In my life, there have been some very good years. 1957, I was born in the time of Elvis. 1979, I was married in the time of Disco. 1982, my daughter was born and I saw The Who on the first farewell tour. 2008, my granddaughter was born and Hip-Hop ruled the airwaves. Now, it's 2010 and, I'm very happy to say, that music is getting interesting again. There seems to be a rebirth of alternative rock and a return to singer/songwriters. If we're lucky, 2011 will be the year that American Idol die. Can you name the last few winners? I can't. If we're lucky, 2011 will be the year that we wake up and realize that Glee is not even as entertaining as bad karaoke. Superficiality has no place in music. We need artists with depth and true talent, like Lady Gaga and Arcade Fire, to drag popular music out of banality. We need artists like Jamey Johnson and Hayes Carll to steer Country Music away from its Southern Rock quagmire. In short, 2011 needs to be a year like 1977 when Punk Rock made it all interesting again.
2011 could be a great year. Maybe so good that someone will write a song called "2011". They better do it fast because, as we know from the Mayan Calendar and the movie, the world ends in 2012. Too bad, I was looking forward to retirement. Oh well. Let's listen to some tunes while there is still time.
Here are some great tunes about specific years:
"1969" - Iggy & The Stooges http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0mRfECsHrc
"1970" - Iggy & The Stooges
Here are videos of "1970" from 1970 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRuN2ayttsY&feature=related
and from 2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjUL5z-PQfk&feature=related
"1979" - The Smashing Pumpkins http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrivjzw0RlI
This is one of all-time favorite videos. A true portrayal of teenage freedom and stupidity.
"1984" - David Bowie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJGQLFenjKs&feature=related "Beware the savage jaw of 1984" from Diamond Dogs. Dig that funky disco post-apocalyptic beat.
"1985" - Bowling for Soup http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K38xNqZvBJI&feature=fvwk
When there was still music on MTV. An Epic Video.
"1999" - Prince
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv-2BBKicVU
Because we all thought that all computers were going to stop at midnight in the year 2000. "2000-zero-zero, party, outta-time". What a great excuse to party.
"In the Year 2525" - Zager and Evans http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tLTb4P1HD8
"...tear it down and start again." It's time.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Return of the Concept Album
Some of us old folks remember a time when artists would compose an album as “an entire piece” and, over 10 or 12 tracks, take you on a musical journey from beginning to end. The songs would be held together by a common theme and this oddity was called a “concept album”.
I am sure that the idea for concept albums began long ago because Woody Guthrie’s 1940 debut album Dust Bowl Ballads was a collection of folk tunes that all had a common theme of desperation and resilience. Later, after the United States was enjoying more prosperity, Frank Sinatra released what many consider the first true “concept album” in 1955 with In the Wee Small Hours. It is a collection of ballads which all express feelings of late-night loneliness and isolation. As the 1950’s ended, country and western artists produced some of the best concept albums. In 1959, Marty Robbins released Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs full of stories of gunslingers and cowboys.
Music started getting weird in the 1960’s and so did concept albums. The Mothers of Invention released Freak Out!, a scathing farce about American idealism. The Moody Blues traced an average day of the common man from waking up to going to sleep in Days of Future Passed. The Who gave us the first “rock opera” concept album Tommy in 1969. The concept was about a young boy named Tommy who is stricken deaf, dumb and blind after witnessing his father’s murder by his stepfather. Tommy attracts a cult of personality as a pinball wizard but is eventually rejected by his followers.
The 1970’s were my favorite decade for concept albums. Jethro Tull had several, like Thick As A Brick, a parable about modern society and how we are influenced by it, told through the eyes of a young boy. Pink Floyd gave us Dark Side of the Moon, which loosely chronicles the pressures of modern life stemming from the clash of morality and materialism and how it can drive us insane. But their most ambitious concept album was The Wall, which likens traumatic incidents occurring in your youth to adding bricks to a wall which obscures your ability to live a normal adult life. David Bowie morphed into his alter ego avatar Ziggy Stardust for 1972’s concept album Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, in which Ziggy is a Martian rock star who comes to earth with a simple message to “let the children lead the way” but his time on Earth corrupts him and he becomes a victim of his own excesses. The following year, the Who released Quadrophenia and it was personally very important to me and to Eddie Vedder, who said it comforted him to a tough time in his life. In my case, my grandfather had just died and I was feeling very alone and sad. The concept of Quadrophenia is about finding yourself when you feel like the whole world has let you down. That’s what happens to Jimmy, the disillusioned young man in Quadrophenia who tries but does not fit in with the style of the times. He begins to realize that everything he believes in and loves, including his family, his friends and his girlfriend, have let him down. Through introspection he realizes that he is the cause of all his problems and, after finding his true self, achieves salvation.
It was also during the 1970’s that progressive rock was rampant. There were a lot of thematic albums, like Rick Wakeman’s Journey to the Center of the Earth and The Six Wives of Henry the Eighth, but I don’t consider them concept albums in the truest sense because they were, like Alan Parson’s Tales of Mystery and Imagination (based on the works of Edgar Allen Poe) inspired by other great works of literature and historical figures. However, a genuinely creative and imaginative work entitled The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway was released by Genesis in 1974 when Peter Gabriel was still at its helm. The concept was about a juvenile delinquent named Rael in New York City who journeys underground to encounter bizarre creatures and nightmarish perils in order to save his trapped brother. Recent Genesis live albums still feature “The Carpet Crawlers” from The Lamb…, but my personal favorite track is “Counting Out Time”.
Who can forget “domo arigato, Mr. Roboto”? It came from the Eighties and a concept album by Styx called Kilroy Was Here. In the story, Robert Orin Charles Kilroy (ROCK) was imprisoned by an anti-rock-and-roll group the Majority for Musical Morality. Kilroy escapes by overpowering the Roboto prison guard and hiding inside the emptied-out metal shell. I like to remember this as a metaphor for the empty shell that rock and roll was for the most of the Eighties. Sadly, the concept album became a favorite mechanism for Heavy Metal bands like Iron Maiden and Queensryche. Iron Maiden’s Seventh Son of a Seventh Son was mythology about a seventh son of a seventh son with mystical powers. Queensryche’s Operation:Mindcrime told the tale of a young man who awakes from a coma to remember that he had worked as a political assassin. Rock had become mythology trapped in a comatose state. Fortunately, alternative rock bands like R.E.M. and U2 were coming to revive it.
After its rough patch in the Eighties, the concept album returned to its former glory in the Nineties. Marilyn Manson released a conceptual triptych with Antichrist Superstar in 1996, Mechanical Animals in 1998 and Holy Wood in 2000 which, like George Lucas’ Star Wars presented the sequel before the prequel. Dream Theatre, Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails, all very different in musical styles and approaches, gave us concept albums during the 1990’s. But my favorite pick for Concept Album of the Nineties is OK Computer by Radiohead. It is a brilliant indictment of the loss of individuality in the computer era.
Concept albums are still alive and well in the 2000’s, and their champion is Green Day. American Idiot in 2004 and 21st Century Breakdown in 2009 were each fantastic concept albums. American Idiot was made into a Broadway musical and, in 2010, it won two Tony Awards. Now more than ever, musicians should really consider making concept albums. Because so much of what we listen to these days are singles downloaded as individual tracks, thanks to iTunes and its many competitors, we seem to have lost the thread of the story that music can tell. One way that artists could start selling albums again, instead of just singles, would be to make a concept album. Otherwise, we’re only getting part of the story.
I am sure that the idea for concept albums began long ago because Woody Guthrie’s 1940 debut album Dust Bowl Ballads was a collection of folk tunes that all had a common theme of desperation and resilience. Later, after the United States was enjoying more prosperity, Frank Sinatra released what many consider the first true “concept album” in 1955 with In the Wee Small Hours. It is a collection of ballads which all express feelings of late-night loneliness and isolation. As the 1950’s ended, country and western artists produced some of the best concept albums. In 1959, Marty Robbins released Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs full of stories of gunslingers and cowboys.
Music started getting weird in the 1960’s and so did concept albums. The Mothers of Invention released Freak Out!, a scathing farce about American idealism. The Moody Blues traced an average day of the common man from waking up to going to sleep in Days of Future Passed. The Who gave us the first “rock opera” concept album Tommy in 1969. The concept was about a young boy named Tommy who is stricken deaf, dumb and blind after witnessing his father’s murder by his stepfather. Tommy attracts a cult of personality as a pinball wizard but is eventually rejected by his followers.
The 1970’s were my favorite decade for concept albums. Jethro Tull had several, like Thick As A Brick, a parable about modern society and how we are influenced by it, told through the eyes of a young boy. Pink Floyd gave us Dark Side of the Moon, which loosely chronicles the pressures of modern life stemming from the clash of morality and materialism and how it can drive us insane. But their most ambitious concept album was The Wall, which likens traumatic incidents occurring in your youth to adding bricks to a wall which obscures your ability to live a normal adult life. David Bowie morphed into his alter ego avatar Ziggy Stardust for 1972’s concept album Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, in which Ziggy is a Martian rock star who comes to earth with a simple message to “let the children lead the way” but his time on Earth corrupts him and he becomes a victim of his own excesses. The following year, the Who released Quadrophenia and it was personally very important to me and to Eddie Vedder, who said it comforted him to a tough time in his life. In my case, my grandfather had just died and I was feeling very alone and sad. The concept of Quadrophenia is about finding yourself when you feel like the whole world has let you down. That’s what happens to Jimmy, the disillusioned young man in Quadrophenia who tries but does not fit in with the style of the times. He begins to realize that everything he believes in and loves, including his family, his friends and his girlfriend, have let him down. Through introspection he realizes that he is the cause of all his problems and, after finding his true self, achieves salvation.
