Songs you are obsessing over.

[KDS]

It's that time of year, so I've been listening to some Halloween themed stuff. 

Halloween by Helloween

DOA by Bloodrock

Vincent Price by Deep Purple

Season of the Witch - Vanilla Fudge

Steven - Alice Cooper

[alf wiedersehen]

Prince's "Baby I'm a Star"

Prince you used to be fucking amazing what happened prince

He still has his moments (and is the greatest live performer in pop music: if you get a chance to see him live, do it). But without question, the main thing he's been consistent in over the past three decades or so is the increasing inconsistency. His '80s output, though, amazing. Hell, even the first half of the '90s, while derided at the time as lacking, look pretty good in hindsight. I think a lot of the issue is the same as with anyone else whose career spans decades. It just gets stale.

I would appreciate it if you shared some of his worthy, late-career stuff; I'm really not that familiar with most of it.

[Please delete my account]

Prince's "Baby I'm a Star"

Prince you used to be fucking amazing what happened prince

He still has his moments (and is the greatest live performer in pop music: if you get a chance to see him live, do it). But without question, the main thing he's been consistent in over the past three decades or so is the increasing inconsistency. His '80s output, though, amazing. Hell, even the first half of the '90s, while derided at the time as lacking, look pretty good in hindsight. I think a lot of the issue is the same as with anyone else whose career spans decades. It just gets stale.

I would appreciate it if you shared some of his worthy, late-career stuff; I'm really not that familiar with most of it.

Personally, I enjoyed "Breakdown" on last year's Art Official Age which I bought digitally on its own. I also would be interested in hearing more tips on this subject. The last album of his I actually own is the symbol album (the one with "7", etc.)

[the captain]

Happy to. I'll dig it up after work.

[the captain]

Here are some of the latter-day Prince songs I think are really good. Keep in mind my particular leanings, which are melodic pop and jazz. And keep in mind the caveat that, as I've said, his '80s and early '90s work are without question the best. But the rest isn't useless, is all. A lot of this is soul or R&B bordering on easy listening. There are cheesy synth sounds, bad lyrics, too-long jams ... but there are mind-numbingly, heart-achingly good vocals, brilliant guitars, classic rawk riffs, and f***-me-now seductions, too. The fact is, the voice in particular is shown even now to be one of the best half-dozen voices in popular music.

1996
"Dinner With Delores," Chaos and Disorder
"The Same December," Chaos and Disorder
"Had U," Chaos and Disorder
"Courtin' Time," Emancipation
"We Gets Up," Emancipation
"Soul Sanctuary," Emancipation
"Let's Have a Baby," Emancipation
"One of Us," Emancipation (Yes, the song made famous by Joan Osborne)

1999
"The Rest of My Life," The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale (that bass! those horns!)
"It's About That Walk," The Vault...
"Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic," Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic
"The Greatest Romance Ever Sold," Rave...
"Tangerine," Rave...
"So Far, So Pleased," feat. Gwen Stefani, Rave...
"I Love U, But I Don't Trust U Anymore," feat. Ani DiFranco, Rave...
"The Sun, the Moon and Stars," Rave...

2001
"Rainbow Children," Rainbow Children
"The Work, Pt. I," Rainbow Children
"Everywhere," Rainbow Children
"Mellow," Rainbow Children
"She Loves Me 4 Me," Rainbow Children

2004
"Musicology," Musicology
"Call My Name," Musicology
"Cinnamon Girl," Musicology
"What Do U Want Me 2 Do?" Musicology

2006
"Te Amo Corazon," 3121
"Black Sweat," 3121
"Satisfied," 3121
"Get On the Boat," 3121

2007
"Guitar," Planet Earth
"The One U Wanna C," Planet Earth
"Chelsea Rodgers," Planet Earth

2009
"Dance 4 Me," Mplsound
"U're Gonna C Me," Mplsound
"Better With Time," Mplsound

2010
"Compassion," 20Ten
"Sticky Like Glue," 20Ten
"Lavaux," 20Ten

2014
"Breakdown," Art Official Age
"The Gold Standard," Art Official Age,
"Breakfast Can Wait," Art Official Age
"Whitecaps," Plectrumelectrum

2015
"Baltimore," Baltimore (single)
"Fallinlove2nite," HITNRUN Phase One (Not Zooey Deschanel version from 2014)
"Free Urself," Free Urself (Single)

Sorry, everyone, for interrupting your "songs" thread. But hey, these are songs, right? I'm not technically obsessing over any of them at the moment, but maybe someone will.

[KDS]

Nothing from the Batman album? 

 

All joking aside, I'm not a huge Prince fan.  But the Tim Burton Batman movie came out when I was eight going on nine.  I got a cassette of the Batman soundtrack with the Prince songs.  I used to collect soundtracks of movies I loved back then.  So, I have fond memories of riding in the backseat of my father's car, listening to my Prince Batman tape on my Walkman, on the way to the beach.  I still listen to the CD at least once a summer.

[the captain]

I was sticking to "latter-day" material, post-hits era. That, '89ish?, was still in it. 😉

[KDS]

I was sticking to "latter-day" material, post-hits era. That, '89ish?, was still in it. 😉

Ah gotcha. 

[Please delete my account]

Re: post "hits" Prince
Thanks for the list, Captain, glad you picked "Breakdown" too.

2006
"Te Amo Corazon," 3121
"Black Sweat," 3121
"Satisfied," 3121
"Get On the Boat," 3121

I just listened to these 4 songs and they're perfectly listenable, but to me, they don't sound like singles or album-highlights. Not even the one that was the single. Not that I'm criticising Prince, he's earned the right to do what he wants for the rest of his life as far as I'm concerned.

