The Question of Prince

If there’s one thing my mom and Prince had in common (and I never thought I'd utter THOSE words), it was their disdain for the internet.  While my mom often declares that “the internet is the worst thing they ever invented”, the little purple guy was in typical “crazy, old man” mode 20 years ago when he warned of the doom that would accompany said invention if it ever caught on.  Well, it did catch on and while my mom has pretty much ignored its existence, His Purpleness spent the rest of his life trying to figure out how to use the internet without letting it use him.  He even refused to let his music be uploaded to YouTube.  I’m not sure whether he himself did it or he just hired someone to, but the moment a song of his was posted to the site the audio would immediately be removed.  Honestly, that’s the reason I haven’t made more references to him in this blog – there were no videos to post…until this past week, that is.  Within minutes of the official confirmation of his death, people began to upload his music to YouTube and the plays began to mount.  I guess whoever was in charge of police-ing the site decided to let the fans mourn their idol by sharing his work.  I spent a few hours listening to his music that night, but not on YouTube.  I listened to the vast collection of Prince songs that resides on my computer hard drive…and I’m proud to say that every single one of them was downloaded legally or ripped from CD’s I actually purchased.  I guess that’s my tribute to Prince.  I never digitally stole from him while he was living and I won’t start now.  I’m sure virtually everything he ever recorded is available on YouTube by now, but I prefer to respect his wishes and honor him without audio.

So what is the answer 2 the question of u?
What do I look 4? What shall I do?
Which way do I turn when I'm feeling lost?
If I sell my soul, now what will it cost?
Must I become naked, no image at all?
Shall I remain upright or get down and crawl?

All of the questions in my life will be answered
When I decide which road 2 choose
What is the answer 2 the question of u?

That lyric is from the first Prince song I listened to after hearing of his death.  I was out at the time, so it was a couple of hours before I got home.  I sat down at my computer, clicked the mouse a few times and then stared at the folder named after him for several minutes before finally clicking on it with a lump in my throat.  As I stared at the song titles, I realized how upset I was.  It always seems a little ridiculous to me when people get emotional over the loss of someone they never met just because they enjoyed their work.  But I was literally on the verge of tears as I sat there.  I must have read every song title twice before one finally jumped out at me.  It wasn’t one of his big hits, but it was a song I had always liked.  I clicked on it and was startled a little at the chaotic little flute-ish sound at the beginning.  I was wearing ear buds and the volume was VERY loud.  By the time I got it turned down, the drums had started.  Every beat hit me right in the pit of my stomach as I anticipated what it would be like to hear his voice for the first time since learning of his passing.  When I heard him sing that first line, I lost it.  I was sitting a few feet away from my girlfriend at the time and the living room was dimly lit.  I did my best to hide my tears from her.  If she noticed, she didn’t say anything.  I listened to “The Question of U” two more times before finally moving on.  After listening to a handful of other songs, I unplugged the ear buds and she & I listened to several more of his songs together before going to bed.

When I woke up the next morning, Prince was the first person I thought of.  I think that’s when I realized that I had truly lost someone important to me.  It didn’t matter that I never met him.  It didn’t even matter that I wasn’t the biggest Prince fan in the world.  I own six Prince CD’s (two from THIS century, mind you).  I own another five of his albums and several of his singles digitally.  And I can tell you EXACTLY what grade I was in or where I worked and where I lived and who I was dating when each one of them was released.  Prince may not have been a friend of mine, but he had been there for most of my life…and now he isn’t.  And that makes me sad.

Prince Rogers Nelson

June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016

Going somewhere, Solo?

Few elements are more important to a rock song than the solo.  In fact, virtually every song in the genre has one.  Usually, it falls somewhere after the second chorus, maybe right after the bridge.  It’s the point in the song when the lead singer finally shuts up and allows someone else to step into the limelight for 8-16 measures.  Normally, it’s a guitar solo.  One of the most memorable guitar solos of the eighties was Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”.  Man, did Edward rip THAT one up.

Sometimes, though, a band might opt for a different instrument for the solo section.  One that comes to mind is Toto’s “Africa”.  Although Steve Lukather was one of the decade’s most sought-after guitarists, the band opted to rely on synth wizard Steve Porcaro for the instrumental break in their #1 hit from 1982.

