Bear's Lick on That Round Sound

That Round Sound
Volume #18

After CMC's cardiac arrest last year, I thought that we might be finished at Volume #17. However, CMC has escaped from death's clutches to provide the members of this cooperative with interesting and incredible collections of music for months to come.

One of the things that I appreciate the most about CMC is the wealth of knowledge that is shared. Because I virtually know nothing about music, I have the most to gain by listening to your albums and from reading your comments. I have learned a ton so far and I am ready to learn more. I hope that I can get some graduate credit hours from all that I am learning here at CMC University. Thanks to all the members of this fabulous group for what they do!

THAT ROUND SOUND---------Wow! This is exactly what I am talking about. I had no idea what the round sound was. I heard some of these songs before but never knew that they had a name for this sound. I have always chalked it up to what lounge lizards listen to when they are kicking back with their happy hour cocktails.

Let me first comment on the album cover and it's creative features. Dan has once again delivered an album cover that is unique and colorful. The colors are great and the image is easily burned into your mind. I love it! Whenever I look down at the cd case, which rides next to my transmission stick, I can't help but to notice that Dan is down there with his mouth wide open. It's a little weird, but not unusual. I find this album cover to be one of the best.

My impressions after the first listen through were those of concern and curiosity. Why was I concerned? Well, I was thinking that Dan really set the bar high in exposing me to mostly new songs and to a musical concept in which I had zero schema. You can say that I react this way for almost every album that comes out on CMC. It is not a ground shaking event or an isolated thought identified with this one album. But seriously, I was concerned about my ability to contribute valuable comments about this music and sound. "C.F. Bear, why were you curious?" I was curious because here before me sits a collection of new songs that I get to dive into and for them to take me on some type of new ride. I was excited to see how I would feel after getting off this new ride.

I'm Not In Love: 10cc

I never heard this song before. I am always amazed when one of you guys say that you heard a song a lot growing up because it got a lot of air play. My parents were listening to 70's country in those days, thus I didn't hear much of non country radio. AM radio was the only thing we could get in our old cars. The first thing that captures my ear in this song are the a-ha's that alternate from speaker to speaker near the beginning of the song. They also repeat this feature a few times through the length of the song. Even if she is mocking him and two guys already hate this aspect, the best part of the song in my opinion is the female whispering, "Be quiet, big boys don't cry..big boys don't cry." It is a little naughty sounding to me and I find that very interesting. I love it! I also really lke the section of the song tha repeats "Ooooo, you wait a long time for me" and the minimoog action starting at about the 3:20 mark. Do I love the song? No, I find it too round. I can appreciate this song for it's contributions to the album, but I would be putting it on my i-Pod (Samsung).

Run That Body Down: Paul Simon

Once again another new song to me by an artist that I find incredible and amazing. You absolutely don't need to apologize to me. This is a great tune. Some very cool electric instrumentaton at about the 2:25 mark. Kick ass! If not for that part, I don't hear a lot of the round sound. It is almost a stark contrast to I'm Not In Love. If you asked me if this was a round sound song, I would say no. The lyrics are good and they tell an interesting tale. Imagine going to the doctor and then being inspired to write a wonderful song. Man this guy has talent. Thanks for including this song. I will include this song onto my i-Pod without hesitation.

Reminiscing: Little River Band

I guess I have to say that this song is somewhat new to me. I might have heard this song once or twice back in the day, but not more than that. In listening while I write, each song on a loop for at least 10 times, my comments, my mind is blown away again by some fantastic horn work that starts in at about the 2:50 mark. These fine horns finish the song off as it fades away. Awesome! The ending has a very jazzy feel to it and that makes the song stand out to me. The horns made me think of a Mexican band playing jazz at about the 2:50, 3:19, and 4:00 marks. What a fun sound and funny picture in my head.

Man am I jealous of Meth's time at the pool. I never swam at Byrnes or Gates when i was a kid. My mom signed me up for swimming lessons at the YWCA. Not the YMCA like most kids who don't go to Byrnes or Gates for swimming lessons, but the YWCA. My mom made me wear a queer looking yellow swim cap too. I swear it wa a woman's cap! Man was I sheltered from music that was not country growing up. What would my musical tastes be like if I was exposed to other types of music as a youth in Waterloo? What would yours be like if you grew up with nothing but country? Interesting to see what would have been. I probably would not be listening to an album right now by Dan because he would have killed himself in high school. :)

I like the song to a point, but I am not sure that I would enjoy hearing it all of the time. To fully appreciate the song, I would have to be in the mood for cocktails and the smoke filled air at the C.F. Panther Lounge. Glad to have heard it again and I will enjoy hearing it whenever I listen to That Round Sound. I don't think that I will include this one on my i-Pod.

What You Won't Do For Love: Bobby Caldwell

Not much to say about this song. It's mostly a blank for me. I have not heard this song anywhere before receiving this album. Is this a Will Smith song? I like some of the horns, but this song doesn't do much for me. I am sorry that I can't say more.

Little Jeannie: Elton John

I have heard some Elton John before, but this is another new one. Not crazy about Elton John, but he has a few darn good songs out there. Some that jump to my mind include: Your Song, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Rocket Man, and Candle in the Wind (the original and the tribute to Diana). The only album that I ever purchased of his was his greatest hits.

This song for me brings the round sound out of the era of avocado green appliances, mustard yelow house siding, and shag carpet to a new and upcoming big hair state. This along with Paul Simon's Run That Body Down are my kind of round sound songs.

