The album I found most unpleasant was Rod Stewart’s 2009 release, Soulbook.
I have this like-meh feeling about singer Rod Stewart, who turns 70 today.
A couple of his early albums I own. Gasoline Alley [LISTEN] features the great Bobby Womack soul classic It’s All Over Now and a nice cover of Elton John’s Country Comfort.
Then he released the near-perfect album Every Picture Tells A Story [LISTEN] in 1971. Side two of the LP was extraordinary, with the #1 hit Maggie May, Mandolin Wind, the Motown hit (I Know) I’m Losing You, and closing with Tim Hardin’s Reason to Believe.
The title of his third album with the Faces, A Nod Is As Good As a Wink… to a Blind Horse, made me laugh. It featured the hit Stay With Me [LISTEN], which went to #17 in 1972.
I enjoyed some of his subsequent hits, such as You Wear It Well. But I wasn’t that big a fan of the period that included Tonight’s the Night and Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?, let’s just say, and I mostly didn’t pay much attention to him subsequently.
Something that singularly did NOT interest me was which blonde woman he was dating or married to at any given time, a topic of seemingly endless fascination by others.
By the 21st century, he was still putting out songs. But from 2002 through 2010, he started releasing tunes from The Great American Songbook, something lots of singers, from Linda Ronstadt to Paul McCartney have done. They were pleasant albums, what I heard of them.
The album I found most unpleasant was his 2009 release, Soulbook. It was covers of his most successful era, the 1970s, but, to my ear, he brought nothing new to the table; I thought it was ironically soulless.
I like the historical reference in the Elvis song: “No such zone.”
As I’ve noted before, my father really hated Elvis. He resented this white artist stealing/exploiting/ profiting from performing black music. (But then half of the musicians in the ’50s and ’60s from Pat Boone to Led Zeppelin “borrowed” from black music). So I never owned any Elvis music as a child or teenager. Still, I did like some of his songs. So I watched the ’68 “comeback special” and became grudgingly, a mild fan.
I’ve written about Elvis a few times. But I never pegged my favorite songs because he would have turned 70 after I started this blog. The chart action refers to the Billboard (US) singles charts.
12. Blue Suede Shoes (#20 in 1956)- great song by Carl Perkins, but I prefer his original, which might have made Perkins a bigger star if he hadn’t gotten into a serious car crash. 11. Are You Lonesome To-night? (#1 for 6 weeks in 1960) – I’m not that fond of songs that involve people talking. This is one exception, mostly because “You know someone said that the world’s a stage And each must play a part” always cracks me up. “Someone” said? That was Billy Shakes! 10. All Shook Up (#1 for 9 weeks in 1957) – particularly love the vocal delivery: “Well-a bless-a my soul”
9. Suspicious Minds (#1 in 1969) – Elvis in his comeback mode being relevant. 8. A Little Less Conversation – with JXL (#50 in 2002). I had never heard the original from the 1960s, which was a minor hit. 7. Don’t Be Cruel (#1 for #11 weeks in 1956 with Hound Dog) – the opening guitar lick and the backup singers make this for me.
6. Love Me Tender (#1 for 5 weeks in 1956). There’s a traditional song called Aura Lee from which this tune was stolen; at some level, I appreciated the audacity of that. 5. Return to Sender (#2 for 5 weeks in 1962). This is the period I really started discovering Elvis. And I like the historical reference in the song, “No such zone”, just a year before ZIP Codes were implemented for delivering mail in the United States. 4. Little Sister (#5 in 1961). I might have heard a cover of this first and tracked it back to the original.
3. Heartbreak Hotel (#1 for 8 weeks in 1956) this is SO much a blues piece. Listen to the guitar line. 2. Hound Dog (#1 for #11 weeks in 1956 with Don’t Be Cruel). Poor Elvis got to sing this to an actual hound dog on Steve Allen’s show. I always appreciate a great cover, and this take on Big Mama Thorton’s song is transformative. 1. Jailhouse Rock (#1 for 7 weeks in 1957). I’m sure my affection has as much to do with the choreography from the movie as the song’s appeal.
Garry Marshall is probably best know for being the creative force behind such TV shows as Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Mork and Mindy, and The Odd Couple.
There is infotainment in popular culture that I chose not to know, such as just about anything about the Kardashians. I can’t help but know there’s a bunch of sisters, some the daughters of the late OJ Simpson murder trial attorney Robert Kardashian. All their names begin with the letter K. They have (had?) a reality show that must be popular. Kim has a child named North West.
