April 25, 2014

The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums (Squeeze’s “Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti”)

“The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums” gives you exactly what the title implies: a rare or out-of-print album from the ’80s in its entirety. Some will be from CD, but most will have been lovingly transferred from pristine vinyl culled directly from the Analog Kid’s vast collection. Whatever album I choose, it will be one that you can’t easily find a physical copy for sale on Amazon or in your local record store (if you even have one anymore). Death…by stereo!

 

The mid-’80s were a rough period for Chris Difford & Glenn Tilbrook. The two leaders of Squeeze decided to break up the band after the lukewarm response to 1982’s Sweets From A Stranger, but then strangely opted to continue working together as a duo. That move didn’t go over particularly well with fans of the band– why split up Squeeze at all if the two primary members were still going to work together? The resulting Difford & Tilbrook album didn’t make much of an impact on the charts, and the duo ultimately decided to reclaim the Squeeze name.

1985’s Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti was the first album release from the reunited band, but the ill will created by the group’s initial split seemed to carry forward. Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti didn’t spawn any hit singles or sell particularly well, but it does contain some really good tunes (let’s be honest– Difford & Tilbrook could write catchy melodies in their sleep). “Last Time Forever” is one of my favorite Squeeze songs, and a certain music blog writer even used the lyrics from “By Your Side” in an attempt to offer love and support to a beautiful but troubled female acquaintance. She wasn’t buying it, which in retrospect seems a  rather appropriate response to a song from this sweet yet unappreciated record.

 

Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti

Squeeze: Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti

A&M Records, 1985

 

1. “Big Beng” (Difford/Tilbrook)

Big Beng

2. “By Your Side” (Difford/Tilbrook)

By Your Side

3. “King George Street” (Difford/Tilbrook)

King George Street

4. “I Learnt How To Pray” (Difford/Tilbrook)

I Learnt How To Pray

5. “Last Time Forever” (Difford/Tilbrook)

Last Time Forever

6. “No Place Like Home” (Difford/Tilbrook)

No Place Like Home

7. “Heartbreaking World” (Difford/Holland)

Heartbreaking World

8. “Hits Of The Year” (Difford/Tilbrook)

Hits Of The Year

9. “Break My Heart” (Difford/Tilbrook)

Break My Heart

10. “I Won’t Ever Go Drinking Again (?)” (Difford/Tilbrook)

I Won’t Ever Go Drinking Again (?)

_____________________________________________________________________________

Bonus Tracks!

The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.

Sweets From A Stranger

Squeeze: “When The Hangover Strikes” (Difford/Tilbrook)

From the album Sweets From A Stranger

A&M Records, 1982

When The Hangover Strikes

 

Difford & Tilbrook

Difford & Tilbrook: “Hope Fell Down” (Difford/Tilbrook)

From the album Difford & Tilbrook

A&M Records, 1984

Hope Fell Down

 

Squeeze_ Singles & B-Sides

Squeeze: “Last Time Forever” [Single Version] (Difford/Tilbrook)

A&M Records, 1985

Last Time Forever [Single Version]

 

Posted by on April 25, 2014 in Alternative, New Wave, Rock and tagged , , , .

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April 24, 2014

EP-iphanies: Peter Gabriel’s “Big Time”

As you probably know by now, The Analog Kid lives for b-sides and non-album cuts. In this continuing series, I will share some of my favorite EPs and 12″ singles from over the years in their entirety. And since it’s digital, you don’t have to worry about correctly setting the turntable speed to  or 33⅓ or 45!

 

It’s double-shot Thursday here on the Analog Kid blog! Today, I am featuring two completely different versions of Peter Gabriel’s Big Time: the 5-track U.K. CD single and the U.S. 3-track 12″ vinyl single. “Big Time” peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1986, and its success gave Gabriel his second Top 10 single from the So album (“Sledgehammer” had topped the charts a few months earlier).

