Richard ChallenJun 22, 202016 min readPink Floyd – “Another Brick In The Wall (Part II)”An improbable blockbuster that distilled one man’s psychodrama down to three minutes of pseudo-disco performed by schoolchildren.
Richard ChallenApr 17, 20208 min readQueen – “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”Queen had never attempted to record a rockabilly song. But damn if they didn’t nail a perfect approximation on their very first try.
Richard ChallenFeb 10, 20205 min readCaptain & Tennille – “Do That To Me One More Time” Considering the source, “Do That To Me One More Time” might as well be the musical equivalent of walking in on your parents mid-coitus.
Richard ChallenFeb 4, 20207 min readMichael Jackson – “Rock With You”Every second explodes with unabashed joy, deepened only by the knowledge that Michael Jackson would never sound so free on record again.
Richard ChallenFeb 1, 20206 min readRupert Holmes – “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)”But "Escape” doesn’t take a side at all. In Rupert Holmes’ beyond-massive #1 hit, infidelity never leads to pain. It leads to a punchline.
Richard ChallenJan 30, 20205 min readKC and the Sunshine Band – “Please Don’t Go” No one thought “Please Don’t Go” was the end. Not Harry Wayne Casey, the "KC" in the Sunshine Band, and certainly not TK Records.