What I Would Have Played – January 17, 2012 – Forgotten Favorites!
Today’s feature is songs in my collection that I haven’t heard in a while, plus a request!
Enjoy!
1. Joe Jackson (w/Elaine Caswell) – Happy Ending (1984)
Joe Jackson was as huge as anyone in the late 70s and early 80s, racking up a string of hits such as Is She Really Going Out With Him?, I’m The Man and others. By the time this song made a minor impact on the charts, Jackson had already begun to tire of celebrity and of “corporate” music. This song and many others from the Body & Soul record on which it was featured displayed Jackson’s predilection toward jazz. Jackson’s musical efforts only got stronger as his popularity waned, and this is a great example.
2. The Outfield – Voices of Babylon (1989)
Yes, the band you know for the song Your Love actually charted again a couple of years later with this gem. This song was musically better than their previous chart smash, but experienced very little of the same success. The song peaked just outside the top 20 in the US in 1989. The musical landscape had already started to change, and the band got swept away with many similar acts of their day.
3. Living Colour – Type (1990)
Despite mostly being known for the radio smash Cult of Personality, this band carved out a pretty solid niche for themselves, seeing a number of their songs go down as rock classics. This socially-aware rock outfit cranked out three hits off their Time’s Up record, including this track, Elvis is Dead and the previously-featured Love Rears Its Ugly Head. This song was a top 5 charting single on the Billboard rock charts, and still holds up quite well 22 years after the fact.
4. Rolling Stones – Out of Tears (1994)
This was not one of the greater chart successes for the Stones, as it didn’t even crack the Top 40 stateside. That said, this song is so out of character for the Stones — and such a musical marvel — that it merits inclusion. Much of the Voodoo Lounge record was utterly forgettable in comparison to its hype, but this song left me wishing Jagger and company had gone to the ballad well a bit more later in their career.
5. Del Amitri – Kiss This Thing Goodbye (1989)
This Justin Currie-led Scottish outfit had a decent amount of success in the States, arguably led by this song that kickstarted their career. The leadoff track from their record Waking Hours (this also featured the brilliant Hatful of Rain, which sparked the name of their greatest hits compilation, there is an interesting mix of straight-ahead rock, jangle pop and even a slight country tinge that helped define Del Amitri’s career. This band deserved more accolades than they received, despite making a rather solid career for themselves.
6.* When in Rome – The Promise (1988)
This was requested by Ryan, and I’m rarely going to turn down a request. This song seemed to be all over the radio for years, though it only maxed out at #11 on the charts. It also was featured in the movie Napoleon Dynamite, which never hurts. Now, if you’ll pardon me, I’ll go relive the summers of the better part of half a decade…