The U.K. CD single for “Big Time” opens with an extended mix of the song, and is followed by the non-album track “Curtains” (which was also the b-side on the U.K. 45). Next up is “No Self Control,” a classic track from Peter’s 1980 self-titled masterpiece (and I do not use that word lightly). “Across The River” was originally released on the U.K. 12″ single for “I Have The Touch” back in 1982, and features Stewart Copeland of The Police on drums. Copeland also co-wrote “Across The River,” and its appearance on the single makes even more sense if you know that Copeland provides the drums on “Big Time” as well. The CD single closes with the supposed 7″ version of “Big Time,” which really doesn’t sound any different from the album version to my ears.

Big Time

Peter Gabriel: Big Time [UK CD Single]

Virgin Records, 1987

 

1. “Big Time” [Extended Version] (Gabriel)

Big Time [Extended Version]

2. “Curtains” (Gabriel)

Curtains

3. “No Self Control” (Gabriel)

No Self Control

4. “Across The River” (Gabriel/Rhodes/Copeland/Shankar)

Across The River

5. “Big Time” [7″ Version] (Gabriel)

Big Time [7″ Version]

 

The first track on the U.S. 12″ single is a so-called “Dance Mix” of “Big Time,” but don’t let the name fool you– it’s actually exactly the same as the U.K. extended version. The next cut is a “Special Mix” of “In Your Eyes,” and in this case the name proves to be 100% accurate. This may be my favorite version of “In Your Eyes,” and Gabriel must like it as well as he often incorporates the new lyrics from this beginning of this mix into his live performances of the song. The 12″ single ends with the So album track “We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37),” a song that made me feel extra-smart back in 1986 because I knew what it was about just from the title. Who says you can’t learn anything in a 400-student freshman Psychology course at the University of Texas that you only attended twice? The fact that the song still gives me chills 28 years after its release may help you understand just exactly how much Peter Gabriel’s music still means to me even after all these years.

Big Time [US 12_]

Peter Gabriel: Big Time [U.S. 12″]

Geffen Records, 1986

 

1. “Big Time” [Dance Mix]

Big Time [Dance Mix]

2. “In Your Eyes” [Special Mix] (Gabriel)

In Your Eyes [Special Mix]

3, “We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37)” (Gabriel)

We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37)

Vinyl rip courtesy of the Analog Kid

___________________________________________________________________

Bonus Tracks!

The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.

Peter Gabriel 3

Peter Gabriel: “Lead A Normal Life” (Gabriel)

From the album Peter Gabriel

Mercury Records, 1980

Lead A Normal Life

 

Security 1

Peter Gabriel: “I Have The Touch” (Gabriel)

From the album Security

Geffen Records, 1982

I Have The Touch

 

Sledgehammer [320 kbps]

Peter Gabriel: “Sledgehammer” [Extended Dance Remix] (Gabriel)

From the U.S. 12″ single Sledgehammer

Geffen Records, 1986

Sledgehammer [Extended Dance Remix]

 

Posted by on April 24, 2014 in Alternative, Rock and tagged , , , , , .

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April 23, 2014

Lost In The Flood: Hard-To-Find ’70s Albums (“Back To The Egg” by Paul McCartney & Wings)

The Analog Kid blog has been featuring out-of-print ’80s albums on “The Lost Boys” series for quite a while, and now it’s time for the ’70s to join the party! “Lost In The Flood: Hard-To-Find ’70s Albums” will give you the chance to listen to some great music from the ’70s that can no longer be easily acquired on-line or at your local record store (especially since many of you probably no longer even HAVE a local record store!).

 

Rolling Stone called Wings’ 1979 album Back To The Egg “the sorriest grab bag of dreck in recent memory.” While I agree with the “grab bag” part, the “dreck” reference seems just a tad harsh. Back To The Egg is certainly no Band On The Run, but Paul McCartney and his band sound like they are having a blast on the record. “Spin It On” and “Old Siam, Sir” rock harder than anything McCartney had done in years, and Paul’s voice sounds fantastic on the album. “Getting Closer” was a decent-sized hit in the U.S. (it reached #20 0n the Billboard Hot 100), and “Arrow Through Me” was also a Top 30 hit.

