"EL DIABLO" ARCADIA (1985)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

So Red The Rose was an underrated album here in the States. While “Election Day” made some noise as a single, it was the other Duran Duran side project – The Power Station with Robert Palmer and Tony Thompson – that made the biggest impression on this side of the pond. But the themes, songwriting, musicality and production that came from Le Bon, Rhodes and Roger were stellar, including this deep cut, “El Diablo”.

With this track, the devil is in the details. The ocarina comes up big, creating a mystic, ethereal sound. Duran Duran was no stranger to this instrument, having used it most famously in “The Chauffeur”, but that was just the beginning. “El Diablo” also includes a string arrangement of violins and a flamenco-inspired guitar part. Quite ambitious for a side project and a refreshing departure from the hit machine that is Duran Duran.

“One life with the devil do I play. For so long el Diablo is to blame.”

"BIG MAN ON MULBERRY STREET" BILLY JOEL (1986)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

There are few artists more associated with New York than Billy Joel. It’s not just the artist’s hometown. It’s his inspiration – and often the state, the city and its people have been a key subject in his songs. “New York State of Mind”, “Summer, Highland Falls”, “The Downeaster Alexa”, “Miami 2017” and many other songs all reference New York in some shape or form. Another example of this is the deep cut off The Bridge, “Big Man On Mulberry Street”.

Jazz-influenced and featuring Ron Carter on acoustic bass, “Big Man On Mulberry Street” has plenty of big band moments as well as low-key meanderings. It feels like a big production in every way – from Joel’s piano playing to the horn section flourishes. Who is this big man on Mulberry Street? He can’t seem to stay out of trouble. He comes alive at night. He’s always making an impression. And Joel found just the right words to become him for five and a half minutes. When he writes about New York, he can't go wrong.

“Sometimes I panic, What if nobody finds out who I am?”

"1999" PRINCE (1982)

A great title track is par for the course when it comes to great albums. If the title track doesn’t cut it, what does that say about the album itself? This month, the Mental Jukebox will be playing some of my favorite title tracks – inspired by @NicolaB_73’s music Twitter challenge, #TopTitleTracks.

Prince is one of those artists that’s more impressive to me in retrospect. Looking back, it’s simply mindblowing how much ground he covered musically. He ruled in so many different genres, from synth pop to funk to rock to R&B. And, in many cases, he was a pioneer, being the genius behind many music firsts. “1999” is one such song, pushing the lyrical boundaries of pop and paving the way for the Minneapolis sound.

This was a song that I heard and viewed constantly on MTV. The video simply didn’t give it justice because it only reinforced the fact the musicians indeed wanted to “party like it’s 1999”. But the impressive thing about this early hit was that it was a protest against nuclear proliferation. It was a politically charged piece, but people saw it as a party song. On the entire 1999 album, Prince played almost all of the instrumental tracks — and his synth work on the title track was especially impressive on two fronts. First, it sounded like nothing else out there. Second, it helped create a divergent synth pop path away from new wave and into a new genre that bared Prince’s hometown name: the Minneapolis sound.

“War is all around us. My mind says prepare to fight. So if I gotta die I'm gonna listen to my body tonight.”

"PAISLEY PARK" PRINCE (1985)

This month, I’m jumping into the #APlaceInTheSong challenge from @JukeboxJohnny2. Great songs have that special ability to describe places in a way that makes us feel like we’re right there. Each day, I’ll pick a track that I think accomplishes that feat.

One of my favorite Prince songs from one of my favorite albums of his. Around The World In A Day doesn’t get the same accolades as Purple Rain, 1999 and Sign ‘o the Times. But it’s an album that has a lot of nostalgic significance for me. 1985, in general, was a banner year for album releases. So, for me, Around The World In A Day, will always be associated with that rich era. Many of the songs on the album – even the singles – were daring and experimental. It’s the Prince way. Case in point: “Paisley Park”.

