Sound and the Fury: The Perfect Pop Single...

 

 Redartz: It's a momentous week for fans of pop music: ABBA has released two new songs ahead of a new album due in November! Those of us who are fans of the Swedish foursome have waited some 40 years (and I was a fan from their start, back when my friends looked at me cockeyed as they played their Aerosmith and Nazereth lps).  For most of that time the likelihood of new ABBA tunes seemed remote. Nevertheless, here we are, and here they are; back with their engaging melodies and catchy hooks. Few acts in rock history could execute a pop song as effectively, as satisfyingly, as Anni-frid, Bjorn, Benny and Agnetha. Indeed, no less than Pete Townsend called the single "S.O.S." the greatest pop single ever made. 

And therein lies our topic for the week. What do you consider the perfect pop single? Yes, there are countless candidates that you could name. My pick- I'd have to agree with Mr. Townsend; "S.O.S." remains a stunningly rich performance, and is still greatly enjoyable even after countless listenings.But that's simply my opinion. What's yours? What are the greatest stand out singles of the rock era? What were your favorites, and why? And feel free to share your thoughts about ABBA, as well. I'll be setting aside funds for their "Avatar Concert" (ABBAtars?) next year...

Two Questions: "Never Again" vs."Never Enough"

Redartz:  Here's a couple questions for you to ponder over, two questions looking at the opposite ends of your musical spectrum. We have discussed favorite songs and performers, and also those we aren't so fond of. Today we will stretch this to the limits of our personal tolerance: 

1.  Name a song you could easily (and indeed would prefer to) avoid hearing again for the remainder of your natural life. 

2.  Name a song you could  still find enjoyable, regardless of how many times you are exposed to it.

Personally, I could list numerous examples of both. But in the interests of brevity, I'll keep it down to 
 two each (you can name just one, or a dozen; we try to be accommodating).

Songs I would be happy never to hear again: Rod Stewart, "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy". That song made me cringe the first time I heard it, and it hasn't gotten any better over the years. And neither has Roger Whitaker, "The Last Farewell"- that song seemed to be everywhere in the mid 70's, including heavy rotation on cheesy commercials. 

Songs I could hear over and over again: ( I won't subject you to the others.above): George Harrison, "My Sweet Lord"- wonderfully melodic, and inspiring every time I hear it.

 Also, ABBA, "S.O.S."-  Just one heck of a great song, with a magnificent arrangement. Debatable, but it could just be my favorite pop song of all time. 

 I look forward to hearing about your 'never again's and 'never enough's...

 

Chew the Fat: Your 'Magic Year" for discovering Pop Culture...

Redartz at 14 (don't laugh too hard)

Redartz:  Greetings, folks. Today's discussion is a result of several recent things I've read, all leading to this central question. Last week Marti had a post asking when you started feeling the onset of 'adulthood', and referring to a general age of 17. Also, I recently read an article from the New York Times postulating about the age in which musical tastes are formed (their assessment: 13 for girls, 14 for boys). Here is a link to that intriguing article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/10/opinion/sunday/1 

After reading these articles, I got to thinking about my own experience in 'discovering' popular culture, especially music and comics. And that NY Times article had it pretty close, for me it was between age 13 and 14. It was 1974, and in February of that year I started collecting comics, and got quickly addicted to what would become a lifelong interest. And here's the comic that got me started, as seen on the stands in February of '74:

As for music, it really entered my consciousness about that same time. I started listening regularly to Casey Kasem on American Top 40, often while leafing through a few comics (hence the books and the tunes became intimately associated in my memories). And those first few months of serious listening really drove some favorite songs into my permanent memory banks: among them Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown", Carole King's "Jazzman", and MFSB's   "T.S.O.P. (The Sound of Philadelphia)". All of which charted in the months right before or during my 14th. birthday. 

This is not to say that my tastes (musical or comics) are locked into that specific time period. My favorite musical era remains, actually, the first half of the 1980's. And in comics, the latter half of the 70's. But the point here is, my 'pop culture awakening' occurred right about the time I was turning 14. Kudos to the NY Times writer for nailing it...

And so, today's question: when did your 'awakening' occur? Our group here covers a wide range of ages, some of us hit our teens in the early 70's, others the late 70's, others the 80's.  But our 'ages of discovery' may be similar. Did the Times call it correctly in your case, or did you start earlier (or later)? What, or who, led you into your interests in comics and music? We'll have our own informal test as to the accuracy of that Times article...