Back To The Egg was Sir Paul’s first album after leaving Capitol for Columbia Records, and his new label likely wasn’t particularly happy with the lack of Top 10 hits on the record. In retrospect, the album might have been better received if Paul had included “Goodnight Tonight,” a stand-alone Top 5 single from earlier in 1979 that was recorded during the Back To The Egg sessions. Paul would appease the Columbia executives in 1980 with the #1 solo smash “Coming Up,” and Wings would forever cease to exist. You can’t argue with the sheer volume of records that Paul sold as a solo artist in the early ’80s after disbanding Wings, but the lack of a true backing band kept him off the road for nine long years.

Back To The Egg has inexplicably been out of print on CD for years now, and copies command top dollar on the reseller market. Hopefully there will be a deluxe reissue of the album in the near future, but until then the Analog Kid hopes you enjoy listening to this “dreck” as much as I do!

Note: check out the bonus tracks for a comprehensive collection of everything Paul released in 1979, including the epic Wings performance from the Concert For The People Of Kampuchea in December of 1979.

 

Back To The Egg

Wings: Back To The Egg

Columbia Records, 1979

 

1. “Reception” (McCartney)

Reception

2. “Getting Closer” (McCartney)

Getting Closer

3. “We’re Open Tonight” (McCartney)

We’re Open Tonight

4. “Spin It On” (McCartney)

Spin It On

5. “Again And Again And Again” (Laine)

Again And Again And Again

6. “Old Siam Sir” (McCartney)

Old Siam, Sir

7. “Arrow Through Me” (McCartney)

Arrow Through Me

8. “Rockestra Theme” (McCartney)

Rockestra Theme

9. “To You” (McCartney)

To You

10. “After The Ball/Million Miles” (McCartney)

After The Ball/Million Miles

11. “Winter Rose/Love Awake” (McCartney)

Winter Rose/Love Awake

12. “The Broadcast” (McCartney)

The Broadcast

13. “So Glad To See You Here” (McCartney)

So Glad To See You Here

14. “Baby’s Request” (McCartney)

Baby’s Request

_________________________________________________________________

Bonus Tracks!

The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.

Band On The Run 2

Paul McCartney & Wings: “Let Me Roll It” (Paul & Linda McCartney)

From the album Band On The Run

Apple Records, 1973

Let Me Roll It

 

Paul McCartney_ Singles & B-Sides 2

Wings: “Goodnight Tonight” [Long Version] (McCartney)

Goodnight Tonight [Long Version]

Wings: “Daytime Nightime Suffering” (McCartney)

Daytime Nightime Suffering

Both taken from the 12″ single Goodnight Tonight

Columbia Records, 1979

 

Paul McCartney_ Singles & B-Sides 3

Paul McCartney: “Wonderful Christmastime” (McCartney)

Wonderful Christmastime

Paul McCartney: “Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reggae” (Marks)

Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reggae

Both taken from the 7″ single Wonderful Christmastime

Columbia Records, 1979

 

goodnight

Wings: “Goodnight Tonight” [Single Version] (McCartney)

Parlophone Records, 1979

Goodnight Tonight

 

Concerts For The People of Kampuchea 3

Paul McCartney & Wings: “Got To Get You Into My Life” (Lennon/McCartney)

Got To Get You Into My Life

Paul McCartney & Wings: “Every Night” (McCartney)

Every Night

Paul McCartney & Wings: “Coming Up” (McCartney)

Coming Up

Rockestra: “Lucille” (Collins/Penniman)

Lucille

Rockestra: “Let It Be” (Lennon/McCartney)

Let It Be

Rockestra: “Rockestra Theme” (McCartney)

Rockestra Theme

Taken from the album Concerts For The People Of Kampuchea

Atlantic Records, 1981

Vinyl rip courtesy of the Analog Kid

 

Posted by on April 23, 2014 in Rock and tagged , , , , , .

