#31 Lynn Anderson

Lynn Anderson- You're My Man / I'm Gonna Write A Song

You're My Man- My, what a quick song. It doesn't follow the typical: Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Bridge-Chorus form, no. I hear, and correct me if I'm wrong, a Verse-Verse-Bridge-Verse-Verse-Bridge... kinda' unique. It was written by a man, Billy Arr, so that accounts for... awe hell, I don't have anything smarmy or negative. This is a cute song and I'm finding it hard to scoff. Maybe the lyric, "Together we're a team that's just unbendable". I like to bend with my girl.

I'm Gonna Write A Song-  She writes this song with the intent for the whole world to sing. But is has the line, "We need more soul saving and a lot more people flag waving" which narrows this song down to America, and America only. Where was this song during the 911 flag-waving that went on? I don't like this song because Anderson's beliefs differ from mine, plus I guarantee that she voted for George Bush Jr. and is a hardcore, right-wing only republican. Behaving like that, Anderson, is not the way to make the world a better place. Give us something better than this, because America does deserve more than what you give. I bet you mainly provide us with glue. Equestrian or not, I bet you don't bat an eye and do sell the meat @ $15 a lb.

Notice the cool, time additions- 10 sec. intro. That is helpful for the budding DJ's that want to skip the second song and ultra-useful for queuing up the first song!

You're My Man

I'm Gonna Write A Song

#30 Bill Anderson

Bill Anderson- Deck of Cards / Thank You Darling
Deck of Cards- The history of this song is greater than this vinyl single. It's a recitative narrative about a soldier to be arrested for playing cards in church. The history of this song dates back to 1762 and that makes the ending lyrics "And friends this story is true because I knew that soldier" fraudulent. Shame on you Bill. Tsk-tsk, for shame.
Thank You Darling- This song is creepy. He whispers his lines and shouts the chorus. I'm so jaded, but all I see is a hostage situation and a poor female having to endure these lines of minutia. The co-singer on the chorus is a female too, and I hope she wasn't bound with a chain and twine, being forced to recite this diatribe. Excuse me, I have to go shower now... unclean, unclean.
Deck of Cards
Thank You Darling (The songs author posted this video! It just gets creepier and creepier. Don't watch it alone or late at night. The horror! Unclean, unclean!)
I also love the vinyl sleeve it came in. Curb Records still exist and release music. A spray-paint design might have been kitschy, but it looks cool today. Congratulations for staying open.

#29 Alabama

Alabama- Then Again / Hats Off
Then Again- Alabama... This is a very soft ballad with a super-loud vocal. I take that this was important to the engineer.  It was the early 90's, so sound effects were the norm in pop music and sound dated here, but Alabama had their foot cemented in audience expectations; they didn't expect much. The strings in the song aren't welcome here. The song is about a marriage or relationship falling apart, so the soothing strings don't accent the trouble here, they just follow the chorus. The points brought up for staying together:
   "We could throw in the towel, walk away with our pride
    Say it just wasn't worth all the tears that we've cried
    But then again, if we give it one more try"
Do you read what I read? Their relationship has been brought to tears, that seems serious and unhappy. And his only solution, is to maybe give it one more try? Give what, more tears, "hearts that fall apart at the dreams" (which is not how that colloquialism is said, but since the prior lyric used the word seems, he didn't want to confuse the audience with a pun... see how little they expect), enduring more pain and regret? What a waste of a recording.
Hats Off- This song name checks better bands, and I wish I was listening to them. There are slight musical refrains, echos of those mentioned, and that is the heart of this song. They flow from phase to phase without error. The ending piano is nice, too. This is a fine introduction to various country styles. On repeated listening, this is a good song. There is even a Bon Jovi lyric thrown into here. Get the fuck out. I'd better get to whosampled and update this song into their database. I mean if whosampled thinks that Sonic Youth sampled the lyric "I don't think so" from LL Cool J's I'm Going Back To Cali, then this really deserves an entry.
Then Again
Hats Off

#28 Alabama

Alabama- Pass It On Down/ The Borderline
Pass It On Down- Preachy, preachy. It's hard to be topical with current issues, but at the time, the ozone had a hole, and the fires in Brazil were brought on by drought, that could have been man-made, but I'm not certain that was exact. The praise of this song and album are high. I just don't hear it. The lyrics are okay, but the delivery is flat. When you say, "And Lord, I believe, From the Heavens to the seas" you might put some effort or change up the tone. You could shout it out, maybe? Something, anything. The constant tone makes it easy to sing along, but when do you start singing the lyrics, "How we gonna' breathe without them trees" and put zero feeling into it? You hit the tree, but missed the target, Alabama.

The Borderline- Charlie Daniels is on this song- Cool! I didn't know he sang anything without a fiddle. This song is bouncy and would have made the better A side. Now Charlie knows how to put effort in the lyrics. He doesn't hold the same tone for every verse. This a great song. The slightly muted guitar solo at the end (or is it a mandolin?) needed to continue; the abrupt fade out is disconcerting. And I'm not sure, but I think wood blocks are used in the chorus. Now theses subtle accents demand repeated listening. That makes this a great song.
On the last picture, there is a advertisement for the Earth Communications Office that still exists. Now that is topical, Alabama.
Pass It On Down
The Borderline (My version is longer than this one. It has a better and broader introduction.)

#27 C.C. Adcock

Cindy Lou/ Done Most Everything- C.C. Adcock
Cindy Lou- There is a drawl to the vocals and I'm sure it is form his Southern roots. The vocal microphone has that fuzz effect that buries it so slightly beneath the music. The simple lyrics make a catchy call and response, perfect in crowds for certain. The addition of the accordion solo cements the Cajun style in this song. The bass is of the classic bouncy material (I immediately reminisce the Tom & Jerry cartoon where Jerry plays the bass using Tom's whiskers for the strings) and I'll bet anything members of the audience will make a "bomp, bomp, bomp" onomatopoeia sound to mimic its rhythm. Great song.

Done Most Everything- A drinking song that I would sway along with, yes! This is a duet with Tommy McLaine, but if it didn't state that, I would have thought he was just overdubbing back-up vocals of himself. The horns add a sleazy twist to this song. The saxophone solo hits super-high notes that leave me wanting more. There are huge accents on the tom tom drums towards the climax, and the final piano/guitar fight capitalize a great song. Perfect addition to my collection.
 Cindy Lou
 Done Most Everything
Oh yeah, check out the A & B sides of the vinyl. Side A is Southside and Side B is Northside. Classy.

Claire the Armadillo

Science, sex, music, drinks, food... armadillos, what more could one desire? While attending The Science Lounge, I met Claire the Armadillo. One day prior, I was telling my girlfriend about a link from A Bad Case of the Dates about a cosmopolitan armadillo braving it up in Colorado. We were watching an active viper crawl around and behold, there was Claire. I fell into silent stupor and didn't want to create celebrity pandemonium, but I had to meet her. I slithered like the herpetological specie around and told her I read her blog. She was ecstatic and let me snag three photos. AWESOME. I rushed home and played "Everyday is Like Sunday" by The Armadillos from the album Alternative Summer.
Claire, if you read this, did you know that there are Gnomes hidden in the Denver Museum of Nature and Science? I've found three thus. If you'd like to search with me and my girlfriend, we are members and adore geeky things... music too.