There becomes a time, though, when “everyone’s talking about it.” I was watching this ad for a new game show called Celebrity Name Game, hosted by soon-to-be-former late-night talk show ringmaster Craig Ferguson. Courtney Cox is giving a clue, “She’s on TV and she’s got a big butt,” and the contestant immediately responds, “Kim Kardashian.”
Fortunately, KK’s bottom did not get as much social media response as the recent comet landing, so she failed to “break the Internet,” whatever that means.
Not knowing about Kim Kardashian was really nice. And now I can’t unknow it.
In general, I’m just not that social media aware. Of the 50 items listed in The Best Memes of the Last 15 Years, I had not heard of 2/3s of them. I’m perfectly fine with that.
Oh, I do need another topic here.
I managed to miss the fact that Garry Marshall turned 80 on November 13. In case you don’t know him, he’s an actor. He was a writer for the Dick Van Dyke Show in its later years. He directed several movies such as The Princess Diaries, Runaway Bride, Pretty Woman, Beaches, and The Flamingo Kid. He’s probably best known for being the creative force behind such TV shows as Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Mork and Mindy, and The Odd Couple.
Thanks to newspaper writer Mark McGuire, I discovered something. Those of you who watched The Odd Couple might remember the intro (WATCH): “On November 13, Felix Unger was asked to remove himself from his place of residence. That request came from his wife.” Thus that date, November 13, was not random, but rather self-referential.
For next year, know that, according to McGuire, “Happy Odd Couple Day… can celebrate the fact that opposites attract. It can be a day to give a shout-out to old friends. It can commemorate one of the all-time great comedies. Really it can mean just about anything you want it to mean.”
Here’s the Password episode *** Speaking of Jack Klugman (sort of), Glen A Larson has died. I was an avid watcher of Quincy, M.E., as well as McCloud, Switch and It Takes A Thief. He was also involved with Magnum P.I., Battlestar Galactica, Knight Rider, and much more.
I have links only to the middle tune, the song of my birthday. You can go to the website and hear the other contenders. If I’ve heard it before, I won’t play it again. If I’ve never heard of it, I’ll play it once. But I won’t listen to the adjacent tunes. My goal: am I happy with THAT choice to celebrate my birthday? Or (as will be the case in the latter stages of the game), I have no idea?
Don’t know Grillz, though I probably heard it at some point. Didn’t know the Beyonce either, though it should be noted that she mentioned twerking much earlier than the general public was aware of it; it did not do much for me on first listen. Blunt, by default.
That I really never heard ANY of these I must attribute to raising a toddler. Rather like the Timberlake song, now that I’ve listened to it. If there are songs you think I REALLY need to hear on this list, please let me know.
11/31/07 Alicia Keys – No One 1/5/08 Flo Rida feat. T-Pain – Low 3/15/08 Usher feat. Young Jeezy – Love In This Club
Another trio of songs I don’t know. I realize that I must be a real prude, because all these songs specifically about sex make me uncomfortable. So I’ll select Alicia Keys, unheard.
2/21/09 Eminem, Dr. Dre & 50 Cent – Crack A Bottle 2/28/09 Flo Rida – Right Round 4/11/09 Lady Gaga – Poker Face
Two Flo Rida songs in a row! I like this one a lot more than the other; it sounds familiar after I played it. Still, I’ll pick Gaga.
I like the idea of the Peas’ song more than its execution. Don’t know the Cruz song. I vaguely remember the Ke$ha song which has too much Autotune for my taste, but I’ll pick it anyway.
2/19/11 Wiz Khalifa – Black And Yellow 2/26/11 Lady Gaga – Born This Way 4/9/11 Katy Perry feat. Kanye West – E.T.
I’ve been reading this book about the Beatles, and note that they were struggling to figure out their own philosophy/theology. Gaga seems to have known right off; I pick that one. It STILL sounds like a Madonna tune, though. Don’t know the Khalifa song, and only barely remember the Perry song.
2/18/12 Kelly Clarkson – Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) 3/3/12 Katy Perry – Part Of Me 3/17/12 Fun. feat. Janelle Monae – We Are Young
For the first time in years, I actually had heard all three songs before! I’ve always had affection for Kelly Clarkson from that first season of American Idol. The changing rhythms of the Fun. song intrigue me. I like the empowerment angle in the Perry song, so I’ll keep that.