It was also during the 1970’s that progressive rock was rampant. There were a lot of thematic albums, like Rick Wakeman’s Journey to the Center of the Earth and The Six Wives of Henry the Eighth, but I don’t consider them concept albums in the truest sense because they were, like Alan Parson’s Tales of Mystery and Imagination (based on the works of Edgar Allen Poe) inspired by other great works of literature and historical figures. However, a genuinely creative and imaginative work entitled The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway was released by Genesis in 1974 when Peter Gabriel was still at its helm. The concept was about a juvenile delinquent named Rael in New York City who journeys underground to encounter bizarre creatures and nightmarish perils in order to save his trapped brother. Recent Genesis live albums still feature “The Carpet Crawlers” from The Lamb…, but my personal favorite track is “Counting Out Time”.
Who can forget “domo arigato, Mr. Roboto”? It came from the Eighties and a concept album by Styx called Kilroy Was Here. In the story, Robert Orin Charles Kilroy (ROCK) was imprisoned by an anti-rock-and-roll group the Majority for Musical Morality. Kilroy escapes by overpowering the Roboto prison guard and hiding inside the emptied-out metal shell. I like to remember this as a metaphor for the empty shell that rock and roll was for the most of the Eighties. Sadly, the concept album became a favorite mechanism for Heavy Metal bands like Iron Maiden and Queensryche. Iron Maiden’s Seventh Son of a Seventh Son was mythology about a seventh son of a seventh son with mystical powers. Queensryche’s Operation:Mindcrime told the tale of a young man who awakes from a coma to remember that he had worked as a political assassin. Rock had become mythology trapped in a comatose state. Fortunately, alternative rock bands like R.E.M. and U2 were coming to revive it.
After its rough patch in the Eighties, the concept album returned to its former glory in the Nineties. Marilyn Manson released a conceptual triptych with Antichrist Superstar in 1996, Mechanical Animals in 1998 and Holy Wood in 2000 which, like George Lucas’ Star Wars presented the sequel before the prequel. Dream Theatre, Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails, all very different in musical styles and approaches, gave us concept albums during the 1990’s. But my favorite pick for Concept Album of the Nineties is OK Computer by Radiohead. It is a brilliant indictment of the loss of individuality in the computer era.
Concept albums are still alive and well in the 2000’s, and their champion is Green Day. American Idiot in 2004 and 21st Century Breakdown in 2009 were each fantastic concept albums. American Idiot was made into a Broadway musical and, in 2010, it won two Tony Awards. Now more than ever, musicians should really consider making concept albums. Because so much of what we listen to these days are singles downloaded as individual tracks, thanks to iTunes and its many competitors, we seem to have lost the thread of the story that music can tell. One way that artists could start selling albums again, instead of just singles, would be to make a concept album. Otherwise, we’re only getting part of the story.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Famous Last Words
George Strait has a song called "Famous Last Words of a Fool". I'd be a fool not to blog on Halloween. I'd also be a fool not be blog about DEATH on Halloween. So many "horror" movies dwell on the subject of death; usually shocking grisly death of attractive young people by some demented psychopath or some remorseless other-worldly menace. Our fascination with death extends into the world of music, of course, and the trend goes way back. In 1964, the Shangri-La's gave us the sad love story "Leader of the Pack" about a guy who crashes his motorcycle and dies. That same year, Jan and Dean told us the story about a drag race gone awry in "Dead Man's Curve". Teenage tragedy records were so popular in the 1950's and 1960's that they were referred to as "splatter platters". Some of the most gruesome ones are "Last Kiss", "Teen Angel", and "Tell Laura I Love Her". "Ode to Billy Joe" was a particularly sad little ditty about a teenage couple who throw their baby off a bridge and then the baby's father also jumps to his death out of remorse.
The teenage tragedy genre has never really left us. In the 1970's, there was "Seasons in the Sun", "Billy Don't Be A Hero" and "D.O.A." The 1980's gave us "Girlfriend in a Coma", and the 1990's gave us "Adam's Song" by Blink-182, in which a depressed teen commits suicide. That song contains Adam's suicide note and his Last Words were "Remember the time that I spilled the cup of apple juice in the hall. Please tell mom this is not her fault." It also contains the line "I took my time, I hurried up" which is lifted from Nirvana's "Come As You Are". Four years later, Nirvana's lead singer Kurt Cobain would kill himself. He also left a suicide note and his Last Words were "it is better to burn out than to fade away" which was lifted from Neil Young's "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)". In the 2000's, death is rampant in rap music and suicide is once again the inspiration for Eminem's "Stan".
Rock stars always say the darndest things. Often they are clever and funny things. Often the rock star dies shortly after and someone remembers the last stupid thing they said. One of my personal heroes, Bono, has said some profound things, like "If I am close to the music, and you are close to the music, we are close to each other", and "Music can change the world because it can change people." But, he also reportedly said, "There's a lot of bullshit in rock and roll, but some of the bullshit is pretty cool." Fortunately for all of us, Bono is still with us, and he still has time to say something else crazy before the Grim Reaper comes knocking.
“I hope we've passed the audition.” quipped John Lennon after playing “Get Back” at the famous Rooftop Performance on the roof of Apple Studios on January 30, 1969. "Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?” snarled Johnny Rotten at the end of the last show the Sex Pistols ever played. Those were not their last words, but they were pretty cool.
Don’t die in the bathroom. “Okay, I won't.” were Elvis Presley’s actual Last Words said to his fiancé Ginger Alden on August 16, 1977. She had advised him, when he was on the way to the bathroom, "Don't fall asleep in there." Sadly, it turned out to be ‘The Big Sleep’.
Yoko Ono told reporters that John Lennon’s last words were in response to her question “Shall we go and have dinner before we go home?” John reportedly said "No, let's go home because I want to see Sean before he goes to sleep”, just before he was shot and killed on December 8, 1980.
On March 19, 1982, Randy Rhoads, guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne said “Why do you drink that stuff, Ozzy? One of these days it's gonna kill you”, referring to Ozzy’s alcoholism. Randy died in a plane crash later that day.
“This is it... this really is it.” announced Michael Jackson as he entered his limo, leaving a rehearsal of his "This Is It" concert. He died the next afternoon on June 25, 2009.
Probably the creepiest last words were spoken late in the evening prior to The Day the Music Died. Waylon Jennings lost the coin toss with the Big Bopper for a place on the plane that crashed killing Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens on February 3, 1959. Buddy jokingly told Waylon "I hope your bus freezes" and Waylon replied "I hope your ol' plane crashes". Waylon often admitted that he regretted saying it, as I imagine most of us would.
Be careful what you say. Someone might be taking notes.
The teenage tragedy genre has never really left us. In the 1970's, there was "Seasons in the Sun", "Billy Don't Be A Hero" and "D.O.A." The 1980's gave us "Girlfriend in a Coma", and the 1990's gave us "Adam's Song" by Blink-182, in which a depressed teen commits suicide. That song contains Adam's suicide note and his Last Words were "Remember the time that I spilled the cup of apple juice in the hall. Please tell mom this is not her fault." It also contains the line "I took my time, I hurried up" which is lifted from Nirvana's "Come As You Are". Four years later, Nirvana's lead singer Kurt Cobain would kill himself. He also left a suicide note and his Last Words were "it is better to burn out than to fade away" which was lifted from Neil Young's "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)". In the 2000's, death is rampant in rap music and suicide is once again the inspiration for Eminem's "Stan".
Rock stars always say the darndest things. Often they are clever and funny things. Often the rock star dies shortly after and someone remembers the last stupid thing they said. One of my personal heroes, Bono, has said some profound things, like "If I am close to the music, and you are close to the music, we are close to each other", and "Music can change the world because it can change people." But, he also reportedly said, "There's a lot of bullshit in rock and roll, but some of the bullshit is pretty cool." Fortunately for all of us, Bono is still with us, and he still has time to say something else crazy before the Grim Reaper comes knocking.
“I hope we've passed the audition.” quipped John Lennon after playing “Get Back” at the famous Rooftop Performance on the roof of Apple Studios on January 30, 1969. "Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?” snarled Johnny Rotten at the end of the last show the Sex Pistols ever played. Those were not their last words, but they were pretty cool.
Don’t die in the bathroom. “Okay, I won't.” were Elvis Presley’s actual Last Words said to his fiancé Ginger Alden on August 16, 1977. She had advised him, when he was on the way to the bathroom, "Don't fall asleep in there." Sadly, it turned out to be ‘The Big Sleep’.
Yoko Ono told reporters that John Lennon’s last words were in response to her question “Shall we go and have dinner before we go home?” John reportedly said "No, let's go home because I want to see Sean before he goes to sleep”, just before he was shot and killed on December 8, 1980.
On March 19, 1982, Randy Rhoads, guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne said “Why do you drink that stuff, Ozzy? One of these days it's gonna kill you”, referring to Ozzy’s alcoholism. Randy died in a plane crash later that day.
“This is it... this really is it.” announced Michael Jackson as he entered his limo, leaving a rehearsal of his "This Is It" concert. He died the next afternoon on June 25, 2009.
Probably the creepiest last words were spoken late in the evening prior to The Day the Music Died. Waylon Jennings lost the coin toss with the Big Bopper for a place on the plane that crashed killing Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens on February 3, 1959. Buddy jokingly told Waylon "I hope your bus freezes" and Waylon replied "I hope your ol' plane crashes". Waylon often admitted that he regretted saying it, as I imagine most of us would.
Be careful what you say. Someone might be taking notes.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
That's What The Doctor Ordered
Time for a check-up. How are you feeling today? I hope you are well.
If not, music is the best medicine unless you have a disease. What are your symptoms? Perhaps, like Springsteen, you have a "Fever". Let's examine what might be causing that fever. Do you have a "Chest Fever" like Three Dog Night, or do you have the Full Moon Fever like Tom Petty? If you're lucky, you only have a slight fever like a "Pac Man Fever" or a "Justin Bieber Fever". If you're from the Country, you might have Ferlin Husky's "Freightliner Fever" or David Allen Coe's "White Line Fever". If you have been dancing, you might have "Boogie Fever" or "Night Fever". Lord help you if you have "Cat Scratch Fever".
