Category: Pop Music

Journey – “Open Arms” (The 45 Single)

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One of the most recognizable songs in the Journey catalog was “Open Arms”.  It was from the ‘Escape’ album and the single was released in January of 1982.  The song did pretty damn good and went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, but for some reason it couldn’t hit that #1 spot.  However, that is still one of the highest chart positions the band ever reached for a single if not the highest.

The song is believed by many to be one of the greatest power ballads ever written and is said to be one of the main catalyst for starting the power ballad movement in the 80’s.  The funny thing is that most members of the band other than Steve & Jonathan did not want the song on the album.  It was too sugary sweet for their tastes.  As tie has shown, those members of the band were wrong.

Or were they.  The band became known for this sound and it changed everything for the band from that point on.  They had to have power ballads on every album as they were now expected from the band.  And they did end up writing many more great ones and went on to superstar status.  It did get them huge successes and paydays, but was it worth it?  Probably so.

The song was brought to the band by Jonathan Cain as he already had the melody written when he tried to use it for his previous band, The Babys.  However, vocalist John Waite, was not real keen on the song and said it was too syrupy.  Wow, both bands originally stated the same thing…both were wrong.

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Friday New Releases – May 11th

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May is kicking in to high gear.  The temperature is heating up and so is the music.  There are only a few I am interested in this week, but there is plenty to get you moving this weekend.  My choices are highlighted in Blue.  Let me know what tickles your fancy and if I missed anything (which I know I did).  Take a look and have a great weekend!!!

  • 51O5XlQtVaL._AC_US436_QL65_  RSO (Richie Sambora & Orianthi) – Radio Free America – (BMG):  The first full length album from Richie Sambora & Orianthi.  Well, it isn’t really completely new as they have had 2 EPs and a couble singles which are all included. The only new songs are only “Blues Won’t Leave Me Alone” and “Hellbound Train”.  I have mixed feelings on the EPs, but let’s see how they play as a full length album.

  • 51Jg2VeHSHL._SX120_SY120_  Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino – (Domino Recording):  Arctic Monkeys are back with their first album in five years.  It has been a while, but I am eager to hear if any of the magic is back.  They haven’t disappointed me yet…or at least very little.  Here is a snippet…

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Turntables & Vinyl #15 – More & More Vinyl

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Vinyl, Vinyl, Vinyl…I keep getting more and more and I get more addicted to wanting more and more.  My wife shakes her head and just sighs at this point.  I guess I could be drinking, smoking or doing drugs, but thankfully that is not the case.  If I did those things, I would consume everything and I would just be throwing money away.  With the vinyl purchases, I at least could sell them if I ran out of money, so it is an investment…yeah, let’s go with that!!

There is a friend at work that her husband has 2 big crates of vinyl in their closet and she wants them out of the house.  So before they took them somewhere to sell them, she gave me first crack at going through them and letting me pick out the ones I want first. I gave her a fair price (more than any record store would give her, even more than they would in store credit).

The crates were very heavy and full of vinyl.  My wife said I should take them upstairs in the Loft and sit with the family while I went through them.  I declined as they were too dang heavy and I didn’t want to tackle the stairs with them.  Instead, I stayed downstairs for a couple hours and slowly went through the collection.

The collection consisted of albums from the late 50’s all the way up to the late 80’s.  Each crate was sort of themed.  The one crate was from the 50’s-70’s and it was all her husband’s parents vinyl.  It had stuff I had never heard of and a lot I had.  There was Elvis, Liberace (I passed on those), Oak Ridge Boys, Alabama, the Kingston Trio and I could go on and on.

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The Fratellis – ‘In Your Own Sweet Time’ – Album Review

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The Fratellis released their fifth studio album back in March, titled ‘In Your Own Sweet Time’ and it has been on repeat.  This album shows us a band who is comfortable being who they are and shows a confidence in both the band and the music.

The album is full of infectious pop melodies and a sound that is strictly their own.  The songs are fun and enjoyable enough to play over and over despite the lyrics not always being so happy-go-lucky.  They will make you want to dance or just sit back and enjoy while you are tapping your feet.  It is a total feel good album.

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Friday New Releases – May 4th

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Happy Friday and May the 4th Be With You!!  Yes, I went there on Star Wars Day!!  There aren’t a ton of releases but a few I am excited about.  I will highlight those in Blue as usual.  Go through and let me know what you like or what I might have missed.  I hope you enjoy and have a great weekend.

  • 51JgZnr7AML._SS500  Shinedown – Attention Attention – (Atlantic Recording):  The main one I want to hear is the new Shinedown album.  The song “Devil” was freaking awesome and I love the whole idea of loose concept album.  It isn’t a full on concept album, but the songs will take you on a journey of a person who is starting in a very dark, ominous place and take you all the way through to the other side where this person is done battling his mind and his issues and coming out a changed person.  Check out “Devil” and then get this album.

  • 71idNtL4rWL._SX522_  Mat Kearney – CRAZYTALK – (Tomorrow Music):  Mat Kearney is one of the finer singer/songwriters out there and he never gets enough credit.  He has some great pop sensibilities, but takes risk and tries new things.  I don’t like to listen to his albums ahead of time, I like to be surprised and I hope this will bring many.

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Friday New Releases – April 27th

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Welcome to the last Friday of April and the new music releases.  There isn’t a ton, but there should be something for everyone.  My choices are highlighted in Blue.  Take a look through and let me know what you are interested in or what I might have missed.  Have a great weekend!!

