We've had a good number of
Connells tunes on the list (this is our 8th to date, tied with
Big Star and
Neil Young, for what it's worth--yep, putting that
song database to work!); yet this is only our second visit to 1987's
Boylan Heights. Which is odd because that stands as one of my all-time favorite records, as much a defining moment for 80s college radio jangle pop for me as
R.E.M.'s
Murmur. And while the previously-referenced album opener "
Scotty's Lament" was bouncy and fun, the next track on the record really sets the stage for what makes the band great. "Choose A Side" is gently pretty, wonderfully melodic, coasting along on guitar jangle and slight organ textures before it amps up just a bit on a delightful earworm chorus you'll be humming all day. (Or, in my case, for nearly 40 years.)
Live 1994:
Live 2024:
See the entire Top 2000 to date in a sortable database!
