Category: Individual Tracks (CD’s)

SUMMARY:                   RUNNING TIME: 3:50 Min.

This 1979 Donna Summer disco hit first appeared on her seventh studio album, Bad Girls.  The song subsequently won Summer a 1980 Grammy Award for “Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.”  Among the various compilation albums that “Hot Stuff” appears on is 2003’s The Journey: The Very Best of Donna Summer. 

Note: The Journey: The Very Best of Donna Summer album also includes an extended cut (the ‘12” Version’) of “Hot Stuff,” with a running time of 6:42.

REVIEW:

“Hot Stuff” captures a radiant Donna Summer, if one is seeking a disco time machine.  This catchy retro tune is highly recommended.  Aside from other Summer tunes, another ideal download double-feature would be Lipps Inc.’s “Funkytown” from 1980.   

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                8 Stars

SUMMARY:                          RUNNING TIME: 3:43 Min.

Originally, “I Can’t Stand the Rain” was a 1973 Ann Peebles R&B radio tune.  Peebles was one of the song’s three composers; the others being Don Bryant and Bernard “Bernie” Miller.  Among the tune’s subsequent cover performers was Tina Turner for her iconic 1984 album, Private Dancer.  Staying on her playlist, Turner’s rendition would later appear on her 1991 retrospective album, Simply the Best.

For Private Dancer’s 1997 CD release, the song appears twice.  Appearing as a bonus track, its alternate version lasts an extra two minutes. 

Note: Turner’s remastered “I Can’t Stand the Rain” appears on 2015’s Private Dancer re-release.       

REVIEW:

“I Can’t Stand the Rain” may not be one of Tina Turner’s best-known efforts, but it holds up remarkably well nearly forty years later.  Perfectly tuned with its catchy melody, Turner’s vocals make an ideal fit for the song’s moodiness.  Instead of a solo download, the song is best enjoyed as part of either Private Dancer or Simply the Best – frankly, both.  Recommended! 

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                       7½ Stars

SUMMARY:           RUNNING TIME: 4:10 Min.

This upbeat pop tune was initially recorded by Bonnie Tyler for her 1988 album, Hide Your Heart.  This version was composed by Holly Knight and Mike Chapman.  For her own 1989 album, Foreign Affair, Tina Turner covered the tune, with some creative changes (i.e., including a saxophone solo by Edgar Winter).  At the time, Turner’s track length was 5:28.

For her 1991 greatest-hits album, Simply the Best, “The Best” fittingly served as the album’s opening track.  It was also re-edited to its shorter and most popular length.  Synonymous with Turner, it is considered one of her most famous global hits.            

REVIEW:

Suffice to say, it remains timeless pop dynamite.  There is no mistaking how Tina Turner’s sultry vocals bring the endearing lyrics to life.  Well-synced with Winter’s saxophone wizardry, Turner’s energetic “Best” is absolutely recommended. 

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                 10 Stars

SUMMARY:                   RUNNING TIME: 3:14 Min.

“Vertigo” is the opening track of U2’s 2004 album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.  Released as the album’s first cut in late 2004, the song later doubled as the band’s 2005-2006 worldwide tour name.    

REVIEW:

With an upbeat melody reminiscent of 80’s New Wave rock, there is no mistaking that “Vertigo” resonates as pure U2.  Suffice to say, Bono’s distinctively vibrant vocals are well-synced with the band’s instruments.  The energetic “Vertigo” is definitely worth adding to a favorite rock playlist. 

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                8 Stars