Songs Of The Week, 2024: 10/5-10/11

 

Free Salute- Little Barrie
Formidable- Sylvain Sylvain
C30 C60 C90 Go- Bow Wow Wow
Defecting Grey- The Pretty Things
Desperate People- Living Colour
Philadelphia Baby- Charlie Rich
Ask What You Will- Irma Thomas

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Free Salute- Little Barrie
(I love Wikipedia's description of Little Barrie.
"Their sound has drawn from a mixture of influences including freakbeat, garage rock, UK R&B, neo-psychedelia, surf rock, krautrock, funk and rock and roll."
What, no klezmer? Anyway, this track was the first thing I heard by them and it's still my favorite.)

Formidable- Sylvain Sylvain
(I had this playing on a mixed tape at my job in 1982, and a co-worker ran out of the shop sobbing, relating a little too much to the lyric. It's a bizarre memory that will forever be attached to this really solid pop song.)

C30 C60 C90 Go- Bow Wow Wow
(Lenny Kaye mentioned this song in his most recent book and of course, I had to hear it.)

Defecting Grey- The Pretty Things
(I don't love "S.F. Sorrow" the way others do. I think it's a bit overrated, especially next to some other psych records from the same time. But I do love this single, recorded around the same time. This would have made "S.F. Sorrow" a better record...I think.)

Desperate People- Living Colour
(I have had a long relationship with this band, dating back to their earliest shows without a singer. "Vivid" still kicks my ass, and hearing this played live for the first time at CBGBs around 1985 blew my mind.)

Philadelphia Baby- Charlie Rich
("Budda BAH buh BAH DAH.")

Ask What You Will- Irma Thomas
(The Soul Queen Of New Orleans can preach with the best of'em. Don't be afraid of the gospel music, I always say. Remember, as Zimmy once said, "You don't have to be a junkie to listen to "Heroin" by The Velvet Underground."
Just dig the feeling, then you can go right back to your heathen ways. Works for me!)