12 Waterfalls
& other Smooth Gems from the 1980s Decade
Welcome back folks. After a couple of months of traversing this fine continent I find myself on, I’ve returned home with Lots Of Good Memories, and some Very Enjoyable Music to share with you. If you’re new here: you’re reading Enjoy Music, a newsletter from Teen Daze (that’s me), where I share five pieces of music that I find Enjoyable. Simple as that! If you’re a seasoned vet, You Already Know. As always, don’t hesitate to drop a comment at the bottom of the Stack, let me know what you’re enjoying lately.
Okay, once again we find ourselves back in the Gentle World of Soft Rock music. This week’s five tunes all hold tightly to the <Jake Longstreth voice> “Tasteful Palette of the 1970s”, even though, believe it or not, they’re released in the 1980s. Obviously, there’s a huge shift that happened between those two decades, but hey, we’re not a History Stack. It’s Music Baby! Enough said. Let’s dive in, and Enjoy!
Paul McCartney - Waterfalls (1980)
Right off the bat: McCartney II is my 4 year old’s favourite album in the world. The one-two punch of Coming Up and Temporary Secretary is a mind-expanding experience for him, and rightfully so! But it’s Waterfalls that I find him singing the most! On the plane home from Ontario earlier this week, he sang, “I need love / Oh I need love” over and over, for at least five minutes. Some things are too cute to stop! Everyone sitting around us was complimenting him, all saying, “Is that Waterfalls from the experimental 1980 album McCartney II, by former The Beatles member Paul McCartney?” My child is gifted.
Anyways, to this tune. Is this the most contemporary-sounding song on a “classic forward-thinking record”? The aforementioned Temporary Secretary is the one everyone will point at, and truly, it still does sound wildly out-of-place in the best way. But Waterfalls has something uniquely present about it. I’m going to hand it off to a Much Smarter, Much Better Writer than myself, Mr. Steven Hyden:
…Rick Rubin raved about how [McCartney II]’s most gorgeous song, “Waterfalls,” has a “modern” melody. Paul frets about the fake strings, but Rick assures him that the fakeness adds to the modernity. He’s not wrong — “Waterfalls” is incomplete in the way a lot of music aspires to be now. It sounds like Frank Ocean’s Blonde…
He’s right, and if you know his writing at all, he usually is. Enjoy Paul!
Boz Scaggs - Simone (1982)
Ooo Boz! I always thought the name Boz Scaggs had to belong to someone who made Real Country Music. But Damn Boz! This is some Smooth Stuff! I initially heard this tune on this Very Well Curated Yacht Rock Mix on NTS, and this one really stood out to me. I love his voice, though I know very well that if I heard this when I was a Young Man, I would have rolled my eyes. Go back and read about my tumultuous relationship with the Soft Rock genre, for more anecdotes about my time as a Hard Rockin’ Young Man. Now, as an older man, I love basically every single thing about this tune, and about the entire career of THE BOZ. Enjoy him!
John Martyn - Couldn’t Love You More (1982)
Alright folks, this is it! This Is The Most Beautiful Song Ever Written. A strong runner-up is obviously Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, which is a The Most Beautiful Song Ever Written, but in a different way. Anyways, I can’t believe how beautiful this tune is. There’s so much to love with this arrangement: the fretless, chorus-y bass, his truly singular voice and phrasing (the way he sings “I coullllllllllld NOT”…I MELT EVERY TIME), and of course his truly once-in-a-generation guitar playing. Produced By Phil Collins folks! Don’t forget that. Also, get into the mellow version from Martyn’s One World record from 1977. It Is Literally Impossible Not To Enjoy This Song!
Byrne and Barnes - Right Through The Heart (1981)
Look, it doesn’t matter what’s going on with this album art! “An Eye For An Eye” with a gold statue thing coming out of some lady’s eye! No need to overthink it baby! These early 80s AOR records, that still sound like they were made in the 70s, are the best. And big shout out to the Favorite label who have reissued so many beautiful records that encapsulate that feeling. “The soft palette of the 1970s” but delivered to you in the beautiful hi-fi decade of the 1980s, truly a gift. Anyways, this is some Deep AOR Slowness that’s impossible not to love. Enjoy Both Byrne And Barnes!
China Crisis - Bigger The Punch I’m Feeling (1985)
One of the best albums of the 1980s, in my humble opinion, is China Crisis’ Flaunt The Imperfection. The band truly hit their stride here, with a big help from Steely Dan’s Walter Becker. Every tune on this record is a Slapper! Becker’s solo on this one is so clean, not to mention those little faded, almost reversed guitar licks that come right after. So Enjoyable. The vocal melody in the chorus is also a total wonder to me to. If you’ve ever tried to write vocal parts for a song, you get it: to make something that is both interesting and catchy is a truly impressive feat. Enjoy The Entire Flaunt The Perfection Record!
BONUS ENJOY DISCOUNT: THE TEEN DAZE HAT
I’ve got a new hat out today, that says “Teen Daze” on it, in the Jokerman font. A world-shattering idea, I know. If you’re interested in getting one, I’ve got a special discount for all you Enjoyer, just cause I appreciate ya so much. On Bandcamp, use the promo code: enjoyhat to save a cool 20%. I’ve also got the Enjoy Music T-shirt available as well! Get some clothes on ya!
OKAY, things have now officially mellowed out in Teen Daze world. I’m all wrapped up my summer shows, and even though the fall is looking like it might be filling up, I’m glad to be home for a few weeks. That being said, a HUGE THANK YOU to any of you that made it out to a DJ set this summer. The last party in Toronto was an especially fun one, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank and shout out the Pender Street Steppers and Automaticamore for letting me warm up the Dance Floor for them. A very special night indeed!
And don’t forget: September 29! My latest EP, The Wind Surfer, drops the last Friday of the month. I’m hosting a Bandcamp Listening Party, and would love to have some of you Enjoyers in the mix. So come hang!
Okay, another beautiful week in the books. Thanks again as always for reading, and we’ll see you next week! Love ya!
Love that John Martyn track most of all this time around. Also very cool album art.