Richard ChallenFeb 12, 20206 min readKenny Rogers – “Coward Of The County”"Coward Of The County" presents gang rape, cold-blooded murder, and triple homicide as a redemption arc. And that’s all kinds of messed up.
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 7, 20204 min readStevie Wonder – “Send One Your Love”A gorgeous wisp of a song also functions as a disarming, straightforward entry into the most head-scratchingly odd release of his career.
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.