Three from the Train: Hüsker Dü, David Bowie, The Fags

Every morning that I decide to drag myself to the city, I have a little over an hour to listen to music on the train. I put the iPhone music player on shuffle, and off I go. Calling my collection eclectic would be an understatement. So it's often an interesting mix.

Here's what I heard this morning:

Hüsker Dü: "It's Not Peculiar"
I discovered these guys on MTV's late Sunday night show, 120 Minutes. That was the best two hours of programming MTV ever had. When I heard "Could You Be The One" from 1987's Warehouse: Songs and Stories album, I was instantly hooked. I bought the cassette and wore it out on my Walkman. There are a lot of great songs on that double album and this is one of my favorites.



David Bowie: "It's No Game (Part 1)"
From Bowie's 1980 release Scary Monsters. What a great album - one of my favorite Bowie albums. It yielded two hits, "Ashes to Ashes" and "Fashion," but what I really love is the chaotic nature of this record. Here's the opening track featuring Robert Fripp's guitar work that is unlike anything else I"d heard before it and Bowie's frantic and often panicked voice that sets an amazing tone for this record, one that is "full of tension and fear."



The Fags: "List"
The Fags are a 3-piece from Detroit that play '70s-style power-crunch-pop a la Cheap Trick, The Raspberries, the Police, etc. I first caught them on some obscure internet radio show in 2002. The group had just released a five-song EP. It's one of my favorite possessions. I LOVE this band. Here's one reason why.


Until Next Time...

Three from the Train: Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, The Producers

Every morning that I decide to drag myself to the city, I have a little over an hour to listen to music on the train. I put the iPhone music player on shuffle, and off I go. Calling my collection eclectic would be an understatement. So it's often an interesting mix.

There was a lot of great music in rotation this morning, so this was a tough choice:

Paul McCartney: "Dear Boy"
Ram is my favorite McCartney solo album and this song is the 4th track from that 1971 release. It's the track that leads into "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey." There's a lot of speculation about who the song is about: John Lennon insisted the song was about him and Yoko but Paul maintained it was about himself and his love for Linda. Regardless (and I never gave it THAT much thought) it's a great song that few have heard or know about. Love the harmonies and the do-to-doing.



Billy Joel: "She's Right On Time"
I'm not a huge fan of the stuff Bill Joel is best known for. My taste in his stuff is a little less predictable (No "Piano Man", please). In fact, my two favorite Billy Joel albums are 1981's live album, Songs in the Attic and 1982's Nylon Curtain. This track form the latter is one of my favorites. I love the sentiment and the conviction.



The Producers: "What's He Got?"
The opening track from their 1981 debut album, The Producers. The video is kinda silly, but close your eyes and listen to the song. Pure 80's pop at its very best. They should have made it illegal for anyone to ever use this chord progression after this song was released. (It's so over used now that I can barely stand it when I hear it.) I love the background vocals - na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na - on this track.



Until Next Time...

Three from the Train: Wang Chung, Rage Against the Machine, Beru Revue

Every morning that I decide to drag myself to the city, I have a little over an hour to listen to music on the train. I put the iPhone music player on shuffle, and off I go. Calling my collection eclectic would be an understatement. So it's often an interesting mix.

Here's what found its way into rotation today:

Wang Chung: "Devoted Friends"
I bought Points on the Curve when I heard "Dance Hall Days" back in 1984. This track is one of the strongest moments on the album. I love the dissonance and the resolve of each line and the sentiment of the song. We've all been there: "If it doesn't work out, we'll stay friends, no?" Most likely, no. You can never put the genie back in the bottle.



Rage Against the Machine: "Testify"
From 1999's Battle of Los Angeles, this song pretty much encapsulates all that Rage' is about. Driving, relentless, hard-core, politically pointed, metal rap. Love, love, love Tom Morello's guitar work. Check out Audioslave, too. Brad Wilk and Zack de la Rochais also make up one heck of a rhythm section.



Beru Revue: "Be Careful Tonight"
Beru and my band, Love Bomb, used to play on the same bill a lot in the late 80's and early 90's. They never had a major deal, but they should have. This has always been my favorite track of theirs. The version I heard this morning was from the Empire Rock Room, circa 1985. Here's a more recent video of "Be Careful Tonight." Greg Davis is featured on the guitar solo in this song. What an amazing player.


Until Next Time...