is that the turd-juggler known as Kid Rock stole the piano bit, mashed it up with the highly overrated "Sweet Home Alabama," and made a "new" song that makes me want to punch him in the face every time I hear it.)
The lyrics, of course, are superb, from the opening line ("I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand, walking through the streets of Soho in the rain.") to the very last line, "I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's. His hair was perfect.")
There's more! Like, "He's the hairy-handed gent who ran amok in Kent." (Why are people who are amok always running? Does anyone ever stand amok?)
There's, "You better stay away from him, he'll rip your lungs out, Jim."
And don't forget Lon Chaney and Lon Chaney, Jr. walking with the queen.
But that's not all! There is, as was pointed out to me by a somewhat psychotic junior high English teacher, perhaps the greatest line of alliteration ever sung in a song, "Little old lady got mutilated late last night."
Oh, and did I mention the werewolf howls? Lots and lots of werewolf howls!!!
"Aaahooo!"
"Aaahooo!"
"Aaahooo!"
The only thing that's missing (besides maybe some hand-claps) is a series of follow-up songs:
"The Werewolves of Munich"
"The Werewolves of Brisbane"
"The Werewolves of Tampa"
"The Werewolves of Inkom."
COMING UP NEXT: It's just a fantasy. (Or is it?)
I cannot name one song by Warren Zevon other than "Werewolves of London." None.
Before sitting down to write this, I could tell you two things about Warren Zevon:
1) He sang "Werewolves of London."
B) He died of cancer, and shortly before he passed away he made a heartfelt, emotional appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman.
That's it. That's all I know.
Now, I get the feeling that I'm missing out. Zevon was well liked and well respected. He apparently put out a lot of excellent music. I feel like I should look into it more. Maybe I should listen to his other stuff. (If it's half as good as "Werewolves of London," it would certainly be worth it.) I might actually discover more great music to like.
 |
| He kind of looks like John Denver. Or maybe he just beat up John Denver and stole his glasses. (Draw blood!) |
So, no, I don't know much about Warren Zevon, but what I do know is this: This song is FANTASTIC!!!
It's fun, it's funny, it's clever, it's weird, it's bouncy, and it's certifiably sing-along-able!
The opening piano riff is jaunty and joyous, and puts a smile on my face every time. (The only problem with it is that the turd-juggler known as Kid Rock stole the piano bit, mashed it up with the highly overrated "Sweet Home Alabama," and made a "new" song that makes me want to punch him in the face every time I hear it.)
The lyrics, of course, are superb, from the opening line ("I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand, walking through the streets of Soho in the rain.") to the very last line, "I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's. His hair was perfect.")
There's more! Like, "He's the hairy-handed gent who ran amok in Kent." (Why are people who are amok always running? Does anyone ever stand amok?)
There's, "You better stay away from him, he'll rip your lungs out, Jim."
And don't forget Lon Chaney and Lon Chaney, Jr. walking with the queen.
But that's not all! There is, as was pointed out to me by a somewhat psychotic junior high English teacher, perhaps the greatest line of alliteration ever sung in a song, "Little old lady got mutilated late last night."
Oh, and did I mention the werewolf howls? Lots and lots of werewolf howls!!!
"Aaahooo!"
"Aaahooo!"
"Aaahooo!"
The only thing that's missing (besides maybe some hand-claps) is a series of follow-up songs:
"The Werewolves of Munich"
"The Werewolves of Brisbane"
"The Werewolves of Tampa"
"The Werewolves of Inkom."
COMING UP NEXT: It's just a fantasy. (Or is it?)
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
7: No Help, No Help From You
7. "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC [Video: Thunderstruck.]
There have been a lot of Australians (or "Ozzies") on this HondoJoe Top 200. We've had a few songs from Met At Work. There was INXS. And, of course, a bunch from Midnight Oil. But here we have the top song by an act from Australia: "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC!
If this song doesn't get you pumped up, I don't know what will. It's got a great build-it-up-a-piece-at-a-time beginning. It starts with some guitar. Next, some chanting of "Uh-ahh-ahh-uh-ahh." Then we get the "Thunder!" shouts, accompanied by some pounding drums. Next, the lead singer joins in on the "Thunder!" shouts, and we get another layer of guitars. Finally, the silky-smooth voice of the lead singer breaks into some lyrics.
My kids really like this song. They'll join in on both the "Uh-ahh-ahh-uh-ahh" and "Thunder!" chants.
Before this song I always kinda liked AC/DC. Some of their songs were pretty good, and they definitely knew how to rock, and I saluted them for that. But, this song is just on such another level of awesomeness. The guitars, the drums, the screeching vocals all blend together perfectly.
(I've always thought of AC/DC as the world's most rockingest boy band!)
There have been a lot of Australians (or "Ozzies") on this HondoJoe Top 200. We've had a few songs from Met At Work. There was INXS. And, of course, a bunch from Midnight Oil. But here we have the top song by an act from Australia: "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC!
If this song doesn't get you pumped up, I don't know what will. It's got a great build-it-up-a-piece-at-a-time beginning. It starts with some guitar. Next, some chanting of "Uh-ahh-ahh-uh-ahh." Then we get the "Thunder!" shouts, accompanied by some pounding drums. Next, the lead singer joins in on the "Thunder!" shouts, and we get another layer of guitars. Finally, the silky-smooth voice of the lead singer breaks into some lyrics.
My kids really like this song. They'll join in on both the "Uh-ahh-ahh-uh-ahh" and "Thunder!" chants.
Before this song I always kinda liked AC/DC. Some of their songs were pretty good, and they definitely knew how to rock, and I saluted them for that. But, this song is just on such another level of awesomeness. The guitars, the drums, the screeching vocals all blend together perfectly.
And, of course, it also helps that they are easy on the eyes!
 |
| It's Mr. No-Neck and his sidekick Mr. I'm-Too-Old-To-Be-Wearing-These-Shorts |
(I've always thought of AC/DC as the world's most rockingest boy band!)
COMING UP NEXT: Do you like pina colada?
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
8: He Was Afraid (Uh Oh!)
8. "The Diary of Horace Wimp" by Electric Light Orchestra [Video: The Diary of Horace Wimp.]
Gee, I wonder why I would like this song so much? It's the story of my life. (Actually, it's not the story of my life. Being late for work has never really been a problem for me. The rest of the song pretty much applies to me, but not that part.)
 |
| Belly buttons? Not today. |
I always like when someone tweaks the chorus of a song, but only if there is a reason to do so. The first two times it is "Horace Wimp, is this your life? Go out and find yourself a wife." But, for the last verse it is "Horace Wimp, is this your wife? Go out and find yourself a life."
I always have wondered, though, what happened to Saturday? I understand why there isn't a "Saturday" verse, because it would throw off the timing with an odd number of verses. But, why couldn't they throw in a "Saturday" at the end when the chorus is listing off the days of the week? It actually fits in nicely, if you give it a try.
Over the course of this whole HondoJoe Top 200 experience, I've tweaked the rankings occasionally as I've gone along. (The last time I did I flipped "You May Be Right" up one to #15, while dropping "Hold the Line" down to #16.)
I almost changed the ranking of this song at the last minute, moving it up two or three notches. Why? Well, the song has a new connection with me. Over the last few weeks I've been singing it, sometimes with the real lyrics and sometimes with altered lyrics, as a lullaby for my baby Charlee. Mostly I change the words to "Close your eyes and go to sleep," but when I first start she will usually give me a good smile when I sing the "doo-bow doo-bow doo-bow doodly-doodly doo-bow" part. (She thinks I'm funny.) (Somebody has to.)
COMING UP NEXT: Our final visit from Australia!
9: Paul Is a Real Estate Novelist
9. "Piano Man" by Billy Joel {#25; 2/74} [Video: Piano Man (The official video.) And then there is this gem, the original music video for "Piano Man," which features some nice, authentic 1970s peoples: Piano Man (Original 1970s version).]
Here it is, the quintessential Billy Joel song! All of our old friends are here: John at the bar; Paul, the real estate novelist; Davy (who's still in the navy); the waitress; and the old man who seems to be doing who knows what to that tonic and gin. (Dude, get a room!)
(While I'm here, a question. Is Paul a real estate agent who happens to write novels, or is he a novelist who writes about real estate?)
It's a great song. There's some fine harmonica work. There's some "la la la diddy dahs." It is an excellent song.
So, doesn't it seem a little low on the list? Only at #9? If this is the quintessential Billy Joel song, and if I'm such a Billy Joel fan, shouldn't it be a bit higher?
Well, probably. But, the song has three things against it. 1) For one thing, it's almost too popular. It's hard for it to be my favorite song if it is everyone else's favorite song, too.
2) There's the issue of the stupid, chopped up, edited version that's still floating around out there. Every time I hear the edited version, which goes right from John at the bar to the waitress, skipping over Paul and Davy, I get very, very angry. So, as I listen to the song and it's the edited version, I get really angry. And, if I listen to the song and it's not the edited version, there's still a few seconds of annoying anticipation in there where I'm afraid it might be the edited version. I hate the edited version.
