Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. DC--The Seekers: Georgy Girl

 I went to the animal fair, the birds and the bees were there, the big baboon by the light of the moon was combing his auburn hair, the monkey he got drunk, and...I'm (eleven days--yowza!) late again....

This week's featured tune being scheduled here is no random placement--I noted in last week's post that when Melanie passed away, I was reminded of the New Seekers version of her featured song.  That in turn caused me to learn that the New Seekers were originally an Australian band called The Seekers--who I remembered had a nice hit with this week's song.  Funny how it works out sometimes, isn't it?

The Seekers formed in Melbourne, Australia in 1962, developed a local following, and by 1964 had their first worldwide hit.  They would have nice string of hits until 1968 when they disbanded for the first time.  It was during this time when Keith Potger formed the New Seekers and had the hit noted above.  The band would reunite (for the most part) in 1975. disband again in 1985, then reunite for a final time in 1988 (which lasted until their final demise in 2022).  Along the way they had a hell of a career: numerous hits across the world (less so in the U.S., more so in the U.K., Canada, Europe and their homeland), top rated television shows in their native Australia (one remains in the top ten most watched shows to this day), were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame (Australia's version of our Rock and Roll Hall of Fame), had a song nominated for an Academy Award (this week's by chance), had four million selling singles, sold over fifty million albums, and continued to tour and record regularly until their end.  For their career, the Seekers released twelve studio albums (four top ten in Australia, two in the U.K., and one in the U.S.), seven live albums, a whopping thirty-five compilations (five of which hit the top ten Down Under with two more in Great Britain), and thirty-nine singles (with three number ones at home and two more in the British Isles). Sadly, original member Judith Durham passed away in 2022 effectively ending the band's run (though Durham had left for the final time in 2019).

Fun Fact:  When the Seekers represented Australia at Expo 67 in Montreal in 1967, they appeared on television in Australia on the first ever satellite transmission from the United States to Australia.

"Georgy Girl" was the first single released from their 1967 album, the rather enticingly entitled Come the Day.  The song would hit #1 in Australia and Canada (so many cool kids Down Under and up yonder), #2 in the U.S., and #3 in the U.K., while the album hit #7 in Australia, #3 in Great Britain, and #10 in America.

"Georgy Girl" was the title track of a 1966 romantic comedy, entitled, amazingly enough, Georgy Girl. The song is a little bit folk, a little bit pop, and definitely has echoes of the British Invasion as well as the pop overtones of the Merseybeat.  It's short (once again amazed at how much can be captured in two minutes), catchy as all hell, features amazing harmonies, and spins the tale of a young woman afraid to let herself fall in love.  It comes from an era when the world was still very much full of hope (it still is, just a little harder to find) and also from an era that created some of the best pop music in history (can probably be said for every era, but....).  In the end, it's another hefty helping of pop pie...with a little Australian cream on the top....

Lyric Sheet:  "You're always window-shopping /But never stopping to buy/So shed those dowdy feathers and fly/A little bit..."

Enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump

Peace,

emaycee

Actually, it's just the GOP

 Fuck Donald Trump

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. DXX--Kasey Chambers: We're All Gonna Die Someday

Since this is the last one of 2024, thought it might be nice to finish it before the year ends....

My introduction to this week's tune came about because of a good review in Rolling Stone.  I took a chance on a new artist, and it paid off as I really enjoyed listening to her album and our song of the week became an all-time fave.  As an added bonus, I eventually learned how to play it on my guitar, making me quite the musical maven...or not.

Kasey Chambers, who incidentally just happens to have the same birthday as me (though considerably younger), has had quite the career in her native Australia.  At the ripe old age of sixteen, she began playing with her parents and her older brother in the Dead Ringer Band (so-called because many people noted the children bore striking resemblances to their parents) before embarking on a solo career in 1998.  Over the course of the last twenty-six years, Chambers has had numerous hits, toured regularly, performed with a Who's Who of Australian music, won fourteen ARIA Music Awards, and written three books.  She also gets bonus points in my book for playing the banjo in addition to the guitar--a dual threat.  Along the way she had three children, two broken relationships, a miscarriage, an eating disorder, and a nervous breakdown.  Still, she's come out on the other side, and credits music for helping her to rebuild her life.  For her career, Chambers has released thirteen studio albums (five #1's in Australia, and seven of which have charted on the Billboard Country Albums Chart) and thirty-seven singles (with one #1 and three other top ten hits--again, in Australia).  Chambers is the youngest solo artist to be inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, still tours regularly, and released her latest album earlier this year.

