2. Like, Long Hair (1:55) - This tune is somewhat slower than the previous one, and the melody is a bit similar.
3. Midnight Ride (2:30) - This moderately fast song starts with a drum roll representing the hoofbeats of a horse. This song was based on the poem "Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
4. Slippin' And Slidin' * (2:23) - This version of a Little Richard hit is fast, just like the original. The narrator was told a long time before the setting of this song that his girlfriend was cheating on him. Whether he is declaring the relationship over is not clear, but he does refuse to be her fool any longer.
5. Louie Louie (2:42) - This song, slightly faster than moderate, opens with a 9-second saxophone solo, followed by guitar licks over which Mark shouts, "Grab your woman, it's Louie Louie time!" At 0:17, the drums enter. Before it was a hit for the Raiders, this song was the Kingsmen's one big hit.
6. Night Train (2:53) - This instrumental has a tempo somewhat faster than moderate. It opens with a drum roll, a sax, and bells representing the movement and whistling of the train. The guitar and the sax are the lead instruments. Throughout the song I can hear Mark's distant shouts. An acquaintance of mine named Dean Farrell always starts his radio show, the Soul Express, with James Brown's version of this piece.
7. Louie, Go Home (2:42) - Paul and Mark wrote this sequel to "Louie, Louie." The tempo is moderate. This song also opens with a sax, but this time a piano accompanies it just before the drums enter. Cymbal drums are used a lot here. This time, Louie reveals that he has a wife and child waiting for him at home, and his conscience is telling him to go home. At the end, Mark switches to the role of Louie's wife and shouts, "Now, Louie, where you been?"
8. Have Love, Will Travel (2:31) - This song, slightly faster than moderate, features cymbal drums and an organ; a sax plays during the instrumental. The narrator needs a girlfriend, and he will take a train or a plane anywhere to find one.
9. Over You (2:12) - This song starts with a slow, 8-second piano solo. The rest of the time, the tempo is fast. Instruments include cymbal drums and a sax. I don't care much for this song because the narrator threatens to kill the girl if she ever ends their relationship.
10. Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On * (3:01) - This cover of a Jerry Lee Lewis hit has a similar tempo to the original. Also, like in the original, the volume softens temporarily at one point. The narrator encourages the girl to come over and shake along with everyone else.
11. High-Heel Sneakers * (2:45) - This moderately fast song starts with an 8-second guitar lick. Just before the narrator and his girlfriend go out dancing, he tells her to don a red dress, a big hat, and high-heeled shoes.
12. Searchin' * (2:32) - This version is slightly faster than the original version by the Coasters. Cymbal drums are heavily used both here and in the next two songs.
13. Don't You Just Know It * (3:36) - The tempo is moderate. Most of the time, the instruments drown out Mark's voice, so I had difficulty transcribing the lyrics. What I do easily hear, however, is him singing, and then the other guys repeating, "hey hey oh."
14. Irresistible You * (3:09) - The tempo is fast. This song was tough to transcribe also, but the title is all that's needed to tell why the narrator's in love with the girl.
15. Maybellene * (2:29) - This version is fast but slightly slower than the original version by Chuck Berry. A tambourine is featured in this version.
16. Ooh Poo Pah Doo (2:45) - This moderately fast song features cymbal drums. During the first 50 seconds, Mark sings various things which the other guys then repeat. Once the actual song starts, the instruments drown out Mark's voice, so here's a third song that was tough to transcribe.
17. Sometimes (2:27) - This slow, 12/8 song features a tambourine and an organ. Sometimes the narrator cries when he's sad or lonely; right now he's crying because he loves the girl but she doesn't love him.
18. Steppin' Out (2:14) - This song, like the previous one, features a tambourine. The tempo here is moderately fast. The narrator has come back from "Uncle Sam's deal" (the Vietnam War) to learn of rumors that his girlfriend has been untrue to him. If those rumors turn out to be true, he threatens to return her hand to her father and cancel the wedding ceremony.
19. Blue Fox (2:28) - The tempo is moderate. This tune, featuring horns and a sax, is mostly an instrumental. However, two men speak a few times in Spanish accents. The Blue Fox is probably a bar, a cafe, or a dance hall.
20. Just Like Me (2:24) - This song, a bit slower than the previous one, features a tambourine. It is just like the narrator to tell the girlfriend to love him and come home every night; in return, he'll be true.
21. Action (1:28) - The tempo is moderately fast, a similar pace to the original version by Freddy Cannon.
22. SS 396 (2:27) - This fast song is the first of several "car songs" by the Raiders. Among the instruments here is an organ; a tambourine is featured in this and all subsequent songs on Disc One. The narrator brags that his SS 396 is the fastest car on the highway. My parents used to have an SS 396, but they got rid of it by the time I was born.