And finally, C) there is a little bit too much of an ego in this song. "It's me they've been coming to see." "Man, what are you doing here?" It's got that hint of selfishness and arrogance. A little too much, "I sure am great, aren't I?" (Yes, he is great, but a little humility goes a long way.)
Still, these things only cloud the song up a little bit. It's still easily one of my ten favorite songs of all time!
******************************************
Over his career, Billy Joel had 42 different songs land in the Billboard Hot 100. Of those 42, eleven made it into the HondoJoe Top 200, with "Piano Man" being the highest ranking of those eleven. So, here are the 42 hits of Billy Joel, ranked in HondoJoe order:
1. "Piano Man" Hondo #9 {#25; 2/74}
2. "You May Be Right" Hondo #15 {#7; 3/80}
3. "Big Shot" Hondo #21 {#14; 2/79}
4. "Lullabye" Hondo #26 {#77; 3/94}
5. "She's Got a Way" Hondo #71 {#23; 11/81}
6. "Allentown" Hondo #89 {#17; 11/82}
7. "You're Only Human (Second Wind)" Hondo #93 {#9; 7/85}
8. "Pressure" Hondo #102 {#20; 9/82}
9. "Sometimes a Fantasy" Hondo #107 {#36; 10/80}
10. "Movin' Out" Hondo #140 {#17; 3/78}
11. "Tell Her About It" Hondo #165 {#1; 7/83}
12. "It's Still Rock and Roll To Me" {#1; 5/80} ("Should I try to be a straight A student?")
13. "The Longest Time" {#14; 3/84} (Came out in Spring of the year I graduated high school, and has a high school reunion themed video. Why isn't this higher?)
14. "And So It Goes" {#37; 10/90} (I like the simple piano ballads, even if they are sad.)
15. "An Innocent Man" {#10; 12/83} (A note so high Billy wouldn't sing it in concerts.)
16. "Honesty" {#24; 4/79} ("Mostly what I need from you.")
17. "My Life" {#3; 11/78} ("I don't care what you say anymore.")
18. "River of Dreams" {#3; 7/93} (I initially didn't like the gospel-ish sound of it, but it's definitely grown on me over the years.)
19. "Travelin' Prayer" {#77; 8/74} (Fun early HillBilly Joel!)
20. "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" {#17; 9/81} (I really like Songs In the Attic more than I should.)
21. "Keeping the Faith" {#18; 1/85} ("The good old days weren't always good, and tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems.")
22. "She's Always a Woman" {#17; 8/78} (Would probably be higher if "she" seemed a little nicer. (I don't want to be cut.))
23. "Leave a Tender Moment Alone" {#27; 7/84} ("Just when I'm in a serious mood, she is suddenly quiet and shy.")
24. "I Go To Extremes" {#6; 1/90} (Some great piano pounding.)
25. "We Didn't Start the Fire" {#1; 10/89} (An even better "history lesson" song than "Rasputin," "The Night Chicago Died," and "Major Tom.")
26. "The Entertainer" {#34; 11/74} ("I'll be put in the back in the discount rack like another can of beans.")
27. "Just the Way You Are" {#3; 11/77} (An excellent song, but it's gone through a bit too much Sinatra-fication over the years.)
28. "Only the Good Die Young" {#24; 5/78} (Loses a lot of points for the message of the lyrics.)
29. "This Is the Time" {#18; 11/86} (Remember that time I was making a list ranking the hits of Billy Joel? That was awesome!)
30. "A Matter of Trust" {#10; 8/86} (Since I was on my mission when it came out, I didn't hear anything from the album The Bridge until a year or so after it came out. And I prefer "Running On Ice" and "Big Man On Mulberry Street" to any of the songs that were released as "hits.")
31. "Don't Ask Me Why" {#19; 8/80} (One of my least favorite songs from the album Glass Houses, and yet it's still a pretty good song.)
32. "The Night Is Still Young" {#34; 10/85} ("Rock and roll music was the only thing I ever gave a damn about.")
33. "Uptown Girl" {#3; 9/83} (It really is a pretty silly song. With a very silly video.)
34. "To Make You Feel My Love" {#50; 8/97} (Billy's final charting single, written by Bob Dylan. I've heard other versions of the song, but I prefer Billy's.)
35. "Modern Woman" {#10; 6/86} (Is it just me, or does this song seem like a bit of a rehash of "Easy Money?")
36. "Downeaster Alexa" {#57; 5/90} ("Tell my wife that I'm trolling Atlantis.")
37. "Goodnight Saigon" {#56; 3/83} (Sorry, never one of my favorites. It always seemed to me that Billy was trying a bit too hard with this one.)
38. "All About Soul" {#29; 11/93} (Meh. So many better songs from this album that weren't released: "Blonde Over Blue," "Shades of Gray," "No Man's Land," to name a few.)
39. "Baby Grand" {#75; 4/87} (No disrespect intended to Ray Charles, but this song never did anything for me.)
40. "Worse Comes to Worst" {#80; 6/74} (If there's a better song about a "woman in New Mexico," I haven't heard it.)
41. "All Shook Up" {#92; 8/92} (From the movie Honeymoon In Vegas, a rare Nicholas Cage movie that is actually watchable.)
42. "That's Not Her Style" {#77; 8/90} (This song is so nondescript that I actually couldn't remember how it went. I had to actually listen to it. And when I did, I was unimpressed.)
COMING UP NEXT: What about Saturday?
Here it is, the quintessential Billy Joel song! All of our old friends are here: John at the bar; Paul, the real estate novelist; Davy (who's still in the navy); the waitress; and the old man who seems to be doing who knows what to that tonic and gin. (Dude, get a room!)
(While I'm here, a question. Is Paul a real estate agent who happens to write novels, or is he a novelist who writes about real estate?)
It's a great song. There's some fine harmonica work. There's some "la la la diddy dahs." It is an excellent song.
So, doesn't it seem a little low on the list? Only at #9? If this is the quintessential Billy Joel song, and if I'm such a Billy Joel fan, shouldn't it be a bit higher?
Well, probably. But, the song has three things against it. 1) For one thing, it's almost too popular. It's hard for it to be my favorite song if it is everyone else's favorite song, too.
2) There's the issue of the stupid, chopped up, edited version that's still floating around out there. Every time I hear the edited version, which goes right from John at the bar to the waitress, skipping over Paul and Davy, I get very, very angry. So, as I listen to the song and it's the edited version, I get really angry. And, if I listen to the song and it's not the edited version, there's still a few seconds of annoying anticipation in there where I'm afraid it might be the edited version. I hate the edited version.
And finally, C) there is a little bit too much of an ego in this song. "It's me they've been coming to see." "Man, what are you doing here?" It's got that hint of selfishness and arrogance. A little too much, "I sure am great, aren't I?" (Yes, he is great, but a little humility goes a long way.)
Still, these things only cloud the song up a little bit. It's still easily one of my ten favorite songs of all time!
******************************************
Over his career, Billy Joel had 42 different songs land in the Billboard Hot 100. Of those 42, eleven made it into the HondoJoe Top 200, with "Piano Man" being the highest ranking of those eleven. So, here are the 42 hits of Billy Joel, ranked in HondoJoe order:
1. "Piano Man" Hondo #9 {#25; 2/74}
2. "You May Be Right" Hondo #15 {#7; 3/80}
3. "Big Shot" Hondo #21 {#14; 2/79}
4. "Lullabye" Hondo #26 {#77; 3/94}
5. "She's Got a Way" Hondo #71 {#23; 11/81}
6. "Allentown" Hondo #89 {#17; 11/82}
7. "You're Only Human (Second Wind)" Hondo #93 {#9; 7/85}
8. "Pressure" Hondo #102 {#20; 9/82}
9. "Sometimes a Fantasy" Hondo #107 {#36; 10/80}
10. "Movin' Out" Hondo #140 {#17; 3/78}
11. "Tell Her About It" Hondo #165 {#1; 7/83}
12. "It's Still Rock and Roll To Me" {#1; 5/80} ("Should I try to be a straight A student?")
13. "The Longest Time" {#14; 3/84} (Came out in Spring of the year I graduated high school, and has a high school reunion themed video. Why isn't this higher?)
14. "And So It Goes" {#37; 10/90} (I like the simple piano ballads, even if they are sad.)
15. "An Innocent Man" {#10; 12/83} (A note so high Billy wouldn't sing it in concerts.)
16. "Honesty" {#24; 4/79} ("Mostly what I need from you.")
17. "My Life" {#3; 11/78} ("I don't care what you say anymore.")
18. "River of Dreams" {#3; 7/93} (I initially didn't like the gospel-ish sound of it, but it's definitely grown on me over the years.)
19. "Travelin' Prayer" {#77; 8/74} (Fun early HillBilly Joel!)
20. "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" {#17; 9/81} (I really like Songs In the Attic more than I should.)
21. "Keeping the Faith" {#18; 1/85} ("The good old days weren't always good, and tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems.")