Fun Fact:  Chambers has won nine--count 'em, nine--Aria Music Awards for Country Album of the Year.  That is downright dominating.

"We're All Gonna Die Someday" was the last song on Chambers 1999 solo debut LP, the rather nautically entitled The Captain.  The song was not released as a single (should have been!), while the album rose to #11 in the Land Down Under and #49 on the American country charts.

Despite the rather downcast sentiment in the song title, "We're All Gonna Die Someday" is all about the fun.  Chambers makes the case, humorously, that our faults don't matter all that much because, well, we're all gonna die someday.  Her vocals are pure unadulterated twang and they are used to perfection.  The band breaks in with a couple of nice hillbilly instrumental breaks, and a rollicking good time is had by all.  The song also brings to a close year ten of our musical journey here on Friday Night Jukebox, and I hope it's been as fun for you as it's been for me.  Onward to more musical musings in 2025!

Lyric Sheet:  "Well they can all kiss my ass lord/They can all kiss my ass/If they want to kiss my ass well they better do it fast/'Cause we're all gonna die someday..."

Enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump

Peace,

emaycee

Documented: Trump can't be trusted with National Security

Former President Trump allegedly shared sensitive information with Mar-a-Lago member Anthony Pratt on calls he had with the leaders of Iraq and Ukraine, according to new audio leaked to Australian media https://t.co/E2DO7qWHLw

— Axios (@axios) October 23, 2023

Republicans = Nazis

Peace,

emaycee

 

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CDLVI--Paul Kelly: To Her Door

 When I worked for Camelot Music we had these yearly conventions, the highlight of which was Vendor Day, when all of the record labels, big and small, would set up booths and give all of us all kinds of swag.  At one of the conventions (God only knows which), I got a promo cassette featuring this week's artist, and at some point, looking for something new to listen to, gave it a try.  Which led to my falling in love with this week's tune, and then after a few years, forgetting about it until I was doing a thorough spring cleaning during the pandemic and came across the aforementioned cassette.  Brought back some really good memories of a really good tune....

Every now and again when doing my half-assed research for each week's post, I learn about an artist that was a one off for me who turns out to have had quite the career unaware to me.  To say that Paul Kelly is the Australian equivalent of Bob Dylan in America really wouldn't be that much of a stretch (other than to say that, near as I can tell, Kelly hasn't sold out in his later years).  Though Kelly hasn't had much commercial success outside of his homeland, he is quite respected as a songwriter and artist by music critics around the world.  Kelly has often tackled social issues indigenous to Australia, toured the world numerous times, and lent his talents to a number of performers.  He has won seventeen ARIA Awards (Australia's equivalent of our Grammy) and has been inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.  Since his career began in 1974 (at the all too young age of 19), Kelly has released 28 studio albums (with eight making Australia's top ten and three going to number one), and sixty-six singles.  Kelly has two songs and two albums listed on Australia's best albums/songs of all-time.

Fun Fact:  As I was doing my half-assed research, I noticed that this week's album was listed as being by Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls (a great take off of Lou Reed's song "Walk on the Wild Side"), but I distinctly remembered the album as being by Paul Kelly and the Messengers.  Turns out I was correct--Kelly used the name the Messengers for North America for fear that his backing band's name original name would be seen as racist.

"To Her Door" was the first single released from Kelly's 1987 album Under the Sun.  The song reached #14 and the album #19 on the Australian charts (no info as to its charting here in the States).  "To Her Door" was rated as one of the thirty best Australian songs of all-time.

"To Her Door" tells the tale of a young couple whose marriage collapses under the strain of the husband losing his job and developing a drinking problem, and his journey on a bus back to see her and their kids after he cleans up in rehab.  Kelly opts for neither a happy nor a sad ending--he leaves us with the man, "shaking in his seat", as the bus takes him "to her door."  The song is three minutes and twenty-seven seconds of Kelly giving a master class in storytelling and delivering vocals oozing with humanity.  The band (wonderful piano to open, two Johnny Cash-esque guitar solos) combines to deliver a sound that encompasses all the fear, anticipation, and hope of a desired, but by no means certain, reunion.  In the end, if you wanted to explain to an alien what poignant meant, you could merely play him this song.  Brilliance.

