Oh, Manchester, So Much To Answer For

Fanfare? I don't need no stinkin' fanfare.

submeat's top 100 tracks of the '70s
001 "When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You," Marvin Gaye (Tamla 1978)
002 "Call Me," Aretha Franklin (Atlantic 1970)
003 "Public Image," Public Image Ltd. (Virgin 1978)
004 "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick," Ian Dury & the Blockheads (Stiff/Epic 1979)
005 "Peg," Steely Dan (ABC 1977)
006 "Lowdown," Boz Scaggs (Columbia 1976)
007 "Broken English," Marianne Faithfull (Island 1979)
008 "No One Gets the Prize/The Boss," Diana Ross (Motown promo 1979)
009 "Break It To Me Gently," Aretha Franklin (Atlantic 1977)
010 "My Forbidden Lover," Chic (Atlantic 1979)
011 "That Lady (Part 1)," the Isley Brothers (T-Neck 1973)
012 "Let the Music Play," Barry White (20th Century 1975)
013 "(I Know) I'm Losing You," Rod Stewart with Faces (Mercury 1971)
014 "I Just Wanna Stop," Gino Vannelli (A&M 1978)
015 "Fantasy," Earth, Wind & Fire (Columbia 1977)
016 "Girl You Need A Change of Mind (Part 1)," Eddie Kendricks (Tamla 1973)
017 "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)," Rupert Holmes (Infinity 1979)
018 "Off the Wall," Michael Jackson (Epic 1979)
019 "Rock with You," Michael Jackson (Epic 1979)
020 "Why Can't We Live Together," Timmy Thomas (Glades 1972)
021 "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)," Sylvester (Fantasy 1978)
022 "Moonlight Feels Right," Starbuck (Private St. 1976)
023 "Golden Ring," George Jones and Tammy Wynette (Epic 1976)
024 "One Less Bell to Answer," the 5th Dimension (Bell 1970)
025 "There But for the Grace of God Go I," Machine (RCA 1979)
026 "Native New Yorker," Odyssey (RCA 1977)
027 "Close the Door," Teddy Pendergrass (Philadelphia International 1978)
028 "FM (No Static at All)," Steely Dan (MCA 1978)
029 "The Killing of Georgie (Part I and II)," Rod Stewart (Warner Bros. 1977)
030 "Suspicions," Eddie Rabbitt (Elektra 1979)
031 "Aja," Steely Dan (ABC 1977)
032 "Sunday Morning Coming Down," Johnny Cash (Columbia 1970)
033 "Are 'Friends' Electric?," Tubeway Army (Beggars Banquet/Atco 1979)
034 "Lonely Boy," Andrew Gold (Asylum 1977)
035 "Angel," Aretha Franklin (Atlantic 1973)
036 "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," Diana Ross (Motown 1970)
037 "I Want Your Love," Chic (Atlantic 1979)
038 "Do You Want to Dance?," Bette Midler (Atlantic 1972)
039 "September," Earth, Wind & Fire (ARC 1978)
040 "Abandoned Luncheonette," Daryl Hall John Oates (Atlantic 1973)
041 "Last Dance," Donna Summer (Casablanca 1978)
042 "He's the Greatest Dancer," Sister Sledge (Cotillion 1979)
043 "Rainy Night In Georgia," Brook Benton (Cotillion 1970)
044 "Disco Nights (Rock-Freak)," G.Q. (Arista 1979)
045 "Sweet Thing," Rufus featuring Chaka Khan (ABC 1975)
046 "Theme from Shaft," Isaac Hayes (Enterprise 1971)
047 "Help Me," Joni Mitchell (Asylum 1974)
048 "Day Dreaming," Aretha Franklin (Atlantic 1972)