22. "She's Always a Woman" {#17; 8/78} (Would probably be higher if "she" seemed a little nicer. (I don't want to be cut.))
23. "Leave a Tender Moment Alone" {#27; 7/84} ("Just when I'm in a serious mood, she is suddenly quiet and shy.")
24. "I Go To Extremes" {#6; 1/90} (Some great piano pounding.)
25. "We Didn't Start the Fire" {#1; 10/89} (An even better "history lesson" song than "Rasputin," "The Night Chicago Died," and "Major Tom.")
26. "The Entertainer" {#34; 11/74} ("I'll be put in the back in the discount rack like another can of beans.")
27. "Just the Way You Are" {#3; 11/77} (An excellent song, but it's gone through a bit too much Sinatra-fication over the years.)
28. "Only the Good Die Young" {#24; 5/78} (Loses a lot of points for the message of the lyrics.)
29. "This Is the Time" {#18; 11/86} (Remember that time I was making a list ranking the hits of Billy Joel? That was awesome!)
30. "A Matter of Trust" {#10; 8/86} (Since I was on my mission when it came out, I didn't hear anything from the album The Bridge until a year or so after it came out. And I prefer "Running On Ice" and "Big Man On Mulberry Street" to any of the songs that were released as "hits.")
31. "Don't Ask Me Why" {#19; 8/80} (One of my least favorite songs from the album Glass Houses, and yet it's still a pretty good song.)
32. "The Night Is Still Young" {#34; 10/85} ("Rock and roll music was the only thing I ever gave a damn about.")
33. "Uptown Girl" {#3; 9/83} (It really is a pretty silly song. With a very silly video.)
34. "To Make You Feel My Love" {#50; 8/97} (Billy's final charting single, written by Bob Dylan. I've heard other versions of the song, but I prefer Billy's.)
35. "Modern Woman" {#10; 6/86} (Is it just me, or does this song seem like a bit of a rehash of "Easy Money?")
36. "Downeaster Alexa" {#57; 5/90} ("Tell my wife that I'm trolling Atlantis.")
37. "Goodnight Saigon" {#56; 3/83} (Sorry, never one of my favorites. It always seemed to me that Billy was trying a bit too hard with this one.)
38. "All About Soul" {#29; 11/93} (Meh. So many better songs from this album that weren't released: "Blonde Over Blue," "Shades of Gray," "No Man's Land," to name a few.)
39. "Baby Grand" {#75; 4/87} (No disrespect intended to Ray Charles, but this song never did anything for me.)
40. "Worse Comes to Worst" {#80; 6/74} (If there's a better song about a "woman in New Mexico," I haven't heard it.)
41. "All Shook Up" {#92; 8/92} (From the movie Honeymoon In Vegas, a rare Nicholas Cage movie that is actually watchable.)
42. "That's Not Her Style" {#77; 8/90} (This song is so nondescript that I actually couldn't remember how it went. I had to actually listen to it. And when I did, I was unimpressed.)
COMING UP NEXT: What about Saturday?
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
10: Time Is Still Marching On
10. "Older" by They Might Be Giants [Video: Older.]
By the time I went to my first They Might Be Giant concert, I was a really big fan of the band. I found out they were coming to Salt Lake City, and I really, really wanted to see them live. So, I got a couple of tickets to their show at the Utah State Fair grounds. I ended up taking a date, a girl I knew who, for our purposes today we'll call "Nancy."
The night had its highs and lows (including having to stand there seemingly forever waiting for the band to come out on stage), but one of the biggest highs was when They played a song I had not heard before. It was a fairly simple song, but it was catchy and pretty funny. "You're older than you've ever been, and now you're even older. And now you're even older. And now you're even older." At that point I thought I knew all of They Might Be Giants' songs, but this one was new to me.
When the concert was over, I did all I could to find a recording of the song, but to no avail. I couldn't find it anywhere.
Several months later, They Might Be Giants came back to town, and once again I desperately wanted to see their show. I convinced one of my best friends and his wife to drive several hours in order to go to the concert with me. It was an excellent concert, despite the venue being a closed down store. And, once again, They sang this song. Again, I loved the song, but I was still frustrated by my inability to own the song and play it whenever I wanted.
Finally, They Might Be Giants put the song "Older" on the soundtrack album for the television series Malcolm In the Middle. And I finally was able to own a recording of this awesome song.
My favorite part of the song is the exaggerated pause between "Time" and "is still marching on." (This exaggerated pause can best be seen here, in this performance of the song from Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Older (Conan).)
One of the best features of this song, of course, is that it makes an excellent birthday song. To this day, whenever eating out at a restaurant and the waiters and waitresses gather around someone to clap hands and sing some version of a happy birthday song, I sing this song along with them. It's the best birthday song ever!
And now, you're older still.
COMING UP NEXT: 88 keys to life.
11: What's That Blue Thing Doing Here?
11. "Fingertips" by They Might Be Giants [Video: Nope. But there is this fun little video made by a They Might Be Giants/Star Wars fan: Fingertips (Star Wars).]
The first They Might Be Giants album I owned was "Flood," which contained the hits "Istanbul" and "Birdhouse In Your Soul." The follow-up album was titled "Apollo 18," and it had this "song" near the end of it.
I put "song" in quotation marks because I'm not really sure if it is a song or not. It is actually 21 little songs or snippets of songs that are smushed together. Is it a song, or is it 21 different little songs?
Of those 21 "songs," some are, of course, better than others. My favorites include:
"What's That Blue Thing Doing Here?"
"Please Pass the Milk, Please"
"I'm Having a Heart Attack"
"I Found a New Friend Underneath My Pillow"
and "Aren't You the Guy Who Hit Me In the Eye."
Apparently, the idea was to have 21 choruses of songs, so that the whole thing kind of sounded like a K-Tel commercial. You see, this is why I like They Might Be Giants so much. All of life should be like a K-Tel commercial!
Also, They Might Be Giants recommended that listeners play the album "Apollo 18" in shuffle mode, so that the 21 song snippets from "Fingertips" would be interspersed randomly among all the other songs from the album. And, I've got to admit, it is a bit jarring and fun to finish listening to some long song (like "Paradise By the Dashboard Light") only to have it followed by nine seconds of "What's That Blue Thing Doing Here?"
They Might Be Giants are a creative crew, and this song is pretty much at the height of their creativity.
COMING UP NEXT: Happy Birthday! (How did you know?)
The first They Might Be Giants album I owned was "Flood," which contained the hits "Istanbul" and "Birdhouse In Your Soul." The follow-up album was titled "Apollo 18," and it had this "song" near the end of it.
I put "song" in quotation marks because I'm not really sure if it is a song or not. It is actually 21 little songs or snippets of songs that are smushed together. Is it a song, or is it 21 different little songs?
Of those 21 "songs," some are, of course, better than others. My favorites include:
"What's That Blue Thing Doing Here?"
"Please Pass the Milk, Please"
"I'm Having a Heart Attack"
"I Found a New Friend Underneath My Pillow"
and "Aren't You the Guy Who Hit Me In the Eye."
Apparently, the idea was to have 21 choruses of songs, so that the whole thing kind of sounded like a K-Tel commercial. You see, this is why I like They Might Be Giants so much. All of life should be like a K-Tel commercial!
 |
| John and/or John |
Also, They Might Be Giants recommended that listeners play the album "Apollo 18" in shuffle mode, so that the 21 song snippets from "Fingertips" would be interspersed randomly among all the other songs from the album. And, I've got to admit, it is a bit jarring and fun to finish listening to some long song (like "Paradise By the Dashboard Light") only to have it followed by nine seconds of "What's That Blue Thing Doing Here?"
They Might Be Giants are a creative crew, and this song is pretty much at the height of their creativity.
COMING UP NEXT: Happy Birthday! (How did you know?)
12: Oh, Those Russians!
12. "Rasputin" by Boney M [Video: Rasputin. (Nice cape!)]
This song has no business being this high on the HondoJoe Top 200. It really doesn't. It is a stupid song. It is a silly song. It is a song about a Russian, sung by a German, lip-synched by a guy from Aruba. It is an idiotic song.
And yet, every time I hear it, I smile.
It's a very fun song. It starts off with a disco-ish, Russian-ish beat. When I hear the music, I want to do that Russian dance, you know, the one where I have my arms folded and kick my legs forward, one at a time, from a squatting position. I want to dance like a cossack. (True, I can't actually physically do that dance, but I still feel like I want to do that dance.)
My favorite part of the song is the "news report" in the middle of the song. "But when his drinking and lusting and hunger for power became known to more and more people, the desire to do something about the outrageous man became louder and louder." I can't decide if the guy sounds more like Tom Brokaw or Ted Koppel. (Actually, it sounds more like Chris Parnell doing an imitation of Ted Koppel.) Either way, it's the best!
Boney M was the brainchild of a German named Frank Farian, who happens to be the same guy behind Milli Vanilli. Apparently, Boney M was very popular in England and in Europe. The song "Rasputin" was a big hit over there, and a humongous #1 smash in Canada, but it didn't even make the charts here in the United States. (Although I do definitely remember hearing it on the radio in Idaho back in the day.)
