Wahnsinn - Die Hektischen Flecken

Wahnsinn - Die Hektischen Flecken

2:54

Korrekturen, 2022

Written by Cornelius Quabeck

The song title translates to "Madness."  With a spoken male vocal and alternately hiss-whispered or sung female backing vocals, over a repetitive, slow-building, bass-driven indie rock beat, it creates an ominous vibe.  I can't find the lyrics and can only make out a few phrases, like the repeated "Hast keine Angst / Ich habe keine Angst" and ""Das ist der Horror / So dass ich weiter gehen."  It's minimal in construction; no flashy solos, just bass, drums, and guitar simmering at low heat.  But that restraint is what makes it effective. The effect is closer to post-punk or art-rock than standard indie, with shades of Einstürzende Neubauten’s menace or early Nick Cave's theatrical dread.  The question is, do these guys take it seriously?  From what I've read, no.

Why Did It Have To Be Me? - ABBA

Why Did It Have To Be Me? - ABBA

3:20

Arrival, 1976

Written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus

A duet between a man and woman, in which the man accuses her of playing with not only his heart, but those of all men: "Men are the toys in the game that you play / When you get tired, you throw 'em away."  He follows this up with a chauvinistic shrug, "That's only natural."  And the woman responds, more or less, yes, that's pretty much it, and "it's better to forget me."  For a band that's half women and relies heavily on their vocals, ABBA sure can be dismissive of women.  Well, it was the '70s.

Walking at Night - La Ratte

Walking at Night - La Ratte
3:22
Triptyque de la Ratte, Vol. 2, 2025
Written by Harm Van Essen

Two Dutchmen and a German making a fusion of swamp rock, Texas blues, and Delta roots music.  Sounding like a tamer Black Keys, with raw vocals and old school fuzzy bass-drum-guitar grooves, they nail the effect.  Slow-burning blues rock where the songwriting is second fiddle to the bluesy feel of the song.  It's all muscular drumming and gritty guitar and fuzz; polish doesn't come into it. 

When You Smile - Roberta Flack

When You Smile - Roberta Flack

3:44

Killing Me Softly, 1973

Written by Ralph MacDonald and William Salter

Roberta Flack died yesterday.  I really only know the one song everyone knows — which has its own interesting history as being written about Don MacLean and having the originator, Lori Lieberman denied credit — but never mind all that.  Unlike most of Flack's slow-burning material, this song has a show-hall, New Orleans rag, almost burlesque vibe to it.  It's a jazzy, brisk, brassy love song that makes big claims.  "When you smile I can see you were born, born for me / And for me you will be do or die."  I love this energetic side of Flack and wish she had more songs like this.

Connection - the Rolling Stones

Connection - the Rolling Stones

2:07

Between the Buttons, 1967

Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards

A tight, no-frills burst of British Invasion, stepping slightly away from American roots and giving a brief nod to the melodic stylings of the Beatles.  The song seemingly was inspired by the band's frustration with being targeted for their drug use: "But the bags, they get a very close inspection / I wonder why it is that they suspect of 'em / They're dying to add me to their collections / And I don't know if they'll let me go."  He's just trying to make his connecting flight, man.  Or is it the kind of connection that was meant in 1969's "You Can't Always Get What You Want?"  Probably that one.

Izembe Mfana - Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Izembe Mfana - Ladysmith Black Mambazo

3:41

Always With Us, 2014

The album this track comes from is a tribute to the group's founder's wife, Nellie Shabalala, who was murdered by a masked gunman.  It blends the women's voices of Nellie's group with Joseph Shabalala's typically male-only group.  This adds a nice counterpoint to the tenor blend of Ladysmith; this particular track sounds almost like a conversation, punctuated by clicks and whoops.  The vocal control and harmonies flow over the ear like honey.  Not Sweet Honey in the Rock; that's a different group.

Zu Zu - the Bonnevilles

Zu Zu - the Bonnevilles

2:42

single, 1960

Written by William Maxwell and Albert George

Very little is known about this doo-wop group.  Some sites say the song was released in 1959, some say 1962.  Some say it was written by Maxwell and George, and some have an A. Cooper listed as the co-author.  The Bonnevilles seem to have released only this song, and its A-side, "Lorraine."  Anyway, this is a fine example of late '50s doo-wop, all soaring falsetto, harmony background, and "bop bop bop bop bop" backing.

Ye Banks and Braes - The Real McKenzies

Ye Banks and Braes - The Real McKenzies

2:24

Oot & Aboot, 2003

Written by Robert Burns and Paul McKenzie

Also known as "The Banks O'Doon," this is the third version of the poem written by Robert Burns in 1791.  McKenzie turns it into a fiery Celtic punk number, the ultimate in genre fusion.  The narrator is a proto-Emo, groaning about how even the chirping birds remind him of how life brings him no joy any more.  Even flowers suck now.  "And my false love did steal that rose / And all she left me was but a thorn."

What'll I Do - Bob Dylan

What'll I Do - Bob Dylan

3:16

Shadows In the Night, 2015

Written by Irving Berlin

I haven't put in a great deal of time listening to Dylan's four albums of Sinatra covers, which is a shame, because he made some great versions of classic songs from the greatest songwriters of the era.  In this song, the narrator laments that his love is gone, and he has only a photograph and dreams that won't come true.  The pedal steel guitar really shines on this track, giving it a hollow, noir feeling.

V-Neck Sweater - The Greyboy Allstars

V-Neck Sweater - The Greyboy Allstars

2:35

What Happened To Television?, 2007

Written by ?

A blend of old school funk jazz informed by modern hiphop sensibilities.  The band is apparently named after its founder, a DJ, but there's little of that sound on this particular track.  It's all horns and organ and wailing funk vocals that have a lot of soul but not much semantical content.  It's a decent song, but I'm a bit underwhelmed; it never really gets in your face like it seems it wants to.