23. Corvair Baby (2:13) - The tempo is slightly faster than moderate. The narrator wants his girlfriend to be the front-seat passenger in his Corvair wherever they go, to tell the world that she's his. But that sort of car also had its problems--one person who owned such a car told me that in an accident, the engine would fly out of the hood.
24. Kicks (2:26) - This song has a moderate tempo. No matter what drugs the narrator's girlfriend tries, she can't seem to find peace of mind. The narrator tells her that she needs to get treatment for her drug abuse. This song was later covered by the Monkees.
25. Shake It Up (4:01) - Cymbal drums and horns are featured in this moderate-tempoed song. The singing lasts from 2:07 to 3:31; the rest of the time, the instruments drown out the laughing and goofing off. Listen very closely and you'll hear the same bit of laughter that appears after the last song on this collection. My favorite part of this song is the very end, where someone says, "You guys have got to be kidding!"
26. Hungry (2:54) - This song has a similar tempo to the previous one. An organ is audible just before the singing starts, and can be faintly heard during most of the rest of the song. The narrator is hungry for the girl's love; to him it's the "sweetest wine."
27. The Great Airplane Strike (2:55) - This moderately fast song opens with the sound effects of airplanes landing. The narrator rushes to the airport and attempts to buy a ticket, only to be told that no tickets are available. Later he hails a taxi, but the driver tells him the car has run out of fuel. As the song fades, the instruments slow down as though a turntable were slowing down.
28. Good Thing (3:01) - This song has a moderate tempo. Cymbal drums play on almost every beat. The narrator tells his girlfriend that whenever the world gets the best of her, she should find comfort in the strong relationship between him and her.
29. Ups And Downs (2:49) - This song, slightly faster than the previous one, features a harmonica. The narrator's girlfriend has been walking out on him lately. He has tried in vain to get her to realize that his home is where she belongs. She used to bring him up, but he's been down for so long that he decides he'd better end the relationship.
2. Him Or Me--What's It Gonna Be (2:38) - This fast song starts with some guitar licks. Then the tambourine enters. Then the drums enter and the guys start singing. Only the drums and the tambourine play while Mark sings the verses. The narrator tells his girlfriend he has to know for certain whether she has a new man. He tells her that she can give her love to only one man, so she must choose between the narrator and the other man.
3. I Had A Dream (2:17) - This moderately slow song features horns. First the drums come in from near-silence, then the other instruments enter. The narrator has had the same dream every night since his girlfriend left him. He dreams that he is atop a mountain and sees her in the sky.
4. Peace Of Mind (2:26) - This song has a similar tempo to the previous one. It sounds like at least one woman sang behind Mark on this song. The narrator resolves that he will find a way to bring sunshine and blue skies into his mind. He says that everyone needs peace of mind; how right he is!
5. Too Much Talk (2:13) - The 15-second interval between this and the previous song is an instrumental of the next song, which fades both in and out. This song is moderately fast. The narrator complains that politics nowadays is "too much talk and not enough action." It certainly is!
6. Happening '68 (1:45) - The tempo is moderate. Horns are the main instruments here. Something great is happening to the narrator; he encourages everyone to get together and experience the same thing. (Note: after clicking on the link, you'll need to scroll down a bit to see the lyrics.)
7. Don't Take It So Hard (2:25) - This fast song features horns, a chime, and an instrument that resembles the winding of a clock. The narrator tried to end the romantic relationship between himself and the girl, and still just be friends, but she still cries over the end of the romantic aspect. The title is never sung exactly, but the chorus consists of several repetitions of "YOU SHOULDN'T take it so hard." The 17-second interval between this and the next song consists of a similar instrumental to the one between "Peace Of Mind" and "Too Much Talk."
8. Cinderella Sunshine (2:00) - This moderately fast song is about a girl who wears clothes that turn men on. The narrator wants to spend some time with her and asks her where she's going.
9. It's Happening (2:44) - Instruments and sound effects in this fast song include horns and hand-clapping. Most of the time the guys just sing, "It's happening, it's happening / I believe it's happening." But just before the fading sequence, Mark sings "Let it happen now" several times. The theme here is similar to that in "Happening '68."
10. Judge GTO Breakaway (2:43) - The tempo is moderate. The song opens with someone pounding a gavel and saying, "This court has been called into session to pass judgement on a special new car from Pontiac. All rise for the judge." The third of the "car songs" is an advertisement for the GTO.
11. Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon (2:43) - The tempo is moderately fast. After the chorus is sung the second time, the key changes from C to D. In the verses, the narrator shows the girl "a new place" to try to cheer her up. In the verses, he asks the sun to shine on her during the day and asks the moon to shine on her at night.