[JK]

Mine these days is a flawless gem from Curved Air's debut album called "Screw":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z9NjJSop5g

[Cool Cool Water]

Mine these days is a flawless gem from Curved Air's debut album called "Screw":

I like the instrumentation in that.

[Cool Cool Water]

Atm for me it's this classic Kinks b-side.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpwGGJYCCJ0

[RangeRoverA1]

For the nth time, it's Goddess on the Prairie performed by my favorite Canadians, band Hot Hot Heat
From drummer shouting "FLAWLEEEEESSS!!!" (because they did multiple takes & there's gotta be the end smwr. Flawless indeed) to the last words "that was the closest you could ever come" this is the best modern song I heard to this day & the best song by this group (& they've got many & many goodies). This is the only song I air play on every instrument - drum(stick)s whatnot coz it's such fun.

I like the next song on autoplay, from the same album "Future Breeds" 21 @ 12

[RangeRoverA1]

Discovered Gilbert O'Sullivan while watching the Barbie doll-stylized film about Karen Carpenter - "Alone Again (Naturally)" was playing for a short time. It was amazing. It could keep any of you positive. It was funny to read Youtube comments saying it's sad. Not in the least.

[rn57]

Percy Faith's 1952 recording of a Brazilian forro tune, "Delicado."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qDlsnSTIbY

I used to hear this constantly on the old Music Of Your Life type of radio stations, a format that held its own in the ratings from 1980 into the early '90s and specialized in music appealing to seniors - ie starting in the late 1930s and going up to the early '60s, not rock'n'roll. The primary BBs-connected song you'd hear on it would be Barry Manilow doing "I Write The Songs." But I kept forgetting the title and artist.  When Music Of Your Life died out as a format along with a lot of its audience, I thought I might never learn what it was because it was an instrumental so no lyrics could be Googled.

Then, wonder of wonders, I found a CD in a Salvation Army store. Happy Radio Days, by Michel Legrand. He made it around 1990 as a tribute to the instrumentals he loved hearing on the radio when he was a teenager. (The CD's arrangements are faithful to the originals and highly uncharacteristic of Legrand's best known work.) "Delicado" was included. 

Faith's 1952 version reached #1 on Billboard's pop chart. The harpsichordist was the late Stan Freeman, who as it happens played the same instrument on the other early '50s #1 record to use it, "Come On-A My House" by Brian's old fave Rosemary Clooney.

The original's in mono, naturally. Here's a slightly rearranged, higher-energy stereo version Faith did in '62, second track on "The Music Of Brazil":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4B3hCZvM4A

[alf wiedersehen]

Joanna Newsom's "Soft as Chalk"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM9FjL9wYxQ&ab_channel=HaveOneOnMe1

Man, what a great, great song. The it moves and evolves is just magical.
I love when she sings "...out back with the crickets..."

[undercover-m]

Entertainment - Phoenix
Carrie and Lowell - Sufjan Stevens
Summer Breeze - Seals and Croft (per a mention in How I Met Your Mother)
Reality in Motion & The Less I Know the Better - Tame Impala
The Disney Afternoon - Ducktails
and any song by America...

[Micha]

The Astronauts, "Firewater".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO_pOYfsJk4

[RangeRoverA1]

Percy Faith's 1952 recording of a Brazilian forro tune, "Delicado."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qDlsnSTIbY

I used to hear this constantly on the old Music Of Your Life type of radio stations, a format that held its own in the ratings from 1980 into the early '90s and specialized in music appealing to seniors - ie starting in the late 1930s and going up to the early '60s, not rock'n'roll. The primary BBs-connected song you'd hear on it would be Barry Manilow doing "I Write The Songs." But I kept forgetting the title and artist.  When Music Of Your Life died out as a format along with a lot of its audience, I thought I might never learn what it was because it was an instrumental so no lyrics could be Googled.

Then, wonder of wonders, I found a CD in a Salvation Army store. Happy Radio Days, by Michel Legrand. He made it around 1990 as a tribute to the instrumentals he loved hearing on the radio when he was a teenager. (The CD's arrangements are faithful to the originals and highly uncharacteristic of Legrand's best known work.) "Delicado" was included. 

Faith's 1952 version reached #1 on Billboard's pop chart. The harpsichordist was the late Stan Freeman, who as it happens played the same instrument on the other early '50s #1 record to use it, "Come On-A My House" by Brian's old fave Rosemary Clooney.

The original's in mono, naturally. Here's a slightly rearranged, higher-energy stereo version Faith did in '62, second track on "The Music Of Brazil":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4B3hCZvM4A

It was enjoyable read as usual. No.1 though? Didn't warrant imo.

[undercover-m]

late to the Mac DeMarco game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbg27oT8Z9M

[alf wiedersehen]

Hiatus Kaiyote's "Nakamarra"

All day, every day.
As one adept commenter says: "this the kinda jam you put on your bread every morning."

[undercover-m]

Ya Hey - Vampire Weekend (this song, especially the end... so heavenly)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-BznQE6B8U

[undercover-m]

"Move with the Season" by Temples has been my go-to lately.

Also "Do or Die" by Hungry Kids of Hungary.

[KDS]

I've been listening to the title track to Queen's 1991 album Innuendo a lot lately. 

It was released as a single 25 years ago last month.  And the album proved to be the final Queen album while Freddie Mercury was still alive. 

[RangeRoverA1]

Tom Northcott - Who Planted Torns in Miss Alice's Garden. I decided this is my favorite psych comp track.