Pointless Radio Reviews: Cruisin'

I decided to review what’s playing on retro pop radio. Because somebody had to. 

“Cruisin’,” Smokey Robinson, 1979

The next time you are at Karaoke Night and a couple start in on the cover version (itself a karaoke song), turn tail and run away until your ears find this. If Smokey is unavailable, D’Angelo’s version will do. 

If all are unavailable, turn to the dictionary and look up “sublime.”

Pointless Radio Reviews: You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine

I decided to review what’s playing on retro pop radio. Because somebody had to.

“You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine,” Lou Rawls. 1976.

Spoiler alert in the title. Superlative crescendo (“But there's no ifs and buts or MAY-bes!”). You need to be sitting pensively, then gesture with a Scotch-on-the-rocks from your leather seat in bar with a smoke mirror walls and dim lighting while this plays. Tell it.

Pointless Radio Reviews: They Don't Know

I decided to review what’s playing on retro pop radio. Because somebody had to. 

“They Don’t Know,” Tracey Ullman. 1984.

Tracey takes on Connie Francis (via Kisty MacColl), and wins, because she sits behind a personalized car windshield with Paul McCartney. A great hit and heavy MTV rotator that we can probably thank for The Simpsons.

Pointless Radio Reviews: Cool Change

I decided to review what’s playing on retro pop radio. Because somebody had to. 

“Cool Change,” Little River Band. 1980.

The albatross and the whales, they are my brothers. ‘Nuff said. 

 

Pointless Radio Reviews: Walking in Memphis

I decided to review what’s playing on retro pop radio. Because somebody had to.

“Walking in Memphis,” Marc Cohn. 1991.

Grunge era-worthy voice gravel with shiny 1990 production. This is what you would hear emanating from a small Emerson AM/FM perched on a cube divider while working at your Compaq at a homebuilders’ association office on Silver Spring Drive in Milwaukee in late 1991. 

Meaning, not by choice. Next.