Bradley's Buzz

The Bubbatunes Vaults 11

Well here we are, the last batch of Bubbatunes from the golden vault of musical memories. We go through the ultra cool chic of a literary hier, the super syrupy and sexy pop of a chanteause from Wales, the silky smooth soul of a Supreme, the crystal clear country of a classic and some new wave bing bong to get your day started out right.

bub 61 CARLY SIMON - With A Vengeance (July 25, 2006)
I'll admit it, I've become a tad obsessed with Carly and her music. But I never realized how amazing she really was. It all started with the addition of Spy and Playing Possum finally in my CD collection. Then came With a Vengeance, the ultimate in a Carly Simon compilation - at least as far as I'm concerned. From her very first hit to the early 90s, I have all my favorites and what I think should be yours too.

Compiled in a mish mash of song order, I decided I might get weary by the end if I went in chronological order - so instead we begin with one of her biggest hits "Anticipation" - a little ditty she wrote while waiting for Cat Stevens to pick her up for a date ("these are the good old days"), then the 1990 single "Better Not Tell Her" which shows even in her late 40s Carly could still keep a sexy edge about her; then a new ditty I discovered from 1975 "More & More" featuring harmonies by the likes of Carole King & James Taylor and Dr. John on piano.. onto the biggest hit of her career, the still obscure (as in who is it really about) "You're So Vain" and my Leivas' favorite Carly song "Jesse" from 1980 and onto her late 80s comeback pop stuff with "Give Me All Night" which I have suddenly fell in love with, as she tells her man she won't take half of anything, in fact if you can't give me all of you, give it to me anyways.. I love that.

One of her best songs from the early 70s, "Legend In Your Own Time" follows, full of bitchy commentary, it's sort of a precuror to "You're So Vain" which came out a year later, the song tells the tale of a boy who was bound for big things but got lost when he heard the radio and sang with the singer in the band, and though he's a legend in his own time, he's just a lonely boy when he goes home alone.

And then there's "Vengeance" - my new fav and old fav once I remembered it. I won't go into every song on the compilation but will tell you this is probably the best compilation of her work as it's the songs I deem her best including the James Bond theme "Nobody Does It Better" where Carly really rises to the occasion and a new found classic "You Belong To Me" from 1978 which I remember but never really cared for until I listened in the head phones and really listened to her lyrics.

Of course Carly's brilliance is in her lyrics and the talent is loud and clear on songs like her first single "That's The Way I've Always Thought It Should Be" where her man wants to marry our girl and love her forever but she sees the heartache and turmoil of marriage through her parents silent marriage, her college friends who are all married with kids who hate them for what they're not while they hate themselves for what they are. In the end, Carly kicking and screaming the whole way gives in and marries the man, for that is the way she always heard it should be.

The great lyrics continue on "We Have No Secrets" from 1972, where Carly and her man share everything but with every open honest relationship there are often times she wishes she didn't know some of those secrets of his, including a beach fling, as "you answer all my questions but they don't always answer my prayers."

There's also the two singles from 1985's Spoiled Girl album which never appear on any Carly compilations - "Tired Of Being Blonde" and "My New Boyfriend" two synthesized rockers with similar tones - in "Blonde" a sex goddess leaves her kept life not because she's angry but because she's tired of playing the role, so she leaves her man's credit cards on the counter, the keys to the Porsche in the den and she takes off in the old Dodge that drove her in; it's a tad interesting to find out Carly didn't write "Tired Of Being Blonde" but the whole concept and the lyrics are so her vein, I'm not surprised to see she recorded it - in "My New Boyfriend" Carly goes through synth heaven telling all about her new boyfriend who isn't just some baby and isn't just some kid, in fact he loves her more than "you ever did."

Like I've been saying I am now totally in love with Carly and think she's brilliant...

Track List:
01. Anticipation 02. Better Not Tell Her 03. More And More 04. You're So Vain 05. Jesse 06. Give Me All Night 07. Vengeance 08. Haven't Got Time For The Pain 09. Coming Around Again 10. Attitude Dancing 11. The Right Thing To Do 12. Let The River Run 13. That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be 14. Mockingbird (w/ James Taylor) 15. Tired Of Being Blonde 16. Nobody Does It Better 17. We Have No Secrets 18. You Belong To Me 19. My New Boyfriend

bub 62 SHEENA EASTON - So Far So Good (July 25, 2006)
She was a modern girl who would take the morning train to work 9 to 5 so she could strut her sugar walls for our eyes only. Yes, the diva in training who turned into a funk goddess Miss Sheena Easton and a little comp I call So Far So Good.