Did you go to the Happy Joes that use to be on Washington street? There is a car dealership standing on that spot now. In fact, right where Happy Joes stood is where my Montero was sitting when I bought her two summers ago. Maybe I should call her Happy Montero or Montero Joes? What do you think?

Dan, I also like the aspect of asking someone to be your acrobat before asking them to be your lover. What a great concept if your a bold and daring man. It is a very nice song and it has been cleverly written. I will include this on my i-Pod.

Midnight at the Oasis: Maria Muldaur

Shazam!!!! I want to go to the Sands in Las Vegas right now and play slots all day. What a damn good song! I love the feel, the lyrics, and the music that this song provides. "I will be your belly dancer." That's what I am talking about. She tells you that you don't need 50 women (a harem honey), you just need her and only her. To further her bold proclamations she tells you that after a ride with her you won't need a freak'in camel to get you around.

When was the last time anyone thought that the Middle East was sexy? Maybe Dan's parents? "Come on until the evening ends!" Wow! Dan this is a big winner in my book. I am adding it to my i-Pod before I finish the rest of my comments.

(time gone: about 15 minutes)

I am sad that Meth doesn't get the same buzz from this song as you and I do. Maybe there is another song out there that get's his hive buzzing.

Dan said, "We'd all "Go out to a sand dune, real soon," given the chance, would we not?" You bet brother! However, if it is too hot just wrap me up in a cool wet sheet again.

Arrow Through Me: Paul McCartney

Not new to me since I heard it before on Dan's lost Paul McCartney album. Forty years from now we will be making comments on CMC about Dan's lost album that magically reappears. The lyrics in my opinion are bad! Paul singing ZZZEEEERRroooooO is just awful. "Run an arrow right through me " is stupid. I really get the concept of the song, but I can't get past the corn dog lyrics. This has to be one of the worst Paul McCartney songs ever composed. Sorry Dan, ut this is my least favorite song on the album.

The beginning is interesting with the moog going deep. I like the electric drums a lot in this song and I appreciate the round sound that he is trying to convey. I like Paul McCartney a lot and I think that he is a musical genius. In this song, however, he is showing that he can turn that switch on and off. There are many songs of his that I truly adore. At some point throughout out adventures in the CMC you will her a few of those. My friends, at this point I am done duscussing Sir Paul.

Blue Bayou: Linda Ronstadt

A song that I hve heard many times on that AM radio in my parent's car as we traveled to and from Osage, Iowa to see my grandma. She has strong country roots that run deep. The nice thing about some country artists is their ability to crossover. Just because you leave a bunch of country songs in your wake doesn't mean that all of your songs have to be country. That's a remarkable trait to have as an artist don't you think? It should not be viewed as a negative in any light.

Her soothing voice rocks you asleep and rubs your overstuffed shrimp tummy gently at the same time. Her vocal range is impressive and it really helps this song go from average to above average. The ending words Blue Bayou sends shivers up and down my spine. "That familar sunrise through those sleepy eyes..how happy I'd be" is just plain fantastic. I can see the sunrise and I can see those sleepy eyes when she sigs this line.

Dan found another great song. Not sure how round it is, but I like it. Yes, I predict another i-Pod candidate.

On a side note, does anyone else hear the scratchy background noise at the end of the song? It starts at about the 3:20 mark.

Sara Smile: Hall & Oats

Maybe it should be Kids in the Hall & Ouaker Oats? This song is a newbee to my ears and I can dig it for what it represents. I never really heard much of Hall & Oats before this album, or at least I never knew I was listening to them. Last Christmas we had a white elephant gift exchange and I recieved a copy of "Do It For Love". I have wanted to give myself the experience of listening to Hall & Oats, but there was always something else I would rather listen to at the time. Thanks Dan for forcing me to give them a listen.

The scratchiness is here at the beginning of this song too. Maybe it's just my copy? Not really drawn into this song. It's not bad, it is just a very similar song that sounds like 50 other songs. You are really covering all aspects of the round sound. This collection is completely rounded. You go from very round sounding to not very round like and back to round again. I aplaud your willingness to deliver to us this extra large and multi topping musical pizza. From where I sit this pizza is delicious. There are only a couple of toppings that I have to pick off.

Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue: Crystal Gayle

The piano is amazing. Her voice is magical and it blends in so nicely with the piano. I have not been exposed to a lot of Crystal Gayle, but I have heard enough of her on the radio to know who she is. I have known that she was Loretta Lynn's sister for a long time. When I think of her, I instantly get a picture of that really long hair. All I can think about is how does she sit down on the toilet without her hair touching anything nasty? Does she ever sit on her hair and does that jerk her head backwards?

This is a wonderful song that is a must for my i-Pod. This kind of round sound song is another one that is up my alley. I second the comment that Dan made about her telling us the fact that her brown eyes are now blue just a couple of times before the song is over. It is a short and sweet treasure.

Final Comments

Thanks to Dan I have learned something new. I never knew what the round sound was and I had no idea that this sound even had a name. The round sound to me has a variety of levels. Some of those levels I love and some of them I would like to skip right over. There are many good to great songs on this album and like I already stated, those will be added to my often listened to i-Pod. My favorite song is Midnight at the Oasis. My least favorite song is a tie between Arrow Through Me and What You Won't Do For Love.