Bradley's Buzz

The Bubbatunes Vaults 5

Welcome to the dust encrusted yet completely wonderful Bubbatunes Vaults; today we go through 6 more of these little gems that bring me so much happiness they have their own CD shelf in my living room...

bub 25 Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - JETT LAG (2004)
Made originally as a gift for my bestest gal pal Lisa Glassford, a Joan Jett compilation was also something I hadn't wanted to make for myself for a long time. Like most other performers who appear on the Bubbatunes list, Joan has a few compilations to her credit but just like all those others, there are always a few favorite album cuts those record execs forget - most notably for me is Joan's cover of the Kinks' "Celluloid Heroes" she did on her all covers album The Hit List. It's one of my all time fav songs and I love when Joan does covers, she one of those performers (Linda Ronstadt et al) that can cover anyone's tune and still make it work. "Celluloid Heroes" begins, "Everybody's a dreamer/ and everybody's a star/ everybody's in movies/ doesn't matter who you are / there are stars in every city / in every house and on every street/ and if you walk down Hollywood Boulevard/ their names are written in concrete." I loved it in 1990 and I love it now, you know I have a special place for just about anything Hollywood related (Madonna's awful single withstanding), ther's also album cuts from her albums I Love Rock & Roll, Bad Reputation ("Make Believe"), Up Your Alley (the catchy pop/metal rock of "You Want In, I Want Out"and the uber cool "Ridin' with James Dean") and from one of my all time fav Joan's albums, Pure & Simple which has two songs on here, the grungy punch of "You Gotta Problem" and the ode to 60's girl group ballads "As I Am" which is probably on e of my all time favorite songs by Miss Jett. We also have a feew of her soundtrack contributions including the fairly hilarious and energetic "Let's Do It" with Paul Westerberg which was recorded for Tank Girl; incidentally one of Lisa and my favorite movies; a version of "Love Stinks" from the Ellen Degeneres flick Mr. Wrong , and of course her Bruce cover of "Light Of Day" which I believe is her one and only foray into being a movie star (celluloid hero) herself. Lest we forget the hits Joan is known for, you can bet your sweet blackheart "I Loe Rock & Roll", "I Hate Myself For Loving You", "Little Liar" (another of my favorites), "Crimson & Clover", "Do You Wanna Touch Me" - they all made the grade and so did some singles that didn't fair all that well chartwise but are awesome none the less, most notably "I Love You Love" a second Gary Glitter cover Joan put out as a single; and then one of my all time favorite songs by anyone "Fake Friends"; not to mention her theme song of "Bad Reputation" and the awesome cover of "Love Is All Around" the theme song from The Mary Tyler Moore Show that Joan recorded for the Women's NBA, and has special meaning to me as it came out just as I moved to Minneapolis and everytime I hear it I think of Lisa, who will make it after all as well. If you can't tell I love my Joan and there isn't a bad song on this whole set; and if I dare be so blold I think it's the very best Joan Jett compilation you will find.

Track List:
01. Bad Reputation 02. Fake Friends 03. As I Am 04. Dirty Deeds 05. Crimson & Clover 06. I Hate Myself For Loving You 07. Make Believe 08. I Love Rock & Roll 09. Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah) 10. Everyday People 11. Ridin' With James Dean 12. Celluloid Heroes 13. Fetish XXX 14. Love Stinks 15. Little Liar 16. I Love You Love 17. Let's Do It (with Paul Westerberg) 18. Light Of Day (as the Barbusters) 19. (I'm Gonna) Run Away 20. You Want In, I Want Out 21. Love Is All Around 22. You Gotta Problem

