Ignored             Obscured              Restored

A few weeks ago, I caught Everclear at The Guild Theater in Menlo Park, CA.  I didn’t walk in as a die-hard fan, which made it all the more surprising when I found myself recognizing so many songs – “Heroin Girl,” “Santa Monica,” “Father of Mine,” and “Heartspark Dollarsign” among them.

One track I had secretly hoped for never made the setlist: “AM Radio.”

Written by frontman Art Alexakis — Everclear’s guitarist, vocalist, and chief songwriter –– “AM Radio” is a nostalgic love letter to the music of his ’70s childhood, long before CDs, iPods, and streaming reshaped the listening experience.  In it, Alexakis tips his hat to the rock and soul of the era while taking a playful swipe at disco:

I like soul, I like rock, but I never liked disco
(AM Radio) I like pop, (AM Radio) I like soul
I like rock, but I never liked disco

A prominent feature of the track is its sample of Jean Knight’s “Mr. Big Stuff,” a funk-soul classic that adds instant groove.  Interestingly, that same song is enjoying a second life today, thanks to Volkswagen, which has incorporated it into a series of catchy ads for the Tiguan.

It’s easy to hear why Alexakis chose it back then — and why Volkswagen is leaning on it now.  “Mr. Big Stuff” is one of those tunes that gets under your skin in the best way.  It oozes pure joy.

Enjoy… until next week.