Mary, Mary Lou - Bill Haley & His Comets

Mary, Mary Lou - Bill Haley & His Comets

2:43

Bill Haley's Chicks, 1959

Written by Cayet Mangiaracina

The narrator bemoans the fact that he has been thrown over by the titular chick.  "And all this time I used to / Be your golden rooster / But now I can see that we are through."  Terrific early rock 'n' roll guitar and a buzzy sax keep the song bumping along.  The album this song is from is an early example of a theme album — all the tracks have women's names.  This song is a cover, originally recorded by a forgotten band called Sparks in 1957 (although it was originally spelled "Merry, Merry Lou."  Interestingly, Rick Nelson's huge hit "Hello Mary Lou," written by Gene Pitney, was the subject of a plagiarism suit by the record label that owned this song

Tomorrow Night - Lonnie Johnson

Tomorrow Night - Lonnie Johnson

3:05

single, 1948

Written by Sam Coslow and Wilhelm Grosz, 1939

I know this song from Dylan's version on Good As I Been To You.  It's a gentle, bluesy ballad, but a vocal, more in the style of the Ink Spots than what we think of as the blues.  An emotionally charged vocal, with tinkling piano and barely-there guitar lines, plus crooning background vocals.  It was Johnson's biggest hit and became known as his theme song.  

She Bangs the Drums - Stone Roses

She Bangs the Drums - Stone Roses

3:52

The Stone Roses, 1999

Written by Ian Brown and John Squire

I don't know anything about this band, having studiously ignored all the Britpop scenesters of the moment back in the day.  I don't really get the hype that this band received at its start, or the hype it's gotten in retrospect.  One of the greatest albums of all time?  I just don't see why.  I don't dislike the song.  It's a fine example of jangle-pop, a good indie rock anthem.  I do like the lyrics, but they ultimately disappoint; the song is overlong, boasting only two intriguing verses and then the chorus repeated.  I feel like it could have been something great but didn't quite get there.  The chorus says, "There are no words / To describe the way I feel."  Well maybe try a bit harder then, lads, eh?

Twilight Campfighter - Guided By Voices

Twilight Campfighter - Guided By Voices

3:07

Isolation Drills, 2001

Written by Robert Pollard

I don't know much about GbV, but this is a damn fine rock song, sounding a little like late-period REM, highly polished.  The lyrics are image-rich and obscure: "With light revealing holy grails / To hike through dangerous weather, you need twilight eyes."  The song seems to be about longing for something more, finding a partner who isn't comfortable with just material things ("As we vegetate and wait around for brighter days / And can dance contented to the sound of money") but challenges you. 

Bar-B-Q - Wendy Rene

Bar-B-Q - Wendy Rene

2:29

single, 1964

Written by Larry Brown and Steve Cropper

Stax soul belter sings a paean to barbecue.  If there's a metaphor here, it's not readily apparent.  This really is about having some barbecue with family: "My old dog has got a bone / And he wants some barbecue."  It's a pretty rote, factory-made song, lyrically, and I don't get the sense that Rene brought any of herself into it, but she sure sings the heck out of it.  

I Don't Want To Grow Up - The Ramones

I Don't Want To Grow Up - The Ramones

2:45

¡Adios Amigos!, 1995

Written by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan, 1992

A straightforward cover of what I think of as a lesser Waits song, although there's nothing wrong with it.  They reduce it here to its essentials; I mean, it sounds like a Ramones song, which sounds like all the others.  The Ramones really only had one trick, and they play it here.  It even starts "one two three four!"

I Wanna Say Hello- Pee Wee King

I Wanna Say Hello - Pee Wee King

1:41

single, 1952

Written by Jimmy MacDonald and Jack Hoffman

An old-timey country vocal, saloon style, almost barbershop, with organ and piano breaks.  I can find very little about this song online, although King is a fairly large figure in country, having written "Tennessee Waltz."  I note that a few other acts have done this song, but it seems as though King recorded his in 1952.  It's a fun tune; it would be nice to see the original single, if such a thing exists.

CIA Man [live] - The Fugs

CIA Man [live] - The Fugs

3:29

Refuse To Be Burnt-Out, 1984

Written by Tuli Kupferberg

The Fugs were an avant-garde proto-prog band, truly counter-culture, underground, like a Doors with a dark sense of humor.  The FBI apparently kept a thick file on this band, calling them repulsive.  "Who can kill a general in his bed / Overthrow dictators if they're Red? / Fuckin' A, man! / CIA Man!"  This is a live version; the original was released in the 1960s and included on later versions of their first album.  Unlike a lot of angry political underground bands, these guys can hold their own musically, too.  

Smokin' In the Boy's Room - Brownsville Station

Smokin' In the Boy's Room - Brownsville Station

2:56

Yeah!, 1973

Written by Cub Koda and Michael Lutz

I only know this song from the Mötley Crüe version, which I don't know very well since I've never been a fan of that type of over the top metal.  This is done in a country-glam-rock style with a harder edge.  It's an example of the rebellious school kid song that was more popular in the 1950s.  It doesn't really move me one way or the other.  I find it silly, but inoffensive.  And yes, the errant apostrophe is in the original. I guess the titular room belongs to one boy.

Mr. Thrill - Mildred Jones

Mr. Thrill - Mildred Jones

2:33

single, 1954

Written by Mildred Jones

This song extols a Cadillac as extended, and thinly veiled, sexual metaphor.  ("When he put it in, ungh!  Put it in my garage / Ride so easy cause he keeps his battery charged."  And in case you miss the point, "My daddy’s got a long, long, long Cadillac.")  Screaming horns and a rollicking piano (possibly played by Fats Domino!) add to the bordello-band feel.  What a ribald delight!