The song didn’t chart in the States, and I think it’s because the masses couldn’t appreciate what Prince did here. A true pioneer of rock-driven pop, Prince didn’t let the guitar drown out the rest of the noise, but he picked his spots with flourishes and jams where his axe can make its presence felt. Still, the most underrated aspect of “Paisley Park” might just be Prince’s lead vocals. Few singers can give that melody the dynamism it needs to avoid a monotonous output, but Prince pulled it off. To no surprise.

“Admission is easy, just say you believe And come to this place in your heart. Paisley Park is in your heart.”

"PRIVATE DANCER" TINA TURNER (1984)

This month on Twitter, @sotachetan hosts #BrandedInSongs – which is a head-on collision of my personal world of music and my professional world of branding and advertising. The challenge is to simply pick a song with a brand name in its lyrics or title. I added one more criteria to my picks, which is this: the songs themselves must be as iconic as the brands they mention. No filler here.

The passing of Tina Turner is one of the heaviest losses in the music world that we’ve experienced during the last few years. There is nothing but respect, admiration and gratitude for the Queen of Rock & Roll. One of the most distinct voices on radio and one of the most dynamic performers on the stage. Musicians and fans alike revered her. An old girlfriend of mine even went as Tina Turner for Halloween once. She’s Asian. One of Tina’s songs I’ll always remember is “Private Dancer”.

Listening to the track for the first time in decades, I’m enthralled by Turner’s vocal range – going from those low sultry notes in the verses to hitting those high notes in the chorus with vigor and ferocity. The song was written by Mark Knopfler, but he decided it couldn’t be sung by a male – so Dire Straits took a pass. “Private Dancer” wasn’t written for Tina Turner, but somehow it seems just right for her vocals. Here’s to a great song. Here’s to a legend.

“Deutsche Marks or dollars, American Express will do nicely, thank you.”

"PRESSURE" BILLY JOEL (1982)

This month on Twitter, @sotachetan hosts #BrandedInSongs – which is a head-on collision of my personal world of music and my professional world of branding and advertising. The challenge is to simply pick a song with a brand name in its lyrics or title. I added one more criteria to my picks, which is this: the songs themselves must be as iconic as the brands they mention. No filler here.

“Pressure” is one of the first Billy Joel songs I heard. I was an MTV kid, and the visual storytelling of the song’s video added a whole new dimension to the song for me. It made me like the music that much more. Fast forward a few years and now I’m at Giants Stadium hearing Billy Joel perform the song live. It’s my first concert, so already the moment was euphoric. But hearing the song in a concert setting just brought me back to my childhood days.

The song is like a time machine. It’s not my favorite Billy Joel song (that distinction probably goes to “Miami 2017”). But it’s probably the most nostalgic track for me. Lyrically, the song is pure pop perfection. “Now here you are with your faith – and Peter Pan advice.” But musically is where the song takes some risks, showing Billy’s underrated prog tendencies. The bridge alone proves it, as well as the iconic synthesizer hook that seems more comfortable in a Broadway show than on radio. It’s these small experimental risks that define the song.

“All your life is Channel 13. Sesame Street, What does it mean?”

"LITTLE RED CORVETTE" PRINCE (1982)

This month on Twitter, @sotachetan hosts #BrandedInSongs – which is a head-on collision of my personal world of music and my professional world of branding and advertising. The challenge is to simply pick a song with a brand name in its lyrics or title. I added one more criteria to my picks, which is this: the songs themselves must be as iconic as the brands they mention. No filler here.

I can still remember the first time I heard “Little Red Corvette”, which has the distinction of being the first Prince song I heard. I was watching MTV and the video came on. The video ended up playing incessantly on MTV. I thought Prince was a little cheesy. But I was also way too young to realize how innovative this legendary musician really was, smashing elements of rock, pop, soul and R&B together like no one else before him. “Little Red Corvette” is a shining example of this.