bub 26 The Pretenders - STOP SOBBING (2004)
Oh Pissy Chrissy Hynde how I love thee.. Another band that has some good compilations available but yet none of them contain the lesser known but just as good newer songs - I guess it helps a Bubbatune can run approximately 80 minutes while the CD's record companies put out are a tad shorter. So here we have another 23 songs by Chrissy's band The Pretenders from the very first album all the way up to 2004's Loose Screw album. One of the rare cases in Bubbatunes where almost every single song is a single, we did manage to put on two very important album tracks, the fan favorite "My City Was Gone" and the super cool "Tattoed Love Boys" where our girl is led to the basement and shown what "that hole was for". Yes she can be raunchy, political and acutally even sweet as shown in two of my ultra favs "Hymn to Her" and "977" where all brutality is shown as sensitive, even "I'll Stand By You" with its sweet delivery has an air of danger in it. That's the great thing about Chrissy, nothing is ever black and white in these songs; "Middle Of the Road", "Brass In Pocket", "Kid" there's melodrma trough out. A stand out addition not found on most Pretenders compilations is the cover of Divinyls' "Human On The Inside" now simply called "Human" - a tale of harsh spousal abuse but so compelling and entertaining, it should've been a hit a hundred times over by both performers. "Popstar" is another track released as a single that didn't quite make it, as is the reggae tinged "Complex Person" but the main singles are here as well, the very first Pretenders notch in the recording belt, the Ray Davies written "Stop Your Sobbing", "Back On the Chain Gang", "Talk Of The Town", "Message Of Love", "Don't Get Me Wrong", all the fun and danger and attitude of the Pretenders. Of course because I was on limited space and HAD to have some of the new songs a few older gems were scrapped but hey you can go out and buy an official Pretenders compilation for them.

Track List:
01. Stop Your Sobbing 02. Back On The Chain Gang 03. Talk Of The Town 04. Brass In Pocket (I'm Special) 05. Middle Of The Road 06. Human 07. Message Of Love 08. 977 09. Complex Person 10. Kid 11. My City Was Gone 12. Hymn To Her 13. Day After Day 14. Show Me 15. Popstar 16. My Baby 17. Night In My Veins 18. Never Do That 19. Don't Get Me Wrong 20. I'll Stand By You 21. Tattoed Love Boys

bub 27 Belinda Carlisle - STUFF & NONSENSE (2004)
Named after one of my favorite Belinda ballads, Stuff & Nonsense is mostly a look at Belinda's career through her singles but because I am such a big fan there were a few essential album cuts that just had to be here. The whole thing opens iwth her 1986 pogoing fun "I Feel The Magic" and it just goes from there capturing her bouncy 'just left the GoGos pop' from her Belinda album through her mainstream pop radio diva attack of the late 80's early 90's through her dance mode and everything in between. All the hit singles are here - "Mad About You", "I Get Weak", "Circle In The Sand", "Heaven Is A Place On Earth", "Leave A Light On" plus her other singles that either were just big hits in the UK or sometimes only released in the UK, like the brilliant "Big Scary Animal", and "All God's Children", and one of my favorites "California" which opens up with, "I was in the tanning salon when I hard River Phoenix was gone" before going to the fun yet touching chorus, "It took a lot for me to say I'm walking away LA/ from the sharks and the Chardonnay" plus with backing vocals by the eternal California beach boy Brian Wilson. Two of my all time favorite singles were put on as well, her 1987 cover of "I Feel Free" with producer Rick Nowels deep back up "bomp bomp bomp bomp" which for some reason gets me all horned up??? and my all time favorite Belinda Carlisle song ever - "Summer Rain". Just to add a few non hit elements I took some of my favorite album tracks including "Valentine" from Runaway Horses, the rocking pop ways of "Should I Let You In" and "Nobody Owns Me" from Heaven On Earth, the super bouncy "Shot In The Dark" and the super simply stunning "Stuff & Nonsense" both from 1986's Belinda, which is probably my favorite of her solo work, well second to this compilation.

Track List:
01. I Feel The Magic 02. Big Scary Animal (It's Too Real) 03. Do You Feel Like I Feel? 04. California 05. Summer Rain 06. I Feel Free 07. All God's Children 08. Circle In The Sand 09. Shot In The Dark 10. I Get Weak 11. Leave A Light On 12. Nobody Owns Me 13. Live Your Life Be Free 14. Mad About You 15. Should I Let You In? 16. Runaway Horses 17. Heaven Is A Place On Earth 18. Valentine 19. Stuff & Nonsense

