I remember my sister bringing home Live It Up by Mental As Anything on a 45” single. She had heard it in the Crocodile Dundee movie and played it out loud on repeat. This meant that I also had to listen to it! And soon I was as hooked as my sister with this great and to me happy song. So there we were two teens shouting (would not call it singing) the lyrics the best we could.
As far I know Live It Up is the only hit from Mental As Anything – at least I do not recall any other songs by them. A fantastic sing-a-long one hit wonder if you ask me.
You can find the song Live It Up on the album Fundamental by Mental As Anything.
Highest chart position: UK singles chart #3.
Two Hearts by Phil Collins is an easy pop song reflecting exactly what I was listening to in my youth – pop songs that the radio was playing without either much critics from my side or interest in digging into music that the radio did not play.
Breakfast At Tiffany’s by Deep Blue Something totally blew me away. At this point in time I was working in a record store and saw the music video on MTV one evening. As the record store did have it on stock I called all labels the next day to find out where to get it. It turned out that the song was not yet released in Europe so I had to order it from the US – and so I did because I had to have it fast.
In 2012 I attended a Leonard Cohen concert. I did not know that many songs by him but I knew First We Take Manhattan which I liked. My girlfriend and I just went to the concert because two colleges cancelled two days before and we got their tickets. OH LA LA what a night. Going to the concert without any expectations at all and going home with one of the very best concert memories of my life. Totally fantastic evening with Leonard Cohen meeting the audience in the sunset like a gentleman holding his characteristic hat to his chest to greet the audience and saluting the musicians on stage. At this time Leonard Cohen was not a young man running around the stage (doubt that he has ever done that) but he does not have to. Cohen has that something special that just drags the audience to him and maintain a so special feeling though his songwriting and his lovely voice. So when the three hour concert was over I was totally blown away because I had not seen this coming – I have been to many concerts in my life but this was truly a special one. My feelings were all over from very emotional to excited to disbelieve in what I just had seen. From that day I was a fan of Leonard Cohen and monday morning I was at the local record store when it opened to get some Leonard Cohen CDs. Actually there where so many great songs that I did not find First We Take Manhattan the very best – it was overtaken by songs like Take This Waltz, Closing Time and Alexandra Leaving among others. So if You are like I was and only knew First We Take Manhattan I can highly recommend that You spend some time to explore the universe of Leonard Cohen.
When You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet by Bachman-Turner-Overdrive was released in 1974 I was only two years old and therefore has heard it long after its massive hit status. I can remember hearing this track on the radio thinking that this sound was very different from what I used to hear. As I still was a kid my brother helped me call the radio to find out who the artist was. A few days later he came home with the single and I screamed “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” many times a day until my family had enough.
Scenery: On my summer holiday I was standing on a beach with sand between my feet looking after my kinds not going to far out at sea (never got in the cold water myself). Standing there freezing and looking out on the blue ocean I find myself humming Surfin’ U.S.A. by the Beach Boys. Actually the music is Chuck Berrys Sweet Little Sixteen changed to a surfing extraordinaire hit by the Beach Boys. Strange but true. Why this song pops into my mind I do not know because no surfers were in sight. Maybe I was longing for a visit to the USA or my mind try to convince me to learn how to surf. I do not know but I like the song Surfin’ U.S.A, it is a great summer hit.
Just returned from my summer holiday I came to think of Mungo Jerry and the song In The Summertime. Probably because the wetter was quit bad with lots of wind and rain and too little sun I needed a positive music fix. In The Summertime bring me happiness because you can “Have a drink, have a drive, go out and see what you can find” as they sing. This line make me believe that although the wetter might be bad you can still find some nice experiences out there – all you have to do is to go out and find them, it is all up to you.
It’s Oh So Quiet is in my opinion no less than a fantastic cover version by islandic Björk (and a song from her without too much screaming). And without doubt her biggest hit. I am not a big Bjork fan but the sound on It’s Oh So Quiet is great. I like the way the song gets on the way with a kind of lazy mood in a childish tone and in the middle almost stops completely. Simply a music masterpiece that made Björk an international star. I really like this song and have thus also tried to explore the Björk universe but I just can not find the love in it. But never the less It’s Oh So Quiet is one of my favourite songs that I listen to now and again.
Parklife by Blur hit me hard and as I remember it was my primarily gateway into loving the Britpop music scene. The song has a fantastic laidback mood with a great melody and of course the voice of Damon Albarn. Also the video to the song is great fun giving us the life in an English suburb. The lyrics also present the daily life saying:
Jack & Diane is John Cougar Mellencamp’s biggest hit I guess and by many considered to be a classic rock song. I came to know John Cougar Mellencamp on his later album Scarecrow and therefore looked at the earlier work which led me to Jack & Diane. I like the lyrics for Jack & Diane taken place in the ‘heartland’ with ‘ chilli dogs’ and the young loving couple. Great song with a characteristic guitar intro and a classic rock song in my house!