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April 22, 2014

Groovy Tuesday: 1973

Every Tuesday, the Analog Kid blog goes back in time and features some groovy R&B/soul songs from a specific year. Sometimes you’ll hear songs from individual artists, and other times you’ll get an entire full-length classic LP ripped directly from the Analog Kid’s vast vinyl vault. Warning: by R&B/soul, I also mean disco. I could go all Village People on your ass at any given moment, so just be ready!

Groovy Tuesday: 1973

The Pointer Sisters

The Pointer Sisters: “Yes We Can Can” (Toussaint)

From the album The Pointer Sisters

Blue Thumb Records, 1973

Yes We Can Can

“Yes We Can Can” was the first hit single for Anita, Ruth, Bonnie, and June Pointer. It peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it would take another five years for the sisters to finally reach the Top 10. The song that finally did the trick?  “Fire,” written by Bruce Springsteen with Elvis in mind. The King died before he heard the demo, and Bruce gave the song to the Pointer Sisters instead.

Spinners

Spinners: “One Of A Kind (Love Affair)” (Jefferson)

From the album Spinners

Atlantic Records, 1973

One Of A Kind (Love Affair)

Spinners was the band’s first album for Atlantic after a long (and not-so-successful) run with Motown, and Barry Gordy must have been kicking himself for letting the band leave his label. Spinners produced three consecutive #1 hits on the Billboard R&B chart, including the super-smooth “One Of A Kind (Love Affair)” (the others were “I’ll Be Around” and “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love”). The Spinners would go on to have 24 more Top 40 R&B hits, with 10 of these tracks cracking the Top 40 on the pop charts.

Nutbush City Limits

Ike & Tina Turner: “Nutbush City Limits” (Tina Turner)

From the album Nutbush City Limits

United Artists Records, 1973

Nutbush City Limits

“Nutbush City Limits” was the last major hit for Ike & Tina Turner as a duo. Tina wrote the song about her hometown in Tennessee, and it would become one of Turner’s signature numbers during her solo career.  A long-standing rumor attributes the guitar work on “Nutbush” to Marc Bolan of T-Rex, but this has never been confirmed. “Nutbush City Limits” peaked at #11 on the Billboard R&B charts in 1973, and reached #22 on the Hot 100.

Nutbush

Big Time Lover

Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose: “Big Time Lover” (Cornelius)

From the album Big Time Lover

United Artists Records, 1973

Big Time Lover

Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose only made two albums before disbanding, but both are among the Analog Kid’s favorite ’70s soul albums. Big Time Lover lacked the hit singles of the band’s 1972 debut album, but its title track was a great song and should have followed “Treat Her Like A Lady” into the Top 10 . “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” is another standout track from a woefully underappreciated record.

Rhapsody In White

The Love Unlimited Orchestra: “Love’s Theme” (White)

From the album Rhapsody In White

20th Century Records, 1973

Love’s Theme

I’m currently in the process of working on a sexy playlist for Mr. and Mrs. Analog Kid, and a classic instrumental like “Love’s Theme” would seem to be a perfect fit. One problem, though– every time I hear “Love’s Theme,” my mind immediately sees this:

jack_74johnnymillerweiskopfjim-mckay

In retrospect, I suppose it’s pretty funny that one of the best R&B songs of all time will be forever associated with a bunch of rich white dudes in plaid trousers. You gotta love the ’70s! Thanks, ABC.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Bonus Tracks!

The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.

