Download of the Day 12/26: Lovergirl by Teena Marie

In honor of Teena Marie, who passed away yesterday at the age of 54, I have decided to feature her biggest hit (and my favorite song of hers) as today's D.O.D.

"Lovergirl" was released in 1984, the first single off of her album Starchild. It was the success of this song that help propel the album to sales of over one million and launched her mainstream music profile in the United States. It isn't hard to see why it was this song that really put her on the map. "Lovergirl" was the perfect Prince-era song, full of funk and dancefloor energy. That's all well and good, but anyone with a working set of ears knows what makes this really work: it's Marie herself. Unlike today, where many artists allow the production to overwhelm and hide their voices, she pulls out all of the stops with her voice, showcasing an enormous instrument and an undeniable personality. Without a visual in front of you, you can imagine just how much she's having, just from her voice. Speaking of her voice, there is a reason why she was a successful R&B artist, despite being white. Marie had soul dripping from those pipes of hers, evident even in the most pop-like song in her archive.

It is a shame that Teena Marie didn't reach the levels of mainstream success that some of her less-talented contemporaries did, but there is no denying her mark on R&B music. She will be missed, but with songs like this one, she will never be forgotten.



Rating: 9 out of 10

Classic Download of the Day 4/5: "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson

Considering all of the news surrounding MJ lately, you would've thought I had done one of these already.

Nope, and in fact, the upcoming tour wasn't even the inspiration behind this post.

No, it was my English teacher, out of nowhere, deciding to play this song toward the end of a lesson on poetry.

Truthfully, I had been thinking about writing a Michael Jackson-related Download of the Day post, even doing a whole series, but I never had the time or energy to do it. Leave it to Mr. Kinory to light a fire under my butt.


In a career that has spanned nearly 40 years, its safe to say that Michael Jackson's catalog is way too expansive to warrant a "signature song" (like Whitney's "I Will Always Love You", for instance). If you even wanted to travel down that road, you would have to make a playlist of sorts. Near the top of that list would have to be the excellent "Man in the Mirror".

From 1987's Bad album, "Man in the Mirror" is one of Michael's most moving, poignant, and popular songs ever. That's because the song is virtually perfect; every element this song brings to the table is excellent. Even the staunchest of pop haters will find criticizing this multi-layered anthem very difficult. The lyrics, about looking into oneself to find compassion for others,are filled with grace and thought, lacking the schmaltz that have dogged similar, future singles. The music is exceptional. Ever the trend-setter, Michael pulled a choir onto the track, infusing gospel into a pop ballad with a drumbeat. The combo gives the song a soulful rhythm that should inspire hand clapping. If that doesn't do it, then Michael himself, performing like he's in a church on Sunday, should definitely do the trick.

Michael's true gift is his ability to unite people with varying music tastes together. With this song, he used that gift to inspire goodness. For that reason alone (although the ace musicality this song possesses also contributes), this song ranks in the top tier, not only of his career, but of all time.

Rating: 10/10

Classic Download of the Day 3/30: "This Woman's Work" by Kate Bush

Last week, I wrote about my newfound interest in the classic teen drama "Party of Five". I particularly spoke of a scene featuring the characters Bailey and Sarah in the hospital, that was one of the best moments of television I had ever witnessed.

Well, what helped make that moment (besides the brilliant acting of Scott Wolf) was the song playing in the background, "This Woman's Work" by British singer Kate Bush. You have to love songs that match a scene so perfectly. The passionately sorrow-filled lyrics about facing the hardships of adulthood and crisis, delivered a whole new layer of meaning to Bailey's tragic alcoholism that nearly killed his little brother and his girlfriend. The gradual, building anticipation created by the dramatic flourishes of the piano added an almost suffocating layer of tension to the moment. Yet, the folksy vocals from Bush provide a tender comfort that demands vulnerability at the same time.

"This Woman's Work" wasn't only used in Party of Five. In fact, the rollercoaster of emotions the song creates in the listener has made a perfect backdrop for some of television's most tense and powerful scenes. When a song is able to be used multiple times in multiple situations to deliver a common message, then it's clear that the song is truly amazing.

Rating: 9/10

Classic DOTD 2-05: "What Have I Done To Deserve This?" by Pet Shop Boys and Dusty Springfield

What happens when you combine 80s synthpop with one of the greatest British vocalists ever?

Pop perfection, of course.

Back in 1987, just when people thought the late, great Dusty Springfield was done being relevant in pop music, the Pet Shop Boys proved them all wrong. The duo tapped the 60s soul singer to sing with Neil Tennant on their single "What Have I Done To Deserve This", an electropop stomper that deals with miscommunications and the issues that come with them. A fine track on its own, the song was made even more special with Springfield's unmistakable, distinctive soulful voice. Her voice added more depth and made a catchy track into a memorable one.

