It’s the last weekend of the summer of 2021. My new music folder seems a bit light at the moment, so we’re going to get a little nutty this week. I hope you find the nuttiness pleasing to your ears.
“Red Hill Mining Town” – U2
Through hands of steel
And heart of stone
Our labor day
Has come and gone
Not about our American Labor Day, but still seems appropriate for the weekend.
“C’mon C’Mon” – The Von Bondies
This has been sitting in my Friday Playlist pool for months and I never got around to throwing it into a list. I believe this was the first song I purchased on the iTunes Music Store after I bought my first iPod back in 2004, so it’s kind of significant.
“Hayfever” – Trashcan Sinatras
A great, great song that never got enough attention when it came out in the mid-90s. The Trashcan Sinatras have a whole swath of great tracks that really didn’t get much attention here in the US.
“Top Gun Anthem” – Harold Faltermeyer, Steve Stevens
I heard this a few weeks back on SiriusXM’s Road Trip Radio station and it made me smile. When I was 16 and I was watching Top Gun like six times a week, I wanted nothing more than an edited version of this song that just played those opening, ominous seconds over and over. After not hearing this for 30-35 years, it still sounds pretty bitchin’. I bet Johnny Lawrence still loves it, too.
“Fletch Theme” – Harold Faltermeyer
Sure, “Axel F” was a jam. But this movie theme is also pretty great. Harold had a good 18 months or so in the mid-80s.
Jamaican music legend Lee “Scratch” Perry died this week. Let’s celebrate his life and work!
“‘Dr. Lee, PhD'” – The Beastie Boys with Lee “Scratch” Perry
The next-to-last track on the last great Beastie Boys album, this kind of blew all our minds when we first heard it in the spring of 1998.
“Police and Thieves” – Junior Murvin
Perry co-wrote this classic track. The Clash later covered it. Murvin hated their version, saying they had “…destroyed Jah’s work.” There are varying reports that Perry both hated it and loved it. More about that in a sec…
“Complete Control” – The Clash
One of the absolute greatest Clash songs – hell, one of the greatest punk rock songs – ever. No matter what his true feelings about “Police and Thieves,” Perry admired The Clash’s early work and agreed to produce this track. You’re my guitar hero!
RIP to Lee.
“Model Village” – IDLES
This was one of my most listened to tracks of the first quarter of the year. I watched IDLES Tiny Desk concert about a month ago and then found this performance of this track. I hadn’t seen them perform before. They are something else! I highly recommend the Tiny Desk show if you have thirteen minutes to kill.
It’s a holiday weekend. So, what the hell! Let’s play two videos!
“Safety Dance” – Men Without Hats
Men Without Hats has recorded a new version of this, called “No Friends Of Mine.” After hearing it, MWH superfan E$ sent me this live performance of the original. It is a beautiful piece of art. Watch for the dude with the jester hat up near the stage.
Have a safe and happy Labor Day weekend, everybody.