For some reason, Sheena seems to be one of those artists who appears to be a balladeer but when you look through her hits you realize most of her songs are upbeat pop numbers and then moved onto the funky dance diva she became around 1984 with songs like Strut, Sugar Walls, Swear, The Lover In Me - excellant little ditties you have to remember and then listen to again and again.

Since this is a bubbatunes compilation, this is a comp of MY favorite Sheena songs and though most of her singles are here there are a few obscurities like "Hard To Say It's Over" a little ballad from her A Private Heaven (1984) album that is sweet and sing songy and a really sad little ballad called "Summer's Over" which was only a B-side to 1981's single "Modern Girl." The song tells the sad tale of a woman who spends her days looking out at the water dreaming of those hot boys of summer since "Nobody told her that the summer's over"

Since we are on the topic of ballads, most of her really great ballad singles are here "You Could Have Been With Me", "I Wouldn't Beg For Water" (but I'd get down on my knees for you..I love it!), "Almost Over You" and the James Bond "For Your Eyes Only" but for me it's the great fast songs that get me in an Easton mood -

The pop fun began with her first single "Morning Train", then "Modern Girl" , "Just Another Broken Heart" (completely overlooked single only released in UK) then an awesome little ditty called "Machinery" with a strange little sax blowing through and even stranger lyrics, it's her most overlooked single I think, "Telefone", "Devil In A Fast Car", and then she moved on from her silky sweet image to go all funk on our ass with "Strut", the Prince penned "Sugar Walls", a great funky number half spoken, half sung "Swear" (Put five fingers to your heart, S-W-E-A-R, don't lie!), and then she hooked up with Nile Rodgers for "Do It For Love" and the unique pop funky style of Narada Michael (Whitney's "How Will I Know", Aretha's "Freeway Of Love") Walden for "So Far So Good" from the film About Last Night .. and then became full on dance diva with "The Lover In Me." I didn't have room for everything that would incorporate a full on Sheena career compilation but I think I did fairly well, and I know I enjoy the walk through Sheena's sugar walls quite a bit.

Track List: 01. Just Another Broken Heart 02. Modern Girl 03. For Your Eyes Only 04. Do It For Love 05. Summer's Over 06. Machinery 07. Swear 08. Almost Over You 09. So Far So Good 10. Devil In A Fast Car 11. We've Got Tonight (with Kenny Rogers) 12. Strut 13. I Wouldn't Beg For Water 14. Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair) 15. Jimmy Mack 16. The Lover In Me 17. You Could Have Been With Me 18. Sugar Walls 19. Morning Train (9 To 5) 20. Hard To Say It's Over

