Category: Rock, R&B, Pop, Soul, & Metal/Symphonic

SUMMARY:                                 RUNNING TIME: 2:18 Min.

As if it’s an introduction, leading off The Brian Setzer Orchestra’s 1998 Dirty Boogie album is this rollicking swing jazz/pop track.      

REVIEW:

Unsurprisingly, it’s a “Cat” with pizazz to spare.  Considering Brian Setzer’s history headlining The Stray Cats, this stylish tune is a perfect homage.  Case in point: this track knows exactly when not to overstay its welcome.  Think of “This Cat’s on a Hit Tin Roof” as an ideal sample for The Dirty Boogie – if you love this delightful song, then you will likely love Setzer’s album.     

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                       8 Stars

Note: Another exhilarating choice for contemporary swing jazz/pop is Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s self-titled 1994 album.

SUMMARY:                                       RUNNING TIME: 4:19 Min.

For her 1990 easy-listening album, Have You Seen Me Lately?, Carly Simon performs this track as its finale.  With collaborator Jacob Brackman, Simon co-composed this tune.

REVIEW:

“We Just Got Here” isn’t this album’s best tune, but the song’s wistful ambiance is still vintage Carly Simon.  Considering how  Have You Seen Me Lately? showcases Simon so well, this idyllic track is no exception.  Descriptive words like “thoughtful,” “intelligent,” and “mature” come to mind, as her fanbase won’t be disappointed.  For timeless romantics at heart, “We Just Got Here” is worth the price of admission.   

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                      7½ Stars

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SUMMARY:                                      RUNNING TIME: 3:32 Min.

It’s the eighth track off U2’s seminal 1987 album, The Joshua Tree.

REVIEW:

With some terrific harmonica action, this bluesy tune (particularly Bono’s vocals) conveys a bar-friendly sound.  The song itself isn’t memorable, but “Trip Through Your Wires” is still a solid-enough effort from U2.  It’s worth downloading as part of The Joshua Tree album. 

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                           6½ Stars

SUMMARY:                  RUNNING TIME: 4:18 Min.

It’s the fifth track off U2’s seminal 1987 album, The Joshua Tree.

REVIEW:

The intriguing title alone suggests that listeners should give it a chance.  Yet, that’s really how much this track deserves.  As a moody, low-key ballad, “Running to Stand Still” is essentially a generic sampling of U2’s sound.  In that sense, the song is filler for The Joshua Tree album. 

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:               5½ Stars

SUMMARY:                                             RUNNING TIME: 2:54 Min.

This cover of Chuck Berry’s 1970 song is the fourth track off Joan Jett & The Blackhearts’ 1988 Up Your Alley album. 

REVIEW:

At least, it’s different, as compared to the rest of Up Your Alley.  One reason is that the rollicking 50’s-60’s-style pop melody forces Joan Jett to alter her style enough to match the tune’s lyrics.  While the fast-tempo Johnny B. Good-like song has some kick to it, Jett’s sultry voice is miscast. The peppy dance hall sound needs someone more like Belinda Carlisle. In a rare instance, the Blackhearts are treading close to the same bubblegum turf as Carlisle’s Go-Go’s.  Jett’s “Tulane” is okay as background noise, but it’s otherwise mercifully brief.    

For a similar tune worth downloading, one recommendation is Katrina and the Waves’ ultra-caffeinated “Walking on Sunshine.”

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                          5 Stars

SUMMARY:                                     RUNNING TIME: 3:06 Min.

Released by Imagine Dragons off their 2012 Night Visions album, it’s the lead cut.

REVIEW:

Known for heavy radio play in its heyday, it would have made logical sense to add this tune to The Amazing Spider-Man movie soundtrack, given its title.   Despite its repetitiveness, “Radioactive” enjoys a catchy sound that Imagine Dragons take full advantage of.  Its only handicap is that song resembles other tracks on Night Visions too much.  Still, this soft rock tune offers an ideal download for contemporary rock and workout playlists.      

BRIAN & ROSCOE’S ODD MOON RATING:         7½ Stars