bub 28 Juice Newton - MOONLIGHT BANDITS (2004)
Another CD I had wanted to make for a very long time and ended up great as it made a really good and surprising presenfor Amy Cissell who I knew would love it if for nothing other than the fact her and Marcy sing "Queen Of Hearts" for Karaoke whenever they get together (and the DJ has it) Moonlight Bandits- named after a line in the song "Shot Full Of Love" - is the essential Juice Newton compilation. I know you're thinking, "umm do I need an essential Juice Newton compilation?" well, my friend the answer is a surprising "Yes, you do need an essential Juice Newton compilation." Her voice is really quite amazing and her songs are just incredible fun - even her ballads are above the standard country pop fare you hear. I mean the woman did have quite a few crossover hits in the early 80's not to mention a cowboy hat full of country singles that went to the top of the charts. I love my Juice and if you got the chance to listen to Moonlight Bandits, I think you would too. All the popular hits are here - "Angel Of The Morning", "Queen Of Hearts", "Love's Been A Little Bit Hard On Me", "Break It To Me Gently", "The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)", "Tell Her No", "Heart Of The Night" - all top 40 Pop hits, plus her string of hit songs that hit the country charts including a rocking cover (why it hit country charts I'm not sure) of Del Shannon's "Cheap Love", the poppy and sing along "What Can I Do With My Heart", and an incredible version of "Hurt" that shows off those Newton pipes. And since this is a Bubbatune, I got to put on the album tracks that I love, including her version of "I'm Gonna Be Strong" an old Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil song Cyndi Lauper also recorded, "Headin' For A Heartache" a rocking country hybrid in the Kim Carnes vein that was actually the flip side of the "Angel Of The Morning" 45 I had as a wee boy; and the simple yet thrilling "River Of Love". The whole thing opens with my all time favorite Juice song "A Little Love", more of a pop song that country it hit both charts but went low on the pop and high on the country charts, it's the most infectious and poppin' little song while the ending "20 Years Ago" a song Kenny Rogers also ended up doing is a sad but sweet little take on going home to your small town after a long absence. Though it being recorded in 1984 and talking about 20 years ago as in the 60's may seem a little off some 20 years later, it still works - to me anyway.

Track List:
01. A Little Love 02. Love's Been A Little Bit Hard On Me 03. Shot Full Of Love 04. Tell Her No 05. Angel Of The Morning 06. Break It To Me Gently 07. Cheap Love 08. You Make Me Want To Make You Mine 09. Low Down & Lonesome 10. Easy Way Out 11. Headin' For A Heartache 12. Hurt 13. Queen Of Hearts 14. What Can I Do With My Heart 15. River Of Love 16. Heart Of The Night 17. I'm Gonna Be Strong 18. Ride 'Em Cowboy 19. Can't Wait All Night 20. The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known) 21. Dirty Looks 22. 20 Years Ago

bub 29 Billy Joel - STILL ROCK & ROLL : 1977-1984 (2004)
Okay I will admit it right here and now, I like Billy Joel. There are you happy? Well at least I like this part of Billy Joel; besides he's been around forever so he must be doing something right? Right? Okay, well I decided to make me a Billy compilation and decided to the Billy that I like, so I combined what I believe is Billy's hey day as a rocker and superb songwrite. Still Rock & Roll - 1977-1984 covers the albums The Stranger, 52nd Street, Glass Houses, Songs From The Attic, The Nylon Curtain and An Innocent Man. Oh and it's only coincidence that the two Bubbatunes that completely make me think of Amy Cissell were done right in a row. Anyone who knows Amy's musical taste will know she has kind of a soft spot for Mr. Joel, and with songs like the ones that make up this compilation, it's not hard to understand. So there if he's good enough for Miss Cissell (or is it Mrs. Cissell now? Or perhpas Ms. Cissell like Ms. Romano of One Day At A Time - what the hell are we talking about?)

These are songs I grew up listening to, my uncle and aunt had the early albums, the hits came fast and furious from 1977's The Stranger including one of my fav Karoake takes "Only The Good Die Young", then there's "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" the ballady "She's Always A Woman" with some of the most acidic yet loving vocals and the oft played but still pretty "Just The Way You Are". Still Rock & Roll ends up being one of the few compilations in the Bubbatunes catalog that actually goes in chronological order, I did it as I knew I was only covering certain years and thought it was best to take the songs and go through it that way. The compilation opens up with a song that actually wasn't a single but is one of the most compelling songs in Billy's catalog - "Scenes From An Italian Restaraunt" is one of those story songs telling the love affair of some high school sweethearts and their pals, it begins with a piano interlude and our hero ordering "a bottle of white, a bottle of red" before reminiscing about his old pals, then coming back around. It's really intriquing and one of my favorite Billy songs ever. The 52nd Street album, though not as strong as The Stranger to me still had three of my favorite Billy singles - "My Life", "Big Shot" and the ballad "Honesty" - all cleverly written and fun to sing; particularly the bitchy saga in "Big Shot" (You woke up with your head on fire and your eyes too bloody to see/ go on and cry in your coffee but don't come bitchin' to me), and "Honesty" is one of my favorite ballads ever done by anyone, honestly. Incidentally, I once sang "Honesty" at Karaoke in Idaho and after my wonderful performance, my pal Patrick responded "That was interesting," which you know means it was really really really good right?