  • 41BJkKihPEL._SS500  Sanctus Real – Changed – (Framework Records):  Sanctus Real are one of the few Christian bands I still follow.  They are consistently great and there are always some gems on each album. They are more pop than rock, but just as good as anything on the radio.  Now, here is the twist.  The lead singer of the band, Matt Hammitt, has left the band and so they have a new singer.  I am going to try this one out, but not sure how much I will dig it as it was Matt’s vocals that always drew me in.  He was also the principal songwriter.  We will see, but hopes aren’t high.

  • 61cGx3YOHDL._SY300_QL70_  Anthrax – Kings Among Scotland – (Megaforce Records):  A Live DVD and CD that was recorded last year.  It is Anthrax, of course it is going to get a spin or two.  Plus, the album is a shout out to Kiss’ Rock & Roll Over cover!  Not much else to say on this.

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Thirdstory – Concert Review (Visulite Theatre in Charlotte, April 18, 2018)

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I don’t get to attend many concerts each year and when I do it is usually me taking my daughter to a show.  This case was no different with the exception that I am fan of the band as well. The band is Thirdstory who are out of New York City and featuring Elliott Skinner, Ben Lusher and Richard Saunders.  Their music is a mixture of Pop and R&B with some unbelievable harmonizing.  That is definitely the highlight of the band.

The night started out early as the show didn’t start until 8pm, but we had to arrive at 5:30pm.  Why?  Well, I am trying to win a Father of the Year award and I surprised my daughter with Meet & Greet passes for the show.  She had been hinting all along how cheap it was and I didn’t even have to get a pass since she was underage.  I could be her chaperone.  Little did she know how convincing of an argument she made.

We got there a little early and she ended up being 2nd in line to meet the band.  She was so nervous and it all started it out well enough.  She walked up all smiles and started talking, saying hello to the band and then suddenly she got a little quiet. So, in good old dad fashion, I jumped right in to keep the conversation going.  I mentioned she saw the band once before when they opened for Tori Kelly almost two years to the day at the Fillmore in Charlotte.

The band has a song “G Train” (which I will talk about later), but I brought up the fact we were in New York a couple weeks earlier.  I told them we were unable to catch the G Train while we were there.  Funny enough, they laughed and said they would be worried if we did as it isn’t the safest train in New York.  Now, I am glad we didn’t catch it.

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My Sunday Song – “Lips On You” by Maroon 5

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My Sunday Song #88 is going to get downright sexy.  The song of choice this week is “Lips on You” by Maroon 5.  The song is off their most recent album ‘Red Pill Blues’ which was released back on November 3, 2017.

The song was co-written by Adam Levine with a slew of people including Kasher Hindlin, Jason Evigan and two people that are all over the charts right now, Julia Michaels and Charlie Puth.  With that many people involved, I would hope a good song would come out of that collaboration and let me tell you…it sure as hell did!!

This is probably my favorite song on the album.  The deep bass, the slower groove and the lyrics are all so damn hot.  When you throw in Adam’s voice, you have pure magic.  This is one song that should be played when you want to get busy and it will make your partner swoon and turn them in to jelly.  The lyrics will guid you through what you should do.  If this doesn’t do it, let me know and we will file a complaint with Maroon 5 and Charlie Puth.

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Friday New Releases – April 20th

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Welcome to another Friday of new music releases.  There are a handful of good ones that are coming out and I will highlight the ones I want in Blue.  Take a look through and check them out and see what else you want to get this week or what I missed.  Whatever you do, support the bands you like.  Enjoy!!

  • 61CaDGJBrVL._AC_US436_QL65_  Stryper – God Damn Evil – (Frontiers Records):  The first single off this release, “Take it to the Cross” was a shock to the system.  It was more thrash than the normal Stryper music, but it was awesome.  The second single, “Sorry” was more of what you expect.  Either way, they have me excited about this release and can’t wait to check it out.

  • 61HFVOPvWmL._SX120_SY120_  Black Stone Cherry – Family Tree – (Mascot Records):  Black Stone Cherry have been releasing albums every 2-3 years and they are right on schedule with this one.  I love their Southern Rock/Metal sound and they haven’t missed a beat with this one.  Looking forward to hearing the rest.  Looks like it is going to be a heavy week.

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My Sunday Song – “Constant Craving” by k.d. lang

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For My Sunday Song #87, I have chosen “Constant Craving” by the amazing k.d. lang.  The song is off her album ‘Ingenue’ in 1992.  The song did well on the charts, obviously, but it was the song that gave k.d. a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Performance in 1993.  The song was also up for Song of the Year and Record of the Year.

The song had a more commercial feel then her previous releases.  She had been going for a more country style, but her androgynous appearance hindered her acceptance into Nashville and country music.  She had hits on the country charts such as “Cryin’ (w/ Roy Orbison) and other songs, but they were never truly embraced her.  Thankfully for us,  she turned more pop and gave us this beauty of an album and song.

“Constant Craving” is such a beautiful song set at a mid-tempo with loads of different acoustic guitars, an accordion and of course k.d.’s amazing and gorgeous voice.  For the background vocals, they used numerous layers of her vocals as well as the Reclines singer, Sue Leonard to assist on the high vocal parts.  For me, it was the song that really turned me on to lang.  It had such a haunting feel to it and with the utter desperation and wanting of the lyrics and I was hooked.

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