Thursday, May 2, 2019

MFD Random Five #44


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.


  1. "Mirabella" by Earl Klugh (1980, Liberty)
    A busy yet relaxing solo acoustic piece from the wonderful Late Night Guitar album. Although Klugh is considered a jazz artist, there's not much improvisation here, but it's so good you'll hardly notice. 

  2. "The Long Honeymoon" by Elvis Costello (1982, Columbia)
    It's okay but its no "Beyond Belief." This bossa/cocktail piano crossover has its moments, such as the chord progression in the chorus, but the rest doesn't speak to me. 

  3. "Raspberry Beret" by Prince (1985, Paisley Park)
    I loved this psychedlic thing from the get go. In fact, Around the World in a Day was the first Prince album I purchased myself instead of dubbing friend's albums. And that was because of this lead single. The winding cello line, and man-oh-man that middle eight.  Off the top of my head, I'd call this a top five Prince tune along with "1999," "U Got the Look," "Dirty Mind," and "Kiss."

  4. "I Don't Know Where to Start" by Eddie Rabbitt (1982, Elektra)
    I don't remember this tune from '82, when it reached #35 on the pop chart. It's a pleasant enough crossover ballad, the guitar accompaniment is interesting but the banal chorus melody hurts. Rabbitt's final Top 40 tune as a solo act.

  5. "I Like Dreamin'" by Kenny Nolan (1976, 20th Century Fox)
    Speaking of Top 40, this song spent 20 weeks there, peaking at #3. A classic soft rock single complete with strings, harps, female background singers, and not one but three upward modulations near the end. Barry Manilow would be jealous.

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