Here's my favorite kind of fever http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ0CCh2rg5s
It's "Jungle Fever" by the Chakachas.
Have you been "Too Sick To Pray" like Willie Nelson or "Sick As A Dog" like Aerosmith? Perhaps you were recently ill and now you are "Sick Again" like Led Zeppelin. I thought I might be coming down with something but I only have a "Bad Case of Loving You" like Robert Palmer. At least I'm not "Sick of You", like Lou Reed. Warren Zevon said "Don't Let Us Get Sick".
If we do get sick, we have lots of healthcare options. Like the Beatles, we could visit "Doctor Robert". Ben Folds goes to "Dr. Yang". They Might Be Giants go to "Dr. Worm". He's an actual worm. Gary Glitter is a patient of "Dr. Who". Lil' Wayne goes to "Dr. Carter". Motley Crue visit "Dr. Feelgood", quite often, I suspect. The Who needed frequent medical care because on A Quick One they called "Doctor, Doctor", on Tommy "There's A Doctor", and on Quadrophenia they visited "Dr. Jimmy". My best advise for you is to avoid the "Witch Doctor". As for me, like Kiss, I'm "Calling Dr. Love". Ted Nugent would agree it's "Just What The Doctor Ordered".
Stay well.
If not, music is the best medicine unless you have a disease. What are your symptoms? Perhaps, like Springsteen, you have a "Fever". Let's examine what might be causing that fever. Do you have a "Chest Fever" like Three Dog Night, or do you have the Full Moon Fever like Tom Petty? If you're lucky, you only have a slight fever like a "Pac Man Fever" or a "Justin Bieber Fever". If you're from the Country, you might have Ferlin Husky's "Freightliner Fever" or David Allen Coe's "White Line Fever". If you have been dancing, you might have "Boogie Fever" or "Night Fever". Lord help you if you have "Cat Scratch Fever".
Here's my favorite kind of fever http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ0CCh2rg5s
It's "Jungle Fever" by the Chakachas.
Have you been "Too Sick To Pray" like Willie Nelson or "Sick As A Dog" like Aerosmith? Perhaps you were recently ill and now you are "Sick Again" like Led Zeppelin. I thought I might be coming down with something but I only have a "Bad Case of Loving You" like Robert Palmer. At least I'm not "Sick of You", like Lou Reed. Warren Zevon said "Don't Let Us Get Sick".
If we do get sick, we have lots of healthcare options. Like the Beatles, we could visit "Doctor Robert". Ben Folds goes to "Dr. Yang". They Might Be Giants go to "Dr. Worm". He's an actual worm. Gary Glitter is a patient of "Dr. Who". Lil' Wayne goes to "Dr. Carter". Motley Crue visit "Dr. Feelgood", quite often, I suspect. The Who needed frequent medical care because on A Quick One they called "Doctor, Doctor", on Tommy "There's A Doctor", and on Quadrophenia they visited "Dr. Jimmy". My best advise for you is to avoid the "Witch Doctor". As for me, like Kiss, I'm "Calling Dr. Love". Ted Nugent would agree it's "Just What The Doctor Ordered".
Stay well.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Dream It All Up Again
I'm back. For the past couple of months, I've been in grant-writing mode and have had no time to blog. I was dreaming up new plans, new experiments, new opportunities. You might think that dreaming is a passive experience that happens when you in your most relaxed state. Actually, dreaming can be exhausting.
This weekend, I'm taking a break from the rigidity of focus that accompanies grant writing and am letting my mind meander into a dream landscape most welcome and wondrous. Let's go there together.
There's a movie in the theaters now about DREAMS called "Inception" starring Leo Decaprio and Ellen Page. Haven't seen it yet but have heard it's quite good, and it inspired me to compose a blog about dreams that have appeared in songs. Of course, there's the classic album Rumors by Fleetwood Mac with Stevie Nicks' magical tune "Dreams" that is still played every day on Classic Rock stations worldwide. Before those songs were penned, Roy Orbison was singing about dreams. In fact, dreams seem to have been one of his principal preoccupations because he gave us so many great songs about dreams. "Dream", "In Dreams", and "Sweet Dream Baby". Aerosmith said to "Dream On". The Everly Brothers implored us to "Dream". Whole lotta dreamin' goin' on.
Some artists had so many dreams that they had to enumerate them. John Lennon's "#9 Dream" and Bob Dylan's "115th Dream". Brain experts tell us that we dream at least 40 dreams every night. How many can you remember? Do you dream in color? I dream in sound.
After U2 played their last Joshua Tree tour concert, Bono told the audience that they had to go "dream it all up again". Then those dreams produced their masterpiece Achtung Baby. You never know what your dreams will bring. Keep dreaming.
This weekend, I'm taking a break from the rigidity of focus that accompanies grant writing and am letting my mind meander into a dream landscape most welcome and wondrous. Let's go there together.
There's a movie in the theaters now about DREAMS called "Inception" starring Leo Decaprio and Ellen Page. Haven't seen it yet but have heard it's quite good, and it inspired me to compose a blog about dreams that have appeared in songs. Of course, there's the classic album Rumors by Fleetwood Mac with Stevie Nicks' magical tune "Dreams" that is still played every day on Classic Rock stations worldwide. Before those songs were penned, Roy Orbison was singing about dreams. In fact, dreams seem to have been one of his principal preoccupations because he gave us so many great songs about dreams. "Dream", "In Dreams", and "Sweet Dream Baby". Aerosmith said to "Dream On". The Everly Brothers implored us to "Dream". Whole lotta dreamin' goin' on.
Some artists had so many dreams that they had to enumerate them. John Lennon's "#9 Dream" and Bob Dylan's "115th Dream". Brain experts tell us that we dream at least 40 dreams every night. How many can you remember? Do you dream in color? I dream in sound.
After U2 played their last Joshua Tree tour concert, Bono told the audience that they had to go "dream it all up again". Then those dreams produced their masterpiece Achtung Baby. You never know what your dreams will bring. Keep dreaming.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Happy Mother's Day
It's Mother's Day today. Happy Mother's Day to the angels who brought us into the world, raised us up from a single fertilized egg, and sculpted us into the people we are today. My mom passed away in 2002, so I can't call her and wish her a Happy Mother's Day anymore. If your mom is near, give her a BIG HUG. If she is far, send her some LOVE.
Sing your mom a song. "Take Your Mama Out", "Tie Your Mother Down", "Your Mama Don't Dance", but "Your Mother Should Know".
Just like it says in the great old country tune "You Never Even Called Me By My Name", it's not a true country song unless it mentions MAMA. "Mama Tried", for instance, by Merle Haggard, talks about how mothers try to raise their children right. Trouble is, children have minds of their own. We should always remember, however, what this world is like for "Motherless Children".
I had a great mom. Her name was Dolly. She loved movies, especially action films with swordfighting. If she were alive today, she would be looking forward to the new "Robin Hood" movie with Russell Crowe. She was crazy about Robin Hood, and loved every version ever filmed. She also loved gambling and would take the bus across Texas into Louisiana to the casino to play the slots and bingo all night. She loved Vegas. Her last request was for her ashes to be strewn on The Strip, so I deposited them near the corner of Las Vegas Blvd & Flamingo Road.
Country Music is replete with songs about mama and for mama. "In My Daughter's Eyes by Martina McBride, "Somebody's Hero" by Jamie O'Neal, "Mama's Song" by Carrie Underwood, "One's On The Way" by Loretta Lynn, and "Hot Mama" by Trace Adkins. Willie Nelson gave advice to mothers in "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys".
Pop and Rock has provided us with songs for mom. Fountains of Wayne tell us that "Stacy's Mom" has got it goin' on. John Lennon's "Mother" is therapeutic for anyone abandoned by their mom. The Beatles told of songs from long ago that "Your Mother Should Know". Paul Simon penned "Mother and Child Reunion", which purported was inspired by a chicken & egg dish he had at a Chinese restaurant.
You gotta sing about mama. No one will ever love you like your mama. Why not sing her a song today. Sing along with John Travolta and Billy Bob Thornton. Love your mama.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDjbPXvrCP0
Just like it says in the great old country tune "You Never Even Called Me By My Name", it's not a true country song unless it mentions MAMA. "Mama Tried", for instance, by Merle Haggard, talks about how mothers try to raise their children right. Trouble is, children have minds of their own. We should always remember, however, what this world is like for "Motherless Children".
I had a great mom. Her name was Dolly. She loved movies, especially action films with swordfighting. If she were alive today, she would be looking forward to the new "Robin Hood" movie with Russell Crowe. She was crazy about Robin Hood, and loved every version ever filmed. She also loved gambling and would take the bus across Texas into Louisiana to the casino to play the slots and bingo all night. She loved Vegas. Her last request was for her ashes to be strewn on The Strip, so I deposited them near the corner of Las Vegas Blvd & Flamingo Road.
Country Music is replete with songs about mama and for mama. "In My Daughter's Eyes by Martina McBride, "Somebody's Hero" by Jamie O'Neal, "Mama's Song" by Carrie Underwood, "One's On The Way" by Loretta Lynn, and "Hot Mama" by Trace Adkins. Willie Nelson gave advice to mothers in "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys".
Pop and Rock has provided us with songs for mom. Fountains of Wayne tell us that "Stacy's Mom" has got it goin' on. John Lennon's "Mother" is therapeutic for anyone abandoned by their mom. The Beatles told of songs from long ago that "Your Mother Should Know". Paul Simon penned "Mother and Child Reunion", which purported was inspired by a chicken & egg dish he had at a Chinese restaurant.
You gotta sing about mama. No one will ever love you like your mama. Why not sing her a song today. Sing along with John Travolta and Billy Bob Thornton. Love your mama.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDjbPXvrCP0
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Back from the Undead
If your wondering why I haven't blogged for awhile, there are three reasons for that.
