#613: Hitting the wall

If it weren't 4 music, hot chocolate & cashews, I would've been a dead man on Sun nite at work, when I hit the wall at about 9 pm after a long work-week.
Without Xtra added stimuli, I woulda been sprawled-out across the front counter, snoring with my mouth wide open, drooling. I was Xhausted. It wouldn't have been pretty.
Here's a list of the songs that got me thru it:

Pete Townshend -- Jools and Jim, My Baby Gives it Away, Misunderstood.
Rolling Stones -- Tumbling Dice, Happy, Ruby Tuesday.
Keane -- Somewhere Only We Know, This is the Last Time, Bend and Break.
Vertical Horizon -- Everything You Want.
Five Man Electrical Band -- Absolutely Right, Julianna, Money Back Guarantee.
Sly and the Family Stone -- Thank You Falletinme Be Mice Elf Agin.
Spinners -- I'm Coming Home, Mighty Love, I'll Be Around, Rubberband Man.
Albert Hammond -- Free Electric Band.
Badfinger -- In the Meantime/Some Other Time, Meanwhile Back at the Ranch/Should I Smoke?
The Move -- Message from the Country, Tonight, Do Ya?, California Man, Don't Mess Me Up, The Words of Aaron (demo/tracking session).

That's not a very long list. But even the NEWS was boring Sun nite, & the local music stations were No Help, busy playing the Same Old Shit. So, there R no Bonus Trax here....
I trust I don't havta Xplain 2 many of these. "Jools and Jim" is of course a rousing attack on rock critics, among other things. "My Baby Gives it Away" has some great bouncy guitar interplay along with the cheap-but-heartfelt lyrics. "Misunderstood" has some HILARIOUS lyrics, & is worth hearing just 4 that. What I wanna know is: Why Rn't greats like "North Country Girl," "Somebody Saved Me," "Face Dances Part 2," & "Gonna Get Ya" on Pete's ANTHOLOGY best-of?
The Stones just celebrated their 50th Anniversary. They were something when they were in their prime -- their FORTY LICKS best-of made me like songs I'd never even noticed B4, "Street Fighting Man" being the best Xample.
Also intresting how often their songs R about the SOUND, & not the lyrics: "Satisfaction" is about THAT guitar riff, "Jumping Jack Flash" is about Keith's slashing guitar, "Tumbling Dice" is about that boozy bar-band sound, "Happy" is about the little guitar bits Keith throws in -- the lyrics 2 all these R way 2ndary. On some of 'em who even CARES what the lyrics R...?
Keane still sounds great -- did they ever release anything after UNDER THE IRON SEA, which I could never get thru...? I miss the striking little pop band that was on display on HOPES AND FEARS....
The Spinners -- tho I'd always loved "I'm Coming Home" & "I'll Be Around," I thot "Rubberband Man" was basically just a joke (which it is, but it's so cool & stylish), & I don't think I'd ever HEARD "Mighty Love" until Sun nite. How come this kinda soul music died out? Bcos it was a whole diffrent time, I guess...?
"Free Electric Band" still sounds selfish & brash & insolent almost 40 years later, & that's why I've always loved it. 2 bad Hammond's "Air Disaster" & "99 Miles from L.A." Rn't on HIS best-of.... Not that I'm such a big fan of them, but it would B great 2 have all his good stuff in 1 place....
(BTW, Someday Soon I'm gonna B doing a piece called "Slopping the Hogs," which will feature reviews of the WORST best-of packages ever assembled -- classic Xamples of record co's doing it WRONG. My nominees/victims so far include Cheap Trick, Gerry Rafferty, & Manfred Mann's Earth Band, but nominees will B accepted up 2 the time I write the post -- submit your suggestions 2 the Comments section below....)
I suggest that the 2 medleys listed above might B Badfinger's best work ever. If all their stuff hit this hard, they might not have ended up as 1 of the tragic stories of rock. Both medleys R on Side 2 of their ill-fated WISH YOU WERE HERE album....
Haven't heard all that much by The Move, but have loved much of their later stuff since hearing "Do Ya?" on the radio -- THE Rock Single Of 1972, even tho it only peaked around #92 in the U.S. "Message from the Country" continues their big-production approach with lotsa guitars, great group vocals, a catchy-tho-ominous tune & almost-decipherable lyrics. "Tonight" is simple & catchy & silly & charming. "California Man" is just silly, as is the fake-rockabilly "Don't Mess Me Up." The final album version of "Words of Aaron" (from MESSAGE FROM THE COUNTRY) features more Big Production, but the session track included on the CD focuses on some really great non-overdubbed group vocals. These guys had a great vocal blend & could really create a big sound 4 just a trio....
More soon....