13 Wonderful Will Songs: The Next Generation - Vol. 11

Featuring songs by the Connells, Wire Train, Trevor Rabin, the Rubinoos, the Oak Ridge Boys, the Buzzcocks, Journey, and more

That’s right, it’s time for another installment of 13 Wonderful Will Songs: The Next Generation, a series of playlists which are, in fact, in no way distinguishable from the original incarnation of 13 Wonderful Will Songs playlists. So don’t feel as though you need to have listened to those in order to appreciate these, because that’s not the case at all.

Hit “play,” and here’s hoping you enjoy what you hear!

1. The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, “Suite - From Airplane!”

If you’re a subscriber to this newsletter - and if you aren’t, then why aren’t you? - then you’re already well aware of my connection to Jim Abrahams, the late, great writer/director who helped give us Airplane! and other comedies. As such, I decided this latest 13 Wonderful Will Songs: The Next Generation should kick off with a suite from Elmer Bernstein’s score for Airplane!

“When we started talking to Elmer Bernstein about this score, we told him we wanted a B-movie score,” Jerry recalled during one of our conversations. “We did not actually want a really good score. But he got it. Elmer was great. We screened the film for a preview audience when we were cutting it, and there was a temp score on it, but when we showed it to Elmer, I remember him laughing through the whole movie. He completely got it: the way it was cast, the way it looked, the way it was shot, the whole B-movie attitude.”

2. Big-Box Store, “Die Another Day”

Earlier this week, I was tasked by a friend of mine to put together a list of the Bond themes in order of preference. During the conversation about this task, I mentioned how I’d actually written the liner note to a Bond-songs tribute album called Songs, Bond Songs: The Music of 007. This was one of my favorite contributions to said album.

3. The Connells, “Really Great”

My budget has prevented me from doing much in the way of vinyl purchasing for the last six months or so - and, yes, you can very specifically connect that to the abrupt closing of Q Magazine, and I don’t mind underlining that point - but I recently made a stop by one of my favorite local record stores (AFK Books and Records) to pick up a copy of the latest Cure album for my daughter, and while I was there, I found the latest Connells album on sale for 10 bucks. I couldn’t help myself: I had to pick it up. I regret nothing.

4. Wire Train, “Last Perfect Thing”

This is one of those ‘80s songs that I really don’t remember hearing on the radio, and I definitely don’t remember seeing the video, but somehow it ended up on my radar, so I’m presuming that it’s because one of my friends’ bands must’ve covered it. However it happened, it’s been one of my favorite songs ever. I will admit, though, that I could’ve sworn one of the lyrics was “We could steal the keys to the church / Down in Virginia, where you were born.” Apparently I was wrong. I guess it’s actually “Tell Virginia that we were bored.” This has not, however, stopped me from continuing to sing it the wrong way.

5. Trevor Rabin, “Sorrow (Your Heart)”

As someone who became a Yes fan as a result of Trevor Rabin entering the fold, I was very aware when - during my time as a record store employee - Rabin released his first solo album for Elektra Records…which was not his first solo album ever, just to clarify. The album’s hit single, at least on album-rock radio, was “Something to Hold Onto,” which is pretty great in its own right (and unsurprisingly sounds a lot like his stuff with Yes), but I’ve always loved this song because of its bouncy verses and soaring chorus.

6. The Rubinoos, “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend”

I’m not going to get into an argument about the best power pop song of all time, because that way lies madness, but if you were to ask me what my favorite power pop song of all time is, then this would be my answer, no hesitation.

7. Gruff Rhys, “Bad Friend”

I’ll admit that I don’t know nearly as much about Gruff Rhys’ solo career as I perhaps should, but I’ve been a fan of his band Super Furry Animals since my wife and I went on our honeymoon to the UK in 2001 and I discovered / fell in love with their song “It’s Not the End of the World?” When my Facebook friend Daniel Wylie - a fantastic songwriter in his own right - hyped Rhys’ new album as one of the best of 2004, I sat up and took notice, hence the inclusion of this song on this mix.

8. Oak Ridge Boys, “Seven Nation Army”

Yes, I know this is actually the second cover song on this mix, but I’m using the Obligatory Cover Alert for this one because it’s one I’ve wanted to spotlight for awhile now. When I first heard it existed, I was, like, “Oh, shit, I have got to hear that!” And then I found the clip you see below you, and it just made me grin from ear to ear. I grew up on the Boys’ “Elvira” and “The Y’all Come Back Saloon,” so to hear them tackling a White Stripes song with such vigor so many years after I first listened to them… It’s just awesome.

9. Rumblefish, “If You Were Mine”

When my wife and I went on our first date - and for the record, the 25th anniversary of that date is only a few days away - we went to see the Christmas lights at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. after which we went to see the band Rumblefish play at a local bar. To this day, we’re still friends with the various members of the band, but we’ve stayed closest to Brian Grilli, the lead singer / guitarist who’s become a formidable country artist over the years. But this song by Rumblefish remains my favorite song that he’s ever done, and he knows it.

10. The Grays, “Very Best Years”

As someone who’s been a Jellyfish fan since the release of their debut album, Bellybutton, and was devastated when they broke up after their sophomore LP, Spilt Milk, I’ve continued to follow the solo careers of each and every member of the band over the years. When Jason Falkner teamed up with Jon Brion and some other top-shelf musicians to form the Grays, I was giddy. As it turned out, that giddiness lasted for precisely one album before the members went their separate ways. Still, at least we got one classic album.

11. Buzzcocks, “Big Brother Wheels”

Although I know in my heart of hearts that the Buzzcocks really should’ve ended with the passing of Pete Shelley, I can’t begrudge Steve Diggle for keeping the band alive, especially not given the fact that he’s the guy who penned this great track from the band’s 2006 album Flat-Pack Philosophy.

12. Journey, “Suzanne”

Growing up in the ‘80s meant that the music of Journey was virtually inescapable, since they were ubiquitous both on the radio and on MTV. When frontman Steve Perry released his debut solo album, Street Talk, he scored massive airplay with the #3 hit “Oh, Sherrie” and scored an additional three top-40 hits beyond that with “Foolish Heart” (#18), “She’s Mine” (#21), and “Strung Out” (#40). As such, when he returned to Journey a few years later for a new album, fans devoured it, providing the band with another top-10 hit (“Be Good to Yourself”) and three more top-20 hits. Of those three top-20 hits, I liked two of them - “I’ll Be Alright Without You” "and “The Girl Can’t Help It” - but I loved the third, which is why I’m included it here.

13. Virginia Coalition, “Last Goodbye”

Oh, what a shock, the guy who was born and raised in Virginia and lives there to this day includes a band called Virginia Coalition. To be honest, I know very little about these guys, other than the fact that they’re from Alexandria and that I ended up getting a promotional copy of this album when it was originally released. Oh, and then there’s the fact that they sound so goddamned much like Barenaked Ladies that I actually thought that’s who they were the first time I heard one of their songs. Anyway, this is my favorite song by them, and - as is so often the case - I thought the title made it a perfect closer.