The Song Remains The Same Or Does It

I spent the past week walking a musical road through my past. Most of the trip was spent in the 70's. Listening to the singers and the songs that were the soundtrack of my life through high school and into college.

Like most journeys that involve a great deal of reminiscing there were surprises and there were disappointments. Songs that I remembered as being great did not stand the test of time, while songs that seemed to have passed me by were pleasant discoveries.

The following songs or artists stood out for various reasons: good and bad.

10CC: For most people including me 10CC is remembered for "The Things We Do For Love". However I was surprised to discover that they had several other songs that were very good including: "Dreadlock Holiday" and "The Wall Street Shuffle".

Barry Manilow: I was never a big Manilow fan but relistening to "Mandy" reminded me that while he may have been to mellow for my taste he was a very good lyricist.

Bee Gees: For a lot of music lovers the older work of the Bee Gees has been overlooked since the big hits of from "Saturday Night Fever". Songs such as "I Started a Joke" and "Massachusetts" have held up surprisingly well.

Blue Magic: I did not remember this band but they have a song "Sideshow" that is very good. It was on a best of the era compilation so I do not know if they have any other good songs but this is one I enjoyed discovering.

Bobby Sherman: When "Julie Do You Love Me" was a hit I like a million other boys just happened to have a crush on someone named Julie. This song has not held up as well in reality as it did in my memory. The lyric is repetitious and the melody is dull I guess when you are ten or eleven with a crush on someone the quality is not quite as important as the emotion the song generates.

Carly Simon & James Taylor: This former couple performed a duet of a song called "Mockingbird". Every once in awhile the melody of this song would become stuck in my head repeating endlessly, I have been looking for this song so I could rehear it since it seemed to have made such an impression. I should not have bothered. In reality this song grated on my nerves when I reheard it. I am not sure why it stuck with me all of these years but I have gotten the urge to hear it out of my system.

Coven/Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods: Both of these groups were basically one hit wonders. Coven with "One Tin Soldier" from The Legend of Billy Jack and Bo Donaldson with "Billy Don't Be a Hero". Neither song has stood the test of time. I was especially disappointed with "One Tin Soldier" I remember watching Billy Jack back than and having that song stuck in replay mode for weeks. Now as I relisten to it I find it trite and ineffectual.

Dave Loggins/Dave Mason: Dave Loggins performed "Please Come to Boston" and Dave Mason sang "We Just Disagree". Both were songs that have faded into memory but upon rediscovery I found that I remembered the lyrics and enjoyed singing along with both songs. By myself of course I would not make anyone listen to my singing voice on purpose.

Harry Chapin: In my mind he is one of the most underrated songwriters of the seventies. Each song that he wrote and recorded had a story to tell. From "Cats Cradle" to "Taxi" his lyrics could grab the listener and take them by their imagination into somebody else's life. Leaving them with a sense of awe when the journey was complete.

This list could go on forever but these are the songs or artists that stood out for some reason today.