Seconds and minutes...5 songs: Human League, U2, The Outfield, John Mellencamp, Don Henley

Heard this one on Sirius today. The Human League had a few really good deeper cuts (also check out "louise" and "life on Your Own").

 Phil Oakley has a great voice and I think really sings with honesty and conviction.

Human League "Seconds"

                                              

                                                      
        Pretty much every song on "War" is a winner. 
      The Edge shares lead vocals with Bono on this one.
                                          
                                                   U2 "Seconds"(live)

                       

                
                           

  Yes, we still constantly hear the ubiquitous "Your Love", but these guys had some other decent songs....
Producer/Engineer William Wittman had a recognizable sound.
He also worked with The Fixx,  Patty Smyth and Scandal, The Hooters and more.


                                          The Outfield "61 Seconds"

 I admit, as a person that was a big John Cougar Mellencamp fan in the 80's, I've been disappointed as he has been moving away from Rock into Folk and Americana styles of writing and performing, but I've realized he's older and it's his choice... He's probably not going back to the "Crash boom bam" anytime soon. 
Upon acceptance, his new album has some very thoughtful lyrics and gentle tunes running thru it. 
He often performs older hits in this style(with mixed results). Here's a 2014 performance of  an old fan favorite/album cut from the "Scarecrow" days. The song does lend itself to the folky arrangement

                              John Mellencamp Live 2014
                     "Minutes To Memories"

                                     


In this song, the protagonist has loved and lost; won and been defeated..but ,the song has hope.... Just as things can go bad in a "new york minute", things can turn around for you just as fast. You have to hang in and be open to new opportunity....


                           Don Henley "New York Minute"
                 (live 1994 with the Eagles)


The Eagles - New York Minute by 0Ztaylovic0

Orignal Vs. Cover(s) "Rosalie" Bob Seger vs Thin Lizzy, Andy Taylor

"Rosalie" is an obscure old Bob Seger song from his "Back in '72 album. I say 'album" because, strangely it has NEVER been released on even though it contains the studio version of his beloved "Turn the Page"

                                

Irish hard rockers Thin Lizzy covered the tune on their 1975 release "Fighting". The Lizzy boys add some distortion and speed the song up a little.

 


Ex- Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor, always a rocker at heart, covered the tune live and even thru in Thin Lizzy's "Cowboy Song" for good measure. Taylor has always professed his love for Lizzy and is essentially covering their version.

Phil Lynott's raspy voice  really captures the energy needed to sell the song, so I think you've got to give the "win" to Thin Lizzy for dusting the song off and making it a great rockin track.

"Do these songs sound alike?" Aerosmith "Jaded", John Hiatt "My Baby Blue"

 There has always been litigious activity when it comes to songwriting. There are only so many chords and notes..

I tend to notice when songs have the same chords or melodies, etc.

So these songs are in different keys but the chord progressions are the same to my ears. Not complete throughout, but there are enough similarities. The "Jaded" chorus goes from A-F#m-C#m-D
"My Baby Blue" goes from F-Dm-Am-C. 
 When transposed to the other key, the progressions are the same. Those who know theory could explain better (Major to relative Minor to ?, etc..)

The Aerosmith song came out first. Hiatt's song came out in 2003. I think it is entirely possible John Hiatt heard this song and unconscionably "borrowed" from it.

Even taking the "my baby blue" from the chorus of "Jaded"! He seems to take the chord progression from the chorus as well and use it for the verses and choruses of his song.


You be the judge:


                                  Aerosmith "Jaded"

                                            John Hiatt "My Baby Blue"