Lyric Sheet:  "He came in on a Sunday, every muscle aching/Walking in slow motion like he'd just been hit/Did they have a future? Would he know his children?/Could he make a picture and get them all to fit..."

Enjoy:

Republicans = Nazis

Peace,

emaycee

The amount of damage Rupert Murdoch did to America is immeasurable

Rupert Murdoch gave a platform to lies that poisoned an audience of millions, pushed conspiracy theories, & helped foment an insurrection – all while believing none of it. He's done more damage to our country than anyone or anything that Fox News vilified every night on air.

— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) September 21, 2023

Republicans = Nazis

Peace,

emaycee

 

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CDXLIX--INXS: This Time

 Considering that I have another one of these posts due tomorrow, just a wee bit late for last week....

Once in a while a band comes along with a song that I really like...and never has another one (Bananarama, who I wrote about in post CCXLIX comes immediately to mind)--which is my set-up for this week's tune.  I can't say that I really disliked this week's featured band--it's just that nothing much of what they did caused me to pause and listen or even sing a long.  As I noted for Bananarama, it's no matter--still makes for a hell of a song....

INXS got its start in the land down under in 1971 when a couple of eventual members started a band in high school.  By 1977, they had more or less formed the lineup that would lead them to stardom, but under the name "The Farriss Brothers" (three of the band's six members were the brothers Farriss).  After building a name for themselves in Australia, they began to be an opening act for Midnight Oil, one of whom's members suggested they change their name to INXS--and the rest, as they say, is history.  INXS would release its first single and debut album in 1980, and over the course of these past forty-three years have sold over ninety-five million LPs around the world.  They won six ARIA Music Awards (Australia's Grammys), were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame (Australia's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame), as well as being nominated for three Grammys here in America.  For their career, the band released twelve studio albums (with four #1's in their native land, two of which landed in the top five in the U.S.), and seventy-one singles (with a #1 in both Australia and America).  Sadly, lead singer Michael Hutchence died of a suicide by hanging in 1997.  The band continued on, including a reality show in 2005 in which viewers decided their new lead singer, until 2012 when they called it quits.

Fun Fact:  The manager of Midnight Oil at one time proposed that the band become a Christian band, which the group briefly considered before opting to stay a rock and roll outfit.  Good call....

"This Time" was the second single in Australia and first single around the world from their stealthily named fifth album, Listen Like Thieves.  The single hit #19 down under, but only #81 (with a sort of bullet!) here in the states.  The album fared much better, hitting #1 in Australia and #11 in America, and is usually considered the album that turned them into worldwide superstars.

Jangly guitars! Inspired vocals! A catchy as all hell chorus! A song about a volatile relationship! That pretty much sums it up, other than to ask my loyal readers (all three of you) to carefully consider the video I'm featuring below.  While I never became much of an INXS fan, it's not hard to see why they became as successful as they did when you watch Michael Hutchence perform.  He literally owned the stage, oozed charisma from every pore, and at the time of the video was only seven years into fronting a band.  For all his demons (and he had a few), he was truly a presence--with no disrespect to the rest of the band who provided him with excellent musicianship and the songs which he performed--and added the nuance and bravado that makes this week's tune another in a long line of very fine pop performances.

Lyric Sheet:  "We are always wanting/The things we cannot find/You know that we are/Always wasting time..."

Enjoy:

Republicans = Nazis

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CDXXVI--John Williams: Cavatina

 Like most people familiar with this week's featured tune, my introduction to it was the movie The Deer Hunter.  My love for it through the years has grown, though, thanks to having learned how to play the guitar (albeit badly) in the interim--I have watched this week's artist perform it on many a YouTube video (and, no, I wouldn't even think of trying to play it myself).  Also, it is a bit different from our usual fare--pretty sure this is the first song I've written about that is considered classical...

John Williams was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1941, and by the age of four had begun playing the guitar.  When he was eleven his family moved to England, and he started studying via summer courses with classical guitar great Andres Segovia in Italy.  In 1956 he began attending the Royal College of Music where he had to study piano because it didn't have a guitar program.  Williams had his initial performance at the age of seventeen and has spent the last sixty-five years recording and performing.  Williams has won both a Brit Award and a Grammy Award and has been called the "most technically accomplished guitarist" in history.  Between studio albums and compilations, Williams has released over 150 albums.  Williams is also known for playing numerous genres of music, including performing with Pete Townshend for a charity concert, and with the fusion band Sky.

