Well, if it isn't our favorite R&B African American easy-listening musical artist, back for one more round of cheese!
Lionel is proud to present the
Internet Swap Master Play List. (PDF / Word)
Even though compiling this list was a huge pain in the ass because I had to copy and paste about thirty-seven hundred million lines of text from e-mails bearing the musical selections of our lovely swap participants and alphabetize all of them according to song and then only half-jokingly harass those who forgot to send me their lists (there are still a couple of people who never got theirs in), it was well worth it. Otherwise I never would've learned my dear friend Brooke saw wistful, romantic undertones in "In The Ghetto"; perhaps the troubled relationship in question is between the single-mother family and dilapidated neighborhood keeping them down?
There are a ton of great songs on this list, so I invite you to check it out. Several were included on more than one compilation, which are indicated with a number enclosed in parentheses so you can fully appreciate how treasured they are by the Internet. "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)" was picked FOUR times! That's a whole lotta Robin Hood love, people.
When I first unveiled the swap in November, I talked about voting on the Cheesiest Love Song as a way to wrap things up. I still think we should do that, as well as mention any songs that might've been overlooked, your personal favorite of the bunch (cheesy or not), and one you were overjoyed to discover for the first time. Mine are as follows:
Cheesiest
I want to say it's a tie between "All Out Of Love" and "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)," but I think Air Supply wins. And not because I like them; I actually think their music should be banned from the face of the earth. But they meet the majority of Frema's Cheesy Love Song requirements. Whiny male vocals? Check. Excessive use of dramatic verbiage? Check. Inclusion of the "you feel like home" cliche? Check. Elevator-music style background singers? Hell to the check.
Overlooked
Where the hell was "I Will Always Love You"? In fact, the only one who paid any sort of homage to the former Mrs. Bobby Brown was me. I thought for sure at least one song from The Bodyguard or even Waiting To Exhale (shoop, shoop, anyone?) would make the cut. Luckily, you all were redeemed by your generous servings of Phil Collins and Gloria Estefan and the fact that at least half of you included a song from the great Richie. With not one repeat!
Personal Favorite
"Always" by Atlantic Starr. I can't help it. No matter where I am or what mood I'm in, by the time the chorus makes its second appearance, I'm chasing all of the rain away with the best of them.
Delightful Discovery
"Samson" by Regina Spektor, courtesy of Katie's "Katie Loves Love, Even When It Ends" mix, which has found a permanent spot in my CD player. There's something haunting about this not-even-remotely cheesy song that touches me, not like the middle-aged coworker at Royal Concept Video who put his hands on my teenaged waist while I was counting down the cash register, but more like the boy in fifth grade who kept three of my classmates from beating me up after school because my club's newspaper was better than theirs.
A big fat thank you to everyone who participated, especially Dawnie, who helped me iron out the logistics. I love you more than my luggage.
Gouda gracious! This is a spectacular list. I want them all.
Posted by: TasterSpoon | January 23, 2007 at 03:13 PM
I'm sorry, did you just say Air Supply should be banned from the face of the earth!?
Frema Michelle (I had no idea what your middle name is so I made one up)!!! I just had a moment of silence for you. (And now you are probably having one for me.)
I'm off to read the list. I'll be back.
Posted by: Silly Hily | January 23, 2007 at 03:31 PM
I thought it was pretty funny how many of the cd's I got had some of the same songs!!!
Posted by: Isabel | January 23, 2007 at 03:43 PM
Oh that was great. I'm gonna have to vote for "Careless Whisper" by Wham! for cheesiest love song b/c to me, nothing says cheese like Wham! The 80's, the video, the song, the hair, everything.
I think "Love Bites" by Def Leppard is a pretty cheesy love song but I didn't see it on the list. And I don't remember seeing anything from 98 degrees on there and you know Nick and Drew Lachey has some major cheese going on with the pumping of the chests in those videos.
Posted by: Silly Hily | January 23, 2007 at 04:00 PM
Wow, that is some list. In my little narrow mind, I imagined a much shorter list. But cheese really is everywhere from John Denver's Annie's Song to Roberta Flack's Killing Me Softly to Foreigner's I Want to Know What Love Is to Wham's Careless Whisper. There is enough cheese to lull a musical cynic to sleep. Thank you for the list Frema, in PDF and Word no less
Posted by: daddy d | January 23, 2007 at 07:25 PM
WOW!! Who knew that there were so many songs!!! Thank you for all your work on this.
Now, to alphabetize by artist... (just kidding!)
Posted by: jenabeeb | January 23, 2007 at 11:26 PM
Oh... wow.
iTunes and I are going to have a LOT of work to do tonight.
Posted by: Angela | January 24, 2007 at 09:42 AM
Cora D (of www.corad.blogspot.com) and I had a cheesy love song swap on the side.
I included Kokomo(Beach Boys) in my CD-- and I am downright shocked that no one else thought of it. I'm usually not that original.
Posted by: culotte | January 24, 2007 at 12:21 PM
Hell to the check. Love it.
I have to say, I love the cd's I received, one and all. Debi and I have very similar musical taste, I think, and with each song I heard on her cd I thought, "Ohhhhhh I forgot that one!"
You did good, great leader Frema.
Posted by: Molly | January 24, 2007 at 12:27 PM
That was a great list. And what timing for your post when just yesterday I was cleaning out the closet and what did I find but 3-thought-they-had-been-mailed-way-back-in-December-CDs. So after I have finished hanging my head in shame they are getting mailed. Like today. I swear.
Posted by: Emma | January 24, 2007 at 03:24 PM
I still sing along--at the top of my lunch--with Arthur's Song.
Although, I also lurves me some Air Supply.
Seconded only by some REO Speedwagon.
Dude, I so wish I had been more motivated to do this.
I really want to BUY all of these CDs. Please?
Posted by: Lizzy | January 24, 2007 at 08:25 PM
Shit. Shit shit shit. I suck. I was supposed to send you a list, wasn't I? Did I mention that I suck? Does it help if my compilation did in fact include "I Will Always Love You"? No?
I'm on it like white on rice, I swear. Forgive me?
Posted by: Fraulein N | January 26, 2007 at 02:28 PM