Most Of The Girls Like To Dance But Only Some Of The Boys Like To (1985)
Romeo At Julliard (1987)
Chi-Town Budget Show (1988)
EEE (1989)
Romantic Depressive (1995)
The Invisible Man (2000)
The Great Don Dixon, Circa 1985-2000
Big thanks to Shteeve for posting most of these essential Don Dixon 320s in C-Box last month. Since I hate to see good links go bad, I’ve been meaning to write up something about the great DD, but still haven’t, so… you’re kind of on your own if you’re not already aware of his merits (read more about his history at AMG). Personally, he’s always struck me as a wayward cross between John Hiatt and Nick Lowe – a meaningfully sensitive rocker with a troubled soul, whose distinctly jagged voice is fused with a penchant for reliable, pop-smart composition. Dixon’s melodies just have a way of burrowing directly into your pleasure centers. That he’s managed to release so many richly engaging releases, despite low sales and little in the way of name recognition, says something for his tenacity, but more about the masses that could be rewarded by embracing his work. Mitch Easter fans should be on board (they’re often partners in crime), as should Marti Jones followers (his wife and sometimes cohort). Dixon’s debut solo release, Most Of The Girls Like To Dance But Only Some Of The Boys Like To is actually a collection of winning demos recorded from 1981-1985. Listen below to “Praying Mantis” (Most Of The Girls…), “Everytime I Think Of Home” (Romantic Depressive), “Your Sister Told Me” (Romeo At Julliard) and “Roots Of Truth” (EEE) for just a taste. Track listings are in comments. Click the album covers for links to Amazon. Thanks again Shteeve, and thanks also to aitoid for adding the essential Most Of The Girls… to this collection.
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MOST OF THE GIRLS LIKE TO DANCE BUT ONLY SOME OF THE BOYS LIKE TO
Praying Mantis (4:05)
(You’re A) Big Girl Now (3:05)
Skin Deep (2:52)
Eyes On Fire (3:18)
Girls L.T.D. (2:54)
Swallowing Pride (3:03)
Just Rites (4:40)
Wake Up (1:59)
Talk To Me (2:54)
Pocket (3:14)
Ice On The River (3:16)
Renaissance Eyes (3:23)
Fighting For My Life (2:26)
Southside Girl (2:57)
Andy (3:19)
When A Man Loves A Woman [Live] (4:15)
Cliche (2:01)
ROMEO AT JULLIARD
Borrowed Time (4:26)
Your Sister Told Me (2:58)
Heart In A Box (4:29)
Cool (2:46)
Romeo (3:40)
Million Angels Sigh (3:52)
Helen (2:38)
Swallowing Pride (3:49)
February Ingenue (2:38)
Cat Out Of The Bag (3:21)
Jean Harlow’s Return (4:41)
CHI-TOWN BIDGET SHOW
Heart in a Box (5:45)
Borrowed Time (4:45)
Your Sister Told Me (3:25)
Girls L.T.D. (3:00)
February Ingenue (2:31)
Skin Deep (3:20)
Renaissance Eyes (5:32)
Southside Girl (2:32)
Cat Out of the Bag (3:56)
Praying Mantis (9:41)
EEE
Oh Cheap Chatter (3:51)
Silent Screen (3:35)
Love Gets Strange (5:38)
I Can Hear The River (4:55)
Dark End Of The Street (3:26)
Gimme Little Sign (2:24)
One Lonely Question (3:15)
Calling Out For Love (At Crying Time) (3:52)
Bad Reputation (3:21)
EEE/T.O.T. TV (3:52)
Roots Of Truth (2:33)
Sweet Surrender (4:30)
ROMANTIC DEPRESSIVE
Righteous Side Of Love (3:40)
Giving Up The Ghost (3:37)
I Should Know Better (3:49)
Angel Angel (4:09)
Everytime I Think Of Home (4:18)
What You Saw (2:59)
Peace For The Last Time (4:01)
Good Golly Svengali (3:58)
25,000 Days (2:48)
Lottery Of Lives (3:15)
Never Slow Down (4:12)
THE INVISIBLE MAN
Invisible & Free (5:05)
Do So Well (3:29)
Tax The Churches (2:33)
Decline & Fall (4:06)
All I Wanted (2:27)
High Night For The Tide (7:08)
Then I Woke Up (3:42)
Digging A Grave (3:20)
Oh No (3:41)
Lewd Vagrancy (2:16)
Why Do Children Have To Die? (5:01)
Had Romeo At Julliard on cassette many years ago and I agree totally with your Nick Lowe / John Hiatt comparison. Captain and Shteeve, thank you very much.
Great Don Dixon stuff. Now, lets see Marti Jones!
Holy frijoles, Batman! Thanking you big time! And ditto for Marti Jones!
Good comparison indeed. Don Dixon, as wonderful as he is, can’t seem to unlock that final door to the ultimate hook — unlike Nick Lowe, who’s been through that door and come back. Many thanks for these, as always.
As an example of Faze’s comment, check out how Marshall Crenshaw transformed a good Don Dixon song, “Calling Out For Love At Crying Time,” into a masterpiece on his 1987 album “Mary Jean & 9 Others.”
Good stuff I never heard before. Thanks.
I found a CD I got from a guy that used play with Marshall Crenshaw (forgot his name!) dated 1992: “If I’m A Ham, Well You’re A Sausage”. He wrote a song with Marshall called “Calling Out For Love (At Crying Time) which is on this disc and may be how I ended up with this (I honestly have no idea). Happy to upload if you tell me how!
ZippyShare is pretty easy. I don’t think you have to sign up. Just hit the Browse button to find it on your hard drive and hit Start Upload. Should just take a few minutes. Then forward the download address they give you. Thanks JK.
http://www.zippyshare.com
Another vote for “Most Of The Girls Like To Dance But Only Some Of The Boys Like To”! I lost my copy over twenty years ago in a divorce. I did get to keep “Romeo at Julliard”, from which “Swallowing Pride” & “February Ingenue” have inhabited many a mix disc and playlist over those two decades. The entire disc is on my all-time classics list and if I were a lounge singer I’d always end my show with “Jean Harlow’s Return”.
Merry Ice X-Mas to one & all!
Thanks Ice.
Here is Most Of The Girls Like To Dance But Only Some Of The Boys Like To. I also have it on pre-recorded cassette somewhere (but I don’t have a cassette player anymore).
Big thanks aitoid. I’ve got it upped with all the others now. Really appreciate you adding this one to the mix, most people first turned on to Dixon with Most Of The Girls… and still consider it his best. Thanks again.
I went one of those “buncha songwriters swappin’ stories & songs” shows back in ’92 that featured Dixon, Marshall Crenshaw, Jules Shear & James McMurtry all on stage at the same time. That was a great evening!
We’ve got a couple of those type shows in the archives. In Their Own Words, Vol 1 & 2, with some of the same cast of characters.
http://www.willardswormholes.com/?p=209
“Big thanks aitoid” No problem, glad to be of service. Thank you for everything you do for us and Merry Christmas! :-)
Cheers
Thanks Captain – you’re about to lead me (again) to listen to music I’ve never heard before so there’s that little tingle re it might be a life changer or it might not appeal to me.
Thanks for the experience!
Cool. Glad you’re taking the leap. It’s hard to go wrong when the worst that can happen is you decide to listen to something else instead.
fantastic, I thought all of this was lost and forgotten!
(at least, I’ve lost my copies of the first 2) Thanks!
Couldn’t let that happen. This is great stuff.