"Cavatina" originally appeared on Williams' album Changes, released in 1971.  Unsurprisingly for a classical release, the song was not released as a single and the album did not chart.  However, after the release of The Deer Hunter the song was released as a single in the U.K. and eventually reached the top twenty.

Fun Fact:  Though it gained fame as the theme of The Deer Hunter, "Cavatina" was originally written by British composer Stanley Myers for another movie, The Walking Stick.  

In Italian, "Cavatina" translates roughly as "simple song," which I like because although it's anything but, "Cavatina" is enlivened by its simplicity.  The repetition of notes, the quiet pauses, and the soft orchestral backing give the song a gentle poignancy that fills the soul.  In the end, though, it's Williams' guitar virtuosity--and even as a half-assed guitarist myself I can attest to said virtuosity--that makes the song.  He's just a joy to listen to--and as such, makes the song the same.

Lyric Sheet:  I know what you're thinking loyal readers (both of you):  "How can an instrumental have lyrics?"  Well, jazz great Cleo Laine wrote lyrics to the music and called it "He Was Beautiful."  She also performed it with Williams, and after giving it a listen I can tell you that she (and he) came up with a wonderful rendition.

Enjoy:

Republicans = Nazis

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CDXVI--Courtney Barnett: Avant Gardener

 I've lost count of all the songs featured here on Friday Night Jukebox that were originally brought to my attention by my beautiful daughter and this week's tune is yet another.  Unfortunately for her I don't get paid a dime for this service, because by now she'd have earned a hell of a commission....

Courtney Barnett was born in Sydney, Australia in 1987, and worked as a pizza delivery driver while trying to make her way into the world of music (the Australian dream, one supposes).  In 2009 she began playing guitar in the first of a number of bands, before embarking on a solo career in 2012 when she released her first EP.  She next released another EP, before releasing a double EP encompassing her first two EP's...at which time this week's tune became a hit with its video garnering over a million views on YouTube.  Barnett would release her first studio album in 2015, after which she was nominated for eight ARIA Awards (Australia's version of our Grammy Award) and won four.  She was also nominated for a Grammy and a Brit Award.  For her career, Barnett has released three studio albums (all of which have hit the top five in her native Australia, and her first two have reached the top twenty in the U.S.), one collaborative LP, two live albums, three EP's, and twenty-two singles.  Barnett has toured the world over, including appearing with the Rolling Stones in London.  Not at all bad for thirteen years of work....

Fun Fact:  Not that anyone gives a shit except for me, but Barnett, like myself, eschews the use of a pick when playing the guitar, preferring to pick and strum with her thumb and her index finger (as do I).  Alas, she is good enough to make a career out of her guitar playing ability, and I...am not.

"Avant Gardener" was the first single release of Barnett's career, originally appearing on her second EP, the rather cleverly titled How to Carve a Carrot into a Rose.  As noted above, the song rose in popularity with its appearance on her also cleverly entitled double EP, The Double EP:  A Sea of Split Peas.  Despite its popularity on YouTube, the single never charted (in any country), nor did her second EP (ditto), while the double EP hit #165 on the Billboard 200.

"Avant Gardener" is a delightfully embellished stream of consciousness rant about an actual event--Barnett decided to do some gardening in her home, was severely allergic to the weeds she was pulling, and an ambulance had to be called to give her an epi shot and asthma inhaler to help her breathe.  The song has no chorus, and its witty lyrics (see below, among several others) are conveyed with a deadpan delivery that manages to capture both the ennui of daily life and the humor therein.  While it isn't your usual top forty fare, it's easy to see why it became a hit--Barnett walks the fine line between overplayed novelty song and smart pop single with dexterity and a flair for self-deprecation (the quirky video didn't hurt either).

Lyric Sheet:  "The paramedic thinks I'm clever 'cause I play guitar/I think she's clever 'cause she stops people dying..."

