TTT #60: Epic Sax Songs From The 70's & 80's

I have been milling over this playlist for a couple of months.  I think I have finally found a good mix of sweet sax-y music for your ear holes.

The 70's and 80's was a good time from a smooth sax solo meant to bring images of weird late night movies that children shouldn't watch.  There is also the ripping, burning, raunch of a good sax solo.  I have them all in this list.  Even a little of that smooth adult contemporary.

Let's get on with it.  It's business time. Ooooo...


TTT #60 Playlist
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Careful Screaming? Is that an opposite?

Careless Whisper - George Michael

I like starting my list off with a blatant I-know-that-will-be-on-the-list kind of song.  Hooks people it.  Careless whisper has the benefit of having that smooth saxiness with a hint of raunchy.  Look how raunchy George Michael is in that picture.  With his one earring.  Dangling there.  All...raunchy like.

Raunchy.  Raunchy.  Raunchy.

Now the word has lost its meaning.  RAHN-chee.  Ron-CHEE.  RoW-n-CHEE.  Moving on...

Raunch Incarnate


Another Classic...

Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty

I learned while doing this podcast that Gerry Rafferty was the lead singer for Stealer's Wheel, who had a hit with Stuck In The Middle With You.  Who knew?  I certainly didn't.

I tried desperately to try and find a video of an SNL skit that my girlfriend really loves that features this song.  I was completely unable to find it.  My GooleFu has failed me.  I can only assume that this isn't the song that I was thinking of.  Which is annoying.



Tom...Tom...

Who Can It Be Now - Men At Work

Little known fact, at least on the Internet.  When my girlfriend was just a young, tiny Erin she went on a cruise to yo ole El Carrib.  There they played the song Land Down Under enough times for it to cause her eye to twitch uncontrollably even here 10-15 later.  I wonder if her hatred of that song carries over to this one.  This song jams for me.  YeeeeeeAAAhh.

Colin Hay in that picture up there is kind of giving me the creeps though.  I realize that it is supposed to be a funny face but I think there is a fine, fine line between funny and just down right serial killer-y.



This is an Emergency.  Seriously.

Urgent - Foreigner

This is one of those ripping End-Credits-of-Saturday-Night-Live solos that I was talking about it.

SNL Ending Theme



I Ain't Nothin' But Tired (Story Of My Life)

Dancing In The Dark - Bruce Springsteen

In the song Dancing in the Dark, Bruce Springsteen dispensed fair bit of really useful advice.  Such as "You can't start a fire without a spark."  Completely true.  You can't start a fire without a spark.  That's just basic science.

He also said "You can't start a fire sitting around crying over a broken heart."  Also completely true.  There is no way that sitting around crying over a broken heart will start a fire.  Unless you were burning a bunch of candles and listening to James Blunt and right as the chorus of Goodbye My Lover hits you fall down in despair, accidentally knocking the candle down.  The argument could be made then that the fire started when you lit the candle.  So The Boss' advice stands.

He also said "You can't start a fire worrying about your little world falling apart."  This makes me believe that Bruce Springsteen might not actually know how a fire is started.  He may be just eliminating the things he has tried.  You could also start a fire if you're world is falling apart.  \

Think of how crazy this is:

I Don't Even Know What Pink Sidewinders ARE...

It's Still Rock & Roll To Me - Billy Joel


I would go see Billy Joel live in a heart beat.  I want just him and a microphone.  Just playin'.  Ya know?  Just...playin'.  

I really would go see him though.  Hope he goes on tour soon.   Of course if it was just him and his piano, sans sax, I wouldn't get this solo.  That is what this blog is about, I suppose.  Is this blog really ABOUT anything?  I doubt it.  Let's not delve too deep into that chasm.

Not good.



Swayze

Hungry Eyes - Eric Carmen

Ahh the classic from Dirty Dancing.  At least that is what always comes to mind when I hear this song.  The classic 80's movie about a mid 20's vagabond greaser/dancer who seduces a teenage daughter of one of the guests at the Catskills resort in which he works.  When her father doesn't approve of their courtship, as any sane father wouldn't,  ("What do you mean you love him?  We've only been here  for four days!!  Get in the damn car...") the vagabond greaser/dancer tells the father that at no time shall the teenage girl in question be sat in the 90 degree meeting of two walls.  Then proceeds to walk off with said teenager and dance in front of the entire resort.  Mid 20's.  Teenage girl. Everyone just accepts it.  Acceptance.  Pft.  Unacceptable.

Classic 80's.




So...Mellow...at first...

You Belong To The Night - Glenn Frey

Did you know that this guy was a founding member of The Eagles?  I didn't.

Blew my mind.



We and They

Us And Them -Pink Floyd

I have never smoked Marijuana.  I had asthma as a kid.  It stinks.  I also know waaaay too many potheads and most of them, not all, but most, have burned a good portion of their thinking brain away.  Far, far away.  BUT if I did...if I did...I would definitely have Floyd playing in the background.

This is the perfect chill out song.  Which is what I'm told you do when you are really high.  Other than eat of course.  Sit.  Eat.  I can do that without smelling skunk and not being able to breathe.

Still...Floyd...



 The Quintessential Sax Song

Songbird - Kenny G

Look!  It's a young Kenny G and some random white guy that looks remarkably like Screech from Saved By The Bell!






Honorable Mention - doesn't really fit the theme but it is one of my favorite, albeit very simple, sax solos.  Great song.


Thanks for sticking around.  =)

KKNY signing off.