Mercury Rising

Well, kiddies, you did it. There was SO much heat generated from the music on my last blog that you have managed to raise the temperature to a much more desirable level.

What?? You're not yet ready for summer? Well, frankly neither am I. It seems that this has been a rare year when we can truthfully say we've had a real winter. And I for one am enjoying it. Before you know it, the thermometer is going to shoot up to the 80s, 90s, and beyond. I just hope that this summer we will not be subjected to a drought to equal last year's.

WHEW!! Just thinking about those warmer temps is enough to make me shed the sweatshirt here for something....cooler. Hey, I know! How about some COOL music? Follow the bouncing ball (or just the cursor) around to access some supremely cool tunes. Ready? Here we go....

This time we'll start off gently. For me, a certain someone always comes to mind when I hear "Cool Change" by the Little River Band from their album First Under the Wire. Go here to see a meaningful video that surely gave me a peaceful feeling when I watched it.

Ready to ratchet it up? Okay, for you rockers, I have Foreigner's "Cold As Ice" from Foreigner, their debut album. I still remember when this came out on the radio, and still love the song. This video was made at a time when Lou Gramm was still healthy and whole, so enjoy it here. Foreigner made some great songs when they were newcomers to the scene, and were pretty hot for a while.

Next up is AC/DC ala Bon Scott once again. There is always an AC/DC song appropriate to the occasion. This cut is "Cold Hearted Man" from their Powerage LP. But this song is found only on the European release of Powerage and thank heaven somebody had the great taste to post it on YouTube, otherwise this gem could not have been included here. Any day I hear Bon Scott is a beautiful day, so check this rarely heard track here. You won't be sorry, I promise you.

So on to one of the greatest groups of the 1960s - 1970s, The Hollies. There are too many hits to list by this band, but "Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)" was one of their bigger ones. Some songs just never show their age. This is definitely one of them, appearing on their album Distant Light. Scope it out here.

Are you getting colder? I am. I'm practically "Frozen". First off, let me say I am by no means a Madonna fan. This song, however, has always intrigued me and I think it may be my favorite on a short list of songs that I like by Madonna. It echoes with Middle Eastern influences, in my opinion, has a haunting quality, and was the best cut from her album Ray of Light. Listen here and see if you don't agree. Again, a certain (different) someone comes to mind, and like the song, the memories are bittersweet and haunting. Some songs have a power unto themselves, as do some remnants of our past.

Ready for something different? I wonder how many people remember this song from 1980 by a band formerly known as Flowers. I am speaking of "Icehouse" by Flowers who decided to rename their band "Icehouse" after the release of their debut album "Icehouse" that showcased their single "Icehouse". Confused yet? Well, just enjoy the video and song. This tune is sort of a rarity that not many people heard. To me, Icehouse (the band) came along just as the music industry was ushering in the age of new wave, and along with acts such as Gary Numan, Joe Jackson, Blondie, and Devo, bridged the gap between the punk rock scene of the 1970s and the bubble-gum pop to come in the 1980s. You may remember two Icehouse hits from the 1980s called "Crazy" and "ElectricBlue". off their album "Man of Colours". It's amazing to me that the band I was mesmerized by in 1980 enough to record their album on an 8-track so that I could take it with me in my portable radio/8-track would be the same band I would dance to gleefully years later in the West Key in a totally different city as an adult who could buy drinks for herself (or have men buy them for her!). Such is the arc that Icehouse has made in my life.

It occurs to me that I made a glaring omission on my last blog of "hot" tunes. It seems I forgot the hottest one of all sung by the HOTTEST fox ever - "Light My Fire", the second single off their self-titled debut album by the Doors. Here is a worthy video showcasing a man with talents beyond what even he could have imagined. Jim Morrison was a poet, genius, drug addict, alcoholic, musician, songwriter, husband, son, and brother. He was gone far too soon, but maybe Earth's gravity cannot hold all the beautiful people away from Heaven's pull. To balance out the heat from this fiery song, try cooling off with "L.A. Woman"off the LP of the same name. After all, it doesn't get any cooler than Mr. Mojo rising, does it? The supreme coolness of this song can be found here.

And there you have it. "Tasty freeze" songs for your chilling out pleasure. It has been MY pleasure bringing them to you. After all, it's merely the second week of January. Which means it will be summer in South Texas in, oh, about 3 weeks!