Across the Sea - Against All Odds

Sorry for the delay, I am nothing if not inconsistent (triple negatives are fun).

"Across the Sea"
Weezer. From 1996's Pinkerton.
It is hard to say anything new about this song that isn't expressed wonderfully here. What I can say is that this is one of my very favourite Weezer songs. "Across the Sea" was written at a time when Rivers Cuomo was depressed at Harvard as a response to a letter he received from a girl in Japan. Like many of Weezer's early songs, it has been labeled as "Emo" because of the very personal lyrics and emotions Cuomo conveys. Allmusic describes the song as having a "touching vulnerability". However, the powerful guitar work, especially the solo in the middle of the song, prevent the song from ever being considered "sappy".
When I was 18 I visited Japan for just over two weeks. This song helped me get past the homesickness of missing my girlfriend at the time. This seems ironic because the lyrics would seem to amplify that homesickness. But it comforted me to hear my feelings represented in song. Or what I thought my feelings were.

Credit for first listen: Brother Geordie and sister Kate were big Weezer fans in the mid-90s, and I heard Weezer's first two albums due to them.
What this song is probably not about: Cuomo's reported, and disputed, "affinity for Asian women.
What this song is probably about: Love, isolation and the idealization that comes with distance.
Essential lyric: "So you send me your love/ from all around the world/ As if I could live on words and dreams and a million screams/ oh, how I need a hand in mine to feel"
Arbitrary rating: 74 out of 100

"Africa"
Toto. From 1982's "Toto IV"
Easily Toto's most well-known, and for most only known, song, "Africa" is one of the most widely heard songs on modern radio. It is also featured on a ridiculous number of albums. It went to number 1 on the Billboard chart upon its release. Its popularity and renown is remarkable when considering the band nearly didn't include the song on "Toto IV", because they didn't think it sounded like a Toto song, and they were tired of hearing it after all the production that went into it.
Written by the band's pianist and drummer, the song has a "world music" feel, which of course fits the subject matter. The percussion instruments alone on the song include bass drum, snare drum, hi-hat, two congas, a cowbell, a shaker, bongos, jingle sticks and sleigh bells. Its initial popularity can be partly attributed to its status as a "power ballad", one of the most popular (and regrettable) forms of song in the early 80s. For the most part, these songs are guilty pleasures, with soaring instrumentation combined with emotional lyrics of love. "Africa" certainly fits the bill there, but stands apart from the more formulaic power balleds (such as Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is"), because of its unique lyrics and beat, as well as its vague, and intriguing, lyrics. The song will live on through its many covers, and unfortunately also through the modern medium of sampling, which Karl Wolf's "Africa" reminded us is usually terrible.
Credit for first listen: The radio. Thankfully not Wolf's version, which would have ruined the song permanently.
What this song is probably not about: Accurately depicting the continent of Africa.
What this song is probably about: A white guy trying to imagine what it would be like to connect with Africa. No, seriously.
Essential lyric: I bless the rains down in Africa/ Gonna take some time to do the things we never have
Arbitrary rating: 65 out of 100.

"After Hours"
We Are Scientists. From 2008's "Brain Thrust Mastery".
My first encounter with We Are Scientist was somebody asking me to listen to their single "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt". And I hated it. Just did not like the song at all. Two years later, I heard that Bret McKenzie from Flight of the Conchords had directed a music video for the W.A.S. song "After Hours". Despite my previous bad experience, I really wanted to see the video. It did not disappoint. It was hilarious, and had the very hot Katrina Bowden in it. Best of all, I thoroughly enjoyed the song as all. Later I found it was on the "Nick and Norah's Inifinite Playlist" soundtrack, which is too bad cause that movie was awful. But the song remains the same.
In the face of this incredibly harsh review, I believe this song is a pretty sweet for a mellow, hipster chic dance party, and its pretty fun/easy to sing in the car. I wish I could tell you a little more about this band, but this is really the only song of theirs I know that I like. It does get my feet tapping every time though.
Credit for first listen: See blurb.
What this song is probably not about: Partying after closing time.
What this song is probably about: Death or dying, or maybe not since a "citation needed" is affixed to this info in the wikipedia entry for this song.
Essential lyric: "As always at this hour, time means nothing"
Arbitrary rating: 72 out of 100.

"Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)"
Phil Collins. From 1984's original soundtrack for "Against All Odds".
This song was recorded at the request of the movie of the same name's director Taylor Hackford. It went number one for three weeks in 1984 and also won Collins a grammy, and has been, somewhat, famously covered by Mariah Carey, as well as Postal Service. Written and recorded while Collins was still fronting Genesis, the song would be the turning point for Collins' career. Starting with this song, Collins would release 7 number one singles between 1984 and 1990, while Genesis' fortunes would go in the opposite direction.
The thing I like the most about this song is Collins' reaction to it at the 1985 Oscars. He was nominated for Best Original Song, yet was not asked to sing it, instead something named Ann Reinking sang it, and evidently Collins didn't care for her version. There used to be a video of it on youtube, which I can no longer find. Collins just looks really pissed and awkward and its awesome. If someone finds this, please let me know. Other than that, Collins voice sounds nice as always and the drum work is solid (as can be expected from the 34th-best drummer ever).

Credit for first listen: In first year I downloaded every Postal Service song, and heard their cover of this song. Eventually listened to the Collins original, which I preferred.
What this song is probably not about: Retelling the plot of this movie. Which is good, cause apparently the movie is not very good.
What this song is probably about: Collins' failing marriage to Canadian Andrea Bertorelli.
Essential lyric: "And there's nothing left here to remind me, just the memory of your face"
Arbitrary rating: 59 out of 100.