Dischead has mentioned that 1976 was one of the weakest years ever. So far, this set has done nothing to prove him wrong.
It's a year that requires more discernment and effort in order to make a good set. Regretably
those qualities seem to be on tight ration these days.
The choice of
Sir Duke is illustrative. A quick look reveals that
I Wish is perhaps one of
the most played songs, with at least seventeen spins. But
Sir Duke is another FF at fourteen.
You'd expect
Isn't She Lovely? to be up there, but
Black Man passes it with four over
two. And that's it. I mean, it's Stevie fucking Wonder for crying out loud, and this is perhaps
his magnum opus -- a double album AND a four-song EP. There's some amazingly beautiful pop
music here. Frankly, just about the entire thing is -- dare I say it? -- Wonder-full. (grin) You'd
have to work just to pick the one or two tracks that are below par. Even at random chance the
odds are way against you. And yet we get the same two songs with the highest LNQ.
And that's why 10@10 is so damn disappointing these days.