Much has been said about Prince’s guitar playing prowess, and the guitar work on “Little Red Corvette” is really, really good. It comes out in spurts, but when it rears its head, it dominates. The syncussion is very Prince-esque, but the most distinctive aspect of the song are the metaphoric lyrics. The brilliance of the song is that it has nothing to do with an actual Corvette. When Prince died in 2016, the song recharted. A true testament to the song’s place in music history.

“Little Red Corvette, Baby, you're much too fast.”

"KISS FROM A ROSE" SEAL (1994)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: Batman Forever

The trajectory of a song is a peculiar thing. This one started out in a place that most songs don’t climb back out of: the trash can. Seal wrote it well before his debut album, and then tossed it aside not feeling happy about it. By the time he was about to record his second album, he decided to show it to his producer. Together, the two of them resurrected “Kiss From A Rose”. But shortly after the song entered the charts, it fell out. Then, in a twist of fate, it came back with a vengeance, reaching the top of the charts in the U.S. Of course, this second life and incredible success had a lot to do with the fact that it was chosen as the love theme for Batman Forever. But, there’s a lot more to it than that, starting with the fact that there’s just no other song quite like it in history.

“Kiss From A Rose” is as ambitious as it gets. The melody, epic. The musicality, cinematic. The voice, grand. The song takes you on an elegant voyage back in time. They don’t write pop songs like it anymore, and likely never will. “Kiss From A Rose” is like a black and white movie, and exceptionally grand at times. It takes its listeners on a voyage through a caravan of acoustics guitars, synthesizers, drums and string arrangements. But the most memorable part is Seal’s voice. The song display’s Seal’s iconic, soulful vocals with incredible versatility up and down the scales.

“And now that your rose is in bloom, a light hits the gloom on the gray.”

"KOKOMO" THE BEACH BOYS (1988)

After spending an entire month looking back at the 80’s, I realized one thing. I need more. Luckily, a couple of fellow music fans on Twitter came up with the brilliant idea to highlight #30DaysOf80sMovieSongs during the month of April. I couldn’t resist at the opportunity to keep going, to keep listening, and to keep celebrating the decade that has meant more to me than any other from a musical standpoint. Each day I’m playing a different soundtrack favorite on the Mental Jukebox.

Movie: Cocktail

Sometimes we come across songs that exhibit characteristics that are core to a band’s persona, while other songs are complete departures. “Kokomo” is somewhere in between those two ends of the spectrum. The most obvious Beach Boy traits in the song are the song’s theme and its vocal approach. Thematically it lived right in the band’s sweet spot. It’s a song about escapism and good times. On the vocal front, it features those beautiful, wide-spanning harmonies that the band is well known for. And that’s pretty much where the Beach Boy qualities end.

“Kokomo” is, in many ways, the antithesis of Beach Boy musicality. It’s not written by Brian Wilson, or by any other band member for that matter. In fact, Brian Wilson doesn’t even appear on the recording in any shape or form – no vocals, no instrumentation, not even the role of producer. While “Kokomo” was being conceived, Wilson was focused on a solo project, and by some accounts it seemed like the band pushed ahead with the project without waiting for his schedule to free up. It might be one of the lesser heralded songs from The Beach Boys fanbase, but the song soared up the charts and isn’t as detestable as you might expect. Look, if I had to choose between “Kokomo” and Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville”, I’ll choose “Kokomo" every single time.

“We'll put out to sea, and we'll perfect our chemistry.”

"THE SWEETEST TABOO" SADE (1985)

It’s time to get back to my favorite decade. For the month of March, I’ll be looking back at some of my favorite jams from the 80s. These songs often came to me via MTV or the radio. NYC-area stations WDRE, WPLJ, WNEW, K-ROCK and Z100 introduced me to everything from irresistible pop confections to under-the-radar post-punk anthems. I would not be who I am today if it weren’t for the 80s. It was the decade when I discovered music can be a truly powerful thing. #31DaysOf80sSongs

The crossover phenomenon is an interesting one in the music world. It’s not something easily understood because crossover success isn’t a formula. Sometimes it appears like there’s no rhyme or reason to why certain songs or bands found their way across the aisle into other genres with immediate acceptance and success. In the case of Sade, her crossover success from her soul and jazz roots was the song “Smooth Operator”, an irresistible jazzy little thing with equally irresistible pop elements. It opened the door for me to discover that “Smooth Operator” was just the tip of the iceberg. Now there are at least a dozen other Sade anthems that I think are better, including “The Sweetest Taboo”.

