THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,883) Song — “Like We Were Before”
With apologies to the Talking Heads, the name of this band is Song. And I am featuring a Song song that has a “[s]uperb 1970 power pop Beatle-ish vibe . . . and is produced by Curt Boettcher & Keith Olsen.” (Discogs, https://www.discogs.com/release/11525133-Song-Like-We-Were-Before-Sugar-Lady) Jasonbear writes:
[The song] goes after a Rubber Soul-era Beatles vibe and actually winds up succeeding, although perhaps it’s just a little too on the nose for an homage. Again I really can’t say enough about the lead guitarist Clark Garman– he’s not super flashy, but he manages to extract some really cool, down-home counterpoint licks. Guitarists like him really don’t get enough recognition in my book.
https://rateyourmusic.com/list/jasonbear/jasonbears-reviews-you-can-use-60s-and-70s-albums-only/2/
The name of Song’s album is, of course, Album. Jasonbear thinks “Like We Were Before” was the single (yes, it was the A-side), but he “can’t remember and can’t be arsed to sift through a billion Google results for ‘Song Album’.” (https://rateyourmusic.com/list/jasonbear/jasonbears-reviews-you-can-use-60s-and-70s-albums-only/2/) Ha, ha, ha!!! I had this very problem trying to locate the LP on YouTube after jotting down a note to myself that I had to listen to it. As Song’s only LP, I guess you can call it their swan song.
Jasonbear gives us Song’s history:
This is an interesting one-off from an aggregate led by Mickey Rooney, Jr. (yes, the son of elfin actor Mickey Rooney). Apparently deciding to go the scene band route after some minor movie roles and pop singles didn’t result in stardom, Junior formed a band called Song and released this one album and a single on MGM before parting ways with the label and the group. . . . Rooney Jr. . . . surrounded himself with some bona fide musicians. Lead guitarist Clark Garman absolutely shines on his featured parts, while drummer Shelly Silverman is allotted not one but two solos here, and does a great job of holding down the groove. As for the songs themselves, they tend to be quite melodic, especially when compared alongside much of their competition at the time. (Remember that 1970 was the height of the “heavy rock” era, with fuzz-drenched white blues music being all the rage.) [They] have obviously never abandoned their love of the Beatles and Badfinger, and as such we are treated to some actual melodies amidst the requisite chug and boogie. . . . [T]he amount of solo percussion on this album is greatly enhanced by the incredible Sound City studio drum sound as dialed in by co-producer/engineer Keith Olsen. Nobody could record drums like Keith (the timbre of the kick drum alone is worth the price of admission) . . . . [T]he album ALBUM by the band SONG is recommended, by me, to anybody who enjoys crate digging for old rock bands but who also seeks an album with actual songcraft and melodic components instead of yet another bad trip soundtrack by hippie dope experimentalists with a penchant for fuzztone.
https://rateyourmusic.com/list/jasonbear/jasonbears-reviews-you-can-use-60s-and-70s-albums-only/2/
Not that there’s anything wrong with another bad trip soundtrack by hippie dope experimentalists with a penchant for fuzztone! In fact, Jasonbear says that “if it’s bad hippie dopers you seek instead, well, hit me up because I can recommend several of those as well”!
Pay to Play! The Off the Charts Spotify Playlist! + Brace for the Obscure 60s Rock Merchandise
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