1) I was working on a grant application.
2) I got a computer virus that was particularly nasty.
3) I have been spending an inordinate amount of time recently Tweeting, Blipping and Facebook-posting.
Let me address each of these 3 items in turn.
First, the grant application is submitted. It was a big hairy one. There are always small grant applications to submit, but occasionally a big hairy one comes along that consumes my every waking moment. But, that's "work" and I prefer to blog about "play". Let the music play.
Second, I got a nasty computer virus that kept evading all my anti-virus programs. I was always able to quarantine it, but not completely remove it. My brilliant wife figured it out. The culprit was hiding in four different locations on my computer. She finally cornered it and killed it. Here is what I have to say to whoever spends their time creating computer viruses: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeEYQOy4oQ4
Harry Nilsson phrased it perfectly in "You're Breakin' My Heart".
Third, my family and friends got me hooked on Facebook. For several weeks now, I have been posting stupid comments, uploading hilarious photos and generally being a goof. Feels like High School, maybe Elementary School somedays. On Twitter, I have to keep my comments brief. Here's a recent tweet, for example:
"Today I found a lobster on my piano. I suppose it could have been worse"
Finally, I discovered this other great time-waster called "Blipping" at http://blip.fm/
For me, this is why the Internet was invented. You get to be your own DJ, choose from a virtually unlimited treasure chest of songs from all genres, some complete with YouTube video, and post a blip with a personalized comment. Other people are blipping and listening to your blips. You get followers. My list of listeners is growing daily. You get badges. Kind of like being in the Boy Scouts, except without having to camp out or tie knots. You should check it out. It's very enjoyable. In fact, it's fun.
1) I was working on a grant application.
2) I got a computer virus that was particularly nasty.
3) I have been spending an inordinate amount of time recently Tweeting, Blipping and Facebook-posting.
Let me address each of these 3 items in turn.
First, the grant application is submitted. It was a big hairy one. There are always small grant applications to submit, but occasionally a big hairy one comes along that consumes my every waking moment. But, that's "work" and I prefer to blog about "play". Let the music play.
Second, I got a nasty computer virus that kept evading all my anti-virus programs. I was always able to quarantine it, but not completely remove it. My brilliant wife figured it out. The culprit was hiding in four different locations on my computer. She finally cornered it and killed it. Here is what I have to say to whoever spends their time creating computer viruses: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeEYQOy4oQ4
Harry Nilsson phrased it perfectly in "You're Breakin' My Heart".
Third, my family and friends got me hooked on Facebook. For several weeks now, I have been posting stupid comments, uploading hilarious photos and generally being a goof. Feels like High School, maybe Elementary School somedays. On Twitter, I have to keep my comments brief. Here's a recent tweet, for example:
"Today I found a lobster on my piano. I suppose it could have been worse"
Finally, I discovered this other great time-waster called "Blipping" at http://blip.fm/
For me, this is why the Internet was invented. You get to be your own DJ, choose from a virtually unlimited treasure chest of songs from all genres, some complete with YouTube video, and post a blip with a personalized comment. Other people are blipping and listening to your blips. You get followers. My list of listeners is growing daily. You get badges. Kind of like being in the Boy Scouts, except without having to camp out or tie knots. You should check it out. It's very enjoyable. In fact, it's fun.
Cheers!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Album Cover Art
Anyone who collects vinyl records will tell you that part of the appeal is the album cover art. The pantheon of rock and pop music is full of iconic masterpieces that are quite special to collectors. Certain artists' work is synonymous with particular bands. For instance, Peter Max created a new world for the Beatles to inhabit in Yellow Submarine. Andy Warhol did album covers for the Velvet Underground and the Rolling Stones. Rick Griffin's artwork recalls the Fillmore-era of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Rick had a distinctive lettering style and his artistic talents quickly became associated with the Grateful Dead. Roger Dean's art graced the covers of many albums by the group "Yes" and featured fantastic mystical landscapes. He also created album art for the bands Osibisa and Uriah Heep.
Sometimes, the artwork was more than just the front/back & inner covers, but extended to supplementary posters and inserts that accompanied the LP. I still have the original artwork that came with the LP for the Beatles' Sgt Pepper. It was and image of the band intended to be cut out and folded for placement beside your stereo. I am happy to say that I did not not defile it with scissors and it is still intact. Often, the artwork was quite creative and special, as for Alice Cooper's School's Out album. In that case, the entire record sleeve folded out into the shape of a elementary school desk. The LP was encased in a pink paper panty. I'm not kidding. The album art for Led Zeppelin III contained a round dial on the front cover that could be spun to reveal various images. The detailed cut out cover must have been quite an investment to produce, yet they reprised it for Physical Graffiti. The Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers cover contained an actual zippered fly on the front of the jeans. Nothing was out of bounds.
Bands must have realized the power of of having a stong visual image to galvanize their music. Consider for a moment the iconic covers of Springsteen's Born to Run, the Stooges' Raw Power, or most of the albums by Pink Floyd, Queen, U2 or the Who, and you realize how important the album art is to the lasting appeal of the music. The best artists of today are carrying on that fine tradition. OK Go's videos are works of art. Lady Gaga embodies art. They are carrying on a fine artistic tradition by constanting innovating and appealing to the mind's eye as well as the ear. Too bad that CDs and iTunes downloads are not the same size as vinyl LPs, so that we could appreciate the visual grandeur of today's artists. I suppose we should embrace the new media of the artists' websites and revel in the visual spectacle of their concert performances.
Some artists use album art to pay tribute to their heroes. It was obvious that the Clash were fans of Elvis Presley when they released their masterpiece London Calling because the album art was an homage to Elvis' debut album. Elvis broke new ground and so did the Clash. Elvis combined Rock & Roll, Country and the Blues into a new form of exciting music that was distinctly his own. The Clash escaped the Punk vortex and crafted their own sound that blended reggae influences with the urgency and passion of punk music. Punk was never the same again after the Clash rocked MTV with "Rock the Casbah". Unlike many of their punk contemporaries, the Clash's music still lives on Classic Rock radio. And Elvis? Well, the King will live forever. Elvis Presley and the Clash each left an everlasting mark on the rock landscape and their influences live on today.
As with any great art, album art is unfettered by social conventions and has no boundaries. Sometimes, album artwork pushes the envelope beyond the limit of polite society. David Bowie's Diamond Dogs album showed David as a half-man, half-dog circus freak complete with doggie genitalia. A group you might not remember called Mom's Apple Pie gave us a risque album cover with female genitalia hidden within the missing pie slice. The original pressing of Lynyrd Skynyrd's Street Survivors showed the band engulfed in flames. After their deadly plane crash, the album art was altered to de-emphasize the flames. Even the Fab Four were tempted to gross out their fans when they released their infamous "butcher block" cover for Yesterday And Today, which showed the happy lads wearing butcher's aprons covered with baby doll parts and raw meat. Funny, or disgusting, depending upon who you might ask. The point is this: Musicians should be FEARLESS. They should not compromise their art but rather follow their muse.
Sometimes, cover art parodies other albums. A good example is Whipped Cream & Other Delights by Herb Alpert's & The Tijuana Brass generated elicited numerous parodies, but my favorite was Soul Asylum's Clam Dip & Other Delights. Finally, album cover art can just be FUN. Take, for instance, any of Weird Al Yankovic's album covers, or Foghat's Fool For The City cover depicting a guy fishing from a manhole in the middle of a city street. Rick Springfield's Working Class Dog cover was a Spuds MacKenzie-style mutt. Classic. More recently, Big Bear's Doin Thangs featured bears smoking big cigars and partying. What could be more fun than that? The beauty of album art is that it can be anything. Sometimes it makes sense, sometimes not. Sometimes it's boring, sometimes it's fascinating. Sometimes it captures a moment in time, and sometimes it's timeless. Sometimes, like Jimmy Buffett's Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes it can be your compass to help you get through life.
I have included just a few of my favorites in today's blog, but I have many, many others. Think about some of your favorite album covers and let me know what they are. Until next time, remember to look at the album covers and engage in art appreciation. Like the great painters throughout history who tried to capture the truth in their art, musicians have tried to do the same on their album canvasses. They are ours to enjoy.
Bands must have realized the power of of having a stong visual image to galvanize their music. Consider for a moment the iconic covers of Springsteen's Born to Run, the Stooges' Raw Power, or most of the albums by Pink Floyd, Queen, U2 or the Who, and you realize how important the album art is to the lasting appeal of the music. The best artists of today are carrying on that fine tradition. OK Go's videos are works of art. Lady Gaga embodies art. They are carrying on a fine artistic tradition by constanting innovating and appealing to the mind's eye as well as the ear. Too bad that CDs and iTunes downloads are not the same size as vinyl LPs, so that we could appreciate the visual grandeur of today's artists. I suppose we should embrace the new media of the artists' websites and revel in the visual spectacle of their concert performances.
Some artists use album art to pay tribute to their heroes. It was obvious that the Clash were fans of Elvis Presley when they released their masterpiece London Calling because the album art was an homage to Elvis' debut album. Elvis broke new ground and so did the Clash. Elvis combined Rock & Roll, Country and the Blues into a new form of exciting music that was distinctly his own. The Clash escaped the Punk vortex and crafted their own sound that blended reggae influences with the urgency and passion of punk music. Punk was never the same again after the Clash rocked MTV with "Rock the Casbah". Unlike many of their punk contemporaries, the Clash's music still lives on Classic Rock radio. And Elvis? Well, the King will live forever. Elvis Presley and the Clash each left an everlasting mark on the rock landscape and their influences live on today.
