The Drive, week of 12/20/10

[RGMike]

Mon 12/20/10: 1977

ELO sweet-talks us again.

Diver Dan fans unite! I always thought it sounded like Heart are singing "Baron Barracuda", not "barra-barracuda"



wow -- Styx's "Miss America" is quite a rarity. That doesn't make it good.

OMGWTF: BOS Ms Ronstadt, waitin' on the Double-E. She's a credit to her gender.

No, Foreigner, it actually feels like the 3 billionth time.

Ah, women... she's married to a gazillionaire, but Crapton's wife still needs to be told she looks wonderful.

I know some folks are suckers for "Celebrate Me Home", but I find it one of the more annoyingly sappy holiday perennials. However I'll reserve my WOS for Yes, past their sell-by date on "Going For the One", faux-Zep guitar riff and all.

VHM Dave Mason's still-lovely "We Just Disagree"

Electric Light Orchestra - Sweet Talkin' Woman 
Heart - Barracuda 
Bob Welch - Sentimental Lady 
Styx - Miss America 
Linda Ronstadt - Poor Poor Pitiful Me 
Foreigner - Feels Like the First Time 
Eric Clapton - Wonderful Tonight 
Kenny Loggins - Celebrate Me Home 
Yes - Going For The One 
Dave Mason - We Just Disagree 

[RGMike]

Tue 12/21/10: 1968

Tommy James - Mony Mony 
Beach Boys - Do It Again 
Louis Armstrong - What a Wonderful World 
Canned Heat - On the Road Again 
Doors - Love Street 
Gary Puckett - Young Girl 
Beatles - Lady Madonna 
Blood, Sweat & Tears - I Can't Quit Her 
Simon & Garfunkel - A Hazy Shade of Winter 
Amboy Dukes - Journey to the Center of The Mind 

glad I stuck with KPOO, since we'll probably get "Hazy Shade" from AL today; other than the BS&T, not a terribly inspired lot here.

[RGMike]

Wed 12/22/10: 1975

can't go wrong with Zep as yer TOTHK.  Are ya dizzy when yer stoned?

It's the thought that counts: Bob plays BJ Thomas, but it's an inferior remake of "Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song"

OMGWTFLOL and Bustout of the Month: my long-jonesed-for "Magneto & Titanium Man"!!  BOS -- and the Crimson Dynamo came along for the ride!  Glad I got up early!

EJ plays pinball. He's good with balls.

[Gazoo]

BOS to B.J. Thomas's somebody-done-somebody-wrong song.  First time I've heard the original in many, many years, as the version I bought on iTunes was (thankfully quite competently) re-recorded.

Most unexpected: "Magneto and Titanium Man."

[RGMike]

BOS to B.J. Thomas's somebody-done-somebody-wrong song.  First time I've heard the original in many, many years, as the version I bought on iTunes was (thankfully quite competently) re-recorded.

That wasn't the orig -- it was a re-do, sadly

Proxy of shray to both Macca and "Stranglehold" from da Nuge.

That "You'll Never Find" Jimmy Hoffa bit would work better if the song were actually from '75.  VHM "Wish You Were Here", but we've had our fill of long Floyd tunes of late.

[Gazoo]

BOS to B.J. Thomas's somebody-done-somebody-wrong song.  First time I've heard the original in many, many years, as the version I bought on iTunes was (thankfully quite competently) re-recorded.

That wasn't the orig -- it was a re-do, sadly

Oh christ.  I'll never know the original if I ever hear it again.

"You'll never find ..." "... James R. Hoffa."  Cute.

WOS more Floyd tedium.

[Gazoo]

BOS2 JS and Grace's play on love.  Among the all-time shouldabeens, peaking at only #45.

[RGMike]

BOS to B.J. Thomas's somebody-done-somebody-wrong song.  First time I've heard the original in many, many years, as the version I bought on iTunes was (thankfully quite competently) re-recorded.

That wasn't the orig -- it was a re-do, sadly

Oh christ.  I'll never know the original if I ever hear it again.

"You'll never find ..." "... James R. Hoffa."  Cute.

WOS more Floyd tedium.

OMFG! "Play On", Grace!  BOS2 and despite the BJ cock-up, this is one of Bob's best '75s in ages.

[RGMike]

WOS more Floyd tedium.

I loved it at the time, now it tends to all run together. My WFUV radio show was originally called "Welcome to the Machine" (every music show had to have a title) but I had to change it because people assumed it was a heavy metal fest. (It became "The Late Show", years before Letterman)

ZZT lookin' to touch some "Tush"

And America carries us back to Memphis with "Let's Wait Awhile" "Daisy Jane".

Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy 
B.J. Thomas - Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song 
Fleetwood Mac - Monday Morning 
Paul McCartney/Wings - Magneto and Titanium Man 
Elton John - Pinball Wizard 
Ted Nugent - Stranglehold 
Jefferson Starship - Play on Love 
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here 
ZZ Top - Tush 
America - Daisy Jane 

[RGMike]

BOS to B.J. Thomas's somebody-done-somebody-wrong song.  First time I've heard the original in many, many years, as the version I bought on iTunes was (thankfully quite competently) re-recorded.

That wasn't the orig -- it was a re-do, sadly

Oh christ.  I'll never know the original if I ever hear it again.

herev ya go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym_mJokfTQg

note: the idiot who posted it on YT orig thought it was Charlie Rich, apparently

[RGMike]

Fri 12/24/10: the Drive just wanna say... "Merry Christmas Baby"!

Broooooooooce to start -- kudos for playing this and not "Santa Claus..." BOS1

OMFG!  George rings the New Years bells a week early!  BOS2 "Ding Dong"!

Greg Lake again and now -- wow! -- "Christmas" from Tommy. Major points for creativity this morning. This was a rock radio holiday staple back when there weren't a whole lot of rockin' holiday tunes.

Yikes -- America doing as sappy a version of "Have Yourself..." as I've heard. Still, certainly off-the-beaten-path.

NTM: Leon Russell doing a bluesy "Xmas in Chicago". I do remember his "Slipping Into Xmas", which came out in '73 -- maybe this was the B-side? (ETA: indeed it was!)

TANC: the U2 version of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)".

And of course you gotta have the Kinks!



WOS Seger's stentorian take on "Drummer Boy". I'd've much preferred Joan Jett.

They loves them some Trans-Siberian Orch in the Midwest.  But all their overblown Xmas medleys sound the same to me. Still, this was a creative set for sure.

Bruce Springsteen - Merry Christmas Baby 
George Harrison - Ding Dong, Ding Dong 
Greg Lake - I Believe in Father Christmas 
The Who - Christmas 
America - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas 
Leon Russell - Christmas in Chicago 
U2 - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) 
Kinks - Father Christmas 
Bob Seger - The Little Drummer Boy 
Trans Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 

[Gazoo]

BOS2 JS and Grace's play on love.  Among the all-time shouldabeens, peaking at only #45.

OCD: actual chart peak was #49.