Throwback Tracks -- August 3, 2017
David R. Smith
How the hell is it August already? We get saddled with so much winter, and then we get 3 decent months of sun and then *boom* we're back to the crap. I don't know about you, but I'm going to have to make the most of this month. If I can. We'll see. Lord knows I say that all the time and then somehow September rolls around and I regret how little I did outside. It's a vicious cycle.
Anyway. Here's some sweet tunes to get you through the best month of the year. This week there is literally no theme. I just went through the annals of my mind and tried to think of some songs I like. This is what I came up with.
The Guys From do not hold the rights to any of these songs, it is more our hope to expose our readers to new (*cough*) and different retro music, or re-expose them to things they may have forgotten about.
At the top of each section, will be the song name, followed by the artists' name linked to their website (if possible...which is totally hit and miss with oldies), so you can fall down the rabbit hole, finding and supporting what you dig.
Africa - Toto
There are some songs that I just assume have already been put up on TBT. They're so good, so catchy and just so... popular, that I can't believe they haven't been added to our ever-growing list.
This is one of them.
In all honesty, it's not a great song, in the sense that they really stretch to get some of their lyrics to jive. "I know I must do what's right, sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti" is a lot of syllables to cram into one phrase of music. BUT. It works. And I defy you to listen to this song and not love it. Anybody who is familiar with this song can't help but belt it out as it plays. And why not? That chorus is the best. (And has surprisingly good harmonies.) So just live it and love it. Accept the awesomeness that is Toto.
Also, how kitchy is that video???
What's Up - 4 Non Blondes
Much like The Who's "Baba O'Reilly" this is one of those songs where people don't actually know what the actual title is. For years I always just assumed it was "What's Going On." Because something so close but not the same makes all kinds of sense.
"Instead of actually calling it something we sing nearly a dozen times in the song, let's call it 'What's Up' instead, because it's close but not the title so we'll confuse everybody but show them how edgy we are."
Sigh. It's a good thing the song rules. It also is really, really hard to sing because the singer has some pretty impressive range so I can her low end, but can't get that upper end without really cracking. It's awkward. But man. This song, am I right?
Sugar High - Coyote Shivers
Full disclosure: this song is much better in the actual scene from Empire Records. Hearing Renee Zellweger belt out the non existent chorus makes this song that much better. That said, this song is really, really good. And so typically 90s, it makes me so happy.
In trying to find a website for Coyote Shivers (shocking that there isn't one, right?) I discovered that he's actually from Canada! So that's cool. I then went down the rabbit hole of finding out what other actors from Empire Records look like now. It was an adventure, let me tell you. And now all I can think about is watching that movie. So I know what I'm doing when I'm done this.
Anyway, this song is so good. And when I hear the studio version and there's no Renee, I just make up for it by singing it myself. Sometimes that's almost as good. Alm
Edie (Ciao Baby) - The Cult
There are some songs that are so good and then there are some songs that are made even more legendary due to their use of things like strings. Pearl Jam used strings for their first encore during their 2010 tour and it was spectacular. The use of the strings in this song, however, is absolutely fantastic. I feel like the song is good, and didn't need them to be considered a great Cult song. But the addition of them makes it that much better. It almost gives the song a classier, deeper feel. I love this song so much. While I love She Sells Sanctuary and Fire Woman, I would say this song is better than both of them. Partially because the lyrics are good, but the strings make it just so, so good.
I feel like I've said it before, but I never gave these guys enough credit back in the day. When they were really popular on the radio, I would listen to them but never really paid much attention to them. Now I can guarantee that if they toured through Alberta, I would find a way to go see them.
/checks touring website
South America. Poop.
In The Meantime - Spacehog
I called an audible here. It was supposed to be another song and then I saw this one pop up on YouTube and changed the direction I was going. Because this song. Oh my god. I just can't. I can't get enough of this track.
Spacehog. The little band that should have catapulted themselves to several albums and a really good legacy. And yet, this is the only song that they were really known for. Which is a shame. Resident Alien is a really solid album. It would have been nice to hear more from them, but the music industry is fickle. At least we got this gem.
I used to say that my favourite song by a one hit wonder was You Get What You Give by the New Radicals, but I think I'm changing it to this one. Because it's great.
That's it, that's all. I hope you enjoyed these gems that we got this week. It's a weird, eclectic list, but I like it. I had a lot of fun listening to these guys this week. Stay tuned for more great stuff. And, since we're into a new month, here's the July playlist for you (and I assume it's also available on spotify too, so here's the Spotify version of it.)
Also here's all the other ones:
June playlist and the June Spotify List
Throwback Playlist for Dec 16/Jan 17
October 2016 Throwback Playlist,
September 2016 Throwback Playlist
-D (@davidronn)
P.S. I think September might be the punk-esque month, so if you can think of any "must haves" on there, I'm accepting suggestions. Otherwise, it's all Davey's list. And who knows how y'all will feel about that.