Scotch Sampler

[sadchild]

Never been a Squeeze fan, not even "Tempted" - but I see the appeal.

I do like "Hourglass" a whole lot (and need to listen to it more often, need to get it onto some of my playlists).

The music video is really fun. Just watched it again.

 

[HecticArt]

I dig Squeeze. Ain't nothing wrong with them, but I don't think I own any of their albums. They would probably have been on cassette if I did. One of these days I should catalog my old cassettes and start systematically re-buying the stuff worth replacing.

 

[Aaron]

I like :

Up the Junction
Cool for Cats
Black Coffee in Bed
Hourglass
Is that Love
Tempted
Pulling Mussels from the Shell
Take Me, I'm Yours

 

[scotchandcigar]

The party band to beat all party bands - for those of us in high school or college at the time - was the J. Geils band. But before I get to them, I was doing a search, and I came across this thread from 2009 (!), where I responded to a post by Aaron (I had no idea who he was):

Musical challenge #14

I'm not sure if this is thread-worthy, but let's try... Songs with prominent whistling... :icon_eek: "Jealous Guy" - John Lennon "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" - Otis Redding "Winds of Change" - the Scorpions "Patience" - Guns N' Roses

digitalradiocentral.com

The J. Geils Band, fronted by Peter Wolf, first had a hit with Give it to Me in '73, followed by Must of Got Lost in '74. But their first top-selling album was 1980's Love Stinks, featuring the title track (which made its way into movies), Just Can't Wait, Night Time and this funky one

J. Geils Band – Come Back



Their follow-up album, Freeze Frame, went to #1. The title track got the party going, and Centerfold was a great story-song. Here's my favorite from that album, featuring the harmonica stylings of Magic Dick

J. Geils Band – Flamethrower

 

[scotchandcigar]

Also big at the time was the resurgence of AC/DC with Back in Black. While they had put out a ton of great songs over the years with Bon Scott, this album was there at the right time for me. Aside from Hells Bells and You Shook Me All Night Long, I like the title track

AC/DC – Back in Black (live)

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Come Back was my first exposure to J. Geils Band. One of my favourites. My favourite from Love Stinks album of course is No Anchovies Please. A stupid and therefore completely hilarious song.


AC/DC was cool. I liked Back in Black and the re-released Dirty Deeds which seemed to be out at almost the same time. I, being blissfully ignorant about what was going on in music other than how they sounded on my radio, did not realize that they were different lead singers or that they had changed singers or the first guy was dead.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

I should add that AC/DC still is cool. Lots of good songs. I sense a top 10 for them from me in the near future.

 

[scotchandcigar]

I should add that AC/DC still is cool. Lots of good songs. I sense a top 10 for them from me in the near future.

This was the list I compiled while putting this together

AC/DC
It’s a Long Way to the Top
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
Whole Lotta Rosie
Highway to Hell
Back in Black
Hells Bells
You Shook Me All Night Long
For Those About to Rock (Fiiiiiyaaaaaaaaahhh!)
Let’s Get it Up

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

For AC/DC, there is nothing better than the intro to Thunderstruck. I am not sure that I would put Thunderstruck as a whole as my favourite but that intro is classic. Also the teenager in me really got attached to those "Big Balls".

 

[sadchild]

J Geils

In the 90s I bought a used car that only had an 8-track. Fortunately the lady I rented a room from had a few. My drive to work began with "Must Of Got Lost" for several months.

1. Centerfold
2. Love Stinks
3. Come Back
4. Freeze Frame
5. Must Of Got Lost

Peter Wolf's solo CD Long Line is excellent. I saw him live in 1996, great show!

ACDC

Back In Black is one of the best rock albums of all time, but I never listen to it because radio killed (and continues to kill) every single song on it.

Their 2014 album Rock Or Bust has three great songs on it.

1. (coming up on the 333)
2. Have A Drink On Me (#328)
3. Shoot To Thrill
4. Big Gun
5. Jailbreak

PS - LOL at "fiiiiiiiiiiiyah"

 

[scotchandcigar]

For AC/DC, there is nothing better than the intro to Thunderstruck. I am not sure that I would put Thunderstruck as a whole as my favourite but that intro is classic. Also the teenager in me really got attached to those "Big Balls".

Big Balls is a fun song, but as a favorite, it didn't make the cut (ahem). Thunderstruck is a good song, I may have overlooked it.

