Can't Get It Out of My Head
Lotta family time this holiday weekend, including Griswoldian road trips to Indian Rocks Beach and Dinosaur World, a sublime roadside valhalla in Plant City, Fla. Kid Lulu enjoyed the styrofoam dinos, but she appreciated the colorful trash cans scattered about the playland even more. Massive T. Rexes would be looming befanged over her tiny head, but the tyke was on a mission: "Dad, I think I see another trash can." Great. Bust out the camera.
As the FF, Kid Lulu and I drove here and there, we played a lot of ELO in the car, a very symbolic soundtrack in the Daly family. When I was a preteen in the '70s, my parents and I (an only child if you haven't caught on by now) would spend summer weekends trekking to Hampton Beach, N.H. Get up early, pack the station wagon with rubbery chicken and soda and be at the beach by 10. Casey Kasem would be the musical tour guide on a lot of those trips. The music I remember? Lotta Wings, lotta ELO. Later Hall & Oates would dominate.
So I was feeling pretty nostalgic this weekend -- son becomes the father, Don't Bring Me Down becomes Sweet Talkin' Woman, and so on and on. That said, when Kid Lulu threw a fit and almost threw her sippy cup into the Prehistoric Bog, I thought about my uncle, the one who never had any kids, the one who seemed content with it all.
Anyway, in honor of many holiday weekends, here are the 10 Best ELO Songs:
10. Across the Border
9. Do Ya
8. Telephone Line
7. Can't Get It Out of My Head
6. Hold on Tight
5. Evil Woman
4. Sweet Talkin' Woman
3. It's Over
2. Livin' Thing
1. Don't Bring Me Down
Sean Daly is the pop music critic for the St. Petersburg Times. His CD collection -- from Journey to Dylan, Prince to U2, Public Enemy to Stan Getz -- is much bigger and better than yours.
No "Wild West Hero?"
Iron Eyes Cody sheds a tear over that...
Posted by: Brad | May 28, 2007 at 01:58 PM
Don't forget Mr. Blue Sky...
Posted by: Lisa Gallman | May 29, 2007 at 10:20 AM
You know, I was on the fence with "Mr. Blue Sky." Good song, but I couldn't upset the pure balance of my top 10. Consider it No. 11.
Posted by: Sean Daly | May 29, 2007 at 10:22 AM
I'll accept the 11th position. I have to say though, being at the first 'officially' known lipsyncing concert in Pontiac, Michigan, it was great!
Posted by: Lisa Gallman | May 29, 2007 at 01:21 PM
No "Turn To Stone" or "Party All Over The World" or "Strange Magic"? But What really surprises me is that "Roll Over Beethoven" is not on your list. I remember that as being the first ELO song I ever heard, and I still have it on '45. Although I will agree that "Don't Bring Me Down" is #1.
Posted by: bassnote | May 29, 2007 at 03:04 PM
"Strange Magic" was originally on there, but I doinked it in favor of "Across the Border." Love those mariachi horns.
Posted by: Sean Daly | May 29, 2007 at 03:33 PM
Can't wait to see what Velvet Revolver does with their cover of "Can't Get it Out of my Head" on Libertad.
They're a pretty good cover band ...
Posted by: Guy | May 30, 2007 at 01:55 AM