MFD Random Five #53

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

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1. "Dancin' Tonight" by Bill LaBounty (1979, WB/Curb)
   Co-written by LaBounty and Michael Johnson, this is the lead track from the Rain in My Life album. It's slow getting started, but by the time the vocals kick in, it's an average soft-rocker. Could have used a better bridge and less abrasive sax tone, but worth a listen.


2. "This Charming Man" by The Smiths (1983, Rough Trade)
   Other than "How Soon Is Now," I've never really understood the attraction of The Smiths, but this track has shuffled around as part of Left Of The Dial: Dispatches From The '80s Underground, Vol 2. Morrissey's voice atop a wannabe Motown beat just leaves me wanting to hear The Jam or Culture Club do it better. 


3. "The Best Will Survive" by Dwayne Ford (1981, Epic)
   A few years back, I ventured down a rabbit hole concerning early '80s AOR albums that never charted. That's a post for another time, but that must have been when I acquired the files for Ford's 1981 album Needless Freaking. Can't tell that this album was ever released in the US. Not exactly Toto, this is guitar crunching underneath overdubbed choir vocals sounds like it would come from an early '80s AOR album that never charted.


4. "Shake a Leg" by AC/DC (1980, Atlantic)
   Making a strong argument that there really wasn't any filler on the Back in Black album. I need to get out on the open road with that album and quick.


5. "That Girl" by Stevie Wonder (1981, Tamla)
   The segue seems jolting to me now, but going from AC/DC to Stevie Wonder was entirely possible on Top 40 radio in the early '80s. This single was big hit in early '82, I've only got two minor complaints: 1) would rather have had Wonder play the drums instead of programming them, and 2) longer harmonica solo (but I say that about every Wonder solo). Not the best random five, but it sure came on strong at the end.

MFD Random Five #29

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.

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1. "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.


2. "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.)


3. "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.


4. "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.


5. "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.