The BoDeans - She's A Runaway

I can recall the exact moment when I first heard the BoDeans. It was during a car ride from Merrimack, NH to Portsmouth, NH to go to Pease AFB for some reason or another (most likely to shop in the base exchange.) We switched radio stations in search of music, as we always do when commercials interrupt our music. This song was playing, and I hoped the dj would announce the song title/artist. Back then, there was no web site to look it up, and we had to rely on the dj. I hated when they'd play a block of songs and not tell you what it was you just heard. Luckily enough, the jock announced the song and the name of the album, which I promptly ran out and acquired. I still own the vinyl, and I'm seriously considering reconnecting it to the outdated stereo in the basement. I need to hear some of these old albums again, and perform those old rituals, like cleaning the record with my discwasher or blowing dust off the needle.

The BoDeans had a good run, and I loved that they achieved minor fame from the theme song to Party Of Five, but they really did hit their apex with their debut album, which is kind of sad. I enjoyed their brand of sensitive roots rock.

Elvis Costello - Oliver's Army

I can't believe it's been 30 years since this was released.

You know, it still sounds fresh to these old ears. The song was never a hit in the US, but I was a huge fan of the album it appears on, Armed Forces. I still consider it one of the peaks of Costello's long, varied career.

According to Songfacts.com: Costello told Q Magazine in March 2008: "I don't think its success was because of the lyrics. I always liked the idea of a bright pop tune that you could be singing along to for ages before you realize what it is you're actually singing. Of course, the downside of that is some people only hear the tune and never listen to the words. After a while I got frustrated at that." The song's line, "Call careers information/have you got yourself an occupation" refers to the habit of the British army recruiting boys right out of school at age 16. Many of these kids were from poor families, at a time when unemployment was high in Britain.

Steve Forbert - Goin' Down to Laurel

I flip through lots of magazines while I wait in lines, and I have noticed article after article in the ladies mags hyping how to save money on this and that, how to cut the bills, and how to cut back in these trying economic times. I mean, you'd think it was the seventies or something. Don't you people know how to save money already? Didn't your parents teach you this stuff? Oh yeah. I'm old and my parents were Depression babies. I keep forgetting that not ALL of you are as old as I am, and that some Gen X'ers (and whatever the following gens were called)had baby boomer parents who grew up in relative affluence.

I bought mags in the 70's, when I first started out on my own. I needed recipes and advice, since mom was so far away from me, and I couldn't just pick up the phone whenever I wanted (calls from Guam were quite steep.) Back then, every issue was packed with money-saving tips.

What's this got to do with my flashback? Nothing, really. This song is from seventies-era Steve Forbert, though, when he was Alive On Arrival. I can listen to this and think back to when the Dow was in the 600 range, the streets of New York were dirty and gritty, and life was tough for many. The more things change, the more they stay the same?

Stevie Wonder - Pastime Paradise

I've been having Stevie Wonder flashbacks since I produced a Powerpoint slide show for my Aunt Mary's birthday a few weeks ago. (I used Isn't She Lovely with silly pictures of old ladies, and it was a hit.) So, keep it hush, since I don't want to be hunted down by the mean old RIAA or anything.

Anyway... Back to Stevie.

Songs In The Key Of Life (1976) is part of the holy trinity of magical Wonder albums, along with Innervisions and Talking Book, and I like to revisit it from time to time. Since it raked in Grammy Awards for Album Of The Year, and both Best Male Pop Vocal and Best Male R & B Vocal, it's a worthy flashback as we approach Grammy Sunday this weekend. I chose Pastime Paradise, since so many people remember the Coolio song, Gangsta's Paradise (also a Grammy winner,) but don't necessarily know just how much borrowing he did from Stevie's original. Most call it "sampling," but I'd call it a cover song. Coolio changed some lyrics and added that memorable bass line, giving the song more urgency, but it's still a cover.

Monday, when I participated in the Monday Movie Meme, I totally spaced out and forgot one of my favorite musicals: Little Shop Of Horrors. Sticks was in the pit band for a community theater production, and it was one of the best I've ever seen. The movie was meh, but I did love Ellen Green as Audrey and Steve Martin killed (literally!) as that demented dentist (people will pay you to be inhumane!)

The songs are all based in sixties pop, complete with Motown and girl-group sounds.

These songs are such fun, I decided to feature two of them from the Original Cast Recording of Little Shop Of Horrors (1982). I can never pick my favorite between the two of these.

Franc Luz - Dentist! - The aforementioned demented song about a sick, twisted man's chosen occupation.

Company - Skid Row (Downtown) An anthemic plea to get out of that horrid place.

It's been awhile, but I'm back!

The The - This Is The Day

I just flashed back to this when I wrote the Top 5 on Friday post this morning!

It's from The The's 1983 album, Soul Mining, and it cannot leave you feeling anything but smiling and happy. You have my Nat guarantee!

The Neil Young show rocked, and my favorite song in the set was Cortez The Killer. Need I explain the flashback any further?

I didn't get out to any other shows besides this one and the Christmas TSO show, but the quality of this Young show more than made up for it. This is one I'll remember forever.

From 1975's Zuma, here's the original Cortez from Neil Young & Crazy Horse.

Fountains Of Wayne - Valley Winter Song

The other day, I was thinking about creating a playlist of songs that aren't Christmas songs, but sound like they could be Christmas songs. I know, it's wordy. Anyway, I was watching TV and saw an L.L. Bean Christmas commercial featuring this song, and it's perfect for the playlist.

This is from the 2003 FOW album, Welcome Interstate Managers, and it fits the playlist. Now, what else to add?

I can think of Low's Just Like Christmas, The Weepies' All That I Want, and Neil Finn's Sweet Secret Peace. Any more ideas?

James - She's A Star

Smiths wannabes, James, never really caught on over here in the States, but they did get some MTV time in the 90's when Laid hit number 2 on the Billboard Heatseekers album chart. Their highest US-charting song, Laid, comes from the album of the same name, and it climbed up to number 3 in Modern Rock Tracks and 61 in the Hot 100. But do I flash back to that song in the car when the radio personality is talking about James? Naaaaah. My brain is stuck on the sweet little pop song, She's A Star, with its meowing slide guitar and soaring chorus. Snark away, real James fans, but this is my favorite James song. I am hopelessly addicted to catchy pop tunes by rock bands.

Sister Hazel - All For You

I was watching the morning news on the Boston Fox station, and I heard some familiar music accompanying one story. I couldn't identify it right away and that always drives me nuts. When the segment ended, I just kept humming the tune to myself. I knew it was a nineties hit, so I tried like hell to spark my memory. Lil Sticks used to love this song, and I knew it was a hit when he was in junior high. Finally, the band name snapped into my consciousness: Sister Hazel. That's the ticket!

It's from the 1997 release,... Somewhere More Familiar, which was the band's second album. All For You reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. I do own the album, but I can recall only a couple of standout songs. The rest was fairly pleasant, but average. I do remember loving the final cut on the cd, Starfish, which Wii Lad relished as a dance-along tot song. Today, it's a bonus song in the flashback.