Enjoy:

Republicans = Losers

Peace,

emaycee

Canada and Australia COMBINED have 27,000 less COVID deaths than Florida

Desantis goes after GOP rivals to his presidential aspirations, saying that he makes tough decisions, “if that puts me in political jeopardy, so be it. I’m not going to try and protect my own hide .. if FL had not led the way, this country would look like Canada or Australia.” pic.twitter.com/l6I8sY3FwU

— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) February 24, 2022

Republican = Traitor

Peace,

emaycee

 

Doing it better Down Under

As you read about Australia deporting Novak Djokovic for not getting vaccinated keep this in mind: Australia is a country of 25 million and only 2,670 people have died of Covid. Florida is 21 million people and OVER 63,000 people have died of Covid.

— (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) January 16, 2022

Republican = Racist

Peace,

emaycee

 

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCCXLIX--Helen Reddy: I Am Woman

 As I've noted a time or two (or three or four) here on Friday Night Jukebox, the tunes I feature here each week are chosen years in advance of their posting, and once again this week we have one that just happened to oddly coincide with recent news events--that being the Supreme Court's decision earlier this month to allow the Texas ban on abortions to stand while I picked perhaps the greatest women's anthem ever performed some years ago to be this week's song.  Of course, as far off the deep end as the Supreme Court has gone during the Roberts' years, I probably shouldn't be surprised....

Helen Reddy was born into a show biz family in Melbourne, Australia in 1941.  After winning a talent contest in her native Australia in 1966 with a grand prize being the chance to record a single for Mercury Records, Reddy immigrated to America only to find out the grand prize wasn't so grand--it was only to be an audition for the chance, and they eventually decided they did not want her to record for them.  Reddy--despite being a single mom--decided to stay and pursue her dream anyway.  She got her chance in 1971 when she released her first single, which was a top twenty hit in Canada, and led to her second single which kickstarted her success.  Reddy had a number of hits, won a Grammy Award, and was inducted into Australia's music hall of fame  She retired in 2002 and after her retirement earned a degree in hypnotherapy.  In 2011 she returned to performing and continued through 2017.  For her career Reddy released eighteen studio albums (with six hitting the top twenty), and 31 singles (with three hitting #1 and another three reaching the top ten).  Ms. Reddy was diagnosed with dementia in 2015, but still participated in the 2017 Women's March.  Sadly, she passed away last year at the age of seventy-eight.

"I Am Woman" was originally released on Reddy's debut album, I Don't Know How to Love Him in 1971.  It was later re-recorded with an additional verse and chorus and became a hit single on Reddy's third album, I Am Woman.  The second version reached #1 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100, and its album hit #14 on the Billboard 200.

I don't think it can be overstated what an important cultural reference point "I Am Woman" was to a still relatively nascent women's movement here in America.  As a man who has never suffered the discrimination that women have in America's history, I am loathe to imagine what this song meant to the women of the time (and the women of today), but I hope it spoke to the empowerment they were (and are) seeking.  From a strictly musical standpoint, the song is incredibly catchy and Reddy's vocals capture the strength, defiance, and joy that the song's lyrics demonstrate.  In the end, what stands out most for me is not only did Reddy create an anthem (which isn't often done), but she created one that appeals to half the world's population--and spoke to their common history and their hope for the actualization of their fight to be treated as equals.

Lyric Sheet:  "I am woman hear me roar/In numbers too big to ignore/And I know too much to go back and pretend..."

Enjoy:

People Who Refuse the COVID-19 Vaccine Are Why Our Lives Can't Return to Normal

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCCXII--Crowded House: Don't Dream It's Over

 This week we have a wee bit of blue-eyed soul from Down Under....

Crowded House formed in 1985 in Melbourne, Australia when two members of New Zealand band Split Enz, decided to make a go of it in a new formation.  Neil Finn and Paul Hester (who sadly took his own life in 2005) and their bandmates would achieve hella success in their native countries of New Zealand and Australia as well as a few hits in both the U.S. and the U.K.  Finn and Nick Seymour have been the only two constants in Crowded House, which originally recorded from 1985-1996, before taking a ten year hiatus.  The band returned for five more years, took five years off, had a one off tour in 2016, and reunited again in 2019 and remain together today, hoping to release a new album next year after the pandemic put off their plans for this year.  For their career, they have released six studio albums (four #1's in Australia, two in New Zealand, with all others hitting no lower than #3--plus a #12 on the Billboard 200), four live albums, and four compilations.  They've also released 33 singles with two top ten hits in both Australia and the States.  They have won 13 ARIA's (Australian Grammy), three of the New Zealand equivalent of a Grammy, and one MTV Award.  The band's success has also resulted in numerous solo albums for its members, as well as a number of producing credits.  All in all, the members of Crowded House have had a damn good run over the course of the last thirty-five years.