2/2/13 Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz – Thrift Shop 3/2/13 Baauer – Harlem Shake 4/20/13 Bruno Mars – When I Was Your Man
I think Thrift Shop must be a good song, because it conveys the ick factor of used merchandise. I remember when I got the video for Harlem Shuffle before it was popular, and I noted that I didn’t “get” it; it WAS a different video. That leaves the straight-ahead Bruno Mars tune that I’ll choose.
There are parts of Timber I like, mostly the sections without Pitbull. I didn’t know the Perry song, and it didn’t grab me. I read later it’s some sort of “reheated trip hop”; you know you’re getting old when the description of the music is meaningless to you.
So I’ll pick Happy. There was one of those online polls of the worst pop song, the kind of thing I usually pick the Men in My Little Girl’s Life by Mike Douglas (#6 in ’66 – sign of the devil) or We Built This City. Happy showed up several times. I think they are conflating bad songs with songs people get tired of hearing (Freebird, Stairway to Heaven, Yesterday, Piano Man); doesn’t mean the song is bad, but that it’s been heard too often.
I have links only to the middle tune, the song of my birthday. You can go to the website and hear the other contenders. If I’ve heard it before, I won’t play it again. If I’ve never heard of it, I’ll play it once. But I won’t listen to the adjacent tunes. My goal: am I happy with THAT choice to celebrate my birthday? Or (as will be the case in the latter stages of the game), I have no idea?
1/22/94 Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, And Sting – All For Love 2/12/94 Celine Dion – The Power Of Love 3/12/94 Ace Of Base – The Sign
I played the Dion song because I didn’t recognize the song by the title, but I HAVE heard the chorus. Neither this nor the Three Musketeers song is my cuppa. Ace of Base, almost by default.
1/28/95 TLC – Creep 2/25/95 Madonna – Take A Bow 4/15/95 Montell Jordan – This Is How We Do It
I had only a vague recollection of the Madonna song, but knew neither of the others. It’s OK, but not a favorite.
I actually really love Shoop Shoop, and can’t place the Dion tune. But I must own the team up, because: On episode 3261 of JEOPARDY!, which aired 1998-11-09, the category was SONGS BY THE NUMBER $200. The clue: This 1995-96 hit by Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men holds the record for the most weeks at No. 1 with 16. I COULD NOT REMEMBER IT. I thought, One Fine Day, then no, that was the Chiffons song. It was the second clue on the show and no one got it right.
12/7/96 Toni Braxton – Un-Break My Heart 2/22/97 The Spice Girls – Wannabe 3/22/97 Puff Daddy feat. Mase – Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down
I thought the Spice Girls was very disposable pop. But the hook, “Tell me what you want…,” was annoyingly infectious. The Braxton song is great, though. I rather dislike the Puff Daddy, which samples that seminal Grandmaster Flash song The Message, to far lesser effect.
Don’t know the Usher. DO know the Will Smith, which is OK. Whatever value the Dion ever has been driven away from overplaying. Yet I’ll take it anyway, as a reaction to the Titanic haters.
1/30/99 Britney Spears – …Baby One More Time 2/13/99 Monica – Angel Of Mine 3/13/99 Cher – Believe
We can eliminate the Cher song, which brought to the fore Autotune, which actually does not bother me here as much in MANY subsequent recordings. I’ll own up to liking the Spears song. But I think the Monica song is quite pleasant, though it could do with a little less Mariah Carey-type melisma.
2/19/00 Mariah Carey feat. Joe and 98° – Thank God I Found You 3/4/00 Lonestar – Amazed 3/18/00 Destiny’s Child -Say My Name
Speaking of Carey, most of her songs sound alike to me, but this is a good use of a boy band, so I’ll take this one. Don’t much like the Destiny’s Child vocal. The Lonestar was new to me, and maybe it could grow on me.
Don’t know Butterfly. Like the OutKast chorus. I’d never heard Stutter; I like the concept of the stuttering and liked the main theme, but hated the rap. OutKast by default.
Bashing Nickelback is a pretty regular exercise. Still, I’ll pick it over The Ja Rule song, which I had not heard before, even though I like the Ashanti parts. Don’t know the JLo song either.
Don’t know the B2K. The JLo song, previously unknown to me, didn’t grab me. There are appealing hooks in the 50 Cent song, which I had heard, so it’s the winner.
I have this like-meh feeling about singer Rod Stewart, who turns 70 today. 