Another common solo instrument in rock music is the saxophone.  Duran Duran’s “Rio” and Hall & Oates’ “Maneater” feature two of the best sax solos from the eighties.  Andy Hamilton’s sultry rasp on the former was perfectly matched to the band’s debonair British style.

The charm of the latter was as much a result of imaginative engineering as Charlie DeChant’s virtuoso playing with the 4-beat delay filling in the gaps in the first half and building to a glorious mess by the end.

However, from time to time, a band may choose to do something completely off-the-wall during the solo section of their song.  That’s when things REALLY get interesting.  The following is a list of the best “unique” solos of the eighties:

Mick Jagger – “Just Another Night” (typewriter solo)

Rather than hire a top-notch guitarist to fill the huge gap left by the absence of Keith Richards and Ron Woods on his first solo album, Mick instead chose to use…a typewriter.  That’s right, in the last solo section (around 4:00) of this song where a screaming lead guitar might have been, there’s some guy typing.  Seriously.  Somebody is typing on one of those old-fashioned typewriters.  It’s the damnedest thing.  How do you even think of that?  Perhaps, Jagger was finishing up the final draft of the lyric while the band was doing overdubs and the engineer had a “eureka moment”.  Regardless of the "hows" and "whys", it actually works.

Men Without Hats – “Safety Dance” (“Lock & Chase” solo)

I’m sure most people would tell you that the signature musical line in this song was played on a synthesizer…but they’d be wrong.  I know because when I was a kid, one of my favorite Atari games was “Lock & Chase” and the sound made by the little robber as he picked up gold bars was identical to the tone on the song.  Not only that, if you chose the correct path through the maze, the time signature of the notes even matched.  (Listen closely around :40)  Clearly, Stefan was playing Atari while Ivan was writing this song.  At least, I hope so.

Eddy Grant – “Electric Avenue” (giant spring solo)

Although I’m pretty sure now that Eddy Grant says “boy” during the intro of his 1983 hit, I spent a number of years thinking he said “boing”.  That’s probably because that section of the song features what sounds like a spring.  Now, I’ll admit it’s probably a synthesizer, but I’ll always prefer to picture Eddy in the recording studio with a pair of giant springs attached to his feet jumping up and down while he records his vocal.

Information Society – “What’s On Your Mind?” (Spock solo)

For their debut hit, the Information Society decided to use a human being as a solo instrument.  Of course, if you’re going to use a human, why not use one of the greatest human beings who ever lived – none other than Leonard Nimoy.  The recurring sample of Mr. Spock saying “pure energy” helped to propel “What’s on Your Mind?” into the Top 10 and was a helluva lot better than William Shatner’s album.

Genesis – “Throwing It All Away” (tea-sipping solo)

Leave it to the ever-quirky Phil Collins to drink a cup of tea while recording the vocal for the band’s 1986 hit.  Not that we would have ever known had he not gone “ahhh” after every sip.  It’s one of the coolest hooks ever.

Berlin – “Sex” (sex solo)

It’s hard to think of a better solo instrument in a song called “Sex” than…sex.  Terri Nunn was Madonna before Madonna was.

Michael Jackson – “Thriller” (Vincent Price solo)

Long before the Info Society played a Spock solo, MJ utilized horror legend Vincent Price for a couple of passages in his campy masterpiece.

Thomas Dolby – “She Blinded Me With Science” (scientist solo)

Sometimes, the best ideas are the obvious ones.  Such is the case with the bumbling scientist who mutters throughout Thomas Dolby’s 1982 hit.  No guitar could have said it better.

Big Country – “In A Big Country” (fake bagpipe solo)

Scotland’s answer to U2 burst onto the scene in 1983 with their signature song which featured a wall of bagpipes.  We would later learn that it was actually guitars making the sound, but it sure as hell sounds like bagpipes.

Starship – “We Built This City” (DJ solo)

With Craig Chaqico in the band, it had to be tempting to just turn him loose during the solo section of the band’s #1 hit from 1985.  However, the band decided to use DJ Les Garland instead.  No offense to Craig, but it was WAY cooler than a guitar solo would have been.