Fun Fact:  In a survey of the greatest songs in the history of Australia and New Zealand, this week's tune finished seventh and second, respectively.  Not a bad highlight for a musical career resume....

"Don't Dream It's Over" was the fourth single from Crowded House's 1986 debut LP, entitled surprisingly enough, Crowded House.  The song would reach #2 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100, and #1 in Canada and New Zealand (so many cool kids in Canada and New Zealand!), but surprisingly only #8 in Australia.  The album hit #1 in Australia, #3 in New Zealand, and would be their biggest U.S. hit, reaching #12.

As of today, my list of songs to be featured on Friday Night Jukebox each week runs through January of 2025, and I usually have a good two years worth of songs to write about at any time.  So it's a bit surprising that a couple of years back when I was jotting down tunes to be featured at the end of a year in which we faced an unprecedented pandemic, horrific economic hardship, and a  Presidential candidate who has been insufferable in his whining over soundly losing a free and fair election that the last song of the year that I'd choose would be a song about...persevering through adversity.  (If only I could be so prescient just once concerning a Mega Millions drawing....)  Anyhoo, "Don't Dream It's Over" is a wonderful slice of pop soul, featuring an inspiring vocal from Neil Finn, some tasty lyrics, and a melody that's as sweet as a baby's first smile.  And yes, it's a nice reminder that quitting isn't nearly as fulfilling as continuing that search for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  As for me, I'm just going to "Hey now, hey now" my way into the hopefully good graces of 2021....

Lyric Sheet:  "There's a battle ahead/Many battles are lost/But you'll never see the end of the road/While you're traveling with me/Hey now, hey now...

Enjoy:

340,000+ Dead Americans Because of Donald Trump's Incompetence

Biden:  306 EV's, Trump:  232

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCXCV--The Vines: Ride

I keep a notebook which lists all of the songs I've featured here on Friday Night Jukebox, and on any given week I usually have the next two to two and a half years of posts already lined up.  Which means that on occasion I have weeks like this week, in which I listed the tune o' the week quite some time ago--which makes the week all that much better as I get to visit an old friend I haven't seen in a long time.

The Vines formed in Sydney, Australia in 1994, and by the early 2000's had people proclaiming them as the second coming of Nirvana or the Jesus of pop music, resurrecting rock from the dead.  While they didn't quite live up to that hype, they've had a nice run (especially in their native land), and continue to record and tour to this day (though lead guitarist/lead vocalist/songwriter Craig Nicholls is the only remaining original member).  Over the course of their career they have released seven studio albums, with the first three being the most commercially successful, including a top ten in both Australia and the U.K.  They've also released twelve singles with the best being a top twenty in the U.K.  They've won an Aria Award (Australia's equivalent of our Grammy Awards), and they released their latest LP in 2018.

"Ride" was released in 2004 from their second album, Winning Days.  The single failed to chart here in America, but hit #44 in Australia and #25 in the United Kingdom.  

If you like seventies punk and nineties grunge, "Ride" is a song for you.  Opening with some righteous jangly guitars, Nicholls sneers through the stanzas that lead into the jubilant (and simple) choruses.  There's plenty of jangly guitars throughout, a guitar solo that recalls one Kurt Cobain, and some blasting drums to drive the song until its end.  It's two minutes and forty-three seconds of pure power pop punk--and another fine entry into now nearly three hundred of my hallowed hall of fame songs.

Lyric Sheet:  "That's the start, the middle, and the end/Aren't you glad the universe pretends..."

Enjoy:

187,000+ Dead Americans

Fuck Donald Trump,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCXLV--AC/DC: You Shook Me All Night Long

As I've noted a time or two here on Friday Night Jukebox, rock and roll for me never ceases to come up with new surprises that delight me.  I'd always liked this week's tune, but wasn't all that familiar with the album from whence it came (mostly because I'm not exactly Mr. Heavy Metal--this week's feature is about as hard rocking as I get).  A few years back I picked up a copy of Back in Black because my younger son adores the title track and I figured I could add it to his playlist.  On a whim, I put it in the CD player in my car for a listen or two as I drove to work...and spent the next two months head banging away.  As a good friend of mine used to say, "Ah, but you never know...."