049 "Wait For Me," Daryl Hall and John Oates (RCA 1979)
050 "One Nation Under A Groove - Part 1," Funkadelic (Warner Bros. 1978)
051 "Good Times," Chic (Atlantic 1979)
052 "You're the First, the Last, My Everything," Barry White (20th Century 1974)
053 "Cars," Gary Numan (Beggars Banquet/Atco 1979)
054 "Magic," Pilot (EMI 1975)
055 "Good Hearted Woman," Waylon & Willie (RCA 1976)
056 "Sara," Fleetwood Mac (Warner Bros. 1979)
057 "Tragedy," Bee Gees (RSO 1979)
058 "What Am I Gonna Do with You," Barry White (20th Century 1975)
059 "Uptown Top Ranking," Althia & Donna (Lightning [UK] 1977)
060 "Let's Get It On," Marvin Gaye (Tamla 1973)
061 "I Wanna Be Your Lover," Prince (Warner Bros. 1979)
062 "Bitch," the Rolling Stones (Rolling Stones 1971)
063 "God Save the Queen," Sex Pistols (Warner Bros. 1977)
064 "Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine (Part 1)," James Brown (King 1970)
065 "Expensive Shit," Fela Kuti (Editions Makossa [France] 1975)
066 "Night Fever," Bee Gees (RSO 1978)
067 "I'm Every Woman," Chaka Khan (Warner Bros. 1978)
068 "Rapper's Delight," Sugarhill Gang (Sugarhill 1979)
069 "Dance Away," Roxy Music (EG/Polydor 1979)
070 "Suffragette City," David Bowie (RCA 1972)
071 "Love Ballad," L.T.D. (A&M 1976)
072 "Across 110th Street," Bobby Womack & Peace (United Artists 1973)
073 "(not just) Knee Deep - Part 1," Funkadelic (Warner Bros. 1979)
074 "Transmission," Joy Division (Factory [UK] 1979)
075 "The Love I Lost (Part 1)," Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes (Philadelphia International 1973)
076 "Bad Girls," Donna Summer (Casablanca 1979)
077 "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe," Barry White (20th Century 1974)
078 "Lovely Day," Bill Withers (Columbia 1977)
079 "I'm Still In Love with You," Al Green (Hi 1972)
080 "Walk on the Wild Side," Lou Reed (RCA 1973)
081 "I'm Not in Love," 10cc (Mercury 1975)
082 "How Deep Is Your Love," Bee Gees (RSO 1978)
083 "What's Going On," Marvin Gaye (Tamla 1973)
084 "The Chain," Fleetwood Mac (Warner Bros. 1977)
085 "Marquee Moon," Television (Elektra 1977)
086 "She's Gone," Daryl Hall John Oates (Atlantic 1973)
087 "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now," McFadden & Whitehead (Philadelphia International 1979)
088 "Flash Light," Parliament (Casablanca 1978)
089 "Boogie On Reggae Woman," Stevie Wonder (Tamla 1974)
090 "You Belong to Me," Carly Simon (Elektra 1978)
091 "The Payback - Part I," James Brown (Polydor 1974)
092 "Heard It on the X," ZZ Top (London 1975)
093 "(Love Is) Thicker Than Water," Andy Gibb (RSO 1977)
094 "Anarchy in the UK," Sex Pistols (Warner Bros. 1977)
095 "Let's Straighten It Out," Latimore (Glades 1974)
096 "Sophisticated Lady (She's A Different Lady)," Natalie Cole (Capitol 1976)
097 "New York By Night," Dennis Parker (Casablanca 1979)
098 "Rebel Rebel," David Bowie (RCA 1974)
099 "Tush," ZZ Top (London 1975)
100 "Jazzman," Carole King (Ode 1974)