There’s immediate intrigue from the get go on this track with those rim and snare hits. It feels jazzy, but then the opening guitar riff opens the door to a more sophisti-pop stance. I first came across “The Sweest Taboo” when I bought “The Best of Sade”, a compilation effort that chronicled a remarkably consistent career. The song’s theme is nothing unusual. The idea that someone’s love can bring out the best in you is very relatable. But the way Sade expressed this notion was unique. Those words “the sweetest taboo” rang like poetry. And what made the track stick in our minds was these instrumental flourishes – from the horn arrangements to the piano interludes.

“Every day is Christmas, and every night is New Year’s eve.”

"LIVE TO TELL" MADONNA (1986)

It’s time to get back to my favorite decade. For the month of March, I’ll be looking back at some of my favorite jams from the 80s. These songs often came to me via MTV or the radio. NYC-area stations WDRE, WPLJ, WNEW, K-ROCK and Z100 introduced me to everything from irresistible pop confections to under-the-radar post-punk anthems. I would not be who I am today if it weren’t for the 80s. It was the decade when I discovered music can be a truly powerful thing. #31DaysOf80sSongs

It’s impossible to revisit the 80s without encountering the imprint that Madonna had on the decade. She wrote, performed and produced one of the most prolific pop catalogs in history. Her style and persona were larger than life – like a modern day Marilyn Monroe. And she was not without her controversies, including her Confessions Tour where she managed to piss off a number of different religious groups and music critics alike with a single stunt. Madonna simulated Christ’s crucifixion, but she was the one with the crown of thorns and the one lying on the cross. I thought it was, well, unnecessary. But it doesn’t take away from the brilliance of the song she performed: “Live To Tell”.

Madonna has said that it was her greatest ballad. In the 80’s, she didn’t have many of them. Most of her catalog – especially the well known songs – were cruising along either as fast-paced dance tracks or mid-tempo radio darlings. I’m not a huge pop fan, but I can’t deny the gorgeous melodies and hooks from “Papa Don’t Preach”, “La Isla Bonita”, “Borderline”, “Dress You Up”, and the list goes on and on. But my favorite Madonna song from the era was “Live To Tell” because the ballad pace was absolutely gripping. Every snare hit and keyboard chord carried this weight to it. It truly felt like Madonna’s personal confession, one that I couldn’t avoid listening to intently even if I tried.

“I know where beauty lives. I've seen it once, I know the warmth she gives.”

"NEW RELIGION" DURAN DURAN (1982)

It’s time to get back to my favorite decade. For the month of March, I’ll be looking back at some of my favorite jams from the 80s. These songs often came to me via MTV or the radio. NYC-area stations WDRE, WPLJ, WNEW, K-ROCK and Z100 introduced me to everything from irresistible pop confections to under-the-radar post-punk anthems. I would not be who I am today if it weren’t for the 80s. It was the decade when I discovered music can be a truly powerful thing. #31DaysOf80sSongs

During my childhood, Duran Duran was one of my beloved bands. MTV helped bring these infectious songs to life with videos that felt like mini movies. And I remember on a family trip, my parents were walking inside the magnificent Leaning Tower of Pisa. But not me. I was in a tour bus with my brother listening to Duran Duran’s Rio on my walkman. The songs gripped me. Simon Le Bon was one of the great lead vocalists of that era. And every band member had legit skills – from Nick Rhodes’ dreamy synth scapes to John Taylor’s funk-driven bass lines. These guys weren’t just a bunch of pretty boys. Everyone knows “Hungry Like The Wolf” and “Rio”, but the entire Rio album had several classics, including “The Chauffeur”, “Save a Prayer” and a lesser celebrated track called “New Religion”.

