here they are:
"Sad Song" by The Cars: ANOTHER new Cars song?!? But "Blue Tip" has only been on the Adult Alt charts (and now the "mainstream rock" charts) for a week!! If "Blue Tip" was one of those "crash and burn" songs for Adult Alt radio, that's too bad because I kind of prefer it to "Sad Song". "Sad Song" is not a bad song though ("sad song", "bad song", I'm a poet and I didn't even know it!!) However, instead of taking a nod to the bands who have been influenced by The Cars, "Sad Song" has a more "retro" feel like the typical '70s/'80s rock song, as it seems to borrow elements of songs from both decades. The intro recalls T. Rex's "Bang A Gong (Get It On)", much like The Cars' 1979 song "Dangerous Type", and the verses sound a lot like '80s arena rocker Billy Squier's song "Everybody Wants You". Though there are no crazy guitar solos on "Sad Song" I feel like there SHOULD be one, as it sounds a lot like a song from one of The Cars' first two records. Conclusion?! "Sad Song" is NOT a "sad song"!! And I think that is a good thing!
"Who Have You Been Loving?" by Bobby Long: From the tradition of Dylan/Neil Young/Springsteen influenced indie singer/songwriters such as Ryan Adams, Conor Oberst, and Jesse Malin comes Bobby Long, a man whom, oddly enough, got his start of recognition as being a friend of "Twilight" movie actor Robert Pattinson. Being a friend of someone like that one might be tempted to assume that Bobby Long is an "emo" artist of some sort, but such people could not be more wrong!! "Who Have You Been Loving" reminds me of a lot of Neil Young's material, particularly his CSN & Y song "Almost Cut My Hair", and Neil Young solo tune "Like A Hurricane", in that it mixes gritty guitar riffs/sounds with raw, honest emotions and lyrics. Looking forward to hearing more of Long's material, actually, as I have heard one other song by him, "A Winter's Tale", that I actually think is even better!
