VIRTUAL MIX TAPE: "13 Wonderful Will Songs, Vol. 13"

Yes, that’s right, it’s time for another installment of songs—the 13th, in fact!—that I love and that I hope you’ll love, too. And if you don’t, well, it ain’t like this thing is behind the paywall, so what’d you pay for it, anyway?

In conclusion, listen or don’t, but if you do, I hope you dig it…and if you really dig it, consider upgrading to a paid subscription!

1. Alabama 3, “Woke Up This Morning” (1997 - Exile on Coldharbour Lane)

Most everyone knows this song from its stint as the opening theme to HBO’s The Sopranos, which in turn makes it feel like a great song to open this volume, but for many, this might be the first time you’ve ever heard the full-length album version. Soak it in.

2. Ryan Adams, “Wonderwall” (2004 - Love is Hell)

Obligatory cover song! Yes, I know, Ryan Adams has been canceled for many, but I don’t listen to his music because I think he’s a good person, I listen to it because I think he’s a good singer/songwriter and musician. It doesn’t excuse his past actions against women, nor am I an apologist for said actions. I just really, really love his Oasis cover.

3. The Drowners, “Think of Me” (2000 - Is There Something on Your Mind?)

I don’t mind admitting to some mild annoyance when I went looking for the appropriate YouTube embed from the band’s actual album and instead found this one from when the song appeared on the soundtrack to a relatively-forgettable Jason Biggs / Freddie Prinze Jr. flick. (I mean, maybe it’s great, but I’ve mostly forgotten it, hence my use of that phrase.) The Drowners are a great Swedish band who were picked up by US record labels who had high hopes for breaking them through the use of their songs on soundtracks, only for them to ultimately go nowhere. Too bad, because the album from which this song hails is great, and it’s made me keep my eyes open for their work ever since.

4. Gene Loves Jezebel, “Break the Chain” (1993 - Heavenly Bodies)

Speaking of mild annoyance, when you hit this song on the Spotify playlist, you’ll see that I used the (identical) version of the song from the band’s greatest-hits collection rather than the one from Heavenly Bodies. That’s because there’s a goddamned skip on the transfer of the album into Spotify. No, thank you. I won’t be having that shit on my playlist!

5. Hal, “Play the Hits” (2005 - Hal)

These Irish lads have never been the most prolific band—their debut album came out in 2005, their sophomore LP landed in 2012, and they haven’t released anything since—but they immediately caught my attention with their catchy pop tunes. I just wish they’d put out more of them! This was one of two top-40 hits that Hal had in the UK, the other being “What a Lovely Dance,” but both of ‘em are on that self-titled album.

6. Sparks, “Suburban Homeboy” (2002 - Lil’ Beethoven)

I will not begin to claim that I’m an obsessive Sparks fan, nor will I claim that this is my absolute favorite Sparks song, but it is one that consistently tickles me every time I hear it, and if you’ve never heard it, you should. It’s hysterical.

7. The Click Five, “Jenny” (2007 - Modern Minds & Pastimes)

When The Click Five made their debut with Greetings from Imrie House, I was on board from the moment I heard the album. Chock full of hooks and harmonies, it was polished to within an inch of its life and it was exactly the sort of pop music I loved. As such, I was psyched to hear their second album. But then lead singer Eric Dill left the band and was replaced by Kyle Patrick, at which point I…still loved The Click Five! (Didn’t see that coming, did you?) As good as Modern Minds & Pastimes may be, though, I’m still going to go predictable and include the band’s first single here. Can’t help it. The chorus kicks too much ass to leave it off.

8. Evan and Jaron, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice to Be Proud” (2000 - Evan and Jaron)

These brothers are a great pop-folk duo who found chart success with their catchy-as-hell single “Crazy for This Girl.” They released a few albums before their self-titled album, and then they released more music after that, but last I heard they’d split as a duo, with Jaron going it on his own (under the name Jaron and the Long Road to Love) and doing pretty well with his album Getting Dressed in the Dark, which hit #2 on the Billboard Country Albums chart.

9. Sloan, “Everything You’ve Done Wrong” (1996 - One Chord to Another)

I would’ve eventually gotten around to putting Sloan on one of these mixes, but I pushed them into this one because I was in attendance for Dave Foley’s panel at GalaxyCon Richmond this past weekend, and he mentioned performing with them recently. I’ve been a fan of these guys since hearing their debut single, “Underwhelmed,” and while their major-label days didn’t last for long, I’ve continued to follow them on their travels as an indie band ever since. They deliver some of the sweetest pop hooks you’ve ever heard.

10. The Connells, “Over There” (1987 - Boylan Heights)

I can still remember buying this CD at Lynnhaven Mall not long after its original release. These North Carolina boys provided much of the soundtrack to my existence during the late ‘80s and into the ‘90s, and I’ve bought every album they’ve released in their career. They are masters of American jangle pop, and it’s weird to me that their biggest hit, “‘74 / ‘75,” was massive in Europe but did virtually nothing over here. Also, I’d argue that it’s not even really representative of their material, although it’s certainly a great song. Anyway, give this one a listen. The trumpet gets me every time.

11. Johnny Marr, “Hi Hello” (2018 - Call the Comet)

As the guitarist for the Smiths, it took Johnny Marr a little while to fully step out on his own, instead preferring to do guest work on other people’s albums or doing stints in bands like the Pretenders, The The, and Modest Mouse. Even when he first went out on his own and released Boomslang, credited to Johnny Marr and the Healers, it felt more like he was doing it to make other people happy rather than himself. Finally, in 2013, he released The Messenger, and it felt like Marr had properly arrived as a solo artist, and the recordings he’s released since then continue to feel that way. This track is from his fourth album, and it’s the most unabashedly Smiths-sounding song he’s ever released…and I have zero complaints.

12. Jeffrey Foskett featuring Marshall Crenshaw and Bill Lloyd, “The Best Thing About Me Is You” (2000 - Twelve and Twelve)

The first time I heard this song, I thought it was wonderful. That’s why it ended up being the first song that my wife and I danced to as husband and wife. I’d already become a Foskett fan from his earlier work, but when you throw Bill Lloyd and Marshall Crenshaw into the mix, you can’t go wrong. I’d love to serenade my wife with this song in public for a special anniversary, but I’d never get through it without my voice catching. It’s too special.

13. A House, “13 Wonderful Love Songs” (1990 - I Want Too Much)

If you haven’t guessed, this is the song that gave birth to the title of this feature. I figured it was only appropriate to have it close out the 13th edition of these 13 Wonderful Will Songs mixes. I’d say that I’d do 13 more of them if I got 13 comments on this post, but I don’t think I’ve ever got 13 comments on any post in the history of this feature, so I probably shouldn’t set the bar that high. Plus, it’s not like I don’t enjoy putting these things together anyway, so let’s face it: I’ll keep doing it whether I get any comments or not. Still, having said that, if there are any artists you’d like to see in future mixes, let me know. But don’t tell me which song to include. I’d at least like to pick my favorite, y’know?

Thanks for listening, everybody!