Sound and the Fury: The Perfect Pop Single...

 

 Redartz: It's a momentous week for fans of pop music: ABBA has released two new songs ahead of a new album due in November! Those of us who are fans of the Swedish foursome have waited some 40 years (and I was a fan from their start, back when my friends looked at me cockeyed as they played their Aerosmith and Nazereth lps).  For most of that time the likelihood of new ABBA tunes seemed remote. Nevertheless, here we are, and here they are; back with their engaging melodies and catchy hooks. Few acts in rock history could execute a pop song as effectively, as satisfyingly, as Anni-frid, Bjorn, Benny and Agnetha. Indeed, no less than Pete Townsend called the single "S.O.S." the greatest pop single ever made. 

And therein lies our topic for the week. What do you consider the perfect pop single? Yes, there are countless candidates that you could name. My pick- I'd have to agree with Mr. Townsend; "S.O.S." remains a stunningly rich performance, and is still greatly enjoyable even after countless listenings.But that's simply my opinion. What's yours? What are the greatest stand out singles of the rock era? What were your favorites, and why? And feel free to share your thoughts about ABBA, as well. I'll be setting aside funds for their "Avatar Concert" (ABBAtars?) next year...

Riding the Retro Metro: Friday June 21, 1974!

Redartz:  Hello again, fellow time travelers! We are off on another journey to the Bronze age, courtesy of the Retro Metro. Today's destination is one very close to my heart:: June of 1974. I only recently started collecting comics, and my interest is skyrocketing. And although the topic on everyone's mind these days is the Watergate tapes, the tapes I'm most interested in are the ones I've recorded off Casey Kasem's American  Top 40. And speaking of the top forty, let's check out the apex:

On top of the US 'Billboard Pop Chart:  Bo Donaldsen and the Heywoods, "Billy, Don't Be a Hero"

Apparently this song has been used in a recent "Billy Jack" movie, but it was actually written about an soldier in the U.S. Civil War.

Rounding out the top five:
2.  The Stylistics, "You Make Me Feel Brand New"
3.  Gordon Lightfoot, "Sundown"
4.  Ray Stevens, "The Streak"
5.  William DeVaughn, "Be Thankful For What You Got"  

Man, I'm really loving the pop charts right now! Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown" is my favorite song right now: "Sometimes, I think it's a shame, when I get feelin' better when I'm feeling no pain". Great. Then there's Ray Stevens and "The Streak": the king of novelty/comedy tunes strikes again. Everyone on the school bus just goes nuts for that song. And there are tons of ther cool hits:  Wings, "Band on the Run"- an amazing song with three distinct sections; Paul still has it.  The Hues Corporation, "Rock the Boat"- an incredibly catchy tune. Steely Dan, "Rikki Don't Lose that Number"-just getting to know these guys, and really like this tune. I'm planning to pick up their album "Pretzel Logic" (great name).  ABBA, "Waterloo" (debuting this week on the top forty)- a new group from Sweden; this song is a prime piece of pop. May have to pick up their lp as well.

 Tops in the UK:   Gary Glitter, "Always Yours"

As it's Friday, chances are the tv viewing tonight will be good. Checking out the listings:

US Television Schedule:


 
ABC:  The Brady Bunch, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Odd Couple, Toma

Our family is still following the Brady family. Personally, I'm more excited about the show following them: Lee  Majors in "The Six Million Dollar Man". Kind of a superhero without a costume, but with appealing action and a great theme.
And after that, "The Odd Couple" is still going strong. Thanks to a perfect cast led by the incomparable Jack Klugman and Tony Randall, this show always promises laughs. 

CBS:   Dirty Sally, Good Times, The CBS Friday Night Movies

Afraid "Dirty Sally" is unknown to me. Many friends watch "Good Times", but as I'm pretty much tied into ABC's schedule, I never catch these shows.

NBC:  Sanford and Son, Lotsa Luck, The Girl With Something Extra, The Brian Keith Show, The Dean Martin Comedy Hour

Same situation here; although my parents will sometimes tune in Dean Martin.

BBC1:  The Friday Western: The Younger Brothers, Skywatch, The Nine O Clock News, A Man Called Ironside, The World of Stan Smith

BBC2:   Gardener's World, The Money Programme, World Cinema: Detruire Dit-Elle, All the Buildings Fit to Print

But hey, what a month it's been on the Spinner racks! It's an embarrassment of riches; this new comics fan has waaaay too much to choose from. Just take a look:

Wow, where to begin? That Amazing Spider-Man issue is the first thing I grab. What a cover, what a villain, what a book. Andru's Goblin looks just fine. Then I also have to grab that great Spectre book. Not getting many DC's at this point, but that looks fantastic. And speaking of fantastic, I'm getting that Avengers issue- my first Avengers comic, and picking it due to the Fantastic Four appearance. 

Then there's that Doctor Strange issue: have to get that, continuing the excellent Silver Dagger story. And now there's all these Giants and magazines to consider. Definitely need to get the Savage Sword of Conan; a beautiful Red Sonja story awaits within by Esteban Maroto and Neal Adams. Plus how can I resist the first issue of Planet of the Apes? Well, I can't. Could you? 

