In which I click the shuffle icon on the iTunes app and listen to the first five songs that pop up from the years 1976-85.
- "Southern Gun" by Robert Byrne (1979, Mercury)
I recently discovered the southern soft rock album, Blame It On the Night, through this tasty single. I'm glad I did; I enjoy the whole album. This track, with nice slide work, is a slow burner with just enough going on to keep me interested. - "Didn't Want to Say Goodbye" by Bill LaBounty (1982, Warner/Curb)
And we keep the soft rock a'comin'. Another slow song, this one has the right groove, a nice guitar solo, and is pleasant enough; there's just not enough going on melodically to hold my interest. (As soon as I wrote those words, I realized that I doomed myself to having the chorus stuck in my head all day.) - "Our Love" by Al Jarreau (1981, Warner Bros.)
There's not a single tune on the Breakin' Away album that I'll skip and this ballad has such a joyous chorus that I can't help but sing along. Jay Graydon produced the thing, but it's the undeniable sound of David Foster's keyboards that are immediately identifiable. There's also Pages on back-up vocals and Steve Gadd on drums - that's a lot of firepower. - "The Wildstyle" by Time Zone (1983, Celluloid)
A definite change of pace from the previous three tunes. Time Zone was an electro/hip-hop band headed by Afrika Bambaataa. This samples some German techno music alongside Chic's "Good Times" with some rudimentary rap. I hadn't heard the thing until I picked up a copy of the Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Dance Hits of the '80s CD. I can take it or leave it. Today, it's not doing much for me. - "Sara's Touch" by Mike Maineri (1982, Warner Bros.)
A bonus track on the Casino Nights CD release. I dig it because it sounds like mid-'80s Steps Ahead, which shares much of the same personnel, most notably saxophonist Michael Brecker. (Steps Ahead would record this track ten years later.) A beautiful ballad with stellar work by Brecker on tenor and Maineri on vibes.
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