FWIW I’m actually very glad to see this being reported here. This is definitely relevant to the independent music industry, and an often invisible (to those of us who are just or mostly consumers) and obscure side to the “industry.” Maybe this piece could use some better editing to clarify the scope and stakes, but I think this type of reporting is important and valuable, and I’m glad to see this type of writing here at Stereogum. Happy new year everyone!
Signed,
– someone who wants better and safer working conditions for all workers

Sometimes a song is bold and new
Sometimes a victory lap is due
But while this judgment will sound crass
Sometimes a person’s best is ass

Mr B, I disagree

(Hey, rubberbandit, if you see this, whatever you say I’m right behind ya)

Dear Friends From TNOCS,

It’s been a long time since I’ve written a long diatribe on a song I like, so excuse me if I ramble a little. Like all my music analysis here this is just a bit of an off the cuff thing written on the spot, that said, let’s move on, I’ve waited for 15 VIRTUAL YEARS to talk about this, and I’m not wasting my one chance, so here I go:

SHOCKER TALKS ABOUT AN UNEXPECTED FAVORITE SONG (and another song too)

Mr Big. The band with a hopeful and in hindsight somewhat funny name that made it big with such an unexpecting song. A hair metal band with plenty of hair, plenty of musical talent, and…a lead singer who seems like a nice guy. I always think of these guys, and TO BE WITH YOU, as “glam metals” last hurrah, in a way because there obviously groups that had hit songs and moved plenty of records after this, they always struck me as the last hair band who made it to #1 on the Hot 100, in my eyes anyway. One more great triumph before it really started slipping away into the background as grunge and the million other strands of 90s alt-rock rose to prominence. This…from such a simple little song.

I first heard this in a YouTube video doing a little retrospective on it and the band’s history, ant it seemed nice at the time, but it’s grown on me, so much I’ve felt almost protective of it thinking about how much some don’t like it. And, I think, as a way of explaining why, I’m going to do so while also explaining why I do like a similar song we already talked about. Do a little

So in late 1991, Extreme, a hair metal band, had a #1 single with a soft acoustic love song; In early 1992, Mr Big, also (mostly) a hair metal band, had a #1 single with a soft acoustic love song. I don’t think I joined the discussion when we covered the former, but I’ll come out and say I don’t like the latter. It’s incredibly forgettable and goes in one ear and out the other, it just meanders along at one feeling with little deviation, the lyrics are forgettable and when I try to focus on them for the first time now; they just sound trite and weirdly confusing. Oh and it’s so slow and simple that with the exception of the chopped down radio edit the song just goes on for at least a little too long guitar sounds nice, and The singers have nice harmonies, but I’m sorry it just doesn’t work for me. At most a 4, and not one I ever really want to come back and listen to it.

So, To Be With You: why do I like it? Such a weedy, sappy, squeaky love song with lyrics like that. Well, I’ll be honest with all of you: I just love all of it. I don’t think there’s one part of this song I really don’t like. First, the arrangement. True most of it is just simple guitar strumming, but in a song like this: that’s good, it works. It’s a tired and true, easy way to build on a simple love song, and even the strumming has force behind it, with little flourishes here and there. Then there’s Billy Sheehan who keeps it simple but doesn’t just degrade himself to just hitting on the root notes, instead making his bass line flow with the beat of the song, put little runs all over, and that 2 note thump in the pre chorus helps build up the energy where the song needs it, and the one in the solo sounds good too. The drums are just the right level between energetic and minimal, with some kick drum—clap to keep things going and a cute tambourine to add a little flair to it. Also that little slide rights before the song actually starts is pretty slick. Finally, the solo. You’d think a little ditty like this doesn’t need or work with a guitar solo, but Gilbert finds a way to do it, turning the main melody into a plucky slidy solo break, with some lovely runs and deviations that hit against the rest of the song to lift it all up before capping with a twang. It’s a cool guitar solo.

Then there’s the lyrics, and singing. Latter first: it’s lovely. Eric Martin does have a bit of a high voice, but I feel his quivery voice works on an earnest song like this. He does go high but that doesn’t bother me, he even lets it rasp in something of a lite blues howl, and that kinda sets it apart from something like this; he puts effort in an it pays off. Now, it’s said he wrote this when he was a teenager, and I’ll admit that shows with how silly it sounds at times, like “hey girl Ive waited forever just to be with you I hope you like me too” it’s so…hopeful in a youthful way. A lot of people on the web hate that, but it don’t. It just sounds so sweet, so innocent, like I do hear any subtext he honestly wants to spend time with this girl, even if it doesn’t last, he just wants her company after waiting so long. Martin’s singing just sells it: he’s adorable as the narrator this song. Then how they all sing on the chorus like it’s a little singalong with some friends just hits so right and it gets me humming. It’s cute

I don’t care what everyone else thinks, I love it. It’s not trite, not sappy, not wimpy, it doesn’t hide what it means under mild confusing pretentiousness, and it has energy for a laid back acoustic jam: it’s got energy goddammit! So basically I like it (for every reason I do like More Than Words) I love it so much with no downside, I can be objective here, I don’t care whatever you think, if you hate it move along pal I do Wanna here it. It’s my cute happy feel good, and it’s a sweet little 10! 10! A 10 I say.

Thank you and enjoy your day everyone.

Gentle readers, I like “Save The Best For Last”. A lot. I think it’s a beautifully written, produced and performed song. I love the way it flows. And, the beauty of the song is more than matched by the stunning beauty of its singer. Vanessa Williams is beautiful to this very day, both inside and out.