The Year of Genesis

While a number of rock bands have spawned one or more successful solo artists, few bands can boast that every single band member became an artist in their own right.  Fewer still can lay claim to the fact that every single member AND the band released new material simultaneously.  But that’s exactly what happened in 1986 or, as I like to call it, the year of Genesis.

The year began with Phil Collins hitting #1 with a song from the “White Nights” soundtrack even as Mike (Rutherford) & the Mechanics’ debut album placed two songs in the Top 10.

By spring, the fourth and final single from Phil Collins’ “No Jacket Required” album had made its way into the Top 10.

In June, Genesis released its thirteenth album, “Invisible Touch”.  It would become their biggest-selling, generating five Top 5 singles including the #1 title track.

That was also the same month that the third single from Mike & the Mechanics hit the Top 40.

Around that time, former vocalist Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” was making its climb up the chart.

By late July, Gabriel’s song had hit #1 just as former guitarist Steve Hackett and his band GTR released their self-titled debut.  That album generated a Top 20 hit.

Keyboardist Tony Banks also released solo music in 1986, composing the score for the Kevin Bacon film “Quicksilver”.  “Shortcut to Somewhere” was released as a single but failed to chart.  It featured Marillion’s Fish on vocals.

Finally, former guitarist Anthony Phillips released his “Private Parts & Pieces IV:  Ivory Moon” album, which was a series of pieces written for solo piano.

Unfortunately, like Banks’ efforts, Phillips’ album also failed to generate a Top 40 single.

Nevertheless, 1986 was a very good year for fans of Genesis.  In all, the band’s members accounted for eight albums and a dozen charting singles with nine of them reaching the Top 10 and three hitting #1.

Flashback: "The Celtic Soul Brothers"

Dexy’s Midnight Runners were one-hit wonders in the truest sense of the word.  They hit #1 in the spring of 1983 with “Come On, Eileen” and never hit the U.S. Top 40 again.  However, what you might not know is that their one and only hit song was almost not their only hit single.

The opening track from their “Too Rye Aye” album, “The Celtic Soul Brothers” is somewhat of an autobiographical song according to singer & co-writer Kevin Rowland.  It made it to #86 in the summer of 1983 before inexplicably stalling out.  It also appeared on the soundtrack to “Breathless”, which was released that same year and starred Richard Gere.  Unfortunately, the movie was not a huge box office success and, therefore, did little to help the song’s chart run.

Despite its lack of chart success, the song did have one other claim to fame.  It was supposedly the inspiration for Roddy Doyle’s 1987 novel “The Commitments”, which was later made into the movie of the same title.

It’s also a damn catchy little ditty.

On a dark, desert highway...

Looking back at the music of the individual Beatles members last week AND having spent the past week in southern California got me thinking about the band that I’ve always considered the nearest American equivalent of the Fab Four – namely The Eagles.

Having formed as Linda Ronstadt’s backing band in the early seventies, Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon & Randy Meisner became a band in their own right in 1971 and hit the charts with their first single, the Jackson Browne/Glenn Frey-penned “Take It Easy”.  Seven years & seven albums later, the band (which, by then, consisted of Frey, Henley, Don Felder, Joe Walsh & Timothy B. Schmidt) had racked up sixteen Top 40 hits (including five #1's) on their way to becoming the best-selling American band of all time before calling it quits as the decade came to a close.

However, the individual Eagles members (much like their former-Beatles counterparts) were anything but quiet during the eighties, recording some of the most innovative music of their careers before reforming in the early nineties.  Here are the best solo Eagles songs of the eighties:

1.  Don Henley – “The Boys of Summer”

Henley wails wistfully at the top of his range over a haunting guitar riff on this Top 5 hit from his second solo album.  It’s one of the eighties’ best anthems.

2.  Don Henley – “Dirty Laundry”

Don’s first solo single was a damning look at the media that is as relevant today as it was almost 35 years ago…and that groove was nasty.  It hit the #3 in 1982.

3.  Glenn Frey – “Smuggler’s Blues”

The best song from Frey’s second solo album probably wouldn’t even have been a single had it not been used in an episode of “Miami Vice” a year after the previous single from “The Allnighter” had already fallen off the Hot 100.  It perfectly encapsulated the vibe of the show and even earned Glenn a guest starring role on an episode.

