MFD Random Five #56

In which I shuffle through some music files and listen to the first five songs from the years 1976-85 that randomly pop up.

---

1. "I Will Follow" by U2 (1983, Island)
   I'm treated to the live version from the Under A Blood Red Sky mini-LP. It was released as a single and peaked at #81. So much energy and passion. I really dig these live cuts and they remind me what a great band these guys were in the early '80s, hungry for success and striving to get there. For many years, I thought the lyrics were, like many early U2 tunes, based in Christian teachings and this was a call to follow Christ. I've since discovered I was wrong about that. Nevertheless, that opening riff is so powerful, simple, and aggressive that you can't help but pay attention.


2. "Follow Me" by Chicago (1982, Full Moon/Warner Bros.)
   Two "follow" songs shuffle around consecutively! What are the odds? This tune is immediately recognizable to me as the opening track to side 2 of my old Chicago 16 cassette. An obvious David Foster composition with soulful vocals from Bill Champlin. The icing on the cake are the horn parts from James Pankow, et. al. Then there's the guitar solo coda - that's gotta be Lukather, right?


3. "Tanque-Ray" by Nick Lowe (1983, Columbia)
   Filler track from the 1983 album, The Abominable Showman. Goes to show even great musicians can have an off day just like the rest of us.


4. "I Zimbra" by Talking Heads (1982, Sire)
   Another live track, this time from the brilliant The Name of this Band is Talking Heads. Eno and Byrne were in their African ripoff phase so the chanting is kinda obvious and kinda awesome. The extra percussion in the expanded ten-piece group is perfect and Adrian Belew tears off a tasty solo. I'll take this as a sign to spin the entire album today. 


5. "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" by Culture Club (1982, Epic)
   Pseudo-reggae meets pseudo-soul and dadgummit this thing is still as catchy as it is disposable. I hate it, I love it, I love to hate it, I hate to love it, I hate that I love it, etc. I got issues. Maybe The Name of this Band... will fix 'em.