The song that has been on my brain the most this week:

“I Was Zapped By The Lucky Super Rainbow,” The Flaming Lips, from the soundtrack of the 2007 film “Good Luck Chuck.”

I haven’t done a FFT in awhile, but this seems like the perfect time to bring back this semi-regular BAM’s Blog feature.

Have you ever noticed how sometimes a really mediocre movie can have a really great soundtrack?  That was the case with the Jennifer Aniston movie She’s the One back in the 90′s.  The movie…eh, but the soundtrack had a saviour by the name of Tom Petty. 

My favorite track off of the album is “Walls,” which was notable for using Lindsey Buckingham from Fleetwood Mac on back up vocals.  It was also had a very distinctive circus themed video, which I have included a link for below.  (Just go to music videos and click on the guy in the cab when you get there.)

http://mr.tompetty.com/tv/1555/videoPlayer.php.

My featured track for today is a trip back to the 70′s and one of my father’s favorite bands: Steppenwolf.  Although most people know their monster hits “Magic Carpet Ride” and “Born to be Wild” (from which the music term “heavy metal” was derived), many of Steppenwolf’s other songs are less well known.  Perhaps if they were in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame like they deserve to be…sorry, I was just dreaming a little there. 

Anyway, I have chosen to highlight one of their other songs here.  The song “Renegade” off of their album Seven.  It is a great rock song on its own, but when you know the story behind it, it becomes even more powerful.  German born singer John Kay penned the song, and it is about an escape from behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War.  So, kiddies, if you haven’t heard it, why not rock out and educate yourself at the same time and give “Renegade” a listen.

My Friday featured track for today is from the Australian group Men at Work, who were kind of like a shooting star in the early 1980′s.  They came from down under, delivered several hits, and disappeared again within just two or three years. 

While they were hot, they had many songs that I liked, but my favorite is the cold war satire “It’s a Mistake.”  I like this song for the vocals of wild eyed Colin Hay (and the guitar riff isn’t bad either).  However, I know a lot of people really dug the video, so here it is. 

—3D

My Friday featured track for this week is Blue Oyster Cult’s masterpiece “Don’t Fear the Reaper.”  It has a haunting melancholy and masterful guitars.  It’s been the source of controversy as many people assume it is advocating suicide. For the record, the band claims it is simply about not fearing death.

For this week’s featured track, I thought I’d highlight some Oklahoma boys.  The Gap Band were a group of three brothers from Tulsa who had several hits in the early ’80s.  They played songs from R&B to funk, but my personal favorite is the funk flavored hit You Dropped a Bomb on Me.  Check it out in the video below.  And if you think the song is funky, wait till you see their outfits…

One of the brothers, Robert Wilson, known as the “godfather of bass guitar,” Robert Wilson, died Sunday in Palmdale, Calif.

Recently I was watching a countdown of great hard rock songs and was pleasantly reminded of the song “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” when it was included.  Released in 2003 by the British rock group The Darkness, this song was a throw back to classic rock.  The inspiration of rock greats Queenis especially noticeable in the flamboyance, guitar riffs, and high pitched vocals.  If you’ve never heard it, give it a chance.  You’ll be amazing that it didn’t come out in the classic rock era.  Be aware, however, there is adult language in the song and content in some versions of the video.

Today’s featured track is “Let Go” by Frou Frou from the Soundtrack to the movie Garden State.  This soft techno song covers the ending credits of the film.  It perfectly articulates the fragile love story that the film encompasses.  Both the soundtrack and the film are well worth checking out.

Hey loyal readers, I heard this song in a commercial the other day and couldn’t believe that it is over ten years old.  As far as I’m concerned, the best thing to come out of the Latin explosion that occurred in music in the late nineties was the discovery of Carlos Santana by a new generation. 

Today’s featured track, “Smooth,” was one of many collaborations he did for his Supernatural album, and in my opinion it was the best.  His glorious guitar work is on display in this song and so is the sexy vocal work of Matchbox 2o alum Rob Thomas.  Check out the video.

This week’s Friday featured track focuses on the 60′s band Badfinger.  An interesting band in their own right, with a tragic ending in which two of their members committed suicide, Badfinger is often noted for comparisons to The Beatles.  They released on the Apple label, and members of both groups collaborated with each other. 

They have several good songs, but the track I’ve chosen to feature is ”Day After Day,” which is a melancholy little song I’ve always loved.  It was their only gold single and is particularly noted for the slide guitar parts, some of which were played by George Harrison.  Please enjoy this video of the song from the 70′s.