Wednesday, January 01, 2014

New Year's Day's Greatest Hits!!!

[I first posted this one on New Years Day of last year, and, while I'm not trying to turn it in into some kind of tradition, I do find it amusing enough to give it the old "One More Time!".

In any case, have a great day nursing your hangovers -- I recommend hair of the dog -- and here's hoping 2014 is better than 2013, which let's face it sucked on ice with the exception of the Zero Hour release of Floor Your Love. Which it wouldn't kill you to order, BTW. -- S.S.]


This is, as I have been wont to say here on many previous occasions, a very sad story, so please try not to laugh.

It also has a certain relevance to today's festivities, which will be revealed later in the narrative. Please be patient.

Anyway, so the other day I was in a cab heading down the West Side Highway in a snowstorm, and the driver had the radio tuned to whatever soft-rock Lite FM station they inevitably have on when they don't have WINS News Radio blasting or some guy from Queens yelling about sports.

I wasn't particularly paying attention, but suddenly some soft-rock Lite FM staple song came on, and immediately I knew three things.

1. I had definitely heard it before.

2. It was probably from the 70s or the 80s, although I couldn't rule out the possibility that it might have been more recent, and it had that whole California soft-rock vibe, which I usually detest, in spades.

3. I had no idea who the guy or the group singing it was, although I was painfully aware that when and if I found out I was gonna kick myself. Because pretty much everybody in the world, at least of a certain age, would have been able to recognize it instantly.

The truly insidious part was that there was something about the damn thing that grabbed me. Yes, the vocals had that laid-back L.A. Mr. Sensitive shtick that usually makes my gorge rise. But the tune was charming, the voicings of the harmony parts in the chorus were really quite lovely, and -- try as I might to deny it -- it was getting under my skin.

Fortunately, because of the roar of traffic, I couldn't really hear the lyrics, although one word -- "architect" -- jumped out. "Hmm," I thought. "There's a word you don't hear in a pop song everyday."

Anyway, I then went about the rest of my weekend, but I knew with an absolutely dread certainty that I was gonna break down sooner or later and look the song up on the Intertubes.

So, late on Monday, I googled "Soft Rock song with the word architect in it" and up it popped.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you...and my fingers are shaking as I type these words....Dan Fogelberg (the horror, the horror!) and his 1980 smash (which I had apparently put out of my mind, probably deliberately, ever since its original vogue) "Same Old Lang Syne."




Well. In case you're wondering, no -- I have no interest in revisiting the rest of Fogelberg's body of work, and yes, I still basically can't stand the whole genre he represents, but goddamn it -- this damn song works and it gets to me. Like I said, it's melodically quite charming, and now that I've actually deciphered the lyrics, it turns out that -- despite a certain smugness that kind of rankles -- they actually make a pretty good little short story.

And the record's not even a new guilty pleasure, to be honest, because I don't feel particularly guilty about liking it.

Sticks in my craw a bit, though.

As I said, this is a very sad story, so please try not to laugh.

Happy New Year, everybody.

And fuck you, Dan Fogelberg, for your pernicious influence. Wherever you are.

Thank you.

10 comments:

GLLinMO said...

Not worth revisiting on any level in my opinion.

But an aside - just noticed that Dave Edmunds has a new album (and even video!!!) out. Probably not a ground breaker, but hey, I'll take whatever this guy puts out. US release date is in a couple weeks it seems. But is available via Cherry Red records / UK. Makes me wonder if any of the upper-end music reviewers have any thoughts... ... ...

Anonymous said...

First Neil Diamond, now Dan Fogelberg: we are not off to a good start for 2014. How about some rock & roll tomorrow.

ROTP(lumber)


Phil Cheese said...

Okay, who is next on Steve's list? Barry Manilow??!! Tony Orlando??!!

steves said...

Tough crowd in here! :-D

Happy New Year, Steve & Shady Dame!

Billy B said...

Back in college, Fogelberg was real popular with women. Several I knew would have maybe 10 albums in their possession and one or two would be Dan Fogelberg.

Kevin Walsh said...

Sadly, Fogelberg passed away in December 2007

buzzbabyjesus said...

I only lasted 29 seconds.

Anonymous said...

Dan got cancer and died in 2007. My friend did FOH for him for 15 years. Said he was an awesome guy...despite his penchant for really sappy music. NB

Anonymous said...

Steve,

An old-time Fogelberg fan here. Dan died of advanced stage prostate cancer on December 17, 2007.

For what it is worth, some of his music and lyrics are really quite good. He had a spiritual element to his writing that gobsmacked hippie chicks in the 70s. Notice I didn't say all of his music. And I'm someone who hates "Leader of the Band." (The grammar sucks in that song.) I bet if you looked at his early work, you might find some real gems.

Just sayin',

Love ya.

Vicki (the one who hearts Al Gore)

Jeff in Denton TX said...

Steve,
This could make you reassess Dan F. or gag. Dan does a Hollies LP track:
http://youtu.be/8mI6qw6LNeE