Back in 1992, I took a chance on a rather plain looking album by a singer/songwriter known simply as E. Today most people know E as Mark Oliver Everett, the man behind the alt rock band called The Eels. I heard the single "Hello Cruel World" one night late on MTV and felt compelled to check E out. I was happy that I did. His record, "A Man Called E" is one of my favorites. Filled with catchy pop and melancholy lyrics, the only reason why this record didn't take off was because it was the opposite of grunge. Among many highlights, "I've Been Kicked Around" exemplifies the theme of this remarkable record the best. Worth checking out, whether you like The Eels or not.
I don't envy anyone who has to assemble a "best of" compilation for the legendary Bob Dylan. What a struggle it would be to choose which songs to include! Dylan's first chart appearance wasn't until 1965 with "Subterranean Homesick Blues", which hit #39. After that he scored his first #2 hit with "Like A Rolling Stone" (his second #2 hit would be "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35"). Many of his early tunes before he used a band and went "electric" were not successful by chart standards, but arguably represent some of his greatest material, helping to earn him a Nobel Prize in 2016 - the first ever to be bestowed upon a songwriter. "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" takes a break from his sarcastic political commentary and is a deceptively simple break up song. The music is tender, but the lyrics have that trademark Dylan bite.
The Dwellers is a little-known pop rock band that sounds like a mix of Soul Asylum and Cheap Trick. In 1995, they put out a record called "Whatever Makes You Happy" that was filled with catchy gems like this one, "Rocket Ride". Check them out - they didn't deserve to fall through cracks.
James Durbin is another American Idol alum who put out a great hard rock record that largely flew under the radar. Durbin was on the tenth season of the hit talent show and finished in fourth place. His debut album, "Memories Of A Beautiful Disaster", appeared in 2011, peaking at an impressive #36 on the album charts. The rousing first single, "Stand Up" climbed to #39 on the Billboard Top 100. Unfortunately, it would mark the first and last appearance on the singles chart for the underrated Durbin. "Love Me Bad" was the second single from his debut album and strikes me as one of the finest rock songs of the year. If you're in the mood for a tear-jerker, check out the song "May".
Duran Duran had an amazing run through the 80s, ranking as the 19th best artist of the decade according to Top Pop Singles. They had two number ones in their hey day, "The Reflex" from 1984 and "A View To A Kill" in 1985. They also had a lot of near-misses, such as "Hungry Like The Wolf" (#3), "The Wild Boys" (#2), and "Notorious" (#2). By 1993, it seemed things had cooled off the band as their last top 40 appearance was 1988's "All She Wants Is", which topped out at #22. But their self-titled comeback record proved the band still had some gas left in the tank. The so-called "Wedding Album" returned the band to the top 10 on the album chart, reaching #7 - Duran Duran's last top 10 record before that was 1984's "Arena". The "Wedding Album" also gave the band two more top 10 hits: the extraordinary "Ordinary World" soared to #3 and "Come Undone" to #7. "Too Much Information", however, only hit #45 but it is one of my favorites from the band. Raging about the media and the perils of consumerism is not typical Duran Duran territory, but they pull it off with angst and grace. Makes me wish Duran Duran rocked like this more often.
What a beautiful acoustic song from singer/songwriter Pete Droge. This wonderful little tune comes from his 2006 album, "Under The Waves". Droge has flown under the radar since his most recognizable hit, "If You Don't Love Me (I'll Kill Myself)", surfaced in 1995. That tune was featured on the soundtrack to Dumb and Dumber and probably was a blessing and a curse for Droge. It launched him into the spotlight, but with a novelty tune that really didn't represent the depth of his songwriting in general.