4.  Glenn Frey – “You Belong to the City”

Glenn’s other “Miami Vice” song was a darker, more ominous “ode to the streets”.  It made it all the way to #2 in early 1986.

5.  Don Henley – “All She Wants to Do is Dance”

Though no Henley song ever appeared on a “Miami Vice” soundtrack, this one certainly could have.  It reached the Top 10 in 1985.

6.  Glenn Frey – “The Heat is On”

Glenn had a lot of success singing about drug dealers in the eighties and this song from the “Beverly Hills Cop” soundtrack was the one that started it all.  It hit #2 in 1985.

7.  Don Henley – “The End of the Innocence”

Don’s last album of the eighties was named after this piano-driven “coming of age” song that was co-penned by Bruce Hornsby.  It hit the Top 10 in 1989.

8.  Glenn Frey – “The One You Love”

Glenn’s best solo ballad appeared on his first solo album and hit the Top 20 in 1981.  It almost sounds like a Timothy B. Schmidt song.

9.  Glenn Frey – “Sexy Girl”

One of Glenn’s more Eagles-sounding solo hits, this soulful song hit the Top 20 in 1984.

10.  Timothy B. Schmidt – “Boys Night Out”

Schmidt’s lone Top 40 solo hit was a low-key, but sinister party song that fell just shy of the Top 20 in 1987.

HONORABLE MENTION:  Joe Walsh – “Life’s Been Good”

Walsh’s distinctive voice and signature guitar chops make him a bit of a one-trick pony, but the trick just never seems to get old.  Is there a better song about being a rock star than this #12 hit that pre-dated the eighties by a couple of years?

I Don't Want to Spoil the Party

Recently, I made a startling discovery about myself:  I DON’T LIKE THE BEATLES.  Yep, you read that right.  I don’t like them.  I never did.  At least, I don’t think I ever did.  It’s hard to be sure because, let’s face it, you’re supposed to like The Beatles.  That’s why I was in denial for so many years.  Granted, they were before my time, but I’ve been familiar with their music for most of my life.  There was even a time when I thought I liked “Let It Be”, “Hey Jude”, “Yesterday” and “Penny Lane”.  Well okay, I still like “Penny Lane”.  I also kinda like “Michelle”, but that’s mainly because of the line “Sunday monkey play piano song”.  That is what he says, right?

Anyway, the point is that I don’t like The Beatles.  Now, that’s not to say that I don’t like John Lennon and Paul McCartney and George Harrison and, yeah, Ringo, too.  In fact, that’s probably the reason it took me so long to realize that I didn’t like The Beatles.  You see, I was a HUGE fan of the music The Beatles made in the eighties.  One of my first favorite songs in the eighties was “Ebony & Ivory” by Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder.  Even today, I think that chorus lyric is brilliant and I sing at the top of my lungs every time I hear it.  Honestly, Paul was probably my favorite Beatle, although it would have been a toss-up between him & John if not for the latter’s political tendencies.  I’ve never been a fan of blatant politics in music.

Of course, Paul had the most chart success in the eighties with ten Top 40 hits, seven of which made it into the Top 10.  His biggest hits of the decade were duets, two of which were with Michael Jackson.

Lennon, on the other hand, garnered four Top 10 hits during the eighties, although he would likely have given McCartney a run for his money had his life not been cut short.

Harrison hit the U.S. Top 40 three times during the decade with one chart-topper and another reaching #2.  Interestingly, two of his three solo eighties hits were about his days as a member of The Beatles.  He would also enjoy a degree of success in the late-eighties and early-nineties as a member of The Traveling Wilburys.

Finally, Ringo’s hitmaking days were pretty much over by the dawn of the eighties, even though he had enjoyed a surprising amount of solo success throughout the seventies.  He hit the U.S. Top 40 once and the Country Top 40 once during the eighties.

The following is a list of the best solo Beatles songs of the eighties:

1.  John Lennon - (Just Like) Starting Over

Released in October, 1980 followed by the “Double Fantasy” album a month later, this song was a rare but welcome pop song that marked something of a comeback for Lennon.  Unfortunately, his comeback would be cut short when he was shot to death on December 8 of that same year.  Three weeks later, the song would reach #1.