Anyhoos, as good as those songs are, it's the Billy gone new wave rock of Glass Houses (1980) that gets me everytime - I love every single song that was released as a single - "It's Still Rock & Roll To Me", the reggae ish mambo of "Don't Ask Me Why", the full on new wave rock of "You May Be Right" and "Sometimes A Fantasy" - it's definitely my favorite Billy Joel album and these are probablly my favorite singles by him. Though the lead off single from The Nylon Curtain, 1982's "Pressure" is pretty damn good too. The Nylon Curtain also gave us "Allentown", Billy's ode to the working men of the coal mines before he re-launched his attack on the american people and the charts with the blockbuster album An Innocnet Man which launched like 7 singles, okay maybe only 5 but still and of course they are all here from the 50's doo wop of "The Longest Time" and "Keeping The Faith", the 60's throwbacks "Tell Her About It" and "Uptown Girl" and of course the title track which just reinstated the album was Billy's ode to the music he grew up listening to. And in a sort of irony (I think I'll have to check with Alanis) that's how Still Rock & Roll ends and this is the music I grew up listening to.

Track List:
01. Scenes From An Italian Restaraunt 02. Just The Way You Are 03. Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) 04. Only The Good Die Young 05. She's Always A Woman 06. My Life 07. Big Shot 08. Honesty 09. You May Be Right 10. It's Still Rock And Roll To Me 11. Don't Ask Me Why 12. Sometimes A Fantasy 13. Say Goodbye To Hollywood (Live) 14. Pressure 15. Allentown 16. Tell Her About It 17. Uptown Girl 18. The Longest Time 19. An Innocent Man 20. Keeping The Faith

bub 30 Pat Benatar - CHOICE CUTS (2004)
Will you look at that? A Pat compilation and no Debbie to be found. Okay, I know you probably think I make too many Pat comps but hey is it my fault this woman has so many great songs? Besides this one was actually made as a gift for my brother instead of having all the Pat singles compilations sent to him - I know what overkill can do to a person. I used to be a Madonna fan. Anyhoos, Choice Cuts came to me as that was the name of her DVD video collection and though the title was strange for that since the collection is every single video she ever did and not just some Choice Cuts, this particular compilation is in fact Choice Cuts - I chose what songs I thought were the most important in coveting Miss B's career. Though I have to admit I have this strange need to include every single album so instead of ignoring True Love, Gravity's Rainbow, Innamorata and Go as so many Chrysalis/Capitol compilations like to do, I included them all. So you have some of Patty Patty's big hits - "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", "Shadows Of The Night", "Invincible", "We Belong" along with some killer album tracks - "Wuthering Heights" is a highlight in Pat's career of highlights; and songs from the lesser known albums including the final track, the beautifully sung "So Long" from the blues album True Love, "Sanctuary" a grungy rocker from the overlooked Gravity's Rainbow (1993), "Only You" probably my favorite song on Innamorata (1997) and the would be single (it was released in promo form) of the pseudo bitchy "Have It All" from 2003's Go album. Yes, it's Bradley's Choice Cuts of Pat's illustrious career and probably the most attainable in the Bubbatunes Pat CD's but I'll let you be the judge of that as believe it or not there's more Pat Benatar Bubbatunes compilations in our catalog!

Track List:
01. You Better Run 02. Let's Stay Together 03. Hit Me With Your Best Shot 04. Shadows Of The Night 05. Heartbreaker 06. Sanctuary 07. Promises In The Dark 08. Love Is A Battlefield 09. So Sincere 10. Wuthering Heights 11. Invincible 12. Have It All 13. We Belong 14. Little Too Late 15. Precious Time 16. Only You 17. Hell Is For Children 18. So Long

and there you have #s 24-30; next up we begin our foray into the Bubbatunes Albums Reissue part of our catalog - that's right a number of great albums that either have missed out on an official CD release by the big wigs in charge or some that are out on CD but could be oh so much better; and you'll be surprised to know our first 6 coming up doesn't include one single Pat Benatar, Deborah Harry or Blondie CD. Can you even believe it?

posted by swivek @ 8:56 AM