As this song was gaining in popularity, I had the opportunity to travel the three or so hours northeast from Northern Virginia to the Philadelphia suburbs. I would be in Valley Forge for a workweek, performing acceptance testing of new, proprietary mapping software and hardware on behalf of my agency.

A geographic side note: This was the first time I’d been north of the Mason-Dixon Line in my adult life. As a small boy, I’d lived in Denver, CO (about the same latitude as the M-D Line), and in Washington state (waaay north of the line). But, that line of latitude doesn’t mean much in the western states anyway, and I hadn’t been that far north since childhood. As a geography nerd, it was fascinating for me to be in the “northern states”, if only for a week. (BTW, this was the first of many, many trips north over the next quarter century! Loved all that travel!)

At my Valley Forge hotel on that first trip, perusing my complimentary copy of USA Today, I read a feature article on Vanessa Williams and her big hit, “Save The Best For Last”. As I recall, the article was mainly positive regarding the singer herself, but it indicated that the song was far from universally beloved by critics, some of whom derided it as “plastic”. I begged to differ then, and I beg to differ now. Just because a song displays ample production values, and is resultantly beautiful, doesn’t mean that it has no soul. This song has touched the souls of many people.

Here’s hoping that every day, you’re all finding a way to keep the faith, in whatever way that works for you.

I’m rooting for you. Have a great weekend, good friends. Please be careful, take care of yourselves and each other,

…and good on you all.

… And Out March 31, 1992: “Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover” by Sophie B. Hawkins

Top-rate synth-rock lives on in “Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover”—a magnificent single, dripping with tension and power and melodically impeccable. The force of its Pat Benatar-channeling confidence hasn’t waned since it was released. Its two-note chiming synth tone and punctuating bells hint toward Moroder Eighties texture—but then a “When the Levee Breaks” beat bursts open with guitar elbowing in. “Give me an hour to kiss you” Hawkins demands, nearly out-Princing Prince with her desire.

Hawkins name-checks the Stones, but was Jagger ever this passionate in the face of taboo? I was too young, naive and cis to pick up on Queer-coding in the song in 1992, but now that I’m older I appreciate “Lover” as a subversively revolutionary text slipped into great pop song, in the same league as “Father Figure.” It builds to one of the most joyously rapturous climaxes this side of “In the Meantime.” Sophie B. Hawkins may be a two-hit wonder (that’s two more than me) but she only needed one to cement her greatness—and here it is.

https://youtu.be/Lt6r-k9Bk6o

My guess is that the story is that they wrote a really big check.

Downvotes incoming I’m sure, but… the first two paragraphs of Cloud 9’s statement make their case pretty strong. Some responsibility has to lie in those naive enough to think the pandemic was over in May.

how about a single dollar bill, dangled from a fishhook?

At the end of the virtual 90s I’ll put together a summary of my favorite #1s of the decade, and I think that this song will likely be my favorite. That is for a couple of reasons.

When I got back from my mission in the summer of 92, music had passed me by, but it was already doing that before my mission. For all of the ballads coming out at the end of the 80s and beginning of the 90s, most of them didn’t grab me. They were either crass power ballads or overwrought melisma-filled soulful shoutfests. The style just wasn’t pretty to me. But then I heard “Save the Best for Last”. I was immediately taken by how pretty the melody is. And that bass! (It’s just synth bass, but still….) This music is wonderful. But it’s not JUST the music. It’s also the singing. Vanessa doesn’t sing the way that Whitney and Mariah did. Her vocals are tasteful and not showy. And even the lyrics are great. I appreciate the story they tell of a man not even realizing that what he wanted was right in front of him. I wondered what was wrong with you.‘Cause how could you give your love to someone else and share your dreams with me. Sometimes the very thing you’re looking for is the one thing you can’t see.

When I got back from my mission, I was interested in dating to find someone that I could be with forever. I figured that it would be a lot harder to find a significant other after leaving college and I only had a couple years left. After unsuccessfully trying to get something going with a few different ladies, the future Mrs. Crawford asked my roommate for a ride somewhere. She didn’t have a car. But the thing was, neither did he. But I did. (1985 Chevy Celebrity…don’t be jealous.) I took her to run her errands. That same weekend was a Halloween party. I took her there, too. We were immediately attracted to each other, but I was surprised that emotionally the whole event was a little lower key than I expected. I didn’t exactly “zing” or react like a cartoon character in love, but eventually I just knew it was right. Not unlike the sentiment of this song. When we got married the next year, this was kind of our song. I say kind of, because a couple years later she acknowledged that she didn’t really love the song…but went along with it because I liked it so much. (Marriage is full of compromises.) So it may not have perfectly been ‘Our Song’ like in the storybooks, but it’s as close as we got. Objectively, I’d give the song a 9, but sentiment makes it a 10 for me. I really like this song. A lot. I’m so glad it went to #1.

Cheer up you miserable fuck.

this album would rule if it was anyone else besides The Weeknd singing it

They need to quit their moaning and just go have a good time. You can pick up a lot worse things in Mexico than a mild case of omnichord.

Rewriting or Erasing or even ignoring history is just wrong Sing it play it fuck it It doesn’t make a shit people that have a problem with that have problems period. Don’t cave to bullshit socio-crappola!

“The Wild Lesbians” Tour

Pretty sure when Elvis falls under a bus they’ll play “Accidents Will Happen.”