"Oh, those Russians!"
COMING UP NEXT: One song, or twenty-one songs?
This song has no business being this high on the HondoJoe Top 200. It really doesn't. It is a stupid song. It is a silly song. It is a song about a Russian, sung by a German, lip-synched by a guy from Aruba. It is an idiotic song.
And yet, every time I hear it, I smile.
It's a very fun song. It starts off with a disco-ish, Russian-ish beat. When I hear the music, I want to do that Russian dance, you know, the one where I have my arms folded and kick my legs forward, one at a time, from a squatting position. I want to dance like a cossack. (True, I can't actually physically do that dance, but I still feel like I want to do that dance.)
 |
| Boney M in full, lip-synching action! |
My favorite part of the song is the "news report" in the middle of the song. "But when his drinking and lusting and hunger for power became known to more and more people, the desire to do something about the outrageous man became louder and louder." I can't decide if the guy sounds more like Tom Brokaw or Ted Koppel. (Actually, it sounds more like Chris Parnell doing an imitation of Ted Koppel.) Either way, it's the best!
Boney M was the brainchild of a German named Frank Farian, who happens to be the same guy behind Milli Vanilli. Apparently, Boney M was very popular in England and in Europe. The song "Rasputin" was a big hit over there, and a humongous #1 smash in Canada, but it didn't even make the charts here in the United States. (Although I do definitely remember hearing it on the radio in Idaho back in the day.)
"Oh, those Russians!"
COMING UP NEXT: One song, or twenty-one songs?
Monday, April 13, 2015
13: It Belongs to Them (Let's Give It Back)
13. "Beds Are Burning" by Midnight Oil {#17; 4/88} [Video: Beds Are Burning.]
You know, I'm sure a lot of people think of Midnight Oil as a "one hit wonder." That's too bad, because they had several good albums before this song on the "Diesel and Dust" album, and they had several good albums after this song, too.
But, when you think of Midnight Oil, this is the song you think of, and rightfully so. It's a fantastic song. Before it, I had never heard anyone with a voice quite like that of Peter Garrett's. (I had also never seen a dancing style quite like Peter Garrett's, either.)
During my first year at Idaho State University, I played me some church basketball. I was the backup center on a really good team. We didn't lose a single game in the regular season, didn't lose a single game in the stake tournament, and didn't lose a single game in the regional tournament, until the championship game, when we lost by about 20 points. I didn't play much, but I did get out on the floor for a several minutes every game. Before every game I would get myself pumped up by listening to "Beds Are Burning." (I'm sure that's how the guys from Midnight Oil intended their song to be used.)
(Actually, looking back, I'm not too proud of my time on that particular church ball team. I found out later from a good source, the stake athletic director, (my brother John), that after one of our games some of my teammates made some disparaging racist remarks to a black guy on the other team. I didn't play organized church ball again for about 15 years.)
One of the things about this song that particularly stands out to me is the use of the trombone. As someone who played (or attempted to play) the trombone in high school, the fact that the song has a couple of great trombone slides in it, including one at the very end of the song, is absolutely incredible!
As trombone players we were always trying to insert trombone slides into any and/or all of the songs we played. We finally succeeded in getting one in when we played the "NFL Today" Theme. It was a great triumph for the trombone section. We really thought all songs could be improved by a trombone slide here or there. "Beds Are Burning" certainly goes a long way at proving us right!
COMING UP NEXT: Back in the USSR!
You know, I'm sure a lot of people think of Midnight Oil as a "one hit wonder." That's too bad, because they had several good albums before this song on the "Diesel and Dust" album, and they had several good albums after this song, too.
But, when you think of Midnight Oil, this is the song you think of, and rightfully so. It's a fantastic song. Before it, I had never heard anyone with a voice quite like that of Peter Garrett's. (I had also never seen a dancing style quite like Peter Garrett's, either.)
 |
| How can we dance? |
During my first year at Idaho State University, I played me some church basketball. I was the backup center on a really good team. We didn't lose a single game in the regular season, didn't lose a single game in the stake tournament, and didn't lose a single game in the regional tournament, until the championship game, when we lost by about 20 points. I didn't play much, but I did get out on the floor for a several minutes every game. Before every game I would get myself pumped up by listening to "Beds Are Burning." (I'm sure that's how the guys from Midnight Oil intended their song to be used.)
(Actually, looking back, I'm not too proud of my time on that particular church ball team. I found out later from a good source, the stake athletic director, (my brother John), that after one of our games some of my teammates made some disparaging racist remarks to a black guy on the other team. I didn't play organized church ball again for about 15 years.)
One of the things about this song that particularly stands out to me is the use of the trombone. As someone who played (or attempted to play) the trombone in high school, the fact that the song has a couple of great trombone slides in it, including one at the very end of the song, is absolutely incredible!
As trombone players we were always trying to insert trombone slides into any and/or all of the songs we played. We finally succeeded in getting one in when we played the "NFL Today" Theme. It was a great triumph for the trombone section. We really thought all songs could be improved by a trombone slide here or there. "Beds Are Burning" certainly goes a long way at proving us right!
COMING UP NEXT: Back in the USSR!
14: Hey You With the Pretty Face
14. "Mr. Blue Sky" by Electric Light Orchestra {#35; 6/78} [Video: Mr. Blue Sky (Official 2012 Video).]
From the time I first started formulating the HondoJoe Top 200 until this finalized version, no song climbed higher from its initial listing than this one. I originally had it at song #104. But then I'd hear it and think, "No, that's got to be higher." So, I'd move it up. And I kept doing that again and again and again until it finally ended up all the way here at #14.
Part of that is because "Mr. Blue Sky" has become the quintessential ELO song. During the London Olympics, when they were playing songs by famous English artists at the Olympic stadium, when it came time for ELO the song they chose was "Mr. Blue Sky." When Jeff Lynne performed at this year's Grammy Awards show, the song he sang was "Mr. Blue Sky." (It has also been used frequently in movies and movie trailers in recent years.)
"Mr. Blue Sky" wasn't the biggest ELO hit, but it is the song that has endured in the public consciousness more than any other ELO song. And why not? It's a damn good song. It's peppy and upbeat and happy and fun. It's a cheerful, joyous, wonderful song!
 |
| An image from the "Official 2012" Mr. Blue Sky video. |
That being said, there is a bit of an annoying story that goes with the "Official 2012" video that I linked to above. In 2012, Jeff Lynne released a "new" greatest hits album, titled "Mr. Blue Sky: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra." Unlike other ELO greatest hits collections, of which there are many, this one was actually "new." That's because Jeff Lynne re-recorded all of the hits, making them sound so close to the original recordings that it would be very hard to differentiate them for the average fan.
Why did he do this? According to Jeff Lynne he did it because with the advances of technology and such, he could make the old songs sound better than the original versions.
However, there are cynics who say he meticulously re-recorded his old songs so that when they get used in movies, movie trailers, or commercials, he can use the "new" recordings of the songs so he doesn't have to pay any money to his original band mates for the use of the original songs. Yes, Jeff Lynne wrote and sang all of those songs, but it still seems a little skeevy to me.
*************************
The Electric Light Orchestra had 25 songs that charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Of those songs, remarkably only five are on the HondoJoe Top 200, and this is the highest one of those. And now, because no one asked for it, here is a ranking of those 25 songs on the HondoJoe scale:
1. "Mr. Blue Sky" Hondo #14 {#35; 6/78}
2. "Do Ya" Hondo #23 {#24; 2/77}
3. "Eldorado Overture/Can't Get It Out of My Head" Hondo #40 {#9; 12/74}
4. "Don't Bring Me Down" Hondo #64 {#4; 8/79}
5. "Sweet Talkin' Woman" Hondo #144 {#17; 2/78}
6. "Turn To Stone" {#13; 11/77} (Gotta love that "fast-talking" section!)
7. "Twilight" {#38; 10/81} (Excellent drum work by Bev Bevan!)
8. "Strange Magic" {#14; 3/76} (Great dreamy ballad.)
9. "Telephone Line" {#7; 6/77} ("Hello. How are you? Have you been alright through all those lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely nights?")
10. "Last Train to London" {#39; 12/79} (Disco music at its finest.)
11. "Hold On Tight" {#10; 7/81} (Simultaneously wins and loses points for having a verse in French.)
12. "Roll Over Beethoven" {#42; 4/73} (The perfect marriage between rock and classical!)
13. "I'm Alive" {#16; 5/80} (Like a first-person version of "Born To Be Alive.")
14. "Four Little Diamonds" {#86; 10/83} (A fine "she done me wrong" song.)
15. "Showdown" {#53; 12/73. Then again: #59; 8/76} (Used perfectly in the Bill Murray/Woody Harrelson bowling movie Kingpin.)
16. "Shine a Little Love" {#8; 5/79} (I still wonder if "Don't Bring Me Down" would have made it to #1 if it had been the first song released off of the "Discovery" album instead of this nice disco number.)