Sometimes, cover art parodies other albums. A good example is Whipped Cream & Other Delights by Herb Alpert's & The Tijuana Brass generated elicited numerous parodies, but my favorite was Soul Asylum's Clam Dip & Other Delights. Finally, album cover art can just be FUN. Take, for instance, any of Weird Al Yankovic's album covers, or Foghat's Fool For The City cover depicting a guy fishing from a manhole in the middle of a city street. Rick Springfield's Working Class Dog cover was a Spuds MacKenzie-style mutt. Classic. More recently, Big Bear's Doin Thangs featured bears smoking big cigars and partying. What could be more fun than that? The beauty of album art is that it can be anything. Sometimes it makes sense, sometimes not. Sometimes it's boring, sometimes it's fascinating. Sometimes it captures a moment in time, and sometimes it's timeless. Sometimes, like Jimmy Buffett's Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes it can be your compass to help you get through life.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Roxy Music
Roxy Music began as an experiment between Bryan Ferry and Brian Eno. Bryan blended American Soul and Pop Music with European Cabaret while Brian Eno deconstructed Rock Music into pure electronic tones forming a new kind of avant-garde music. Like the Velvet Underground, their music was daring, defiant and something truly original and exciting. Their bizarre costumes and fascination with glamour got them lumped into the Glam-Rock category, but their musical experimentation and sleek artistic pop separated them from the herd of rock bands wearing eye shadow and glitter at the time. Bryan Ferry’s passionate crooning and occasional blending of English, French, Spanish and Italian lyrics made them more of a World Music band than a glam-rock or art-rock band. We should remember that Roxy Music originated in the early ‘70s, before most of the Progressive Rock movement really started. They were true innovators who inspired a legion of imitators of arty glam bands and later the new wave soul-pop groups.
They called themselves “Roxy” until they learned there was already an American band called Roxy, so they changed their name to Roxy Music. Besides Bryan Ferry on vocals, Brian Eno on keyboards, Roxy Music a powerhouse of talented musicians including Paul Thompson on drums, Andy Mackay on horns (saxophone and oboe, mostly), and the mighty Phil Manzanera on guitar. Their first album, Roxy Music was produced by Peter Sinfield of King Crimson was largely ignored in the U.S. but climbed into the British Top Ten in the summer of 1972. Shortly thereafter, the non-LP single "Virginia Plain" rocketed into the charts, followed by the non-LP "Pyjamarama" in early 1973. While Roxy Music had become a sensation in England and Europe, with their novel amalgamation of high culture and kitsch culture, they had trouble getting noticed in America.
The group's second album, 1973's For Your Pleasure was another huge hit in the U.K., but ignored in America except for college radio. Creative tensions began between Ferry and Eno. Apparently, Ferry refused to include any of Eno’s compositions on the album, so Eno left the band after the completion of For Your Pleasure. Maybe there was tension between them because their names were both Bryan/Brian. That must have been confusing. “Can we call you Bruce to keep it clear?” For Your Pleasure includes the terrific track “In Every Dream Home a Heartache” (the ultimate version is found on their live album Viva! Roxy Music; truly awesome). My favorite tunes on this fabulous album are “Beauty Queen” and “Grey Lagoons”, but the popular favorites were clearly “Editions of You” and “Do The Strand”, which became staples in their live shows and crowd favourites. Before recording the third Roxy Music album, Ferry released a solo album, These Foolish Things, comprised of pop/rock covers.
Roxy Music’s third album Stranded was released in December of 1973 and became the band's first number one album in the U.K. Stranded was recorded with new Roxy member Eddie Jobson, a violinist who previously played with Curved Air. The album received a warmer reception in the U.S. than its two predecessors because of the tracks “Street Life”, “Amazona” and “Song for Europe”. “Street Life” was later recorded by Def Leppard on their excellent cover album Yeah! Phil Manzanera’s guitar work on “Amazona” is absolutely mesmerizing. Bryan Ferry’s vocals on “Song for Europe” are magnificent. In my opinion, it’s one of the greatest songs ever recorded.
Their success with Stranded set the stage for their American breakthrough album Country Life in late 1974. Sporting a controversial photo of two models dressed in see-through lingerie the cover was initially banned in the U.S., and replaced with the forest background. Being a connoisseur of fine album covers, I told my girlfriend that I really wanted the original cover version. At the time, she was attending Texas A&M in the metropolis of College Station and I was over at Blinn Jr College in the small town of Brenham (home of world famous Blue Bell Ice Cream). I couldn’t find Country Life with the original cover anywhere. Margaret found it in College Station and purchased it for me. When my mother saw the cover, with the scantily-clad models, she said this about my girlfriend: “That girl must really love you if she bought an album with a cover like that”. Margaret and I have been happily married for 31 years now.
Country Life was the first Roxy Music album to break into the U.S. Top 40 and became their fourth British Top Ten album. One wonders whether some of Roxy Music’s commercial success was related to the fashion models that graced the covers of most their albums. Texas model Jerry Hall was the siren on Roxy Music’s next album Siren. Jerry Hall was born in Gonzales, Texas, was a long-time girlfriend of Mick Jagger, received an engagement ring from Bryan Ferry, and appeared in Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman as the gangster girlfriend of Jack Nicholson’s Joker. She also appeared in the video for Bryan Ferry’s solo hit “Let’s Stick Together”. Let’s watch it now, shall we? www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ma9cm_TvOc
Back in 1975, however, Jerry was the mermaid on the cover of Roxy Music’s biggest album in U.S. to date. Siren featured the disco-flavored "Love Is the Drug," which was their first American Top Forty hit and is still heard today on Classic Rock stations nationwide.
After working on some solo study, the band regrouped and released Manifesto in 1979. Their sound changed to more commercial disco-influenced soul-pop that was markedly different from their earlier records. Despite that, Manifesto became their highest-charting U.S. record, peaking at number 23, largely on the strength of the single "Dance Away." Quickly following up on their success, they released Flesh + Blood in 1980, which was a mild success. In 1982, the year my only child Jessica was born, Roxy Music released their final album, Avalon. Avalon contained one of Roxy Music’s most recognizable tunes, “More Than This”, which was immortalized by Bill Murray in the film “Lost in Translation”. Let’s watch Bill croon to Scarlett now: www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1UYohidXRg&feature=related
After Roxy Music broke up, Bryan Ferry released many great solo albums. One of my favourites was his album of Bob Dylan covers called Dylanesque, which contains a truly wonderful version of “Make You Feel My Love”. Last month, Roxy Music announced that they will regroup and headline the Lovebox festival in London on July 17, 2010. It’s about time.
They called themselves “Roxy” until they learned there was already an American band called Roxy, so they changed their name to Roxy Music. Besides Bryan Ferry on vocals, Brian Eno on keyboards, Roxy Music a powerhouse of talented musicians including Paul Thompson on drums, Andy Mackay on horns (saxophone and oboe, mostly), and the mighty Phil Manzanera on guitar. Their first album, Roxy Music was produced by Peter Sinfield of King Crimson was largely ignored in the U.S. but climbed into the British Top Ten in the summer of 1972. Shortly thereafter, the non-LP single "Virginia Plain" rocketed into the charts, followed by the non-LP "Pyjamarama" in early 1973. While Roxy Music had become a sensation in England and Europe, with their novel amalgamation of high culture and kitsch culture, they had trouble getting noticed in America.
The group's second album, 1973's For Your Pleasure was another huge hit in the U.K., but ignored in America except for college radio. Creative tensions began between Ferry and Eno. Apparently, Ferry refused to include any of Eno’s compositions on the album, so Eno left the band after the completion of For Your Pleasure. Maybe there was tension between them because their names were both Bryan/Brian. That must have been confusing. “Can we call you Bruce to keep it clear?” For Your Pleasure includes the terrific track “In Every Dream Home a Heartache” (the ultimate version is found on their live album Viva! Roxy Music; truly awesome). My favorite tunes on this fabulous album are “Beauty Queen” and “Grey Lagoons”, but the popular favorites were clearly “Editions of You” and “Do The Strand”, which became staples in their live shows and crowd favourites. Before recording the third Roxy Music album, Ferry released a solo album, These Foolish Things, comprised of pop/rock covers.
Roxy Music’s third album Stranded was released in December of 1973 and became the band's first number one album in the U.K. Stranded was recorded with new Roxy member Eddie Jobson, a violinist who previously played with Curved Air. The album received a warmer reception in the U.S. than its two predecessors because of the tracks “Street Life”, “Amazona” and “Song for Europe”. “Street Life” was later recorded by Def Leppard on their excellent cover album Yeah! Phil Manzanera’s guitar work on “Amazona” is absolutely mesmerizing. Bryan Ferry’s vocals on “Song for Europe” are magnificent. In my opinion, it’s one of the greatest songs ever recorded.
Their success with Stranded set the stage for their American breakthrough album Country Life in late 1974. Sporting a controversial photo of two models dressed in see-through lingerie the cover was initially banned in the U.S., and replaced with the forest background. Being a connoisseur of fine album covers, I told my girlfriend that I really wanted the original cover version. At the time, she was attending Texas A&M in the metropolis of College Station and I was over at Blinn Jr College in the small town of Brenham (home of world famous Blue Bell Ice Cream). I couldn’t find Country Life with the original cover anywhere. Margaret found it in College Station and purchased it for me. When my mother saw the cover, with the scantily-clad models, she said this about my girlfriend: “That girl must really love you if she bought an album with a cover like that”. Margaret and I have been happily married for 31 years now.
Back in 1975, however, Jerry was the mermaid on the cover of Roxy Music’s biggest album in U.S. to date. Siren featured the disco-flavored "Love Is the Drug," which was their first American Top Forty hit and is still heard today on Classic Rock stations nationwide.