Re-energizing a 60s staple. No wonder the Pet Shop Boys are bein honored by the BRIT Awards this year.

Rating: 9/10

Here is the video below:

Classic Download of the Day 1/20 (Inaugural Edition): "Step Back In Time" by Kylie Minogue

DOWNLOAD OF THE DAY: INAUGURAL EDITION (CONGRATS PRESIDENT OBAMA!)

One of the major themes of President Obama's historic inaugural speech was the past.

Whether it was examining how far we've come as a country or suggesting we look to history to find inspiration for the future, Obama made it clear that is was necessary to "step back in time".

So, today's special inaugural edition of Download of the Day features a song all about the past, "Step Back In Time" by Kylie Minogue.

Released in 1990 from her huge Rhythm of Love record, Kylie wishes for the musical days of old, when the O'Jays traveled around on the love train and people walked in rhythm. The Stock Aiken Waterman production brought Kylie to disco for the first time, and God bless them for it. The song, which mixes 70's with a dash of 90's house, is an irresistible, club-filling, pop smash that would get even the McCains on the dancefloor (can you imagine John McCain doing the hustle?).

While some look down on Kylie's time with PWL, it's hard to ignore the fizzy pop fun that the era delivered.


I think we should listen to the sage advice of Obama and Minogue and embrace the past, whether it delivers answers to our economic problems or gets us to party.

Here is the 1990 music video:



BWU RATES: 8 OUT OF 10

And just for fun, here is President Obama dancing (presumably to this song, lol):

DOTD Classics: "To Where You Are" by Josh Groban

There is something to be said for vocalists.

Yes, we all love a booty-shaking dance smash (one of my best friends, a huge classic rock fan, has "Disturbia" on his iPod) or hard-rocking anthem. Yet, sometimes we just need to appreciate a great vocalist; someone whose voice can send shivers through us and evoke powerful emotions.

Josh Groban is a great vocalist.

Scratch that; he is a brilliant vocalist.

His voice is rich, powerful, emotional, soulful, operatic, and everything else in between. It's a voice that can translate the feelings others don't have the words to express. In this day and age, where many voices are vocoded and Auto-Tuned to death, its a true treasure to find someone who could really, really, really sing.

One of his most defining vocal performances is "To Where You Are", a song off of his eponymous debut album. The song is about reuniting with a lost loved one. In today's cynical world, that may cause the eyes to roll a bit, but its a truly beautiful song, and that fact is highlighted as Josh Groban sings it.

Josh begins the song softly, showing off a deep lower range. As the piano plays though, his voice raises into its upper register, maintaining the rich tone from before. Once he hits the chorus, he unleashes the magic, hitting a jaw-dropping, tear-pricking power note in the middle. As you absorb the stunning combination of his voice and the beautiful piano, you also take in the lyrics, which are given a more powerful significance. Suddenly, you realize that his singing is expressing what you have been feeling, if you have ever lost someone close to you, which many have. If you haven't, you still are mesmerized by the beauty of his voice. What you get, by listening to this song, is a deep, emotional experience that could make even the most rough-and-tumble person rubbing their eyes.

As I said before, we live in a world where such emotion is often frowned upon, where such vocal beauty is either classified as over-singing or ridiculously sentimentality. Still, it shouldn't be this way. It's a gift to have someone whose voice can deliver in a way that touches a deep part of us, no matter what type of genre we enjoy. We should celebrate those who can convey messages of hope, fear, passion, grief, and love. That is why today's "Download of the Day: Classics" post belongs to the excellent Josh Groban.

Classic Download of the Day: Nelly and Kelly Rowland's "Dilemma"

In the first half of the decade, Nelly was it in terms of hip-hop. Back then, Nelly was one of the genre's most innovative artists, bringing hip-hop further in the mainstream dominance. In 2002, he spent a cumulative 17 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, more than any artist that year. One of his chart-toppers was "Hot In Herre".

The other was "Dilemma".

His duet with Destiny Child's Kelly Rowland spent an amazing 10 weeks at #1, further solidfying him as chart royalty, and he deserved it. The song, which sampled a Patti LaBelle hit, stills sounds current 6 years later. His rap on the song is slick and reveals a sensitive side to the man who commanded listeners to take their clothes off. Kelly Rowland sounds great on the record, proving that Beyonce wasn't the only big talent in their group. The song's groove was perfect, and the hook is infectious (don't pretned you weren't singing it). Many songs from that year were disposable, yet if this was re-released, it would be a hit once again.

