Mamma Mia and Oy Gewalt, Volvo!
The pigment-challenged Swedish musicologists over at Volvo are riding the ABBA wave by releasing their choice for the top 21 (?) "summer road trip songs" that will "help you and your family endure hours in the car..." (Just a note to the press-release writers: "endure" doesn't really help convey the joys of a road trip in your shiny new Volvo, does it?) Also, this moldy-oldy list seems guaranteed to make your teenager wish for death a thousand times over.
Besides, it is a matter of Biblical fact that the greatest road song EV-AR is "Radar Love" by Dutch supergroup Golden Earring, and Volvo didn't deign to include it on their list. Sheesh! I was in Italy a few weeks ago when I met a journalist who was writing a "biography" of 'Radar Love," which was -- according to him -- the biggest Dutch hit since, um, Rembrandt.
Please consult my trenchant analysis of "Radar Love" here.
For true devotees of "Radar Love," behold the band's utterly nutty proto-video for the song here:
The grammology of road songs in further explored in my story from 2005 -- "Running on Empty."
Lastly, here is Volvo's list of top road songs:
"Born to Run" Bruce Springsteen
"S.O.S." ABBA
"Ramble On" Led Zeppelin
"Me and Bobby McGee" Janis Joplin
"Dancing Queen" ABBA
"Jackson" Johnny and June Carter Cash
"Take a Chance on Me" ABBA
"Paradise by the Dashboard Light" Meatloaf
"Stuck in the Middle With You" Stealer's Wheel
"Mamma Mia" ABBA
"Born to Be Wild" Steppenwolf
"Highway to Hell" AC/DC
"Low Rider" War
"Running on Empty" Jackson Browne
"Southbound" Allman Brothers
"Waterloo" ABBA
"Highway 61 Blues" Bob Dylan
"Little Deuce Coupe" The Beach Boys
"Knowing Me, Knowing You" ABBA
"Drive My Car" The Beatles
"On the Road Again" Willie Nelson
--Dan Neil
Photo: AP
In the late 80's while working for Volvo, our Christmas Bonus was a cassette tape of a semi-pro Swedish group doing covers of some of the same songs... And obviously, english wasn't even their second language!
"She's a Little Duce Coupe wit a flat dead nil,
and sheee'll walk a Tunderberg like she stanin til..."
Three of the four Beach Boys are spinning in their graves... And Brian? Well, he probably understood every word.
Posted by: X-Wiking | July 25, 2008 at 08:59 AM
I am the Italian journalist, but in fact I am from the Netherlands, check out www.radar-love.net for the amazing story of Radar Love.
Posted by: PAtrick | August 07, 2008 at 10:45 AM
Most of these are from era and at least half would have me asleep at the wheel. Yes on Radar Love!
Posted by: singpretty | November 13, 2008 at 02:49 PM