After working on some solo study, the band regrouped and released Manifesto in 1979. Their sound changed to more commercial disco-influenced soul-pop that was markedly different from their earlier records. Despite that, Manifesto became their highest-charting U.S. record, peaking at number 23, largely on the strength of the single "Dance Away." Quickly following up on their success, they released Flesh + Blood in 1980, which was a mild success. In 1982, the year my only child Jessica was born, Roxy Music released their final album, Avalon. Avalon contained one of Roxy Music’s most recognizable tunes, “More Than This”, which was immortalized by Bill Murray in the film “Lost in Translation”. Let’s watch Bill croon to Scarlett now: www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1UYohidXRg&feature=related
After Roxy Music broke up, Bryan Ferry released many great solo albums. One of my favourites was his album of Bob Dylan covers called Dylanesque, which contains a truly wonderful version of “Make You Feel My Love”. Last month, Roxy Music announced that they will regroup and headline the Lovebox festival in London on July 17, 2010. It’s about time.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Rock Bands that Defined their Decades: Personal Choices
Everyone has their favorite Rock & Roll Bands. Some bands have legions of faithful followers: the Deadheads, the Parrotheads, the Kiss Army, and so on. I thought that I would pick my favorite rock artists/bands from each of the decades that have passed during my particular lifetime thusfar. That time span would be the 1950's up to today. This list is not meant to generate fervent debate or disapproval or agreement, but reflects my own personal choices.
The 1950's - Elvis Presley
Despite the fact that Little Richard was the "Architect of Rock and Roll" and Chuck Berry created "The Sound" and Bo Diddley gave us the "Bo Diddley Beat", Elvis was "The King". Sixty years later, he is still the King. It's good to be king, Tom Petty reminds us, and so Elvis will be long remembered in the pantheon of Rock Gods. Personally, Elvis was my imaginary stepfather. His voiced boomed through the walls of 126 South Madison Street in La Grange, Texas during most of my childhood. My mother loved Elvis and, in fact, had a personal connection with him. When Elvis was young and touring in the Louisiana Hayride, my mother and two of her High School friends went to see him in Austin. They got to go backstage for autographs. Elvis' policy at the time was apparently "One Autograph for One Kiss". My mother's friends each kissed Elvis and got their autographs, but mom refused to kiss Elvis because "his hair was too greasy". A few year's later, my mother was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base (my birthplace) near Omaha and was working as a journalist for the base newspaper. When Elvis visited the base, she got to be the tour guide. The story goes that Elvis remembered my mother as the "girl from Texas that wouldn't kiss him". She never kissed him, but she did get his autograph. Naturally, I grew up going with my mother to see every Elvis movie shown at the Cozy Theater. Elvis died and the Cozy Theater burned down. When Elvis died, my mother was the sole employee at a hamburger joint named the Dairy Mart. She heard the sad news of Elvis' death and immediately locked the door and went home to mourn the King. The Dairy Mart was closed for three days despite the complaints of the owner. God bless Elvis and my mother.
The 1960's - The Beatles
Before the Beatles, rock music was considered by frivolous music meant for kids alone. The Beatles changed all that. Suddenly, the Beatles were getting reviewed by "serious" music critics and they elevated Rock music into a larger realm. Everyone took notice that Lennon-McCartney were penning songs for the ages and their melodies were compared to those of the great classical composers. Their musical legacy is immortal and will remain forever alongside Beethoven and Mozart. What impressed me about the Beatles is how, in such a relatively short time, they created such an amazing body of work; re-inventing themselves with each consecutive album. My personal favorite Beatles song is "Hey Jude". I remember hearing it on the jukebox at the bowling alley in La Grange. The long fade-out "Na-Na-Na-Na's" are seared into my memory. The bowling alley manager would yell at me when I would bump the side of the jukebox to cause the record needle to jump back mid-record and continue to play the song over and over again. Like the Cozy Theater, the bowling alley also burned down.
The 1970's - Led Zeppelin
From time to time, Rock music has to take a new direction. Led Zeppelin amplified the Blues to unexplored heights. Some historians, however, lump Led Zeppelin into the Heavy Metal category. I disagree. Heavy metal was created by Black Sabbath and is still alive and well today. Led Zeppelin's music was, in my opinion, uncategorizable. Rock radio tends to play their heavier tunes, "Whole Lotta Love", "Black Dog" and "Kashmir", but their catalog is full of gentle folk-tinged English blues. It is the range of beautiful melodies and thought-provoking lyrics that set Led Zeppelin apart from most rock bands in the Seventies. Sure, "Stairway to Heaven" was many people's pick for Song of the Decade, alongside The Eagles' "Hotel California", but Led Zeppelin certainly had many other songs that rivaled "Stairway" in their majesty. And, like the Beatles, Led Zeppelin were not complacent to repeat themselves but continued to re-invent their craft with each successive masterpiece album. I remember listening in wonder to Physical Graffitti and it opened my mind. Like many other rock artists in the Seventies, Led Zeppelin's album cover art was astounding. Bands like Pink Floyd and Yes were known to great album covers and the same is certainly true for Led Zeppelin. Just examine Led Zeppelin III, or Houses of the Holy, or Physical Graffitti to see what I mean. It's best if you can find the old vinyl LP version because the CD inserts can't compare. Perhaps I will do write a blog about GREAT LP COVER ART because it was truly a wonder to behold in the 1970's. For Physical Graffitti, Led Zeppelin chose to show the front of a building with the windows cut out. The record sleeve had photos that were perfectly aligned to show through the cut out windows. I remember creating my own paste-up art and slipped it inside the album cover so that my other things were visible through the windows. Led Zeppelin were a constant source of inspiration for me. Years later, I saw Robert Plant play at the Sunken Gardens in San Antonio. Driving out of the venue, I went past his tour bus and Robert was waving to fans as they left. We made momentary eye contact and he nodded his head to indicate that he saw me waving at him. It was one of many special moments I remember. So what are they doing today? John Bonham's son followed in this father's large footprints and became a great drummer in his own rite. Robert Plant recorded a wonderful Grammy-winning album called Raising Sand, singing spectacular duets with Allison Krause, under the expert direction of producer T-Bone Burnett who is having success again this year with the movie soundtrack for Crazy Heart. Jimmy Page starred with Jack White and U2's The Edge in my favorite recent movie It Might Get Loud, a documentary praising the rock electric guitar. See it; it's terrific. Finally, John Paul Jones is now part of the supergroup Them Crooked Vultures with Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) and the former lead singer of the Queens of the Stone Age. In an interview Them Crooked Vultures said that they want to "re-invent the Blues" yet again. With former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, they certainly have a shot a achieving that.
The 1980's - U2
U2' s first and second album were released without my noticing them. Apparently they had a somewhat small following of fans in Boston at that time, but it was not until the War album that most of America took any notice of U2. For me personally, I became a U2 fan watching a broadcast of their phenomenal Red Rocks concert Under a Blood Red Sky on MTV. I remember lying on the floor in front of the TV, with my headphones on, and thinking "these guys are good". I was impressed with the new kind of sound that the Edge was getting from his guitar; kind of sounding like a bell ringing. It was a wake up call for me. I remember watching Bono working the crowd into a frenzy and I thought again "these guys are really good". Time went on and U2 released The Unforgettable Fire. I was impressed that they had Brian Eno as a producer. Eno had been a keyboardist for Roxy Music, which I will definitely have to devote an entire blog to. Roxy Music were very unique and innovative. Brian Eno helped change U2's sound and I started to like them even more. "Pride (in the Name of Love)" was on that album and, like many U2 fans, I went GaGa over it. At the time, I remember telling my work colleagues, "U2 are going to be as big as the The Beatles someday". They laughed and thought I was nuts. Who's laughing now? As predicted, U2 continued to develop into the world-class rock band they are today. The Joshua Tree won Grammy Awards and got their faces on Time magazine. Achtung Baby gave us "One", which is perhaps one of the greatest songs ever written by anyone ever. The Zoo TV tour that promoted Achtung Baby was an unprecented spectacle. I remember seeing them at the Astrodome in Houston and my friend Roland fell off the chair he had been standing on. For the Popmart tour, my daughter Jessica accompanied me to see U2 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. We had floor seats and got to see them up close. Crazy! My best friend Rob has gone to see U2 with me more than anyone else. Here is a photo that Rob took of Bono last year.
From The Joshua Tree tour, Zoo TV, Popmart, the Elevation tour, the Vertigo tour and last year on the No Line on the Horizon tour. There is no horizon for U2. Their music is limitless and I expect continued greatness for years to come.
The 1990's - Pearl Jam
Some might say Nirvana or Nine Inch Nails should be considered the best rock bands of the '90's, I would not argue with that. Sadly, however, Kurt Cobain left us too soon. Like Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin, Kurt was way too young to say goodbye. Nirvana's majestic Nevermind was a definite turning point for rock music and their Unplugged in New York is a haunting reminder of just how talented they were. Similarly, Trent Reznor is a musical genius who took industrial music and, like an alchemist, conjoured up a new kind of metal machine music that makes Nine Inch Nails one of the most important bands of the 1990's. So why did I choose Pearl Jam? Not just because they are still around today and still making some of the best music of their career, but because of Eddie Vedder's committment to his art and his beliefs. He is, in many ways, like Bob Dylan or Neil Young, a steadfast defender of human rights. Plus, the musicianship of the all the members of Pearl Jam is reminiscent of The Who. The band's chemistry and virtuosity propel them to places that most rock bands never reach. Once again, my best friend Rob and I saw them perform at Southpark Meadows in Austin and it was one of the best concerts of all time. The Ramones opened. Rob and I were caught in the mosh pit and the entire audience was undulating like one large jellyfish. It was truly awesome. Pearl Jam, like Springsteen and the E Street Band, put on a tremendous show that tests your stamina and doesn't stop until your rock quota has been met. On record, for me, their 1991 album Ten, their 1994 album Vitalogy, and their most recent album Backspacer, contain their best work. However, their live shows set them apart from lesser bands. They rock like their lives depend on it.