The success of the song had a serious effect on how hip-hop was received by mainstream. Soon, 50 Cent and Kanye West took to the airwaves, a path definitely made easier by "Dilemma". The song also showed the industry that collaborations with other genre artists were successful. Songs like "Over and Over" (Nelly and Tim McGraw), "Promiscuous", "Homecoming" and even SexyBack" were in someway affected by this song's smash success.

Rating: 8.5/10

Classic Download of the Day 7/22: "That's The Way It Is" by Celine Dion

In 1999, Celine Dion was riding high on the success of "My Heart Will Go On". She also made the shocking decision to retire from music while her husband Rene Angelil recovered from cancer. How was she going to put her career on hiatus?

With a bang, of course.

Celine also decided to kill two birds with one stone by enlisting super-producer Max Martin to help her on her record. Celine suffered from the "uncool" stigma because of her schmaltzy songs, and Max Martin was known for producing songs by Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys. Just as he did for them, Max weaved his magic on Celine, crafting a great pop song that was also the perfect pseudo swan song.

"That's The Way It Is" sounds just like music from the late 90's, yet Celine doesn't sound desperate singing it. The song was something Celine would realistically perform. The lyrics are inspirational, yet carefree, showing off a more fun-loving side of the Canadian songbird than the balladeer singing about sinking ships. Wisely, she restrained her powerful voice throughout the verses and the chorus, allowing us to enjoy her wonderful tone, the words, and the awesome production by the Swedish team.

To date, this song tells us many things. One, that the Swedish can make a damn good record. Two, that the era of the diva is still viable (see Leona). Finally, this song shows that, with the right team, Celine Dion can be relevant to pop music. If she could do it during the teen pop era (she out charted the Backstreet Boys and Britney with this song), why can't she do it again?

Rating: 9/10

Classic Download of the Day: Michael Jackson's "Blood On The Dance Floor"

Michael Jackson is many things, and has been called more, but if there is one thing about him that is true, it's this:

Michael Jackson is a pop genius.

It's unfortunate that scandal and eccentric behavior has overshadowed that fact. The truth is, no matter how many album his later albums didn't sell, he never stopped making great music.

Let's look at 1997. He's on the HIStory Tour, visiting everywhere but America. He releases a remix album, Blood On The Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix. The album primarily consists of remixes of the new material from his HIStory album from 1995. However, because of the tour, there is virtually no promotion and the album peaks at a paltry #24. The first single from the album was "Blood On The Dance Floor", and that was a flop too, not even breaking the Top 40 on the Pop charts. Why?

"Blood On The Dance Floor" should've been at least a Top 10 hit, if not a chart-topper (like it was in the UK). The song was destined to set clubs aflame, with its unbelievable hook and extremely danceable rhythmic base. Michael hadn't released anything this club-ready since the 80's, and "Blood on the Dance Floor" showed that he still could. It is seriously one of his best.

I think this song goes to show exactly how important proper promotion is to a song's success. Had he toured the US with this, it would've been an easy #1.

Considering this song was made during the latter part of his career, it shows that Michael still has the magic that made Thriller the best selling album in world history.

My advice: Don't count the King of Pop out yet.

Rating: 9.5/10

Classic Download of the Day: Take That's "Back For Good"

When I discovered Leona Lewis last year, I developed a serious interest in British music.

What I found was that pop across the pond was SOOOO much better. Seriously, even the "manufactured" (it sounds like a bad reference, correct me if I'm wrong Brits) pop is awesome.

I was first introduced to UK uber-boyband Take That during the Concert For Diana, the charity concert Prince William and Prince Harry put together in honor of their mother's birthday commemoration. I watched (and DVR'd) the whole 6 hour concert on VH1. Toward the end, Take That, who I never heard of before then(although I have heard of Robbie Williams prior), took the stage and sang their first song, called Shine. I hated that. Then they sang "Patience", and I liked that one.

Then they performed their old 1995 hit "Back for Good".

With 30 minutes or so after they performed the song, I downloaded it. The song is a near-perfect example of classic popular music. The lyrics aren't too schmaltzy; they were real enough to not be embarrassed to admit to listening to it. Gary Barlow has a great voice, and the harmonies were top notch. The simple, guitar-driven melody is perfect. It is simply one of the best pop songs I have ever heard.

Thanks to Wikipedia, I learned that the song was actually a hit in the US; it peaked at #7 on the charts. It's unfortunate that months after breaking the extremely difficult American music market, the group broke up.

Now that they have reunited (sans international superstar Robbie), is it possible that they could make a go in America again?

Rating: 9.5/10