Energy

The Pointer Sisters: “Fire” (Springsteen)

From the album Energy

Planet Records, 1978

Fire

 

Bruce_Springsteen_-_Video_Anthology_1978

Bruce Springsteen: “Fire” [Live Video Version] (Springsteen)

From the compilation VHS Bruce Springsteen: The Complete Video Anthology / 1978-88

Fire [Live]

 

Spinners

The Spinners: “I’ll Be Around” (Bell/Hurtt)

I’ll Be Around

The Spinners: “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love” (Mystro & Lyric)

Could It Be I’m Falling In Love

Both take from the album Spinners

Atlantic Records, 1973

 

Big Time Lover

Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose: “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” (Cornelius)

From the album Big Time Lover

United Artists Records, 1973

I Just Can’t Stop Loving You

 

Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose_ Singles & B-Sides

Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose: “Treat Her Like A Lady” (Cornelius)

From the album Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose

United Artists Records, 1971

Treat Her Like a Lady

 

 

Posted by on April 22, 2014 in Pop, Rock, Soul/R&B and tagged , , , , , , , .

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April 21, 2014

The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums (Marshall Crenshaw’s “Field Day”)

“The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums” gives you exactly what the title implies: a rare or out-of-print album from the ’80s in its entirety. Some will be from CD, but most will have been lovingly transferred from pristine vinyl culled directly from the Analog Kid’s vast collection. Whatever album I choose, it will be one that you can’t easily find a physical copy for sale on Amazon or in your local record store (if you even have one anymore). Death…by stereo!

 

Marshall Crenshaw’s 1983 album Field Day is pure pop perfection to my ears, but for some reason it seems to get a bad rap. The knock I hear most often is that Steve Lillywhite’s production is too reverb-laden, and that the extra noise masks the quality songs underneath. Put simply,  that’s just pure bullshit. Have these so-called critics ever listened to a Phil Spector record? Subtlety has its time and place, but sometimes bigger is better– and it doesn’t get any better than “Whenever You’re On My Mind.” It’s an all-time Top 10 song for me, and the rest of Field Day almost matches the impossible standard set by the first song on side one.

When you consider that Field Day was released just one year after the amazing Marshall Crenshaw, it seems utterly ridiculous that Crenshaw didn’t become a huge star. He still makes great records to this day, and still tours frequently. The Analog Kid has a signed copy of Marshall Crenshaw on his wall right next to a Neil Finn-signed copy of Crowded House– a fitting pairing for two of the best true pop artists of past thirty years.

Field Day

Marshall Crenshaw: Field Day

Warner Brothers Records, 1983

 

1. “Whenever You’re On My Mind” (Crenshaw/Teeley)

Whenever You’re On My Mind

2. “Our Town” (Crenshaw)

Our Town

3. “One More Reason” (Crenshaw)

One More Reason

4. “Try” (Crenshaw)

Try

5. “One Day With You” (Crenshaw)

One Day With You

6. “For Her Love” (Crenshaw)

For Her Love

7. “Monday Morning Rock” (Crenshaw/Weiss)

Monday Morning Rock

8. “All I Know Right Now” (Crenshaw)

All I Know Right Now

9. “What Time Is It?” (Feldman/Gottehrer/Goldstein)

What Time Is It?

10. “Hold It” (Crenshaw)

Hold It

______________________________________________________________

Bonus Tracks!

The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.

Marshall Crenshaw_ Singles & B-Sides

Marhsall Crenshaw: “Someday, Someway” (Crenshaw)

From the album Marshall Crenshaw

Warner Brothers Records, 1982

Someday, Someway

 

Marshall Crenshaw

Marshall Crenshaw: “Cynical Girl” (Crenshaw)

From the album Marshall Crenshaw

Warner Brothers Records, 1982

Cynical Girl

 

Crowded House_ Singles & B-Sides

Crowded House: “Recurring Dream” (Neil Finn)

B-side of the 7″ single Now We’re Getting Somewhere

Capitol Records, 1986

Recurring Dream

 

Posted by on April 21, 2014 in Alternative, New Wave, Pop, Rock and tagged , , , , , , , , .

3 Comments