17. "Daybreaker" {#87; 5/74} (A bouncy little instrumental song from The Belly-Button Album "On the Third Day.")
18. "Livin' Thing" {#13; 10/76} (Great violin work by Mik Kaminski.)
19. "Evil Woman" {#10; 11/75} (One of ELO's most well-known hits, but not my favorite.)
20. "Calling America" {#18; 2/86} (ELO's final charting hit. It's okay.)
21. "Rock 'N' Roll Is King" {#19; 6/83} (Almost an exact rip-off of "Hold On Tight," but without the French verse.)
22. "It's Over" {#75; 10/78} (A nice enough song, but there are more than half a dozen other songs from "Out of the Blue" that would have been better to have released as a single.)
23. "All Over the World" {#13; 8/80} (It's a fine song, but I'm just not much of a "party" person.)
24. "Confusion" {#37; 10/79} (Much like "It's Over," I felt there were many other songs on the album that would have done much better if they had been released.)
25. "Xanadu" (with Olivia Newton John) {#8; 8/80} (Come on, it's an Olivia Newton John song, not an ELO song.)
COMING UP NEXT: That's why you need a fire extinguisher in every room.
15: We All Enjoyed the Weekend (For a Change)
15. "You May Be Right" by Billy Joel {#7; 3/80} [Video: You May Be Right. (But, for some reason the last bit of the song is cut off.)]
Here's the lead-off song from my favorite Billy Joel album. (I love the breaking glass sound effect before the song starts.)
This song is involved with one of my favorite stories from my youth. (I've already written about this experience. Here's a link to that story: Dirty Jokes and Lemonade.) The lead singer of the live band at a Youth Conference dance felt the need to change the lyrics from "I told you dirty jokes." Unfortunately for him, he originally changed it to "I told you dirty stories," which actually makes it worse. Then, the next time he sang the song, he changed it to "I gave you lemonade."
It's a great song for questioning one's sanity:
"You say that only proves that I'm insane."
"You may be right, I may be crazy."
"It just may be a lunatic you're looking for."
COMING UP NEXT: Today's forecast.
Here's the lead-off song from my favorite Billy Joel album. (I love the breaking glass sound effect before the song starts.)
 |
| Don't throw it, Billy! |
This song is involved with one of my favorite stories from my youth. (I've already written about this experience. Here's a link to that story: Dirty Jokes and Lemonade.) The lead singer of the live band at a Youth Conference dance felt the need to change the lyrics from "I told you dirty jokes." Unfortunately for him, he originally changed it to "I told you dirty stories," which actually makes it worse. Then, the next time he sang the song, he changed it to "I gave you lemonade."
It's a great song for questioning one's sanity:
"You say that only proves that I'm insane."
"You may be right, I may be crazy."
"It just may be a lunatic you're looking for."
COMING UP NEXT: Today's forecast.
Saturday, April 11, 2015
16: The Things That You Say That You'll Do
16. "Hold the Line" by Toto {#5; 10/78} [Video: Hold the Line.]
Plain and simple, this is an absolutely well-crafted pop/rock song. It's well written. It's well played. It's well sung. It's about as close to perfect as a pop/rock song can be. (My main nitpick would be with the lyrics. "Hold the line. Love isn't always on time." What exactly does that mean? I don't know. Not that it really matters.) (My second nitpick? Couldn't they have found some place in the song to throw in a few hand claps?)
There are so many great things about this song, and that's not even counting the fun from the video. (I mean, I could mention that the lead singer has a Dan Dierdorf/corrupt-cop-from-an-episode-of-McCloud vibe to him. Or how the guitar player is wearing Doug Henning/Mork from Ork rainbow suspenders. Or that the keyboard player has good Jeff Lynne facial hair, but needs to work on his afro. I could, but why would I?)
No, the music itself has plenty of great features. Features like:
*The opening drums
*The opening piano pounding
*Great guitar riff
*Falsetto!
*Multiple "Ooo ooo ooos"
*Multiple "Whoa, whoa, whoas"
*More fun sing-along falsetto!
*Repeated falsetto! ("Love isn't, love isn't always on time!")
*"Whoa, whoa, whoa" ending.
It's just absolutely great!
COMING UP NEXT: It's Saturday? I'm sorry.
Plain and simple, this is an absolutely well-crafted pop/rock song. It's well written. It's well played. It's well sung. It's about as close to perfect as a pop/rock song can be. (My main nitpick would be with the lyrics. "Hold the line. Love isn't always on time." What exactly does that mean? I don't know. Not that it really matters.) (My second nitpick? Couldn't they have found some place in the song to throw in a few hand claps?)
There are so many great things about this song, and that's not even counting the fun from the video. (I mean, I could mention that the lead singer has a Dan Dierdorf/corrupt-cop-from-an-episode-of-McCloud vibe to him. Or how the guitar player is wearing Doug Henning/Mork from Ork rainbow suspenders. Or that the keyboard player has good Jeff Lynne facial hair, but needs to work on his afro. I could, but why would I?)
No, the music itself has plenty of great features. Features like:
*The opening drums
*The opening piano pounding
*Great guitar riff
*Falsetto!
*Multiple "Ooo ooo ooos"
*Multiple "Whoa, whoa, whoas"
*More fun sing-along falsetto!
*Repeated falsetto! ("Love isn't, love isn't always on time!")
*"Whoa, whoa, whoa" ending.
It's just absolutely great!
COMING UP NEXT: It's Saturday? I'm sorry.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
17: Saving the World From Solomon Grundy
17. "Superman's Song" by Crash Test Dummies {#56; 10/91} [Video: Superman's Song.]
Learn something new everyday. I did not know that this song was a "hit." I never heard it when it "skyrocketed" to #56 on the charts in 1991. It wasn't until Crash Test Dummies big hit, "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm," shot up to #4 on the charts in 1994 that I had ever heard of the group. I liked the song, so I bought the album. I liked the album, so I bought their previous album, "Ghosts That Haunt Me," which contains "Superman's Song."
I really like the lumbering low voice of lead singer Brad Roberts. He's one of the few singers that I feel I can really sing along with and hitall most a significant portion of the notes.
Superman is great. He really is. But did they really have to tear down Tarzan in order to make Superman look good? "Tarzan was king of the jungle and lord over all the apes. But he could barely string together four words: I Tarzan, you Jane." (It's like if you were talking about how Tom Brady is the greatest New England Patriot quarterback ever. You really wouldn't need to point by point compare him to Steve Grogan.)
As I've mentioned before, the mix tape that I made of "Superman" songs has been very popular with my family. I was really surprised, not long after they started listening to it, when my wife was walking around the house singing this song. It's a weird, weird song, and I thought only someone as weird as me would like it. And maybe children, because children are weird. I thought my wife was a bit more normal than that, but here she was, walking around singing "Superman's Song" by the Crash Test Dummies! (Of course, she did marry me, so I probably underestimated her weirdness factor.)
And now, for no particular reason, here are my Top 7 Lois Lanes from television and movies:
7. Kate Bosworth
6. Noel Neill
5. Margot Kidder
4, Amy Adams
3. Phyllis Coates
2. Teri Hatcher
1. Erica Durance
COMING UP NEXT: Kansas? Not anymore.
Learn something new everyday. I did not know that this song was a "hit." I never heard it when it "skyrocketed" to #56 on the charts in 1991. It wasn't until Crash Test Dummies big hit, "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm," shot up to #4 on the charts in 1994 that I had ever heard of the group. I liked the song, so I bought the album. I liked the album, so I bought their previous album, "Ghosts That Haunt Me," which contains "Superman's Song."
I really like the lumbering low voice of lead singer Brad Roberts. He's one of the few singers that I feel I can really sing along with and hit
Superman is great. He really is. But did they really have to tear down Tarzan in order to make Superman look good? "Tarzan was king of the jungle and lord over all the apes. But he could barely string together four words: I Tarzan, you Jane." (It's like if you were talking about how Tom Brady is the greatest New England Patriot quarterback ever. You really wouldn't need to point by point compare him to Steve Grogan.)
As I've mentioned before, the mix tape that I made of "Superman" songs has been very popular with my family. I was really surprised, not long after they started listening to it, when my wife was walking around the house singing this song. It's a weird, weird song, and I thought only someone as weird as me would like it. And maybe children, because children are weird. I thought my wife was a bit more normal than that, but here she was, walking around singing "Superman's Song" by the Crash Test Dummies! (Of course, she did marry me, so I probably underestimated her weirdness factor.)
And now, for no particular reason, here are my Top 7 Lois Lanes from television and movies:
7. Kate Bosworth
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| Horribly miscast. Horrible movie. |
6. Noel Neill
 |
| Not really her fault. The television show paired her off with Jimmy Olsen more than with Clark/Superman. |
5. Margot Kidder
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| A little too smokes-three-packs-a-day for me. |
4, Amy Adams
 |
| I'll be honest, I haven't seen the movie. So, she might be higher or lower on this list. (But I do like her in other things.) |
3. Phyllis Coates
 |
| The world needs more women named "Phyllis!" |
2. Teri Hatcher
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| Unfortunately for her, gets downgraded a bit for that "clone-who-needs-to-eat-frogs-to-survive" storyline. |
1. Erica Durance
 |
| Edges out Hatcher with a slightly higher "spunk-over-ditzy" ratio. |
COMING UP NEXT: Kansas? Not anymore.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
18: Don't Call Me Baby
18. "One Country" by Midnight Oil [Video: One Country.]
