SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 3:54 Min.
Performed by The Dixie Chicks, “I Can Love You Better” is the lead-off track off their 1998 album, Wide Open Spaces.
REVIEW:
Aging remarkably well, this likable tune is vintage Dixie Chicks. Not only are their vocals spot-on, the down-home charm this trio exudes is readily evident. “I Can Love You Better” makes a terrific download option for contemporary country-western enthusiasts.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8 Stars
SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 6:25 Min.
From Titanic’s first soundtrack, composer-conductor James Horner’s melancholic theme contributed to the album’s 1998 Academy Award win for Best Original Dramatic Score.
Note: Segments of this downbeat melody resurface in the film’s “Southampton” and “Never An Absolution” tracks.
REVIEW:
As much credit as Celine Dion merits for her Oscar-winning “My Heart Will Go On,” one may overlook that this James Horner nautical theme beautifully follows her love song. Somewhat reminiscent of “Amazing Grace,” the well-synched combination of Horner’s instrumental expertise and a choral background makes for a top-caliber melody. As an addition to any instrumental or movie tunes playlist, this exceptional track is well worth the download.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 9 Stars
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SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 3:48 Min.
This live 1993 performance of 10,000 Maniacs comes from their MTV Unplugged album recorded from the same-named cable TV series. Natalie Merchant was still the group’s lead vocalist at the time.
REVIEW:
Bursting with a contagiously catchy up-tempo melody, 10,000 Maniacs are their best here. Natalie Merchant’s vocal performance likely ranks among her finest efforts from that era. As a download option, this live rendition of “Hey, Jack Kerouac,” is an absolute gem!
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 10 Stars
SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 4:46 Min.
As its lead-off track, this U2 tune appears on 1995’s Batman Forever movie soundtrack. Beyond the obligatory MTV music video, it received two Grammy nominations and a single Golden Raspberry nod.
REVIEW:
Contemplating how well it ages (or frankly doesn’t), “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me” is borderline overrated. In its favor is a clever wordplay off an old pop standard. That alone makes this song’s film noir-ish title ideal for Batman’s Gotham City. One might even describe this track as ‘rock noir,’ if there is such a genre. In that regard, U2 devises a funky techno-style melody that makes a great instrumental sound.
Unfortunately, U2’s imaginative lyrics don’t make sense … at least not literally. Let’s be generous and just say the frankly weird lyrics are open for loose interpretation. The bottom line, though, is that Bono’s vocals only disguise so much “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me” as an U2 paycheck song.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6½ Stars
SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 2:53 Min.
This rollicking country tune appears fifth on Star Search alum Sawyer Brown’s 1989 album, The Boys Are Back.
REVIEW:
Closer to country rock than some of their songs, “Hey, Hey” makes a fun diversion. Between its catchy melody and Sawyer Brown’s likable style, the tune holds up relatively well today. Even if the song alone isn’t worth a download, “Hey, Hey” offers sufficient bait to entice fans to considering sampling more of The Boys Are Back.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars
SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 4:00 Min.
It’s the second track of Madeleine Peyroux’s 1996 jazz-blues album, Dreamland. Peyroux also wrote this song.
REVIEW:
Harkening back to old school-style blues, Madeleine Peyroux is a revelation on this track. Backed mostly by a slow-paced acoustic guitar and a little horn action, Peyroux’s vocals make the blues genre seem fresh again, with a zesty jazz twist. Representing her album, Dreamland, “Hey Sweet Man” is a musical gem well worth re-discovery.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8½ Stars
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SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 4:24 Min.
Recorded by Queen as a background tune in the 1986 Highlander film, this upbeat pop-rock track later made its CD debut in 1991 upon A Kind of Magic’s re-release.
REVIEW:
Beyond its catchy melody, the song’s real magic belongs to Freddie Mercury. The boyish exuberance in his vocals brings “A Kind of Magic” to life with plenty of style. Cleverly playing off a line of dialogue from Christopher Lambert’s Connor MacLeod, this tune is ideal for ‘80s pop-rock and soundtrack playlists.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8 Stars
Note: There’s a digitally-remastered rendition of this song on Queen’s 2002 Platinum Collection.
SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 3:53 Min.
From her 1996 The Girl Next Door album, Crystal Bernard from NBC TV’s Wings performs this country-western ballad.
REVIEW:
The song is really more a duet, as the uncredited co-vocals belong to either Billy Dean or possibly Thomas Flora. As well-performed as this tune is, it doesn’t stand out among so many other similar efforts in this genre. It’s a decent download option, but more so, if included with the complete album.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 5½ Stars
SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 3:29 Min.
It’s the first track from Blake Shelton’s 2011 country-western album: Red River Blue.
REVIEW:
It’s a solid lead-off for Shelton’s album. With his vocals in vintage form, he pitches the song’s catchy lyrics well. In that sense, the tune’s writing style bears formulaic resemblance to Track 8: “Sunny in Seattle.” Though this song sounds somewhat repetitive, it’s a good download option for contemporary country playlists.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7 Stars
SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 4:03 Min.
It’s the lead-off track of American Idol alum Clay Aiken’s 2003 Measure of a Man album.
REVIEW:
Reminiscent of Barry Manilow, Clay Aiken seizes advantage of the track’s likable pop melody. Even for non-fans, Aiken’s classy effort makes “Invisible” a viable download option for easy listening playlists.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8 Stars
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