2.  John Lennon - Nobody Told Me

Recorded during the “Double Fantasy” sessions but included on the posthumous “Milk & Honey” album four years later, this song was a catchy “state of the world” address musically akin to (Just Like) Starting Over.  The lyric, however, is much less heavy-handed than most of Lennon’s political songs.

3.  Paul McCartney/Stevie Wonder - Ebony & Ivory

A brilliant lyric set to a beautiful melody, this song featured an unlikely pairing of two legendary voices.  It reached #1 in 1982.

4.  George Harrison - All Those Years Ago

Having already recorded the music for the song prior to John Lennon’s death, George rewrote the lyric as a celebratory tribute to his friend.  It would also be the closest thing to a new Beatles song in a decade with Ringo playing drums and Paul contributing backing vocals.

5.  Paul McCartney/Michael Jackson - Say Say Say

While “The Girl is Mine” was probably the weakest song on “Thriller”, the second duet from Macca & MJ was a haunting piece of ear candy that bested its #2 predecessor by reaching #1 in 1983.

6.  John Lennon - Woman

A beautifully crafted love song with a chorus that washes over you like, well…milk & honey.  No, wait…this was on “Double Fantasy”.  Nevertheless…

7.  Paul McCartney - My Brave Face

With much of his eighties output being dismissed as “bubblegum”, Paul got back to basics with 1989’s “Flowers in the Dirt”.  Collaborating with Elvis Costello, McCartney produced one of his best singles of the decade.

8.  Paul McCartney - No More Lonely Nights

Undoubtedly, the best thing about Paul’s “Give My Regards to Broad Street” film, this silly love song reached #6 in 1984.

9.  Paul McCartney - Spies Like Us

Paul had a lot of success with movie soundtracks and this song continued the streak.  The theme from the Chevy Chase/Dan Akroyd film of the same name is nothing but big, dumb fun.  It reached #7 in 1985.

10.  George Harrison - Got My Mind Set on You

Written by Rudy Clark and recorded by James Ray in 1962, this song would become the final song by a Beatle to reach #1 in the U.S.  It also broke a three-way tie between George, Paul and John for most solo #1’s.  George wins with three.

Honorable Mention:

Buck Owens/Ringo Starr - Act Naturally

I simply could not put this in the top ten, but I had to include it.  Enjoy.  :-)

Like sands through the hourglass...

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I’ve decided to talk about something a lot of guys might find a little…embarrassing – namely, soap operas.  That’s right.  I watch soap operas.  Okay, I don’t really watch them that much anymore.  There was a time, though, beginning in the early eighties when I watched one or more of them religiously.

It all started in 1983.  A cousin of mine who was also one of my best friends was addicted to “Days of Our Lives”.  She would come over and hang out every afternoon after school under the condition that she could watch the show before we did anything else.  I reluctantly gave in.  As I waited impatiently each day for the stupid thing to be over, I found myself being drawn into the storylines.  Turns out, these shows weren’t just about kissing and stuff – there were spies and serial killers and some evil guy who kept coming back to life every time they would kill him.  His name was Stefano Dimera and they called him The Phoenix.

Well, needless to say, I was hooked.  I couldn't get enough of Bo & Hope and Shane & Kimberly and Steve & Kayla.  I started watching the show even when my cousin wasn’t around.  I rarely missed an episode for over ten years.  I still check in every once in a while to see how the characters are doing.  I even visited real life “Salem” once when I was in Burbank.  I actually walked onto the set and saw several of the stars in person.

Over the years, I would occasionally watch other soaps like “Another World”, “Santa Barbara”, “One Life to Live” and, of course, “General Hospital” which I would consider my second favorite.  “Days of Our Lives” will always be my first love, though.

The following is my “Days of Our Lives” playlist.  It contains several songs that were played frequently on the show and figured prominently into the storylines.  Yes, some of them are love songs.  It is Valentine’s Day, after all.

“Days of Our Lives” Theme

Bonnie Tyler – Holding Out for a Hero

Peabo Bryson/Roberta Flack – Tonight I Celebrate My Love

Mr. Mister – Broken Wings

Phil Collins – I Don’t Care Anymore

James Ingram – Just Once

Phil Collins – Long, Long Way to Go

James Ingram – Whatever We Imagine

Mr. Mister – The Border