bub 63 Diana Ross - MISS ROSS (August 29, 2006)
She's clean, pristine and used to be a Supreme - yes, the Boss Miss Ross has joined the legions of bubbatunes bands and earned her very own compilation. As much as I love the Supremes, I never thought that much of Diana Ross as a soloist; other than a song here and there I just felt she was too cold, ice cold as it were, but with her more recent bouts of drunken driving and train wreck type of activity, she began to grow on me, and finally when I actually set out to listen to some Diana, I found out she really is incredible - from the very beginning her somewhat thin voice can reach heights never expected and what I once threw to the side as watery ballads are all really quite touching and ingenius - from "Reach Out And Touch (Somebody's Hand)" in 1970 to 1992's "If We Hold On Together" I put in all the syrup I could find but added a few dashes of pepper to the mix - the excellant beyond belief joy that is 1982's "Muscles" set to a miniscule bass line with Michael Jackson's backup, the song explodes as Diana delivers her desire for a man with muscles (she says she wants a man to always understand/ that's all right for her/ still that ain't enough for me/ she says she wants a guy/ to keep her satisfied/ that's all right for her/ still it ain't enough for me/ I don't care if he's young or old just make him beautiful/ I just want a man that I can hold onto / I Want Muscles!"). Also included is the always over looked "Lovin' Livin' & Givin'" from the Thank God It's Friday soundtrack, the song is a complete Giorgio Moroder/Donna Summer knock off coming out like "I Feel Love" and sounding just as good; of course I threw in three Supremes songs just to add some salt to the pepper including my all time fav "Reflections" (credited to Diana Ross & The Supremes mind you); one of my fav ballads (and one I did like right from the beginning) "Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)" and while listening to these cuts I recalled the utter brilliance of the Chic produced singles "Upside Down" & "I'm Coming Out"; I rediscovered how great "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" really is, since it was a song I always thought was way over handed but now I don't think so, and my favorite new found Diana repeat 1973's "Touch Me In The Morning" with its winning formula of Ashford & Simpson dramatic strings and shifting melody plus the over dubs of Diana and an actual lyric that isn't all about losing at love and dying but rather a brilliant delivery of 'hey, we had our time now it's over'; the disco lushness of 1976's "Love Hangover" - another song I used to pass over as nothing special (I was wrong Diana I was wrong!) and 1979's "The Boss" another dancy ditty that I will now pay attention to forever.

Track List: 01. I'm Coming Out 02. Mirror Mirror 03. Reach Out And Touch 04. Reflections (Diana Ross & The Supremes) 05. Love Hangover 06. The Boss 07. Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)08. Touch Me In The Morning 09. Upside Down 10. Muscles 11. You Can't Hurry Love (The Supremes)12. Lovin' Livin' & Givin' 13. Missing You 14. Chain Reaction 15. Ain't No Mountain High Enough 16. Endless Love (with Lionel Richie) 17. Why Do Fools Fall In Love 18. If We Hold On Together 19. Eaten Alive 20. Baby Love (The Supremes)

bub 64 CRYSTAL GAYLE - Crystalized (September 5, 2006)
When I was a wee tyke my parents had an 8-track player in their car, yes I know I'm getting old; but one of the 8-tracks me and the 'rents could agree on listening to was Crystal Gayle's album When I Dream; it contained some little piano ballads, a few countrified numbers a whole lot of heartache. I liked it, and I liked her next album Miss The Mississippi as well. Crystal always kind of reminded me of my Aunt Carol, perhaps it was the long black hair or the soft demeanor but no matter what, I found myself crystalized back then. Over the years, the girl scored over 20 (yes 20!) #1 country hits and a few pop hits, in fact her album We Have To Believe In Magic was the very first country album to hit platinum status. Unfortunetly, like other artists who have lasted the years, all those top songs were recorded on a number of different labels making it almost impossible to get a compilation of all the songs you like; but lucky for everyone Bubbatunes exists and I don't give a rats hoo ha about what label won't get paid for this. So I decided to take a few of my fav Crystals that I remembered and sprinkle them in with a bunch of her chart toppers, I then realized how much I really like Crystal Gayle. It's strange to think of her as Loretta Lynn's much younger sister as when I think of Loretta, I think coal mining, rednecks and homemade apple pie with flaky crusts made with Crisco, when I think of Crystal, I think jazz piano, champagne and caviar. Perhaps the same could be said of me and my sister??

Anyway, known mostly as a crooner or chanteuse Crystal took the art of love affair and ran with it; always on the ending side of a relationship, Crystal uses her angst in ways no one else seems to get to; not always the victim and even when she is the victim, it seems she's just venting about how she's going to get through the mess. Songs like "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" and "If You Ever Change Your Mind" have that feel, while other songs contemplate the horrors that could be love, the poppy "Too Many Lovers", "Deeper In The Fire". Some of the lyrics may have come across cheesy by a lesser talent, but Crystal's breathy alto really make you feel these songs; her contemplation in keeping a distance in "Baby What About You", the sincere "Nobody Wants To Be Alone", and the grungy country of "Ready For The Times To Get Better." I'll always love the fun found in "Why Have You Left The One You Left Me For" and the ending notes of her version of "Cry" leave little to doubt her talent. Through the years, she took jazzy piano to a country level, took country to pop levels and has left me completely breathless. In fact, I have been playing and replaying this mix since I made it. So without further fanfare, I give you the track list of Crystalized:

