Classic. And safe. There is no way to avoid swinging along with 'Blueberry Hill,' 'Blue Monday,' was a perfect pick-me-up for my Monday. This is my first review and a compilation album (I'm assuming of single-45s?) is a little tough to do. These are the fan favorites, the juke-box hits. I'd never hate on this, but this particular compilation probably unfairly makes Fats a little one-dimensional. Hmmm, I wonder if there was a box of expectations in our country at the time that he was expected to conform to?

As a kid growing up in small-town Midwest with few radio stations and even fewer record stores, The Cars are probably the soundtrack of my high school driving days – although these tracks weren’t meant for me in the 90’s. Blasting the ubiquitous “classic rock” station (that still endures with the same songs) I came way too late to the game. So I groaned a bit when I saw The Cars on my review queue for today. They were very over-saturated for me and everyone else by classic rock radio. However it is hard to deny this hit-making machine. Maybe there isn’t a ton of substance, but it is fun and I do hear a lot more experimentation than they get credit for. It wasn’t a torture as I thought’d be!

This was a bit of a weird one for me. What am I listening to? Didn’t recognize the name and started trying to guess the decade. I thought it was 80s experimental, but it sounded a little more refined, so went with 87 – wound up being a full decade ahead when I checked Wikipedia. I enjoyed it, but never really got into the grove. Finally, I read that this is the ‘post-soundtrack’ for the 1971 movie Vanishing Point, which I’ve never seen. It’s mellow for most of it, funny in bits and overall groovy. Incidentally, I enjoyed what Spotify offered after the album was over…similar, but more lyrical.

Jeepster – thoroughly enjoyed this song for the first time. Funny. Get It On is pretty damn great, even with all the over-play it has gotten over the decades. Surprised at the ‘Bowie-ness’ of this record. Sometimes has a 60s feel and sometimes a ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ vibe.

I like the hits on this one. And the other ones are…fine. I like them just fine. This album isn’t ’Purple Rain,’ for sure. Some of the duds are truly duds and just don’t land with me. But..It’s Prince! Wish there were half-stars here. I’d probably go 3.5.

Not enough time for notes, but I love this garage, noise rock.

I’d never heard, nor heard of this group. It was great. Funny and inventive. A little bit Beatles and a little bit Ween and Zappa.

I was halfway through this album, not really enjoying it, until I remembered this was supposed to be a conceptual musical/play soundtrack. Once I locked in with that and created some imagery in my head, it became more enjoyable. “Know Your Enemy” is fun. What is it about Billie Joe’s voice that makes it ripe for Weird Al parodying in every song?

I like listening to non-English music. (Most anyways.) It relaxes me? This felt like I was in a hotel lobby in the late 80s.

I thought I would like this more than I did. Up through “Perfect,” all these songs were hitting me wrong. Her voice, the tone, the 90s-ess of it all. “Hand in my Pocket” felt a little better. I wasn’t expecting to love this, but it just didn’t hit me right. Her tone reminds me of someone who smirks and makes fun of everything I do: “Guess you sit at tables now.” **smirk, smirk chuckle** “Oh, okay, CAR DRIVER. Sure.” There are enjoyable moments.

What’s up with the The Boss and girls and little girls? Workin’ on the Highway has the hidden (when you ain’t listening much) depressing message that the guy is working a chain gang because he kidnapped a little girl. The whole album is really depressing lyrics with upbeat tracks. Wikipedia says, “ As Springsteen continued developing "Vietnam", the director Paul Schrader asked him to write music for an unmade film called Born in the U.S.A. The screenplay concerned a Cleveland factory worker who works during the day and plays guitar in a bar band at night.[7]” Makes so much sense. "My Hometown," is super simple and such a heartbreaker and brings me all the small Midwestern town feels. I didn't realize this was the last song and it hits with such a thud. It really sums up the whole album. What an end. Humans are so simple though, every politician (and mostly conservative) since Reagan has tried to use "Born in the U.S.A" on the campaign trail. And every time there are people (like me) sneering from the sidelines, saying, "Did you even listen to the words???" Then you see throngs of people chanting and pumping fists to, okay, a bona fide rocker. Did they listen? No. No they did not. But there's no denying the bona-fide feeling you get colluding with the music and the chorus and ignoring the lyrics. I'm sure somewhere in the mid to late 80s or later some senior class in a small town voted to have "My Hometown" as their class song. We can sneer, "Did they even listen?" I don't think it matters. The feeling is still there. You're gonna feel nostalgic when you leave it all behind and nostalgia is part sadness, part happiness and a feeling you can't shake.

Great album. Jaunty. I’m gonna strut around and shake my head like a fancy man when I listen to it!

Listened to it twice. Lyrically it is superb, and tight, no wasted words.

It’s so many songs! Oh…69. Liked what I got through!

I never jumped on the Winehouse train. No particular reason (except maybe everyone saying I should.) And that train passed me by. I really enjoyed listening to this, but understand the best was yet to come and end too soon. I’ll have to listen to more. I can see why this hooked everyone in 2003, it’s brash and swaggers in way that is super fun and I love the “diss tracks.”

This may not be for me. I don’t know. Just too much of the same.

Can I appreciate that some women adore ABBA, sure. Have I had fun karaoking ‘Fernando?’ Yes. But really…no to all of this. It sounds like a kids’ album. I was not in the mood for cheery Swedes. If you need to play ‘Dancing Queen’ at a wedding reception to get out your glam vibes. Have fun, no judgement. But I don’t want to listen to a full album of this.

Loved all of it. Great album with variety and keeps you listening. Love the ones that sound like the opening to a spaghetti western. That’s all I have time to write.

I didn’t get to dive into the lyrics as much as I’d like. But great album. I did listen to all of it.

Great