As with now numerous other bands whose tunes have graced these blog posts for the last few years, AC/DC has a long and storied history that's difficult to summarize in a paragraph...but here goes, anyway.  The band was originally formed in 1973 in Sydney, Australia (not Nebraska) by the brothers Malcolm and Angus Young.  They put out several albums without much success outside of their native Australia and Europe until 1979 when their album Highway to Hell became a hit.  Sadly, shortly thereafter lead singer Bon Scott died of acute alcohol poisoning.  The band considered calling it a career, but stuck it out when Scott's parents told them he would have wanted them to continue.  They hired Brian Johnson to be their lead singer, released Back in Black the next year, and the rest, as they say, is history.  AC/DC has released 17 studio albums (two of which have hit number one on the Billboard 200, with five others going top five), four live albums, and overall have sold over 200 million records worldwide, making them the 14th best selling artist of all-time.  Unfortunately, Malcolm Young had to retire in 2014 due to early onset dementia, and died in 2017.  Brian Johnson suffered from severe hearing loss and had to take some time off (Guns 'n Roses' Axl Rose was the band's lead singer for a time), but the band continues to tour and rumor has it that another studio album will make the rounds eventually.

Fun Fact:  In their native Australia--and only in their native Australia--the band is often referred to as "Acca Dacca."  Why the hell that is I have no fucking clue, but it is kind of interesting (or not...).

"You Shook Me All Night Long" was the first single released from AC/DC's seminal work, Back in Black.  It would eventually reach #35 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100.  The album would sell just a wee bit better, reaching #4 on the album chart and to date has sold over fifty million copies, making it the third best selling album of all-time.

One of the traits I've discovered over the last few years while listening to AC/DC more than I ever have before, is what great pop sensibilities they have for a hard rocking band (for the record, AC/DC refuses to label themselves, saying they just play rock and roll--which I find oddly refreshing in a business where labels have increasingly become the norm).  "You Shook Me All Night Long" most assuredly showcases those sensibilities.  Ostensibly a somewhat humorous story of a man who has joyously found himself a good loving woman, from the guitars to the drums the song not only allows you to play an unabashed air guitar, but lets you shake a tail feather as you're doing it.  Brian Johnson may never get to sing in an opera, but he is one of those vocalists who voice was made for rock and roll--and he uses it to good effect on "You Shook Me All Night Long," capturing not only the protagonists ecstasy but also his wonder at the ray of sunshine the Gods of Good Loving have sent his way.  I'd be the last person I'd want to sing the praises of a hard rock song...but that in itself may be reason enough to understand why "You Shook Me All Night Long" has entered the hallowed (or not) halls of Friday Night Jukebox.

Lyric Sheet:  "She had the sightless eyes telling me no lies/Knocking me out with those American thighs..."

Enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCII--Ben Lee: Catch My Disease

Listening to piped in music at work can sometimes be painful, but every now and again a little gem will force its way out of the loudspeakers and into my heart.  Such was the case with this week's tune--and it gives me a little joy as I count down the hours until retirement (somewhere in the many thousands...).

Ben Lee began performing at the all too young age of 14 with his first band Noise Addict.  By 1995 the band had broken up and Lee embarked on a solo career that has lasted to this day.  Lee hasn't had a lot of commercial success here in the States, but in his native Australia he's had three top fifteen albums and three top forty singles.  He's also won three ARIA's (Australia's equivalent of our Grammy) and been nominated for several others.  Over the course of the last twenty-three years Lee has released 14 albums and three EP's.  While his career has slowed considerably commercially, Lee released his latest album in 2017 and continues to tour.  He is currently married to the actress Ione Skye, who some may remember from the film Say Anything... (among others).

"Catch My Disease" was released in 2005 on the album Awake Is the New Sleep (nice title).  While it was never released as a single here in America, it was a success in Australia, reaching #27 on their charts and also winning Lee an ARIA for Song of the Year.  Surprisingly enough, the song is used quite often in medical TV shows here in the States....