A few release dates might be off. Big whoop. Don't bother correcting me, frankly. However, feel free to bitch and moan about my choices/order, to the usual address. I may (with permission, of course) print the best remarks here.

Without my usual access to new music, I'm resorting to new music magazines. Case in point, the premiere issue of Scratch, which purports to cover "the science of hip hop." We'll see. At first glance, it looks good, but not extraordinary. Full review soon. At least, that's the plan. [Oh, and look who's an "editor-at-large."]

Made myself some new mixes for the first time in eons over the weekend, titled Roadtrippin' 2004.

Volume 1
01 50 Cent f/Snoop Dogg and Lloyd Banks, "P.I.M.P. (Remix)"
02 Aaron Hall, "Don't Be Afraid (from Juice)"
03 Puff Daddy f/Mase and the Notorious B.I.G., "Been Around the World"
04 Ol' Dirty Bastard, "Brooklyn Zoo"
05 Diana Ross, "My Old Piano"
06 Heatwave, "Groovline"
07 Cheryl Lynn, "Encore"
08 Groove Armada f/Sunshine Anderson, "Easy"
09 Earth, Wind & Fire, "Fantasy (Blaze Shelter DJ Mix)"
10 Chaka Khan, "What Cha' Gonna Do For Me"
11 Stardust, "Music Sounds Better With You (12" Mix)"
12 little minx, "03.08.03 audioblogger post"
13 Seal, "Fly Like An Eagle (from Space Jam)"
14 Steely Dan, "Time Out of Mind"
15 Jam & Lewis, "The New Style"
16 Jay-Z, "Regrets"
17 The Notorious B.I.G. f/Nas, K-Ci & JoJo, "Everyday Struggle (Remix)"

This volume should either be subtitled "rest your head on my tattooed chest" or "fuck around get sprayed with Lysol," I think. The best (and most natural) flow of all three volumes; I especially like the opening 1-4 hiphop punch ("Afraid" isn't hiphop, but it's of hiphop), and the ol' skool R&B/disco-ish block in the middle. Once I'm able again, I'll likely post the Steely Dan and Jam & Lewis tracks for download, 'cause you really fucking need to hear them. Volumes 2 and 3 to come later this week, along with - probably - my top 100 of the '70s (I can't carve the list down to just 70, alas). And then, the next such project? A new top 100 of all time, yup-yup.

And my other blogs aren't dead, I swear, just napping. Bought myself a new notebook the other night to do more longhand(-to-be-later-blogged) writing.

I hate it when people I dig quit blogging, don't you? *cranky face*

Fahrenheit 9/11: $21.8 million. Amazing, joyous, hosanna! I have such a liberal-geek hardon right now, you have no idea...

Sad. Very sad. Potentially provocative. Definitely provocative.

Major overhaul of my top 100 tracks of '04 (so far), just in time for the year's halfway point.

And what's that Nas line? "Sick of being shitted on by these high-class hoes," or something along those lines? Well, y'know what? Leaving comments is a privilege, not a right. So email me if you've got something to say. Oh, Manchester is for music crit, not taking shit.

I'm feeling inspired, music-geeky again, for the first time in too long. I attribute it to two things. One is a couple of conversations I've recently enjoyed with the supersexxxy Daddino (he may've used the word first, but I'm stealing it). He's been hearing the new tunes of late that I've not, so he's been helpful. [Plus, there's always Prince to discuss, always.] The other, oddly, is a magazine I picked up at the local Rite-Aid: the new ish of Spin, of all things. Which gives me hope. Yeah Yeah Yeahs are on the cover (albeit with Karen O showing her panties, probably required by the eds for the shot), and inside are pieces on SXSW (Charles Aaron rules, Chuck Klosterman must be stopped), Dizzee (including a grime primer sidebar from Jess), and the Streets, plus some good reviews from the likes of Will Hermes and Co.

It's odd; if not for the internet, I feel as if I'd know almost nothing about music right now, being back in a town smaller than my hometown (where it was Rolling Stone at the library and Billboard from the one local music retailer (and that was just a side gig for 'em, but God bless 'em for it), and that was it). Things just get interestinger and interestinger.

Oh, and I'm going to L.A. in 2 weeks - my first time ever west of Kansas, fer pete's sake. Any music-related destinations that I mustn't miss? Comments box, please. [I've already got the Capitol Records bldg and the Whiskey on my list.]

Oh2, and my top 70 of the '70s is coming along nicely. Should be ready before I head west.

There are legends, and then there are legends - and a true legend has passed on. R.I.P., Ray Charles, dead at 73. No one can, or will, do what he did so effortlessly.

Coming soon: my top 70 (songs, duh) of the '70s. And a whole heap of posts for Doing It To Death (Part 1), speaking of the '70s. Take with as many grains of salt as you find necessary. I recognize that of late, the word "soon" in relation to my blogging is a relative term at best.