The second you play the song, you’ve entered another dimension. Rhodes kicks things off with a sense of mystique and mystery. Something interesting is about to happen on my walkman. Then Andy Taylor and John Taylor lead us through a spiraling labyrinth. It’s like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, except my ass is still firmly planted on the tour bus coach seat. I can see the tower out the window, but in my mind a music video is playing: scenes of the band scrambling and climbing over each other to get to the top of the tower where liberation is waiting. I found it, too, inside that stuffy tour bus.

“I've something to see, I can't help myself. It's a new religion.”

"POP LIFE" PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION (1985)

It’s time to get back to my favorite decade. For the month of March, I’ll be looking back at some of my favorite jams from the 80s. These songs often came to me via MTV or the radio. NYC-area stations WDRE, WPLJ, WNEW, K-ROCK and Z100 introduced me to everything from irresistible pop confections to under-the-radar post-punk anthems. I would not be who I am today if it weren’t for the 80s. It was the decade when I discovered music can be a truly powerful thing. #31DaysOf80sSongs

I think one of the more fascinating song themes is the topic of dealing with fame. Various artists have dealt with it in their own ways. Keane’s “Everybody’s Changing”. Smashing Pumpkins’ “Bullet With Butterfly Wings”. Rush’s “Limelight”. And, of course, David Bowie’s “Fame”. These are songs written from experience and come from the heart. They’re not sugar-coated by any means. Maybe that’s why I find this particular song topic so fascinating. In 1985, Prince released his own take, which appeared on the Around The World In One Day album. The song is called “Pop Life”, a track that was recorded even before Purple Rain was finished. It happens to be one of my all-time favorite songs from the artist.

“Pop Life” was a bit of a departure for Prince. Prior to Around The World In A Day, he had made quite a name for himself with the melodies he wrote and the instrumental arrangements he crafted. But “Pop Life” wasn’t really known for either of those things. The song relied on its tell-all persona and its simple groove created by a few sparse, but well-placed elements. That opening synthesizer. The slap and pop bass. Wendy and Lisa’s nearly despondent backup vocals. And a couple of unforgettable samples, including one with a restless crowd where someone yells “Throw the bum out!”. “Pop Life” threw the curtain open and showed us Prince’s view into a world he was immersed in and surrounded by. An absolute treasure.

“Is the mailman jerking you 'round? Did he put your million dollar check in someone else's box?”

"SO FAR AWAY" CAROLE KING (1971)

The decade in which I was born has given me a strange perspective on its music. I discovered pretty much all of the 70’s sounds – from prog rock to punk to disco – well after they came into the world. It wasn’t until the late 80’s that I discovered what I was missing. I would characterize the decade as one where budding genres leaped off their inspiration pads and came to fruition. For the month of February, Mental Jukebox will feature some of these gems with a different 70’s song each day. #28DaysOf70sSongs

There’s a category of music that I like to think of as “greater later” tunes. These artists and albums are less desirable to us early on. Some might even be repulsive. But later in life, we have a change in perspective. The songs we once dismissed become the ones we embrace. As an 80’s kid, Carole King’s songs were still making their rounds throughout my life. I don’t know the first time I heard Tapestry, but its songs have always been lurking – on tv shows, in doctor’s offices, on Lite FM. I thought it was old people music. Well, now I must be old because I think Tapestry is a masterpiece. It’s the great American songbook, stacked from top to bottom with unforgettable songs like “So Far Away”.

Why the change in heart? I think I’ve come to recognize how hard it is to write a really good song. There’s so much meaningless trash out there and so few songs that have an earnestness to them. I don’t just mean the earnestness of the lyrics. I’m referring to everything about the song. The way it’s sung. The way it’s played. This is the beauty of Tapestry and “So Far Away”. It’s one of the most honest expressions about the isolation of being on the road and apart from the person that matters most. “So Far Away” is a song from a pop star perspective that’s just as relatable to the average person.

