Song #315: "Show And Tell" by Al Wilson

Date: Jan 19, 1974
Weeks: 1

This is a fine example of the 70s ruining an otherwise decent song. It's over-orchestrated and overproduced.

The first problem is the background singers. They start off with a "do do do do doo" that is just a bit too clearly enunciated to feel the least bit natural. I feel like I'm listening to some singers in a studio singing their assigned lyrics. And it continues throughout the song. They don't feel the least bit organic.

The next problem is the instrumentation. It's full of strings, horns, and every other instrument they can think to pile on. This problem seems typical of songs from the mid-70s. There's just too much going on here. This song would be nicer if it just continued with the same instruments it started with. All it needs is bass, drums, and Al Wilson's fine vocals. Maybe add in the horns or the background singers or the strings, but not all of them. It's too much going on at once.

The lyrics are fine, I guess. It's a fairly straightforward love song that can be summed up in the line "So show me and tell me that you feel the same way too." The lyrics are sexy and not sexist, which elevates them over a lot of songs on this list.

My verdict: Don't like it. This song could be saved with a simpler performance, but apparently overproduction was the norm in the mid 70s.