VIRTUAL MIX TAPE: "13 Wonderful Will Songs - Vol. 3"

Yes, that’s right, it’s time for another installment of songs 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. Stephen Duffy featuring Nigel Kennedy, “It Sparkles!” (1993 - Music in Colors)

Some know him for his early connection to Duran Duran, others know him for his hit solo single “Kiss Me,” and many more are familiar with his work as frontman for The Lilac Time. Me, I know him for all of that stuff, which is why I follow him to whatever he’s working on, including this collaboration with violinist Nigel Kennedy.

2. Luka Bloom, “I Need Love” (1992 - The Acoustic Motorbike)

Your obligatory cover for this volume shows that it’s quite possible to translate the work of LL Cool J in such a way that an Irish guitarist can deliver it and still have it pack a wallop. Yeah, I know, it sounds crazy, but damned if it doesn’t work.

3. Dada, “Timothy” (1992 - Puzzle)

The combination of the lyrics and the music has always struck an emotional chord with me. Is it the story of a kid who has everything except the love of his parents? Or is it the story of a kid who doesn’t even have that much and feels like he has to lie to get other kids to like him? Whichever it is, there are moments in the song which—depending on my mood when I listening to it—can still make me well up.

4. Prefab Sprout, “Appetite” (ACOUSTIC) (2007 - Steve McQueen: Deluxe Edition)

The transformation of this song from electric to acoustic turns it into a completely different listening experience, and while I’m not sure I can say that the new version is better than the original, I can imagine that someone who heard the acoustic version first would never be able to appreciate the original version as much. It’s that good.

5. The Grapes of Wrath, “Misunderstanding” (1985 - September Bowl of Green)

All the jangle you can handle, courtesy of a great Canadian band. My friends Donnie, Brian, and Jeff were on board with these guys well before I was, but I finally caught up and share their love of the Grapes.

6. Unbelievable Truth, “Solved” (1997 - Almost Here)

I first discovered this band in the same way that I expect many others did, which is that their lead singer, Andy Yorke, is the younger brother of Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke. That said, I didn’t actually hear this band until they came to Norfolk, Virginia and served as the opening act for Tori Amos. They absolutely blew me away, and it was this song that proved to be the most epic of the bunch in a live setting.

7. Rob Dickinson, “My Name is Love” (2005 - Fresh Wine for the Horses)

I still find it slightly amusing that Rob’s cousin is Bruce Dickinson, lead singer of Iron Maiden, if only because their music sounds so completely different from the music performed by Rob or even his former band, Catherine Wheel. This was Rob’s solo debut, and unlike the harder-edged material that he was doing with Catherine Wheel, this music is much more pop-oriented. The melodies within this track are particularly gorgeous.

8. Squeeze, “Sunday Street” (1991 - Play)

For as much play (no pun intended) as Squeeze has gotten on the radio over the years for singles like “Tempted” or “Black Coffee in Bed,” the majority of their later albums haven’t gotten nearly as much appreciation as they’ve deserved. This song comes from their lone Warner Brothers LP, which is solid from start to finish, but the reason this track in particular stands out is because I saw them perform it at the Boathouse in Norfolk a full year before the album emerged, and the hook was so memorable that I still remembered it even after all that time.

9. Les Dudek, “Old Judge Jones” (1977 - Say No More)

This is kind of a weird one in comparison to the rest of the songs on this mix, but I think you’ll find that that guitar riff really sticks with you. I’ll be honest, I’d never even heard of Les Dudek until I fell through a Spotify rabbit hole while putting together a ‘70s playlist, but this track made me a fan.

10. Oasis, “Part of the Queue” (2005 - Don’t Believe the Truth)

If you only know Oasis for their radio hits, you’ll definitely want to give this a listen. I don’t think it was ever released as a single, and if it was, I’m sure it wasn’t a big hit, because what makes it so memorable is that it’s a bit left of center.

11. Mutual Admiration Society, “Sake of the World” (2004 - Mutual Admiration Society)

Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket + Nickel Creek = a folk-pop collaboration for the ages.

12. Lansing-Dreiden, “A Line You Can Cross” (2006 - The Dividing Island)

I have described this in the past as the greatest synthpop single that wasn’t released in the ‘80s, and I still stand by that.

13. David Yazbek, “Only Dreaming” (1996 - The Laughing Man)

These days, Mr. Yazbek is best known for his work as a Broadway composer for shows like The Full Monty and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, but in the ‘90s he was a solo artist and collaborating with Andy Partridge. Nice work if you can get it. This particular track, however, is 100% Yazbek from start to finish, including the music, lyrics, vocals, and instrumentation, and it felt like a great closer.