“I sure hope the road don't come to own me.”

"FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH" BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD (1966)

For the month of January, I’m selecting some of the most memorable and influential songs of the 60’s. While they all hail from the same decade, these are some of my favorite songs of any era. They remind me that the 60’s were so much more than just Woodstock and psychedelic rock. It was a flourishing period for blues, folk, progressive and straight-ahead rock. #31DaysOf60sSongs

On the last day of #31DaysOf60sSongs, I’m reminded of how many great genres, movements, bands, recordings and songs came to fruition during this decade. Arguably it was the single greatest decade of music ever in the modern era. There are songs that exemplify the era. Songs that paved the way to new expressions and genres. And then there are a small handful of songs that helped define the era itself. One of those songs is the iconic “For What It’s Worth”, as monumental as the band lineup itself.

“For What It’s Worth” is a protest song. A countercultural anthem. It is the quintessential 60’s tune. The melody and instrumentation are instantly recognizable from the opening guitar harmonics that quietly appear to the sing-songy chorus. That’s not all though. it has risen above its era to take on a life of its own. “For What It’s Worth” is now part of pop culture – from the Forrest Gump soundtrack to an episode of The Muppets to a sample on a Public Enemy song.

“Paranoia strikes deep. Into your life it will creep. It starts when you're always afraid. Step out of line, the man come and take you away.”

"WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO" THE SUPREMES (1964)

For the month of January, I’m selecting some of the most memorable and influential songs of the 60’s. While they all hail from the same decade, these are some of my favorite songs of any era. They remind me that the 60’s were so much more than just Woodstock and psychedelic rock. It was a flourishing period for blues, folk, progressive and straight-ahead rock. #31DaysOf60sSongs

One of the more interesting and controversial dynamics in music history is the pre-determination of which songs will make it and which ones won’t. Throughout history, artists have reluctantly released certain songs, the thinking being that they simply didn’t measure up. In fact, several classics almost didn’t get recorded. Springsteen’s “Born to Run”, Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”, the Stones’. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”, and Wilco’s entire Yankee Hotel Foxtrot album all fit that bill. So does a monster pop-soul hit called “Where Did Our Love Go” by The Supremes.

As the story goes, when songwriter Brian Holland shared it at first, the girl group was disappointed. They wanted something more upbeat and catchier. They didn’t believe it could be a hit. But they also felt they didn’t have a choice. So, reluctantly they recorded the song with Diana Ross on lead vocals. But once they got the song down pat in the studio they knew they had something special. We know how the story ends. “Where Did Our Love Go” climbed to #1 on the Billboard charts – and the song and its unforgettable lyrics are universally known and loved. I still remember seeing commercials on TV for 60’s soul pop CD. compilations – my first glimpse into this wonderful classic. Ross sings like an angel and the baritone sax solo roars like a lion.

“I've got this burning, burning yearning feelin' inside me.”

"SWEET SURRENDER" SARAH MCLACHLAN (1997)

Each day in November, I’m revisiting a song from the 90’s — a decade that was a sorta coming of age for me. In that span, I experienced high school, college and my time as a young single guy in New York City. It was a decade of ups and downs, and the music never stopped playing during that span. It was always there with me. #30DaysOf90sSongs

Many of Sarah McLachlan’s most well-known songs tend to fall on the slow side of the tempo spectrum, often verging on sleepy and dreamy, including “Adia”, “Angel” and “Ice Cream”. But there is a mid-tempo side that the world has noticed, and this is the pacing that I prefer the most when it comes to her work. It’s the tempo range where some of her greatest songs thrive: “Vox”, “Possession” and the subject of this post: “Sweet Surrender”.

