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Pop Rock Nation

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  • Infatueighties:#88: Higher Love

    The 12" single for Steve Winwood's 1986 hit "Higher Love".
    The 12

    There’s not a whole lot of songs out there that you can recognize by the opening drumbeat. However, you know “Higher Love” is playing the second you hear John Robinson’s virtuoso solo. Robinson was the former drummer for Rufus, and he also played on Michael Jackson’s “Rock with You”, so the man obviously knows how to open a song.

    Speaking of Rufus, this song gets some extra flavor enhancement from the one and only Chaka Khan. The diva sings background vocals and delivers a sassy vamp at the end (“braaaaaang me a higher love!”). The song’s good without her, great with her.

    Then there’s Steve Winwood himself. Already a twenty-year music veteran, this song broke Winwood’s solo career wide open, becoming the first of his two #1 hits. Winwood’s high pitched, soulful wail sounds positively joyful on this song. This was one of several songs (Mr. Mister’s “Kyrie” immediately comes to minds) that were hits in the Eighties and had strong spiritual (if not overtly religious) overtones.

    In February 1987, “Higher Love” took home the Grammy for Record of the Year, becoming one of the few even remotely decent songs to take home that prize during the decade. Here’s a quick run through Grammy’s “Record(s) of the Year”

    1980: “Sailing” by Christopher Cross
    1981: “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes
    1982: “Rosanna” by Toto
    1983: “Beat It” by Michael Jackson
    1984: “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” by Tina Turner
    1985: “We Are the World” by USA for Africa
    1986: “Higher Love” by Steve Winwood
    1987: “Graceland” by Paul Simon
    1988: “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin
    1989: “Wind Beneath My Wings” by Bette Midler

    Only one other song from this list appears on my countdown. Take a stab at who it might be.

  • Seven Years On: Back To Life, Back To Reality. But…

    Today is September 11th, and while I would not only like to refrain from making political statements in addition to not sharing too much of my personal life on this blog, I have written something in reference to the events on this date in every blog I’ve ever had. This should be no different.

    I always scratch my head when I speak to people or read the op-ed page in the newspaper (yes, I still read the paper) and hear or read people saying that people should forget the events that happened on this date. There are plenty of things in life I have no problem forgetting. You can forget songs, you can forget what you had for breakfast, you can forget your house keys, but there’s no way I can forget a day when my world and the lives of so many people changed for good.

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  • Rock N Roll Train (Thoughts on the New AC/DC Single)

    With all the buzz about new music on the horizon, how could we forget to mention the long awaited new single from AC/DC of which I have been craving since 2000 for? You’ll get a full review of the Black Ice album once October 28th rolls around and I’m forced to hit Wal-Mart to get it. Yet, I figured I’d write a quick blurp about the new track that just hit rock and roll radio. The song’s title is Rock & Roll Train and was worth the wait. It’s solid, and has that classic AC/DC sound that was missing on their last two albums (1996’s Ballbreaker & 2000’s Stiff Upper Lip) By classic, I don’t specifically mean that 70’s classic Bon Scott sound, but definitely the classic Brian Johnson sound from the early 80’s. It sounds like something from the Fly On The Wall album, and I’m surprised with all of the buzz over AC/DC, pop radio hasn’t decided to give it a chance to succeed.

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