The 2000's - Kings of Leon
If Elvis was "The King" that started the whole thing, the new kings are the Kings of Leon. The torch of Rock & Roll has been passed to them and they have ignited an inferno. Like many rock bands, the Kings of Leon released several outstanding albums before even getting noticed by most people. 2003's Youth and Young Manhood had the killer track "Molly's Chambers". Dig this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLaJkbkG5NI
In 2004, they gave us Aha Shake Heartbreak, another amazing album full of rocking tunes with catchy hooks and perplexing lyrics. By 2007, they had released Because of the Times, were appearing on Letterman, and were about the blow up to rock stardom. Their song "On Call" got considerable radio airplay. I missed my chance to see them in a small venue when they played at Sunset Station in San Antonio. Truly, I don't know what the hell I was thinking when I missed that concert. Now they are playing arenas, have been on Good Morning America, won three Grammy Awards this year for 'Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group', 'Best Rock Song' and 'Record Of The Year'. They were given their 'Record of the Year' award by Ringo Starr, which must have been a great moment for them. I will see them someday. You should too.
The 1950's - Elvis Presley
The 1960's - The Beatles
The 1970's - Led Zeppelin
The 1980's - U2
The 1990's - Pearl Jam
The 2000's - Kings of Leon
In 2004, they gave us Aha Shake Heartbreak, another amazing album full of rocking tunes with catchy hooks and perplexing lyrics. By 2007, they had released Because of the Times, were appearing on Letterman, and were about the blow up to rock stardom. Their song "On Call" got considerable radio airplay. I missed my chance to see them in a small venue when they played at Sunset Station in San Antonio. Truly, I don't know what the hell I was thinking when I missed that concert. Now they are playing arenas, have been on Good Morning America, won three Grammy Awards this year for 'Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group', 'Best Rock Song' and 'Record Of The Year'. They were given their 'Record of the Year' award by Ringo Starr, which must have been a great moment for them. I will see them someday. You should too.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Onomatopoeia
What is Onomatopoeia?
Mrs. Munger’s Class www.youtube.com/watch?v=evUzS6K-5Wg&feature=related explains what the word “onomatopoeia” means and Todd Rundgren describes it here www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeNIiX2opy4 in his excellent song entitled “Onomatopoeia”. Basically, it means words that imitate or suggest the source of the sound that they describe. If you're old enough to remember the 1960's Batman TV show, everytime Batman or Robin would punch a villian, big word balloons would pop up saying things like "SPLAT" or "KABOING" or "BLAMMO" and so on. You also see it frequently used in comic books, like in this Captain America story where the Captain is fighting some evil robot..."WANK".
Songwriters have been using onomatopo-eia for years and years. Way back in the doo-wop era, bands like the Cadillacs had songs called "Zoom" and "Zoom-Boom-Zing". Great Blues tunes like "Boom Boom" by John Lee Hooker and "Wham!" by Stevie Ray Vaughan are onomatopoeia. If you're a fan of Flights of the Conchords, you know their song called "Boom" and that Bret is the Boom-King. Gunther, the self-proclaimed "Pleasure Man" is onomatopoeia-esqe when he croons his "Ding Dong Song". Classic Rock stations nationwide play Pat Travers' spectacular "Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights)", probably daily.
Wham!, the eighties pop duo which launched George Michael is, in fact, onomatopoeia. They clearly inspired Hugh Grant's character in the film Music and Lyrics who sang "Pop! Goes My Heart". Country singer Jim Ed Brown, and later Alan Jackson, reminded us that we had time for one more round in "Pop a Top". The younger kids will be familiar with Chris Brown's "Poppin'". Zydeco fans will instantly rejoice when they hear "My Toot Toot" by Rockin' Sidney. Country legend George Strait gave us "Honk If You Love Honky Tonk" and his latest masterpiece "Twang". Down in Texas, there's a lotta honkin' in honky tonks. Every weekend the great Gary P. Nunn is "Honking Out Some Hank".
You had to be living under a rock last year if you didn't hear "BOOM BOOM POW" by the fabulous Black Eyed Peas, my latest choice as the band that will save popular music. Rock music has been giving us onomatopoeia for a long time..."Shake RATTLE and Roll" by Bill Haley & the Comets, was also covered very well by Elvis. Of course, there's U2 magnificent album "RATTLE AND HUM", which takes it's name from a line in their epic tune "Bullet the Blue Sky". Rock songs should make a lot of noise. The best ones sound like cannon blasts. Understandably, rock music gave us T. Rex's "Bang a Gong", Iggy Pop's "Bang Bang" and Todd Rundgren's anthem "Bang on the Drum All Day". But I would be remiss if I did not mention Cher's "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)".
It's the weekend...get out there and make some noise.
Mrs. Munger’s Class www.youtube.com/watch?v=evUzS6K-5Wg&feature=related explains what the word “onomatopoeia” means and Todd Rundgren describes it here www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeNIiX2opy4 in his excellent song entitled “Onomatopoeia”. Basically, it means words that imitate or suggest the source of the sound that they describe. If you're old enough to remember the 1960's Batman TV show, everytime Batman or Robin would punch a villian, big word balloons would pop up saying things like "SPLAT" or "KABOING" or "BLAMMO" and so on. You also see it frequently used in comic books, like in this Captain America story where the Captain is fighting some evil robot..."WANK".
Wham!, the eighties pop duo which launched George Michael is, in fact, onomatopoeia. They clearly inspired Hugh Grant's character in the film Music and Lyrics who sang "Pop! Goes My Heart". Country singer Jim Ed Brown, and later Alan Jackson, reminded us that we had time for one more round in "Pop a Top". The younger kids will be familiar with Chris Brown's "Poppin'". Zydeco fans will instantly rejoice when they hear "My Toot Toot" by Rockin' Sidney. Country legend George Strait gave us "Honk If You Love Honky Tonk" and his latest masterpiece "Twang". Down in Texas, there's a lotta honkin' in honky tonks. Every weekend the great Gary P. Nunn is "Honking Out Some Hank".
You had to be living under a rock last year if you didn't hear "BOOM BOOM POW" by the fabulous Black Eyed Peas, my latest choice as the band that will save popular music. Rock music has been giving us onomatopoeia for a long time..."Shake RATTLE and Roll" by Bill Haley & the Comets, was also covered very well by Elvis. Of course, there's U2 magnificent album "RATTLE AND HUM", which takes it's name from a line in their epic tune "Bullet the Blue Sky". Rock songs should make a lot of noise. The best ones sound like cannon blasts. Understandably, rock music gave us T. Rex's "Bang a Gong", Iggy Pop's "Bang Bang" and Todd Rundgren's anthem "Bang on the Drum All Day". But I would be remiss if I did not mention Cher's "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)".
It's the weekend...get out there and make some noise.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Remorse Code
It is expected that, when we do bad things, we will feel remorse. How many times have we heard someone say, in courtroom dramas, "the killer had no remorse"? I am doing Weight Watchers again and trying hard to lose weight. Nevertheless, at a recent Valentine's Day dinner, I indulged on a huge steak and decadent desserts. Mistake! I experienced "Eater's Remorse". Shortly after enjoying that wonderful meal, I was overheard to say "I wish I hadn't eaten all that". I regretted my blatant disregard for the tenets of Weight Watchers and my lapse into fat person behavior. Regret and remorse go hand in hand; often hand-to-mouth.
To help me through the wilderness of dieting I like to seek diversions such as blogging and listening to music, to take my mind off my stomach.
Aside from Weird Al Yankovic's "My Bologna", I don't know of any songs which describe the regret of over-eating. However, in the great pantheon of Country & Western music, there are a gazillion songs about regret. Instead of saying "I wish I hadn't eaten all that", the songs tell stories of "I wish I hadn't _________". You can fill-in-the-blank. "I wish I hadn't told her she was old/fat/ugly and that her feet smelled". "I wish I had told her I loved her", and maybe she would still be around. Songwriters have set their regrets to music in countless songs. Here are just a few:
In “Revelry” by the Kings of Leon, the singer is regretful of a relationship ending because of his love of partying. “Story of My Life” by Social Distortion tells of a love interest the singer had as a teenager that he did not act upon. Years later, he's looking back regretfully on how things from this youth have changed and how quickly his life and opportunity has passed him by. Bob Seger’s “Beautiful Loser” is about having goals set so low that you never achieve anything, and regretting not trying harder. “Shattered Dreams” by Johnny Hates Jazz is a lamenting tale of a romance that ends in betrayal. The Box Tops’ classic “Cry Like A Baby” tells the tale of a man who took for granted the love of his faithful girlfriend. It’s a pop song but has the sentiment of so many country & western songs because the main character regrets how terribly he treated his girl, now that she's left him. He cries every time he sees her or even thinks of her. In “Title and Registration” by Death Cab for Cutie, the singer finds old pictures of his girlfriend ("souvenirs from better times") in the glove compartment of his car and regrets why the relationship is needlessly over. Possibly the most famous song of regret is The Beatles’ “Yesterday”, which is incidentally the most covered pop song of all time, with over 3,000 versions according to The Guinness Book Of World Records. Its mass appeal is likely due to the purity of its message that 1) he said something wrong, 2) now she’s gone, and 3) he regrets the mistake. “Why she had to go, I don't know, she wouldn't say. I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday.” The lovely and sad melody coupled with Paul McCartney’s timeless lyrics resonate with everyone who ever had a broken heart.
No regrets, no worries.
To help me through the wilderness of dieting I like to seek diversions such as blogging and listening to music, to take my mind off my stomach.