I don’t have to think long and hard about why I love this song. It’s really just two things. The guitars and the vocals. First, the guitars. They weren’t these monster riffs or anything. But anyone who has heard “Sweet Surrender” a few times will remember that song opener and the ensuing sounds coming from the guitar for the remainder of the song. There was distortion, but the tones were beautiful and controlled, not unwieldy. The vocals, on the other hand, seemed to have a sense of liberation. McLachlan’s mezzo-soprano voice is strong and decisive throughout, even as she’s practically whispering sweet nothings at times in our ears. Other Sarah McLachlan songs seem to have earned a great reputation for their vocal performance. I just find it puzzling that “Sweet Surrender” never quite got the praise it deserved, too.

“The life I left behind me is a cold room.”

"ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT" CYNDI LAUPER (1983)

For the month of October, I’m selecting a song each day from the decade that has the most meaning to me: the 80s. It was the decade that I grew up in. The period of time where I discovered my love for music — and explored many different genres. For the next 31 days, I’ll highlight a handful of songs that I truly loved and that were representative of the decade. #31DaysOf80sSongs

Was Cyndi Lauper a product of 80s culture? Or was 80s culture a product of Cyndi Lauper? One thing’s for sure, few artists personified their era more so than Lauper. Right up there with Kate Bush, Madonna and Joan Jett, Cyndi Lauper was the epitome of self-expression. There was nothing contrived about her. No one else dressed like her. No one else danced like her. And certainly no one else sang like her. Which is why even on the cover song “All Through the Night”, Lauper was always doing things her own way.

Originally written by folk singer Jules Shear, Lauper took the song in an entirely different direction, switching from straight-ahead guitar strumming to synth arpeggios and headspinning chords. In true Cyndi Lauper fashion, the night somehow became maddening, frightening and euphoric all at the same time. Listening back to “All Through the Night”, I’m appreciating the synth grooves much more than when I first heard the song. They’re not just uniquely 80s, they’re uniquely Cyndi Lauper in all their eccentric glory.

“We have no past, we won't reach back. Keep with me forward all through the night.”

"AMERICA" PRINCE (1985)

Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

With Prince running around on stage without his shirt or dressed in elaborate purple-colored wardrobe, it was often hard to take this artist seriously. But that would obviously be a huge mistake. Prince was a genius. Bested by no one else in music. Over the years, a very underrated aspect of his musical contributions were the depth of his lyrics, which often took a turn toward political commentary. The album Around the World in a Day seemed to cover a lot of ground, from teenage romance on “Raspberry Beret” to depression on “Pop Life”. But “America” is the one song on the album that has held up the best in my opinion.

Musically, “America” was quite unlike most of Prince’s catalog. It strung together a series of minor guitar chords and seemed to exist in a non-melodic universe. It wasn’t catchy or accessible, but it was mesmerizing. This was Prince’s personal critique and disillusionment with America, with topics ranging from nuclear war and communism to corporate greed and poverty. By releasing it as a single, Prince proved he was often more interested in making a statement than he was in making more money.

“America, America. God shed his grace on thee. America, America. Keep the children free.”

"LET'S GO CRAZY" PRINCE (1984)

Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

Half of the Purple Rain album invaded the radio airwaves in 1984 as Prince explored varying tempos, genres, instrumentation and lyrical themes. The title track, “When Doves Cry”, “I Would Die 4 U” and “Let’s Go Crazy” all felt like they righfully belonged on the same soundtrack, but each had their own distinct personality. And for the latter, you can make the argument that there were multiple personalities at play.

Potent, intense and epic. These are a few of the words that come to mind when I look back at one of my favorite Prince anthems of all time. The song is structured in three key movements: an introduction that’s written like a eulogy, a middle that runs at full throttle and an ending that’s nearly apocalyptic. It’s as if those first few bars on organ seem to reel you into a cathedral. Next, the Linn LM-1 drum machine and the first of two Prince guitar solos knock the pews over. Lastly, one more guitar solo burns the whole thing down.

“Dearly beloved. We are gathered here today to get through this thing called life.”