Although it was a hit in other countries, it puzzles me that "Carnival" by The Cardigans didn't have similar success in America. The song's intro grabs listeners by making them envision someone watching a scary movie before the power goes out and segues effectively into hook-laden, radio-friendly vocals. Starting with the chorus was a smart move, as well.
It's a shame when a song so well-crafted and well-structured falls through the cracks.
I've been working a lot of extra hours lately. While I'm pleased about the increased income that accompanies those hours, there's a hamster-on-a-wheel feeling that goes with an increased workload. Consequently, "Pulstar," an instrumental by Vangelis, has been on my mind. Its tense, race-against-time melody makes me imagine pedaling a bike increasingly quickly and facing a tight window in which to reach a destination.
That feeling is inevitable with most forms of work, I think.
Following up on yesterday's post about hearing Weird Al Yankovic's "Ricky" on KHTR, the same DJ back announced that song exactly the same way on at least two different days. Both times, as it ended, he said, "Playing all the hits and sometimes the weird ones..."
I wonder how many more times he referred to "Ricky" that way. After all, it isn't often in commercial radio that you can merge your opinion of a song with the artist's stage name.
In 1983, I heard a parody song on KHTR. When the DJ back announced it, I thought,"What did he say? 'Ricky," which spoofs Toni Basil's 'Mickey,' is by Weird Alley Ankles? That can't be right."
A few weeks later, I learned it was by Weird Al Yankovic, Alas, in pre-Internet times, before you saw a reference to an artist in a newspaper or magazine, saw it in a record store, or called a radio station and found out who it was, you had to live with your uncertainty.
I must be feeling especially idealistic because my earworm today is "Dreams Of Harmony," a lullaby by Freyda. Its lyrics paint a reassuring view of us all being part of humanity and having value. When you're about to drift off to sleep, that's a comforting image to have--even though it describes a utopia and not, unfortunately, reality.
During a somewhat draining week, my subconscious mind tries to lighten the mood. That's the case right now, as "Peg Ryan's Polka," which the Buckhannon Brothers play on banjo, guitar, and bass, occupies my mind. It strikes the right balance of being lighthearted but not over-the-top. If you think reflexively that polkas are a frivolous musical genre, be advised that there's solid musicianship in this performance.
In 1993, near the end of my time at KCOU, another DJ mused, "What will Kruzin' Music (i.e. the oldies show I hosted) be like in the future? What will (oldies) be? (The band) Arcwelder?"
Over three decades later, based on what I've heard, oldies now include The Cranberries, Nirvana, Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car," "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" by The Charlie Daniels Band, and "I Can't Go For That" by Hall & Oates.
The '70s, '80s, and '90s don't usually take center stage on college radio stations these days, which isn't surprising. They aren't forgotten, however, and that reassures me.