Today’s terrific tune is a track from the one-of-a-kind singer songwriter Tom Waits. The track is “Downtrain Train”, made semi-famous by Rod Stewart, and this is Tom’s official video. Bet you didn’t see it on MTV.

Waits is a unique talent and sometimes people either love him or hate him. He’s got a gravely voice that sounds like he gargles with razor blades but he’s a master songwriter and he perfectly captures the seedier side of life. I can’t begin to fully describe Tom in this small space. Do yourself a favor and check out his entries at Wikipedia and the All Music Guide.

The video here is from the mid-80s and yes, he did get a bit strange at times. But, for the open-minded, see him live if you ever get the opportunity and give his work a chance, much of it is really wild and wonderful. The video here is moody but it draws you in, with the black and white look of an old film, a sense of humor at the beginning and end, and a cool creepiness. And yes, that is possible.

See past Terrific Tunes For Tuesday.

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Today’s tune is a powerful anti-war song that uses reggae as a backdrop to a message about the terrible loses that war causes. “They take our girls away, they take our boys away” and “those who build wars never fight them”. So sings Michael Franti with his group Spearhead in the song Time To Go Home from his great Yell Fire CD. Listen and watch and if it moves you then maybe leave me a comment.

Any thoughts? Or you can buy the CD here.

Today’s song is the classic 80’s pop ballad Don’t Dream It’s Over by Crowded House (learn more). A great song, from a really good pop album, by a really good pop band. You can see the video below. This song reached number 27 in the UK, number 8 in Australia, number 6 in Norway, number 2 in the US, and number 1 in Canada. The video earned the band the MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist in 1987. They broke up in 1996 but reformed in 2007 with a top-notch comeback album. The musical world had changed but their sound remains true. Their warm sound and melancholy pop hooks make them a band to treasure and make this song a classic.

See past Terrific Tunes For Tuesday

Why not leave me a comment?

Today’s tune is the classic “Radio Radio” by Elvis Costello and the Attractions. Yes, from way back in 1978 when Elvis was King. Below is the official video for the song. You can see how young and snotty Elvis was (in a good way, of course). And what he had to say about the state of radio still holds true today.

What do you think?

Today’s selection was released in the last couple years. It is Regina Spektor doing a solo version of her song “On The Radio”, performing it live at Lollapalooza 2007. I love the studio version of this song but here the live version shows her charm and charisma. She’s adorable, she can write interesting and still catchy songs, and her lyics are better than most. Pick up her album “Begin To Hope” if you like this at all. It’s even better.

Your thoughts? Let me know…

I’m starting a new thread here on stevenology. Every Tuesday (or at least when I am in the mood) I will post a song that I like. You can can watch the video and, if you want, leave me a comment. We’ll start the series with one of my favorite artists, John Lennon, and his song “(Just Like) Starting Over”. He was indeed just starting his career over after a five year hiatus and was energized and full of great new songs. And then before this album was even released he was murdered, shot dead on the steps of his apartment building by a crazed fan. It was a huge loss for me and for the rest of the world too. But the music lives on.

This song is so full of hope and optimism, which was not always a normal state for him. But he was a powerful force for peace and his musical legacy leaves us with a lot of amazing and brilliant songs. And then there’s that fact that he was also in the best band ever, The Beatles! Uh, yeah! Duh!! Anyway, enjoy the first Tuesday video and let me know what you think.