After my mission, I spent a year at BYU, then left to move to Pocatello to go to Idaho State University. I moved in with a good friend, but he soon left me for a younger woman. I moved into a place of my own for a few months, but then got an offer to roommate with an old acquaintance from my mission.
It wasn't too long after I moved in with Dean that Midnight Oil came out with their "Blue Sky Mining" album, their follow-up to their breakthrough "Diesel and Dust." (Both albums are great.) As roommates, Dean and I had some arrangements. I bought most of the food. He did almost all of the cooking. I did most of the dishes. (And then, eventually, he left me for a younger woman, too.)
I didn't like to do dishes. I would usually procrastinate. So, when I finally did get around to doing the dishes, there was a pretty big pile of them. To help me get through the doing of the dishes, I would usually put an album on and crank it. The album I chose more than any other (or at least the album I most associate with doing dishes in that basement apartment) was "Blue Sky Mining" by Midnight Oil.
"Blue Sky Mine" and "Forgotten Years" were the songs from that album that got some radio air time, and they are both excellent songs. But, for me, the standout song from the album was "One Country." It's a dynamic ballad. A few years ago I was talking to Dean, and somehow the group Midnight Oil came up. "Oh, they had that one song," he said, and I knew exactly which song he meant. (One of the few times someone talking about "that one song" by Midnight Oil wasn't referring to "Beds Are Burning.")
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| Look, they're almost even smiling! |
"Blue Sky Mining," with "One Country" on it was released in February of 1990. In 1991, U2 came out with their "Achtung Baby" album, which featured a song called "One." At the time, and to this day, I've thought that U2's "One" is just a bit too similar to Midnight Oil's far superior "One Country." Maybe it's just me.
I also think that U2's "Vertigo" has a guitar riff that is very similar to one from Midnight Oil's "Redneck Wonderland." Does U2 listen to Midnight Oil albums for inspiration? Probably not. But, who can say?
Who would win a fight between U2 and Midnight Oil? I have no doubt it would be Midnight Oil. Even if Peter Garret decided to be a pacifist and not fight, he would still probably knock Bono out with one of his inadvertent arm flails while singing.
"Who wants to please everyone?
Who says it all can be done?
Still sit upon that fence?
No one I've heard of yet!"
"Don't call me baby. Don't talk in maybes."
COMING UP NEXT: Not the favorite song of Edgar Rice Burroughs.
19: We Choose Between Reality and Madness
19: "Summer, Highland Falls" by Billy Joel [Video: Nope, but there is this one, where he explains why he wrote the song: Summer, Highland Falls (Explained).]
When I bought Billy Joel's "Songs In the Attic" album, this is the song that jumped out at me. It's so simple, so clean, and so wonderful. The music is great, the lyrics are fantastic! It's a very well-written song.
"They say that these are not the best of times, but they're the only times I've ever known."
"A time for meditation in cathedrals of our own."
"For we are always what our situations hand us, it's either sadness or euphoria."
"For all our mutual experience, our separate conclusions are the same."
"Our reason coexists with our insanity."
"And though we choose between reality and madness, it's either sadness or euphoria."
"Perhaps we don't fulfill each other's fantasies."
"And as we stand upon the ledges of our lives, with our respective similarities, it's either sadness or euphoria."
It's just a great, great song. Would it be better if it were named "Sadness or Euphoria" instead of "Summer, Highland Falls?" Probably not.
COMING UP NEXT: Are U2 thieves?
When I bought Billy Joel's "Songs In the Attic" album, this is the song that jumped out at me. It's so simple, so clean, and so wonderful. The music is great, the lyrics are fantastic! It's a very well-written song.
"They say that these are not the best of times, but they're the only times I've ever known."
"A time for meditation in cathedrals of our own."
"For we are always what our situations hand us, it's either sadness or euphoria."
"For all our mutual experience, our separate conclusions are the same."
"Our reason coexists with our insanity."
"And though we choose between reality and madness, it's either sadness or euphoria."
"Perhaps we don't fulfill each other's fantasies."
"And as we stand upon the ledges of our lives, with our respective similarities, it's either sadness or euphoria."
It's just a great, great song. Would it be better if it were named "Sadness or Euphoria" instead of "Summer, Highland Falls?" Probably not.
COMING UP NEXT: Are U2 thieves?
20: You're Living In a Disco
20. "Pop Muzik" by M {#1; 8/79} [Video: Pop Muzik. And: Pop Muzik 2.]
This is definitely another "wheelhouse" song. 1979 was an important year for the formulation of my musical taste, and this particular song is pretty much pop music perfection.
There are lots of fun lyrics:
"Shuffle with the shoe shine."
"Mix me a molotov."
"You're living in a disco, forget about the rat race."
"Wanna be a gunslinger? Don't be a rock singer."
I especially like the way he works "Fe fi fo fum," "Eeny-meeny-miney-mo," and "Knick-knack-paddywhack" into the lyrics. Fine work!
There are also some good "Shoobee-doobee's" and "la-la-la's" to go around.
All these years I never really knew who "M" was. In researching for this post, and looking at the videos, I see that "M" was really just some guy from England named Robin Scott. And, when I watched the videos, I was absolutely amazed at how normal looking he was. I was expecting some really weird looking dude. Instead, he's blandly handsome. In fact, he reminds me of that one guy from the last few seasons of Law & Order.
And…
This song gets bumped up a bit more on the list because my son has taken a liking to it, as well.
This is definitely another "wheelhouse" song. 1979 was an important year for the formulation of my musical taste, and this particular song is pretty much pop music perfection.
There are lots of fun lyrics:
"Shuffle with the shoe shine."
"Mix me a molotov."
"You're living in a disco, forget about the rat race."
"Wanna be a gunslinger? Don't be a rock singer."
I especially like the way he works "Fe fi fo fum," "Eeny-meeny-miney-mo," and "Knick-knack-paddywhack" into the lyrics. Fine work!
There are also some good "Shoobee-doobee's" and "la-la-la's" to go around.
All these years I never really knew who "M" was. In researching for this post, and looking at the videos, I see that "M" was really just some guy from England named Robin Scott. And, when I watched the videos, I was absolutely amazed at how normal looking he was. I was expecting some really weird looking dude. Instead, he's blandly handsome. In fact, he reminds me of that one guy from the last few seasons of Law & Order.
 |
| Robin "M" Scott |
 |
| Assistant District Attorney Michael Cutter |
This song gets bumped up a bit more on the list because my son has taken a liking to it, as well.
"Get up. Get down."
COMING UP NEXT: These are the best of times?
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
21: So Much Fun To Be Around
21. "Big Shot" by Billy Joel {#14; 4/79} [Video: Big Shot.]
What can I say, it's another great rockin' tune. We've had a bit of a run here of good old fashioned guitar rock songs, with "Big Shot," "Miss America," "Do Ya," "Let It Run," and "I Don't Care Anymore."
This was the second release from the album "52nd Street." "My Life" was the first, and ended up being a bigger hit, but, in my opinion, "Big Shot" is the better song.
Me, I could never be a "Big Shot." I've never been to Park Avenue. I've never had Dom Perignon. I've never worn Halston. I don't know anyone at Elaine's. (I've never even been to Elaine's.) (Heck, I don't even know anyone named Elaine!)
COMING UP NEXT: M & M.
What can I say, it's another great rockin' tune. We've had a bit of a run here of good old fashioned guitar rock songs, with "Big Shot," "Miss America," "Do Ya," "Let It Run," and "I Don't Care Anymore."
This was the second release from the album "52nd Street." "My Life" was the first, and ended up being a bigger hit, but, in my opinion, "Big Shot" is the better song.
Me, I could never be a "Big Shot." I've never been to Park Avenue. I've never had Dom Perignon. I've never worn Halston. I don't know anyone at Elaine's. (I've never even been to Elaine's.) (Heck, I don't even know anyone named Elaine!)
COMING UP NEXT: M & M.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
22: Your Home State Sure Must Be Proud
22. "Miss America" by Styx [Video: nope.]
On September 8, 1984, I was a fairly fresh freshman at BYU. That evening, something magical happened. I had three desserts at the cafeteria. (Yes, I gained a lot of weight that freshman year.) Oh, also that evening, Miss Utah, Sharlene Wells, was named Miss America!
 |
| The apple of the public's eye. (Her home state sure was proud!) |
Of course, just a few months earlier the previous Miss America, Vanessa Williams, was forced to resign after nude photos of her surfaced. (Surfaced? What, were they previously below the surface?) So, at the time, and to this very day, there are a lot of people who feel that Sharlene only won because the Miss America people were looking for a squeaky clean Mormon who would have no skeletons in her closet. (Just a two year supply of food.)