Track list: 01. Deeper In The Fire 02. Baby What About You 03. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue 04. Too Many Lovers 05. Cry 06. It's Like We Never Said Goodbye 07. River Road 08. Why Have You Left The One You Left Me For 09. A Long And Lasting Love 10. Straight To The Heart
11. If You Ever Change Your Mind 12. Half The Way 13. Nobody Wants To Be Alone 14. Ready For The Times To Get Better 15. Livin' In These Troubled Times 16. The Blue Side 17. Our Love Is On The Faultline 18. Talking In Your Sleep 19. The Sound Of Goodbye 20. The Woman In Me
21. When I Dream 22. Turning Away 23. You & I (with Eddie Rabbit)

bub 65 JOSIE COTTON - 23 From 4 (September 5, 2006)
I've wanted to make a really good Josie compilation for awhile now, and with the release of her new album, this was the perfect time. Plus the fact she's still on my mind since that incredible night of her concert, I give you 23 from 4; 23 songs of sheer Josie brilliance from her four released albums Convertible Music, From The Hip, Frightened By Nightingales and Movie Disaster Music. (Incidentally there are two other albums that she recorded but they have never been released)... The best and most memorable songs from Josie's canon are from the debut album, an 11 song opus of pure new wave pop surf brilliance; because of the impartial person I am there are only 8 songs from Convertible Music included - the debut single "Johnny Are You Queer?" is of course included as is the even better follow up "He Could Be The One" and the third, though little played single "Bye Bye Baby"; the Hollywood feel of "I Need The Night, Tonight", the excellant and moody "Another Girl", "Waitin' For Your Love", the ballady "No Pictures Of Dad"; a tale of the girl who doesn't want make the mistakes as Mom and the perfect counterpart to the new wave feel, "So Close"; plus the elusive B-side to Johnny; "(Let's Do) The Blackout", a song strangely ommitted from the re-release of the two albums a few years ago. From her equally new wavey though more synthesized follow up From The Hip, we have the single "Jimmy Loves Maryann" (check out You Tube for the video! it's great and there is also a performance of "He Could Be The One"), the rockabilly "Life After Love", my favorite "Gina", the spunky "No Use Crying" and "Stop Me", the almost Missing Persons-ish "License To Dance", and her cover of "School Is In", which was originally recorded for the mini album soundtrack for Valley Girl, but also ended up on From The Hip. From 1993's more Kate Bush than Go-Go's album Frightened By Nightingales, we took the violins and punching rhythm of "Deep Dark Hole", the very brilliant and beautiful "After The Rose", and the ethereal "In My Dream" and finally from my new favorite album right now, Movie Distaster Music comes the awesome "Creeps" a mix of new wave, old school and new school rock and excellant lyrics, the James Bond-ish "Beautiful But Deadly", the clanky hook of "Rabbit Hole" and the venomous and moody "Fabulous," and to keep it all interesting they aren't anywhere near chronologically ordered.

bub65 Josie Cotton - 23 From 4
Track list: 01. Creeps 02. He Could Be The One 03. After The Rose 04. Gina 05. Another Girl
06. (Let's Do) The Blackout 07. No Use Crying 08. In My Dream 09. Jimmy Loves Maryann
10. I Need The Night, Tonight 11. Rabbit Hole 12. License To Dance 13. No Pictures Of Dad
14. Bye Bye Baby 15. Beautiful But Deadly 16. Johnny Are You Queer? 17. Deep Dark Hole
18. Stop Me 19. Waitin' For Your Love 20. School Is In 21. Fabulous 22. Life After Love 23. So Close

I was hoping to get our #66 up and out to the masses that want to hear all about the latest Bubbatunes but since the last two weeks have been spent going through the Vaults, it looks like it won't be Tuesday until I introduce you to our latest additon. And for those who really do enjoy these little Bubbatunes Cds, let me tell you how excited the next coming months will be because I am going to start with the Album Reissue series 2 including some exciting albums never released on Cd and some reissues that should get the blood pumping including a ceerazy set of soundtracks. So stay tuned - and come back next time, when we return to our regularly scheduled rants - for awhile anyway.

posted by swivek @ 2:11 PM