Singles 1969-1981

After mentioning Karen in the review for B*Witched (another mention!), I thought I should take this next. Really in its own category, being the only CD I own with music from the 60's, and the only one from the 70's (remember, I don't personally own any ABBA), as well as one of the few from the 80's! And as can be derived from here, the only CD with music from three decades. Are there even many with two? Well, Gold and... No, there really aren't that many of them.

#1 For All We Know 9

I don't wonder at all that this won the Oscar. The structure is overly simplistic but it works for such a short song as this.

#2 I Believe You 7½

I remember having some time already graded this album but of course I don't remember anymore what I gave to this and that song but maybe I'll come up with a fair scoring this time around as well. The lyrics are quite silly "Baby I believe you when you say that every time we make love is like the first time we made love", "Just ask me and I'll marry you"... but on the other hand at least she's being explicit and not just uttering some generic nonsense that doesn't have even this much meaning. Is there music this romantic anymore?

#3 It's Gonna Take Some Time 7½

The beginning of this album has never been my favourite part but I've learnt to like it quite a lot as well. Some very good points but also some bad ones, like the jazzy flute solo in the middle. The choir work is really pleasant.

#4 We've Only Just Begun 9

These "marriage tunes" (#1 & #4) belong to my favourites and are by no means ruled out from becoming part of my own future wedding.

#5 Good Old Dreams 8½

Oh, Poodle Dreams, how we love you :] Actually we don't. For being called "a combination of Top of the World and Yesterday Once More", it's actually quite bad. Well, it's quite fun anyway. The old-time instruments and arrangements sound so different after listening to hours (well, years) of modern music.

#6 Superstar 8

At first I didn't like this at all. The lyrics seemed stupid "Long ago and also far away / I fell in love with you" and too many baby baby babies (though like Kena says, "can there be too many babies?" :] ) and the melody dragging. But somehow even this opened to me after some time.

#7 Rainy Days And Mondays 7

I didn't realise the irony in the title until someone pointed it out to me.

#8 Goodbye to Love 7½

Allegedly something very evolved at its time, with its guitar soloes.

#9 All You Get from Love Is a Love Song 10

First of my big favourites, described by someone as big-band style. Maybe. This is just perfect working music, cheery enough, not too sleepy, nor too aggressive. The rhythm effects are great but the best detail is the line "It's a dirty old shame...".

#10 Top of the World 10

And another favourite in a row. At least half of modern pop songs owe to this something from their chords and melody. The arrangement is a bit too countryish to my taste, though. Hey, maybe I could cover this in my future pop star career? It's very good, not too recent, popular enough, and to my knowledge there aren't too many covers of it. Hmm indeed. A dance version of this could be top notch.

#11 Only Yesterday 8½

"After too long of being alone, everyone must face their share of loneliness"? Wouldn't "share of happiness" be more appropriate? How can you face loneliness after being alone? About this it was said that this actually is two songs in one. And you can hear that, there are so many different parts. Of course, I'm not complaining, being a big fan of many-partedness. However, I don't understand the custom of modulating and then immediately fading out. Well, I don't undestand fading out in the first place...

#12 Ticket to Ride 8

Having heard this a lot more (and maybe also despite that), I like this better than the Beatles original.

#13 Hurting Each Other 9

Almost there... There are some things I won't recommend to anyone. Jumping while in a moving elevator is one. But that doesn't have anything to do with this and it didn't happen yesterday. "I give gladly to you, you give gladly to me" - what are they giving? What kind of trade is this? Or is it like I first heard that they're giving "lad-love"? That would be even stranger. I think I must now use a word I learnt yesterday (once more) from HRL's reviews, "grandiose", to describe the arrangement.

#14 Yesterday Once More 10

Is this the best song of all time? Quite possibly. There's not much I can say. It's perfect and everything pales in comparison.

#15 Sing 7

Now that I've got started borrowing HRL's words, maybe I'll take another one, "fluttery", to describe this. Not unpleasant at any rate, but the more disturbing. The children's choir sounds so cheerful that it can't be real.

#16 Touch Me When We're Dancing 10

The beginning and the A part are so totally charming... Too bad the chorus lets you down. And I like the title as well, although I'd like to be touched also at other times than when dancing :] After YOM, this is clearly the second most touching piece of theirs. The kaiheus is also increased by the fact that this was their last hit.

#17 Please Mr. Postman 10

Can a song get any more upbeat than this? Atmospherically, that is, and cheap silliness doesn't count this time, it has to be genuine upliftment. Of course to be maximally cheering to me, a song must also have a certain degree of wistfulness, like this does, also in the lyric department, with Karen longing for her faraway boyfriend (who, by the way (at least if the video is to be believed) is Mickey Mouse).

#18 I Need to Be in Love 8½

Another song with a theme any human being can relate to, like we've recently quite vividly seen. One of the residents of the middle-table, lacking the absolute edge but still being good.

#19 I Won't Last a Day Without You 8

The last tracks are the ones I have heard the least, probably because I've mostly listened to this at work, where you can't shuffle, and Please Mr. Postman is usually the last one I really want to hear.

#20 (They Long to Be) Close to You 7½

One of their best known songs, mind-blowingly romantic, but never one of my favourites. I always hear "Belong to be..." or "Belong to thee..."...

#21 For All We Know (Refrain)