That's not really fair to Sharlene. She's clearly a beautiful and talented woman.
I remember, at the time, being surprised that the news stories about Vanessa Williams' downfall didn't play this song. It fits perfectly for her story.
This is, of course, a great rock song. James "J.Y." Young usually dwelled in the shadow of bandmates Dennis DeYoung and Tommy Shaw, but he would usually have one song on each Styx album, and this one just happens to be the best Styx song ever. (In my opinion.)
Of course, it also helps this song's standing that when I was away for two years as a Mormon missionary, one day in the mail I got a cassette tape. (Yes, we used cassette tapes back in the day. How quaint.) On that cassette tape was a massage message from a friend who was vacationing at the time in Sweden. His roommate played the guitar, and they sang a few songs for me, one of which was "Miss America" by Styx. At the time, I couldn't listen to the actual "Miss America" by Styx. But I could listen to my friend's version of "Miss America," so I often did. (His roommate was pretty good on the guitar.)
"Next year, what will you do when you have been forgotten?"
COMING UP NEXT: One hint: Honey.
23: I Heard the Police Playing With Their Guns
When they formed the Electric Light Orchestra, Jeff Lynne, Bev Bevan and Roy Wood were members of a band called "The Move," which was a very successful band in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In England. The Move had a large number of Top Twenty hits, and even reached #1 on the charts with a song or two. In England.
However, they didn't have much luck on this side of the pond. The Move only charted once on the Billboard Hot 100, and that was with a little song written and sung by Jeff Lynne called "Do Ya." "Do Ya" climbed all the way to #93 on the Hot 100 in October of 1972. And that's the extent of their chart success in America. (But really, they were a big, important, and influential band.) (In England.)
A few years and several popular albums later, Jeff Lynne decided to try "Do Ya" one more time. He knew it was a great song, and he thought he might have a bit more success now that his band had made a name for themselves. In America.
It's a great rocker song, with an excellent guitar opening and some fine drum work by Bev Bevan.
 |
| Great music, and an excellent painter, too! |
Wait…
 |
| A great musician. (I wonder if he can paint?) |
COMING UP NEXT: Is that you, Sharlene?
Friday, March 27, 2015
24: From Out of the Valley Came Long Tall Sally
24. "Let It Run" by Jeff Lynne [Video: nope.]
You've probably never heard this song. Most people probably haven't. That doesn't mean that it's not awesome.
The year was 1984, and ELO was coming off of the release of the "Secret Messages" album. It was not a critical or commercial highlight for the group. The writing was on the wall. So, Jeff Lynne went out and did a little solo work, writing and singing a couple of songs for the soundtrack of a movie called Electric Dreams. (The movie was about a love triangle featuring a woman, a man, and the man's computer.)(I've never seen the movie, but I did buy the soundtrack.)
One of the two songs, "Video!", was released as a single, but didn't make the charts. It's a fine, fun song that just missed making the HondoJoe Top 200.
"Let It Run," however, did make the list. It's a great rock/pop song. It starts out with some driving guitars. There's some good 80s synthesizers. There's a bit of piano pounding. There's some references to classic rock and roll songs. (Johnny B. Goode and Long Tall Sally.) And, it's a great song to listen to whilst working out.
 |
| And he paints, too! (Wait, that's not Jeff Lynne, is it?) |
It's definitely a rare song. I can't find it on iTunes. Here's a link to a YouTube "video" that at least plays the music: Let It Run.
COMING UP NEXT: You do?
25: We Never Played by the Same Rules, Anyway
25. "I Don't Care Anymore" by Phil Collins {#39; 2/83} [Video: I Don't Care Anymore.]
I believe this song comes from the album that features a close-up picture of the face of Phil Collins on the cover.
I kid Phil Collins. Because of his album covers. Because he deserves it. But, dang he sure knew how to channel that anger into some good songs! (Maybe if he gets pissed enough from me teasing him about his album covers, he'll start making some good, angry music again.)
I think that's what really drew me to Phil Collins to begin with. It was the anger and the angst.
I had never known heartache, but I could tell that Phil Collins had. Phil Collins made a broken heart sound gloriously disastrous.
Later, when Phil had less reason to be angry, he just wasn't as good. But, that's okay, because if you were to ask him, I think Phil would say, "I don't care no more. No more, no more. No more, no more. No more, no more. No more, no more. No more, no more. No more, no more."
I think that's what really drew me to Phil Collins to begin with. It was the anger and the angst.
I had never known heartache, but I could tell that Phil Collins had. Phil Collins made a broken heart sound gloriously disastrous.
 |
| The Anger and the Angst |
Later, when Phil had less reason to be angry, he just wasn't as good. But, that's okay, because if you were to ask him, I think Phil would say, "I don't care no more. No more, no more. No more, no more. No more, no more. No more, no more. No more, no more. No more, no more."
COMING UP NEXT: Run, Runaway.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
26: Dream How Wonderful Your Life Will Be
26. "Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)" by Billy Joel {#77; 3/94} [Video: Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel).]
There's really not much to say about this song. Just listen. It's a beautiful song.
I've sung this song to all three of my babies. I was singing it just minutes ago, trying to get my baby girl down for a nap so I could write this.
It's this song that most aggravates me that Billy Joel won't write more new songs. He's a fantastic song writer. He has a skill. He has a gift. I wish he would use that skill and share that gift more. Sure, there's a chance there might be a lot of mediocre songs like "Two Thousand Years," and "That's Not Her Style." But, if there's a chance there could be more gems like this, I think it's a chance worth taking.
Come on, Billy!
"Some day we'll all be gone
but lullabies go on and on.
They never die
That's how you and I
Will be."
COMING UP NEXT: Complete and total indifference.
27: Suspended Animation, a State of Bliss
27. "Learning to Fly" by Pink Floyd {#70; 10/87} [Video: Learning to Fly.]
First of all, let's be sure which "Learning to Fly" we are talking about. "Learning to Fly" by Tom Petty is a fine song. So is "Learn to Fly" by the Foo Fighters. This is not either of those songs. This is "Learning to Fly" by Pink Floyd off of their album "A Momentary Lapse of Reason."
Is there a better example of a "flying, floating" song than one called "Learning to Fly," and featuring a video of someone flying and floating? This song came out right when I got home from my mission, and the video was played a lot as I tried to get myself reacquainted with music videos. The mountain venues of the video and the flying, floating feel of it, stuck with me. (The video was shot in the mountains of Alberta, Canada.)
Also, there is a little guitar riff that is played several times throughout the song that I especially like. It's hard to describe it, but every time it plays I feel compelled to air-guitar along with it.
COMING UP NEXT: Who needs sleep?
First of all, let's be sure which "Learning to Fly" we are talking about. "Learning to Fly" by Tom Petty is a fine song. So is "Learn to Fly" by the Foo Fighters. This is not either of those songs. This is "Learning to Fly" by Pink Floyd off of their album "A Momentary Lapse of Reason."
Is there a better example of a "flying, floating" song than one called "Learning to Fly," and featuring a video of someone flying and floating? This song came out right when I got home from my mission, and the video was played a lot as I tried to get myself reacquainted with music videos. The mountain venues of the video and the flying, floating feel of it, stuck with me. (The video was shot in the mountains of Alberta, Canada.)
Also, there is a little guitar riff that is played several times throughout the song that I especially like. It's hard to describe it, but every time it plays I feel compelled to air-guitar along with it.
COMING UP NEXT: Who needs sleep?
28: Wreckage Everywhere I Turn
28. "No Rewind" by The Orchestra [Video: nope.]
You know, one of these days I've really got to write that "Brief (Ha!) History of the Electric Light Orchestra and the ELO Family Tree of Musical Acts."
But, for now, here's a brief recap of where we are. ELO drummer Bev Bevan wanted to keep recording music as ELO, but Jeff Lynne didn't. And so, Electric Light Orchestra Part Two was born. Eventually, several other former members of ELO joined Bevan, including bassist Kelly Groucutt, violinist Mik Kaminski, and orchestral arranger Louis Clark. (Along with them was session singer and songwriter Eric Troyer.)
Eventually, Bev Bevan decided to retire, and when he did, he sold the "ELO" portion of the group's name back to Jeff Lynne. The other guys, now joined by guitarist/singer Parthenon Huxley, wanted to forge ahead. Unable to legally use the name "Electric Light Orchestra" in any form, they decided to call themselves "The Orchestra."
It sounds like a decent name for an ELO-ish band. Until you think about how it works for an internet search. (It doesn't. It's about the least Google-friendly band name this side of 90s group "Live.")
Anyway, The Orchestra put together and released an album in 2001. The album's name: "No Rewind." It is an abso-freakin-lutely excellent album!!! It is far better than Jeff Lynne's ELO album "Zoom" that was released about the same time. In fact, "No Rewind" is better than all but three or four of the original Electric Light Orchestra albums! It is, without a doubt my favorite album released this century!