 

[scotchandcigar]

Here we are at 1980. But alas, I forgot a great band, one of the few bright spots of the disco era (aside from K.C. and the Sunshine Band). They combined funk, soul, jazz, and pop. Earth, Wind & Fire were kings in the mid-70's, with hits like That’s the Way of the World, Sing a Song, September, Boogie Wonderland, After the Love Has Gone, and these

Earth, Wind & Fire – Shining Star



Without that, we wouldn't have this
Seinfeld – Elaine dances



Here's an awesome cover of a cover, from those talented Russians
Earth, Wind & Fire (covered by Leonid & Friends) – Got to Get You Into My Life



Chicago and EW&F toured together for many years, here they perform together
Earth, Wind & Fire – In the Stone (live with Chicago)

 

[sadchild]

My bass player's father-in-law loves EWF. He used to work where I work and his password was ewfewf.

 

[HecticArt]

That's the combination to my luggage.

 

[sadchild]

 

[scotchandcigar]

OK, back to the present - 1980. Pete Townshend, the creative brilliance behind The Who, began work on this solo album after the death of Keith Moon. Roger Daltrey was actually upset that Townshend didn't offer these songs to The Who (for Face Dances), but the result was released in 1980 as Empty Glass. It contained the rock-opera-like title track; hits Let My Love Open the Door, Gonna Get Ya, and these

A very Who-like song
Pete Townshend – Rough Boys (live)



This is just a beautiful song that showcases Townshend's compositional style
Pete Townshend – And I Moved



And another hit song
Pete Townshend – A Little Is Enough



His follow-up album was All the Best Cowboys (Have Chinese Eyes). It was more mature and the only hit was Face Dances Pt. 2. But this song - which has some profound lyrics - got radio airplay too
Pete Townshend (with Phil Collins) – Slit Skirts (live Prince’s Trust 82)

 

[sadchild]

My mother's favorite song has Pete on lead vox: "Eminence Front".

I have mixed feelings on Townshend, but I do have a lot of respect for The Who (I mainly listen to their radio hits) and I like "Let Me Love Open" from his solo work.

 

[scotchandcigar]

Among my circle of friends, if you were really cool, you knew The Beat, known as The English Beat in the US. I was told that they invented Ska, but I don't know if that's true. Anyway, it's an infectious form of fast-paced reggae. They hit the scene in '79 with a brilliant cover of Tears of a Clown

The Beat – Tears of a Clown (live)



That song appeared on their first album, I Just Can't Stop It, released in 1980. It included Twist & Crawl, Best Friend, and this single that put them on the map in the US

The Beat – Mirror in the Bathroom



Their next album didn't gain much attention internationally, but their 3rd (and last) album, Special Beat Service, was their most successful in the US. Songs included I Confess, Jeanette, and this, their most popular US single

The Beat – Save it for Later (live)



The song caught the attention of none other than...... wait for it...... Pete Townshend. Here's his cover
Pete Townshend – Save it for Later (live)



And for all of you Ferris Beuller fans, tell me if you recognize this
The Beat – Rotating Head



The two frontmen of The Beat, Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger, formed General Public, which produced the hit Tenderness in '84.

 

[scotchandcigar]

If you didn't catch it, when Townshend introduces the cover to the audience, he talks about the guitar tuning for the song. Interesting.

 

[scotchandcigar]

And now for something completely different - Rush. Probably the 3 most talented individuals to form a band together. At first, they had trouble getting radio airplay, and some Cleveland DJ was putting them on the air in the US. Working Man was their first single in 1974, followed by Fly by Night in '75 (the first album with drummer Neil Peart).

Oddly, they hit it big with an album that had no radio-friendly singles. Their 1976 prog-rock album 2112 is their second highest-selling album overall. At the time, I was a bit too young to be a cool pothead like this kid

so I missed the boat on this one.

The next year, they released A Farewell to Kings, which has this favorite of mine

Rush – Closer to the Heart (live)



A few years later, they released 1980's Permanent Waves, containing Freewill and this great tune

Rush – The Spirit of Radio (live)



But it was 1981's Moving Pictures that I went absolutely gaga for. I listened to it in my car, cranked-up. I listened to it at home, from start to finish. It's got a perfect mix of instrumental pieces, with just enough pop thrown in. The big radio hits were Tom Sawyer and Limelight, but I love this one, which was based on a book about the future

Rush – Red Barchetta (live)



This instrumental from the album is so well-known and beloved, audiences sing along

Rush – YYZ (live)



The album Signals followed in '82, with Subdivisions and New World Man. And then Grace Under Pressure in '84, with Distant Early Warning. Power Windows was a particularly strong album, released in '85 with Manhattan Project, Mystic Rhythms, and this

Rush – The Big Money (live)



1987's Hold Your Fire gave us Force Ten and Time Stand Still, and then (for me) they faded a bit after that.