Regarding the news event of the past week, I have this to say. I'm no fan of the presidency of Ronald Reagan. I feel he personally has the blood of thousands of people who died of AIDS while his government practiced inaction, ignorance, and worse under his watch, on his hands. Many of his global policies, only beginning with Iran-Contra, were abhorrent. But. I'm filled with a lot of sympathy and empathy for him and his family - most of all, for Nancy. Knowing what Alzheimer's can and does do, and how it affects those closest to one afflicted with it - my 91-year-old grandmother is in its late stages - it's heartbreaking to see the toll it's especially taken on Nancy, who for decades has been so devoted to her Ronnie. So I'm glad his suffering is over, and I'm sorrowful for hers. R.I.P., President Reagan.

Yes, I'm still here. And I'll get back to semi-regular posting sometime soon. Probably.

[This isn't one of those falsely oblique, oh-so-annoying "I'm-shutting-down-my-blog, or-am-I?" posts, I promise. I ain't goin' nowhere, kids. 2 years on next month, and I feel like in some ways, I'm just getting started. It's just that, y'know, life gets in the way sometimes. And I say let it. I'll write when I can, you'll read when you can, and it'll all work out.]

Now that that's out of the way, how great is Brandy's new single featuring Kanye West (ho of the year? or pimp of the year?), "Talk About Our Love"? Easily her best record since "The Boy Is Mine," it feels like with this track Brandy's finally fulfilling the immense promise she's been teasing us with for so long. It also sounds as if getting divorced may have been a good thing; she sounds freer than she has since, hell, her debut album (back 'n the days when she was in her mid-teens, no less). Kanye's soon-to-be-patented-I'm-sure old-soul loop formula works masterfully here, providing a setting for Brandy akin to (some might say) the pairing of diamonds and gold. His rap is just Kanye doin' his thing for 16 bars, nomorenoless. Brandy's voice, however, is ebullient. Superb. A-

Oh, I'm a happy boy today. No, not because I took my Jeep in for inspection - it didn't pass, because it's got a small rusted-out patch in the undercarriage and needs a quartet of non-snow tires, oy fucking vey - but because I've discovered the Franklin Pierce College library, and it's nirvana. Or at least nirvana-esque. As opposed to numerous college/university libraries I've visited which are largely filled with "academic" volumes, the FPC library is larded with plenty of popcult and poplit; in less than an hour I've found such disparate volumes as Rob Durkee's American Top 40 (which I've been wanting to read for four years) and David Leddick's new The Secret Lives of Married Men - not to mention a tiny little book titled Online Diaries: The Lollapalooza '95 Tour Journals, which were originally published online at spin.com, and were written by the likes of Beck, Courtney Love, and Thurston Moore. In a college library. Wowza.

It doesn't hurt that I can also blog from here, either. Say hello to what I'd bet will be one of my chief summer '04 hangouts.

Hi there.

Much busy-ness of late; driving = freedom, and freedom is lovely.
Visited two locations of the Toadstool Bookshop over the long weekend, along with stopping at Homestead Bookshop yesterday (where I nabbed an original hardback copy of E.M. Forster's Maurice for $4! Score!). Even went to Border's in Keene. Book shops are marvelous - low-cost (if you can keep yourself from spending) entertainment. Ventured to the Rainbow Lounge Friday night, which was very nice, if a little quiet (first day of three-day weekend, etc.). Working a lot as well, and getting settled in, familiarizing myself with the area, et cetera. Have been to Dublin, Peterborough, Marlborough, Keene, and New Ipswich in the past four days alone. I love my Cherokee (which, by the way, I've named Colin; those in the know will understand).

In getting around to getting back to my other blogs, I've been listening to a lot of Aretha lately - so much so, in fact, that I burned myself a comp of her R&B #1s from '70-'85. Lord, what a singer. I know, not exactly a news flash, but still, to hear "Call Me" and "Break It To Me Gently," especially, is a revelation with each listen. And the sass which colors "Get It Right" gets it absolutely right (and proves that she makes the most of all of her material, even that not up to the standards of her platinum voice). There's the Queen, and there's everyone else. Period.

Oh, and I think that in not quite 2 weeks, I'm going to this with him (who else?). Yay, queen!