And capping it all off, the first Marvel Treasury Edition; with Spidey no less! All the great Spider-man artists represented. And that cover just hypnotized me; I stared at it all the way home on the city bus the other day when I picked it up. I'm scrounging everywhere I can to gather the needed funds for this month's goodies.  

Well, since we've probably spent our limits at the newsstand, guess it's time to head back on the Retro return trip. Hope you enjoyed this brief visit to the stellar year 1974; I sure did! And even if you're not old enough to fully remember that year's attractions, let us all know what you think of them...

 




closing

Two Questions: "Never Again" vs."Never Enough"

Redartz:  Here's a couple questions for you to ponder over, two questions looking at the opposite ends of your musical spectrum. We have discussed favorite songs and performers, and also those we aren't so fond of. Today we will stretch this to the limits of our personal tolerance: 

1.  Name a song you could easily (and indeed would prefer to) avoid hearing again for the remainder of your natural life. 

2.  Name a song you could  still find enjoyable, regardless of how many times you are exposed to it.

Personally, I could list numerous examples of both. But in the interests of brevity, I'll keep it down to 
 two each (you can name just one, or a dozen; we try to be accommodating).

Songs I would be happy never to hear again: Rod Stewart, "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy". That song made me cringe the first time I heard it, and it hasn't gotten any better over the years. And neither has Roger Whitaker, "The Last Farewell"- that song seemed to be everywhere in the mid 70's, including heavy rotation on cheesy commercials. 

Songs I could hear over and over again: ( I won't subject you to the others.above): George Harrison, "My Sweet Lord"- wonderfully melodic, and inspiring every time I hear it.

 Also, ABBA, "S.O.S."-  Just one heck of a great song, with a magnificent arrangement. Debatable, but it could just be my favorite pop song of all time. 

 I look forward to hearing about your 'never again's and 'never enough's...

 

Riding the Retro Metro: Destination Thursday April 14, 1977

Redartz:  Welcome, all, to another eclectic excursion on the Retro Metro! Today we slip back 40 years to 1977: disco is heating things up at the clubs, Jimmy Carter is mellowing out the White House, and comics are now 35 cents US (so now you can no longer get three for your dollar, bummer). Your humble host is a busy high schooler, but not so busy as to lose track of the current pop culture. To wit:

A widely watched show these days is "Starsky and Hutch", a kind of buddy cop show. One of the stars is actor David Soul, who is adding to his resume as a pop singer. And, I might add, a successful one:

Billboard Number One Pop Hit: David Soul, "Don't Give Up on Us"

Rounding out the top five:
2.  Thelma Houston, "Don't Leave Me This Way"
3.  Glen Campbell, "Southern Nights"
4.  Eagles, "Hotel California"
5.  10cc,  "The Things We Do for Love"

With the exception of 10cc, each song in the top 5 this week will end up hitting the number one position.
It seems every one of my friends has the Eagles' "Hotel California", either on record or 8 track (which is how we usually hear that song, as we cruise around our small mid-western town after school). Great song, and a great album. 

Across the Atlantic, another terrific song is getting a lot of airplay. I'm wishing ABBA had the popularity here that they seem to have everywhere else on earth...

Tops in the UK:  ABBA, "Knowing Me, Knowing You"

And now we turn our attention to tonight's tv offerings. We grab our dog-eared copy of TV Guide , open it up and find:

US Television Schedule:

 
 

ABC:  Welcome Back, Kotter; Three's Company, Barney Miller, The Tony Randall Show, Westside Medical










 




CBS:  The Waltons, Hawaii Five-O, Barnaby Jones
NBC:  The Fantastic Journey, NBC's Best Sellers

BBC1:  Tomorrow's World, Top of the Pops, The Rockford Files, Taste for Adventure, She's Our Queen Too, You Know; Omnibus
BBC2:  News on 2 Headlines, Having a Baby, Newsday, Shepherd, Who Was Jesus?

 Three's Company draws a lot of viewers, and I watch from time to time. Yet it seems a bit cheesy to me. On the other hand, Barney Miller is always a winner. Excellent ensemble cast. 
 My folks always tune in Hawaii Five-0 and Barnaby Jones; I will sit in with them sometimes. Barnaby does have a catchy theme song. 
Now that show on NBC, The Fantastic Journey: never seen it. Which is a bit surprising, it appears to have some sci-fi aspect...






One of the shows scheduled this evening is Welcome Back, Kotter. By coincidence, that is also represented on the comic spinner rack this week. Let's wander over and see what else is out today:

That Avengers issue is yet another fine effort from Jim Shooter and George Perez. How that book can keep up such a level of quality is beyond me. Great stuff (and an amusing cover). Daredevil has a pretty solid issue this time around, sadly Spider-Man kind of left me cold. 
A first issue of note this week is Star Wars. Apparently this will be released as a movie soon by George Lucas (the fellow behind "American Graffiti"). The comic is pretty sharp; one wonders if the film will make much of a splash...    

And with that pondering note, we bid goodbye to 1977 and return to the digital age. Hope you enjoyed the trip today; keep your ticket stub for the next ride on the Retro Metro!