The Orchestra is still together (minus Kelly Groucutt, who has passed away), and they still tour occasionally, performing the hits of ELO. Last July they made an appearance at the Deer Valley ski area in Park City, Utah. My brother John and I were able to attend the concert. It was fantastic! They performed almost all of ELO's hit songs, and did so in fine fashion. It was a great concert! But, I was probably the only one in the crowd who was a bit disappointed that they didn't play any of their own original songs from the "No Rewind" album.
The song "No Rewind" was written and sung by our old friend, Eric Troyer. It's a hidden gem of a song that hardly anyone knows about. "I'd do it all so different, but there's no rewind."
COMING UP NEXT: Comfortably floating.
29: Ain't Much I'm Asking
29. "I Want It All" by Queen {#50; 5/89} [Video: I Want It All.]
What in the heck was wrong with people in 1989? How could they not see that this is a great song? "I Want It All" by Queen could only make it to #50 on the charts, and yet here is a partial list of the crap that made it to #1 in 1989:
"My Prerogitive" by Bobby Brown
"Lost In Your Eyes" by Debbie Gibson
"Like a Prayer" by Madonna
"Rock On" by Michael Damian
"Satisfied" by Richard Marx
"Toy Soldiers" by Martika
"Batdance" by Prince
"Girl I'm Gonna Miss You" by Milli Vanilli
"Hangin' Tough" by New Kids On the Block
"Cold Hearted" by Paula Abdul
"Listen to Your Heart" by Roxette
and
"Another Day In Paradise" by Phil Collins
That, my friend, is a list full of turdage! And yet, "I Want It All" could only make it to #50?!?
I firmly believe that if "I Want It All" had been released more during the middle of Queen's heyday, in the late 70s or early 80s, it would have been a giant hit. It's an excellent song! A great rocker! Greed is good! Instant gratification! I want it all! And, I want it now!!! (Seriously. "Body Language," which is a horrible song, made it to #11 in 1982. If "I Want It All" had been released in 1982 it would have at least reached the Top 5!)
I should point out that there are two versions of this song, the album version and the single version. Usually when this happens, I prefer the album version, because the single version often chops off portions of the song. (See: "Pressure," "Come Sail Away," and "Piano Man.")
However, in this instance it is the single version that is far superior. Why? The album version starts with some guitars, then goes to the first verse, then reaches the chorus. Meanwhile, the single version goes straight to the dadgum chorus! The chorus is the best part of the song! The song is about wanting it all and wanting it now! So, of course the song should lead off with the chorus!!! The difference between the album and the single versions of this song is enormous! I don't know if the album version would even crack the HondoJoe Top 400, and yet the single version is nestled away in the Top 30!!! (That's a big difference!)
(I can think of one other song where the single version is far superior to the album version, only now I can't seem to find the single version anywhere, "Turn Up the Radio" by Autograph. The only version I can find now starts with a guitar intro; in my memory, the song started off with the lead singer yelling "Turn it up!" before any guitars at all.) (I could be mis-remembering.)
COMING UP NEXT: If I could turn back time.
30: A Man and a Woman Had a Little Baby
30. "Three Is a Magic Number" by Bob Dorough [Video: Three Is a Magic Number.]
When I first started compiling this list, almost two years ago, my oldest daughter had just turned five years old, and my son had just turned three. A lot has happened in the two years hence, including the birth of my second daughter.
At the time I started making the HondoJoe Top 200, this song, "Three Is a Magic Number," meant so much to me because of the connection it had between me and my oldest daughter, Roni. When she was little, before she could even walk, when she would see me at the computer she would request to "watch Numbers." No, this was not the television show starring David Krumholtz as a genius crime-solving mathematician. "Numbers" is what Roni called the video for "Three Is a Magic Number."
So, I would set her up on my knee and we would watch "Numbers." We did this many, many, many times. Usually we would follow it up by watching "Dancing Guys." ("Dancing Guys" was the video to "Here I Go Again" by OK Go.)
So, aside from the fact that "Three Is a Magic Number" evokes childhood memories of my own from watching it when I was a kid, the song has a much deeper meaning to me now. (One of my favorite parts is when big number "30" crashes through the doorway. When this happened I would always shake the chair a bit and make a little wall-crashing sound.)
But, as I said, since I started making this list, a number of other songs have had deep and meaningful connections with my children, and although these songs didn't make the HondoJoe Top 200, I felt I should give them a bit of a shout out. Here they are:
"Robot Parade" by They Might Be Giants For several months in a row my son Buzz would request this song as his go to bed music. Of course, he couldn't pronounce the name of the song, so the requests would be for "O-bah Away." "In a future time, children will work together to build a giant cyborg."
"The Hoppity Song" by John Ondrasik John Ondrasik is the name of the singer from Five For Fighting. "The Hoppity Song" comes from an album my wife got for me called "For the Kids," which featured songs for children by modern rock music artists. Both kids, but especially Buzz, loved this song and requested it often as night-time music.
"On a Carousel" by Glass Moon This song was released back in 1982 and only made it as high as #50 on the charts. (It turns out it's a remake of a song by the Hollies that reached #11 back in 1967.) I remembered the Glass Moon version from when I was in high school, and I had it on a cd in the car. It played a few times as I was driving Buzz to preschool, and then he latched onto it. He started requesting it every time we got in the car to take him to or from preschool or his speech therapy. So, I've heard "On a Carousel" many, many times in the past six months. (Roni jokes that it is "Anna Carousel," but not "Elsa Carousel," after the two main characters from the movie Frozen.)
"Swingin'" by John Anderson This one is just starting to catch on. Why? "Little Charlotte, she's as pretty as the angels when they sing. I can't believe she's sittin' in our front room in her swing, just a swingin'." Yes, those lyrics are altered a bit, but little Charlotte is as pretty as the angels when they sing.
The entire soundtrack from the movie Frozen Have you heard of the movie Frozen? Have you heard the soundtrack to the movie Frozen? I've heard the soundtrack at a rate higher than the number of salad plates Anna and Elsa have. (That number is 8,000, for those of you who have heard the soundtrack less than 8,000 times.) Both of my older kids love this soundtrack, and they can't seem to "let it go."
COMING UP NEXT: Everything!!! Immediately!!!
Monday, March 23, 2015
31: Sax and Organs
31. "No Stopping" by the Dave Clark Five [Video: nope. But, since this isn't a very commonly known song, here's a YouTube link to the music: No Stopping.] (It's a rare song, but it is available on iTunes!)
Really? Of all the great instrumental songs out there in the world, this is my favorite? Yes, it's true. I'm weird.
I found this song during my phase of scouring the Deseret Industries and second-hand thrift stores for interesting albums and album covers. The song comes from the soundtrack album from the Dave Clark Five movie titled Having a Wild Weekend from 1965, at a time when the popularity of the band rivaled the popularity of the Beatles.
 |
| Dave Clark was not the lead singer of the Dave Clark Five. Discuss. |
I'm not sure why I like the song so much. It's got a great, fast pace. (This makes it a fantastic workout song!) And it's got the drums, the organ, and the sax. But mostly, I'd say, it's that crazy 60s organ, flailing away. (The base line of the song is a bit reminiscent of the theme from the Batman television show.) And, the song has a great ending, with a bit of drum and one last flourish on the organ.
It's a darn fun song! I dare you to listen to it without smiling.
COMING UP NEXT: Because learning is fun!
32: To Fall Down At Your Door
32. "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by the Proclaimers {#3; 6/93 (Originally released in 1988.)} [Video: nope, but you might enjoy this performance of the song on David Letterman's show: I'm Gonna Be (on Letterman) (500 Miles). (Dave's interview with the Reid brothers is pretty funny.)]
I liked this song a lot long before I got married. But, when I think of it now, I think back to the day I got married. Specifically, I think back to my wedding reception.
My wife is an incredible woman. She had picked out a reception hall for our wedding reception. I hadn't actually seen the place on the inside, but I'm sure it would have been delightful. But then, less than a week before the wedding, she got the call that the reception hall had been double booked. There were two wedding receptions scheduled for the same night!
Now, most bride-to-be's would have gone bat-sh*# crazy at hearing this news. Not my wife. Of course, it helped that the doofuses at the reception hall had a contingency plan in place. One of the two receptions could be held at the old county court house building instead. And, since our reception had been the first of the two actually scheduled, we had the choice of the reception hall or the court house. The court house was the bigger and nicer venue of the two, so we chose the court house, and then frantically tried to inform everyone about the change. (I only heard of one person from our wedding party who went to the original place first.)
(Oh, and as further penance for their mistake, the wedding reception people also provided a free crepe bar for our reception. You can never have too many crepes!)
I bring this all up, because the court house had a very slick wooden floor. And I had some very slick tux-rental shoes. And, soon enough, I found that I am a much better dancer than usual when I have slick shoes on a slick floor.
The music for dancing at our reception was pumped from my brand new iPad through a small speaker system. The songs played were from the various mix-tape playlists I had made for Amber up to that point. And, one of the songs I most remember everyone dancing to was "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)."
To this day, it's the most fun I've ever had at a party.
COMING UP NEXT: The highest ranked instrumental on the HondoJoe Top 200!
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