This afternoon I've been listening to XM's Seventies channel...ahh, the music I grew up with...the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The 70's were sort of a weigh station between the ground-breaking sounds of the 60's and the more experimental styles of the 80's, and as such the ratio of VERY GOOD music to VERY BAD music was pretty even, without a lot of happy mediums.
And so here's my lists of the BEST and the WORST songs I've heard today on XM Channel 7, "The Seventies on 7":
The BEST:
~~~"School's Out"---Alice Cooper
You can't go wrong with the Coop. My 8th grade reputation basically revolved around bringing pictures of Alice Cooper to class, showing them to the girls and giggling when they would say, "Ewww, GROSS!" How times have changed...
~~~"Wild World"---Cat Stevens
One of only a few Cat Stevens songs that I genuinely enjoy, along with "Peace Train" and "MoonShadow".
~~~"Without You"---Harry Nilsson
Mariah Carey ALMOST ruined this song for me, but Nilsson's original version is good enough to make me forget about the "Butterfly Diva"'s travesty of a remake.
~~~"The Show Must Go On"---Three Dog Night
I think Leo Sayer wrote this song, and his version is probably the better of the two, but Three Dog Night's take is the one I like.
~~~"Livin' For The City"---Stevie Wonder
One of the great 70's-era classics from Wonder...right up there with "Superstition" and "Sir Duke" on my list of his best songs.
~~~"Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"---Santa Esmeralda
I had this song on a K-Tel disco compilation album and it was one of the few songs I actually really liked (second only to the Andrea True Connection's "More, More, More"). A nice Latin feel applied to the Animals' original.
~~~"Dirty White Boy"---Foreigner
Though I'm not a big fan of Foreigner, I do recall enjoying a few of their songs when they were fresh. This one has a killer guitar line that makes up for the silly lyrics and testosterone-overkill vocals.
~~~"Superstar"---The Carpenters
The music of the Carpenters was one of the guilty pleasures of my youth. I think the first 45 RPM single I ever bought was one of theirs. This Leon Russell song is the perfect vehicle for Karen's angelic voice and Richard's lush arrangement.
The WORST:
~~~"Cook With Honey"---Judy Collins
Methinks it's SACCHARINE Judy's cooking with. A truly wretched song that makes me want to throw on some Ministry to get the bad taste out of my ears.
~~~"Southern Nights"---Glen Campbell
I don't have a problem with Glen Campbell as a general rule, but his crossover hits, like this and "Rhinestone Cowboy", are bottom of the barrell. Stick to country and stay sober, Glen.
~~~"Cherchez La Feme"---Dr. Buzzard
Believe it or not, this is the first time I've ever heard this song, and I thought I'd heard the worst the 70's had to offer. I stand corrected.
~~~"I Am Woman"---Helen Reddy
The Women's Liberation National Anthem. It's sad that there actually was a time when a song like this was RELEVANT. What's even sadder is the lameness of the song itself and Reddy's annoying voice.
~~~"Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)"---Reunion
Let's just call this a "novelty piece" and save me the trouble of bashing it as hard as it deserves to get slagged.
~~~"Copacabana"---Barry Manilow
Now, I'm no Manilow hater...I actually like a few of his songs ("Could This Be Magic", "Mandy", "Read 'Em and Weep")...but "Copacabana" is...uhh, let me get out the Thesaurus...rubbish.
~~~"In The Summertime"---Mungo Jerry
With a name like Mungo Jerry it's got to be awful. And it is. This is NOT one of those songs that I used to like but then tired of. I have loathed this song since the first time I ever heard it.
~~~"Let Her In"---John Travolta
If she's seeking sanctuary from having to endure this dreadful song, then by all means, LET HER IN! Have mercy, won't you?
~~~"Paper Roses"---Marie Osmond
Marie was always a little bit more country than Donny was ever a little bit rock and roll, but this attempt falls far short of the mark, despite it's hit status.
~~~"Da Doo Ron Ron"---Shaun Cassidy
Why couldn't he have taken a lesson from his older brother? Maybe taken up a more respectable trade he was more geared to and spared the music world this crappy re-make?
~~~"How Do You Do"---Mouth-MacNeil
If the title doesn't jar the memory of this song in your brain, count your blessings. This may be the worst of this very bad batch.
And there you have it...I've had about as much seventies music as I can stand for now (and probably for quite some while). As you can see, the bad stuff outnumbered the good today...but not by much, proving my theory about the ratio of good to bad being fairly even.
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