12. Let Me (2:39) - This song, a tiny bit slower than the previous one, features the clapping of hands. The narrator is apparently asking the girl to let him love her. As the 2-minute mark approaches, the key goes up a time or two. Near 2:15, the song temporarily fades, then Mark shouts, "Na-na-na-na!" Finally the guys sing the chorus a few times and the song fades for good.
13. We Gotta All Get Together (2:59) - This moderately slow song might have been a Vietnam War protest song. Instruments here include horns, which are commonly heard for the rest of the album. From 1:54 on, hands clap on every even-numbered beat. The narrator warns us that sooner or later we must stop fighting, recognize one another as brothers and sisters, and unite.
14. Just 17 (3:49) - Like the previous song, this one is moderately slow. I like the guitar licks best. The narrator wakes up at about 3:45 one morning in his Missoula home to a knock on his front door. The person standing outside is a 17-year-old girl.
15. Gone Movin' On (2:35) - This song has a moderate tempo. A big bass drum is featured here. The narrator was easily seduced by the girl, but now he's had enough of her. Everywhere she looks, she won't find him, for he will be "gone movin' on."
16. Indian Reservation (The Lament Of The Cherokee Reservation Indian) (2:52) - The Raiders' only #1 hit has a moderate swing tempo. I like how in the end the organ rolls, then holds on its last chord. The narrator is lamenting many things. The white men confiscated his people's land, exiled them to a reservation, and taught Cherokee children to speak English. Products that the Cherokee made by hand have been replaced by products made in Japan. The narrator may now wear the same attire that white businessmen wear, but he's "still a red man deep inside." In the end, he resolves that someday his people will regain their land and/or their former lifestyle.
17. Birds Of A Feather (2:37) - The tempo is fast. Just before the third verse, the key rises from G to A. The narrator reminisces on everything he and the girl used to do when they were children; he thinks they should stay together for eternity.
18. Country Wine (2:29) - This song and the next two are moderately fast. The chorus contains several pairs of loud drumbeats. After the instrumental, the key rises from C to D. In the first verse the narrator reminisces on times when he and his friends used to sit on his back porch and drink wine. In the rest of the song, he tells them they can relive those times if they'll just "bring [the wine] on back to this heart of mine."
19. Powder Blue Mercedes Queen (3:02) - In the last of the "car songs," the electric guitars provide the sound effects of the narrator's Mercedes zooming along a highway. The attention-grabber here is Mark's throaty "Do it like a lady ay ay ay ay ay..." At 1:38 the key changes from C to D. The narrator calls his car "a human bein'."
20. Song Seller (3:31) - A tambourine plays in this song. The narrator is a member of a rock band hoping to get its latest song sold. My favorite part of this song is the second verse, in which the narrator mentions the Beatles and hopes his band can "play like George and Ringo." Also good is the ending instrumental in which the piano plays lead.
21. A Simple Song (2:56) - The tempo is slightly slower than moderate. My favorite part is the opening guitar licks. The narrator is about to sing a song that is simple to sing, so he invites everyone to sing along with him.
22. Love Music (3:41) - This song has a moderate tempo. The narrator notes that life is dull and unpromising; people are holding their hands in the air as if waiting for some gift from heaven. He believes that "love music" is the solution.
23. (If I Had To Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It) All Over You (2:44) - This moderately slow version of a Bob Dylan song features a tambourine and an organ. Everyone has something to look forward to; the narrator looks forward to when he can start his life over. If he could relive his life, it would revolve around the girl.
24. Tobacco Road * (3:30) - This song has a similar tempo to the previous one. The group who previously recorded this song was called the Nashville Teens.
25. Angels Of Mercy * (3:28) - The tempo is moderately fast. I hear African drums just before the regular drums enter. An organ rolls during the middle instrumental. The narrator, saddened at being left by his girlfriend, prays to the angels above for a renewal of the love between him and the girl. In the second and third occurrences of the chorus, when Mark sings, "Send us love down below / Down below," I like how he prolongs the last syllable and lets his pitch drop.
26. Chain Of Fools * (3:47) - This cover of an Aretha Franklin hit has a similar tempo to the original. (Note: the link here is to the lyrics as sung by Aretha.) A tambourine plays here. The narrator thought for 5 years that he was the girl's one true love, but now he realizes that he's just the latest link in the girl's "chain of fools." His parents and doctor tell him to relax and forget about the girl, but the narrator's love for her is "much too strong." The actual song lasts 3:12, but after 6 seconds of silence, on comes a funny routine. First, the guys laugh. Second, one of them asks the others if they heard about some band. Third, he asks if the other guys know a member of that band named Sam. Finally, he says "Went out of business" and makes "nim nim nim" sounds. Meanwhile, Mark is repeatedly shouting "Shake it up!" Quite an amusing way to conclude this collection.