1 – Chocolate Factory – R. Kelly – before all that godawful stuck in a wardrobe crap, Kelly was seconds away from being a modern day Stevie Wonder with a larger libido and maybe a tenth the talent (which means he was great), and this was the lead song off the album that made us take R. Kelly seriously for a year or so. A masterful Wonder redux, a beautiful soul song of faith in love and metaphor – A
2 – A Cockeyed Optimist – Kelli O’Hara – One of the greatest Nellie’s you’ll ever see, she personified the US can do and innocent in a world long gone and a war yet to be won – A
3 – High And Dry – The Rolling Stones – In which Mick dates a chick with bucks who cottons on too fast – A
4 – Hey There – Harry Connick Jr – I saw Harry kill on this (with Kelli come to think of it) on Broadway, one of the great theatre going experiences, a terrific musical – A
5 – The Hills – The Weeknd – sexy and drugged up slow sizzlin’ banger –not to use a cliché or anything – A
6 – Miss You – Alabama Shakes – Brittany gets her Janis on to great effect – A-
7 – A Wonderful Guy – Kelli O’Hara – This song soars with the joy of new love, it flys right to your heart – A+
8 – Take It On The Run – Reo Speedwagon – The first half sounds like it could be synthpop and good synthpop, the chorus and fade less so – C
9 – Heart Of The Matter – The Libertines – The best song on the album? A jingly Britpopper – B
10 – Going Home – The Rolling Stones – not early early, but a true early Stones blues song, it sounds like no one else – A