Aside from Weird Al Yankovic's "My Bologna", I don't know of any songs which describe the regret of over-eating. However, in the great pantheon of Country & Western music, there are a gazillion songs about regret. Instead of saying "I wish I hadn't eaten all that", the songs tell stories of "I wish I hadn't _________". You can fill-in-the-blank. "I wish I hadn't told her she was old/fat/ugly and that her feet smelled". "I wish I had told her I loved her", and maybe she would still be around. Songwriters have set their regrets to music in countless songs. Here are just a few:
In “Revelry” by the Kings of Leon, the singer is regretful of a relationship ending because of his love of partying. “Story of My Life” by Social Distortion tells of a love interest the singer had as a teenager that he did not act upon. Years later, he's looking back regretfully on how things from this youth have changed and how quickly his life and opportunity has passed him by. Bob Seger’s “Beautiful Loser” is about having goals set so low that you never achieve anything, and regretting not trying harder. “Shattered Dreams” by Johnny Hates Jazz is a lamenting tale of a romance that ends in betrayal. The Box Tops’ classic “Cry Like A Baby” tells the tale of a man who took for granted the love of his faithful girlfriend. It’s a pop song but has the sentiment of so many country & western songs because the main character regrets how terribly he treated his girl, now that she's left him. He cries every time he sees her or even thinks of her. In “Title and Registration” by Death Cab for Cutie, the singer finds old pictures of his girlfriend ("souvenirs from better times") in the glove compartment of his car and regrets why the relationship is needlessly over. Possibly the most famous song of regret is The Beatles’ “Yesterday”, which is incidentally the most covered pop song of all time, with over 3,000 versions according to The Guinness Book Of World Records. Its mass appeal is likely due to the purity of its message that 1) he said something wrong, 2) now she’s gone, and 3) he regrets the mistake. “Why she had to go, I don't know, she wouldn't say. I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday.” The lovely and sad melody coupled with Paul McCartney’s timeless lyrics resonate with everyone who ever had a broken heart.
No regrets, no worries.
Monday, February 15, 2010
What's in a name?
Doug Fieger, lead singer of the Knack, just passed away. Thirty-one years ago, the year I married my beautiful wife Margaret, the Knack's song "My Sharona" was brand new and played constantly. Doug's powerful vocal and that terrific guitar solo and its great hooks made it an instant classic. As is many works of great literature and timeless poetry, a particular woman is the inspiration and is the personal muse of the artist. The Knack wrote many amazing rock songs, by "My Sharona" is their greatest legacy.
I suspect that, ever since music first began, men have been composing tunes for their special ladies. Beethoven composed a melody called Fur Elise ("For Elise"). No one is certain who "Elise" was. Some believe she was Beethoven's fifth mistress, while others have suggested that the discoverer of the piece, Ludwig Nohl, may have transcribed the title incorrectly and the original title should have been "Für Therese". Beethoven proposed to Therese Malfatti von Rohrenbach zu Dezza but she turned him down and married Austrian nobleman Wilhelm von Droßdik. Why marry a poor artist when you can get a rich nobleman? Or maybe she didn’t like the tune.
Jump ahead to the dawn of Rock and Roll and you will discover a staggering list of tunes dedicated to the one particular woman who needed to be immortalized in song. "Lucille", screamed Little Richard, "please come back where you belong". If you knew "Peggy Sue", then you would know why Buddy Holly felt blue. In fact, a great number of these songs capture the anguish, despair and longing of the songwriter whose world has been shattered by the woman in question. In "Maggie May", Rod Stewart wishes that he had never seen her face. In "Allison", Elvis Costello tells her it's over because she done him wrong. Women toying with the hearts of men have been the source material for too many songs to mention. When I was a young boy, my grandfather told me "Someday a woman will break your heart. You will never know greater pain than the pain caused by a woman." Apparently , a lot of songwriters agree with him.
The classic construct of "Boy Wants Girl, Boy Gets Girl, Boy Loses Girl" has been the basis of countless books, movies and songs. Because, like most people, I prefer finding to losing, I will concentrate the rest of this blog to songs about the search for women and that strange power they exact over men. "Rhiannon" cast her spell and you couldn't help but "love to love her". The Beach Boys pleaded "Help Me Rhonda". Eric Clapton was quite insistent when he commanded "Lay Down Sally". The Dexy's Midnight Runners begged "Come On Eileen", like there was any hope at all.
Finally, two more fantastic songs are worthy of mention. First, the classic "Gloria" by Van Morrison, with perhaps the greatest riff in Rock, celebrates the union of male and female like a spiritual awakening, a revelation, and a transcendance beyond the physical to achieve a true illumination of the sould. It's a religious experience. Second, perhaps more cheezy, but nonetheless just as heartfelt, "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond reminds us that, with the right woman, "good times never seemed so good". I am very lucky to say that, for the past 31 years, that's how it has been with me and Margaret. I am certain it will always be.
I suspect that, ever since music first began, men have been composing tunes for their special ladies. Beethoven composed a melody called Fur Elise ("For Elise"). No one is certain who "Elise" was. Some believe she was Beethoven's fifth mistress, while others have suggested that the discoverer of the piece, Ludwig Nohl, may have transcribed the title incorrectly and the original title should have been "Für Therese". Beethoven proposed to Therese Malfatti von Rohrenbach zu Dezza but she turned him down and married Austrian nobleman Wilhelm von Droßdik. Why marry a poor artist when you can get a rich nobleman? Or maybe she didn’t like the tune.
Jump ahead to the dawn of Rock and Roll and you will discover a staggering list of tunes dedicated to the one particular woman who needed to be immortalized in song. "Lucille", screamed Little Richard, "please come back where you belong". If you knew "Peggy Sue", then you would know why Buddy Holly felt blue. In fact, a great number of these songs capture the anguish, despair and longing of the songwriter whose world has been shattered by the woman in question. In "Maggie May", Rod Stewart wishes that he had never seen her face. In "Allison", Elvis Costello tells her it's over because she done him wrong. Women toying with the hearts of men have been the source material for too many songs to mention. When I was a young boy, my grandfather told me "Someday a woman will break your heart. You will never know greater pain than the pain caused by a woman." Apparently , a lot of songwriters agree with him.
The classic construct of "Boy Wants Girl, Boy Gets Girl, Boy Loses Girl" has been the basis of countless books, movies and songs. Because, like most people, I prefer finding to losing, I will concentrate the rest of this blog to songs about the search for women and that strange power they exact over men. "Rhiannon" cast her spell and you couldn't help but "love to love her". The Beach Boys pleaded "Help Me Rhonda". Eric Clapton was quite insistent when he commanded "Lay Down Sally". The Dexy's Midnight Runners begged "Come On Eileen", like there was any hope at all.
Finally, two more fantastic songs are worthy of mention. First, the classic "Gloria" by Van Morrison, with perhaps the greatest riff in Rock, celebrates the union of male and female like a spiritual awakening, a revelation, and a transcendance beyond the physical to achieve a true illumination of the sould. It's a religious experience. Second, perhaps more cheezy, but nonetheless just as heartfelt, "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond reminds us that, with the right woman, "good times never seemed so good". I am very lucky to say that, for the past 31 years, that's how it has been with me and Margaret. I am certain it will always be.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The Prince of Paupers
Michael McDermott is a very talented singer/songwriter from Chicago. I started listening to Michael's songs back in 1991, when he released his first album, 620 W. Surf. The album impressed me so much that was compelled to write him a fan letter. I had never written a fan letter before and I heaped praise after praise upon the young artist; comparing him to Dylan and Springsteen. The letter got the attention of his manager who then called Michael on the road and read him my glowing fan letter. Michael was amused and through his generous nature, which he still has today, invited me to be his guest at an upcoming concert in Austin. It was in the fall of 1991 that I first met Michael McDermott, and he has been a friend of mine ever since.
About ten years later, I flew to Chicago for a conference and I saw Michael again. This time, I did not have an invitation, but after the show I waited with a large group of fans to go backstage for autographs and meet Michael. Before I could even say hello, Michael said, "Dr. Vic...how have you been, brother?" We chatted very briefly, musing about our respective careers, and then I went back out into the cold Chicago night thinking how amazing it was that he remembered me after all those years.
More time passed. Michael continued to improve his storytelling and expand his fan base. Through blogs and websites, he has kept in touch with his fans, who refer to themselves at the pauper community after one of Michael's songs "Pauper's Sky". His songs strike chords with his fans because he has a knack for capturing those universal experiences of longing and despair. Like Woody Guthrie, he writes of the plight of the common man, the downtrodden, the losers, the broken spirits. Through the years, Michael McDermott has created a mosiac of songs full of characters that we recognize. Characters who strive to shine some light in the darkness and overcome life's hardships. His songs give us hope.
His latest album is called Hey La Hey, a phrase immediately recognizable to McDermott fans because of its appearance in his older songs such as "Bells", and, once again, it is a triumph. In my opinion, it is his best work to date. Check out the single, "So Am I" on YouTube www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIcTPLoKMww
and more of McDermott's music at his website http://www.michael-mcdermott.com/
Here is the CD insert for Hey La Hey, signed by Michael. One of these days, all will be revealed.
About ten years later, I flew to Chicago for a conference and I saw Michael again. This time, I did not have an invitation, but after the show I waited with a large group of fans to go backstage for autographs and meet Michael. Before I could even say hello, Michael said, "Dr. Vic...how have you been, brother?" We chatted very briefly, musing about our respective careers, and then I went back out into the cold Chicago night thinking how amazing it was that he remembered me after all those years.
More time passed. Michael continued to improve his storytelling and expand his fan base. Through blogs and websites, he has kept in touch with his fans, who refer to themselves at the pauper community after one of Michael's songs "Pauper's Sky". His songs strike chords with his fans because he has a knack for capturing those universal experiences of longing and despair. Like Woody Guthrie, he writes of the plight of the common man, the downtrodden, the losers, the broken spirits. Through the years, Michael McDermott has created a mosiac of songs full of characters that we recognize. Characters who strive to shine some light in the darkness and overcome life's hardships. His songs give us hope.
His latest album is called Hey La Hey, a phrase immediately recognizable to McDermott fans because of its appearance in his older songs such as "Bells", and, once again, it is a triumph. In my opinion, it is his best work to date. Check out the single, "So Am I" on YouTube www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIcTPLoKMww
and more of McDermott's music at his website http://www.michael-mcdermott.com/
Here is the CD insert for Hey La Hey, signed by Michael. One of these days, all will be revealed.
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