I've noticed in songs featured over the past few weeks and a few to be featured in the upcoming weeks, how many of the songs are ones that I've picked for the sheer joy they've given me.  Which isn't to say they are vacuous pop songs, just that they have made me very happy in the listening.  And "Catch My Disease" was written specifically for such moments--Lee had been known as a somewhat somber artist until visiting India where he was encouraged to put joy into the world.  I originally thought this song was about asking a woman to catch his disease, which was love, but actually it's asking all of us to catch a little joy in our day to day lives, and hey, that's not such a bad message.  Anyhoo, the song opens with emaycee fave hand claps in conjunction with a pulsating bass drum, slowly adds in some keyboards and a little guitar, and then Lee begins singing little vignettes, all of which are punctuated with the line, "And that's the way I like it."  Lee does a nice job of both capturing the joy he feels vocally and spreading it to the rest of us--and joy ain't such a bad disease to catch.  In the end, this one's just fun--it makes me smile every time it comes on at work, and God knows I can use all of that I can get in my workday....

Lyric Sheet:  "I hear Beyonce on the radio/And that's the way I like it/And that's the way I like it/They don't play me on the radio/But that's the way I like it...."

Enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CXXII--Men at Work: Overkill

When you think about the subjects of hit singles, it's unlikely that you'd imagine one with worrying (and with it, insomnia) as its theme.  But that's just what this week's tune delves into, and in so doing created a mini masterpiece about the overwhelming nature of angst.

Men at Work are an abject lesson in Musical Success Cometh And Musical Success Goeth.  Formed in 1978 in Melbourne, they released their first album (Business as Usual) at the end of 1981 and it went on to become an international success, reaching #1 on several countries' pop charts, spawning two #1 singles "Who Can It Be Now?" and "Down Under"--perhaps the best song written about a nation, ever), and winning them a Grammy for Best New Artist.  Their second album was another international success garnering two more top ten singles.  And then their third album...was a stiff and for all intents and purposes, other than the obligatory We Need Money Reunion Tours, Men at Work were finished.  Still, they sold over thirty million records, Business as Usual was voted one of the 100 best Australian albums of all-time, "Down Under" is #4 on a list of Australia's greatest hits, and they made the American music industry take notice of bands coming out of Australia.  Plenty of bands have done worse....

Released on their Cargo album, "Overkill" would reach #3 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100 which is really kind of impressive considering its subject matter isn't the stuff hit singles are made of.  The song does, though, capture well the way the worried mind races at night, especially when suffering the misery that is imsomnia:  the walking around in the dark, the desperation of seeking some sort of relief, the exasperation when nothing works.  Lead singer Colin Hay's (who is the one remaining constant in Men at Work--and can be called, without any negative connotations, a poor man's Sting) vocals perfectly embody the anguish of the fretful (especially after the instrumental break), and with a sinister sax, a heartbeat drum rhythm and matching guitar, "Overkill" becomes an ode to despair without sinking into despair itself.  I have to admit that this is a song that grew on me over time (and even more so after a years long bout of insomnia)--it is a song of some intelligence and self-awareness and while not a ticket into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, certainly puts what could have been a One Hit Wonder band into the Could Have Been A Contender annals of Rock and Roll.

Lyric Sheet:  "Day after day it reappears/Night after night my heartbeat shows the fear/Ghosts appear and fade away/Come back another day...."

Enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. VI--Hoodoo Gurus: Bittersweet

When you name a band Hoodoo Gurus, entitle an album Mars Needs Guitars!, and write a song about the, um, bittersweet nature of seeing an old love, it only stands to reason that said song should be, oh, stupendous.

Hoodoo Gurus lived to tell the tale.

To call the Gurus a one hit wonder would be incorrect--while they enjoyed a modicum of success on U.S. college charts, they never had a top 100 single or album here (they did enjoy a great amount of success in their native Australia, where they were inducted into Australia's rock and roll hall of fame).  Still, "Bittersweet," released in 1985, is a hell of a song which I discovered on MTV back in the days when MTV still stood for Music Television instead of Moronic Television.

Featuring what an old co-worker called "jangly" guitars, a driving rhythm, and plaintive vocals about a love gone wrong, the song is one of those that even thirty years later has not lost any of the thrill of the first time I heard it.

Cut and bleed, indeed.

Enjoy:

Peace,
emaycee