Entertainment/Ticket

Thursday, Jul. 24, 2008

Songs to listen to from this year's fair lineup of idols and divas

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With acts like Stone Temple Pilots, Rod Stewart and Fergie involved, you could make a pretty good compilation CD based on the acts from this year’s Mid-State Fair.

Alas, a CD only holds so much music. And, for that matter, newspaper stories can only be so long. So Tribune entertainment writers Sarah Linn and Pat Pemberton have compiled a list of the top 10 songs from this year’s fair acts.

Each reporter alternated picks, selecting one song from each performer, starting with:

10) “London Bridge,” Fergie

Sarah: Love her or hate her, Fergie has come a long way since her days as “that hot blonde chick from Black Eyed Peas.”

On her one and only solo album, “The Dutchess,” she cranks out insanely catchy hits sizzling with sexuality. There’s hip-hop, electro-pop and even some softer, sweeter songs.

“London Bridge” has everything you’d want from a club hit: flirty lyrics, funky horns and a booty-shakin’ bass line. It’s positively “Fergilicious.”

9) “Help Me, Rhonda,” Al Jardine

Pat: There are better Beach Boys songs. But I’m including this one because Jardine, the former Beach Boy guitarist, sings the lead vocal — and because he had to record this with adversity: An intoxicated Murry Wilson — father of Brian, Carl and Dennis — interrupted the recording sessions with unwanted, rambling advice, leading to an argument with Brian Wilson. All the while, the tape was rolling. When you listen to the session (now readily available online), you can appreciate the song even more. Interesting note: The band sings the words “Help me, Rhonda” 39 times.

8) “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?”, Paula Cole

Sarah: Paula Cole shows off her impressive pipes and sex appeal in this wistful ode to the American West. “Cowboys” starts off sassy and segues to anger as the narrator — a farmwife trapped in a mundane, loveless relationship — shares her frustration. All of her bitterness comes through strong in the line, “I will wash the dishes, while you go have a beer.”

It’s a solid pop song and way better than “I Don’t Want to Wait,” the theme song for teen drama “Dawson’s Creek”

7) “Lido Shuffle,” Boz Scaggs

Pat Pemberton: I especially like the bass intro, which helps build anticipation. In this song, Lido is a gambler who’s been told by a woman to tow the line, leading him to promise: “One more job oughta get it, one last shot before we quit it.” There’s lots of good alliteration here, like, “At a tombstone bar, in a juke joint car, he made a stop” and “he be makin’ like a bee line, headin’ for the borderline, going for broke.” I also appreciate the horns, which help create a fun, bouncy mood.

6) “Vasoline,” Stone Temple Pilots

Sarah: Alt-rock idols Stone Temple Pilots have several solid hits — “Sex Type Thing,” “Plush,” “Creep” and “Interstate Love Song,” to name a few.

Still, one of my favorite songs has to be the short but sweet “Vasoline.” Coupled with Scott Weiland’s expressive voice, it’s got grinding guitar and a big dose of Gen-X angst.

No wonder STP is popular with fans of the video game “Rock Band” (several of the band’s songs are available for the game). It’s the kind of music you love to play.

5) “It’s Only Love,” Bryan Adams

Pat: In the mid-’80s, both Adams and Tina Turner were on a roll. While their styles didn’t seem to match, this pair actually had great chemistry together, as seen in the video of them performing “It’s Only Love” live. Of course, the cool factor would be taken out of this song a few years later when Adams performed it with Celine Dion. But I’m going to try not to think about that.

4) “Bigger Than My Body,” John Mayer

Sarah: There are two John Mayers.

There’s the cute, sensitive tween idol behind powerhouse pop hits like “No Such Thing” and “Your Body Is A Wonderland.” Then there’s the bluesy guitar god, the guy who can crank out tasty rock riffs like “Who Did You Think I Was.”

“Bigger Than My Body” is the perfect fusion of the two. The song showcases Mayer’s soft tenor and flying fingers, showing why he’s an instantly likeable musician.

3) “Reeling in the Years,” Steely Dan

Pat: While Steely Dan is known for many jazzy compositions, this one is straight-up rock ’n’ roll, featuring a searing guitar solo from session musician Elliot Randall. In fact, guitar guru Jimmy Page once said it was his favorite solo — and that means something. Donald Fagen’s quick phrasing is also noteworthy. My favorite line: “The weekend at the college didn’t turn out like you planned/the things that pass for knowledge I can’t understand.”

2) “We’re an American Band,” Grand Funk Railroad

Sarah: Forget the car commercials and lame covers. Grand Funk Railroad’s on-the-road rocker is still one of the great songs of the 1970s.

“American Band” chronicles the band’s trip through America’s heartland as the members party with groupies, participate in an all-night poker game and trash their hotel. With lyrics like “We’re coming to your town, we’ll help you party it down,” it always puts me in a rockin’ mood.

1) “Maggie May,” Rod Stewart

Pat: If we hadn’t limited ourselves to one song per artist, I’d definitely have more Stewart on this list. “Maggie May” is not only on this top 10, but also my top 10 songs of all time. The cranked-up bass, the clangy hi-hat and Rod’s trademark scratchy voice make this raw rocker a classic. Originally released as a B-side, this is an autobiographical song about a young man deflowered by an older woman.