While he told me all about his life working as a miner in Perth (much to my surprise, there's no digging underground involved, and he says he only spends about six hours out of every 90 on the clock actually working), I found myself going on and on about my old life in Buenos Aires. (He might be my only friend who'd never heard this story.) For the first time since I left BA in March of last year, I think I may have actually started to miss it a little.
I'm over it already (though my Spanish fixation apparently remains). Today, the subject is romance, at least that's what the selections made by my iPod shuffle this morning indicate. Considering the dearth of it in my life recently, I'm surprised by how much romance motivated me as I made my way 'round and 'round Lumpini Park. I guess what they say is true: Absence does make the heart -- and ears -- grow fonder.
"I Can't Help It" Andy Gibb and Olivia Newton-John You'd think a song sung blue by two of the most successful singers of the time (1980) produced by one of the biggest producers of the era (Andy's big brother Barry, who was just months away from guiding Barbra Streisand to the biggest pop album of her career with Guilty) would have gone higher than No. 12 on the Hot 100.
"Cruisin'" D'Angelo What do D'Angelo and Kim Carnes have in common besides being two incredibly talented songwriters? When Smoky sings I still hear violins, but D'Angelo and Carnes are perhaps the only two living singers ever to take on a Smoky Robinson composition and actually improve on the source material. (By the way, the Smoky song that Carnes nailed was "More Love," a 1980 Top 10 hit that was every bit as awesome as the following year's "Bette Davis Eyes.")
"In Another Time" Sade Pop's goddess of love, the queen of romantic soul.
"Wild Horses" Prefab Sprout Listening to Prefab Sprout songs always makes me feel like drifting off in a reverie about love among the clouds, which makes jogging to them a challenge indeed.
"One in a Million" Aaliyah I shudder every time I think of all the amazing Aaliyah songs we'll never get to hear. (And no, I'm not really looking forward to Drake vs. Aaliyah.)
"Miss You" Foster the People If you're going to be known for one song, you could do a lot worse than "Pumped Up Kicks," but it's still a shame because there's so much more to Torches, FTP's 2011 debut album.
"Bodyguard" Bee Gees And there was so much more to the Brothers Gibb than Saturday night fever.
"I'm Your Boogie Man" KC and the Sunshine Band Speaking of Saturday night fever, who the hell invented the word "boogie"? I don't think a sillier one has ever made its way into the English lexicon, and KC managed to drop it into the title of two of his band's Top 40 hits, "Boogie Shoes" and their best one, a No. 1 hit in 1977.
"World in My Eyes" Depeche Mode My friend Lori and I were talking about DM the other day, and she made an interesting point: Although we tend to think of DM as an '80s act, the band actually enjoyed its biggest hits in the '90s.
"Get Money" Junior M.A.F.I.A. Not about your average romance, but rather what, for many, is the greatest love of all.
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